The sky was blue above her head. She could smell the dirt and the perfume of the grass as she crouched down hiding, shaking in fear; her heart pounding.

She had been late; she didn't know what had happened but she'd woken up in the forest and she had been late and everyone was dead...

Everyone but the monsters walking around in the strange clothing and she was scared, so scared...she tried to hide but they found her. One was talking to her and she sounded friendly; monsters couldn't be friendly could they?

She scurried backwards as one approached; it was a dark man with a gold symbol on his face and he held out his hand...

And suddenly, there was a blue puddle in front of her and she was alone but she knew she had to walk through it. Had to stretch out her hand again and trust that she would find Teal'c reaching back...

Cassie came abruptly awake.

Clearly, her life had taken a turn into the surreal, Cassie mused as she stared up at the ceiling of the Goa'uld ship. She rubbed her eyes and sat up in the make-shift bed, wriggling so that she could rest against the wall. She glanced around the rest of the hold. Vala was fast asleep up against the neighbouring wall. Muted voices drifted through the open doorway from the cock-pit.

She checked her watch and was surprised to realise that she had slept for ten whole hours. Maybe it wasn't so surprising, Cassie thought wryly; the day before had been long and tiring, and it had been the climax of weeks of worry about SG1. It felt good though to be finally doing something.

She shoved the sleeping-bag off as quietly as she could to avoid waking Vala, grabbed her bag and headed for the onboard facilities to freshen-up. She grimaced at the cramped space and wondered how SG1 had ever coped on the long journeys they had sometimes made. Vala had predicted they had another day of travel before they reached Cartegia and Cassie wasn't looking forward to it.

She washed and changed into a clean t-shirt before dragging on a sweater to keep warm. The ship's interior was cool; she guessed the Goa'uld were not concerned with keeping warm. She headed back into the hold and stowed her stuff. She nodded at Rya'c with a shy smile as he made his way over to his bundle of blankets. She smoothed her hands down her jeans and walked into the cockpit to join Jonas.

Jonas looked up from the controls to smile at her as Cassie slipped into the passenger seat. 'Hey.'

'Hey, yourself.' Cassie was pleased they finally had a moment alone to catch up. She motioned at him. 'I didn't realise you could fly one of these.'

'I had to learn during the occupation.' Jonas explained with a shrug. 'I can keep us flying in a straight line for a couple of hours while Rya'c and Vala get some rest.'

'I feel kind of useless.' Cassie admitted. As much as she had defended her right to search for SG1 and her abilities, she knew she was the least experienced person on board.

Jonas offered her a half-smile. 'I felt the same when I started out with SG1.' He shifted his hands slightly. 'You should have seen me on the first mission. Jack wouldn't let me do anything, and then we got attacked and I froze. If it hadn't been for Teal'c I would have been toast.'

'Really?' Cassie leaned back in her chair and crossed her hands over her belly. 'I thought you saved everyone's lives by swimming through freezing water and getting the power rerouted so you could all escape from the glider bay.' The light streaming outside was almost hypnotic.

'That was later.' Jonas said.

'Later the same day.' Cassie remarked with a soft laugh, glancing over at him.

Jonas shrugged. 'I still felt way out of my depth.'

'Well, you were at the bottom of the ocean.' She teased.

Jonas looked over at her, his eyes shining with amusement. 'Clever.'

Cassie smiled back. Her eyes were drawn to the distorted field of light in front of her. She shook her head. 'I can't believe I'm actually doing this.'

'Why are you?' Jonas asked bluntly.

She looked over at him sharply.

He grimaced as though regretting he had raised the subject and leaned over to adjust a dial on the console. He took his hands off the controls. 'Autopilot.' He explained. He swivelled in his chair to look at her. 'I was talking to the others while you were asleep. Vala told me this was all your idea.'

Cassie felt the sudden urge to squirm under his intense gaze.

'It's not like SG1 haven't gone missing before, Cassie.' Jonas said softly. 'They've always made it back without you doing this.' He held her gaze. 'How is this time different?'

Cassie turned away from him, unsettled by the question. What was different? She could barely remember a time of her life when she hadn't waited for SG1 to return from some mission. It was a part of her normality. But it was different this time, Cassie mused. She just wasn't sure that she knew why. Maybe it would actually help to talk about it.

'Cassie.' Jonas gently prompted.

She wet her lips. 'The day I was told they were missing,' she began, 'it was the ten year anniversary of when SG1 found me.'

'Ten years? Really?' Jonas asked.

Cassie nodded, staring out into the field of light. 'You know I can't really remember much about that day; about my family dying or seeing that. Mom said to me once that my mind had blocked it out but...I remember feeling so incredibly scared. And I remember Sam talking to me but I thought she was a monster. And I remember Teal'c...stretching out his hand to me.' She shifted in her seat, leaning forward. 'I walked through the Stargate for the first time that day.'

'And you think finding out on the anniversary was some kind of sign?' Jonas realised.

'I've dreamed about it.' Cassie continued as though he hadn't spoken. 'I've dreamed about the day SG1 found me ever since I found out they were missing.' She looked at him finally and was unsurprised to see him gazing back at her compassionately; taking her seriously. 'I know it probably doesn't mean anything; that it's probably just nothing more than my fears about them festering away in my subconscious – psychology 101, right? – but...'

'But it feels like it means something.' Jonas said.

Cassie nodded. She rubbed her upper arms trying to get warm. 'I can't help thinking maybe it means that I'm supposed to find them this time.' She tried a smile. 'Weird, huh?'

'Not so weird; I mean I used to see the future.' Jonas pointed out.

His acceptance of her warmed her and she let out a small breath. 'You miss your power?' Cassie asked, interestedly.

Jonas nodded and waved at her. 'You?'

'Sure.' Cassie admitted. 'It was kind of fun being able to move stuff with my mind.' And scary. In hindsight, it had definitely not been a good idea.

'Well, at least we both survived what Nirrti did to us.' Jonas said, stretching his arms out above his head.

Cassie shuddered imperceptibly at the name of the Goa'uld who had killed her home-world. She was just glad Nirrti was dead. A memory came back to her; a half-remembered overheard conversation between the members of SG1 and her Mom. She bit her lip. 'Didn't she try to seduce you?'

Jonas shot her a look. 'Thank you for reminding me.'

She held up a hand in surrender.

They sat quietly for a while watching the light show as the ship travelled through space.

'So what happened to whatshisface?' Jonas asked eventually. He hazarded a guess at the name. 'Bill?'

'Will,' Cassie corrected, 'and don't even make like you don't remember his name.' Jonas had a fantastic memory. 'We broke up.' It seemed like a life-time before. It still stung though. The realisation that she hadn't been enough for him; that he had someone else. How stupid she'd felt.

'Sorry.' Jonas said. 'Should I be offering to punch him?'

She sighed, hearing the sincerity in his voice. 'I already took care of that.' The splash of blood on Will's split lip flashed in her mind with satisfaction. 'What about you?' She waved at him. 'You must have women falling all over you; the hero of the Resistance and all.'

'Uh, no.' Jonas shook his head with a laugh.

'Seriously?' Cassie frowned. 'But why not? I mean, you're not exactly ugly.' There had been a time when she'd had the most massive crush on him. Something she think he knew but thankfully never brought up. She had been young and a teenager, Cassie thought breezily, and her words stood: Jonas was an attractive man. She ignored the flutter in her stomach that signalled agreement. She was just getting out of a bad relationship; it wasn't going to improve things if she restarted a crush on a man whom she believed only saw her as a pesky little sister.

He shot her an amused look. 'Thank you.' He said dryly.

Cassie flushed slightly. 'You know what I mean.'

'For the record being the hero of the Resistance isn't all that great.' Jonas said it with enough feeling that Cassie winced.

'Sorry.'

'Not your fault.' Jonas grimaced. 'It's just been...difficult since the war ended.' There was a wealth of feeling in the words; a tangle of emotion Cassie couldn't quite work out, all coming from an experience she had been spared. Earth had been lucky.

Cassie pulled her feet up onto the seat and hugged her knees. 'I was surprised you decided not to stand for election as leader.'

'I wouldn't have been elected.' Jonas said succinctly.

'Why not?' Cassie gestured at him. 'I would have thought you'd be a shoo-in after leading the Resistance.'

Jonas shook his head sadly. 'For every person who thinks I'm a hero for leading the Resistance, there's another who looks at me and sees the reminder that they believed in a False God.' He sighed. 'Viyul is a good leader. She was part of the Resistance but she only came over after her brother was killed by the Ori soldiers for some minor blasphemy. Up until that point she'd been willing to follow Origin. She understands both sides.'

'You sound like a fan.' Cassie commented.

'I am.' Jonas admitted.

'Really?' Cassie teased.

Jonas sighed dramatically in mock protest. 'She's married, Cassie, and, getting back to the subject, I don't mind not being leader. I really didn't want to lead the Resistance.'

'So are you enjoying being a professor?' Cassie asked, thinking of her own plans to teach. She had thought she had chosen something that she could do and enjoy but she was wondering if she had simply chosen it because it was so normal and she really wasn't normal at all. Maybe, Cassie considered with sudden insight, she was still hiding in the grass, trying not to be discovered by the Earthlings.

'It's OK.' Jonas said. 'We have a lot to rebuild since the occupation ended. If I'm needed to teach then...' he shrugged.

'You don't sound too keen.' Cassie commented, thinking of her own revelation. She wondered if Jonas was hiding too.

Jonas glanced over at her. 'There's talk of us starting our own Stargate programme. If that happens, I'd prefer...'

'To go through the Stargate.' Cassie completed before he could.

Jonas gave a rueful smile. 'Crazy I know but...' he sighed, 'I miss it. I miss going to new worlds, just,' he waved a hand at the streaming light in front of them, 'being out here, discovering new things.' He gazed out sadly. 'Don't get me wrong; I love Langara but sometimes, especially after everything that's happened, I wish I could just leave.'

Cassie stared at him; his words echoing in her head as an idea formed.

'What?' Jonas asked as he took in her expression.

Cassie grinned. 'I think I have a plan on how to approach the Cartegians.'