The next morning he got up and showered and dressed, then walked down hall to Cassie's room. He saw no sign of her and her bed was made. He went down the kitchen and started coffee and while it was brewing, he looked out the back door to see Cassie and Teyla stretching from an apparent morning workout. He went back to pour two cups of coffee and made some hot chocolate and went out the back door.
"You two were up early." Jack noted.
"Yes, well, Teyla got me working out while I was on Atlantis. It really helped me focus. I want to keep it up and since she is here…" Cassie replied.
"Cassie, Teyla is technically on vacation. You know, no job, sleeping in…" Jack teased.
"It is fine General O'Neill. I enjoy starting the day with a good workout and Cassie is a very quick study." Teyla replied.
Jack nodded. He looked over at Cassie. "You better clean up, unless you want to ride in the back of the truck."
Cassie looked down at her sweat wet clothes and back up. She had an evil grin on her face. Jack realized too late what was going to happen as Cassie closed the distance and wrapped her arms around him in a sweaty hug.
"Ugh, and use lots of soap." He said.
Cassie giggled, took her cup and left. Teyla followed to use the guest bathroom to clean up.
Cassie used Jack's bathroom and was done quicker than he ever thought possible for her to get in and out of a shower and get dressed. Maybe Atlantis was good for her.
She came back downstairs and went out on the back porch to enjoy the peaceful morning.
Jack sat down by Cassie and handed her some more hot chocolate. She smiled and took the cup. "Thanks."
"Welcome."
She put the cup down and held up her hands. Seeing Jack raise his eyebrows in question she smiled. "No cigarette." She said proudly.
"Good. I am very happy about that." He replied.
She leaned against him. "Thanks for helping me, and thanks for not getting on to me for making some questionable decisions."
"Cassie, I love you. So does Sam as well as Daniel and Teal'c. We are here to help you and support you. We will never criticize you. Besides, questionable decisions are part of growing up." He smirked. "Or as Sam has pointed out to me on occasion, my refusal to do so."
Cassie giggled.
They dropped Teyla off at base to be beamed to D.C. and then went to see Cassie's doctor for her promised appointment upon return.
She was pleased with Cassie's progress and thought she was doing well. She talked with Cassie a while, then wanted to talk to Jack alone.
She highlighted some areas for them to watch out for as far mood swings, attitude and personality changes. She then asked about the plans for reintegrating Cassie back into her college environment, where the assault occurred.
Jack shifted in his chair. "We are taking her back, so she can take her finals she missed. I plan on staying with her the first ten days or so, just to make sure she is good."
Doctor Reagan nodded. "I understand no legal action was taken against the boy?"
Jack sighed in frustration "No. When Cassie left, she hadn't reported it and now with the bruising gone, it's her word against his. There were no other witnesses. It's frustrating. I asked her about it but she is afraid it won't do any good and she didn't want to face that." he answered.
Reagan nodded. "Unfortunately, too many times that ends up being the case. The problem becomes that she may have to face him again, or run across him on campus and this can cause her some extreme anxiety."
"What do we do?" Jack asked.
"Well, first thing is ensure she knows she does not have to tolerate that treatment. If she faces that kind of aggression, she needs to get away, alert the campus police, the city police, something, anything, but to get away from situation and go somewhere where she can be in control. Many colleges have safe havens for women, where they can go anytime and someone will be there with access to a phone to call for help. I know that on television, women beat up men all the time, but realistically, Cassie cannot expect to win a fight against someone who is twice her size and weight. She needs to understand that is not a weakness, she is just not trained to fight and to be honest, I don't get the sense that is her personality."
"No, it is not. She is neither naturally aggressive nor fond of conflict." Jack responded.
Reagan nodded. "I got that understanding, but the flip side is you need to watch for actually becoming aggressive or overly sensitive to perceived slights or threats. I really don't see it being an issue as Cassie seems to very well balanced, intelligent, and has a great support system, but sometimes, it is easy for someone in her situation to become suspicious and feel they have to defend themselves even when no threat exists. If you see this kind of behavior, I will need to see her back."
They talked for a few more minutes, then brought Cassie back in and finished the session.
They headed back to the house and where Teyla, Daniel, and Teal'c were waiting. Jack raised his eyebrows at them as he climbed out.
Daniel spoke first. "Since we kind of had some time off due, we thought we might join you when you take Cassie back to school."
Jack looked at Daniel, whose eagerness and willingness to help Cassie were all over his face. Teal'c of course remained expressionless, but Jack knew the big Jaffa carried a soft spot for Cassie in his heart. He also knew that Teal'c was not headed back to Dakara for a few more days.
He smiled and looked at Teyla. "Let me guess. Sam asked that you tag along and then brief her how it goes when you get back?"
Teyla smiled. "Something like that General O'Neill." She answered. "If it is an imposition…"
"Of course not, and Cassie would love to have you."
Jack looked over at Cassie who was practically beaming. She walked over and hugged the three, thanking them.
After loading the vehicles, Daniel and Teal'c got into Daniel's car and followed them in Jack's truck to Cassie's college.
The next night, Cassie took them to a local restaurant where they sat and ate, and watched Teyla in amusement as she in turned watched Teal'c eat his usual large amount of food. The college age crowd was growing and a few people waved at Cassie or said hi.
Jack realized that this must be a local hangout and suspected that very soon, they were going to be the very old people in the room. Cassie must have read his mind.
"Relax Jack. Lots of the students bring their parents here for dinner when the semesters start. Grandparents too."
Teyla suppressed a grin as Jack adopted a sour look. "That doesn't help, Cass."
Cassie laughed as she got up to head to the restroom. Jack watched as she went down the hall.
Cassie had just stepped into the hall when the Men's room opened and someone stepped out. Cassie didn't even pay attention until the hand clamped on her arm.