Two Days Later
Cassie jumps way up in the air when the doorbell rings.
"It's ok, honey, that's just an Earth way of letting someone know that there is someone at the door." Janet peaks through the keyhole, and sees nothing but a giant teddy bear. "What is going on?" she mutters to herself.
She opens up the door, to see that Daniel is being smothered by the bear. "Ah, hi, Dr. Jackson."
"I, ah… brought something for Cassie, if that's ok."
"Sure. Come on in," Janet says, moving aside.
"Hey, Cassie," Daniel says, handing it to her.
"What am I supposed to do with that?" she asks.
"Hug it when you're having a bad day," Daniel says.
"Thanks," Cassie says.
"Ah… I also got you something else, I just don't want you to misunderstand it," Daniel says pulling in a colorful suitcase in from outside. "Cassie, when I was little, my parents died. And I grew up in foster care. I came from a different culture too, and then suddenly I was America-bound, and a little bit lost. And I got moved around a lot, and every time that I moved, I had to pack up my things in garbage bags. And it made me feel like I didn't belong. I couldn't stand the thought of that happening to you. So I got you suitcases, but then I started to worry that you were going to think they meant I wanted to you leave. I don't. I just want you to feel like you belong."
"I love the thought, Daniel, but that suitcase isn't going to be used for anything but vacations. Cassie and I are working toward adoption. George has been great about helping us cut through the paperwork."
He turns to her with eyes sparkling, "Adoption, really?"
"Yeah," Janet says.
"That is fabulous news," he says to Cassie.
She nods her head.
A buzzer goes off in the kitchen, "Earth is really loud," Cassie says.
"This one means dinner is ready," Janet says, walking into the kitchen.
"Oh, you guys were going to eat. I don't want to interrupt, I should probably go," Daniel mutters very slowly, waiting for someone to interrupt him.
Cassie obediently waits until he's done, and then says, "You should stay."
"Yeah?" he asks, glancing at the quickly-retreating form of Janet.
"Yes, Daniel, stay," Janet tells him.
Two Days Later
"Sweetie, dinner is ready," Janet says, standing at the doorway.
"I'm not hungry."
"Ok, well, why don't the two of us go draw?" Janet says, trying to bribe her daughter with her favorite activity.
Cassie continues to lay face down on the bed without moving.
"TV, then?"
Nothing.
"We could go shopping, and get more clothes."
Again, there is no response.
"We can call someone on the phone." Cassie viewed the phone as a magical way to contact people in other places. She'd been so fascinated that Janet had bought one for her room, even though she thought her daughter was far too young for her own phone.
Cassie just lays on her bed.
"Cassie, tell me what I can do to make it better," her mother pleads.
And she hears a sob.
Janet is starting to worry that she isn't really cut out for this whole motherhood thing. She should be able to fix this, to make it better. Her daughter is suffering, and she can't do anything about it.
The doorbell rings, and Janet sighs as she goes to get it.
"Daniel, well, I'm a lucky girl to get a personal appearance twice in one week."
"I just thought I'd check in, I know how the first couple of weeks in a new placement can be. How is she doing?" Daniel asks.
"Great," Janet smiles.
"Yeah?" he asks, looking at her critically.
"No, not really. She wouldn't get out of bed. I can't do this, Daniel."
"Janet, after my parents died, I would have killed for a mother like you. Can I see her?" he asks.
Janet nods.
Daniel runs up the steps and pauses when he sees a crushed little girl in bed. It's harder to be around someone that is broken than it is to be broken yourself.
He walks around to the bed, and gives her a weak smile, "Tough day, little one."
She doesn't say anything.
He bends down before her. "You know it's ok to be sad, right?"
She looks at him surprised.
"Yeah. Sadness, despair, happiness, anger, loneliness – they're all ok things to be feeling, honey."
She looks at him with surprise on her face.
"You want some company?"
Cassie nods her head and scoots over. Daniel climbs into bed, and pulls her into his arms. "You're not alone, Cassie. You're never alone," he tells her.
-0-0-0-
Cassie's eyes pop open in horror. There are Goa'ulds under her bed. She knows there are Goa'ulds under her bed. She's too scared to say in this room alone for one more minute. But if she puts her feet on the ground, they will get her. She'd die. She needs Janet, but she doesn't have a way to get her.
Then Cassie turns to phone. She can reach it without putting her feet on the ground. She turns the light on and fumbles for the numbers by the phone. Daniel, he'll find a way to save her.
"Daniel, you have to save me," she says.
"Cassie, is that you?" Daniel says in a startled voice.
"Daniel, please," she says sobbing.
"Cassie, what's wrong?" Daniel asks, imagining all kind of situations involving everything from the NID to invasion of the world.
"There are Goa'uld under my bed," Cassie informs Daniel.
"Honey, there aren't any Goa'uld under your bed," he assures her.
"But there are," Cassie sobs.
"Listen honey, you have to go get your mom. As soon as your mom is there, and the light is on, everything is going to seem a whole lot less scary."
"But if I go get Janet, the Goa'uld will get me," Cassie says.
"Ok, look, honey, here is what we are going to do. We're going to hang up the phone. Then I'm going to call again. You're going to let the phone ring. And then your mom is going to pick up, and I'm going to explain this to her, and she's going to come in there and help you."
"But if Janet comes in here, the Goa'uld will hurt her."
"Your mother? No way, she's the slayer of Goa'uld, babe. I promise everything is going to be ok."
"Ok," Cassie says softly.
The seconds before Janet picks up the phone are among the longest in Daniel's life. "Janet…"
"Daniel? It's two in the morning."
"I know, I'm sorry, it's just Cassie."
"Cassie?" Janet sits up in shock. "What do you mean?"
"Don't panic. She's safe, she's just terrified. She had a bad dream."
"How do you know my daughter had a bad dream?"
"She called me."
"She called you at two in the morning?"
"Yeah."
"Well, I should probably go…"
"Yeah."
-0-0-0-
"Cassie," Janet says, standing at the doorway to her daughter's room.
"Janet, careful, there are Goa'ulds everywhere!"
"No, there are no Goa'uld on Earth. You're safe," Janet says, crawling into bed with her daughter.
"There were no Goa'uld on my planet, either," Cassie sobs.
"Oh, God, Sweetie, I know," Janet says.
"Are you going to go die too, Janet?" Cassie asks.
"I'm going to do my best not to," Janet says gently.
"No," Cassie pleads, digging nails into her side.
"Honey," Janet says.
"No, you can't leave me, Janet. No," Cassie cries.
"Ok, I promise not to die until you're all grown up," Janet says, running her fingers though her daughter's hair.
"Promise?"
"Yeah, I promise."
There is a long moment of silence then Janet says, "Why did you call Daniel?"
"'Cause I couldn't call you," Cassie says. Janet's heart swells with the knowledge that her daughter did want her. She was never sure; Cassie didn't show affection easily. She'd been reading books, and that was typical for kids who have just lost their parents. But she still needs to know that she's doing good for her daughter.
"You know, you actually can call me from this phone, too," Janet says.
"Really?"
"Yeah, it's a little trick that most people don't know. If you call the number, and then hang up, it will ring. Then both of us can pick it up. So if you ever get scared in the middle of the night again, you can just do that, and I'll come."
Cassie nods her head.
"I'll always come for you, honey." Janet feels Cassie relax in her arms. "I love you, honey. Do you want me to stay?"
Cassie nods her head. Janet scooches over into a more comfortable position. "I love you, Janet," Cassie says not looking at her mom.
Janet's heart soars. She's said that to Cassie every day since Cassie came to live with her. But she's never gotten it in return, until now.
-0-0-0-
"Mommy and Daddy, Grandpa and I got you a present!" Ty says, running up to his parents as they walk through the door.
"Ah, and what is the surprise?" Jack asks, not really expecting an answer.
"A piece of paper," Ty says.
"Ah, and does this piece of paper have something written on it?" Sam asks with a smile.
Ty nods.
"And what does it say?" Jack prompts, enjoying the fact that Ty wasn't understanding his mother.
"Daddy, you know I can't read," Ty says.
Jacob comes up behind, and hands them an envelope. Sam opens it up, "Two tickets to Hawaii."
"You never got your honeymoon. I've already cleared the time off with George," Jacob says with a big grin.
"Dad, I really appreciate this, but it's too much," Sam says.
"Too much? We're family, Sam. And you guys have been amazing with me for a long time," Jacob protests.
"It's just not the right time," Jack protests.
"And what would make it the right time?"
"Sometime when I'm not huge with pregnancy," Jacks says.
"Hey, this would be a week break from my prosthetic stomach," Sam says.
"You don't want to do this because I'm sick," Jacob says.
"Jacob, that's not all of it."
"I got a clean bill of health," Jacob says with a grin.
"You're kidding?" Sam says.
Jacob shakes his head.
She pulls him into a hug, and makes a squeal.
"Done with chemo, eh?" Jack asks, joining the hug.
"Dad, I am so happy, but that doesn't mean we have go on a vacation," Sam says.
"You missed it because of me. I want you to have this," Jacob says. "I'll take care of the kid, and the pets."