Chapter Eighty Five

She stepped forward, her hand caressing his cheek.
His eyebrows raised, but otherwise he didn't move just in case.
Janet swallowed past the lump in her throat.
Well that had gone a bit far.
No wonder she'd sworn off love games.
She'd forgotten how many idiotic misunderstandings they almost inevitably caused.
"I want to be with you, Jack. I just feel a bit, I don't know...caged with Cassie's expectations."
Jack let out the breath he'd been holding.
"Not a problem. We tell her we're dating, we keep our hands off each other when she's in the house unless we lock her in an empty, windowless room, ouch..."
Jack grinned and rubbed his arm, unabashed.
"...and we have fun as a couple until we know where we're going and how we want to get there."
"Essentially we do what we're doing now."
"With the addition of Cassie's input, yeah."
Janet sighed.
"Well that got us right around the block and back to where we started from...I do love progress."
Jack reached behind her and locked the bathroom door.
"I'll modify my sentence. Unless we're locked in a windowless room."
Janet stared at him, still trying to figure out a way to deal with Cassie that wouldn't result in massive heartbreak for the little girl if she and Jack didn't work out.
She realized Cassie would see the closed bathroom door and would think...
"Jack, they'll get the wrong impression."
"What wrong impression?"
"Jack..."
Jack silenced her protests efficiently and effectively.

* * * * * *

"I doubt that."
"It's true. They're getting married."
"What makes you so sure?"
"I asked her if she'd ever marry someone besides Jack and she said no."
"So? So what? That may just mean one marriage was enough, Cass."
"No...you don't understand. She bought a wedding dress before I went to Hawaii. I asked her why and she said she just fell in love with it when she saw it and couldn't help herself. I thought it was silly, but it isn't if she's..."
"Getting married."
"Yup."
Cassie looked around her at the men's faces, very satisfied.
Daniel and General Hammond looked unsure...as if they doubted, but couldn't be certain, and Teal'c was definitely believing her.
His eyes were happy and she settled into his lap, turning up the volume of the movie.
It was almost over.
At least it was a five-day rental so she didn't have to worry about having to get it back too soon.
*You do not believe her?*
Daniel smiled.
*I don't doubt that Janet bought the dress. Cassie doesn't lie...well like that, anyway. She delights in deliberately lying to embarrass adults if it gets her her way, but never maliciously. I just think Jack would've said something to me if he were thinking along those lines.*
*Perhaps he is not, but she is.*
*Could be. If so, my bet's on her. Jack doesn't stand a chance.*
*So it is a child's wish.*
*I don't blame her. To have both parents, even if they aren't the ones she was born with...*
Daniel let the topic drop, not wanting to think about his own parents.
*Do you believe Nurse Morhs is with child?*
*I have no clue. This situation is so strange and surreal that I'm reserving judgement until Janet examines her.*
*That is wise.*
*I know.*
Jolinar's amusement at his fake pompousness soothed a lot more of the feathers she'd ruffled earlier.
She'd been trying to control her outbursts of anger and he was trying to help.
"I'm not sure if the Colonel can be involved with Dr. Fraiser at the moment."
"Huh?"
Daniel turned to the General, confused by the whispered comment.
"Well, I'm not going to say anything to stop it, especially since everyone's known about them from the start, but the fact is...Dr. Fraiser isn't just Dr, Fraiser right now and that other person in there is a teammate...hence the no fraternization rule."
"You're kidding. You would actually tear them apart?"
George looked over at Cassie, making sure she wasn't hearing their conversation.
"Like I said, this is new territory for us. I'm not going to change anything, but something is going to have to be decided about whether I'm going to have to promote another doctor to being CMO or replace Captain Carter on SG-1."
Daniel leaned against the couch, his legs stretching out in front of him on the floor.
He was stunned and he had no clue what to say.
He knew how needed Janet was in the infirmary, but to lose Sam from the team...
Another thought hit him.
"What if Sam fell in love with someone, too?"
Teal'c turned to him.
"I already thought of this, DanielJackson. I decided it was not worth further thought. We can only support CaptainCarter and DoctorFraiser in their decision should the situation arise."
*He is correct.*
*I know.*
*So think on something else.*
*I'll govern my own thoughts, thank you.*
*What are we doing tomorrow?*
Daniel glanced at the clock.
*That depends on when we can convince Cassie to go to bed. It's almost eleven and she's putting in another movie...oh, I haven't seen that one.*
"Cassie...where'd you get that movie?"
"It was in Jack's room. It was opened."
"Cassie...nevermind. Just push play. If Jack minds, he can stop you."
"Daniel?"
"Yes, Jack?"
"Don't have kids. They'll walk all over you."
"Actually, I have a feeling they won't. It's just other people's kids I let run wild."
"Ah...okay."
He glanced up at Janet and Jack, grinning at the thought of them naming all their children names starting with "J".
*Cassandra would feel left out.*
*Yeah, probably.*
"Cassie? I had that movie in my room for a reason."
"Why?"
"Because Janet doesn't want you watching it without me."
"Oh, okay. Sit down."
Jack just looked at her until she sighed.
"Please sit down?"
"Actually, I thought I'd put you to bed."
Cassie's eyes filled with tears for real.
"It's only eleven."
Jack sighed.
"Well, if you'd rather watch a movie than get up and head to Florida..."
"Florida!"
"Florida?"
"Jack?"
"Colonel?"
"Yeah, Florida."
"Janet? Really?"
Janet smiled at the hope in Cassandra's expression.
She'd had her doubts when Jack had suggested it, but maybe he was right.
Jack took a seat on the couch beside the General, moving his legs so Daniel could lay back against them since Jack's feet were where Daniel had been sitting.
As Daniel settled in, bopping Jack's feet whenever they dug into him, Janet sat on the floor, Indian-style.

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