Feedback?
As it had turned out, the alien girl Cassandra whom SG-1 had rescued on their last mission didn't go off, or do whatever it was they had thought she was going to do.
Janet's heart had gone out to the young girl when she had returned to the infirmary, being carried by Sam Carter. Her commanding officer, Jack O'Neill had been hovering protectively behind the pair, his face pale. Something had obviously shook him up badly, and based on Sam's wide eyes, it had most likely involved Sam putting herself in danger. Janet had seen how much Cassandra meant to Sam even in the short time that she had known her. It further emphasised Janet's own desire for children, especially as if she hadn't miscarried, her first child would have been the same age as Cassandra.
Sam gently placed the girl down on the nearest gurney, while both she and Jack hovered nearby like anxious parents. Automatically, she looked back to see if Daniel and Teal'c were following, but there was no sign of the other half of SG-1. Janet speculated that they had gone to inform Hammond of the latest developments as she started to run a number of tests on the alien girl. Her speculations were confirmed when the three men entered the infirmary half-an-hour later, and the General asked how Cassandra was doing.
"She's fine sir," Janet replied, shaking her head in disbelief. "I don't know how sir, or what happened, but she's fine. I want to run some more tests on her, and keep her in the infirmary for a couple of days for observation, but I can't see anything wrong with her. If I didn't know better, I'd just say that she was a normal twelve-year-old girl. I'm going to give her a light sedative again to get her to sleep for a bit, because she looks like she could do with it, and I highly doubt that she's going to be able to sleep naturally tonight at least."
"Very well, Doctor," he replied, watching as Janet returned to the girl's bedside and spoke to her gently, running a soothing hand over her head as she told one of the nurses to prepare the sedative. "SG-1, Doctor Frasier, when Cassandra is sleeping, if you could all come up to the briefing room so I can talk to you."
Janet just turned round briefly, and nodded, while both Sam and Jack replied orally with "Yes, sir." Daniel and Teal'c followed Hammond out of the infirmary, obviously feeling that they were not needed there.
Twenty minutes later, they were all seated around the table in the briefing room. Janet was sitting opposite Daniel, who was clearly uncomfortable still about being around her. It had been nearly a month since they had ended up in bed together after their encounter with Hathor, and Janet had tried to keep things as normal as possible since then. However, they both knew that it was impossible to pretend that nothing had happened between them, although their working relationship had yet to be affected.
"Now that Doctor Frasier has declared that Cassandra is safe, there is now the decision as what we're to do with her," Hammond began. "She obviously can't live here in the mountain for the rest of her life, nor can she be adopted through normal channels."
"Whoever adopts her will have to have high enough clearance to know about the Stargate Project and her background," Jack agreed.
"And they need to live in or near Colorado Springs just in case something goes wrong in later years," Janet added, an idea forming in her head.
Hammond nodded, his gaze flickering towards Sam, who was sitting quietly next to Daniel and opposite Jack. "Captain Carter, you seem to have grown very close to this girl. Do you have any input on what we should do with her?"
Sam looked up at him. "I would offer to take her in myself... I would love to adopt her General, but I don't think that it would be fair to her what with my position on SG-1. I'm away too often to be able to cope with a child, and I can't justify leaving my team." The sadness showed on her face, and Janet knew that Cassandra would also be disappointed that she wouldn't be able to live with Sam. She looked briefly at the colonel next to her; knowing how much he loved children, but also knowing that he was in the same situation as Sam – there was no way that he could look after Cassandra as well as being on SG-1.
"General," Janet spoke up. "I would be willing to adopt her. I'm at home more often than SG-1, and as I'm not a part of an off world team, I'm not away for long periods at time. Cassandra already knows me, and I her, so she won't be going away to live with strangers. Captain Carter and Colonel O'Neill would be able to visit her at any time possible. Also, if anything goes wrong, I'm going to be the first to know."
Hammond thought for a minute. "I need to consult the president and the joint chiefs before anything can happen," he reminded them. "But all things considered, Doctor Fraiser's idea is probably the best one to use."
"I agree," Jack spoke up, casting a glance back at the petite doctor. He knew her better than he had admitted to anyone, although as far as the others knew she was a good sparring partner for his comments and wit, and he had acknowledged that she was one of only a few people who could actually control him.
"So do I," Daniel spoke up. He had been watching Janet intently, being the only one in the room who knew of her medical history, and had already worked out that Cassandra was of a similar age as to what Janet's eldest would have been. Despite the fact the morning after, he could remember very little of the night they had shared, in the ensuring days, he had recalled the majority of their conversation. He had yet to speak to Janet about what they had talked about, not sure if that had been included in their agreement to forget everything.
The General nodded as he left the briefing room to return to his office and talk to those in charge.
A week later, they were all in the park together. Cassandra and Sam had found the swings, and Jack was teaching Teal'c about dogs, as he had just bought Cassandra one of her own. This had left Janet and Daniel sitting together on a bench, neither sure what to bring up in conversation.
"I guess it's a good job that I'm not allergic to dogs," Janet remarked wryly after a while, watching as Teal'c threw a stick for the dog.
Daniel smiled. "I'm not either," he revealed. "It's about the only thing though. I am allergic to cats though for some bizarre reason."
Janet shook her head in disbelief. 'You're a strange man, Doctor Jackson," she informed him, turning around to see what Cassandra and her 'aunt' were up to. Sam was now pushing the girl on the swing, and Janet watched as she went higher and higher. She smiled to herself as she watched 'her daughter,' although at the same time wishing that her children could be there.
"You okay?" Daniel asked, startling her as he placed a hand on her arm. She turned round and looked up at him, seeing concern shining in his blue eyes.
She smiled up at him, wondering how much he could remember of what she had told him that night. "I'm fine," she replied, almost automatically. "Just thinking." She turned back to watch her daughter and her friend.
Daniel hesitated slightly before continuing. "About your miscarriages?" he asked. Janet's head whipped around to look at him, shock and then sadness in her eyes.
"Yeah," she whispered. "Didn't think you'd remember."
Daniel smiled sadly at her. "I just want you to know that I'll always be here for you," he told her sincerely. "If you just need to talk, or a hand with anything, you can come and see me you know. I know things haven't been easy between us this past month, but I want that to change, and I'd like for us to become friends."
"We're already friends, Daniel," Janet told him.
"Closer friends then," Daniel amended, and Janet just raised her eyebrows. Daniel blushed. "You know what I mean."
"Yeah, I know what you mean," she replied grinning. "Come on," she stood up, and offered him a hand to pull up with. "Let's go find the others."