Saying Goodbye
Rated: K+
Category: Hurt/Comfort, Family
Season: 7
Spoilers: Heroes Pt. 2
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Summary: This is my version of how Cassie found out what happened in that episode.
Note: To be honest I have no idea if a fic even remotely like this was done before, it probably has been, but this is my version.
This is dedicated to my aunt, rest in peace, i love you! ='(
Enjoy!
Cassie flicked her pen back and forth between her fingers as she pretended to listen to the teachers lecture. This was so boring...seriously why would she ever need to know this stuff? She couldn't wait for this afternoon, Daniel had promised to pick her up after school because they weren't scheduled to go off world for a few days.
She hadn't seen him so long, and she was really excited. She missed him, especially since he had been... not dead but just... away, for such a long time. It hadn't been easy when he came back and didn't recognize her, she remembered back to when he finally remembered her, she had been visiting the base about a week after he returned and he still didn't know her yet, they had sat akwardly in the commisary and began to eat, then randomly mid-bite he drops his fork and shouts, "Cassie!" and then hugged her tightly, like he used to. She had laughed and hugged him back as tightly as she could, she hadn't really seen him much since and was looking foward to sometime with him.
She was glancing out the window when she saw it, there was a giant black truck pulling into the parking lot, she watched as the car stopped and two men hopped out, she didn't recognize one, but he was dressed in a uniform she recognized as airforce. She squinted, 'Yes!' she whispered causing people to stare at her, the other was Daniel. Maybe he had pulled some strings to get her out early. She heard talking in the hallway before there was a knock at the door. She stood as the SF talked to the teacher and was halfway out the door when the teacher called, "Cassie." She walked out into the hallway, the SF remaining inside the classroom, and then she saw him, "DANIEL!" she cried happily, throwing her arms around him.
He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back, "Hey Cassie," there was something wrong with his voice, with his half hearted hug, she immediately knew something was up, she pulled away and looked at him, taking in his appearance. There were a few scratches all over him but that was normal, there was something else wrong, his usually happy face was not smiling, his eyes were sad and slightly red-rimmed.
"Daniel, what's wrong?" she asked, instantly serious.
"Cassie, go grab your stuff, I'm taking you home," he said, not meeting her eyes.
"Daniel," she said sternly. What had happened? He looked up at her sadly and as their eyes locked, realization set in. A horrible, horrible realization. Someone had died, someone she loved was gone, gone forever. She supposed she should have known their luck would run out someday, but they had always just been the invincible SG-1. She always felt like no matter what dooms-day earth faced they would come out standing on top. She bit her lip as she felt tears spring to her eyes. "Who?" she whispered, her voice sounding nothing like the happy teenager she had been just a few minutes before.
"Cassie," he shook his head slowly.
"Who Daniel?" she asked again, more firmly. He didn't answer, just stared at her. "Was it Sam?" she asked, her voice breaking on her name as the tears threatened to fall.
"No, Sam's fine," Daniel answered, his voice strangled.
"Teal'c?" she asked softly, not able to stop the tears as they pushed at her eyes, feeling the wetness fall down.
"No," he paused, "Cassie go get you're stuff," he tried again.
"Jack?" she asked, her voice rising another octave. She needed to know.
He looked at her with pain in his eyes, "Jack's injured, shot by a staff weapon, but he's going to be fine." His voice broke on the word fine.
She furrowed her brows, "Then who?" she asked. If it wasn't Daniel and it wasn't Sam.
He looked at her, not Jack or Teal'c then... "Cassie let's just..." Her eyes widened in shock as she connected the dots.
"Mom," she gasped out, her hands flying to her mouth. The flash of pain across Daniel's face was all she needed to know she had guessed right. "No," she whispered shaking her head, "No you're lying, she doesn't even go off base, she's fine."
"Cassie," he whispered, "Let's just go." he pleaded with her.
"What happened?" she asked, so quietly that if Daniel hadn't been listening he would have missed it. He just stood there, his eyes full of pain.
"Daniel. What. Happened?" she said her voice low and demanding, trying very hard not to scream. She gave him a pleading look and he caved.
"Janet came with us on a rescue mission and we were ambushed."
"No," she shook her head.
"She was shot by a staff weapon while she was saving a man's life and...," he swallowed and closed his eyes, "she was killed instantly."
"No," she gasped out, "You're wrong," she said her voice gaining strength.
"Cassie, I was right next to her, trust me," he said, his voice shaking.
"YOU'RE LYING!" she shouted at him. She ran back into the classroom tears streaming down her face, letting the door slam behind her. She ran to her desk, pulling her cell phone out of her bag, dialing her mom's number.
"Cassie! Cass, what's wrong?" her boyfriend, Dom, called from his seat. She ignored him, frantically dialing the number. Mom always answered her phone, always. If there was a medical emergency someone else answered for her, it never went to voice mail, never. She would talk to her mom, she would prove Daniel wrong. She was fine, she was at the base sitting in the commisary with Sam, she was taking care of an injured Jack, Daniel was wrong, she would prove it to him. She heard the door click open behind her and heard him walk into the room but she didn't look at him, she didn't want to see him right now. "Dr. Jackson? What's going on?" Dom asked, Daniel ignored the questions too.
"Cassie!" Daniel shouted behind her as she pressed call. She felt the eyes on her but she didn't care, her world revolving around the rings, "Cassie, she's gone," he said.
The rest of the class started murmuring, "Who's gone?" "Gone as in dead!" "What's going on?"
She didn't care, ring, ring, ring, "Pick up mom," she shouted into the phone, ring, ring, ring, "Mom, pick up! Pick up the phone!" The tears falling harder now as the rest of the class continued to murmur, putting the story together.
"Cassie what's going on!" Dom asked again, again they ignored him.
"I was right there Cass, she's gone!" he said sadly, he gestured for the SF to grab her stuff and he did, leaving the room and heading toward the car with it.
"YOU'RE WRONG," Cassie shrieked spinning around to face him, "SHE'S FINE, YOU'RE LYING!"
"Hi, this is Janet, I'm not here right now..." Cassie heard her mom's voice on the other side of the phone.
"NO!" she screamed, she threw her phone at the wall as hard as she could, watching the split pieces of it fall to the ground, she turned toward her desk, picked up the first thing she saw and threw that too. Turning around she looked for more things to throw.
"Cassie!" Daniel screamed, grabbing her hands, she fought against him. "Cassie, stop!" he said. She tore her arms from his grasp and ran from the room. He quickly followed her out, catching up with her in the hallway. He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tight against him as she continued to struggle. She slammed her fist as hard as she could against his chest, he flinched but didn't let her go. He held her until she calmed, her tears still falling as he brushed her hair. He kept whispering, "Shh, you're okay."
"I didn't even get to say good-bye," she whispered against his chest, he closed his eyes tight.
"Cassie, I'm going to take you home now," he whispered and she nodded against his chest.
He released her slowly, sliding an arm around her shoulders as they walked and left the school.
Cassie walked out into the parking lot with Daniel's arm wrapped around her, tears still streaming down her face.
She climbed into the big black truck she by now associated with the Air Force, the SF was driving them and so they both climbed into the back of the truck. She didn't see the faces of her classmates pressed against the window, she didn't know what they were whispering about now, she didn't care. Her mom was gone, gone forever, and she didn't even get to say good-bye.
They drove in silence for a while before she broke the quiet, "Daniel, can we not go... home?" she whispered the last word.
He looked at her, "Where do you want to go?" he asked softly.
"Anywhere, but not there... it'll all remind me of her," she said quietly.
"Okay," he said. He tapped the seat, "Sergeant could you take us to my apartment?"
"Yes Sir," the SF replied.
"Thanks," he turned back to Cassie taking her hand in his and giving it a squeeze, "You'll stay with me."
She nodded and leaned her head back against the seat, closing her eyes tight, "You were there?" she asked.
She felt him stiffen next to her, "Yes," he whispered tightly, pain leaking into his voice.
She nodded, "Okay." She didn't know what else to say, she didn't know what to do, she put her head on Daniel's shoulder and just let the tears fall, staining his shirt as her mascara and eyeliner slid down her cheeks. Daniel sat with her, not letting go of her hand fighting the tears back himself.
She was still in shock, she couldn't believe that her mom, her mom, was gone. She sat there dumbly crying against his shoulder, she couldn't believe that she was gone. Why did she keep saying gone? Her mom wasn't gone, she wasn't on vacation, she wasn't coming back, she was dead.
As they pulled up to Daniel's apartment building he grabbed her stuff, slinging her backpack around his shoulder and handing her the pocketbook. She took it and they climbed out of the car, walking up to the building with his arm still wrapped around her.
A/N: I'm going to post the next chapter as soon as I'm done with it, which I almost am. I'm putting some memories into the next one so it'll hopefully be not quite so sad.
Please, Please review.