It was 9:30 pm when Daniel walked into his house.  Tired and grumpy, he dropped his keys into the dish beside the door, receiving a rewarding clink.  The last several missions were long, hard, and utterly unproductive.  Then, back at the base, the Translation Department had imploded with overly dramatic personal matters between a couple of the scientists.

 

Flopping down on his couch, he tossed his glasses onto the coffee table.  Bone weary was an understatement.  What he wouldn’t give for a vacation.  Maybe he would ask General Hammond for a leave of absence.  Find a dig in Egypt he could anonymously attach too as a shovel bum.  Warm weather, familiar culture, and as Jack would put it, digging in the dirt.  A smile crossed the archeologist’s face.  Yeah, an old fashion dig would do him a world of good.

 

With an exhausted sigh, Daniel rubbed at his eyes.  No coffee tonight, he decided!  It was right to bed, if he got as for as his bed.  It was taking a great effort for him to just sit up.  About to give it up as a lost cause, his phone rang, nearly giving him a heart attack.  A quick glance at the caller I.D. to see if answering it was worth his time, Daniel scowled.

 

Janet?  He thought.  She was still at the SGC.  And he wasn’t hurt… for a change.  Why would she be calling this late?

 

Leaning over and grabbing the phone he answered, “Hello?”

 

There was a pause before he heard the young, female voice.

 

“Daniel?”  Cassie tentatively questioned.

 

Surprised that it was Janet’s adopted daughter, he grew concerned.  “Cassie?  What’s wrong?”

 

“Um…  Nothing, really,” she answered him.

 

Daniel wasn’t convinced.  “Is Janet okay?  Do you need something?”

 

The line went quiet for a moment.

 

“Cassie.”

 

“I’m sorry, Daniel.  I’m just trying to think of how to say this.”

 

Apprehension reved up, he stood and began to pace.  “Cassie, what is wrong?”

 

“Um… can I ask you for a REALLY big favor, Daniel?” her voice was quiet and just shy of desperate.

 

Wrinkling his forehead, Daniel stopped his pacing, “Ah… sure?”

 

After another silent moment, he heard Cassie sigh.

 

“Out with it, Cass,” he told her in an exasperated tone.

 

“Okay, okay,” she relented, “Daniel… wouldyougowithmetomyseniorprom?”

 

Daniel stared at his empty fireplace, trying to understand what she just said.  And people thought he talked fast.

 

“Come again?” he asked the young woman.

 

Trying to calm down, Cassie took a deep breath and started again, “Would you go with me to my senior prom… please?”

 

Totally flabbergasted, Daniel sank back onto his couch.  He wasn’t sure what to expect, but it sure as hell wasn’t that!

 

Trying to gather his thoughts he stuttered incoherently, “I, I… um… ah…” swallowing the lump growing in his throat, cleared his voice and tried again.  “Um… Cassie, not that I’m not… ah, flattered, but, shouldn’t you be going with… someone your own age?  What happened to what’s his name… Taylor, Tyler…”

 

“It’s Tyler and I broke up with him.  He’s a total loser!!  And there isn’t anyone I like enough to go with.  All the boys are so immature.  And this is an important dance.  Oh, please, Daniel.  Say yes.  I don’t want to go stag and I know that my mom will trust you…”

 

Daniel’s eyes went wide.  An image of a pissed off Janet entered his mind.  And she was coming for him with a VERY large needle aimed at his posterior.  “Ah… what has Janet… your mom, have to say about this?” he asked hesitantly.

 

Silence.  He thought for a moment that Cassie hung up.

 

“I haven’t said anything to her, yet,” she quietly answered.  “I wanted to ask you first.”

 

Oh boy, Daniel thought, this is just too damn weird!

 

Daniel was trying to think of a gentle way to say no.  He really didn’t want to hurt her feelings.  He had always loved Cassie like a niece.  She was strong, smart, and very independent.  She had been through a lot in her young life, much as he had.  His musings were interrupted when Cassie spoke again.

 

 “Daniel?  Are you still there?”

 

“Ah… yeah.  Look, um, Cassie, I’m not sure it would be a good idea,” he told her.

 

“Oh please, Daniel!  I’m desperate.  I’m not asking for the whole shebang or anything.  Just the prom itself,” she sounded near tears, “Please, please, please!”

 

Daniel sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose.  He just wanted to go to sleep!  However, the idea of going was kind of intriguing.  He never went to any of his school dances.  He was too shy, too small and too much younger than his classmates.  Shaking his head, he could feel his common sense beamed away as if Thor was in on the whole plot with Cassie.

 

“Alright, Cassie.  I’ll tell you what.  If your mom says, it’s okay, and if she tells me that herself, I will take you to your prom,” he must have easy target written a crossed his forehead.

 

After Cassie finished screaming her thanks and composed herself, she said, “Oh, Daniel!  You are the most wonderful, fantastic, best guy every in the whole universe!”

 

Daniel hoped that his hearing would return in a few days time.  He was very happy that this conversation was over the phone, he would hate to have her see how much he was blushing.

 

“Okay, okay, enough already!  If your mom is cool with all this, then we’ll do it up good.  Limo, dinner, the works.”

 

Cassandra Fraiser couldn’t believe what she was hearing.  Not only was he going to go with her, but, he was also going to treat her to something special.

 

“Daniel… you are the best!” she couldn’t hide the tears of happiness in her voice.

 

“Yeah, yeah,” he said dismissively.  “You have to work this out with your mom, first.  I won’t say anything to her.”

 

Cassie said, “Sure!  I’ll talk to her in the morning.  Thank you, Daniel.  This really means a lot to me!”

 

He smiled, figuring that for a young girl, the senior prom was as important as a wedding would be.  “You’re welcome Cass.  If Janet says its okay, you’ll need to give me all the information.  You can email it to me.  You have my email address?”

 

“No, sorry.”

 

“It’s; ancientdirt1@usaf_sgc… you know the rest.”

 

“Got it.  Thanks, Daniel.  You really are the greatest.  Have a good night.”

 

“You too, Cass.”

 

Hanging up the phone on what would go down in his book as the strangest conversation he has ever had, Daniel let out a soft laugh.  This was defiantly going to be interesting.  Not to mention, possibly dangerous for him after Cassie talks with Janet.  He decided right then, he was going to steer clear of the infirmary level tomorrow.