Changing Lives 26/?? (Sam/Janet femslash) Stargate SG-1
At that moment, Izzie stirred. "Mum?" she looked round blearily, her voice a little frightened.
Carolyn went to her daughter's bedside. "I'm here, darling," she told her, taking up her hand. "It's okay. You're okay. You had an accident, but you're going to be fine."
Roy went to the other side of the bed, and kissed his youngest daughter gently on the forehead. "Hey," he whispered, "you're alright. We're all here with you. Anna's here too, she's just gone to find some food, she'll be back any moment."
"Want me to go find her?" Cassie asked, not wanting to intrude on this family moment. "I can tell her Izzie's woken up."
"That would be great, thanks," Carolyn replied. "First though, come over and meet Izzie properly. She's looking a bit better than last time you saw her, isn't she?"
Cassie smiled, and approached the bed. "Hi Izzie," she said in a gentle voice. "Remember me?"
Izzie looked up at her, confusion on her face. Then she remembered. "You helped me in the ambulance," she said, "you're really nice."
Cassie laughed. "I'm not nice to everybody," she winked, "only to very special patients. I'm so pleased to see you're okay, Izzie," she told her. "I'll go find your sister now, bring her back to you."
"Will you come and see me again?" Izzie asked. "I like you."
"I sure will, Izzie, if you'd like me to," Cassie replied, touched by the girl's trust in her. She knew Izzie had learning difficulties, but she could tell that the girl had a sweet, trusting heart. "I'll stick my head round the door this evening if that's okay, on my way to work. I'm working nights for the next three days."
She laid her hand on Izzie's shoulder. "You look after yourself, huh?" she said. "And I'll see you tonight, if you're awake."
Cassie exited the room, and made her way down to the cafeteria. She was half way there when, at the end of the long corridor, she saw a young woman clutching a pile of sandwiches and drinks cartons. She approached her. "Are you Anna?"
The young woman looked up, just about to reply in the affirmative when she took in the features of the girl who had approached her. "Cassie?" she asked in wonder. "Are you Cassandra?" In her shock, she lost control of her bundle of food, and the sandwiches and drinks scattered to the floor.
Cassie bent down and helped her pick them up. She was confused; as far as she could remember, she had never met Anna before. "Yeah," she said slowly, "I'm Cassie. I'm sorry," she said, "but have we met?"
Anna paled. "Hey, it's okay," Cassie told her, "sit down here," and she led her to one of the chairs that was along the corridor. "Are you okay?"
Anna nodded. "I'm okay," she said, "I just can't believe we've finally met."
"What do you mean?" Cassie was worried, she had no idea what Anna was talking about. "Do you know me?"
"No. Yes. Yes and no," Anna knew she wasn't making any sense. "Oh God, it's such a long story. And the chances are you won't believe it."
Cassie laughed gently. "You'd be surprised what I'd believe," she said wistfully. If only this girl knew anything about her history, she'd know that to be true, she reflected.
"I do sort of know you," Anna said. "I know a lot about you, anyway. And I've got two friends, one in particular, who really want to see you."
"What do you mean, you know a lot about me?" Cassie wanted to know.
"Well," Anna swallowed, "for a start, I know you don't come from Toronto."
Cassie started.
"In fact, you don't come from anywhere around here; you come from Hanka, am I right?"
Cassie gasped. "How do you know that?"
"Oh it's all very confusing," Anna was near to tears. "It's all to do with... how did Sam put it? Alternate timelines. I don't suppose you know what I'm talking about."
"As a matter of fact," Cassie said, "I do know about alternate timelines. And alternate realities. And different dimensions. At least, I know a bit about them, in theory. Catherine told me all about them. What has that got to do with you knowing me?"
"Apparently we know each other, in a different timeline. That's what Sam says. She'll be better at explaining it than I am," Anna stumbled over her words. "Sam knows you, really well, from another timeline. And she's come across from that timeline. God, am I making any sense at all?"
"A bit," Cassie looked troubled. "Look, I came to find you. Izzie's woken up, and she wants to see you. We can't stay here and talk for ever. But it sounds like you've got some things you need to talk about. We should meet, another time. Talk this out."
"Can we do that?" Anna asked, hopefully. She didn't want to frighten this young woman. "I don't want to put pressure on you."
"Sure we can," Cassie said, "you don't think I can forget about a meeting like this do you?" she tried to keep her tone light. "I'm going back to my room right now, my shift's over, and quite honestly I'm exhausted. But I'll be back in the hospital this afternoon, I usually go to the hospital library for a couple of hours before my shift starts. Can I meet you then? Maybe at 5pm, in the cafeteria? I start work at 7pm."
"Oh please, yes," Anna's words came out in a rush. "And Cassie?"
Cassie looked up.
"I'm sorry if I've startled you. It's nothing bad, I promise you. I just need to tell you what Sam told me. And then, maybe, you'll want to meet Sam, and Janet. See what you think when I've told you all I know."
"It's okay, Anna," Cassie smiled. "I'm intrigued, but I'm not freaked out. I spent the best part of eight years living with Catherine Langford, and came across some pretty freaky things. I'm gonna go now, catch some sleep. But I'll be at the cafeteria at 5pm, okay?"
"Okay," Anna nodded. "And thanks. Sleep well."
"Oh I plan to," Cassie said, "it's been a long night. Send my love to Izzie, okay?"
= = =
After visiting with Izzie, Anna took a deep breath. She knew she had to tell Sam and Janet about finding Cassie. She just didn't know how to say it. She knew that Sam, especially, had a lot invested in finding 'her daughter', but she also knew that once she told Sam that Cassie did exist in this timeline, and that she was so close, that it would set in motion a chain of events that could not be halted. What if Cassie didn't like Sam? Or Janet? Or she didn't want to know about the alternate timeline? She might be a very different person to the one that Sam knew.
Anna was reassured by the kindness Cassie had already shown, both to Izzie and to herself when she was upset. So she was fairly confident that the girl had a good heart. But still, it was a big risk. She knew, though, that Sam would want to know about her existence. So once Izzie fell to sleep again, she told her parents she was going to see Sam and Janet. She hadn't told them about the alternate timeline, and thought she probably never would, it was just too much to take in. But they knew how close she had become to Sam and Janet, and they also realized that these new friends were likely instrumental in extricating Anna from the twisted Tina, and for that they were grateful.
Anna let herself into the relatives room. Sam was already awake, just lying there on the couch with Janet in her arms. At the sound of the door, Janet stirred too.
"Hey," Janet said. "How's Izzie? Is she okay?"
"She's great," Anna replied, "she's gonna be fine. They've put a plate in her ankle, but they say she should recover completely. She woke up, she's sore but she's okay."
"Not too distressed?" Sam asked.
Anna shook her head. "She'll be fine, she's got Mum and Dad with her, and I had a great chat with her. She's a very brave girl. She hates hospitals, had some really nasty experiences in them when she was younger. She's amazing," Anna said, not for the first time. "I love her so much."
"We can tell," Janet smiled, and extricating herself from Sam's long limbs, she went over to Anna and gave her a warm hug.
"Is something wrong?" Sam asked, perceptively. "You look worried."
"Nothing's wrong, not as such," Anna began, nervously. She knew that it was now or never. "I just have something to tell you. And I don't know where to begin. It's all so weird."
"Well don't worry about how you tell it," Janet took her hand. "Just say what you have to say. We can deal with whatever you are worried about."
Anna looked at Sam, and took a deep breath. "It's Cassie," she said, tentatively. "I've found her. She's alive, in this timeline. She's an EMT."
Sam looked shocked. "Wha?" she asked, incoherently. "Where is she? Is she okay? What happened?"
"She's fine," Anna sat on the couch next to Sam and took her hand. "She was one of the EMTs that picked Izzie up after the accident. It's just a coincidence. An incredible coincidence. She stopped by, to check on Iz, at the end of her shift. It was really sweet of her. She seems nice, Sam. And she looks just like I dreamt. Just like she does in your picture."
"Oh my God," Sam said, tears filling her eyes. "She's here. She's really here. Can I see her? I need to see her."
"Not quite yet, Sam, if that's okay," Anna explained. "I only spoke to her for a few moments. I'm meeting her again this evening, before she goes on shift. I'll tell her everything you've told me. I've already told her that you two really want to see her. I'm sure she'll agree, once she knows what's happened."
"Did she look well?" Sam wanted to know. "Do you think she's happy? Did she tell you anything about her life?"
"She looked great," Anna reassured. "Really well, healthy, and she seemed happy from what I could tell. She was so kind to Izzie, she's clearly got a good heart. Some people find it difficult to talk to Izzie, but Mum said she was at ease with her right away. She didn't really say anything about her life, apart from going to the library before she starts her shift. And she said she lived with a... Catherine Langford for eight years. Does that name mean anything to you?"
"Oh my God," Sam said again. "Of course. If anybody knows anything about the Stargate in this timeline, it'll be Catherine. She died, a few years ago, in my timeline. I hope Cassie's not on her own here. Catherine must have found her, and taken her in, by the sound of it. Well, that's good," she brightened slightly, "Catherine was a good person, a real good person. She'll have raised Cassie well. She will have loved her."
Janet sat the other side of Sam. "It's a lot to take in, baby," she said gently. "Let's see how Anna gets on with her this afternoon. One step at a time, huh?"
Sam nodded. "Okay," she replied, in a small voice. "You're right." She turned to Anna. "You must be exhausted, Annie, you should get some sleep."
Anna smiled. "Yeah," she agreed. "I'm going to the motel for a few hours. Mum and Dad won't leave Izzie on her own, they've told me to go back for a few hours, they'll sleep tonight they say, assuming she's okay. And I'll sit with Iz tonight. You two must be tired too."
"I think we'll book into the motel too," Janet suggested. "We want to stay for you and Izzie anyway, and we can't leave now anyway, not with Cassie... around. We'll drive you there, and book in at the same time, okay Sam?"
Sam nodded her agreement. She was rather too dazed for coherent conversation. "Uh huh," she said vaguely. "Whatever you say."
= = =
"Are you okay, sweetie?" Janet asked Sam as they curled up in bed together. It was eight in the morning by the time they'd checked in and collected their bag from the car.
"Yeah, Jan, I'm okay," Sam said. "Just got a lot on my mind right now. I can't quite believe we've found her. What if she's different, Janet? Or if she doesn't like us? She may not want to have anything to do with us."
"You can't second-guess how she's gonna feel, baby," Janet said, gently. "Her life experience is different from the Cassie from your timeline. But it sounds hopeful Sam, it really does. From what Anna says, she's a good, kind person. That sounds like the Cassie you've described to me. And," Janet took her hand, "Anna thinks she looks happy. That's the most important thing, right? That she's happy?"
"Yeah," Sam agreed. "That's just about the only thing that matters in all this. It would be great to get to know her, to have her in our lives. But if I could just see that she's okay, and she's happy, that would be so great. I can't ask for any more than that, can I?"
Janet pulled Sam to her. "It'll all be okay, baby," she whispered in a soothing tone. "Just you wait."
= = =
"Did you sleep, Sam?" Janet asked her lover, solicitously, when she awoke at around 2pm.
"Not a lot," Sam admitted, "but I rested. I'm too excited Jan, this is huge, isn't it?"
Janet nodded. They had already arranged to give Anna a ride to the hospital at 4.30pm, and promised to stay in the coffee shop across the road until Anna had spoken to Cassie. They all knew that nobody had any idea of how the meeting would go, but Sam couldn't help hoping that today might be the day she saw her daughter again, even if she wasn't the exact same person she had known. Sam was also desperate for Janet to get to know Cassie. In her old timeline, Janet had been Cassie's official mom, and Sam knew she would just love her as soon as she met her.
"No guarantees," Janet said quietly to Sam as they drove Anna to the hospital. "We just have to be patient, hon, okay?"
Sam nodded, keeping her eyes on the road. "I know," her voice was husky and filled with emotion. "Just tell her we want her to be happy, Anna. That's the only thing that matters. She's got to be happy. I don't think I could bear it if she weren't."
"I will," Anna said in a reassuring tone. "I'll do all I can to let her know how much you love her."
= = =
Cassie was already sitting at a chair in the hospital cafeteria by the time Anna arrived. She sat at a corner table, which afforded her a good view of the corridor leading up to it, so she saw Anna before Anna saw her. Cassie was momentarily distracted by Anna's appearance. She had remembered that she was pretty from their brief meeting, but the content of the meeting had overridden such matters. In truth, she had barely slept herself since meeting Anna. In order to save money, she shared a hospital apartment with five student nurses, so her own room was cramped and there was always noise, at all times of the day and night. Usually, she tried not to let this stop her sleep, but today her mind had raced.
"Hi," she said tentatively as Anna approached. "You came then?"
Anna smiled. "Oh yeah," she said, "I don't think anything would have kept me away. Thank you for being here. You don't know what this means, especially to Sam."
"Tell me about Sam," Cassie asked. So Anna did. She told her all she could remember, that in her timeline, Sam shared parental responsibility for Cassie with her lover Janet. She was a member of the Stargate program. She regularly put her life on the line for her country and her world. She loved Janet and Cassie more than life.
It was almost an hour and a half later when Anna stopped talking. "I'll bet I got half of that wrong," she said. "But the one thing I'm sure of, there's no doubt of it at all, is that Sam loves you. And Janet from her timeline loved you too, Sam is sure that this timeline's Janet will too. If you let them. They want to meet you, more than anything. Well, one thing's more important," she remembered. "Sam says the only thing that really matters in all this is that you're happy. Are you happy Cassandra?" Anna looked up into Cassie's honest face.
Cassie took a deep breath. "Sorry," she said, after a few seconds. "I'm still processing. Yeah," she smiled slightly, "most of the time, I'm pretty happy. Sometimes things happen that suck. Catherine died three years ago, she was kinda like my adopted mom, though she was more like an eccentric aunt in a way. But I loved her, so much, and I know she loved me. So I wasn't happy then. But most of the time, things are pretty good. I like my job, a lot of the time. I'm not gonna do it for ever, though. I'm saving up, want to put myself through medical school. Catherine was great, but she never had much money, so I'm gonna have to do it for myself. But that's okay," she realized she was babbling, "we should all make our own way in the world if we can. But this job's good for the moment, and I've got some nice friends. I miss having a real family, but then nobody can have it all, can they?"
Anna took her hand impulsively. "Maybe you can, Cassie," her voice was soft.
"I should go," Cassie said reluctantly. She wanted to stay talking with this kind, beautiful girl for ever. But she had promised to stop in and see Izzie before work, and she hated breaking a promise. "I'm just going to check in on Izzie, is that okay with you?"
"Yes, that's great," Anna told her. "She said she really liked you. Said you were kind to her when she was hurting. I haven't thanked you for that yet, have I? Izzie hates hospitals, so your kindness really helped."
Cassie peered at Anna. "But you're worried about Sam and Janet, right? You want me to meet them?"
Anna nodded. "Yeah," she admitted. "But only if you want to. You'd love them, though, I'm sure of that. I've only known them a few weeks, and they've been so good to me. They've transformed my life, in fact. Things were... well, they weren't good. But they took me out of that. Sam put herself on the line for me."
"I do want to meet them," Cassie said, in a small voice. "I do. But not now, when I've only got ten minutes. I want to meet them properly. I want to make a good impression. Can you ask them to meet me for breakfast tomorrow morning? I finish work at 7am, I can be at the coffee shop across the road at 7.30am. If they want to, that is," she said.
"They'll want to," Anna said firmly. "Thank you. I was so nervous you wouldn't want to see any of us again, after all the stuff I've told you. I thought you might think I was a nutcase. Or worse."
"I've had a pretty strange upbringing," Cassie smiled, "I've learned that a lot of things that sound crazy aren't at all. And Catherine taught me to be open to new experiences. Tell Sam and Janet I'll see them tomorrow morning. You coming with me to see Izzie?" she asked.
Anna nodded enthusiastically.
"Whatever happens," Cassie told her, "I'm glad to have made a new friend. Thank you."
Anna smiled. She and Cassie would be good friends, she was sure of it.