Title: Spring Days.

Author: Kiva

Date: 2nd April '03

Feedback: If you get the chance, at kiva31@yahoo.com

Rating: G.

Pairing: Brief mentions of Jack/Daniel, but no actual interaction.

Category: Spring challenge response.

Status: Finished

Season/Spoilers: Er...Stargate the movie, and the knowledge of Daniel's Anti Histamines from Broca Divide.

Archive: Anyone wants it, they just gotta ask.

Synopsis: It's a lovely spring day, and Hayfever is in the air...or it is in this, anyway.

Notes: Okay, this is just a bit of fluff. I have no idea when the school holidays for American students are - so I invented a reason for Cassie to be off school. I did research on Rhinitis and so on, but couldn't actually find a concrete date for the Hayfever season ( which I seem to be suffering from, now) for Daniel's area...so, I just wrote it, anyway. Call it, artistic license ; ) I also have no real idea about the local hotspots of the Colorado Springs area, so I took a little bit of license with that, too.

Not Beta'd. All mistakes my own, including any UK spelling that may have crept in.

Warnings: None.

Disclaimer; The characters of Stargate SG1 are not mine, nor do I lay any claims on them. This is for entertainment purposes only.

Clicking listlessly on the remote control, Daniel Jackson sighed. Then sneezed, a coughing fit nearly taking his breath away. It figured that the *one* day he had off, he felt so lousy, that he'd had to stock-up on his anti-histamines, and stay inside all day. And to make a bad day even worse, Jack had been called back to base that morning, to help out on a 48 hour mission.

The medication was making him drowsy, and he'd just drifted into a light doze, when the doorbell rang. He jerked upright, sitting quietly for a moment and trying to figure out what had woken him. When the doorbell sounded again, he stood with a groan, the noise doing nothing for his bad mood. Striding forward purposefully, he made for the front door, pulling it open mid-ring.

"What are you doing here?"

Cassie raised her eyebrows, an expression eerily reminiscent of her adoptive mother. "Well, that's a nice welcome...I thought Jack always said that you were the polite one."

Taking a moment to replay his words in his mind, Daniel realized that he *had* been rude. He chose to blame it on the medication, and *not* his bad mood at the fact that Jack would be offworld for another two days.

"I'm sorry...why don't you come in, Cass?"

He stepped back, allowing her entrance. Then he followed her into the living area, watching as she slumped wearily into a seat. "Do you want something to drink, or....?"

"A glass of water would be good," she said gratefully. He nodded, turning and navigating his way into the kitchen on unsteady legs.

"So what brings you here," he called as he grabbed a glass, opening the 'fridge to get the jug that was in there, and filling her glass with water.

"I was bored...since we have the day off today, I decided to call...mom said you had the day off, too."

Walking back, glass in hand, Daniel frowned. "Yeah, Janet told me about the fire...it's lucky that no one was there at the time."

"Yeah," Cassie agreed, taking the glass and drinking some. "Thanks...I really needed that."

"Yeah, shopping really takes it out of you, doesn't it."

"You got that right." Pausing, she thought of what he'd said. "Hey, why do you just naturally assume that I was -"

"Cassie," he stopped her. "You're a teenage girl...if you weren't doing that in your spare time, I'd be worried." They shared a smile, before Cassie's face fell.

"Yeah, well it was *window* shopping, anyway. I spent my allowance already."

Daniel nodded sagely, sympathizing with Cassandra. He'd been young once, too, and knew what it was like to run out of money. Of course, he'd still been older than Cassie, and had eventually lost his research grant and apartment as well, but that was beside the point.

"Why aren't you out with your friends?"

She slumped even further into her seat at his question, sighing again. "They're all busy...you know, just hanging around, checking out the mall...maybe an amusement park. They offered to let me go, but I didn't have any cash, and mom wasn't around to ask, so...."

"So...you thought you'd come around here and see if there was anything to do," he finished for her. "Cass...do you think your mom would let you go on this trip, to - where was the trip to?"

"Huh? Oh, just around town. Like the mall and stuff."

"Okay...do you think your mom would let you go?"

"I was gonna call her, but...."

"I'll tell you what," he suggested. "Why don't you call your mom, now. I can spot you the money until your next allowance, or you could come and help out around here one day, maybe work it off."

"Really?" she asked, sitting forward in her chair, her face lighting up...before it fell, once again. "I don't know if my mom will go for that."

"Well, why don't you call her, and find out."

Cassie couldn't restrain her grin, and turned to the 'phone, picking up and dialing the number she knew would eventually get her in contact with her mother.

Daniel decided to make himself useful, and went to the bedroom to get his jacket. He'd let it fall - or, more accurately, had *thrown* it - there, when he had come over to Jack's last night. Well, it was *that* or risk it getting torn off.

Just because I have no one to play with, doesn't mean Cassie has to suffer, he decided, grabbing some money and walking back out to Cassie.

"Okay...yeah, I will. Bye mom." She replaced the receiver, beaming up at Daniel. "She said it's okay, as long as I make sure to tell you that I *will* pay you back."

Daniel nodded, handing over the money. "Is that enough?"

"Wow, yeah," she answered, jumping up and taking the money. "Thank you so much, Daniel," she said, throwing her arms about his neck and hugging him tightly. "This means I won't die of boredom...and whoever thought I'd say *that* without talking about school."

"It's okay, Cass.You just have a good time."

She gave him one last squeeze, moving to the door and readying to open it. But as she did, something occurred to Daniel.

"Cass...you said your mom told you I had the day off...so how did you know to come over here?"

Cassie just smiled. "I might be a kid, but I'm not dumb, Daniel. See you!" And with a final, happy wave, she was gone, leaving an amused Daniel in her wake. No, Daniel thought. She most definitely was not dumb.

He shook his head, smiling. At least one person's going to have a good time, he mused. Then he sat down, picking up the remote and flicking through some more channels. "Hey, the Discovery channel."

And perhaps a good time was had by more than one person.

The End.