The Life We Live

Moving On

~Letting go has never been easy, but holding on can be as difficult. Yet strength is measured not by holding on, but by letting go~

-Len Santos

It had been a few days since the memorial of Dr. Janet Frasier. Mr. Bregman was gone as was his camera crew leaving the SGC business as usual. He left a copy of the documentary with General Hammond to do with what he wanted. General Hammond put it with the mission files. Only those with top-level security could view it. General Hammond knew SG-1 was still broken up about Janet's death. They were all very close, especially Katelyn and Sam.

Sam and Katelyn decided to take Cassie out to lunch one day. General Hammond gave them a week of leave after what had happened. Sam and Katelyn picked up Cassie at school during her lunch hour. Cassie was taking Janet's death really hard. Who could blame her? She already lost one mom on the planet she came from, now she lost the woman who took her in and raised her.

Cassie had a grim look on her face when Katelyn picked her up outside the front of the school building. Cassie waved to her friends and got into the back seat of Katelyn's Mini Cooper.

"Hi Cassie, how are you doing?" Sam asked looking into the back seat. Cassie was looking out the window at the passing school.

"I'm fine Sam, really." Cassie wasn't sure who she was trying to convince more, Sam and Katelyn or herself.

Sam looked at her then turned forward. Katelyn was just pulling up to Olive Garden.

"Are we going to have time to eat? I only have a half an hour," Cassie asked. Sam smiled.

"I called the school. You don't have to go back today," Sam replied. Cassie smiled slightly and nodded.

Sam, Katelyn, and Cassie walked into the restaurant and a table was chosen for them by the host. A server came over and asked for drink orders. When their drinks were brought to them, they ordered. Twenty minutes later their food came. There wasn't much conversation going on and Cassie just moved her food around with her fork.

"Cassie, I know how hard this is for you. I lost my mother when I was about your age. It gets easier, I promise. You have people who care about you," Sam said. Cassie's eyes brimmed with tears. She didn't say anything for a minute.

"I know. It's just so hard. This is the second time I've lost my mother," Cassie replied referring to when she lost her biological mother on the planet SG-1 found her on.

"I know, honey. I'm so sorry. You should never have had to go through that once, let alone twice," Sam said grabbing Cassie's hand and squeezing.

"Cassie, I want you to know that your mom was an amazing person. She saved people and she died doing what she set out to do. No one could ask for a better, more honorable way to die than the way Janet died. She didn't deserve it. She deserved it least of all, but everything, I mean everything, happens for a reason. We'll get through this, one way or another. Janet's in a better place. Think about all the good she did and that she's somewhere happy. She wouldn't have gone if it wasn't time for her to go. Now, she's somewhere better and she's there because she fulfilled what she was supposed to do here and she did it before all of us," Katelyn said hoping her words were more than platitudes. Cassie was quiet for a minute, then smiled.

"Thanks, Katelyn."

Sam, Katelyn, and Cassie finished eating, then they went back to Katelyn's car. Cassie was ahead of them. Sam stopped Katelyn.

"That was amazing what you said. It even made me feel better about losing Janet," Sam said. Katelyn smiled.

"It's really what I think. With all that we see and all doctors see, we have to think there's something better out there or what's the point?"