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Teal'c and the Marines cut down a nearby tree, a small one that didn't seem to be growing well, and used the wood to start a cheery fire in the fire pit. Everyone took delight in teasing the grad students about eating MREs, telling them how totally disgusting the packaged meals were, until Stephanie was staring at hers with open malice.

"They're not really that bad," Casey laughed, feeling sorry for the younger woman. "Some of them are actually good."

"Which ones?" Texas demanded to know. He had already opened his meal and taken a bite. Beef stroganoff, which wasn't too bad at all.

"The chicken pot pie one isn't too bad. It tastes like chicken," the blonde Immortal replied.

Daniel laughed. "They all taste like chicken!"

After everyone had eaten, the students discovering for themselves that the MREs were edible after all, Casey walked over to the drone, searched for a particular box that she had loaded personally. Once she had located it, she opened it up and pulled out three large baggies. One held graham crackers, the other marshmallows, and the third held chocolate bars. "Okay, if we're all finished, how about dessert?" she asked, holding the bags up in plain view.

"Casey, I want to have your babies," Tony sighed, to the hoots and cheers and laughter of all those sitting around the fire.

"You do that, and we'll both go down in history," Casey giggled, walking back toward the fire.

"You do that, and I'll want an explanation," Daniel declared. More laughter ensued.

"Well, you've never offered to have my babies," Casey countered, her eyes dancing.

"You've never asked me to," Daniel retorted. His eyes were full of laughter. Since her return to him, laughter was once again a daily part of his life. He didn't notice the glance that Jack and Sam shared, their own eyes full of happiness to see him smiling again.

"I have to ask?" She was settling beside the fire. Teal'c had already cleaned several thin branches that could be used to toast the marshmallows. With ease born of experience, the young Immortal and the Jaffa began to make s'mores, barely able to keep up with the demand of their companions.

"Do you do this every time you go off-world?" Ramir asked. He sighed as he bit into his third treat.

"No. This is something special, for the three of you. To celebrate your first time on an alien dig," Daniel replied, licking chocolate from his fingers. "But we do this every year at the Independence Day celebration. Sometimes at our anniversary barbecue."

"Are you going to lip-sync?" Stephanie asked Casey shyly. "We've heard that you and SG-6 are very good."

Casey smiled. "I think that could be arranged. Right, Tony?"

"Anytime you're ready, Case," the dark haired man replied, grinning broadly.

Casey began setting up the speakers; Tony dug for and found a CD he had burned, slid it into the player. The Temptations began to play, singing that 'I can't get close to you'. Tony, Texas and Casey stood up and started lip-syncing, doing a convincing job as they danced. Everyone laughed as Casey did the bass parts, and Tony took all of the tenor parts. When Juice Newton began to sing 'Queen of Hearts', those watching were hard pressed to prove that Casey wasn't actually singing.

The fire was beginning to die down. "Okay, let's draw for watch rotation. I want three to a watch," Jack said. He took a handful of toothpicks, marked them with his pen. A mark on top meant first watch. One near the middle meant second watch. One near the bottom meant third watch. An ink mark on the very bottom was for the fourth and final watch of the night.

Casey had third watch. Daniel had second. She smiled at him. Knew that they would make love…orally at least, before they slept. And probably when she finished her watch as well.

"Want to do one last check for the night, Case?" Jack said.

She smiled, took Daniel's hand. Then frowned. "We're not alone," she whispered.

Bodies jerked to attention all around the dying fire. "Good or bad?" Jack demanded in a hushed voice, his hand reaching for the P90 that lay just inches from him.

"I'm not sure…I don't feel any danger…curious…they're curious about us…and there aren't many…two… no…three. Caretakers. They're caretakers of this city. They…they just woke up," she said, her eyes closed, her frown deepening. "They…sleep…until they're needed. We must have awakened them when we accessed the computer in the library. Right now…they're content to just watch us."

"How far away are they?" Turk asked nervously. He was already glancing over his shoulder.

"They're…they're nearby. I can't tell exactly where, but close. They don't want us to know that they're watching," she whispered.

"Too late now," Daniel replied dryly.

"But they're not a threat to us?" Jack asked.

Casey opened her eyes, shook her head. "No. At least, not unless we threaten them first."

"Okay, keep your eyes open. Perimeter just got wider. I don't want them anywhere near this camp," Jack said. "Weapons ready at all times."

"Jack, if they wanted to hurt us, we'd already be dead," Daniel pointed out quietly.

"Maybe. My orders stand," Jack replied.

The teams began to disperse toward the tents, all of them keeping their eyes open for the three aliens who were watching them.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Casey was sitting on the sleeping bags, pulling her clothes off. Daniel was standing, doing the same. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

"I'm fine. Why?"

"No poking or anything?"

She smiled. "None. I can…feel…that we're being watched. But there isn't anything there more than curiosity."

She pulled her tee shirt over her head, took her bra off. When Daniel stretched out beside her, she let her hand roam over his torso. "Tired?"

"A little."

"Okay, I'll let you sleep." She leaned down and kissed him, then lifted the top bag, prepared to slip inside.

"Never said I wasn't up to a little bit of lovin'," he grinned.

She let her hand run over the front of his boxers, and giggled. "Yeah, you do seem 'up' to it," she teased.

"C'mere, you," he whispered. He reached for her, wrapped his arms around her when she moved close enough. He rolled over, putting her on her back beneath him. "Love you, Angel," he said, pushing a wisp of blonde silk from her face.

"Love you, Sweetheart," she whispered in reply. She wreathed his face with her hands, pulled him closer for a kiss. Sighed into his mouth when she opened to him. In his arms she was safe. Nothing, no one, could harm her, harm them, when she was in his arms. His tongue was teasing her, she allowed him to touch her, taste her for several minutes before demanding the same from him, her teeth tugging gently at his lower lip.

"There's a pool just a few feet away," he whispered, just before his lips closed over that sensitive spot behind her ear.

"I know," she replied, shivering beneath him as his mouth moved around her throat.

"I want to feel you, be inside you," he said softly, his breath warm against her skin.

"I'm here, Daniel, take what you want," she whispered in his ear, wrapping her arms and legs around him, pulling him close.

He moaned softly against her shoulder, pulled away long enough to strip his boxers from his body, and her panties from her hips. He settled himself back on top of her, his hands full of her breasts. His mouth moved from one nipple to the other and back again, the taste of her skin, the feel of those hard buds against his tongue making him ache with need. Her body arched toward him, her fingers were in his hair now, holding tightly.

She closed her eyes as he built a Fire in her body that sent flames up and down her spine, into her belly and deep into that center of her being. They had made love in the shower before leaving for the base. She couldn't hold back her smile. More than likely, before they slipped out to the pool to bathe in the morning, he would want to make love again. Every morning, every night. Not that she was complaining. Her body was ready for him whenever he wanted her. On Sunday it had been she who had awakened him, her body raging with need for him, in spite of all the love they had made the night before. She tightened her legs around him, clenched her fingers in his hair as he moved her body closer to that cliff.

Her breath was becoming ragged, and his cock was screaming at him. He had to taste her before he gave in to the demands of his body. He slid down, teased her sexy little belly button. His feet were against the zippered 'door' of the tent. He moved up beside her and lay down. "C'mere," he whispered, reaching for her. He pulled her hips toward his face. "No, just like this," he said, preventing her from turning around, which would have enabled her to make love to him orally at the same time. He wrapped his hands around her thighs, pulled her close, and buried his tongue in her sweet well.

She gasped as he began to make love to her. Her head dropped back, her long hair brushing against his chest, teasing his nipples, as she let the sensations wash over her. His tongue was moving in and out of her, around her swollen nether lips…licking, sucking, teasing. Her hips were beginning to move against him, and she barely bit back a moan when he pushed two fingers deep inside her. Just before he could send her completely over the edge, she pulled away.

"Case?" he asked softly, a slight frown on his face.

"I want to taste you," she whispered. "And then I want to feel you deep inside me."

He moaned softly. "Oh, god, do it," he whispered. He felt her stretch out beside him. Let his head fall completely back when her lips went to his throat. He smiled into the darkness when she marked him, her hand already stroking his aching shaft, slow steady caresses from his balls to the swollen tip. He managed to slide two long, slender fingers back inside her warm well when she moved down to take his cock into her mouth.

Her hips jerked when she felt his fingers enter her, began to move on their own accord as he stroked her. She moved her mouth up and down on his swollen flesh, her hands helping her, caressing him, making him throb and swell even more. Too close…he was moving her too close. She pulled her body away from his grasp, then lay beside him, her hand still moving up and down on him. "Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"Would you…could we…I…" she shook her head. Damn it! When would she be able to have a simple conversation about sex with her husband?

He would never forgive the woman who had raised his Wife, had hurt her so deeply that she couldn't ask a simple question of him, tell him what she wanted when they made love. "Show me, Angel," he whispered. He rolled to his stomach when her hands tugged at him. When they began to softly push beneath him, he rose up on his hands and knees.

He was where she wanted him. She slid under him, raised her arms and legs and wrapped around him, pulled herself up against him. It took a bit of maneuvering, but at last she was able to slide where she wanted to be, felt his erection move into her body.

Just what was she up to? He put one arm around her waist, offering her support, the other holding the two of them up. He shifted slightly, moving his knees farther apart to help him remain steady. When she began to use her arms and legs to move up and down on him, he thought he was going to lose his mind. He could feel her breasts and those sweet hard nipples moving against his chest, burning his skin; her wet, warm well clutching him - moving around him.

When she found the right rhythm, she nearly cried out. Once again she sent up a thank-you to romance/erotica authors. Then her mind pushed out all coherent thought as her body took over. She felt every throb, felt his thrusts deeper than she ever had before. It was absolutely amazing!

Sweet Jesus! She was tight and hot and wet and he was going to lose his ever-loving mind. When she arched her back slightly, taking him as deeply into her well as she could, he nearly lost control completely. His hips were moving automatically, plunging his aching shaft into her each time her legs brought her down against him.

She was rocking her hips back and forth, using her arms and legs to move her up and down on him, and it was the most incredible thing she had ever felt. She could feel his body shiver. He was enjoying this as much as she was. The stimulation was nearly overwhelming, for both of them.

He had never felt her so tight, so hot. The way she was moving her body was enough to make him want to scream with delight. Her thighs were clamped around his hips, he could feel them begin to quiver. 'Give it to me, Angel, come for me…make it good.'

She pressed her face against his shoulder, muffling the whimper that filled her throat. Her body began to shake, and she nearly lost her grip on his shoulders. That sweet fulfilling climax shot through her like lightening, washed over her with waves of pleasure so intense they were nearly painful.

"Relax," he instructed softly, carefully lowering her upper body to the sleeping bags. His hands went to her hips, holding them tightly against his, her legs still wrapped around him. He began to pound into her, bringing another rush of heat and sweet honey pouring from her, soaking his balls, trickling down his thighs. He struggled to remain quiet as he hurtled over the edge, his cock throbbing against the still pulsing walls of her sweet well. He dropped down on top of her, moaning into the cloth of the sleeping bags.

She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulled him close, held him tightly. She was still breathing hard. It had been hard work, but from the sound of his labored breathing, and the fact that her own body was still tingling, it had been well worth it.

"I won't even ask where you came up with that one," he said, still trying to catch his breath.

She giggled. "I might have to read the love scenes to you. This series that I'm reading is incredible."

"Does the hero die?"

"No, why?"

"Then it really is fiction. Lovin' like that could kill a man," he said. "Although I have no problem going out like that."

She giggled again. "Glad you liked it."

"Lot of work for you."

"A little bit. You're the one that had to keep us up. It couldn't have been easy having me hanging off of you like that," she replied.

"You were wrapped around me like a blanket. Made it easier to hold on to you."

She felt around with one hand, searching for her backpack. Smiled when Daniel found it and pulled it close. Inside was the box of Wet Ones she always carried. They cleaned up, pulled their underwear back on, then slipped inside the sleeping bags. He pulled her to lay on top of him, and they were both asleep within seconds of being settled.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Daniel woke her gently. "Case? Time for your watch," he whispered. He moved his hand over her face and throat, watching in the glow of his flashlight as her eyes fluttered, then opened. Smiled at the way her lips curved up when she saw him.

"Okay," she mumbled. She reached for her clothes, pulled them on, fumbled with the laces of her boots.

"Fresh pot of coffee waiting for you." He undressed, crawled into the sleeping bag. He accepted her kiss, then curled up and went to sleep.

Teal'c and Franklin were already standing by the fire. The air around them was chilly, the heat from the dancing flames was most welcome.

"We will do a perimeter check," Teal'c told the young Marine. "Casey Jackson will remain here, and maintain visual contact with us using the night vision goggles." His staff weapon held firmly, he led the way.

Casey adjusted the goggles, watched as they made a slow circle around the camp. She reached out gently, felt his sleepy caress. She held to him, made a quick search. Yep. They were still out there, just watching. Waiting. For what she didn't have a clue. She caressed him once again, then pulled away, allowing him to fall into deeper sleep.

"There is no sign of the beings who are watching us," Teal'c said.

"You can sense them?" she asked, pouring coffee for herself and Franklin, taking the teabag from the cup of tea she had started for Teal'c as soon as she had arrived at the fire.

"Indeed."

"Well, just before Daniel went to sleep I did another search. They're watching us all right. But I'm not picking up anything…dangerous from them."

The large man nodded his understanding. He smiled and winked at her when he gratefully accepted the cup of tea.

She bit back her giggle when she winked back. Carly had taught the Jaffa a lot!

"Are you feeling any ill-effects from our 'tagging'?" Teal'c asked quietly.

"Other than being pissed off, no," she replied. "You?"

"None, although I am angered as well. It would seem that we were taken advantage of."

"Yes, we were. The people in the city that collapsed had nothing to do with it, at least, not that I could sense. It was another group, from a nearby city that pulled us away from the rubble and then took us to their…laboratory, I guess is what it was," she replied. "They were more interested in studying us than helping their own people begin rebuilding! I'm not sure what all they did to us. I do know that we weren't dead. For a few days maybe, but not any longer than that."

Teal'c nodded again. "Perhaps it is better that we do not recall what was done to us."

She shuddered. "I have no doubt about that."

The three spent the rest of their watch keeping an eye on the shadows that seemed to move around the buildings that surrounded the park. She sensed only the three beings who were watching them. She had no illusions that there might not be others out there who were able to mask themselves from her senses, a fact that she shared with her best friend and the young Marine who watched with them. Neither man looked pleased with that information.

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