Casey glanced through the folder. Then looked up into those beautiful blue eyes. "Are you serious?"

He couldn’t help but grin at the excitement, and hope, that filled those amazing green eyes. "Yep. I’m serious."

She let out a little squeal, threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

Daniel laughed, hugged her as tightly as she held him. "You’re welcome, Angel. How long do you think it will take you to get ready?"

"A couple of hours at the most," was the immediate reply.

"Go on over to the Center, get a dig box ready. I have important email to tend to," he teased.

"I already dealt with mine," she retorted playfully.

"While I was busy convincing Jack and Duncan to let us go on this mission," he replied.

"Which I so totally absolutely completely undeniably appreciate."

A wicked grin tugged at his lips, his eyes flashed with desire. "Yeah? Really? You appreciate all of my efforts to make you happy? How much?"

"If there wasn’t a camera in that corner, I’d show you, right here and now," she replied breathlessly. Grinned inwardly at the sharp intake of breath that let her know that her words had had the desired effect. She put her lips beside his ear. "I’d get right down on my knees, and I’d worship you...lick that magnificent anaconda until you couldn’t take it anymore...then I’d..."

Daniel put his finger to her lips. "Don’t. I can’t take it."

She giggled. Pressed her body against his, could feel his arousal. "I was just trying to tell you how...grateful...I am."

"You’re trying to drive me crazy."

"Doing a pretty good job of it too, if I do say so myself."

He couldn’t have stopped the bark of laughter that overtook him if he tried. She was so damned proud of herself; so sure of herself, and her power over him. Trouble was...she was right. Just the thought of that sweet, hot mouth on him...sonofabitch! Think paperwork, he told himself firmly. Think about the damned emails left to take care of. "You will so pay for that!"

Slowly pulling away from him, she let one finger trail down his chest to his belt. "That’s what I’m counting on," she replied.

"Get over to the Center, before I ravish you. In spite of the camera." He gave her fanny a sharp slap.

"Ow! You’re just ticked because I have you all worked up-" She couldn’t say any more. Because his mouth had come crashing down on hers, his lips, his tongue demanding retribution for the condition he now suffered. Her arms were back around his neck, her body pressing against his again, her need this time, rather than just trying to arouse him. She sighed softly into his mouth when his arms locked around her waist, holding her tightly.

Soft and sweet and warm and so damned giving! His tongue danced into her mouth, caressed hers, then moved back to those soft lips. He touched...took...gave back...felt her take what she wanted, what she needed from him.

"Ahem."

It never failed. Just as soon as she was lost in the taste of him, the warmth of his touch, somebody had to interrupt! Probably a good thing, her mind told her. Considering that much more of this and she would be on her knees in front of him, her need to give him pleasure pushing out any and every other thought.

Damn it! He needed more! Wanted more! Yeah, his brain taunted. Any more and you’ll have to take her right there on the desk or explode. Back away, bucko, while you still can. And be thankful that the interruption came when it did!

Julie smiled. Folded her arms in front of her, waited for her boss...bosses, to surface. Daniel and Casey were so in love it was almost sickening. Almost. Their trysts in the storeroom of the Center were the most widely known secret on the base. Oh, Casey wasn’t aware that everyone knew what was going on. She was fairly certain Daniel did. And he didn’t seem to mind at all.

"Hey, Julie," Daniel said, holding Casey in front of him until he had complete control over his body once again.

"Hey, boss. Just have a few things you need to sign."

"I thought you had a stamp for that."

"Original copies of certain reports require a real signature," the secretary replied. She didn’t bother to hide the grin that covered her face. Both Jackson’s complained long and loud about the fact that even with her working for them, it was still necessary for them to take care of certain tasks themselves. However, she ‘diverted’ enough paperwork that the heads of other departments had decided having a secretary was a good idea. Now that nearly every department had at least one secretary, she no longer felt as out-of-place as she had when she first started working at the SGC.

"Figures," Daniel mumbled. He was still hard, but it wouldn’t be as noticeable beneath the heavy fatigues he wore. He walked to the desk and dropped down into the chair. "I suppose this is only good for today. I’ll have to sign more tomorrow, right?"

"I suppose so," Julie grinned.

"You enjoy this way too much," he grumbled.

"It’s my job, boss."

"Right." He scratched out his name on nearly a dozen documents.

"Are you coming over to the Center?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, as soon as I take care of the email. That the secretary can’t handle."

Julie giggled. "Hey, I take care of everything I can take care of. I could let you sort through all of the email, you know."

The archaeologist grunted. "I thought I already was."

Casey burst into giggles. "You just screwed the pooch on that one! You’ll be in here all day tomorrow dealing with email. Gee...I guess that means you’ll miss out on what could be a very interesting Cardorian dig."

He wadded up a piece of paper and launched it at his wife. "Stop giving her ideas!"

The dark haired secretary laughed. "I wouldn’t do that to you, boss. I get more accomplished when you’re at the Center!"

Casey hooted with laughter, and both women darted out of the door and to the relative safety of Julie’s office when Daniel reached for more paper.

Giving a wave to a woman she never would have believed could have become a friend, but had, Casey headed toward the elevator. Sam was already in the lift, also heading topside. "Hey, girlfriend, what’s up?"

Sam smiled. "Meeting Jack at the truck for lunch."

"Lake?"

"Mmmhmm."

The young blonde Immortal chuckled. "You should find a nice supply closet."

Laughing, Sam shook her head. "Too many years in the military. The thought of being...caught ...is still terrifying."

"Yes, I have. There were some interesting readings that I’m anxious to check out," Sam replied.

"Interesting? Like what kind of interesting?"

"Well, there are traces of naquadah. But there were some...anomalous...readings that indicate there might be something else there as well."

"Like Orrinite or something?"

Sam smiled. "Or something. I’ll do a routine analysis, send for the geologists if I find anything interesting."

"From the images I saw, there are quite a few buildings left intact." She was practically bouncing on her feet. The more they learned about the Cardorians, the more intriguing that civilization became.

"You’re as bad as he is," Sam teased.

"He who?"

"Daniel. You get just as excited about ruins as he does."

"Because it’s all so fascinating! Not to mention he looks so damned hot when he’s got on a do-rag, and he’s shirtless..." she gave an appreciative shiver. "That’s enough to make any woman interested in archaeology!"

The elevator doors opened, the two women signed out, and walked toward the parking lot together. "Briefing at oh-eight hundred?" Sam asked.

"Yep."

"See you then, if I don’t see you later today."

"I’ll be there." With a flutter of her fingers, Casey turned toward the Center. Just as that nagging little voice began to poke at her. Which usually meant only one thing. Something was about to go wrong.

...The woman with the red hair was beautiful. Her violet eyes were full of laughter as she danced in a circle with a man, very obviously the man she loved. Casey smiled when he dipped her, and then kissed her. Love was such a beautiful thing to watch! The smile vanished when he turned them around. Daniel! That was Daniel! Her heart clenched, she couldn’t catch her breath.

That was her pet name! Why was he calling that...that...that redheaded bitch his Angel? Tears began to run down her face. The love he felt for the woman was tangible. She reached for him...tried desperately to touch him...felt nothing...absolutely nothing!...

Her eyes flew open, she was gasping for breath, her entire body shaking. He was wrapped around her, holding her tightly. She tried to move away from him slowly, gently, so as not to wake him. It didn’t work.

"Case?" his voice was raspy, full of sleep.

"Go back to sleep, Daniel," she replied curtly, cursing the fact that her voice broke as soon as his name touched her lips.

"What’s wrong, Angel?"

She jerked away from him, the endearment echoing in her ears, unable to see anything but his arms around that woman...the love in his eyes. "Nothing. Go back to sleep."

With a sigh, Daniel sat up, turned on the small lamp, ran a hand wearily over his face. "Nightmare."

"You could say that."

It couldn’t have lasted very long, he hadn’t ‘sensed’ her distress...hadn’t awakened enough to enter the nightmare to change it...to save her...or do whatever was necessary to sooth her. Obviously he was in it. She was madder than hell about something...and hurt, too. He could see the pain in her eyes. "Want to tell me about it?"

"Not particularly."

"Tell me anyway."

Casey shook her head stubbornly. "Just suffice it to say, if it was a premonition, I’ll fight you every step of the way, and I’ll make damned sure you never get to see the kids. I’ll be damned if I’ll let some violet-eyed, red-headed bitch near my babies. She might get you, but she’ll never have them!" She threw back the blankets and rushed into the bathroom.

The only time she woke up from nightmares like this was when they were premonitions. He stared after her, his mouth hanging open with shock. "Say what? And don’t you dare threaten me like that!" He climbed out of bed, followed her.

She grabbed a clean washcloth from the cabinet, ran cool water over it, pressed it to her face. Strong, warm...familiar...arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Angel, there is no way I’m going to leave you," Daniel said softly.

"Yeah? That’s not what my dream just showed," she retorted, her reflection mirroring her pain.

"You’re My Chosen, Case. My Heart. How can I live without my Heart?"

"Pretty damned happily, from what I saw!"

"There has to be another explanation," he said, frowning slightly. Damn it, whenever she ‘saw’ something, she was never wrong. Never. This had to be wrong! It just had to be!

She turned in his arms, buried her face against his neck. "I can’t live without you," she whispered, clinging tightly to him.

"I know," he whispered in reply. "No matter what you saw, I can’t live without you, either. We’ll figure it out, babe. I promise."

Clinging tighter than before, she could only nod. In his arms the hurt, the anger...the danger...of that nightmare couldn’t touch her. The poking in the back of her mind just would not stop, however. Something was about to happen. Something not at all pleasant. Something that was going to put Daniel happily in the arms of another woman.

A    A    A    A    A    A

"Okay, team, you get twenty-four hours. I'll expect regular check-ins, SOP," Duncan said from the control room.

Casey pushed down the sudden image of the redheaded woman with her arms around Daniel. It was just a nightmare, she told herself sternly. Just a damned nightmare. And refused to listen to the little voice that insisted otherwise.

Jack gave a half turn and tossed off a sloppy salute. "Ya, sure, you betcha," he intoned, to the amusement of his friends.

The 'gate had opened with all of its splendor, and Casey, in her excitement, was already racing up the ramp. Daniel was directly behind her. Their teammates exchanged knowing grins, and started up the ramp as well. Stood in shock when the event horizon disappeared with a hiss. What the hell had just happened?

A    A    A    A    A    A

Emily stood up, let her dolls and the furniture for her dollhouse fall from her fingers, cocked her head to one side, a perfect imitation of her mother. She hurried to the conversation room, where her grandmother was sitting, giving Ethan his bottle. "Meemaw? I feel...funny."

Erin frowned, her hand automatically reaching for the child's forehead. She didn't feel too warm. "Where do you feel funny?"

"Here," the child replied, pointing to her heart. "I feel...sad...and scared. It just started all of a sudden."

They were aware of the fact that Emily and Nicholas were...'gifted'. Her frown deepened. Aaron would be able to tell her if her granddaughter was sensing something. Before she could say anything, Nicholas came into the room, a dump truck still in his hand, tears in his little blue eyes. At almost the same time, Ethan began to fuss. Her heart constricted. "Oh, Aaron," she whispered, "I need you!"

Aaron Desala was, at that moment, in a meeting with the ambassador of the Furlings. He frowned when he felt the...tremor...that seemed to echo around him. Something had just happened. Something was wrong.