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Duncan paced the room that he shared with Methos, every nerve ending in his body on fire. He had never had a Quickening do this to him before.

"What’s up?" Methos asked, coming into the room. "I got a message that you wanted to see me."

"Methos, something is wrong," Duncan said. He tried to sit down, but couldn’t stay still. He jumped to his feet and started pacing again. "I’m feel like I’m on fire."

Methos sat down and watched his friend. "Duncan, has anything else…strange…been going on in the past few days…say, since you met Casey?"

Duncan stopped pacing to stare at his companion. "As a matter of fact, yes. Why? How did you know?"

"First tell me what’s been happening, then I’ll tell you what I know," Methos said evasively.

Duncan began to explain what he had been experiencing since the first day he had worked with Casey.

"Is that voice still in talking to you?" Methos asked.

Duncan ducked his head, avoiding the older Immortal’s eyes.

"Come on, Highlander, answer the question."

"Yes, damn it!"

"What is it telling you right now?"

"That I should go to her, seek the fire, burn with her," Duncan replied, cutting off each word as it left his mouth, as if they tasted bitter.

"Duncan, right after your Quickening, Casey ran to you. She didn’t touch you, but she was only a few feet away. Somehow her being near you has caused a reaction just the same as if she had touched you. In a few hours the sensations should be gone."

The young Scot nodded. "Good. I don’t like this!"

"I’m going back to work on that translation. If I’m right about this, when O’Neill took her back to that planet where the tablets came from, she didn’t come alone."

"A Guld?"

"Goa’uld, and no, nothing like that. But if I’m right, she’s the last Immortal that will ever be born on this planet. And you are ‘the strongest of heart’. And something on that planet knows that."

"What the hell does that have to do with anything?" Duncan demanded.

"It could mean an entirely different life for every Immortal," Methos replied cryptically. "In the meantime, stay here until tomorrow morning. You don’t need to accidentally touch someone else and make things worse. Especially stay away from Casey right now. Don’t even talk to her." With that, Methos turned and left.

The voice in his head was talking again. He tried to ignore it. ‘You burn for her, Highlander. Only she can quench the fire. Only her touch can bring relief. Find her, Highlander, find her and take what is yours!’ Duncan held his hands to his head. "Shut up!" he cried.

A   A   A   A   A   A

Casey was in Daniel’s office, carefully making etchings of several stone tablets. They had come from PX3-695. Two of the tablets had what looked like metal around the edges. Both were also considerably thicker than any of the others. When she touched the metal edge of one of the tablets, she cried out in pain as her fingers were burned.

Daniel heard her cry and lunged across the room. He could see the blisters forming, and just as quickly being healed. "What happened?"

Casey held her burned fingers to her lips. "I don’t know. I just tried to pick that up…"

"This one?" Daniel asked, picking the tablet up and holding it towards her.

She nodded, backing up instinctively.

Methos chose that moment to poke his head into the room. "Ah, good, Casey, you’re here. I need to ask you a few questions, and then I think we’d better talk to General O’Neill."

"Why?" Daniel asked. "What have you found?"

"If I’m right, a new life for Immortals." Both of the room’s occupants stared at the ancient Immortal. "I think it would be better if I talk to Casey alone," Methos added softly.

Daniel looked as if he were about to argue. Casey put her arm around him. "We are low on coffee. How about you go get us some hot coffee, I’ll answer Methos’ questions, and then we can figure out what’s going on with that tablet."

"What about that tablet?" Methos asked sharply. "May I see it?"

Daniel held it out to the other linguist. As soon as his fingers touched the metal, like Casey, Methos suffered burns. Daniel’s eyes grew wide. "We should call Duncan up here and see if the same thing happens to him," he said, reaching for the phone.

"No!" Methos shouted. He looked at the two startled people in front of him. "He’s still recovering from his Quickening," he explained hastily.

Casey turned to Daniel. "Go get the coffee, My Heart, Methos and I can talk, and when you get back we’ll figure this out."

It was obvious that Daniel didn't want to leave, but a kiss from Casey finally persuaded him.

Methos watched from the doorway until the young man was on the elevator before he turned and spoke. "Casey, did you go anywhere near that temple when you were on PX3-695?"

Casey nodded. "Jack wanted me to see what Daniel did on any missions where ruins are found. He wanted to see how much I could help. It was part of my training."

"Did anything…odd…happen?"

Casey shook her head. "No, why?"

"Has anything…odd…been happening, oh, I don’t know, in the past couple of days?"

Casey’s face went pale. "Well, I…uh…" she sat down in a nearby chair. "I’d really rather not talk about it."

"Duncan has a ‘voice’ in his head. He says that any physical contact with you is like having electricity shot through his body," Methos said gently.

She raised her head, her eyes wide. "It’s like my body is on fire," she whispered.

Methos knelt down in front of the young woman. "Casey, I don’t want to embarrass you, but could you tell me what the voice tells you?"

"It…it tells me to touch him, to feel the fire."

Methos nodded. "It’s telling him the same thing. I think somehow you’ve brought something, or perhaps someone back with you. And somehow it’s jumped into him as well."

"Like a Goa’uld?"

Methos couldn’t help but grin. "Funny, Duncan asked the same question. No, not like a Goa’uld. But something. I need to check a few things on one of the tablets. When Daniel gets back, have him bring that tablet to the room he has me working in. There must be something there that Immortals aren’t supposed to know, or aren’t supposed to find out for themselves."

After Methos left, Casey sat and stared at the tablet that lay on Daniel’s desk. The voice, which had been so quiet, began to bother her again. ‘Go to him. Take the fire to him. Quench his thirst for your fire. Touch him! Burn with him!’ With a moan, Casey held her hands to her head.

"Babe, are you alright?" Daniel asked, coming into the room with two cups of coffee. He put them on the desk. Before he could turn fully turn around Casey had launched herself into his arms.

"Hold me, please hold me," she begged, her voice whisper.

Daniel pulled her into his embrace, holding her tightly. She rested her head on his shoulder, he could feel her breath on his neck. "What’s wrong? Did Methos say something to upset you?"

Casey shook her head. "I’m just feeling…weird…getting burned like that, and not knowing why, only that it has something to do with being Immortal," she lied, hating herself for it.

His arm still around her, he reached for the tablet, turning it so he could see the writing. He frowned. "This doesn’t make any sense," he said at last.

"Why not?"

Daniel dropped his arm and moved away from her, his fingers tracing the glyphs on the stone. "According to this, only "The One" may touch the stone, and learn the secrets within." He turned the stone over, and then compared it to one of the others. "This is thicker, this metal band must be holding two stones together," he said excitedly. He began to examine the metal, looking for a way to pry it off.

"Methos said to bring it down to where he’s working, he thinks he’s on to something," Casey said.

Daniel nodded. He held a cup of coffee out to her. "We’ll drink our coffee first," he said. He suddenly had a dreadful feeling that he wasn't going to like what Methos had found.

Thirty minutes later, Daniel and Casey entered the room where Methos sat, absorbed in his work. Jack and Sam were already there, and Teal'c followed them in.

"Uh, Methos? Hello?" Jack said after several quiet minutes.

Methos held up a hand, finished the notes he was making, then stood up. He looked over at Daniel. "Good, you brought it. May I?" Without waiting for a reply, Methos touched the tablets, and immediately burned his fingers. He looked at Casey and nodded. She did the same thing, cringing as the blisters formed.

"But that’s just stone," Sam said.

"It’s wrapped with metal," Daniel pointed out, running his fingers over the metal and the stone with no ill effects.

Teal'c slowly reached out and touched the tablet. Like Daniel, he suffered no burns.

"This thing knows you’re Immortal?" Jack asked incredulously.

"It would seem so, general. I think that, when Casey was on PX3-695, being an Immortal…even a Pre-Immortal as she was at the time…she might have brought something back with her, and no, not a Goa’uld," he said.

Jack, Daniel, Sam and Teal'c exchanged glances. "Doc said Casey was fine after her post-mission medical exam," Jack said.

"Did he do any kind of MRI or x-ray?"

Sam nodded. "That’s standard procedure after any mission. He didn’t find anything abnormal."

Methos studied the tablets, which were still in Daniel’s hands. "What about a brain-wave scan?"

Sam looked at Jack. "I don’t think so."

"What do you say we go have a little scan done," Methos said. 

Without answering, Jack turned and walked out of the room, the group following him to the elevator. 

He'd suggest the same thing for Duncan, later, Methos thought. He had to make sure that Casey and Duncan were kept apart until the Scot had fully recovered from his Quickening. He was beginning to wonder if even after the effects of the Quickening had faded the two younger Immortals would be able to be together without giving in to the taunting voices. He hated to think what this could do to Daniel and Casey’s budding relationship, but if he was right, they weren’t destined to be together anyway.

An hour later, Doctor Williams was explaining his findings. "There is more activity in this section of the brain than normal," he said, pointing out the spot with his pen. "This is where we find subconscious activity."

Jack looked at Casey. "Anything weird going on in your head?"

Casey felt her cheeks blaze. She looked up at Daniel, saw the questions in his eyes. "Only when I’m around Duncan," she finally said.

Methos didn’t say a word, merely watched her. He could understand her dilemma.

"What about when you’re with Methos?"

Casey thought for a moment. Methos had barely left the room when the voice, which had not tormented her since she had left Duncan, began to do so again. She nodded. "Just once, earlier today."

"What does the voice say, Casey?" Daniel asked.

Casey lowered her eyes. "I’d rather not say," she murmured.

"If this…thing…is in her subconscious, it may be things that, well, she’d not think otherwise," Sam said, coming to her rescue.

"Uh huh," Jack said. "It’s not telling you to blow up the SGC or kill any of us is it? You aren’t developing a sudden urge to dominate the planet?"

Casey couldn’t help but giggle. "Not even close," she admitted.

"Well, then," Jack said, "I think we can leave her private thoughts private." The others in the room knew that she would be watched very closely, however.

She heaved a sigh of relief. She looked up to see Daniel frowning. She took his hand and held it to her face. She loved him, and she would not allow him to be hurt. No matter what it cost her. She smiled as he turned his hand to cup her cheek. She suddenly wanted to drag him to her room and make love to him until he couldn’t move.

"Doc, is this thing doing any damage to her?" Jack asked, continuing the discussion on the abnormality in Casey’s brain.

Doctor Williams shook his head. "Not that I can tell. I’d like to do another scan tomorrow. If there's no significant growth, we can assume this has to do with Ms. Webster’s Immortality. I’d like to get a scan of Doctor Pierson and Mr. MacLeod as well. If their scans are similar, then we’ll know for certain that this is merely a difference in their physiology due to their Immortality."

Methos let out a small breath. Now he wouldn’t have to come up with an idea on how to get a scan of Duncan. It would cause more trouble when his own brain scan didn’t match theirs; perhaps he could claim it was due to his extreme age? He heard the doctor asking to see Duncan right away. "No!" The others stared at him. "He just took a Quickening. He needs to…uh…rest," he said. He needs to be kept as far away from Casey as possible right now, he thought to himself again.

"Well, Methos, looks like your theory about something being in Casey is just that, a theory," Jack said as they all walked back toward the room that held most of the stone tablets. "Learned anything from the translations?"

Methos hesitated. "Most of the texts say that Immortals are the ‘keepers of history’, the ‘protectors of the innocent’, and the ‘warriors for the soul’."

"Could that possibly be a reference to fighting the Goa’uld?" Sam asked.

"That’s what I’m thinking," Methos agreed. "I’m wondering where the Game comes into this, I haven’t found anything about it, not a single mention. But there are several references to the Immortal with the ‘Strongest Heart’ leading the others, in what I can’t tell, because that part of the tablet is missing."

Daniel’s mind was beginning to spin. "Methos, before Duncan…well, before he..." he waved his hand in a small circle, "he said, ‘There can be only one,’ didn’t he?"

Methos nodded. "According to the rules of the Game, there will be only one Immortal at the end. I've already explained this to Casey."

Daniel nodded excitedly. "The tablet with the metal around it…I think it's more than one tablet, because the top one says that only The One can open it and reveal it’s secrets."

"Great, we have to wait until there’s only one Immortal," Jack groused.

Not necessarily, Methos thought to himself. "Surely you can find a way to remove the metal band from the tablets without damaging them?" he asked aloud.

"I would think so," Daniel replied.

"We’ll leave you two to work this out, let me know when you do," Jack interjected, as he turned towards his own office.

Sam and Teal'c parted company with the linguists, and Casey half-listened as the two men continued to discuss the possibilities of getting the metal off of the tablet.

When they were back in Daniel’s office, alone, she pressed against him. "What do you say we take a break for awhile?"

Daniel felt his body responding to the woman in his arms. "Why do I have a feeling that you’re going to be bad for my work ethic?" He grinned and held her tighter.

"Well, if I become your assistant, won’t it give you more time to do what you want?" she teased.

"I like the way you think, babe."

With a sultry smile, Casey took Daniel by the hand and led him towards her quarters. That they passed the room where Methos and Duncan were staying never occurred to them, but the man pacing the room fell to his knees as the pain became almost more than he could bear.

A   A   A   A   A   A

Casey carefully locked the door, then turned to face the man who stood watching her, his hands in his pockets.

"Casey, what does that voice say to you?" Daniel asked. "You don’t have to tell me, but you know you can tell me anything. Nothing is going to change the way I feel for you."

It would if you knew it was telling me to touch another man, she thought glumly. "It’s really kind of humiliating. It keeps telling me to do things…you know," she said, lowering her eyes. Her cheeks burned, not because she was embarrassed about her revelation, but because it wasn’t completely truthful, something she desperately wanted to be.

Daniel smiled. "Well, as long as you’re with me, you can do whatever it tells you to."

Casey gaped at him. Never would she have believed that quiet, studious Daniel Jackson was so... uninhibited! She couldn’t help but grin. "You mean it’s okay if I do this?" she asked, reaching out and fondling him through his BDU.

Daniel let out a small gasp as he felt himself harden at her touch. "As long as we’re alone, you can do that whenever you want."

"What about this?" She lowered herself to the floor in front of him, unzipped his pants, and released the swollen flesh that waited for her. She leaned forward, her hands on his thighs, as she slowly took him into her mouth.

"Oh, yeah," Daniel groaned, "that’s okay, too. As long as we’re alone," he qualified, his voice a bit breathless. He wove his fingers into her hair, his hips thrusting toward her mouth as she made love to him, one hand now moving on his shaft as well, caressing what she couldn't take in. His knees were getting weaker with each sweet caress. "My turn," he whispered. "I want to taste you." He pulled her to her feet, led her to the bed, and slowly undressed her, kissing each bit of skin he revealed.

When she was naked, he tore off his own clothes, then lay down beside her. He was on his side, running one hand over her satiny skin. He leaned forward and captured a nipple, sucking it gently into his mouth, his fingers gently tracing a path towards the top of her thighs. His lips began to follow his fingers, leaving a moist trail that quickly cooled as he moved ever downward, causing her to shiver.

When he reached her thighs, he kissed, and licked, his way her knee, to her ankle, across her instep, then followed the same path up her other leg back to her hip. He gently parted the moist folds between her thighs with his fingers, his tongue darting out and teasing the hard bud at the top. 

Casey gasped, her hips bucking wildly toward him. Fissures of pleasure spiraled through her body.

"You like that, don’t you?" he whispered, breathing against her skin, attacking her once more with his mouth.  So damned sweet! he thought.

"Oh, yes," she moaned.

He watched her as he continued his assault, watched as her eyes fluttered shut, and her breasts began to heave with her every breath. He pushed his fingers deep inside of her; stroking, urging her on towards climax. When he felt the muscles inside her body begin to contract, he moved away, pulling his fingers from within her, kissing his way back towards her breasts.

"You’re making me crazy!" she whimpered.

Daniel grinned. "Good. I like it when you’re crazy. I like it when you’re out of control." He leaned down to kiss her, letting her taste the honey that still clung to his lips.

"I want you in me, now!"

With a lazy smile, Daniel moved over her. She opened herself to him. She was so wet there was no need to guide him, he simply pushed against her and slid into that oh so ready opening. Her sweet well wrapped itself around him like a fist, causing a shudder to move from his head to his toes. "I love you," he whispered against her ear as he began the ancient dance of love.

"I love you," Casey replied, tears in her eyelashes because it was true, because she wanted nothing more than to be with him. She wrapped her legs around his waist, pulled him closer with her arms. She buried her face in his shoulder. She was so close, she knew it wouldn’t take long for her to reach that pinnacle of pleasure. She could feel it building, deliciously filling her, tightening the muscles deep inside. In an instant she was there, moaning against his skin. He hastened his movements, and soon followed her into that place where desire explodes into delight.

"I don’t know where you learned to do what you do, and I don’t care where you learned it, but I am so glad you learned it," Casey whispered.

Daniel chuckled. He was feeling sated and drowsy, and with Casey in his arms, he fell into blissful sleep.

A   A   A   A   A   A

Casey hesitated before she pulled open the door to the warehouse. She was going to tell Duncan that she just couldn’t work with him, that she would ask Methos to be her teacher. She couldn’t take any more of what was happening to her when she was near him.

He was sitting on the mat, legs crossed, his head hanging down. His long hair covered his face. When she stepped to the edge of the mat, his head flew up and he stared at her, his brown eyes hiding whatever thoughts were moving behind them. He stood slowly, careful not to touch her, aching to do just that.

Casey felt her body begin to throb. Her nipples hardened, Duncan’s eyes grew darker as he watched her, not missing a thing. As hard as she tried, she couldn’t keep from reaching toward him. She caressed his cheek, watched his eyes close as he moved his face against her hand. She moved her hand down his chest, over one arm.

Duncan stood still, his body on fire, felt his self-control slipping away. "If ya do’nae stop now, I canna stop what I will do," he said, grinding his teeth as he felt his body harden for her.

Casey looked up into his eyes. A single tear slid from hers, making its way down her cheek to her chin.

He reached out and rubbed his thumb gently across her face, taking the wetness with it. She closed her eyes. With a groan Duncan pulled her into his arms, holding her tight against his body. Where her body touched his, it felt as if the skin were on fire. He lowered his head and touched his mouth to her trembling lips. He pulled far enough away to be able to speak, his lips against her cheek. "Do ya feel it too, lass? Do ya burn as I do?"

Casey could only nod. Her body was on fire, his touch against her skin almost painful. She raised her face towards him, silently demanding his kiss. He obeyed her, taking his time in knowing her mouth, his tongue tracing her lips. When she parted them he plunged inside, tasting her, feeling the texture of her tongue and teeth. His hands began to move down her body, his large hands cupping her breasts, his thumbs raising the nipples into even harder points. He kissed her jaw, her neck, her collarbone. He pulled her down onto the mat, stretched out beside her. He lowered his face and took a swollen nipple into his mouth, leaving her tank top wet.

"There is’na turnin’ back now, lass," he whispered.

"I know," she whispered in reply. "Nor do we have a choice," she said, a note of sadness in her voice.

"Nay, lass, we dinna." He captured her mouth in a kiss as he pushed her tank top up to her neck. He unhooked her bra and sucked a nipple into his mouth, his fingers gently squeezing the other.

Casey lay still, her hands on his shoulders, wanting him, needing him, burning for him to take her, and crying inside as she gave herself to a man who was not Daniel. She obediently raised her hips when he instructed her to do so, waiting as he pulled her sweats from her body. She cried out when he began to feast on the center of her need. She had to taste his skin, feel the texture of his body. "I need to…" she murmured, barely able to speak coherently.

It was as if he could read her mind. He pulled his own clothes off and took her hand, guiding it to his rock-hard member. She stroked him for a few minutes, kissing his chest, nipping at his hard male nipples. When she lowered her head to taste him, he let out a hiss of pleasure. He was large, like Daniel, and she could only take him part way down her throat.

"Now, lass, it’s got to be now," he groaned. He carefully laid her on her back, moving over her almost reverently. He moved his knee between hers, pushing her legs apart.

She cried out when he entered her, the fire they both felt consuming them. She grasped at his broad back as he began to move within her. A part of her brain, a part that still functioned, prayed that Daniel would never find out about this, that her body would not betray what she was doing. Soon even that part of her brain was silenced as she was overtaken by the fire. She was burning, but it was no longer painful. Instead the pleasure began to build, the fire inside her began to change, until it was overwhelming ecstasy.

Duncan could feel his release building. He slowed his movements, wanting to give the woman who laid beneath him her pleasure first. He slipped a hand between them and began to stroke her hard nub. When she began to whimper, he moved his hand, letting his hips move against her instead. She cried out just seconds before he threw his head back and roared out at his own release, his teeth bared. He felt himself empty into her body again and again.

They lay there, panting, barely noticing that the fire that had burned so intensely before seemed to have gone out.

By silent, mutual agreement Duncan and Casey got dressed. He walked back to the mountain entrance with her. She remained silent as they stepped into the elevator.

Duncan finally broke the silence. "I don’t know exactly what happened, Casey. I-"

She shook her head. "Don’t say anything, Duncan. I’m as guilty as you. I could have stepped away."

"Could you have? Be honest, Casey. Did you have any more control than I had?"

She looked down, and shook her blonde head again. "No," she whispered. She raised her eyes and watched the numbers click by. "Please, don’t say-"

"Never. I would never do anything to hurt you," he said softly. He reached out and pushed a lock of hair from her face. He loved her, with all his being. He knew that as well as he knew his name. He also knew that she loved another. He ached from that knowledge. "You know that we’re fated to be together. You feel it, too, don’t you, lass?"

"Yes, I feel it." She turned to face him. "Duncan, we’re Immortal. We have all the time in the world, in the universe, to be together. Daniel isn’t Immortal. I want what time he has. I want to be with him. Please, try to understand!"

Duncan closed his eyes at the pain the words caused.

"Duncan," Casey said softly, "what if we had met while Tessa was alive? What if this had happened then? How would you have felt?"

He sighed. "The same way you feel. I understand your need to be with Daniel. I don’t like it, but I understand. Do you still want me to be your teacher?"

"May whatever gods there are forgive me, but yes, I do," she admitted.

Duncan smiled, although the smile didn’t reach his eyes. "Well, then, I guess I will be with you when I can, even if it is only as your teacher."

"No more repeats of today," she said quickly.

"No more repeats of today," he agreed. "As long as we have control over the situation. I can’t say what will happen if that…" he paused.

"If that fire starts burning again," she finished for him.

"Aye."

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