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Daniel dropped down onto the bed. It had been too long. Except for the hour he'd had with Casey on the Phoenix, he hadn't been with his Wife for damned near a month! He definitely had plans for tonight! They had showered, he was waiting for her to finish drying her hair. He was going to make love to her…take her Around the World. Yep, that sounded like a damned fine idea; a nice slow, incredible trip Around the World. Might even make a couple of those 'stops' twice!

He laid back and closed his eyes. As soon as he had been discharged, he had taken Emily and Nicholas to The Mercantile and picked up two new coloring books, just like he had promised. They had colored while Casey fixed dinner. To finally be home, to have his life back was all he could ask for. That, and a chance to wring Betsy Harris' neck.

Duncan had told them that there was to be a preliminary hearing for her within a few days. Betsy was being charged with attempted murder…the nanovirus she had used on Casey left no doubt that she had wanted the young Immortal dead. She was also being charged with kidnapping, unlawful imprisonment, endangering minors, possession of controlled narcotics, unlawful administration of controlled substances, and… interestingly enough, blackmail. It seemed that her 'accomplice' had come forward when Betsy had double-crossed him. He was looking at some serious charges as well, but Duncan said the man was more concerned with bringing down Betsy Harris than bargaining for a lighter sentence for himself. Daniel figured that she had really screwed the man over for him to be that angry. The Terran government was also bringing charges against her: murder, it seemed that the missing Customs Agent had ran afoul of her; there would be charges for importing controlled substances, as she'd had the drugs with her when she arrived; and illegal entry - she had used false identification when she had arrived on the planet. All in all, Betsy Harris was going away for a very long time.

Both he and Casey would be testifying at the trial. Daniel had argued with Duncan, and the DA, about Emily's testimony. He refused to allow his daughter to be in the same room with that psychotic bitch. So, the judge and both attorneys would meet in chambers, Emily would be brought in by a 'neutral' party; Gina deValicort would be allowed to escort her, and she would answer questions posed by the judge. The tape would then be played for the jury during the trial.

Sam had confessed to both of them about what she had done, the secret causing too much anxiety and guilt to hide it any longer. She had been surprised when her best friends had looked at one another and started laughing. When Casey had told her that they had discussed doing the same thing, the tall blonde had relaxed and laughed with them. Casey had had a pleased look on her face to learn just how badly Betsy Harris had taken the 'revelations' made during her 'private show'.

Daniel's musings were interrupted when Casey walked into the bedroom gloriously naked, absolutely beautiful. His body went hard at the sight. He grinned when she noticed, her eyes filled with Fire at the sight of him…aroused and ready for her.

"Hey, handsome!"

"Hey gorgeous," he replied. He held his hand out to her, rolled to his side, waited until she was laying beside him to lower his head and kiss her.

"I see you have a little trip planned," she said, her eyes dancing. The toys and the body oil were on top of the bedside table. Her hand was moving up and down his side, from his armpit to his thigh and back again.

"Yep."

"Love me, Daniel," she whispered softly.

"Already do," he smiled, his fingers moving over her satiny skin.

"Make love to me, please?" she whispered.

"Angel, I thought you'd never ask," he whispered in return. His lips found hers once again, and he started them on that incredible journey to the stars. It was nearly four hours later before the small lamp went off and they fell asleep, happily exhausted and clinging to one another.

A  A  A  A  A  A

The judge, a large man with warm caramel-colored skin, laughing brown eyes, and gray hair smiled down at the little girl. "Emily, how are you today?" he asked gently.

"I'm 'kay," she replied. She was holding tightly to Gina's hand. She didn't like the way the other lady was looking at her. She looked mean. The other man was smiling at her. He looked nice.

"Emily, I'm going to ask you some questions, and I want you to tell me the truth, do you understand?"

Emily nodded. "Mommy says liars aren't nice people, because lies can make you hurt inside."

Judge Timothy Andrews smiled. "Your Mommy is right, Emily. Now, can you tell me your full name?"

"The one Mommy uses when I'm in trouble?"

The adults in the room chuckled. "Yes, Emily, that's the one," the judge replied.

"Emily Rose Jackson," the little girl said.

"That's a very pretty name," Judge Andrews said.

"Thank you. What's your in-trouble name?"

The judge laughed. "Timothy Martin Andrews," he replied.

"That's nice, too," Emily said diplomatically.

Again the judge laughed. "Thank you Emily. Now Emily, did something…bad…something scary…happen to you recently?"

"My Daddy gotted took, and my Mommy gotted hurt, and then a mean, bad lady put bad medicine in my Daddy, and I got a shot on my leg," Emily replied. "I can't go to the lake until Dok'tor Monty says my leg is healed up, but Daddy promised we'd go just as soon as it's all better. Want to see it?"

Judge Andrews smiled. "Maybe later. I hope your leg doesn't hurt."

"Not too much now. It hurted bad when Mommy was asleep and Nicholas was crying and that bad lady took-ded my Daddy."

"I'll bet it did. Now, Emily, do you know who did all these bad things to you and your family?"

Emily nodded. "She was a mean, bad lady, and her mouth wasn't happy."

"Her mouth wasn't happy?" the judge said, puzzled at the description.

"It was like this," Emily said, using her fingers to pull at her little lips, demonstrating the deep downward sweep of Betsy Harris' mouth.

"I see. Emily, we have some pictures on a chalkboard over here. Would you like to see if you know any of the people in the pictures?" The judge asked.

"Okay."

Judge Andrews stood up, and held his hand out. Emily grasped it firmly and followed him across the room. He picked her up. "Okay, Emily, can you tell me who these people are?"

Emily studied the pictures. "That's my Mommy, and that's my Daddy," she said, pointing to pictures of Casey and Daniel. "That's Becca, she works at the big mountain with my Mommy and Daddy, and that's Terry, he's a Ark'lo'gist like me and my Daddy, and I don't know who that lady is, and I don't know who that lady is, and that's Miss Susan, she's a Ark'lo'gist too, and that's the mean, bad lady, and I don't know who that is, and that's Texas. He goes on mission jobs with my Mommy and Daddy."

"Very good, Emily, thank you."

"Your Honor…" the female attorney started. The woman was already aware that she was fighting an uphill battle. The testimony of a wounded child could be devastating to her defense.

"The rules of this interview were that you were to be present. Not speaking. Do I make myself clear?" Judge Andrews said sharply. He turned his attention back to the little girl in his arms. "Emily, I have very much enjoyed talking to you. Now, I'm going to let Mrs. deValicort take you back to your grandmother. Thank you for helping us today."

Emily flashed a smile that rivaled any of her mother's. "I liked talking to you, too. I can help whenever you need me to."

The judge laughed. "Thank you very much, Emily." He waited until the little girl had left the room. "Ms. Churchill, I am satisfied that that child knows exactly who shot her, and her mother, and kidnapped her father. The two women she 'didn't know' were so close physically to the defendant that I would have had difficulty telling the three of them apart. Emily Jackson had no such difficulty. This interview was recorded, and will be used as her testimony during the trial. Now, I have another matter to attend to, so if you'll excuse me, I'll see you in court."

A  A  A  A  A  A

Casey sat nervously beside Daniel. She was clinging to his hand. "Are you sure I look all right?"

He smiled. "Angel, you're beautiful."

She nodded. She was wearing a softly gathered cotton skirt that matched the color of her eyes, a white embroidered tank top and her cream colored espadrilles. She hadn't wanted to look too dressed up, nor did she want too appear shabby. Daniel was wearing his beige Dockers and a dark blue dress shirt. The DA had told them that the summer heat made suits impractical, so wearing one wasn't necessary. Daniel had been relieved to hear that. He looked darn good, she thought, smiling over at him. "I'm nervous," she admitted.

"Me, too, Angel."

"I don't know if I can sit in that room…with her right there…god I just want to strangle her!"

"Easy, Tiger. I know exactly how you feel. I feel the same way."

One of the bailiffs entered the small room where the witnesses were waiting. "Mrs. Casey Jackson," he called.

Casey stood up, smoothed her skirt, and walked toward the door.

'Love you, Angel.'

'Love you, too Stud Muffin.'

She followed the bailiff into the courtroom. Refused to look at the defendant's table where that bitch sat with her attorney. One from Earth no less, because Betsy insisted she couldn't get fair representation with an attorney from Hope! She took her place in front of the chair beside the judge's bench.

"Please raise your right hand."

Casey obeyed.

"Do you swear that the testimony that you are about to give today is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

"I swear," she replied softly.

"Please state your full name for the record."

"Casey Renee Jackson."

"Please be seated."

Casey sat down. She noted that Jack and Sam, Teal'c and Carly, Duncan and Tessa, and Wade were sitting in the first row behind the DA's table. SG-6 and Marine 2 were behind them. Terry, Mike and the Whitman's were present as well. The familiar faces helped to soothe her ragged nerves. The DA approached her.

"Mrs. Jackson, I have only a few questions for you. Can you tell me what happened on Sunday, March Twenty-third of this year?"

"Yes." My Beloved was taken from me. My baby was shot. Good enough?

"Please do so."

"My Husband and I, and our children, had just left my parent's house. We have lunch with them every Sunday. Daniel…my Husband, and I were talking, and then suddenly a van was coming toward us, on the wrong side of the road. Daniel…my Husband, had to swerve to avoid being hit. The van turned and blocked us from behind, and a second van appeared right in front of us."

"I see. Why didn't your husband simply pull away?"

Gee, why didn't we think of that? What kind of stupid question is that? "There were parked cars on both sides of the street. We were between two vans and a parked car. Our jeep wouldn't have been able to maneuver out of the space we were in."

"What happened then?"

"Daniel…my Husband, was told to turn off the engine. He did so. Then he was ordered out of the jeep. He demanded to know what this…person…wanted. She…it was a woman's voice …said, 'I want you, Danny'. That's really all that I remember."

"Why is that, Mrs. Jackson?"

"Because I was shot five times." Because I was killed, my little girl wounded, my babies left terrified and alone, and my Husband was kidnapped and turned into a drug addict!

"Mrs. Jackson, before you were…shot…when the person from the van spoke, did you recognize the voice?"

"Yes I did." Freakin' voice from hell!

"And whose voice was it?"

"Doctor Betsy Harris."

"Thank you, Mrs. Jackson. No further questions, Your Honor."

The defense attorney, one Peggy Churchill, stood and approached Casey. "Mrs. Jackson, if you didn't see the face of your attacker, how could you know that it was my client?"

"If you had been paying attention, you would have heard Mr. Carlisle ask me if I recognized the voice, and I answered that I did," Casey replied coolly, her eyes cold as ice. Keep asking stupid questions, cupcake, I can answer them all day long!

"Your Honor, permission to treat this witness as hostile?"

"Granted."

"Mrs. Jackson, how on earth could you recognize my client's voice when this attacker had made no more than two comments?"

Hostile? Lady, you haven't seen hostile yet! Stand by to freakin' stand by! "Ever have a woman after your husband? Believe me, cupcake, you remember that voice," Casey retorted. Titters moved over the gallery.

"Your Honor, move to strike."

"Overruled. You asked a question, Mrs. Jackson answered."

"No more questions."

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