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Daniel was still angry. The meetings he had sat through all day had left him stunned, and with a bitter taste in his mouth. How many years had she worked for the SGC now? How could they do this? How could Jack do this? He was even angrier that she had been deliberately left out of the meetings that were deciding her future at the SGC. He had told Jack that he would tell her, since The Powers That Be seemed too cowardly to face her. He put it off while he checked every possible avenue of recourse. At eleven o’clock he sighed and shut the computer off. She was engrossed in her book. He almost laughed out loud when he read the title: 'Savage Lust'. She had a penchant for romance novels. "Babe, we need to talk."

Casey put down her book, the tone of his voice and the look in his blue eyes alerting her to trouble. "What’s up?"

He sighed. "You’re being reassigned."

She looked at him for a minute, his words slowly sinking in. "From SG-1?"

He nodded. "There’s a guy who's been working for the Stargate program as long as I have, he was instrumental in getting some of the software for the ‘gate computer up and running. He helped design the iris. He’s wanted to join the team since the beginning, but he’s been stuck working for the program in DC. He appealed to the President, and now he’s on the team. And the President is kicking you off. He said SG-1 has always been a four-man team. He’s not changing it now." What bothered Daniel the most was that in the very beginning, SG-1 had been just Jack, Sam and him. Then Teal'c had joined them. When Jack had been promoted, the team had consisted of him, Sam and Teal'c. Which meant that the President’s argument was crap.

Casey swallowed. Not work with Daniel and Sam and Teal'c? "I see. My new assignment?"

"SG-6. Since Morris is rotating out, and Wilson transferred to Area 51 to work for General Hammond, that leaves 6 at least one person short. Major Parker fought like hell to get you assigned permanently to his team."

She smiled to know that the major thought so highly of her. "What did Jack have to say about all of this?"

Daniel sighed, his frown deepening. "He said there was nothing he could do."

"Then there wasn’t. Love, it’s okay, really. I like working with 6. Major Parker is great. I like Tony and Texas."

"No, it’s not okay, Casey! You died for that team how many times, before we were all Immortal? You’ve given everything you’ve got to SGC! Hell, it was our fault Wepwawet was ever on Earth for the NID to take! It was our fault, SG-1’s, that you were ever taken hostage and made a Goa’uld slave! Now, to make it up to you, they kick you off!" Daniel ranted.

"Daniel, no one but you and I and Duncan have any memories of…before. I have nothing special to offer the team. Sam is the astrophysicist and gizmo expert. You’re the expert on language and ancient civilizations and negotiating. Teal'c knows everything there is to know about the Goa’uld. I’m just an extra gun, that’s all."

"That’s crap and you know it. You know about the Goa’uld from experience up close and personal. You can read glyphs almost as well as I can," Daniel argued. "You've got a…a…a gift…you can sense when we're heading into trouble. That's damned valuable!"

Casey moved over to kneel in front of her husband. She let her hands slide up and down his thighs. "I don’t know a fraction of what you do about archaeology. I can read Goa’uld, maybe a little of a couple other languages. I certainly don’t have the ear for spoken language that you do. The only Goa’uld I know about is Gargantua, and I killed him. I know what it’s like to be a slave, nothing more. So I get a feeling or two…it's really no big deal. I’ll miss working with you, but love, if this is the way it has to be, then this is the way it has to be."

"Not if we quit," he said bluntly.

Her eyes widened. "You’re not serious?"

"Yes, babe, I am. We could go to Gamma. They’re almost completely independent of Earth now. Joint Chiefs aren’t too happy about it either, but they know that there isn’t anything they can do about it. There are a couple of Senators who are making noises about assigning a mortal to run the base there, but it will never happen. You and I both know that Duncan would just take the Immies and move elsewhere."

She nodded. "I know. But I don’t think a move is what we need to do. Besides, as much as I love Mom and Dad, it would drive me crazy to live on the same base with them."

Daniel smiled. "They do dote on you, don’t they?"

"A little too much," she complained lovingly. "Daniel, give this a chance. You might really like this guy. Maybe you’ll be able to work with him as closely as you do with Sam. Who is he, by the way?"

"Colonel Benjamin Braeden."

"Full colonel?"

He nodded.

Sam, she thought, is only a lieutenant colonel. "Uh, he does realize that Sam is the CO of SG-1, right?"

He grimaced. "Yeah, well, from what I’ve read about him, it might not stay that way."

"How is Sam taking all of this?" Casey asked worried about her friend.

Daniel shook his head. "She didn’t say much of anything, except to object long and loud about you getting the boot."

Casey smiled. "If she’s being quiet, she’s worried."

"Yeah, I know," Daniel replied. The phone on the desk began to ring. They exchanged a look, knowing instinctively who would be calling this late. He answered. "Hello? Hey Sam...Yeah, I just told her…better than me, actually…What?…Are you serious?… Tomorrow? They’re not wasting any time, are they?…I know, Sam, I know he did...Well, that’s something, anyway. Maybe we’ll be able to see each other occasionally if he does that…Yeah. Okay, see you tomorrow."

"What was that all about?" Casey asked.

Daniel sat back in his chair. "Braeden arrives tomorrow morning. We go off-world tomorrow afternoon."

"How long?"

"Two, three days." He began caressing her shoulders. "Jack told Sam that he’s going to try and keep 1 and 6 on the same rotation schedule. That way we should have at least some of our down days together. I hate this, babe."

For the first time it hit her that she wouldn't be going with Daniel whenever he went off-world, and that he wouldn’t be joining 6 if she were with them. That their time together was about to become very rare, and very precious. "I think I hate it too," she said softly, a tear stealing down her cheek.

"Aw, babe, come here," he said, reaching for her. She moved to sit in his lap. He wiped the tear from her cheek, held her close. "We’ll give this three months. If at the end of three months we aren’t able to spend enough time together, I’ll try one more time to get the idiots in DC to see reason. If they won’t, we’re gone. Okay?"

Casey nodded. "If nothing else, maybe we can just transfer to the Alpha or Beta site. Gamma is the last resort," she said.

He had to smile. "Give them time, eventually they won’t dog every step you take when you’re there."

His words made her giggle. "I love them, I really do, but Mom just can’t seem to let me make a move without her when we’re there, and Dad has to tell everybody ad nauseam that I’m his daughter, and then list all of my various not so incredible talents."

"I think every talent you have is incredible," he said, nuzzling her neck.

"You do, huh?" she smiled, leaning her head back and giving him greater access to her throat.

"Yep. You have a couple of incredible talents that I need right now, Angel," he whispered.

"You only have to ask, my love, and whatever it is that you want, or need, I'll give you," she whispered in return. She felt the shiver of excitement that her words caused in his body.

Daniel stood up and carried her back into the bedroom. He pulled the robe from her shoulders, and let it drift to the floor. He laid her on the bed, stripped his sweats off, then positioned himself over her. "Need in you, Angel," he whispered. He lowered his head to kiss her, letting one hand move gently, slowly over her breasts.

She opened her legs, already wet for him. She sighed as he slid into her body. It felt so right, so good…she wrapped her legs around him, lifted her hips to meet his each time he moved down toward her.

"Love you, My Star," he whispered in her ear.

"Love you, My Heart," she replied.

The flames that built with each caress, each kiss, each thrust, burned higher and hotter, until at last they were both crying out, their bodies trembling. Daniel rolled to his back, held her against his body, and finally drifted to sleep. Casey lay safe in his arms. It would be difficult to watch SG-1 leave without her tomorrow. But there was nothing that could be done about it. She sighed, and closed her eyes.

A  A  A  A  A  A

It seemed odd to go into the gym and not see Teal'c. He was in the pre-mission briefing. Meeting the man who was taking her place on the team. That had been another odd thing, hearing Jack’s voice call SG-1 to the conference room, and knowing that she was no longer a part of that very special group. She leaned her head against her locker.

"Casey, are you okay?" Cathy Masterson asked her, putting a gentle hand on her back.

She forced back the tears that threatened to fall, and nodded. "Yeah."

"It’s not right, you know," Cathy said.

"You got that right," Tiesha Taylor said, coming to stand with them. "Girl, you should be raising hell over this!"

Casey shook her head. "Look, I’ll tell you what I told Daniel. I was only an extra gun on SG-1. They are the flagship team for the SGC, they need the best and the brightest on it. Sam and Daniel and Teal'c are the best, and the brightest. And from what I hear, so is Colonel Braeden. I like the guys on 6, it will be great to work with them."

"Yeah, and occasionally you’ll even get to see your husband," Cathy said, shaking her head.

"Jack is putting 1 and 6 on the same rotation cycle. We leave tomorrow morning for a couple of days. Then Daniel and I will both have a day off. It'll be fine." Casey heard her words echo in the room. Who was she trying to convince, her friends, or herself?

The klaxons began to wail above them. She smiled, and headed for the 'gate room. The president and Joint Chief’s hadn’t said anything about her being able to see him off!

Daniel was watching the door, waiting for her; knowing she wouldn’t let him leave without saying goodbye, sneaking one last kiss. He looked over at the brown-haired man beside him, anger swelling in him all over again. He didn’t like this. Not one bit. In the briefing he'd made damn sure that Jack knew it. Sam and Teal'c were equally unhappy. Teal'c was scowling now, watching the door every bit as closely as he was.

"Chevron three, locked and encoded," Walter called out.

His face lit up when she ran through the door. He grinned when she looked at him, her intentions in her eyes. He dropped his pack and braced himself, caught her when she leaped at him. She wrapped her arms around his neck, her legs around his waist.

"Hey, handsome," she whispered.

"Hey, gorgeous."

"You be careful out there, okay?"

"Always. Keep the bed warm for me, I won’t be gone long," he promised.

"I will." She kissed him, holding tight for the last few seconds. "Kick ass, guys," she said, smiling at Sam and Teal'c. Sam tried to smile in return, tears shining in her eyes, and Teal'c inclined his head, his scowl as deep as it had been when she came into the room. Nice to know I’ll be missed, she thought briefly. "Love you," she whispered in his ear.

"Love you, too, Angel," he replied.

"Chevron seven, locked and encoded."

"SG-1, you have a go. Godspeed," Jack’s voice called down.

Reluctantly, he let her go, put her on her feet. He pulled his pack on, walked up the ramp behind the rest of the team. He turned around just before he entered the even horizon, and blew a kiss to her. She caught it, blew one back. Then he was gone.

She watched the empty circle for a few seconds longer, the feeling of abandonment new and strong and painful. She turned around and came face to face with Jack.

"I’m really sorry, Case," he said softly.

"I know."

"If there's a way out of this, they’ll figure it out."

She looked up sharply at the man beside him. "Is there a way?"

"If there is, they have to find it on their own. Understand?" Jack said, watching her.

"Not really. But if you do, then that’s good enough for me," she smiled. "Guess I’d better go find Major Parker."

"Yep."

She started down the corridor.

"Casey?"

"Yeah?"

"Wanna have lunch today?"

She smiled. He missed Sam as much as she missed Daniel. "Yeah, I’d like that. Eleven-thirty?"

"Works for me." He gave her a nod and a small smile, then disappeared into his office.

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