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"There's no food here!"

Daniel came out of the bathroom, wiping the last traces of shaving cream from his face onto the towel. Casey was standing in front of the refrigerator, staring at the very empty shelves. "I know."

"We have to do something about that." She closed the door, opened the pantry. Okay, there was more on these shelves...but she didn't know what any of it was, or how to use it. At least, not at the moment. After making love last night, she'd felt an 'itching' that just wouldn't go away. Once she could make that stop, she was certain she'd be able to concentrate on regaining access to her memories. She and Daniel had agreed that they were there, she just couldn't get to them, for whatever reason.

He grinned. "Yeah, well, we'll put going to the grocery store on our 'to-do' list."

"Okay." She turned to face him. He was clad only in his jeans. She shivered at the thoughts that filled her mind, and the feelings that ensued.

The look in her eyes had him at full mast in an instant. "Uh, might be better if you don't go around looking at me like that," he muttered.

"Like what?" she asked, frowning slightly.

"Like you want to jump my bones."

She considered this thought for a moment. "But I do!"

He groaned. "Babe, you are not making it easy on me!"

"I'm sorry," she said immediately.

He reached out, pulled her close. Reassured her with a kiss. "We have to get to the base. I really need to get those translations finished, and there's a briefing for SG-12 that I have to give-"

"Can't stay home in bed?" Making love was the most wonderful thing in the world. If that's all they ever did, she'd be happy!

Little minx was trying to kill him! They'd made love again...he'd awakened to find her touching him, caressing him, the need in her green eyes setting his very soul on fire. "Not today, Angel."

She sighed. "Okay. But when we get home, I'm jumping your bones."

He laughed, dropped a kiss onto the tip of her nose. "Only if I don't jump yours first."

"What happens if we jump at the same time?"

Laughter...god he hadn't thought he'd ever laugh again. "I have no idea. We'll find out tonight...when we get home."

"Okay."

"And we'll have breakfast with the rest of the team. Like we do every morning we're on duty."

"Pancakes?"

He grinned. With luck, maybe he wouldn't have to coerce, beg, and plead to get her to eat. She still had a long way to go in order to make up all the weight she'd lost. If he could get her to eat good meals, a couple of healthy snacks a day, those soft curves he loved would be back. She'd never been voluptuous, she was too slender for that. But she had curves that could make him forget his name. "Pancakes. And fruit."

"And coffee!"

"And coffee. Let's get ready to go."

She hurried in to brush her teeth, something Daniel had taught her while she was still in the infirmary. Searched for and found a pair of socks, and then pulled on her boots. She decided to brush her hair again, it didn't look 'right'. By the time he was dressed, she'd pulled her hair back into a ponytail. She grabbed her purse, searched for and found her sunglasses, and followed him to the garage.

He watched her settle into the seat, pull the seatbelt around her slender frame. He frowned. Had he shown her how to do that yesterday? He wasn't sure. For now he'd assume that he had. No sense worrying about what she did or didn't remember. For now, he was quite content that she remembered enough to want to be with him, to make love to him.

Traffic was heavy, and he decided to use the time as he had so often, to teach her something she wanted to learn. Might as well start with Goa'uld, he decided. The ease with which she repeated each word or phrase prodded at him. Everything was there. Her memory was intact. But what had happened to block it from her? Was it intentional, as Sam suggested, a way to protect her from whatever horrors she might have conceivably endured...perhaps she'd blocked it herself, for that very reason. Another thought caught his attention, and held it.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong," he replied, almost absently. He jumped slightly when her fingertip smoothed the lines his frown had caused.

"Something is wrong."

"I was just thinking, Angel."

"About what?"

"Why your memory's been blocked. It's all there, it has to be, or you wouldn't be as...as far along...as you are in your recovery. So did someone intentionally do this to you...maybe to protect you? Or maybe you buried everything yourself, in order to forget something that happened. Or..." he took a deep breath. "Or did someone block your memory for another reason?"

The poking in the back of her head that had been merely annoying was becoming downright irritating. Something about what he said bothered her. And she couldn't figure out why. Who would do such a thing...how could anyone do something like that? If Daniel was right, all the answers she needed were in her head. Somewhere.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Just as had happened on their way out the day before, everyone they met on their way into the mountain seemed pleased to see her. Genuine smiles lit every face they saw. Once again feelings of warmth flooded her. She could tell the difference between what she felt for the people Daniel called 'co-workers', and the warmth that filled her when she looked at him, or thought about making love to him, or while she was making love to him. Those feelings were much stronger. But she had a very good life, it seemed, with a multitude of people for whom she felt...warmth. She was very lucky.

Something continued to nag at her, however. It was important. Very important. But whatever it was refused to be still long enough for her to grab it, examine it. It was frustrating...she was already learning that the harder she tried to focus on something, the more it seemed to slip away. And that damned itching just would not stop!

Sam, Jack, and Teal'c were standing in line when Casey and Daniel entered the commissary. Not one word of complaint was uttered by the others who waited as well when they joined their teammates.

Jack studied his best friend. The smile was back. That light in his eyes was back. Radar looked content. If he were to make a bet, he'd wager that the Jacksons had done a bit of the horizontal sheet shimmy. "You're looking chipper this morning," he said. "Unusual for the two of you."

Sam and Teal'c both smiled.

"Why?" Casey asked, a slight frown on her face.

"We're not usually...um...awake...this early in the morning," Daniel explained.

"You're usually downright grumpy," Jack teased.

"But you weren't upset when I woke you up," she said, frowning up at Daniel.

"No, I wasn't," he smiled.

Jack grinned from ear to ear. "So, you woke Danny up this time, huh?"

"We made love," she beamed proudly.

Daniel felt his face heat up. He was probably as red as if he'd been sunburned. "That's kind of private," he whispered in her ear.

Her cheeks went crimson, and she looked up at him worriedly. "I'm sorry!"

With a chuckle, he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about it. I'm sure everyone can tell."

"How?"

"Trust me, they can tell," he grinned. The grin on his face alone would be proof that he'd been with his Wife.

Sam was biting her lip in an attempt not to giggle out loud. "That's okay, Casey, Jack and I did too," she whispered.

Casey looked from Sam to Jack and back again. "About time," she murmured.

"What?" Jack croaked. When the hell had the conversation careened in this direction?

"You belong together," Casey said simply, shrugging her shoulders.

"You could have told us your memory was back," Jack groused.

"It's not," she replied.

"Then how-"

"Don't bother, Jack. She doesn't know. I think it's part of her gift. She can...sense things...even if she doesn't have the facts about everything," Daniel explained.

Gift? She had a gift? The word conjured up images of brightly wrapped packages, and bows, and surprises...no...that didn't 'feel' right. It was something else. Something important...and...Damn it to hell! She physically scratched her head in an attempt to reach the annoying itching that was about to drive her crazy.

"I am most gratified to see that all is well for you, Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said.

"Thanks, Teal'c. I'm pretty happy about it, myself."

Jack stepped closer to Daniel. "Uh...I take it that everything...uh..."

Daniel grinned. "You were right."

The older man grinned. "Of course I was. What was I right about?"

The grin broadened. "She might not have all of her memories back," Daniel replied. "But the love...it's still there."

Any thoughts of teasing fled in the wake of that admission. It spoke volumes. In spite of everything, the Space Monkey and Radar had managed to get back together, she'd found her way back into his arms. "Good. That's really good, Daniel," Jack said, his smile sincere. "Destiny. That's what it is for the two of you. Can't fight it, can't hide from it."

"Seems it can't be taken from us, either," Daniel replied.

The team was standing in front of the counter now, the cook and his assistants waiting to take their order.

"Tell him what you want, Angel," Daniel said softly.

Casey looked at the man and smiled. "Pancakes!"

Major Whitmore, the man in charge of the SGC kitchen, grinned broadly. "You got it, Mrs. J. Anything else?"

She looked up at Daniel, he nodded his encouragement. "Fruit and coffee."

"What kind of fruit?"

Well, hell! Someone would ask a question like that! She frowned, tried to remember what it was she'd eaten the day before...what had Daniel called it? There were several different colors and textures and flavors, and it had tasted so good...oh, yeah! "Bowl fruit!"

Daniel grinned. "Make it a large bowl of fruit. She really enjoyed what she had yesterday."

"Comin' right up." He turned to the men who stood beside him, staring at the beautiful blonde. "You heard the lady, get some pancakes on the grill, don't just stand there gawking!"

After ordering his usual waffles with a side of sausage, Daniel led Casey to the table where the cups were stacked beside the huge coffee urn. He filled two cups, found a table for the team to share, and sat down. One of the perks of being part of SG-1, the premier team in the mountain, was the fact that their breakfast, or any meal they ate in the commissary, was brought out to them, negating the need to stand and wait for it.

Teal'c sat down beside Casey, a cup of hot water in one hand, teabag in the other. "When you are feeling up to it, we will continue with your training."

"Training?"

"You are studying the ways of the Jaffa. You will be a formidable warrior," Teal'c replied.

Jaffa...Jaffa...that word...no, name...that name bounced around in her head. There were conflicting feelings about it. Teal'c was her friend, one of her best friends, Daniel had told her. Yet...there was a feeling of dread associated with the name as well. Certainly Daniel wouldn't allow her to be hurt in any way. If she'd been in training before, then it must be a good thing...right? "Okay," she said.

Conversation during the meal was mostly between Daniel and Sam, as they discussed their individual projects for the day. After she'd eaten, not quite half of everything on her tray, a miracle unto itself, Daniel took her to the infirmary. Janet would no doubt want to run a few tests, just to see if there was any way to determine what kind of injury might have occurred to Casey's brain...causing damage of some sort, damage that would prevent her from easily accessing her memory.

She understood that Daniel had work to do; that he'd ignored that work while he searched for her. She kissed him gently, told him that she was capable of looking after herself, that she was among friends who would help her should she need it, and that there were artifacts waiting that only he could decipher. Before he made it all the way out the door of the infirmary, his hands shoved in his pockets, a whistle on his lips, she hurried after him. Wrapped her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered.

"Love you, too, Angel." He hugged her tightly. Watched her walk back to where Janet stood. He wasn't certain, but he thought she might actually have meant it. The thought made him smile. Yep. The love was there. They could both feel it. Destiny.

Janet smiled up at her. "You're looking much better this morning."

Casey leaned close to the doctor. "We made love. But I'm not supposed to talk about it," she confided.

The petite doctor giggled. "I won't tell anyone," she promised. "I'd like to get a CT scan, just to see if we can locate any physical injuries that might explain what's going on with your memory."

"Okay."

It only took a few minutes to get the images she needed. Janet studied them carefully, then sighed. "Whatever is going on isn't a result of anything that we can see," she sighed.

Casey was scratching her head.

"Casey?"

"Itches," she said absently. Although the 'itch' was deep inside, she could sense that.

Janet looked carefully, thinking that perhaps the slender blonde hadn't rinsed her hair thoroughly. That wasn't the case, however. "Can you describe this itch?"

"Just...itches...inside my head," Casey replied.

"Ah. Well, that's something I can't help you with," Janet admitted.

"What do I do?" 

"Honey, I don't know what to tell you. If this is a mental 'itch', it's something only you can deal with," Janet replied.

Casey shook her head. "No...here. What do I do?"

"Oh! Well, let's see...usually a couple of times a week you meet with General Hammond to go over mission reports. You...your gift shows you dangers that the teams need to be aware of...or sometimes things that'll help them to gain the trust and the friendship of the people they meet. You help Daniel with his work...you've been working on a database to catalogue everything we know about the Goa'uld, and cross-referencing it with known myths and ancient stories, as well as what facts are available...you go on missions with SG-1-"

"Wow. I work hard!"

Janet smiled. "Yes, you do."

"I should talk to General Hammond," Casey decided. Something, she had no clue what, was poking at her to do just that.

"I'll call him and let him know you're on your way down. Do you need an escort?"

Casey shook her head. "I learned to get around this place once. I can do it again."

"That's the spirit."

"Um...just a clue...what level?"

The smile became a grin. "Twenty-seven."

"Right." She stood up. Held up her pass. "I can use this," she declared.

"That's right. That will open the elevator."

"Okay. See you later!"

"I'm sure you will," Janet replied.

It wasn't until she was standing on the elevator, staring at the buttons that had markings on them, on the panel that Daniel'd used when they'd arrived, when it struck her that she had no clue what 'twenty-seven' looked like. Arms around her narrow waist, she stood in the car, tugging her lower lip between her teeth, wondering just exactly what she should do.

"Good morning, Mrs. Jackson," a man said. Tall and slim, this man wore glasses the same as Daniel did. She couldn't remember his name, but he had a nice smile.

"'Morning," she replied, offering a hesitant smile of her own.

"Going down?"

"Twenty-seven," she said.

"Me, too." Siler pressed the button.

"Thank you," she sighed.

He frowned slightly, then gave a smile of understanding. Scuttlebutt was that Mrs. J was home, but not quite 'back'. "Any time, ma'am."

Siler was kind enough to walk with her to General Hammond's office, making it appear that he was just simply going the same direction. He was whistling happily when he left, having received a bright smile and a soft 'thank-you' that left his knees shaking.

General Hammond stood to his feet when Casey knocked on the door. "Casey! It's good to see you up and about!"

"Thank you," she said, returning the warm and welcoming smile she received. "I...I should be here."

He motioned to the chair in front of his desk, then sat down. "I see."

"There's something important...I have to do something important. But I don't remember what it is," she said softly.

The general folded his hands on his desk, studied them for a moment. "Just before you embarked on the mission during which you were kidnapped, you told me that you had to protect Doctor Jackson. You said you didn't know how, or when, but that if you failed, it would be...in your words, 'very bad'."

She closed her eyes. Images, sounds, smells...all came crashing down on her. She put her hands to her head, leaned forward in the chair as the deluge of information nearly overwhelmed her. She should know what was happening...she understood that much...she should be able to make sense of all of the bits and pieces...

Information dump.

The words rang as loudly as if they'd been spoken out loud. She tried to examine what she'd seen...was puzzled when it all seemed to 'disappear'...as if it were falling behind a wall...

Frustrated, she began to 'push' against the wall she could feel, if not actually see. The itching became almost intolerable. She pushed again...could 'feel' it begin to move. Something about this 'wall'...a face flashed before her eyes. With it came feelings of anger...rage... fear..."That dirty rotten son-of-a-bitch!"

"Casey?" General Hammond asked, watching her carefully.

She held one hand up, forestalling any questions the general might have had, and began moving with determination. Okay, cupcake, this is my brain, and I won't have you fucking with it! she thought angrily. There! It wasn't as 'tight' as it needed to be...memories, or at least emotions, were able to slip past the block. She examined the wall carefully. Oh, he was good, she thought. But not good enough. Mentally hooking her fingers around the edge of the wall, she gave a hard pull. Felt...heard...the block give way. Everything was there...and came tumbling forward. She began to gasp as memories flooded over her.

Most important was Daniel's safety. She dared to move out, to 'search'. Oh, no, not on my watch, cupcake! she fumed.

Casey opened her eyes. "General, I promise that just as soon as I take care of a certain slimy Shadow, I'll go over these mission reports. Don't let anyone leave until I do, and tell the president that he should really think about replacing that old telephone...it has leaks."

His mouth an 'o' of surprise, Hammond watched as Casey leapt to her feet and raced out of the room. Without a doubt Casey was 'back'. He gave a chuckle, almost feeling sorry for whoever was the focus of her rage. He grabbed the red telephone. He understood what Casey had meant by 'leaks', and was fairly certain the president would as well.

She ran through the corridors. She knew that she needed to be in a deep sleep to do what she had to do. Wasn't exactly sure how she knew it, only that she did. Janet could sedate her. Daniel would know when it was time to wake her up. Again, she didn't have all of the details, only enough to do what had to be done. She was damned near out of time. Somewhere, on the general's desk, was the mission report that would have sent SG-1 out, and set Daniel on the course to his death.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Janet looked up with surprise when Casey slid into the infirmary.

"No time to explain," Casey panted, already heading for one of the beds. "I need to be sedated. I have a fight to get to. I need Daniel here, he'll know when I'm ready to be awakened. I need the whole team here, they'll keep him calmed down while I'm doing what I have to do."

"Casey, what-"

She grabbed the doctor by the shoulders. "No time, Janet! If I don't do this now, Daniel will die...as in dead!"

Understanding sent her into motion. She grabbed an IV stand and a bag of Ringer's lactate. She'd get it started, then add a quick acting sedative. "How deep?"

"Unconscious, but not comatose," Casey replied, stretching out on the bed.

Janet glanced over her shoulder. "Jill! Get SG-1 in here, stat!"

Believing that Casey was suffering from some sort of attack, perhaps a seizure, Jill ran to the intercom. Pressed the button. "SG-1 to the infirmary, stat! SG-1 to the infirmary!"

The words echoed through the halls of the SGC.

Daniel looked up as the announcement rang out. Oh, god, no! She was doing so well! He was on his feet and out the door before the last of the message faded away.

Jack frowned, jogged toward the elevator. Radar had been just fine at breakfast! What the hell was going on?

Sam dropped her screwdriver, ripped the magnifying glasses from her face, both falling unheeded to her workbench.

Teal'c jumped over the cadet he'd been teaching hand-to-hand combat, the young man on the floor again, raced for the door.

General Hammond shook his head. Had a feeling he should find out just exactly what all of the commotion was about.

He took one look at his wife's unconscious form and moaned. "What's going on?"

"Daniel, calm down," Janet said softly. "It's not what you think."

"So what is it?"

The rest of the team ran into the room. "Doc?" Jack asked, his eyes focused on Casey.

"I don't know the details," Janet admitted. "Casey came in here, insisted that I sedate her, and that all of you had to be here. She said you'd know when to wake her," she told Daniel.

"What?"

"I'm not positive, but I think her memory is back," Janet said.

"I agree, Doctor," General Hammond said from the doorway.

"She said she had to fight, and that if she didn't, you'd die...as in dead," Janet said, still holding Daniel in her gaze. "She wanted all of you here. She wanted you to hold her, and the rest of you to help him."

He climbed onto the bed, pulled her up and held her tightly against his chest. "I'm here, Angel, I'm right here," he whispered in her ear.

Sam, Jack, and Teal'c stood as close to the two as they could get.

"Miss Eloise!" She whirled in a circle, looking for her guide. "Miss Eloise! Come on, old woman, I don't have much time!"

She strode forward, so angry she was shaking. How dare he! Just who in the hell did he think he was, threatening The One! Did he have any idea who he was messing with? "Dartal! ...Dartal!" She looked around slowly, scanning the horizon. "Bring your sorry ass over here so I can kick it!"

"Oh, that's rich! You and Snakeface fuck with my life, and I'm interfering with your plans?" She regained her balance, spun the basha'ak again. "Three months! I was away from Daniel for almost three goddamned months!"

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