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Chapter 10

A soft moan, which sounded suspiciously like Sam, filtered through to them. "Sounds like every one is getting a little action tonight," Daniel said. He was personally thrilled that two of his best friends were finally able to be together without the fear of destroying their military careers.

"Except for Teal'c," Casey said.

Daniel grinned. He'd seen the woman slip into the Jaffa's tent. "I don't think Teal'c is alone," was all he said.

Casey looked up at her husband. "How do you know?"

"Don't worry about it."

"Daniel, how do you know?"

He sighed. "I saw one of the women who danced for us slip into his tent."

"Good. I hate the thought of you and me, and Jack and Sam being together, and him being alone. He should have a good woman in his life."

"He has a wife, well an ex-wife," Daniel said quietly.

"Oh. Wow. I had no idea he'd ever been married," she said softly. During their long discussions about his life as a Jaffa, Teal'c had never brought up his personal life, she hadn't pushed.

"I think they love each other, but they can't be together, sort of thing. She resented him for abandoning her and their son in order to fight for freedom for all Jaffa. She even went so far as to have her marriage to Teal'c…removed, the Jaffa equivalent of divorce, and married a man who had at one time been a close friend of Teal'c's. That man…well, he betrayed us, when we were trying to rescue Teal'c's son from Apophis. It seemed that with that entire…thing...with their son, Drey'auc and Teal'c reconciled. I know he loves her. But I don’t think he's ever forgiven her for abandoning their marriage, and turning to someone else, even though she did what she had to do to protect Rya'c," Daniel explained softly.

"Can't blame him for being hurt. Or seeking a bit of…comfort, when the opportunity presents itself. If they didn't remarry, then technically he's still divorced," Casey said.

Daniel smiled. "Yep. Now, can we stop talking about Teal'c?"

"What do you want to talk about?"

He pushed his hips upward. He was hard again, the presence of her body, and the way she continued to wiggle on top of him, bringing him to arousal once more. "The anaconda needs more attention."

"That anaconda of yours is certainly needy," she teased.

"Only for you, Angel," he whispered. He watched her as she rose up, held herself steady with one hand, reached between them to stroke him for a few seconds, before she guided him between her sweet, moist folds. He hissed a sigh of pleasure as she moved down on him, taking him deep into the warmth of her body. Just as she always did, she used those inner muscles to massage and caress the length of him.

She put her hands on his shoulders and began to move slowly, back and forth, then up until he was barely inside her, pushing down hard and fast.

"Oh, god," he moaned softly, his hands on her breasts as she rode him; slow...steady...hard.

It would never be anything but incredible when they made love, she thought, her body moving with precision over his. She would always marvel, revel in the way he filled her; the wonderful sensation of being a part of him, and him being a part of her…two bodies locked together in the most intimate of ways, joining to become one. The most beautiful thing ever created - the joining of two bodies; the souls and hearts locked together in love. She let her head drop back, her hair brushing against his thighs.

The feel of that soft silk against his skin sent fingers of pleasure up and down his legs, into his spine. He reached for her, his hands closing around her arms, bringing her closer, then sliding over her slender shoulders, caressing the smooth expanse of her back.

She leaned over him, watched as he suckled, shivering as his tongue moved over and around her nipples. He grinned up at her just before his mouth closed over her skin, taking in the nipple and swollen areola as well. She sighed, closed her eyes, enjoyed the sensations that moved from her breasts to that warm aching place between her thighs.

He grabbed her hips when she began to move faster, intent on taking her pleasure quickly. "Easy babe," he whispered. "Make it last."

It wasn't easy to concede to his wishes, her body was clamoring for more. What she wanted was to be under him, holding him as he pounded into her. "Daniel…" she whispered, the felt the heat rise in her cheeks at the thought of asking him to do just that.

"What, babe?"

She shook her head. "Never mind."

He reached up and brushed her hair over her shoulder. "What do you want, Angel? Tell me. Whatever it is, we'll do it."

"I…well…I want to hold you," she whispered.

He smiled. That was certainly easy enough to do. And he'd had every intention of rolling over and taking her hard and fast. Just the way they both liked it. "C'mere," he whispered. He held her for a few minutes, his hands moving up and down her back as their hips continued to rock in that slow, steady way that felt so damned good.

She smiled against his shoulder when he rolled them over. She wrapped her arms and legs around him, pulled him close to the warmth of her body. Her hips continued to meet his thrust for thrust, grinding against him every time he pushed against her. She could feel that wonderful feeling in her belly, the heat growing more intense with every passing minute.

He knew when he'd reached the point of no return. His body was making demands that would send him on the last flight of the night. He raised up on outstretched arms. Felt her hands against his chest, touching him, her fingertips scorching his skin with every gentle caress. He was up on the balls of his feet, pushing as hard and deep as he could with each thrust, until the need to move faster would not be denied. He was pounding into her, reaching for sweet release when he felt her thighs begin to quiver. He leaned down and began kissing her, taking that sweet whimper into his mouth, felt her moan his name against his lips.

When he took her legs from around his waist, pushed them against her shoulders, she reached for his shoulders, ran her fingers from his neck down his arms and back again. She did her best to meet him on every step of the love dance that they were performing. She held tightly to him when her second orgasm washed over her, felt him shiver just before he dropped down and pressed his face against her neck, moaning softly against her skin, his hips still moving slightly as he filled her completely.

She was wrapped around him like a warm blanket, holding him tightly, her fingers tracing patterns against the skin of his back. He could remember when she'd told him that she felt safe in his arms. When she held him as she was doing now, the contentment, the happiness that filled his heart, his soul, warmed him to the very core of his being. He rolled to his back, held her close. "Love you, Angel," he whispered.

"Love you, Sweetheart," she murmured.

He knew she'd fallen asleep when he felt her body relax completely against him; heard the soft, steady sounds of her breathing. For the first time since it had happened, Daniel had a chance to contemplate what he'd done earlier. He searched his mind, did a mental inventory of his body, and could feel that something was…different. There was a strength that he'd never had before. When he concentrated, he could feel the heat and the tingling in his fingertips. Whatever had happened in that Temple had done more than made him Immortal. 'The One'. Just what the hell did it mean? Instinct told him that it was going to be a heavy responsibility to bear. His arms tightened around the woman he loved. She'd see him through. Her gift would guide him. He pressed his lips against her forehead, then closed his eyes. Together, they couldn't be defeated.

A   A   A   A   A   A

"Wakey, wakey, Blue Eyes," a soft voice said teasingly.

He groaned, refused to open his eyes, tried to roll over. Something warm and soft and firm in the way. And...coffee. Yep. Right beside his nose. That just was not playing fair! He opened one eye, noted that she was completely dressed, her hair still damp. Apparently she'd already bathed. Without him. He hadn't even greeted his beauties yet!

"Daniel, we need you to wake up. They're starting to stir out there and you're the only one who knows the language."

He groaned again, managed to sit up. He looked pointedly at her chest. "Don't I even get to say hello?"

She giggled, and shook her head. "You are a sad man, Daniel Jackson. Tell me, do you remember being weaned?" She unbuttoned her shirt, tugged her tee shirt up, and unhooked her bra.

He grinned, leaned over and gently kissed those sweet nipples, nipped playfully at them before she backed away from him. "Hey, I wasn’t finished yet," he complained, watching her redress.

"Oh, yes you were," she said. If left to his own devices, Daniel would have her on those sleeping bags making love again. Not that she had a problem with that. It was just that they had work to do first. Darn it. "Haul that sexy ass of yours out to that pool and bathe. Jack has given you fifteen minutes. He says if you're not out of the tent in three, he's coming in after you."

Still grumbling, Daniel pulled on the BDU pants he'd been wearing the day before, sans boxers. He dug out clean clothes and his ditty bag, took the cup of coffee in his other hand and slowly made his way to the pool.

The fire in the middle of the cavern explained the hot coffee. It also meant instant oatmeal for breakfast, rather than an MRE. God, he loved his Wife and her brilliant ideas. He, Sam, Jack, and Teal'c had spent an hour one morning trying to figure out why they hadn't thought of bringing the instant cereal on their missions.

He washed quickly, ducking under the water to rinse the shampoo out of his hair. When he came back up he noted that Jack was grinning down at him. "What?" he asked grumpily.

"Great hickey."

"Where?"

"Just below your right collar bone."

He managed to grin. "So how many does Sam have?"

Jack's grin grew wider. "Oh, one or two." He turned around and left the archaeologist alone to finish his bath in peace.

When he made it back into the tent, Casey was rolling up the sleeping bags, muttering something about 'plastic sheets' and 'damned embarrassing'. They must have left a nice wet spot on the bottom bag. He didn’t care. He liked how those wet spots got there! She'd gathered up his dirty clothes as well, had them folded and in the plastic laundry bag. He rolled his pants up, added them, then stuffed the bag into his pack.

"Let's have some breakfast, Angel," he said softly. He wrapped his arms around her when she stood up, she linked her hands behind his neck.

"You make darn sure you say hello to my boobs, but you ignore me? Must I remind you that we're a package deal? Tick me off, and you're cut off from the girls," she complained. Her eyes were dancing.

"You wouldn't! It would just be cruel to separate me from my beauties," he replied, his hands moving over those beautiful breasts.

"Try me," she threatened.

"'Morning, Angel," he grinned, just before he kissed her.

"'Morning, Stud Muffin," she replied.

"Daniel!" Jack called. "Come do your linguist thing!"

They emerged from the tent, Daniel led her to the fire, his arm around her shoulders. The five teenagers, all of them smiling shyly, their faces flushed, stood just behind the 'witnesses'. He had to grin at the look of desire that flashed over Paneb's face when he saw Casey. "Good morning," he said amiably, giving the group a smile.

One of the men smiled n return. "Good morning to you as well. Miram has said that you wish to visit the place of the Old Ones. We will take you to the edge of the village. You may go on from there."

Daniel nodded, understanding that for some reason these people did not wish to leave the sanctuary of these caverns. At least not to venture into the desert. "That is agreeable."

"When you are ready, we shall go." The man turned, led the group back toward the tents that had been erected after the meal the night before. The woman who'd spent the night with Teal'c gave him a shy smile, then followed the others.

Jack had nodded his approval when Daniel had translated the short conversation. "Okay, so how long do you think you'll need?"

"I don't know. There didn't seem to be more than a few buildings, or what was left of buildings. They were most probably homes, so I doubt that I'll find a lot there. It's worth checking out though, I might be able to locate something that will tell us how these people came to be here," Daniel replied.

Breakfast was eaten with a minimum of teasing, even though it seemed that all of the team members were sporting hickeys. Well, it was difficult to tell if Teal'c had one. But the look of contentment in his eyes was plain to see.

Tents came down, gear was strapped to or shoved into packs, which were lifted onto shoulders. With a nod to the spokesman of the tribes people, the team followed the group through the narrow stone passageways, past the massive cavern where they had joined the tribe for the evening meal, into the wide cavern that opened onto a low ridge, and had been the first that they'd seen the day before.

Although all of the people pretended to remain busy with their tasks, knowing smiles flickered on every face. Or, at least the owners of said smiles thought they knew. Sam checked her compass while Daniel dug the UAV images out of his pack. They put their blonde heads together, and decided which way they needed to go. They'd pass by the Stargate, and would report to Gen. Hammond.

When it seemed that farewells were something that The People didn't find necessary, Jack led the team down the side of the ridge and into the desert.

They'd been trudging along for nearly thirty minutes when Casey began to sing under her breath.

"I don't think I know that song," Sam said, a smile on her face.

Casey gave a start. "Oh, sorry. I didn't realize…"

"It's all right, Casey," Sam said lightly. "Now, what is that song?"

The young blonde grinned. "'Keep it Coming', by Uncle Kracker." She started reciting the lyrics of the hip-hop song.

Jack grinned. He'd figured out that if Casey was singing, then there weren't any bad…vibes…anywhere. Habit, instinct kept him aware of his surroundings. But he relaxed a bit as he walked. Daniel was studying the images again; it seemed that the man was oblivious to what was going on around him. He knew that the archaeologist was well aware of his immediate surroundings, however, evidenced in the way he avoided running into any of the low, bristly shrubs that dotted the landscape.

The Stargate was only about three hours walking distance from the ruins. Daniel dialed, Jack checked in with General Hammond, receiving the go-ahead to stay an extra night if needed.

Casey sighed, and gave in to the conclusion that they'd miss their appointment with Candy Johnson, the realtor they were supposed to meet with. There was always next weekend, she told herself.

Daniel didn't miss that soft sigh. Nor was he unaware of the cause. He really didn't think that they'd find anything. There just wasn’t that much there. But the Navajo markings had piqued interest all around, and it would be interesting to know just which Goa'uld had transplanted The People.

A   A   A   A   A   A

Casey shifted slightly, moved the soft bristled brush lightly over the stone. The colors were beautiful, if a bit faded. She took the camcorder and carefully recorded the stone, taking care to put size and distance markers around it, just the way Daniel had taught her.

He glanced up, watched her for a second; the love that surged through him threatened to rupture his heart in his chest. He'd finished photographing the only wall that was standing. Although the decorations and the colors used were intriguing, and lovely, he wasn't sure that there was any meaning to them. That he'd be able to determine when he returned to the SGC, and compared what he'd found to other Navajo work. He'd been certain that if the people here spoke ancient Egyptian, they'd have also adopted the written language. So far that had not been the case. Perhaps the fact that the Navajo had never had a written language had something to do with that, he thought.

Jack adjusted his ball cap. He was bored silly. Sam had found something to be interested in, stone tools or some such thing. Teal'c, well the Jaffa just never seemed to mind standing and watching Danny with his rocks. "Yo, Danny! How much longer?"

Daniel glanced at his watch, then at the ruins around him. "Another hour at the most."

The older man nodded. He leaned back against the stone that had been a backrest for the past two hours, pulled his cap down over his face, and began to snore softly.

A   A   A   A   A   A

Dusty, tired, sweaty, and darned glad to be out of the heat, SG-1 walked down the ramp into the SGC four and a half hours later.

"Welcome home, SG-1," General Hammond said, greeting them as they returned.

"Thank you, sir," Jack said with a grin.

"I take it that the mission was routine," the general said. He didn't miss the glances that the team shared.

"Routine, sir. Very routine. Met a nice group of folks. Had dinner. Got some sleep, looked at Danny's rocks, and came home," the colonel replied.

"I'll expect details in the briefing tomorrow, oh-nine hundred."

"Yes, sir," Jack nodded. "Okay, kids, let's hit the showers."

"We'll make that appointment, Angel," Daniel whispered as they stepped into the elevator.

"If we do, we do; if we don't, we'll try for next weekend," Casey replied, shrugging one slender shoulder. Trying to bite back the bitterness of disappointment. Something she was all too familiar with. It's no big deal, she kept telling herself. Although it really was.

As soon as the locker room door had closed behind his Wife, Daniel raced to the end of the corridor for one of the available phones. He managed to catch Ms. Johnson, and arranged to meet her at her office thirty minutes later than the first appointment had been for. With a wide grin on his face, he jogged back to the locker room and took a shower. Casey was going to learn that she could depend on him…that for the first time in her life, she had someone who wouldn't let her down.

A   A   A   A   A   A

When Daniel pulled the jeep into the parking lot, Casey turned to look at him. "Daniel, we're nearly forty minutes late. She's not even going to be here, not on a Sunday!"

"Oh ye of little faith," he said, smiling at her. "Come on, Angel."

She waited until he opened the door for her…she'd made the mistake of opening it once. The lecture she'd received had dissolved her into a fit of giggles that had lasted an hour. But Daniel was determined to treat her with the love and respect that he insisted she deserved. And that included opening the car door for her. She smiled when he lifted her fingers to his lips as he led her to the door of the agency.

A tall brunette woman stood to greet them, a wide smile on her face. "Doctor Jackson, Mrs. Jackson, I'm glad you could make it!"

"I'm sorry we're so late," Casey murmured.

"Oh, ten minutes is nothing," Candy Johnson replied.

She jerked, then looked at her Husband. Who just grinned at her. When she got him home, she was going to thank him properly. Several times! "Thank you," she whispered.

"You're welcome," he whispered in return.

Candy didn't understand what exactly was going on. But she wasn't getting paid understand. "Samantha tells me that you're looking for a house."

Daniel settled into the chair in front of the realtor's desk, Casey sitting slowly in the matching chair beside him. "Yes, we are," he confirmed. "We know what we want, and I'm afraid it's going to be very specific."

The dark haired woman smiled. "That can actually be a help when I begin searching. The more specific you can be, the easier it is for me to accept or reject prospects, which will save you time. You won't be looking at anything that doesn't meet your criteria exactly, or as closely as possible."

The young man nodded. "Good."

"Well then, let's get started. The first thing I need to know is square footage," Candy said, looking at the couple sitting across from her.

"What size is Sam's house?" Daniel asked. "That's about what we're looking for."

The woman nodded, tapped on the keyboard. "Not quite fifteen hundred square feet. I'll put down fifteen plus or minus. Now, any specific style?"

Daniel looked at Casey. "Honey?"

"Nothing too modern. Something with a cottage feel," she said slowly.

"All right," Candy said, adding the description to her list. "Tell me what you want inside this house."

"A fireplace," Daniel said immediately.

"I'd like to have a nice yard, it doesn't need to be big, just large enough that I can have a flower garden. Maybe with a deck or patio."

"Good. Specifics on the kitchen?" the realtor then asked.

Casey took a deep breath. "I like to cook, so I'd like a kitchen that's…workable. Plenty of storage. A self cleaning oven."

"Very doable. Any particular neighborhood?"

Daniel glanced at his Wife. "Maybe one that's already established."

"With a park nearby. That's not a necessity, just something that would be nice," Casey added.

"Any preferences on flooring…carpet, hardwood, tile…"

Casey glanced at Daniel, then smiled shyly. "Hardwood is very nice. Carpet in the bedroom. We need at least two bedrooms, so that Daniel can use one for his office."

The woman nodded. "Okay, let's see what comes up." She hit the return key. Had three hits. Smiled broadly. "Do you have time to look at a couple of houses right now?"

Her heart began to pound in her chest. They were really going to look at houses! They were honestly, really searching for a home of their own!

Daniel was certain that the light couldn't shine any brighter in those green eyes without her looking like a Goa'uld! He smiled. "We have plenty of time," he said softly. Returned the gentle squeeze that she'd pressed against his fingers.

The realtor drove a minivan, and Daniel insisted that Casey sit in the front with Candy. He sat behind the women, watched his Wife, and the excitement that animated her beautiful face.

The first two houses were nice, but not exactly what either of them had pictured in their minds when they'd discussed buying a house.

"Okay, this last house was just recently renovated. Um, two months ago I believe. New wiring, new plumbing. The interior was gutted and completely redesigned. It's in an area of older bungalows, which is what this house is, although only on the outside. The kitchen is a cook's dream, and the fireplace is just beautiful. It hasn't been lived in since the remodel," Candy told them.

They turned onto Baldwin Street. Daniel frowned. There was something familiar about the name, although he couldn't place where he'd heard it before. He'd certainly never been in this area of Silver Springs, even though Sam only lived a few blocks over.

The minute the van stopped in the driveway Casey could feel it. This was the house! The front porch was wide, and had an old-fashioned porch swing. There was no fence, but the yard seemed to be nice sized.

Candy opened the door and led them into a hallway. "The master bedroom is here to the right. Now, the drawback to this house is that it only has one bathroom, and it's across the hall from the bedroom. This secondary room…" She opened a set of French pocket doors to the left of the front door, the oval frosted glass centers etched with tall irises, "could easily be used as an office."

Casey tried to contain her excitement as the realtor showed them the broom closet and a linen closet on the right side of the entry hall, and a closet that housed a stacked washer and dryer on the left. The bathroom was on the left as well, and had a separate shower, and a jetted claw foot bathtub. Two pedestal sinks flanked a counter that looked like an antique dresser, complete with a marble top. A half wall on the far side of the last sink hid the toilet from view. Directly behind the door, across from the shower, were floor to ceiling cupboards.

Daniel was watching her face. He really didn't give a damn where he lived, as long as she was with him. Her eyes were shining. The smile on her face was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. He had to grin when Candy led them into the main living space of the house. At the far end of the impressive, cathedral ceiling-ed room was a wide, river stone fireplace. The hearth was made of gray marble tile, and the mantle was a long, wide plank of oak. The fireplace was flanked by French doors, each having a eighteen-inch tall transom window just above. Though the windows looked like leaded-glass, they were fully functional, opening to allow ample air circulation.

To the right as they stepped into the room was the kitchen. Beside a door that obviously led to the driveway, and which separated the living room from the kitchen, was a double pantry, set beside a Sub-zero side-by-side refrigerator/freezer combo. It was built-in, and the front was shiny stainless steel. Two ovens and a warming drawer were next, the fronts also stainless steel. Both ovens were self-cleaning. The counter was dark green granite, and the stainless steel sink was situated in the corner, a stainless steel fronted dishwasher to the right of it. A long, wide island with storage all the way around it sat in the middle of the kitchen area, and the black ceramic cook top glistened beneath the three classic, white, drop schoolhouse lights. The end of the island dropped down six inches to a rounded breakfast bar. Casey ran her hand over the cold granite. This kitchen was even better than the one in the apartment!

To the left, coming from the hallway, was the dining room, with a wide set of French doors and floor to ceiling windows on either side. The dining room was wide, and Casey could visualize a china hutch at the end, against the wall, Grandma Rose's china and crystal gleaming on the shelves.

The living room was the width of the house, the only windows being those of the French doors and transoms, which allowed two full, uninterrupted walls. She could already see their furniture in the room.

Candy opened the French door in the dining room and led them onto a deck. It wasn't large, but would be big enough for a table and a few chairs. She turned to look at Casey. "So, is this the house?"

She pulled her lip between her teeth. It was perfect. Absolutely perfect. Well, she'd want to paint the walls, she loved color, and the white walls of the apartment were driving her crazy. No, it was too perfect.

"Casey?" Daniel asked softly.

"It's too perfect," she whispered.

Casey-speak for 'it's-something-I-don't-deserve/shouldn't have/can't have'. "Do you like it, Angel?"

"I love it," she replied.

"How much?" Daniel asked the realtor.

"Two-fifty-five," Candy replied.

Casey's face went pale. "Two hundred, fifty-five thousand?"

Candy nodded.

Well, there it was. The other shoe. She should have known that to walk into the house she'd dreamed of meant that there was no way in hell she'd ever have it. She turned to walk back inside.

Daniel caught her arm, pulled her close. "Is this the house you want?" He already knew it was, he'd been watching the excitement on her face, that bright light her eyes. He'd seen that light go out completely when she'd heard the price. "You're sure you could handle living here?"

She looked up at him. He couldn't seriously be considering…

"Can we have a few minutes?" Daniel asked, smiling at the woman who stood in front of them.

"Of course." Candy turned and walked into the house. Years in the business told her that she'd just made a sale.

"It's too much!"

Well, there was that protest out of the way! "Casey, you do realize that between the two of us, we make almost two hundred thousand a year, right?"

Her face paled further. "I…no, I guess not. I hadn't really thought about it."

He grinned, pulled her into his arms, hugged her tightly. "Do you like the house, Casey?" he asked again, patiently.

"Do you?" She pulled away slightly so that she could look at him, see his face as they discussed the house of her dreams, the one she knew she'd never have.

"It has a fireplace."

She giggled.

"It would actually be closer to the base," he added. "Sam lives about four blocks east of here. If I'm not mistaken, Janet lives on this side of town, too."

"Oh, Daniel, it's perfect, but it's so much money!"

Someday, his brain told him, she's going to stop worrying about that. "It's an investment, Case."

She looked around the yard. That corner would be perfect for a flowerbed. Rose bushes by the front porch, and lilac bushes lining the driveway on the far side would be lovely, and serve as a 'fence' between their yard and the neighbor's. "The walls are all white," she said.

He chuckled. "There's this miracle stuff on the market to cure that. It's called paint."

"We'd have to buy curtains and/or blinds."

"I think I've heard that there are actually stores that carry such things."

She looked up at him. His eyes were twinkling. "Just who would help us move?"

"I'll tell Jack and Sam and Teal'c…and Janet, how quickly you've forgotten them. They'll be crushed, I'm sure," he grinned. "Now, do you want this house?"

That lip went between her teeth. "Want it yes…but that doesn't mean we should buy it," she replied after a few minutes.

"Okay, I give up. Why not?"

She shrugged her shoulders.

He blew out a frustrated sigh. "Let me see if I can guess. Stop me when I've hit the right one. It's too expensive. It's too perfect. You don't deserve it-" he stopped when he saw the tear on her face. "Oh, Angel, don't cry. Let me tell you something. I want to give you everything you want. Because I love you. Neither of us have ever really had a home. This is our chance, Case. You and me, here. Our own home," he said softly, brushing away her tears with the back of his finger. "Do you like this house?" he asked again.

She nodded.

"Do you want it?"

She nodded again.

He grinned, and pulled her tight again. "Me, too," he whispered. "Let's go tell Candy that she's made a sale."

"I thought it would take…weeks…to find the perfect house," she said softly.

"Sometimes, Angel, it just happens fast. I fell in love with you in about…oh…three seconds."

She giggled again. "Slow, weren't you?"

"Smartass!" he whispered in her ear. "If we fell in love at first sight, I think it's only fitting that the third house we looked at was the one we wanted."

"Your logic is so convoluted!"

"It is not!"

"Is too."

"Not."

"Too."

"You've been hanging around Jack way too much," he grumped playfully.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

He grinned. "You are going to thank me later, right?"

She had to laugh at the eager look in his eyes. "Have any cash on you?"

His mouth went dry. She was going to strip for him! Oh, hell, he'd hit the jackpot when he found her! Hell yes you did, his brain told him. Now get in there and buy this amazing woman her home!

By nine the paper work had been signed, and Candy assured them that there would be no difficulty procuring a loan. Because they were first time homebuyers, they qualified for several discount programs, including zero down. They opted to take it, so that the cash they did have on hand could be used for paint and curtains and whatever else they found they needed. There would be closing costs, of course, but nothing that they couldn't handle. In fact, one of Casey's paychecks would easily cover the fees.

"I'm hungry," Casey said as they pulled away from the realtor's office.

"Yeah, me too."

"Sonic?"

He grinned. "If that's what you want."

"It is."

He headed for the main business avenue, Casey's hand wrapped tightly around his. A home. For the first time in his life, he was going to have a real home. And all because of the incredible woman beside him. His Angel. His Beloved. His Wife.

Casey leaned as close to him as she could over the console that separated the bucket seats. "I love you," she said softly.

"I love you too, Angel," he replied.

"Our own home," she sighed.

"Just you and me," he agreed.

"Forever."

"Forever," he replied.

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