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The bailiff led her toward the courtroom. Her heels clicked along the stone tile of the floor. Daniel had a tight grip on her hand. Once again the woman had allowed him to stay with his Wife, assuring him that a seat behind the DA would be available for him.

It was a small thing, she knew, but she was wearing the black suit she'd worn when facing the Senate Oversight Committee. If she could face them, she thought, this would be a piece of cake. She took a deep breath before stepping into the courtroom. Had no idea the picture of poise she presented as she walked through the gallery and toward the judge's bench.

Mr. Preston smiled encouragingly at her as she made her way to the raised platform where the witness chair waited. She studiously avoided looking toward the other side of the room.

"Please raise your right hand," the courtroom bailiff instructed.

She obeyed.

"Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"I swear," she said softly.

"Please state your full name for the record."

"Casey Renee Webster Jackson."

"Be seated."

She sat down. Her eyes immediately sought out Daniel. He smiled at her, gave her that sexy wink that always made her heart flutter.

"Mrs. Jackson, I'd first like to assure you that I'll do my utmost to keep my questions as brief as possible. I want you to answer each one carefully, and in as much detail as you can. I understand this will be difficult, but I can assure you that what transpires in this courtroom today will remain within these walls."

She didn't know how he'd managed it, but Mr. Preston had kept his word. There were no reporters in the room, and her testimony would not be allowed to be put into public record. Three of the other witnesses had requested and received the same promises. Four others had agreed that their testimony would be accessible by anyone who wished to read the transcripts. All of the women had the opportunity to change their minds, and allow, or disallow, their testimony to become public. She nodded nervously.

"Mrs. Jackson, please state your relationship to the defendant."

For the first time since entering the room, she looked at the defendant's table. Helen looked worse than she had the morning Daniel and the team had faced her in the King County Jail interrogation room. "She...Helen Webster, is my...she and Frank Webster adopted me."

"How old were you when you were adopted?"

"Five."

Mr. Preston paused. It was crucial that he give Barlow no reason to object to his line of questioning. "Mrs. Jackson, did Helen Webster take you to Doctor Charles Hayling when you were ill, as a child?"

"Yes."

"Did she accompany you into the examination room when he saw you?"

"No, never."

"How old were you when you were first taken to Doctor Hayling's office?"

"Seven."

"You're certain?"

"Yes, I am. It was right after my seventh birthday. Grandma Rose bought a birthday card for me. It had a big yellow seven on it. I still have that card," she said softly.

"Do you remember the reason you were taken to see the doctor?"

"I'd caught a cold, and a cough. It just seemed to get worse. I couldn't sleep for two nights, no matter what I did."

"What did Mrs. Webster do during this time?"

"During the nights I couldn't sleep?"

"That's right."

"She slept. Or yelled at me for waking her up with my coughing."

The members of the jury shifted slightly in their seats, casting looks of disbelief at the woman at the defendant's table.

"Did Doctor Hayling touch you in any way that wasn't appropriate during that visit?"

"I don't think so. He made me sit in his lap, but that was all." She didn't add the fact that she'd always wondered what that hard thing that poked her bottom had been. She knew now, of course. But for years she'd had no idea what was going on.

"Did Doctor Hayling ever touch you in a manner that wasn't appropriate?"

Oh, god this was it! She could feel the heat rise in her cheeks. She pressed her trembling fingers together. Her eyes sought Daniel's, locked with them. She looked for, found, and took comfort from the love she could see there. "Yes, he did."

"Mrs. Jackson, I'd like for you to describe to the jury how Doctor Hayling touched you."

Gary shifted in his seat. He was so damned proud of her! No doubt she was humiliated by the questions, didn't want to have to relive that horror. But no one would ever suspect. The only sign of her discomfort was the slight reddening of her cheeks. She sat and calmly described the nurse taking her clothes. Of lying on the examination table. Described being molested. His hands had curled into fists.

Mr. Preston had her repeat her story, again and again, recounting every encounter she could remember. Verified that the doctor had never had forced intercourse with her. And that none of the other members of the 'club' had molested her. That she had, in fact, never even seen any others; only Dr. Hayling and his nurse.

Her testimony had been so well delivered that Mr. Barlow was left with only one question to ask. "Mrs. Jackson, do you have any idea why you alone escaped further molestation?"

She looked the man in the eye. "Because someone on a higher level of existence was protecting me," she replied.

"You're saying that God protected you?"

"I didn't say that. I said a someone, a Being, if you will, from a higher level of existence was protecting me."

"I see." He gave the jury a wink. "I suppose you know this being?"

"Possibly. I do have a message for you, though. Your Aunt Hazel wants me to tell you that you're being an ass, and to sit down and shut up. And something about the summer afternoon in her swimming pool, and the neighbor's little girl."

Kyle Barlow felt the blood run to his feet. No one...no one knew about that afternoon. His Aunt Hazel had seen to that. He, his aunt, and Sally Cullen had been the only ones in that yard. And he knew for a fact that after his aunt's warning, the girl would never had dreamed of breathing a word. Hell, in almost forty years, he hadn't breathed a word of it! It hadn't been their intention to hurt the puppy. They just wanted it to swim with them. And, as children often do, they became distracted. And the puppy had drowned. Aunt Hazel had chastised them but good for allowing the dog anywhere near the pool. Then she'd helped them bury it, making them say a prayer for the puppy, and say penance for their sin.

Everyone in the room watched as the defense attorney stumbled toward his seat, dropped heavily into it.

"Do you have any more questions, Mr. Barlow?"

He shook his head. "No," he said quietly.

"Mrs. Jackson," Judge Templeton said, "you may step down."

Helen could see the way the people on the jury were looking at her. All of them sitting there in their fancy clothes, thinking they were so much better than she was. If the little whore had just kept her mouth shut...Her anger, her bitterness, her hatred burned inside her; hatred for the woman that the little girl she'd despised had grown into. She waited until the skinny little slut was beside the table. "You whore!" she hissed. "Good for nothing little slut! Just like the whore that shit you out! Hell, she didn't even know what man crawled between her legs and planted you!"

"That's a lie!" Gary was on his feet, his fists raised, ready to pummel the first person who touched Casey.

Daniel had jumped up, was reaching for his Wife. Jack had been sitting behind him, and was on his feet as well, he and Teal'c moving to place themselves between Helen Webster and Casey.

"Order in this court! Order!" Judge Templeton banged the gavel on the desk.

"She's just a whore! Hell, she deserved what she got!"

"Mr. Barlow, restrain your client!" the judge demanded.

"That's a damned lie!" Gary said again.

"What he said," Jack snarled, at first not recognizing the voice, nor the man standing at the back of the room. When he did look at him, Jack did a classic double-take that would have been comical under any other circumstances.

She'd been told what to do, and when to do it, for months now. She hadn't been under anyone else's authority since she'd turned fifteen, and she didn't like it any more now than she had as a child. Furious, determined to prove just who called the shots for Helen Webster, she pushed her attorney aside, and glared at the blonde man. "How would you know?" Helen demanded.

"Because I'm her father! Brenda was a virgin when she came to me...and she got pregnant with Casey that night!" Gary spat angrily. The words were out before he realized it.

Casey stared at the man. Thought for one amusing moment that he looked a bit like Dartal. Just before everyone, and everything started turning a funny, hazy gray.

"Oh, hell!" Daniel muttered, grabbing for her before she hit the floor, scooping her into his arms.

"I want the jury out of this room now!" Judge Templeton declared. "Mr. Barlow, I'll hold your client in contempt of court if she says one more thing. Doctor Jackson, there's a lounge just down the hall where you can take your wife."

Daniel nodded, followed the deputy who'd suddenly appeared at his side. He paused beside Gary. "I think you should probably come along," he said quietly. In spite of his worry over Casey, his brain was clicking off the coincidences, making sense of the encounters that had occurred during the day prior.

Stunned, still unsure what had possessed him to react the way he had...no, that wasn't true. He knew exactly what had possessed him. Anger...red hot and righteous...had swamped him as that piece of shit known as Helen Webster stood there, saying such cruel, hateful, untrue things about Brenda...about Casey. He'd acted instinctively; protecting what was his...even if they were only his in his heart. He nodded. Felt a hand on his arm.

Jack gave his old friend a smile. Who'd have imagined that the man he'd shared a Iraqi prison cell with would turn out to be the father of the wife of his best friend? What were the odds?

Sam and Teal'c fell into step behind Jack and Gary, as they followed Daniel to the lounge.

The jury had been hustled into the room where they would soon deliberate the fate of Helen Webster. Judge Templeton glared at Barlow. "Do not even dare to ask for a mistrial!"

"No, Your Honor," Mr. Barlow said. He was completely shaken by the events of the past few moments. He hadn't had time to recover from Casey Jackson's remark concerning his Aunt Hazel before all hell had broken loose around him.

"Mrs. Webster," the judge continued. "If you ever behave like that in my courtroom again, I'll hold you in contempt until the cows come home! One more outburst from you, and I'll have you removed from this courtroom, and you'll watch your trial on closed circuit television in the holding room, do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Helen said nothing, but nodded numbly. She'd been shocked to learn that Casey did indeed have parents who weren't the scum she'd always believed them to be. The man claiming to be her father was well dressed...he had money, she could tell. And obviously, the man cared enough to defend her mother, and her. She didn't bother to wonder where he, and the mother, had been for all of those years.

"Bring the jury back in." The judge sighed. It was easy to instruct the jury to disregard what they'd heard. But it would be impossible to erase it from their minds. If Helen Webster'd had any chance of acquittal before Mrs. Jackson's testimony, there was absolutely none now. From here on, this trial was nothing more than necessary procedure. The woman was obviously disturbed...her anger, the bitterness that was sculpted on her face had twisted her, warped her into a hateful, abusive person. Hopefully Barlow would argue to have her placed in a mental institution.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Daniel sat down on the sofa, cradled Casey's still form in his arms.

"Casey said that her mother didn't tell you," Jack said quietly, making himself comfortable in one of the armchairs.

Now Gary was the one doing a would-be-funny double-take. "What?"

The four teammates snickered quietly.

"Casey is a seer. A very powerful seer," Daniel explained. "Sam and Teal'c found pictures of her mother yesterday. And she had a....well, she calls them 'information dumps'. She saw what happened...at least from her mother's perspective."

Gary closed his eyes. "What she saw wasn't pleasant."

"No, it wasn't," Daniel agreed. She hadn't said much, only that her mother had been in deep emotional pain, and someone cruel had exploited her, and hurt her physically. He offered his hand. "I'm Daniel Jackson."

"Gary Franklin."

Jack introduced Sam and Teal'c, and for several minutes they sat in silence. Waiting for Casey to rejoin them.

The sheriff's deputy brought in several bottles of water, telling the group that if they needed anything, he'd be waiting just outside of the room.

"Oh, hell," Casey murmured. Her head was pounding. With luck, someone would shoot her dead, or her Immortality would deal with it. She didn't care which, only that one or the other happened soon.

"Hey," Daniel said softly. He held the bottle of water Teal'c had opened. "Here, take a few sips. Easy, not too fast."

His voice was soft, calm...and soothed her frayed nerves like a healing balm. She looked around. Sam, Jack, and Teal'c smiled at her, those relieved smiles that let her know they'd been worried about her...again. Her gaze stopped on the man she'd seen in the images dumped on her the night before.

When her eyes stopped on him, he almost forgot to breathe. What the hell was he supposed to say? There was so much he wanted...needed to tell her...and things he needed...wanted... to know about her...where in the fuck did he start?

She could sense his turmoil...and something much stronger...something that surprised her. She offered her slender hand. "I'm Casey Jackson."

He responded to her smile as quickly and easily as he'd always reacted to Brenda's. "I'm Gary Franklin."

"I hear we have genes in common."

He couldn't help but laugh. "Yes, we do. It seems you have your mother's beauty. And my smartass attitude."

"Knew I got it from somewhere," she said smugly, scrunching her nose in Jack's direction.

"I never doubted that you got it from somewhere. I've always acknowledged that you're a smartass," Jack grinned.

"I'm sure you have a lot of questions," Gary said softly.

"Probably as many as you have." She felt Daniel's arm tighten around her...protecting her. She couldn't help but snuggle against his broad chest, just a little bit. "She...she wanted to tell you, but she..." Casey closed her eyes, again sorted through the images, the feelings that had assailed her. "You were the only man she knew who didn't want her just for...well, you know. She loved the way you talked to her about everything. She loved just listening to your voice. She thought...she thought that because you were such a good man, you'd be angry that she'd allowed herself to get pregnant."

Gary shook his head. So many emotions...surprise, delight that Brenda had found in him someone she could trust, someone she could love. Regret for all that had been lost, for his failure to confront her about her silences, the way she'd distanced herself from him. Anger at the man who'd left her with scars she couldn't overcome. "It's all that bastard's fault," he hissed.

"Her father," Casey said. She opened her eyes, looked at the man who was her father. "She admired him, as much as she hated him. She loved you very much. And she regretted not telling you as soon as she was back in school. She regretted it every day. That's what she was hiding from, why she tried to stay high...to keep from feeling the pain of leaving you, of...of abandoning me." Her voice caught on the last words.

"If I'd known, I'd have married her as soon as possible. I'd planned on proposing at Christmas," Gary said, wanting Casey to understand his own feelings on the matter. "I just found out...a week ago Saturday."

"Must have been one hell of a shock," Casey said.

He snorted. "Just a bit. I never had a clue. I don't know, maybe I didn't want to know. We were only together that one night. I guess I just never thought..." He shook his head.

"You were dealing with the emotions...the shock of her disappearing. You loved her. She loved you. There was no reason for you to believe that she'd keep anything from you, something so...special." She cocked her head sideways. "You thought...you thought something had happened...something that hurt her."

He jerked slightly. For years he'd believed that something awful, he'd always assumed rape, had been the catalyst for Brenda's sudden disappearance, that she'd been so brutalized that she wasn't thinking clearly. Then...then he'd joined the Air Force. Tried, and succeeded, in just pushing it all from his mind. So that he didn't have to deal with the pain of losing her. Of having her leave him. "For awhile, yeah," he admitted.

Jack shifted. "Case, would you rather that we wait outside?"

She smiled. Held out her hand, waited until he slid to the couch beside her. "Nope. You're family, Jack. The only family I've ever had. Finding my father isn't going to change that," she said softly.

Gary could sense the special bond between the five people in the room with him. It was a strong bond, one that very few would ever understand. He stood to his feet. "I know you've been through a lot today, I should probably get going, let you...let you deal with things."

"Please...please stay, that is...if you'd like to," Casey said. She'd just found him...and there was so much left to say! The fear that he'd vanish from her life as mysteriously as he'd appeared wasn't rational, she knew that. But it was there, just the same.

He looked into her eyes. Could see her pushing down her hope. The same way Brenda would push down her feelings, in an attempt to protect herself. "I'd like to very much," he said softly.

For a few moments, no one spoke. The events of the preceding hour had impacted all of them, they were all sorting through emotions over what had happened.

Casey began to giggle. "Jerry Springer couldn't have arranged a more dramatic 'family' moment."

Her teammates snickered. "It was a bit surreal," Daniel said.

"A bit? I'm betting that the people on that jury were wondering when they'd fallen down the rabbit hole," Jack chuckled.

"Did you see the look on her face when Gary jumped up to defend Casey?" Sam giggled.

"I have never seen her look so surprised," Casey laughed.

"It's possible her attorney will call for a mistrial," Daniel pointed out.

"Possibly. Although Casey's testimony has already buried that fat old bitch," Jack said proudly.

"They're using her to expose the others," Gary said quietly. He shrugged slightly, the action a familiar one, when all eyes turned to him. "That's what some of the editorials were speculating. The DA has the names of everyone involved. They just need the proof."

"They're hoping she'll make a deal to avoid jail time, or at least to get a reduced sentence," Jack nodded.

Gary frowned, then pulled his cell phone from his pocket. Checked the number. "Excuse me, I think I should take this," he said quietly.

Jack recognized the tone of voice. He'd worked with Gary on a couple of missions. He never had found out what his former cellmate had been up to in the past few years. His curiosity was more than piqued.

"Yeah?" Gary closed his eyes. "No, keep on him...I'll meet you there."

"What's up, Gary?" Jack asked.

"I have a couple of my men tailing Kenneth Vincent. Who is the whelp of the son-of-a-bitch who made Brenda a junkie, and a hooker. He's coming up the steps of the courthouse now. My guess is he's hoping to see Casey."

"I see."

Gary smiled. "I run a security company. We offer security evaluations, give companies suggestions on making their business more secure, physically and virtually. I...we also help people who have problems with those who operate outside of the law, when the law doesn't, can't, or won't help them."

Jack smiled. "Somebody has to wear the tights and the cape."

Gary grinned. "Might as well be me."

Daniel was frowning. "I don't want that bastard anywhere near Casey."

"Neither do I," Gary replied.

"We came in the back way, if you can keep him out front, we can leave that way," Daniel said.

"Teal'c, why don't you and I take a little walk with Gary. Daniel, get Casey outa here. Sam, go with them. We'll meet up at the hotel in an hour."

The team was on their feet almost before he finished speaking. Gary couldn't help but be impressed. Hell's bells! Jack worked at Cheyenne Mountain. He already knew that Casey and Daniel had been hired as 'civilian consultants' there. The big guy and the leggy blonde no doubt worked there as well. "Yeah, we'll have a drink and you can explain to me why NORAD needs a group like you."

Casey smiled. "Think long and hard before you take that red pill."

Daniel chuckled at the look of confusion on Gary's face. "Have you seen 'The Matrix'?"

Gary grinned as well. "I suppose, all things considered, I took that red pill long ago."

Jack shook his head. "No, you didn't. Trust me on this one. Let's go, we'll talk about deep space telemetry later."

Yeah, and we'll meet up with Santa Claus, too, no doubt, Gary thought.

Daniel hesitated, then frowned. His hands were itching to close around that slimy little bastard's throat.

"Danny, I know," Jack said softly, one hand on the young man's shoulder. "Your priority is Casey. We'll take care of that bastard for you."

It was amazing how well Jack seemed to know him sometimes. He wanted to race out front, find the man who'd terrorized his Wife; the fact that he hadn't even known Casey when the problem started not finding foothold in his mind. Casey had 'seen' what would have happened to her had he not arrived in Tacoma when he had, if he hadn't convinced her to marry him, to move to Colorado with him. It was the only time she'd ever 'seen' anything that concerned her...she told him it had to have been because what she saw had been only a possibility, and his arrival in Tacoma had changed her path. She could see that 'alternate' path, but not the one she was on. What she'd seen had frightened her...frightened both of them. Kenny Vincent would have brutalized her...raped and beaten her...and Daniel suspected she'd either have been killed, or left for dead. Damned bastard! No way in hell was that slimeball getting anywhere near his Wife! He felt her hands wrap around his arm. That simple touch served to ground him...calm him. "Right. Hotel. An hour."

"We'll decide where to have dinner from there," Jack said.

He gave a short nod. He made the request with just a glance. It was answered with a simple blink of brown eyes. When his eyes met Teal'c's, the same promise was given. "Right."

Gary watched the by-play. Recognized it because he had the same rapport with Lucky and Dancer. The three of them could hold an entire conversation with a few simple glances.

Casey took Gary's hand. Tried not to think about the fact that this man was her father. It was too much to handle at the moment. She'd deal with it later. "Thank you for defending me. I...I appreciate it very much."

He gave her a crooked smile. "It was my honor," he said softly.

Daniel opened the door to the lounge. Spoke briefly with the sheriff who waited patiently. Sighed, and turned to Casey. "Preston's left word that he wants to see you tomorrow afternoon, during the lunch break."

Casey nodded her understanding. On Monday Daniel had sat beside her in Preston's office for three and a half hours as she described her life growing up. She'd just testified for nearly two hours. Told him...told everyone in the courtroom...everything she'd endured. What more could he possibly want from her? She sighed mentally. Whatever it was, she was not going to think about it. Not now. Not tonight.

"Let's go, campers," Jack said quietly.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Dancer was leaning against one of the support pillars in the main lobby of the courthouse. When Gary made eye contact with him, he deliberately looked over at the dark-haired man who was passing through security.

There were some things that one never forgot. Working together under fire, in one of the most dangerous hotspots in the world, was on of those things. In an instant Gary was CO of the Special Ops team. He glanced at Jack, who gave a subtle nod. Received the same acknowledgement from the man named Teal'c. The four men were totally focused on their target.

As soon as Kenny had passed through security, Dancer approached, taking out the special permits that allowed him to carry a weapon. He smiled and chit-chatted with the security guards as he checked the nine millimeter Glock, watched it carefully locked away, and accepted the receipt. He offered his bounty hunting license as well, explaining that there was a report that one of the men on his list had been seen in the building, going as far as to describe Jess, asking if the guards had noticed him entering. And managed to keep the attention of all of them on himself.

When Kenny pressed the button for the elevator, the three men who'd been watching him calmly moved forward. Stood in a semi-circle around him.

The men had to wait for the group returning to the lobby to step off of the elevator before they could get into the car. As soon as the doors were closed, Gary moved closer, crowding into Kenny's personal space. When the young man moved, he bumped into Jack. And Teal'c had positioned himself directly behind the punk.

"Going to court?" Gary asked nonchalantly, tugging the sleeves of his dress shirt below the cuffs of his jacket.

"Uh...yeah. Friend of mine is testifying today. Thought I'd offer some moral support," Kenny said.

"Ah. Good friend?"

"Yeah," Kenny replied.

"That's nice," Gary said. "Really nice. Your buddy'll owe you a drink."

"Actually," Kenny grinned, "I'm hoping she'll offer more than that, if you know what I mean. I've been waiting to score this babe for ages. This'll be my lucky night, I can feel it."

Jack shook his head mentally. This kid was either the bravest bastard he'd ever met, or the dumbest. He figured it was the latter. "What makes you think this friend wants...or needs...your moral support?"

"Well, she's been through a lot in the past year." He'd seen the news reports. Knew all about the kidnapping. He knew she was married. But that didn't matter a bit to him. All he wanted was a little slap and tickle with her before she went home to her doctor husband. And nowhere in the news reports regarding the trial had there been any mention of Dr. Daniel Jackson. Casey was here alone, testifying against her mother. What kind of husband would let his wife do that? Not a loving one, that was for sure! Yep, Casey would be in serious need of some emotional support...and be willing to trade a bit of physical comfort to get it.

"So what's your friend's name?" Gary asked calmly, watching the numbers change as the elevator moved.

"Casey Webster. Well, Jackson now. She got married, but he's not around. She's in town all alone."

"Uh huh. Let me ask you something. Do you have any clue who I am?"

Kenny looked carefully at the man. "Nope. Never seen you before. Should I know you?"

"Oh, yeah. You see Casey is my daughter. Right now, Daniel...her husband...probably has her halfway to the hotel. I'm here to give you a little fatherly advice. If I ever catch wind of the fact that you've been within fifty miles of my little girl, I'll make sure they never find your body."

"We have a few nice, dark places to stick you," Jack added menacingly.

"You can't threaten me like that!" Kenny objected. No way could he let this old guy think he was intimidated. Even though he was...in fact, he was scared shitless! He was shaking, and beginning to sweat. Kelley had told him that Casey was protected, when he'd called looking for her after getting out of jail. He thought the skinny redhead had meant that mumbo-jumbo shit that Casey would sometimes talk about. He had no clue that her old man was around. Nor had he known that her old man was a heavy hitter. If the old man could afford his own goon squad, there was no reason to doubt that he couldn't make good his threat.

"Seems to me, boy, that I just did," Gary replied. The elevator stopped. "We're going to walk nice and quiet to the back elevator. And then we're going to leave the courthouse. If you're a very good boy, we'll let you walk away. If not, well, we'll just take a bit of a ride."

Beads of perspiration formed on his forehead. As much as he wanted to nail Casey...and god, he'd wanted that for so goddamned long!...it just wasn't worth it. Especially now that she was married.  He'd wanted to be the one to pop the sweet blonde's cherry. Nope, not worth it at all! He'd hit the Blue Gull. There were always a few sluts hanging around, good for at least a blowjob. "No problem," he mumbled.

Fifteen minutes later, Kenny was damned near running up 3rd Avenue, daring to look over his shoulder to make certain that he wasn't being pursued. When the black car stopped right in front of him, the scowl on the black face of the driver letting him know that he was another of the old man's goon squad, he almost pissed himself. Casey Webster Jackson was beautiful. She was probably the sexiest woman he'd ever known. And she was so off of his list! He shoved his shaking hands into his pockets, and turned onto Yesler Way. He'd have to backtrack to get to the parking lot where he'd left his truck. He was not, however, about to complain. He'd gotten away without a mark on him. Next time, he wouldn't be so lucky. Not that there was ever going to be a next time!

Gary grinned as he watched the man disappear. "Biggest coward I've ever seen."

"He's a piece of work, all right," Jack agreed. "Kind of a shame. I was hoping to tell Radar I'd punched him a good one."

"Radar?"

"Casey. That seer thing she has going on," Jack explained.

"Yeah. Right." It appeared that his daughter had inherited his Grandma Franklin's gift. And from what he was hearing, she was stronger than his grandma had ever been. "I just hope she had something good in her life, at some point in time," he said softly.

"She met Daniel. Those two fell in love at first sight. Literally."

"Casey Jackson also had the comfort of her Grandma Rose," Teal'c said quietly. "I believe this woman provided sanctuary for her as a child."

"That's good to know," Gary replied.

"Let's go. I'm starving," Jack said. "You gonna have your boys stay on him?"

"For the night at least," Gary admitted.

"Good. The little shit was scared, but if he starts drinking, he might decide he's more man than he really is," Jack drawled.

"No doubt."

"We'll meet you at the hotel," Jack said.

Gary nodded. He started to walk away, stopped, turned around. "How long have you known her?"

"About a year and a half."

Another nod.

"She's one hell of a woman. Now I know where she gets that stubborn streak," Jack smiled.

"Sounds to me like she's a lot like her mother."

"She's as tough as her father," Jack said quietly.

With a final nod, Gary turned and walked in the direction of the parking garage where he'd left his rental.

Jack watched the man for a few minutes. "I think I'm going to call General Hammond when we get back to the hotel. I think we just found someone to help us keep an eye on the NID," he said softly.

"I believe that would be most fortuitous," Teal'c replied.

"What did I tell you about that online thesaurus?" Jack grumped. He didn't see the smile that crossed Teal'c's face as they walked toward their own vehicle.

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