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Daniel was pacing the corridor in front of his quarters. He had reached out to her, could sense that she was sleeping. Knowing how tired, how weak she was, he let her sleep, although he was nearly insane with the need to know that she was all right. As long as he could sense her, she was alive. His heart clenched in his chest. She had been in that bastard's clutches for four days now. And it looked as if it would be several more hours, at the least, before the group of System Lords would be ready to move.

Jack watched him for a minute, then turned to Teal'c. "He's dealing well, don't you think?"

The large Jaffa smiled. "Indeed. However, I believe that he will be making use of his abilities to destroy Nergal when we rescue Casey Jackson."

"No doubt about that. I just hope that that bastard doesn't do something…something that her Quickening can't handle," Jack said softly.

"Nergal is the god of plagues and nanoviruses," Teal'c replied, a frown on his handsome black face.

"Yep. That worries me, T, it really does. I just hope that Daniel hasn't thought of that. He's upset enough."

The two men watched their friend for a few more minutes, then left him to continue pacing. If, and when, he needed or wanted to talk, they would be there for him.

Every time he said it would never happen again, it happened anyway. Daniel had sworn that he would never work again unless he and Casey were together. This entire mission was one in which they had worked from separate ships. Now she was a prisoner, held by one of the cruelest Goa'uld they had come across. Nergal was every bit as bad as Anubis. Perhaps even worse.

His heart had nearly stopped beating when she had told him that Nergal was threatening her with swords. He had never been more afraid in his life! The need to get to her was boiling in his blood. His anger was white hot, the Fire in him burning like it had never burned before. Daniel determined that he was going to make that bastard suffer…he would kill Nergal slowly, for what he was doing to his Beloved!

Methos signaled that the repairs to the Phoenix were completed. Two of the System Lords required more time. It was all Jack could do to keep from telling them to just catch up with the rest, but he knew that all the ships would be needed to take out the remainder of Nergal's fleet. The Phoenix had one nuke left. The Persephone had three. They were going to take that bastard out, and make sure he stayed out!

A  A  A  A  A  A

Casey stretched, opened her eyes. Nergal was laying beside her on the bed, asleep. She thought of Gargantua, and looked to see if any of his beloved knives were handy. She wanted desperately to kill him!

She moved slowly, her intent was to ease off of the bed without disturbing him. A large hand clamped around her arm.

"Stay with me. Your body provides warmth. I find that I quite enjoy that," he said softly.

Damn! Quick...think!  What would he believe that will get me out of this bed? One thought came to mind.  A real need at that. "I need to…" she blushed and lowered her eyes.

He smiled, the action lighting his eyes, making his handsome face even more so. "Ah, yes. That door over there," he nodded. "Hurry back. I'm cold without you."

She nodded, hurried into a bathroom the size of her living room. A sunken marble tub was in the center of the room, she had to look for the particular porcelain piece that she required. It was in a small section of the room, off to itself. She contemplated what was happening. He had changed tactics. Torture wasn't getting him what he wanted, even when he tried to get her tell him something by torturing Tiesha in front of her, he had failed. He had revived her friend in the sarcophagus twice now. It seemed that now he was going to try and charm information out of her. Her heart, and thoughts, turned to Daniel. 'Sweetheart?'

'Babe?' He had been asleep, or almost asleep. He sounded so tired!

'I'm sorry, my love, did I wake you?'

'No, I've been awake for a few minutes now. Are you all right?'

'Well, he fed me, gave me water. I was able to get some sleep.' She decided the details of her receiving these things were better left out of the conversation. Daniel was upset enough, to know that Nergal was at this moment expecting her back in his bed would have her Husband totally off of the deep end.

'That's good, Angel. Has he…has he tortured you any more?'

'No, not so far. He's been a little…preoccupied, but I don't know with what.'

'We had to stop, several of the ships were in bad shape, including the Phoenix. We just got word that we should be on our way in a couple of hours.'

She closed her eyes. 'Oh, Daniel, please hurry! I don't know how much longer I can take this!' Her greatest fear was being raped. She was hoping that if she told him she was on her period, that he would leave her alone, at least for awhile.

'I promise babe, I'm going to get you out of there. Just a few more hours at most. Hang on, Angel. Please, hang on.'

'I'll try, I promise. I…uh…need to go. I love you, my heart.'

'I'm here when you need me, my star. Love you.'

She reached out, and caressed him, held to him for just a few seconds, felt him holding on to her. She almost cried when she felt him 'let go'…she reluctantly moved away from him. She took a deep breath, made her way back to the room where Nergal waited. Hope she could pull this deception off.

She walked to the bed, hesitated. He held his hand out to her. "I…uh…what do the women here use when…" she dropped her eyes, felt a slight flush on her cheeks.

He looked at her for a moment. "What do women here use for…ah…I see." He leaned over and pushed a button on the table beside the bed. A few minutes later a slave appeared in the doorway. "Send for the housekeeper," he demanded.

A few minutes later a woman who appeared to be in her late forties entered the room. "Yes, My Lord?"

Nergal looked at Casey. "Make your request."

Blushing furiously now, Casey looked at the woman. "I need something…I…it's that time of the month for me," she murmured.

The woman gave her a kind smile, and took her into the bathroom. From one of the many cabinets she took a small round object. It looked similar to a diaphragm.

She almost cursed out loud. With this, if he wanted to take her, he still could. Probably would. She had no choice but to turn away from the woman and insert the object.

"Later this afternoon you will want to…replace it," the woman said softly. She showed Casey where more of the objects were stored.

Casey wondered how many women stayed in his room. She thought about the woman who had been at the table with them that day. Where was she? Had she been sent to her own quarters, or was she even still alive? She nodded, then slowly followed the housekeeper into the room.

Once again Nergal held his hand out to her.

With no other excuses, she had no choice but to go to him, unless she wanted the torture to start again. Besides, if she was… nice…to him, she might find a way to kill him sooner. She crawled onto the bed beside him.

"Do you cramp?"

She thought for a second, then nodded slightly. She gasped when his large hand began to slowly, gently massage her abdomen. What is it with these freaking Goa'uld? she wondered. This man was walking, talking evil…but right now he was behaving like a concerned lover. Oh goddess, if he said one word about making her his Consort, she was going to throw a temper tantrum!

He pulled her to lay beside him, pushing her head against his shoulder.

Damn, he even smelled good! She tried to relax, but the close proximity with the man who had just spent four days torturing her made it difficult.

"You need not fear me," he said softly.

She couldn't hold back the derisive laugh that slipped out. "This from the man who has killed me at least a dozen times over the past four days!"

He rolled to his side, putting her head on the pillow, his brown eyes looking down into hers. He gently pushed her hair from her face. "I regret doing that, Casey. I have…learned…that everything that you have told me is true. You were taken by Methos. Have no fear, my beautiful one, he will hurt you no more. I will destroy him."

She watched him, knew that he was watching her every response. "Daniel is alive. He will find me!"

Nergal looked at her, watched as love flared in her eyes when she spoke the name of the Tau'ri to whom she was married. His spy network had been busy, and confirmed all that she had told him. The attraction he had felt when he first saw her returned, and this time he would not be denied. He would have her, would train her, and she would take her place as his favorite among his harem. "He will not live long. Forget him, Casey. I am your god. Your life is in my hands. Please me, and you will have a good life. Make me angry, and you will suffer my wrath."

Tears filled her eyes. She wasn't sure she could hold him off for the few hours needed for Daniel and the Persephone to arrive and save her. She also wasn't sure that their marriage could survive another such…incident. She knew that Daniel loved her. Would never blame her. But she still battled the demons of her past indiscretions. To add another would be more than she could bear.

His hand cupped her cheek, his thumb brushed away the tear that had escaped. "Make your decision, Casey. Make it now."

"I don’t have much of a choice, do I?"

He smiled. "You have a choice between pleasure, or pain."

She closed her eyes. No, she couldn't do this. Better to die faithful to Daniel as to have to live with knowing this Goa'uld had touched her. When she opened her eyes, anger flared in their depths. "Better get your knives, Nergal. You'll never take me, not willingly."

She watched his eyes. They glowed with anger for a moment, and then he smiled. "You are indeed delightful. I will enjoy training you. And that training begins now."

He reached behind him, pushed another button. A few minutes later two young women were brought into the room. The Jaffa who brought them moved to stand beside the closed door of the bedroom.

Nergal stood to his feet. "Undress me," he said softly.

The two young women, one blonde, the other brunette, neither more than twenty-five, ran to him, began to pull his shirt and pants from his body.

Casey watched, tried not to react to the sight of his naked body. Oh, momma, was this man built! He was damned near as well endowed as Daniel! His broad chest had a smattering of dark hair, that thinned as it went down his belly, then thickened again into tight dark curls. He was looking at her, and he was fully aroused.

"Submit," he hissed. In a flash the two women were naked and at his feet. He reached down and grabbed the blonde by the hair, literally tossed her onto the bed. He crawled on top of her, and thrust his full length into her.

She winced, watched as the young woman bit back a scream of pain. "You're hurting her!"

Nergal looked at her. "That is not your concern!" He continued to thrust into her. Staring into Casey's eyes, he pulled out of the young body, slapped her until she rolled over and offered her ass to him.

"Oh, god, no!" Casey whispered.

He rammed himself into her body, and when the slave whimpered, he slapped her. He reached for the table, and a knife. His eyes still locked with Casey's, he grabbed the young woman by the hair, jerked her head back, and slit her throat. Blood splattered on the pristine linen sheets.

"NO!" Casey closed her eyes, pulled the sheet tighter around her slender frame. She could hear, and feel, that Nergal was still moving in the now dead girl's body. This bastard was pure evil! She heard him groan, and opened her eyes. He had pulled out of her, and was spurting his semen across her back.

"Now, will you submit to me, or shall I kill this one as well?" He pointed the knife at the young brunette who cowered face down on the floor.

Shaking with rage, sick to her stomach, terrified beyond words, Casey slowly nodded her head. It was one thing to let him kill her. It was something else to have him kill Innocents. Please, Daniel, she thought miserably, please get here soon!

With a wave of his hand, the Jaffa took the young brunette, and the body of the young blonde from the room. She was still trembling when he sat down beside her. He ran his fingers over her face. "You don't care about your own life. But the lives of others you are not so willing to sacrifice. A very…endearing…quality."

Her eyes filled with anger and hatred, the flames leaping in the green depths. "I will so enjoy watching Daniel kill you!" she whispered fiercely.

He smiled. "I imagine that you would. But it will not happen Casey. I am the most powerful god in the universe. You will learn to please me. You have already seen what will happen if you fail." He stood, and walked toward the bathroom. "Come. We will bathe now."

She wanted nothing to do with this man. Would he kill another young woman if she refused? She watched him. He turned at the door, looked at her, then held out his hand. She shivered violently, and crawled off the blood-soaked bed.

A slave was already drawing the bath, the smell of something sweet filled the air. She stepped down into the tub, taking Nergal's hand to keep from slipping. Although falling and knocking herself unconscious right now was sounding like a good plan. He didn't say anything when she sat as far from him as she could get, but she could see the small frown. Luckily he decided to let this small transgression pass.

When the slave began to wash him, he closed his eyes. She studied him for a moment. Terror and a healthy dose of anger spurred her to speak. "You killed Darilla. On that planet with a small village of Hopi Indians. You raped a little girl named Little Flower. That little girl was so terrified, so ashamed, that she walked off the side of a cliff. Darilla didn't know you had already killed the villagers when she arrived. She was in disguise, she didn't want to frighten the people. You killed her."

His eyes flew open, flashed with anger. "You know nothing about that incident of which you speak! Unlinkil killed her in a fit of jealousy, because she chose me over him!"

"Nope. We found her skeletal remains. And her scepter. And a leather bag that had her ribbon device, a healing device, and a communication ball in it."

His eyes narrowed. "You lie."

She smiled, although her eyes remained cold and angry. "Yeah, maybe I do." She leaned back, closed her eyes. She jumped when the young slave began to wash her. Nergal was watching her, his eyes full of anger.

He pulled himself from the water, strode to a closet and found a towel. Once dried, he put on clean clothes. "When you are dressed, you will join me for breakfast."

When he was gone, Casey smiled at the slave, then waved her away. She closed her eyes, tried not to see him slitting that young woman's throat. 'Daniel?'

'Right here, Angel.'

'Oh, god, Daniel, you have to get me out of here!' She could feel the bile rising up, she barely made it to the toilet in time. She heaved, her body shuddering.

'Casey? What's wrong?'

She was huddled on the floor beside the toilet - wet, naked, terrified. She began to sob. 'Oh, god, Daniel, he killed her…he was…he was…he was raping her…he took her… anally…and she made a sound…he was hurting her…and he slit her throat…and there was blood all over the bed…and…and…he said if I…if I don't…if I don't submit… he'll…he'll kill…he'll kill another…girl…and oh god I am so…so…scared!'

Daniel was standing on the bridge of the Persephone. At long last they were on their way. Colonel Bradshaw estimated that they would be orbiting Nergal's home planet in under an hour. Her words drove him to his knees. He could feel her terror, her revulsion, knew that she was sobbing. His mind recoiled from the horrors she was describing. The words 'bed' and 'submit' echoed in his brain. 'Has…has he…has he touched you, Angel?'

She was still crying, her arms around her waist, rocking back and forth. "No…not yet. I…I let him think I'm on my period… but I don't think it's going to stop him.'

'Babe, I want you to listen to me, very carefully, okay?'

'Okay.' She was shivering, a combination of fear, shock and cold.

'Don't fight him, Casey. He'll hurt you, or kill you. It's okay, Angel, you belong only to me. Nothing he does can change that, do you understand? Nothing he does can change how much I love you, and need you. Nothing!'

'I can't, Daniel…I just can't…I…no…only you…only your touch…I can't!' She was sobbing again.

'Casey, listen to me! This is life and death! You don't have a choice! We're on our way, Angel. Just hang on a little longer. I love you, babe. Just hang on, okay?'

'I'll try.'

'That's my girl.'

'I…I'd better go.'

'Okay. Remember, Angel, nothing he does can change the fact that you belong to me.'

'Okay.' She closed her eyes and smiled when she felt his love surround her. She sent her love, so emotionally distraught that she had no control…it hit him full force.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Daniel was still shaking from the force of love that she sent him. Jack and Teal'c helped him to his feet.

"I take it that something…bad…has happened," Jack said softly.

He relayed what his wife had told him. Both of his teammates looked ill. And very, dangerously angry.

Jack turned to Colonel Bradshaw. "I want this goddamned ship there yesterday!"

The colonel nodded. "Yesterday, sir, aye-aye. All power to the engines. Let's go people!"

Teal'c relayed the news to Methos and Sam, their ships began to move faster as well. Methos told Ashnan that word had reached them that Nergal was plotting to escape. The group of ships would arrive above Nergal's home world in less than forty-five minutes.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Casey rinsed her mouth, brushed her hair, and pulled on the gown that the slave had brought to her. When she finally entered the main room of his private quarters, she was calm, at least on the outside.

"You look beautiful, Casey," Nergal smiled. He stood up as she approached the table.

She said nothing, but nodded slightly.

"I realize that your…training…will be most difficult on you. The less you fight me, the less… unpleasant…it will be." He took a bite of what looked like an apple.

"You are a cold, evil bastard!" she hissed.

"That is not the way to speak to your god, if you wish to please him," Nergal chided gently.

Daniel's words echoed in her head. If she could just hold out for a little while longer…"I apologize," she said softly.

His smile was full of happiness. "Now that wasn't so difficult, was it?"

More than you'll ever know, asshole, she thought silently. She shook her head.

"Eat, then you will show me how well you can submit to me."

She shuddered. She had worried about this. Her decision was made. She could not, she would not, allow this…creature…to touch her. Not even if it meant her death. Her voice was firm, and cold. "No, I don't think so. You will never put your hands on me. You will never violate me the way you did that girl."

Nergal jumped to his feet, his arm wiping everything from the table to the floor in a display of anger. "You will submit to me, or die!"

"Then kill me, you sick, son of a bitch, because you'll never have me! I belong to Daniel Jackson, and no one else!" she shouted.

He crossed the room and grabbed a sword. He whirled around. "Submit, or I will kill you! I will take your unholy head!"

"Do it!" she hissed. "Do it!"

His eyes flashing with anger, he was across the room in two steps. He raised the sword. "Submit!"

"Go to hell!" She watched him raise the sword, closed her eyes, waiting for the fatal blow. 'Always yours, Beloved… I love you, Daniel. Goodbye, my heart.'

A  A  A  A  A  A

On the Persephone, Daniel Jackson cried out in anguish, his heart shattering into a million pieces.

THE END

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