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Daniel had been serious about finding an apartment or house that he could share with Casey. She was progressing well in her training. She had gained an edge by working each evening with Teal'c, adding extra moves and guards to her répertoire. She was now able to take on Methos, as well as being able to keep Duncan at a stand off, if not actually defeating him. Both of the older Immortals were comfortable that she would be able to defend herself successfully if challenged. There was no longer any reason for her to remain secluded on base.

Sam had told them of a house for sale in the same neighborhood in which she lived. She and Casey had contacted the realtor representing the owners, and they had looked at it together. Now Casey was excitedly showing it to Daniel. She walked ahead of him onto the porch. He held back, enjoying the sight of her in that short denim skirt and cropped tee shirt. Looking at the back of her knees was sending totally wicked thoughts into his brain.

"Come on, will you?" Casey said, waiting impatiently at the door. "Wait ‘til you see the view!"

Daniel grinned. "I like the view just fine," he teased.

Casey’s smile blinded him. She grabbed his hand, and pulled him inside. They entered into a center hallway, with a bedroom on each side. The bedroom to the right was large, and boasted two large walk in closets. The bedroom on the left had double pocket doors with etched glass panels. The bathroom, also on the left, had two pedestal sinks and a claw-foot bathtub, as well as a separate shower with etched glass. The hallway opened onto the cathedral ceiling-ed kitchen, dining room and living room. On the right the kitchen was L-shaped, with a five-burner cooktop in the oversized island. Casey rattled on about the granite countertops and stainless steel appliances. The dining room was opposite the kitchen, to the left. A set of double French doors led from the dining room to a large deck on the side of the house. At the far end of the open room was a large, river stone fireplace, flanked by two single French doors.

Casey spun in a circle in the middle of the living room. "Is it perfect, or what?"

Daniel watched her, took in the shining eyes, the wide smile, the way she hugged herself with excitement. "Absolutely perfect," he said softly. He walked over to her, put his arms around her, and pulled her against his body. "So, does this place have room for a flower garden?"

With a wide grin she led him outside through one of the doors beside the fireplace. Just off of the deck was a flower garden that spanned the width of the narrow lot. It was in full riotous bloom. "We could use the room with the pocket doors as your office, and we could get a big plush sofa with lots of pillows to put in front of the fireplace, and I think I'd prefer to bring your bed here, I like it better than mine, and we could get a couple of bar chairs, did you notice that the end of the island is an eating bar? I think I’d like to paint the great room and the kitchen and the dining room yellow, and have lots of blue accents. We could paint the bedroom and bathroom blue, and use yellow accents in them, and then your office could be sage green, because green is restful, and you’d need that while you’re working…and then we could…" The words tumbled from her mouth. She paused when he remained silent. "You don’t like it," she said, obviously disappointed.

"Babe, if you like it, that’s good enough for me. I just want a place where we can be alone. Just you and me."

With a squeal, Casey threw her arms around his neck. "I love you! I love you! I love you!"

Daniel spun her around, pressing her back against the rough wood of the exterior wall. "I love you too, My Star," he whispered. He kissed her lips, his tongue dancing in her mouth, stroking her tongue and teeth.

"You young folks lookin’ to by the place?" an elderly voice asked from somewhere near the back fence.

Daniel broke off the kiss, and they grinned at each other a moment before turning to face their visitor. "Yep, we sure are."

The elderly lady standing on the other side of the fence couldn’t have been much more than four and a half feet tall, and her white head was covered with a straw hat that probably weighed more than she did. "Oh, that’s wonderful, just wonderful!" she exclaimed. "We need some young blood around here. Too damned many old farts around."

Casey giggled, and Daniel tried not to laugh out loud.

"So how long have you two been married?"

"Oh, we’re not-" Casey started.

"Not married yet," Daniel interjected quickly. We plan on getting married around the Fourth of July."

Casey turned to stare at him. He grinned and shrugged his shoulders.

The little woman’s face lit up in a smile. "Newlyweds! Oh how lovely! I’m Emma Hanks," she said, sticking her gnarled hand over the fence.

Daniel carefully took the extended hand. "I’m Daniel Jackson. This is my...fiancée, Casey Webster."

Casey smiled. "It’s nice to meet you."

"It’s just lovely to meet you, dear. Well, I’ll leave you two alone. I know you have better things to do than stand gabbing with an old lady. Welcome to the neighborhood." She turned to make her way back to her own house, still chattering away. "Newlyweds! Wonderful! Too damn many old farts around here. We need more young people. How wonderful!"

Daniel and Casey looked at each other and laughed. Once they were back in the house, Casey grabbed Daniel’s arm. "Why did you tell that sweet little old lady that we’re getting married?"

"Aren’t we?" he asked, innocently.

"Not that I’m aware of," she retorted.

"Hmm, must have forgot to send you that memo." He turned and walked over to examine the side-by-side refrigerator/ freezer, his hands in his pockets. "Hey, this thing has a drink dispenser!" He began to poke and play with the buttons on the dispenser.

Casey shook her head, and walked up behind him. She stood on the tips of her toes to rest her chin on his shoulder. "So, do you think that makes this house a bargain?"

"Absolutely. So, shall we go find out what tortures we’ll have to go through to get the keys to this place?"

Casey let out a squeal, pulled Daniel around and hugged him, kissing his neck and chin and lips again and again.

"I think I should get more than just a few kisses. I am buying you a house, after all," he teased.

"Ya think so, huh?" Her eyes sparkling with mischief, Casey began to fondle him through his jeans.

Daniel’s eyes widened. His body was responding ardently to her caresses. "Uh, babe, there aren’t any curtains in here, and there are a LOT of windows."

"That’s okay, the island will hide us." She tugged at the collar of his shirt, pulling him to the floor, hardwood incidentally, beside her. She tugged her tee shirt over her head, offering her breasts to his mouth.

With a groan he began to suckle, his sudden need for her an exquisite ache in his loins. Casey had his pants unbuttoned and unzipped, her soft hand moving up and down the hard shaft slowly. With one hand he moved her panties aside, leaning on the other for support. He entered her, his body at home in her warm depths.

"Oh, Daniel," she breathed, arching beneath him.

"What you do to me, woman," he moaned, moving in and out of her, pulling as far out as possible without leaving her, then plunging in to feel the depths of her sweet, warm well. It didn’t take long before they were both panting, and within minutes Casey was whimpering, her climax taking her abruptly over the edge. Daniel was quick to follow. They lay on the floor for several minutes, basking in the sweet afterglow of their unexpected lovemaking. "Well, now we have to buy this house," he declared.

"Why?"

"We just initiated the kitchen."

"Hmm, that leaves five rooms to go."

Daniel snickered. "I think we’re going to be very happy here," he said.

"Pretty damned tired, too, if this is any indication."

He guffawed, rolling to his side. How he loved the way this beautiful woman could make him laugh. "We’ll call the realtor tomorrow. I want to move in here as soon as possible."

They adjusted their clothing, and quietly left the house that would soon be their new home.

A   A   A   A   A   A

Daniel paced in Jack’s office, waiting for the older man to finally arrive. He had a plan, and he needed the help of his friends, and Jack was his first stop of the morning.

"Hey, Space Monkey, what’s up?" Jack asked tossing a handful of folders onto his desk as he entered.

"I wanna buy you a ring," Daniel blurted out.

Jack stopped and stared at the young scientist. "Excuse me?"

Daniel shook his head. "Damn! That didn’t come out right!"

"I certainly hope not!" Jack snorted.

"I want to buy a ring, and I want you to come with me," Daniel explained slowly.

"Ah, I see. Would this happen to be one of those really expensive shiny type rings that a man usually buys for a woman when she’s finally hooked and landed him?"

Daniel grinned. "Yep."

Jack sighed. "Well, if you’ve gotta fall, ya might as well be happy doing it. Are you happy, Daniel?"

Daniel’s smile faded to seriousness. "I haven’t been this happy since Sha’re. I didn’t think I could be this happy again."

Jack slapped Daniel on the shoulder. "Then let’s go get a ring. Before you chicken out and change your mind. I have a meeting in ten minutes. Shouldn’t last too long. How about we do this at lunch?"

"That will work out great. I need to talk to Sam and Teal'c yet. I want to make this a big surprise. I’ll tell you all about it at lunch," Daniel said, already walking out the door. "Thanks, Jack."

"Anytime, Daniel," Jack said, a grin on his face.

Daniel knocked on the door to Sam’s lab. "Hey, Sam, got a minute?"

Sam looked up and smiled. "Sure, come on in. Casey told me that you two are buying that house. We could carpool, save some money on gas."

Daniel nodded.

"But you’re not here to talk about the house, are you?" Sam said, knowing her friend well.

"I’m going to propose to Casey," Daniel said.

"Daniel, that’s great!" Sam grinned. She stood up and hugged the young man tightly. "When...where...how?"

Daniel’s grin matched hers. "This weekend, in the Pit," he said, referring to the new club for the people who worked in the SGC. It was in an area of unused storage space on the seventeenth level, and had become extremely popular in the short time it had been open. It gave all of those who worked closely with classified information a place to relax and party without having to worry about anyone overhearing anything work-related they might say. General Hammond had started the process for the establishment, but in true military fashion, it had only just recently become a reality. "You know how Casey is always saying that there's a perfect song for every occasion?"

Sam nodded.

"Well, I did a little Googling, and found a couple of songs that I’m going to have played, and I’m going to propose while we’re dancing."

"She'll love that!"

"Could you take her out Saturday, keep her busy while I get things set up? I thought I’d tell her I have to work late on some of the stuff SG-6 just brought in. Maybe you could talk her into a 'girls night out' or something."

Sam kissed Daniel on the cheek. "That is so sweet. I’d love to help! I’m sure I can convince Casey to do a little shopping."

"Thanks, Sam," Daniel said.

"No problem, Daniel. Thank you for letting me be a part of this."

"Hey, we’re family, right?" He hugged the woman who was the closest thing he would ever have to a sister, then with a wave went to finalize the plans he had started by talking with Teal'c. He wanted to sweep Casey off of her feet. He wanted a ring on her finger, and a license that said she was his, and his alone. And the sooner, the better.

A   A   A   A   A   A

Casey and Sam had spent the afternoon in the mall, and they were still giggling over several of their purchases when they returned to Sam’s house. Casey pulled the teddy that she had just purchased from Victoria’s Secrets out of the bag and held up against her slender frame. "What do you think, will this knock his socks off?" she asked.

"And his shoes and pants, too," Sam replied.

Casey giggled. "Thanks for inviting me out, Sam. It’s been forever since I went shopping! And with Daniel having to work tonight, I was looking forward to a very boring evening alone."

"I’m just glad you agreed. Did you bring something to wear? Like I said, I thought it would be fun to dress up for a change."

Nodding, Casey opened up her bag. "I should probably iron this out," she said, holding up a little black dress. The dress was very short, form-fitting, had high-collar, and long, fitted sleeves. And no back. There was literally nothing from the bottom of the mandarin collar to the waist in the back.

"Whoa!" Sam said approvingly. That should also knock his socks off, she thought.

An hour later the two women were in Sam’s car, headed for the base.

"I thought we were going out," Casey said.

"I thought we’d start off at the Pit. I haven’t actually been there yet, and I wanted to check it out," Sam said, hoping she sounded casual.

"Works for me," Casey smiled.

Sam smiled. This was going to be a wonderful evening.

A   A   A   A   A   A

At the Pit, Daniel was pacing, and nervously pulling at his dark blue tie. He buttoned, then unbuttoned the jacket of his black suit.

"For cryin’ out loud, Danny, find a place and land, will ya?" Jack admonished, secretly enjoying his friend’s nervous excitement. He and Teal'c had laid in a supply of film for tonight. There were going to be lots and lots of pictures, and Greevy, one of the SF’s on SG-5, had brought one of the camcorders in. He looked over at the Airman to make sure the camera was capturing Daniel’s condition.

"Daniel Jackson, is it customary to behave in this manner before proposing marriage to a woman on Earth?" Teal'c asked.

"I dunno, Teal'c. I’ve never proposed to a woman on Earth before," Daniel replied distractedly. He walked toward the door again, peering down the corridor. "I thought Sam said they’d be here by eight," he complained, checking his watch for the umpteenth time.

"Danny, it’s not even five minutes after. Relax! You’re going to have a heart attack if you aren’t careful," Jack said.

"Teal'c, are you sure that Wilson understands what he’s supposed to do? He knows what order I want the songs played in?" Daniel asked, ignoring Jack’s comment.

"Yes, Daniel Jackson, I am sure."

Daniel pulled the ring box out of his pocket, opened it, stared at the diamond solitaire for a moment, then snapped the box closed and stuffed it back into his pocket.

"Oh, for cryin’ out loud!" Jack exclaimed. He shook his head, then took another long pull from his beer.

"He knows to start the song the minute she walks in the door?" Daniel asked nervously.

Teal'c raised one eyebrow. "I was very specific with the instructions. I did not leave room for misinterpretation," the Jaffa warrior replied.

Daniel was no longer listening, because Casey had just walked into the room, Sam by her side. The lights dimmed, and a spotlight focused on the young blonde Immortal, something Daniel had not planned, but Teal'c and Jack had thought would be 'cool'. Jeff Healy’s ‘Angel Eyes’ began to play. He walked over to the woman he loved, took her hand, and led her to the middle of the empty dance floor. "You are so beautiful," he whispered, taking her into his arms.

Casey hid her face against Daniel’s shoulder as the room filled with applause. She was trembling, and he pressed a kiss against her forehead. When the last strains of the music died away, she started to move away.

"Uh uh…not just yet, babe," Daniel whispered, smiling down at her. God, she's so beautiful tonight. He ached just looking at her. She smelled wonderful too, and he buried his face in her soft, fragrant hair.

The music started again, this time it was Chicago’s "You’re the Inspiration". Daniel pulled her close again, singing the words in her ear, having spent the day learning them.

As the music faded, Daniel knelt down on one knee. He pulled the ring box from his pocket, opened it, and held it up for her inspection. "I never thought I could love again," he said, oblivious to the fact that the room had gone silent, so that everyone could hear what he was saying. "Then you fell into my life," he said, a grin on his face as he referenced the first time they had seen each other. Everyone in the room knew the facts of that particular mission, and there was quiet laughter around them. Casey smiled, tears in her eyes. "You have brought so much laughter, and love, sunshine and warmth; so much happiness. Casey, I love you, and I can’t imagine my life without you. Will you marry me?"

"Take your time, Case, could be a trick question," Jack called out. Laughter spread around the room. Sam elbowed him in the ribs, causing another round of laughter.

Casey smiled wider, her eyes glistening. "Yes! Oh, yes!"

Cheers erupted, and there were several piercing whistles as Daniel slipped the two-carat princess cut, platinum diamond ring onto her finger. He stood, placed his hands on either side of her face and gently kissed her lips.

"Way to go, Space Monkey!" Jack yelled.

Daniel grinned against Casey’s mouth. "Have I ever mentioned Jack’s lousy timing?"

Casey giggled.

From the darkest corner of the room, a man with long dark hair, and dark eyes brimming with tears, stood up, and silently slipped out the door.

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