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After showering, Betsy had said nothing to him. She opened up a can of stew and shared it with him. He was sullen, watching her with hate-filled eyes. It wasn't until she stood to take the bowls back into the kitchenette that she noticed that he had removed the slave collar. She wasn't sure how he had managed to do so, it must have been while she was in the bathroom. She was too sore, and too tired to worry about it right now. She had prudently locked the front door, the only door in the cabin, and hidden the key while he had finished his shower. At least he couldn't escape.

He had stretched out on the bed, his eyes closed. He continued to try and reach Casey. She couldn't be dead…he didn't believe it…wouldn't believe it. If Betsy had injected her with a nanovirus…something she had said poked at his mind… something about a 'boost'? Oh, god! There had been more than nanobots in that syringe. And it might not be possible to cure her this time! He nearly cried out from the pain. He sat up, put his elbows on his knees, his head in his hands. Casey, my sweet, beautiful Casey! He felt the prick of the needle, didn't even try to fight the effects of the drug.

"Here, take this, darling. It will take it all away," Betsy said softly. She twisted the top of a tiny plastic vial. "Just breathe, Danny, breathe it in." She held it to his nose.

Daniel obeyed, felt a burning sensation in his nostril. The combination of the drugs succeeded in knocking him out.

Betsy sat and stared at him. He was dressed again, she hadn't argued about that. But if he was dressed, and he managed to get out of the cabin, he could leave…She stripped him, not an easy feat considering that he was totally unconscious again. She locked her suitcase and his clothes in the closet. There had been a ratty pair of jeans hanging on a hook. He could wear them, something told her that he would object to running around naked in front of her, at least…he would when he wasn't high. She didn't want him high all the time.

She frowned. The aphrodisiac she had used had been too much on top of the other drugs. In a couple of days, when she wasn't so sore, they would make love again. And it would be better the next time. He would hold her and kiss her and tell her that she was beautiful. She was sure of it.

A  A  A  A  A  A

The woman opened the door and accepted the stack of mail from the mailman. Hope was an old fashioned town in many ways. Mailmen…well, mailpersons, delivered the mail right to the door. There were two companies competing for business that delivered milk, cheese and eggs. She smiled, remembering her mother talking about those type of deliveries. Hope had turned out to be a lovely town. She was glad that they had been chosen by the company to move to Gamma. There was a large photo mailer today. Must be from her sister. She sat down on the sofa and opened it. Dozens of small photos fell out. She looked at them, cried out with shock and dismay…and felt her world crumble around her. She glanced at the clock. Greg would be home in two hours. She went to the bedroom and started packing. She packed for the kids too. She wasn't sure where she would stay until she could return to Earth. But it wouldn't be here with him!

A  A  A  A  A  A

Daniel was sitting on the bed, staring out the window. Betsy had left sometime earlier in the day. The door was locked, the closet was locked, and from the look of the woods out there, being barefoot and in nothing but a pair of jeans that were more holes than whole was not a good idea. None of the windows were large enough to climb out of anyway.

How many days had he been here now? He wasn't sure…everything was so damned hazy! He reached out for her again, still there was nothing. "I miss you, Angel," he said out loud. He remembered holding her, the tears she had wept, declaring that he would leave her…hate her. "Never, Angel, I'll love you forever," he whispered. "My sweet Casey, my Beloved."

He wondered about Nicholas and Emily. How long had they sat in the jeep, terrified and alone, their mother dead? His heart nearly broke thinking about what had been done to them. He had been unable to protect his children, his wife. Something about guns…she was going to kill them …no choice…get in the van…don't want her to shoot his children…He shook his head, tried to dispel the fog that seemed gathered there.

He was getting restless. He began to pace the small cabin. When his hands began shaking he knew he was in withdrawal. From his sweet Casey. So he had been here for several days at least. Three days away from her in Dovinia Minor and he had started feeling tired and irritable. Until he got that heavenly dose of his sweet Angel. He smiled at the memories, his body going hard.

As far as he knew, there hadn't been any…repeats…of the first night. He was appalled at what he had done. He hated Betsy, but even she didn't deserve to be treated so brutally. He wanted to kill her, true. But he had never wanted to rape her, abuse her…not like that. He didn't understand what had happened, how he had…lost control. His mind kept trying to focus on the bitter taste of the wine. Something about that wine…

His legs started shaking as he paced. He rubbed his hands together, then ran them over his head. He grabbed one of the chairs from the table and tossed it against the wall. God, he had to get out of here!

A  A  A  A  A  A

Wade stood beside Teal'c, listening as the Jaffa spoke to the Langaran official. Knew by the expression on the ebony face that the inspector had not seen Daniel, or the redheaded bitch who had kidnapped him. He sighed in frustration. It had been almost a week, and still they had found no sign of his brother. If they had to search every planet in this system, in the universe, they would! He would find his brother. He would save Daniel, just as Daniel had once saved him. Casey…he shook his head mentally. Sent up yet another prayer that she would be all right.

Sam and Jack were having the same luck on Tollana. Since both Langara and Tollana were more…developed, they had assumed that Betsy would chose to go there. All of their research on her showed that she didn't do well in 'frontier' type environments. Her…confinement…to Adak, Alaska had seen to that.

If their quest for information on Terra resulted in the same dead end, they were going to have to start checking every planet that had a spaceport. It could take…weeks. None of them believed that Daniel had that long. Casey's 'feeling' made the time even more critical. Erin was certain that Casey had been correct; that the longer Daniel was away from her, the worse the situation would become. Frustration was running high as they raced the clock, knowing full well that this time they risked losing both Jacksons.

Wade and Methos went on to Terra. They were told that the inspector that normally manned the customs desk was on vacation. It would take at least a day to locate him. But the officials reluctantly agreed to find the man and have him report to them as soon as possible. Jack bit back a curse at the news. What they needed now was a break…a bit of that mythical, magical SG-1 luck.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Thor rushed to Gamma when he received President MacLeod's message. Not only had SG-1 saved his planet on several occasions, he was personally quite fond of Casey Jackson. More importantly, she was the Wife of The Chosen. And if Daniel Jackson…The Chosen…had been kidnapped, her 'gift' was their best hope of finding him.

She was transported to the Asgard ship, along with SG-1 and her parents. Twelve days after the brutal attack that had left her dead, Emily wounded, Nicholas traumatized, and Daniel missing, her condition remained the same. Dr. Montigue had feared allowing her to reanimate, afraid that the various diseases also lurking in her system would only hasten the destruction wrought by the nanobots. He had brought along the syringe that had been used on her, as well as his notes and the few samples of antidotes that he had come up with.

"Can you help her, my old friend?" Aaron asked the little gray alien. His blue eyes mirrored his fatigue, his worry…his desperation.

Thor looked at the results of the breakdown of chemicals in the syringe. "I believe so. I can eradicate the diseases from her blood. Keeping her in…stasis…has prevented them from spreading. It should not take long. Then I believe the antidote can be administered."

Sighs of relief went up from everyone present. Teal'c carried her to the medical laboratory and the cryo-chamber, gently put her in it. When the glass front closed, and her body was 'frozen', each member of the team felt the pain of seeing her helpless… dead. This was her only chance. If Thor couldn't help her…Jack shuddered. If Thor couldn't save Casey, then there really wouldn't be a need to find Daniel. He would self-destruct the minute he returned and learned that after years of dodging the bullet, that sick bitch, Betsy Fucking Harris, had succeeded in killing his Wife.

Jack paced. Aaron paced. Sam paced. Teal'c stood stoically beside the door of the lab. Erin sat in one of the chairs at the conference table. Time seemed to drag by.

Erin glanced toward the room where Dr. Montigue and Thor worked to save her daughter. She closed her eyes, reached out. Her…ability…was nothing like her daughter's. But she could sense enough. If Casey didn't wake soon, if she didn't reach out and touch Daniel soon, it would be too late. And that would be enough to break her daughter. Permanently…forever. The pain that clutched her heart was like none she had ever experienced before. She struggled to keep from crying out.

A loud gasp echoed around them. Sam was the first one to her side. "Casey? Oh, god, honey, we thought we'd lost you this time!" Sam hugged her best friend, in spite of the fact that the only thing she was wearing was a silver sheet, and it had slipped down, exposing one firm breast.

"Let's allow Casey to get dressed," Dr. Montigue said. With smiles on their faces, the team obliged and left the room.

Jack contacted Duncan, and let him know that once again the Fates had been kind to them. He glanced around. Wondered if the Triad had anything to do with the miracle that the doctor and his little Asgard buddy had just pulled off. Now, all they had to do was find Daniel and bring him home. On that score, Wade was still sitting on Terra, waiting to talk to the Inspector who would have been working during the first twenty-four hours that Betsy had taken Daniel captive. The Terran officials were beginning to show concern…the man seemed to have disappeared.

Sam brought clothes in, sat in the room while Casey dressed, answering her questions honestly. The young woman was shaken by what she learned. Outwardly she was calm, composed. Only the haunted look in her eyes told of her state of mind. Only her close friends could see how close to the edge she was teetering.

"I want to see my babies. They need to know that their Mommy is okay. And that their Daddy will be home very soon," Casey said softly.

"You got it, Case," Sam said quietly

When Casey gently hugged Thor, the team was surprised to see him hug her in return. "Thank you, Thor. More than words can say."

The Asgard gave her what passed for a smile. "I am honored to have been of service to The Chosen's Wife," he said simply.

"Well, I'm sure Daniel will want to thank you as well. As soon as we find him."

"I will begin searching, myself," the small alien told her.

"Thanks. We need everyone we can get looking for him," Casey replied. She looked at Dr. Montigue, their private conversation ringing in her ears.

A  A  A  A  A  A

She walked into the house, her heart lurching at the emptiness that shouted at her. His absence echoed off of every wall, bounced off of every surface. Carly had been staying there, sleeping on the couch, so that Nicholas and Emily were at home. At first both children seemed to be frightened of her, a fact that drove a spike into her heart and brought tears into her eyes. When Nicholas finally moved close enough to touch her, he launched himself into her arms, squealing with delight.

Emily touched her mother's shoulder. "Mommy, you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Baby. How are you? Does your leg hurt?"

The little girl shook her head. "It doesn't hurt. Unka Duncan told Auntie Tessa that a bad lady take-ded Daddy away. When is Daddy coming home?"

More tears filled her eyes. "Soon, Baby, very soon. I have to go…help him get home. Will you and Nicholas be all right with Meemaw and Peepaw?"

"We'll be okay," Emily replied. "We'll miss you, but you go help Daddy come home."

Casey hugged and kissed her children. With promises to return home with their Daddy as soon as possible, she let Teal'c drive her back to the base. She reached out to touch him. He was there, but it was so… different…so murky…so obscure. She couldn't seem to reach him. Not that that would stop her. She would continue until she got through to him. She sent her love, not sure whether or not he could feel it.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Betsy walked into the cabin, a bag of supplies in her arms. "I'm sorry I was gone so long…it took longer to find the trading post than I thought." She had stopped going into town when she saw SGC personnel talking to everyone they could find. Thank goodness she had thought to deal with that inspector when she had! She had to remain hidden with Danny until he was ready.

She looked over at Daniel. He was sitting on the floor, his back to the wall, his knees against his chest. He was shaking, and even from this distance she could tell that his eyes were dilated. Surely he wasn't addicted to the drug already? It had only been a little over two weeks! She sucked on her upper lip. She had been 'double dosing' him. Anything was possible. When she unlocked the drawer and pulled out the black 'goodie bag', his eyes had widened and he held his arm out eagerly.

"It hurts, Betsy," he rasped.

"I know, Danny. Let me make it all better. Here, this is all you need," she told him. She twisted the cap off of one of the vials. He nearly yanked it from her fingers, shoved it up his nose and inhaled deeply.

Better. Much better. No thinking now. "I think I felt my sweet Casey," he told her, a small smile on his face. "She's alive."

His 'sweet Casey'? 'Felt' her? Was this some sort of Immortal thing that the skinny blonde bitch could do? She crossed her arms over her chest, her anger burning, then made her decision. "Here, darling, you're going to need this." She pulled out the syringe, gave him a shot of the drug that would help him believe everything she told him.

His eyes were rolling, he could barely hold his head up.

"Danny, I didn't want to tell you this…I thought it was better that you believed her to be dead…but…" Betsy opened up a drawer in the desk and pulled out a manila envelope. "These were taken a couple of days ago."

Daniel could barely hold the photos, let alone focus on them. But he could see enough. His Wife…his sweet beautiful Wife…in the arms of…who the hell was that guy? He cried out in anguish. "No! No! She wouldn’t do this!"

Betsy knelt down beside him. "I’m so sorry, Danny." She wrapped her arms around him, let him cry on her shoulder. He allowed her to kiss him, although he didn't return her caresses. He never returned her kisses. Her hands moved over him desperately. He didn't pull away.

For the fourth time in two and a half weeks she led him to the bed. He resisted her advances if he wasn't completely doped up. He took her…obeyed her commands, her instructions…she understood that he wasn't yet making love to her…he didn’t want to look at her face when he fucked her…and that was all that he was doing…but it was better than the first time. He was more…careful…when he took her now, although he still didn't seem to derive any pleasure from her body. She was sure that it would only be a matter of time until they were curling one another's toes. She smiled as he dropped down beside her, rolled away and went to sleep. He was hers. Totally and forever. She opened the curtains. She always made sure they remained closed until he was able to deal with the light. Not this time. He needed to hurt…needed to know that she was taking care of him, that only she loved him. Sometimes, she told herself, you have to be cruel to be kind. She thought she had heard that in a song somewhere. She would leave now, and make arrangements to get to Earth. Daniel was the darling of the archaeological community, he would be welcomed with open arms.

She took a quick shower and dressed, then kissed his forehead. "I'll be back, darling, then we'll go home," she whispered. She gave him another injection…that should hold him until she returned.

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