Sam and Casey were down to four hours. The decision was made to kill them, keep them in that state, and monitor the nanobots. Two large tanks were brought in, and filled with water. Water from the cavern was added as well. The two women were given overdoses of morphine, they weren't even aware of 'slipping away'. Monitors were attached to their bodies, catheters put in place in veins on the backs their hands, which would allow blood to be drawn without taking them out of the tank.

Jack and Daniel stood together and watched as their wives were put into the tanks, clad only in their undergarments.

The first test results looked good. Upon their deaths, the nanobots had stopped multiplying. At D plus two hours, there seemed to be little or no movement of the nanobots. At D plus four hours, all activity of the nanobots had ceased. Now began the struggle to find a way to rid their bodies of the technological virus.

Hopes that the nanobots would begin to decay and be absorbed by the body were hampered by the fact that the women were dead. Until they were sure that they had a cure, neither would be allowed to reanimate.

Daniel was sitting with his arms on his desk, his face resting on his forearm. He was almost asleep, giving in to sheer exhaustion. His mind was replaying the images of him hitting her, again and again and again. How could she forgive him for that? How could he forgive himself? How long before she couldn't stand to be around him? Before she couldn't trust him to not hurt her again? How long before his beautiful, happy life came to an end, leaving him alone and broken hearted?

"He grieves greatly over what has happened," the Second said.

"He is a good man, a gentle and kind man. Violence such as this is not easy for him to witness. That he was the perpetrator makes it even more difficult," replied the First.

"He suffers from his guilt. Will this not affect his marriage?" asked the Third.

The First looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"He feels much guilt over what happened. His Chosen has forgiven him, but he has not forgiven himself. As he continues to believe he is not worthy of forgiveness, will he not begin to 'pull away' from her? Will he not hurt her greatly by doing so, thus creating a deeper, more painful problem for both of them?" the Third explained.

The First looked at The Chosen thoughtfully. "Perhaps if he did not remember…"

"He was never meant to see that recording. His friends were very upset that he did. It has been destroyed, so if he didn't remember it, there would be no tape for him to view, no images to torture himself with," said the Second.

The First moved closer, touched the top of his head gently. "Images of pain be gone. Doubts and fears move away. Leave The Chosen in peace, let the love of His Chosen reach the depths of his heart, and heal his hurts."

The man at the desk moved into deep, blissful sleep.

Dr. Talbot and Dr. Montigue worked through the night. It was Dr. Talbot who suggested using some of the water from the cavern to make an antidote that would destroy the nanobots.

"If this water can effectively 'shut down' the nanobots by just coming into contact with the epidermis, it might be possible that the same water can destroy them, if it can come into direct contact with the virus," the gray haired woman said. She took a sip of coffee, then looked at the men who stood in the lab, worry etched on every feature of their faces.

Dr. Montigue nodded. "We should have the first batch completed within the hour. If our experiments prove successful, we'll inject both patients immediately upon reviving them. We'll monitor them carefully. If it doesn't work, then we put them back in the tanks, and try again."

"How many times can you do that before it's…too late?" Daniel asked.

The two doctors exchanged a look. "Not more than three," Dr. Talbot replied. "But I have every confidence that this will work."

Duncan had spread the word about the virus on the planet, and the Tok'ra were putting warning beacons around it. The 'gate address had been purged from the computer systems on Gamma, Alpha and Beta. He joined his friends in the lab.

"Any progress?" he asked softly.

Daniel explained what the doctors had planned. They all watched as the two created the antidote, and began to experiment with it, using samples that Teal'c had gathered.

Dr. Talbot looked up with a wide smile. "Well, the little buggers don't seem to like this at all! It destroyed every one of the nanobots in that sample."

Jack and Daniel exchanged hopeful looks.

Casey and Sam were lifted from the tanks and placed on gurneys. As soon as they had revived, they were injected. Both began to moan and cry in pain as the serum went to work, and as the nanobots tried to fight off the invading 'water', and their Quickening.

Daniel had tears in his eyes as he sat in the observation room and watched. Casey was crying out, tears on her cheeks. "Can't you give them something for the pain?" he asked Dr. Montigue.

"I'm afraid not, Daniel. Anything else injected into her system right now might enable the nanobots to overcome the antidote. I know this isn't easy for her, or you. But the alternative is considerably worse," the doctor replied.

Twenty minutes later a blood sample was drawn. The nanobots were dying. An hour later and the number of nanobots in their systems had been reduced by nearly sixty percent. Two hours later their blood was free of the nanobots, and their Quickening was healing any damage done by the microscopic machines. Both women underwent MRI's and CT scans to assure that there weren't nanobots lurking anywhere else in their bodies. Four hours later, both were showered and dressed, and sitting in the conference room with their husbands, the doctors who had saved their lives, and Duncan.

Daniel's fingers were wrapped tightly around Casey's. "Thank you just doesn't seem to be enough for what you've done," he said to Dr. Talbot.

She smiled. "I'm just glad that we were able to defeat these little buggers. There is so much good that we can do with nanotechnology, and it angers me to see it used in such a way." She turned to Dr. Montigue. "I would like to take a sample of the virus back with me, to study the nanobots themselves. It would certainly give us a push toward being able to create and program nanobots that could work to cure disease, help paralysis victims, perhaps even cure psychological problems."

Dr. Montigue looked at Duncan. The CIC shrugged. "I understand your eagerness to study these machines. If this virus should manage to get loose on Earth-"

"I can assure you, Doctor Montigue, that would never happen. Only the best nano-technologists would be allowed access. All safety precautions would be taken."

He nodded. "I'll see to it that you have a vial to work with. If the EDA and US government approve, of course."

"Of course," she murmured softly. If need be, she'd sneak the virus back with her. She was going to study those little machines, come hell or high water!

The Earth doctor was escorted to the 'gate room, and given a warm farewell. Jack looked at the group when the 'gate had closed once again.

"Okay, campers. Report time. Get 'em written up, then let's go home."

"This should be easy. I left Gamma…I came back, don't remember a thing in between, fought off some demon bitch, was killed to stop an alien viral infection, was cured…yep, that's about it," Casey grinned.

"Demon bitch? What did I miss?" Sam asked, a slight frown on her face.

Casey looped her arm with Sam's. "Okay, Teal'c went back to the planet to get some samples of that virus, and when he came back, this demon bitch followed him through the 'gate. Somehow she winds up in our room, where we're strapped down and sedated. Anyway, the bitch does the 'eeny-meeney-miney-moe' thing, and I lose. She jumps into me, starts causing trouble. My brilliant, gorgeous hunk of an archaeologist manages to get the 'messages' I was able to send, and kept her busy so that I could fight her, then your big wonderful husband zats her butt when I managed to shove her out. End of story."

Daniel was blushing at her description of him.

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Jack said, a grin on his face, "but wasn't it one of the SF's in the monitoring room who caught her 'OSO'?"

Casey turned to look at him. "OSO?"

Jack laughed. "Yep. It's 'dot dot dot...dash dash dash...dot dot dot'. You were tapping out 'dash dash dash...dot dot dot...dash dash dash'."

She rolled her eyes. "Hey, at least you figured it out."

Daniel grinned. "I was the one who knew something was going on, otherwise we wouldn't have been watching the tape at all."

She wrapped her arms around his waist, and looked up at him. "My hero."

He kissed the tip of her nose. "Let me get that report written up. I want to go home."

"Me, too. I'm still waiting for my dessert," she whispered.

He hugged her tightly. "Me, too, Angel."

Emily was thrilled that her Mommy and Daddy were home at last. Snuggle time lasted longer than normal as the tot continued to fight sleep, wanting to stay with her parents as long as possible. Neither Casey nor Daniel would deny her. Three stories and two songs later she was finally asleep.

Casey took a quick shower, and covered her skin with the lotion that Daniel liked best. When she turned off the bathroom light and walked naked into the bedroom, he was lying on the bed, his hands behind his head, staring at the ceiling, a small frown on his face.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

He shook his head slightly. "Jack asked me how I was doing, I asked him what he meant, and he asked if I had quit beating myself up over that tape. When I asked him what tape, he gave me a weird look, and said the one of me beating you in my office. I can't remember it! I finally remembered going in to watch it, but I don't remember watching it, don't remember any of it!"

She smiled. "Good. I'm glad that you don't remember. It was tearing you up. Maybe your own subconscious buried it."

He shook his head again. "I don't think so. Angel, it's gone, I've tried to find it, but it's like it's not even there!"

A soft breeze stirred beside the bed. She felt the prickle of being watched, turned to look toward the door, where the feeling seemed to come from. "Thank you," she whispered.

The First smiled. "You're welcome," was the whispered reply, even though she knew that the young Immortal would never hear it. She turned to her companions. "Come, let us leave them in peace. I believe they will be making love."

The Second and Third smiled at one another, and followed their leader away from the room.

"Babe, who are you talking to?" He looked toward the door and back at his wife's smiling face.

"No one, my heart." She laid down beside him, began to run her finger over his chest. "Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"Give?"

He looked at her, fear in his eyes.

She giggled. "Teal'c told me about what happened when I asked him. I think you're supposed to say, 'submit'."

He grinned. "Submit."

"Whatever pleases you, my sweet and gentle Master." She lowered her head and kissed him.

The fact that he couldn't be a 'gentle Master' if he had beaten her crossed his mind. He could remember the bruises on her face, fist shaped welts on her skin. But he had no memory of causing those wounds. He kissed her back, telling her with his mouth, his lips, his tongue, how much he loved her, receiving the same message in return. He reached up and filled his hands with her silky hair, held her close as he slanted his mouth over hers and deepened the kiss.

She could recall sitting in that subterranean room, discussing what had been happening, learning that until the mystery of their illness was discovered, kissing was forbidden. She sighed into his mouth. She couldn't live without his kisses. Her tongue traced his lips again and again, she moved it into his mouth to taste him, touch him, caress him. No, she couldn't live without his kisses. The Fire was burning, and her need to touch him, taste his skin became overwhelming. She moved her mouth from his, kissed his whisker-stubbled jaw, evidence that he hadn't shaved for nearly four days. She loved the feeling of it against her tongue. Her fingers moved over his jaw as well, the tactile input adding to her pleasure. She shivered, knowing that he would rub his rough face against her thighs, giving her more pleasure when he worshipped her.

He laid back, let her kiss him, touch him, take what she needed from him. Her fingers continued to move over his face even when her mouth moved to his throat. When she began to suckle on his collarbones, the sensations ran all the way to his throbbing cock. He smiled when she moved down, kissing, licking, tasting his chest…his belly. He hissed a sigh of pleasure when she took his aching shaft into her sweet mouth. Once again he filled his hands with her hair. His hips moved up toward her with every gentle suck she made. "That's it babe," he whispered. "Just like that."

She smiled inwardly as she made love to him. Her body, her mind, her heart reveled in the taste of him, the wonderful smell of him, the way he felt in her hands, her mouth. Her heart hammered against her ribs with such love that it felt as if she could reach out and actually touch it. Her life revolved around this man, he was her center, her god, her lover, her best friend, her husband, the father of her children. He was everything to her. He was throbbing hard and fast…he was almost there. She moved over him, ready to take him into her throat and bring him to completion.

"No, babe…I wanna come inside you," he whispered. He pulled her toward his chest, moved her onto her back. "My turn," he said softly.

She smiled, her hands caressing his bearded jaw. He kissed her, his mouth demanding as much as it gave.

He moved his lips over her face, her jaw, her throat. He marked her, teased that spot behind her ear. He kissed and licked his way to her breasts. Lilith had been right, he did love Casey's body. Every beautiful, delectable inch of it. He made love to her until her breath was coming in tiny gasps. When he settled himself between her thighs, he made sure to rub his face gently against them, rewarded when she gasped and whimpered with delight. He loved this woman, loved her with all that he was, all that he had to give was hers for the asking.  He began to feast on her succulent flesh, trembling from the Fire as it burned ever hotter.

"Please, I need to feel you inside me," she begged, after several glorious moments of pure pleasure.

The soft, simple request made him harder, made him ache more for her. He moved up, slid into her waiting body. Their hips began to move in concert, taking them higher and higher.

Her thighs began to quiver, she whimpered softly.

"That's it, Angel, give it to me," he whispered.

Her back arched off of the bed, she pushed against him, shoved her hips against his and cried out with sheer delight as her body plunged into the heat of orgasm. "Love me, Daniel," she whispered. "Please love me!"

She trembled in his arms, her orgasm setting off his own flight of ecstasy. He cried out, lowered his head to kiss her as his body throbbed inside her. When he had caught his breath enough to be able to move, he rolled over, holding her tightly against him. "Love you, Angel," he said softly.

"Love you, too, Sweetheart," she replied, her voice a soft whisper.

He was exhausted; he had slept only in snatches of time, a few minutes here, a few minutes there. He was snoring softly before she was completely settled against him. She pulled the blankets over them, and snuggled into his embrace, smiled when his arms tightened around her. She reached out and gently caressed his mind. She was thankful that the Triad had rid him of the images that haunted him so. She closed her eyes and drifted to sleep, secure in his love, unafraid of what the future might hold for them. As long as The Chosen loved her, there was nothing that she couldn't face.