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In Your Own Backyard

He opened his eyes. Rolled them and tried to force the pounding in his head to stop. He did a quick mental inventory. Yep. Had the shit beaten out of him. Again. Wondered briefly if he would have any scars this time, to add to the others that were becoming a road map of torture across his skin.

He sat up, looked around. Dungeon. Well, that's what it looked like anyway. Dark. Damp. Smelled pretty bad, too. Alone. Where was the rest of the team? He reached out for her…couldn't feel her. Panic rose in his chest. Oh, god, was she dead? Had she been beheaded? He continued to reach…wait…he could feel something, like a tiny flicker. He stretched, used every ounce of strength he possessed. She was all right. Frightened, but all right. He sagged back against the wall with relief.

The door to the cell clanged open. He was on his feet by the time the tall, thin man entered. "Who are you? Why are you holding me…us…prisoner?" His memory of how and why he was here was fuzzy at best.

The man looked at him. "You will tell us everything about your world. Your home. So that we might take it as our own."

Daniel's eyes narrowed. Goa'uld. At least, that was the language. He didn't know if the man standing in front of him was one or not. "I don't think so."

"Yes, Doctor Jackson, you will. Or she will die. Horribly."

His heart fell to his feet. Oh god, this was gonna be bad! He pulled himself to his full height. Bit back the bile that began to boil in his stomach.

Two guards entered the room, took his arms in their thin, white hands. They yanked him forward, half-dragged him down a dank corridor to another room. It was large. And looked like every torture chamber ever created by Hollywood. He bit back the urge to laugh.

He was pushed into a chair, his feet and hands securely manacled to the wooden arms and legs. For a moment he envied Teal'c his brut strength. Take a deep breath, Danny. Brains can overcome brawn every time, he thought.

The thin man sat down at a table facing the young archaeologist. "Now, Doctor Jackson, I will know everything about this place you call…Hope."

The pounding of his heart was painful against his ribs. Hope? Oh, god, his kids were there! No way was he telling this bastard anything! He stared at the man, but said nothing. When a fist connected with his jaw, he spit the blood that resulted from his split lip to the floor. And remained silent.

"You will tell us everything," the man hissed. He nodded at his companion.

That man slipped away. Returned with Casey held firmly in his hands. She was taken to the wall, and steel bands were locked around her wrists. Large, black chains were connected to the bands, and to hooks in the ceiling, some twenty feet above their heads. She was raised until her feet were mere inches off of the floor.

"Now, Doctor Jackson, let us begin again," the man said.

Daniel watched as she swayed slightly. Could see the determination in her green eyes. Again he refused to answer. He was slapped again.

"Remember, doctor," the man hissed, "her pain is your fault!"

The sound of a whip cut the air, and the resulting smack against her back echoed in his mind. She managed to bite back her scream, but her muffled cry tore at him.

The man watched the archaeologist, then nodded again. A third man stepped forward. The knife he held in his hand had a blade at least twelve inches long. He began to cut her clothes away, not stopping until she was completely naked.

Daniel could see how hard she was trembling. Tried to comfort her mentally, found he was being blocked. He didn't think she was doing it. He raised his chin, ignored the tears that formed and ran down his cheeks.

The whip whispered in the air again. Cut across her naked back. She screamed in pain, her body swaying as she writhed from the sting of the leather. Another lash. And another. And another.

He was struggling to remain silent, knowing that to give in to this bastard and his minions would put Emily and Nicholas at risk. He railed against the knowledge that he was literally being forced to choose between his Wife, or his children. He knew that Casey would want…would expect...him to protect their precious little ones.

By now her back was nothing more than strips of flesh hanging on bone. Blood dripped onto the floor. She was weeping softly, he could see that she was fighting her own battle to remain as quiet as possible.

"Hang in there, Angel," he said softly. "We'll get out of this, I promise." Welcomed the darkness that surrounded him when fists began to pummel his face.

A  A  A  A  A  A

The sun was bright as he opened his eyes. He looked around. Hadn't even been aware that he had fallen asleep. He sat up, brushed the sand from his arms, shook it from his long hair.

"You will burn to a crisp one day, Dan'yel," Skaara said, laughing as he walked toward the man who had so recently come to live among them.

Daniel smiled. "Probably." He closed his journal, grabbed his robe to pull it tight, then stood to his feet. "I suppose Sha're sent you to find me?"

"Yes. She is waiting for you." A knowing smile lit the young man's face.

His heart pounding with excitement, he began to run to back toward the village. Her 'time of seclusion' was over. He hated the fact that during her periods she was kept from him. He had tried to convince her that it wasn't necessary, but the ways of her people were all that she knew, and even though she loved him, that love wasn't enough to overcome a lifetime of teaching.

She was standing in the tent, her robe folded and on the small stool beside the bed. She had a bowl of water, a cloth, and the bottle of oil that all the Abydonian's used for washing. "I have missed you, my Dan'yel," she said softly.

He took in the sight of her naked body, soft curves, dark nipples already puckered with desire. "As I have missed you," he replied, his body responding ardently.

"Come, let me prepare you."

He stepped closer, tossing his robe to the ground as he did so. He closed his eyes as she washed him, each gentle touch serving to arouse him. He sighed when her lips closed around his aching cock, making him throb all the harder. She always sucked him off before they made love after her 'hell week'. Then they could take their time, she said. His eyes flew open. That's not right! Sha're had never called it 'hell week'! She had never been crazy about oral sex either, too many taboos, he supposed. He looked down at her. Nearly screamed when her eyes began to glow.

"Tell me about Hope," Sha're said, her hands caressing him, her tongue making circles around his swollen shaft. "I will give you much pleasure, my Dan'yel."

Hope? How did Sha're know about Hope? Sha're was dead. Long blonde hair…big green eyes…a beautiful smile…a soft slender body that she could use to drive him insane…not Sha're…who…Casey! He pushed the woman in front of him roughly, stepped away from her. "You aren't Sha're." He reached out to touch the mind of his wife. Couldn't sense her. Fought down the panic even as he watched Amaunet raise her hand, and felt the pain of the ribbon device as the power from the weapon hit him.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Oh hell, he thought, opening his eyes. Here we go again! He rolled his eyes. Where the hell were they this time? He sat up slowly. Okay, not so bad. He didn't hurt anywhere. That was always a good sign. He looked around. Cages. They were in cages. Come one, come all, see the captured Tau'ri…but don't feed them, echoed through his mind. Not funny, he reprimanded himself.

Jack was beginning to stir. A glance at Teal'c showed that the Jaffa was conscious and sitting up as well. "Okay, what the hell just happened?"

"I have no idea," Daniel murmured, watching Casey, waiting for her to open those beautiful green eyes.

The cages were sitting in the middle of a large room. His first thought was that it looked like an operating room. His next thought was that they were going to be used in medical experiments, subjected to horrors like those Casey had faced on Balisia. Oh, hell.

The door to the room opened. Five tall, thin men entered, each of them wearing surgical gowns. "Doctor Jackson, you will tell us of this place known as Hope. Or you will watch us kill them," one of the men said.

His heart jumped to his throat. Hope? They wanted to know about Hope? No way in hell! The entire team would die before divulging any information about their home. Where their children were safe. Would remain safe, as long as he had anything to say about it!

The man glared at him, his yellow eyes narrowed slightly. "Speak!"

"Arf, arf," Daniel replied. Damn! I'm getting as bad as Casey! Becoming a real smartass! He grinned mentally.

A growl of frustration rose from the man's throat. He whirled to face his companions, barked orders in a language that Daniel had never heard before. One that seemed to consist of hisses and groans.

Sam, Jack, and Teal'c were each carried to waiting tables. They were stripped, their arms and legs tied down. Conscious now, they all began to beg him to help them…to tell their captors whatever was necessary in order to free them.

Daniel frowned. That would never happen! If anything they would tell him to never give in. Jack would be baiting the bastards.

The leader of the group opened the cage where Casey huddled. Her green eyes were wide with fright. He motioned, and she was stripped and tied to the empty table closest to Daniel's cage.

He watched as leather rings that hung from either end of a metal bar were forced over her legs. The rings were cinched tight, the metal bar wedged between her knees. Her feet were shoved into stirrups. Oh, christ, he thought, moaning mentally. This was gonna be really bad!

Casey looked over at him. "Please, I can't take this…no more…no more," she whispered, tears sliding down her cheeks.

He reached out to her, hit a block. It didn't take a genius to realize that she wasn't the one blocking him. "I love you, Angel. Don't give up, nothing that they do to you can change how much I love you. We'll get through this," he said softly.

Picking up a long scalpel, the leader looked over at Daniel. "This is a very special tool," he said, his smile menacing. "Whatever wounds it inflicts, remain forever. Tell me about Hope, and I will spare her."

Difficult as it was, Daniel remained silent.

"As you wish," the man said. He slid the scalpel inside her, pulled back violently.

The scream that split the air was enough to have him crying out in anger. "You goddamned bastard!"

Without speaking, the man slashed her again, and again, the screams piercing the air, and his heart.

Daniel could see the blood dripping from her, could hear each drop as it hit the cold, tile floor. She had stopped screaming. She was still breathing, although each breath was shallow. She was dying. And there wasn't a damned thing he could do about it!

"Daniel," she whispered.

"I'm here, Angel," he replied, his voice choked with tears.

"Remember." She took a deep breath, sighed, and he knew that she was dead.

Remember? Remember what? He stared at the tall man. Did that wall just flicker? Not real! Not real! None of this was real! The desert…that Egyptian…Cardorian…Not real! He smiled. "You're one ugly hallucination," he said.

The man hissed. Pointed his long finger at the cage. "Tell me what I want to know, and I will spare you. I will spare all of them!"

"Nope. Don't think so," Daniel replied calmly.

The man raced forward, and dragged the young man from the cage, struggling with him until his companions hurried to help subdue the not-so-weak archaeologist. He grabbed the human's face between his extremely long fingers. Tried to enter the feeble mind to withdraw the information he desired. Fire! So hot…strength…psychic abilities…not strong, but there. Chosen!

Daniel landed in the sand beside his friends, unconscious, but not totally unaware…

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