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The planet was a small one, and resembled Earth, from ten miles up. Casey still had very little ‘information’, only that a small group of people were in great danger. And the danger felt like a Goa’uld.

The team was in the armory, suiting up. SG-6 and Marine One would be accompanying them to the surface.

"Any idea what we’re walking into?" Jack asked.

She closed her eyes, reached out to ‘see’. "There's a small village. It hasn’t been here long. They came through the ‘gate seeking…peace…freedom. They’ve been…discovered…Goa’uld...I think. Just one good show of force should be all it takes."

The general nodded. "Okay, we might be taking the Phoenix in for a little dog-and-pony-show. Keep it ready," he told the colonel who was currently at the con.

"Yes, sir," was the reply.

"Special ordinance?" Jack looked at her, waiting.

"Nice big ka-booms…better take the zats."

Again the man nodded. "Okay, kids, let’s go do our good deed for the day."

They ringed down to a small valley. The village had been destroyed, the buildings were still smoldering. Crops and gardens had been deliberately burned.

"Spread out. Let’s see if we can find survivors. Radio contact every fifteen. Move out."

Casey walked between Teal'c and Daniel, each man about twenty feet away from her. She looked carefully around her, hoping for a sign of the people she had sensed earlier. Movement in the bushes directly in front of her caught her attention. She stopped, aware that the instant that Daniel and Teal'c realized that she wasn’t moving, they would look at her. She glanced to each side. They were watching her. She pointed two fingers to her eyes, then one finger straight ahead. She cocked her head to the side, held up one finger. They nodded.

They began moving again, and to the casual observer, there was no difference. But the trained eye would see that Daniel and Teal'c were now slightly ahead of Casey, moving toward the edges of the shrubbery ahead of them. The trained eye would also see that each weapon was now trained on those bushes.

"Please, we don’t wish to harm you," Casey said softly. "We’re here to help."

By now Daniel and Teal'c were at the sides of the bush. Casey knelt down in front of it. Was hit full force in the face by a fist, and then a young man of perhaps sixteen dove over her and began to run.

Daniel took off after the boy. His long legs helped him catch up easily. He grabbed the youth, and the two tumbled to the ground. "Hey, take it easy, we’re not going to hurt you," Daniel said.

Casey and Teal'c were now standing over them. Casey had blood on her shirt, and a bit still on her face, but there were no wounds, and the pain was already gone as well.

Daniel pulled himself to his feet, bringing the boy up with him. "It’s okay. We’re friends."

The youth glared at them, looking from one strange face to the other. His glare turned to a stare of sheer hatred when he looked at Teal'c, and took in the mark of a Jaffa. "You are the same as the others," he said finally, spitting at the ground at their feet.

"Others?" Daniel asked. "What others? Dressed like us?"

The boy shook his head. "The others wore the armor of Jaffa. He has the mark."

Daniel smiled. "Teal'c serves no Goa’uld. He is free. Many Jaffa are now free. He’s a good friend of mine. The beautiful woman you hit is my Wife, Casey. I’m Daniel Jackson."

"Can you tell us what the Jaffa symbol looked like?" Casey asked softly.

The young man looked at her, cringed at the blood. He had never hit a woman before. His father would be ashamed of him for doing so. He knelt down in the dirt and drew a symbol.

Teal'c knelt down beside him. "I am not familiar with this mark, Daniel Jackson."

"Then we’ve stumbled on an entirely new group of Goa’uld," Daniel replied. "Isn’t that just great! Just when we’re knocking their asses down to size, we find more. Jack is going to love this!"

The youth watched, and listened, as the two men talked. He glanced at Casey, her eyes were on the men as well, although they lingered on the man with the dark blonde hair. When she looked at him her face…softened, her eyes…brightened. She was beautiful. He licked his finger, then slowly reached out toward her.

Casey saw the boy reaching for her. She didn’t move, remained still as he wiped her face.

"I’m sorry for hitting you," he said softly.

"That’s all right. You were frightened. I would have done the same thing if I was hiding in a bush, surrounded by armed strangers."

He shook his head. "It is forbidden to strike a woman. They are the givers of life, and they are the tenders of the hearth." He lowered his head. "I have shamed my family, and myself."

Casey smiled. "What is your name?"

"Hantor."

"Well, Hantor, nobody needs to know it happened. It was a simple mistake," she said quietly.

Hantor looked from her to Daniel to Teal'c and back to her.

"Don’t worry, they won’t say anything either." She leaned toward the boy conspiratorially. "They might look big and tough, but I can take them down. I’ve done it before," she said with a wide grin.

Daniel and Teal'c exchanged a glance. She had damned near killed them that day…not that they hadn't deserved it. And she hadn't exactly ‘taken them down’ in the way that the boy was probably thinking. But it served to set his mind at ease.

"There is blood on your shirt," he said, a worried frown on his face.

"Yeah, I get nose-bleeds from time to time. Usually when I least expect it," she said, winking at Hantor.

Her smile, her kindness, won the boy over.

"Are there others near here?" Daniel asked.

Hantor nodded. "They’re all hiding in the caves. I can take you there," he said.

"Why weren’t you there?" Daniel inquired as they fell into step beside their new friend.

"I wanted to see what had happened."

"What did happen here?"

The youth shook his head. "I’m not sure. When the Great Eye began to light up, my father and the rest of the men sent us to hide in the caves. He told us not to come out until we heard silence for a least two days, and to make sure we stayed hidden until we were sure that there was no one around. We heard…terrible noises. Men shouting…screaming …clanking sounds. Then nothing. Tomorrow will be two days of silence."

Daniel grabbed the radio on his shoulder. "Jack, we found one survivor, he’s leading us to the rest. Caves nearby."

Hantor’s eyes went wide. He didn’t understand the words, but he did understand the implication of the man’s actions. "I have betrayed my people!" he whispered hoarsely.

Casey put her arm around the boy’s trembling shoulders. "No, Hantor. You are rescuing your people. We have food and medical supplies, we can help your people rebuild their homes and replant their crops."

"You speak the truth?"

She turned the boy to face her. "Look in my eyes, Hantor, tell me if you see truth, or deceit."

He studied her for several long minutes. She had beautiful green eyes. "I see…I see truth," he said.

Casey hugged him, smiled when he automatically hugged her back.

Hantor gasped slightly. He could feel her slender frame beneath the odd colored clothes she wore. And that odd…vest, had moved to one side, and when she hugged him he could feel her breast push against him. She smelled good too, better than any woman he had ever been near. He looked at her face, the delicate features, the warm smile. Those wide green eyes. He could feel his body stirring. He hated it when that happened! It wasn’t easy to hide when he was hard like this. Sometimes the only way it would go down was to slip off into the woods and rub it. His older brother had taught him about that. He had a feeling that this was going to be one of ‘those’ times.

Daniel ducked his head to grin when he watched the boy blush brightly, then shift his legs slightly. His Wife had just given the boy a hard-on.

Teal'c had also caught the telltale signs of a young man in…distress. He looked off into the distance.

"Well, let’s go tell the rest of your family and friends that help is here," Casey said, her arm still around his shoulders.

The young man hesitated. He liked being near this woman, but it was making him…harder. She was sure to notice if they walked together!

"Hantor, go on ahead. We’ll catch up. Just stay in sight. Then you can let them know we’re behind you, and that we’re friends," Daniel said.

A look of relief flashed over the boy’s face. He moved quickly down the path, then slowed down a bit.

Casey watched the boy, then looked at Daniel. "Okay, I give up. Why?"

Daniel and Teal'c both grinned. "You just gave that boy afternoon wood, babe," Daniel replied.

"What?"

"He has a hard-on, Case. The result of your hug."

She stared at him for a minute, until the meaning of his words sank in. "Oh, my god! That’s just so wrong on so many levels! I never meant…oh my god!"

Daniel fought the urge to laugh. The look of shock on Casey’s face was as funny as the look of misery on Hantor’s. "It happens, Case. Usually at the worst times. Poor kid has no idea that it’s not going to get any better."

She adjusted her vest, realized that when Hantor had hugged her it had gotten pushed aside, and she was only wearing a tee-shirt…oh good lord! Her cheeks began to burn. She was now as completely embarrassed as young man had been.

Daniel and Teal'c exchanged another grin. Daniel put his arm around his wife’s shoulders, and led her down the path. They could still see the young man. ‘I get hard every time I hug you, Angel.’

She glanced at him. ‘Oh, you do not!’

‘Do so. I’m just better at hiding it than a kid.’

‘I’ve hugged you when you’re naked, and it doesn’t always get hard.’

‘Usually we’ve just finished making love, too.’

‘Not always.’

He was about to laugh out loud at the look of exasperation on her face.

Jack, Sam, and Texas met up with them on the path, having followed Teal'c’s directions to reach them. Jack took one look at Casey’s face and demanded to know what was going on.

"Long story. Bit embarrassing. For her and Hantor," Daniel explained, his blue eyes dancing.

"Make the time," Jack said.

"Okay, long story short, we found a kid, must be about fifteen, sixteen, somewhere in there, hiding in the bushes. He hit Case in the face then took off. I managed to catch him, and we convinced him that we’re not more Jaffa out to kill him and his friends and family. A bit of conversation…mostly Case and Hantor, the boy. She gives him a hug, he gets a hard-on-" He started laughing. Texas and Teal'c were chuckling too.

Casey glared at him. "Laugh it up, fuzz ball." Daniel hadn’t shaved in two days. She liked his scruffy look. But right now she didn’t like him!

Jack was snickering. "Didn’t know you liked ‘em so young, Case," he teased.

With a glare at the entire group, Casey turned on her heel and began walking back the way they had come. Tony, Trenton, Major Parker and the Marines were undoubtedly setting up a perimeter. She was sure her help would be appreciated there.

"Aw, come on, Case, it really is funny," Daniel called after her.

She raised one fist in the air. One finger was sticking up. She continued on her way.

‘I’m sorry, babe.’

‘Bite me.’

‘I really am.’

‘If you ever want to get a hard-on around me again, I suggest you leave me alone for awhile.’

She smiled at the instant ‘silence’. Although he did send a wave of love. Which was returned. After a few minutes.

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