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The villagers had proven to be friendly, if a bit cautious. Daniel had been able to convince the leaders that they were merely travelers, eager to learn about other cultures. He had spent the better part of the day talking to three elders, recording their stories. Sam had determined that there was no naquadah anywhere in the area. She sent up two balloons that had come with them on F.R.E.D., but there were no readings for anything other than lots of sand. The only oasis for miles in any given direction seemed to be the one where the village was located.

Jack sauntered over to where the archaeologist sat, finishing up some notes. "Well, it’s Monday morning Earth-side, Daniel."

"Yeah? So?"

"I thought maybe you were ready to fly back to Tacoma."

Daniel’s head came up. "We’re leaving?"

The older man nodded. "Yep. Sam can’t find anything, and you have more than enough. Let’s call it a day, shall we?"

Usually when the archaeologist was getting to know a group of people, it was nearly impossible to get him to leave. Before Jack had finished speaking the notebook was closed and Daniel was on his feet. The colonel grinned. Amazing what love could do to a man.

Daniel was leading the way, anxious to get back to the SGC and on the way to his fiancée. He felt just like a little kid, waiting breathlessly for Christmas to finally arrive. He never noticed the amused smiles his teammates exchanged as he ran ahead of them to dial home.

A   A   A   A   A   A

As usual, General Hammond was waiting at the bottom of the ramp when the team came through. "I take it the mission was successful, colonel?"

"Yes, sir. Daniel found lots of writing and…stuff…he’s got it all on film and in his notebooks," Jack replied.

"Good. Doctor Jackson, Ms. Webster called. She was concerned about your safety. She seemed to be very relieved when I told her that you were fine," the general smiled. "I’d like to meet this young lady, and find out if this dream of hers was just a fluke, or if she has a talent that would be of use to us here."

Daniel couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. She'd been worried about him! Worried enough to call and make sure he was all right! It took a few minutes for the rest of what the general said to filter through. His eyes widened. "You want her to work here?"

"If she has the ability to ‘sense’ danger, yes, I do," General Hammond replied. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the look on the young doctor’s face. The archaeologist was in love, and he was in deep. "Debrief in one hour. Then, Doctor Jackson, I believe you have requested a few days off?"

Daniel nodded. "Yes, sir."

Jack clapped the young man on the back. "I’ll take you to the airport, Danny," he said, then moved off, heading for the infirmary and the required post-mission check-up.

Sam had mentioned hickeys to Dr. Janet Fraiser during her check-up, so when the men of team came in, the good doctor immediately requested that they remove their shirts so that she could hook them up to cardio-vascular machines, telling them she was doing a study on the effects of gate travel on men’s hearts. It wasn’t exactly a lie, she could start the study with them. Sam hid her smile behind her hand, standing just inside the door watching and listening.

"Daniel!" Janet exclaimed. Though they were faded, the hickeys were still visible, the one on his shoulder being the largest and darkest. "What happened to you?"

He blushed brightly, lowered his eyes.

"Run in with a blonde. About 5’7", didn’t you say, Daniel? Big green eyes. Yep, she knocked Danny here for a loop," Jack said, grinning broadly.

"She knocked him for something, from the looks of these bruises," Janet replied. Her brown eyes were full of laughter, but she managed to keep a stern expression on her face. "If this woman was hitting you-"

"Geez, guys, knock it off, will ya?" Daniel groused. He looked at Janet, and the smirk on her face. "You know damn well what those are. Just get on with this, will ya?"

"Yeah, lover boy here has a plane to catch," Jack teased.

"Crap! I have to get online and get a ticket…Janet, please," he begged.

She took one look into those blue eyes and caved. "All right, go. But next mission I get to give you a post twice!" she called after him, as he was already halfway down the corridor, still pulling his tee shirt back over his head. "He has it bad," she said, shaking her head and laughing.

"Oh, yeah," Sam replied. "Two carat, emerald cut diamond, platinum setting bad."

Janet whistled. "Wow."

Daniel slid into the chair at his desk, powered up the computer and began to search for the first flight from Silver Springs to Sea-Tac. He found a flight with Delta, which would leave Colorado Springs at six-thirty, and get him to Tacoma at two-thirty in the morning. He booked the flight, and then made room reservations for two nights at the same hotel he had stayed in before. He picked up the phone and dialed her number.

"Hello?" She sounded breathless. Like she did when they were making love. His body went hard.

"Hi, babe."

"Daniel!" She squealed.

He had to hold the phone away from his ear for a second, and he couldn’t stop grinning. "Love you."

"Oh, god, I love you! I miss you so much!"

"Miss me enough to pick me up at two-thirty in the morning?"

"Which morning?"

"Tomorrow. I’m flying out of here tonight, babe," he replied. Another squeal.

"I’ll be there!"

He was still grinning. "I booked a room in the same hotel, so pack a bag."

"Okay. Oh, god, Daniel, I can’t wait to see you! I can’t wait to hold you," she said softly.

"Me, too babe."

"Tell her goodbye, Daniel, you have a debrief to get to if you’re going to catch your flight," Jack said from the doorway. "Which leaves when?"

"Six-thirty from Colorado Springs," he replied.

"Is that Jack?" Casey asked.

"Yep."

"Tell him hello for me," she giggled.

Daniel looked up at the man standing in his office. "Case says hello."

Jack grinned. "Hey, Casey!" he said loudly.

Casey heard the man, and giggled again. "Sweetheart, you need to get going, and I have a ton of things I have to get done before you get here. I’ll be at the airport at two-thirty."

"I’ll be there. Love you, babe."

"Love you, too. Bye."

"Bye." Daniel hung up the phone. "She…uh…she’s excited that I’m coming back," he said, with a look of surprise on his face.

Jack frowned. "You were worried that maybe she wouldn’t be?"

"I guess I was, even if I didn’t want to admit it to myself."

"But she’s excited?"

"Yeah. Lots of squealing and giggling," Daniel smiled.

Jack laughed. "Sounds to me like the woman is excited about seeing you again. No accounting for taste I guess." He grinned and walked out the door, a smiling Daniel right behind him.

A   A   A   A   A   A

Casey hung up the phone, and did her happy dance across the kitchen floor. He was coming back to get her! Tonight! Okay, technically in the morning. She looked at the clock. She had enough time to finish packing her cd’s, at least the ones she wasn’t leaving out to listen to on the drive to Colorado, and a few of the things in her closet, then she had to get ready. Nair the legs, trim the bikini area, take a long bubble bath to get nice and clean and ready for him to get her all nice and dirty. Her heart raced as she thought about being in his arms again. She wanted to look good for him when he arrived as well. She opened her closet. She had just purchased a LBD...the prerequisite little black dress. It was short, had a halter-top that left a great deal of cleavage exposed, and fit her like a second skin. She had a black suit jacket she could wear over it. She’d take the jacket off when he was walking down the ramp. Yep, that should make him feel welcome, she thought, a wicked little grin on her face. She sat back down on the floor and managed to stop shaking long enough to get all of the cd’s into the box, as well as the few tapes and DVD’s that she owned. Except for her clothes, everything she owned was now packed. The few boxes she had stored in the shed that came with the apartment were in the living room as well. Those were filled with her grandmother’s china and crystal, and a few other kitchen items and utensils that the woman had left to her adopted granddaughter.

Kelley was as excited as she was when the redhead came home for lunch and heard the news. "Oh, Casey, that’s so great. Ricky said to bring your car by tomorrow and he’ll check it out for the drive. No charge. He said it’ll be his wedding gift to you," she said, referring to her older brother.

"Oh, that is so sweet. I appreciate it," Casey replied sincerely.

"You know he’s heartbroken," Kelley told her.

"Come on, he’s like my big brother too," Casey said.

"Yeah, but not by his choice."

"Kells, there is only one man for me. He’s been my destiny all of my life. I love him so much it hurts," she said softly.

"I know. I can see it in your eyes, I could see it in his when he looked at you. Now, you’d better decide what you’re going to wear for the next few days and while you’re on the road, so that you can get the rest packed."

"I can do some of it this afternoon, the rest will have to wait until tomorrow. I have to Nair, and pluck and tweeze and get ready for my man," Casey giggled.

"Yeah, rub it in," Kelley teased. "Okay, what are the plans for dinner?"

"Geez, I didn’t even think about dinner! I’ve been so busy and excited and oh my god I think I’m going to explode I’m so happy!"

"Okay, grilled cheese sandwiches and soup it is," the redhead smiled. "I’ll fix it when I get home. So that you can primp and prepare. I’ll provide sustenance so that you’ll have the strength to greet that man of yours properly."

The two women burst into giggles. For the first time she wondered how, or when she’d be able to do her ‘maintenance’ while living with Daniel. She giggled again. Probably, after awhile, she wouldn’t care if he saw her standing with Nair all over her legs, tweezing her eyebrows.

A   A   A   A   A   A

The debrief had thankfully been a short one. Jack had told him to be ready by four-thirty, and it was half past three now. He was tossing jeans and shirts and boxers and socks into his duffel. He had thought about wearing jeans on the flight, but decided on a pair of black Dockers and a black long sleeved shirt. He didn’t want to look like a bum walking off of the plane. He took a quick shower and dressed, then looked at the clock again.

Jack had shown up right on time, and drove him to Colorado Springs. He had waited around until Daniel’s flight had been called, amused at the younger man’s nervous excitement. The look in his eyes was all that Jack needed to know that for Daniel, anyway, this was the real thing. He only hoped that he would see the same thing in Casey’s eyes.

When at long last his flight was called, Jack had given him a pat on the shoulder, told him to call when he arrived in Tacoma, and to drive safely.

He was pacing the gate area in Boise, his last layover on this flight. The layovers were the worst part of flying, and this was the second. He would have been in Tacoma by now if he had been able to find a direct flight. But he had opted for the first available flight, not willing to wait until tomorrow to fly out. He looked at the clock. Then headed for the bank of payphones. He dialed the number he already knew by heart.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hi, Kelley. It’s Daniel."

"Hi, Daniel." There was a brief pause. "If you’re calling to tell her you’re not coming, shoot yourself now, because when I get there you’ll die slowly," Kelley said, her voice low.

Daniel couldn’t help but chuckle. "Actually, I’m in Boise…I just wanted to hear her voice."

"Well, that’s different! Hang on, Doc, I’ll get her for you." Kelley raced into the bathroom.

Casey stood naked in the middle of the tiny room, Nair spread over her legs and on her armpits, holding a hand mirror and plucking her eyebrows.

Kelley held her hand over the receiver. "It’s Daniel," she said, holding the phone out.

"I can’t talk to him! Not like this!"

The redhead couldn’t help but laugh. "Honey, he can’t see you, and probably wouldn’t care anyway. The man loves you! He just called to hear your voice…now talk to him."

Her heart dancing in her chest, she smiled and took the phone. "Hi."

"Hi, babe."

"What’s up?"

"Just waiting for the plane. I can’t wait to see you."

"I can’t wait to see you, either. I hope you didn’t want to leave right away, Kelley’s brother, he’s a mechanic, is going to check my car over tomorrow and make sure that it’s okay for the highway. And I couldn’t get a trailer and the bumper thingy I need for it until Thursday. I figured I’d go ahead and just get it rented so I’d have it when you got here, but I can’t get it ‘til then. The guy said I can keep it as long as I need…it’s twenty bucks a day, but that’s okay, and then I need to get you to the jewelers to get your ring sized before we leave." The words poured from her in true Casey fashion.

He closed his eyes, just listened to her sweet voice. Part of what she said actually filtered through. "No problem, babe, we’ll leave when we’re ready. What ring?"

"I uh…bought a ring for you…it’s just a plain platinum band, it’s wide, and I hope you like it."

"I love it."

"You haven’t even seen it," she said, smiling.

"You bought it for me. So, I love it. Case, I don’t mean to be nosey, but how did you pay for it?" he asked, remembering her reaction to the price of the rings when they were looking for hers.

There was a pause. "My Grandma Rose gave me some stock. It was worth a couple of bucks, so I cashed it in," she said.

"Aw, babe, you shouldn’t have done that. I could have paid for it."

"No way. You paid dearly for my rings, and besides, I’m supposed to buy your ring. I think Grandma would agree with me that it’s a much better investment."

His heart jumped for joy at her assessment. "Babe, they’re calling my flight. I have to go. See you in a few hours."

"I’ll be there."

"Love you."

"Love you too." She heard the click of the disconnect. Yep, the man loved her. Which was a very good thing. She was crazy in love with him!

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