The message light was flashing on the phone when they finally emerged from the shower. Daniel called the front desk to find out what it was while Casey dried her hair.

"Kelley wants you to call her right away," Daniel told her.

She frowned, tossed her mostly dry hair over her shoulder, and grabbed the phone. She dialed, then tapped her bare toes impatiently while she waited. "Kelley? What’s up?"

"Nothing serious, Case, just wondered if you and that hunk of yours wanted to have dinner somewhere, unless you’ve already eaten." Kelley said.

"Actually, we were just getting ready to go out and forage for food."

"Really?"

Casey could hear the frown. "What?"

"I called about ten minutes ago and there wasn’t an answer. Did you just get in?"

Casey couldn’t help but giggle. "Nope. We were…uh…in the shower."

"Together?" Kelley squealed.

"Yep."

"Okay, just so I can drive myself totally nuts thinking about it…how many times have you done it with him now?"

"Oh, I don’t know. We can talk about that later," Casey said, watching Daniel watch her from where he stood by his suitcase, looking for clean clothes. He was grinning at her. She was certain that he knew what the conversation was about.

"Oh, gotcha, he’s standing right there isn’t he? Duh! Hotel room, of course he is! Okay, so shall we celebrate and go to Newport Bay for dinner? He really shouldn’t leave here without having some of the local seafood."

"Sounds good. We’ll meet you there in about thirty minutes," Casey replied.

"On my way, girlfriend. Do you have any idea how lucky you are?"

"Yes, I do, Kells, trust me."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye." She hung up, then walked over to him. "Do you like seafood?"

"Yeah, I do."

She smiled. "Good. We’re going to meet Kelley at Newport Bay for dinner. It’s up by Southcenter in Seattle. You’ll love it," she predicted. She pulled on her clothes.

He was dressing as well. "I think we’re going to spend our honeymoon somewhere warm and private, where you can run around naked day and night," he teased.

"I wouldn’t have any complaints about that, getting to see you naked all day and night," she replied. "I don’t know much mythology, but I do remember that Adonis was supposed to be this absolute hunk. Best looking man in the world sort of thing. He can’t hold a candle to you, Sweetheart."

Daniel felt his cheeks get warm. That this strikingly beautiful woman would find him…compare him with Adonis was mind-blowing. "Thanks, babe," he mumbled.

She closed the distance between them, took his face between her hands and forced him to look at her. "You’re uncomfortable with compliments, aren’t you? Guess I’m the same way. But I mean it Daniel, you're…you're magnificent. I can’t believe that a man as handsome as you would be interested in me!"

"I was just thinking that it’s amazing that a woman as beautiful as you could be interested in a man like me," he said softly.

"You really think I’m beautiful?" she asked softly.

"Not just beautiful…gorgeous. Or have you forgotten our earlier conversation?"

"Wow." She leaned up and kissed him. "Wow," she repeated. She shook her head. "We’d better get going."

"You want to drive?"

She shook her head. "No. I…I like having you drive."

"I kinda like it myself," he grinned, his glance falling on the bed.

"Daniel, you are absolutely insatiable," she giggled.

"Only with you, babe. Only with you."

A   A   A   A   A   A

The drive to the restaurant was filled with laughter and conversation as the lovers learned more about one another. Casey was almost sorry to see the ride end as they pulled into the parking lot.

Kelley was waiting in the bar for them. She had been watching a group of men who were sitting at a table near the door. She knew that the moment that Casey walked in, they would all start staring at her. It happened every time they went out. She just wondered how Dr. Daniel Jackson would handle it when the men started to hit on her. That happened every time as well. She didn’t have long to wait to find out.

Casey was wearing a pair of jeans that fit snuggly over her slender hips and well-shaped ass. The sweater she was wearing didn’t hide her narrow waist or her B-cup sized breasts. If anything, the soft material accentuated her curves. She walked into the bar, Daniel stopped at the hostess’ station to put their name on the waiting list for a table.

"Whoa…hello, beautiful!" one of the men said. Another whistled appreciatively.

Before Casey was completely settled onto a barstool next Kelley, one of the men was sitting beside her.

"Hello, Dream Girl," he said, a smile on his face.

Casey looked at him. "I’m not interested," she said softly but firmly

"Aw, but beautiful, you haven’t given me a chance to impress you yet," he grinned.

She put her left hand on the bar. "See that ring? That means I’m taken." She turned her back to the man.

"There may be a ring on your finger, sexy, but I don’t see a man by your side."

She glanced at the persistent ‘admirer’, and looked around for Daniel. Kelley, and the man beside them, could see the look of relief, and love, that flooded her eyes when she saw him walking into the room.

Daniel frowned slightly when he saw the man beside his fiancée, his woman. Without asking he could tell that the guy had been bothering her. He gave the man a hard look when he was close enough. "Are you all right, babe?" he asked.

She nodded, reached for his hand. "I am now," she said softly.

Even in the dim light of the bar, the man beside her could see the light that had started shining in her eyes as soon as she had seen this guy walking toward her. What a waste. A knock-out like her with a geek like this. Why did it always seem to happen that way?

Kelley had been watching the entire scene, wishing for the millionth and whatever time that men would look at her the way they did Casey. Or just look at her. It always seemed that she was invisible to the men who frequented the clubs and restaurant bars where they chose to hang out. She shook her head slightly. She didn’t even wish for a hunk like Daniel. Just a nice guy who would love her. She glared at the man who was still sitting beside Casey. He looked at her, smirked, then stood up and left.

Daniel slid into the vacant seat, Casey’s fingers still wrapped tightly around his own. Once again his heart was battering his ribs at the thought that a beautiful woman like her had chosen to love him. He couldn’t help but glance at the group of men. He raised her fingers to his lips, felt her other hand go immediately to his cheek. He looked over at her, accepted the light kiss that she placed on his lips. That’s right, you jerks, eat your hearts out. She’s mine!

Casey kissed him gently, a thank you for rescuing her from the unwanted attention. She shifted closer to him, so that their shoulders were touching, put her hand possessively on his thigh when she noticed two women at a table near the bar watching him. Don’t even go there, sister, she thought, giving them a warning glance. He’s mine!

The hostess called their name, and the three of them went to the dining room for dinner. Kelley was accustomed to feeling like a third wheel, but Daniel included her in every aspect of the conversation. He was a charmer, she thought, and so crazy in love with Casey that it was cute.

"So, Daniel, what is it that you do, exactly?" Kelley asked, munching on one of the coconut shrimp from the appetizer plate.

"Actually, it’s all classified," he replied.

Kelley leaned forward, her eyes bright. "You mean like secret agent classified?"

He laughed. "No. Like military research classified."

"Please tell me you’re not helping them create some god-awful weapon that will destroy us all," Kelley moaned.

He frowned for a minute. "No, nothing like that at all. It has to do with…national security, and that’s all I can say. I’m not even supposed to say that much."

The red head nodded "Okay. I’ll quit asking questions then.

Casey smiled at him, realizing for the first time the risk he had taken in telling her as much as he had. "Can you tell me about where I’m going to be living?"

He grinned. "Silver Springs is a nice little town. It’s really a suburb of Colorado Springs."

"House, apartment or condo?" Kelley asked.

Daniel looked at Casey. "Apartment for now, until we can find a house."

She blinked in surprise. "Find a house…as in buy a house…a real, honest-to-goodness house?"

He grinned. "Yep."

Casey looked at Kelley and smiled. "Did I do good, or did I do good?"

Kelley laughed. "You did real good, girlfriend!"

Daniel chuckled.

"Any particular reason you want a house?" Kelley asked.

He toyed with his glass of wine for a minute before answering. "Because I want Case to have the best that I can give her. And because someday I want to have a family with her."

Both women were silent.

Daniel looked at Casey, and felt a moment’s panic. What if she didn’t want children? Okay, he could live without them, as long as he had her…but still…he’d always thought that someday he would have a family. Maybe a little girl with his eyes, who adored him.

Casey reached up and put her hand against his cheek, turned his face toward her. "I…it’s as if you’ve crawled into my heart, my soul, and you’re taking all my secret dreams, and hopes, and you’re making them come true," she said softly. "I want to give you children Daniel, I want a family with you, and dogs and cats and gerbils and the minivan…okay…I’m not crazy about the minivan…but maybe we could find something big enough for the gang."

He put his hand against hers, turned his face to kiss her palm. "You’re making all my dreams come true, too babe. All of them."

Kelley sniffed, and wiped her eyes with her napkin. "You realize I’m going to miss you like crazy," she said. "But I wouldn’t let you pass this opportunity by for anything."

"Thanks, Kelley," Casey said, smiling at her friend.

Daniel winked at the redhead.