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True to his word, Jack had Mexican food delivered to the base for Casey. She was sitting in the quarters she shared with Daniel, eating and listening to how he had found her and the people they had met.

She frowned. "I wish I could remember these people. To have taken me in, even after I did the coming-back-to-life thing, speaks highly of them," she said.

"We’ll go and visit them, I promise. Might be a bit hard on Ehestu Yano, though," he said with a grin.

"Who?"

"Young brave who had decided you were his. Finders-keepers sort of thing."

Casey grinned. "No way. He never had a chance. You found me long ago, and you get to keep me."

Daniel grinned and popped a cheese and meat covered tortilla chip into his mouth. "That’s right. I have first claim on you."

"Heart, mind, body and soul." Casey wiped her hands and pushed away from the small table. "I’m full," she said, standing and stretching her slender frame.

Daniel looked at the plate of food. She had eaten about half of the burrito, a couple of spoonfuls of rice, and only a small helping of the nachos. Along with a glass of tea, that was it. Not enough. He frowned. "Babe, can you try and eat a little bit more? You haven’t eaten well for the past couple of weeks, you’ve lost weight. Doctor Williams mentioned it to me. He said he’d like to see you put on at least five pounds."

Casey groaned. "Daniel, if I eat any more I’ll be sick. I’m okay, honey, really."

He nodded, clearly not happy about it.

She leaned over and wrapped her arms around his neck, her hands sliding down his chest. "What I’d really like to do is hold you in my arms," she said softly.

His heart began to pound. "You’re sure? You’re not too tired?"

She shook her head. "Not too tired. Need you, my love."

Daniel stood and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her close. Flames shot up through his body. "Need you too, My Star," he whispered. He lifted her into his arms and carried her to the bed, and gently laid her on top of the comforter. He stretched out beside her, his hand caressing the curves of her body.

"Too many clothes," Casey complained, working at the buttons on his shirt.

He sat up, and stripped off his shirt and tee shirt. He settled himself beside her, letting her fingers set his skin on fire. He hissed a breath when she rolled towards him and teased his flat, brown nipples with her tongue. He eased the infirmary shirt that she still wore from her shoulders, baring her firm, round breasts to his view, his touch. Her pink nipples hardened under his fingers. He needed to taste her skin; he leaned forward and took a hardened bud into his mouth. His hand worked the soft curves of her other breast.

Casey sighed as his mouth and hands made love to her. She eased onto her back, his mouth never left her body. Each tug he made on her nipples caused ripples of pleasure between her legs. She lifted her hips when he pulled on the blue pajama bottoms she wore.

When she was naked beside him, Daniel slid down on the bed, craving the taste of her warm, sweet body. As always, he watched her eyes as his mouth made love to her. She smiled at him, then slowly let her eyes drift shut as she savored each sensation he gave her. His touch had her burning, each gentle lap bringing her closer to her climax. "My turn, need to taste you," she whispered.

Daniel pulled his pants from his body, then straddled her shoulders, easing his throbbing flesh into her mouth. He felt her hands come up and caress his hips. Her tongue teased, caressed, massaged him. So good. It feels so good, he thought, moving his hips gently. It didn’t take her long to have him on the edge, and he wanted, needed to be inside her. He carefully moved his body down, felt her legs wrap around him and pull him close. He closed his eyes and sighed as he slid into her warm well. It felt like it had been forever since he had held her, felt her, tasted her, moved inside her. He rested his forehead against hers. "Love you, Angel," he whispered.

"Love you, too, My Heart," she whispered in reply. "I need it, love. Now, please?"

Her wish was his command. He began to move, deeper and harder with each thrust he made. Her hips met his, beat for beat. Soon she was panting, and the whimper that he so adored began to fill her throat. "That’s it babe. Give it to me. Come for me, Casey," he whispered. He planted tiny kisses on her cheeks, her eyelids. He felt her body tremble, her moan of completion filled his ears.

Casey ran her hands up and down his back, from his shoulders to his ass, fingertips barely touching him. "Fill me, Daniel. Fill me with your love. Throb inside me," she whispered, her body clutching and squeezing him.

Damn, how does she do that? he wondered for the millionth time as her body closed around him like a fist, her muscles working around him. He moved faster now, his breath coming harder. He felt the tightening in his groin, knew he was about to come. "Here, babe. Take my love," he whispered. His body shuddered as he released his load into her warm, accepting body. He put an arm under her hips and rolled them over. Lay with her on his chest, his arms holding her close.

Casey sighed contentedly, her hands moving slowly up and down his sides. "Missed you."

"Missed you, too."

"Love you."

"Love you, too."

She sighed again, gave a little shiver of contentment, and drifted to sleep, safe in the arms of the man she loved.

Daniel felt her body relax, her breathing become slow and steady. He smiled, used his foot to kick the blanket at the foot of the bed close enough to grab. He managed to get it unfolded, and covered them. Holding her close, he followed her into the arms of Morpheus.

A  A  A  A  A  A

They were waiting in the 'gate room. Duncan had sent word that he was coming to join them on their search for Methos. Casey smiled as he walked down the ramp, Tessa’s hand held tightly in his own. She was relieved that he had managed to find and rekindle the passion that he'd once had for the lovely French woman.

"Duncan, long time no see," she said, leaning up to kiss him on the cheek. Tessa hugged her tightly.

"We’re so glad you’re back safely," Tessa said.

"Aye, that we are," Duncan said, kissing her forehead. "Any word on the Old Man?"

Casey shook her head. "He’s out there somewhere. I don’t understand why Oma didn’t just whisk us away to the same place."

"Nobody knows why Oma does what she does," Daniel said. "I’m just glad she’s been willing to help us. I don’t know how much longer I could have held it together if we hadn’t found Casey when we did."

Duncan put a hand on the blonde man’s shoulder. "You’d have held together as long as it took, my friend. Don’t underestimate your strength, or the strength of your love for this little siren," he said, a smile on his face.

Both of the Jacksons smiled back at him.

The two couples walked companionably through the corridors to the conference room. They were soon joined by Jack, Sam, Teal'c, and Jacob Carter.

Jacob was the first to speak. "Casey was found on a planet not too far from where Osiris’ ship was last seen. So we’ve been scanning all the other nearby planets. It would seem logical that if Oma sent Casey to one nearby, she would do the same for Methos."

Daniel shook his head. "Logical by our standards. Oma operates on an entirely different plane."

"True," Jacob replied. "But we’re searching anyway. So far, however, we haven’t had any luck."

"Something about this whole thing bothers me," Casey said slowly, staring at her hands. She looked up, found everybody looking at her, waiting for her to continue. "I’m beginning to think that she’s been with me since…well, since I was on that planet with Gargantua. I mean, it sure is a damned big coincidence that you guys were coming through the gate at the exact same time I was making my escape. Then, she came to me right after Daniel died, the first time. Told me that the 'time wasn’t yet right' to see him again. Before Duncan and I could complete the Ceremony of Fire, she brings him back to me, brings all of you back to me. Sends us…brought us back in time…for whatever reason. Then she helped us when Framone was after me the first time. She was there to make sure that Daniel and I completed the Ceremony of Fire. Now she’s helped us again. She gave Daniel the address for the planet she put me on. That’s an awful lot of ‘help’ from a Being who's only supposed to observe." She looked around, saw matching frowns on every face. "What I’m saying is, she’s up to something. Bad or good, I don’t know. But she seems damned determined to keep Daniel and I together, and I’m grateful for it, thrilled about it actually; but something just keeps…nagging …at my brain, even if I do owe her my undying gratitude."

"You’re feeling a bit manipulated," Selmak said.

"Hi, Selmak," Casey said, smiling brightly at Jacob. "Yes, I am. She talked about our love, the power it had…has, and how our hearts are all entwined, and how we’re to keep fighting against the evil that’s out there. Something about that fighting part just keeps bugging me."

"Case, I don’t have any answers for you," Jack said, after a lengthy silence in the room. "It does seem that she has an agenda. It also seems that you and Daniel are like a special project to her. She was Daniel’s mentor and friend when he was Ascended. Maybe that has something to do with all of this. Whatever her…plans…are, I guess only time will tell."

"I don’t understand why she won’t let us know where Methos is," Sam said. "She told Daniel exactly where to find Casey."

"It is as if she is trying to make up to Casey and Daniel for something," Tessa said softly.

"Or at least Casey," Selmak said. It didn’t escape any of the others that Selmak had developed a deep fondness for the charismatic young woman.

"Look, Framone was the head of the Immortal Council," Daniel said. "Oma was once a part of that council. Maybe she feels guilty for not stopping him sooner. If she had, Casey wouldn’t have gone through what she did. Duncan either," he said, acknowledging the dark haired man with a nod.

"But why me? What makes me any more special than any of the other billions of people in the galaxy who could use her helping hand?" Casey asked.

"We could debate this forever, campers. Right now, we need to work out a plan to find a missing Immortal," Jack said quietly. "Case, is there anything - anything at all - that you can remember that isn’t in your report?" he asked, nodding at the folder in front of him. Everyone at the table had a folder with the reports concerning the events of the past twelve days.

She shook her head. "I’ve wracked my brain. We already looked at PX3-695, just on a hunch, and he wasn’t there. I can’t think of anything else. I wish I could."

"I don’t see that there’s much we can do, except keep looking like we are," Jacob said.

There were sighs around the room. There were also no other options. It was decided that teams would start going to any planets that had Stargates within the vicinity of where Casey had been located, and Jacob and the Tok’ra would begin a search further out. There were a lot of places where Methos could be. It was just a matter of time before they found him. How much time was the question. With orders given, Jack dismissed everyone, and the group dispersed.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Daniel sat quietly in their quarters, watching Casey as she worried a piece of string on the table. "Babe, can I ask you a question?"

She looked up at him. "Of course, My Heart. Anything."

"Do you feel that you were…manipulated…into loving me?"

"No! Never! Daniel, the first time I looked into your eyes, I felt safe. The first time you smiled, my heart skipped a beat. I fell in love with you the moment you smiled at me in the infirmary that very first time. Look, Oma may have manipulated circumstances so that you were there when I needed you to be. But she couldn’t have known, couldn’t have made us fall in love." Her green eyes widened, her fear flashing in them. "Unless you’re feeling manipulated into loving me?"

He pulled her from her chair into his lap, locked his arms around her. "Never. I’m not sure exactly when you stole my heart. I think it was the instant you fell into my arms under that bush. I just wanted to make sure you weren’t feeling that my love had been forced on you."

Casey wrapped her arms around his neck. "I think that Oma can manipulate events. I don’t think she can do the same with hearts. We were meant to be, Daniel. We would have found each other somehow, some way."

He kissed her. "Absolutely. Soul mates, from the beginning of time, until the end of time," he said softly.

She shivered, and snuggled into his embrace. "Soul mates for all of eternity," she whispered. She lifted her face, demanded his kiss. He acquiesced, and they comforted one another, reassured one another, with their mouths and tongues.

Loud rapping on the door brought them back to reality, and to their feet.

"Time to get suited up, campers," Jack’s voice called through the door. "Let’s go."

Casey grinned. "Can I give just one loud moan? Just to see the look on his face when we open the door?"

Daniel chuckled. "Don’t you dare. He’s still trying to find out about our fantasy night."

She giggled. "What have you told him so far?"

"Not a damned thing."

"Cruel, Doctor Jackson. You’re just cruel," Casey said, her eyes dancing. "You and I both know when he looked into our bedroom that morning what he saw. That chain has got to be driving him crazy. Throw the man a bone for crying out loud, before he has an aneurysm trying to figure it out."

Daniel laughed out loud. "I’ll think about it."

"Hey, tell him about what you do for me, maybe he’ll get the idea, do it for Sam, and then he’ll have his own fantasy night." She suggested. "If he knows how to apologize well, I’m sure Sam would be willing to…indulge him."

"I’ll think about that, too," he said, grinning.

They joined the others in the armory, their packs already prepared and waiting at their feet. Side arms, P90’s, hand grenades, zats, and a few claymores were issued to each of them. Duncan was carrying his sword, and had convinced Casey to bring hers as well. They were going into the unknown, and with Framone unaccounted for and ship-less, they weren’t taking any chances. He and his minions could be on any of the nearby planets as well. Daniel was secretly hoping that they would run into the Immortal Goa’uld. He planned to kill him once and for all.

Duncan and Tessa were joining SG-1 on this mission, two other Immortals, Kyle and Becca, were joining SG-6. The gate opened with its customary show of power and sound, and SG-1 headed up the ramp.

"Good hunting," Casey called to Major Parker and the rest of 6, just before she followed Daniel through the gate.

"You too, Casey," Parker replied.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Casey looked around. Tall grass, slight breeze, no trees in sight. She sighed. Could be worse, she thought. She glanced at Tessa, saw the nervousness on the woman’s face. This was the first mission she'd ever been on, and the only reason that she was along was that Duncan refused to leave her behind; he feared that Framone would take Tessa just to torture him if the chance arose. It had taken him too long to find his way back to his Beloved, he wouldn’t risk losing her now.

Teal'c took point, and they began to move off through the tall grass.

"Hey, Methos!" Casey called out. She grinned when the others turned and looked at her. "Can’t hurt, can it?"

Sam had grinned at her. "Well, we are looking for him."

"What if we split up, go in different directions," Daniel suggested.

Sam nodded. "Sounds good. Duncan, you and Tessa go to the right, Daniel, you and Casey take the left, T and I will keep going ahead. Keep in radio contact, people. Check in every fifteen. Move out."

After two hours, Sam called the team back together at the 'gate. They would camp there for the night, then go search in the opposite direction the next day. None of them believed that Methos would wander far from a gate. He knew the address for Earth, and if he could figure out a way to send a signal, he would.

They didn’t have a fire, but they each carried a small Sterno bottle for cooking with, and small battery operated lanterns. Tents had been erected, and now the group sat talking and laughing, taking what relaxation they could get.

Daniel was sitting on the bottom step of the steps leading up to the 'gate, Casey sat just below him, leaning back against him, absently running her hands up and down his legs. He had his arms wrapped around her shoulders, and his chin rested on the top of her head.

"You two look cozy," Tessa teased, from her place beside Duncan.

"No complaints here," Daniel replied. "I figure if I keep my hands on her, she won’t disappear on me."

Everyone gave a quiet chuckle.

"Casey, I’ve been giving some thought to what you said during the briefing," Sam said quietly.

"And?"

"Well, Daniel, didn’t you say that Oma is…was…one of the first Immortals, and she was on the Council of Immortals?"

"Yeah, she was," Daniel replied

"What if, before she was Ascended, or even after, I guess, she realized what Framone was up to? What if Daniel is right, and she’s trying to make up to you for allowing all of this to happen?"

Casey sighed. "I still have to ask, why me? What makes me so special?"

"You want the long list or the short one?" Daniel asked, a smile on his face. He kissed the tip of her nose when she looked up at him. The others smiled indulgently.

Duncan stretched his long legs in front of him, pulled Tessa against his chest. "I’m thinking there’s a connection. We already know from the list on the tablets that both the First and the Second races of Immortals have the same gene donors. What if, and this is just pure speculation, but what if Oma has the same Ancient…parents…that Casey does? That would certainly explain her special interest."

"Now that is a mind blowing thought," Casey said. "I still say there’s an agenda at work here. I just keep thinking about what she said when she brought Daniel back to me, the thing about the power of our love. It just-" she broke off, looking down at the ground.

"Just what, babe?" Daniel asked, encouraging her to continue.

"Well, we’ve seen so many strange, weird and wacky things…what if it’s true? What if our greatest hope, what keeps us alive, makes us human, is our love?"

"Wow," said Sam. "That’s pretty intense."

"I mean," Casey said, "we have our curiosity, our tenacity, our undying spirit, our will to survive, but…greater than all of those things is our love for one another. If you think about it, I mean."

"I believe, Casey Jackson, that your theories may indeed be correct," Teal'c said quietly. "Jaffa love deeply. We are aware that the Tok'ra love deeply.  But never had I witnessed such...intense love as I have since meeting and living among the Tau'ri."

Casey giggled. "Okay, here’s one to pickle your brain…what if love comes from the Ancients. What if it’s a gift that they gave humankind on Earth?"

Duncan groaned. "I don’t remember signing up for philosophy 201!" His comment was met with good-natured laughter.

Casey sighed. "I just wish there had been a way to know which of those listed donors belonged to which of us. It would be nice to at least know the names of our parents."

Duncan sighed also. "Aye. That it would."

Sam stood up, rubbed her hands on her thighs. "I think we should turn in. I’ll take first watch."

Casey snuggled against Daniel, their sleeping bags zipped together and offering them the chance to hold one another. His arms pulled her tighter against him, and with a contented sigh, she drifted to sleep.

It was a large room, filled with bright white light and beautiful colors. A man and a woman stood in the center of the room. The man had dancing blue eyes, his light blonde hair cut closely to his head. His arm was around the shoulders of a slender woman with honey-blonde hair, her deep green eyes full of happiness and love. They were smiling at her, reaching their hands out to her. She took a step closer, knowing somehow that they were important. Before she could reach them, talk to them, the light began to fade, and she was alone in the darkness. Another light began to glow softly beside her. She saw Oma…saw her smile, and nod. Then she, too, was gone, and Casey was left alone on the steps in front of a Stargate…that stood in the middle of a field of tall grass…

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