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Saturday dawned sunny and warm and beautiful. Casey opened her eyes, the soft breeze that wafted through the open French door brushing over her with its balmy touch. She tried to move. Smiled when she felt him wrapped around her. His face was pressed against her shoulder, she could feel the warmth of his breath against her skin. One arm was beneath his head, thrown up over her pillow. The other was around her waist, holding her tightly against his body; that strong, broad chest warming her back. His hips were pushed against hers, and one long leg was tossed over the top of hers. He was also laying on most of her hair. She had awakened like this before over the years. Every morning now since she had returned from PY2 498. It made her feel safe…loved… cherished.

"Daniel?" she whispered softly. No response. "Daniel?" just a bit louder.

"Mmpff…" He moved towards awareness. He was cuddled against her. She filled his senses. Sweet. Warm. Soft. There was nowhere in the universe better than where he was right this second.

"Sweetheart, I can't move."

"That's okay," he replied, his voice muffled. "Don't want you to move."

Her smile became a grin. She snuggled closer to him, pushed her hips back, wiggled them slightly. Felt his body's instant response. They had made love every morning since her return. Why should this morning be any different?

His hand moved from her slender waist to her breast, his fingers massaging the soft, firm orb. "Now you get to take care of it," he told her, pressing that hardening flesh against her hip.

She could feel his grin against her skin. "I can't do anything. I can't move. You're on my hair."

"Does it hurt?"

"No…"

"Then don't worry about it."

Casey bit back her giggle. His hand left her breast...moved slowly down her belly, his fingers toying with her navel ring...finally coming to rest at that special place between her thighs. She couldn't hold back the gasp when his probing fingers found and began caressing that swelling nub at the top of her folds. She slid one leg slightly to the side to offer him greater access to her body. She was wet and ready and now he knew it.

It had been so long - six, long, achingly lonely weeks. He needed to touch her, hold her, keep her close. Just to reassure himself that it wasn't just a dream. That she was really home…safe and in his arms. That simple touch most often led to this very thing. Making love. God, how he had missed loving her! Now that she was home, he felt as if he would never be able to satisfy his need… his craving…for her! His fingers tenderly opened that sweet well, and he gently slid his aching shaft into her. So good…she always felt so damned good! "Love you, Angel," he whispered, as his hips began to rock back and forth slowly, pushing deep and hard with each thrust.

"Love you, My Heart," she whispered in reply. She was moving her hips back to meet his. She gave a soft moan when his fingers began to caress her in rhythm with his thrusts. His mouth was trailing kisses over her shoulder, sending fingers of fire and pleasure through her body straight to that warm, aching center of need. "Love you, love you, love you," she whispered.

His soul sang out at her words, his body on Fire, his heart so full of love that he feared it would burst. He continued to kiss and lick and nibble that soft, slender shoulder. Her movements were increasing his desire, his need, his pleasure. The taste of her skin, the slick feel of her beneath his fingertips as he stroked that swollen nub, the sound of her labored breathing and the soft, tiny moans that escaped her throat as he loved her, served to send him spinning ever higher.

She shivered slightly as his thrusts became faster, his need building as he stoked the Fire in her body to a raging inferno. Her body was in control as her hips pushed back against him, desperate to feel him move deeper, harder. He pulled his arm down from her pillow, she lifted up slightly so that he could get his hand beneath her hip. It was only a matter of minutes before that whimper filled her throat. It turned to a soft moan when his hand moved from between her legs to her other hip and he began to pound into her. She was twirling amid colors of red and blue and green, the Fire in her body quenched as she flew among the stars.

When that dulcet song of love filled her throat, his body responded. He was already so very close to the edge. The flames overtook him, his body seeking that sweet release that would send him spiraling into the stars to dance beside her. He whispered her name when he flew above the clouds, reached for her…joined her…

"Mommy! Door locked!" Emily's voice called plaintively. The door handle rattled as the four-year-old continued to shake it, apparently still trying to open it.

"I know, Baby," Casey replied, her breathing not completely under control. Daniel was trying to catch his breath as well, their bodies still throbbing together as they came down from the heights of ecstasy, still trembling against one another.

"Why?"

"Because Mommy and Daddy need privacy," Daniel called over his shoulder.

"Why?"

Casey giggled. "We'll be out in just a few minutes, Emmie. Is Nicholas awake?"

"Don't know."

"I'll be right out. Go see if your brother is awake," Casey said. Nicholas was sleeping in a toddler bed now, but was usually content to stay there playing with his beloved dump trucks until he heard his parents stirring. Most mornings she had to wake him up. Just one more way he was like his father…and her, too. Daniel wasn't a morning person…not really. She certainly wasn't!

"'Kay, Mommy."

"Good thing we locked the door last night," she whispered. Emily had nearly walked in on them just as they had begun to make love the night before. Casey had hastily grabbed her robe while Daniel jerked the blankets up to cover his very aroused body; she had fetched the requested glass of water, taken the child to the bathroom, then tucked her little girl back into bed. She had firmly locked the door behind her before she had rejoined her husband in their bed.

Daniel kissed her shoulder, then slowly withdrew from her body. "Yep. I'm just glad you heard her get up. I'm not ready to explain making love with you to my four year old daughter."

She giggled again, climbed off of the bed and headed for the bathroom. "I'm just surprised it hasn't happened before now. You realize that there is the possibility that she has seen us at some point in the past, and we just didn't realize it."

"That's something I don't want to even contemplate," he replied, following her.

They washed up, pulled on sweats and tee shirts, Casey raiding Daniel's drawer to find one, choosing the black one that proclaimed "Chicks Dig Archaeologists", and went out to find their children watching cartoons. Daniel had programmed a remote control for the kids to use, one that allowed them to access only specific shows on certain channels. Everything else was blocked. 'Daddy's remote' stayed out of reach and off limits.

Nearly every television channel or network that was available on Earth was available on Gamma as well, although the programming ran two weeks behind, the length of time it took for the transmissions to arrive. Daniel dropped down onto the sofa to watch the Mickey Mouse Club with his daughter. Emily immediately crawled onto his lap. Nicholas had followed his mother into the kitchen, complaining about being hungry.

"What you was doing, Daddy?" Emily asked.

"Hmm?"

"When the door was locked, what you was doing?" she said.

"Sleeping." It wasn't actually a lie. Emily hadn't been specific about when.

"Mommy was crying."

Daniel felt his cheeks turn begin to burn. Apparently his daughter had heard the sweet sounds of love that Casey had made. "No, Princess, she wasn't crying."

"Then what you was doing?"

He pulled himself to his feet, carried his daughter into the kitchen. He was a linguist. Spoke nearly forty languages now. But that in no way made it easy for him to explain things to the kids. Casey had always been better at that. He was more than willing to let her explain this! "Emily has a question," he said.

Casey glanced up at him, then returned her attention to the mixing bowl in which she was stirring up waffle batter. "Okay, what?"

"Mommy, what you was doing when the door was locked?"

The bowl slid across the counter. She barely managed to pull it back before it crashed to the floor. "Um…well…"

"You was crying."

"No, Baby, I wasn't crying." Her cheeks were blazing. "It's a little difficult to explain," Casey admitted.

"Why?"

"Well, it just is."

"So what you was doing?"

Casey filled the waiting waffle iron, then turned to face her daughter. Honesty was always the best policy. She just didn't want to give the child more information than she needed, or could understand. "Daddy and I were making love," she said simply.

"Making love?"

"Mmmhmm."

"Why?"

"Because we love each other very much. And we want to show each other that love."

"How?"

"By making love," Casey replied, hoping that the answer would satisfy her sometimes too intelligent and almost always too inquisitive daughter.

"I make love too?"

Daniel nearly choked. "Not until you're thirty!"

She couldn't help it, she laughed out loud. "Making love is something special for grown-ups, like mommies and daddies," she said.

Emily frowned, absorbing this information. "Does all mommies and daddies make love?"

"I'm sure they do," Casey replied.

"Does it make you cry?"

Now Daniel was chuckling.

"No, Baby. It doesn't make me cry."

"But I heared you!" Emily insisted.

Casey shook her head. "Sometimes…well…sometimes I just…sometimes I make noise when Daddy and I make love. Because I'm happy," she tried to explain.

The chuckle became a full-throated laugh. 'Sometimes?'

'Watch it, Stud Muffin, or you'll be explaining all of this to her! You're no paragon of silence yourself, ya know!'

He was still laughing, his incredible blue eyes dancing as they watched her.

"Why?"

"Just because. Why don't you get the syrup for me?" Casey figured distraction was the best course of action at the moment.

"Chocolate syrup?" Emily asked. Daniel lowered her little feet to the floor.

"If that's what you want," was the soft reply. She turned to look at her husband. 'You realize she'll have more questions.'

'I know.'

'We'll see if we can't find a book at the library, something age specific.'

He nodded. Casey was adamant that they return to their regular 'schedule', and that meant a trip to the library and the grocery store today. It wouldn't take long at Murphy's, she had gone earlier in the week, and had spent two days cooking and filling the freezer. Tonight he would finally have his sweet Angel alone, for the first time since her return home. He had plans for tonight that no one was going to interrupt! He'd spent all day yesterday in his office thinking about it, he knew exactly what he wanted to do. She'd love it!

While Casey started a pot of coffee, Daniel filled sipper cups with milk. He ran his hand over her hip as he walked past her to put the carton of milk back into the fridge. He had missed moments like these…simple things like having breakfast together. While she had been…away, the meal had consisted of cold cereal and painful silence. Now both kids were chattering happily, Casey talking and laughing with them, getting them ready to eat. Beautiful sounds that filled his heart…his soul…with peace, and happiness.

'I missed you so much, Angel.'

'I know, My Heart.' She put the cooked waffle on a plate, filled the waffle iron again, then wrapped her arms around his waist, put her head against his shoulder. "Love you, Daniel."

His arms went around her automatically. He kissed the tip of her nose. "Love you too, Angel."

"You gonna make love now?" Emily asked, watching them. Seeing such displays of affection between her parents was normal for her. She liked how happy Mommy and Daddy's eyes were when they hugged.

Daniel grinned. "Nope."

"Why not?"

"Emily, it's not any of your business. When Mommy and I make love is nothing that you need to know about," he replied. He wondered if he had been this impertinent with his parents. He would bet the answer to that question was 'yes'.

"Why?"

"Because it's just between Mommy and me."

"Why?"

"Because making love is very private, Emmie, and you've asked enough questions about it for now," Casey replied. She grinned at the look of relief in Daniel's eyes. Having children meant never a dull moment, and a lot of uncomfortable ones as well, she was learning. And she loved every one of those moments…even the uncomfortable ones.

Hearing his daughter chatter and question again, watching Nicholas laugh and talk, listening to Casey explain chocolate syrup to Emily, he couldn't help but smile. Daniel rubbed his hand over his chest; the burning pain that had been there from the minute he had lost her, to the minute she had been returned to him, was replaced with a familiar sweet ache that he welcomed with open arms. This last time she had been taken from him had been the longest he had been deprived of Casey's presence, of her love. It had been the worst thing he had ever experienced, because he had known that there was no reprieve. He hadn't expected a miracle. He had received one anyway. Casey had told him about her 'dreams', and they were both certain that somehow the Triad had managed to intervene on their behalf. He didn't care how she and Teal'c had been freed from their cold, watery graves. He was just grateful that they had.

The entire team…family…had had a serious discussion during Daniel and Casey's anniversary party, held just three days after the return of its two lost members, and all of them agreed that when one of them sounded the warning from now on, none of them would argue until they were in a safe place from which to do so. Casey was admonished to let them know of any feelings she had, no matter how slight or insignificant they seemed. And all of them agreed that being together was the best thing in the world. Daniel was still toying with the idea of retiring. He wasn't sure that Casey would approve, and he knew that if he did, SG-1 would be on permanent downtime. For the members of SG-1, it was all for one, and one for all.

He shook himself from his reverie when he realized that Emily was talking to him. "What did you say, Princess?"

"Daddy, we get a big book today?" she repeated. "Daddy, are you still sad? Mommy's home now."

"No, Princess, I'm not still sad. Why would you ask that?"

"Your eyes looked sad," the child replied. Emily's powers of observation were well developed for her age. Perhaps a bit too well developed for her parents' comfort.

"I was just thinking about something," he told her.

"Was you thinking about when Mommy wasn't here?"

"Yeah, I guess I was," Daniel admitted. "And to answer your first question, yes, Princess, we'll get a big book today." For six weeks she hadn't been willing to sit through more than the shortest stories he could find. Now she was ready to return to the longer stories of princesses and bunny rabbits and little faery queens.

Casey watched and listened, her heart aching to know that her family had suffered so much hurt while she was gone…dead. She had spoken to Dr. Blackstone, worried about what the experience had done to Emily and Nicholas. Gwenyth had assured her that children were resilient, and that more than likely, as young as they both were, there would be no lingering problems. She sent up a prayer to the gods and goddesses that neither of her precious babies would be haunted by that time without her.

Daniel took a quick shower while she cleaned up the kitchen, then she took hers, so that they could get started on the errands for the day.

She followed him into the garage, helped get the kids into their car seats. She winced as she settled into her seat, like she did every time she got into the jeep since his abduction. She glanced over at her husband. "Daniel, do you suppose we could look at a new car today?"

He turned to face her, took her hand and raised it to his lips. He wanted, no…he needed time alone with her tonight. Looking at vehicles would take hours. On top of a trip to the library, to the grocery store, lunch out with the kids…more time than he was willing to spend…today. "Angel, I promise, we'll look. But not today. Please?"

She studied him for a moment. Saw the need in his eyes, recognized it for what it was. "All right. Not today. But soon. I don't know how much longer I can stand to ride in this jeep." Terrifying memories were as imbedded in the vehicle as the glass and blood had been. While the latter had been removed, the former still haunted her.

"We'll go online tomorrow, see what we can find, what we like, I promise," he said, kissing her fingers once again.

She nodded her agreement.

He flashed a smile at her, thrilled at the smile that lit her face in return, and started the jeep. Just a few hours, he thought, and then I'll have her all to myself!

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