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Daniel had refused to let Casey cook dinner, instead he took her and the kids to Tyrone's Burger Barn. A stop at the park on the way home for her and Emily to play on the swings brought the laughter and light back into her eyes.

Snuggle time lasted longer than normal, Daniel read two stories, and Casey sang three Sesame Street songs with Emily, and asked her what numbers and letters she had learned while her parents had been away, all the while cuddling Nicholas.

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Both of her babies were sleeping soundly. She grabbed Daniel's jacket, put it around her shoulders, and stepped out onto the deck. The sky was full of stars, so bright that she felt as if she could reach out her hand and scoop them up with her fingers.

Daniel turned off the bathroom light. Smiled when he came into the main room and saw the French door open. He walked up behind her, put his hand on her shoulder.

She jumped, her heart pounding against her ribs. She closed her eyes and willed herself to calm down. Gwenyth had warned her that she would be skittish for a day or two.

"I'm so sorry, babe," he whispered. When he tried to pull his hand away, she grabbed it, held her hand over his.

"Gwenyth says a few days and I'll be right as rain. She said I wasn't…there…long enough to suffer any…permanent…side effects. She said I probably suffered worse on PY3-279. I might have nightmares, but she said that you should be able to help me with those," Casey said softly.

He put his arms around her, pulled her close, her back warm against his chest, pressed his face against her hair. "Whatever you need, Angel. I'll be there for you."

"I knew the minute I saw Tiesha that she was the reason I had to go through that. I…this might sound a little bit…conceited, but I think that by being in his custody, it kept him distracted enough for you and the others to knock his fleet out. Had he been on his flagship, there might have been more of a fight, a different end result."

"I don't think it's conceited at all. I think you're right," he said softly.

"Daniel, are you all right? Everybody is so worried about me, but what about you?"

He smiled. Typical Casey. To worry about him, his well-being, when she was the one who had been hurt…wounded. "I'm fine, Case. You're here, you're safe, that's all I need."

"I know this wasn't easy on you."

"Easier on me than it was on you."

She shook her head. "Not when you thought I was…dead," she replied. She turned in his arms. "I couldn't let him touch me, Daniel, I just couldn't. I…I know that it would have… broken…me. I…I think I would have just…snapped. I could feel that."

He was quiet for a minute, looking into green eyes that even in the dim light of the moons and stars reflected their love for him. "I understand. I think…" he paused, shook his head.

"You think?" she said, encouraging him to go on.

"I think I would rather you die than have to live like…that," he replied softly.

She didn't need him to explain what he meant. She remembered his dream as well. She nodded her understanding.

They stood looking at the stars. He pointed to the sky when a falling star caused a streak of light against the blackness of the night. They both silently made a wish…a wish that they would never be parted again.

"Daniel?"

"Hmm?"

"It's been a long week."

"Tired, babe?"

She smiled. "A little. But…I really need to hold you."

He pulled her tighter against his chest. "Oh, god, babe, I need to hold you."

"Make love to me, Daniel, please?"

He kissed her forehead, scooped her into his arms and carried her into their bedroom. He put her on her feet, took her chin in his hand, and began to kiss her. For one brief moment the grief, the loss that he had felt when he thought she was truly dead, washed over him. He pushed it away. She was alive, and in his arms. He shoved his tongue deeper into her mouth, tasting her, feeling her. He let his hand move over her throat, his fingers on the pulse that was beating so rapidly now. He took his time moving his hand to the buttons on her shirt. He unbuttoned the shirt slowly, letting his fingers move over her skin, caressing her softly, feeling her shiver against his fingertips.

His kiss was setting her on fire, even as it comforted her. She put both hands behind his head, holding him close, moving her tongue against his, as eager to taste him as he was to taste her. His fingers were trailing fire down her body, burning her skin as he slowly unbuttoned her shirt. His hands pushed it from her shoulders, made quick work of her bra, pushed it away as well. She sighed into his mouth when his strong, warm hands began to massage her breasts, gently molding them against his palms. Only Daniel's touch could arouse her, only Daniel's hands were welcome on her body, she thought, arching into his caresses.

He moved one hand down to unfasten her jeans, his fingers tugged at the zipper. He was shaking, the need to touch her almost overwhelming. He slid his fingers between her thighs, felt the heat, the moisture already waiting for him. Her hands were busy as well, unbuttoning his shirt, pushing it off of his body, resulting in the deprivation of her touch, the feel of her skin beneath his fingertips for just a few seconds. When her soft hands released his swollen, throbbing flesh, began caressing him, he moaned softly. His mouth had moved from her lips to the sweet, soft skin of her throat, his hands still caressing her body, one on her breasts, the other between her thighs.

She let her head fall back, granting him access to her throat. The fingers of one hand moved through his hair once again, the other hand stroked him gently. Her body responded to every touch, her need growing by the second. She gasped when he slid a finger inside her. He was fanning the flames that raced through her body. He lowered his head to her breasts, gently sucking and licking at her hard nipples, her body shivered from the sensations of pure pleasure that rushed through her.

"Let's get these off," he whispered, his hands pushing against her jeans. She pulled away from him, and quickly shed the rest of her clothes. He did the same. He reached for her, felt her tremble harder when his hands closed around her arms. "Are you…okay?"

She smiled, nodded, reached up and touched his cheek. "Your touch always makes everything okay," she whispered.

He pulled her close, held her tightly, his body on fire, his skin burning where she touched him. "Your touch makes everything okay for me, too, Angel." Again, that feeling of heart wrenching loss overwhelmed him, and he pressed his face against her hair. "I wanted to die, Casey. I couldn't think, or breathe, I didn't even want to…I didn't want to go on. I felt so damned alone!"

She locked her arms around his neck. "I’m here, Daniel. It's all right." She held him as the sobs came, held him while he cried out his relief. Her own tears began to fall, her own body began to shake with sobs that wracked her slender frame. She felt his arms tighten around her. "I was so scared! I…I didn't want to die, Daniel, I…I almost…I almost gave in! I didn't want him to touch me, but I was so scared!"

"Shh…it's okay, Angel. It's all over." He pulled away far enough to look down into her green eyes, gently wiped the tears from her cheeks. "We don't have to do anything, we can just… hold each other, if that's what you want."

"Would you rather…" she looked down his chest, afraid that he didn't want to make love to her. "If…if you don't want…I understand…"

He took her hand and placed it on his aching cock. "I want you, Casey. I always want you… need you. I just don't want you to feel…pressured. If you're not…ready…for this…"

"If memory serves me, wasn't I the one who asked you to make love to me?"

He smiled. "Yes, you were."

"If you want to make love to me, I want you to. I need you to," she replied, her voice soft. She reached up and brushed away the remainder of the tears from his face.

He picked her up, and carefully laid her on the bed. He stretched out beside her, watched his hand move over her satiny skin. "I love you, Casey."

"I love you, Daniel," she replied. Her fingers moved up and down his chest. "Please, love me…take me…now," she begged.

With a moan he moved over her, her legs around his waist before he was completely in position. He pushed against her body, hissed a breath of pleasure when he felt his cock slide into paradise. To know that only his touch was welcome, that his body was the only one she would accept, the only one she desired, filled his heart with such love and gratitude that he thought it would burst.

She arched beneath him, pushed her hips against his, taking him as deep into her body as she could, reveling in the feel of him. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders. Only in his arms was she safe. Only in his arms could she find such pleasure…such rapture…such joy. "I belong only to you," she whispered. "Only you."

"You're mine, Angel. No one can take you from me," he whispered in reply. His heart, his soul, soared in the heavens knowing how much she loved him. He began to move, slowly at first, until need, and the Fire, demanded ever more. Her soft whispers urged him on, her soft cry taking him closer to his own release. When she began to whisper again, he rushed to do her bidding, and took them both over the edge of need into the valley of bliss, her second cry echoing with his own. He rolled them over, continued to hold her tightly against his chest. He kissed the side of her face. "Love you, Angel."

She smiled. "Love you, Sweetheart."

"I'll be right here if you need me."

She snuggled closer. "I know. I'm here if you need me."

He smiled into the darkness. "I know. Sleep now, Angel."

She closed her eyes.

"It's okay, Casey. Let's go home now." He turned to look at Nergal. "We will kill you. You will suffer for what you've done to her."

He jerked awake, tightened his arms around her slender body. It hadn't been as…intense…as he had feared. She had settled back into restful sleep, her head on his shoulder, her hands clinging to his arms. He smiled and closed his eyes. With luck, this would be the worst of it.

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