Wearily, the two women walked back into the temple pyramid, and into the inner chamber where the two men waited.

"Any luck so far?" Casey asked.

Daniel pointed at the device. "I think I know how it has to be adjusted. What I don't know is how much power it has...or needs."

Casey wrapped her arms around him. "Well, you've got the heat, baby."

He grinned. "As long as I have you." He pulled her close. She hadn't said anything about seeing Sha're. He carefully moved closer. Felt her gently push him away. Damn it, he was going to have to learn how to do that without her 'feeling' it. Right, his brain taunted. She's a freaking seer of the highest level, and you think you can just waltz into her mind and she's not going to know it? Get real, bucko! "Anything we need to talk about?"

She shook her head. "Nope."

When she wouldn't meet his gaze, he knew that as soon as they got home, the nightmares about this, and about Sha're, would start. And he would be right there to protect her. He would do whatever he needed to do to prove his love to her. For the moment, he satisfied himself with a kiss. Then led her to the Ancient device, pointing out the phrases that gave a clue on how to set it in order to return to their own reality.

Daniel and Casey were studying the device, while her Daniel was rifling through their packs. He pulled a canteen out and took a deep swallow.

At Annika’s approach he smiled and offered the water to her. "Forgot how dry these desert planets can be."

She took a couple of sips. "Thanks."

When she handed it back, he tugged her into his embrace. He could feel a slight uneasiness from her. Concerned, he brushed a loose strand of hair away from her face. "What’s the matter?"

Her eyes darted to the other couple, making sure they were still out of ear shot. She wasn't sure if Casey had sensed what she had, if the other Daniel had had a similar reaction. She kept her tone low, not wanting to make waves between the other two if he hadn't, but she had to know. "You saw Sha’re, didn’t you?"

Daniel gave a slow nod.

"You were happy to see her." Her voice was small and she wouldn’t meet his eyes. She had faith in their love, of the depth of Daniel’s devotion to her, yet feeling that jolt of joy when he laid eyes on Sha’re had shaken her as much as the entropic cascade failure.

"Yes, I was," he confirmed. There was a stab of jealous hurt through their bond and Daniel nudged her chin up, forcing her to look at him. "I was happy to see she was still here, that she hadn’t taken by Ra or Apophis, hadn't been infested by Amaunet. That’s all I was happy about."

"You gave up your life on Earth to be with her…"

Daniel cut her off, knowing where she was going. "My life was very different eight years ago. There wasn’t anything left on Earth for me to return to."

"But you loved her…"

"I loved the Sha’re of our reality," he gently corrected. "I grieved for her when she died. And then I met a fiery redhead and realized that while my love for Sha’re was special, it was nothing compared to my love for you." His arms tightened around her and he rested his forehead against hers. "Doesn’t matter how many of the infinite realities we visit or how many different times we travel to, I will never love another woman the way I love you."

Her doubts disintegrated as the truth of his words pulsed through her body, cocooning her from head to toe with his love. Annika closed the small gap between them, seeking the tenderness of his kiss. "Gods, I love you too."

"Get a room why don’t ya?"

Casey’s good natured quip drew them apart.

Daniel draped an arm around her shoulders as they headed back over. "Sorry, got a little side tracked."

"Understandable." His counterpart grinned, tucking his arm around his wife’s waist.

"How’s the translation going?" Annika looked expectantly at the others. The glyphs were a total mystery to her. She made a mental note that when they got back home it would be a good idea to get Daniel to teach her at least the basics of the alien languages they encountered. Right now looking at the odd squiggles that all of her companions could read with ease made her feel useless.

CDaniel answered. "We’ve narrowed it down to this section." He gestured to one portion of the wall.

"We should have it deciphered pretty soon." Daniel placed a light kiss to the top of her head.

"Well, get to it," Annika nudged her man towards the wall. "I’d like to spend tonight in our comfy bed, not on a marble floor."

"I hear that." Casey grinned.

The men turned their attention to the glyphs that held the key to getting them home. Casey looked undecided as to whether or not to help with the translation.

"Three heads are better than two." Annika motioned for the blonde to stay with the archaeologists. "I can amuse myself."

Casey gave her a nod and moved next to her Daniel.

Annika couldn’t help but smile as the couple linked hands. It was an automatic response that reminded her of Daniel and herself. If they were within range, they needed to touch, it was as simple as that. Annika took a stroll around the temple. There hadn’t really been much time to take in their surroundings. Oh, it had been assessed from a military perspective, but there was so much more to appreciate about this structure. Regardless of their dire circumstances, she found the whole experience exhilarating. To be standing in a room built by the Ancients…well, it was just awesome. She took a few deep breaths and opened herself up to the room, letting fingers brush over the glyphs, feeling the age old ambience of the walls, the care that was taken by those who inscribed the writings, the precision of erecting the pyramid brick by brick… She was drawn to the device that had brought them here…The power of the machine was a gentle caress to her mind, it had not been created for harm, only to communicate, to share and learn…A picture flashed behind her eyelids. "Ah, Daniel?"

"Hmmm?" He was concentrating on a particularly vague sentence.

"Would it help any if you knew what position the stone pillar things were in when we got sucked here?"

Three heads swung up at her question.

"You saw it?" Daniel was already striding towards her.

"In full Technicolor." She could feel his excitement.

"Show me?" Blue eyes sparkled down at her and at her nod he closed his lids.

Casey and Daniel watched with slightly bewildered expressions as Annika lifted her palm to her partner’s forehead. A second later his eyes opened, and studied the device.

"They were arranged completely different to how they are now," the man announced.

"Yes…"

"Can you show me?" CDaniel stepped forward eagerly.

"No, I don’t have a death wish." Annika tucked her hands behind her back.

"Huh?"

"Transferring her visions is what created our bond," Daniel explained with a grin, embracing his lover from behind.

"Oh." That brought the other man up short.

"Pretty sure Casey would shoot me dead if that happened," Annika nestled into the warmth of the strong body against her.

"Got that right!" Casey growled playfully, possessively taking a firm hold of her husband.

"Besides," the redhead quipped, "being bonded to two Daniel Jacksons would be too much for this girl to bear, and seeing as you’re linked to Casey, there’d be a strong possibility that the four of us would bonded together. That’s waaay too kinky for me…" Her gaze glanced above the couple’s heads and a blush crept up her cheeks. "You two are way too kinky as it is."

Casey's cheeks went crimson when she realized that Annika was 'seeing' a bit of their love life. "Well, what goes on behind our bedroom door is nobody else's business," she muttered.

"Sorry, but I can’t control what I see." Annika shifted her eyes to the floor, now that they were talking about sex, the visions increased. Shit, her and her big mouth! She really didn’t want to see anymore. Besides the fact that it was embarrassing her friend, it was too weird to see ‘Daniel’ with another woman…well, it wasn’t her Daniel, but the man was the spitting image of her archaeologist…and she’d just caught an eyeful of…the word Anaconda came to mind…Crap! Really needed a change of topic here!

CDaniel could only grin at the wide-eyed look from his double. He gave a small shrug. "She has really good ideas," he said.

"Daniel!" Casey exclaimed.

The man grinned broader. "It's true."

Her hands went to her hips. "Oh, and you've never come up with any ideas of your own? I seem to remember a certain night...and a morning, now that I think about it, and a feather and..."

When she was pissed, and 'on a tangent', there was only one way to shut her up. Daniel grabbed his wife, pulled her close, and began to kiss her. "Really want to share all of the details?" he whispered, when his lips finally left hers.

Her arms had gone around him automatically. "Not really."

"Good."

Casey gave her friend a smile. "It is. And none of your business." She was still pressed up against Daniel. Could feel his arousal. She glanced at her watch. Thirteen hours and counting. He was going to need his 'fix' soon. If his current condition was anything to go by, it was probably time for him to take an injection. "Do you have it?"

"Have what?" he asked, momentarily confused. Felt her press her hips against him. Almost groaned out loud with the need to taste her, hold her, feel himself buried in her warmth. "Yeah," he replied.

"Maybe you should use it."

He nodded. Opened the flap of the large side pocket of his BDU pants, pulled out the narrow, wooden box.

Daniel and Annika watched, curiosity written all over their faces as CDaniel withdrew a syringe and a small vial of a clear liquid. "I thought Immortality meant perfect health," he said, mistaking the 'Hathor-gene serum' for insulin, or perhaps something similar.

CDaniel gave a small smile. "It does. Doesn't do much for addictions, though."

ADaniel started. Addiction? As in drugs? He had smoked pot in college. But he had never even been tempted by the harder drugs, or the pills that his friends took. He had never fallen into the trap of using stimulants to stay awake when he studied or was working on a project. Caffeine, from coffee, or the occasional soda, and his own excitement for learning, for working, kept him awake when he needed to be.

Casey looked at her husband's 'twin'. "It's my fault," she said softly.

"Your fault?" ADaniel asked. The frown that had creased his forehead deepened. "You addicted him to drugs?"

CDaniel snorted. "She addicted me to her," he replied. He carefully filled the syringe.

"Huh?" Annika said. That statement made absolutely no sense whatsoever!

"Remember Hathor?" CDaniel asked softly.

ADaniel shuddered. "Only too well," he replied.

"Remember her ability to...bewitch men?"

"Yeah."

CDaniel took a deep breath. "The...drug...that she used was one she created to mimic the hormones some women produce naturally. Casey is a natural...um...carrier, of what we call the Hathor-gene."

"I don't get it," Annika said, looking from one face to the other.

"She raped him," Casey added, her green eyes flashing at the thought of that woman touching her Daniel, forcing him to do what he didn't want to do. Oh, at the moment he was probably willing. Until the damned drug she used on him diminished enough for his own free will, his own mind, to recognize what was happening...had happened to him.

"She did what?" Annika's voice rose in pitch. She twisted to look up at Daniel. "That was not in the mission report that I read."

"I…um...kind of skimmed over that."

Both Daniel's were blushing brightly, neither at all pleased to be reminded of those humiliating hours as Hathor's 'Beloved'.

"Where is she? I'll kill her!" the redhead declared.

"Already taken care of, My Angel," ADaniel said softly.

"She's not dead until I say she's dead!" Annika growled.

He couldn't stop the smile that lit his face, or the flutter of his heart at the possessive anger that filled his lover. "So what is that?" he asked, nodding at the vial in CDaniel's hand.

"It's a serum our doctor concocted. Mimics the effects of Casey's...um...what she...uh...It keeps me from going into withdrawal," CDaniel explained.

"Withdrawal?" ADaniel asked, his eyes going wide. He looked at Casey, noted the deep flush on her cheeks, the fact that she wouldn't meet anyone's eyes.

This totally embarrasses her, Annika thought sympathetically. And it bothers her. "Well, you know he'll never go far," she said, keeping her voice light.

"I suppose," Casey murmured. She wrapped her arms around her narrow waist, turned her back on her companions and made her way to the section of text that awaited translation.

CDaniel cleared his throat. He sent his love to her, waited, counting the seconds before he felt it returned. He frowned slightly. What he felt was nothing like she usually sent. 'Case?'

'I really don't want to talk right now.'

He closed his eyes. Goddamn it! How many times would he have to tell her that he reveled in this addiction? That it made him absolutely giddy with delight that he, and he alone, was the recipient of her love; that only he partook of that sweet nectar. 'I love you, Case. I love that you belong to me. And that I belong to you. I like being addicted to you.'

'Gets damned inconvenient.'

'Yeah, sometimes. I'd rather have the real thing. We could hide behind the altar, but that sweet song you always sing to me would echo pretty loudly in here.' He grinned when she giggled.

'And you call me a smartass!'

CDaniel injected the serum. Felt the rush, although it would never, could never compare to getting his 'fix' straight from that sweet honey pot. "Guess we'd better get busy."

Annika gave a glance toward the blonde, who still stood with her back to the room, and to them. "Sure."

ADaniel felt Annika's concern for the other woman, and an understanding. Inwardly he winced, knowing where that understanding came from. Even though he took great delight in their bond, there were times, like when the entropic cascade failure hit, that he felt guilty about what the repercussions of it were. Knew that his guilt was nothing compared to what Annika endured for creating the bond. She'd never mentioned it, had in fact done her best to hide it. Ironically their bond had foiled her attempts. He sent a tender caress to her, which was immediately returned, then hurried to his pack and took out his journal. "I'll show you what Annika saw," he said quietly, carefully drawing a diagram of the device, and the placement of the keys. The next thirty minutes were spent arranging the 'keys' exactly as Annika had seen them.

"Hmm?"

"Um...I know how you feel. Sort of, I mean," the young woman said softly.

She couldn't stop the derisive laugh that bubbled up. "I doubt it. He's addicted to me, Annika. As in get sick, go-through-withdrawal-gets-the-shakes-for-his-jones addicted to me. We can't go for longer than twenty-four hours without him...partaking...or the symptoms start. Shakes, sweats, nausea...no, you have no clue how damned guilty I feel!"

"Daniel is bonded to me...and that's my fault," Annika replied. "He can never leave me...well, I suppose he could, but god it would be awful. If I stub my toe at home, Daniel feels it eighteen thousand light years off-world. Our bond was never intended to be as it is...I explained it to Daniel before I...um...did it, akin to the bond twins share. At the time I honestly thought that was all it would be. It was only after the fact that we discovered it was an actual physical life bond. Even though my brain logically knows that the...er...intensity wasn't intentional, wasn't something I could foresee or control, I feel like I tricked him into it. Neither of us were prepared for the reality. He'll always feel every little thing that I feel, good or bad, experience what I experience, good or bad. And vice versa. If one of us dies, the other dies."

Casey looked over at her companion. "If anything happens to Daniel..." she shook her head. "It might not happen immediately, but I'll die right along with him."

The blonde grinned. "About the feather?"

Annika blushed, then smiled. "Well, yeah, that too. But I was wondering...when I met your children, who are adorable by the way, I picked up on the fact that they were still...upset...about your...death. I don't get it, I thought you were Immortal? But what I sensed was very...permanent."

She couldn't help but shiver. "Your Daniel can explain who the Oannes are. We had gone to their underwater city to help them. So we thought. It was an elaborate ruse to get us for...whatever it was they did...experiments or something, I guess. Sam, Jack and Daniel managed to get away. Teal'c and I were trapped in a room, and it...imploded on us. Trapped us beneath most of the city and a mile of ocean."

Annika gasped. "Oh, god!"

"Yeah. Teal'c and I have no idea how long we were really dead, before our Quickening brought us back. But we were...gone...for six weeks." She shook her head. "Daniel couldn't eat, or sleep, he had to drink Southern Comfort every night just so he could get a few hours of rest. Emily stopped talking, she wasn't eating. Nicholas, that poor baby, he only knew that Mommy was gone."

"Damn, I'm...I'm sorry. Obviously you made it back," Annika said.

"Yeah. With freaking transmitters in our brains. And Daniel, as The Chosen, had to dig them out."

She glanced at the man who stood beside the love of her life. "Daniel took things out of your brains?"

"Well, they were technically up our noses." Casey managed to smile. "It was over a year ago, and all of us are still suffering the...after affects."

"Oh."

"Now, want to know about that feather?"

Annika grinned. "Yeah, I do." Finding new ways to drive Daniel out of his mind was a favorite pastime of hers.

"Okay, do you know how to give a full body massage?"

The young redhead nodded.

"What you want to do is..." Casey spent fifteen minutes describing just exactly how Annika could drive her lover out of his mind, and have the most incredible night...or day...of lovemaking imaginable.

A    A    A    A    A    A

ADaniel absently rubbed his solar plexus, feeling a mix of intense concentration and growing desire to do what the blonde was recounting. "A feather?" He was curious to know what he was in for. There was no doubt in his mind that Annika would add her own twist, but with a head's up the anticipation of what was to come, (no pun intended,) would add to the thrill, for both of them.

He couldn't help but shiver. "Oh yeah. She actually passed out from her orgasm."

That had his attention! Would he pass out as well if he gave Annika so much pleasure that it rendered her unconscious? "So, uh...what about this feather?"

"Well, it all started when Casey tied me down to the bed one night. And then proceeded to damn near kill me. I couldn't let my Little Slave..."

"Whoa, 'little slave'?"

"That started the night she wore this hot little white satin bustier, it didn't cover much but her waist, and she had this collar on, and a chain..."

ADaniel's eyes couldn't have gone much wider. "Chain?" he croaked.

"Yep. It was connected to that little lace collar, and she put the other end in my hand, got down on her knees and gave her will totally over to me. Whatever I wanted."

"Holy shit!"

"You have no idea! To this day I have flashes of that night and pop the mother of all hard-ons!" Which he was dangerously close to having at the moment.

"You guys are kinky!" ADaniel muttered.

CDaniel grinned. "Don't knock it until you've tried it! You've done the ménage a trois."

Memories of that night flooded his mind, made him shiver, and fight to control his body. "True."

"It wasn't something we sat down and decided to do. It wasn't like we had this discussion and said, hey, let's get kinky. It just...evolved...over time, as we became more comfortable with one another, more willing to try new things to please each other. Hell, half of the time it feels like a contest, who can do what to whom...just how much pleasure can we give one another," CDaniel said softly.

"So, uh...what about this feather?" He wasn’t sure about the whole slave thing, but if Annika’s reaction pulsing through their bond was anything to go by, the feather experience was certainly up their alley.

With a grin, Daniel began to explain to his counterpart just exactly what he would need, and how to make Annika scream with pleasure.

"She really screamed?" Daniel was taking extensive mental notes. Hearing His Angel's husky voice screaming out his name was music to his ears. He was always eager to find new ways of making her soar over that precipice.

"Oh, yeah. About the same time she damned near bucked me off of the bed!" CDaniel replied.

"I have it," Casey announced. There hadn't been much of the text left to translate, and what there had been was relatively simple.

The two men turned to look at her. "And?" CDaniel asked.

"You can travel time with this thing. But it was meant primarily to reach other realities."

CDaniel frowned. "There must be text we're missing," he murmured.

ADaniel nodded. "The part that explains why they felt compelled to build this device."

Casey rolled her eyes. "I personally couldn't care less why they built it. I just want to know if we can use the damned thing to get home!"

"As near as I can tell, this setting should send...uh...Daniel...and Annika back to their reality, and time," CDaniel replied. "Two keys seem to determine the reality, and the time."

She pulled her lip between her teeth. "That's all well and good for them. What about us?"

He frowned. "Do you think you could...look...and see if you can get an idea of where the 'keys' were when we came through? We were still conscious when we came through the 'gate. We were knocked out when we hit the floor."

"And one of us might have seen it," Casey smiled. "I'll try." She closed her eyes. Tried to block out all sounds, the low 'hum' that the device made...no...wait! She should use it! She concentrated on the soft sound. Moved back through her memories of the day...back to the moment they stepped through the 'gate...the dizzying, freezing trip through the wormhole, the...jolt...she had felt just before she was propelled into the room. There! She concentrated. She could see all but two of the 'keys'. She felt him waiting, gently guided him to the images.

"Got it," he said softly. "Check my memory, Angel."

With a nod she moved toward him slowly, tenderly caressing him as she searched, taking care that she disturbed none of his more private thoughts, those were his, and his alone. There...walking up the ramp...he was just behind her...she could feel her cheeks flush as she 'saw' his feelings as he watched her ass as she walked. Again the trip through the wormhole, much different for him than it was for her...there it was! "Look, Daniel," she whispered.

Annika was standing behind her Daniel, her arms around his waist, her cheek on his shoulder as they watched the couple searching their minds for the information they needed in order to return to their own home.

"Isn't it something that his wife is as gifted as mine?" he asked softly.

"Actually, I was just standing here thinking that she has an amazing gift. And the two of them have this...power. I can't describe it. But I can feel it. It's...hot. When I concentrate on it, I see flames. Red and orange and blue flames that seem to burn so high," Annika said, her voice low.

Casey moved away, took the time to caress him before she left him completely. Felt his loving caress in return. She reached up and cupped his cheek. Smiled when he opened his eyes and looked down at her. "Did you see it?"

"I saw it, Angel."

ADaniel smiled. "I guess this means we're all going home."

"I like the sound of that," Annika said enthusiastically.

Casey glanced around. "Um...correct me if I'm wrong...but there isn't a DHD here, is there?"

Her companions looked around, then back at the device. "I guess this is it," CDaniel said. "It's possible that this 'gate was used only for travel between realities."

"Then there could be another 'gate, somewhere else on the planet, that has a DHD, and is used for interplanetary travel," ADaniel mused.

"I would think so. This temple is in the middle of nowhere. I'll guess that the Ancients didn't want just anyone to know about it, or have access to it."

"Guess they didn't plan on freakin' Goa'uld playing with it," Annika grumped.

"So, if the 'keys' are all in the right position, why isn't the 'gate open?" ADaniel asked.

She cocked her blonde head sideways. "Time for the heat, baby," she smiled.

CDaniel nodded. Glanced at the other couple. "You might want to stand back a bit," he said quietly. "Send me your Fire, Angel."

She stepped up behind him, put her hands on his waist. "Gently, Stud Muffin. Turn it on, don't blow it up."

He couldn't help but chuckle. "Got it."

Wide-eyed, Annika and her Daniel watched as Daniel lifted his hand, and a steady stream of blue light moved from his fingertips into the stone of the device. Just as it had when the Goa'uld had fired her zat, the stone absorbed the power.

"Stop, Daniel," Casey said suddenly.

He dropped his hand instantly. Watched as the emblems and glyphs began to glow. Suddenly, the Stargate spun to life. One by one nine chevrons locked into place. He looked at the couple beside him. "Time to go home, Daniel," he said. He offered his hand to the man who was his counterpart...himself in another reality.

"Looks like." Daniel shook his twin's hand. "It's been...interesting."

"That it has," CDaniel agreed.

Casey and Annika hugged, the sparks that flew off of them adding their own light to the room. "Be careful out there," Casey admonished softly. "And don't ever lose that 'never say die' spirit."

"I won't," Annika smiled. "You be careful too. And don't let the darkness control you. You are its master, not the other way around."

"I'll remember," Casey smiled.

Casey and Daniel stood arm in arm as they watched Annika and her Daniel gather their packs. "Good luck," Daniel said.

"You, too," ADaniel replied. He took Annika's hand, led her up the steps and into the shimmering circle of the Stargate.