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Ba’al’s ship was destroyed after Bra’tac offered to take aboard any Jaffa who wished to join the rebellion. He was certain that most of the warriors who were now on the Hak’tyl were lying, but he had great hope that they could be convinced to join their free brothers and sisters. Ba’al being held captive on the Phoenix…by 'mere' Tau’ri…would certainly help to convince them that the one they followed was not a god.

There were no prisoners, no slaves to rescue. SG-1 and the remaining members of SG-6 didn’t know whether to be disappointed, or relieved, that Tony Sabotti had not been on board Ba’al’s ship. The search for the young SF would continue.

Bra’tac came to the Phoenix to coordinate the battle plans. He greeted each member of SG-1 warmly, even hugging Sam and Casey, one under each arm. These Tau’ri had helped him achieve his dream of seeing Jaffa freed from their enslavement to Goa’uld. True, many Jaffa remained in slavery, but the numbers of the free were growing.

"We appreciate your help," Jack said as the team sat down around the conference table.

The older Jaffa smiled. "It is an honor to fight beside brave warriors; warriors who have helped the Jaffa reach for freedom." He turned to look at Daniel. "It is particularly an honor to fight beside The Chosen, a myth that the Goa’uld have scoffed at for centuries. It will please me greatly to watch you destroy them."

Daniel smiled. "Right now our objective is to stop the war among the Ancients."

Casey was shaking her head slightly.

"What’s wrong, Case?" Jack asked, a frown on his face.

She glanced around at the faces at the table. "I just thought that the Ancients were…beyond …the need to fight. I guess I always assumed that they had reached a higher level and were more…enlightened. It’s kind of a let down to find out they’re as screwed up as we are."

Smiles flickered around the table. "It is like finding out that your hero has feet of clay," Sam agreed. Jack cast a worried glance at her, smiled back when she smiled reassuringly at him.

It was agreed that the two ships would stay together. Aaron gave them coordinates for an area of space known to be inhabited by those he called friend, and hoped to call ally. Two of the men were old friends of his. There was the chance that these men would return with him to this plane of existence. He was sure that learning that his son was the President of Gamma would make the decision easier for Liam Seeney. He was also sure that Amanda would accompany her husband.

The meeting was brief, and Teal'c escorted Bra’tac to the transporter rings - the Jaffa Master was returning to the Hak’tyl.

Casey made an excuse to slip away, ignoring Daniel’s questioning look. She fled down the corridor, not really knowing, or caring, where she was going. She found herself on the crew quarters deck. She ran into in the women’s locker room, stood and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

Whore. Slut. Bitch. All words that described her well, she decided. Images of her night on Ba’al’s ship flooded her mind; unbidden and most certainly unwelcome. She wrapped her arms around her waist as more images danced behind her eyes, images of a man with black hair that she'd held, made love to. Okay, maybe they hadn’t actually made love…exactly. They certainly had started, before Daniel pulled Wade off of her.

What was it that she wanted? That she needed? Peace, that’s what she wanted. Absolution. Okay, but from whom? Daniel? Most definitely. Ba’al? Probably. Wade? Possibly.

She shook her blonde head, splashed icy water on her face until her teeth were chattering. She thought about the vows she'd made, standing on that beach on PY2 498. She had promised herself…heart, mind, body and soul…to Daniel, to him alone. She had broken those vows. With Duncan, on Framone’s ship, when the Immortal Goa’uld had kidnapped her. Okay, there hadn’t been a lot of choice there, Duncan was burning with the Fire, it was give or he would have taken. And for Duncan to have taken in that manner would have wounded his soul. So she chose, made the conscious decision, to give. Ba’al…she had made the choice to go on that mission, had made the choice to climb back into bed beside him. Wade…well, that was an entirely different situation. She had been acting under the influence of drugs and alcohol. But still…

She stood up, and looked again in the mirror. Her eyes were haunted, and full of pain. She could exorcise one demon, at least. She headed for the holding cells. But not before she made a stop at the armory. What she was doing might be dumb, but she wasn’t stupid.

A  A  A  A  A  A

There were three Marines standing guard in front of the cell when she entered the corridor. She hesitated. This was one discussion that she didn’t want witnesses to. She pasted a smile on her face, and approached the armed men.

"Would you guys mind waiting down there?" she asked, nodding toward the end of the corridor from which she had just approached.

"We have orders not to let this bastard out of our sight, ma’am," the Marine in charge replied.

"Hey, you’ll be looking right at me, and I’ll be looking at him. I just need to talk to him," she said, flashing her most winning smile.

"General O’Neill didn’t say that anyone would be interrogating him right now," the Marine argued.

"Well, okay, I’ll just go tell him that…" she sighed, hesitated for a few seconds before turning around.

"I guess it would be okay," the young man finally said. "You are SG-1."

"That’s right," she replied. Again she flashed her smile. "Thanks." She waited until they were leaning against the wall at the opening of the corridor before she turned to look at the prisoner inside the cell.

"I’m glad you came to me, my Beloved," Ba’al said softly. He approached the barrier, stood as close to her as the electronic force field would allow.

She shook her head. "Please don’t call me that. We both know that it was never going to happen. I was on a mission. I was only trying to gather information," she said softly.

The Goa’uld studied her, noted the pain that filled her beautiful green eyes. "If you did not…do not…have feelings for me, why are you so filled with pain over what has happened? Why have you come to me?"

Casey lowered her head, felt tears fill her eyes. "I hurt you. I never meant to. I didn’t even think it possible. I’m sorry for that," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

"To learn that I could be hurt surprises you, does it not?"

She nodded. "When I was with you, I saw a side of the Goa’uld I had never seen before. A side I didn’t know existed."

"Which proves we are not the monsters you pretend us to be," he said smugly.

Her head flew up, her eyes filled with anger. "I wouldn’t go that far. You’re in a body that doesn’t belong to you. You've done horrible, unspeakable things to innocent people. You tortured one of my best friends to death over and over again. You’re every bit the monster that I thought you to be. I've only learned that even monsters can have a…tender side."

"Do you tell me that you felt nothing when I held you in my arms?"

"The only time you actually held me in your arms was when we were standing beside the bed…and when you ra…when you held my hands over my head. Yes, I tell you that I felt nothing. You knew about the Sectonin, didn’t you?"

Ba’al didn’t miss the fact that she considered what he had done to her rape. "No, I didn’t know about the Sectonin. Holding your hands above your head made you more…vulnerable; more…pleasing."

She studied him, then nodded. "Look, for what it’s worth, I’m sorry. I never meant…I never…I’m sorry."

"Casey?"

She started, turned, saw Daniel standing at the end of the corridor. Fought down a surge of panic. "Daniel…I…uh…"

He walked toward her, his hands shoved into the pockets of his pants, his shoulders hunched forward slightly. "Why am I not surprised to find you here?"

She dropped her eyes. Felt the tears slide down her cheeks. He was hurt. Probably angry. How could she explain? She jumped slightly when his finger lifted her chin, held her head up to look at him.

"Do you feel better?" he asked softly, tenderly.

She stared at him. His eyes were full of love, warmth…understanding. "What?"

"You came here to apologize to this bastard," he explained. "Do you feel better?"

A small smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "You seem to know me better than I know myself, sometimes," she said.

Daniel smiled. "Comes from being married to you. Loving you." He raised his other hand to caress her cheek, wiped her tears away with his thumb. Smiled when she closed her eyes and pressed her face against his hand.

Ba’al watched, saw the love flare in her green eyes, the fire that burned for this Tau’ri. Watched as she leaned into his caress. Knew that at no time had she ever loved him, or even cared for him. He felt his anger return. He embraced it, welcomed it. He was much more comfortable with the anger than with the love.

"I needed to say it," she said softly.

"Did you?"

She nodded.

The young archaeologist turned to look at the Goa’uld. "You don’t deserve one second of the guilt she’s felt about what happened."

"She is but a whore," Ba’al sneered, hot rage burning in his heart now.

Casey looked at the Goa'uld, saw the tenderness in his eyes replaced by an angry flash. Was it simply because of Daniel’s presence? No, she thought, he would love to taunt Daniel with the fact that she had feelings for him. She had angered him. She wasn’t sure how, but she had. The only thing she knew for sure was that the apology wasn’t what had pissed him off.

"Not hardly," Daniel replied. He looked down at his wife. "Don’t go there, Case," he said. He already suspected that she was calling herself the same thing. He put his arm around her shoulders and led her away from the cell.

"I will escape, and when I do, I will hunt you down, h'as! You will serve my Jaffa! You are nothing but a whore, Casey!" Ba’al called, watching them walk away.

Daniel whirled, lifted his hand, and sent Ba'al flying back against the far wall of the cell. "You will never speak to My Chosen again!"

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