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Selmak had been studying the surrounding planets, looking for a place that Osiris and Zinder could have escaped to, provided that their escape pods were not also damaged. There were two possible planets, and SG-1 was on their way to check out the first.

The Tok’ra was able to ring them down to the planet. Casey looked around. Desert. She started giggling. The men looked at her.

"I really hope we find them here, Osiris must be livid to be stuck in the middle of all of this sand!" Casey giggled. She knew that that particular Goa’uld detested deserts, a little known fact that Daniel had found in ancient writings located on a dig on one of Osiris' long forgotten planets.

Jack chuckled. "You are a very vindictive woman, Casey."

"Don’t forget it," she grinned.

"Okay, T, take point, Daniel, you have our six. Case, let us know the second you get a bad feeling," Jack said.

They started out, heading for the place that Selmak had determined would the most logical place for refugees to hide. From the scans, the area looked like it was an old ruins. Daniel was already speculating on what the ruins could be.

Casey dropped back, walked hand in hand with her husband for a few minutes. "Daniel, I’m not sure what’s happening to us."

The tone of her voice worried him, made his heart lurch uncomfortably in his chest. "Whadda'ya mean, ‘what’s happening to us’? What’s happening?"

She smiled. "Do you remember my first death?"

He put his arm around her shoulders. "Seems to me that was the day I kissed you for the first time." He smiled at the memory.

Casey smiled as well. "It was. Do you remember when I was…freaking out…about being Immortal?"

"I don’t think you actually freaked out about it."

Casey giggled. "Tell that to Methos."

Daniel chuckled when he remembered how Casey had thrown a right hook that had sent Methos into the corridor. "You’ve always been a tiger," he said, planting a kiss on her temple.

"Do you remember when I asked you what was next…first I was a Goa’uld slave, then I found out I was Immortal. So, we’re Immortal, so now what? I mean, are we going to have like, super powers or something?"

Daniel couldn’t help but laugh. Her sense of humor, and her wonderful way of looking at life had always delighted him. He pulled her closer. "Babe, I don’t know what’s going to happen."

"Oma and Lya both have told us that our love has power. I know that you certainly have power over me," she said, winking at him.

"Same as you have over me, babe," he replied. "Casey, I don’t know what’s going to happen. But I do know that I love you. That will never change. Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it. Together."

"Stay alert back there," Jack said.

Daniel squeezed her shoulder, watched her catch up to Jack’s position. Her question was one that had been nagging him as well. He didn’t know what it meant to be The Chosen. He did know that he couldn’t do it without her.

A  A  A  A  A  A

The ruins were surrounded by low dunes. They climbed carefully, staying as flat as possible. Casey raised her blonde head up and looked down onto what had once been a plaza. Osiris was there, sitting in the shade of a crumbling wall. She didn't look particularly happy.

"Jack, I have an idea," Casey whispered. "Chances are she knows that I never had a chance to make it back to the rings. She might even figure that I might have made it to an escape pod. What if we let her think I crashed here as well?"

Jack nodded. "Sounds good. Teal'c, you take the right, Daniel, left."

Casey took off her BDU shirt, used her knife to cut her tee shirt, ripped it more, then rubbed sand on it and her arms and face. She ran her hands through her hair, tugged at the ponytail, giving it a tousled look.

Damned sexy, Jack thought briefly, before shoving the thought away. 

After making sure that the safety was on, she put her handgun at her back. With a nod at her CO, she took a breath, then tumbled down the dune. She pulled herself slowly to her feet, staggered a few steps, then dropped to her knees.

What an actress, Daniel thought, grinning as he watched her from his position.

"Well, well, if it isn’t the little Immortal Tau’ri," Osiris said, rising to her feet.

"Well, now I know I’m in hell," Casey replied, breathlessly.

Osiris lifted a bottle to her lips, drank deeply.

Casey watched, licked her lips.

Jack had to duck his head, he so was near laughter. Casey was pouring it on, and Osiris was buying it.

"I’ll bet you’re thirsty, aren’t you?" Osiris said, her smile malicious.

"Not really," Casey replied truthfully.

"I will make a deal with you. I know that SG-1 will never give up looking for you. When they arrive, you will give me safe passage to my homeworld."

"Like that’s gonna happen cupcake," Casey snorted.

"In return, I will keep you alive."

Casey giggled. "News flash, here, snake-head. I’m Immortal. If I die right here, right now, all they have to do is plug me into an IV. Then I’m good as new. No deal."

Osiris strode toward the Immortal, her face twisted with rage. "I can kill you now, very permanently, Tau’ri."

"Like I’ve told you before, you can try." Casey felt her heart jump in her chest when Osiris pulled a sword from behind her. 

Daniel’s heart jumped as well, his weapon now fully trained on the Goa’uld. 

"Now you have my full attention," Casey said, eyeing the sword nervously.

"Good. I have a communication device. Repair it and contact your ship," Osiris ordered.

"Do I look like a tech to you? If Sam were here, she could fix it in a heartbeat. Me, I only use ‘em, I don’t fix ‘em."

Osiris tossed the device at her. "You will repair it, or die."

Casey sighed, picked up the device and looked at it. She didn’t have a clue what she was doing, but she managed to pry the thing apart. "So where’s your friend Zinder? I thought you and he were great buddies…best pals…good friends," she said conversationally as she pretended to work.

Osiris’ eyes glowed with rage. "He managed to escape before I did. I do not know where that traitor is." He had no fear of this woman, or of telling her too much. As soon as the device was operational, he would behead the Immortal bitch and be done with her once and for all.

"Double-crossed, huh? Sucks to be you, I guess," was the casual reply. "Look we both know that you’re going to kill me anyway, so satisfy my curiosity. Why were you working with Zinder? I hear he’s looney toons."

The Goa’uld smiled. As much as he hated this woman, he had to admire the fact that the Tau'ri was not stupid, nor was she pleading for her life as so many did. How many men would be groveling at his feet, begging for mercy? Yet this slender woman remained calm in the face of her death. "My Lord Anubis wishes to…join…with Zinder," Osiris replied at length.

Casey’s head came up. Evidently neither Osiris nor Anubis realized that a symbiote couldn't infest an Immortal. "Tell you what, I’ll make a deal with you. Let me live, and I’ll help you track Zinder down. Keeps your boss happy, keeps my head on my shoulders, makes everybody happy."

"You would serve me?" Osiris was intrigued. "What of your husband, Daniel Jackson? Or has he finally tired of you and left you for another?"

"Yeah, well, he has a much younger woman on his mind lately," Casey said softly.

Daniel bit back a chuckle. So far Casey hadn’t said anything that wasn’t true. He did have Emily on his mind a lot!

"As for the serving thing," Casey continued, "I don’t serve anybody. I might be interested in a…partnership."

Osiris was relaxed now, certain that he was in complete control. He lowered the sword, sat back down in the shade. "Partnership with an Immortal. That has an interesting appeal. Aren’t you afraid that I might try to…join…with you? You would most certainly be nothing more than my slave then, inside your own mind."

Casey shook her head. "You like the body you have too much. You like flaunting it at Daniel every time your paths cross. I think that you have feelings for him. Sarah was his lover, and her memories of him are driving you out of your freakin’ snake mind. Believe me, sister, I know exactly how good he is in bed. He can make your eyes roll back in your head with one touch."

Daniel blushed, Jack was grinning, and even Teal'c was amused.

Osiris gasped at the woman’s intuitiveness. His dreams were often haunted by the memories of Sarah Gardner and her lover, Daniel Jackson. "Deliver Daniel Jackson to me, and I will grant you this…partnership."

"Just so I’m clear on this, you want Daniel as your…uh…what do you call it?"

"He would become my consort."

"Well, you see, that’s where we would have a problem. Daniel is The Chosen. I'm His Chosen. We’re like a matched set."

Osiris was on his feet with a growl, his hand raised to attack Casey with the ribbon device. "It cannot be! The Chosen is a myth created by the Immortals."

"Tell me about this…myth," Casey said calmly, still pulling at the wires of the device.

Daniel had to bite his lip to keep from laughing out loud.

Osiris watched the woman for a minute.

"Do it and get it over with, so I can reanimate and get this damned thing fixed, or sit down and tell me about The Chosen," Casey said with exaggerated patience.

Jack was biting his hand to keep from making a sound. She was good. She was incredible!

"The Chosen will be the one who will defeat the greatest of all Goa’uld. He will do so without weapons." Osiris finally said. "One cannot defend against something one does not understand."

Daniel’s mind was spinning. How could he defeat the greatest of Goa’uld, whom he was betting would be Anubis, without weapons?

Casey thought about this for a moment. "I take it that as His Chosen, I have a part in this?"

Osiris was glaring at the Immortal now. The woman was alone, but behaved as if she were the one in complete charge. Once again he raised her hand, eager to teach this insolent bitch a lesson. He watched as the woman continued to work on the device. No...not yet. After it was repaired. He would exact punishment for such behavior after the repairs to the communication device had been completed.. "So the myth goes. It says that the two together cannot be defeated."

"Already heard that part," Casey mumbled.

"What did you say?" Osiris demanded.

"I said I almost have this finished. Is there any more to the story, or is that it?"

"That is all I know," the Goa’uld admitted.

Casey tossed the now very broken communication device into the sand. "Ever heard the saying that sometimes things just aren’t as they seem?"

Three men tensed, ready to move.

"I’m not as alone as I seem, cupcake, and I’m not as bad off as you think I am. Right, general?"

Jack, Daniel, and Teal'c were on their feet and moving toward the two women. Osiris raised his hand towards Casey, eyes glowing with anger and hatred.

"Do it, give me a reason," Daniel said softly, his voice deadly, his weapon trained on the Goa’uld.

Osiris’ eyelids fluttered. "Daniel? Please, Daniel, help me!" Sarah said, her voice full of panic.

"Unless Osiris leaves you willingly, there’s nothing I can do, Sarah," Daniel said, his eyes full of sadness and pain at her suffering.

For one second, Sarah was finally in control. She could see escape, and she would have it. "Please, Daniel, if you ever loved me, end it now! Please!"

Osiris roared, grey eyes flashed, and he lifted her hand and caught him with the ribbon device.

"No!" Casey screamed. She pulled her gun from behind her back and swept her arm up to aim in one fluid movement, flipped the safety off as she did so, and emptied the cartridge into the body. Jack was firing his P90, and Teal'c hit her with his staff weapon. She ran to where Daniel lay in the sand, gently pulled his head into her lap. "Daniel?"

"Give me a second, Angel," he groaned, his head still spinning.

Jack and Teal'c were examining the body of the dead Goa’uld. "Well, not much left of this one. I’m sorry that we couldn’t have saved Sarah," he said softly.

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, me too."

Casey looked at the dead Goa’uld. "Glad it’s finally over, at least with that one," she said, her voice shaking just a bit. Her trembling fingers were smoothing his hair, touching his face.

"You did a great job, babe," Daniel said, comfortable where he lay, not eager to move.

"Yeah, you did. We found out a few things we didn’t know, and got rid of a Goa’uld. I’d say this has been a good day," Jack grinned. He reached for his radio. "Jacob? Come get us. We’re done here."

As soon as they were safely back on the ship, before they had even left the ring port, Casey slipped to the floor to her knees, her body shaking visibly.

Daniel had her in his arms in an instant. "Babe, what’s wrong?"

"I have…never been…s-s-so…scared in my life! She had…a s-s-sword, and I wasn’t…sh-sh-sure what to…ask or…s-s-say, and I don’t feel so good," she managed to choke out.

He pulled her tightly against his chest. "Babe, you were incredible. I never had a clue you were afraid," he whispered.

Teal'c knelt beside her. "Only a fool goes into battle unafraid, Casey Jackson. A true warrior controls that fear and does what must be done. You are indeed a true warrior."

Jack was kneeling beside her, also. "Casey, Osiris was spitting mad because you were so calm and cool. That’s what helped defeat her. You did good, kid, real good."

Jacob Carter had joined them. "What’s wrong? Is she wounded?"

Jack stood to his feet. "Bad case of after battle shakes," he replied.

The other military man nodded. "Care to tell us what happened?"

"Osiris is dead," Jack said simply. "Anubis is looking for Zinder because he wants to join with him."

Selmak smiled. "Then he is unaware that he will be killed during the joining process."

"If, and that’s a big if, Zinder is strong enough to fight him," Daniel said.

"Doctor Jackson, the physiology of an Immortal will kill a symbiote whether the host is mentally able to fight it or not," Selmak said firmly.

"Then let’s help old oily face along. It’ll be much easier to take out a fruit cake," Casey said.

Jack nodded. "I agree."

Daniel stood and helped Casey to her feet. She was still trembling, but able to walk. "Right now, let’s just rest a bit, shall we?" He led Casey to their quarters.  Where she promptly got sick...twice.

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