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Whom the Gods Created

Chapter 5

Daniel drove in a circle, bringing the Blazer around to head back to the highway. What the hell? Was that a car down there? He stepped on the gas, hit his bright lights. Yep, that was a small car, driving without headlights. So he had heard an engine starting! "Hang on," he said quietly.

"What's wrong?"

"See that car?"

"Yeah, now that you mention it," she replied.

"I thought I heard one start up right after I started ours," he said.

Had someone been watching them? She could feel her cheeks burning. "Maybe it's someone else who came out here for some privacy," she suggested.

"Too damned close to where we were for that," he answered. Something about the car bothered him. He'd seen it before. Near the edge of the lake at least once, he was certain, then again not more than a few hundred yards from where they'd been parked tonight. He just couldn't remember exactly when he'd seen it. He sped up. Whoever was in that battered little car had been watching them, he was certain of it. He had every intention of cutting the vehicle off, to find out who had been spying on him and his Wife.

He looked in the rearview mirror. Oh, fuck! That Blazer was heading right for him! They'd seen him! He punched the gas, trying to get traction on the dry grass, felt the tires spin. He had to get away! The SUV was larger, had a larger engine, and a driver with much more skill than his own…he'd only had his license for a year…

Daniel pulled along side of the little car. Looked over. Hell, it was just a kid. A kid alone. And was that…"Is that a camera on the seat beside him?"

Casey looked down into the little car. Felt her heart sink. "Looks like it," she said softly.

They could see that the young man was panicked. The little car began to pull ahead of them. Stepping harder on the gas, Daniel pushed the SUV to the front, then spun sideways in front of the little car. The young driver hit the brakes and jerked the wheel, sending his vehicle sliding sideways. It stopped just in front of the red SUV.

Throwing the Blazer into park, Daniel jumped out and strode to the little car. He grabbed the door handle, jerked it open, reached in and grabbed the young man by the front of the shirt and yanked him out of the car. "Who the hell are you, and why were you spying on my Wife and I?"

He nearly fainted from fear. "I…I…I…wa…wa…wasn't…watching you m-m-make l-l-love," he stammered.

"If you weren't watching, how do you know that's what we did?" Daniel demanded.

She could feel his fear. And something else. She moved gently, slowly. Recoiled from the images in his mind…images of her, and him. The young man had more than just a simple crush on her. He had set up a room…no…vehicle …she concentrated, continued to move as gently as possible. A van! That old white van at the back of Murphy's…She started, stared at the young man for a moment. "He's a box boy at Murphy's," she hissed.

Daniel spared a glance at her. "What else?"

"He…he wants-" she broke off, her cheeks red.

"I get it," Daniel growled. "Look, kid, I know she's beautiful. Damned hard not to watch her, fantasize about her. But if I ever catch you spying on us again, I'll have your ass arrested. I want the film in that camera."

"He has other photos of us…from…" she frowned, cocked her head sideways. "Oh, god…he watched us when we came out here for your birthday!"

"I want those photos, and the negatives. Do you understand?"

The young man nodded. "Y-y-yes, sir. Please don't tell my folks!"

"If I don't have those photos and the negatives by noon today, I'll talk to Ed Murphy. And then your parents," Daniel threatened.

"He could make copies that we'd never know about," Casey said softly, her cheeks burning at the thought of any pictures of her and Daniel making love being circulated.

"I-I won't do that, I promise," the young man said. "They were only for me, I swear!"

Daniel glanced at his wife. "Case?"

"He's being sincere. What I don't know is if he'll feel the same way when he's safe at home," she replied.

Loosening his grip on the young man somewhat, Daniel shook his head. "How long have you been spying on us?"

"The first time I saw you, you…um…took her when she leaned against the hood of the Blazer," the young man admitted. "I was out here with my telescope. I parked by the lake, but when I saw you drive by…" he shrugged his skinny shoulders. "Every time you've come out here…" The look of anger on Daniel's face forced him to swallow. "I swear it won't happen again!"

"Sit down. Don't move," Daniel growled. He looked at Casey. Could see that she was absolutely horrified to know that they had been spied upon. Granted, they'd been watched before, but never like this. It would be impossible to get her out here again. And he liked making love in the moonlight!

She was stunned to know that this teenager had been following them, watching them…for months! Daniel's hand caressed her cheek when he climbed back into the vehicle beside her. She took comfort from that gentle, familiar touch.

"I'm not so sure we should let this go," he said quietly. "If it had just been this once…I might be able to excuse it. But he's been following us…voyeurism to this extreme is a serious psychological disorder."

Casey pulled her lip between her teeth. "He…he has some very…vivid fantasies. And that old white van behind Murphy's? He has it…ready…he thinks that he can…could…convince me to get into it with him…have sex with him."

"This kid needs help," Daniel said softly.

"I agree. But what if his parents react…badly…to this?"

"I don't know, Case. If we let him go, do you think he'll stop?"

She studied the young man. Could see him shaking as he clutched the steering wheel of his car. Reached out again, moving as gently as possible. Forced herself to examine all of his… fantasies. "No," she whispered. "He's been watching his parents since he accidentally saw them making love…two…no…three years ago. He's watched his neighbors at least a dozen times." She frowned. "He just ordered…um…marital aids. Two dildoes and an anal plug. He sees himself taking and being taken. Threesomes. Where he takes the woman while the woman's husband takes him."

He shuddered to think that he and Casey had been part of those fantasies. The very thought made him sick to his stomach. He knew that she would be haunted by the knowledge, and that her immediate reaction would be to make love only in their bed, with the doors locked and with the curtains pulled over the sheer panels that prevented anyone from seeing into the room. "Think we should try to get his name?"

"I think so. And then have a talk with his parents," she replied.

Daniel walked back over to the car. Leaned against it. "What's your name?" he asked gently.

"Brian Yosevich," the young man replied.

"Do you know who we are?"

"Yes, sir."

"So you're aware that my Wife can…see…the things you've done. Watching your parents, and your neighbors. Fixing that van up into a little…love nest."

Brian jerked, looked up at the beautiful blonde. "You're going to tell, aren't you?"

"Brian, what you're doing isn't…it's not right. You need help dealing with what you saw, and the feelings that it caused. That's when you started wanting to watch people, isn't it? After you saw your parents?" Casey asked quietly.

He started to deny it. Then nodded. "At first I was totally grossed out. But then…then it turned me on," he admitted.

"Daniel, maybe we don't have to tell his parents," Casey said softly from her place in the Blazer.

"What do you suggest?"

"There's a twenty-four hour mental health hotline at the hospital. I know that there's a licensed psychologist on call. Maybe we could take Brian there, and he could talk to a trained professional. If, and when, it's necessary for his parents to know, the doctor could help him."

"I'll do anything you want," Brian said eagerly. "Just please don't tell my folks! My old man would beat the shit out of me!"

"Okay. We'll follow you to the hospital," Daniel said kindly. "I still want the film in that camera, and the negatives and photos you have."

"I…uh…I didn't get any pictures tonight," Brian admitted, his cheeks blazing.

Daniel studied him for a minute. Then nodded. "Okay. You know the way to the Hope General."

The young man nodded.

"Let's go." Daniel hurried around to the driver's side of the Blazer, climbed behind the wheel. Watched the little car begin to move forward. Slid in behind him. He glanced at Casey. "I suppose this means we never get to make love out here again."

She smiled. "I just do a search to make sure we're alone."

He couldn't help but laugh at her very…inventive…solution. "I'll go for that."

They were quiet all the way to the highway. Then Casey began to giggle. "This would only happen to us, you know."

He chuckled. "Only because you're such a beautiful woman," he replied.

"There are other women far more beautiful than me," she retorted.

"Not possible."

She smiled. Slipped her fingers into his hand. "It is. But I'm glad that I please you."

"More than please me, Angel. You totally blow me away."

A  A  A  A  A  A

Casey opted to remain in the Blazer. Daniel went into the emergency room with young Brian. Explained that they needed to see the on-call psychologist. The nurse recognized Doctor Daniel Jackson. Immediately called the staff member.

Daniel carefully explained what had happened, what Casey had been able to discern, and the fact that he felt the boy needed help. The doctor, Parker Stuartson, agreed with the assessment. He watched as the therapist led the young man toward his office, his arm around the skinny shoulders. "Brian," he called softly.

The young man stopped, and turned around. The doctor did as well.

"If I catch you again, I'll turn you into the police. And remember, all the photos and the negatives…by noon."

"Yes, sir," the young man replied solemnly.

With a nod, and an encouraging smile, Daniel turned around and headed for the exit. Couldn't help but wonder if Brian's parents were the least concerned about where their son was at nearly five o'clock in the morning. Perhaps they thought he was sound asleep in his bed. With a shake of his head, he slid into the driver's seat of the Blazer. Smiled when he realized that Casey had fallen asleep.

She woke up when he carried her into the house. Their bedtime ablution's were performed quickly, and within twenty minutes they were cuddled on the bed, in the arms of Morpheus.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Daniel was sitting at his desk in the Center, working on a translation of an Ancient artifact found on a recent mission when he received a call from the front gate. He grinned, and told the guard to let the visitor in.

Brian Yosevich entered the building hesitantly. Saw Daniel walking down stairs that led from an office with glass walls on three sides. Tried to smile. "I thought I should bring this stuff personally. It's all there."

He opened the large envelope. Nearly two dozen photographs. And the negatives. He glanced at them, had to admit that they weren't half bad. "Thank you. You should put this talent to better use."

"Yes, sir. Doctor Stuartson said that I'm going to have to tell my folks. He's going to be there with me. I…I know what I did was wrong. I just…it was so hard not to…I have to get this…these …desires…under control, or they'll get me into serious trouble," the young man said.

"I'm glad you understand that. I wish you the best of luck," Daniel said sincerely.

"Thank you." The young man turned to leave, then glanced over his shoulder. "You know that a lot of men fantasize about her."

"I know. But none of them are spying on us," Daniel pointed out.

The young man contemplated this, then nodded. He left the building. He had admitted to the doctor that getting caught had probably been a good thing. Maybe, the doctor had said, he'd risked getting so close because deep down he'd wanted to get caught, wanted help. Whatever the reason, he understood that he had a problem, when every waking moment seemed consumed with plotting and scheming to get to watch either his parents, his neighbors, or the Jacksons. He hadn't told the doctor about the…special purchases…he'd made. He still intended to use the items. Just to see how they felt.

Daniel watched until the young man reached his car. Returned to the office and shredded the envelope. No one would ever see the photos of him and Casey making love.

A  A  A  A  A  A

Casey sat across from Sam, sipping coffee. "So was Jack totally ticked off at you?"

The colonel smiled. "No. He said that at least he wasn't the only one in the family to have been busted in a bar fight."

She giggled.

"What about Daniel?"

"Nope. He said that he was proud of me, because what I was doing was trying to protect someone, or three someone's, from bullies. That's exactly what those jerks were."

"And then some," Sam agreed. "You do know that it's all over the base that we were arrested."

She grimaced. "I'm not surprised. Fastest rumor mill in the quadrant."

"Hey, at least we didn't start a fight over something stupid…like who lost a hockey game!"

"That's what Jack was fighting about?"

"So the story goes," Sam grinned. "I have to admit, it was kind of fun. I haven't been in a bar fight since Daniel, Jack, and I had those stupid arm bands put on us."

"Ah, yes. Daniel told me about that. I believe Anise was behind that little fiasco," Casey replied. For years she'd disliked Anise, because of the Tok'ra's obvious interest in Daniel. Over the years, however, the woman…women, Anise and Freya, had proven to be allies of the Tau'ri. Oh, she didn't trust them, especially Anise, not like she trusted Selmak and Jacob. But she didn't dislike her any longer.

"Yes, she was. Damned near got us killed!" Sam still shuddered to think about how arrogant she'd become while under the influence of the alien device.

"Well, just to change the subject, how goes the struggle with the satellites?" the young Immortal asked.

"We have two more to build and deploy," Sam replied.

"As in build from scratch?"

"Yep."

"Not easy, I take it."

"No, it's not. Especially when I'm waiting for specially manufactured parts," Sam agreed. "What worries me is the fact that Jordan and several of the other Goa'uld are building up faster than we had anticipated."

"We kicked Dagon and Toren's asses, we did it fast, and we hit them hard. That had to have left a bit of a lasting impression," Casey pointed out.

"Or made taking us a bigger challenge…one that they'll all be certain that only they can rise to," Sam retorted dryly.

"Job security," the young woman sighed.

"I suppose so. Well, I need to get back up to the lab."

"Yeah, I should get back to the Center. I only came down here to take care of a bit of paperwork."

"I thought that was what Julie was for," Sam teased.

"So did I. Apparently there are still things that Daniel or I have to see to personally. I think it's just a ploy to keep the paper companies in business," Casey replied.

Sam laughed. "That's a good theory. Certainly makes sense."

"Oh, I sent you an email…cute joke. I just happened to get it from Kelley yesterday. Total coincidence, totally great timing. We're best friends!" With a grin, she stood up, waved, and disappeared through the door.

Fifteen minutes later Sam was laughing hysterically. 'A good friend will bring money to bail you out of jail,' the email read. 'A best friend will be sitting in the cell beside you, saying 'damn that was fun!'

Within a matter of days the rumors and stories and speculation about the arrests of the four best friends were replaced with new rumors, concerning the ever more interesting subject matter of who was sleeping with whom behind whose back.

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