When Cassie awoke next she knew immediately the Goa'uld had healed her, at least her physical wounds. Suddenly, everything her "older brother" had doen to her came rushing back full force. She turned her head to the side and heaved, sobbing loudly as she did.

"Cass?"

The croak was so unrecognizable and pain-filled, she wasn't sure at first who was calling her name until she remembered Dominic was stuck in the same horrible place she was.

She knew Derek, no- Madai, didn't want Dominic dead just yet, but he also wasn't showing him any mercy.

"Dom?" she cried, the question hanging in the air.

"I'll-" cough "I'll be… fine."

He sounded awful and it broke her heart knowing she was the reason he was stuck there.

"I'm so sorry, Dom."

"Not your fault." He broke out in a fit of coughing, his ribs digging sharply into the muscles. "Finish… telling me what's… going on?"

She just barely nodded, knowing for sure he wouldn't be able to see her.

"The people who killed everybody on my planet, they're not really people. Uncle Jack calls them 'Snakeheads.' They're nasty, evil people controlled by a creature in their brain. They kill and enslave entire worlds."

Dominic's voice cracked terribly with the strain. "So they're pretty much… the worst creatures… in the universe."

"Yeah. There's a big ring, a Stargate, that allows people to travel to other planets."

"The moon?"

Cassie smiled slightly, trying to take her mind off their current predicament. "No. There has to be a 'Gate on the planet they're trying to get to. They killed everyone on my planet, including a team from Earth, and left me alive so that Dad and the others would bring me back."

"Why?"

"The Goa'uld put a metal into my blood that would eventually, well, explode. It was supposed to happen when I went through the 'Gate a second time. They were going to bring me back home because they thought staying on Earth was what was causing it."

"Oh, Cass." His voice was week and choked, full of the sadness he felt throughout his entire body. "Are you… ok… now?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. There's no chance it can happen again."

"Derek's… one of these… things?"

"Yes, and as soon as he doesn't show up, everyone will be looking for him. They'll find him and they'll find us."

"Okay," Dominic croaked softly, just once before promptly passing out.

Tears streamed down Cassie's face as she tried to crane her neck around to catch a glimpse of Dominic. She knew he was in more pain than he was letting on, and that he wasn't being healed as fully as she was. She felt guilty for being safe after each incident, while he was only taken out of the life threatening situation. It wasn't fair. He'd never done anyting to anyone and here he was, held as a plaything.

"Cassie!" The echo-y voice resonated through the cement room, breaking her out of her thoughts.

"Derek?" she shouted back. "Where are you?"

"Um… I don't know. Handcuffed to a bed! What's going on?"

"You tell me!" She couldn't keep the vehemence out of her voice as she screamed at him, wherever he was.

"I don't know! I remember taking a nap before work. I woke up here, but I knew you were here somewhere and that I've done something horrible to you!"

"No!" she yelled. "You're not Derek!"

"Yes, I am! Cassie, please!"

"No! You're a Goa'uld! You're a nasty, awful snakehead!"

The whole basement fell quiet, the only sound the echoing of Cassie's sobs as she finally broke down. She'd been holding on, trying to make Dominic feel better, at least comforted enough to allow himself to pass out. He needed that healing rest, even though it wouldn't be much. She could let herself go now and cry for all the pain. Her parents, Dominic, Derek. All because of her.

Xoxoxoxoxoxoxox