AN ~ Just a quick note to say a huge thank you to everyone who reviewed, your comments are my soul food and have fuelled my love of writing. This chapter has been my bane of the whole story and without your words encouraging me I dread to think how much longer it would have taken to be uploaded.

WARNING ~ Spoilers for Evolution part 1&2.

Chapter Seven ~ Heaven to Hell and Back Again.

They say 'time flies when you're having fun' and for Daniel he found that couldn't be more true. He had forgotten how much bliss you can find sharing your life with someone you love and who loves you back. Waking up each morning either snuggled up to her or with the aroma of his favourite coffee she was brewing wafting through the house brought a smile to his face, and with each loving look, touch and kiss from her throughout the day insured that it stayed.

At the start of the second week he was awoken by arousing tingles tickling over and into his stomach. His smile got a head start, it was a hell of a way to wake up.

"Morning." he said pushing her hair, that was fanned out over his chest, behind her shoulder so he could see her face.

She lifted her lips from his skin just long enough to return his greeting. "Afternoon." she corrected, before continuing her exploration of his naked flesh.

"What are you doing?"

She looked up at him threw her long lashes and he saw the mischievous lust swim in her deep brown pools. "I assume that is obvious. You informed me that I may try to pleasure you orally, I wish to do so now. May I?"

"You don't have to ask. You can do with me as you wish." he told her pulling her to him for a kiss. Her sweet giggle tinkle in the air.

"I may require instruction." she told him bluntly.

He doubted that. So far her instincts had not steered her wrong, but this was entirely new for her and he considered that she may just need that reassurance. "I can guide you." he said, lifting his leg and dropping it to the side, giving her all the access to him that she required.

She moved between his thighs, rising up on her knees. Slowly, so slowly, too slowly she kissed a pathway down his chest, placing lingering deliberate kisses on every inch of his skin. Each one of his abs and his navel received the same loving attention, as she edged lower, mapping out his body on route to the treasure. When she reached the 'X-marks-the-spot' she pressed her final feather light kiss on the tip of his engorged member and he sucked in a quick uneven breath. She smiled, delighted that she had caused that reaction in him and wondered what other sounds and actions she could coaxed from him. She noted the slight tremble when she licked the droplet from his smooth head, claiming it for her own. Memorised the way he moaned in desire when she ran her tongue from base to tip. But her favourite was when she lowered her lips over him, taking him deep into her wet mouth, and his breathing hitched and eyes rolled back in his head.

He couldn't keep still, he wanted, needed more. Gently, he started thrusting up to her mouth, showing her the speed, the rhythm that his body craved. Following his lead she matched his movements, coming down as he raised, her fingers caressing his rocking hips.

He took her hand and wrapped it around his base. Covering her hand with his own he stroked what she couldn't get into her mouth. He sighed loudly in pleasure, as she took over and twinned his fingers through her long, soft locks. "God. That's it…just like that." His desire was flaming beneath his taut skin and her lips, tongue, hands were fanning those flames to crescendo. The focused, undiluted tingles swarmed into him, heightening the pleasure, driving him out of his mind.

"You might wanna…move…I'm gonna…come." he panted heavily. His rasped words only served to make her more eager and she sucked him harder, further, deeper.

Her name fell from his lips as his back arched off the bed and his hand fisted in her hair as he flew. Pulsating out his rhythm towards the heavens.

When he came back to earth he found she had moved back up the bed and was propped up on her elbow, studying his features. Her smile was full with pride. "Can I presume that was satisfactory?" she asked with a knowing glint in her eyes.

He forced his too relaxed muscles to work so he could pull her into his arms. "Perfect." he smiled. "And as soon as I get full motor functions back it's your turn."

The couple were interrupted by a loud banging at the front door. "We know you're in there." Jack's voice echoed through the house.

He dropped his forehead onto her shoulder and groaned in frustration. "His timing isn't getting any better."

"It may be important."

"Better be." Daniel griped. "To be continued." he kissed her lips and slid off the bed, fishing his jeans off the floor.

"Thirty seconds, Daniel and I'm letting us in myself."

He fumbled his zipper up as he dashed out of the bedroom to find his team mates already in the hallway. "Hey, that wasn't thirty seconds!"

"No? Weird." Jack said tonelessly, as he took in Daniel dishevelled appearance. "This is a new look for you." His dark blonde hair was sticking up in every possible direction. That was something the others were used to seeing on him, but it was normally accompanied by dark rings under his eyes and a look of frustration, usually caused by no sleep while working on a difficult translation or stressing about something he couldn't change. However, now it was joined by a look of complete…there was no other word for it…bliss.

The reason for his happiness emerged from the bedroom behind him, warring one of his white shirts, a contented smile and little else.

"Uh pants?" Daniel suggested.

"I figured it would be futile as you would be taking them off me the second we were once again alone."

Daniel spun her back round to face the bedroom and gave her a gently shove to the door. "Pants." he repeated.

"She's not from Earth." Daniel explained to his friends, with a shrug.

"Neither's Teal'c." Jack said jerking his thumb over his shoulder at the Jaffa. "Hence why we're here."

Daniel frowned. "What?"

It was Teal'c that answered. "When I first arrived on your planet I found it to be a very strange place. Without all of your assistance it would have been difficult to adapt. We're here to help with Leesia's transition into the Tau'ri way of life."

"Well, that's very thoughtfully of you…I suppose, but it's not necessary. I got this, thanks." Daniel tried, but Jack was having none of it.

"Oh no, if she learns everything from you we're just gonna end up with another ge-" Jack paused, catching himself just in time. "We're making sure she gets a more…well rounded education. After all, many hands make light work."

"Too many cooks spoil the broth." Daniel countered. "There's nothing she can learn from you guys that she can't learn from me."

"Daniel, she's been here a week and she hasn't even learnt that she has to put on pants. Case closed." Jack said and strode passed him through to the living room.

Daniel followed still arguing. "She's only been human a week, physical objects all still seem a bit pointless to her." Daniel continued as Leesia remerged, now fully clothed. "Will you please tell them that I am teaching you."

"Oh yes. I have learnt many things from Daniel. He is a proficient teacher. Just before you arrived he was teaching me how to give him-"

Daniel saw where her sentence was going and quickly cut off by covering her mouth with his hand. There was no way he wanted the others to know the end of that sentence, although judging by their raised eyebrows and wide eyes they had guessed. "Remember what I told you after the restaurant?" he whispered to her.

"But we are at home." she insisted, looking confused.

"When we're at home, alone."

She pouted, her arm folded across her chest. "You really need to be more specific."

"Okay fine," Daniel related turning to his friends. "I need help."

"Finally." Jack moaned, "What is it with you? You always have to do things the hard way."

"Daniel?" Sam called from the kitchen. "Do you know your refrigerator isn't working?"

"I am afraid that was me." Leesia informed the Major. "I find it most difficult to control my abilities when-" she caught Daniel's pleading look. "-When I am distracted." she finished.

"Distracted huh?" Jack mused. "Is that what the kids are calling it nowadays?"

Daniel felt his cheeks burn. He dropped his chin to rest on his chest, it was going to be a long day.

…

"That should do it." Sam said as she screwed the cover back over Daniel's fuse box. "Now, I'm not saying that it will protect all of your appliances individually, but it should stop her taken out the whole house in one go."

Daniel smiled. "Maybe we should get them installed in the neighbours as well. Think they might start to get suspicious when they have daily power cuts."

"Never thought I'd be installing copper linings on your neighbours power boxes to protect them from your girlfriends E.M pulses."

That made Daniel laugh. "Remember when things were normal?"

Sam shock her head. "Nope." she said, popping the P and smiling broadly, "In the grand scheme of things, this probably is one of the most normal things that has happened to one of us. You know, settling down and having a kid."

"By immaculate conception with someone from another planet." Daniel countered.

"Yep, perfectly normal…for us."

"For us." Daniel agreed with a thoughtful nod. She had a very good point. After all, the last person he'd been intimate with was Kegan and thanks to a memory stamp he hadn't even been himself at the time. Ke'ra, before that hadn't been herself because of the self-induced, accidental amnesia. Shyla had gotten him addicted to the sarcophagus and Sam's romantic interests had been even more disastrous than his own. By comparison a former Ascended being was 'normal', especially considering that he was one himself.

"It good to see you so happy." Sam interrupted his thoughts. "You deserve it."

"I keep expecting to wake up." he admitted. "Like it's all been a dream and she never came back."

Sam leaned over and pinched him on the arm, hard.

"Ow." he moaned.

"Proof enough for you?"

"I know I'm not actually dreaming. It's the not remembering that makes it seem like it's too good to be true. Having no memory of another life is one thing, but to know that I was having this relationship with her and not remember it…I'm dying to know."

"Not literally I hope." Sam teased. "So she's still keeping quiet?"

Daniel nodded. "She insists that the memories are there and I have to remember them for myself."

"She'll cave in eventually. As hard as it is for you not knowing, it must be just as hard for her to keep it to herself."

"Lucy I'm home." Jack's voice and the slam of the front door announced his and Leesia's return. "Time check?"

"You've been gone for one hour 43 minutes, O'Neill." Teal'c informed him.

"Yes!" Jack said punching the air. "I win. Come on, pay up." he said wiggling his fingers at Daniel.

Jack had taken Leesia out to teach her to drive, insisting that it was his turn as Daniel had taught Teal'c and Sam had taught Jonas.

"I cannot believe you bet against me." Leesia said pouting at Daniel with her hand on her hips.

Daniel merely smiled knowingly. "Uh, actually Jack, you've taken longer. So I win."

Jack checked his watch, giving it a hard tap. "One forty-three." he confirmed.

"The terms of our wager, which you set by the way, was the time it took from them first getting behind the wheel to when they're first able to drive unaided. As Teal'c lessons concluded in 1969 it's taken you 27 years longer to teach Leesia."

"Technically he has a point, sir." Sam smiled.

"Oy." Jack sighed reaching for his wallet. When the 'Science Twins' agreed there was no point in arguing. "Remind me to never bet with you again." he said slapping the fifty into Daniel's awaiting hand.

…

Two weeks later, and all too soon for Daniel, he received the phone call that he knew was coming.

"Yes, sir, I understand." Daniel placed the phone back in it's cradle and rolled onto his back turning towards Leesia. He looked at her a little sadly, as she tucked herself under his arm, her fingers tickled across his bare chest.

"Mission?" she asked him.

"I'm not sure yet, but I'm needed on base." he tightened his arms around her. "We knew that this wouldn't be permanent. I've missed the last two off world trips."

"I know. I just wish I was able to be selfish and keep you all to myself all the time." she leaned into him and kissed him gently.

"The last few weeks have been amazing." he agreed.

She chuckled. "All the wonders you have witnessed and you find three weeks in bed amazing?"

"With you I do." He sighed "All good things must come to an end I guess."

"We will make more times just like this one."

"Promise?"

"I promise." she kissed him again. "When do we have to go?"

"Uh, about now-ish. You should probably pack some stuff in case you have to stay on base."

She did has he suggested as he dashed around the house gathering everything he thought he may need.

"I assume there is not much hope of being able to go with you if you are required to go off world." she asked as he took her bag from her and loaded it into his jeep and the couple climbed inside.

"None whatsoever." he confirmed, truth was even if by some fluke Hammond would allow her to join them Daniel wouldn't allow it anyway. There was just to many dangers out there that he was not prepared to subject her or his child to.

She pouted and was still pouting when they arrived at Cheyenne Mountain. 'And she accuses me of being stubborn.'

"I could use your help though. I shudder to think how much the back log of translations has grown during the last few weeks. If you could reduce the Ancient pieces it would be a big help."

She brightened considerably at this.

When he left her in his office she was already pawing through the artefacts and browsing his notes with a smile on her face.

A little while later he was back. He went straight for the book shelve and started searching.

"How's it going?" he asked her without halting his search.

"Not well." she answered honestly. "I am afraid I do not understand the system you use to organise your research."

He took down the note book he had been searching for and turned to her. "Oh it's quite simple really it's uh…" he looked around wondering where to start. "…Okay no it's not." he finally admitted.

She giggled at his perplexed expression as he tried to decide how best to explain it to her. "Uh, okay, eye line is most used material. Here, here and here." he pointed out the areas he was referring to as he spoke. "is urgent. Anything on the bottom shelf is in need of more information to complete the translation. Alien languages are along all three middle shelves in order of when I met them and crossed referenced and intersected by the most similar Earth language. Rituals, ceremonies and belief systems is on the next one down on this shelve lords, leaders and Gods on the other two. You'll find my diaries, one for each of the planets, in the last two filing cabinets. Top draw and desk is current translations. Everything on top of the shelves needs to be tagged, catalogued or possibly taken back."

"And this shelf?" she questioned pointing out the one the opposite side of his desk.

"Personal favourites." he admitted.

She stared at him, her eyes wide. "How is anyone else intended to follow that system?"

"I'm sure you'll get used to it…Jonas did."

"Then Jonas is a more exceptional man than he had been given credit for."

He kissed her cheek before he left calling, "Don't change anything around!" over his shoulder as he headed down the corridor.

He was back less than an hour later, finding her hunched over his desk her fingers lightly grazing over his notes. "Any luck?" he asked.

She slowly turned to face him and frowned at him disapprovingly. Pointedly she folded her arms across her chest, keeping up the glare. She didn't answer.

He bit the inside of his cheek to keep back the laugh that was fighting to break free, not wanting her to know how adorable he found her when she was angry. "Maybe we can work out an easier system when I get back." he said. "Listen, I've got to go to Honduras and I don't know how long it'll take, but I'll have my cell with me so I'll call you."

"Will it be dangerous?" she asked.

"No, no not at all. Find the temple, hunt down the Ancient device. I'm looking forward to it actually. See, the research was started years ago by my Grandfather. It feels good that I'm the one that gets to conclude his work."

She stood and traced her fingers along his broad smile. "I am happy for you, but I shall miss you while you are gone."

"I shouldn't be gone too long. Probably just enough time for you to read though this lot." he laughed gesturing around his office.

He dropped to his knee in front of her, lifted her pale blue vest and pressed a slow, gently kiss on the small mound that had begun to form below her navel. The thought that his child was growing in there still amazed him. Leesia's wind-chime giggle danced through the air as he graced his hand over her abdomen, tickling her.

"I Love you." he said, raising his head and finding her gazing down at him tenderly.

She teased his hair through her fingers. "I love you also."

He smiled with the warmth of her words taking him back to every loving time she had said them before. Those four little words capable of making his heart swell to a phenomenal size, 'I love you also.' so uniquely Leesia. He adored it.

…

The flight was pleasant. The meal was not, but such was always the case with airlines. Bill was fidgety and excited the entire time, which Daniel understood, after all it was the scientist first field assignment. And a perfect one to start him on, no self-proclaimed Gods, or rapidly multiplying mechanical bugs to worry about. Just recovering the alien device and bring it home. It had been too long since he got back to his roots and the archaeologist in him was itching to get started and slightly hoping it would be a challenge. Too simple and he would feel cheated.

If he had known just what was to come he would have prayed otherwise.

First chance he got after they landed he called the SGC and punched in the extension number for his own office.

The ringing was answered by silk. "This is Daniel Jackson's office."

"And this is Daniel Jackson." he chuckled. In his minds eye he could see the pouting smile she wore every time he lovingly teased her. The expression fought the 'confused puppy' and won its position as third in his list of his top ten favourites of her expressions, beaten only by the 'eyes lighted up smile' and the 'I'm about to slip back in to Ancient'. "We just landed. How's things going back there?"

"They are moving more rapidly now I have gained assess to your laptop. Your files are more decipherable than the organisation system in your office, as such I am making far more progress."

"That's good. Wait, how did you do that without my password?"

"It said enter password, so I entered password." she told him simply, as if the answer was obvious.

He sighed. Of course 'Tessentra', the Ancient meaning of 'password' was not as safe as it once was now he was not the only one on the planet that knew the language. The thought made him smile. He was not the only one. He was not alone anymore.

…

Jack hated giving out bad news at the best of times, but giving bad news to a pregnant woman seemed more dangerous than most of their missions. The phrase 'don't shoot the messenger' ran briefly through his mind, though he doubted an ex-Ancient would have heard the saying before. He hesitantly tapped on the door of the quarters she had been assigned while Daniel was away, and waited a few seconds before he heard a muffed "It is open." resound from inside.

It was dim inside the featureless grey quarters, the only source of light was the small lamp on the near bedside cabinet. Leesia was sitting up on the large bed, warring a tan and cream checked shirt that he recognized as one of Daniel's, when he entered. "Oh, sorry. Where you sleeping?"

"No… I now find it difficult to sleep without him." she confessed a little shyly.

Wow, she wasn't going to make this easy. "We've just got word." Jack said slowly, wishing he wasn't the one to have to tell her this. He took a deep breath and bit the bullet. "…He's been kidnapped."

A look of utter horror dawn on her face. She gazed up at him with wide doleful eyes, full of alarm.

'Oh, don't do this to me. I'm no good at doing the comforting thing.' "Try to not get yourself worked up, it's not good in your condition." he said, crossing the room, planting himself next to her and giving her shoulder a light squeeze, trying to be reassuring.

"I believe that would be an impossibility in this situation." she said the panic causing a slight waver to her voice.

"Listen, he's been in far worse situations than this and he's always come out of it just fine. This'll be nothing for him, a walk in the park for him, piece of cake. Certainly nothing to worry about."

"You are not worried?" Leesia questioned him.

"Nope." Jack lied easily. "I learnt long ago it was completely pointless to worry about that man. Even when ya think the situation is completely hopeless he finds a way out."

There was no point in telling her that the rebels that had abducted Daniel and Dr Lee were most likely torturing him at this precise moment. Or that they had seventy-two hours to get them out or they would be killed. Or that an extraction team was Daniel's only hope, as the ransom was never going to be paid.

"I pray that you are correct, Jack. It is crucial that I do not lose him. Not again." Her hand covered her stomach as the tears started.

"Hey, that's not gonna happen. He can get out of this no sweat, but we're gonna give him some back up anyway. Soon as I get the word I'm going. I'll bring him back. I promise."

…

'He's been in far worse situations than this and he's always come out of it just fine.' Leesia clung onto Jack's words like a life belt, barely keeping her head above the sea of rising panic and fear.

It had been three days. Three long days since his phone call saying he was safe. Three tediously long days punctuated only by longer sleepless nights on the base.

Jack had left the day before to bring him back, but so far she had received no news.

The sharp ring of the phone startled her. She hesitated taking a deep breath, unsure whether she was ready to hear whatever news was coming. Everyone at the SGC knew that Daniel had been kidnapped and they were the only ones with this number, so information regarding him was the only reason for anyone to call. The question was, was it good news or bad news that they were calling to give her.

With a shaking hand and her heart hammering she lifted the phone and placed it to her ear. "This is Daniel Jackson's office." she said timidly into the mouth piece.

"Hey." she could hear the smile in his voice.

She let out a long pent up sigh of relief "Oh thank the stars, it is so good to hear your voice."

"Yeah, you too. Are you okay?"

"It is unnecessary to worry about me, Daniel."

"Can't help it." he confessed.

"Are you well? Did they hurt you?"

He hesitated. "I've been better." he told her trying to sound light-hearted. He wanted to answer as honestly as possible without worrying her, but truth be told he felt terrible.

His bound right thigh, that still housed the bullet, was throbbing painfully. He had been shot before but by Zat's or other stun weapons and even a couple of times by a staff, but he had never been shot with a bullet before and it felt a hell of a lot worse. Due to nothing to eat and very little to drink in the last three days he felt nauseous and the dizziness and head ache was content. And his burns…he didn't even want to think about those.

She saw through his charade. "Daniel?" she questioned and he could hear the panic rise in her voice.

"I'm fine." he quickly replied.

"Oh, for crying out loud, Daniel." Leesia heard Jack's voice in the background. "Just tell her."

"Jack." Daniel's voice was muffled and distant. "There's no point in panicking her."

"I am still able to hear you." Leesia said.

Evidently they couldn't hear her though. "She's already panicked, and that's only gonna be worse if you tell her everything's fine and then you get rushed straight to surgery the second you get back. What's she gonna think then huh?"

"Surgery? Daniel, please explain to me what is happening."

Daniel sighed irritably and bestowed Jack with one of his cantankerous glares. "I'm going to be fine…but I've been shot." he finally told her.

…

Daniel's conscience, if some what groggy, thoughts flittered slowly though to the front of his mind. He refused to open his eyes, paranoid that when he did he would see that hut, that was his prison cell and that he had dreamt his escape and Jack's rescue of Bill Lee and himself. He tested his surroundings. The air tasted pleasantly cool. Not the sweaty, dusty humidity that he had grown accustom to. 'An A.C?…The SGC?' A light smell of antiseptic. 'The infirmary?' The surface he was lying on was soft and spongy, not the compacted earth and straw matting. More importantly, no pain. It seemed to good to be true, but he couldn't put off finding out forever.

Slowly he blinked open his heavy eyes.

The familiar, clinical gray wall met his grateful sight. 'Wasn't a dream... It's over.'

"Hey, Sleepyhead." Jack greeted in little more than a whisper, seeing that his friend was once again in the land of the living. "Don't wake her. From what I gather this is the longest she's slept since you were taken."

Daniel turned his hazy sight to the side and found Leesia curled up fast asleep on a chair beside him, her head resting on her forearm on the mattress, her other arm draped cross him with her tiny fingers twined with his.

"How long has she been here?"

"As long as you have." Jack told him.

Daniel was surprised. "She came into the infirmary willingly?"

"Armed guards couldn't keep her out." Jack told him.

Daniel felt his heart swell with emotion. Marvelling at how much love she had for him. She had braved her deepest fear to be by his side.

She couldn't be comfortable. She must have been completely exhausted to fall asleep here. "I should take her home."

"Frasier's got some hoops for you to jump through first. How ya feeling?"

"Woozy." Daniel told him with a slight slur to his voice. "But, actually good."

"Yeah, well, that's morphine for ya."

"That's what this this is?" Daniel eyed the double drip attached to the back of his hand. "It's nice…" he said with a smile. "How's Bill doing?"

"Same as you, just not as…high." Jack said, managing to get a small chuckle from Daniel, before the archaeologist's eyes glassed over as the memory of the previous few days filter through to his current thoughts.

"You okay?" Jack asked, noticing Daniel shift.

"No." Daniel answered honestly, "But I will be…" he said giving Leesia's hand a light squeeze. "You know, I thought about quitting…before. Leaving SG-1, maybe staying on as a consultant or something, but no more missions. I just kept thinking that if anything were to happen to me…" he sighed. "I couldn't leave her to raise our baby alone, on a planet that's alien to her."

"She wouldn't be alone," Jack interrupted. "and you'd miss the action."

"Oh yeah, unsociable hours, constant peril, what's not to miss?…But I had a lot of time to think… and I realised that this could have happened even if I never joined SG-1 and it probably would have, it was Nick's research that I used. The monsters, the risks, aren't just through the 'gate, Jack. Those guys weren't some Goa'uld who'd had their souls mutilated by years of misuse of the sarcophagus. They were human."

"Barely." Jack said clapping his bedridden friend on the shoulder. "You did real good, Danny."

"Jack?" Daniel raised his eyes pointedly at the Colonel. "Thank you." he said with a nod.

Jack gave a small, almost embarrassed smile. "It's what we do, Daniel."

…

Leesia took the pillow from the top of the bed and folded it in half. Gently she lifted Daniel's wounded leg and tucked the pillow under his knee, supporting the weight to keep the pressure off the back of his thigh. "How does that feel?"

"Yeah, that's fine." he said with a wince as the gently movement tugged at the bullet wound.

It felt good to be home, in his own bed. It had been less than a week since he last slept here, but it felt like much, much longer. He didn't think he had ever been more grateful to see these four walls, this bed, these pillows, this cover. Home. Not some wooden shack, full of pain and fear, that had been the scene of his torture or his prison. This was his home, his bed.

He was surprised Janet had discharged him so quickly. Normally she wouldn't have, no matter how much he insisted that he was 'fine'. Having someone here to take care of him was the only reason it had been allowed. One more reason to be thankful for Leesia being here. Of course he was under the strict instruction that he had to have plenty of fluids and complete bed rest until he was told otherwise. She would be making house calls each night until she was satisfied that he was over the dehydration and his thigh was healing without infection.

Leesia's little fingers worked apart the buttons on his shirt and parted the material gently. She bit back a loud gasp, covering her mouth with both her hands as she took in the sight. Three angry red burns stared back at her. One on his side, one on his stomach and the third on his right nipple.

She stared, frozen.

He sighed when he took in her mournfully stunned expression. He should have warned her, but he had been so relieved to get home, that the memory of what he had endured had been pushed temporally to the back of his mind. "Leesia?" he called softy.

Her eyes snapped back up to his face.

"I'm going be okay." he told her for what felt like the millionth time.

Slowly the shock faded from her face. "These need to be tended to. I will be right back."

He nearly called her back the second she left. Had to bit the inside of his cheek to stop himself. 'This is stupid. She only in the other room. There's no reason to panic.' He forced himself to take a large calming breath, blowing it out slowly. He needed that comfort, that strength that she gave him without even realising she did.

The speed of her pace when she came back in told him he wasn't the only one that couldn't bare to be parted from the other at the moment. She knelt beside him on the bed, laying everything she needed out next to her and carefully began cleaning the burn on his side. As she touched it he sucked in a quick breath through his teeth.

She paused instantly. "Am I hurting you?"

"No, they hurt me… You're helping. I just…"

"Expected to be hurt."

"Yeah." he admitted quietly.

"Do you wish to tell me what happened?"

"Not really." he said honestly. Living it was bad enough, without re-living it. But he knew that he would eventually have to talk it out with someone and he would rather someone he trusted rather then being sent to see Mackenzie. "You sure you want to hear it?"

Leesia caressed his cheek. "You should release your burden."

Her tiny fingers gave him the strength he needed. He drew in a deep breath and began his tale. "We were captured as soon as we found the device. We were blindfolded and lead God knows where. I tried to reason with them, but it didn't do any good. I shut up after they shot Rogelio, our guide." As he spoke she finished treating his side ad moved on to the one on his stomach. He took comfort in her touch, knowing that she was healing him physically as well as mentally, emotionally. "They shut us in a hut and then basically left us alone. Let our hunger and thirst do the work for them. It was two days before they came for me. Felt like longer. I was a little glad that it was me they took and not Bill, he wasn't holding up very well by that point… I was shoved across the camp to another hut and given the usual threats, talk or die that sort of thing…and then they showed me what they had planned…" Daniel closed his eyes, not wanting to see that pained look in her eyes that he knew was coming as soon as he told her. "It was a car battery, with jumper leads…they stripped me, tied me down and threw water over me…"

Daniel pushed his clenched fist to his eyes, trying to drive away the images. He didn't want to tell her, didn't want her to know what they had done to him. "I can't." he said shaking his head. "I can't talk about this." He was visibly shaking by that point.

"Daniel, look at me." Her soothing voice forced its way through his torment, as she gently pulling his hands from his face. He gazed up into the loving warmth of her brown orbs. "You can." she told him softly, ignoring the pleading way he was shaking his head. "And you need to. You must free your burden to able to you move on."

He knew she was right. Getting it off his chest was the only way to deal with something like this. "Give me a minute." he begged needing the moment to calm himself enough to continue.

"You may have as long as you need." she promised. While she waited she started treating the burn that cover his right nipple. She kept her free hand on his heart, silently feeding him the support that she knew he needed to finish his tale.

Eventually he found the courage to carry on. "I didn't talk." he began sounding almost proud of himself. "They kept sparking it in front of my face, trying to intimidate me…I didn't let on that it was working. I forced myself to think how much worse it would get if I did tell them. When they put the leads on me I… It was excruciating…I couldn't move, I couldn't…breathe…." He drew in a deep shaky breath, to get hold of his rising panic and proving to himself that it was over. "Just when I thought that I'd suffocate, they'd stop. Give me just enough time between to catch my breath so I wouldn't pass out. I wasn't allowed that luxury. Every time I came close they just threw more water in my face to revive me and then start again. They finally stopped when I was so done in that I couldn't have talked even if I wanted to."

He sighed in relief. The rest of the story, how Bill had cracked under their interrogation and their following escape and rescue by Jack, she already knew.

"Where is the forth?" she asked, scanning his chest for a wound she had missed. She knew that electricity required an entry and exit point. So Daniel had to have an even number of burns. There couldn't only be three, there had to be a forth and it would also need to be treated.

He slowly lowered his sweats and boxers to revel the final burn to her.

"Imprubuses!" she spat out under her breath.

"Language." he scolded, managing a smile.

Her touch was so light it was barely more than a whisper as she treated his last burn. When she was done, she eased his pants back up and leaned over him to gently kiss the corner of his mouth, careful to avoid the cut on his swollen lower lip.

"You endured so much. I do not know how you did."

"The pain was the easy bit. It was the fear that was worse. I was terrified. Not terrified of what they did or would do…I was terrified of not seeing you again." Gently he placed his hand on her stomach, lovingly covering her bump. "Terrified of leaving our baby without a father."

She covered his hand with her own and stroked his knuckles with her thumb. "If it had come to that Oma would have helped."

Daniel turned to face her, eyes wide. "She would have?"

Slowly Leesia nodded. "Should the need or warrant accrue there is no reason for you not to be offered a second opportunity. No matter what they did, they could not have ended you."

"Oh." he said stunned. "Well, that's quite comforting to know."

"Do not let it make you complacent." she warned with a playful poke in his ribs. "It will not be repeated."

He laughed out loud. Laughter, it felt so good. "Ow, okay, I get it. Two strikes and I'm out."

"That would be a suitable axiom."

He chuckled and wrapped his arm around her, holding her gently. Amazed at how relaxed she made him feel so easily. "It is a nice thought though. To know that someday, when the Goa'uld are defeated and the threat to Earth is gone, we could go back. Maybe spend our golden years with the Ascended."

She snuggled closer to him, running her fingers over his arm, but remained silent.

"You said me." Daniel said suddenly.

"Pardon?" Her fingers stalled.

He shifted slightly so he could see her face. "You said me. Not us."

She turned away from his gaze. "Don't Daniel." she pleaded.

He sat up, ignoring the pain that flared through his thigh in protest to his sudden movement. He gently pinched her chin and forced her to face him "Lees… Tell me."

She shock her head and dropped her eyes. "I have already said more than is wise of me."

"Oh no, you can't tell me something like that and then clam up. Why me and not you?"

She cursed herself for her slip up. She only wished to give him some much needed comfort, but she should have realised that his questioning nature would see through her carefully worded explanation to the hidden truth of what she couldn't, shouldn't be telling him. She didn't have a choice now, he knew there was something, he wouldn't let it drop till he had it out of her and she knew it. "You have served your sentence and as such your crimes have been pardoned… Mine have not."

"When you freed me?"

She took a slow breath and nodded. "I was to be exiled. Tagenia is a beautiful planet, but it is desolate…and has no gate…You could have searched forever and not found me. We would have never been together." Subconsciously he tightened his grip on her. "So I fled, attempting to escape my punishment to give our baby the time it needed. Only when it became clear that my efforts where futile did I find you and return to this form."

"I'm glad you did." he said.

She nodded with a small sad smile. "I am also, but this conversation was not meant to be about me."

He chuckled again. "Damn, I was hoping I'd get away with that one."

…

The sparks exploded in front of his face, closer this time. Daniel flinched, turning away and raised his arm over his face in protecting.

"You will tell me what I want to know." Raphael's voice, heavy with intended threat, was in his ear, in his head.

'Can't say! Mustn't talk! Can't say!' "It's just an artefact!" he shouted.

The leads were attached to his skin, biting into him like vipers. Vipers that sparked their venom between their heads, poisoning his flesh and flaying his skin in the pathway to its brother.

He wanted to scream, but the pressure of the venom caused his muscles to contract making it impossible to even draw breath. His lungs burned with the need to fill… Still the pressure tightened.

Just before the peace the snakes removed their fangs from his stomach and side. He gasped in a breath, like a drowning man finally surfacing from the watery depths.

The serpents slithered round his bound, helpless body, searching for a new bite point. Raphael stepped into the circle. "Tell me!"

'Mustn't talk! Can't say!' "I've told you everything I know."

The snakes bared their fangs and hissed a warning.

"You're lying."

"No."

The snakes coiled and struck. One attaching to his right pectoral, its twin piercing into his groin. The scream that had begged release before freed from his lips. The venom was turned on, blaring its agony, gripping him in tightness and muting his cry.

He convulsed…and prayed.

Silk whispered through the torture. '…Daniel…'

The light brightened inside the hovel, washing away the shadows and out of the brightness stepped an angel.

She glided towards him. Her warm light flowed, melting away the bonds, freeing him. "You are safe." she whispered.

He knew that silk. "Leesia?"

"I am here." She wrapped her arms around his battered, abused body. Tingles washed over him, replacing his pain with warmth, comfort, with love. "Rest now. You are safe."

Leesia stroked Daniel's hair off his forehead and smiled when he gave a contented sigh in response. His pained whimpers had woken her, but she was glad they had. He had been through so much and she would wake every night if she had to, to talk him out of his nightmare and to fight away his demons. Satisfied that he was now sleeping peacefully, she settled back down and snuggled against his side.

…

Daniel leaned back onto his pillow and winced slightly, holding a breath in tightly as Leesia manipulated his leg into the different stretches that Janet had demonstrated to her.

It was nearly over now. A week after he had got home the nightmares stopped. Another week after that his burns had finally faded to faint silver circles. Another week of physio and he should be fit for active duty again. Yes, it was nearly over.

He had contradicting feeling on his physical therapy. On one hand, it hurt. He was sure his leg hadn't stretched that way even before he was shot. But on the other hand he loved being Leesia's sole focal point for the half hour it took and loved the attention her little loving hands showed him. Of course he wouldn't admitted it. He pouted and complained every morning and evening when it was time. Gripping about being mollycoddled. She merely smiled patiently and firmly told him that there was nothing more that she wanted to do than assist him get well.

He was not used to being looked after, from the tender age of eight years old he had always felt like he had to fend for himself, but now his life was bright with so much love and caring that he felt like he would be blinded by it. He had never know such contentment. He never wanted it to end.

"How is it feeling?" Leesia asked him, as she ease his leg back to the mattress and massaged his tight muscle.

"Fine. A little achy is all." he smiled, suddenly sitting up and grabbing her, pulling her on top of him and wrapping his arms around her. She rewarded him with a sweet giggle.

He brushed the hair away from her face and gazed up at her. "Thank you." he said sincerely. "Thank you doesn't even scratch the surface for how grateful I am."

"It is nothing. I have enjoyed looking after you."

"No, not just for this. Although, don't get me wrong, I really don't know how I would have got through all this without you."

"You would have, with your friends. I cannot take credit for your bravery."

"You're wrong about that, because it was you that gave me the strength. You're the light at the end of the tunnel. I feel like with you I can make it through anything. You make me feel…well, there are no words for how you make me feel."

"The linguist lost for words?" she smiled teasingly.

He locked his eyes onto hers, gazing deeply to hold her attention "…Marry me, Leesia."