"O'Neill." The tiny gray alien greeted. "We have been monitoring Colonel Carter's health, and we apologize that we have need of your help at the time of your child's impending birth."
"Commander Thor," George said, walking over to the alien. "What do you need? And is there any way I can help you so you can let Jack get back to Sam?"
Another creature with a physiology similar to the Asgard, except that she was obviously a she, stepped out from behind the console. She was no taller than Thor, wore a silver gown that reached her feet, was more of a silver color, and had red, fiery eyes that contrasted with her long flowing brown hair. "I am Jamilijh." She replied.
"Okay, Jenny…" Jack said, purposefully butchering her name.
She considered this for a moment, sharing a look with Thor. Then, she nodded. "This is an acceptable rendering of my name."
"Okay." Jack said, surprised. "Thor…did you want to formally introduce us?"
"I am more than capable of introducing myself." She said, taking a few steps toward him. "I am of the Furlings."
"YOU'RE one of the Furlings?" George Hammond asked, surprised. He'd never been one of the first ones to encounter new alien races, and it got his blood boiling to be a part of the action again.
She nodded, turning to the retired General. "You must be General George Hammond. Thor has told me of his great respect for you."
George turned to Thor, who actually blushed a little at the revelation. "I have great respect for you as well, Thor."
"Thank you." He said, quickly moving to the console.
"I have need of SG-1." Jenny said, walking over to where Thor stood.
"Well…there are only two members who could help at all…"
"You are mistaken, O'Neill." Jenny said, turning to face the man. "You and your wife will be a large part of this as well."
Jack rubbed his forehead. "I know the Asgard have problems understanding this whole…reproduction…thing, but…I don't know anything about the Furlings…"
"We have not encountered the same problems as the Asgard." She said, looking down at the floor.
"Okay…so you know what I mean when I say my wife is down on Earth…in LABOR…right?"
She looked down at her feet, which were clad in tiny silver shoes before turning sorrowful eyes to him. "And you will understand, O'Neill, when I say that my entire civilization is in danger of being erased from existence."
--
Dr. Natalie Brightman walked into the isolation room to find Sam holding her dad and Daniel's hands while Teal'c stood guard outside. "Colonel Carter."
"Dr. Brightman." She said through gritted teeth.
"We're going to check how far along in the labor process you are, but the contractions seem to be nice and strong."
"NICE?" She asked. "NICE?! This is ANYTHING but NICE!"
Natalie placed a soothing hand on her leg. "From what I can tell, you're more than halfway there, but…I'm not one-hundred percent sure."
"Just check!" She ordered.
A few seconds later, Natalie stood. "Okay, Sam, you're at seven and a half centimeters. We just need another two and a half before I can let you start pushing, okay?"
She turned to Teal'c. "Go find out if there's any word on where my husband went…"
He nodded. "Very well, Colonel Carter."
She turned to her dad. "I know this wasn't exactly the plan, but…thanks for being here…"
"Anytime, kiddo." He said, rubbing her arm gently.
"You too, Daniel." She said, turning to him.
"Hey…we're practically family…they'd have to fight me away…"
She gave a small smile as she felt another pang of longing for her husband. The one person she wanted there that wasn't there.
"Sam, if any of us could change places with him with just a wish, there'd be several of him." Daniel reassured.
She nodded. "Thanks."
--
President Henry Hayes was a fairly cool and level-headed guy. Sure, he'd thought the Stargate program had been a joke to begin with, and he'd blinked more than once when one of his vice president's staff members placed some rather incriminating evidence against his running mate on his desk, but overall, he could keep his head in stressful situations.
His secret service, on the other hand, was a little…overprotective. So, when he was beamed away from a meeting with the Joint Chiefs of the Air Force, all hell broke loose in the White House.
--
"What the hell just happened?!" He asked, as he reached the Asgard ship.
"Mr. President." Jack said, smiling as he greeted the man. "We have a matter of national…even world…security to discuss with you."
"Jack! Long time no see! How ya doin'?"
"I'm good." Jack said, nodding. "My wife's on Earth having a baby, but other than that, I'm GREAT."
"And you're here?!" Henry asked, surprised.
"Thor hasn't let me go yet."
"President Hayes." Thor greeted, bowing to the man.
"Thor!" He said, looking a great deal like Jack. "Nice to see YOU too!"
"Mr. President." George greeted.
"George! Wow, this must have been a fun party to plan…"
"Yes, sir…it was." Jack said, turning to Jenny. "This is Jenny. She's a Furling. Jenny, this is our President."
"Mr. President." She said, bowing before him. "It is an honor to meet the leader of such a…resourceful planet."
"I'm just the leader for one nation…" He corrected gently. "And we have damn good people actually running the program." He said, motioning to Jack.
"This I have noticed." She said, nodding to Jack in respect.
"Mr. President, I would like to temporarily take Jack's place. Let him go back to be with his wife…"
"O'Neill and his wife are necessary for the formation of our alliance." Jenny said, her eyes flashing in annoyance.
"Wait a minute here, folks! What alliance?"
"The Furlings here, are apparently on the brink of utter annihilation and would like our help. However, they don't do business with people unless they have an alliance with them…"
"And…you're here because?" The President asked, confused.
"An alliance can only be brokered through another race. A time-treasured ally, such as the Asgard."
"Ah."
"And the Asgard will only deal with SG-1."
"Well, that's not exactly true…" General Hammond said, to clarify. "I've dealt with the Asgard as well…"
"So have I." The President offered.
"But only O'Neill carries the gene that shows the advancement of the human race."
"What?" Jack asked, surprised.
"The Ancient gene?" General Hammond queried.
"Yes." Thor nodded.
"There are dozens of people with that gene!" Jack protested.
"But they are not currently residing within your galaxy."
"So? We have a way to get 'em back home."
Thor sighed. "O'Neill. I am sorry that this has happened at this time, but we must have you and your team for the finalization of the alliance."
"When is this supposed annihilation supposed to take place?" Hayes asked, his "problem solving" hat on.
"The ships will arrive within the day."
"Calling on us a little late, don't ya think?" Jack asked, sarcastically.
"What enemy are we dealing with?" Hammond asked, strategically focused.
"They are of our own creation." Jenny said, obviously shamed that she had to say such a thing.
"Excuse me?" Jack asked, his eyebrows shooting up.
"We had heard of the Asgard problems with reproduction."
"Oh…this does NOT bode well…" Jack said, wincing.
"We began genetic experiments, and slowly, we began to believe that we had made great advances…"
"Great advances, you say?" Jack asked, faking a sense of interest.
"O'Neill." Thor said, prompting the man's silence.
"Sorry, Thor."
"We created a race of beings that were similar to the Asgard's original physiology and yet could maintain their massive intellect."
"Wow…"
"It was a feat we had begun celebrating when they turned upon us."
"Wait…what?"
"We had downloaded the consciousnesses of many Asgard into the bodies of these individuals believing that there would be no backfire. That the Asgard and their genetic alters would thank us for the work we had done on their behalf."
"Didn't happen, did it?"
"No, it did not. The alters were…aggressive."
"Aggressive?"
Thor looked over at them. "The hormones we had found in your genetic makeup were…given in greater dosage believing that we would need to make up for the larger amount of intellect…"
"You were working on this too, Thor?"
"It was my alter in which this…flaw…was discovered."
"YOU had an alter?"
He nodded, stealing a glance at Jenny. "I felt compelled to…be very involved in this project."
Jenny looked down at the floor, shamefully. The interchange did not go unnoticed.
"So…you two are…"
"Before the Asgard found themselves in their current position, Thor and I were…" She paused, unable to bring herself to say the word.
"We were lovers, O'Neill." Thor finished.
Jack's eyes widened. He'd NEVER thought he'd see the day.
"Really? Well, that's…Lovers, ya say?"
"Than you both know what it's like for Colonel Carter at this momentous time. She needs Jack." George said, sincerely. "Take me, take the rest of SG-1, but leave Jack behind."
Thor looked at Jenny before they both nodded. "All right."
"Thanks, buddy…" Jack said, not without a sigh of relief.
"We will, however, require Dr. Jackson and Teal'c." Thor responded.
"You got 'em, buddy…they are SO here!"
"We will, however, still need you and Colonel Carter for the formalization of the alliance." Jenny repeated.
"We'll be there…in a few weeks…after we've got your problem under control. Thor, buddy…ya wanna hit that button, yet?"
Thor nodded in acquiescence, and suddenly, Jack was by his wife's side while Daniel and Teal'c found themselves onboard the ship. "Uh…hi…Thor…General Hammond, Mr. President…"
"This is Jamilijh." Thor began.
--
As Teal'c walked into the room, bearing the sorry news that Jack had not been heard from yet, he and Daniel were beamed out of the room. "DAMM-" She began, before a familiar hand took hers. "Sorry I was gone so long, Sam. But Thor and Jenny decided to brief the President…on Thor's ship…"
"You're here!" She cried, throwing her arms around his neck. "You're really here!"
"Yes, I am." He said, holding her close.
--
Thor beamed General Hammond and the President back to Earth, and within a few minutes, Jenny, Thor, Daniel, and Teal'c were on their way to the Furling Homeworld. It wasn't very long before they saw another ship in the distance. "I wish for you to try to reason with these creatures."
Daniel took a deep breath. "Do what?"
"Speak to these creatures. They are the Asgard's top minds, so they must not be too difficult to reason with, and I am told that you have a remarkable gift for persuasion, Dr. Jackson."
"What happens if they shoot me?" He asked, raising his hand. "Just a question…"
"I will send you by hologram."
"Of course you will." Daniel said, biting his lip. "Okay…beam me up Scottie!"
"I am unfamiliar with your phrase, Dr. Jackson."
"Never mind…just…send me on over…"
--
"Okay, Sam, you're at a ten…you can go ahead and push now."
Her body began pushing of its own volition. "I'm pushing, dammit!"
"You're doing so great, Sam." Jack gushed as she squeezed the life out of his hand. "Come on…you can do it…"
--
"Uh…hi…" Daniel said, as the hologram focused, and he saw a man in the ship. "I'm Daniel Jackson."
"I know who you are." The baritone voice answered clearly. "I am Thor, supreme commander of the Asgard Fleet."
"Uh…that's what I wanted to talk to you about…"
The man stepped out of the shadows, and Daniel gasped. It was…Jack…
"Uh…wow…I didn't realize how, uh…close you were to Jack…"
"His body was the closest thing to our perfect model." He said, stepping toward the projection.
"Ah…"
"I know why you're here."
"You do…well, that's great…"
"You want me to give up my fight against the Furlings."
"That'd be nice."
"I will not." He said, turning, his fur cape flying in the wind triggered by his movement.
"Look…I know it's probably not any of my business, but I think you have a reason for attacking this planet…why don't you just tell me what it is."
"I do not believe you would understand."
"Trust me…I've seen quite a few things in my life…"
"Then, you will understand when I tell you that this is a story of betrayal."
"Betrayal? That's…that's actually a VERY common way to start a war…"
"She created me so that she could love me…but she never stopped loving him…"
"Thor." Daniel said, turning to face the others behind him. "Jenny created YOU to carry his consciousness, yet…she never stopped loving him…"
"You have indeed seen much, Dr. Jackson."
"Thor…you have to understand…"
"No, Dr. Jackson, YOU must understand. If that was not enough, the woman that I love will live for thousands of years, of her own strength. My consciousness has only survived that long by placing myself in a new body every time I was ill…I will NEVER be with her until she dies. He may be, but I…I will never stay that long…"
Daniel looked at the man in a new light. "This happened against your will…"
He shook his head. "No. But I did not understand what I was getting myself into. Now…my race will be forced to endure it. In the name of survival, we will submit ourselves to death once more…"
Daniel just looked at the man. "I'm…I'm sorry…"
"My body is not my own," He said, flexing his fingers. "My love…does not love me, and…I can only look forward to being second best until my other self dies. If that day ever truly comes…"
"So…you're going to destroy her."
He shook his head. "No…I could never bring myself to do so. But I need to convince the Council that there is something gravely wrong with the genetics."
"Or they'll keep trying this line of experiments…"
He nodded.
"I think there's someone you need to talk to." He said, getting off the pedestal for a moment. Suddenly, Thor was before himself.
"Thor."
"Thor."
"I understand that you are unhappy as the alter."
The alter rolled his eyes. "What gave you that impression?"
"You have chosen to exhibit some of O'Neill's…stranger habits."
"You made me look like him…why should I not act like him?"
"Are you unhappy that I chose for you the greatest form of the humans?"
"I want to look like myself. If not like you, then like the man I was several hundred years before this happened!"
"You know as well as I do that there was no remnant of the body left over. Before our mistake was discovered, we cast aside the bodies of ourselves with little regard to its study."
"Then, you should have allowed Jamilijh to use her knowledge of genetics to reproduce me in the manner that SHE remembers. She refuses to come near me…"
Thor was stunned. His feelings for Jamilijh had softened so that he would not have responded in such a jealous fashion. "I do not understand…"
"She created me so that she could love me…and yet, she loves you…"
Thor's large black eyes were filled with understanding. "Allow me to leave you for a moment."
"I have no choice…"
--
Sam gritted her teeth as she pushed for what seemed the zillionth time.
"Okay, Sam…take a few deep breaths and relax for me, okay?"
She nodded, feeling the sweat roll down her face.
"Sam, you're doing GREAT!"
She just breathed as she held Jack's hand, and closed her eyes, trying to focus her energies on relaxing.
"Okay, Sam…you ready?"
She nodded before Jacob and Jack helped her to lift herself and push again.
--
The hologram started again. "Thor." The gentle voice of Jamilijh began.
He looked up. "Jamilijh."
"It is me."
"Why do you come here?"
"Because I have refused to look at you. I knew that this happiness may never last, and I was afraid to allow myself to feel you in my arms again."
"It will not last." He said, punching the console. "I have less life than you do…"
She shook her head. "That is not true, my love."
He turned. "What?"
"That is not…"
He stopped her with the wave of his hand. "No…what did you call me?"
"My love." She said, with tenderness.
"Oh, my Jamilijh. I have missed you these few months."
"And for that, I am deeply sorry. But I had been afraid."
"Of what?"
"Of the emotion I had learned not to feel."
"Why?"
"I am ill, Thor. I have reached the last century of my life…"
"As have I." He said, wishing he could touch her face. "Will we not live that last century together?"
"Let down your shield." She ordered.
"What?"
"Let down your shield."
Thor looked to the console and then to the place where the hologram had stood. He finally let down his shields.
Just then, a flash of light momentarily blinded him, and before he could recover, he felt two arms snake around his neck, and a mouth reach longingly for his lips.
"My love." He whispered before giving into the sweet ecstasy that had been his, and would be his again.
--
On the other ship, Thor turned to Daniel and Teal'c. "We…must return you to your planet." He sighed.
"Thor…"
"Yes, Dr. Jackson?"
"You did a really nice thing back there."
He looked at the floor, showing the most of the little emotion the Asgard did show. "She deserved better than me…and now…she has more than I can give." He said, turning back to the console.
--
"I see the baby's head!" Natalie said, excitedly. "Now, just a few more pushes."
Sam pushed again.
"Another."
There was another push.
"Just one more…"
Sam groaned as she pushed with the last of her strength. A baby's wail filled the room as Natalie pulled it from Sam's womb.
"It's a girl!" She said, joyfully.
Sam began crying tears of joy as Jack placed his forehead against hers, following the tender gesture with a kiss.
A few minutes later, Grace Evelyn O'Neill was resting in her mother's arms.
"She's so beautiful." Sam said, tiredly.
"Yes…yes, she is…" He said, before kissing her again. "Thank you, Mrs. O'Neill."
"You helped." She said, chuckling.
"Ah…but you just delivered a perfect baby…"
She nodded. "She is perfect, isn't she?"
"She's got ten fingers, ten toes, one mouth, a nose, two ears, two eyes…of course, she's perfect." He said, gliding his finger over his newest daughter's tightly closed fist. "Absolutely perfect."
That night, Sam and Jack slept in the isolation room with Grace, while Jacob went back to the O'Neill house, bringing the news of the baby's arrival with him.
So, at seven-thirty in the morning, Suzie bounded into the isolation room, balloons in one hand. "Hi, MOMMY!" She cried, happily.
Sam, who had been awoken by the SFs when Cassie, Jacob and Suzie pulled into the parking lot, turned to her daughter. "Hi, sweetheart." She whispered.
"Why are you whispering?"
"Because your daddy and the baby are still sleeping."
"Can I hold my baby sister?" She asked, quietly.
"In a little while. But how about you sit up here with me…"
"Okay."
Jacob, Daniel, Teal'c, and Cassie walked into the room, each carrying a miscellaneous article. "Congratulations, Sam!" Daniel said, giving her a hug.
"Thanks, Daniel." She said, grinning. "If you all can wait a few minutes, I'll let Suzie hold Grace and then…you'll each get turns…"
Jack awoke quickly. "Whoa…"
"Hey, sleepyhead." Sam teased. "Wanna bring the baby over so the newest big sister can hold her?"
He blinked, erasing the sleep from his eyes as he nodded. He picked Grace up and carried her over to where Suzie was waiting. "Say hello to your big sister, Grace." He said, tenderly.
"She's my baby sister?" Suzie asked, looking up into her dad's eyes, the baby sitting in Jack's hands on Suzie's lap.
"That's right." Sam said, proudly watching her daughters together. "You can give her a kiss on the forehead if you want…just be careful."
She nodded, solemnly before leaning over and kissing the baby's forehead. "I love you." She whispered. "And you're going to LOVE mommy and daddy! And Cassie, and Uncle Daniel, and Uncle Teal'c, and Grampa, and Uncle George! You're just going to love EVERYBODY!"
Jack turned to Sam with a grin. He winked at her before looking back at Suzie, still prattling on about the things she was going to teach her baby sister about. It was then that Jacob, Cassie, Daniel and Teal'c realized that they were seeing something Sam and Jack hadn't even dared to dream of only a few years earlier: a family. Their OWN family.
That's all, folks! Hoped you enjoyed it...three part Epilogue and all! Read and review if you please!