"What help do we have?" Sam asked, looking at the General.
"At the moment, none. I've contacted the Asgard and the Tok'ra, as yet we've had no-"
"Unscheduled offworld activation!" Harriman's voice drowned out the General's. Sam and Teal'c were on their feet before the announcement had finished.
"Sir?" Sam asked over the sound of the alarm, desperation creeping into her voice.
"Right behind you, Major," Hammond said, following the others out of the room and down to the control room.
"Sergeant?" Hammond asked when he reached Harriman's side.
"Receiving IDC now, sir. It's the Tok'ra."
"Open the iris." Hammond said.
Harriman complied with the order and seconds later Jacob Carter stepped through the event horizon. Sam ran from the control room and into the gateroom, reaching her father and throwing herself into his arms before he'd reached the bottom of the ramp.
"Hey, Sam," Jacob greeted his daughter, slightly puzzled at his – normally quite reserved – daughter's reaction. When Sam finally pulled out of the embrace Jacob gave her a searching look and said, "George told me about Jack and Daniel. How are you holding up?"
Sam opened her mouth to respond when the gateroom doors opened behind her. She saw a look of disbelief creep into her father's face. "Dad?" She asked turning. Then she saw the cause of his incredulousness. Gracie and Jake had just entered the gateroom with Teal'c.
"Who are they?" Jacob asked, looking from the children to his daughter.
Gracie and Jake had reached Sam's side now and were standing one either side of her, gazing up at Jacob Carter shyly.
"Dad, this is Jake and Gracie." Sam said, dreading this. She hadn't been able to contact her father in the past year and now this?
"Jake and Gracie…" Jacob said, though looking at the children he had a sneaking suspicion who they belonged to.
"O'Neill," Sam said, confirming his suspicion.
"Sam," Jacob said sternly. Something else had struck him about the children. Something about Jake's eyes.
"Mommy?" Gracie said, looking up at Sam.
"Mommy?" Jacob repeated.
Sam nodded, but her attention was on Gracie. "Yes, honey?"
"Is grandpa mad?"
"Grandpa?" Jacob repeated, his voice soft. He realised Sam was looking at him. He knelt down to talk to Jake and Gracie. "I'm not mad," he said, "I'm just a little… surprised. I haven't spoken to your mommy for a while."
Gracie moved away from Sam and hugged Jacob and slowly her brother followed her lead.
Jacob looked up at his daughter, his arms full of O'Neill children. "Sammie? Care to explain?"
"Briefing room, dad."
Once the presence of the two children had been explained to Jacob he seemed to accept it pretty well.
When the explanation of Jake and Gracie was done, Teal'c related what had happened on the mission once more.
"Sounds like you need a ship," Jacob said, "I can't help you there, I'm afraid. Our resources are low. I'll do whatever I can to help get them back, but until we have a ship…" he left the sentence trailing.
"A ship is coming," Gracie said quietly.
"You don't know that, Gracie," Jake said sharply, glaring at his sister.
"I do."
"You don't!" Jake said adamantly. Before Gracie could react the room flashed with brilliant white light. Thor appeared at the head of the table.
"I came as soon as I could." The Asgard said. "I wish to help find O'Neill and Dr Jackson in any way that I can. It would seem that you need a ship. I offer mine."
"Thank you, Thor." General Hammond said, gratefully.
Thor was looking curiously at Jake and Gracie.
Jake sighed theatrically. "For cryin' out loud! I'm Jake, she's Gracie, that's our mom and our dad has managed to get himself in trouble – yet again."
Thor inclined his large head. "The resemblance between yourself and your father is uncanny, Jake O'Neill."
Sam smiled softly, watching a variety of emotions fight for dominance in her son's features.
"So, when do we ship out?" She asked, looking at the General.
"We will need reinforcements," Teal'c said.
"Unfortunately, I have not been given a go for a rescue mission. I'm working on it, but it is felt that it is too much of a risk."
Sam saw Jake open his mouth to speak, indignation written all over his face, she hastened to cut in. "So we're on our own?"
Hammond nodded gravely, "I'm not strictly supposed to let anybody go," he said; "however…" he left the sentence trailing.
"You are powerless to stop an intervention by the Asgard." Teal'c said.
"I am.' General Hammond said.
Sam glanced up into the corner of the room, noticing for the first time that the security cameras that covered the briefing room were switched off.
She looked back down to realise General Hammond was looking at her intently. "I'm not about to lose Dr Jackson and Colonel O'Neill, Major," Hammond began.
"Neither are we!" Jake interrupted, hastening to add, "Sir," when his mother gave him a sharp look.
General Hammond looked amused. "See to it that I don't, Major."
Sam nodded. "Yes, sir.'
"What about us?" Jake asked.
"You're staying here." Sam said sternly.
"I don't think so." Jake corrected, "You need us. You need Gracie, anyway, and she's not going anywhere without me." Gracie and Jake were wearing matching expressions of determination.
"Why would we need Gracie?" Jacob asked his grandson, but it was Sam who answered.
"She knows where Jack is," she said quietly. "Kids, go get ready."
Jake and Gracie rose and left the room.
"Sam, are you sure?" Jacob asked.
Sam nodded. "I'd rather have them where I can see them. And they'll be safe on the ship with Thor."
The Asgard nodded. "It will be an honour to safeguard your children, Major Carter."
"Thank you, Thor. General? Permission to gear up?"
Hammond nodded and Sam and Teal'c rose from the table and left, heading for the SG-1 gear up room.
"My head hurts."
Daniel looked up , startled. "Jack?"
"Daniel?"
Daniel hurried over to his friend's side, hoping to still his movement. Jack's normally tanned skin was ashen, his jaw clenched in pain. As Daniel reached him, Jack pulled himself into a sitting position, Daniel helped him lean against the wall.
"Daniel, we're in a cell." Jack said, looking around.
"Yeah," Daniel admitted.
"Teal'c make it to the gate?"
"Yeah."
"Reinforcements?" Jack asked, his voice weak.
"An energy blast hit the gate after Teal'c went through. I saw the wormhole destabilise."
"No gate?"
"No."
"No reinforcements?"
"No." Daniel said, wincing at the fact that he had nothing to impart but bad news.
"Escape." Jack said, trying to move himself into a better position.
"No." Daniel said.
"No?" Jack looked at his friend, raising an eyebrow.
"You've lost a lot of blood, Jack. There's no way we're getting out of here unless we're rescued."
"Ah…" Jack paused for a moment, "And there's no gate?"
"No."
"Ah."
