"Are you sure about this?" Lydia asked as they walked towards the cafeteria.

"Of course." Max replied, glad for a change of scenery. "I needed to get out and stretch my legs." Evan had been gone for two days and was scheduled to return that evening. While he was away Max had tried to behave herself and stay in bed but in the end she became so restless that she needed a change of scenery or she would've gone stir-crazy.

Lydia glanced at her friend with a raised eyebrow. "But-"

"If you say the words 'Doctor Keller' I might have to hurt you." Max threatened while frowning. But she wasn't worried, Lydia was a slight push-over when it came to pregnant women and the feeling had only increased since she had become one herself. Max knew what buttons to push.

"-what am I going to tell Evan?" Lydia finished calmly, as though Max hadn't snapped at her.

Max shrugged and winced slightly as something twinged; she couldn't wait until all the aches and pains of pregnancy were gone. That and she could finally wear normal sized shoes again. "Nothing, 'cause he's not going to ask when he sees that I'm in bed." She replied as they rounded the corner and the cafeteria doors came into view.

Inwardly Max sighed that they didn't have far to go, she got easily winded after being stuck in bed for three months with not much to do other than grading and reading. Even then she didn't have much grading to do since Jodie was doing the majority of it. Max was glad that she had done well in picking her Athosian helper; the young women loved the children and had been eager to learn, picking it up well.

"I feel like I swallowed a beach ball." She groused, awkwardly sitting down.

"Well it does look like you did." Lydia replied, smiling at the remark. "Are you sure it's not twins?"

"Unfortunately no." Max said, rubbing her back which had been bothering her all day. "No matter how much it would be worth to see the look on Evan's face when he found out he had twins." Noticing that people around them were casting glances towards them her amusement was short lived. "Jeeze, you'd think that people here have never seen a pregnant lady before." She grumbled, feeling her face turn red.

"Relax, they're just surprised to see you up and around since you've been confined for so long." Lydia said, while shooting daggers at those who gawked long enough to make eye contact.

"Yeah well," Max smirked. "you'll get the same when you start to show."

Lydia frowned when she realized that it was true. "Speaking of, I've been thinking."

"I'm gonna regret this aren't I?"

"Hey, when have I ever been wrong? Wait don't answer that." Lydia added quickly when she saw a twinkle in Max's eye.

"What? I wasn't going to say anything." Max replied trying to suppress a grin and failing.

"Yes you were, but we're getting off topic. Let's face it; Atlantis isn't the safest place to raise a family. Have you thought about what'll happen to baby Lorne if both you and the Major buy the farm?"

Max frowned at Lydia's question. She hadn't expected Lydia to bring up the topic but shouldn't have been surprised; her friend was married to the resident dare-devil after all. "No, not really." She admitted.

"Same for us until baby Spunky here entered the equation." Lydia said, slightly sighing. "What I mean is if something happens to both Jay and me...I-we want you and Lorne to look after the tyke."

Max was speechless, not knowing what to say. "I, uh...wow." she stammered after clearing her throat. "I don't know what to say."

"Yes would be nice."

Max smiled, "Of course I would. And I'm sure that Evan would as well."

Lydia beamed at the answer, "That's great. We can have the papers drawn up later after Lorne gets back and we talk to him-what's wrong?" she asked, noticing that Max suddenly looked troubled. Assuming that the thought of Lorne being hurt or killed while on his current mission had crossed her friend's mind Lydia rushed to squish those doubts. "Don't worry, I'm sure that Cadman and Brice wouldn't let anything happen to him and everything's fine."

Max shook her head, "No...that's not it."

Lydia was puzzled, more so than normal. "If that's not then..." she trailed off as realization dawned over her. Her mouth going dry she had to swallow a few times before croaking out, "Oh no."

"Oh yes." Max said, panic replacing pain.

--

"Simple mission my ass." Lorne grumbled from across the room from Cadman, glowering at her.

"Don't blame me. It's not my fault there was a coup between the time we Gated over and walked to the village." Laura said from her side of the prison wall.

Lorne frowned but didn't reply, knowing that the Lieutenant was right. At least aside from a few bruises and cuts they were all relatively unharmed. But that didn't mean that they were out of the woods yet.

They had been greeted on the outskirts of town with not the friendly reception they had expected, but instead at gun point. Once the (not so) welcome wagon had disarmed them, Lorne and his team had been shoved into the usual dank, semi-dark cell while being locked up in chains against the wall.

So far it wasn't anything new to anyone on his team, but after the first two check-in times had passed the Major knew that Atlantis would wonder what was up. But they wouldn't do anything until they failed to come back and they really started wondering what was going on.

Evan just hoped that they sent a team before something bad happened.