The corridor was full of injured people…SG personnel, Priors and Ori. It was as SG1 plus General O'Neill were making their way to the infirmary the Sam had a thought.

"Daniel!" She said stopping dead and causing traffic jam.

"What? What do you need?"

"The machine…it's still running. We need to get somebody up to the Auxiliary Control Room to watch over it. Send Siler…Holy Hannah!" She bent over at the waist, teeth grinding, hands supporting her on her bent knees.

From that position she continued, "Dr Lee can go, once they let him back down here. I don't know what will happen if the device shuts off. I don't know if the Ori will re-Ascend or if the link will be reestablished with the Priors…I think it's keeping other Ori from showing up…damn damn damn."

"Samantha, get through the contraction, then give orders will ya?" Jack asked rubbing her low back.

"It's easing off…I'm okay. I don't know how much power the little ZPM has so I can't tell how long the machine will run…I don't even know if there is an off switch…" they waited for what felt like hours until she stood back up. "Okay, there, that's better."

"Sam, don't worry about the machine. You just concentrate on having those babies." Daniel was concerned about Sam's sanity.

They continued on towards the infirmary. There was chaos in there too. Nurses, doctors and non-injured personal were flying around the room patching up prepping and trying to stop bleeding. Caroline saw them in the doorway and yelled.

"If you aren't bleeding or here to help, get out!"

"No bleeding, but does labour count?" Sam asked.

"Oh damn!"

The petite doctor looked around at the mass of people bleeding or otherwise injured. She was trying to do fifteen things at once.

"My office. Get her into my office, there's a gurney by the door. Take that with you. Get her undressed and I'll be there to see what's going on!"

'Why did all the tiny doctors have Napoleon complexes?' Jack thought.

"Caroline…" Sam really didn't want to tell her this now, but she figured she had to. "I'm pretty sure I've been in labour since yesterday."

"What?" Small panic, not enough to cause distrust amongst the patients, but enough to let Sam know this should have been mentioned before.

"I think you might have mentioned this earlier Samantha…" Jack said with a little sarcasm in his voice.

"We were a little busy at the time, but do you think we can have this conversation later? Damn Damn Damn." The contractions were one after another.

"We'll get into the office and get ready. Let's go Colonel." Jack led her into the small room that Caroline had pointed out.

Vala had the hand device and without a word to anyone she started treating the worst of the injured. Caroline had turned back to the people around her, now including SG1 and started issuing commands. Until they opened up the mountain this was the only medical help that they had.

Jack pushed the gurney into the office as Sam started to undress. She needed a hand up and once she got there Jack propped her up with pillows and an ortho wedge he'd found in the treatment room. Jack decided that now was the time to take a look.

He draped a blanket over her knees and helped her slide towards the end of the gurney. He looked. Then he cursed.

"Samantha, I don't want to cause a panic, but I see the top of a head here."

They both yelled at the top of their lungs, "Caroline!"

The doctor came in. She was covered in the blood of the soldiers that had so recently defended Earth. She'd been able to wash her hands, but that was all.

"What's the situation down there General?"

"She's crowning."

"Damn…I've got a couple of guys out here that really need me…" Caroline was swiveling her head between Sam and the people outside.

"I've delivered a baby before." Jack said. "On the L in Chicago. It was snowing."

He stood and started stripping off his clothes. The vest and long sleeve shirt ended up on the pile where Sam's clothes had landed.

"Go, Caroline. We'll be okay in here. Just put on one of the head phones. If we get into trouble we'll shout."

Jack left the room. He wasn't gone long and when he came back Sam could see that he'd scrubbed his arms.

"We might need help…the nurses are pretty busy…would it be okay if…"

Sam was having another contraction and the urge to push was overwhelming.

"Get Daniel!" She yelled.

"Okay, one archaeologist, coming right up."

He stuck his head back out of the door and yelled. "Dr Jackson! Front and centre."

Daniel made his way over to the office.

"What can I do?"

"We need your help in here."

"Wrong kind of Doctor Jack…shouldn't Caroline be in there?"

"She's a little busy right now. I've delivered one baby before; you've delivered a baby before that makes two babies between us. She's having twins so I figure its better that the two of us do this than just me."

"But Jack…"

"Ah gentlemen, I'm going to push now and somebody had better be there to catch my baby."

Sam was soaking wet with sweat and nearly white with pain. This baby was coming and there was nothing that they could do but give it a little helping hand.

Daniel grabbed her hand and Jack pulled up Caroline's desk chair so that he was nearly eye level with the gurney. He steadied himself to look again. There was more than just the top of a head now.

"Caroline." He said into his headset.

"Yes General."

"We've got the tips of the ears now."

"Well, tell Sam it's time to push. Get Dr Jackson to grab some towels off of the cart just outside the door. You'll probably need a surgery kit too."

"Whoa…what do you mean by that?"

"You'll need the clamps for the babies' umbilical chord and the scissors to cut them with."

"Oh, okay." Jack switched his focus. "Daniel, Caroline says to grab some towels and a surgery kit. We'll need clamps and things. Samantha, she said that it's time to push."

"Ya think?" Sam was so ready.

"When the next contraction hits, push Samantha!" Jack said.

It hit and she pushed. Daniel returned to the room, dropped the stuff he was carrying onto the desk and grabbed Sam's hand.

"You can do this Sam." Daniel told her.

"Yeah, but can I?" asked Jack from under the blanket.

"You have the easy part Jack….just catch…son of a…."

Another contraction and Sam pushed. She was almost completely upright and growling deep in her throat. Daniel was a little scared.

"Oh, by the way, I found Siler and sent him to level 16."

"Good, good…" Sam panted.

"One more time Carter…" Jack called out from the end of the bed.

"Do you really think that you should be calling me Carter now? You did this to me!"

"Yeah well, not much I can say, but 'you're welcome'."

Sam let go with a bellow that rattled the walls.

Jack watched in awe as the baby that he and Sam had created slipped from her body into his arms. He caught the baby and cradled it to his chest. He gasped. The baby was perfect. Brown hair, a wrinkled up little nose, pursed lips and whoa, something was missing!

"Jack? What's wrong Jack!" Sam cried.

He hadn't said anything, she was scared.

"Nothing's wrong Samantha…she's perfect."

"Did you say she?"

Jack was staring at the baby in his arms. It was a girl. Jack didn't break his gaze, even when Daniel handed him a squeezy thing to clear the baby's mouth and nose. Once that was done, Jack's daughter opened her indigo eyes, looked at him and let out a cry that could be heard into the next room. In the instant she had opened her eyes, Jack knew. She was the little girl from his 'dream'.

"Hello again." He whispered and bent to kiss her head.

Tears were falling down his cheeks and when he finally looked up he saw tears on Daniel's face as well. Daniel held out a towel and after Jack clamped and cut the chord, he handed his daughter over to the only man he'd trust with her.

Daniel looked at the little girl he now held. She was perfect. He quickly wiped at the gunk that covered her and made his way up the bed to hand her over to her mother.

"Here. Just for a minute, you aren't quiet done yet…"

Sam took the baby. A girl? Her heart exploded with the love it felt for this tiny person. She was supposed to be a he. Sam had been sure that she was carrying two boys. What a surprise, a miracle.

Daniel ran to the door and yelled for everyone to hear.

"It's a girl!"

Cheers roared throughout the room. After a day filled with death, everyone was so happy to hear about the new life.

Caroline came running over.

"Is everything okay in here?" She came over to look at Sam. She did a quick exam and smiled. Mother and daughter looked fine.

"Jack, the other one is coming now!" Sam growled. "Daniel, you need to take the baby."

Daniel grabbed the little girl and got ready for the next round.

Teal'C heard Daniel's shout and looked around. He was finished with the latest patient and when he met Caroline's eyes, he was happy to see her gesture with her head towards the office.

The Jaffa nodded. He turned and made his way to the room where the newest members of his family were entering the world.

Daniel was the only one who noticed Teal'C enter. He walked over and offered the towel wrapped baby to the Jaffa.

Teal'C took the baby in his arms. He could see both of his friends in the beautiful turn of the infants face. She had O'Neill's colouring, Colonel Carter's nose and mouth. When she opened her eyes he saw that those were the Colonel's as well. She was perfect and he told her so in the language of his people.

"You come from strong warriors my little one. Your father, your mother and her father have been the best people I have ever known. I pledge, to you and to the child that you share a womb with, I will always care and teach you…I will be your friend and your mentor. I will love you as if you were my own."

He could hear Colonel Carter's grunts and moans as she brought forth the second of her children. Daniel Jackson held her hand while O'Neill studied the situation beneath the blanket.

"It's okay Caroline…I see a head…bald but I'm pretty sure it's a head." Jack was talking to the doctor that was still saving lives in the other room.

"What is it Jack?" Sam asked.

"Caroline was just checking…a lot of times the second baby of a multiple birth can come out breech. It looks like we got lucky."

"Yeah lucky…" Sam groaned and grunted.

She was at the push stage again. Jack watched as ears appeared, disappeared and then reappeared. This one wasn't in as much of a hurry as its older sister had been. Jack could see that Sam was fatiguing. Her spirit was willing but the flesh was tired.

"Okay you can do this…you battled a Super Soldier, you can do this!"

"The Super Soldier wasn't trying to rip its way out of my body. It was simply trying to kill me. I think I prefer the Soldier!"

Jack looked up at her. She was beautiful. He'd seen her do the most incredible things, blow up a star, face down a battalion of Jaffa, fire a P90 at thousands of mechanical bugs, but right now, she was the strongest he'd ever seen her. His warrior…she humbled him.

"Jack, I want this baby out…NOW!"

"Okay, okay, I know, but you have to push."

"I'm pushing…if I pushed any harder I'll launch this baby into orbit!"

"You're tired, I know, but you can do this."

"How do you know what I can do?"

"Because I know you…better than you know yourself."

"Oh sure, then how come it took nearly ten years for you to sleep with me?"

"Okay, so not the time or place for this discussion."

"I don't care! It's only Daniel and Teal'C; and they're probably wondering the same thing."

Jack didn't know what to do. Truth be told he was sure that Teal'C and Daniel probably had wondered why Jack had waited do long. He just didn't want to go into it right now.

Sam did.

"So answer me!" she growled as she bore down again.

"You know why…frat regs." Jack responded.

He hoped, for everybody's sake that this baby came soon. Otherwise they were going to have a very private discussion in a very public place. Caroline was still on the headset.

"Bullshit!" she was panting and lying back against the pillows.

"Come on Samantha…focus. You have the most intense concentration of anybody I've ever met…focus on this."

"I can't."

"Yes you can. You can do this, because you have to."

Another contraction hit. Sam screamed as it ripped through her. She felt Jack's hand on her thigh and as the pain crested she felt Daniel reach around her and support her. The contraction ebbed and she felt her body drain of strength. The next one hit almost immediately and instead of screaming or crying she just whimpered.

Daniel helped her upright. He held onto her and cheered her on.

"Come on Sam. You can do this. Just a couple more and it'll be over."

"I can't Daniel, I can't."

"If anybody can you can."

"No, no I can't."

"Come on Samantha, push."

She tried, but she was tired.

"General, is the second baby here yet?' Caroline asked in Jack's ear.

"No doc, and Samantha's getting really tired."

"Is there any bleeding? More than before?" She asked.

"I don't think so."

"Just keep her going. I'll be in there as soon as I can."

Caroline was worried too. Sam was strong, but a woman could only do so much.

"It's only been a half an hour since the last baby was born. She hasn't had time to rest, so it's difficult. That's why, a lot of times, multiple births are done by C-section."

"Do you think that'll be necessary?"

"I hope not. She's almost there…she just needs to dig deep down."

Jack was stroking her thigh. He wanted to be where Daniel was, holding her, giving her strength, loving her, but there was no way he was moving. The joy of catching his daughter was more than he'd ever experienced, and he was going to get a second chance at that.

Daniel could see that Sam was losing it. She was far too tired to do this. He rubbed her back and whispered encouragement. He felt another contraction start when she began to tense up. She was so weak in his arms…he'd never though of Sam as weak.

Sam moaned. She rolled her head against his shoulder, her eyes closed.

"Push Sam, come on!"

"No, I can't. That's it. No more." She lay there not fighting the pain.

Teal'C had seen enough. He walked up behind Jack, and saw the baby's head almost completely out. Sam was very nearly there.

"Colonel Carter." He barked in his best First Prime voice. "This is not the time to give up."

Sam opened her eyes to see the big man holding a blanket wrapped bundle that was her daughter. Her little girl needed her. Teal'C had taken the baby out to the exam room and washed her, he had found a towel that was to serve as her daughter's first diaper, but Sam knew, as one of her first motherly instincts, that her daughter would soon need to eat. If Sam didn't deliver the second baby, she wouldn't be able to take care of the first. The baby was already making little mewling sounds.

"You need to finish this." Teal'C had lead many through battle, but none as tough as this.

Sam looked around her. Her family. Jack, Daniel and Teal'C were there to give her strength. She took it and dug way down deep. With a force that came from deep within Sam pushed and the second baby slid out into its father's arms.

"Oh my God!" Jack gasped.

In his arms was a bald, red and wrinkly angel. He couldn't believe it. They had another girl!

"Jack?" Sam whispered weakly.

"Well, I hope you weren't set on blue…we have another girl Samantha."

She lifted her head off of Daniel's shoulder to have a look, and sure enough, Jack held out a second beautiful little girl. He'd clean out her mouth and nose and the little one opened her eyes. Sam had seen those eyes once before…on the bridge of the Prometheus.

"We didn't come up with girl names, Jack."

"Well, your mom's name was Madeline…I think Teal'C is holding our little Madeline."

Sam smiled, she was so tired. "Only if you are holding our little Moira…we'll name her after your mom."

"Okay…we'll let the guys choose their middle names? They are uncles after all."

"Sure…"

"Daniel, you first"
Daniel thought less than a second. "Moira Janet O'Neill."

This time everybody in the room sniffed. It was a fine tribute to a fine lady.

"T?"

"I think that this little one should be called Madeline Shar'e O'Neill."

Daniel smiled as both Sam and Jack agreed whole heartedly.

"Thanks Teal'C. She would have been proud."

"She was a strong, good woman."

"That she was." Sam said.

Jack looked at his family. His life was now complete.