So pleased that you enjoyed the toy dialogue and, yes, Jack will most likely add something new to the Aquilian open-trade agreement I'm sure. I can picture Karnak looking through a Toys R Us catalog. I was going to use the final line in this chapter as part of the ending for Chapter 35 but it still seems appropriate here. Thanks so much for your patience and great reviews! I like this story; glad you do too.

Heat Chapter 36

Alayna had just fed the baby and was enjoying a peaceful moment while Kaya slept in the crib next to her bed. She was about to rise, freshen herself, and walk to the surgical ICU to see her husband. She felt guilty that she was not able to return to his side as quickly as she wanted, but these first 24 hours with her newborn had placed many demands on her. Now that the formal visitations had been done and her request for privacy made known, she was ready to resume her place near Karnak. The maidservant would watch the baby and summon her if Kaya wanted to nurse.

A flash of color caught her attention. Someone was waving a bouquet of flowers through the partially opened door. In the next moment, Jack O'Neill's grinning face was peering out from the flowers.

"Hello, new momma. It's Uncle Jack."

He approached Alayna's bedside and gave her a quick kiss on the cheek. She was thrilled to see him looking so well. He was not completely recovered from his injuries but, considering the critical conditions of Karnak and Sam, Jack was remarkably intact. She took the beautiful flowers from his hands and breathed in their delicate fragrance.

"Jack, this is so thoughtful. I believe these varieties were cultivated in the environmental outposts. They will really brighten this room."

Jack smiled down at this lovely woman who was glowing in her new maternal role. "You look terrific. Now, where's that baby?"

Alayna motioned him over to the other side of the bed and he got his first glimpse of Kaya. She was swaddled in a small blanket with some type of woven inscription and her little pink face seemed so serene and calm. Her wild dark hair made him laugh.

"She definitely gets her good looks from her mother."

Alayna chuckled too. "I know you'll find this hard to believe, but Karnak was a handsome rake in his youth and his white hair was as dark as Kaya's … and just as unruly."

Self-consciously, Jack rubbed his fingers through his hair. "I know all about unruly hair. This kid's in good company, until we get her daddy in here with her."

The look on Alayna's face quickly changed; sadness and apprehension replaced her ready smile.

"They couldn't save his leg", Alayna whispered.

"I know. But if anyone can rise to a challenge, he can. He'll be dancing before you know it."

"I want to believe that, Jack. He's still fighting the toxins in his system and they haven't been able to control his fever."

"He's got a big heart. He's gonna make it, and so is Sam."

"Jack, I'm so sorry. I've not had time to even inquire about her. What's the latest?"

"She's in surgical ICU, same area as Karnak. Thanks to a certain nurse, I get to be with her while they kinda do what they're doing to Karnak right now: adjusting doohickeys and IV lines and making lots and lots of notes in charts. Your medical team is confident that they can actually regenerate her spleen; our doctors are here and seem to think it will work also. We've gotten permission from our president for the procedure. Sam, of course, doesn't have a clue of just what's happened to her and what we want to do. I'm hoping that I can tell her before the surgery begins. Dr. Lam is consulting with your docs at this very moment to see if we can wake her briefly and explain the situation."

Alayna was totally attentive to Jack's report. Suddenly, thoughts of Kaya had been replaced with the urgency to connect with Karnak and Sam. The baby was here, healthy and safe. It was time to visit the surgical ICU.

Jack put his hand in the crib and gently patted the sleeping baby. His mood had also changed. This baby reminded him of another birth, another baby. "You're gonna have such an adventure", he said wistfully. Alayna could see the melancholy in his face.

"Do you want to hold her?"

"Oh, gosh, she's sleeping and it's been years since I've held an infant."

"Let me do the hard lifting for you." Before Jack could object further, Alayna got up and scooped the sleeping child from her crib, handing her to him.

He tensed. "I don't want to drop her." The baby sighed, a tiny sound of contentment. Alayna giggled and Jack relaxed. He couldn't take his eyes off this sweet little miracle in his arms.

"I'm surprised she's not crying. I usually have that effect on the opposite sex."

"She knows she's in good hands. 'Uncle Jack', eh? I like that; Karnak will too. In many ways, he thinks of you as the brother he never had."

"Well then I'm doubly honored, to have Kaya for a niece and Karnak for a brother."

"You don't have much family, do you, Jack." It was said as a loving statement of fact. The two couples had been friends long enough to have shared early life histories and Alayna was very aware of the painful loss of Jack's son. She wished that Karnak could see this man holding their child so tenderly right now; it was both brave and touching. She wanted so very much for Jack and Sam to share this same experience one day. She had no doubt that they would make terrific parents.

"No, SG1's been my family." The baby started to stir and Jack found old skills coming back. He started to bounce her and walk a bit. Two dark eyes blinked open and stared at him. He was enthralled.

"Hey, beautiful, come here often?"

Kaya squirmed, scrunched up her face, and started crying.

Jack looked at Alayna in despair. "See? What did I tell you? I really have to work on my pick-up lines."

She laughed and so did he, two friends sharing a private moment over the loud wails of a hungry baby. Jack's presence was the tonic Alayna needed. She took the fidgety baby from his hands and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I guess it's lunchtime, better be going", Jack offered as he turned to leave. Alayna reached out and placed her hand on his arm.

"Jack, we are so blessed to have you and Sam as our friends. You're part of our family now. Why don't I meet you in the surgical ICU after I feed this little one? I want to be with Karnak today but I also want to visit Sam. I want you to give her a message when she awakens."

Jack looked curious but Alayna only smiled back at him and motioned him towards the door. "Let me nurse now. We'll talk in the surgical unit later."

As he walked down the hospital corridor, Jack kept thinking how right it seemed to hold a small baby in his arms again. He could never replace his son but he could certainly make room in his heart for another child, Sam's child, if she felt the same way too. God, she'd make such a beautiful mother. She had so much to give. Their kid would have a brilliant maternal gene pool; on the other side, he would provide fishing poles, toys and stuffed puppies. No little thing. Every kid needs a dog.