"So?" Cassie Fraiser asked, quirking a brow at her best friend. Cassi
O'Neill handed her the piece of paper.
"Omigod" Cassie whispered.
No kidding. Cassi said in her head. It was a familiar feeling, even welcome to Cassie. Her close relationship with Cass went back to when the other girl had died and had been trapped in her friend's head.
"Wow" Cassie said again, looping her arm through her friend's as they headed for the doors.
"What're you going to do?"
The only thing I can do. Cass answered. She had asked Cassie to come with her because she knew the answer she was going to get and she knew she was going to need the support. The girls were nearing 27 years. Cassie, or Fray as Cass called her, had fiinally finnished her college education, with a Ph. D., a few years ago and had immediately been recruited to the SGC. Their technology department had grown by leaps and bounds since the addition, and it was nice for the girls too. Their entire families worked at the SGC, with the exception of Cass's younger siblings, Amanda and Richard (also called Ricky) who were there everyday after school anyway because they couldn't be taken to a regular babysitter's.
The only thing I'm not sure about, is what to tell Makara and Greg. Or Lor and Batai. Or Mom and Dad. Good lord, what am I going to say to Grandpa? Salmek will be furious! Cassie smiled as she climbed behind the wheel of her truck.
"You'll find something to say" she assured her distraught friend, "You always do"
Cass was hoping her friend was right later that night when she sat across the table from her husband of four years. She knew he would be having all the mixed feelings she was having, and wondered which one would be dominant. But when the words had passed her lips, he said nothing. He looked at her, opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His eyes flashed, but Makara could find nothing to say either. They sat there, looking at each other, their joy and excitement clouded over by fear and dread, and a little bit of guilt.
"I guess we'll have to tell your parents" Greg finally managed.
"Oh, that's going to be fun" Cass nodded sarcasticlly.
"It's not like we're going to be able to keep them in the dark" Greg reminded her. She frowned. No, she'd need their help.
"I wish I could just tell Dad, but that won't work will it?" she sighed and layed her head on the table.
"Not unless you want to ostricize your mother" Greg agreed. He reached out and put a hand on his wife's head.
"Hey, it'll work out" he told her, "Somehow" Two days later, they were both hoping he was right as her parents waited for them to say something. Niether of them could find the words and they sat in the den with jaws unhinged like fish.
"You're pregnant!" her father accused her, out of the blue, into the silence. Cass looked at Greg. She hadn't told him privately.
"For cryin' out loud!" Jack exclaimed for their exchanged look was all the confirmation he needed.
"Wait, is that true?" Sam asked. Cass nodded.
"Oh my god" her mother said, looking to the celing, then back at her daughter, "Are you sure?"
"Oh, yes" Cass nodded, "Definately sure" Before any of them could say another thing, Daniel and Janet walked in the door, letting themselves in as usual.
"Hey, guys" Daniel said slowly, they way he did when he realized he'd walked in on something, "What's up?" Teal'c emerged from his room at the sound of his voice.
"Cassi's pregnant" Jack informed him.
"What?" Janet cried.
"Uh, is that possible?" Daniel asked, again in that slow way of his.
"Apparently" Cassi replied.
"Will not the child be plauged with the memories of Makara?" Teal'c asked. Janet was now kneeling beside her "niece", a hand on her stomach and another on her pulse. Greg's eyes flashed.
"The child will be born with my memories" Makara confirmed sadly.
"Cassandra, I want you to come into the infirmary as soon as we get to the Mountain" Janet ordered.
"Cass" Sam interrupted, "What're you going to tell Dad?" Cassi looked at Greg.
The truth she answered, her trepidation leaking into her voice. Two days later, standing in front of the open stargate, she was hoping that trepidation wasn't showing on her face. So far, only Amanda and Ricky had been excited about the addition to their family. Lor and Batai had said little, only that they would follow Salmek's lead. Makara had found this odd, considering they had left the Tok'ra to escape the rigid rules their people had implimented on themselves.
"Hey, kiddo!" Jacob called as he emerged from the wormhole back to his homeplanet. He immediately percieved something was wrong.
"What is it?"
"Maybe you'd better come up here, Jake" Hammond said over the com. Jacob followed his granddaughter up to the briefing room, where her parents and the rest of SG-1 (plus Janet) awaited him. Greg hustled in, looking like he'd barely jumped out of the shower. They all wore solemn expressions and Cassi had the urge to roll her eyes. Was she going to have to suffer nine months of this?
"What's going on here?" Jacob repeated as he took his seat. Hammond had joined them as well, though he was taking a back seat in what appeared to be a family matter.
"Dad..." Sam started, but then didn't finnish. She looked at Cassi, expecting her daughter to finnish, but Cass didn't feel so well just then and didn't dare open her mouth.
"She's pregnant, Jacob" Jack said quickly. Jacob was confused.
"Who?"
"Cassi, Dad" Jacob's eyes flashed immediately.
"You were told not to let that happen!" Salmek exclaimed angrily, turning on Cassi and Greg, "How could you be so irresponsible, Makara? Even you?"
"It's not as if we did it on purpose, Salmek" Makara replied just as heatedly. The situation had the makings of a shouting contest.
"Look!" Hammond said loudly and calmly before anyone else could pick up the arguement, "What needs to be decided now is how to handle the situation" Salmek settled back into his chair.
"There's nothing to be done" he said sullenly.
"Well, that's not true, I mean, there's got to be something to do" Daniel objected.
"The concern is that the baby will be born with the memories of Makara, right?" Sam asked.
"It will be. We know this already" Makara replied.
"I was hoping the inherited telepathic powers would help with that" Cassi admitted.
"Doc?" Jack nodded at Janet.
"It may. There's no way to tell" Janet answered.
"All right, so if it doesn't help, what?" Sam continued. Everybody looked at each other.
"What of genetic manipulation?" Teal'c suggested. Jack gave him a withering look.
"What, take Cass's kid back to the bastards that screwed with her genes in the first place?" he asked.
"No, but Teal'c's right, Jack" Sam countered, "The Asgard might be able to do something, I mean, they certainly have the technology"
"I hate to say this, but, there's always Oma" Daniel added.
"I am NOT giving my child up!" Cassi assured them heatedly, and reinforced the statement with the full sweep of her determination.
"Cass, I know you don't want to, but.........." Sam trailed off.
"It may be the only option" Teal'c finnished. Cassi was seething in her seat.
"Look, the kid's not going anywhere" Jack affirmed, "We'll just figure something else out"
"If the child's inherited telepathy can't handle the memories, I don't know that there will be anything else to figure out, Colonel" Janet told him.
"Why does anything have to be figure out?!" Cassi suddenly cried, "Look, it's our child! I'm sorry to be so human, but I for one am HAPPY that I'm going to have a child! I know it's not going to be easy, I know that if I can't help her there's going to be a difficult decision to make, but it's Greg and I's decision, not yours! It's our kid! None of you have even considered that there's a new life growing inside me! None of you even thought about how this might be a GOOD thing! Oh no, all you can think about is how bad it's going to be! Well you know what? To hell with that!" She suddenly leapt up and stormed out of the room. The door slammed behind her and they could all hear her anger and guilt and fear and joy receding down the hallway.
"She's right, you know" Jacob was the first to say.
"No kidding" Jack agreed. They all felt thouroughly scolded. Even Greg. The door opened and Cassie (Fraiser) stepped in. She took one look at the scene and stopped.
"Oh, you didn't!" she cried, "Oh for cryin' out loud!" She turned and headed the way Cass had gone.
"Omigod" Cassie whispered.
No kidding. Cassi said in her head. It was a familiar feeling, even welcome to Cassie. Her close relationship with Cass went back to when the other girl had died and had been trapped in her friend's head.
"Wow" Cassie said again, looping her arm through her friend's as they headed for the doors.
"What're you going to do?"
The only thing I can do. Cass answered. She had asked Cassie to come with her because she knew the answer she was going to get and she knew she was going to need the support. The girls were nearing 27 years. Cassie, or Fray as Cass called her, had fiinally finnished her college education, with a Ph. D., a few years ago and had immediately been recruited to the SGC. Their technology department had grown by leaps and bounds since the addition, and it was nice for the girls too. Their entire families worked at the SGC, with the exception of Cass's younger siblings, Amanda and Richard (also called Ricky) who were there everyday after school anyway because they couldn't be taken to a regular babysitter's.
The only thing I'm not sure about, is what to tell Makara and Greg. Or Lor and Batai. Or Mom and Dad. Good lord, what am I going to say to Grandpa? Salmek will be furious! Cassie smiled as she climbed behind the wheel of her truck.
"You'll find something to say" she assured her distraught friend, "You always do"
Cass was hoping her friend was right later that night when she sat across the table from her husband of four years. She knew he would be having all the mixed feelings she was having, and wondered which one would be dominant. But when the words had passed her lips, he said nothing. He looked at her, opened his mouth, but nothing came out. His eyes flashed, but Makara could find nothing to say either. They sat there, looking at each other, their joy and excitement clouded over by fear and dread, and a little bit of guilt.
"I guess we'll have to tell your parents" Greg finally managed.
"Oh, that's going to be fun" Cass nodded sarcasticlly.
"It's not like we're going to be able to keep them in the dark" Greg reminded her. She frowned. No, she'd need their help.
"I wish I could just tell Dad, but that won't work will it?" she sighed and layed her head on the table.
"Not unless you want to ostricize your mother" Greg agreed. He reached out and put a hand on his wife's head.
"Hey, it'll work out" he told her, "Somehow" Two days later, they were both hoping he was right as her parents waited for them to say something. Niether of them could find the words and they sat in the den with jaws unhinged like fish.
"You're pregnant!" her father accused her, out of the blue, into the silence. Cass looked at Greg. She hadn't told him privately.
"For cryin' out loud!" Jack exclaimed for their exchanged look was all the confirmation he needed.
"Wait, is that true?" Sam asked. Cass nodded.
"Oh my god" her mother said, looking to the celing, then back at her daughter, "Are you sure?"
"Oh, yes" Cass nodded, "Definately sure" Before any of them could say another thing, Daniel and Janet walked in the door, letting themselves in as usual.
"Hey, guys" Daniel said slowly, they way he did when he realized he'd walked in on something, "What's up?" Teal'c emerged from his room at the sound of his voice.
"Cassi's pregnant" Jack informed him.
"What?" Janet cried.
"Uh, is that possible?" Daniel asked, again in that slow way of his.
"Apparently" Cassi replied.
"Will not the child be plauged with the memories of Makara?" Teal'c asked. Janet was now kneeling beside her "niece", a hand on her stomach and another on her pulse. Greg's eyes flashed.
"The child will be born with my memories" Makara confirmed sadly.
"Cassandra, I want you to come into the infirmary as soon as we get to the Mountain" Janet ordered.
"Cass" Sam interrupted, "What're you going to tell Dad?" Cassi looked at Greg.
The truth she answered, her trepidation leaking into her voice. Two days later, standing in front of the open stargate, she was hoping that trepidation wasn't showing on her face. So far, only Amanda and Ricky had been excited about the addition to their family. Lor and Batai had said little, only that they would follow Salmek's lead. Makara had found this odd, considering they had left the Tok'ra to escape the rigid rules their people had implimented on themselves.
"Hey, kiddo!" Jacob called as he emerged from the wormhole back to his homeplanet. He immediately percieved something was wrong.
"What is it?"
"Maybe you'd better come up here, Jake" Hammond said over the com. Jacob followed his granddaughter up to the briefing room, where her parents and the rest of SG-1 (plus Janet) awaited him. Greg hustled in, looking like he'd barely jumped out of the shower. They all wore solemn expressions and Cassi had the urge to roll her eyes. Was she going to have to suffer nine months of this?
"What's going on here?" Jacob repeated as he took his seat. Hammond had joined them as well, though he was taking a back seat in what appeared to be a family matter.
"Dad..." Sam started, but then didn't finnish. She looked at Cassi, expecting her daughter to finnish, but Cass didn't feel so well just then and didn't dare open her mouth.
"She's pregnant, Jacob" Jack said quickly. Jacob was confused.
"Who?"
"Cassi, Dad" Jacob's eyes flashed immediately.
"You were told not to let that happen!" Salmek exclaimed angrily, turning on Cassi and Greg, "How could you be so irresponsible, Makara? Even you?"
"It's not as if we did it on purpose, Salmek" Makara replied just as heatedly. The situation had the makings of a shouting contest.
"Look!" Hammond said loudly and calmly before anyone else could pick up the arguement, "What needs to be decided now is how to handle the situation" Salmek settled back into his chair.
"There's nothing to be done" he said sullenly.
"Well, that's not true, I mean, there's got to be something to do" Daniel objected.
"The concern is that the baby will be born with the memories of Makara, right?" Sam asked.
"It will be. We know this already" Makara replied.
"I was hoping the inherited telepathic powers would help with that" Cassi admitted.
"Doc?" Jack nodded at Janet.
"It may. There's no way to tell" Janet answered.
"All right, so if it doesn't help, what?" Sam continued. Everybody looked at each other.
"What of genetic manipulation?" Teal'c suggested. Jack gave him a withering look.
"What, take Cass's kid back to the bastards that screwed with her genes in the first place?" he asked.
"No, but Teal'c's right, Jack" Sam countered, "The Asgard might be able to do something, I mean, they certainly have the technology"
"I hate to say this, but, there's always Oma" Daniel added.
"I am NOT giving my child up!" Cassi assured them heatedly, and reinforced the statement with the full sweep of her determination.
"Cass, I know you don't want to, but.........." Sam trailed off.
"It may be the only option" Teal'c finnished. Cassi was seething in her seat.
"Look, the kid's not going anywhere" Jack affirmed, "We'll just figure something else out"
"If the child's inherited telepathy can't handle the memories, I don't know that there will be anything else to figure out, Colonel" Janet told him.
"Why does anything have to be figure out?!" Cassi suddenly cried, "Look, it's our child! I'm sorry to be so human, but I for one am HAPPY that I'm going to have a child! I know it's not going to be easy, I know that if I can't help her there's going to be a difficult decision to make, but it's Greg and I's decision, not yours! It's our kid! None of you have even considered that there's a new life growing inside me! None of you even thought about how this might be a GOOD thing! Oh no, all you can think about is how bad it's going to be! Well you know what? To hell with that!" She suddenly leapt up and stormed out of the room. The door slammed behind her and they could all hear her anger and guilt and fear and joy receding down the hallway.
"She's right, you know" Jacob was the first to say.
"No kidding" Jack agreed. They all felt thouroughly scolded. Even Greg. The door opened and Cassie (Fraiser) stepped in. She took one look at the scene and stopped.
"Oh, you didn't!" she cried, "Oh for cryin' out loud!" She turned and headed the way Cass had gone.