Jack, Sam, Adam, Janet, Hammond, Louise and Richie were all seated around the briefing room table talking about the possibility of Thor and Mani finding something out from the tests they'd done on Richie. That was more than likely the reason Thor had contacted them after all, it could also be the reason why they'd want to do more tests on him to confirm their suspicions.
A sudden flash of white light signalled the arrival of Thor and everyone looked over to where Thor was now standing at the opposite side of the briefing room table from Hammond. "Greetings!" Thor said as he bowed his head slightly. He looked up and asked, "Where are Dr. Daniel Jackson and Teal'c?"
Hammond spoke up. "The other half of SG-1 is currently busy at the Alpha site."
Thor nodded his head in understanding.
"Hey, Thor, find anything interesting from the test results?" Jack asked in his usual relaxed manner that always came over clearly in his voice whenever he was speaking to Thor.
"I am afraid to inform you that the test results have led us to the conclusion that neither Major Carter's unborn child nor Richie Ryan has substantial gene advancements to be of any help to the Asgard and our cloning technology." Thor sombrely admitted.
"So why did you ask for Richie to come for some more tests? Wouldn't that be a waste of time if he's not going to be any help." Adam asked in confusion.
"Because I believe there is something Richie and Louise, together, could help us with." Thor blinked and Jack could have sworn that he saw hope within them.
"I don't get it. What can Louise and I do to help?" Richie asked confusion clearly showing in the uncertainty in his voice.
"Both of your genes are more advanced than most humans. Yourself, from Adam and the other candidate and Louise from O'Neill and Major Carter." Thor started his explanation.
"But how could we be of help?" Louise spoke up for the first time since Thor had arrived.
"By combining your genes."
The group looked at Thor blankly for a few minutes before Louise finally spoke up. "Well that's going to be a problem then. You see me and Richie can't have kids, Thor."
"We understand that, Louise. Adam Pierson explained to us while he was aboard the research vessel that immortals are unable to conceive children. That is why the Asgard High Council has agreed to give, as O'Neill would say, 'a helping hand'"
"I don't know about this Thor." Adam jumped into the conversation after seeing the uncertainty on Richie's face. "Richie's still young and it would be a hefty responsibility to care for himself and a child especially if another immortal found out."
"As I understand from what you explained to us, Adam, it was one of your goals to enable immortals to bear children. I am willing to give Richie and Louise that option yet you seem to think it is not wise." Thor tilted his head to the side and gave Adam a puzzled look.
Up until this time, Louise wasn't really paying attention to the conversation. She was thinking over all that Thor was proposing.
"You want me and Richie to have children?" She asked her voice shocked.
"I believe that is what I am saying." Thor replied.
"Oh. Ok." Louise said looking gingerly down at the piece of the paper she'd been doodling on.
"It is our belief that you and Richie would create a child that would be advanced enough to be of help to the Asgard." Thor admitted.
"Ok. Kid? Richie and me? Got that but, I don't know about this." Louise found she could only managed to form basic words and not even whole sentences.
"It was our observation that you and Richie were a couple. It would not be asking too much of you. In fact we believe that it would be something you would be grateful for; the chance of having a family. I have had many conversations with O'Neill about how families are important to humans." Thor once again cocked his head to the side and gained a puzzled expression.
"Thor we've only been a couple for a short while, plus even if we had been a couple for a lot longer it's not something we'd have ever really discussed because it's never been a possibility." Louise didn't know what to do. She could feel her cheeks redden under the watchful eyes of her biological parents and friends not to mention her boss.
Thor nodded his head. "We understand that you would require time to think this option over and we are willing to let you do just that. Although I would just like to state that this would not only help the Asgard it would also result in the advancement of the human race."
"Nothing like putting a little pressure on us." Richie muttered under his breath, making Adam, who was sitting next to him, try to hide a grin that suddenly wanted to take over his features.
"Thor, I believe this is not the correct time to hear a proposal like this." Hammond cut in before anything else could be proposed. "Louise has only just found out that Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter are her biological parents and Mr. Ryan has just found out that Mr. Pierson is his biological father. I would think that that would be enough to think over for one week."
"I do not understand why finding out whose DNA was used in their creations would cause such an issue." Thor stated confused. "If you realised, before hand, that this would be such a momentous event, then why did you insist on knowing about Richie's parentage. In addition, why did you inform Louise that you knew who her biological parents were?"
"Because, Thor, no matter what, we believe they had a right to know." Jack said defending their reasons.
"If that is so I do not understand what the concern is." Thor was still confused. "They know who donated the DNA that enabled their creation. Why is that so difficult for them to comprehend that they would need time to think it through? What has been done cannot be undone. I would think they would be grateful for finding out."
"We are Thor." Louise assured him. "But there are things that we still need to think through. Things like I grew up thinking some other people were my parents until I found out I was immortal. Richie grew up believing there wasn't anyone that would claim him as their own. I need to work through the fact that now I have two sets of parents, one set biological and one set I grew up with. Richie has to deal with the fact that there's going to be someone looking out for him now after all the years he's had to look after himself."
Thor, still not fully understanding what the problem was although Louise had tried explaining it as fully as possible, just blinked his eyes at her and turned to Richie for confirmation of whatever Louise had said was in fact true.
"As you request I will give you as much time as you require to come up with an answer. When you are ready to contact us again you can do so with this device…" just then a small egg shaped device with a button at roughly the centre appeared on the briefing room table in a flash of light. "This is a communication device and will contact me on my ship at anytime. All you have to do is press the button in the centre and talk into the device."
"Just press and talk. Got it!" Jack said picking up the device.
"Colonel, I think it would be best if I held onto the device." Hammond said looking over at Jack pointedly.
"Yes sir." Jack slid the device over to Hammond and everyone noticed the disappointed look that appeared on his face at having to hand over what looked like a cool Asgard communication device, although if anyone asked him he would deny all knowledge of looking interested in any kind of technology that wasn't a weapon.
There was another flash of white light and Thor was gone. Hammond looked around the room at the people still there, noticing that Jack and Sam seemed to focusing their attention on Louise, while Adam seemed to be focusing his attention on Richie. Janet seemed to be worried for all her friends.
"Ok. After everything you've all been through over the past few days I think you all should take a few days off. I don't want to see you until Monday next week."
"Yes sir." was the response of Jack, Sam, Janet and Louise. Adam and Richie still looked slightly shell shocked from Thor's proposal but still managed to mutter a 'yeah' each.
"Dismissed!" Hammond stood up from his seat turning he walked straight to his office not waiting for them to respond to the dismissal.
"Well, looks like we head out then, Carter, you heard Hammond, so no trying to sneak back into you lab. Adam, can you make sure of that?" Jack asked as he pushed himself up from his seat.
"Sure thing, Jack." Adam said still looking dazed.
"There's no way I'm ready to go home just yet. How do you feel about skipping town and going to visit MacLeod for a few days?" Richie asked hoping to get away for a while.
"But, my parents are here." Louise said disappointed.
"Exactly, we could get away for a few days and hopefully by the time we get back they'd have gone." Richie grinned mischievously at her although there was a glint of hope in his eyes.
"No matter how much I wish we could do that, we can't, unfortunately. You've got to settle things with Dad." She looked at him silently saying 'sorry'.
"What's the point?" Richie sighed. "He knows I'm immortal and he thinks I'm putting you in danger with you being part of my life."
"Richie please, just talk to him. We'll explain things to him, he'll understand." No matter how many times she disagreed with her father she still hoped for his approval.
"Ok, but I'm telling you, Louise, there's going to be no way that your father is going to accept me being in your life."
"Errr, What's going on?" Jack couldn't help but ask, as his curiosity got the better of him.
"Well, it turns out Mum and Dad were starting to get worried when I didn't call home to say I was ok. They called Joe to find out if he knew where I was and now they're here. They turned up first thing this morning. Dad wasn't best pleased when he saw Richie because he's a retired Watcher, although that's all that's happened he's already made some first impression."
"Do you feel like back up when you go home?" Jack asked a glint of curiosity about Louie's parents in his eyes.
"Who you got in mind Jack." Richie asked.
"Well, as we're all on down time why don't we go pick your parents up and take them out for dinner. I think they'll feel better if they got to know the people who'll be looking out for you while you're here." His smile was mischievous but his thoughts were on protecting Louise from harm, even emotional harm.
"That sounds like a great idea, but I think you should at least give us some time to get changed into something more suitable, sir." Louise smiled glad for the back up.
"Fine then. Carter, we'll all meet at Richie and Louise's place in say…" Jack quickly glanced at his watch. "Two hours, does that give you enough time?"
"Yes, thank you sir." Sam said smiling.
"I'm not sure if me going is such a good idea. When I was there earlier he seemed to recognise me and if he realises I'm immortal it could get Joe in trouble." Adam voiced his fears.
"Hey, if I'm going to be going then you have to." Janet stated. "If he knows about Richie being immortal there's also be a chance he'll realise I'm immortal too."
"I'm sure it'll be alright, Adam. Plus, I think Richie could use some support other than me." Louise tried to reassure him as much as possible. "And, Dad's a good friend of Joes, there's no way he'll intentionally get him in trouble."
"Fine. I'll come but I'm not going to be best pleased if he finds out I'm immortal." Adam tried to put puppy dog eyes on but couldn't help the fearing the fact slightly.
"Just don't go, A: - drinking too much beer, as it shows your immortal tolerance. B: - waving your sword around and C: - searching for another immortal when you feel a buzz, let the known immortal look and then if there's any danger they'll tell you about it. I think that's going to apply to you too, Janet, until we find out if he knows about you. Apart from the beer part that is." Louise stated.
"Fine, I think I can manage that." Adam grumbled.
"Good, we're all set then, Richie and Louise's place in two hours. Let's get going before the ladies start complaining they don't have enough time to get ready." Jack dodged a playful jab from Janet.
"As I remember from when I was going out in the field with SG1, sir." Sam started. "Wasn't it you that always took the longest to get ready." Sam smirked and Jack sent her a look that would have caused anyone who didn't realise he was joking to run for the hills.
"Enough, let's get going." Jack spat out then quickly made his way to the door with Janet coming up at his side. The others let out a small laugh at Jack's slight discomfort then followed Jack and Janet's lead and exited the Briefing room.
A/N: - Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming. Anyone interested in been a beta e-mail me and let me know as I have lots of stories to be worked on.