Aeire

Two weeks later, King Raurí was beginning to gain back his health. He was able to leave his bed for short periods of time and was getting ready to resume his position as active ruler. Ashling was pleased with the turnabout in her father's health and furious with Iollan for attempting to kill him. She neither confronted Iollan nor informed her father of the cause of his illness. Daniel had persuaded her to hold off until after the birth of the baby, only about six weeks away.

Ashing laid down the sewing she was doing. She really had little patience for the tedious work, but the baby had to have something to wear. She tried to push herself out of the chair, but couldn't quite get enough leverage to accomplish that feat.

"Why did my mother do this so often?" She mumbled out loud to her stomach. "You'd better be cute to make all this worth it!"

Daniel opened the door to their room and caught his wife muttering and trying to get up. He hid a grin behind his hand and a faked cough. She'd already smacked him several times for laughing at her. "Um, you need some help?"

"Yes, damn you. You're the one who did this to me!" She shook her finger at him. "You come over and help me up so I can make another trip to the privy."

"How about I just cut a hole in your chair and put a pot under it?" Oh, Jackson,that was stupid. Now you'll probably find yourself shoved out of bed in the middle of the night.

"Daniel Jackson! If you don't get me out of the chair in two seconds, I'll be getting my bow and arrow after you again. Only this time it won't be your arm I'll be aiming for!" She glared meaningfully to a spot south of his belt.

"Yes, ma'am! Right now." Daniel moved quickly to help her up and tried to placate her with a kiss on her forehead.

"That's the kind of nonsense that got me into this mess in the first place, so don't try to soften me up, husband, because it won't work." She shuffled off out the door, muttering, "Probably wear a damned rut in the floor between here and the privy before this child is born."

Daniel broke out in a huge grin, until she turned to glare at him as she left the room. Then his expression went innocently blank.

That evening her father joined the family for dinner in the main hall. Iollan took his place on the king's left, with Ashling on his right. He clearly wasn't back to full health, but he was so much better and unmistakably happy to be out of his room.

Daniel kept an eye on Iollan during the meal and noticed his occasional furtive glance at one of the guards posted by the door. Daniel also watched to make sure Iollan didn't come anywhere near the king's food. Ashling was just so pleased to have her father on the mend that she didn't pay any attention to what her brother was doing.

King Raurí turned to Iollan. "I've been told that all your younger sisters have been secluded in prayer for my health. Don't you think it's about time that they come back home. After all, it appears that I have eluded the Otherworld one more time."

Daniel watched as a flicker of anger passed over Iollan's face. "I'll have my men send for them tomorrow. They're several days journey away, so it will probably take about a week for them to come home."

King Raurí patted Iollan on the hand and nodded his approval. Iollan clenched his hand under his father's touch and Daniel wondered if he might strike out at the older man.

Addressing the group in general, King Raurí raised his cup of wine. "Since my daughter has come home safely to us, married and clearly capable of producing an heir, I have decided that upon the return of the rest of my daughters it will be time for a celebration of Ashling's marriage. Also, as soon as she has recovered from childbirth, she will formally become my co-ruler, as our tradition requires."

Everyone at the table raised their cups in salute. Daniel hugged his wife and leaned over to kiss her cheek, and kept a close eye on Iollan. All color had drained from his face, but he quickly covered his frustration in the cup of wine.

Earth

Jack stepped out of the car Sam had sent to the airfield to take him to Area 51 where the Odyssey was being readied to launch the next day. Teal'c was waiting to take him down to the underground facility where the newest Earth ship awaited her first venture into the galaxy.

The two men exited the elevator into the underground hanger where Sam waited.

"General…Teal'c. It's good to see you both again." Sam turned to lead them over the gangway connecting the ship to the elevator's exit.

"Colonel. Is everything ready?" Jack was wearing his dress uniform – it made travel go so much smoother when everyone could see he was a general. He carried a small duffle bag with several sets of BDUs for more comfortable wearing aboard the Odyssey.

"Yes, sir. Let's find somewhere where we can talk privately. There aren't too many people here during the nightshift, but a few are still prepping the ship."

Sam guided them through the grey hallways to the captain's office. "The captain and crew are scheduled to board at 0700 tomorrow, so this is empty now."

The three former team members seated themselves around a small table in the center of the room before Sam began.

"Sir, I've managed to reprogram the computers so all ship controls will run from the main console on the bridge. There are only eleven crewmen aboard right now that we'll have to incapacitate and get off the ship. I've already set the coordinates for the Asgard home world and it should take us about two weeks to get there."

"Good work, Carter. Teal'c, you and I will zat the crew and get them out while Carter does the final prep on the ship." Jack looked down at his watch. "We'll begin at 0100. That should give us a few hours until the crew is conscious and before any others show up for duty."

Jack gave Teal'c and Carter one more, steady look. "This is your final chance to back out."

Teal'c and Sam just looked him in the eye and waited. "Good. Okay, let's get this show on the road."

At 0100, Sam went to the bridge to begin the launch sequence. She also pinpointed all life signs aboard so Jack and Teal'c could quickly zat them and haul them off the ship. Twenty minutes later Jack gave her the go, she initiated the final launch sequence and the overhead doors began to side open above the Odyssey. Within ten minutes they were rising above Earth's atmosphere, on their way to find Daniel.

SGC

Hank Landry moaned, rolled over in the bed and reached out to stop the offending noise.

"This had better be good or heads will roll."

"Yes, General. It's important."

"Don't you ever sleep, Walter?"

"No, sir." You can't sleep and keep up the reputation of being psychic, Walter thought to himself. "Sir, we've just received a report that the Odyssey is missing."

"I'm on my way."

Jack, what the hell have you done now?