Aeire

Another two weeks passed. The baby was due in about a month and Ashling was ready to seriously injure anyone who came near her. She couldn't get her feet into her shoes and had to wear Daniel's, which were too long so she was always stumbling over them. Sitting cut off the circulation to her legs and made her feet go to sleep. Lying down on her stomach – her favorite sleeping position - was impossible. Turning over was a major production. She had to slide over to the very edge of the bed, slip her legs off and kneel down onto the floor. She then had to push herself up to stand and get back into bed in a new position.

Daniel watched her growing discomfort with sympathy and, not just a little, amusement. He knew soothing comments only increased her irritation, so he kept quite and tried to help as much as possible. He had appreciated the middle months when rampant hormones had made her much more "affectionate." However, she was making up for that bounty now when any physical contact only served to increase her temper.

Daniel hadn't seen any sign of a Prior in the month he and Ashling had been at the castle. Iollan, and many of the town's people, did attend prostration services and quoted frequently from the Book of Origin. He had found most of the guards around the castle were loyal to the king and disdainful of Iollan. He had several of them following Iollan and they reported that Iollan had made the long trip to the gate and gone through. It had taken the messenger two days to travel from the gate. Daniel was sure that whatever Iollan was planning, would happen very soon.

He opened the door to their room and discovered his wife standing, frozen, in the middle of the room with a look of terror on her face.

He was lying on a stone altar, bleeding profusely from a wound in his side. She was tied to a stone pillar, unable to get to him. There was smoke and the cries of frightened children swirling around them. A pale face peered at her from beneath a light grey hood. Cold, dead eyes met hers. The face that had been her brother's. He raised his staff and pointed it at Daniel.>

Her knees gave out and she slumped to the ground. Daniel yelled for a guard and ran across the room to Ashling. He scooped her up and carried her over to the bed. The guard poked his head around the door.

"Go get the healer! And hurry!" Daniel felt for a pulse and found it, bringing momentary relief, but it was faint and erratic. He began removing her clothing, which had become tight the last few weeks. When he had her down to her shift, her checked her pulse again and was relieved to find it was stronger, but her skin was cold. He pulled the covers up over her and began rubbing her arms vigorously to warm her up.

Meara, the healer, came running into the room followed by the guard.

"Thank God you're here. She had a vision and then collapsed. Her pulse is faint, but stronger than it was." Daniel tried to report objectively what had happened, but the life of his wife and child was at stake. "She's so cold."

Meara pulled back the blankets and lifted Ashling's shift. She placed her hands on Ashling's belly and began pressing gently. "The baby's head has dropped into the birthing position."

She opened her bag, took out a small jar and rubbing some ointment onto her hand. Turning to Daniel, she said, "You should leave now. I've got to examine her internally."

"My god, she's my wife. I've seen all parts of her." He stood straight, widened his stance and clasped his hands behind his back. "I'm not leaving her."

Meara turned back to the woman on the bed, muttering, "Men! They can kill and gut a deer, but faint at the sight of a newborn babe."

"Yeah, well, I've delivered three babies. I think I'll manage."

She poked and prodded Ashling and Daniel was grateful his wife wasn't conscious. It looked very uncomfortable.

Meara stood and faced Daniel. "She's in the early stages of labor. Your child is on the way."

"It's too soon! Will she be all right? The baby will be okay?" Daniel moved over and sat on the side of the bed, pushing her hair off her forehead.

"I can only answer those questions when this is all over. Although, I'm not sure why she collasped and that worries me." Meara wiped her hands off on a towel sitting near the bed. "I'd better tell the women to get ready for the birth. There are things to do." She walked out the door leaving Daniel to sit with Ashling.

As Daniel leaned down, Ashling's eyes fluttered and opened. She looked up and saw her husband's blue eyes radiating concern. She opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes suddenly widened and then clamped shut. She grabbed Daniel's hand and squeezed as if her life depended upon it. Daniel counted slowly to fifteen and she relaxed.

This time her eyes flew open in fear. "Daniel? What's happening?"

"It's all right. The healer has been here and the baby's on the way now."

"But it's too soon!" Ashling's faced paled as she remembered her latest vision. "Daniel, I had the same vision again only this time I recognized the pale man's face. Oh, god Daniel, it was Iollan."

Odyssey

"So, Carter, are we there yet?"

Sam rolled her eyes. He could be such a child sometimes. "Not yet, sir. But we should be within a few hours."

"A few hours? What the hell am I going to do for a few more hours? I knew I should have brought my Gameboy!" Jack turned and strode out off the bridge.

Sam grinned and thumbed on her radio. "Teal'c?"

"I am here, Colonel Carter."

"We're going to be in communications range within a few hours. I could use you help finish up the repairs on the long range communications system."

"I am on my way."

Several hours later, Sam hauled herself up from the floor. "Well, that should do it." Satisfied with their efforts, she went back to the bridge to find the general sitting in the captain's chairs fingering the controls.

"Uh, sir, please don't touch those!" Sam hurried to check the panels for any change in readings. Sighing with relief that he hadn't messed things up, she turned back to him. He was clearly simmering with unused energy and frustration. Nothing annoyed him more than inaction.

"I'm going to start sending out hailing messages. If we aren't in range now, we will be any time." Sam sat at the communications stations and began to adjust the controls until she seemed satisfied.

"Sir, we're now sending an automatic greeting to Orilla, the Asgard homeworld. They should respond soon."

Jack swiveled the captain's chair around in circles. "So, you want to play a game of TicTacToe while we wait? You can be X."