SG-1 had been in isolation for three days now. The medical staff had made some progress as to what was wrong with them, but nothing hinting at a cure. Meanwhile they just had to deal with the side effects. Which weren't that horrible really, just strange. O'Neill suddenly had an intelligence rivaling Carter's, Teal'c was now telepathic, and Jonas, to put it blankly, had super strength. Sam was getting the worst of things, she didn't handle pregnancy too well.

"People keep trying to give me advice," she complained during dinner on the third day, "and I can't take any of it, I just keep getting - bigger - every day. I mean, look at this," she waved a hand at her bulging belly, "I didn't look like this five days ago!"

"At least you're sleeping," grumbled Jack through his fork.

"You're grumbling!" shot Jonas, "you keep the rest of us awake! Isn't that right, Teal'c? Teal'c!" The Jaffa was staring fixedly at Sam's stomach.

"It is sentient." he replied.

"Eh?"

"Major Carter's child," he explained, "it is aware of its existence, and grows rapidly because it wishes to leave her." The atmosphere in the room was suddenly dead still.

"Aw, make the lady feel nice, would ya'?"

"No," whispered Sam, placing a hand on her stomach, "no, I think he may be right." There was a pause.

"Well," breathed Jonas, "considering things we've seen, no offense, it's not entirely surprising."

"Do you thik we should do anything?" asked O'Neill.

"Probably not."

"Yeah," sighed Sam, turning back to her food. Jack decided it was time to lighten the conversation.

"Girl or boy?" he asked

"Boy."

"You going to name it?"

Sam was taken aback, "You know, I never really thought about that. I haven't really thought about anything! I've been so concerned about what's happening to us, I haven't had time to think about how or why. Am I going to be left raising some alien child? And if what Teal'c says is true and it - he - is sentient now, what are things going to be like once it's born?"

"Whoa, easy," said Jack, putting an arm around his friend's shoulder, "I never meant it to go that far. We're probably going to have to go with Jonas' approach and see how things play out. You never know. Plus, you're not alone in this, 'kay? We're always here for ya'."

Sam smiled, "Yeah, thanks. I shouldn't have freaked out like that. But still..."

"No buts. Look, why don't you go get some rest."

Sam laughed in spite of herself, "Now who's the baby here?" she got up and cleared her dishes, "I got some work to do anyway." Colonel O'Neill watched Sam leave then turned back to the others. As he did so his eyes began to change, mist, then cloud over so the iris and whites were now obscured by green. Jack then leaned over so the camera behind him and Sam in the corner could not hear.

"Our brother grows quickly," he told Jonas and Teal'c, whose eyes had changed in a similar manner, "we should leave here soon."

"Is it not unwise to travel with someone in her condition?" asked Jonas, glaring at Jack through pools of red.

"It is a risk I believe we must take, sister," said Teal'c, dark and midnight blue, "also the humans are wiser than they were before. They are close to devising a counter to our advance."

"Could we not sabotage?" Whatever was in Jack shook its head.

"It's too easy to get caught. Then they would know something is amiss."

"Tonight, then?"

"Tomorrow. Less running. Once Orith is born, there will be nothing they can do."

AN: sorry for the short chapter, but if you want dramatic effect, this is the best place to leave off.

Hey, I just figured out how to use the section breaks.