--Sam's Fight -

The torturous pain continued as endless as the universe. Her anguish complete as her dark world swept her tumbling through the icy, endless wormhole. She had lost her anchor and was terrified in the icy void. She screamed and screamed, overpowering the sound of the 'voice' that she needed to hear. Her suffering seemed eternal until finally she could scream no more and eventually realized that it was hopeless; there was no sound in space and no one to hear her. 'Did no one care?' Indescribable pain seized her and finally it happened. She gave up. It was over. The wormhole narrowed and slowed as she felt the encroaching darkness move over her and her last thought was one of inconsolable grief and guilt; guilt because she hadn't been strong enough.

-- Observation room --

"It's time Dr. Jackson." Felspre said quietly.

Daniel, overcome by sorrow choked out, "I'm not feeling anything... I tried Felspre! I tried! ... And it wasn't there..."

"Come Dr. Jackson." Felspre said again, his monotone voice almost hypnotic. "We must join General O'Neill immediately."

"Join him?" Daniel asked dazedly.

"Come Daniel Jackson." Felspre ordered yet again and all the Asgards moved around him and hands upon him, they gently herded him from the room.

Jack's mind stretched and grew, endless in design, billions of components of terabyte-like cells each filled with all the knowledge known by the oldest of the races expanding and growing, consuming his brain. The indomitable will that was the foundation of Jack O'Neill was still a part of him. While others would have already succumbed to the overwhelming tide - he did not. His will mandated that he persevere and so the battle waged. The ramifications of his losing were huge, so much depended on him. He didn't think once of his own life, he simply wanted his family to survive and so doggedly he retained his core being. He understood that it was essential that he harness the vast, formidable energy he felt surging through his mind so that Sam would not be lost.

The mesmerized medical team heard his quiet words, all spoken poetically in the language of the Ancients and sadly watched the handsome general continue to lean over his dead wife. Dr. Lam stood transfixed knowing that she needed to somehow help him but battled inwardly on exactly how. Gingerly she walked to his side and intuitively knew that she was dealing with a situation unlike any other that she had ever experienced. His lean features were as if cast in stone, his dark eyes burned with an internal fire and Dr. Lam knew she wasn't seeing just a grieving man, she was viewing something more. Her body suddenly burned as if too close to a furnace and rational thought seemed impossible as she instinctively backed away. Gasping, she felt light-headed; the oxygen in the room suddenly seemed to be in too little supply.

"Dr. Lam we need you." a nurse called from across the room where the baby was still being cared for. The urgency in the voice swung her around and made her notice Dr. Emerson's tense stance as he leaned over the baby on the table. Shrugging off the unsettling scene, she hurried over to the group working around Doctor Emerson. Her heart plummeted as the significance hit her - the baby was in trouble. 'No... No... We can't lose both of them. It would be too much." She thought and worked to quell her anxiety and concentrate on the task at hand. She had a job to do - save the child.

The medical staff gathered around the baby did not even look up when Daniel entered the room with his Asgard escorts. Daniel's breath caught upon seeing Sam's pale face as white as the sheets she laid on. Jack did not appear aware of their approach either - and Daniel could hear the words of the Ancients coming from his lips as both his long hands gently cupped Sam's still face.

Walking toward the couple, Daniel felt the power as almost a physical presence emanating from Jack, it pulsated wave upon wave, rolling out, raising the fine hair all over his body. The Asgards seemed more affected as they began trembling but continued in their resolve and gently guided Daniel forward. "Unus peragro totus existo" Jack intoned quietly and Daniels' hands shook as he translated in his mind the Ancient words Jack was repeating, 'One through all existence'.

With great trepidation, Daniel made his way to stand beside the tall figure.

"Jack, I'm here to help you." Hesitantly he addressed him but already sensed that the 'Jack' he knew was barely there and in his place was an Ancient so powerful that it was difficult to stand beside the throbbing, intense power pulsating off his body. Concern etched Daniel's features as he reached out and grasped Jack's arm.

"Can you understand me?" He asked more loudly than he intended as the power seemed to pound in rhythm to the waves rolling off him and filled his ears with sound. He felt like he was standing underneath a spaceship without protective-hearing devices so strong was the sensation.

Jack's arm stiffened upon feeling Daniel's grasp, and the blaze of pure energy that assaulted Daniel was astounding. He jerked his hand away and saw the blistering redness of his palm. The Asgards seemed unable to sustain the nearness and retreated back from the bed and only Daniel remained. The air around Jack seemed charged as if a spark would ignite the whole area in one huge fireball, his hands simply held Sam's face as trancelike he focused on her. Suddenly his lean body began to tremble as impossible as it seemed, the forces grew even stronger. Power was surging through his hands into her and a glow enveloped the still form on the bed.

The watching Asgards began gasping, as breathing grew progressively harder. It felt like all the air was being sucked out of the room. Daniel stumbled backwards and would have fallen if not for the Asgards who quickly moved to his aid and held him upright. Once again he was filled with feelings of inadequacy and hopelessness as he held up his arms to shield his eyes from the intensity.

The luminous light continued to grow as it slowly covered Sam's' face and shoulders; strengthening in its brilliance so that Sam's body was completely obscured from view. It was as if a blanket of the sun slowly covered her. With the exception of the Doctors who continued to work over the baby with their backs to the drama, everyone in the room stood in stillness and tried to understand what exactly was happening. Inevitably Jack's lean form began shaking with violent spasms even as the power still flowed off him. His dark eyes not of this world it seemed. His stony visage chiseled from something much harder than mere flesh.

His heart racing, Daniel found the strength and moved nearer and gasped as he felt the immenseness of the raw power and wondered how Jack's buckling body would be able to withstand the strain much longer. Daniel braced himself and laid his hand on Jack's shoulder and the sheer force blasted through him and felt as if he was being electrocuted. He grimly hung on. Just as the edges around his vision began to darken and flicker he felt something within begin to stir.

Welling up and through him, he felt it and rejoiced. The power was there. As immense as space and as gentle as it was potent, it filled his tortured body and he felt immediate solace. His confidence built as he took control and redirected it back to Jacks' failing body. Along with the power, awareness filled his mind. He was as one with Jack or what had been Jack. His mind moved in and looked for his friend and was astounded by what it found and backed away in awe. The knowledge of all ages - of the ancients -- was before him and he had to retreat from the vastness. He called out to his friend and waited. Just when he thought that Jack had been lost, he found him, barely discernable but so definitely Jack O'Neill -- sheer strength and will still valiantly enduring against insurmountable odds. Daniel's ascended strength moved in and built upon O'Neill's resolve and grew.

Everyone in the room who was watching witnessed the power of an ascended being meld with all the knowledge of the Ancients. A more powerful alliance had rarely been created. Through it all, Jack was still 'aware'. Barely hanging on to the power that he wielded but hang on he did. He felt Daniels' presence and welcomed it even as he realized that it might be too late for him. His time was almost up and he knew it.

The luminosity completely encompassed Sam's body, nothing of her was visible and no one could look at the light for long before having to shield their eyes. Before he was through Jack had the awareness that there was another that needed him, the one that he didn't really know but whose presence was vividly imprinted on his consciousness. He had one more task to do and then he would be done. So, he gave his all - every bit of his resolve was pushed to the limit as the healing power peaked and held for the few precious seconds that was needed.

Daniel felt it first as his connection with Jack filled with blackness and at the same moment he witnessed Jacks' sudden release of Sam's face as he straightened convulsively to his full height. His chiseled face ashen with only his dark eyes still showing life before he simply closed them and collapsed heavily to the floor to not move. Almost simultaneously the power was gone; the pulsating wave of energy vanished as if it had never been. Daniel trembled and staggered as he felt his own power suddenly subside. Even the Asgards appeared stricken, their frail small bodies shivering as if they had been caught in a winter storm. All eyes moved to the hospital bed as the glow that had blanketed Sam began breaking up like tendrils of fog off the mass and swirling around the ceiling above her bed. The swirling mass overhead grew larger and began to float gently towards the opposite side of the room.

Doctor Lam was heartsick; the baby could not be revived. She could not give up just yet, no matter that they had continued on beyond the normal time. No matter that the nurse next to her had tried to gently pull her away and had met with a fierce command to back off. She could not give up. Her actions were robotic as her mind retreated from the sadness in front of her. Then, she noticed the first tendril appear as it wafted down before her and then another larger wisp swirled and then more, as they gathered and brightened and encompassed the child in a golden brilliant light. Stunned, Dr. Emerson grasped her by the arm and forced her back from the table as they witnessed a miracle firsthand. From within the glowing blanket, the still, beautiful child suddenly jerked and then kicked. Its small arms moved and then moved again and for the first time the room was rent with the sounds of tremulous bleating cries from the tiny figure.

Not understanding, but accepting, Doctors' Lam and Emerson moved back to the crying baby as the healing glowing power once again moved upward and then dissipated completely. Carolyn Lam was weeping and had only just realized it, as she checked out the now healthy baby; her emotions had teetered and gone over the edge, shattering what she considered her 'professional' composure. Looking up from the baby, she met Dr. Emerson's gaze and saw the watery redness of his own eyes and they smiled at each other in understanding.

A nurse was the first to notice as a movement caught her eye. "Dr. Lam! You need to see this!" She shouted, already on the move back to Sam's bedside. The blanket of light had now completely vanished but in its wake, there was now 'life' where there had been only death. Dr. Lam rushed forward, directing the nurses to reset the monitors. Seeing at the same moment, General O'Neill lying motionless on the floor, she barked out, "Anders, check on the General" as she moved to Sam's bed.

The sight that awaited her she would never forget as long as she lived. Just as her child had done, Sam was now doing - her arms were moving spasmodically and her legs jerked under the linens. The reset monitor was now exhibiting a heartbeat of someone who should never have had one again. Another screen showed a quickly stabilizing blood pressure. Dr. Lam, her heart in her throat studied the brain wave monitor and felt weak with relief when it too recorded a healthier brain pattern. At the moment she still appeared to be in a coma but at least she was alive and recovering.

-- Sam's Fight --

From empty nothingness she returned to warmth, intense luxuriant warmth that engulfed and flooded through her body. Shocking her senses as awareness crept back into being. A beautiful aura of brilliant light enveloped the spinning wormhole that she was traveling through. A peace settled over her - the pain was leaving. 'Is this heaven?' She wondered. 'If so, would she see her mother and father soon? She hoped so'. Even as she felt better, she missed something - something important and her strong mind worried it like a terrier with a rag. The 'Voice'. Where was it? She couldn't do without it and against all odds she continued to heal even as she sought out her 'love'. Suddenly it nudged her, a connection. Someone she loved but had never met was out there for her, needing her and waiting for her and without understanding fully she felt awash with joy. Even though the 'Voice' she loved was absent, she now had another reason and stubbornly she began to battle to find her way home.

Daniel stumbled and fell to his knees as he watched Jack collapse. He had the desire to go to him but not the strength, as his senses swam dizzily.

"Dr. Jackson" a worried tone brought his focus back and looming in front of him, were two very large luminous eyes as Felspre studied him with some anxiety.

"I need to sit down." He muttered groggily and was surprised as on either side of him, small gray hands gripped his elbows and actually lifted him to his feet.

"You must continue, Dr. Jackson." Buddy spoke up from his left side as he continued to support him.

"Continue? I'm... I'm... not sure what you are talking..."

"Continue to help General O'Neill. Dr. Jackson! You MUST conti.."

Daniel was suddenly encircled in a brilliant beam and flung his hands up to shield his eyes. Then it was gone and when he opened his eyes, so were the Asgards. All five were missing. Immediately he grasped that this was not good. The Asgards still allied with the Council must have found their way here. Afraid that he might somehow be next, he wasted no time and went to Jack.

He knelt down beside him and observed as Nurse Anders efficiently rolled him onto his back and immediately started listening for a heartbeat.

"How is he?" he asked quietly as she removed the stethoscope from her ears. She was so preoccupied that he had to ask her again before she heard him or bothered to answer.

"Not good. I've barely got a rhythm. Dr. Lam!" She called out urgently.

Daniel hunkered down closer and gently laid a hand on Jack's chest as he closed his eyes and looked inward. His mind played reels upon reels of images of Jack O'Neill that he had stored in his impressive memory. Nine years of images and memories and every single one a testament to an amazing life and an amazing man. Daniel summoned the power and waited as he continued to spool through visions of Jack's life: Jack visiting Cassie's school with him in tow on Career Day to discover that he was a very regular visitor and known as 'Uncle Jack' to almost every child in the school. Jack, shepherding him, like a lost lamb to his own home his first night back on Earth knowing how adrift and alone he felt. Jack always there in the infirmary, waiting and keeping vigil when one of his team was hurt --usually fiddling with something he shouldn't in his boredom, but still there for them when they had needed him. Jack clasping his broken addicted body in a fierce hug as he vowed to help him get over the sarcophagus addiction. On and on, he had hundreds of them.

Again, he felt the power stir and come to life. Filling and overflowing, yet gentle and vibrant in it's strength. Willing it to do his bidding he sent it to Jack. 'We need you, friend. Your family needs you.' He conveyed this message through the power and along with it his own love that he had for him. 'Come back to us, Jack'.

Then, It happened.