Authors Notes

-As far as writing goes this chapter is a bit weird so you will have to sty with me…things could get weirder!

- I have now found a beta who will be joining Caroline O'Neill in beta-ing the sequel – Sokkora Lewis - Thanx! I am looking forward to seeing what you can add! And talking some more on msn of course! lol

- Next chapter I will post up some thanx for regular reviewers but I didn't get a good night sleep last night and really can't be bothered atm! (Not that your reviews aren't appreciated – they really are!)

- For anyone who is interested I have a Stargate SG1 message Board called Kawoosh Gate (I love when Sam talks about Kawoosh in "Crusade"!) if you fancy checking it out the address is on my profile!

Chapter 10: More than Misfortune

The first thing Sam was aware of was the pounding of her headache as it beat hard against the inside of her skull, the next thing that came apparent to her was her location as her eyes snapped open and she realized she occupied a small cell, one wall was totally absent and lead into what appeared to be a large lab. If it wasn't for previous experiences she would have tried to crawl out into the larger space but she was wise enough to know that an invisible force field confined her.

She sat in semi-consciousness for a while, wondering how long she had been in this cell and if anyone knew she was missing. She knew it wasn't a habit of the Tok'ra's to zat their allies and imprison them; this was the work of their saboteur-

'Nirrti,' Sam forced herself into a more dignified sitting position as the familiar face of her nemesis appeared in front of the force field of her prison. The rebel Goa'ould stared smugly into the eyes of one she knew well, a fierce Tar'i warrior whose fate she now held.

'Major Samantha Carter… I have heard of many of your recent escapades, it seems only one freed from the restrictions of system can tame such heroism, you have eluded capture and death at the hands of the system lords but you walk directly into my trap'

'You killed Tok'ra, you sabotaged their machinery so you could lure SG1 here?' she cast around looking for weakness, any chance of escape, for the moment she needed to keep Nirrti talking, she remembered something Teal'c had mentioned many times – a Goa'ould's greatest weakness was their arrogance, Nirrti was no different to any other system lord, she thrived on the colorful details of a malicious plan, modesty was not a word in her vocabulary, every second to gloat was a second worth totally wasting her breath on

'Actually I was just after O'Neill but while prowling the corridors of the Tok'ra base I stumbled upon something of much greater value.' Her eyes glowed and a smirk crept across her face as she surveyed Sam for a moment, Sam tried not to make a reaction but there was a horribly bad feeling bubbling in her gut, she stared defiantly into the dark eyes of the Goa'ould but at the same time could not resist the instinct to protect the part of her that was the most vulnerable, the part of Jack she carried, he was there with her if it was, her hand flew to her stomach and Nirrti's smile grew almost triumphantly

'Do you still feel a strong warrior Major Carter or do you feel that weakness inside of you? Does it plague your thoughts, pull at your emotions? Does your morality make you wish to nurture O'Neill's spawn or is there something you know you have not been telling yourself?' The hard truth of these questions made Sam's eyes flicker, how could something so evil know? She wished it were lies, all lies, she could not trust this demon which merely held human form, she had faced the same evil but with different faces, through every fight she knew where her focus lay, she would die if it meant saving the world but this time the evil was right, if faced with the same decision would she sacrifice her child or would she let the world fall around her? not so long ago it had been a certainty but now her morals and responsibilities, her focus and her feelings clashed in a war with herself which on all accounts but bloodshed was the largest she had ever faced.

'Is this another genetic manipulation thing? Are you planning replace the baby with a bomb? Are you going to warp my mind until my body can't take it? What is it this time Nirrti? No doubt something for your personal gain?' This conversation was turning into a hot-seating session, so many questions but never an answer, rhetorical questions that sent your head spinning until a voice finally grounds you and you have to stare once more into those cruel eyes

'You made a mistake, setting me free…It is not what I would have done in your position,' Nirrti now paced, her eyes only resting on her captive for brief spans of time before gazing around the lab, just longing to use many of the delicate instruments that lay within these walls, she also knew though that her desire would have to wait 'You know my cause Major Carter, you have tried to stop me and now you find yourself tangled in my plans…I want the child, the spawn of Jack O'Neill, once I have it I may find a suitable arrangement for you' Sam had opened her mouth to interrupt but this statement had shocked her into silence, seconds ticked by mutely as the creature that paced before Sam waited for a response, when the initial shock had passed Nirrti gained a venomous reply

'If you harm a single hair on my baby's head I will kill you, even if I have to come back from the dead to drill your sorry ass into the ground you will pay, the tiniest scratch on this child's cheek will be a bullet in your chest, every scrape, every bruise will scar you 10 times worse and don't you dare think for a second that I can't,' both hands shielded her abdomen now. She could feel no swelling under her touch but knew that it would grow and there would come a point when she couldn't protect it any longer, it would force its way into the world and straight into the clutches of a cold blooded parasite

'Oh I have no intention of harming the child,' Nirrti responded amusedly, the rant of a protective mother-to-be was like sweet honey to her ' I want the child for the knowledge it will possess,' There was just one slight variation, it lasted for a mere second but Nirrti caught it – the glare that emanated hateful wishes upon her flickered to questioning, Nirrti had her hanging, Samantha Carter did not know the importance of her child, serendipity at it's best, the next generation of everything the universe would ever know 'The child has the blood of the ancients and the Tok'ra running through it's veins, your experience with the Tok'ra Jolinar and Jack's experience with the ancient device that downloaded their knowledge into his brain have twisted themselves into your DNA, this child is what I have been searching for, what I have been trying to make. I spend years attempting to engineer the perfect solution yet now after all of the battles I have fought the answer simply strolls into my midst,' Sam could not suppress the horror that flooded her thoughts as each word bound her tightly and pulled her ever closer to what she had managed to do in total naivety.

'You want the baby to be your new host…' Sam was overwhelmed as horrible images hit her in waves, she would be dead long before she could prevent it from worshipping Nirrti, giving itself to her as a host, killing millions in the name of the Goa'ould…so much screaming…so much blood…

'Be proud Major Carter, your child will grow to do great things.'

The chilling laugh that had followed that statement haunted her even as the lab and her cell with it were plunged into darkness, tears rolled silently down her cheeks as she could see beautiful blue eyes filled with hate, hear the screams that echoed from the future to her guilty ears, she could hear Jack's voice, see him as he bowed to it, the figure stared down at it's own father without even a spark of recollection, a sense of morality, it took the staff and aimed, no remorse, blood had stained it's hands before, the staff it held reeked of death. Jack looked past the armed weapon and directly into those sparkling sapphires he knew so well

'You have you're mother's eyes,'

A sob escaped into the night as Jack fell.

Ok-ay…that was unusual, I quite enjoyed writing that actually although it is probably the strangest chapter I have done so far! If you didn't get that end part it was like a daydream premonitiony kind of thing…I dunno it just sounded good when I wrote it! lol

I did actually think about confirming the sex of the baby this chapter but for writing purposes I didn't, I want it to be a surprise although there is only a 50/50 chance… you will probably have guessed it ages before it is confirmed! That is one thing I have noticed about you lot, you are good at guessing…or maybe I am just crap at cliffhangers…probably the latter! lol

Next Chapter: I know there have been a few looking forward to this and I can't be bothered to be cryptic – Jack and Jacob talk about Sam and intentions and all that stuff! lol