OMG! Sorry this took so darn long. I was finihing up one of my other stories, and then I was gone for a few days, school got crazy again...really sorry! It won't happen again I promise! So anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and please review so I know you're still with me here and you like it...Thanks all. :)

Chapter 17

Janet had been moved to one of the isolation rooms. Vala sat with her, holding her hand and talking to her when she wasn't afraid her voice would crack. The news did not look good so far. None of their few more advanced off-world allies had known what the disease was, and Carolyn Mitchell had already exhausted all of earth's medical options. Only the Asgard had been able to offer them any hope at all, taking a sample of the girl's blood and promising to look into the matter immediately with any and all resources available on their planet, though they could not promise they would succeed. But after all, Thor had said, it was the least they could do for the daughter of a man who had helped them often enough for them to see fit to name a starship after him.

But that had been yesterday, and Janet had slipped into a come two days before that. Still they had no solution, and their hope was waning. The Asgard's promise was really all Vala had left to hold on to. But if even the Asgard failed to produce a cure in time…

Vala raised her head from where it had rested on the edge of the bed, blinking back the tears that had become almost ever-present in the past few depressing hours. The monitors and machines connected to her daughter's body beeped and hummed steadily, belying the seriousness of the situation. Janet was dying, slowly but surely, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. Except maybe…

"Daniel, where are you?" Vala implored. "Can't you see what's happening? Can't you do something? Help us!" she pleaded to thin air.

But Daniel heard her. Silently from the shadows of the isolation room, unseen, he watched. He still could not talk to them, but he did not plan on allowing Janet to die. He would do anything to save her…but Jack was right; they needed a solid plan first. They were working on it. Soon they would know what to do, and then they would put a stop to this. For now, though, all he could do was watch without interacting, assuring himself that she was still alive.

I'm here, Vala, he thought, sighing. I'll help. I'll stop this as soon as I can. I promise. Just hold on—both of you.

That was when he heard O'Neill's voice, pulling up beside him. "Come on, Daniel. Skaara's waiting for us back there. We think we've got a plan now."

Daniel nodded. "I'll be there in a minute…" he trailed off, still watching his family.

Jack sighed and watched for a moment. "She'll be all right, Daniel," he said after a moment. "We're not going to let her die. "

"I know," Daniel gulped. He turned to O'Neill. "All right, let's go."

Almost immediately they were back in the ascended realm, stepping through the doors into the diner where Skaara waited for them in one of the booths.

"O'Neill, Danyel, there you are," the younger man said as they sat down.

"Yeah, sorry we're late…" Daniel shrugged.

"It is all right, Danyel…how is she?"

Jackson sighed and stared down at his hands. "She's still alive, but…probably not for long. We have to act soon if we're going to help her…"

Skaara nodded. "I know. We will."

"How?" he asked miserably.

"Well…if O'Neill and I anchor you, you should be able to keep your place long enough to heal her…"

"You mean, like long enough not to get kicked out before she's okay?" Jack asked.

Daniel nodded, his lips pressing into a fine line. "Yes, Jack, that's what he means. But its no guarantee that all three of us won't get kicked out once I've done it."

"It is the only choice we have, Danyel. I do not know how else we can save her. I o not believe there is any way you can do it without the risk of being 'kicked out', as you say."

Daniel sighed heavily and pressed his forehead into in heels of his hands. "I don't care anymore. I don't want anything to happen to her…I don't have a choice. If I get kicked out for it, then so be it. I'll still have the rest of my human life with them."

Jack put a hand on his friend's shoulder and rubbed. "Yeah….but hey, that's not necessarily a bad thing. You've got another kid on the way, after all."

Daniel smiled weakly. "True." Then something seemed to occur to him, and he turned to Skaara. "Wait…Skaara, you said you and Jack would help me…can't Jack help me stay in place by himself? I mean, he has no problem with being mortal again, but you've been here a while; you're whole family is here…"

Skaara smiled at him. "Not all of my family will be here if we are all returned to human form for this, Danyel. You and O'Neill will be on earth."

"Yeah, and he can always stay with us," Jack grinned. "So…this is what we're doing?"

"Yes," Daniel confirmed, nodding. "And soon."

"Why not now?" Jack asked in confusion.

"Because they might expect us to. We just came from there. I hate to say it, but to give us a better chance of succeeding we should probably stay away from there for a while."

O'Neill's eyebrows went up. "You mean…just long enough to get the others off your immediate tail?"

Daniel nodded slowly. "Something like that."

"Ah…"

"Danyel is right. If you do not go there again until we act, they will not be expecting it. It might take longer for the others to realize what we are trying to do. It could give Danyel--all of us--the time we need to make sure we can save her," Skaara agreed.

"We can't fail," Daniel said quietly.

"We hear you, Daniel," Jack sighed. "And we're with you."

"What now?" Vala asked miserably. Her friends had finally convinced her to leave the isolation room long enough to come to the commissary for dinner, but after the bowl of blue jell-o that had been the only thing Sam, Teal'c, and Mitchell had been able to get down her, she didn't feel any better. Janet didn't have much longer unless something was done, and there were no other options.

"Well, we haven't heard back from the Asgard yet," Sam supplied. "I'm sure they'll come up with something. I mean…they're the Asgard."

"The problem is--will it be in time?" Vala replied quietly.

"It'll be in time," Cameron said quickly. The others looked at him and he sighed. "Sorry…but I love the kid too, ya know--we all do. Not to mention I have my own, and I know…" he trailed off and shrugged.

Vala sighed in return. "I know."

It was then that the unauthorized-off world-activation klaxon sounded, rousing the team from their thoughts.

Vala was the first to her feet. She didn't have to voice her hopes; the other three had the same ones. They rushed from the commissary behind their teammate, all leaving their trays behind on the table. By the time they all skidded to a halt in the control room, general Landry was on his way from it. SG-1 took one look out the window, saw the Asgard Supreme Commander that had just stepped through the Stargate, and followed the general down to the 'gate room.

"Thor, welcome," Landry said warmly. "What news do you have for us?"

Vala was right behind him, her emotions running the gamut on her face. When Thor's face fell into the Asgard equivalent of an apologetic expression, however, she froze.

"Thor?" she prompted hesitantly.

The alien blinked slowly. "After examining the substance from the planet you visited that caused your daughter's disease, it was determined that it would be impossible to devise a cure within the next few days. It might possibly take several months. I am sorry, Vala Jackson; we have done everything that we can, but I am afraid we cannot help her."

Vala felt as if someone had slapped her in the face. "W-What? No…no, you have to be able to do something. You're our last chance… "

Thor bowed his head slightly. "Again, I am sorry that we cannot be of more help"

Vala shook her head, ignoring her friends' hands as they tried to steady her when she stumbled backwards. "But…but what about Janet?" she asked desperately, tears filling her eyes. "She'll die! She can't! I-"

"Vala--" Landry started.

But she wasn't listening; she had backed almost to the door by now and was still shaking her head, her hands to her head. "No," she swallowed, and then before anyone could stop her, she had turned and ran from the 'gate room.

No one stopped Vala as she dashed blindly through the corridors. She barely made it back into the isolation room before her legs gave out and she collapsed into her chair beside Janet's bed, trembling as she broke into tears.

"No," she sobbed, grasping her daughter's hand tightly in both of hers. "No…"

Daniel felt more than heard Vala's tears, his wife's sudden sorrow cutting through him like a knife; he had to resist the urge to audibly gasp. As it was, his eyes widened in surprise.

"Daniel?" Jack asked.

Daniel gulped hard and stood. "We have to go--now."

O'Neill glanced around, trying to understand where his friend had come up with this assessment. "What for? Have we even waited long enough?"

"I do not think so," Skaara answered for him.

"I don't care," Daniel said, shaking his head. "Something happened. We have to fix this, and we have to do it now."

Jack and Skaara stood with him. "Okay…are you sure?" O'Neill asked.

Jackson nodded firmly. "I'm sure. And Skaara, you don't have to-"

"I am going to help, Danyel," the young Abydonian reiterated. He gave a comforting smile. "I am not going to let a brother down."

Daniel swallowed hard and managed a smile in return. "Thank you," he said sincerely. "Both of you." He looked at both of his friends again and took a deep breath. "Here goes nothing…"