Chapter 14 - Taken

(Deep-voiced, voice over person: "Previously on Light God.")

A bright blue flash of light startled them. Leesia gripped both of Daniel's hand tighter as it engulfed them, pulling them out of the comfort of their bedroom.

When the light faded, they found themselves in an elaborately decorated room. A large canopy bed was the sole object in the flamboyant vicinity.

"Where are we?" Leesia asked her eyes wide as she took in their new surroundings.

"I have no idea." Daniel said as he eyed the golden hieroglyphs that donned the walls. "It's Goa'uld design."

…

"It is unlike the Goa'uld to provide any comfort," Leesia said nodding towards the bed.

"Good point," he agreed, as he took advantage of that comfort and eased Leesia onto its surface, freeing himself up so he could scope out the room.

"The rebel Jaffa?" she asked hopefully, as he began his slow, experienced inspection of the unfamiliar room.

He had easily found the door, but there was no control panel on this side, telling him that this room's main purpose was a holding cell, whoever had taken them had meant to take them as prisoners. They were not allies. "No, no I don't think so," he said as he ran his fingers around the edges looking for a weak spot. He heaved against the door, not expecting it to shift at all, but still reserved the right to be annoyed when it didn't. "That was an Asgard beam. The only Goa'uld with that technology is Anubis."

"As far as you know."

"As far as I know." he agreed, looking up at the vents that dotted around the top of the room, circling the life support. Had he and Jonas been a bit quicker, or the Jaffa a bit slower, they would have used these vents as their escape the last time he was aboard a ship like this, but two able-bodied, physically fit men, were very different from a pregnant woman in labour. These vents were too close to the ceiling and too small, there was no hope of getting Leesia out that way, so he turned his attention back to the door. It was Leesia's ability that had facilitated his escape last time… "Can you open this?" he asked tilting his head towards the door to indicate what he was referring to.

Her brow creased in concentration and she looked strained for a long while before sighing in defeat. "No, I need knowledge of the workings of it."

He nodded thoughtfully and began scanning around the door, hoping he could remove a panel and access the controls from the inside. Subconsciously he touched his chest, his fingers searching for the vest pocket that housed his penknife, but he was not wearing his vest, only the under shirt and boxers that he had slept in.

"What does he want?" she asked.

Daniel turned to face her. "…The lost city of the Ancients," he said as it dawned on him. "It has to be. Osiris failed to return with the information."

She pouted. "I do not appreciate his timing."

His lips turned up at the edges, finding her expression completely endearing. "It does seem like he's made it his personal mission in life to prevent me from getting any sleep."

She managed to return his small smile, his light-hearted manner was a comfort to her and help eased some of her fear. "I suspect that you would not have achieved much sleep tonight regardless of where we are."

"I'm sorry. This is my fault. If I'd let Osiris have the memories-"

"Then you would not have saved Sarah." Leesia interrupted, refusing to let him even begin to blame himself.

"Daniel!" she called to him, the slight tremble in her voice instantly halting his examination of the room's interior walls and he dashed back to her side.

"Another one?" he asked, checking his watch 'Still seven minutes apart' and took hold of her hands.

She nodded, her breath held and the pain evident on her beautiful face.

"You need to breath." Daniel instructed soft but firm. "Just breath and try to keep calm…you need to relax."

The look of complete disbelief that sprung upon her face caused him to have to pinch the inside of his cheeks with his teeth to keep from chuckling. "I know it seems impossible, especially in this situation, but trust me, please, if you relax it'll make it much easier for you."

She didn't believe that it would make a difference, but, trusting him, she began taking slow, calming breaths.

"That's right, just like that. You're doing brilliantly," he said encouragingly, pleased that she was listening to him, relaxing really would help her.

"He had a Mind-probe device…It connects directly with the ship?" she asked between deep breaths. Daniel nodded. "If we can…get them to use it…"

"Just breathe. Breathe." Daniel tried to insist, but she carried on.

"…on me...convince them that I…have the knowledge."

"What?" he gasped in disbelief. "No!"

"I need access to the technology…so I can understand it… so I might be able to… control the ship. Ahh Daniel!" she squeezed her eyes tightly in pain as the contraction hit its peak.

"I'm here." he squeezed her hand.

"If you can get out of here-," she panted as the contraction eased off.

"I'm not leaving you!"

"We need help Daniel," she said imploring him, the panic clear in her voice.

He stubbornly shock his head. "If Anubis wants my memories then he can have them, but I'm not leaving you, so forget it!"

The hum of the mechanics, as the door slid open, interrupted their stand off. A scream caught in her throat as three heavily muscled Jaffa in full metallic armour marched into the room. Daniel quickly repositioned himself between Leesia and the Jaffa, holding his arms out wide, like a shield, to protect her.

Daniel didn't need to see the gold emblem on the foremost Jaffa's forehead to recognize Her'ak, Anubis's first prime.

"On your knees." he barked at Daniel.

Keeping himself between the enemy and his wife, Daniel took a step towards them. "Listen to me. There's been a mistake. She's not meant to be here. Let her go and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

"Jaffa, chel nok kree!" Her'ak ordered, pointing his staff weapon towards Daniel.

The two Jaffa flanking him surged forward and seized Daniel by the upper arms, squeezing at the right parts to force Daniel to his knees and twisting his arms up behind his back. He fought against them, trying to straighten his back so he could at least keep his head up and see what was happening around him.

With the sole member of SG-1 restrained, Her'ak leaned over him and grinned menacingly. "Doctor Jackson, it is you who are mistaken. It is not you that we were sent for."

Daniel felt the terror tighten over his heart, as Her'ak refocused his sight on Leesia. He double his effort struggling to free himself from their tight grip.

He couldn't see the bulbous end of the staff weapon, as it was pushed against his cheek, but he easily recognized the snap and buzz as it was opened and armed. He froze; getting himself killed would not help her.

"Prim'ko'tar kree!" Her'ak barked over his shoulder.

From behind him a small woman stepped in, she kept her eyes down as she entered the chamber and stepped quickly around the Jaffa, towards Leesia.

Daniel, helplessly restrained by the Jaffa, could do nothing but watch, horrified as the slave girl, who he assumed was the Jaffa equivalent of a midwife, began examining his wife. With his midwifery experience, he recognized exactly what she was doing. She was assessing the progression of Leesia's labour by checking how dilated her cervix was.

Leesia felt repulsed as the woman began touching her; touching her where only Daniel had ever touched her before, where no one but Daniel was allowed to touch her. She wanted to squirm away from the unwanted intrusion, but one glance at Daniel held on his knees, stopped her. She knew they would not hesitate in hurting him if she failed to cooperate, so she forced herself to remain still, closing her eyes tightly.

The woman was still examining her, when Daniel saw Leesia's stomach tighten as she was hit with another contraction. "Wait!" he shouted at the woman and then, "Nok!" when she ignored him, but still she continued. He knew that doing any sort of internal examination during a contraction made things more painful and there was always the chance that you could…

Leesia screamed in pain and surprise as her waters where intentionally broken. Daniel started thrashing against his captors, desperately trying to get back to his wife and get this heartless woman away from her, before she could do her any further harm. However, his efforts only served to make them grip him harder, forcing his arms higher up behind his back. As he tried to throw himself forward, he felt a ripping agony flare through his left shoulder and he bit back his own cry of pain, as his eyes filled with water.

Her job done, the woman rose off the bed. She kept her head bowed as she addressed Her'ak. "Master, the birthing had already begun, but I have aided its speed. It should progress faster now."

"You have done well. Your God will be pleased," he praised. She bowed to him and moved to leave, but he halted her. "Stay close; she may require a birthing aid."

"She has one!" Daniel spat, his eyes flashing with anger and hatred.

"You?" Her'ak shot out a deep bellowing laugh of mockery. "First it is female warriors, now men as birthing aids. Whatever will the Tau'ri do next?"

Daniel was shoved; forcibly face first to the floor as the Jaffa released him. They exited the room, sealing the door tightly shut behind them.

Daniel held his wounded arm close to his torso as he eased himself up as quickly as he could and went over to where Leesia was trembling on the bed. He wrapped his other arm around her, pulling her tight to him.

"She made the pain worse, Daniel," she whispered into his shoulder and he felt her tears wet his neck.

"I know she did. I'm sorry." he replied, rubbing his palm up and down her back, reassuringly.

She took a deep wavering breath and eased herself back. "On a brighter note, now that they have used the door I know how they operate. I think I can open it," she said, with a sniff, wiping the tear tracks off her face.

Gratefully, he pressed a loving kiss to her forehead. It was about time they had some good news. "Can you walk?" he asked.

"Does waddling count?"

"At this point I'll take whatever I can get," he said, keeping his arm around her as he helped her to her feet and over to the doorway.

His mind ran at a million miles a minute, thinking out any possible means of escape, as Leesia's ability manipulated the workings of the door and it hissed open, revealing the angled (and thankfully empty) hallway to them. He doubted this ship would have a Stargate aboard, which had been his means of escaping Apophasis's ship before, but a ship this size would most likely have a glider bay. He hadn't felt them jump to hyperspace so chances were they would be close enough to Earth for a glider to be able to make the distance. Problem was, he was not Jack, or Sam, or Teal'c, he had no piloting experience. He decided to make that his plan B. Using the rings was impossible, even if by some fluke of luck they were still in range, there was no where for them to ring to. The Asgard beaming technology was his best hope. Anubis's controls had been in Ancient before, between the pair of them they should be able to work out how to run it…he hoped. It was his best option; he just had to find it and not be recaptured by the unknown amount of Jaffa that stood between them and their escape. With Leesia in labour they couldn't duck and take cover, the instant they heard an approach, so playing it stealthy wasn't an option. He missed the weight on his thigh that usual housed his harness for the Zat he always carried off-world, he needed to be armed, without it they were sitting ducks.

'Okay, so, plan A,' he ran it though his mind. 'Step one: find the armoury, steal some Zats. Doable…Okay, step two: Get to the control room, stunning every Jaffa on our way, all the while coaching Leesia through her labour, timing her contractions, keeping her calm and trying to massage away as much pain as possible. Difficult, very difficult…but not impossible… Step three: Translate the controls and figure out how to operate the beam. Step four; beam back to the SGC, warn them about the ship and deliver our baby. I can do this… I have to do this.' The alternative was not an option.

They had only made it a few cautious steps down the golden corridor when his thoughts were interrupted by Leesia's muffled cry as she doubled over, clutching at her hips with an agonising groan, as she was hit by another contraction.

"Try not to scream." he implored her in an urgent whisper, rubbing his hand across her lower back, doing his best to massage away at least some of her pain.

She was holding her breath, again, but she managed to glare at him, the pain written plainly on her fuming face.

He could guess how she was feeling. He had lost count of the amount of times had he been injured while hiding somewhere or running from someone and crying out would have given away his and his teams location, so he had learnt, over the years, not to, but it was never easy. "I know how you feel, but you mustn't scream." he said, his face wore a look of apology that he hoped would sooth the anger that he could see on hers.

She bit her lip to hold back the scream, her fingernail digging into both of Daniel's hands as she clung to him as if her life depended on keeping hold of him. He had to follow his own advice as he supported her weight on both his forearms, causing the pain to intensify in his wounded shoulder.

"Easy, easy." he whispered as her contraction eased off.

"That one was more painful than the others," she told him as they continued their slow journey.

"I agree." he said absently, seeing the corridor folk ahead of them and trying to recall the different lay outs of Goa'uld ships, wondering which direction was the armoury.

"Um, this way." he said leaded her off to their right.

"You are certain?" she asked, she had seen the way his head had batted back and forth unsurely between both the passageways.

"Nope." he admitted, quickly stealing a glance at his watch. Her last contraction had only been five minutes after the previous one. Her labour was progressing too fast in a time when he needed it to go slow. 'Three minutes until the next one.' he mentally noted.

In the distance, he heard the familiar metallic clanking of a cluster of Jaffa patrolling the corridors. He hoped they were moving in the opposite direction, but as the sound grew louder he realised they were heading straight for them and judging by the panicked look on her face, Leesia had realised the same thing.

"In here." Daniel urged, moving them over to a door to their left and jabbing at the control panel alongside it. It slid open and Daniel quickly eyed around the new room. Both sides were lined with Goa'uld packing crates, ahead of them a window showing the blackness of space, dotted with winking stars. Speedily, he worked the inside buttons and the door closed. He held his breath, listening intently as the Jaffa patrol grew closer to their hiding place, his heart hammering against his ribs.

Both husband and wife sighed in relief as they heard the clomping footfalls of the Jaffa recede into the distance. It had been too close for comfort.

His attention turned to the crates that bordered the room. Would it be too much too hope for that they had stumbled on the armoury accidentally? He rotated the scarab-shaped locks to face the centre and wrenched off the lid.

His hope turned to horror when he saw what was housed inside; the various lethal looking alien instruments and blades appeared medical in nature. The Jaffa had come for their baby and this was their tools for completing their mission. His stomach turned with nausea and he slammed the lid closed.

"What is in there?" Leesia asked with a curious tone.

He swallowed hard. "Nothing." he lied. "It's empty."

"Well, maybe one of the others- Ahh, Daniel!" she called in the way that was fast becoming familiar to him. He checked the time again and eased her to the floor as her legs gave way underneath her. 'This one is early. They're getting closer together.'

He took slow, deep breaths himself, encouraging her to mimic him. "That's it." he said supportively as she followed his lead.

As her contraction hit its peak, the lights around them flickered and died, throwing them into pitch-blackness.

"Daniel?" He heard her whimper in fear.

"I'm right here," he whispered back, squeezing her hand reassuringly.

"I am sorry. It was not intentional," she said as she squeezed his hand tightly back.

"I know. Shh." he whispered back, imploring her to be silent as he strained his ears, listening hard. It wasn't what he was hearing that concerned him; it was what he wasn't hearing. The ship was deathly still and silent. 'The engines are dead.' he quickly realised, keeping the thought to himself so not to panic her further. Her abilities, strengthened by her fear and pain, hadn't just taken out the lights; she had taken out the whole ship. On the positive side, it would stop the ship jumping to hyperspace and further distancing them from Earth. That was good, it would buy him some time, but no engines also meant that the beams would be inactive, which put a big crimp in plan A and it also would stop the glider bay doors from opening and therefore rendering his backup plan useless also. More urgently, no power meant no life support and that was very bad indeed.

"Can you undo it?" he asked, wondering if her ability had also rendered any weapons on board inactive, Staff weapons and Zat's were energy weapons, they carried their own power crystals, so it was possible (but not defiant) that they were also dead now. He hoped that wasn't the case. A single unarmed Jaffa he might be able to take, but there was at least five that he had seen and countless others to run the ship, he would be no match alone. He sent an instant, silent pray to any Deity that could be listening, for help…help getting his wife and unborn child out of this situation and back home safely. He didn't care what happened to him, as long as they were safe.

"I do not have the energy to. I'm sorry Daniel it was not a conscious choice."

"It's okay." he soothed, gazing around the room as his eyes began adjusting to the darkness.

"I'm scared, Daniel." she admitted in a shaking whisper.

"We've been in worse situations than this before."

"When?"

"Good point." he tried to smile, keep the mood light-hearted to ease off her rising panic, but it wasn't easy. "Do you remember what Jack told you when I was kidnapped?"

"Even when it seems that the situation is completely hopeless you always find a way out?"

"That's the one." he nodded. "He wasn't lying. My first time on a Goa'uld ship like this I ended up alone, after begging Jack to leave me behind, with a lethal staff wound to the chest and the ship covered in C4 with the timers set and counting down. It was a close call, but if I can make it out of that on my own, then I can certainly get out of this one with your help," he said, trying to sound more confident than he felt.

Her hopeful eyes gazed into his; she gently brought her hand up to caress his face. Her protector. "Thank you." she whispered sincerely.

Daniel dropped his chin to his chest, so he could take a deep calming breath without her seeing. He didn't wish her to realise that he was just as scared as she was; he was just in the habit of not letting it show.

All too soon for his liking, Leesia was struck with another painful contraction. Sitting behind her, he supported her against his chest and stroked her hair off her clammy forehead. Her labour was progressing far too quickly, her contraction were coming nearly on top of each other. 'Stuck on a broken down enemy ship, no one knows where we are, with my wife in labour. No apparent form of escape and no weapons. Things truly can't get any worse'

"Daniel, I wish to push."

'Apparently they can.' "W-what? No-no-no-no, not yet. You can't be ready yet. It's too soon. It's only been…" he checked his watch. "…oohhh three hours. Will you let me check?" he asked and saw the briefest flash of fear in her eyes. "If you start pushing before you're ready you could hurt yourself or…" Her fear doubled. 'Okay that's making it worse.' "It's me. I won't hurt you."

"I know…I am sorry," she said remorsefully.

"Its okay." he said soothingly, after her last 'examination', her fear was understandable.

He waited until after her next contraction, before scooting to her side and gently easing his first two fingers inside her. She winced as he touched her.

"It's okay," he whispered.

Her eyes were closed, her head turned slightly away from him, but he could hear her whispered chant. "It is Daniel. It is Daniel. It is Daniel," she repeated to herself over and over.

"It's me," he quickly whispered back, confirming her chant. "It's just me. There's only us here."

He scissored his fingers apart, surprised when he managed to spread them as wide as he did. "Nine centimetres." he said shocked under his breath. He couldn't believe it. He had heard of some labours going quickly and he realised that hers would after its unnatural assistance, but he had only thought she would have been at five, maybe six centimetres. Seven at the most, but to be nine already!

Needing to check if the baby was breech, he pushed his fingers just a fraction further and felt tears of joy sting his eyes as he was overcome with emotion as his fingertips grazed over the dowdy hair of their baby's head and he felt his daughter for the first time.

"She's nearly here, Leesia," he said, the emotion chocking his voice. "But you can't push just yet."

"I want to, Daniel." she pleaded. "The pain is lessened when I do."

"I know it seems that way, but you mustn't, not just yet anyway. Trust me."

"I trust you." she just managed to get out before the now familiar tightness wrapped around her abdomen and began constricting. The pain, which intensified with each round, stabbed deep into her hips and spine with fierce resolve. She heard Daniel encouraging her to pant, through the pain, his gentle voice was a comfort, her only source of comfort in the relentless cycles of agony she was caught in. The burning sensation between her thighs urged her to push, but she took heed of his advice and panted through the pain.

"That's it. Just like that. You're doing wonderfully." he kept up the whispered encouragement throughout, until the contraction eased off.

Daniel wiped the sweat off his brow. "It's getting warmer in here." he said, more to himself than to her.

"Yes it is." she agreed, a touch of aggravation in her tone, as she panted.

"No, I mean - why? With the engines dead it should be getting colder."

"That is what you're worried out now?" she practically shouted in disbelief, as he got to his feet and speed to the window.

"Oh, God, no!" he gasped as he took in the blinding view. The disabled ship was being pulled straight into the sun.

'Okay, surely now things can't get any worse. I need a plan' he thought quickly. The Jaffa hadn't managed to get power back to the ship, so he doubted he would fair any better. It was Leesia's ability that had taken out the ship and he suspected that only that would restore power to it. She wasn't able to while she was in labour, but maybe she could once their baby was born she could. Even if that was too much for her, he was confident that she would be able to manipulate enough of the Goa'uld technology for them to steal a glider and use that to make their escape back to Earth, they had been missing long enough for the SGC to be looking for them. His friends would be watching the skies; he just had to get them off this ship…before it was too late.

Leesia's scream of pain snapped him out of his planning; he raced back to her side.

"Shh, shh," he soothed imploringly, taken hold of her hand.

Her face was twisted in agony, her mouth open in a silent scream. "I can't do this, Daniel," she wept.

"Yes, you can."

"I have to push. I have to."

Daniel moved back between her thighs and checked her progress. "Okay, Lees, it's time. The next contraction, I need you to give me one long, hard, steady push."

Leesia screamed again, though whether due to pain or because she was startled by the sudden boom that rocked the door he couldn't tell.

"They found us," she gasped in terror.

The door let out a screech of metal as the Jaffa forced it open.

Daniel instantly took his position between them and his wife, as they surged into the darkened room. "You don't have to do this. The Jaffa are becoming free. You can join them. You don't have to follow a false God. We can help you."

They ignored him. "No, no, please." Daniel begged quickly, as they raised a Zat, aiming at his chest.

The electrical surge from the Zat blast radiated through him, over him, enveloped him. The ground rushed up to greet him and everything went blank.

…

The comforting warmth that surrounded him, protected him and gave him life, suddenly switched to harsh ear-splitting screams and hot unfriendly air.

Blinking, the baby opened his blue eyes for the first time and looked into the eyes of a woman. Her brow was moist with sweat and furrowed. Pain burned behind her hooded eyes and tear stains tracked down her cheeks, yet she gazed at him with a look of such intense overpowering love. She strained to hold her arms out to him, but even as she did he was pulled away from her.

No!

Why would he be taken from her?

He wanted to go back!

He wanted to feel what it was like to be held in the arms of that woman, who clearly already loved him so entirely. He was afraid. He wanted and needed her warmth and comfort. The baby let out a fearful cry.

He was laid on a cold, hard surface, his cries ignored. There he felt his first experience of pain as thousands of years of monsterous memories and knowledge were forced into his newborn mind.

Now he understood...

He understood everything.

He knew that the woman was his mother and he knew why he had been taken from her.

He saw what was planned for his future and tears ran down the sides of his tiny face as he was overcome with terror.

In the memories, he saw his father for the first time, through the eyes of another. 'If you know who I am, then you know I can wipe you from existence.' His father was brace and just, but the feelings he got from the memory were ones of bright violence and hatred. He wished to destroy everyone and everything.

That wasn't right! These thoughts were not his own. He focused on the one image that he knew to be true: his mother.

He screamed so loud that his cries were silent as he was injected. He knew that there would now be millions of Nanites purging his tiny body, manipulating his cells, shortening his free life and stealing his youth. He knew that when they had completed their job, his life was as good as over.

He tried to beg, plead for his life, but his throat and voicebox were still too young to form the words he needed.

Such a short time after his birth and already time was running out on him.

...

There was nothing but the black velvet that surrounded him. No light reached his eyes. No sound touched him. No dreams breached the void. Just the cool, soft black. And peace. He could relax in the tranquillity of unconsciousness.

"Daniel?" The weak sound caused ripples that echoed across the nothingness. , shattering the peace of the perfect stillness.

Now there was a pain: a throbbing ache that gripped each one of his muscles, peeking in a ripping agony that flared in his left shoulder. He groaned and squeezed his eyes tighter shut. A futile attempt to preserve the serenity found behind his lids.

"Daniel!" her voice was more insistent now, it lifted him from the depths of unconsciousness. She sounded muffled and distant, as though he was listening to her from beneath a disturbed sea, but the turbulent tide was going out. Abandoning him on the harsh shores of reality.

His eyes flittered, then blinked slowly open barely taking in the golden tinted ceiling above him in the dim light. 'Trapped, Goa'uld ship, zatted.' he remembered. The room was hot, dry and dark. 'Power out, heading towards sun.' The rusted smell of blood assaulted his nostrils. 'That's new!'

"Daniel?" he heard the silk of her voice clearly now, it was bursting with pain. He was up, searching for the source of her voice in the darkened room.

Then he saw her and his stomach lurched in dread. "Oh Jesus Christ!" he gasped, there was so much blood. It coated her thighs and her flat stomach and pooled between her legs.

'Flat stomach!'

The reality of the situation hit him. Winded him like a punch in the gut. He dropped to his knees by her side.

"Daniel." she reached to him. Her left eye was swollen shut and below it, her cheekbone was cut and the purplish-red tone of bruising already making it known.

"I'm here." he took her hand while his visually assessed the rest of her condition. She wasn't pregnant anymore, that much was painfully evident. The blood that pooled in a large puddle between her legs looked black in the dim light. There was so much of it. Too much. More than he had ever seen in a birth before. "Oh God, what have they done to you?"

"Are you okay?" she asked him and he almost laughed from the implausibility of it. In the condition and pain that she must be in and she was asking him if he was okay.

"I'm fine, but I think you're haemorrhaging."

"They took him." she told him vacantly.

Her words hit Daniel like a slap, he stared at her. "Him?" his voice broke.

"Our son…Anubis wants him…for a host. I tried to stop them, Daniel. I couldn't." her voice seemed hollow as she spoke and he recognized the tone she was using. There was no emotion there. No grief, or despair it was empty of everything, but the pain she was trying to mask. She was holding back the reality, not letting herself believe it. He knew from experience that it was the only way to cope with a situation like this. It was what he had to do.

Forcing the terrifying thought from his mind, he focused on his wife. She needed help. There was only him. He had to concentrate. "Lees, I have to stop the bleeding." His expression switch to one of pure determination, as he eased himself over her. "Lees, I'm sorry but this is going to hurt."

She nodded. He steadied himself, not wanting to do this but knowing he had to. He placed his right hand on her lower stomach, his thumb and forefinger either side of her navel and pushed down hard. She screamed and tried to shove him off of her as he began to squeeze.

He was fighting against himself to do this for her, he hadn't expected to have to fight against her to. She pushed against his chest and he felt how truly weak she currently was. Making his resolve stronger, now he felt how much she really did need him to do this for her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." he said, tightening his grip as she tried, in vein, to push him away.

"Daniel," she breathed hard through the pain.

"Shh, just try and relax okay."

"Daniel, go and get him…please." her voice was weak, she was fading fast, before his eyes.

"I can't leave you like this."

"Daniel… please!" she cried, but as the words left her lips her eyes rolled back and slowly closed.

"Lees?" he called to her, his voice breaking with panic. "Leesia! No Leesia, please wake up, Lees. Please!" he continued to squeeze as he pleaded with her. In the dim light he could feel he blood soaking through her clothes. "Oh God, Lees, hold on."

That was when he heard it.

The whisper quiet dual footsteps, steadily moving down the corridor towards them. The sound took him back to every horror movie he had ever been forced to sit through by older peers in his collage days. The lead character hiding, wounded, listening to the approaching psychopath.

Louder and louder the footfalls became as they approached.

Daniel held his breath, waiting. Hoping they'd move on past. Fearing they wouldn't.

"They should be around here, sir."

Daniel knew that soft voice. It was Sam.

"Daniel?…" Jack called in a hushed whisper. "Why am I whispering?"

"I was going to ask the same thing sir,"

"Daniel!" Jack called, louder this time.

"Jack!" Daniel called back. "We're in here."

Jack followed the sound of his friends voice and gasped in shock when he caught sight of the former Ancient. "Jeez! What the hell did they do to her?"

"Jack, we have to get the baby. They took the baby." Daniel's speech was almost too fast to understand. He was met by a uncomfortable silence and pained looks. He turned to Sam for an explanation.

"Daniel, we ran a scan of the ship. There were only two life signs on board." she told him.

"What?"

"I'm sorry, Daniel, but the baby's not here."

Jack pulled the radio to his lips. "We got them T, but Leesia's in pretty bad shape. Can you ask Thor if he can beam us straight to the infirmary?"

A couple of seconds later the bright flash of light answered his question.

A.N~ I believe this is the quickest I have gotten a new chapter up (considering I was away for the weekend as well, that has shocked me). It is thanks to your kind words that encourage me, so to everyone that reviewed i thank you all X's, I hoped you like the next instalement.

As always let me know what you think.