Author's Note: Just a couple more chapters, let me know where you would like me to continue, the children have possibilities but I don't really know if I should continue from the present.

All usual disclaimers apply, Zarkina and Vannas are mine.

Chapter Twenty-Two: Birth of the Future SG-1

Daniel sat up quickly, and then wondered why he was awake. He rubbed at his tired eyes and looked over to see Jack hiding his head under the pillows. Daniel smiled, leaning down to lay gentle kisses along Jack's shoulder blade before he started to curl around his handsome lover.

There was a pounding on the bedroom door, he frowned as he pulled on his pajama bottoms and walked over to the door. Opening it, he found Sam looking freaked out. Her bulging belly under her shimmering nightgown made Daniel think of the twins. "What is it?" he asked as Jack moved to stand behind him at the door. They had been expecting the twins to go into labor several weeks ago and they had been having difficulties recently, making it impossible for Erica to travel from home for quick check ups.

"The twins are having complications, Zarkina and Erica were just here to relay the message."

Daniel sucked in a breath, fighting the fear as Jack moved quickly, grabbing them each a t-shirt, which he obediently slipped over his head, and they both wandered out of the bedroom with bare feet and down to the room that the twins had been in for months now.

Then they heard the scream, which came from the infirmary room; both men turned and walked over to the door. Daniel reached out to take Jack's hand as the Colonel took the lead and pulled open the door.

Inside they found Erica, Alec, Zarkina as well as several other healers working in frenzy around the twins who looked rung out and gaunt from whatever they were going through.

"What's going on?" Jack demanded in his best Colonel voice.

Zarkina walked over and pushed them out of the room and closed the door, "You can't be in there right now. The babies and the moms are both struggling through this, I don't know why. I get the sense that the babies are more Vannas than Regis."

"What does that mean?" Daniel asked.

"They are, for some reason, more powerful then their mothers and because of that they are taking too much energy from the girls to survive. We are inducing labor to get them out before they do anymore damage to Lust and Desire."

Daniel squeezed Jack's hand, "The girls will be okay won't they? The babies too?"

Zarkina smiled at him sadly, "I don't know Daniel, they have the best healers here on the island but I don't want you in there. Go back to your room and wait, I will come get you as soon as I can, with good news I promise."

"Don't make promised you can't keep," Jack snapped at her and did a quick about face and dragged Daniel away from the queen, who quickly walked back into the room. Back in their apartment, Daniel settled on the couch with Jack's arm around them and Sam pacing in front of them, her belly leading the charge as she muttered about ways to help. Teal'c followed behind her, making sure she didn't run into anything or run herself tired. Daniel would have enjoyed the dichotomy of their relationship any other time; it was fun to watch the tough Jaffa when he was worried about Sam, his partner. The big man truly loved the scientist and would do anything for her.

Just like he would for Jack.

Daniel tucked his head against Jack's shoulder and he felt the Colonel's lips touch his head gently. They were in for a long night.

Jack held Daniel as he dozed on the Colonel's shoulder. The archeologist had taken his turn pacing the room, Sam had finally stopped at the request of her spouse and she was sleeping in her bed. It would not do her any good to sleep on a chair in her condition.

He didn't know exactly how long it had been since they heard the screams of the mothers, how long it had been since Erica delivered her last message but his patience had run thin. The only reason he wasn't across the hall, demanding answers was that Daniel was wrapped up in his arms.

Jack had every intention of letting his husband sleep as much as he could; Daniel had been through a lot during the pregnancy of the girls with his disappearance as well as his own personal self-destruction. Jack couldn't do anything about the past but he could be here for his beloved when he needed him. Instead of action which would have made him feel better, he was sticking to comfort for Danny.

"Jack?" Daniel mumbled against his shoulder. Jack turned his head and kissed Daniel's forehead as he held his husband against him.

"Its okay, Danny, I'm right here. Why don't you try to sleep a little longer."

"Have we heard anything?" Daniel asked.

Jack shook his head gently, "Last we heard they were performing surgery to get the babies out. So far everyone is still alive."

"Why did we make this decision?" Daniel mumbled against Jack's neck. He could feel Daniel's tears against his skin. Jack ran a soothing hand through Daniel's silky hair. "We could lose them all!"

Jack knew all the words; he'd been thinking the same thing for a while now. The twins trusted them and offered to carry their children to term and after everything they could die. Jack didn't want to think about the daughter he'd brought into this world and what she was going through, he thought of all those times when he'd touched Desire's stomach and felt her warm him from the inside out. He already had a loving relationship with this unborn child and now he would possibly never get the chance to hold her. He even wanted to meet Daniel's son and let him know that both his daddies were going to love him.

Daniel struggled away from him, standing up and started to pace again. Jack heaved out a sigh as he stood again and stepped in front of Daniel. He tucked the young man's face into his neck and hugged Daniel until his arms wrapped around him and waited for the fall out.

"It's going to be okay Danny," he whispered into Daniel's ear. He kissed the side of his husband's face and listened to the small sobs that were forcing their way out of Daniel's body.

"Jack, Daniel?" Erica called from their open door.

The two men turned immediately towards the woman, she was tired and her hair was pulled back in a messy bun. It looked as though her hands had been through it more than once but she didn't look devastated so Jack took that as a good sign. "How are they?"

"Come meet your son and daughter, the twins are alive as well."

Daniel jerked away from Jack and hugged Erica tightly before he jetted across the hall and Jack followed at a slower pace. He touched Erica's shoulder, "Thank you," he whispered to her.

She smiled, "My pleasure Jack."

He walked into the room to watch Daniel kiss Lust gently on the forehead. She was smiling at him but looked about to faint again. Jack walked over to Desire and gave her a gentle kiss as well. Then the man greeted the other woman before they were brought towards the two small cribs. Jack looked down at the small bodies that were wiggling around in the confines. He knew right away which one was Daniel's little boy. He had that same beautiful blonde hair and bright blue eyes. Then he looked down at the little girl next to the boy, and fell in love with her immediately. Her hair was dark, like the twins and she had brown eyes and a twitching smile on her lips. He reached in to touch her soft cheek and the little girl wrapped her small body around his hand. He smiled as he felt that warmth and love she always projected from the womb. He leaned down and kissed her forehead gently. He looked over to Daniel who was touching their son and the tears in his eyes shimmered and wavered on his lashes.

"They're okay, Danny. All of them."

Daniel nodded and the tears could no longer hold onto his lashes. Jack moved around the cribs even as he kept his hand on their daughter. He reached out and took Daniel into his arms, his free hand tucked at Daniel's neck. He pulled his lover into a gentle kiss and hugged him tightly.

After standing next to the cribs for several minutes Jack finally turned back to Erica, "What do the twins need?"

She shook her head in confusion, "I don't think there is anything you can do to help really but they are going to be lactating for the babies. With them being stronger then their mothers magically, they are going to need the milk because it's infused with Magis. They will need to continue to be close to the babies and they are going to be on bed rest for a couple weeks as they heal from this strange pregnancy."

"And the babies? How can we help them? We aren't going to know how to raise them with powers."

"You won't have to worry about that for a while. They will be able to feel you and you will feel them as that is something they had in the womb but don't borrow trouble, my friend."

"Well if I don't borrow it, I am going to get it anyway," Jack said with a wink.

"You should leave the babies here in this room for couple days until the girls can get a supply of milk bottled for you. We shall have several healers and nurses with them at all times and you will be able to move them into your rooms in a couple days."

Jack looked over at Daniel who had one hand on each child, "Getting Danny away from the babies might be more trouble than it's worth Doc."

Erica looked over and smiled, "We can bring palettes in here for you to sleep on so you can stay with them."

Jack nodded before watching his husband, "Can we hold them?"

Erica smiled, "Of course, these are your children. You need time to bond with them."

Jack walked over and moved a struggling Daniel away from the cribs so he could settle his lover on one of the couches before he lifted Zale's little body from the crib and brought the little one over to his father, "Zale Charles, this is your father Daniel Jackson," he whispered to the mumbling baby. He settled the small body into Daniel's arms and walked back to get Zada before he too sat down on the couch. He held her gently to his chest and watched her as she settled against him and quickly slipped into sleep.

"Zada Rea," Daniel whispered next to him, "This is your father, Jack O'Neill."