At four and a half months, O'Neill struggles to stand up on his own from our chairs and even our bed. I think my behavior might be considered 'hovering' but I do not care if he does not. And he only holds out his hand for my help while smiling sweetly. My rewards are kisses and hugs with our son moving between us.

He has grown out of all his shirts and his shorts must sit below his swelling belly. But from their first shopping trip, Samantha brought back the most beautiful robes of shimmering silk and they fit him very well. He laughed when he saw the first one and said she'd found colors that match my skin and her eyes.

Then he looked at me and smiled. I could not help but hug him close and kiss him. The others laughed but I did not care. I am normally very careful of these robes they call caftans but Terry brought home many different kinds of fabric this morning from their latest shopping trip, and told O'Neill he could pick out several for new ones she will sew for him. One is the cinnamon of his eyes, and he nods in approval before picking out some gold silk that will flow over his body like water.

I like seeing him clothed in such sumptuous fabric but mostly I like him best naked. When I tell him this, he always laughs out loud and leans into my chest, his arms around my neck and his kisses soft on my lips. He still wants my shaft several times a day but now when I sink inside of him, our son begins to squirm and move.

The first time it happened, we stopped making love but neither of us can be apart from the other, and Mel'tic explained it was not hurting him so we decided to simply enjoy it. Now we soothe him with our hands while my shaft moves inside my One slowly. Normally, I cradle him in my arms, his back to my front since he is too large for us to be face to face.

However, Mel'tic told me of another position that is possible, and I am going to try it today. O'Neill has an office near the control room where he spends, an hour or so each day, learning about the First Ones. I join him before lunch, and we eat with the others to share conversation and the knowledge we are acquiring.

Then the two of us spend the rest of the day at the beach. The weightless feeling he gets while floating in the water helps soothe the aches in his body from the growth of our child. Sometimes Mel'tic and Gaal'c join us. Mel'tic is now pregnant again and his joy is good to see. Gaal'c smiles more frequently, and together we try to find new ways to please our mates and ease their path.

O'Neill is listening intently to one of the disks when I arrive. The door opening brings his eyes up to me, and his smile blooms immediately. "Teal'c, this is fascinating. You'll have to listen to it while I'm napping this afternoon."

"I shall do so, my One." Rounding the desk, I lean close to breathe in his scent. "How do you feel?"

"We're fine, my love," he struggles to rise from the chair, and I slide my arms around him to pull him into my arms. "Thanks, I feel like I'm carrying around a watermelon. Oh that feels good."

I rub his back and his little sigh of relief tells me I will need to massage him this afternoon. "You must tell me when you are in pain, my One. I like to touch your beautiful body." His scent is intoxicating, and his little moan fires my blood. "I need you, my One. Mel'tic says these desks are just the right height for making love."

He starts, and pulls back a little before that little gleam appears in his eyes. "Really? And just how did he find that out? A little trial and error with Gaal'c? I think we should do some testing of our own."

My laugh joins his, and I carefully pull his second caftan in rich blue over his head so he is beautifully bared to my sight. His skin has warmed to a golden tan, and his belly swells out in pleasing perfection. I lift him so he sits on the desk top then gently lean him back so he is flat, his stomach mounding above him. I kiss it gently and feel the little flutter of our son saying 'hello'. O'Neill stretches all over, and brings his legs up to pull me closer.

"Get Big T out of those shorts and into me, my own." His eyes sparkle, and I can scent his channel beginning to lubricate. "It's been two hours since you last took me, and I'm feeling terribly deprived."

My shaft springs free, and I bring his legs up over my forearms so the pressure is relieved from his aching back. Pulling him just to the edge of the desk, I set my crown to his hole and press slowly inside. He moans and opens sweetly to me, his hands clawing at the desk top while he starts to pant.

"You have me, my One." I am all the way inside his sheath, and he is still so tight around me even after all these months of making love.

"So good, Teal'c, you always feel so right inside me." His eyes glow, and his lips smile up at me. "Now, move and warm your son and me."

I begin to move in and out of his clutching channel, and our son begins to move with me. O'Neill is laughing, his hands stroking the rippling mound between us while I chuckle, and wish I could spare my hands to help. But they are needed on his hips to keep him from skating over the desk top. When I see him shiver, I speed up and release hot gouts of seed deep within him while he spurts between us.

"Oh, that feels so good, my own. That's what I crave the most," he stretches his arms out, and arches his back.

My symbiont is trilling while vacuuming his stomach for seed. I rest within until his stomach growls, and I pull gently from him. He props himself up on his elbows, and grins at me.

"Well, Mel'tic is right. These desks are definitely the right height." He holds out a hand, and I pull him upright. "Now, I'm thinking about the low table in our outer room. Me on my back and you on your knees, sliding into me?"

"We shall experiment tonight, my One." I promise him before reaching for his caftan. He is shivering again, and this time it must be with cold. "Tomorrow I will bring a blanket to lay on your desk first."

He kisses my cheek. "I love the way you take care of me, my own. It is a little chilly here. The beach will be so nice and warm after lunch."

The others join us for lunch. Mel'tic cooks for all of us now, his skills far surpass any of our talents in the kitchen. But all of us have given him our favorite recipes so he surprises us each day with something different. We never know which kind of meal he will fix but so far they are always delicious.

Home transports us to the beach and O'Neill lays down for a nap at once, squirming around on the blanket until he is comfortable with his head on my thigh. I listen to the disk he wanted me to hear, and wonder at the far ranging plans of the First Ones. Why did they not return to this beautiful world? What or who kept them from finishing what they started?

We might never know but so long as Home keeps watch for us, I truly do not care. My whole focus is on my One and our child.

********* Jack *********

Five months into this pregnancy and I feel like I swallowed a beach ball. I'm so fat, I can hardly believe it. I'm bony thin except for this . . . this mound growing out my front. He's going to be a soccer player, that's all there is to it. The kicking lasts for hours before he finally falls asleep, and gives me some rest. I'd stay submerged but Janet doesn't think that's good for him.

Teal'c is so great. He's patient when I'm cranky, and loves me so well when I need it. I always need him. That touching, skin tasting thing is as strong as ever. I'm waddling, I just know it but my Jaffa shakes his head, and declares me the most graceful person he knows. Ha, he's a flatterer but I'll take his compliments any day of the week.

"Jack, you've got mail." Danny's voice interrupts my musings and I look up from my desk. "Six replies from all over."

"Good, I was beginning to wonder." I squirmed upright from where I'd been slouching in the comfy chair Janet found in an office supply store on Earth. The cubes the First Ones sat on weren't made for pregnant people.

Taking the envelopes, I sort them by handwriting. Ah, good there is one from Gibbs in DC and Flinders in Mexico City. I open Gunny's first and start reading. "Gibbs is NCIS out of DC," I tell Danny absentmindedly while skimming ahead. "He says the number of missing subs is still only two but the sailors all appeared in Florida suffering from hypothermia. More suicides than normal and that really pisses him off."

"He sounds like a stickler for discipline." Danny perches on the edge of my desk.

My smile is fond. "He has rules for everything and, woe betide, anyone who breaks any of them. He wants to meet and I'd dearly love to but it will have to wait until Sebal'c is born. I don't want to be responsible for Gibbs having a heart attack."

"You chose a name!" Danny claps my shoulder and grins. "What kind of combination is it?"

"Sebastian for my father and Teal'c's sire Raal'c," I blush just a bit but my pride is showing I just know it. "I don't know what my dad would say about me being a mother but I like to think he'd accept it after the initial shock. If Raal'c was still alive he'd probably be shocked by his son bedding an alien but hopefully, he'd accept his grandson."

"You're still sure it's a boy." He shakes his head fondly.

"I know it's a boy." I smile and open Flinders' letter. "I'm dreaming him every night. Just like I know you're having a little girl, Danny. Any names chosen yet?"

It's his turn to blush. "I picked up some more name books this morning when I got the mail. I don't really want to use any family names. That almost always leads to bad feelings and Sam's parents are still being a bit standoffish."

I put the letter down and grasp his arm. "I thought the wedding smoothed everything over?"

His mouth turns down a bit. "Yes and no. It means we're legal but her mom still thinks I got Sam in trouble and only married her because of the baby. Her dad just doesn't think much of having a 'translator' as a son-in-law."

"You think taking off some masks and showing them the truth would help?" I offer.

"Maybe," he looks like a whipped puppy.

"It's not like they can hurt us, Danny. Maybe showing them Home would relieve their minds, and reconcile them to Sam's choices. Think about it for now."

He leans down, and hugs me before leaving with a wave. I shake my head. "Home, could you tell Sam I'd like to speak to her when she has a moment? No hurry."

//soon// her mental hug is warm and I smile

Flinders' letter talks about several 'research' facilities being destroyed in extremely selective earthquakes. Barnes from Cairo says sandstorms destroyed three towns in the desert. Cindy Lou Kerry writes one of her Valley Girl letters from New Delhi. She makes me laugh every time and I'm still snorting when Teal'c comes to get me for lunch.

"What is funny, my One?" He asks after kissing me silly.

I smooth my hands over his chest, and lean in to smell his gleaming skin. Then I have to taste it to make sure it's still as delicious as ever. It's a moment before I remember he asked a question. "Some of the letters I got are pretty funny - in a macabre sense. It looks like Mother Earth really cleaned house in a 'nature attacks' kind of way. Earthquakes, floods, landslides - she pretty much did it all. Cheyenne Mountain appears to be the worst hit - well, the most dead anyway."

"I am sorry for your loss, my One." His voice is deep and rumbly. "I know you knew almost everyone there."

"Yeah, it's sad but towards the end there, it was like I didn't really know any of them." I sigh and cuddle closer. "Everybody was acting strange from the General on down. Only the teams seemed the same and if our Stargate is gone then they're all stuck on which ever world they were on when the mountain imploded. I wish there was a way to send a message to everyone."

"The gate on Chulak is still operational." He reminds me.

"Hm-m, that's true," I lean in harder while he rubs my lower back. "Home, do you think Earth is fully awake now?"

//yes, my bright ones// Home sounds so joyful

"What do you think about sending the pillar to Chulak to wake up the Jaffa world?" I thought of this earlier but so much was going on I'd put it aside. "Teal'c can go get a rock from his old world to use as a locator then we'd have a world with a working Stargate but which could be watched for interference."

//hm-m-m-m// her hum is abstracted as if she is talking to others at the same moment

"It is a good thought, my One." Teal'c's smile is my favorite one.

Our son decides to practice his kicking at the moment, and I cradle him with both hands. "You're bruising me, little one. How about we go for a swim so you can relax?"

Without even hesitating, Home moves us to our beach. It's nice and sunny on my skin, and Teal'c helps me take off my caftan. With a little wiggle, he's out of his shorts and I get to feast my eyes on his beautiful body.

"My One, you are more beautiful each day." He has to be kidding but his eyes speak nothing but truth. His big hands slowly map my belly. "You hold our son safe within you. I am blessed by your great heart."

I sniff a little - damn hormones. "I'm fat, Teal'c."

"Nay, my One, you are beautifully rounded with our child. I am glad he quit growing last week. Janet says he readies his internal organs in preparation for being born." He kisses my lips and I lean into him. His kisses are even better now that my body has acclimated to being part-Jaffa.

"Just a few more weeks and he'll be ready to come out. Mel'tic says the pain is bearable but sharp for several hours. There weren't any complications and that's good." That is the closest I can come to telling him how worried I am about giving birth with my hybrid body.

He leads me down to the water, and we wade out far enough for me to float while he stays by my side. "I believe the changes in your body are sufficient to bring our son forth safely for both of you. Janet is watching you carefully, and so is Home. I do not believe the Gods would be so cruel to take either of you from me."

I hold onto him tightly. "From your lips to all the gods' ears."

********* Teal'c *********

Each day passes slowly but perfectly. I spend all my time with O'Neill so I am there when he needs something. Our son is using up my mate's energy with his growth. I can feel his fear about giving birth, and I have some of my own worries. Mel'tic gave us his memories about birth with Gaal'c chiming in with his - a few hours of pain then a healthy baby boy. I silently vow to myself to be there for every moment.

Janet listened to my friends and also traveled to Chulak to speak with others who gave birth over the last decade. O'Neill and Terry fretted over her safety so Home and Earth got together, and decided to wake up my birth world. Within the space of a week, another planet joined them in sentience. Their Stargate is temporarily disabled although there was no evidence of tampering on my former world.

Still, better safe than sorry, Samantha says with a grin. She is showing also, and beginning to slow down. Oddly enough, Terry has also ballooned in size. She and Janet are currently on Earth getting her an ultrasound. They return tonight, and I look forward to learning the sex of their child.

"Teal'c, I need up again." O'Neill sounds aggrieved but that is because he released his water five minutes ago.

I steady the hammock we secured to two of the palm trees at the beach's edge, and help him out of its comfortable weave. He moves into the underbrush, and urinates before coming back. He's mumbling about sadistic babies who delight in lying on their mama's bladder, and I must smile at the gentleness in his strokes to our son versus his words.

"Let me massage your back, my One. Sometimes that helps," I offer and hold the hammock steady for him. He sinks into it with a little sigh of relief.

"Please, Teal'c, it feels like he's turned around and is busy kicking my spine out of alignment." His look is heartrending, and I slip next to him so I can reach the spots on his back which are usually the sorest.

Our silence is calm and contemplative. It is a form of meditation I taught him early in our love, and we practice it every day now. Home links to us some of the time, and we roam our new world with her while she sees to every aspect of her surface. We've watched storms rage across one of the three continents; new flowers opening in a field of yellow grasses; the first snow of the season high in a mountain range far from us; a flood overflowing the banks of a deep green river; a forest fire burning hot for almost a day.

Home shares herself with us, and asks only our own sharing of our memories and lives.

"Teal'c, should we offer to bring SG3 here to Home or just transport them to Earth?" O'Neill's voice has a tinge of worry to it. "I think Dick Reynolds would be okay with us. I don't know Johnson, Wade or Morrison that well."

"We can bring them here to show them our world then let them make up their own minds." I offer this solution. "Christopher Wade was always friendly to me in our past meetings."

He twists his head, and shoots a squinty eyed look at me. "I notice you don't say anything about the others. Why is that?"

"I did not interact with many outside of our team, O'Neill. I met with them sometimes in the gym or the mess hall and occasionally in briefings with the other teams." I still do not wish to reveal some of the more xenophobic encounters I had then. They are in the past, and our future looks very bright right now.

"Hm-m," he wiggles back against me. "Danny tells me you had some problems with some of the crew."

"The Jaffa are not universally liked in the galaxy." I lick that spot behind his ear that makes him shiver.

His chuckle makes me smile. "As shocking as that statement is I do understand, my own. Let's have Danny invite them after the baby is born. I don't have the energy for all the explanations. I just want our family around us when I give birth."

"We shall all be here, my One." I kiss his neck, and our hands go back to smoothing our child back to sleep. And within moments, he sleeps also while I watch over them both.

Janet and Terry do not return until after dinner. Mel'tic made a hearty soup with many of our new world's vegetables. It is very good with the addition of a combination of Earth and Chulak spices. We are still mopping our bowls with fresh bread when the pair of them teleport into the dining room.

"Guys," Terry throws her arms around me while Janet hugs O'Neill. "We're having twins."

"Wow," Jack blinks and returns Janet's embrace. "Twins? I don't think there are any in my family."

"The Jaffa have never recorded the birth of two before." I squeeze Terry gently and she grins up at me.

"My family has two pair a couple of generations back," she tells us in between the others congratulations.

"I've got a theory," Janet winks at O'Neill.

He groans. "And you're going to tell us, aren't you? Have you eaten yet? We have soup and bread."

"We celebrated at Fisherman's Wharf. The babies wanted shrimp," Janet says with as straight a face as she can manage. Lately, any food cravings have been blamed on the babies. "And yes, you do get to hear my theory. I think Home made sure that each twin has a different father. So we'll see if I'm right a few months from now."

O'Neill's mouth drops open before snapping shut. Our eyes meet, and I can see the joy in his match the emotions in mine. "Well, we will certainly look forward to that. It will be nice for our son to have a couple of half-brothers or half-sisters."

"They're both boys." Terry said with a smile. "Next time, we're going for girls."

Samantha hugs them both while the conversation flows back and forth. More clothing is needed, the women decide, so more shopping trips are soon planned. O'Neill is content to lie in my arms and watch them excitedly plan for double the babies we thought Terry carried.

********* Janet *********

Jack's six month checkup is going well. The baby's heartbeat is regular, and everything I can check without actually seeing him appears to be fine. Poor Jack looks like he swallowed a watermelon, and I know he's been uncomfortable for the last three months. But he just jokingly complains about his bladder and the constant backache. Teal'c spends every moment with him, and I enjoy seeing their love deepen right in front of me.

I've done all the research I can although it doesn't feel like enough. Jack is still mostly human with a few interesting Jaffa additions like the lubricating fluid in both his penis and anal canal. His nipples are already leaking milk or nutritive liquid as Teal'c calls it. How the hell the baby is going to exit Jack's body is the $1,000,000 question. If something doesn't change in a big way, we could lose both mother and child.

"He's doing fine, guys. His heartbeat is strong and slowing down. That usually means it's almost time to come out." I take a deep breath. "Mel'tic says once your nipples start producing milk, the way they did yesterday, birth time is close."

Jack is leaning against Teal'c, his hands rubbing the little kicker. "That's good, Janet, I'd like my old body back. He's getting so big, he needs more room to play."

Teal'c's gaze is solemn when it meets mine. "Will O'Neill's channel be big enough to birth our son?"

"I don't know. The human body is an amazing work of art. Jack's hormones have been getting ready for this event for six months. His Jaffa attributes may come to the fore, and prepare him even more. I'd like to check the membrane manually again and get another picture to compare to the ones from each month's exam.."

His grimace is swift but he nods, and Teal'c helps him lay down on his side. Snapping on a pair of latex gloves, I pause for a moment. "Can you produce some lubricant, Jack, or should I use some KY jelly?"

Teal'c leans down and kisses him. Within a few moments, Jack gestures for me to go ahead while they continue kissing. I feel the membrane and take a snapshot with the flexible camera and light I'd brought with me from Stargate Command. So now, I insert the probe and gently ease it into place.

"Oh wow!" I look through the eyepiece, and see the different color and size of the membrane. It's turning a deep purple. "It's bigger, almost six centimeters bigger. It looks like your body is definitely getting ready, Jack. Let me get a sample of the fluid, too."

I've got a swab and test tube ready so when I remove the probe, I go right back in with my q-tip and get a sample of his inner fluid. The slight numbing properties of the lubricant is supposed to change to something even slipperier and stronger to aid in the child's birth.

Finally I'm done and we all breathe a sigh of relief when I step away to my lab table, and the microscope waiting there. I give them as much privacy as I can while Teal'c helps Jack get redressed in one of the pretty caftans Terry sewed up for all our pregnant members. I've got comparison samples of fluid from Mel'tic, and two other Jaffa from Chulak. One of whom is very close to giving birth also.

"Oh good, your fluid is definitely changing to almost birth levels of numbing agent." Turning back to them, I see twin smiles of relief. "I'd like you to stay here in the mountain, Jack. No gallivanting off to the beach. I want you right here where we can all keep an eye on you. According to the stories, I've collected from Chulak, when birth starts it begins and ends quickly. I want you here so we can monitor you."

"It shall be as you wish, Janet," Teal'c says solemnly. "My One, we can swim in the waterfall pond."

"That may be a good place to give birth, too," I suggest. "On Earth, water births are growing in popularity. They're easier on the mother and the child is welcomed into a world of warmth and fluid like the sac he's been living in since conception."

Jack's eyebrow goes up but then he nods slowly. "I think I'd like that, Janet. Unless it interferes with the fluid's numbing effect. The gods know I'll need all the numbing I can get when the pain starts."

Teal'c just holds him closer. "If I could, I would take the pain myself, my One."

Jack's smile is so sweet. "I know, my own, I know. But you'll be right there beside me every step of the way. And soon we'll hold our son in our arms."

I cross my fingers. Everything has to go all right. I refuse to lose one of my best friends and the father of 'maybe' one of my children. 'Home, watch over us.'

************************************
The end of part nine