Chapter Eight

  On her way to the staff meeting this morning, Calla stopped at the Dazzlin’ Donuts to give the manager a piece of her mind, which she did after ordering and paying for a Carton-O-Joe and dozen donuts for the faculty. Jeff was none too happy with the petite pregnant customer who promptly told him—in front of his staff—just what an asshole he was. Well someone had to tell him to his face and besides it was a good way to start the day and get her Ichor going.

The faculty was very happy with the coffee and donuts she brought to the meeting and they sat there drinking, munching and listening to her as she spoke. Callas’ stomach was in knots throughout the meeting though looking at her you wouldn’t know it. These people were her friends, her compatriots, she shouldn’t be afraid to stand here and talk with them about university affairs. Though they were not pleased with the budgets they were offered this semester, Calla promised to find a way to get everyone all the materials they needed to conduct class effectively. There was nothing unusual about that, many of the professors here purchased supplies out of their own pockets and were never reimbursed by the school. She had money and this was a good way to spend some of it.

“Oh, before I forget,” she dug in her brief case and came out with her schedule and those of the children. “Rick, Pat, it seems the scheduling department screwed up, they’ve got me teaching my children and my daughter in-law. Do you have room in your classes? Colleen would be with you, Pat.”

Patrick Callahan and Richard Shaughnessey looked at their own schedules and classes. “Yeah, sure So long as it doesn’t conflict with the rest of their classes it’s good by me.” Patrick said. You Rick?”

“Yeah no problem.”

“Thank you gentlemen.” Calla said with a smile. “I’ll go down to the office and talk to them when we’re done here, I’ll let you know what they say.” She looked at the rest of the people in the room. “Anyone else have anything to say? Questions, comments, suggestions?”

“When’s the baby due?” Andrea Pinkerton who was taking over Tom Dyers’ position asked.

“In a few months.”

“Taking maternity leave?” Andrea asked.

“Only a few weeks.” Calla told her. “Which reminds me, one of you lucky people will have to fill my shoes during that time, I don’t suppose there are any volunteers?” She was met with nothing but a bunch of grumbling. “All right, since you’re not leaving me with another choice, I’ll pick a name out of a hat when the time comes.”

Everyone let out a laugh.

“Ok, I guess we’re done. Enjoy your last two days of freedom, I’ll see everyone on Wednesday.” As the faculty filed out Calla cleaned up the paper coffee cups and tossed out the empty donut box before making her way down to the office and having the kids’ schedules changed. The woman in the scheduling department was terribly sorry for the mix up and promised the new classes would not conflict or interfere with their other courses in any way. By the time she left she had a new schedule for each of them in her hand.

Jack, Daniel, Sam and Teal’c had been sitting around the briefing room table most of the morning with their own coffee and donuts. There wasn’t anything majorly worrisome going on but Jack did get in touch with the Tok’ra and with Thor to see if they knew anything. The Tok’ra confirmed Hecate left Yohimbe some time ago and they’d been tracking her movements but lost her on an old outpost as she used the Gate to travel to places unknown. Thor was most concerned at this development as the Asgard picked up transmissions from unknown spacecraft, it seemed their destination was Earth. If the Asgard calculations were correct—of course there was no reason to believe they weren’t—those ships could be here as soon as the end of the week. Thor would arrive at the SGC by the end of the day.

“He’s coming here?” Daniel asked. “That can’t be good.”

“Yeah, ya know, that’s what I thought.” Jack agreed. “Thor wants to see Calla and Ares.”

“Ares?”

“Problem?”

“Other than the fact that he’s wounded…no.” Daniel said.

“Well I didn’t mean for you to bring the big guy here, Daniel, we’ll just…well we’ll just go there.” Jack told him.

“It’s not like he’s got a phone, Jack.” Daniel reminded him. “I don’t think he likes unexpected company.” Other than that, he could go to the Island with Thor and have a nice little chat with the wounded God of War. It would be uncomfortable but all in all still bearable. What he wouldn’t do was bring Thor to Calla. Daniel wasn’t concerned with her pheromones, if she knew the blade that skewered her Father was made of Xerinium she would walk over hot coals to get to him and Daniel couldn’t afford that neither could the baby she was carrying. He wouldn’t risk their lives to save Ares’ miserable skin. “What do you want him to do anyway? He’s not in the best shape.”

“He can give us answers,” Sam said. “Tell us more about…”

“About what?” Daniel snapped. “I already told you what he told me about Hecate and what I’ve researched.” Which wasn’t much since he didn’t have electricity at home until later last night, by that time he and Calla had their little tiff, Ramis was on the line and then there was the spell casting and the lovemaking.

“Look, Daniel,” Jack interjected, “we all know the two of you hate each other and we all know why but you gotta put that aside right now. We got bigger issues to deal with.”

Anyway he looked at it the situation was bad news. The one thought that kept resounding in his head was this; “Ares was insistent that I get Calla and the kids off this planet, like, you know, now. He’s scared for them and that terrifies me. Anything that can scare Ares has got to be…. horrific.” Daniel tossed down the pencil he’d been rolling around between his fingers. “I’m scared for my family. I want to get them out of here as soon as possible.” Before I tell Calla what’s really going on. She is going to pitch a fit!

“Some place without a Stargate?” Teal’c spoke up. “I assume that is what you’re planning.”

“Yes, some place with no Gate.” Daniel agreed. “If things go wrong I don’t want to make it any easier for Hecate to find them.”

“She should stay.” Sam said in a quiet voice and then raised her eyes to gauge Daniel’s response. He was not going to take it very well. “Listen to me, Daniel, Calla can help us. Nick and Colleen can help us, they’re old enough to make this decision for themselves. You’re not their Lord, you know.”

“I’m not Calla’s either,” Daniel returned snottily.

“Then let her make up her own mind, tell her what’s going on.”

“Nick already knows.”

“Excuse me?” Jack asked.

“Oh, did I leave that part out?” Daniel swiveled in the chair turning away from Sam and toward Jack. “Well how did you think I got to Ares’ cave so quickly?”

“I dunno, I figured ya, ya know,” he tapped the side of his head. “Calla said you could….” Then gestured with his hands in front of him.

“Travel the astral? Yeah I know but I haven’t….tried that….yet.” Daniel picked up the pencil again and began twirling it around on its point on the table. “Nick took me he heard the whole thing.”

“And his opinion would be…..” Jack encouraged.

“Stay and fight. He’s too much like his Grandfather.” Daniel complained.

Yep that’s what Nick said alright and he meant it, he really truly did. Still he was a grown man and he did have the right to chose for himself. “I don’t know what to do.” Daniel admitted and flicked the pencil off the table. “I don’t have a goddamn clue. All I do know is that I’m not going to put my family in harm’s way.” Daniel stood up.

“Where are you goin’?” Jack asked. “We’re not done here.”

“Back to my office to do more research there’s nothing else we can do until Thor arrives and Calla will be here in a while, she has an appointment with Adams I’m going to be there with her.” He walked out of the Briefing Room. It was one thing if he wanted to go off to other planets, meet new cultures and stick his own neck on the line but he was damned if he was going to let them do it too. Maybe it wasn’t right for Daniel to make such an important decision unilaterally but that’s the way it goes. If he knew he and Ares agreed on this point he might think about it a little longer but Daniel didn’t know that.

Sitting at his computer with his books and notebooks spread out all over the desk and spilling onto the floor around him, Daniel searched for information on Hecate. Some references quoted her as being a Goddess of the Cross Roads both on Earth and in the UnderWorld, she was often depicted holding up a torch and in the company of two ghostly hounds on the night of the dark moon. Hecate was most often regarding as the Goddess of the Triple Moon enveloping the three aspects of a woman’s life; Maiden, Mother and Crone thereby being depicted with three faces, each one representing a different stage of life. She was regarded as a Goddess of Nature thereby giving her all the power of the elements at her command—neat trick. None of the references he found gave her a favorable review they all regarded as a Dark Goddess and High Mistress of the Black Arts no matter what form she took. It was the reference to the Triple Moon Goddess that he found most interesting. Ares said she was ugly so Daniel assumed her own natural role in that was of the Hag or Crone. If she absorbed Aphrodite as Ares said, that would…..

“Am I interrupting?” Calla asked as she poked her head into the doorway of his inner office.

“Never,” he turned off the computer screen and closed the books closest to him. “How’d it go?” Daniel asked as he stood up and walked over to her.

“Um, not bad.” She said with a little smile and hugged him tight. “Ready?”

“Nervous?”

“A little.” She confessed.

“Me too.” Daniel said putting his arm around her shoulder. “It’s gonna be fine, come on let’s go.”

Down in Adams’ office the good doctor insisted on examining Calla without Daniel present before they began the sonogram. Daniel waited in the outer office while Adams conducted his internal examination.

“Take a deep breath for me, Calla.” Dr. Adams encouraged from between her legs, which were spread wide in the stirrups, one hand in a latex glove on her bare knee the other—with no glove—probing between her legs and gauging the size of her cervix. He was supposed to wear gloves on both hands Dr. Adams knew that but just once he decided that it might be necessary to get a better feel for things and he could if he did this without the glove. Not that he told Calla or Daniel that. “You’re doing very well,” he said and probed a bit deeper. “Another breath,” Adams’ cock was hard and he’d like to tell her that he had a special tool with which to probe her but Doctor Jackson was just outside. “All done,” he said with an easy smile and then turned away from her.

“Can I get dressed now?” Calla asked, she always felt a little dirty and little ashamed after one of these exams.

“Just to the waist. We wanna see what that baby looks like, don’t we?”

“All right.”

Adams glanced back of his shoulder to see her with her back to him, he brought the two fingers which had just been inside her to his nose, inhaled deep and then licked the juice off of them. Daniel was one lucky bastard. That was mighty fine stuff. Truly Prime Grade A USDA Choice. Still thinking about how much he’d like to bend her over and jam it to her from behind, Adams left the office to call Daniel inside.

“Everything all right?” Daniel asked as he came in. Calla was on the table with the paper sheet over her little belly and legs.

“So far so good,” Dr. Adams agreed. “Let’s get a look.” He turned on the machinery and brought the paddle over to her as he gobbed the clear fluid onto her stomach. “It’s cold, I know, sorry.” Adams said with an easy grin before running the paddle across her skin.

Daniel soon realized that while Calla’s spell may work on him to the degree where he wasn’t a danger to her, just looking at Adams’ hands on her, caressing her, hovering over his child, it was starting to drive him a bit crazy. Daniel found that he was standing there reminding himself that the man was supposed to touch her because this was a physical examination and he was the fucking doctor!

“Oh! Daniel! Look!” Calla cried and held tightly to his hand. It wasn’t like when she’d seen Nick and Cole, those images were fuzzy, this was like watching a Hollywood movie it was clear as day. Little arms and legs floated around in the placental sack, the baby was sucking its thumb.

The joy in her voice silenced the angry thoughts in his head. There on the screen was a baby. “That’s amazing.” Daniel remarked captivated by the image in front of him, he stepped in for a closer look. Even though he didn’t want to know the sex of the baby until it as born from the picture there was no denying it was a boy. “Incredible. I’d swear he’s looking at me.” Daniel held his hand up to the screen. “Hello, hello in there, I’m your Daddy.”

Calla felt a tear well in her eye and brushed it away. Sometimes it was very good to have him here and share this with him. Very good.

“Wait,” Adams said and flicked another switch. All around them echoed the gentle wump-wump-wump of their sons’ heartbeat. “You want a copy of this on DVD to take home?”

“Yeah,” Daniel said listening to the strong rhythmic sound of his sons’ heart and remembering the similar DVD of Nicholas and Colleen, he wanted to add this to it. And I’d like you to get your hands off my wife if you don’t mind.

“No problem.” Adams punched more buttons some numbers came up on the screen. The machine judged the fetus to be at twenty-one weeks. “Looks like you already passed the halfway mark.” Adams said thoughtfully. His internal exam backed up what the computer said. “How’s your appetite, Calla? Good?”

“No,” Daniel spoke for her. “She still eats like a bird.”

“That’s not true,” she protested.

“Yes, it is. You nibble at this and you nibble at that but you never really eat anything. “ Daniel said to her then looked up at Adams. “Something wrong?”

“Work on that for me, will you? We want to fatten you up a little bit.”

Calla groaned.

Adams who hadn’t looked Daniel directly in the eye since he came into the office now did so. “She’s a little underweight for how far along she is but the baby’s weight is fine so’s his length. That’s good now, why don’t you get dressed and meet me in my office.”

While Calla got dressed Adams went over the preliminary results from her blood and urine tests. He called them into his office, Calla sat in the chair and Daniel stood behind her while Adams advised them that her blood pressured and pulse rate were up, her iron count and glucose levels were lower than he’d like. However, Adams told them it wasn’t anything to worry about right now but it was something to keep an eye on. In the meantime she was to eat more and stay away from stressful situations. “When did that happen?” He asked pointing to her head.

“What?” Calla asked and looked around.

“When did your hair start going gray?”

“I beg your pardon?” Calla said and gazed up at Daniel.

“A few days ago.” He answered. “I noticed them a few days ago.”

Calla pulled a fistful of hair to the front of her face mixed in with the cascades of auburn was a stray gray here and there. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I didn’t want to worry you.”

“From Dr. Frasier’s notes,” Adams was saying, “I see this happened the last time you were pregnant.”

“Yes, it all went white.” She gasped. “I was very ill.”

Daniel dropped to his knees next to her. “Not this time. I’m not going to leave you and you won’t become weak or ill again.”

“You don’t know that. This is why you were asking me about Kanan. You’re worried, aren’t you?”

“It’s my job, I’m your Husband.” He ran his hand through her hair and kissed her cheek. “But we just saw the baby’s fine very healthy, isn’t he, doc?”

“Oh yes, he’s very healthy.” Adams agreed. “We’re just going to keep a close eye on you that’s all.”

“Just like last time.” She muttered. “No, it can’t be like before,” she looked up at Daniel. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing.” Daniel said with a fake smile. “Nothing.”

By the time they left the doctor’s office she had an appointment to come back in two weeks rather than a month and Adams gave them a tentative due date of April 30^th but that was subject to change depending on how much the baby developed over the next two weeks. However, Adams seemed fairly certain she would carry for a term of six months, normal for an Olympian woman and child. “Are you ready to go home?” Calla asked as they walked down the hallway. “I know it’s a bit early but I thought….”

Daniel stopped walking and thinking about what he’d seen on the screen. “Yeah, about that,” he began, “look, honey, we got some stuff goin’ on around here today. Truth is, Cal, I don’t know what time I’m going to be able to get home but it’ll probably be late.”

“Oh,” she sighed. “Anything I can help with?” His brow furrowed and his lip twitched. “Does this have something to do with what happened to Father?”

If he didn’t answer her and if he thought about it too long she’d get the images from his head. “Just go home and have a quiet evening, you’ll probably be happy to be rid of me for a few extra hours I’m always hovering around you these days.”

“You’d tell me if something was really wrong and if I could help, wouldn’t you?”

“Hum? Um-hum.” He mumbled and put his hand on her tiny tummy. “Tell your Mother to take you home and get some rest. Tomorrow’s your last day of freedom.” He reminded her. “Classes start Wednesday. Go home have a warm bath, paint me a picture, don’t wait up.”

“I’m worried about you, the baby, Father.” She confided. “You’re brushing me off.” And he was shielding his thoughts. “Daniel, what’s going on? This has something to do with Ares? Nicholas knows doesn’t he? I’ll just ask him!”

“Kitty!” he pulled in a little. “Didn’t the doctor just say you should avoid stress? This is nothing for you to worry about. Leave Nick alone. Come on, I’ll walk you out.” He began ushering her down the hall again.

“You can’t be late,” she complained, “Mr. Ramis is coming tonight.”

“Shit!” Daniel exclaimed. “Forgot all about him. Kitty will you call him, tell him I ‘m tied up at work and we’ll do it another time.”

“Hey, Daniel, just the man I’m looking for. Oh, hi Calla. How’d it go?” Jack asked as he came up from behind them in the corridor.

“Well. Hi Jack.” She reached out to hug him with one arm because Daniel wouldn’t let go of her other hand.

“Everything’s good?” Jack wanted to make sure of that as he put his hands on her stomach. “Hello in there, this is your Uncle Jack.”

Don’t touch her. There was a millisecond between the time thought formed in his head and then danced on his tongue. Daniel bit it back. “What’s up?”

“Our visitor is here.” Jack informed him.

“Who?” Calla asked hoping Jack hadn’t already been told not to answer her.

“Oh, just an old friend dropping by.”

Nuts. Too late. “I can find the car on my own, Daniel. It was lovely to see you, Jack. Come by the house more often.” She turned to her Husband and kissed his cheek. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Cal.” Daniel whispered in her ear. “Don’t stress and don’t wait up if I’m late, promise.”

“Hei, kume.” (Yes, promise) She whispered back and walked off.

That was her way of getting the last little dig in and expressing her displeasure at the situation or so Daniel hoped anyway. Better that than having her actually meaning it. The baby was fine but she wasn’t. Calla knew that. If she had to leave this planet then he had to leave this planet with her. Calla didn’t know that. He couldn’t do that. As much as he wanted to get his family on the next inter-galactic shuttle out of here he couldn’t leave, he had to stay and fight with the rest of them. One way or another there was a large chance they would not be spending the remainder of her pregnancy together. Calla knew that too. She just didn’t understand why.

End of Chapter Eight
The Cradle Will Fall
Continue to
Chapter Nine