Sam wandered into the kitchen, smiling as she spotted her husband seated at the table with the morning paper. "You should have woken me," she admonished when he looked up.
"Good morning to you too," he chuckled in reply.
She grinned sheepishly, lowering her self into the chair beside him. "Sorry. Good morning."
He leaned over and accepted her kiss. "As for letting you sleep in, I figured you should get as much sleep as you can. When the baby makes an appearance you sure won't be getting any."
Sam smiled at that. At first, it had been terrifying to think she would most likely go into labor early. The odds had certainly been against her making it to term. But at thirty-seven weeks, she was at the cut-off point for a pre-term labor. She had stopped taking her medication a couple of weeks ago, when tests had shown that the baby's vital organs were developed enough to be able to survive an early birth. 'It's all fine and I'm ready,' she thought to herself, running a hand over her stomach.
"What would you like for breakfast?" Jack asked her as he got up and started rummaging around in the cupboard.
"Fruit Loops please," was her immediate reply.
Jack grinned, having already guessed the answer. Before she was pregnant, Sam would never touch the children's cereal, but now she couldn't get enough of it. "Can we get out of here after breakfast?" she asked as she watched him prepare her meal. "I feel like I've been cooped up in here for years."
Jack chuckled, handing her a bowl of cereal. "We'll go for a walk after breakfast, okay? It's not too cold out there today."
Sam nodded and started into her breakfast. Once they'd finished, Jack cleaned up, before they donned their coats and then they headed to the door. Sam pulled the front door open only to jump when she came face to face with Janet. "Holy Hannah!" she cried, a hand going to her heart.
Janet looked equally startled. "Uh, hi."
"What are you trying to do? Scare me into having the baby?"
"I didn't mean to scare you,” Janet laughed. “Cass and I thought we'd just come a bit earlier in case you needed us to do anything. How are you feeling?"
"I’m fine," Sam replied. "We were just going for a walk. Wanna join us?"
"Can we take Jerry?" Cassie asked.
"Sure," Sam agreed. "You want to go get him?"
Cassie nodded and took off to get the puppy.
"Where's Daniel?" Jack asked.
"He got called into the Base earlier to do some translations. He should be here soon."
"How about I wait here for him then?" He turned to Sam. "You'll be okay?"
She rolled her eyes. "Yes, Jack."
Jack stood on the doorstep and watched as they walked, or in Sam's case waddled, down the street. He grinned as he watched her move. Sam hated it, but Jack thought it was adorable.
It was about twenty minutes later when Daniel arrived, begging for coffee. "Where are the girls?" he asked, as he took a gulp of the strong brew.
"They've taken Jerry down to the park."
"Shouldn't Sam be taking it easy?"
Jack nodded. "She is, but she was getting a bit claustrophobic in here, I think."
Daniel laughed. "Should we go down and see what they're up to?"
Nodding, Jack grabbed his coat and they headed out of the house.
*****
Sam was having a great time in the park. Admittedly, she wasn't doing much, but just being out of the house was a treat that she relished. It had been cold and wet for the past week so she'd been stuck inside with only her laptop and the TV for company. Jack had been away on a mission and Susan had gone back to Chicago. Sam couldn't believe how much she'd come to take Susan's presence for granted. She was lonely now she was gone.
Sam laughed as she watched Cassie and Jerry play. The puppy had been great company and Sam had even allowed him to sleep at the foot of her bed while Jack was away. 'Not that Jack would ever find that out,' Sam thought with a smile. The smile turned into a grimace though, as she felt a cramp in her stomach.
Janet noticed the grimace. "Hey, are you okay?" she asked.
Sam nodded. "Yeah, just a cramp."
"Are you sure that's all it is, Sam?"
"Positive." She smiled at her friend. "I'm not in labor, Janet. I've been there before, remember? This isn't as strong as a contraction."
"Okay," Janet relented. "Just take it easy."
"Janet, I've been taking it easy for months. If I took it any easier, I'd be in a coma." They both laughed at that.
"What's so funny?" Jack asked, walking up behind them.
Sam jumped. "God, what is it with you people today?" she asked. "Did you all get together and decide it was 'scare Sam' day?"
"Damn, we got found out," he groused, kissing her forehead.
"Ha, ha, very funny," Sam replied. She ran a hand over her stomach. "Please don't have your Daddy's sense of humor," she told her child.
"Tryin' to turn the kid against me already, I see," he joked, sitting beside her and putting an arm around her shoulders.
"There's got to be some advantages to being pregnant," she quipped in return, snuggling into his embrace.
"You okay?" he asked, turning serious. "You're not too cold?"
"I'm fine," she replied, rolling her eyes. That seemed to be the only phrase she used these days.
"You sure?"
She gave a frustrated sigh. "Would you go and play with Cass or something? I came out here so I would stop feeling so claustrophobic, not so you could smother me more." She saw his hurt expression and softened a little. "Jack, I love you but you're driving me crazy. I'm pregnant, not dying."
He grumbled as he got to his feet, wandering off towards where Cassie and Jerry were playing.
"I'll make sure he doesn't trip over his bottom lip," Daniel quipped, following after his friend.
Sam sighed. "I'm never going to hear the end of that one, am I?" she asked.
"He'll get over it," Janet placated.
"I know it's only because he's worried about me, but I just feel so suffocated."
Janet reached out and squeezed her friend's hand. "Honey, you have to realize how much of a scare you gave him when you went into pre-term labor. He's been worried sick about you." She grinned. "Besides, you have someone who is willing to cater for your every need. You should be enjoying it."
"You try it and see if you still think that."
"No thank you," Janet replied with a laugh. "I have a teenage daughter. That's enough for now."
Sam looked at her friend. "So you don't want another child?"
Janet shrugged. "Maybe. I just don't want to complicate things more. Cassandra has lost a lot in her life. I don't want her to feel like she's losing a part of me to another child."
"I don't think she'd feel like that. I think she'd feel like she was gaining something. A sibling to love and to be loved by."
"But what if she thinks we'll love the baby more because we're it's biological parents. I couldn't handle her feeling she meant less to us."
Sam smiled, squeezing her friend's hand. "You tell to her. You reassure her that she still means the world to you. Why don't you talk to her about it? See what she thinks? I think she might surprise you."
"Maybe your right, thanks."
"You're welcome. Now I better go and apologize to my husband so he'll stop sulking."
*****
They stayed a little longer before they headed home and had lunch. Afterwards, Jack and Daniel headed into the kitchen to clean up. Sam started tidying up the living room, putting things back where they belonged and chastising herself for letting the house get so untidy.
"Sam, will you sit down?" Janet asked.
"I will. I just need to..." She broke off as she clutched at her stomach, groaning.
"Sam?" Janet asked, moving to her friend's side.
"Okay, that's not a cramp," Sam muttered, breathing through her first contraction.
Cassie looked from Sam to Janet, eyes wide. "Uncle Jack!"
"What?!" Jack cried, as he and Daniel came running through the door.
"Calm down, guys. It's just a contraction," Janet told them.
Sam straightened up, as her body relaxed. "This better be the real thing," she muttered. "I've had enough practice."
"Well, lets get to the hospital then!" Cassie cried, rushing to the door.
"It's all right, Cassie," Jack assured her, helping Sam over to the sofa. "She's had one contraction. I don't think she's quite ready to pop yet."
"But what if it comes here?" the teenager insisted.
Janet waved a hand. "Hello? Doctor here."
"But..."
"Cassie!" Sam finally called, cutting through the girl's fear. "I'm fine, okay? I'll know when it's time to go. I may be a first time mother, but I have been preparing for this for a while."
They all sat there, looking at each other. "Now what?" Daniel asked.
"Well, I'm not going to sit and twiddle my thumbs until the next one," Sam replied, getting to her feet.
"What are you doing?" Jack asked, springing to his feet.
"I'm going to finish cleaning up."
"God, Sam, this is *not* the time to start the nesting thing," he told her.
"Well, what would you suggest we do then?” she asked.
He thought for a moment. "Let’s watch a video," he suggested.
*****
The movie was interrupted half way through by a call for Janet. One of the teams had brought back a large group of ill natives and they needed more help. Both Sam and Jack assured them they would be fine, so Daniel and Cassie left as well. Sam's contractions were still irregular so she and Jack sat down and finished the movie.
"Now what?" he asked, when the credits started rolling.
Sam grinned. "You're so impatient."
His reply was cut off by her groan, signaling another contraction. He spoke gently to her, using the low, soothing tones that Teal'c had taught him. "That was three at ten minutes," Jack noted, looking at his watch. "Looks like we might be getting somewhere."
"Finally," she groused.
Jack grinned. "Now who's getting impatient?"
"Swap places and see how you like it," she countered.
Jack grinned. "You wanna go to the hospital yet?"
She shook her head. "It's still too soon. They'd just send me home again." She held out her hand. "Take me outside? I need some fresh air."
*****
A few hours later, Sam was getting herself a glass of water in the kitchen. Jack had gone upstairs to get her bag, so it was by the door when they were ready to go.
She almost dropped the glass as another contraction hit, stronger than the last one. "Jack!" she called out before she could stop herself.
"Sam?" he asked, hurrying down the stairs and into the kitchen.
"It's okay," she gasped. "That one was just a bit stronger and it took me by surprise."
"I think it's hospital time for you," Jack said.
"Not yet," she replied, still slightly out of breath.
"Sam!"
"Jack, the contractions are still nine minutes apart and my water hasn't broken. I'm not ready to go to the hospital."
"Please, baby. I want you where they can keep an eye on you. It's been six hours. Please let me take you to the hospital?"
She sighed. "Fine, but I bet they just send me home again."
Jack gave a triumphant smile, rushing to the base of the stairs where he'd dropped her bag, before helping her out to the car.
Sam had to remind him twice on the way to slow down. Every time she had a contraction, Jack's foot pressed harder on the gas. Once there, they put her in a wheelchair and took her up to the Labor Unit.
"Hey! Someone in here having a baby?" Chris asked as she walked into the room.
"Trying. Someone's not really cooperating," Sam replied, giving her swollen abdomen an affectionate pat.
"Ah, just as stubborn as Daddy, huh?"
Sam chuckled. "Oh, yeah."
"Hey! No need to gang up on me," Jack said, indignant.
Dr Dalley chuckled and moved to examine Sam. "So, your water hasn't broken yet?"
Sam shook her head. "No. I wanted to stay at home, but Jack was sure that I'd end up having it in the car or something."
Chris chuckled. "When was your first contraction?"
"First strong one was about six hours ago."
"But you had cramps before that?"
"Yeah. I went for a walk and I thought I'd just overdone it a bit."
Chris viewed her chart. "Okay, well it looks like it's gonna be a while yet. You're still only three centimeters dilated. Why don't you get up and walk around a bit?"
"You're not going to send me home?" Sam asked.
Chris shook her head. "Wouldn't want to stress Daddy out too much," she joked. "Besides, I'd feel better knowing you were here. The baby is still a few weeks early, Sam, so I'd rather be safe than sorry."
"Thanks, Chris," Sam said as the doctor walked out the door. She turned to look at her husband. "Told you I wasn't ready."
He smiled. "And I told you I'd feel better with you in here. Come on, Sam. I've got enough gray hair already."
She smiled back at him. "Help me up. I want to walk around."
*****
At the eighteen hour mark, Sam felt that she should have taken up knitting or something. She was still only five centimeters dilated and bored. It was only 0700 hours, so there was nothing to watch on the TV and Jack was asleep in the chair. She'd given up waking him every six minutes. It hardly seemed worth it now she was getting used to the contractions. She knew it would be a different matter once the labor progressed more, but she figured at least one of them should get some sleep.
She saw Jack start to stir beside her, groaning as he stretched out the sleeping kinks. He looked a little confused for a moment as he looked around before his eyes widened and his head snapped to her. "Baby, I'm so sorry! Ya shoulda smacked me over the head with a bedpan or something."
"It's okay," she assured him. "At least one of us got some rest and it's not like anything's happening." She sighed. "I think I prayed too much. I didn't mean I didn't want the baby to come out *ever*."
Jack chuckled. "Maybe we all did, huh?" He stroked her forehead. "You want anything?"
"Besides, getting this labor moving? No, I'm okay."
"Well the only way I can help with that is to take you for another walk." He grinned. "What do ya say? Wanna take lap two hundred with me?"
Sam laughed. "You’ve got yourself a date, Mister. Help me up."
Once he had her up and helped her put a hospital robe on, Jack led Sam out of the room.
"You two are going to wear a track by the time your finished," a nurse quipped as she spotted them.
"Not by choice, believe me," Sam replied. She went to take a step when the next contraction hit. Caught off guard, she reached for Jack to steady herself. This one was stronger than the others had been and she groaned as she leaned into Jack's chest.
Jack held her securely, rubbing a hand over her lower back as he spoke gently in her ear. The nurse came over to see if she could help but Jack held up his hand, not wanting her to interrupt Sam's concentration.
Once the contraction had passed, Sam stayed where she was, out of breath. "I think my water just broke."
Jack grimaced, feeling a wet pant leg where he’d wedged it between hers to try and balance her. "Yeah, I think they might have."
"Lets get her back to her room," the nurse suggested, figuring she was allowed to talk now. "Things often progress a lot quicker once the water breaks. We should check out what's happening." She smiled to Jack. "I'll get someone to find you a change of pants."
*****
"Sorry, Sam. You've progressed a little more, but not enough to get this show moving," Chris told her, after completing her exam.
Sam groaned. "That last one felt a lot stronger. I thought for sure something was happening."
"Hey little one, when the plug comes out of the bath, it's time to get out," Jack said to Sam's stomach.
Sam gave him a look. "You're sick," she joked.
"But you love me," he quipped.
"Oh, I don't know about that," she retorted. "It's entirely your fault that I'm in all this pain."
"You sure you don't want some pain meds?" Chris asked.
Sam shook her head resolutely. "I told you, Chris. I'm not going to risk the drugs reacting with the naquada or protein marker in my body. I've come this far, I'm not going to risk my baby now just to give me some pain relief."
Chris nodded her understanding. "How's the meditation helping?"
Sam gave a tired chuckle. "Let's just say I think I'd be hoarse from screaming if Teal'c hadn't taught me that."
*****
It was a few hours later when Jack looked at his watch. It had been almost twenty-four hours since Sam had gone into labor. He looked over at his wife, brushing back the damp hair from her forehead. "How ya doin', angel?"
"I'm so tired, Jack," she whispered, the exhaustion clear on her face. "I don't think I can do this any more."
Jack grasped her hand, leaning in close to her as he spoke. "Yes you can. You're doing great and I'm *so* proud of you. Just hang in there a little more, okay? When this is all over, we're gonna have our little baby."
"Our baby," she whispered back. She tried to smile, but it came out as a grimace as another contraction gripped her body. "Oh God," she got out through gritted teeth.
"Come on, Sam, block it out. Just concentrate on my voice," Jack coached, his tone low and soothing.
Janet walked in just as the contraction was passing, having come from the Base an hour before to see how her friend was. "How're things going?" she asked them.
"Nowhere fast," Jack replied as he wiped Sam's brow. "Can't you do something, Janet? There's only so much more of this she can take."
"Some labors just take longer than others, Jack. We just have to keep her as comfortable as possible. Do you need me to get anything, Sam?” Janet asked her friend.
"I just want to have this baby already!" she told her friend irritably. She sighed as her body relaxed again. "Or maybe a nap," she said quietly, as she closed her eyes.
Janet smiled. "You want me to talk to the baby? See if it can get things moving a bit?"
Sam opened one eye. "A bit? Can't we go for a whole hell of a lot?"
"Sure we can. Just let me have a word and tell it to stop behaving like its parents," Janet joked.
“Isn’t there something we can do?” Jack asked again.
As Janet started to reply, she was cut off by Sam. "Jack? Will you go and see everyone in the waiting room? Please?" she added, when it looked like he was going to argue.
Janet smiled at Jack, nodding for him to agree.
"Okay," he relented, a confused look on his face. He leaned over to kiss her damp forehead. "I won't be far away, okay?"
"I'm okay," she told him, looking anything but.
Sighing, Jack let Janet lead him out of the room. "Don't take it personally, Jack. She's just in a lot of pain and she needs some time to regroup. Go and see everyone and when you come back, she'll probably tell you you're a heartless bastard for leaving."
Jack chuckled and nodded his agreement. "You know where I am if you need me."
Jack walked out into the waiting room, shocked at the large group of people there. "Mom? Dad? When did you guys get here?" he asked, moving to hug his parents.
"A few hours ago. How's she doing?" Susan asked.
"She's exhausted, but doin' okay."
"You look pretty tired yourself, son," Jacob said from behind him.
"Jacob! I didn't see you there. I'm glad you could get here, Sam will be happy to see you."
"Is my little girl really okay?" Jacob asked, concerned.
Jack nodded. "As well as can be expected. Both hers and the baby's vitals are fine."
Jack sighed, sitting down on the nearest chair with a thud. "God, talk about the longest twenty-four hours of my life."
"She's been in labor for that long?" Hammond asked, eyes wide.
Jack nodded. "Yeah. The last few hours have been pretty rough for her. She's had really intense contractions, but the labor's not progressing."
"Did they give her something for the pain?" Susan asked.
Jack shook his head. "They offered, but Sam wants a natural birth."
Susan's eyes widened. "I can't decide if she's incredibly brave or stupid," she replied.
Jack just shrugged, unable to tell his mother the real reason. "It's her decision."
*****
Meanwhile, Sam finished breathing through yet another contraction. She'd insisted that Janet stay with her and her friend was currently massaging a cramp from one of her legs. She sighed as the cramp started to go away and then gasped as another contraction hit. This one was different from the others. She felt the pressure lower and had the almost overwhelming urge to bare down. "I want to push," she groaned, surprising both Janet and the nurse that was checking her vitals.
"Not yet, Sam. I want you to pant for me. Nurse? I want you to go and get Doctor Dalley and Colonel O’Neill.” Janet realized that she was giving orders when she really shouldn't have, but if the nurse noticed, she didn’t comment.
Doctor Dalley rushed in soon after. "Hey, Sam. Are you finally ready to cooperate and have this baby?" she joked as a nurse put gloves on her.
"Oh god... yes," Sam managed to reply. "Where's... Jack?"
At that moment Jack burst into the room. "What's happening?!"
"I'm having a... baby, if you... didn't notice," Sam returned between pants.
"It's showtime, Jack," Janet said with a chuckle, moving to stand on Sam's left side.
"Really?!" Jack asked, suddenly sounding like a kid at Christmas. He moved to stand on her right, reaching out and grasping her hand.
Dr Dalley grinned at Jack’s excitement, before turning her attention to her patient. "Okay, Sam. On the next contraction, I want you to push for me. Jack, I want you to count for her."
Jack nodded and seconds later he felt Sam's hand tighten around his.
"Okay, push, Sam," Dalley ordered and nodded to Jack to start counting.
"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten," Jack coached, squeezing Sam's hand as she fell against the bed, breathing hard.
"That's great, Sam. The baby's crowning. Let's try it again. Janet and Jack, if you could both support her back as she bares down. Jack, don't forget to count." She looked at Sam. "You ready, Sam?"
Sam nodded and started pushing again. She listened to Jack counting, silently begging him to get to ten already. She'd never felt the pain that she was in now and was suddenly terrified that she wouldn't be able to do this. She caught Jack's eyes and the look of complete trust and love that she saw there gave her the strength that she needed.
The next few minutes were a blur for Sam. The only thing she could concentrate on was Jack. His eyes, reassuring and encouraging her. His voice, telling her when to push and when to pant. Then she heard it, a lusty cry, and she started to cry as well.
"It's a boy!" Chris announced. She handed him to one of the nurses. "We'll quickly check him out and then you can hold him, okay?"
Sam nodded, her eyes never leaving her screaming child as the nurse checked his heart and breathing. She hardly even noticed as she delivered the afterbirth, her whole focus on her child. He was here and the amount of noise he was making had to be a good sign.
She felt Jack drop a kiss on her head and looked up at him. He had tears in his eyes and a smile so wide Sam thought his face would split. "You did it, Sam. I'm so proud of you."
She smiled at him, before her eyes turned back to their child. "Oh, Jack, look at him! He's really here!"
"Hard to believe, huh?" he asked, watching as the nurse wrapped his son in a blanket and brought him over.
"Congratulations," she said, placing the bundle in Sam's arms. "He's perfect."
"He's okay?" she asked, cradling her child close.
"We'll have to keep an eye on his breathing, but it looks good."
"He's so little," Jack whispered, reaching a tentative hand out to touch his son.
“He’s a good size,” the nurse assured him. She smiled kindly. "Why don't you go out and inform your family? We'll get them both cleaned up. Then you can come back."
"Okay," he agreed reluctantly. He leaned down and kissed Sam's forehead. "I love you."
She smiled tiredly. "I love you too."
Taking one last one look at his wife and son, Jack turned and headed out to the waiting room. Everyone looked up as he walked in, all of them holding their breath.
"It's a boy!" he beamed.
There was a cheer and everyone rushed to congratulate the proud new father.
"Are they okay?" Jacob asked.
"Both mother and son are fine. They're just cleaning them both up."
A few minutes later a nurse walked into the waiting room. "Colonel O'Neill?" she called. "You can come back in now." Jack nodded and headed through the door while the nurse turned to the others. "Let them have some time to bond with their new son. Then we'll let visitors in."
*****
When Jack walked into the room, he was mesmerized by the sight. Sam was sitting up in bed, holding their son in her arms. Although she looked exhausted, the glow of her face and the sparkle in her shining eyes was obvious. She looked up at him then, giving him a blinding smile. "Is everyone still out there?"
He nodded, walking up to the side of the bed. "Even the General's waiting to say hi," he told her. He leaned down and placed a soft kiss on her forehead, before doing the same to his son.
"Sit down," she told him, gingerly making room on the side of the bed for him. The baby whimpered at being jostled but soon calmed down. "He's so perfect," Sam whispered, playing with a tiny fist.
"Just like his mom," Jack replied quietly. "Thank you, Sam."
She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek. "You had a hand in this too."
He smiled. "I know, but my part was a lot of fun. I wasn't the one in labor for twenty four hours."
"It was worth it, just to have this little boy in my arms." She grimaced as she tried to shift into a more comfortable position. "I never thought it was possible to be this happy and this sore at the same time," she laughed, groaning as her tender body protested.
They heard a knock on the door and Janet stuck her head in. "I know you guys probably want to keep him all to yourselves, but there's about to be a riot out here if I don't let everyone in."
Jack chuckled. "Send them in."
The door opened a few minutes later and Susan, Charles, Jacob, Hammond, Daniel, Cassie and Teal'c all walked quietly into the room. Susan was the first one to reach the bed and Sam dutifully handed her child to his Grandmother.
"Oh, Sam, he's just beautiful," she cooed.
"Glad to see he takes after his mother," Charles agreed, reaching out to stroke the soft down covering his Grandson's head. “How big is he?” he asked, thinking how small he looked compared to Jack when he was born.
“Six pound, two ounces,” Sam informed him. “22 inches long.”
“He’s a little angel,” Susan declared. She held him a little longer before handing him over to his other Grandparent.
"He's perfect, Sammy," Jacob told his daughter, tears in his eyes. He may have already been blessed with three other grandchildren, but it didn't make the moment any less special. "So, does my grandson have a name?" he asked.
Jack smiled. "We'd like everyone to meet Adam Christopher O'Neill."
Jacob nodded his approval. "Hi, Adam. I'm your Grandpa Jacob."
*****
Everyone got to hold Adam before the nurse kicked them all out. "They need to rest," she told them, in a tone that not even the General wanted to argue with. She waited until they'd complied with her wishes before turning to the new parents. "I'll leave him in here for a little longer, but then he needs to go back to the nursery."
"Thanks," Jack replied.
Sam smiled at the child lying in the isolette by her bed. "It's hard to believe that he was the one inside me, kicking up a storm."
Jack grinned, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. He saw the fatigue in her eyes and could tell she was fighting the urge to sleep. "Sleep, baby. He'll be here when you wake up," he told her, watching as heavy lids finally closed and she drifted off to sleep.
He watched her for a minute longer before getting up and walking over to the isolette. He reached in and gently lifted his son into his arms. He remembered doing this once before, when his first son was born but, unlike previous occasions, the memory didn't pierce his heart. Instead it gave him a strength and determination that he never knew he had.
The man upstairs had deemed him worthy of a second chance and he'd be damned if he screwed it up this time.
*****
It was like falling deep in love
I heard the angels cry above
I felt a blessing straight from God
The day that you gave me a son
*****
Story Notes: Songbook Series 24: AUTHOR: Jez- jez80@ozemail.com.au
SPOILERS: none
ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack and Heliopolis please.
AUTHORS NOTES: A huge thanks to my two beta gal's Kes and Jenn and to Sue for all her medical input! Thanks also to Anne for allowing me to work with her own birthing experiences. All mistakes are mine.
DEDICATION: To Sue, who has helped tremendously with the medical aspects of this series and hasn’t made me rewrite the whole thing... yet!
FEEDBACK: Very much appreciated and cherished.
SPOILERS: none
ARCHIVE: Sam and Jack and Heliopolis please.
AUTHORS NOTES: A huge thanks to my two beta gal's Kes and Jenn and to Sue for all her medical input! Thanks also to Anne for allowing me to work with her own birthing experiences. All mistakes are mine.
DEDICATION: To Sue, who has helped tremendously with the medical aspects of this series and hasn’t made me rewrite the whole thing... yet!
FEEDBACK: Very much appreciated and cherished.
DISCLAIMER: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc, are the property of their respective owners. Any original characters and plots are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended. ... [ read more ]