Author Notes: Once again, Charlie makes a great beta. I know I took a long time to get this done, but I tend not to start writing each part until the previous part has been published. Part Three will be arriving in two to three weeks.

A/N - Yeah, I know that I don't give Teal'c a lot of dialogue in the first part, so I've tried to remedy it here. However, I'm not so good at this, so bear with me for a while. Also, any seemingly racist comments about Russians made by Jack are purely character driven. I have no problems with Russians; Jack does. That's it.

DISCLAIMER - If you recognise a character from the TV show, then they don't belong to me. All the rest do. Also, all storylines are of my own invention entirely.

Inheritance

Kath half-sat, half-lay in the infirmary bed, with Daniel seated next to her holding her hand. He was asleep; she was comatose. Kath had an IV in her arm, and tubes up her nose. Her black hair was splayed across the clean white pillow. Jack, Sam and Teal'c entered the room with Janet, who was explaining the situation to them.

"She's only got a matter of weeks to live if the tumour continues to grow at its current rate," Janet told them.

"So, what exactly happened?" asked Sam.

"As far as I can tell, something triggered the cells in the tumour to begin mitosis at an incredible rate. Without any other proof, I'm going to have to say it was either something Lieutenant Reeves encountered on the planet, or gate travel itself." Janet leaned over Daniel to check her patient's pulse. "She's fine at the moment, but she could have more fits and blackouts."

"It can't be gate travel," said Jack. Everyone turned to look at him. "Well, we took Carter's dad through to see the Tok'ra, and he had cancer, and I don't recall this happening to him." There was silence. "What? What'd I say?"

"You may be correct, O'Neill," said Teal'c. "And what of DanielJackson?"

"He hasn't left the infirmary since we brought her here three days ago," Janet told them. "I had to slip him some sleeping pills before he collapsed from exhaustion."

"Spacemonkey's got a crush on the Russian," Jack smirked.

Teal'c looked puzzled. "What is this - crush, O'Neill? DanielJackson wishes to compress LieutenantReeves?"

"Nah, it means that he thinks she's sexy. He thinks she's gorgeous, he wants to love her, hug her and marry her..." Jack sang, and started to dance. "What?" he demanded when they looked at him again. "I'll have you know, Miss Congeniality is a very good movie. Look, Cassie made me watch it. Dr Fraiser, you were there, tell them!"

Daniel stirred, and sat up abruptly. "What's going on?" he asked blearily. "How's Kath?"

Janet walked over to him. "She's still unconscious. Daniel, I'm going to have to order you to go and take a shower and have a proper sleep. I don't want to have any more members of SG-1 incapacitated than I have to."

"She's right, Daniel," Jack told him. "Get a good night's sleep. We'll take care of the lieutenant."

"I will guide him to the locker room, O'Neill," said Teal'c, and he led Daniel out of the room, holding his arm to guide him. Daniel tried to protest, but the effects of the sleeping pills hadn't entirely worn off, and he slipped back into a half-doze.

"Colonel..." said Sam, suddenly turning pale and sitting down.

"What's the matter, Carter?" he asked.

"I could have sworn that I felt the presence of a Goa'uld in here a minute ago. But not anymore. It's like it keeps disappearing. It's back!" She panicked, and looked around for the Goa'uld.

"Carter, Carter, there are no Goa'ulds here! Snap out of it!" Jack told her sharply. "Doc, is there any chance that Sam could be affected as well?"

"Possibly. But I'm more concerned about the fact that Lieutenant Reeves' pulse doubled when Sam thought she sensed a Goa'uld."

"So, there's a possibility that there's a Goa'uld on the base?" asked General Hammond. "How could this happen?"

"Well, sir, Nirrti had phase technology, but we were able to reveal her with Tok'ra technology," said Sam. "We scan the gate room with TERs every time a team comes back, and nothing detectable has come through. So, if there is a Goa'uld here, they've got hold of something that we can't identify."

"Could it be that you made a mistake, Major?" the General asked.

"I've never been wrong before, sir. And the fact that Lieutenant Reeves reacted at the same time shows that something definitely happened." Sam leaned back in her chair, and folded her arms.

"Doctor Fraiser, can you explain the lieutenant's reaction?" General Hammond looked at the base's Chief Medical Officer.

"No, sir." She shook her head. "Lieutenant Reeves was definitely aware of something that we can't see or feel, and so far, Major Carter's Goa'uld theory is the only thing that makes sense, even though it doesn't, if you see what I mean, sir."

"GeneralHammond, I do not see how there could be a Goa'uld present in this facility," said Teal'c.

"Maybe we should sweep the base, just in case," the General said with a frown.

"I concur." Teal'c went to stand up, but Jack held out one hand to stop him.

"Whoa, buddy. Carter, you pick up the naquadah, don't ya? Not the actual snake in the head?" She nodded. "Maybe Danny or the Russian - I mean, Lieutenant Reeves," he amended quickly after a look from General Hammond, "came into contact with some on the planet, and that's what you were getting."

"We could ask Dr Jackson when he wakes up." General Hammond stood up. "Colonel O'Neill, Teal'c, you have my authorisation to sweep the mountain with TERs and whatever else you see fit. If there is a Goa'uld here, I trust you to find it and neutralise it. Dismissed."

Dr Fraiser drew General Hammond aside when the others had left. "General, I thought I should tell you, it's highly unlikely that Lieutenant Reeves will wake up. Her tumour is growing so rapidly, it's exerting an enormous amount of pressure on her brain. If she does wake up, she won't be able to talk, or even comprehend what we're saying. She will suffer more fits and blackouts. She'll probably have lost control over most of her body. As it is, I'm amazed she can still breathe on her own. I hate to say it, but you should begin looking for a new liaison for SG-1."

"Thank you, Doctor. Please notify me immediately if there's any change."

"Yes sir." Janet left the briefing room, and started back to the infirmary. On the way, she met Daniel, who had obviously just had a shower, having wet hair. "I thought I told you to go to bed, Daniel."

"Couldn't sleep," he muttered. "How's Kath?"

"No change. Daniel, you've barely known her for four days, and most of that time she's been in a coma. Why are you so bothered?"

"There was - a connection, you know? Right from the minute I met her. Our eyes connected, and bam! It - it - it was just there, you know?" He smiled slightly, remembering.

"Daniel..." said Janet.

"I've never felt this way about anyone before," he continued. "Even with Sha're, it felt so deep, so - do you believe in soul mates?"

"Daniel, please, listen to me..."

"When she wakes up, I'm going to talk to her about it. Find out if she feels the same way. But until then, I'll just sit with her, and be there."

"Daniel!" Dr Fraiser almost shouted. "Listen! I want you to sit down, now!" With a stunned look on his face, Daniel sat. "Lieutenant Reeves will not be waking up. She has a serious brain tumour, which in all probability will kill her within the next fortnight."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "N-no. No. She can't die, I've only just met her! I love her!"

"Dr Jackson, you do not love her. You're tired and emotional. Now, I am ordering you to go and sleep. That's doctor's orders. Goodnight."

"I suppose you'll be giving me a sedative if I don't agree," he stated dully.

"Damn right I will. Daniel, you need to rest, and as your doctor, I will ensure that you get that rest, whatever it takes."

He shot her a look that a normal, rational Daniel wouldn't even have thought of using, and stormed off.

In the infirmary, she picked up the phone and called General Hammond. "Dr Jackson seems irrational, sir. I suggest that a guard be posted outside his room - just as a precaution. He seems to be acting the way the men were when Hathor was here. Well, sir, he's infatuated with Lieutenant Reeves. Yes, it may be connected in some way. Of course I'll investigate further, General. Thank you, sir. No, no news on her condition yet." She put the phone down, and walked over to the bed where Kath lay.

The monitors were bleeping, as they had been for the last three days. Then Kath's heart rate once again shot up, and she started fitting again. A group of medical staff descended on her, held her down and administered the required injections.

"If she keeps doing this, I won't be able to take my leave," muttered one of the nurses.

"Oh? When's that?" asked another.

"Tomorrow until next Tuesday - the 8th to the 12th."

"It's July, right?"

"Yeah. Your husband's birthday in a week's time."

"I know. I still haven't got him a gift..." Their voices faded as they moved away from the bed.

Jack sloped into the room. "How is she, Doc? Still the amazing Russian vegetable?"

Janet pursed her lips. "She fitted again a few minutes ago. And Colonel?" He looked at her. "Daniel's not himself. Don't forget it's his birthday tomorrow; it might be an idea to try and cheer him up with a party of some sort. You know, to take his mind off the current situation."

"Will do. You know, it's nice to talk to you without having a needle rammed up my ass."

"It can be arranged, sir." Janet had a very mischievous smile on occasion, and she chose to use it. "In fact, have you had your tetanus booster this year...?"

"Oh, is that the time? I've gotta go!" Jack looked at his watch, and slowly backed out of the room.

Janet sighed, and then laughed out loud, before retreating into her office to deal with some of that pesky paperwork that had been building up over the past week.

In the bed in the corner, Lieutenant Reeves' eyelids twitched.

Daniel was back in the seat next to Kath's bed by 0730 the next morning. He spent most of the morning and afternoon of his birthday right there in the infirmary, until Jack came and delivered an ultimatum.

"You're going out with us tonight. Or your beige jumper gets it."

"Listen, Jack, I'm really not in the mood," Daniel said with a wan smile. "I know what day it is, and frankly I'd rather be here. But don't touch my jumper."

"Come on, Danny. It won't kill ya." Jack punched him on the arm playfully. "OK, you're coming. You got fifteen minutes to say goodbye. That's until 1545. Then you will be leaving with me, Carter and," he said, pausing, before whispering, with added air quotes, "our friend "Murray"."

Daniel couldn't help but smile a little. "OK. I don't suppose she'll wake up while I'm gone. Fifteen minutes?"

"Fifteen minutes," Jack confirmed. "Don't be late. Meet you at the elevator. I'll leave you two alone for now."

Daniel reached out for Kath's hand. "I don't suppose you feel like being a medical miracle and waking up, do you?" he asked quietly, squeezing her hand slightly.

Her eyelids moved slightly, and Daniel felt a sudden pressure on his hand. "Kath?" he asked incredulously. The pressure came again. "Doctor Fraiser!" he yelled. "I - I think she's waking up!"

Janet hurried over, and took Kath's pulse. She swore quietly, the first time Daniel had ever heard her do so. "This is unbelievable," she exclaimed. "By all rights, she should be dead, not waking up."

Agonisingly slowly, Kath's eyes opened. She blinked a few times, trying to focus on the two people in front of her. "Where am I?" she whispered, her voice hoarse from disuse, and her Russian accent returning more strongly. "Daniel? Why are you crying?"

"I'm just glad that you're alright," he whispered back.

"You're in the infirmary, Lieutenant," Janet told her. "The tumour in your brain has been growing, possibly triggered by the gate travel. It's putting pressure on the part of your brain that controls speech, among several others, which is why your accent has come back. You've been in a coma since your return five days ago. No one expected you to wake up."

"Am I going to die?" Kath asked weakly.

"You should prepare yourself for the possibility. Do you need us to contact your family?"

"They're all dead. I'm the only one left." She closed her eyes. "But not for long, apparently."

Daniel wiped his hand over his eyes. Jack had reappeared in the doorway. "I have to go now," he said to Kath. "But I'll come back and see you later. I promise." He carefully detached his hand from hers, and stood up.

"Daniel -" Kath said, reaching out one hand. He turned back to her. "Happy Birthday." Her eyes closed, and her head slumped to one side.

"Nothing to worry about, Daniel," said Janet as he looked concerned. "It's just a deep, natural sleep. Coma patients are often exhausted when they wake up. It's not uncommon. She's fine."

"Coming, Daniel?" called Jack from the door.

"Yeah. Yeah, Jack, I'm coming." He backed away from Kath's bed, not wanting to look away until the last possible minute.

"So, Danny, I hear Teal'c got you a very interesting present..."

Janet walked over to the phone, and called General Hammond again. "She's woken up, sir. No, she's asleep now, but it's natural. I need to give her an MRI to see what's going on in her head, as it were, but it's going to have to wait until she's awake. I understand, sir." She replaced the phone in the cradle, and went back to Kath's bedside. "The thing I don't understand is why you're alive."

Six hours later, she had the answer.

"Well, Lieutenant, it's good news," Janet told Kath in a slightly shocked voice. "It looks like the tumour is shrinking again. You are a very lucky woman."

"Shrinking?"

"It's almost back to its original size. This is very confusing." Janet scratched the side of her mouth thoughtfully.

"So, I can be discharged?" Kath asked hopefully. Already, she was bored of being stuck in bed.

"If it continues to shrink, I'll have no reason to keep you in. However, you won't be allowed to go offworld, or even leave the base. Just as a precaution." Janet smiled. "I'd still like to know why this happened, but you're getting better, and that's all that matters."

"Hear hear!" exclaimed Kath fervently. "I don't care how it happened!"

"I'll still keep you in for a few more days, to make sure it's definitely getting smaller, and then you can leave." Janet smiled again. "For now, I suggest you get some sleep."

Kath nodded, and settled back in the bed. She fell asleep almost instantly.

Her recovery was nothing less than miraculous. She was discharged from the infirmary early on the morning of the 11th of July, three days after waking up, with the assurance that the tumour was shrinking so fast it would be gone in another two or three days.

Daniel sat in the VIP room now occupied by Kath. She walked out of the small shower room next door, wearing a t-shirt and combat trousers. She was rubbing her hair dry with a standard issue towel.

"Oh, it's so nice to have washed my hair at last!" she exclaimed, sitting down next to Daniel, and turning to face him. "What was it you wanted to talk to me about?" Despite the fact there was much less pressure on her brain now, Kath's accent had still not entirely returned to her English one. There was an occasional Russian pronunciation, which made her seem even more foreign.

"I've been debating whether or not to tell you this," Daniel began, then stopped again, and cleared his throat a few times.

"For cryin' out loud, spit it out!" she laughed. "It won't kill you, will it?"

"No, just mortify me if I'm wrong," he muttered under his breath. "Ever since we first met," he continued at a more normal volume, "I've felt like there was some special connection between us. You know, like we've known each other before."

"Are you talking about reincarnation, Daniel?" Kath asked, taking his hand.

"Maybe. I'm not sure," he admitted. "I just need to know: do you feel the same way?"

"Daniel..."

"OK. It's OK. I understand." Daniel stood up and started to back away. "Protocol. I - you - we can't... Um, I'll go, it's alright."

She didn't say anything then, just purposely moved forwards and closed the gap between their lips. Daniel's eyes popped open in surprise, and he started to pull away, but then he realised what was happening.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Lieutenant Reeves?" he asked into her mouth.

"Maybe I am, Doctor Jackson. Maybe I am," she replied lightly, pulling back. "What are you planning on doing about it?"

Now it was his turn to not speak.

There was a knock at the door. Kath sat bolt upright in the bed, clutching the bedclothes around her. "Who is it?" she called.

"Colonel O'Neill, your friendly neighbourhood smart ass. Are you decent?"

"Never, sir. Just a minute." She poked the still lump next to her. "Daniel!" she hissed. "Get under the bed!"

"Whaa?"

"Now! Get. Under. The. Bed! Jack's outside!" Kath forcibly shoved him out, and he landed on the floor with a thud.

"Lieutenant?" yelled Jack from outside. "What's goin' on in there?"

"I knocked a book off the table." She picked up a very creased t-shirt and trousers, pulled them on, and went to open the door. "Sir."

"What happened to you?" he asked in shock.

"I was asleep," she lied. "Dr Fraiser told me I needed to rest."

"Well, Doc Fraiser just told me you need to exercise. So I've come to see if you wanted a little sparring match. Up for it?"

Kath couldn't think of a valid excuse to refuse. "Oh, that would be - fun, thank you, sir." Jack didn't seem to notice her hesitation. "Just let me get dressed, and I'll be right along."

"Alright, Reeves. See you in five minutes. Oh, and, you may wanna find a hair brush. You look a bit - well, scary."

"Yes, sir." She saluted. "Was that a direct order?"

"I thought I told you, I'm the smart ass." Jack grinned, and walked out of the room.

Daniel looked up from underneath the bed when he heard the door shut. "That was close." He picked up his t-shirt, and pulled it on. As he finished, he suddenly froze. "Security camera. Oh God."

"No problem. It's broken. They removed it yesterday while they fixed the wiring. See?" Kath waved her arm to indicate the top corners of the room. "I said I didn't mind, as long as it wasn't for long. But now I have to go and be punched by the colonel," she added unhappily.

"It's not that bad. I've never done it, mind you, but he won't hurt you." Daniel patted her arm, and leaned in to kiss her quickly. "I'd better be going." He started to leave, but she held onto him.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Kath asked, raising an eyebrow. "Trousers, Daniel."

He looked down, and realised he was only wearing a t-shirt and his underwear. "Where exactly are my pants?"

"You'll have to find them. I've got to go." She pulled on a grey tank top with "Army" written on it in red, and matching grey tracksuit bottoms. "Bye!"

Not waiting to hear his answer, she ran down the corridor and over to the elevator, then stopped. Fortunately, an airman was passing, and could tell her how to get to where she was headed.

Jack tossed her the protective gear when she came in. Kath caught it, and put it on expertly. They began to dance around each other, but she dodged his punches more than she actually hit at him herself.

"Come on, Reeves, put your back into it!" he panted.

"I don't want to hurt you, sir," she panted back, dodging again.

"You're about half my height! You're not going to hurt me!"

"Don't say I didn't warn you..." Kath pulled back her right arm as she blocked a punch with her left, and felled him with a well-aimed right hook.

Jack popped back up again, and rubbed his jaw. "You've got a good arm there, Reeves." She knocked him over again. "Right!" he said from the floor. "I think you've had enough exercise for today. Don't want to overtire yourself or anything like that."

"Are you sure, sir? I was just getting into it." Kath grinned like a Cheshire cat, and readjusted her mouth guard.

"Yeah, you know, I'm sure I've got some paperwork to do. I'd better get on with it." Jack pulled off his gloves. "Maybe another time. If you've been sedated."

Kath laughed. "I'd rather be awake, if it's all the same to you, sir. I tried the sleeping thing a few days ago, and frankly I didn't enjoy it one bit." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Reckon I should have warmed up better, though. Think I might've pulled a muscle."

"Are you gonna go and see Fraiser?" he asked.

"No, no," she replied, still rubbing her neck with a strange expression on her face. "I'm sure I'll be fine. A pulled muscle never killed anyone. Honestly, there's nothing wrong," she assured him at the slightly worried look on his face. "I don't know why you're worried, anyway. I know you don't like me."

"I like you!" he protested with a distinct lack of enthusiasm. "You're just - Russian."

"Half. And half American, too. But I understand if you don't want your arse kicked by a girl." She finished taking off her protective gear, and left the room.

"It was a fluke!" he yelled after her. "Ya caught me on a bad day!"

"Of course I did!" Her voice drifted back, and with the strange mixture of English and Russian accents, she sounded even more mocking.

Almost a week later, the fifth member of SG-1 was finally allowed to go off-world again. She'd been a member of the team for two weeks, and this was only going to be her second time through the Stargate. They were scheduled to go through on a mission to P3X-888, to study the primitive Goa'uld, at 0730.

"Daniel!" whispered Kath loudly, shaking him. He was fast asleep in his bed. "Daniel! Wake up, we're late!"

"What's the time?" he groaned.

"0900. Colonel O'Neill, Major Carter and Teal'c already went through the gate. I said I'd stay behind to try and wake you up."

Daniel looked at his watch. "It says 0430."

"It must have stopped or something. Hurry up and get dressed." Kath pulled him out of the bed, and threw a pile of assorted clothes at him. "I'll meet you in the gate room."

"Yeah, I'll see you there." Daniel started pulling on his clothes as she left the room.

The embarkation room was empty, apart from Kath, and the blast doors were down when Daniel came in, but the Stargate was on.

"Why are the blast doors shut?" he asked, putting on his trusty hat.

"Malfunction. They're watching us by the trusty video cameras. Through you go," she said, pushing him forwards. They walked up the ramp together, and just as Daniel passed through the event horizon, the blast door started opening.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Lieutenant?" barked General Hammond. An alarm blared out, and the general called several security teams to the gate room.

"Reeves! Stand down!" Jack said as soon as they were in the room.

Kath's eyes flashed, and when she spoke, her voice was the deep, distorted tone of one possessed by the Goa'uld. "She is gone. Now, I have the one you call Daniel Jackson."

"Shoot her!" hollered Jack.

She had a hand device, and Jack was thrown back down the ramp, as Kath's eyes glowed again, and she disappeared through the Stargate.

The wormhole disengaged.

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