A/N: Thanks to my new beta, Rosie who inspired the piece and then made it better. And thanks to Rachel who asked some good questions and helped me to polish the prologue.
Rebirth
Loki didn't ask for permission to clone Jack O'Neill. One month later, Thor didn't ask the Tauri leadership for permission to clone the rest of SG-1, but Jack's teammates would never leave a man behind.
When Hammond and the Administration realized that the cloning could continue without their knowledge or permission, they decided they needed a strategy. The teenaged clones lobbied for Janet right away, but then the ethical implications began to sink in.
One of the proponents of the project was Dr. McKay, who thought that all of the clones could set up a kind of colony on the Alpha Site, but adding to the list was an ethical and logistical nightmare. The red tape itself was prohibitive, and the research was slow-going until the Antarctic expedition began research on the Ancient gene. The idea of clones that could use Ancient technology peaked the attention of both the administration and the Asgard.
Dr. Beckett and Loki worked together to figure out a way to activate the gene as part of the cloning process. In seventy-five percent of those cloned, the clone would be able to use Ancient technology to some extent.
The five original clones would be pulled out of high school and sent on the expedition along with anyone else who wanted to be cloned. Of course, some of the team wanted the adventure for themselves, and it only made sense to have physically adult bodies for strength and appearance. A less-effective retrovirus activated the gene in an additional fifty percent of team members.
In the end, the clone contingent consisted of SG-1, Janet, Jonas, McKay and an assortment of international scientists, and SG-7 including Martouf.
The cloned Sam Carter parked her motorcycle in front of the house that used to be hers. She saw Martouf's touch in everything from the paint he'd helped choose to the flowers he'd suggested for the small garden plot in front of the porch.
The memories made her heart ache. Why had she given him up?
She rang the doorbell, and Major Carter answered right away. "I heard your bike," was the answer to the unasked question. It was like that a lot between them now that they were working together on a daily basis.
Sam took the bottled water offered by her progenitor, then sat.
"We were wrong." The silence was broken only by the sound of her twisting off the cap and taking a swallow of cold water. "About O'Neill."
"I thought the two of you were on a first-name basis."
"We were. It didn't last." She shook her head, and her ponytail swished. "We got together before the ink was dry on my new ID card so to speak. In a lot of ways, it was just like I'd imagined. He's passionate and intelligent. The whole thing was amazing; we drove the rest of the house crazy for weeks." She paused to take another sip.
"But?"
"But it was too good to be real. Without adult responsibilities, he eventually reverted to the Simpsons and the Play Station. He tried to keep himself occupied with school, but it wasn't enough. Maybe it's not all his fault. Maybe I expected him to be more like-" She stopped herself. She didn't want to say it, but Major Carter certainly wasn't going to. "Martouf."
The Major looked dubious. "You expected General O'Neill to be soft-spoken and intellectual?"
"No, I expected Jack-without-the-rank to be interested in me and my interests, to cut the 'dumb colonel' act and expand his horizons. I began to miss this house, and then I realized that what I really missed was what Martouf had left. I can't tell you what might happen between you and the General. Maybe it will work, but I came to ask you. . . Will you tell Martouf that I miss him. It's not too late for him to sign up for the Clones-to-Atlantis mission. We can be together there."
"What will your Jack say?"
"I asked him already. He's never been Martouf's biggest fan, but I think he gets it. He and I never were intended to be equals."
Unlike the last time, when she had sat in the control room of Thor's ship waiting for Janet to appear in her new form several months before, Sam was having a hard time keeping still. Without the pretense of high school, the teens had moved back to the base where the O'Neills tried to avoid each other, but Carters and Jacksons were busy planning for the ultimate trip through the Stargate.
With most of the planning done, Sam had commandeered Jack's Gameboy Advance, but it had only provided a short-lived distraction from what was happening in the lab; and most of that time had been her wondering if she could take it apart and improve it somehow.
Her conversation with Martouf hadn't been as awkward as she'd thought it would be. After all, Lantash well knew the problems inherent with the disparity between apparent age and life experience.
Major Carter had laid the groundwork for the conversation, but couldn't have it herself. She was secretly engaged to General O'Neill and in the process of reorganizing her entire life to be with him. Soon there would be no Major Carter, only a Dr. Carter in Atlantis and a Dr. O'Neill on Earth. Sam wished her well, sincerely hoping that General O'Neill was significantly different from his clone.
She had anxiously knocked on the door of Martouf's quarters.
"Come in, Dr. Carter. I understand you have something to ask me." He was so professional with her, like they were in his lab.
"Yes, I'm going to cut right to it. I think you should send a clone on the Atlantis expedition."
"That's very flattering, Doctor-"
"Call me Sam."
"Alright, Sam, but I do not understand your particular interest. Lantash is the scientist, and he would not allow himself to be cloned."
"This is about more than just science. It's more . . . about I've missed you." She observed a slightly surprised expression. "She didn't tell you."
"She told me that the rest of my team had agreed to be cloned and you had a compelling argument."
"Well, I haven't gotten to compelling yet." Sam briefly peered between the bed and the loveseat before choosing the latter. She indicated that he should sit beside her, and he did. "I guess you know that she- we broke up with you because of Jack."
"You have a deep bond with him."
"Yes, and I had a chance to take that bond to the next level." She saw the barest hint of hurt in his brilliantly blue eyes. "But I found myself regretting -- deeply regretting that I didn't have you in my life anymore. I still love you."
"That is compelling."
"Martouf, I know that the clone won't be the same, but I'm sure you'll retain a lot of knowledge -- enough to be useful. It's gong to be the adventure of a lifetime, even a lifetime as long as Lantash's."
Martouf looked thoughtful, but didn't reply.
"I know you gave up everything to be with me once, and I had no idea what a gift that was. Well, I've been on the other side, and the grass wasn't as green as I'd imagined. You were the best lover and friend, and you always appreciated me . . . more than I deserved. I've seen the look of resignation on your face, but you can let our love live again. Oh, that sounds so cheesy, but it can happen."
Martouf lowered his head, and Sam's heart raced. It had been so long since-
"Samantha."
She blinked hard to keep tears from falling. "Lantash," she whispered. He opened his arms to her, and she let him cradle her head against his shoulder. "I'm going to miss you. I have missed you. All those months I've been away from the SGC, I didn't even know it, but I needed you."
She silently cursed the hormones that overcame her self-control and let tears fall. He didn't say another word but brushed her tears away, then lifted her chin and met her eyes. The dark intensity she saw made her tremble as he cupped her face and brought his lips down to hers.
She responded to his kiss with all the longing within her and the regret that it was goodbye.
He'd warned her that he'd been a lanky youth; Sam assured him that she didn't care. It had always been his soul that had drawn her to him, and besides, youth had its advantages.
The thought brought a smile to her face.
"Samantha."
She looked up. The voice was not the low rumble that melted her insides; but the inflection was the same, and it thrilled her. She looked up to see the sandy hair, vibrant eyes, and broad smile that was the same as it had always been.
"Martouf!" She jumped up to meet him, and they pulled each other into a tight embrace. She had to lean down a little, but she knew that wouldn't be for long. She ran her fingers over the back of his head and it was delightfully the same. She breathed in a scent that was almost him and sighed with contentment. "How do you feel?"
He didn't release his hold on her at all, but spoke softly in her ear. "I'm good. I do miss Lantash, but you were right; some of him came with me."
"I'm glad you feel good, and that you'll be okay without Lantash."
They pulled back until they could focus on each other's eyes, then Martouf searched her face, though he'd seen it around the base numerous times. "You are so beautiful."
"And I'm all yours."
They brought their lips together in a way both familiar and new, and they kissed like the lovers they had been before they were reborn.
Copyright (c) 2005 Allie O'Neal
"All publicly recognizable characters and places are the property of MGM, World Gekko Corp and Double Secret productions. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes and no infringement on copyrights or trademarks was intended. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author."