Spoilers: Anything with the Tok'ra Archive: SJD yes Disclaimer: Not mine don't sue me!
AN: Thanks everyone for the reviews again. And in a technical note: I put dividers in between scenes in the last two chapters, and I'm unsure as to why they never showed up. Let's hope third time's the charm! If not let me know! Or let me know anyways, feedback is always loved!
"So, if I understand you correctly Major, if we could make this device we could possible defeat the Gou'uld once and for all?" General Hammond asked, his slow Texan drawl annunciating every word.
"Yes sir. With the help of the Tok'Ra, we could get it going." Sometimes, Jack was glad Sam wasn't like Daniel. Daniel would prattle on and on about something 'interesting' about the weapon. Now was one of those times he was really glad she wasn't like him.
"Do you have any time estimates?" he asked, trying not to sound too hopeful.
"Well sir, that's the great news. Jolinar already started it. All of the crystals were for the power source, and most of the, um, doohickeys," she stated as she cast a quick glace to her commanding officer who grinned at her, "were parts of the weapon. We just need to figure out how they go together." There was a second of silence before Hammond spoke again.
"Dismissed," he lightly said, excited that this might actually work.
The meeting they had was a week and a half ago. A week and a half of pure agony, the torture was almost unbearable. Give her a fight against a hand device any day.
"MajorCarter. How is the device coming?" Teal'c asked as he walked into the lab she was working in. Her lab was too small to fit all of the people who wanted in on the project.
"I swear to God Teal'c, I'm gonna rip all of my hair out," she started, grumbling under her breath.
"As you know, I am willing to make any sacrifices for my team, regardless of the situation. Taking care of a problem for would be worth any ill consequences." She slowly turned her head to look at him, and she gave a good gut wrenching laugh when she saw his joking smile.
"As tempting as that is Teal'c, I unfortunately still need Freya's help." She leaned in closer so only he could hear her. "But I'll keep it in mind for when we're done here." He did his trademark nod, happy that he managed to break her tension for a while.
Jack was worried. He heard from one of the lab techs that Sam decided to go to the infirmary for a while. He couldn't remember the last time she went willingly. Much less the last time she willingly admitted that she didn't feel well. So just incase something was horribly wrong, he informed her dad, who just so happened to be with the General. Turning into the infirmary, he expected to see her lying on a bed with an IV hooked up and all kinds of monitors going. He saw nothing. He turned his head both ways to see if she was hiding somewhere, but saw nothing. Then he heard it.
"Mfrph…" the all too familiar voice squeezed out. Snapping back to the front, he realized there was a curtain drawn. Walking towards it, he expected to see something bad. Slowly, he pulled back the curtain only to be shocked.
She was just asleep. On her side facing the wall (which was currently facing him), knees drawn up and arm under head, she was asleep. He let go of the breath he had been holding and sat down in a chair next to the bed.
He was quite content to stay there and watch her. Not to be a stalker, but he loved these moments when he could see her at her truest form. No walls built, no guards up, completely unadulterated. She scrunched her eyebrows in frustration, or pain, he couldn't decide which. Her incoherent mumbling came back, and was getting louder. "Sam. Time to wake up. Sam!" he said to her, shaking her shoulder softly. Her eyes snapped open, unaware of where she was. It was so sudden Jack involuntarily jumped back a bit. She smiled as recognition sank in and gently placed her hand on his cheek.
"Martouf, shal'ka mein," she said while smiling at him. Now he was mad. He jerked her hand away from his face and grabbed her shoulders.
"Major Carter! Are you still in there?" he asked in his Colonel voice. It took a second, but everything sank in.
"Sir. Um, what's going on?" she asked, completely phased by her surroundings.
"Just, stay where you are," he snapped over his shoulder as he began to walk away. "Don't move!" he added more forcefully. He marched into the hall, hoping to see Jacob and Hammond. His wishes were granted, with an extra condition; Sam's worst nightmare.
"So you know what just happened?" he demanded, caring less that he was yelling at his commanding officer.
"Colonel, calm down. What's going on?" Hammond said immediately.
"This is all her fault!" he yelled as he pointed to Freya.
"Excuse me Colonel, how is it my fault?" she asked in her own drawl.
"Isn't everything?" he hissed.
"Hey! What's going on out here?!" Janet yelled as quietly as possible.
"Doctor, I want to know the same thing," Hammond replied, trying to calm down the situation.
"All I know is Carter went to the infirmary for some reason, which is very unlike her, she finally sleeps, and wakes up talking Gou'uld," Jack replied through gritted teeth.
"She was speaking Gou'uld? What did she say?" Jacob asked, speaking for the first time.
"Ah I don't remember. She called me Martouf and said something like Shaka mine or something."
"Shal'ka mein?" Jacob prompted, almost surprised to hear those words again.
"Yeah that could be it," he mumbled, rubbing his forehead trying to ward off the oncoming headache.
"When I came into the infirmary, one of the nurses told me that Major Carter wanted something for a headache, but when I went out to where she was, she was asleep. I decided that was the best thing medically for her at the moment," Janet provided, trying to calm down the situation.
"Yes Jack, you're right. Going to the infirmary voluntarily is something Sam doesn't do often. But Jolinar would. When Jolinar wasn't feeling a hundred percent, she would go to the infirmary and Martouf would go with her. Whoever would check her over would say she needed a break, some time off. She and Martouf would leave, to her place that we just found. She'd come back as good as new."
"So you think when she went back there it triggered Jolinar's memories?" Janet asked.
"Yes, I do."
"Just one more question. What does shal'ka mein mean?" Jack asked.
"It was their pet name for each other. It means 'my love'".
"Great, just great."
"Carter! What are you doing back working again?" Jack asked, finding her a few hours later after Sam was released.
"We've gotta get this done soon sir," she said, not even looking up.
"I can see the stress writing all over your body. You have to take it easy." He knew he wasn't getting through to her.
"We're close sir. But I think there's a problem." He nodded for her to continue as she finally looked up. "Since Jolinar's room was ransacked, we might have some missing information. I think we need to go back and look for more of her work." She finally met his eyes. He could see the desperation in them. As soon as the work was over, she could try to repress the memories again. He understood.
"I'll go talk to Hammond. It shouldn't be a problem," he answered softly, letting her know he knew her ulterior motives.
"Thanks," she almost whispered as she looked back down.
"Sam," he softly said and he walked over to her in the deserted lab, "don't hide from us. We're here for you. It's gonna be tough, we know it. Please, don't hide." He covered her hand with his own. She looked at it for a second before responding.
"Sometimes hiding is the only way to keep your sanity," she whispered. He interlaced his fingers with hers and held them that way for a brief second.
"I'll go talk to Hammond."
"O'Neill. Should you not be preparing for the mission?" Teal'c asked. Jack was in the weight room beating the hell out of a bag.
"It's not for another four hours." He went a few more rounds while Teal'c stood patiently. "Well if you're just gonna stand there you could at least hold the bag." He silently acquiesced.
"You seem have pent up aggression O'Neill," Teal'c observed when he felt himself almost being pushed back with the bag. Almost-he was a Jaffa after all. He only grunted as a response.
"Could it be the presence of a certain Tok'Ra operative?" he guessed.
"That too." Teal'c learned that sometimes the best way to make people talk was to not say anything at all. Jack finally stopped hitting the bag. He sighed loudly and wiped his forehead with the back of his hand. Holding onto the bad to bend over, he tried to catch his breath.
"She called me Martouf."
"MajorCarter."
"Yes Carter," he snipped.
"She knows he is dead."
"Yeah I know that Teal'c. But when she woke up she said Martouf my love, but in Gou'uld." He let out another sigh, knowing that the situation shouldn't bother him.
"It seems that Jolinar is controlling her mind, but I still believe that MajorCarter has control of her heart. Otherwise she would not have said shal'ka mein." They looked eye to eye for the first time. Teal'c smiled his smile as Jack let out a little chuckle. No thanks were needed. Jack walked out of the room, patting Teal'c on the back and guiding him along.
TBC….. Much more to come! Feedback appreciated!