(Thanks, Sweetangel4. The story will start revealing who's in who. Curious if you have any thoughts or comments about the others. Also curious to what you think of the dream/flashbacks.)

Part 11, Settled

-Samantha-

I take up extra jobs to help pay for Martouf's house. A couple others are building new houses too, so I work for them. I wish I could help on the house he's building, but someone needs to earn goods to give to the workers. I feel a bit bad. They don't get much, but are happy a long as they get meals.

Freya picks at her bread. "I saw your house today. The bottom looks good. You are going to have a nice floor."

"It's not my house."

"You should take it."

"You don't mind if I just leave you here?"

She looks a bit sad. "I'll miss you, but we both knew we wouldn't be staying here forever."

I grin slightly. "I was thinking you wanted me out of here so Daniel can move in."

Freya starts blushing. It fades away, though her expression stays the same. I'm sure 'Anise' has something to do with that. She shakes her head. "He wouldn't move in here."

"It'd be too cramped."

"I don't think this house is too cramped."

"That's because you weren't stuck in it." I sit down. It's been a very tiring day. "I'm going to go to sleep."

"Good night, Samantha."

-Day 101-

-Tok'ra Base-

-Selmak-

Jacob rearranges his personal items on his table. Three frames to fill. For one he picks a picture of him and Samantha laughing. He sets it down. What do you think?

She looks perfect.

There aren't any pictures with her and Martouf together. I think they would have liked having a picture together. He pauses briefly. Do you think they were together in the end?

I don't know.

I hope they were. He had noticed the way they were with each other. The way Martouf and Lantash were protective of her. The way she brightened when she saw them. The mere mention of the other one's name would bring a smile. What was I thinking? Letting them figure out how they felt on their own. They didn't have the time to waste to figure it out. He sat down. We need to go on a mission. Put my mind on work. The Tok'ra don't seem to want me to do that.

They didn't want you taking a mission that would involve working for Olokun, and I agreed with them.

I could have handled it.

You wouldn't have minded bowing to him? You wouldn't have minded "Yes, my lord"ing him? You aren't going to be interested in ripping him out and squeezing him to death?

The thought did cross my mind. Jacob grins slightly as he imagines doing just this.

Hosts or symbiotes who have personal issues with a particular Goa'uld don't get sent to missions dealing with that Goa'uld. Not until they've been given time enough. You know this.

Hmph. Jacob finishes his reports before deciding to go to sleep. I proofread over what he wrote, fixing some of the errors. "Hello," I say when someone walks into the room.

Garshaw answers. "Hello."

"I'm almost done with the reports."

"I came to see how Jacob was doing. Is he awake?"

"He fell asleep a few minutes ago."

Her brief silence is a sign of her disappointment. "How is he doing?"

"The same."

"Still having nightmares?"

I nod lightly. It's common for him to have nightmares after losing someone close to him. When his wife died he had several nightmares about the car accident. They were rather similar since he has some idea of what happened. Now he's having nightmares about Sam. Having no idea what happened, there are several versions, but fearing the worse in life, the dreams involve her dying alone and painfully...sometimes screaming...sometimes crying. Sometimes he'll have dreams of rescuing her, but when he wakes up he's pained to realize she is still gone.

"In time you'll be able to help him," Garshaw says.

I nod slightly. What I haven't told her was that I often share in the nightmares.

Garshaw notices the new pictures put up. "I haven't seen this one in a while." She picks up the one with Sam and Jacob laughing. "Was this before or after you?"

"I was there. Mark took the picture. We didn't know he had until he sent the picture to Sam."

Garshaw puts the picture down. "Not very observant of you," she teases.

"Mark is stealthy," I excuse.

"I am curious to meet the man who catches a Tok'ra unguarded."

I know she's curious to meet Mark in general. She and Yosuuf are good friends with Jacob. They had met Sam often enough to know her rather well. Mark, to her and many Tok'ra, is the "mystery Carter." They hear about him. They've seen pictures of him. No one has actually met him though. Not even me. I get to watch him interact with his father, but it's impossible to say we've met when I've never actually spoken to him and he doesn't know I exist.

Garshaw turns a bit more serious. "How have you been doing?"

"I think you already know." I sigh. "Jacob and I will help each other through this." It's difficult. The people I normally go for support are all dead now.

-Day 105-

-Planet Neeria-

-Samantha-

"Martouf, I've seen the house."

"You haven't seen it finished."

"Martouf, I want to see."

"Not yet." He continues to lead me while I'm blindfolded. He unexpectedly lifts me up.

"Marrtooouf."

"I don't want you to trip."

He seems to step up as we go into shadow. He sets me down, and I feel a wooden floor under my feet. He takes the blindfold off. I find myself in a room the size of my previous house. Three rooms are connected to it. One that only has a half wall separating the two rooms, and the other that has a doorless doorway. The third room is an loft, which is reached by a ladder. The main room also has a fireplace. As I walk around, I realize the floor isn't directly on the ground. "Martouf."

He looks very proud. "Want it?"

"You worked so hard on it."

"So did you. I'd be in debt if you hadn't been paying people."

"Martouf, it's beautiful." Somehow I never thought anyone would build me a house.

"It's next to some nice farmland...and the river goes by it too."

I go from room to room, looking at all the work.

He follows me. "You don't have to use the land to grow anything, but I know you use the river by your house, and if you do use the land, you have a good source of water near."

I want it, 'Carter' thinks.

He should have his own house.

I think he wants us both to have it in the future.

Martouf is still grinning. "I know you have a lack of furniture, but that can be fixed over time. Freya said you can take your bed with you, well, the mattress. Sometimes I wonder if the house was built around the bed frame because I don't see a possible way of taking that out."

"All right."

His expression and voice light up. "You'll take it!"

Yea! 'Carter' thinks.

"Yes, but I'm making sure it's very Martouf and 'Lantash' friendly.

Martouf pulls me in a hug and swings us around. "You'll love it."

I allow 'Carter' to take over, who kisses him softly. "We do love it."

-Daniel-

I knock on Thom's door. He's taking a long nap. I don't think he meant to sleep this long. "Thom?" I quietly enter when he doesn't answer. "I don't mean to disturb you, but you said to wake you if it got too late." I approach quietly. "Thom?"

He doesn't respond.

I say his name a couple more times before shaking him. "Thom?"

He still doesn't respond...and he feels cold.

I watch him for a second before checking his pulse and breathing. There is none.

I hurry over and knock on Ichard's door. His wife answers, who calls for Ichard as soon as she sees me. Ichard comes to the door. "Hello Daniel."

"Thom...he..." I remember the expression I have heard Thom and Ichard use. "His spirit left."

Ichard frowns and hurries out the door. I follow him back to Thom's room and find him checking on the doctor. Ichard looks downward. "I was hoping you were wrong."

For the next couple days I help prepare for the funeral, which is held in the evening. I find Martouf sitting at a table and writing notes. "Hello Martouf."

"Hello Daniel." Martouf doesn't look up.

"What are you doing?"

"I didn't know about the funeral until a couple hours ago. I haven't had time to write my letter to him." He frowns as he looks at it. "I don't think he'll be able to read it though. It's not in his language."

I look at the paper and realize he's writing everything in three different languages. They all look familiar, but I don't know any of them.

"I'm hoping, wherever he is, he can find someone who knows one of the languages." Martouf looks to me. "He's to be burned? Like the others?"

"Yeah."

"That's good. A body should be burned." He signs his letter, gets up, and walks over to add the letter to the other letters, which are piled over the body. His eyes flash as he looks over to me. "How are Amb and 'Malek' dealing with the loss of Bex and his family?"

Seems odd that he wouldn't know, but I realize he's been very busy with his house...or Sam's house. Did she agree to take it? "Well, he inherited the house, but I think he still feels guilty about it. You might want to talk to Gete. They spend a lot of time together. How is Samantha?"

"She is happy with her new house."

"It's finished? She accepted it?"

"Yes."

"That's great."

Ichard motions everyone to sit down. Afterwards he starts talking about how great Thom was. Everyone is asked to say something about him, usually tell a story. I find myself wishing I knew what to say. I thought about it so much, but in the end, I never came up with something. I end up talking about the game he loved to play, and how he'd brag about never losing. I leave out that he cheated, but someone else brings it up, and the town laughs in good memory. I realize they all knew, but let him die thinking they didn't.

Afterwards the body is burned. We eat his favorite foods in his memory. Ichard approaches me as I pick up bread. "Daniel, I wish to discuss our living arrangements."

I nod. With Ichard as the new official doctor, the house now belongs to him. "You want to move in."

"Yes."

"And the house isn't really big enough for you, your family, and me."

Ichard looks guilty. "Yes."

"I kind of figured. I'll make new living arrangements."

"I don't want to kick you out. I was thinking that you could move to my old home."

"Really? Don't you have an apprentice who will be moving there?"

Ichard smiles briefly. "He's eight. He'll be living with his parents for a while longer."

I grin. "Good point."

"I'll leave you to your meal."

I nod and finish my bread.

-Day 113-

-Amb-

I get to my house after the funeral. My house. It shouldn't be mine. These people had no other family, but it still shouldn't be mine. I go into the bed and rest. I wish Gete was here.

I'll hug you, 'Malek' thinks. He sends warm vibrations through my skin.

Thank you, but it's not the same.

He's busy. Tomorrow night he'll be here.

I smile.

We're tired anyway.

I nod briefly, though it seems odd to nod to someone living in your head. I cuddle in the bed and close my eyes. Sleep comes soon.

I was somewhat comfortable in my corner until Martouf stepped on me. I try to hide the fact that I've been crying, but I think they all know. Why can't I feel Malek?

Freya informs us that she heard that they had been removed.

"Removed?" I feel as though my chest has been filled with cotton. "They removed Malek! He's not even in me!" Now my chest hurts.

Martouf says some nonsense on how they were removed instead of killed, so they must be alive. That doesn't help. He's just making it up to give us hope, and now he's asking for ideas. Malek would have an idea. Martouf starts pacing, as if that would help. He seems calm, but then gets snappy when Freya tells him for the third time that he should be sitting. Gete is in another corner...oddly smiling. It's a scared smile though. One that's clearly forced. The type he only has when he's on the verge of breaking down.

None of us come up with anything, and now I have a headache too.

Two Jaffa come, and all I realize is one comes towards me. He grabs me by the arm and pins me down. The back of my head hits the floor, and a sharp ringing pain fills my mind. Malek! Malek! I feel a sharp pinpoint of pain in my arm, and I fall completely when my arm is released.

I check my arm as the Jaffa gets up. It was a needle. I've been drugged. I look around. Only one Jaffa is drugging us. Right now Gete is the victim. The other Jaffa is aiming a staff weapon at the rest of us. I wipe away tears as Freya is drugged. I'm scared. What is that drug supposed to do?

My legs are shaky as I get on them. The first Jaffa is grabbing Martouf now, and Martouf is fighting back. I grin slightly, watching the surprised look on the Jaffa's face. He jabs the needle into his arm, but ends up getting knocked on to his back. The second Jaffa aims the staff weapon on Martouf.

The next thing I know, I'm on the second Jaffa. I don't remember deciding to attack. I don't even remember attacking, but I did, and Freya is helping. Gete grabs Martouf's arm and pulls him up. They go to the door, which doesn't seem to be locked.

I'm guessing the Jaffa didn't have much confidence in symbiote-less Tok'ra.

I try to get the staff weapon, but the Jaffa is a better fighter. Freya and I managed to follow the other two outside though. I lock the door before the Jaffa have time to recover. We are weaponless, but we are out. Martouf quickly starts leading the way, and I feel bad when I realize he's limping. I can't tell what's wrong, but it must have happened with that struggle.

I wonder if he has any idea where he's going.

It turns out he doesn't. None of us really have any idea where the others are, and we find ourselves needing to hide. We find a place, and Martouf sits. The permanent frown tells me he's in a lot of pain. After a few hours, we are discovered, thankfully, by Samantha Carter and Daniel Jackson. They have a box.

Martouf looks up to Samantha. "We have to find our symbiotes. They've been removed."

Samantha moves closer, holding the box safely. "We know. They're here."

Malek? I move up quickly and open the box as she sets it down. "Malek? Malek?" Damn! "Which one of you is Malek?"

One of them squeals, and I carefully pick it up. "Malek?"

It squeals again, and I know enough of the language to know he said yes. "Malek!" I hug him, sort of. It's not easy to hug someone that much smaller than you. He's squealing at me. I'm not entirely sure what he's saying, but I'm getting a lot of the same words. "Host." "Missed you." "Worried for you." "Love you."

"Reblend with me." I bring him up closer.

He chirps a "No," and says something I can't understand. Whatever it was, I realize he's feeling weak.

My heart is racing again. It feels like needles are pricking my lungs. "Malek?" I whine. Why is he weak?

"We were drugged," Samantha says. "They were too."

I pet Malek and put him back into the box. There is water in it, so he's better off there for now. Martouf puts down whom I presume is Lantash. I realize, by his expression he's probably trying to hide the fact that he's injured from Lantash. Martouf looks at the box. "We'll return to the base. They'll make you strong again." He closes the box before getting up. "We'll be back home soon, and everything will be back to normal."

-Day 125-

-'Carter'-

Winter is not quite officially over, but the town decides to rush it by having an early Spring Festival. They want to get passed the winter that took so many and caused so much suffering. For the first time Samantha and I head to the festival alone. Martouf and 'Lantash' have been spending the nights over, for the most part, but they didn't last night.

Samantha and I, again, brought soup. I set it on the table and find Amb and Gete. "Hello."

Amb chuckles. "Hi."

Gete grins. "Hello."

Amb looks to me. "You're alone. Where's your Martouf?"

I think his state of mind isn't clear. "I don't know yet. Have you been drinking?"

"Yep."

"Doesn't 'Malek' counteract the effects?"

"Not if I drink enough."

Gete chuckles. "He's kind of amusing."

"I want to dance," Amb announces. He looks to Gete. "Want to dance?"

"No."

Amb pouts.

"Samantha," I hear Martouf say. Not sure where he came from. "How are you?" He looks to Amb. "Are you all right?"

"He's mad because I won't dance with him," Gete explains.

"He danced with Freya and Anise once, but he won't dance with me," Amb mutters.

Gete looks embarrassed.

Martouf nods briefly then pulls me aside. "Um...are they dating?"

I glance over to the two. "I don't know."

"And is Amb drunk?"

"A little. He drank more than 'Malek' can deal with."

Martouf grins. "Really? That's possible?"

Uh oh. "You are curious about it?"

"Yes." He walks away to set a pie down. "Want to dance?" He pulls me into a dance before I answer. The music is fast paced.

"I like dancing when its not snowing. I have decided I don't like snow."

"You liked it before?"

"It was pretty, and the season provided more jobs."

We dance for a while. The next time I see Amb and Gete, Amb is the soberer of the two and has gotten Gete to dance. After the song, Amb sits down while Gete finds someone else to dance with. I sit next to Amb. "Did you get him drunk so he'd dance with you?"

Amb grins. "You can't prove it."

"You better hope he's forgiving after this."

Amb nods and picks up some bread from a plate he must have made before. "Where's Martouf?"

"Drinking...something. I don't know." I give a playful glare. "Thanks by the way. You gave him the idea."

-'Lantash'-

I don't even bother trying to filter the alcohol. Martouf sits down. "Where 'Carter' go?"

I think she decided to avoid you, and speak in your head. You sound like you are talking to yourself.

"I am talking to myself." He keeps grinning, more than usual, which I didn't think was possible. Martouf gets up suddenly. "Woah...what's that called?"

Head rush, I answer, feeling dizzy, being the one in his head.

"Head rush." He heads to wherever he plans on going, but bumps into Amb. Sorry Amb. "Hi Amb."

"Have you seen Gete?"

"You los' your Gete?"

"Yes, well, he's not my Gete, but he's Gete."

"Funny name."

Some might consider Martouf to be funny.

"Hey!" Martouf calls out. "I heard that!"

Of course you heard it. I'm in your head.

Amb looks confused. "So you haven't seen Gete?"

'Malek' did a good job at sobering him. I take control. "We haven't seen Gete. He's probably dancing with someone." I had seen him dancing a lot.

How did I get in here? Martouf asks.

"No, after he drank more he decided he hates dancing again."

I chuckle. "Sorry."

"Eh." Amb sits down.

I sit down too. Martouf is laughing at something. I have no idea what. Glad to be sitting. Walking was a little difficult with the alcohol.

Amb drinks some water. "Want to dance?"

"Uh, I might step on your toes."

"If you don't want to-"

"I didn't mean that." I glance down, chuckling. Martouf is now singing in my head. He certainly can entertain himself. "I haven't done any filtering, so kind of have trouble walking. So dancing..."

"I don't care. I'll let you lead."

I grin. "All right." I get up and lead him to the dance.

Martouf quickly realizes we are dancing. Samantha! He's confused for a second. That's not Samantha.

No, it's Amb.

Why are we dancing with Amb?

He wanted to dance.

Oh. He retreats and goes back to whatever he was doing before.

"You were talking," Amb says.

"What?"

"You get a certain look on your face whenever you talk to Martouf."

"He thought you were Samantha."

Amb grins and jokes, "I didn't realize we looked alike."

I make a few missteps in the dance, once nearly knocking Amb down. "Sorry."

'Carter' finds us after the dance. "Have we been replaced?"

'Carter!' Martouf thinks. Give me control! He hugs 'Carter' as soon as he has control. "Never replace you."

"I was joking. It's getting late. Should we be going?"

"Yes. Go. Home." The words kind of fumble in his mind. "Go house." He completely forgets about Amb.

Tell Amb I enjoyed dancing with him.

"What?" He turns around and finds Amb. "Oh, you. Hi."

"Hello."

Martouf touches his head. "He said he enjoyed dancing."

Amb grins. "I enjoyed dancing with him as well. Now I'm going to go find Gete." He leaves.

Martouf watches the others before realizing he's being directed away from the festival. "Did we say bye?"

"No, but they'll understand."

"Did you eat my pie?"

"Yes, it was a very good pie. Did you have my soup?"

"I didn't eat anything." He frowns as he looks up. "Sorry."

'Carter' looks very tired. I feel bad. I think we kept her up later than she planned.

"Woosh," Martouf says.

"Woosh?" 'Carter' questions.

"I heard a woosh."

I didn't hear a woosh. My host is now hearing things.

"I heard a woosh," he insists.

'Carter' frowns. "I didn't argue."

"'Lantash' did."

'Carter' shrugs, and it's quiet for the rest of the way to her house. Martouf lets himself drop into the bed when he gets there. Ow. He closes his eyes, and I feel his shoes being removed. I should probably be more helpful. I could...uh...oh, shoes are off anyway.

"Good bed," Martouf says. "More room. Don't have to wiggle in and out."

I rather agree with him.

Martouf opens his eyes as 'Carter' climbs in. "You have pretty eyes." He sits up slightly.

"Well, they are Samantha's eyes."

"She has pretty eyes too."

"They are the same eyes."

Martouf shakes his head. "No, yours glow."

'Carter' flashes her eyes. "Thank you."

Martouf lays back down. "Pretty glowy eyes." He closes his eyes. "Thank you for help."

'Carter' takes his hand. "I'll always take care of you."

to be continued...

Besh and Joth-Elderly farming couple who took in Martouf
Ichard-Doctor's Assistant
Nara and Bex-Took in Amb. Daughter is getting married. Dead.
Starna and Teff-Store owners. Took in Gete.
Thom-Doctor. Dead.