Chapter Nineteen Summary: Sam, Daniel, and Lantash make their decision known. Per'sus and Jacob arrive with Garshaw, who is not sure just how to respond to the fact that Lantash is and has been, alive all this time, with the true facts kept from her. When she finds out that Sam is pregnant…with Martouf and Lantash's child, their reason for telling no one, partly clicks into place…although it still leaves unanswered questions. They proceed to explain the situation. Lantash then drops his knowledge into the mix, and they are all appalled at what it means.
"Italics" – Symbiote-Host Communication
Always Be Ours
Chapter Nineteen
One of Our Own
Sam moaned and left the bed, wondering how the pills were supposed to help if she couldn't take them because she was heaving?
"I will remove the nausea long enough for you to swallow the pills, my love," Lantash moaned with her, as she again attempted to empty an already empty stomach.
"No, Lantash, don't. As of tomorrow, I won't have you to help me, so there is no point in it today. I have to learn to cope on my own, and I might as well start now," Sam rested her forehead against the coolness of the washcloth that came to rest on it. Daniel. She smiled slightly. What would she do without him?
"If you can hold this, Sam, I'll go down and get your cinnamon toast and ginger ale, okay?" Daniel told her softly.
Nodding slightly, Sam agreed with him, "Yes, please, Daniel. I think I need something in my stomach and then, somehow, I have to get those pills down. I don't want Lantash to do anything, as tomorrow, well…you know."
"Yeah, I know, Sam. Hold on, and I'll be back as soon as I can. It doesn't take long to make toast."
Sam nodded, as she leaned over to attempt to empty nothing again. Daniel left and hurried to the kitchen. He was surprised to see both Anise and Malek at the table talking and having coffee.
Seeing Daniel enter, Malek turned to him, from their discussion, "I put the coffee pot outside, Daniel. I hope the aroma from our cups is not enough to upset her stomach?"
Daniel shook his head, "I don't think so, Malek. If it was Lantash would just block it out, as he did yesterday, so don't worry about it, but thank you for making it outside. It gives Lantash that much less to do, as I know she would have smelled it if it was an entire pot."
"You are welcome," Malek paused and then added, "Would you wish me to attempt to make the morning meal? I believe I remember what you did yesterday."
He frowned after he made his remark, and seeing it Daniel, responded, "No, no, that's okay, Malek, once I get Sam settled with her toast and ginger ale, I'll, uh, I'll be back down to do that." Visions of the kitchen after Malek attempted pancakes and bacon floated before his eyes. "Really, it's very thoughtful of you, but it's no problem for me to do. Really."
Malek grinned at him and then laughed aloud, "All right, Daniel, I will not attempt to make a meal at this time. Perhaps after I have seen it done a few times, and you have given me some instructions would be a better time."
The toast popped up and Daniel grabbed it turning back to the counter, and saying, "Yeah, that might be better. You've only seen it done the one time and, well, it just might be better to wait." He looked at the toast in his hand and, considering that perhaps they were hungry, he said over his shoulder, "If you guys are hungry, you could probably manage toast to hold you over. Only thing you can do to it is burn it and then you just throw it out for the birds and start all over again. Come over here and I'll explain it really quickly."
After explaining the mysteries of the toaster, explaining how to prepare it once it was "toasted", and setting out the butter, jelly, and jam, he headed back upstairs to Sam, toast and ginger ale in hand. She was lying on the bed, which surprised him, and he hoped she was all right.
Sam opened her eyes as she heard Daniel enter. "I managed to get the pill down, but I don't know if it is going to stay. We left the crackers here yesterday so I had several of them and some water. It seems to have helped some."
Daniel breathed a sigh of relief. Maybe today's bout of nausea wouldn't be as bad as yesterday's.
Garshaw exited the Chaappa'ai with a more or less unwelcoming look upon her face. Why in the world Per'sus would insist that she come to the Tau'ri world for at least three days was completely beyond her. The fact that Selmak and Anise were also going to be there was her only clue that this was not a simple getting to know our allies visit, as he had put it to her. There had been that in his voice that had warned her that this was important, and that she should accompany it with the utmost silence to anyone. He couched it in such a way that she knew her silence included her council members. She had known Per'sus long enough to know that he did not do things on a "whim", as he told her it was. This was not a "whim", but what it truly was she had no clue. That fact did not put her into a happy frame of mind. She disliked being in the dark. Well, she was here now, and Per'sus, Selmak, and General Hammond were awaiting her at the foot of the ramp.
"Look on the brighter side, Mer Cor, with Selmak and Jacob also here, we will have some time with them away from the tunnels, as well as away from the annoying scrutiny that is inevitable there," Yosuf told her soothingly.
Although she was still feeling put upon and aggravated by being expected to drop everything for three or more days, and come to the Tau'ri world with no explanation that made sense, her mate's words did soothe her. Now that they had decided it was perhaps time to take up a romantic life again, after their mate's deaths many decades ago, she realized that this could be a good thing. Therefore, she replied calmly, "Well, that at least is true; even if we do not have the least idea why we are here. I suppose it will be a good opportunity to become much better acquainted with Jacob…and in his original environment, as well." Her lips relaxed and her visage became obviously softer. Perhaps Yosuf was correct and besides…there was nothing she could do about it, anyway, so she might as well look on it as a much-needed break away from the tunnels. It was not as if no one could reach her in an emergency. If Per'sus, of all people, could leave his base for several days, there was no reason she could not do so, as well. She did wonder, though, knowing his background and feelings about Martouf and Lantash, why he would choose the place they died, for whatever it was that he wanted from her.
"I believe that is a much better way in which to look at it, Garshaw. We will simply put our cares away for a few days, something we have not had leisure to do for a very, very long time."
"I agree," she concluded their extremely quick conversation in preparation of greeting those waiting on them.
She bowed her head in greeting, as she reached the end of the ramp, and was surprised to see Per'sus, Selmak, and General Hammond smiling at her. She was so unused to seeing Per'sus smile, that for a moment she simply stared at him in shock, even as the two Tok'Ra murmured greetings. Selmak's smile, she noticed, was especially warm and welcoming. That kept her in shock.
"Master Garshaw, welcome to the SGC…and Earth. If you would come with us to my office, we will get the forms filled out and signed," General Hammond gestured with one hand, while, he noticed, Selmak took her elbow to guide her toward the room where they were going. So, that was the way the wind was blowing. It was about time. Jacob's wife had been gone for a very long time now.
"Thank you," She finally found her voice, but her mind was blank as to what to say to the General, since she had no idea what he was talking about; she hoped she would find out soon.
As they entered the General's office, a rather short man, turned to the General and began explaining, "Here are the forms you asked for General. I did them myself, as you requested. No one has had access to them except for me; they were in my hands from the time you gave them to me, except to make copies, and I stayed with them the entire time. Oh, and here's the requisition form you requested. I filled it out and all you need to do is sign it."
General Hammond smiled at the man. "Thank you, Sergeant Davis, I know it was a little out of your venue, but I wanted someone I knew was not a gossip. You were the first person to come to mind. I appreciate it."
"You're welcome, General; I'm happy to help you anytime. And it won't go farther, I assure you." With his final words, Sergeant Davis closed the General's door firmly behind him. He had no idea what was happening, and it was none of his business…or anyone else's. He took up a position down the hall where he could stop anyone from approaching the General's office. He hadn't asked him to do it, but whatever was going on, it was a top secret matter, and no one, under any pretense, was nearing that door, until those inside it exited the office. He leaned against the wall and prepared to wait.
"Have a seat, Master Garshaw. This will be the most tedious part of this, but our government requires it. Once it's on file, you won't have to do it again."
"Could you, perhaps, explain a little about it before I begin?"
"Certainly. They are called non-disclosure documents. Basically, you are swearing that you will discuss nothing you learn here with anyone not already familiar with it, either here or off world. I realize that you would have no reason to do so; however, it is a bureaucracy, and I have to dot all of the I's and cross all of the T's before we can allow you to travel off the base."
Her head snapped up from where she had been looking over the papers and her eyes were startled, "Are we not remaining on your base? We are going outside of your base?"
"Yes, Garshaw, we are going off the base. The forms are fairly standard; there is nothing in them to which we should not put our names. Anise and I have already read and signed them, as has Selmak. You and Yosuf should both sign them," Per'sus informed her calmly, as he perched on the edge of the General's desk, obviously quite relaxed and at home.
She nodded and began quickly scanning the document. As Per'sus had informed them, it was fairly straightforward. It took very little time to go through it and sign it.
She handed the forms to the General, who slid them into an envelope, locked them in his desk, and then smiled at her again, saying, "Now, all we have to do is get you some Tau'ri clothing so you will blend in, and you and Yosuf, Jacob, Selmak, Per'sus, and Aiydon can be on your way.
She stared at him, and for the first time, although she had no idea how she had possibly not noticed, as it was quite blatantly before her, she realized that neither Per'sus nor Selmak were wearing clothing she recognized from any world of which she was familiar. It was quite…different from most of the clothing she was used to seeing them in. Selmak and Jacob were almost always in uniform, and Per'sus was more at home in his robes. These were, well, she wasn't sure what they were. They certainly did not hide much of anything, although she had to admit, neither were they obviously sexually suggestive. She walked between the two oddly clothed men toward she knew not where. "I do not believe we need be concerned, Garshaw. I have no qualms about going with them. Obviously, something has happened here on the Tau'ri world that we both need to know about and keep secret. Whatever it is, we will handle it," Yosuf gave her what reassurance she could under the circumstances.
Realizing what she meant, Garshaw hurried to give her own assurance to her host, "I do not fear anything nefarious, Yosuf. Whatever it is, I do not believe it is anything that should worry us. In fact, I am not sure that it is anything in which we will be involved. I believe it is something that Per'sus believes Ma'ashat and I should know…possibly in case something should happen to him. No, do not jump to conclusions. Neither do I believe he is expecting his demise any more than he ever must. I think it is simply a precaution he wishes put into place, nothing more."
After giving it some thought, Yosuf agreed, and then as they entered a large area that appeared to be quite full of many different things, she did not say any more about it. It looked like they had arrived wherever they were going. At least for the moment.
Daniel entered the kitchen in time to see Anise lick her fingers and hear her ask Malek, "Do you believe our engineers could either discover a way to power one of the toasting machines, or if not, then build one that will work for us? I believe we should attempt to procure some of this red, um, jam, and take it back to the tunnels with us. It is very tasty."
"Which one did you like, Anise? There were several there," Daniel commented as he headed for the refrigerator and pulled out the orange juice, bacon, and eggs for the pancakes.
"I particularly liked the red one, Daniel. I believe it is named strawberry."
"Yeah, strawberry is a favorite for a lot of people. What about you, Malek, did you find one you liked? It would be very easy to send some back with you, ah, and a toaster, too, if you'd like to see what you can do with one."
Malek picked up a jar and told him, "Dev and I have agreed on the plum preserves, Daniel. What is a plum…and a strawberry, Daniel? I can assume the one is a berry of some type, but can extrapolate nothing out from "plum". As for the "toaster", I believe they may very well be able to adapt one or build something similar, if they have one from which to work."
Daniel looked over at them and smiled, before explaining the jam and preserves to them, "Yes, the one is a berry and the other is a fruit. I like it myself. Well, actually, I like both, which is why I have both. I also like both jam and preserves. I keep the jelly around for Cassie, as she still likes a P B and J once in a while, and likes the grape jelly with it. Grapes are also a fruit." He set his ingredients out on the counter, and asked them, "Do you think you could eat some pancakes now? On the other hand, would you rather have something different? I can make bacon and eggs just as easily."
"Pancakes are what we ate yesterday, are they not? Then I believe we would like to have that again. I would also like to watch as you prepare it."
"Sure, that won't be a problem. Come over here and I'll show you. Actually, as long as you don't try to make them from scratch, they are pretty foolproof. Of course, even from scratch there isn't all that much to it, but the mixes are pretty good and even easier."
Daniel proceeded to show both Malek and Anise how simple pancakes were to make. Engrossed in the process, they didn't hear Sam enter behind them, so they missed her rather amused smile. It seemed odd to see the Tok'Ra doing something as mundane as making pancakes, but it also felt kind of good and if, as they hoped, Malek spent time on Earth with them, then he might need to know how to feed himself sometime. Toast and pancakes were a pretty good start. Moreover, once they showed him how to use a can opener, the sky was the limit…as far as soup, veggies and like foodstuffs. Teach him the microwave and there wouldn't be a safe frozen entrée in the house or garage freezer. She smiled again, as she heard Lantash laugh at the pictures going through her mind. "He will do very well; I am sure, my love. I believe you think so, as well," Lantash murmured to her as she continued to watch them at the stove.
"Absolutely, Lantash. Having processed food makes a quick meal something fast and simple to make. We keep a lot of it around, as you know, for those days we just don't feel like cooking or calling in take out, and yes, I know it makes no sense, but works well anyway."
He laughed softly and caressed her gently, saying, "Yes, I know, Samantha, and I do believe that he will catch on to how things are done here very quickly. We need not worry about him adjusting if this weekend is anything to go by."
Sam smiled back at him as she sat down at the bar and watched as first Anise, then Freya, Malek, and Devlin each tried their hand at cooking the pancakes. They did not burn even one nor were any of them raw. They declared them a success. Turning from the stove with a plate in his hand, Malek smiled her, saying, "How are you feeling now, Samantha? Has your nausea left?"
She smiled, as she shook her head, explaining, "Not completely, but the medication does appear to lessen it and, as long as Lantash keeps the smells away, I don't feel too bad. In fact, I think I want to try one of those pancakes. Just a small one though. I may not be able to eat it."
Nodding, he turned back toward the stove, after setting the plate he was holding down. "I've got it Malek. You, Dev, Anise, and Freya go ahead and eat while they're hot. Cold pancakes aren't all that great. I'll fix some for Sam and me."
Malek nodded, responding, "As you wish, Daniel. I must admit that even after the toast, I am looking forward to these." He sat down and proceeded to show Anise how to prepare them now that they were cooked. He smothered it in butter, syrup, some cinnamon, and powdered sugar. Daniel set a small bowl of something red in front of them. They did not have that yesterday.
"They aren't fresh; they're frozen, but they taste pretty good with the pancakes. I'm afraid it isn't the season for strawberries. Try them with the pancakes like you did the blueberries yesterday."
It didn't take Anise and Freya long to decide that this was even better than the jam. Perhaps they should take some of this back with them, as well.
Daniel slipped one small pancake down in front of Sam and watched as she took a rather deep breath. "Try putting cinnamon on it, too, Sam. I think it kind of helps the nausea, and Jacob did say that your mom did better, if she kept something in her stomach all day."
Sighing, she nodded, "I'm okay, Daniel. I don't feel nearly as nauseated as I did a while ago…or yesterday." She shuddered in remembrance. Then looking at the clock, she asked, "Did Per'sus say when they expected Garshaw? It's hard to believe, but it's already ten-thirty. I guess this is more brunch than breakfast. Can I have some bacon, please, Daniel? This actually appears to be settling my stomach a little more. I'll have to start eating something every couple of hours and maybe it will help keep it from happening."
"I'll set the alarm for two to three hour intervals, Sam, and be sure you get something to eat all night. Maybe it will stop the first thing in the morning sprint." He grinned at her as he started on his own pancakes.
"That might not be a bad idea, you know. At least, we might try doing it a couple of hours before I normally wake up. It may sound weird, but we really should give it a trial."
He looked at her in surprise, as he was joking, but he shrugged after thinking about it. "Okay, we can try that toni…um, that is, in a couple of days." He looked back down at his plate as he berated himself for mentioning the transfer, even vaguely.
Her hand slipped across the bar, "It's okay, Daniel. I know it's going to happen. You can mention it without me falling apart. Lantash and I…we said our…what we needed to say to one another last night, after you went to sleep. Please don't worry about it."
She glanced up as three people stopped just inside the kitchen doorway. Her dad had let himself and them in.
The woman stood as still as a statue and all sound stopped. Well, that was one way to break the news, Sam thought. This was definitely an 'oops' moment.
Lantash moaned in her mind. Well, Per'sus and Selmak could handle it. He wasn't the one that let himself into the house and then walked in without warning. He sighed. Maybe he should help them, anyway. Lantash grinned, as Sam gave him control. "Hello, Garshaw. It is good to see you again. Have you eaten? I am sure that we can make some more pancakes, if you have not." He smiled at her. Per'sus reached up and rubbed his forehead, and Selmak sent him a killing look. The day would surly dawn when Lantash would be paid back for his inappropriate sense of humor…wouldn't it?
After what appeared to be a very long time, Garshaw's posture relaxed and she nodded to him, saying, "Lantash, it is good to see you, as well. I must assume, since no one saw a need to tell me of this circumstance, that this is the reason I have been brought here today."
As no one seemed to know what to say, Daniel glanced around and seeing that everyone had finished eating, he suggested, his voice and manner mild, "Why don't we remove to the other room? There's comfortable seating there, and I'm sure that Master Garshaw and Yosuf would rather be comfortable, while we explain the situation in which we find ourselves."
"I think that's a great idea, Daniel," Jacob jumped in and answered him. "Per'sus why don't you, Malek, and Anise, take Garshaw in and get her settled, while we get some drinks for everyone. We'll be right in, and then we can begin to explain this rather, ah, unusual situation."
Per'sus silently sighed, before replying, "An excellent suggestion, Daniel, Jacob. We will await you there." As he led the way into the other room, Garshaw turned on her heal and followed, although it was obvious that she was not happy. "Perhaps, Mer Cor, we should be thankful that Lantash did not die, as we were told. I cannot believe you are actually angry because he survived."
Garshaw sighed. "No, of course, I am not angry that he survived. I am, however, angry that I was not told that he survived, and that they have allowed the Tok'Ra to mourn one who is not gone from us."
"If you but stop being angry at Per'sus and Selmak, you will begin to see that something more is going on here. There is no reason for them to keep this information from the Tok'Ra that is true, unless something else is behind their secrecy."
Garshaw paused for a moment, as she thought about Yosuf's comments. "You could very well be correct. I truly hope so, for if not, I will never trust either of them again."
Per'sus led her to a seat on the sofa, leaving room for Selmak and Jacob to sit there if they so desired. He had noticed, just as General Hammond had. No wonder Selmak was so relieved that they were informing Garshaw and Yosuf.
Daniel, Sam, and Jacob brought in trays with drinks and Daniel sat down next to Sam, pulling her firmly to his side. If Garshaw got nasty, he wanted to be there for his mates.
Finally, Garshaw turned to Per'sus. "Why have the Tok'Ra been led to believe that Lantash is deceased along with Martouf? Many are mourning him, as well as Martouf. You are very much aware of how well liked they both were, are…why, Per'sus? Why have you hidden this from all of us?" There was bewilderment as well as anger in her voice. She stared at him as she awaited his response.
Sam's eyes glowed but Per'sus stopped Lantash from answering. It was his decision and he would take the fallout from it. "We have told only the President of this country, those Tok'Ra you see here, one other of Samantha and Daniel's team members, General Hammond, and the president's liaison, Major Davis. Daniel, Teal'c, and Samantha's doctor knew simply because it was Daniel and Teal'c that protected her from anyone knowing what occurred, and her doctor because it was imperative that she be aware that Samantha was now host to Lantash. Jacob and Selmak are her fathers, and she needed them, therefore, they, too have this knowledge. Had the President and I not determined between us that there should be other highly placed people that were aware of the situation, I would not now be informing you or Ma'ashat. What is happening here, cannot leave this place. No one within or without the Tok'Ra, other than us, can ever know what occurs here."
Garshaw was completely without words, something she was beginning to believe was becoming a permanent condition for her. Ever? Never would Lantash be back amongst them or known to them again? What could possibly have happened to cause them to decide something so drastic? Thoughts finally made their way into words, "What exactly has happened that we will never again see Lantash amongst us? Why is he to be incarcerated here on the Tau'ri world?"
Per'sus smiled slightly, as he shook his head. "I apologize; my wording has led to a false assumption. Lantash will return to us in due time, Garshaw. We expect it to happen within the next year and a half in Earth time. However, he will not be coming back as he is now. Daniel Jackson will become Lantash's host this weekend, as it is becoming too risky for him to remain within…his mate."
She looked at the two of them as they sat, with Daniel's arm around them. Finally realizing that something quite extraordinary was happening here, she remained quietly waiting for Per'sus to continue.
"Garshaw, Yosuf, Samantha Carter is pregnant…with Lantash and Martouf's child. That information we will never divulge beyond those who already know of it. I am sure if you give it a little thought you will realize why."
"I…see…that this information cannot ever come out into the open, however, I fail to see why Lantash and his survival must remain hidden."
"Because Daniel, Lantash, and Samantha will have another child after this one, well, these two actually, are born, and it can never been known, since Samantha once hosted Jolinar, that Lantash was anywhere near Dr. Jackson when she became pregnant. There will be no whisper of any of these children being harcesis. Dr. Jackson and Samantha Carter will marry soon, and they will raise these children as Daniel's. One of them actually is his, but the other is Martouf's son. After Samantha's second pregnancy is well along, Daniel will, in a very open and well-announced way, be known to blend with Lantash, so that he and Samantha can be together as mates."
Per'sus paused and took a sip of his drink before he continued, "The reason for this meeting is two-fold. One is to come up with our story for why we kept Lantash's survival secret. The other is to assist in Lantash's joining with Daniel. The second one is why we asked you to take at a minimum three days, as Lantash and Daniel will remain in a sleep state for at least twenty-four hours. One complete Earth day, possibly more, due to the emotional turmoil they must both live through once again, as well as the trauma that Lantash may have due to changing hosts again so soon. Samantha will be cared for by Malek."
Garshaw nodded, and then commented, "I can understand the time for the blending of Daniel and Lantash. I still do not understand why we are hiding Lantash. The remainder of the Tok'Ra will wonder the same when he becomes Dr. Jackson's mate. How are you going to explain it, and why are you even keeping his survival a secret?"
"For now, the story is that Anise found Lantash was alive, but barely. Because everyone already thought him dead, and because it was felt that he probably would not survive, we told no one of his survival. Anise felt that the best chance for him to remain alive was to place him into a healing stasis, and see if we could help him to heal. We informed Samantha of his survival, once we were sure he would survive, since she was devastated by their deaths. When Dr. Jackson became aware of his survival, he indicated that if we would wait, until he and Samantha had their children, he wished to blend with him, so that he and Samantha could be together. Because of the circumstances, the fact that she killed them to save her president and me, as well as stop them from blowing themselves up, it was decided that if Lantash wished to wait for Daniel and thus Samantha, he would be allowed to do so. He did." Per'sus sighed. "That explains why he remained unblended for so long. It does not explain why we kept the information from the remainder of the Tok'Ra."
"We are not sure why we feel that we should not allow his survival to be known, but it is a feeling that we all have, even the Tau'ri's President. At first, it was to be temporary, until Lantash and Samantha recovered some from Martouf's death. Then Lantash found her pregnancy, and we realized that we could not make it known. Although a few people know that Martouf and Lantash spent the weekend prior to the summit with Samantha, they do not know that it was anything more than a friendly visit with Dr. Jackson present. We plan to keep it that way. For the other, we must all put our minds together and come up with a reason for keeping him hidden."
"Lantash, you must tell them, now."
"Yes, my love, I agree." Lantash came fore and seeing Sam's eyes glow, they all looked at him. "It will not be necessary to fabricate a reason for my remaining hidden, Per'sus." His voice grim, he continued, "There already is one."
He turned to Anise, "I apologize for not telling you this earlier, Anise, but I saw no reason for any of you to know before the meeting. It would only have alarmed and worried you, thereby disrupting your sleep. I did not believe that was necessary. You might as well have one good night's sleep."
"What do you mean, Lantash?" Per'sus was very alert, as he felt that he was not going to like what Lantash was about to tell them.
Lantash sighed. He really did not want to tell them this, but they needed to know. They must catch whoever it was and, if they did not know, they could lay no plans to attempt to do so. "I know why Anise did not test Martouf and I, Per'sus, and it is the reason that no one must know that I survived. You see, she did not test us because we were not off the base from before the date of the summit was set, until the weekend we spent with Samantha. I left only twice, both times to other bases. We were on no missions, we collected no supplies, in fact, we were not anywhere that we could be turned into a za'tarc. Why would she test us when we had been nowhere?"
As the implications settled into their minds, no one moved, they almost did not breathe. Anise stared at Lantash. Finally, she nodded, and said, very slowly, "Yes, that is true. That is why I have felt so uneasy every time I thought about why I did not test you. It made no sense. What you are saying is the only reason I would not have done so. Why I did not realize that before, I do not know." She closed her eyes.
Sam turned worried eyes to Daniel. None of them were saying anything, and they all looked as if they were in shock, an odd thing to see in a Tok'Ra. He shook his head slightly, and it was easy to read his face. Let them have a few minutes to come to terms with what Lantash's statement meant.
Finally, Garshaw took a deep breath. "Another spy. We have another spy."
Lantash came fore again, saying, "I am afraid so, Garshaw. I am also of the opinion that, if he or she knew that I survived, they would, in all probability, attempt to kill me." He paused before concluding, "You see, I believe that it is possible that I may eventually remember how it was done…and who did it. They may or may not know that eventually the true memories begin to surface. I am having some unsettling dreams that, at least for now, make no sense to me. That has made me wonder if the memories are trying to reassert themselves. I do not believe they know that this will happen, however, I see no reason to take that chance. It would be putting Daniel's life at risk, as well as mine. I would return if it was only myself; however, I cannot do that and defend myself without a host, and I will not put another one in jeopardy over this. I have lost one mate of my heart, and I will not lose my Daniel to this madman."
"No one can expect that of you or Dr. Jackson, when it is not necessary, Lantash. We will find him or her and, in the meantime, you will remain away from the tunnels, until we catch them. If you believe that you may remember something eventually, that is more reason to keep you out of harm's way. If you find out which System Lord they are working with so that we know who is behind this, then we can take care of him, as well."
Lantash nodded. "Yes, and as I indicated, I am hopeful that I will remember." He paused, and it was obvious that he was listening. Turning outward once again, he told them, "It is very possible that it was not done on Garshaw's base, but at one of the others. It is also possible that it is one of any number of people who have traveled between the bases. That is assuming we have a traitor in our midst. However, Samantha has reminded me of something she thought of not long ago. It is also possible that it is not a traitor in a true sense of the word. It is possible, that a System Lord programmed one of our people to program whoever would be going to the summit. They would not program them to dispose of themselves afterwards as that would attract attention, and there would be no reason to do so, anyway. That in itself leads us to believe that they are unaware that eventually the true memories begin to attempt to surface. As for why they would do it in this way," he shrugged, "No one would suspect one of our own of turning a fellow Tok'Ra into a za'tarc. At any rate, those are our theories. It could be any one of them, but it was done on one of our bases, of that I am very sure."
The Tok'Ra were silent as they took in the ramifications of what Lantash disclosed to them. Sam came fore and told them softly, "Lantash is very upset about this. He's been worrying that it's another traitor; however, the more we thought about it, the more we've come to believe that it very well could be the last theory. If so, finding that person is imperative in case they programmed him, or her, to do any other damage. The other thing we would suggest, is that everyone be tested as soon as they return from any off base activity, and anyone coming onto the base should be escorted, and kept under surveillance, by at least two people at all times while they are on the base. Those are the only things we can think to do at this time. Since it could be someone from any of the bases, you might want to put the same rules into effect on all of the bases. That way, no one base will stand out. Eventually, you will find the person who did it. We hope that they aren't aware of doing it. Like all of the others that were turned into za'tarcs, they will have no more idea of what happened than any of the others did, which would make sense."
She turned more toward Garshaw and Yosuf, as she went into more detail about her situation. "I am five weeks pregnant thanks to Lantash's efforts to make it seemingly impossible for these children to be Martouf's and his. By causing my pregnancy by Daniel, he has masked the DNA of our son. They will be born as twins, both fathered by Daniel. Again, thanks to Lantash's intervention they will be born a month or more earlier than they would have been. He attempted and succeeded in encouraging faster development in both. Those two things will protect all of us from any speculation from anyone who knows that they spent the weekend with me." She paused, taking a deep steadying breath, before adding, "Lantash has also checked our son's genetic make-up. Although he will have some of Martouf's features, by the time he is old enough for it to become apparent, he will not look enough like Martouf to give us away in that manner. As much…" She stopped and took another deep breath. Then clearing her throat, she continued, "As much as I would have loved to have him look like Martouf, I can't but be glad that the resemblance will not be obvious. Martouf and Daniel have similar coloring, so, it should be quite easy for Daniel to claim paternity."
Pausing once again to calm herself, with Lantash's help, she announced their other decision, "Daniel, Lantash, and I have decided that I will become pregnant within two months of their birth. Once I am obviously pregnant, then Daniel will blend with Lantash. Lantash believes that the accelerated growth of these babies will continue for about two more weeks, so in two weeks' time, I will be nine weeks pregnant. That leaves seven months to go. Two months later puts us at nine, and since we will probably have twins again, I should begin to show by my fifth month. That puts us up to fourteen months; therefore, in less than a year and a half, you will be able to announce Lantash's survival and his and Daniel's blending."
She paused and Daniel took over. "I don't know if any of you have considered this, but I will set off every Tok'Ra's symbiote sensor after Lantash and I blend, just as Sam has always done since she and Jolinar blended. Malek, Devlin, Lantash, Sam, and I have given this problem some thought, since we don't plan to avoid the tunnels. We want our children to grow up knowing both cultures from the time they are born. You all need to think about our plan to see if there are any flaws that would trip us up."
Waiting for their nods of agreement, he began to explain, "First off, Malek was sent for, and then Anise and Per'sus "decided" they wished to learn more about their newest allies. As an excuse we know that is very thin, but that is good as it will work in well with our cover story. It will soon come out, that we sent for Malek because we suspected he would know a rather obscure dialect we found. He did and was fairly certain he understood it but suggested that we call Anise and Per'sus in, just to double check and make sure we were correct in our deductions. After we all went over the information again, it was determined that Malek, and SG-1 would go to Egypt before someone made a mistake and opened the stasis jar they found on the dig where the unusual dialect was found." He grimaced. "We went, and the government, ah, acquired the stasis jar. Unfortunately, on the return trip, an accident caused me to become host to said System Lord. We escaped and after a rather lengthy chase and battle here in the immediate area around the base, we were finally caught, but the Goa'uld was dying and it released some of the poison into my system, but evidently not all of it because I didn't die right away. Janet, um, that's Dr. Fraiser, Malek, Anise, Per'sus, and Sam, came up with what they hoped was an antidote."
"It worked, sort of. I was very ill for quite a while, but the antidote, while not working well, did work somewhat, and I survived. So, now I have naquadah in my blood, just as Sam does. That's our story…unless someone else has some other ideas. This also gives us a reason for Malek's frequent visits. He, Janet, and Anise, if she wishes to visit with Lantash, as well, believe that they can perfect the antidote, so they are working on it. He and Anise, if she wants to, are working on translating the obscure dialect we found when we found the System Lord. This should get us through for a while as an explanation for the frequent visits. We are hopeful that some other reason will come to mind or we will catch the person or persons responsible, before those excuses become unbelievable."
He paused again to see if anyone had any comments, before he gave his opinion of the reason for hiding Lantash. "As for the reason why you hid him, I'm not sure using the truth would be a good idea, if you haven't caught the perpetrator. If you have, then it would be fine, of course. Anyway, let's assume you haven't. We would be better coming up with something else. Perhaps you all feared that if the System Lord that programmed them found out he was alive, he would make another attempt to kill him, in case his lost memories returned. That is basically the truth, but the fact that their turning took place on a base would be left out of the explanation. I'm afraid that telling everyone that it was done on base could cause a lot of turmoil, as everyone would suspect everyone else. That couldn't be a good thing. Once the person or persons are caught, then the entire truth, except for the information about Martouf and Lantash's son, can come out in the open."
"That seems quite logical and I see no reason that it would not work. However, there will be those who wonder why you were so devastated by Martouf and Lantash's death, yet married Dr. Jackson almost immediately," Garshaw pointed out one flaw in their story.
"Since it is true that I love all three of them, I think that will suffice. I loved all of them. It is possible that I didn't realize how I really felt about them, until they died. Only then did I realize that I loved them; that it was not just Jolinar's memories. Since I was dating and realizing that I also loved Daniel, after Martouf and Lantash were taken so suddenly, we decided that we shouldn't wait to be together. We shouldn't waste whatever time we might have together. In addition, when we had the choice, we chose to bring Lantash and our love into our marriage. That is all anyone needs to know. Anything else is none of their business."
Lantash came forward, adding, "I agree with Samantha. Our private lives are no one's business. They may think whatever they wish to think. As long as they do not discover that one of Daniel's children is really Martouf's and mine, or that our second set of children are Daniel's and mine, I really do not care, and neither do Daniel or Samantha."
Malek cleared his throat, before saying, "I agree, Lantash, and I also believe that you and Samantha have some very valid thoughts on this entire thing. Now all we need to figure out is how to find out who did this. I believe that should take top priority. Since they did it to you and Martouf, there is a significant, perceptible risk that they could do it to any one of us. That makes each of us a potential threat to every other Tok'Ra. We cannot allow this peril to remain as a menace to us."
Looking around at their faces, he knew that they all agreed with him. They must address and solve this as soon as they possibly could. They could not afford simply to hope it did not happen again. They also had to perfect their plan to cover Daniel's acquisition of naquadah in his blood. He was sure they would, but it might take a while and some thinking. They could do it though…they had no choice. No choice at all. His thoughts consumed his attention.
Hearing Garshaw draw a deep breath, Malek returned from his own thoughts to the present conversation. She returned to the question of the Goa'uld poisoning Daniel. "I believe that your plans will work quite well, Dr. Jackson, except for one problem. A Goa'uld would not release only part of the poison; generally, it does not work in that way. While we can sometimes stop it, as Jolinar did for Major Carter, quite often we do not succeed in doing so. I believe we need to come up with a better scenario for that portion of your plan."
Daniel nodded, as he told her, "Yes, I wondered about that. It seemed like that could well be the weak link in the story." Obviously thinking deeply, as he stared at nothing in particular, he finally asked, "How fast does the poison work?"
Selmak answered, "Very quickly, Daniel. I thought of that flaw, too, but hoped we could come up with something else by the time we actually needed it."
"How quickly is "very quickly", Selmak?" Daniel wanted the particulars on this, as it was a very important part of their cover story.
"It depends on the person that receives it. It can take anywhere from minutes up to a day."
Sam was frowning as she, too, stared across the room at nothing in particular. "All right, then, let's suppose that the Goa'uld was loose for a few days, before we managed to catch him. Let's say we thought this through. Malek and Anise both felt confident that, once we caught him, they could remove him with the medical equipment we had here, even though it would be difficult. However, because he would fight them, chances were very good that without their own equipment, made specifically for the removal of symbiotes, he would die during the extraction, which would leave Daniel vulnerable to the symbiote poison. It was pretty much a given that he would release it as he died. Therefore, we decided that was the major threat to Daniel."
"Since we didn't feel we could send for the equipment or the healers, we were sure we knew this was the scenario we should expect to see occur. All of this led us to the conclusion that we should have an antidote ready to use, by the time we caught him. Therefore, it was determined that zats and shock grenades were the weapons of choice for catching him. We caught him; it happened pretty much as we expected it to, and he managed to release the poison. Our antidote, while not perfected, was, in the end, good enough to keep Daniel from dying. If we wish to embroider our story, we can say that there were times when we thought it wasn't working, however, it did eventually overcome the poison, even though Daniel was very ill, for quite a long time. Still, it proved we were going in the right direction with it, since it did work, just not very well. Is that any better?"
They all sat quietly as they each ran the scenario through their minds. As each of them came to a conclusion, they turned to the two scientists other than Sam. It would after all, be their decision, as they knew much more about it than they did. Finally, Anise began to nod her head, before looking up from staring at the coffee table, and looking at each of them. "I believe that explanation will work very well. In fact, it will also explain why, since Samantha also has a naquadah signature, that Daniel's is so much stronger. The Goa'uld released more chemicals into Daniel's system; therefore, with more naquadah released into his blood stream, naturally, his "signature" would be stronger. Yes, I think it will work quite well to explain Daniel suddenly setting off everyone's senses."
She paused for a very brief moment before continuing, "However, I do believe that both Malek and I should plan to remain for a rather longer time span than we originally planned. I could probably return sooner, perhaps once we know that Daniel will survive, and Samantha and Dr. Fraiser are capable of working on perfecting it with only Malek's help. Since he has Zarest to take over for him, but I have no one that I feel I can trust to work alone on the za'tarc programming, it would not seem odd, if I returned before he did. Furthermore, it is true; I do not feel comfortable having anyone else working on it without me there to oversee it." She chewed on her bottom lip, as she thought about being away for a longer period; however, she could see no other recourse. "Does anyone have other ideas that would perhaps help to smooth my way into staying longer?"
"The stasis chamber can be locked, can it not, Anise?" Per'sus asked quietly.
"Yes, and I have the only key." She brightened, as she told them, "I did, in fact, lock it before I left, and told those working with me on—on…Martouf, it was not to be disturbed in any way." She turned to Per'sus, asking, "Do you believe that will be enough of a deterrent, Per'sus?"
He shook his head slowly, stating, "Not if someone truly wished to sabotage your work on this, Anise." He frowned for a short time, and then told them, "Perhaps, as Martouf's only surviving relative, even if only an honorable one, I will decide I wish you to work on him on my base, instead of on Garshaw's. In fact, I may not even mention the personal aspect. It would seem too out of character and raise suspicions. Of course, moving him to my base with no explanation will do the same." He sighed and lapsed back into thought.
Daniel returned to the conversation from his "thinking" place to say, "Perhaps, you could give a slightly different excuse that would both satisfy the curiosity and yet not make you completely out of character." He cleared his throat, and told him, "Since you knew Martouf's family and were obviously close to them, couldn't you simply say that…well, that Martouf's father was a very dear friend of yours? Then tell people that because Martouf has no living relative to do it for him, you have decided to take him to your base, while Anise is on this classified mission with the Tau'ri, to perform whatever rites his father or family would wished completed for him? No one needs to know what they are, or if you ever do them, since it will be completely private. Would that work?"
Thinking it over, Per'sus agreed, "I believe that will work, Daniel. Anise can give me the key, which will prove I have her permission to move him. Once he is on my base I will set my personal guard on the stasis chamber for the entire time Anise is gone."
He turned to Anise, saying, "Will that be acceptable, Anise? Would it allow you to remain and feel better about the situation?" He frowned then, asking her, "Are you not concerned about leaving him now, though?"
Anise shook her head, telling him, "Gava has been helping me. I told her that I was concerned that someone would bother my work, while I was gone. She offered to keep the stasis chamber with her all the time, except when she ate and Markesh will stay with it at those times when she must be away from it. I also asked Arwanna to help her, as I trust her implicitly. I think we all agree that Arwanna, Daimesh, Gava, and Markesh are all above reproach. Unfortunately, Gava and Markesh must return to Malek's base, and they will be leaving the day after I was due to return. That leaves Arwanna alone with only Daimesh to help her guard him."
Per'sus nodded his understanding. "Write to Arwanna explaining that I wish to take Martouf and perform his burial rites, as he has no remaining family. You may tell her that as a friend of his father's, I feel I should do so. That should stop any gossip surrounding moving him to my base. I can say that the rites take several days, if I must, and then I will simply keep him until you return, whenever that may be. Should anyone ask why you and Malek are both still on the Tau'ri world, it is a simple matter to explain that it is, according to the Tau'ri, what they call a "classified mission", and no details can be released other than that they are on a joint mission with the Tau'ri soldiers of the SGC. Which," he grinned suddenly, "is perfectly true."
They all agreed to that, and Jacob turned to Per'sus, saying, "If there isn't anything else, we should begin to prepare for the transfer. What do you think?"
"I believe that takes care of the matters we needed to work out, at least for now. Any problems that come up, we will simply have to deal with as they appear. So, unless anyone else has anything they wish to add, I agree with Jacob and we should begin our preparations for the exchange."
As everyone nodded their agreement, Sam and Daniel looked at one another. This was it. It was time. There would be no reprieve.
TBC