28 - To Earth, They Go
~*Sam*~
Dad sends out a message that should go to the Tok'ra, no matter where they are. He looks back to Pete and Atara.
"We're going to head first to a military base that knows about stargates and the Goa'uld…to get Pete home."
He is mostly talking to Atara because he thinks Pete already knows this stuff, Jolinar thinks.
That makes me sigh softly because I know that if I don't explain, someone else will.
"Pete's a civilian, Dad. He doesn't know much. He was only captured because Zar came after me."
Dad frowns, then looks to Pete. "That's not right."
"What do you mean?"
"Zar brought him up a couple of times, at least that I know of, to question him." He looks to Pete. "What was he questioning you about?"
"Pete?" I frown. "I thought the Jaffa grabbed you for themselves."
"Zar thought I knew more than I did. His questions didn't even make sense."
Suspicious, Jolinar thinks. Zar wasn't an idiot.
I don't reply.
~+~+~.
The Tok'ra respond, and Dad promptly orders me to leave.
"Dad," I protest.
"I outrank you and Jolinar."
I frown.
He bows his head, and Selmak looks to us.
"Major Carter, you and Jolinar probably don't want to hear our report."
Martouf, Jolinar thinks with a sad wiggle. And probably not just him. I see that they are worried about all of us.
I make a short nod before leaving. When I head towards the back, Amb is eating some Goa'uld rations while Martouf sleeps on the floor.
"Are you hungry?" I ask Atara.
"Thank you. Your Dad offered me food earlier. I am now quite full. The food was much better than anything I have had." She drinks some water.
I approach Pete, who is writing on paper. He looks up to me, and I see that he is…attempting to draw.
"I wanted um…to try to draw Khelsea, but I can't draw." Frustrated, he pushes the paper away.
"Sorry."
"It's not like… I didn't love her. I barely knew her, but… She made me feel special, and I hope I did the same for her." He shoots a glare towards Atara, clearly wishing that Khelsea was here instead.
"I think you did."
Atara makes no response. She's probably just glad that she's not being abused.
"What is going to happen to the other prisoners?" Pete asks. "We left a lot of innocent people behind."
"I don't know." I sit next to Amb, who immediately gives me some rations.
"Thank you." I eat a little. "Amb? Are you alright?"
"No."
I set the food down and hold him.
He leans into me, and while he closes his eyes, his body is tense.
Dad comes in. "The Tok'ra gave us the GDO code to get to Earth, so I changed course to the nearest planet with a stargate. We'll be on Earth in less than twenty minutes."
"Does Colonel O'Neill know we are coming?" I ask.
"No. They haven't responded." He smiles. "Maybe we should fly to Earth instead, go to your house and drive up. I bet that would surprise them."
I groan.
"I wouldn't mind seeing your house," Amb says. "Though…I would prefer another time. Malek and I just want to go home."
"So do I," Dad admits. He made a nod to Atara. "Someone from the Tok'ra will be coming. They'll be grabbing the ship, and they can help you out."
"Thank you."
~+~+~.
After landing, Jolinar feels sad when she doesn't recognize the Tok'ra that is waiting for us.
First Saroosh and now… I don't even know who died.
I recognize him. Ocker, but I don't know the host's name.
Do you know what happened to Jin?
Sorry, no.
Delek must have been upset.
Delek? He seems to look down at humans.
He has an arrogance that would rival any System Lord-
That makes me laugh.
-but he and Ocker have always been loving and loyal to each other and their hosts. True siblings.
Ocker makes a short nod as we approach.
"Ocker," Dad greets.
"After the report of your disappearance, many thought we lost you." As he hands Dad a GDO, his eyes shift to us, settling mostly on Martouf. He's clearly surprised to see him.
Martouf steps back, and his eyes glow.
I wonder if he retreated or if Lantash felt it necessary to take control.
"This is Atara," Jacob gestures. "She is considering joining the Tok'ra."
Atara is so nervous, she suddenly looks much smaller than she is.
"My current host also lived with us before blending with me," Ocker says with a warmth that honestly surprises me. "Are you ready?"
"Yes. Almost." She takes out a piece of paper and offers it to Pete.
He hesitates before taking it, then gasps slightly.
"It's…not much. I haven't drawn in years."
I walk over, curious, and I soon see that he is holding a sketch of Khelsea. For being "not much," it's remarkably detailed and accurate.
"Thank you," Pete says with a slight quiver in his voice. "I still can't…"
"I know. I'm not asking for forgiveness."
He nods.
She approaches Ocker. "I am ready."
Ocker nods. "Martouf, Amb, it's nice seeing you both again."
They don't reply, and he heads to the tel'tak. Atara follows, heading back in.
Pete is still looking at the drawing.
"Ready to surprise Stargate Command?" Dad asks.
"Yeah," I reply before looking to Lantash. "Martouf might want to fully retreat for this one. As a precaution, guns will be trained on us when we first go through."
"And we'll be entering the room where you and he were nearly killed," Malek adds.
Lantash is clearly nervous by that.
"Pete… Are you ready?" I ask.
"Earth. We are really… Honestly, I'm not even sure I can believe it until I'm back in my apartment. None of this feels real."
"Yeah. I feel the same way."
Dad dials out, and the wormhole engages. What appears to be water splashes forward before pulling back, and we look at what appears to be an upright pool of water. It makes Pete jump, but after the prison, I fine myself staring at the beauty of it. I realize I had been taking it for granted.
Malek smiles in amusement as he looks to Pete. "You never forget the first time you see that."
"What are we looking at?" Pete asks.
"A wormhole." I smile. "We just step through."
"They'll be expecting the Tok'ra," Dad reminds as he sends the code through.
"Dad, go through ahead. Let them know we are coming."
He's about to protest, but after glancing to Lantash, he nods and leaves without another word.
Pete eagerly follows after.
I take Lantash's arm. "Can you do this?"
Malek is equally worried.
"I can…" He nods. "Martouf has fully hidden himself."
~*Janet*~
I happen to be in the control room when the stargate begins spinning.
"Incoming traveler. Off world activation," Walter announces as the alarm sounds.
"Are we expecting anyone?" I ask.
"No. Close the iris," General O'Neill orders though it is unnecessary to say.
I watch as the metallic shield closes over the event horizon of the wormhole.
"Receiving…" Walter trails off. "It's the Tok'ra."
"Open the iris," General O'Neill orders before looking to me. "Care to join me?"
"Sure." I follow down the stairs to the gate room as several others ready their weapons…just in case.
"What do you think?" He asks, trying to sound more cheerful than he really is. "Aldwin?"
I smile a bit, looking to him. I appreciate the attempt. I still miss Sam.
"Take your bet now, and…" He trails off in shock.
I look over, and my heart freezes.
"Jacob?" He gasps.
And Pete.
We both rush forward.
"Stand down," General Carter orders to the others, who quickly obey.
No Sam. Pete, but no Sam. That can't be good. My skin feels icy…but I have a job to do. Pete looks horrible, and he's limping.
General O'Neill's expression falters, clearly hurting as well.
"Sam is behind me," General Carter says.
"Sam?" The general sounds as disbelieving as I feel.
"You all need to go to the infirmary," I say.
"I'll cooperate," General Carter says, "but don't push it with-"
Sam comes through with Martouf and Amb. Or is that Lantash? That is definitely Malek.
"I'll take Pete to the infirmary," General Carter quickly offers before lowering his voice. "Don't push it with the Tok'ra."
"Sir?"
"I mean it."
General O'Neill holds back so that I may greet Sam first, and she smiles.
"Janet." She immediately hugs me.
After seeing Pete, she looks surprisingly healthy.
"Sam." The general smiles as he hugs her after me. He then looks up to Walter.
Walter nods, already knowing the question. Have Daniel and Teal'c been summoned?
"The infirmary," I say. "They'll be sent to meet us at the infirmary."
Malek steps back. "No."
Lantash is quiet, and I realize he's staring at the very spot where he and Martouf almost died.
"They really just want to get home as soon as possible," Sam says.
"We can do that," General O'Neill offers. "I'm sure Jacob doesn't mind if you two go ahead of him."
"There are six of us," Lantash says as his eyes glow.
"What?"
Sam touches the back of her neck, and I immediately know what Lantash means. So does the general.
"Not now," she says quietly before General O'Neill says anything.
Or rather before he says anything that might offend the very Tok'ra who won't be "the man we knew."
General O'Neill glances to Martouf, clearly thinking about that warning.
"Infirmary," Sam agrees before following me.
The other two follow, and when we arrive…
"Mark?" Sam is surprised.
He approaches carefully, worried about her as they hug.
"Kind of…had to bring him here for his own safety," General O'Neill explains.
"Your family?" Sam immediately asks Mark.
"They are here too."
"Samantha has told us about you," Lantash says, but he uses his true voice.
"Your voice?" Mark asks.
"I'm not human."
"What?!"
"He doesn't…know about us," Malek replies, not bothering to hide his voice after that. He's pinching the bridge of his nose slightly. "Like Pete."
"That's why they are classified?" Mark asks in shock.
General O'Neill sighs. He had obviously not anticipated this.
General Carter actually looks amused. "Lantash has amnesia. He's not going to know what not to say."
"Now you tell us," the general replies.
"I didn't know Mark was here until about five seconds before you came in."
"I didn't expect him in the infirmary."
"Heartburn," he explains. "I just happened to be here when Dad came in. You weren't going to tell me about Sam?"
"We just arrived, and they weren't expecting us," General Carter explains.
Daniel ignores everything else as they talk and just hugs Sam.
Meanwhile, I go to examine Pete.
Teal'c soon arrives, and since he doesn't react to whoever is in Sam's head, he must have been warned.
I set up an IV drip for Pete and order that food be brought from the cafeteria. As I do so, I wonder why Sam is not by his side.
I hear General Carter telling General O'Neill that Sam has to return with the Tok'ra.
"Then we are coming with you."
"No," General Carter replies. "It's going to be stressful enough as it is."
"Jacob-" General O'Neill starts.
"That's an order."
"Why would she go with um…non-humans that look like humans?" Mark asks.
"I do not look anything like a human…however, I do live in one," Lantash replies.
"What? Like a Trill?"
"What?" Lantash asks.
"Can you not explain everything to him?" General O'Neill asks. "Otherwise, I will have to ask you to leave."
"I will not leave my wives," he replies with an intensity that raises the hair on my arms.
General O'Neill and Teal'c both immediately tense.
"Sam," General Carter says.
She nods and immediately leaves. Malek and Lantash follow.
"Did their eyes just glow?" Mark asks. "And why did he refer to Sam as 'wives?' If he lives in a human, does she have someone living in her?"
No one answers him.
"Who took her?" General O'Neill asks since it's obvious that Mark already knows the answers to what he's asking.
"Do not aggravate them. She wasn't taken. "This is a…big one." General Carter hesitates. "It's Jolinar."
"What?!"
How can that be possible?
"Zar was able to successfully revive her." He frowns. "Do not make comments. Do not make your feelings about the Tok'ra known, especially about Jolinar."
"After what she did?"
"If you are near Lantash or Martouf, you are walking on eggshells." He points a finger at him. "No jokes. No sarcasm."
"I want to talk to her alone." General O'Neill is angry.
"That won't be today."
"What's going on here?" Daniel asks, his brows knitted in worry.
He glances down. "Martouf isn't sane."
"Oh…God."
"How bad is it?" I ask, somehow both surprised and not surprised on the same time. Lantash being in control. The emphasis on how to act.
"I don't really know. I spoke to Martouf once, and he seemed fine then." General Carter looks to Pete. "Care to shed some light on this?"
"He's usually fine," Pete replies, "but he's deadly when he's not. Lantash is…very protective."
"We need to get them to the tunnels. Lantash is tense here." General Carter frowns. "Short visit."
"And Sam?" General O'Neill asks.
"They aren't going to leave without her."
"I'm still her commanding-"
"Jack…" He sighs. "They kept her safe. And Pete. They kept Pete safe."
Pete makes a grumbled noise of embarrassment.
"And they still have that mentality."
"Lantash seems to think that Sam is his wife," General O'Neill replies.
"She is…at least by Tok'ra standards. Lantash, Martouf…Malek and Amb."
That makes me laugh, especially when seeing the bewildered looks on Mark's and General O'Neill's faces.
Sam returns… "Dad? Lantash needs to head out. I already told him to go to the gate room."
"Yeah. Mark?" General Carter heads over to him. "I'll be back as soon as I can, but I have to go."
"Yeah."
They hug.
"I did have some time to see Betty and the kids," Sam says as she hugs Mark.
He smiles. "Next time I have heartburn, I'll bring them to the infirmary with me."
She laughs, then hugs General O'Neill.
"We have to talk as soon as we can," General O'Neill states. "Alone."
"I figured." Then she goes to Teal'c.
"Does Jolinar treat you well?"
How very Teal'c of him.
"Yeah. We have helped each other a lot in the past months."
He bows his head.
Sam goes to me last.
"So…congratulations?" I say.
"Thank you." She smiles. "I'll visit as soon as I can. Then tell me positively everything about Cassandra."
"I will."
We hug.
"Pete…" She says.
He glances over.
"Goodbye."
"Yeah."
She turns away.
"Sam."
She looks back.
"I… I hope they make you happy."
"Thank you. I hope you find someone."
"Thanks."
She leaves, and I stay with Pete since he is my patient. Aside from Mark, the rest leave.
"Mark…" Pete says.
"You stalked my sister and put my family in danger," Mark replies angrily.
Pete sighs.
"Does she even know that you are the reason she was kidnapped?"
"…No."
Mark glares before leaving.
"How do you feel?" I ask. As much as I dislike the guy, he is my patient.
He looks down at a drawing that he keeps close.
"Pete?"
"Numb. Physically and mentally, I just feel…numb."