33 - Visitors
~*Jolinar*~
Aldwin approaches us, and he gives a polite little bow. "Samantha, two Tau'ri have come to see you."
That confuses her. She would expect her team, and he knows them. He would say it was her team.
"This way," Aldwin gestures.
Sam looks to her mates.
"They obviously miss you," Martouf says as Malek smiles. "Enjoy your time together."
"You don't want to come?"
Malek laughs before he holds that adorable smirk that my Sam fell in love with.
"They are not here to see us," Martouf adds with a warm smile.
"Maybe you can drop by and say hello…if you are up to it."
"Perhaps," Malek replied.
"The more you make your presence known, the less awkward it will be."
"We understand," Malek replies.
Sam follows Aldwin.
We feel someone with naquadah in their system, probably a Tok'ra waiting with the Tau'ri.
"Sam!" Cries out a young woman before running over and hugging her.
"Cassandra." Sam hugs her immediately, tearing up in joy as Dr. Fraiser smiles.
I see that the older woman is still nervous around me, and that shames me. I threatened her daughter, her Cassandra. I'm surprised the girl is even willing to hug Sam with my return. Maybe she doesn't know.
She knows. Just don't come out without her permission first.
I have no intention of leaving you.
I mean, don't take control, she replies, amused by my misunderstanding.
After a long hug from Cassandra, Sam hugs Dr. Fraiser.
"How are you, Sam?" Cassandra asks.
"Better now that you are here." Sam grins. "It's just you two?"
"Colonel O'Neill wanted to come," Dr. Fraiser says, "but Teal'c pointed out that it would take time away from Cassie."
"Thank Teal'c for me." Sam smiles, then half hugs Cassandra. "I do want to see them, but…" It would have been overwhelming. "There has been a delay." Sam sits. "Alright Cass, you are going to tell me everything that I have missed."
Cassandra smiles.
~+~+~.
They talk for a few hours before Dr. Fraiser suggests to Cassandra to get something to eat.
"The Tok'ra will show you where to go," Dr. Fraiser says.
"Mom."
"Now, Cassie."
She is hurt, but also scared. She knows she is not being sent away for any good reason.
Sam looks to Kilso, who is nearby. He gives a quick nod, then directs Cassandra on where to go.
"He's not going to show her?" Dr. Fraiser asks.
"He's going to make sure she doesn't come within hearing range without our notice," Sam replies.
Dr. Fraiser nods. "Sam… Tell me…whatever you feel comfortable telling me."
"Thank you." She glances down.
~+~+~.
It takes an hour. Sam is honest, but only about herself. The privacy of our mates is held. It makes their abuse obvious, but they have already given Sam permission to share what she wants without worrying about them.
Dr. Fraiser is very upset, crying at times, but she is remarkably strong. As is my Sam, my Samantha.
"Your mates are coming," Kilso informs.
Sam nods.
Malek and Lantash come, and they are the ones in control.
"Samantha…" Malek approaches. "Dr. Fraiser. If we are intruding, we will leave."
Dr. Fraiser looks to Sam.
"It's up to you. It won't be long, but I suggested they stop by. They are part of me now."
Dr. Fraiser nods.
"I apologize for Samantha's delay in visiting you. The fault is mine," Malek says quickly as he turns to Dr. Fraiser. "I needed more help than I realized. I apologize for the inconvenience."
Sam gives a sad smile because we both know… It's not just that he would never blame Amb, not even a smidgen, but that he truly blames himself.
"No, I understand, but I've seen remarkable recoveries from…heavy stuff." She sees their confused frowns. "Emotional weight."
"Ah," Lantash replies with a smug grin, as if he didn't just needed something explained to him.
"Besides, Cassie has never visited your tunnels before."
As she speaks, Malek absentmindedly rubs over me, and Janet looks uncomfortable. I would guess that she was doing her best to ignore my existence, and Malek just reminded her.
"Sam…" Dr. Fraiser hesitates. "I wasn't sure how to bring this up, but…I don't forgive her, not entirely. I don't think I ever can."
I cringe, and Malek responds with soothing strokes.
"It's alright," Sam assures. "She's not asking for forgiveness from you or Cassandra."
"Cassandra is more forgiving than I am. Still…I would like to speak to her. I want to…"
"Get used to her?"
"Yes. She's part of you now, and I can't expect her to hide every time I am around."
"She is willing."
"Well, she may be willing, but that's not natural for a Tok'ra, and I don't want to be that bitter."
Sam bows her head, and as I take over, I see Dr. Fraiser's expression darken.
"Dr. Fraiser, I apologize for my past actions. I… That probably wasn't the best thing to say first. What I mean is, I accept your anger. I can never undo my actions, so I do not expect forgiveness."
"General Carter says you don't remember your actions."
"No."
"It must be strange, being told about your crimes."
"It was very strange." I glance to Lantash, and I see that he is uncomfortable. "I hurt people, and many do not know how to act around me."
"They need time." She pauses. "Your death probably helped them move past your actions."
I cringe slightly.
"I don't mean that as an insult. It's just… It's harder to stay angry at someone who died. For their own sakes, they had to move on. Now you are here, suddenly back, and that brings up what they thought, what we all thought we moved past."
"I understand."
"This is better though." She smiles slightly. "I don't just mean that you are alive. That part is obvious. I mean…"
"I understand. Now everyone, including myself, can take their time to process my actions."
Janet nods.
"For what it's worth, I deeply regret my actions, and believe me, Sam reminded me more than once after I was revived, and it was one of the first things that Lantash brought up."
She glances to Lantash.
"Please, do not blame him or Malek or any other Tok'ra for my actions. I am alone in my blame."
"I don't blame them."
"Thank you."
"Cassandra is returning…again," Kilso says.
She had been guided away before.
I retreat immediately, and that tells Dr. Fraiser that the worst of the conversation is over. It signals to Kilso to let Cassandra through.
Cassandra rushes in and hugs Sam again.
Sam enjoys it immensely. Cassandra hasn't been so, as Sam calls it, touchy-feely, for years now, and we both know this won't last.
Lantash sits down. "Cassandra."
"Yes?"
"Samantha has told us about you."
"In…um, captivity?"
"Yes."
I see Dr. Fraiser's worry, but Sam is not. Her calmness eases the doctor.
"Talking about you and your mother always made her happy. I thank you being such a wonderful delight in her life."
Cassandra smiles, blushing slightly.
Malek smiles.
"So, you are her mates? Right?" Cassandra asks. "All four of you?"
"Yes," Malek answers.
"Congratulations?"
"Thank you," Lantash replies before standing again. "Samantha, I wanted to meet your friends, your…" He glances to Cassandra. "More than friends, they are your family."
Sam, Dr. Fraiser, and Cassandra all smile.
"We will not take anymore time away from them," Malek continues.
"Dr. Fraiser, Cassandra." Lantash bows slightly. "I enjoyed meeting both of you. Well, I know I met you before, Dr. Fraiser, but… I am still in the process of regaining my memories. Please, forgive me."
He is acting so much like Martouf that I know he is telling Lantash what to say and do. I feel bad for them. Martouf and Amb are probably afraid to be in control around the Tau'ri.
They leave as Cassandra gives a polite goodbye.
Sam turns back to them.
They begin talking again. About nothing. About everything. It doesn't matter.
~Three Days Later~
~*Jack*~
"It's the Tok'ra," Walter informs.
"Don't get your hopes up," Daniel warns me. "It's probably Jacob again."
He has been going back and forth a lot, and… It won't be her. It won't be- Sam! I rush down.
"Hello, sir." She smiles.
I smile.
"Hello Sam," Daniel says.
"Just you?" I ask. After what Jacob said earlier, I expected her to return with her new…husbands.
Husbands. She has multiple husbands.
"Jolinar is still in my head if that's what you are asking."
"I knew that."
"Janet told us," Daniel adds.
Sam smiles.
"So what's up?" I ask.
"I'd like to go outside. Oh, but first…" Her smile is slightly awkward, and she hands me a bag. "The security tapes."
"Sure, yeah." I look in the bag. "What happened to the tapes?!"
"Everything is still there. It's just been…dismantled."
Daniel laughs.
"They had to break the tapes?" I look at her with disbelief.
"To properly look at the tape, yeah."
"So the surface?" Daniel asks to change the subject.
~+~+~.
It's not too much longer before we are at Sam's house with Teal'c, and Daniel quickly prepares snacks.
"I don't remember buying half of this stuff."
"Well…" I glance away.
"We kept it stocked for your return," Daniel says as he sits.
She is shocked, then happy. She glances down. "Wow."
"It was General O'Neill's idea," Teal'c adds.
"Thank you…sir." She says softly, then takes a breath. "That means a lot."
"Well, it's because I ate some of your food," I excuse. "No reason for it to go bad."
She nods, seeing it for what it is, but lets me have my excuse.
"So I hear that the Tok'ra sent operatives to Zar's old territories," Daniel says to both change the subject and to give her an opening to discuss Zar however she chooses.
"Yeah. They already have new potential hosts."
"Good for them," I reply, feeling uneasy about that. The people are desperate.
"I know you don't approve, but most of these people have no where to go. Zar destroyed their homes, their lives. Everyone they knew was killed. They have nothing." She pauses. "Most will be rejected. A number of them are too violent. Others won't…well, won't be mentally capable."
"Do the Tok'ra know how to deal with that?"
"This isn't their first mass rescue mission, sir."
I nod.
"How is Pete?"
"At the Air Forge Academy Hospital."
She nods.
"So how's married life?"
That makes her smile. "A lot better now that we are out of prison. I mean… We didn't actually marry until after Zar was killed, but that doesn't really matter."
"And your husbands?"
"I love them."
"Before or after Jolinar revived."
"Jack," Daniel says in annoyance while Teal'c looks at me with disapproval.
"Long before. Pete was right about one thing. I didn't love him. I don't think I ever could have."
"So…now what? You going to go all Tok'ra on us?"
"I can't go back to how things were. I accepted that when I married."
I feel sad, but hide it.
"Right now, I still need to recover, and then I can ease back into work with the Tok'ra."
"Yeah, I understand." I don't want to, but I do.
"Besides, I think most everyone still has to get used to Jolinar. I am not going to have her hide every time she's at Stargate Command."
"She hides now," Teal'c points out.
Sam smiles. "Actually, she's asleep. We, mostly her, stayed up late last night, reading reports, catching up on Tok'ra news. She wants to know what happened to all her friends."
"She contacting them?" Daniel asks.
"Unfortunately, many have been killed."
"Sorry to hear."
"When I do go back to work… I wouldn't mind having a space here to sometimes-"
"Your office is still yours," I reply immediately as I perk up.
Sam smiles. "Thank you, sir."
I grin.