Departures
Departures
by Jewels
TITLE: Departures
AUTHOR: Jewels
EMAIL:jhantor@yahoo.com
CATEGORY: Drama, Sam/Martouf
SPOILERS: None
SEASON / SEQUEL:
RATING: PG
CONTENT WARNINGS:
SUMMARY: The SGC is shut down, and Sam gets an offer ...
STATUS: Complete
ARCHIVE: Heliopolis
DISCLAIMER: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. We have written this story for entertainment purposes only and no money whatsoever has exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the authors. Not to be archived without permission of the authors.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: This suddenly came to me late a few nights ago. Unfortunately, I had no paper to hand, so it had to simmer 'til morning. (darned muse //hey!!//) I'm kinda planning a follow up to this. So send me feedback! Should I go on??
When they were told, they were stunned into silence, and sat in their seats as if they'd suddenly been turned into statues. That lasted four about thirty seconds before the room erupted into angry shouts and disbelieving yells.
"They can't be serious!"
"They wouldn't! Would they?"
"They can't ... not after everything we've done ... "
"Are they mad?"
General Hammond, who had been the unfortunate one who had to deliver to news to the SG teams, made calming gestures and after a few moments, recognising that a superior officer wanted them to shut up, silence once more descended upon the room. "People, I don't like it any more than you do, but those are the facts of the matter."
"Oh come on, General," It was Jack O'Neill, sitting next to Carter and Jackson with his arms folded. "They talk about it every time the committee glances at any of our reports. They've never done anything about it before."
"They already have in this case." Hammond told him, pausing to wait for the murmurs to settle. "From this point on, there will be no off-world travel. All SG teams are on stand-down. It may become indefinite."
That silenced everyone. Indefinite stand-down. Another way of saying that the program would be shut down. One heck of a euphemism, and one not many people cared for.
"Just say it, General," Janet Frasier suddenly snapped. "They're closing the SGC because they don't like all the money we need."
No one expected the outburst from the petit Doctor, but it was a sentiment they all agreed with, so no one said anything.
"Off-world activation." The voice over the intercom caused Hammond to leap to his feet and head towards the staircase.
"Oh great," muttered O'Neill. "How much do you want to bet that it's the Goa'uld, come to take us over?"
"With our luck? Absolutely." muttered Daniel as he followed Jack and Hammond as they started down to the control room.
In the briefing room, the assembled personnel started muttering amongst themselves, some drifting over to the large window to see who was coming through, some heading out. The iris had closed, and if there was a really major problem, they'd be called. That was if the government could cough up the cash to bother to call them.
Sam Carter leaned back in her chair. "You never know, Janet," she said, folding her arms as she spoke to her friend. "We might have to go and save the world again, getting our funding reinstated. Hey, if it worked once." She shook her head.
"I don't know," Janet said, her voice low. "Something tells me ... they're really going to go through with it."
"You heard what Hammond said, they've already done it. They've already cut the funding." Sam pushed herself away from the briefing room desk, ignoring the sound of the wormhole opening. "I'll be in the lab if anyone needs me." she told the Doctor, and headed out of the room.
Janet watched Sam go a little sadly and stood up, walking over to the window to stand next to Ferretti as they looked down at the Stargate, where the iris covering the Gate was retracting. Friendly people then.
Oh yes, definitely friendly, after a moment's pause, two figures, dressed in familiar beige colours stepped out of the event horizon and looked around the Gateroom.
"Oh great," muttered Ferretti. "Which System Lord did we piss off now?"
Janet ignored his comment, his feelings of irritation were understandable, she even shared them, so she let Ferretti grouse about the Tok'ra. She could vaguely hear Hammond speaking to Martouf and Jacob over the intercom, and decided that she'd best head towards the Infirmary, which was probably where Hammond would send their guests next.
**
"Defence team, stand down." ordered Hammond, his voice amplified by the com. The guards in the Gateroom managed to relax a little and in that time, Hammond had come down from the control room to stand in front of their Tok'ra visitors.
"Gentlemen, I wasn't expecting to see you ... although I was about to contact you."
"Nice to know I can read your thoughts, George." Jacob's tone was flippant for a moment, then it sobered as he saw the expression on Hammond's face. "And right now, I think that they're not good ones."
"I wish you weren't right, Jacob." commented Hammond. He hesitated, then said, "Let's get down to the Infirmary, I'll tell you while Doctor Frasier checks you two over ... "
**
"This is unnecessary, I am in perfect health." Martouf informed her as Janet Frasier took his pulse and checked his pupils. Across the room, Hammond was speaking to Jacob in quiet tones while the elder Carter was being checked over by one of Janet's nurses.
"Indulge me." chided Janet. "It's procedure, for our protection more than it is for yours." She pulled out a penlight and gestured for him to open his mouth, peering into the back. "I just wish I had patients as healthy as you all the time."
She flicked off the penlight and nodded. "All done."
Martouf nodded. "Thank you. Could you tell me where Samantha is?"
Janet shrugged gracefully, sticking the penlight back in her pocket. "I think I heard her say something about going up to her lab. Sub-level 17." she supplied.
"Thank you, Doctor."
Janet nodded as the Tok'ra got up from the bed and headed for the door. "Yeah, no problem." she muttered as the door closed behind him. She sighed and went to tidy up some paperwork. Before she had to burn it as classified material.
**
Martouf found Sam in her lab, running some sort of tests on something about desk sized. Martouf didn't have a clue what it was - its purpose wasn't immediately apparent, but he didn't really care about that. He could see the hurt on Sam's face as she worked, clearly trying to take her mind off whatever her situation was.
He pushed the door open and stepped inside. Sam barely acknowledged him with a quiet, "Martouf."
"Samantha ... " She continued to test the device she was working on, occasionally pushing a button to change the readout with a click. "Is something wrong?"
"Wrong?" *click* "What makes you think that?"
"You appear ... distraught?"
"Really?" *beep* "WORK!!! For god's sake ... " the last was muttered almost inaudibly in comparison to the yell that had startled Martouf.
"Are you still going to say nothing's wrong with you?" he enquired mildly.
Sam glowered at him, then leaned against her desk and gave him a look which said 'if that's how you want to play it'. "They've terminated all funding for the program." Sam said, more than a trace of bitterness in her voice. "Whatever's left in the kitty is all we've got. And the way this place eats up funding, it'll last maybe a month, probably less. After that, we'll have no choice to close down the facility, and they'll start shipping people out."
It took one look at Martouf to tell that he was disturbed by this information, and he was frowning deeply. "The Council of Tok'ra will not be pleased to hear this." he said after a long moment. "They expected more of the Tau'ri."
Sam, for some unknown reason, felt moved to argue on her people's behalf, eve though, privately, she agreed with him. "The bureaucrats in the government don't seem to be able understand the importance of our work." she said, shaking her head. "It's easy for them to ignore the Goa'uld, to pretend that this war doesn't exist, just because they're not involved with it." She raised her multimeter again, studying the display intently. "Which means that, basically, I'm out of a job."
"Your military wouldn't make you leave, would they?" he asked, puzzled at that last remark.
Sam shook her head. "No, but they'd certainly reassign me. Probably back to what I was doing before I joined the program. I mean ... What use is an expert on a Stargate, when the Stargate is no longer used? I spent years working on satellites before I came to the SGC. Is that what I'm supposed to go back to? Knowing that there's the Goa'uld, and the Asgard, and millions of things that I haven't seen yet, all out there?!" She sounded vaguely hysterical, like she was trying not to laugh, or not to cry. "It's going to be hell." she finished.
Martouf hesitated. "You could come with us when we leave." he said after a moment of staring at Sam's rather depressed features.
She didn't seem to know what to make of that. Her general expression was one of bewilderment for a moment, then she blurted out, "What?" Confusion, and maybe a little hope, coloured her voice.
With Lantesh insistently prodding him into speaking, Martouf elaborated. "With you holding the memories of Jolinar, and being Jacob's daughter, as well as an ally, the Tok'ra consider you one of our own." He reached out and touched her hand. "There is a place among us for you if you want it."
For a long moment, Sam didn't know what to say. "Let me think about it," she told him sincerely, giving his hand a squeeze. "This isn't something I can decide on the spur of the moment."
Martouf nodded, looking into her eyes. "I understand. Lantesh and I both do."
Sam nodded, then shifted uncomfortably. The atmosphere in the lab had suddenly become far too tense and charged than she liked. "I've got some work to do in the briefing room." she said suddenly, casting a glance towards the door.
"I'll see you later." Martouf told her, releasing her hand to let her go.
Sam didn't dare look back as she left the room.
**
Sam spent the next ten minutes wandering her base, her mind not on where she was going. This did, naturally, lead to her walking into a wall or two along the way, but somehow, she managed to wind up at the Infirmary, where she poked her head around the door to see Janet having a quick gripe and grumble to Daniel as she was giving him his prescription of anti-histamines.
"So, of course, I'm going to be left with a much-reduced pay check, and I do have to say, working in a top-secret facility does tend to put the amount of money I get paid up, especially with the hazard duty. It's hard enough supporting Cassie as a single parent as it is and- oh hi, Sam."
Daniel actually looked grateful for the interruption. "Hi, Sam." he greeted, extracting the bottle of pills from Janet's grasp. "What's up?"
Sam blinked, as if coming out of a trance. "Wrong? Nothing's wrong."
"You don't have a 'nothing's wrong' face." advised Janet, shoving her hands into her lab coat pockets and leaning against a bed. "In fact, I'd say that it was a 'something's wrong' face."
Sam took in a breath, hissing softly. "Well, that pretty much sums it up." she said softly.
Janet folded her arms. "So tell us." she prompted.
After a long pause, Sam told them. About Martouf and his offer, and her currently ambiguous feelings on the matter. Janet and Daniel, for a long moment after she had told them, remained absolutely silent, until Janet said,
"I'd say that's definitely 'something'."
Sam nodded and stared at her hands intently, as if they'd give her the answers she needed. "Well," she asked, "What do you think I should do?"
"Umm ... I don't know." admitted Daniel, then, as Sam glared at him, hurriedly added. "Oh come on, it's not as if I'm asked everyday for advice on whether someone should leave Earth, probably for good."
"I think the question is, would you be happy there?" Janet asked quietly, giving her friend a searching look that Sam wouldn't meet.
"I stayed on Abydos because I was in love with Sha're. I was happy. Would you be with the Tok'ra?"
"I don't k ... " Sam broke off, certain that her words sounded lame.
"Sam, at least be honest, with yourself if not us." Janet spoke softly, and her words somehow carrying more impact because of that.
Sam looked up, but still couldn't meet either of their eyes, her focus flitting around the room, on the heart-rate monitor, the blankets, even the scrap of pain that was peeling off the doorframe. "Would I be happy?" she asked herself out loud. "Could I be happy?" She swallowed. "I would like to think so."
"How do you mean?" asked Daniel.
Sam fidgeted some more. "I feel a ... bond with Martouf, and the other Tok'ra, even if it's to a lesser degree. I think ... I know ... " she corrected herself. If she just /thought/ then she wasn't sure. She had to be sure. "That I could be happy there."
"It's not just Martouf you need to think about. There's how the Tok'ra live, their lifestyle."
"I remember how they live." Sam pointed out. "Jolinar gave me those memories."
"Sam, you need to be sure here." Janet reached out and took her friend's hand, giving it a supportive squeeze. "Are you thinking of going because of Jolinar's feelings towards the Tok'ra? Or because of your own feelings?"
Sam had to give that one some thought. Her own feelings, or Jolinar's? In the time since they had met up with the Tok'ra for the first time, Sam felt that she had become better at sorting out her own feelings from those of the symbiote. The catalyst for her feelings /was/ Jolinar, but the feelings were definitely her own.
"I'm sure." she told Janet, returning the squeeze. "I'm very sure."
Janet smiled. "Good. I'm glad."
Her memories from Jolinar were running riot around her mind, throwing up odd tidbits of life among the Tok'ra. The fact they kept no secrets from each other, the closeness that Jolinar had felt towards all of them ... Martouf no exception ... and their fighting the Goa'uld, constantly on the run, moving from one planet to another. Always trying to stay one step ahead of the system lords.
Well, at least the memories were giving her an unbiased viewpoint.
Could she go with them? Leaving everything she knew, and cared for, behind? She was a scientist. She was being offered the chance to go and see stuff that she'd never get to on Earth. But she wouldn't see her friends anymore. And the likelihood of being able to come back depended on the government. And Sam had to agree with Janet. It didn't seem likely they'd give them their funding back. And she would be with him ...
The Tok'ra, or an Earth-bound existence.
Not much of a choice really.
"I swear," muttered Sam, as she straightened and headed for the door. "If they try to make me wear one of those god-awful dresses, I'll resign."
With that, she turned and headed for the door, Janet and Daniel watching her thoughtfully.
"I can't figure this whole Sam/Martouf thing out." commented Daniel suddenly, as the door closed behind the departing Major.
Janet frowned and asked, "What is so complicated?"
"Well, is it a man and a woman, or a man and a woman and a dead woman. Or is it two men and a woman? Or two men and two women? Or a man, a woman, and two its, one of which is dead, but not dead, and both of which have genders associated them which are in fact completely non-applicable?"
Janet turned and stared at Daniel for a very long moment, her mind ticking over. Eventually, she told him, in a conspiratorial tone, "You really, /really/ need to get out more."
Daniel rolled his eyes. "I was just asking."
Janet stared into space for a moment longer. "Oh god! Daniel! Now you've got me thinking. I'm not going to be able to stop thinking about this /all day/."
Daniel tried not to grin smugly.
**
Jacob stared at Martouf for a moment, as if his hearing had suddenly failed him. "I'm sorry, can you repeat that?" he asked.
"I asked Samantha if she would like to come with us to join the Tok'ra when we left." Martouf said, trying not to be unnerved by the look on Jacob's face. They were in the small quarters assigned to Jacob for the duration of their stay there. Martouf had come there to speak to the other Tok'ra. Especially since the whole subject of the discussion was his daughter.
"What? You couldn't have asked me first?" Jacob asked, rhetorically.
Martouf blinked, and Lantesh pointed out a phrase from their conversation with Sam. "It was more ... spur of the moment than anything else."
Jacob stared at him some more, probably wondering where Martouf had picked up that phrase. "And what, may I ask, did she say?"
"She said she'd consider it." Martouf said, then paused. "I didn't think you, or any of the other Tok'ra, would object. Forgive me for presuming so."
Jacob shook his head. "No, it's alright. I wish you'd checked with me beforehand, but it's alright."
They both started as someone knocked on the door and Sam opened it to poke her head inside. She nodded to her father then turned to the other occupant of the room.
"Martouf, I need to ask you something." Sam said, then glanced at her father. "In private."
Jacob gave Sam a 'how do you think you're fooling' look and nodded briefly to Martouf before heading out of the small, confined room. Sam closed the door behind him and took a deep breath.
"It's about your asking me to join the Tok'ra." she said finally.
"Yes?" Martouf prompted when she seemed to not be willing to go further.
Sam took a second deep breath and plunged ahead with what she had come there to say. "You told me once that you had 'an honest, deep desire' to have Jolinar back in your life in some way." Sam fixed Martouf with a steely gaze, stepping close to him and speaking in a low voice. "I want you to tell me whether it's the fact that I possess Jolinar's memories that you want me to go with you."
For a moment, Martouf didn't know what to say.
'It's a valid question.' Lantesh pointed out.
Martouf didn't respond to his symbiote directly, but returned Sam's look with one of equal strength. "Samantha ... I would be lying if I said it wasn't entirely true ... "
'Oh you're doing great at this, let me have control.' Lantesh said in exasperation, and his host let him have control.
Sam was still staring intently at him, even when his eyes flashed. Lantesh decided then that some of Rosha's glares had nothing on some of Sam's.
"Samantha, Martouf is correct, however I want to assure you that it is not the primary reason for us asking you to come with us." He thought for a moment over how to phrase his words and lifted a hand to rest on Sam's cheek. "We have both become very attached to you, and the thought of never seeing you again because of your government ... " he broke off. "Is not a pleasant one."
Sam blinked and stopped glaring so intently at Lantesh, raising her hand to touch the one that rested on her cheek. "Thank you," she murmured. "I needed to hear it. From both of you."
"This is a big decision for you. I would not want you to feel ... as if we did not want /you/." Lantesh told her firmly.
Sam didn't know what prompted her to lean forward and gently brush her lips against those of the man she stood close enough to feel him breath, but she certainly wasn't sorry she did. Although maybe it was the fact that she had been getting more light-headed by the second that meant her brain hadn't caught up with the fact she was kissing Lantesh - a kiss that seemed to be growing more passionate by the second - until a few moments after the fact.
With a great deal of reluctance, Sam pulled herself away, vaguely recognising the fact that they had both wrapped their arms around the other. "We should go and talk to my father and General Hammond."
Lantesh nodded, still making no move to disentangle himself. "Yes, we probably should."
'I should let you handle these sort of talks more often.' commented Martouf from the back of his mind.
Lantesh couldn't help but agree.
**
Jack O'Neill was rather surprised to be called to Hammond's office. He hadn't been expecting it. It wasn't as if he was going to be told about anything like a new mission, or some such thing. So why was he being summoned?
He was even more surprised to find Sam Carter standing in between Martouf and Jacob, looking a little embarrassed to be there.
"Something wrong, sir?" he asked, eyeing the Tok'ra. Sam looked away.
"Major Carter is about to mysteriously disappear." Hammond told him, with a brief sidelong look at Jacob.
"Sir?" Jack had a feeling he knew what was coming. "I'm afraid you've lost me, sir." he lied.
"When the Tok'ra leave, I'll be going with them." Sam told him, examining her fingernails with great interest.
"Oh?" Jack said, with obviously forced calmness. "Allowing the troops to go AWOL, sir?"
Hammond glowered. "More like detached duty, Colonel." he told him. "Albeit one that only people inside this facility will know about. Major Carter will be with the Tok'ra for as long as it takes to get this facility reopened." Hammond fixed Jack with a steely gaze. "We will be reopened, Colonel." he told him firmly.
"Yes, sir." replied Jack stiffly. He refused to even look at Carter. She was leaving, without even a second thought. And with the snakeheads too. This was almost too much.
Hammond stared at Jack for a moment, then returned his attention to the files on his desk. "Teal'c will also be leaving us. He's decided, since the SGC is no longer going to be in operation, that he will go with the Tok'ra to fight the Goa'uld."
Great, so they were loosing two people to the Tok'ra.
Hammond opened his mouth, looking as if he was going to say more, but apparently decided against it. "That's all, Colonel. You're dismissed."
Jack didn't need to be told twice. He turned and strode out of the office, slamming the door hard enough that it made an already wound-up Sam jump several inches into the air. But not so loud that he could be accused of slamming it.
"Well," said Jacob mildly. "That went better than I expected it to."
"I dread to think how you expected it to go." muttered Sam, pinching the bridge of her nose as she felt a headache forming.
"Oh kind of like that. But with stronger language and more violence."
**
The next day, Sam walked into the SGC with a small bag, carrying only a few small items, slung over her shoulder. She had charged Janet with making sure the rest of the stuff in her apartment was got rid of. It wasn't as if she'd have much use for it after today.
The first place that Sam reported to was the Infirmary, to be checked over prior to her departure.
*Just think, never have to be poked in the neck by sadistic nurses after going through the gate again.* Sam thought. Sure, she wouldn't miss that, but she'd miss everyone here. Even the sadistic nurses.
"Janet," Sam caught the attention of the Doctor, who was clutching a penlight in her hands as if it was suddenly going to run away from her, occasionally fiddling with it. "I'm here for my check-over."
Janet nodded, tapping the penlight against her left hand. "I brought someone to see you."
She stepped slightly to the side to allow Sam to see the small girl sitting on a bed behind her.
"Cassie ... " murmured Sam as she reached out and gave the girl a hug. "I'm so glad your here."
Cassandra looked more than a little upset. "Janet said you were going away."
Sam nodded, holding Cassie's hands in her own tightly. "Yes, I am."
"Where to?"
Sam sighed. What to say? The truth. "I'm leaving the planet with the Tok'ra. It doesn't seem like I'll be able to come back." Cassie looked on the verge of crying. "But it doesn't mean I don't love you."
"I know." Cassie said in a quiet voice, sniffling softly. "It doesn't make it easy."
Sam enfolded the little girl in a bone-crushing hug. "I know, Cassie. I know."
**
The Gateroom was packed with personnel come to bid goodbye to Sam Carter and Teal'c as the two left to begin their new life among the Tok'ra. General Hammond, rather than being upstairs in the control room was down in the Gateroom, at the base of the ramp, waiting for their two Tok'ra guests to join them so that the four could leave.
While they were waiting, Jack came up to Sam, and took her hand, let out a small breath before saying. "I wish you weren't leaving." Sam blinked looked at the floor before Jack said, lightening the mood somewhat, "I mean, who else is going to laugh at my jokes?"
"No one, you're a rotten joke-teller." she teased him.
"Regardless, though, I am going to miss you. I hope you'll be happy."
Sam gave a small smile. "Thanks, sir." Nevermind the fact that it was painfully obvious Jack was being happy for her sake. She appreciated the sentiment. She gave him a brief hug, before Jack said, "And if you get tired of the Tok'ra, and the government decides to play nice and fund us again, please come back."
Sam grinned at the flippancy in his tone. "Yes, sir."
The blast doors to the Gateroom started to slide open in their excrutiatingly slow manner, it wasn't surprising, considering their size, but it was annoying. Jacob and Martouf, escorted by an Airman, entered the Gateroom and looked around at the gathering and Jacob commented,
"Giving them the full send-off, George?"
Hammond raised an eyebrow. "Quite."
Jack backed away from Sam as Jacob, Martouf and Hammond approached. Hammond held out his hand and shook Sam's firmly.
"Major Carter, it's been an honour serving with you."
"Likewise, sir." she said, feeling a little embarrassed at all the attention she was getting.
"Take care of yourself, Sam." Daniel told her as Hammond turned and signalled to Lt. Simmons to start dialing out.
As the chevrons locked, there was a lot of hugging and tearful farewells from the people that Sam had worked with for a little over two years. She knew that she would miss them all. She was leaving an entire world behind, which was more than most people ever had to do.
When the Gate opened, someone called the troops to attention, and General Hammond gave her a formal salute, which she returned, blinking her eyes rapidly to avoid any tears from spilling over her cheeks. Martouf and her father were waiting for her silently, letting her turn around and start up the ramp in her own time.
Just before she reached the event horizon, Sam turned back slightly and glanced at the people behind her. She would never forget the expression on each of their faces for as long as she lived.
-Fini
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