Chapter Twenty-six Summary: Sam has made it through the trauma of parting from Lantash. Lantash and Daniel are still working through their blending, although it is nearing completion. Another strange event has taken place on Garshaw's base. Anise and Sam discuss who was tested before the summit among other things.

Rating this Chapter – PG-13

Mer Prinekh – My Lifemate, a name of endearment between Symbiote and Host. Can be translated as meaning something like Beloved Lifemate or Sweet Lifemate.

Napus- Basically the same as our turnips.

"Italics" – Symbiote-Host Communication

Always Be Ours

Chapter Twenty-six

Home Stretch

Sam stretched and then snuggled back against the warmth emanating from the body lying spooned with her. Feeling his hardness, she smiled and wiggled slightly, before suddenly freezing in place, as his scent reached her, and she recognized it. The emotionally devastating hours rushed back to her, and she caught her breath. Lantash was gone from her, and he and Daniel were, as far as she knew, still blending. She could only hope that their trauma was easing, as hers had. She'd finally managed to sleep for several hours and judging by the amount of sunlight filtering through the blinds and curtains and into the room, it was mid-morning of the next day. The bedside clock verified her belief. It was a little over twenty-four hours, since they made the exchange.

She certainly felt better than she had yesterday and last night. And this time, when she awoke it wasn't because of an emotion laden memory. It was the first time she'd awakened and not felt as if her heart was being ripped to pieces. After spending literally hours reliving all of the events from the day Martouf died, she was more than ready to leave them behind. Not because she wanted to forget Martouf, but because it was still so very painful to remember. Of course, it would always be painful to remember that day, but she also knew that with time, the pain would lessen to a dull ache; one that consisted of sorrow over what was lost and regret over what would never be. By then, though, the paths her life would have taken would have brought her different joys and sorrows.

She frowned, as she thought of that, and of a conversation, she had one time held with a woman she had known in D.C. She had lived down the hall and they had sometimes shared an evening when both were home. She remembered one evening when they had shared a couple of bottles of wine and as they sat there, she had noticed a photograph album opened to a picture of a handsome young man and asked about it. Her friend, Shirley, or Shirl, as she had preferred to be called, had smiled rather sadly, saying, that he was an old lover. One that she had thought was the love of her life. The wine taking down her inhibitions Sam had asked her what happened, and her friend had simply said that he had died. Sam had told her she was sorry and allowed the subject to drop.

She had assumed the conversation was over, not wanting to bring up any more sad memories, but after a short pause Shirl had told her that life was a funny thing. At one time, she would have thought that she would give anything to be able to go back and change what had happened, but now, she realized that in order to do that, then she would have to give up so many things that had made her life worthwhile. Of course, there would, no doubt, have been things to make her life worthwhile, if she had been with him, but looking back, now, she wouldn't change anything, much as she had loved him. She simply couldn't conceive of her life without her son and daughter and her husband, who had loved her deeply until the day that he had died. No, she wouldn't change anything. Did it still hurt to think of him and what might have been? Oh, yes, it hurt, and there was sorrow and regret, but it was a softer more mellow pain, now.

She had smiled at Sam and told her that no matter where life led, once a path was either chosen, or given, one couldn't go back and walk it again, and that furthermore, we shouldn't want to do so. What was said was very true; you can't go home again. You can visit there, but you can't dwell there, and those that manage to do that, leave their lives behind and simply exist, until their time is over. All they managed to do was end up missing what would probably have proven to be some of the most beautiful moments of their lives…had they chosen to live them. No matter how emotionally painful the event, never forget that, as unlikely as it seems at the time, it's time itself that does, indeed, heal all wounds…or at least make them bearable…and gives you lovely memories.

She smiled slightly thinking of those words, now, when they had so much more meaning to her, and she found some comfort in them. Still, she hoped that she was finally going to have some control over the memories instead of them controlling her has they had been. She should really ask Malek, if it was possible that it was finally over. However, remembering now what she'd just done, she would rather he didn't wake, until she could scoot away from him, at least a little bit.

Moving slowly, she attempted to inch slowly away, only to have his arm tighten around her, and hear his voice telling her, "You are not bothering me, Samantha, so if that is the reason for your attempt to sneak away, there is no need. I am quite comfortable and Devlin is still sleeping."

"I was, um, just going to try to get up and go into the facilities, without waking the two of you, Malek. I didn't want to disturb you, if you were still sleeping. I, uh, didn't wake up because of some memory this time, which I hope is a good sign." She was very glad that he couldn't see her face because it felt overly warm, and she knew that she was probably blushing deeply. She could only hope he hadn't been awake, when she first woke up and thought that it was Daniel lying next to her.

"Yes, it is a very good sign. You are probably through with reliving the worst of the memories. I suspect that you are now at the point where you will be more able to control them, if they try to surface once again. That is what usually happens, after the first twenty-four to thirty hours, and I believe that it has been a little over twenty-four hours, now." He raised his head and looked at the clock, just as Sam had, confirming that he was correct in his supposition.

"So, does that mean I'm probably not going to have any more, or just that I'll be able to push them aside and think of something else? Or does it just mean they won't be as intense, if they do surface again?" She asked him quietly, wanting and needing a little more detail.

He paused, thinking that over, before telling her, "I believe it will be both, Samantha. You should be better able to control them, and they may not feel quite as intense, if they do surface once more. You said last night that they seemed to be less so, and they were coming farther and farther apart. I believe that the worst is now behind you." He could feel her release the breath that she had been unconsciously holding.

"Good." She, too, paused, as she considered what else she wanted to know. Finally, she asked him, "Does that mean that Lantash and Daniel's will be lessening, too? Or does the blending make it go on for longer?"

She felt him sigh, before he answered, "It could be lessening by now; however, it will probably take them somewhat longer to get to the point where you have arrived. They will be sharing Daniel's, as well as yours, Lantash's, and Martouf's memories of what occurred. The time it took to stop Lantash's bleeding and the time it took him to recoup his strength must also be taken into consideration. Lantash would not have attempted to begin their blending while his survival was in question, and he might still have needed to leave Daniel. I am not sure exactly how many hours that encompassed, so it is difficult to judge exactly where they may be in the blending process. It is difficult to say one way or the other, Samantha, truly, however, I would suspect that it will probably be several more hours before they reach the stage at which you have arrived, and then it could be several more before they return to us."

She nodded her acceptance of his statement, before once again attempting to move to the edge of the bed. Her excuse to him earlier was, in fact, a truth that was now making itself known. He released her, and she made her way to the edge of the bed where she grabbed a couple of crackers and quickly ate them, before standing and heading for the bathroom. Making a quick decision, she stuck her head around the door and called out to him, "Malek, I'm going to take a very quick shower. It shouldn't take me long, I promise."

"Very well. Go ahead, Samantha. I will go and use the other shower, while you take yours. Meet me back here, and we will make our way downstairs together, if you do not mind.

"Sounds good," she stated, as she reentered the room and went to their closet. Grabbing a clean pair of jeans and a comfortable top, along with underwear. She turned to look at him again, agreeing, "You're right, too. You probably should shower and, um, change clothes. You look very, ah, un-Malek-like in that rumpled shirt and with your hair rioting in curls all over the place. Very appealing, of course, and I'll be able to report that to the women at the SGC, when they ask about you, which they will. But, it's definitely not what one expects of you." Seeing the appalled look come over his face, she scooted into the bathroom quickly, in order to miss his, no doubt, disgruntled response. She shrugged to herself. What she had said was true, though. He looked anything but his normal well-put-together, stoic, neat as a pin, base commander self…and the women that had eyed him, at the cookout, would be very intrigued by the thought of seeing him tousled and mussed. She grinned to herself, as she compared the Malek she originally met, and the one now lying in her bed.

She laughed to herself at her wording, but it was the truth; he was lying in her bed. It was also true that he was definitely eye candy, especially, the way he looked right now. She knew that Per'sus would be relieved to see him appear more as he used to look, and there was little doubt but that a lot of the stress had left his face. That look of relaxation was what allowed her to feel sure that he was being truthful about Lantash and Daniel's blending, too. While the Tok'Ra were stoic most of the time, or rather they appeared that way to those who did not really know them, she'd been around them enough now to know the differences that denoted their true inner feelings. That and Lantash had pointed out some things to notice about them, as well. Therefore, feeling confidence in her judgment, she turned her thoughts to what she was doing, and then sighed with delight, as she stepped under the warm flow of water. She stood there for a brief time simply enjoying it, before getting down to the business of bathing.

She didn't rush, but neither did she dawdle over her shower and dressing, so a short time later, she reentered the bedroom to find Malek showered, dressed, and staring out the window. He turned and studied her, as she walked up to him, before stating, "You look relatively rested, Samantha, which is a very good thing. Daniel and Lantash will be anxious about you, so that will help to relieve them of that concern." Evidently, Devlin had convinced him to ignore her comments, or had pointed out that what she said was true; he was very rumpled and his hair was a riot of curls. For whatever reason, he was ignoring her comments, so she wouldn't tease him anymore. After all, she wanted him to become interested in a woman from the SGC and teasing him might just backfire on her, if she wasn't careful. Prudence was a better course for now.

She nodded her acceptance of his statement. What he said was very true, she knew. As soon as they awoke, they would want to know how she was…and whether or not Malek had needed to take drastic steps to keep her with them. She frowned, as that thought wove its way through her mind, and she was surprised to hear Malek tell her, "It would not have mattered to them, Samantha. Both of them love you deeply, and they were very explicit in their instructions to Devlin and me. We were to do whatever we must do to help you remain with us." He paused, for a moment, and a slight smile graced his lips, before he continued, "As you are aware, and as I told both of them, I did not feel that anything drastic would be needed; however, I also believe that they were fully prepared to accept anything that happened between us. I also made very sure that no matter who was with them, they would know to tell them, at once, that you needed no drastic measures of any kind, and that you came through the entire ordeal quite well. I know for a fact that Lantash was told at least once when he came forward to check that you were doing very well and that we felt confident that you would continue to do so."

"Thank you, Malek. I'm glad you thought of doing that."

"You are most welcome, Samantha," he assured her, before changing the subject, and asking, "How is your nausea? Should we go downstairs and get you something more substantial than the crackers?"

Sam nodded her agreement, telling him, "Yes, I suspect that we should. I'm a little nauseous, but not bad. I took the medication for it, and between that and the crackers, it's sort of controlled, but you're correct in thinking I should have something more. I'm ready to go down whenever you two are ready."

"Very well, then, let us proceed. We will check on them, as well, so that you can be completely comfortable and relaxed."

"Sounds like a plan to me," she told him, as they both turned and headed for the door. She was ready to check on them, something she hadn't been comfortable doing when a memory could have swamped her. Knowing that she wouldn't have one take over and sweep her away, now, she was anxious to see them.

Sam sat quietly on the edge of the bed. She and Malek had breakfasted and visited with the others for a time before making their way to the den. Malek relaxed in a chair pulled up to the side of the bed, and he and Sam talked sporadically, about nothing in particular. Per'sus had made a quick trip to each of the bases most affected by their absences, and finding no emergencies, and no crises in the making, he then returned to report that something else strange had occurred on Garshaw's base. It seemed that the Council Chamber table had disappeared overnight, as had several others that were similarly made. No one had seen anything and no one had any ideas as to what had happened to them, except that, since they were much too heavy to move, they had to have been zatted out of existence. The general consensus was that the same thing must have happened to the napus. Evidently, someone had decided to rid the tunnels of things that, one could only suppose anyway, they disliked.

Sam frowned, as she thought about it. She and Malek had not known about the napus, and she found both incidents both curious and disturbing. From what the others had relayed and what Selmak had pointed out, if it turned out that a Tok'Ra had been turned in order to turn Martouf and Lantash, it was possible that the programming was causing them to become unstable, perhaps as memories tried to reassert themselves.

The more she thought about it, the more she wanted to talk to Anise, and since Malek was sitting with Daniel and Lantash, too, she looked over at him, saying, softly, "I'm going to go chat with Anise for a little while, if you don't mind, Malek. I want to talk to her about the disappearances."

"Very well. I will remain with them, and if they awaken before you return, I will come for you." He smiled slightly, adding, "Or I will steer them to where you are, as I am quite sure that their first act will be to find you."

She was pretty sure Malek was correct in his assumption. They would want to see for themselves that she was fine, which was why she wanted to be here when they awoke. Sam smiled at him, saying, "I won't be gone for long. I just have a question about the testing that she did before the summit. It shouldn't take much time."

Seeing him hesitate, she wasn't surprised when he told her, "Lantash will be very anxious to hold you, Samantha. While he could do so mentally, while you were together within your mind, and it felt quite real to you, it is still not the same, as I am sure you realize. I do not know how much he was able to keep from you, during the past weeks, but I will tell you that it would have been very difficult for him. Since the two of you refrained from a true blending, he retained all of the wants and needs that he felt toward you before you joined. As time passed, instead of lessening, as it might have done had you truly blended, his longing for you would instead have increased as time passed."

Sam sighed softly, and a slight, rather sad smile touched her lips briefly. Speaking quietly, she told him, "I know. He wasn't able to keep all of it hidden from me, any more than I could keep my longing for him suppressed and away from him. Believe me, Malek, it's something that both of us struggled to contain and keep from the other. On the other hand, that's the one thing that made the idea of parting from one another not only bearable, but also something that we wanted and even yearned to do. Our need for one another was always there and, as you said, it was increasing with every day that passed. So, in that way, as uncomfortable and distressing as it was, it was also a very good thing."

He nodded his understanding, then told her, "I had not considered that view of the situation; however, looking at it in that way, I can see how it would help, even if, as you say, it was also difficult and stressful. And since you have shared these emotions with him, you are aware that he will have a deep need to hold you, as soon as possible, once they awaken."

However, he was not expecting them to awaken for several hours yet, so changing the subject, he reminded her, "As I said this morning, Samantha, I believe that we still have several hours to go before they awaken and rejoin us, due to the initial problems with the transfer. I do not think that you need to rush your discussion. We do need to begin to attempt to put together what few clues we have, and talking to Anise about the testing may very well help the two of you to have some insight into what could have or did happen."

He frowned, and it was obvious to her that he was thinking deeply about something; therefore, it didn't surprise her, when he told her, "Lantash stated that he was having some disquieting dreams. It is possible that some of the things he believes are buried were also imprinted on your mind. If any of those dreams occurred, while you were both asleep, they may have done so. I doubt that they would come forward, during a conversation; however, if you have any strange ideas come to mind, do not discount them as an aberration. As unlikely as it seems, they could well hold clues to what happened to Lantash and Martouf. "He paused, and then added, "If you have any odd dreams, you should attempt to remember as much about them as you can, as well. I am sure that Lantash has been doing so, when he has them; however, we should have told you to do so, as well."

Sam thought about his ideas and decided that he could be very correct. Frowning herself now, she tried to remember if she had dreamed anything truly odd or bizarre lately, but nothing came to mind. She agreed, telling him, "I can't remember anything unusual, Malek, but now that you've brought up the possibility, I'll pay more attention to that kind of thing should it happen." She glanced at the clock, saying, "I probably should get going." Seeing his nod of acceptance, she stood, and walked to the door, saying, "I probably won't be very long. See you later."

Anise was working on Sam's laptop, or rather, she was surfing the web, and she looked up, as Sam entered the room, saying, "Samantha, this is a very convenient and efficient way to do many things here on your world. I believe that we have all underestimated the advancements that the Tau'ri have made over the past two millennia. I am considering talking to Per'sus about bringing more of the Tok'Ra here to see for themselves what has been accomplished here. I believe that it would help to change many opinions about the viability of our alliance. One cannot truly comprehend the magnitude of the changes that have taken place here without seeing them for oneself."

Sam nodded her agreement, but cautioned her, "While it might very well work as you say, Anise, I think it's something that would have to be given a lot of thought. Don't forget that very few people on our world know about the Stargate. While there are many people that believe in alien life, there are just as many that don't believe that it's possible, as unbelievable as that seems to us. Someday, the gate will become public knowledge, but we have to hope that the Goa'uld are just a very bad memory by then. As long as we have no defenses against them, public knowledge of them would cause a world-wide panic."

She paused before adding, "There's also the angle that, if the Tok'Ra have a true comprehension of our abilities, then there's also the chance that the Goa'uld could come to understand it, too. We have to consider if we really want them to understand how far we've come. It could have some very undesirable consequences should they truly come to comprehend what has occurred here. On the other hand, it would definitely be beneficial if the Council Members were aware of how things stand here. There could be other ways to help them understand, too. If you do take movies and things back with you to the tunnels it could be a very good way to introduce them to more of what's been done here."

Anise looked thoughtful, as she contemplated Sam's comments. "You may very well be correct. I had not given any thought to what other ramifications there could very well be, and we should definitely give more thought to the idea. You have brought up some valid points that we will have to consider before embarking on a course of action."

Sam nodded, as she remarked, "Yes, the concerns are legitimate, but it's still an idea worth working on and finding a way in which to implement it in some form. I think it could prove to be very worthwhile for both the Tau'ri and the Tok'Ra. We just need to come up with a way to do it that will mitigate any adverse consequences."

Anise gave her a slight smile, before saying, "We will see what we can do; however, that is not why you have joined me. What can I do for you, Samantha?"

"Well, I have a question about the Za'tarc testing that you did previous to the Alliance Summit. If you have the time, I'd like to ask you about it."

Anise waved her toward a chair, saying, "Of course, I would be happy to discuss it with you. What would you like to know?"

"I've been thinking about the possibility that a Tok'Ra was programmed to use the Za'tarc programming on whoever was to be at the Summit. But, the more I thought about it the less likely it seems to me…unless whoever was doing it wasn't tested either. Wouldn't it have shown up during testing?"

"That is true. It should have done so. Should this prove to be how Martouf and Lantash were imprinted, then we somehow missed someone that we should have tested." She sighed, as she contemplated the thought that she had failed to test someone else.

Sam nodded, before asking, "What if they were from another base? Would they have been checked, if they weren't actively working on the Summit?"

Anise sighed, as she shook her head. "No. They probably would not have been. We checked those who were on missions or went off-base for supplies or on leave. We did not take into consideration that some of the Tok'Ra coming onto the base from other bases could have been compromised. They were not involved with the Summit, and that possibility had not been considered. We made many mistakes, it seems."

Sam shrugged. "At the time, there was no reason to consider it a possibility, Anise. Don't go beating yourself up over it. And, that very well may not be what has happened, anyway; it's just a possibility of which we need to be aware."

"With the rather odd things that are beginning to take place, though, it is definitely something that we should not discount. Your questions have brought forward a place to begin to look, as well. Now that we know that it would have needed to be someone from one of the other bases, it may help us narrow down the individuals that we may need to test again."

"True," Sam told her, as she stood. "That's really all I wanted to know. Malek is with Lantash and Daniel, and I'm going to go back now that I have my answers. I'll let you get back to what you were doing."

"I was not looking for anything in particular; it is mostly curiosity on my part, I'm afraid. I have looked up Egypt, however, and some of the renderings of it are much as our memories tell us it would be."

Sam grinned. "Yeah, sand is sand is sand, I guess."

Anise laughed. "Yes, it is and we have been on enough desert planets to prove it."

"Yes, I know. With the new addresses that we were able to give you, though, maybe you'll be able to stay someplace a little more hospitable."

"I am looking forward to it."

"I don't doubt that at all. Talk to you later, Anise," Sam left the room as she spoke over her shoulder, and then made her way back to the den. Nothing had changed, except that Malek had exchanged the chair for the loveseat, so that she could sit there, instead of on the bed, which would have eventually become uncomfortable.

Malek smiled down at her, as she joined him there. His arm wrapped around her shoulders, and he pulled her into his side, nestling her there, so that she could lay her head on his shoulder should the wait prove to be a long one, and she got sleepy. He immediately realized that she was somewhat tense. "What is wrong, Samantha?"

She shook her head at him, as she realized how attuned to her moods he had become. "Will you always be able to ascertain my mood just by touching me, Malek?"

"Yes, however, it is also possible that I will be able to do so without touching you. It is a part of the tearmate bond. It is possible…no, it is probable that you will be attuned to Devlin and me in the same way. We do not know how the bond works the way that it does; we only know that it is a deep, lifelong bond and that nothing seems able to break it once it has completely formed. That is why a tearmate is not chosen lightly."

Sam frowned, as she gave some thought to what he had just told her. Lantash had said much the same things, but she had not really understood exactly what he meant until now. Murmuring almost to herself, she considered his statement, "It seems odd that it would form so strongly. There has to be an explanation as to how and why it happens in that way."

Malek nodded, stating, "We have speculated that it has something to do with our ability to communicate with one another mind to mind, when we are outside of a host. Although we cannot actually communicate in that way while we are in a host, we can sometimes sense emotions from another Symbiote, if we are close to them. Emotionally close to them, that is. I can often tell when Lantash is upset, and he always knows when something has disturbed me. The healers believe that it also has something to do with the exchange of our tears. Devlin and I absorbed your tears into our skin, just as you absorbed ours. I know that you did not truly realize it at the time, but we actually did share your grief, Samantha. We always will."

She nodded slowly, as she assimilated the information. "So, when you say that you are tear'mates', it's a direct description of the bond. It actually physically takes place, not just emotionally. In one sense, we are truly mates in an emotional sense. I don't know if I was aware of that, but now that you've explained it, as you have, I understand it. Lantash told me pretty much the same things, but I didn't understood it until now. It's probably one of those things that you have to experience to understand. Just as a blending has to be experienced to understand exactly what the term blending truly means. I tried, and I know that Lantash did as well, to explain it to Daniel, but there was really no way to describe it so that he would really know what to expect."

"Yes, that is very true. There is no real way to explain what occurs, during a blending, and what a deeply profound experience it is."

"I agree. I'm looking forward to completely blending. Neither Lantash nor Jolinar truly blended with me; however, as Lantash told me, some blending was inevitable, and it was enough for me to be able to understand how it will be when the time comes."

"That is true, too. You and Lantash did blend to a point. He simply did not allow the deeper blending to take place. I imagine that your mind has been permanently changed in some ways, though, has it not?"

She nodded, telling him, "Yes, it has. I can still see my mind, just as I could while Lantash was there. The rooms, the organization, well everything stayed as it was before he left." She grinned widely, assuring him, "Daniel will love it, I know. He'll think it's great that, whenever he wants to, he can actually 'walk around' within his own mind like that. I have to admit that I feel that way. I love being able to mentally walk around and see things in my own mind. It's very interesting. I've come across some really weird stuff in there."

"I do not suppose that you would care to share some of those, ah, 'weird' things that you have found?"

She returned the teasing smile he was sending her, saying, "That would be a very definite and absolute 'no'. I don't believe that would be a wise thing to do, especially since you probably wouldn't understand most of them, anyway. Actually, I'm not sure that I understand some of them." Then remembering their earlier conversation, she added, "They are all my own memories, though, so when I say they are 'weird' don't misunderstand that to mean they are Lantash's. They're just some very odd things that occurred when I was a child."

"Very well. We will not insist that you tell us."

"I'm sure that's a very wise decision. I wouldn't want to traumatize the two of you."

He laughed softly, but didn't give any other response. As he relaxed more into the corner of the loveseat, he could tell that their conversation had pushed whatever had bothered her earlier aside, at least for now. Whether or not it would return he did not know, but if it did, they would deal with it then.

She looked at the clock and realized that several more hours had passed since they had awakened. Frowning, she asked, "Do you think that there's anything wrong, Malek? It's been a little over twenty-seven hours. I know you said that you believe it will be a few more hours, but…" her voice trailed off, as she realized that he had more or less already told her what he thought. She sighed deeply.

He hugged her gently, and realizing that she simply needed some reassurance, he spoke softly, but with confidence, "I do not believe that there is anything wrong, Samantha. As I said earlier, with the initial problems that occurred, Lantash would not have started the blending right away. He may even have become dormant, for a time, in order to recoup his strength, and he would have assured that Daniel, too, slept. He would not have attempted the deeper blending, until both of them were well rested. If I have speculated and calculated correctly, then it has barely been twenty-four hours, if that long. He will not bring them out of this state, until the memories are controllable. I truly do not believe that there is anything which should worry us."

"I know. I don't even know why I asked when I already knew the answer. I guess I just wanted to hear you say it again. Sorry. I'll try to stop worrying about them." She looked down at her clasped hands and deliberately relaxed them. Then she whispered, "I just know how very hard this will be on the two of them. Lantash tried to keep it away from me, but I know that he often thought of Martouf's words to him as he…anyway, I know that he's struggled with that memory and the pain that it causes him. It comes to him in dreams as well, so I know that it's going to be very traumatic for the two of them. I…It was one that I kept having, too, so, I know that, if it imprinted that firmly on my mind, then they will see it over and over again."

"That is, regrettably, very true, Samantha." This time it was Malek's turn to sigh deeply. "It is one of the hardest parts of blending with a new host. There is a great deal of grief over the previous host's death, and there is no way to keep it from transferring to the new Lifemate. However, Daniel and Lantash are both very strong emotionally and they have one another. That will help them, as you know."

"Yes, that's true. Thank you for reminding me of that."

"You are welcome. Now, allow yourself to relax and, if possible, take a short nap. I know that you finally slept for several hours, but you have had a very emotionally trying time and emotions can be as exhausting as physical labor."

She nodded her agreement and settled in to wait.

Daniel knew that, had he been awake, he would be feeling the tension leaving him, as the memory faded. Goddess, how many times had they relived that memory? He didn't know, for sure, but he knew that it was the one that they had relived the most. Listening to Martouf's words, and feeling both his and Lantash's emotions, as he died, had to be one of the hardest and most emotion laden things he'd ever endured, and he would admit to being glad that, while they were still reliving it, the emotions this time had seemed somewhat less intense. He hoped he wasn't imagining it. He knew, from what Lantash had explained early on that, once the memories became less intense and farther apart, they were in the home stretch, so he really hoped it wasn't just wishful thinking.

He felt Lantash begin to relax, and he loosened the embrace in which he was holding him. It still felt sort of weird to be able to hold and caress Lantash, without moving so much as a muscle. Of course, it also felt somewhat weird when Lantash held him, too. Both Sam and Lantash had tried to explain it to him, but like so many of the things that the two of them had attempted to explain, it just wasn't the same as experiencing it for himself. He had to confess that, even though it still felt odd, it was also extremely comforting. Being cradled from within your own body was a unique experience, and he could tell that it wasn't going to take long for the oddity of it to simply go away. Then, all that would remain was the comfort that the embrace gave.

Looking back at their conversations about the actual blending and the changes that would occur within him, he realized that both of them had known that he wouldn't truly comprehend what they were telling him until the blending was complete and he was undergoing them. Remembering now, how surprised he had been at how very human Lantash's emotions were, he shook his head in wonder. He still didn't know why he had expected otherwise, really, because he knew that, if they had been other than what they were, Sam would have told him. He supposed it was just a 'normal' human expectation. Lantash was an 'alien'; therefore, his emotions must be 'alien', too. But they weren't. There was nothing even remotely alien about his emotions. They were full-bodied, deep, and strong. He felt things passionately with an intensity that was as sharp and piercing as any emotion that Daniel had ever felt.

It was amazing to share in them, and to know that he could now observe and savor the emotions generated by good memories, too. Shortly after they had begun the blending process and the memories were hitting them both quickly and hard, Lantash had him bring forward a pleasant memory. The emotions generated by it were every bit as impassioned, vivid, explosive, and profound as the sad memories were agonizing, consuming, stark, and overwhelming. He was very sure that once they emerged from this and their memories were once more in their control, he would enjoy experiencing many of his most loved memories in this all-encompassing way. Unfortunately, they weren't there…yet.

He heard Lantash sigh tiredly, before he told him, "However, you are correct in your belief that the memories are becoming less intense, as well as farther apart, Daniel. It is a good sign and indicates just what you think it does. Within a few hours, we should be able to begin to control the memories, rather than having them control us. I am sorry that you have had to live through the last memory we had so many times. I hoped that I was beginning to come to terms with it; evidently, I was wrong."

"You needn't apologize, Lantash. I understand how devastating that particular memory is for you. After all, you loved Martouf deeply, and you were Lifemates for many, many years." He paused for a moment, and then continued, asking, "Do you think that Sam…" his voice trailed off, and he found himself unable to continue.

Lantash knew what he was asking, though, even without the words, and he spoke softly, as he told him, "I do not know, Daniel, and I must admit that is the memory about which I am most concerned. However, I trust Malek and Devlin to care for her. They will do whatever is necessary to help her through this, I can assure you of that. And when I last spoke to Selmak, many hours ago now, they assured us that Samantha was doing very well and that Malek and Devlin felt that the danger of losing her to her grief and memories was past, and that no drastic actions had been necessary. In fact, I believe that Selmak even made the comment that Malek said to tell us "I told you so", which I do not believe he would have done had there been any danger left at all."

Daniel nodded, even as he answered, telling him, "That's good. I seem to remember you telling me that earlier, too, now that you've told me again. As for them taking care of her, probably even up to the point that we awaken, I know they will. Do you think that she's still having them, but simply, well, maybe…they are less intense?" He frowned, before adding, "How long has it been now, Lantash? She should be farther along than we are, right? Do you think that she'll come in here when she gets control of them? I think that she might, don't you?"

Daniel had posed his questions rapidly, without giving Lantash a chance to answer any of them. When he finally wound down, Lantash smiled at him, as he told him, "It has been about twenty-eight hours. I am hopeful that she has reached the point of being able to control them, since, as you suggested, she should be farther along than we are. Therefore, I believe that, should they attempt to recur, she will be able to control them. And, yes, I believe that she will be waiting on us, when we awaken."

As Daniel's relief at Lantash's comments waned, he realized that his Lifemate's attention was no longer with him; he had turned outward to check their surroundings. He then, felt him refocus his attention inwardly, and so was not surprised when he told him, "Malek and Samantha are here with us now, Daniel, so we can cease being concerned for her. She appears to be fine. I can sense no unease or distress coming from either of them, and I believe that had she had difficulties, she would be both tense and distressed. Therefore, I think that we can set our minds at ease about her. I am quite sure that she would rather we expend our energies on our blending, so that we can return to her as soon as possible, instead."

Daniel sent him a smile and light caress, as he felt the last of his own tension dissipate. "I agree, Lantash. She would definitely prefer us to work on getting to a place where we can return to her." Then he frowned, before asking, "How can you tell that they aren't uneasy or distressed? I didn't know that Symbiotes could do that."

Lantash smiled slightly, before explaining, "Normally, we have to actually see one another, much as you would determine from someone's facial expressions, body language, or voice; however, as you know, Malek and I were once mates, and Samantha and I, although not deeply blended, did blend in some ways. I will often be able to discern their emotions, just as they will often be able to discern ours. We do not know, exactly, why these bonds work in this way, only that they do." He paused briefly, before adding, "The bond that Samantha, Malek, and Devlin now share will also allow them to know of one another's emotional well-being. It is why we do not choose a tearmate lightly, if there is any choice at all. I know that we have told you this, however, you would not truly have been able to comprehend it until now."

Daniel nodded his agreement, stating, "You're right, of course. I didn't understand what you meant before, but now I can feel what you mean." Lantash waited patiently, as Daniel gathered his thoughts, and then added, "In fact, now that we've finished blending, I've suddenly realized that all I really have to do is tune into your thoughts and emotions to understand all of it. I wonder why I didn't realize that before now? I would have thought that I would just have known to do that."

As he took in Daniel's frown at his seeming inability to do something so simple, Lantash smiled, and then assured him, "It is because the memories were taking your attention before, Daniel. Now that they are beginning to be less harrowing and farther apart, you have time to begin to experience other things. It is not uncommon for it to take time for a new host to realize these things and, in actuality; you have realized it sooner than most. When you consider how traumatic our blending has been, it is surprising that you have realized it so soon."

Daniel was quiet, as he contemplated Lantash's remarks. After giving them some thought, he sent a wry smile to Lantash, telling him, "Not to mention the fact that you've done your best keep all of this from simply flooding my mind. I think you've gone out of your way to be sure that I've not been overwhelmed by information that, while important and needed, could very well wait to find its way into my consciousness."

"Well, yes, my Daniel, I believe that you could say that I have done so. I saw no reason for you to have to grapple with everything at once."

Daniel nodded and reaching out with his mind, he caressed his new Lifemate gently, telling him, "Thank you. I do appreciate the care you've given me, and I have to tell you that I can already tell that I'll never regret our blending. I wouldn't want it any other way now that I've experienced it, even as new as it is. I'm looking forward to our life together."

Feeling Lantash relax, Daniel realized that he had been afraid that he would be unhappy once they blended. Feeling the light caress Lantash sent his way, he was very glad that he'd told him how he felt, and that it had set his mind at rest. Now, all they had to do, hopefully, was wait a few more hours, and he could reassure Sam of the same thing.

"Thank you, Daniel. You are correct and it does set my mind and heart very much at rest. Samantha, too, will be relieved, I am sure. Also, you are correct, and it should be only a few more hours before we will be able to hold her in our arms, as we so want to do."

Daniel felt Lantash's caress and smiled. They might still have a few more hours of painful memories to live through, but somehow, it just didn't seem as daunting as it had. They would come through them fine; of that, he now had no doubts at all.

TBC