Epilogue

Jolinar couldn't help but laugh, even as they ran across the planet, a Jaffa army on their heels.

~Martouf is going to kill us once he finds out,~ Sam thought, as Jolinar raced to dial the gate.

*He's going to find out?*

~You may joke, Jolinar, but you know you'll have to be honest.~

*Yes, you're a bad influence on me,* Jolinar said, as the blue flashed and she prepared to dart through and shut it down.

~Ha, you would be nowhere without me, literally,~ Sam tossed back.

They made it through, and not even a single Jaffa could follow. Sam's near-waist-length hair had gotten tangled in her slave costume, and she pulled it away now, letting the adrenaline run free in their veins.

~We still aren't that good with the slave routine,~ she commented.

*Which makes it a little more fun,* Jolinar said. *But yes, not so useful.*

Their second long-term mission since blending had now ended, and the universe was their oyster once again. The thrill of spying, reconnoissance, taking down the Goa'uld from within, it never got old. But there was something to be said for having nothing to do for the moment.

~So, when we get back, I had an idea,~ Sam said, as Jolinar started to dial the gate for their return home. ~Anise's project.~

*Must we?* Jolinar asked reluctantly.

~Egeria is important to us, I'd think you also would want to find out everything you could,~ Sam said. ~After all, it sounds like there was something weird about what Ra did, and there might be knowledge on Earth. It's been a while since we checked in with them, so that'll be interesting enough. Besides, you like science, but you still won't admit it.~

*I prefer designing cloaking devices,* Jolinar said.

Sam chuckled as they walked through the gate. ~Actually, we all prefer that.~

*Well, why not?* Jolinar finally said. *It could be an interesting exploration. And you were right when you once said that science was more like a treasure hunt. Call it that, and I'll probably give in more easily.*

~Egeria search it is, then,~ Sam said. They could wait to give their briefing; the mission hadn't been that important after all, and a bath had top priority.

~Speaking of treasure hunts, while we're on Earth, we should see if Vala has catalogued any Goa'uld or Tok'ra items.~

Jolinar mused as she slipped into the tub, just how unlikely it would have been a year ago to think about such a casual visit. In the half year since she and Sam had fully blended, the Tok'ra had changed just slightly beyond what they'd planned. Individual operatives were allowed to make contact with other worlds, such as Earth or the still-growing Free Peoples. Just as long as they kept everything in personal terms, and didn't betray any group knowledge, and especially as long as they did not claim to speak for the other Tok'ra.

And in the case of Earth, that was a blessing. Sam's original bluff to keep them in business hadn't been needed, given that it was inevitable that after a dark time they should have more luck. After her first check-up, she'd felt satisfied that they were settled without her. Vala, like Sha're, was now an SGC intern, working with the various artifacts that Daniel and the other archaeologists were done with, and she was the only piece that hadn't been settled the first time.

As for Sam and Jolinar—well, they were as they always were. Close to Jacob and Selmak, close to Reyfa and Dru'ri and Larys and Dorin, and maintaining an interesting but not quite friendly scientific relationship with Anise and Freya. Not to mention the always surprisingly deep closeness with their beloved mates, Martouf and Lantash. Life was full, life was good.

There would always be another mission for them. Together. All was as it should be.

~The End~

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Author's Notes: Thank you so much to everyone who has read this story, and thanks especially to those who left comments! I will hopefully have time to reply to feedback soon, but until then, just a few comments. This ending is not meant to wrap up the entire storyline; there are points deliberately left hanging and unresolved, because this was intended to be a sort of "pilot" for this alternate universe. I'm not sure if or when there will be a sequel, but I do have ideas, so I didn't want to try to wrap up everything neatly in one story.

Also, if you'd like a visualization of what Sam/Jolinar look like by the end of the story, here's a rough example: i188(dot)photobucket(dot)com(slash)albums(slash)z253(slash)MerryKK(slash)samjolinar(dot)jpg