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    *I did not cut it as short as I wish to. Shorter hair is more practical in battle.*
    *I don't care what you believe. You should've asked.*
    *Let me say goodbye.*
    *Fine, but I'm watching this time.*
    *As you wish.*
    Jolinar took over and started toward Martouf.
    Sam, catching the movement, moved up to him first.
    Jolinar stopped, wary and watching.
    *Sam's not interested in him now that you're gone.*
    *I am not gone.*
    *But you're not in her anymore. She's not full of your feelings for him.*
    *Then why did she challenge...*
    *She didn't challenge you, she just knew you and Martouf would be saying goodbye for the rest of the time and obviously wanted to get hers in first.*
    *I see.*
    *Why don't you say goodbye to Selmac.*
    Jolinar took another look at the smile Martouf and Samantha shared before Sam tentatively hugged him.
    Jolinar almost bolted for them, but Selmac caught her arm.
    "Allow them a moment, Jolinar. You must think before acting in life as well as in battle."
    Jolinar ripped her gaze from the embracing friends before resting it on Selmac's kind face.
    "I am a fool."
    *No argument here.*
    *Be silent.*
    She winced at Daniel's tired indignation.
    *I am sorry.*
    *Are you?*
    He did not seem to wait for a reply before putting up a small wall.
    She felt his attention, but also recognized the silent treatment he'd explained to her earlier.
    "Not a fool, just foolish."
    Jolinar's head snapped up.
    "You think I am foolish as well."
    "I think you should be more considerate of your host. You do not have to agree with each other to live in harmony. Both must give so both can take. You know this, Jolinar. Why are you being so difficult now?"
    "I..."
    Selmac placed both hands on Jolinar's shoulders.
    "I would be afraid, too, but you must allow the Tau'ri you are living with to reach out to you. They are not your enemies and will eventually be your friends if you change your current habits."
    *It's true, you know. If you weren't so mean, Jack wouldn't have near as much fun taunting you. He just does it to get his kicks in before you get yours.*
    *He believes me to be an enemy.*
    *Jack's not certain of the Tok'ra although maybe his link to Corvores will help him a bit there. He's slowly losing all the basic military single-mindedness that was drilled into him, but if you attack him, he'll label you foe and attack back...usually with enough force to stop you from mounting a second attack. Doesn't that make sense?*
    *Yes, it does.*
    *But you're still not changing, are you?*
    *I make no promises.*
    *Fine, whatever. Sam's probably ready to say goodbye to her dad.*
    Jolinar clasped her former mentor's shoulders tightly for a moment before releasing Selmac to Samantha's waiting arms.
    Watching them together, she felt a stab of envy.
    *You're wasting time again. Martouf and Lantash are over there.*
    Jolinar felt Martouf's hand on her shoulder.
    As Martouf's strong arms surrounded her, she tried to push back her misery and resentment of him leaving again so soon.
    Daniel fended off her memories and feelings as best he could.
    They only reminded him more forcefully of Sha're and he didn't want Jolinar distracted.
    He sent a quick warning about doing anything else without his permission and then concentrated on Cassandra, trying to figure out what to do since Jack wouldn't be there.
    Martouf held Jolinar as tightly as he could, wishing he never had to let go.
    Lantash set about blocking all outside stimulus so nothing would distract them until time to leave.
    *We will come back directly?*
    *Yes.*
    Martouf leaned forward and began whispering in Jolinar's ear.
    He watched her smile in delight as he repeated the song's words to her from long ago.
    Her hands clutched his arms as she replied in the same ancient tongue, re-affirming her bond to her husband.
    His mind flashed back to where they had stood on the edge of the cliff, tossing the ritual stones to show they had cast away all other ties and responsibilities.
    Jolinar had already been in Rosha.
    He had only just met Lantash inside an ancient storyteller among Rosha's people.
    The Goa'uld had come and gone from this world.
    Lantash had come with Jolinar to try and find a new host.
    Rosha had come to visit her family.
    He had come from a neighboring village, his mind full of the tales his parents told over dinner.
    His mind flashed forward to when he took Jolinar to meet his family.
    His parents had seen his attachment to her immediately and had welcomed her warmly.
    She had surprised him by asking them for his title.
    Jolinar had already made plans with Rosha for him and Lantash, though neither of them had figured that out until much later.
    They had been quite certain the joining had been their idea until Rosha disabused them of that thought.
    *She was quite skilled in manipulating us.*
    Martouf smiled at Lantash's nostalgic amusement.
    *Hopefully she will be again. This bitterness is not like her.*
    *Daniel is kind, much kinder than Samantha is simply by nature. Perhaps he is necessary for her healing.*
    *I hope so.*
    Lantash had taken over, speaking to Jolinar softly in their own language as well.
    *I wonder if Daniel had ever heard my and Rosha's native language before.*
    *If not, he has now and will probably speak it fluently before the end of the day.*
    *He is impressive.*
    *For a Tau'ri*
    Martouf dropped the subject immediately.
    He was not going to waste a moment with his wife bickering about anything.
    Lantash acquiesced just as fast in apology for his baiting.
    No one looked up as the door opened, engrossed in their personal good-byes.

* * * * * *

**So I prefer baseball. So what?**
**So hockey is better.**
**This is stupid.**
**When I take Cassie to play a game of hockey next weekend, you come with us and then we'll see whether you still prefer baseball.**
**Anyway...**
**I'm serious. Okay, time to get in a couple good-byes. Sure you don't wanna say anything?**
**I'm sure.**
**Your call.**
**Just don't do anything that will get us thrown back into an infirmary bed, okay?**
**Me! You're the one that...**
**Don't start, just behave.**
**We're leaving tomorrow, so I'm not likely to do anything.**
**Unless you do something and then you'll pretend you meant to do it.**
Jack cleared his throat, shutting Corvores out as much as possible.
No one even acknowledged his presence.
He was completely unable to tear his eyes away from Martouf and Daniel.
**It's more likely Jolinar, but you know that.**
**Don't go there.**
**Jack, they're in love.**
**It's sick.**
**We fall in love with people, not bodies.**
**So what?**
**So if while you and Sara were still married, pre-Charlie, and she'd been switched into...Carl from across the street, would you still love her or would you love Carl since he'd now have hair, no stomach, and shaved legs?**
Jack almost doubled over in a mix of disgust and laughter at the thought of his bald, pudgy neighbor shaving his legs.
**That wasn't the point.**
**I know and I get your point, but Oy! that was funny.**
**So glad you're happy. Just give them some space.**
**For someone who's all disgusted about Janet and me, you're always sweet on Daniel....oh , so that's...**
**You are so completely dense.**
**Well it's not me you're interested in, so who...**
**No one. Why do I have to be interested in anyone?**
**You don't, necessarily, but...**
**I can't believe you're the one they sent to tell them it was time to go. You've probably been there long enough for them to have left and returned.**
**I vote we go with them.**
**We can't. We have responsibility here.**
**We also have a responsibility to our sanity and I want to learn how to block you out.**
**We're not joined like Tok'ra from the descriptions they've given us so what could they possibly teach us we won't learn on our own?**
**I know we'll learn, I just want outside advice to speed things up.**
**Why don't you just ask Nurse Morhs. Maybe you can bargain with her.**
**Dangle a happy vial of blood in front of her until she cracks?**
**Why not?**
**You still think I'm crazy.**
**You are crazy, but I saw the memory on that one. Odd how I don't always get them.**
**What are you doing?**
**Umm...**
**Umm?**
**Sorry...trying to get that whole "looking through the other person's eyes thing" going again. How did we do that?**
**When did we do that?**
**When I looked at myself through your eyes to see what I looked like. When you were still holding my hairpins.**
**I really don't appreciate what you did.**

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