samandjack.net

Story Notes: Season: Fourth, taking place after Upgrades

Spoilers: Slight spoilers for 100 Days, Shades of Grey, Nemesis---In *Fourth* Season: Upgrades

Author's Notes: After hearing about the new recurring Tok'ra character in fourth season, and listening to SJ'ers concerns, I had to write this. Freya is the human host to the Tok'ra Anise, an archaeologist, of all things. She will be a recurring character in the fourth season, and I have included all the information I know about her (this is on 4-8-00), so if anything else major pops up after I've posted this, I probably won't change it. I have not seen any episodes in Season 3, so if you're wondering why they're acting a bit out of character, that's probably why.


The wormhole deactivated and a lone figure stood at the base of the ramp as SG-1 and General Hammond looked on from the control room.

Jack snickered. "*That's* the Tok'ra that's going to test the armband devices?"

General Hammond shot Colonel O'Neill a reprimanding look, but Jack was too preoccupied staring at the new arrival.

Carter stepped back with a disappointed look on her face. "Martouf didn't come." She glanced quickly at her commanding officer.

A scowl darkened Jack's face. "No, Carter, it looks like your boyfriend didn't show up," he muttered softly so that no one else heard him.



~~~~~

**In the briefing room**



"I am Freya, from the Tok'ra."

SG-1 was seated around the table in their usual places. Except that Freya, the host, was sitting next to Jack. The strangest thing of all was that she seemed to be addressing Jack personally, more than General Hammond or everyone as a group.

Jack was beginning to feel very uncomfortable as Freya began her explanation of what the Tok'ra council wanted this time. Was it just him, or was her chair moving closer and closer to him? But what was even creepier later on was when Freya's Tok'ra, Anise, took over. Jack shuddered. *That* was scary.

Sam watched with growing--jealousy? Freya was trying to make a move on the Colonel, and for some reason, it reminded her of Lara. Sam had tried so hard to get the Colonel back during those three months. She didn't want to lose him now, not to anything. Female or--Tok'ra. Sam wanted to be friends with Colonel O'Neill again. He had been gone a long time, and their relationship wasn't exactly nurtured when Jack turned 'traitor'. The fishing trip would have helped, but Thor had had other plans. Now, a Tok'ra that looked like a Barbie doll was threatening that friendship.

Before everyone knew it, Anise had finished speaking. She would have been talking longer to Daniel, as she was an archaeologist, but now Freya was back in control. Somehow, Freya had managed to end up sitting *very* close to Jack, her blond hair slightly touching his shoulder.

Daniel had lost his glasses, but he hadn't been blind to the tension in the room. He figured he could always talk to Anise later, so he motioned to Teal'c and they both left quickly. Jack started to leave, too, and Freya was right on his trail. Sam pretended not to notice.



~~~~~



For the next two days, if you saw Jack, you'd see Freya. Jack was being driven out of his mind, but for the sake of intergalactic treaties, he was willing to show a little patience. Well, actually, General Hammond had ordered him to "play nice", as Jack later put it to Carter.

Jack had been ordered to show Freya around the base before she began the tests, and every sentence out of her mouth started with "We..." or "My people..." and it drove Jack nuts. Why couldn't she just say "I" for once?

One particular incident just before Freya left stuck out in Jack's mind like a sore thumb. At the time, Jack and Carter had been in the lab. Carter had been working on this special doohickey for the past couple of weeks, and Jack had been the first person she had seen after figuring out how it worked. He got the lucky honor of listening to her techno-talk. He actually didn't mind as much as he thought he would, though. He was glad to be able to finally spend some time alone with Carter.

And getting away from Freya--and Anise's archaeological ramblings--wasn't too bad of a perk, either.

"You see, Colonel, if you angle it towards the ultra violet lights, it...well..." Carter stopped her explanation and let the Colonel see it for himself.

"Wow," Jack said, genuinely impressed. "What are all those pictures?"

"I think they might be hieroglyphs, but I'm not sure," Carter said. "I want Daniel to see if he can translate them."

"Carter," Jack said suddenly, "I don't usually tell you how grateful I--we all are for the work you--"

"Jack," came a female voice from the doorway. "What place is this? You have not shown it to me."

Jack winced. He hadn't shown Freya the lab, because, well, Freya sort of bothered Carter. A lot. He wasn't sure why, though. Carter usually liked the Tok'ra.

"I'll go find Daniel," Carter said stiffly and left the room.

"Carter!" Jack called, but she was gone.

"Is something wrong?" Freya asked, looking around the room.

"No, no, everything's peachy." Jack forced a smile.

Freya stepped closer to Jack. "This is my last day here on your planet. I am leaving soon."

"Yeah," Jack said, not really paying attention.

"Perhaps--perhaps you would come back with us to *my* world. I have seen yours, and now I wish you to see mine. Anise wishes this as well."

Jack contemplated telling Freya--in a very nice way, of course--that he would rather run into Hathor again and take on a hundred Jaffa than accompany her *anywhere*.

"Why do you want me to come with you?"

"I would be pleased if you came." Freya paused, and Jack knew there was something else she wanted to say.

There was a long silence, and then Carter turned away from the lab doorway and walked back down the hallway the direction she had come from. She didn't need to hear anymore. Colonel O'Neill would go with the Barbie to the Tok'ra base, leaving her--the team--alone again.

Jack was taken aback when he saw the look of sadness and desolation on Freya's face. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I am ashamed of my behavior while a guest of your people," Freya apologized. "It is a personal matter, nothing more."

"You wanna tell me about it?" Jack pressed.

Freya looked at him warily.

Jack leaned back on the counter and folded his arms across his chest. "Spill the beans."

Freya thought for a moment, then nodded. "Very well, if you insist on knowing. I--I once had a mate named Rakeen. We were very happy together." She looked up at him. "Until he was killed by a Goa'uld spy among the Tok'ra."

Jack caught his breath. "I'm sorry."

Freya's eyes began to water. "I was very lonely for a long time, until I began to notice him."

"Him?" Jack interrupted.

"Oh, yes, him," Freya clarified. "Martouf."

Martouf? Jack thought.

"Martouf looked like Rakeen, in small ways. He reminded me of Rakeen, and I could only hope that some day he would notice me in return." Freya's head lifted. "But as of yet, he has not."

Well, well, well. What'd ya know--Martouf had an admirer. Somehow, this knowledge seemed like the last present you open on Christmas morning.

Freya's voice disturbed his thoughts. "And since you look slightly like Martouf, I.... Will you come with us?"

Teal'c appeared in the doorway, but that didn't stop Jack from answering. "Sorry, but I'd rather stay here and spend some time with Ca--my team."

"The Tok'ra are here," the Jaffa announced.

"Well, it looks like it's time to send you home," Jack said lightly. Jack took Freya's arm and firmly steered her out the door. Teal'c raised an eyebrow, then followed.



~~~~~~

**In the gate room**



"Are you sure you won't come?" Freya's voice had taken on a slightly petulant tone.

Hammond and Teal'c were looking on with undivided attention, and those in the control room weren't missing a thing. The Tok'ra that had come through the gate for Freya were looking prudently off to one side.

Jack cleared his throat one more time. "Look, Freya, I can't come with you. I don't fit in your world. I belong here."

"You could do much to fight the Goa'uld if you came with us," Freya pleaded.

Jack shook his head. "What good could I do there that I can't do here? Not that I'm saying you guys don't do good," he added, looking at the other two Tok'ra.

In the end, Freya finally went through the Stargate--alone. That is, if you didn't count Anise as a traveling companion. She looked back once, and then disappeared through the shimmery surface.

Jack turned around and left the gate room in a hurry. He had to find Carter. He knew he had hurt her. It was time to make amends. And this time, he wasn't going to be interrupted--not by anybody.

He found her in Daniel's office, waiting for him to come back from the mess hall.

Carter looked up in surprise as Colonel O'Neill walked in. "Sir--you're still here."

"What do you mean, still here?" Jack walked over and sat next to her on Daniel's desk.

"I thought for sure that you'd go with Freya to the Tok'ra base."

"So you heard that, huh?" he asked nonchalantly. "Nah, I couldn't go. Can't stand the Tok'ra. You should know that better than anybody else." Jack smiled at her, and she smiled back.

Sam knew she shouldn't pursue this topic of conversation, but she wanted to know. "But, Sir, with all due respect, she was always around you and she--she *is* very beautiful," Sam grudgingly admitted. "General Hammond would have let you go if you wanted to. I thought for sure that..." Her voice trailed off.

"True," Jack started, "the *host* wasn't bad looking, but, after all--she *was* Tok'ra." He paused for effect, looking straight at Carter. "But that's not why I said no."

Sam looked at him in curiosity, waiting almost impatiently for what he was going to say next.

"Sure, she was pretty. If you can call a Barbie doll attractive, of course. She was even a little intelligent." Jack kept his voice calm and steady. "But she just didn't laugh at my jokes."

In spite of herself, Carter began to chuckle.

"Besides," Jack went on, "I know this other blonde who's a *lot* better looking, she can spin circles around me with her theoretical astro-doohickeys, she laughs at my jokes, *and* she's got a great personality. It was an all-around better package deal, if you ask me."

Sam was now staring at him in amazement. "So what's her name?" she asked, playing along.

"Her name's Samantha," Jack said softly. "And no one--Tok'ra, alien women, or anyone else--can hold a candle to her."



Fin




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