Chains of Gold

Chapter Thirteen

As soon as the attendants surrounded them, they began the walk to what appeared to be the community area where the “feast” was being held. There were the Berinnese version of tables and chairs, which were much like tables and chairs in most places.

As they seated themselves at the table over looking the others, similar to how a reception on Earth would have been set up, they heard Daniel groan.

“What is it, Daniel? Are you all right? Did something that happened during the ceremony make you sick?” Sam asked, as she turned to him.

“No, I’m fine. However, we won’t be in a little bit. Jack and Teal’c are almost here. I’m sure he’ll have plenty to say. Especially, about the new jewelry. He doesn’t look happy. Take into account that the only part of the entire evening he’s understood was the pre-ceremony show and tell, and we’ve got mad-Jack O’Neill bearing down on us. Teal’c is in tow though, so that should stop a brawl from breaking out.”

Lantash came forward. “If he gives you any trouble, I will handle O’Neill, Daniel. I do not believe he is aware that I am fully functional again. It could even be amusing.”

“No. No, Lantash, I’ll handle it. You go dormant or something, do you hear me? I mean it; you put Martouf back in charge. Lantash! Damn it, that Tok’Ra is going to give me an ulcer, if he does things like that. He can’t just go around challenging people.”

“You should live with him in your head. Although, then he can cure the ulcer,” Martouf pointed out, looking thoughtful, then grinning, at Daniel’s disbelieving look. Daniel frowned at him. Martouf was getting too good at jerking his chain. He was catching onto Tau’ri ways much to fast.

O’Neill, just as he was about to reach them, was suddenly surrounded by several very lovely young women. Teal’c had his share as well. Before they knew what was happening, they had been carried off to the other end of the table of honor. As family of the bride and grooms they belonged up here.

O’Neill was frustrated. Daniel was relieved. Martouf was watching Samantha, who was sitting with her eyes closed and her head in her hands, elbows on the table. He wondered if perhaps she had a headache.

Lantash snorted in his head. “Why would she have a headache, Martouf? Surely not because her entire life just became extremely complicated, she has an angry superior, she has barely eaten in hours, she is undoubtedly wishing she was lying down somewhere calm and quiet with no one named Daniel, Martouf, or Lantash anywhere near her, and she has just been chained to two men and an echo, for an indefinite period of time? Why would that cause her to have a headache?”

“But what can we do for her, Lantash? We cannot even go find someone without forcing her and Daniel to go with us. And that reminds me. I do not know how Daniel is doing, but I need to make a trip to the facilities. Just how are we supposed to do that?”

Lantash moaned in his head. “Where is Jore? I believe I will just kill him and Marta and have done with it. Find him and motion him over here.”

“I will try.”

Seeing Jore across the room, he indicated he needed him, and he was relieved to see him hurrying their way. Turning back around, he realized that Samantha had her head down on her crossed arms on the table top.

“What is wrong, Martouf? What is wrong with Samantha?”

“We think that she may be hungry, Jore, and obviously she is tired. I believe that something to eat would help her though. She has not eaten for many hours.”

“She had not aftermiddleday meal?”

“No, none of us did.”

“We will start soon, then. No more than an hour.”

“Wait. How are the three of us supposed to use the facilities? I am not sure that Samantha will go into the facilities with us.”

Jore looked unhappy. “Use your device to unhook her. It is the best way. Usually, we do so with the attendants present, but you are not a normal couple, so you may do things that others would not be allowed to do.”

Martouf leaned down to talk to Samantha, where her head now laid upon her crossed arms on the table. He sighed. Now, what did they do? Samantha was sound asleep.

He watched her sleep for a few minutes. He should probably wake her. They would be bringing the food, and she could not sleep through her own joining feast. As he gently brushed the hair back from her forehead, her eyes immediately opened, and she asked, “What are we doing next?”

“I am sorry, Samantha, I did not mean to awaken you.” Martouf smiled down at her. “Although you would probably have had a very stiff neck come morning, and I would have had no choice before long, I am sure, for the food will soon come.”

Sam straightened up and putting her hands low on her back, she arched backward swaying from side to side, unaware of the provocative picture she made. Martouf cleared his throat, and she stopped where she was in her arc, breasts thrust out and head thrown backwards. She raised her head slightly to look at him. “Yes, my love,” she teased him, “did you want something, or are you just attempting a new vocalization?”

“Samantha, please stop what you are doing. You have no concept of the extremely tight rein, and physical and emotional strain that Daniel, Lantash, and I are presently under.”

Sam frowned. Martouf sounded dead serious. She hadn’t realized that what she was doing was bothering him, but realizing how it looked, she immediately sat up. She watched as his eyes shut and his lips thinned. His knuckles were white, where he gripped the edge of the table, as he half leaned and half sat against it. He had opened his eyes and was staring at the wall behind her now. She took in a deep breathe. That fruit was working on her, too. It had to be harder on the guys though. She winced at her own play on words, glad she’d not said that aloud.

All right, enough with the joking around. The restroom. That’s what they’d do, but she’d go with them. She’d never thought her wedding night would include two quickies in the men’s room with two, no; three different guys, but the humorous side caught her fancy. How many women could claim to have done that and “not” have cheated on the groom? The guys would argue that the first time should be perfect in a bed with all the right accompaniments. She looked at Martouf’s white knuckles. Maybe there wouldn’t be a problem, if she could just lure them in there in the first place.

“Daniel, would you come here please?” He’d certainly managed to get as far from her as the chain would allow. That was his way of dealing with the problem. Just stay as far away from the temptation as he could possibly get, whenever possible.

“Sure, Sam, what do you need?” Daniel stopped a good three feet from her.

“Well, for one thing I don’t want to have to scream my request across the room,” she growled, as she sent her best, come on, Daniel, what is with you glare at him. Knowing that look, Daniel came over and knelt down beside her. At least it hid part of his anatomy that way.

“We need to go to the restroom.”

“All right. Actually, Martouf wanted to go right before you woke up a couple of minutes ago. You waking up must have been enough to distract him for a few minutes. We’ll unhook you and go.”

“No, not yet. I don’t think we should flaunt the fact that we can just unchain ourselves and go. It would probably be better, if we as least put up a show. We should stay together, until we get there, and then take care of it.”

Daniel shrugged and stood up. “All right. Martouf, Sam wants to go to the restroom.”

“I do not know if they have a resting room, Daniel. I can ask Jore and see if they will make one available for her use.”

Daniel shook his head and his lips twitched, but he said calmly enough, knowing that Martouf was simply too overwhelmed at the moment to remember that restroom was another word for bathroom, which was another word for the facilities. “The facilities, Martouf, she wants to go to the facilities.”

Martouf jumped to his feet at once, obviously realizing, almost before the word was completely out of Daniel’s mouth, what he was going to say. “Of course. I am sorry, Daniel, I forgot that is one of the euphemisms used for the facilities. All we have to do is unlock Samantha, and we can all go our separate ways.”

Sam looked up at Martouf in surprise. He had sounded almost desperate to get away from her. Maybe it wasn’t the sexual tension that was driving him away. Was it something she had done, or said? She looked up at him with a question in her large blue eyes, and he groaned inside. “Lantash, please do something, before I ruin our joining before it even gets started.”

“Smile at her, Martouf, and shake your head, tell her it is just you. You are hungry. Moreover, look at her body. She will understand.”

Martouf did as instructed, though with less confidence than Lantash would have. When she put her hand in his, it was all he could do not to pull her into his arms and ravish her on the spot. “I am sorry, Samantha, it is just me. I find that I am starving, and it is not for food. I am thirsty and it is not for drink. However, this you know. Come. Let us take you were you need to go, and we shall go where we need to go.”

Sam smiled at them, as she got up and linked her arms through theirs, holding them firmly against the sides of her breasts.

Putting her arm around Daniel, she could feel the control in what appeared to be a pocket. Rubbing his side lightly she managed to get into it. She found Martouf’s in the same place, so each of them were soon some what lighter there. Besides learning how to pick locks, Sam had learned the fine art of picking pockets. She was very, very good.

She assumed that while Martouf was unaware of it, Lantash was not. He, for some reason, was holding his own counsel. Perhaps he was amused by her machinations, or he guessed her aim and agreed with it. If he was hearing the mating call as incessantly as they were, she would guess that was a large part of it, but with Lantash one could never be sure. He fascinated her, and she looked forward to learning more about him. For whatever reason, he chose not to say anything, and she could live with that this time.

And they had arrived. As they stood outside looking through their pockets, Sam looked into Martouf’s eyes and she caught her breath. This time she was sure. Lantash was laughing there. She held his gaze for what seemed like a very long time, but it could only have been, perhaps, a minute or two, no more, probably less. Martouf realized that she was looking into his eyes but beyond him.

He stood up straight. “You can see him, can you not? Very few can, you know. It is an essence, an emotion, something that forms, and at times, someone can see him there. We have discussed it often between us. Many of the symbiotes have had it occur.”

“Tell me what you see, please. Does he look like me, Samantha? I would like to compare it to the few others who have seen him within me.”

Sam laughed slightly. “I usually see him when he is laughing, Martouf. My impression is of a tall dark haired man, a curl drops over his forehead, he has very intense dark blue eyes, and a patrician nose. Beautiful lips, much like yours. He’s, he’s very beautiful, but in a very masculine way. He reminds me of something I read once; he is a laughing devil of a man, and dangerous. Very, very dangerous.”

Martouf nodded. “Everyone says that. He is a dangerous man. Most agree that he is dark haired, with intense eyes. You have seen more than the others. They rarely see past the danger, hair, and eyes. All of them agree that he does not look like me.”

“Lantash says you have described his first host. He was a very tall dark-haired man, who looked much as you have described him, including the curl, Samantha, even the beautiful lips and nose. He says to tell you that he also had high cheekbones, a golden skin, and his eyes were very intense and of a dark blue. He laughed a great deal, and he loved women, but there was one he loved above all others, and he loved her until the day that he died. He was a very, very dangerous man. Once he blended, he became that much more dangerous.”

“Perhaps because I am closer to him emotionally, there is more of an imprint for me to see.”

Then, realizing that they had once again started looking for the controls, she touched each of their arms, saying, “Listen, if you left them behind, then let’s just go in without them. The chains are six feet long. It’s not like I have to be right there with you.”

Both men began to look more frantically for the controls. “What is the matter with you two? What is wrong with you? Talk to me. This is your bonded, joined, shackled, entwined, and married mate talking here. Come on, out with it, what is it with you two?”

“Sam, you cannot go in there with us. You just can’t.”

“Why?”

“Because.”

“Fine, but I have to go. I have not gone now for a couple of hours, and prior to that I had the pleasure of drinking what appeared to be gallons of liquid, which I chased with an entire canteen of water. Now, you will accompany me in there, while I go, or you will clean up the puddle I leave here on the floor. Your choice.”

“We’ll go,” spoken in chorus, was exactly what she wanted to hear. Daniel opened and held the door. Martouf went first, Sam in the middle, and Daniel last. There was no one there. There was a lock on the door, which she promptly flipped. Then she turned around to take in the room. Nice divan, plenty of room. And nice little sectioned off places for the facilities equipment, much like earth. She headed for one of them, only to be pulled up short. Both men were standing just inside the door staring at the picture above the divan. It was actually rather erotic looking, if you had sex on your mind. If you didn’t, it looked like so much swirling color. She knew exactly where their minds were.

“Excuse me, gentlemen. Guys, hey you, over here. Martouf! Daniel!”

“What?” Yelled in stereo wasn’t exactly the response she wanted, but it would work.

“You see this area over here. This is the area I need. If you are standing over there; I can’t get to the opposite area over here. So do you think you could get your minds off that fascinating piece of art long enough for me to use the, ah, facilities? Because if you don’t, you’ll be cleaning up the puddle in here, instead of out there. Thank you. Terrific. A little more. There you go. Thank you very much.”

“Martouf, you know, while we are in here, we might as well at least try to go. You were the one that wanted to go earlier.”

“Daniel, have you ever attempted this feat? I assumed I would become unattached and be alone.”

“Yes, I’ve attempted it, and it can be done. Just, just concentrate, all right? If you go on the other side of Sam, we should both have enough chain to reach, without strangling one of us. Jeez, I cannot believe I just said that on my wedding night.”

“I cannot say that it is exactly what I expected to be saying on my joining night either. Nor did I expect to be worrying about accidentally strangling my new mate with our chains during the night while I slept.” Both men were quiet contemplating this new obstacle.

Daniel sighed, saying, “No, I don’t expect it is, but then I doubt very much that Sam expected to end up married to two guys that ended up chained to her either. How many brides do you think have had to threaten to pee on the floor if their groom didn’t go in the bathroom with them? I mean, she shouldn’t have had to threaten us.”

Daniel heard Martouf sigh, “No, you are correct, she should not. We are not being very good mates, are we, Daniel? We have not even been joined for an hour, and already, we have failed her.” He sighed, this time in relief, as he revealed, “I did not believe I would ever manage to do this.”

“Told you all you had to do was concentrate. I’m assuming from the sound of relief in your voice that you’re ready to go, Martouf?” Daniel sighed with relief himself, commenting, “I know I certainly feel a whole lot better.”

“Sam, we’re ready to go. Sam? Sam?” Daniel followed the chain one way to find it attached to what passed for a hook, no Samantha on his end. Martouf came from the other side and again, no Samantha. They looked at each other blankly, and then turned toward the divan where she was lying, evidently asleep.

They walked over to where she was resting and stood looking down at her. This time Daniel put his hands to his head and hit himself. “Why? Why, why, why, am I always so stupid when it comes to Sam? Why?”

“I do not understand, Daniel. What are you talking about?” Dropping his voice and stepping away, he asked, “Should we be standing over her and talking this loudly? Are you not afraid we will awaken her?”

“Tell me something, Martouf. On the way over here, did Sam have her arm around you at one point, rubbing your side? Then did she kind of play with it a little bit, and then snuggle into you and ask you stuff and keep you really tuned into her for a while?”

“Well, yes, I suppose she did. Why?”

“Because, that’s when she…” But Daniel never got to tell Martouf what Sam had done because he had started to pace, and he stepped closer to the divan. Now that he was within range Sam brought him crashing down on her, flipped him onto his back, and was astride him, with her tongue saying hello to his tongue, before he could even say help, let alone tell Martouf what she had done. Martouf looked bewildered, until she sat up straight, leaned back and pulled him down behind her, giving him her lips for the first of many kisses she planned on sharing with him this night.

Lantash was laughing, having seen this coming a long time ago, but the laughter didn’t last for long. The fire she was igniting was threatening to burn out of control very quickly. She allowed her tongue to say hello in a little less frantic way with Martouf and Lantash. She brought one hand up from Daniel’s chest, to wrap it around his head, and keep him pulled to her lips.

As one of her hands kneaded Daniel’s chest, and her hips undulated atop his, he managed to moan out her name, and one other word that made her sigh. “Sam, stop.” She had known that Daniel of the will of iron would somehow manage this. She should have gagged him. Maybe she still could. Pulling her lips away from Martouf’s, she looked around frantically for something to use. Nothing. Maybe she could use her lips. She tried diving onto him again, but he had her arms by this time. She sighed and frowned down at him.

“Yes, Daniel, what is it?”

“If we’re going to take a couple of quickies, do you think we could get a little more comfortable? I’m getting a cramp in my leg where Martouf is digging his knee into it. I can see where positioning is going to take some practice. Besides that, I think I ended up in an awkward position. Not that I mind, really, but I’d just like to be able to walk out of here, without doing my Quasimodo impression again.”

Sam looked startled, “You do a Quasimodo impression?”

Daniel shook his head, “Never mind, you had to be there.”

Sam giggled. The two men laughed, and for the first time in several hours, they all felt comfortable again. They were back to being themselves, at least for these few minutes. She climbed off of Daniel and looked down at him as he rearranged himself. “Are you sure you don’t mind, Daniel? I mean, if it’s really important to you that we wait and have the first time perfect, in a bed, I’ll wait, but, I really don’t want to wait any longer, for either of you. I’m not just saying that. I mean it.”

He shook his head, looking up at her and winking, “Sam, we have our whole life to make long slow love in beds. How many brides are going to be able to say that they had three different men, in the john, on their wedding day, and didn’t cheat on their husband?”

Sam giggled, and then laughed. That had been one of her thoughts, too. She and Daniel really did know each other well. “I know, and besides, I don’t know about you guys, but that is some powerful little fruit. I was about to burn up. And I figured that if I was, then you two had to be, ah, in need. However, we should get moving, before they send out the rescue parties.”

“Then, come here, Sam of my heart, and ride me like you know you want to. I want you, all of you. I want to feel you around me, hot and tight, holding me,” Daniel murmured the words to her

Giving him her attention, while Martouf and Lantash took turns kissing the back of her neck and sensually massaging her shoulders and back, she straddled Daniel careful not to catch the robe and pulled it up only as far as it needed to be. They didn’t really have time for anything, but sex. Just hot, fast, sex. She leaned over and kissed him, teasing him just a little before pulling back. She looked into his eyes and decided that they had a little time for this. There had to be some loving here as well.

The robes were in the way for most of the foreplay they would normally indulge in, but Daniel’s throat and lips were still within easy reach. She felt Martouf kneel beside Daniel, and then lean down to feather kisses along the side and back of her neck, much as she was doing to Daniel’s. She moved to the other side of Daniel, opening herself to Martouf’s tongue, as Daniel turned his head away from her, to give her access to him. She nipped and laved, kissed and nibbled, only to find her way to his ear and play in it as he moaned, and his fists clenched around the fabric of the robes.

At last, she made her way across the line of his jaw, leaving a trail of searing kisses, much as Martouf was doing to her. When she reached his mouth, they joined in a deep and eager kiss. Finally pulling back, she turned to Martouf and kissed his lightly, and then more deeply. Then she pulled away from both of them and sat up.

She smiled at the thought of the ring and reached under herself, until she found it there and watched Daniel’s face, as he felt her find and pull it slightly.

Then his eyes widened. “You’re not surprised. You knew it was there.”

“Yes, I told them to do it.” With the surprise still on his face, and Martouf frozen in place, she let go of the ring and seated herself fully. Then she rode him hard, wild, and hot. Daniel forgot all about rings and feasts and joinings, because the only thing that he could see and feel around him was Sam. His Sam. She was wet and warm and tight. She was burning him alive. Then the stars were bursting, and her mouth was on his catching his cry and taking it into herself, so as not to attract attention.

That’s when he really realized what she was doing. This wasn’t for her. This was for them. She knew how much sexual tension they were under, and she had decided to relieve some of it. See a problem, analyze it, decide on a course of action, and fix it. He smiled into her mouth as he came back down.

“I will see that you are rewarded later for this, Sam of my heart. I know what you are doing, I see through you,” he whispered softly, as he traced his finger from her temple to her chin.

She pushed herself up from where she had been laying on his chest, sparkled at him, and winked, “I took care of my problem as soon as I straddled you, Daniel. I’m sorry I couldn’t wait for you, but I was hot.” Sam shrugged a “what can I tell you, it just happened”? Daniel gasped, and then laughed. So he’d been both right and wrong. It had been for them, but she was taken care of too.

She was lifted off Daniel, by strong arms, and she wrapped hers around Martouf. “I wish we had more time.”

“Then we will wait, Samantha. I do not wish for our first time together to be anything other than what will please you.”

“Ah, no, we won’t wait because I also want you now. That is what will please me. Daniel said it best, Martouf. We have our lives to make love in beds. I’ll have lots of those kinds of memories. But this kind, the kind that make for warm and sometimes funny memories, they are much more rare.”

“So, if you don’t let me ride you soon, I don’t think I will survive for long. You have no idea how long I’ve waited for this moment. I didn’t even realize it myself, until today. Now, I don’t want to wait one minute more. Let me love you and Lantash, Martouf. I want to see you.”

Nodding he set her down, making himself comfortable on the divan. Daniel took up Martouf’s place at her side, though more toward Sam’s back, lightly touching her, kissing her neck, simply adding sensory input.

Unlike she had with Daniel, she moved the robe slowly up Martouf’s legs, finally reaching the area she was looking for, waiting to hear the fist quick intake of breath, as her fingers grazed his shaft and played lightly with the ring beneath it. Bending down she kissed him, running her tongue around the edge, until she came upon the golden balls. Her eyes widened, and he realized that she had not known about them. She flicked them with her tongue and the sensation flew through him tightening his groin and causing him to thrust upward. He gasped again, and she moaned as she pulled away. There was no time now for this kind of feast. It would have to wait for another time.

As she had with Daniel, she started where his shoulder met his throat and worked upward, stopping to nibble here and lave there, swirling her tongue around his ear and then back to that hollow of his throat, to start all over again. All the while, Daniel was proving what a talented and versatile tongue he had and how well it worked with his lips and teeth to stimulate every nerve ending she had. He and Martouf must have taken lessons on the use of the tongue on the female body because all they had touched was her neck, and they had brought her close to the edge again.

Finding Martouf’s lips and then Lantash’s, she devoured them, then changing tactics to nibble and suck, enjoying their moans of need, and feeling it herself.

Straightening, she smiled at him before taking him deep inside her with one long slide. Then there was nothing, but sensation. They were lost to it. Thrusts became the beats of their hearts, and the beats of their hearts their thrusts. Daniel moved completely behind Sam and grasped her hips helping her maintain her rhythm.

Lantash and Martouf switched back and forth seamlessly, at times so close to being in control at the same time, that they would hold that position enjoying the feeling of knowing they were feeling the exact same thing, at the exact same moment. Finally, Martouf released completely to Lantash, hoping that his stronger will and abilities to reduce sensory input would help them to stop this headlong rush toward their climax.

But, their release had been leashed too tightly and held off for far too long. Not even Lantash’s iron will was able to hold this at bay. And Samantha knowing it would be soon helped herself along to join him, so that when the wave crashed, they were swept under. And they were. They tumbled down together and watched the explosions of the sun, before the three of them collapsed together.

Sam seemed to come back from a long way off. She sat up and looked around. She hoped they hadn’t gone to sleep or something.

Daniel saw the worry in her eyes and interpreted it exactly, “We’ve only been here a few minutes, Sam.” His voice was quiet, calming.

She looked down into Daniel’s eyes, where he lie, perfectly at ease very close to Martouf, and she leaned over to kiss him thoroughly. Daniel really was an excellent kisser. God, would she ever get enough of just touching these three? Not even counting the sex, just touching them and being touched in return.

Daniel reached up and touched her cheek, saying lightly, “We probably should get up, try to clean up, and do something to your hair, so you don’t look quite so, ah, just, um”

“Laid, Daniel?”

“Nice euphemism, Sam, sure, I can handle that one, just laid, and then relock our bonds and hope no one notices the just joined pair has been absent for the last few hours.”

Sam sprang off of Martouf. “Hours? Daniel, it can’t be. It didn’t take you guys that long to use the bathroom.”

“Ah, damn it. Yuck. I knew there was a reason beyond disease and birth control that I liked condoms.” Daniel, the wonderful man that he was found the towels and handed her several.

“No it hasn’t been, but it has been almost thirty-five minutes. Quickies aren’t always quick, you know.”

“Crap. Will you help me with my hair, Daniel?” She gave him a hug. Then she turned to Martouf as he too finally managed to force himself to stand and gave him a hug and a nice long kiss.

Luckily they could all both walk and chew gum at the same time so multitasking, clean-up, straightening clothes, doing hair and washing faces were accomplished fairly quickly by all involved.

“We will need the controls, Samantha.” Martouf said calmly, as he attempted to smooth his own hair down. Shaking his head, he finally gave up.

“You have them, I don’t.” Sam smiled at him and continued to straighten, pull, twist, tweak, and restore everything that had gotten slightly askew in the last half hour or so. At least, they had taken the tiara and that delicate mantle, mantilla cross away, so she hadn’t had to worry about doing something to it.

“No, we do not. Samantha, you could not have become undone, unless you had the controls.”

“Oh, I thought you finally found them and did that, so I could lie down and wait on you two, since it was taking you so long to, uh, you know, go. Really, check your robes; you have to have them because I don’t.”

“Give up, Martouf. You have the control. Look. You’ll find it just where it is supposed to be.”

Martouf frowned, and Lantash laughed in his head. “Where is yours, Daniel?”

“Oh, I am quite sure that it is in my pocket. Right where it was always supposed to be.”

“But how did it get there? It was not there thirty-five minutes ago.”

Sam looked in the mirror. She looked fine. There was a glow to her, her hair was all right, the robe was laying as it should. She looked at both men. Well the tent poles were gone for the moment, but they would be back she was sure.

She turned to hear Daniel saying, “Well, you see, Martouf, it’s like this, Sam can…”

Suddenly they heard Jore knocking on the door, calling out, “Are you in there, Martouf, Daniel? We cannot find Samantha. Where is she?”

“Sam arched her brows at Daniel. “Ah, they are supposedly looking for you, Sam.”

Sam reached out and opened the door, saying tartly because even though he couldn’t understand a word, he’d understand the tone. “I’m tied to these two gentlemen, Jore, where would you expect to find me? Wandering around visiting with an entire town I can’t talk to? Perhaps, I went to take a bath? No, I have been in here waiting for the Bobbsey twins to pee, which wasn’t exactly easy after you gave them that fruit.”

Sam jerked on her chains. “Aren’t you two done yet? And I thought it took women forever to do their hair.”

Martouf translating a modified version of this for Jore, getting the general tone across, was relieved when he smiled. The woman, she was hungry. Come and feed her. The food was arriving. She will be much happier then.” Jore took off very quickly toward the tables leaving them to follow at their own pace. It looked like they were off to the feast. Sam looked back one last time at the divan in the “facilities room”. She wondered how many other couples seeking quickies had enjoyed it. Come to think of it that was probably why there was such a nice sized one in there.

Facing forward she caught a glimpse of the tables they were approaching. Her mouth watered. She felt like she hadn’t eaten in a week. The bread, fruit and cake were not filling. This was truly a feast. Since it seemed they were waiting for them, they picked up their pace.

Then they slowed. Standing at the podium were Jonathan “Jack” O’Neill and Teal’c of Chulak. Jore and Marta were beaming. Oh, no, what had they done, now?

They turned to look at each other. It could only mean one thing. Jack had somehow been asked to speak.

Jore brought Marta to them. They turned to Martouf speaking quickly, “We have brought them here and by sign language we told them we wish them to give a speech for their friends joining and they agreed. You and Daniel will translate for us, will you not?”

Martouf and Daniel stepped in front of Jore, Marta, and Sam and closed their eyes for a moment, glad they had been slightly in front of them so that this maneuver was easily accomplished.

Daniel sounded as if he was going to hyperventilate and Martouf was a little pale. For once, Lantash’s laughing was in triumph, not amusement. At last, he would get to kill O’Neill for insulting his loved ones. Sam’s slight headache became a migraine.

Jore looked from one to the other of them and realized that something was very wrong. “What is wrong? Why do you not want your family to speak about you?”

Finally Daniel said gently, so as to try not to upset the man, “Jore, the reason we had not joined yet was because Jack was against our bonding. He believes in the traditional one man, one woman thing which is the norm on our world. We’ve been slowly trying to get him used to the idea of the four of us instead of two of us. That’s the reason that Martouf didn’t claim me as well at the gate. He was trying not to stir the water so to speak. Things got out of hand, they happened. It’s over, it’s finished. We just aren’t sure what he will say to us. What ever he says, we will translate only good things okay? Unless he starts screaming at us, and then Teal’c will take care of him. We’ll say he’s upset because we didn’t wait for Sam’s father or something. Okay?”

Jore looked stricken.

“Look, Jore, it’s all right. It had to happen sooner or later, and frankly, we’re rather pleased that the decision was taken out of our hands and that it’s working out this way. In essence, we had no choice, if we wanted to have good relations with your world which we do. He can’t deny that. This has worked out well for all involved. Don’t worry about it. Instead realize how grateful we are that you managed to get us joined when we’ve been attempting to do so for months and kept failing.”

“Daniel speaks the truth, Jore. For the four of us, this is an enormous help. It could have taken us many more months yet and he would still have ended up upset. This is truly for the best. We simply wanted to warn you that his speech might not sound—pleasant.”

“I understand, Martouf, Daniel.” Jore smiled. “For four that the Coras decided long ago should be bound forever, your joining has been fraught with trials and tribulations. Your joined years will go well. Ours have. Mine and Marta’s. We have a very strong bond also. Our ceremony was much as yours with constant problems, interruptions and changes. But the cake was perfect, and the fast-one in the facilities was wonderful. I would say that it was probably as wonderful as yours, although it did not take as long. Of course, there were only two of us, not four. Well, you will sit here in these chairs and let O’Neill begin.”

As Jore and Marta led them toward the chairs, Martouf, Daniel, and Sam looked at each other while Lantash murmured obscene things to Martouf. Their fast-one? A quickie? Jore and Marta? They weren’t sure if they were going to be able to keep from laughing, or not, but they knew enough not to keep eye contact any longer than necessary. Sam wondered if she really wanted them to keep translating these things for her. Looking straight ahead, they walked toward the podium and Jack. Now that was a sobering sight.

TBC

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