Because one post cannot contain the tragic hotness...
Image intensive, peeps.
Part 2
En route to Netu, Martouf explains about the memory device to our heroine.
Sam first has a vision of her mother dying, and then tries again and we finally get our first view of Rosha.
And not just Rosha, but of Rosha and Martouf kissing:
Sam seems kind of into it...
In fact she's so into it, she wants some more. So she wakes up Martouf, while everyone else is sleeping, so she can do it again.
Martouf agrees.
It's not fully successful, since Sam doesn't remember how Jolinar escapes. So Martouf puts the device on LOW so Sam can still get Jolinar's help as they head down to Netu.
Just because I like this one:
He tries his best to get the ring platform to work without the key, but to no avail: Apophis has them. DUN!
Jacob's doing poorly, so Martouf and Sam tend him in between interrogation sessions with Apophis.
Sam tells Martouf exactly how Rosha/Jolinar escaped, and he's upset.
Apophis tries to get the Tok'ra base coordinates out of Martouf by threatening Sam (and Rosha - he seems to see both). He totally caves when Apophis threatens to kill Sam with a staff weapon. Except not. He lies. Because he loves her, but he's also not a complete idiot.
Aw, post-interrogation family portrait...
Jack approves.
Divide and Conquer. Okay, first, I will say that I hate this episode with a fiery passion. I have always hated the za'tarc plot device. I hate that it was used to kill off Martouf, I hate that it disappeared completely, and I hate that even in the episode it doesn't make any sense. I hate that this episode killed my liking for Sam/Jack. I hate that the PTB weren't going to kill Martouf, but thought the audience didn't care about him so why not?
BUT, it's not every day that a character gets a Shakespearean death scene, so at least there's that.
However, we'll start more toward the beginning. At the SGC, Sam is one of the za'tarc suspects.
"OMG, my girlfriend might be a za'tarc Say it isn't so, Doctor."
He goes to visit Sam in her 'exile'. But this is pretty much the last happy time they get. :(
Here's Martouf BEFORE:
And here's Za'tarc!Martouf:
Then they all shoot at him.
He's desperate, trying not to blow himself up, realizing what's happened:
Sam shoots him again, and it's just killing her.
And she TELEPORTS across fifteen feet of empty gateroom in order to catch him as he falls and cradles him as he dies.
Fade to black.
I'm not going to cap Summit/Last Stand even though they're part of the Ship canon, but I will note for the record that Lantash still loves Sam, even in Elliot. And Sam is VERY pissed off and grief-stricken about Martouf being dead. But I'm still too busy crying because Lantash is dead, and Martouf might have come back here. *sniff* In some alternate universe, both Martouf and Lantash were in stasis and survived Last Stand.
So then... yadda, yadda, seasons pass. Martouf and Jolinar are forgotten, the Tok'ra practically disappear altogether except for occasional Convenient Expository Devices, and... along comes Ripple Effect.
Martouf is alive! So, okay, he's not quite "our" Martouf, but close enough (so close apparently despite both his and Janet's survival, Desert Camo Mitchell doesn't have to worry about ECF -- which really does seem to show the realities are closely parallel). So he enters the room where ALL the Sams are working.
Martouf thinks: "I have died and gone to heaven. Except for Bill Lee."
Our Sam is so happy to see him!
They spend some quality time together, talking and reminiscing and being generally happy. And we find out that 'his" Sam and him used to be together and even though they're not anymore, he obviously misses her as much as she TELLS HIM that she missed him.
They work together in the lab and Sam commits some more touching, because SHE CAN'T HELP HERSELF.
And he says that his Sam stopped being his a long time ago. And Sam is overcome -- she leans forward to kiss him. And he's totally leaning in to kiss back...
THEN, Asgardius interruptus! Damn Asgard.
But *sigh* he has to go back and save his own Earth. She's sad but resigned, because our Sam knows from sacrifice and doing the right thing. (and in one of my fics, she asks him to stay and he does, because he wants Sam back. Fanfic is awesome and people who say it's not have clearly never felt the urge to write fix-it fic - I pity them.) He kisses her cheek.
They share a sad but resigned look.
He leaves. Sam is sad, and so am I. We don't see Martouf again. :(
They could've been together. It could've worked (it also could've been weird and fraught, but that's part of the appeal). It did work in one AU, at least for awhile. Heck, it worked well enough that Martouf stayed on Earth, even after they parted. They're just both so sweet and smart, and they have a lot in common. They deserve to be happy together in at least ONE universe!
Plus their kids would have the most freakin' beautiful blue eyes on the entire planet. And I don't need any better reason than that. :)
THE END.