A/N: Well this is it- my first One- shot in English for this fandom. I'm not gonna lie that it was easy, because it wasn't. Seriously people, I love this language but it has too many tenses! ;) Fortunately for me, my invaluable beta, Zoja, hurried to help me once again and she prevailed over all this chaos. God bless her!
Anyway, I hope that you will find enjoyment in this little story, my friends. Let me know if you have any questions.
Yours truly...
fanka ^^
Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and its characters are the property of Stargate (II) Productions, Showtime/Viacom, MGM/UA, Double Secret Productions, and Gekko Productions. This story is for entertainment purposes only, not for profit. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. This story may not be posted elsewhere without the consent of the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. Copyright © 2015 fanka77
LOST
She was hot and sweaty, hungry and thirsty. Those last few days had been a true nightmare. Almost fifty degrees on the thermometer with no hope for the rain. The landscape around her was almost a desert, save for a few bushes and dry grass. Her stock of water was shrinking quickly, the same about food. She ate almost all of her MRE's and power bars and yesterday she started to ration the rest of it. It was a dumb luck that she found this cave in the middle of nowhere, otherwise she would have been already dead, since she lost her tent and most of the equipment. It was a hell, well maybe not Netu- hell, but close.
Like her General would say: CRAP.
It was meant to be an easy mission on a peaceful planet with a friendly people and a moderate climate. The reconnaissance had been very promising (lots and lots of naquadah in the soil) so her boss okayed her departure, hers and two more technicians'.
" God, I hope they're ok…"she said quietly and then added "Why me? Why do these things always happen to me?"
It wasn't the first time that something impacted the Gate while she was transferred through the wormhole, but she was glad that she didn't landed either in the past or in the future like she did a few years ago, when the whole SG-1 went back to the1969. This time, however, it was practically impossible for her to return, at least without help…
She smiled. Oh boy…General O'Neill had really looked good in those jeans and black leather jacket. Bandana on his head, his lucky sunglasses… Damn, he had been sexy! Still was, actually…
Anyway she was lost (again) on this forgotten by God and people (or aliens) world, while her men surely arrived safely on P2X-3775. She didn't consider any different possibility, not when it came to someone's life. She believed Cummings and Parks were sound and safe on the assigned planet. She couldn't think differently.
She felt lonely, oh so lonely here without her team, without Daniel, Teal'c and Jac… ehmm General O'Neill. First strictly scientific mission since well… forever and she was stuck, alone, deprived of the support of the people she trusted the most.
Double crap…
"I miss you, guys." she whispered, trying to extrapolate her position in this part of the cosmos. Usually when the wormhole "jumped", the new planet was relatively close to the original destination. It was always connected to the nearest Gate. The situation was more complicated this time, though. It seemed that this planet was far, far away from P2X-3775, otherwise the rescue team would have already been here.
She knew that they were looking for her. Her team, the General, everyone. "No one gets left behind"- that was the motto of the SGC, the motto of Jack O'Neill, her CO, former team leader, a friend and the man shehad loved almost from the beginning of their acquaintance.
She clearly remembered that day when she had met him for the first time… She had this big, gigantic chip on her shoulder. She sounded like a typical feminist when Kawalsky and Ferretti provoked her, and she even challenged Colonel O'Neill to the arm wrestle.
"God! I can't believe that I've done this!" she giggled, trying to not to think about her actual troubles.
She was so sure that she had blown up her chance to join to the Colonel's team, especially when he expressed his dislike for the scientists. At the beginning she thought that the Colonel was a sexist pig (handsome, yeah, but still a pig) but she quickly discovered that it wasn't her sex , that was an obstacle on her way to the Stargate as she previously assumed. It was her doctorate! Well, that was a first!
"Oh, this has nothing to do with you being a woman. I like women. I've just got a little problem with scientists. " he said that day.
Oh, she was so ready to strangle him for this (figuratively of course, since she was a good little soldier with a spotless dossier and she wanted to keep it that way)!
Time had shown how wrong was she about Colonel O'Neill. He wasn't a sexist and certainly he didn't despise all scientists. He gave her a fair chance to prove herself to him, to all, and then he took her under his wing. He became her teacher, her mentor and then… her friend. They were supposed to maintain the distance required by the regulations, but in the end, when you work with someone so close, for such a long time, "things" happen.
She still didn't know when they had become something more than colleagues, but she knew when she was sure for sure that she had fallen in love with him. Apophis' ship, those damn Atanik armbands, the energy field and the Colonel on the other side of this magnetic barrier, ready to die with her, for her… When she looked into his eyes that day, she knew. He loved her. In this brief moment, she had an epiphany- death wasn't so terrify anymore as long as they were together. If it wasn't love then what was it?
They literally went to hell and back together, they had cried and laughed together, supported each other no matter what. He had always been there for her, always, so yes, she knew that the General, Jack would find her.
"Just hold on, Carter. Hold on!" she encouraged herself by using his 'pet name' for her. He always called her Carter. Sure, it was her last name but between them it was always something more. There was affection behind her name when he adressed her, the same affection so carefully concealed in his eyes, when he looked at her. So "Carter" wasn't just Carter. She was also Sam, Samantha… a woman. At least for them.
She was so tired. Over the last two days she had searched the area around the camp, looking for water and food. With no success. Her stash was almost empty now and without help she would die of hunger and thirst very soon.
Someone could ask why didn't she try to go trough the Stargate herself? She would if she could, but the DHD was totally fried and without the spare naquadah generator she couldn't dial the Gate manually. Besides, she was too weak to do it on her own.
Oh, where was Teal'c when she needed his muscles the most?!
Anyway she was trapped here and her situation was, to say the least, inconvenient.
"Yeahsureyoubetcha! Inconvenient my ass!" she murmured under her breath, once again using an O'Neillism.
She was in deep guano right now, really deep. She, Lt. Colonel Samantha Carter, needed a miracle, preferably in the form of a cold beer, a good steak and one hot, sexy as hell General by her side (oh, and a toilet paper too!).
"Darn, that was my last tissue!" she thought, returning from her primitive latrines dug near the cave. On the other hand, if she died soon, at least the toilet paper would cease to be a problem.
That sarcastic thought summoned a smile to her face. Daniel told her one day, that with each passing year she was becoming more and more similar to Jack. She laughed then but in the end, it was true. He had left a mark on her life, on her, over all these years, he shaped her, made her what (whom) she was today even if he did it unconsciously. She was proud of it, proud of the person she had become.
"Not only had he taught me to be tough, but he also pointed out what is most important in life. I guess I've never thanked him for that." She whispered with regret. If only she had the chance to fix it ...
Three days after she had drunk the last drops of water from her canteen she knew that she was in troubles. Her dehydration progressed quickly, too quickly. This hot air now reached even her small cave which began to turn into an oven. She knew that she would start to wander soon. She could feel the first signs. She also knew what it meant. Without water, without help she would soon join to her father.
"I guess this is it…" she said. Her voice was weak, defeated.
She had so many regrets. The biggest one was HIM, Jack O'Neill. She had waited to long to be with him, to tell him how important he was to her, how much she loved him.
"If I could turn back time…" she thought. "But it's too late now. I'm too late…"
"Or not!" she added as her radio came to life.
"Carter. Come in. This is SGC to Colonel Carter. Please respond!" repeated the deep voice which she would have recognized everywhere.
She was exhausted but with the last remnants of her strength, she reached the transmitter and pressed a button.
"Sir…" she murmured.
"Carter! Thank God!" exclaimed the General. "Just hold on, Sam. Hold on! We're coming for you!" he assured her.
"Ok." she promised. She could wait for a little longer. He was here so she could wait.
An hour later she was on a stretcher, with an IV attached to her arm.
When she saw him, saw his misty eyes, she smiled sleepily and said: "What took you so long, Sir?"
Jack grinned.
"Oh, you know our Space Monkey, Carter. He's always late for important missions!" he said humorously.
"Hey!" protested Daniel but he smiled anyway. Teal'c also gave her one of his rare smiles and she knew that everything was going be okay.
"Ready to go home, Carter?" asked General when their eyes had met again.
"Yes, Sir." she answered immediately.
"Good!" he winked at her. "Did I mention that I'm gonna retire?" he added quietly a minute before the corpsmen raised the stretcher.
Here eyes widened.
"Sir?"
"Yeah, Carter, I know…" he said "…but I think it's time. Besides there is that woman, you know… Very smart, very hot- no pun intended - and I would like to get to know her better, without an uniform and stuff…" he mumbled. "Do you think she would be interested in old fart like me?" Jack dared to ask.
Sam smiled. He was so cute when he was shy.
"Oh, I'm sure she would be thrilled to get to know you without an uniform, Sir." she said.
"Really?! Sweet!" he summed up. " So… back to Kansas, Dorothy?"
"Lead on, Scarecrow. Lead on!" she answered. "There is no place like home…"
The End