"Anyone else feeling a little déjà vu?"

Daniel looked around, knowing exactly how Jack felt. This was the second time they found themselves traveling through Fangorn forest, and it was just as bad as the first. Or maybe not, he mused as they followed a very narrow trail that cut through the trees. The forest seemed a little appeased, probably from killing over a thousand orcs the day before.

"Sir," Sam's voice echoed through the forest.

"All right, all right. Never let it be said I didn't care about my squad-mates."

"I believe you are only attempting to not be punched in the stomach O'Neill."

The colonel didn't reply.

"Again," the jaffa added.

Daniel snickered. Sam had insisted on riding with them to Isengad. That morning she showed up in the stables, dressed in a fresh shirt and breeches that were only a few sizes too big, wearing the look. He, Jack, and Teal'c knew what the look meant. It was the same expression Sam put on before they started kicking goa'uld butt.Everyone decided that it would be better to take her along, rather than sit and argue the point with someone who was already pissed and had a headache to boot. Jack found out the hard way to leave the woman alone when he patted her on the head and she sucker punched him in the stomach.

"How did you get the forest here, Gandalf?" Daniel finally asked, trying to keep his voice fairly quiet.

The wizard turned around. "Very carefully, Daniel. Very carefully."

The archeologist sank into the saddle, ignoring the amused looks of his traveling companions. The wizard knew exactly how to make you feel like a five year old. All he needed to do now was start asking 'are we there yet?'.

Daniel sighed and turned his attention to the trees. They were beautiful, in an oddly twisted way. Like a painting by H.R. Geiger, something that could be appreciated more for its grotesqueness than its beauty. As he watched things flitted through the trees, pausing just long enough in the open for him to see that they were there, but not what they were. Legolas had mentioned something about fairies the last time, and he guessed that they had no choice but to travel with their trees. "How are fairies in Middle Earth?" he mused aloud.

Gandalf laughed. "Beings you would do better not to worry about, Daniel, or call yourself to their attention. They are mischievous creatures, whose favorite past time is leading unsuspecting travelers from the proper path."

Gimli snorted. "Bah. Fairies. Imps with wings is what they are."

There was a tinkling, as of crystal, and a branch dropped from the trees above and landed on the dwarf's head.

"Damn and blast!"

"Nor do they take kindly to being insulted," Legolas added as Gimli fought to remove the branch from his hair. "Especially by those they are allowing to travel through their woods."

"So, what are the trees saying this time, Legolas?" Daniel asked, trying hard not to laugh.

Jack was riding ahead, so he didn't see the elf smile. "They are wondering when the wizard will leave us, so they can amuse themselves."

Daniel grinned as Jack looked around worriedly. Probably thinking about all those tree wisecracks, he thought, then winced as his expression pulled at the wound on his face. The stitches the women gave him had held through the battle for the most part, but they were still raw.

"We should reach Isengard in two hours," Gandalf called. "If we aren't required to stop."

"That fall was deliberate!" Gimli growled from behind the elf. "How many times must I tell you that."

"Until I believe it, Gimli son of Gloin."

"He doesn't expect us to live that long, does he?" Jack stage whispered.

Daniel said nothing, and focused his energy on rolling with his horse. Just another day in paradise.

"Okay, that's a tree. Isn't it?"

Jack looked up at the thing walking towards them through the trees. It certainly looked like a tree, if one ignored the fact that it had two legs and arms.

And was walking.

"I'm an Ent, not a tree!" the creature said, sounding more indignant than Jack thought he had reason to be.

"It talks!?"

"Jack, please don't get us stepped on," Daniel whispered.

Jack turned around and looked at Daniel's concerned face. Then to Gandalf's amused one. "Just asking." He focused his attention at the top of the creature, and made out a face amongst the brances and leaves.

"It's been many a year, Gandalf, since we last spoke."

The white wizard rode forward. "Yes it has, Mossfoot. I am here to see Treebeard, and his two charges."

The ent raised a large arm and pointed to west. "He is there, past the gates of Isengard, near the tower. Keeps a close eye on Saruman, he does."

Jack perked up at that. He'd heard a lot about Saruman, remembered getting buried in what felt like a ton of snow by him. It was about time he met the guy face to face.

The group started down a slight slope, and soon found their horses sloshing through at least two feet of water. "You didn't tell us we'd have to swim, Gandalf."

"I didn't say you wouldn't have to either, did I?"

Jack sighed. Gandalf 1, O'Neill 0.

As suddenly as they entered the forest, it fell away, to reveal a crumbling stone wall.

"Pip! Merry!" the colonel yelled happily at the two hobbits sitting on the wall.

"Jack! Everyone!" Merry stood up "Welcome to Isengard!"
"And what the hell are you two doing here?" Jack asked.

Pip laughed. "We are the gatekeepers, on orders from Treebeard, who had taken over management of Isengard."

Jack snorted. Gatekeepers? These two couldn't keep a cow out of the place.

The two hobbits jumped down from the wall and approached. "We'll take you to Treebeard," Merry said.

"He's been expecting you." Pip added excitedly. "We've been waiting for you for hours."

"Sorry throw off your plans for the day, Peregrine Took," Gandalf said as he swung Merry onto this horse.

The hobbit smiled. "It's no problem, none at all," the hobbit answered as Aragorn dismounted and picked him up.

Aragorn cocked his head. "Have you grown, Pip?" he asked before picking the hobbit up.

"What would make you say that, Aragorn?" Pip asked as the ranger settled in front of him.

Jack gave the hobbit's a once over. Both were wearing the same clothes as when they'd first met, but they looked smaller, tighter, where before they had been just a little loose. The pants were also further up their legs than he remembered.

A forehead hit him between the shoulders. "Sam, you all right back there?"

A muffled groan was his only response.

"Sam?"

"Yes, sir." the forehead moved in what could have been a nod. "Once the trees stop spinning I'll be fine."

The group moved further into the circle of Isengard, and Jack whistled. It was huge, with a single spire in the center that had to be at least three hundred feet of black…well, once he figured out if it was made of stone or steel he'd finish that thought. Anyway, there were other things to think about.

Like the twenty or so trees (Ents, he corrected himself) that were currently wading through the water, which was currently teasing their horses withers. For the most part they ignored the group that was making their way steadily towards the tower, but a few of them turned and watched.

Near the tower was the largest of the ents the colonel had seen so far. "Young master Gandalf!" the creature exclaimed, his voice booming through the clearing. "I'm glad you've come."

"Young master?" Jack repeated looking from Daniel to Aragorn and Legolas. The two only shrugged.

"There are creatures here older than I, Jonathan O'Neill. More than you would imagine."

"Yeah, sure," Jack countered. "But young master Gandalf? He'd have to be ancient-"

"I am one of the oldest living creatures in Middle Earth."

"Okay," Jack drawled, not sure what to say to that. Most people tried not to reveal their age.

"As I was saying," the large ent continued. "I'm glad you've come. Wood and water, stock and stone I can master, but there's a wizard to manage here."

"Saruman," Gandalf muttered to himself.

Jack looked up at the name. "Where's the old coot anyway?"

Treebeard looked up to the tower. "There, hiding in the shadows of his tower, afraid to set foot out his door for fear of what we will do to him."

"And there Saruman must remain. Under your guard, Treebeard."

"Well, let's just have his head and be done with it!" Gimli snorted.

"I'm with him." Jack pointed to the dwarf. "What happens if he gets out. Not that I'm doubting you, Treebeard." Jack added when the ent turned a surprised eye towards him.

"No," Gandalf sighed. "Saruman is no longer a threat. He has no power anymore."

Now that's a matter of opinion, the colonel thought, but kept it to himself. They'd learned the hard way that an enemy left alive had the pesky habit of coming back and biting you on the ass. Hathor came to mind.

The ent looked around the enclosure. "Once this place was rich with growing things. Now, it's little more than a wasteland." A smile spread across Treebeard's face. "Trees will come back to live here. Young trees. Wild trees."

A splash distracted Jack from the ent's ramblings, followed by a concerned "Pippin!" He looked down to see the hobbit bending down over something in the water. The hobbit leaned up, and brought with him…

A bowling ball.

"Bless my bark!"

Jack looked from the bowling ball to Treebeard. The ent looked surprised. Correct that, the ent looked shocked.

Gandalf, on the other hand, was calm. "Peregrin Took, I'll take that, my lad."

The hobbit hesitated, just long enough for Daniel to start examining the ball himself.

"Quickly now," the wizard continued, looking nervously between the two. That nervousness placed Jack on edge. It was the same kind of nervousness he got before Daniel did something stupid, like release some ancient monster that was hell bent on killing them all.

"For someone with a stomach wound, you sure jumped down fast, Daniel."

"Shut up, Jack," the archeologist groaned as he hauled himself back on the horse.

Jack grinned. "Pull a stitch there, did we?" the colonel asked innocently.

"Shut up, Jack."

"Is that drool on your chin?"

"SHUT UP, JACK!"

The colonel smiled, until he was punched in the side by Sam for making Daniel yell. "Sir."

"Just making conversation, major."

He's looking at you again.

I don't care, leave me alone.

For the majority of their trip back to Edoras Sam had been silently cursing the Bitch. Every time she tried to relax, maybe doze off a little bit, the Bitch was their reminding her of the one person she wanted to forget, at least for a little while.

She already had one headache to deal with.

"Are you well, Major Carter?"

Sam lifted her head and saw that Teal'c had pulled up even with her and Jack.

She lifted a hand and brushed some stray hairs out of her face. Really, she needed to think about finding a barber when they got back. "I'm fine, Teal'c. Thanks for asking."

"Perhaps if would have been better had you remained at Helm's Deep, Samantha." This came from Legolas, who rode up on the other side.

He cares, he cares, the Bitch sung in her head. Samantha set her jaw. "I would have been jumping out of my skin there. Besides, fresh air is good for you, right?"

The elf and the jaffa fell back in line, and Sam resumed leaning against the colonel. So what if the man smelled like five day old laundry, at the moment he kept her from having to sit up straight.

"What's wrong, Sam!" the shouted question came from Pippin.

"She's taken a blow to the head, Pip," Aragorn answered for her. "Loud noises are especially painful right now."

Without warning Pip slid off Aragorn's horse and disappeared into the trees.

"Pippin!" The ranger shouted, dismounting.

"Aragorn, don't!" Gandalf shouted, moving to the middle of the line. "There is no sanctuary outside the path."

"And what of Pip?" he asked impatiently, trying to find a sign of the hobbit in the undergrowth.

"I'm all right!" The hobbit's voice carried through the undergrowth.

"Treebread said Fangorn wouldn't harm us, since no hobbit's harmed it," Merry explained. "What are you looking for anyway, Pip?"

"Found it!" The hobbit emerged from the bushes, his arms full of bright red flowers pulled up by their roots.

"And what exactly have you found?" Gandalf demanded, leaning down to get a closer look.

"Treebeard said these help anything. Remember Merry? He told us while we were walking to the Ent Moot."

Legolas jumped down from his horse and examined the flowers. "Where did you see these?"

Pip turned around. "Just off the path. They grow in Fangorn like nobody's business, don't they Merry? Couldn't take a step without falling over them."

Gandalf touched one flower. "Hilthien," he whispered. "For once you've managed to do something useful, Peregrine Took." he grabbed one of the flowers. "This will help Samantha, and many of the injured at Edoras. Aragorn, pack it carefully in your saddle bag. Try not to bruise any of the bulbs."

Sam, who had been watching the conversation with concern, perked up. Anything that would make the evil gnome with the hammer in her head go away was welcome.

Gandalf squeezed the plant gently as Shadowfax trotted over. "Tilt your head back," the wizard directed gently. "You might want to hold your nose."

Sam looked down at the red bulb warily. The flower was long and thin, nearly as long as her hand, fading from burgundy near the bulb to blood red at the tips. Gandalf poured a purplish liquid from the flower into his canteen, swirling the leather sack with a twist of his wrist. She braced herself, opened her mouth, grabbed her nose, and closed her eyes.

A hand tipped her head back slightly. She felt something cold and stiff against her bottom lip as the wizard poured the plant nectar into her mouth.

A second later the hand closed over her mouth just in time to prevent her from spitting the hilthien's liquid out. It was foul, and she fought the urge to gag. The major forced herself to swallow. It was either that, or let the liquid sit in her mouth.

"There you are," the wizard said cheerfully, removing his hand, allowing her to spit out any remnant of the plant. "You'll feel better in a little while."

Sam focused her attention on her breathing, forcing it to remain steady. She listened as the process was repeated with Daniel, and found herself wondering what the flower's nectar tasted like when it wasn't distilled, and your nose wasn't plugged. It couldn't have been much worse than that.

Could it?

The major opened her eyes when they started moving again, keeping her eyes focused on the back in front of her. She looked to the side, prepared for a spike of pain. But none came.

"Wow."

"Your headache should be gone, Samantha," Legolas said from behind her.

"Yeah," she muttered, more to herself than anyone else. Not only was her headache gone, but all the little aches and pains that had been plaguing her for the past few days. She felt good, energized, like she could jump off their horse and keep up on foot.

"I wonder if that stuff would grow on Earth?" she thought.

If it could, they would knock every painkiller and caffeine product off the shelves.

Thank you thank you thank you for reading this!!!! My apologies for the extra long time between updates. Extra special bananas foster thanks goes out to Lady Rosebit, melon, Rolo-rooni, Becky Matthews, istar042000, Tarock, ChristalSteele, Mrs-Spacemonkey-Jackson, Chevron9, Fuzzy Hobbit, Miriam, Methrill, kaitland, caffinebunny, Maxennce, Silver1, Irethwen-ElfRanger, Bronze Dagger, Delphine Pryde, Popples, Misty, Alexandra3, Linderhill, organized-chaos, Majin83, Technomage-Ranger, speacalphred, Shanna, Pthat, The-Shadows-In-The-Darkness, Lady Cinnibar, Lady Naxen, Crazy Kat, Crazy Kat, aru, Tabitha, Kits, Chibi Mo, Legato with vengeance, Majin83, JP, and Ficlover for your wonderful reviews, and for kicking me to get off my ass and finish this story. THANKS J

It has come to my attention that the website I was using for my elvish is not truly Tolkien elvish, but a combination of Quenya, Sindarin, elvish from other canons, and some words just thrown in for fun. Thankfully, I have found another site that translates the bastardized elvish of the Grey Company into Sindarin, so I will be using this site for all future elvish words. For anyone who was cocking their heads and going 'what?' when reading the elvish, many apologies, and thanks to Legato with a Vengeance for pointing this out to me.