Part Two:
"Arise, arise, Riders of Theoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"
The Muster of Rohan. "The Return of the King"
****
Sam Carter could hear the wheezing wind-up of the Gate's power even from inside the wormhole. Instead of the non-stop travel to the other planet from the Stargate, it was as if she was stuck in limbo half way to her destination. As she lay there, paralysed between time and space, she wondered deep in her subconscious were the rest of her team were, if they too, were suck in the abyss that she now resided in, or that they had actually made it to their objective.
SG-1 had been invited by Gairwyn back to Cimmera for some kind of yearly festival celebration and were looking forward to a few well-deserved days off. Thinking back, her mind failing, Sam could just remember stepping through the gate before the rest of her team before disaster struck. There was no way of knowing if Jack, Daniel, Jonas or Teal'c had followed her through.
It could have been a minute or a million years that she hung there, suspended in the blue wash of the wormhole. Her eyes were closed; she knew that much for the blackness of her eyelids was the only colour she could make out. She sighed, feeling herself falling into a deep, deep sleep.
Suddenly, Sam was torn from her slumber by the sound of an almighty rip. It was as if time itself was being torn apart. As the pressure started to build on her mind she gave an ear-splitting scream of pure terror as she felt herself being pulled away from the abyss of cerulean comfort. Her hands were pinned at her sides, helpless to her struggles for freedom.
The next conscious thought that came to her was one of being exploded from the safety of the blue wash that she travelled though so often and feeling herself being thrown through the air.
With an enormous crash, the dazed woman found herself sprawled in the dirt of the planet's surface, her head smacking on the hard ground so forcefully that it made it ring. She lay there, stunned at the force of her landing, to damaged to move. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the Stargate flicker angrily, once.. twice.. before it disappeared completely.
When she saw this, Sam groaned, as she realised no help would come. With a cry of pain, she managed to roll herself onto her back in the dirt and she lay there, heaving for breath. Her hand desperately clutched her flat stomach, trying in vane to protect her baby inside.
The silence was suddenly broken by a voice that she had never heard before, but deep within her found very comforting.
"Well, now!" said the voice. "Where have you come from, my lady? Falling out of that almighty ring like that?"
Her vision swimming, Sam looked up at the sky, which was suddenly blocked by the figure of a very, very old man with a great grey beard and masses of grey hair. He was staring down at her; his bushy eyebrows raised in question, calm-as-you-please, waiting for her answer.
Wondering if this was a figure of her imagination, Sam moaned and turned her head away from the man.
"Now, Now! Don't have to be rude. I happen to know about many magical rings, but none to my knowledge can throw a person of itself! No, my lady, your magical ring is something quite different!"
And that was the last thing Sam remembered for a very long time..
****
She woke in a bed, that much see knew. Smothering a moan, she reached up to grip her head, running her hands through her short blonde hair. Feeling the beginning of a bump, she winced and slowly took her hand away. Lifting her head, the Major started to survey her new surroundings, but instantly stopped in disbelief.
She was in a large, airy chamber that had no walls to speak of, save for a huge, pointed roof that hung above her in all its silver, star-studded glory. Looking around, her sheets pooling about her waist, Sam found herself sitting in a large, comfy bed with silver sheets that matched the roof. Turning her head to the side, her eyes opened in shock as she saw a thick, blurry group of white tree branches outside her floor length window, swirling in the mist.
"Oh, my god." she whispered, scrambling out of her bed to rush to the window. Grasping the railing in one hand, she looked down and found herself surrounded in pale, majestic white trees. She seemed to be in a chamber build high in the tops of some of the hugest trees Sam had ever seen.
"Yes, they are quite impressive, no?" The same voice from before startled her out of her shock, and the woman spun around to face him.
The old man was standing at the base of set of small steps that led down into the chamber from the doorway. He was leaning on a twisted, wooden staff and watching her intently from beneath his bushy grey eyebrows. Obviously knowing how unsettled she was, the man descended the stairs slowly, as if he expected her to bolt at any second.
And deep in her mind, Sam wondered why she wasn't. She didn't know how long she had been out for, but surely Jack and the others would be searching for her desperately.if they survived the gate's outburst in the first place. But Sam refused to think like that, that her friends were dead and she was stuck out here in some godforsaken planet on her own. She clung to the notion that the address of the planet she was now on was locked into the base computer and her team were on their way to rescue her this very second.
With that thought in mind, she started to shuffle towards the bed, to at least put some distance between her and the strange looking old man also in the room. When he saw her intention, the man frowned, but stopped abruptly.
"I'm not going to harm you, my dear." He told her, his voice soft, and oddly enough, held a humorous tilt to it, as if he found her separation rather funny.
"Yeah, well, that's for me to decide, mister, so just stay were you are." She deliberately made her voice sound tough, for she didn't want the old guy getting any funny ideas while they were alone together. Not that he could have gotten anything past Sam in his state, she mused. Looking him up and down obviously, she came to the conclusion that he must be about 100 years old.
"Looks can be deceiving, young lion." He said simply, and Sam's eyes flew open in disbelief. It was as if he had read her mind. Ignoring her stunned expression, he continued without a beat, "I must ask that you do not try to leave this chamber in the near future, for honestly, you will not get very far."
He smiled at her kindly, but Sam wasn't fooled. "I would like us to have a talk first. You were very ill when you arrived here, you shouldn't be moving around much." With that, he made his way purposely over to a chair next to the bed Sam hadn't even noticed before and sat down, staring at her expectedly.
Sam had finally had enough.
"Oh, I don't think so, buster," she snarled, and began to march towards the door..
.. Only to get there and find it suddenly blocked by three tall, grave figures.
Skidding to a halt, panic finally started to set in as Sam gaped up at the three men refusing her. They were some of the strangest looking people she had ever seen in all her travels, yet, in some way, some of the most beautiful. All three of the tall, imposing men had long, shimmering gold hair that reflected around them like a trio of halos. They had long, proud faces and deep blue eyes that pierced to her very soul. They were dressed in an assortment of long, flowing grey robes scattered with diamonds.
And all were gazing down at her regally with their slanted, pearly eyes with a look of avid distrust.
Stumbling back quickly, Sam looked around her wildly for another means of escape. Her situation had just gotten a hell of a lot worse and there was no way she was sitting around here waiting for the others to come and rescue her, she was doing it herself.
So intend was she on escape, that she didn't even notice the old man get up quickly from the seat as she started to back away from everyone towards the huge window that acted as a wall in the room. He had just reached her, his hand outstretched to grip her arm, when she noticed him finally.
"Get the hell away from me!" she cried, jerking away in shock, only to hit the bed as she went backwards, and let herself fall ungracefully to a sitting position. As the three men left their post at the door and quickly moved in towards her to aid the old man, their hands securely fastened on the sword hilts at their sides, Sam scrambled onto the bed and pushed backwards until she felt herself hit the head board. She stayed there, her eyes darting between the four men around the bed warily, gasping for breath.
"She is a mortal, Gandalf, " one of the beautiful young men suddenly murmured to the old man. Turning in his direction at his voice, Sam found his gaze locked on her face keenly and she flinched, her eyes again dropping to the long, silver sword he wore strapped to his lean waist.
The old man, Gandalf, obviously followed her gaze for he spoke next to the same blonde man who had first spoken. "Yes, thank you, Haldir. I'm quite sure I can handle it from here." He said pointly, indicating that the men should all leave.
Haldir, the tall, majestic figure closest to Sam, shot Gandalf a quick, intense glance. Whatever he saw there made up his mind, and he gave a great sign before nodding his head shortly.
"Of course."
With that, he shot Sam another distrustful, fleeting look before turning and leading the two other men out of the room silently. When they were again alone, Sam slowly lifted her gaze to Gandalf's, not knowing what to expect.
"Yes, well." He started, again sitting down and crossing his arms across his lap. "I am indeed sorry about all that, my dear. Elves, you see. Very emotional creatures they be."
Still wary, but realising that they hadn't even touched her so far, Sam sat back against the head board more comfortably, and again began looking around her surroundings curiously. Suddenly, she blinked.
Elves??
Turning back to Gandalf, she stared at him with wide eyes, wondering if she had indeed heard him properly. Deciding not to comment on that, she instead said quietly,
"Where am I?"
Gandalf, who before this had been idly stroking his beard, eyeing the room much the same way Sam had been doing, stilled at her words and turned to face her, his eyes shinning. "You are in the Kingdom of Lothlórien, if you must know, where I have taken you." He told her offhandedly. "Under the protection and guard of Lord Celeborn and his lady, Galadriel."
The words meant nothing to Sam and she shook her head, frustrated. "What does that mean?" she asked. "What planet?" she stressed.
Gandalf blinked at her words, his hands slowing. "What planet?" he repeated. "What planet indeed. You are in Middle-Earth of course, where else did you expect to be?"
Watching her reaction with narrowed eyes, the old man wasn't disappointed when Sam choked at his answer but schooled her emotions for a little bit longer. She had to find out where she was, and what had happened to the Stargate before she flew off the handle.
"Middle-Earth?" she said hesitantly. "That is that the name of your planet?" It seemed like a very unusual name to her, but she wasn't about to say that. The fact that the name had 'Earth' in it hadn't escaped her attention either, and she wondered at the significance.
Gandalf suddenly sighed and shook his head. "I don't know where you have come up with this Planet business, young lion, but it means nothing to me. Middle-Earth is the land you stand on." His eyes twinkled at the ironic fact that they were in fact, standing in trees, but continued.. "It is not a planet, whatever that may be."
Forgetting her fear of the situation, her scientific mind taking over, she frowned in confusion and turned around to face the old man. "You don't know what a planet is?" she asked, finding that hard to believe. Maybe, she thought, they used another term.
Gandalf nodded his head indifferently. "It seems so, but I am not bothered by it. I have spent my whole life up till now not hearing that word, and it has made no difference. I have lived my life how I always have without the knowledge of the word you hold dear, so how can one single word mean so much?"
Sam gaped at him, wondering how in hell she was going to answer that one.
Deciding she'd rather not, she tried another path. "What about a Stargate? Have you ever heard of that?"
He again shook his head, and Sam's heart sank. "What about the Portal? The Ring?" she asked, trying to think of the other names it had been called over the years. At the last name, the man suddenly turned to her and blinked slowly.
"Yes, the Ring." He said, and Sam breathed a sigh of relief. "It spat you out, it did." He continued, reaching into his cloak to bring out a long pipe. Sam watched, fascinated, while he loaded it with weed and lit it. Leaning back, he brought the pipe to his lips and took a deep breath.
Seeing they were getting nowhere, Sam pressed the man to continue. "Have you ever seen it before?" she asked, trying to get his attention away from his pipe. Old people were so annoying!
"That Ring?" Gandalf asked offhandedly. "No indeed."
She truthfully felt her heart stop in her chest as she heard his answer. Unable to believe what she was hearing, she breathed, "You haven't?"
Seemingly oblivious to her reaction, Gandalf took a puff of his pipe and turned his bushy eyes onto her once again, suddenly serious. "The Ring you came to us from has never been seen in Middle-Earth before, to my knowledge. I could be mistaken, of course, but it is highly unlikely. At any rate, it is gone now, probably never to return, so why bother asking about it?"
Fury welled up in Sam like she had never felt before. Jumping off the bed, she started to pace the length of the chamber, her arms waving out in front of her as she raved. "How can you say that?" she gasped, coming to a stop before Gandalf, who was watching her with interest, still puffing on his pipe.
Suddenly the sight of it annoyed the hell out of her and she spat, "Would you put that blasted thing down!? Don't you know Smoking's bad for you?"
He ignored her last outburst, instead concentrating on her earlier words. "I saw it clear as day, my dear. I was in fact riding past the very place at which you arrived when it happened. The air became cold; the wind blew stronger, and out of the air appeared the Ring. It was angry, making a terrible racket, when it began to flash brightly. Suddenly, it opened blue, and then it spat you out."
Sam didn't like to think of herself being 'spat out', but wisely kept that to herself. Thinking everything over in her head, she was overwhelmed. Sitting down on the bed again, she put her head in her hands and whispered loudly,
"This can not be happening." The image of Jack filled her mind and she shuddered at the thought of him also being stuck somewhere on this bizarre planet. When she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, the blonde Major looked up into Gandalf's kind eyes and she wondered how she could have ever doubted him. The Elves she was still a bit unsure of, especially Haldir, but this old man, when he looked at her, it was as if she was unable to think of anything bad. Warmth and kindness leaked into her soul with the contact of his hand and she found herself sighing at the predicament she was in.
"I think it is time you told me a bit about yourself, young lion, and where you have come from. For something tells me you have quite a tale to tell."
Unable to keep his gaze, she looked down, wondering how much to tell him. Somewhere inside of her knew it would just be easier to tell this powerful old man everything, even though she did not know him, did not know where in the universe she was. But all she did know was that she was away from Earth, away from Jack, Daniel and the others, and even away from her father and the Tok'ra.
"Tell me." Gandalf said gently, sitting down next to her on the bed.
And god help her.. she did.
****
A few hours later, Sam found herself walking silently through the many gardens of Lothlórien. Gandalf was at her side as they walked slowly between towering tree trunks, her now bare feet crushing the soft, warm grass beneath her feet. As they made their way through the heart of the hidden Kingdom, Sam kept her head down, deeply engrossed on the ground as she walked. That way she found it easier to imagine the four imposing yet loving forms of the men she wanted to be walking beside her on the soft grass as she went to meet her fate.
She could feel them as if they were really there. Jack would be one of side of her, instead of Gandalf, and Daniel on her other; both of her dear friends ready to protect her with everything they could. The rest of her men, Teal'c and Jonas, would be on the fringes, but protecting and giving her strength all the same. Oh, how she wanted them all here with her now.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw them, just as she knew she would. They came in groups. Many, many groups of tall grave men and beautiful, golden haired woman to come and stand on the borders of the garden pathway her and the old wizard were gliding down silently. They lined the pathway eventually, the elvish men and woman of Lórien, to watch her pass them as she made her way towards her fate, they unfathomable eyes following her with impartial gaze. They were golden haired, beautiful eyed and regally grave so greatly that it almost brought tears to her eyes to behold them.
They said nothing, did nothing, as she passed, with only Gandalf at her side, until they came to the start of a flight of stairs so great that Sam gasped, craning her neck backwards to see the end. But she could not, for there was none, they only got lost of the pale, misty shadows of the great trees that blanketed them. But standing there, surrounded by Elves, the mists of Lórien suddenly cleared and released their hidden brilliance to the world.
And it was then, as she stood deep within Lórien, that Samantha Carter first behead the splendour of Caras Galadhon, the City of the Trees, and the last ancient heart of a realm that existed long again, beyond thought and dreams.
It was as if Sam had suddenly forgotten how to breathe. Forgetting the silent, noble crowd behind and around her, and even Gandalf, she took a step forward to view the city as few of her kind had done before. Before her was a tall, great emerald-green wall which surrounded what Sam could only just make out to be a vast hill, on which the trunks of some of the tallest trees Sam had ever beheld were nestled deep within the earth.
Looking up, she saw that in those trees was Caras Galadhon, the greatest city of the Elves of Middle-Earth. It was nestled within the many branches, snug and protected from the outside world. Sam could easily see the thousands of silver, green and gold lights that filtered through the city, glowing in the everlasting mists and shadows of Lórien.
It was then that Sam felt something so profound that she had never experienced it before. Suddenly she knew how Daniel had felt upon first viewing Abydos, how Teal'c felt about Chulak, and hell, even how the Colonel felt about his beloved cabin in Minnesota.
It was in that instant that Sam Carter found home.
****
"You have come to Lothlórien, mortal, under the protection of Gandalf the Grey, but not with the blessing of my lady, for which purpose we have called you to us. Lothlórien is a sacred city, free from the plagues and death of Man, yet here you stand before us, alive and well as can be of your kind. From which do you speak?"
The voice of the man before her fell upon Sam's ears like a mighty sword; deep and swift. Instantly, she felt herself fall to her knees as the awesome power in the voice overcame her. She didn't know what made her do it, really, but her legs seemed not to listen to the rest of her body and did it on their own. The chamber in which she was in fell silent, the many figures seated around the windows all staring down at her curiously as they waited to see what their Lord would do.
Sam was waiting too, mentally cursing herself in disbelief, and she felt her body start to shake with the tension. Suddenly, she felt a cold, slender finger place itself under her chin and none to gently force her face upwards. Blinking a few times, Sam gazed into the depths of Lord Celeborn's everlasting eyes and found thousands of years of memory hidden behind the blue walls. She felt the Elvish King search her soul with his very gaze and was powerless to look away. Indeed, she did not want to look away, for she felt all her mortal sins would be blessed within his eyes.
After a time, Celeborn slowly closed his eyes and gave a small sigh, reaching down to help her to her feet with the gentleness of a king. Then he left her and made his way back towards his lady where they both then stood, looking down upon her, deciding what to do with her.
Feeling a buried strength suddenly begin to flow within her bones, Sam looked up and proudly met their gaze. She was a human, a warrior of the SGC, and there was no way she was going to be looked down upon by these aliens, if that was indeed what they were. She straightened her back, put her hands at her side and met them full on, like a soldier, and she knew Jack would be proud of her.
"She has found hidden strength, my love." said Galadriel clearly, and Sam looked up at the tall woman before her.
Both Galadriel and Celeborn were tall elves, even by what Sam considered normal standards. Both were incomparably beautiful in a way she had never seen before. It was as if the very sun flowed out of their eyes and bathed the world in its splendour. They were together clad entirety in white robes encrusted with gems, and the lady's hair was of a deep, deep gold and fell to her waist in waves. The hair of the lord was a clear silver and straight as an arrow. They were ageless, as old as the earth itself and this could only been seen by gazing in to their eyes, from which the history of Middle- Earth could basically be seen playing before you.
Taking a step towards the majestic pair, Sam lifted her head and spoke in a clear voice just as Gandalf had told her to. "I am Samantha Carter of Earth, and I mean your majesties no harm. I am indeed a guest in your beautiful land, and I come with no blessing, at which I give my heartfelt regret. It was not my intention."
Taking a deep breath, and remembering what Gandalf had told her earlier about this place, she continued. "I know now that you also, mean me no harm, and I offer my thanks. I will readily tell you whatever you wish to know about myself and my land, and all I ask is that I would be given the same opportunity."
She stopped, holding her breath for their reaction, and wondering if this day was going to be her last.
It was Galadriel who answered, in a way. She slowly took a step forward, leaving Celeborn to gaze after her serenely, and came to stand before the fellow blonde human, causing Sam to look up to meet her gaze. They stared at each other for a while, the woman and the elf Queen, before Galadriel suddenly smiled so brilliantly that Sam swallowed the lump in her throat.
She reached up with her bejewelled hand and rested the back of it against Sam's check and Sam felt the skin tingle at the touch. She wondered if the spot would ever feel the same again.
Slowly, yet lovingly, the elf let her hand drop from Sam's face and fall to her side silently. She looked down at Sam kindly.
"Welcome, Samantha Carter, young lion of Gandalf the Grey, to Lothlórien. Let it be known within this realm that you will always be welcome in peace or in peril. Let this be your haven until you find your way home, wherever that may be."
She smiled again, radiantly, and then reached down to take Sam's hand in hers.
"A feast will be prepared in your honour, and you will tell us all about your land, and your travels, and we will decide whether you are worthy of our tales."
****
Hours later, Sam again stood in her spacious chamber with tall windows that acted as walls, her now bare arms resting on the windowsill, gazing out into the misty legions of her new home among the trees.
Frankly, she felt like an Ewok.
That thought brought a ghost of a smile to her lips before it vanished on the wind as the full extend of the last few days finally hit her. Feeling a sob getting lodged in her throat, Sam rested her elbows on the windowsill and let her head fall into her hands as everything hit her at once.
She was stranded, for what was likely the unforeseeable future, as nobody here seemed to have heard of anything even slightly resembling a Stargate and she was alone. How she wished Daniel or Jonas would suddenly run through the doorway, or Teal'c would appear at her side, silent as ever. But most of all, she wanted Jack, Colonel O'Neill no longer, to come bounding into the room, even if it was slightly after Daniel and Jonas, rush up to her side and give her a big hug and tell her that they were getting her out of here.
Oh, she loved Lórien. Possibly more than she ever should, but she just wished the others were here to share it with her. She could just see Daniel's expressions if he saw this place. He would be over the moon, literally.
God, she hoped they were okay.
Jack was going to kill her if he ever found her again. The arrival of that abrupt thought made her jerk back from the window in shock, and make her way over to the large bed. Plopping down on the soft silver covers, Sam unconsciously crossed her arms across her chest, wondering where that had come from.
But it was true; there was no denying that. They had only been seeing each other for a few months, in secret as well, and she could just imagine what he was going through right now. There was a distinct possibility that they thought she was dead, swallowed up by the gate too soon, never to be returned. Closing her eyes, she knew that that was only if they had all survived as well.
Firmly, she told herself that of course they had. It was only her that Gandalf had found where the Stargate had spat her out, wasn't it? There was no one else there with her. So the only thing that could mean was that they had survived, were back on Earth, while she was stranded here, in the middle of nowhere.
And pregnant.
Just bloody great.
Moaning, Sam flopped back onto her back and covered her bare arm across her eyes, unable to deny the truth that she was royally screwed. Mentally kicking herself, she questioned her judgement in telling Jack just as much as she scolded herself for not telling Janet. The second had a fairly easy answer.
She had known that if Janet knew she was pregnant, there was no way she would have allowed her to go to Cimmera with the rest of her team, just as much as she had known that it would mean the end of her and Jack's intense hidden romance of the last few months. Everything would change, there was no way it couldn't with people having to be told that she was having Jack's baby.
Daniel would be shocked, stunned, amazed, delighted.. then annoyed that they hadn't told him earlier. Probably the same with Jonas.
Teal'c.well, Sam wasn't so sure. He would be happy for them, she knew that much, and she had the sneaking suspicion that Teal'c would just love to train a child from her and Jack.
But Hammond and her father.. they would be disappointed in them, that was obvious.
It was for that reason mostly that she hadn't told Janet two days ago when she found out she was pregnant. She knew Janet would be duty bound to tell Hammond, and it was bound to get back to her father either way. But after her little 'accident' a few days ago concerning her and Jack in her lab, she had made excuse and excuse and eventually gotten out of her pre-mission physical so Janet hadn't found out either way.
But telling Jack, well, that had been the easiest part of all. She couldn't deny the fact that she was happy to be having his baby; actually, she was over the moon, even if the timing was a little off. And it seemed that he had felt the exact same way. She knew that she would always remember his facial expression as she marched into his office that very morning, an hour before their mission was expected to begin, and announced the fact, knowing that the cameras in the room would be off for the next 10 minutes.
His mouth had done a very good impersonation of a goldfish for a few seconds before he slowly began to smile. And Smile. And smile, until the fact that they were due for a mission had struck him hard.
But Sam had been expecting this, and quickly stopped his protest, saying that under no circumstance was she missing the trip to Cimmera. Patiently she explained to him that there was no way travelling through the Stargate would affect the baby, (why should it when pregnant woman had probably been travelling through it for thousands of years?) and it was a peaceful mission to a friendly planet.
Finally, Jack had seen the sense in the matter and let it drop, making Sam promise that they were going to sit down and have a nice long chat when they got back to the SGC about what they were going to do with their futures.
But that had never come.
So here she was, stuck in Lothlórien with the elves and an odd old wizard, while Jack was back on Earth probably worried to death about hers and the baby's fate.
It was a cruel outcome on both sides.
But it was one that she was going to make the best out of, she suddenly decided, sitting up straight on the bed. She was not going to stay here, wallowing in her own misery. She was going to make the best out of her life now for her and her baby, until she found the Stargate and got out of here back to the SGC. She would do that for Jack.
Filled with new resolve, she got off the bed and went back to the window, gazing up into the misty treetops of Lórien, seeing the black night sky peaking in from between the trees. They had accepted her in Lothlórien, so this was where she was going to stay until she could go home. She would be protected from the outside world, her baby would be protected, and that was what she desperately needed at this moment, stuck on a world that she knew nothing about.
But she knew one thing, she decided, as she watched the elves go about their business silently below her within the landings in the tree branches.
And that was that she would find a way home, even if it took her entire life to do it.
***
"Arise, arise, Riders of Theoden! Fell deeds awake: fire and slaughter! Spear shall be shaken, shield be splintered, A sword-day, a red day, ere the sun rises! Ride now, ride now! Ride to Gondor!"
The Muster of Rohan. "The Return of the King"
****
Sam Carter could hear the wheezing wind-up of the Gate's power even from inside the wormhole. Instead of the non-stop travel to the other planet from the Stargate, it was as if she was stuck in limbo half way to her destination. As she lay there, paralysed between time and space, she wondered deep in her subconscious were the rest of her team were, if they too, were suck in the abyss that she now resided in, or that they had actually made it to their objective.
SG-1 had been invited by Gairwyn back to Cimmera for some kind of yearly festival celebration and were looking forward to a few well-deserved days off. Thinking back, her mind failing, Sam could just remember stepping through the gate before the rest of her team before disaster struck. There was no way of knowing if Jack, Daniel, Jonas or Teal'c had followed her through.
It could have been a minute or a million years that she hung there, suspended in the blue wash of the wormhole. Her eyes were closed; she knew that much for the blackness of her eyelids was the only colour she could make out. She sighed, feeling herself falling into a deep, deep sleep.
Suddenly, Sam was torn from her slumber by the sound of an almighty rip. It was as if time itself was being torn apart. As the pressure started to build on her mind she gave an ear-splitting scream of pure terror as she felt herself being pulled away from the abyss of cerulean comfort. Her hands were pinned at her sides, helpless to her struggles for freedom.
The next conscious thought that came to her was one of being exploded from the safety of the blue wash that she travelled though so often and feeling herself being thrown through the air.
With an enormous crash, the dazed woman found herself sprawled in the dirt of the planet's surface, her head smacking on the hard ground so forcefully that it made it ring. She lay there, stunned at the force of her landing, to damaged to move. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the Stargate flicker angrily, once.. twice.. before it disappeared completely.
When she saw this, Sam groaned, as she realised no help would come. With a cry of pain, she managed to roll herself onto her back in the dirt and she lay there, heaving for breath. Her hand desperately clutched her flat stomach, trying in vane to protect her baby inside.
The silence was suddenly broken by a voice that she had never heard before, but deep within her found very comforting.
"Well, now!" said the voice. "Where have you come from, my lady? Falling out of that almighty ring like that?"
Her vision swimming, Sam looked up at the sky, which was suddenly blocked by the figure of a very, very old man with a great grey beard and masses of grey hair. He was staring down at her; his bushy eyebrows raised in question, calm-as-you-please, waiting for her answer.
Wondering if this was a figure of her imagination, Sam moaned and turned her head away from the man.
"Now, Now! Don't have to be rude. I happen to know about many magical rings, but none to my knowledge can throw a person of itself! No, my lady, your magical ring is something quite different!"
And that was the last thing Sam remembered for a very long time..
****
She woke in a bed, that much see knew. Smothering a moan, she reached up to grip her head, running her hands through her short blonde hair. Feeling the beginning of a bump, she winced and slowly took her hand away. Lifting her head, the Major started to survey her new surroundings, but instantly stopped in disbelief.
She was in a large, airy chamber that had no walls to speak of, save for a huge, pointed roof that hung above her in all its silver, star-studded glory. Looking around, her sheets pooling about her waist, Sam found herself sitting in a large, comfy bed with silver sheets that matched the roof. Turning her head to the side, her eyes opened in shock as she saw a thick, blurry group of white tree branches outside her floor length window, swirling in the mist.
"Oh, my god." she whispered, scrambling out of her bed to rush to the window. Grasping the railing in one hand, she looked down and found herself surrounded in pale, majestic white trees. She seemed to be in a chamber build high in the tops of some of the hugest trees Sam had ever seen.
"Yes, they are quite impressive, no?" The same voice from before startled her out of her shock, and the woman spun around to face him.
The old man was standing at the base of set of small steps that led down into the chamber from the doorway. He was leaning on a twisted, wooden staff and watching her intently from beneath his bushy grey eyebrows. Obviously knowing how unsettled she was, the man descended the stairs slowly, as if he expected her to bolt at any second.
And deep in her mind, Sam wondered why she wasn't. She didn't know how long she had been out for, but surely Jack and the others would be searching for her desperately.if they survived the gate's outburst in the first place. But Sam refused to think like that, that her friends were dead and she was stuck out here in some godforsaken planet on her own. She clung to the notion that the address of the planet she was now on was locked into the base computer and her team were on their way to rescue her this very second.
With that thought in mind, she started to shuffle towards the bed, to at least put some distance between her and the strange looking old man also in the room. When he saw her intention, the man frowned, but stopped abruptly.
"I'm not going to harm you, my dear." He told her, his voice soft, and oddly enough, held a humorous tilt to it, as if he found her separation rather funny.
"Yeah, well, that's for me to decide, mister, so just stay were you are." She deliberately made her voice sound tough, for she didn't want the old guy getting any funny ideas while they were alone together. Not that he could have gotten anything past Sam in his state, she mused. Looking him up and down obviously, she came to the conclusion that he must be about 100 years old.
"Looks can be deceiving, young lion." He said simply, and Sam's eyes flew open in disbelief. It was as if he had read her mind. Ignoring her stunned expression, he continued without a beat, "I must ask that you do not try to leave this chamber in the near future, for honestly, you will not get very far."
He smiled at her kindly, but Sam wasn't fooled. "I would like us to have a talk first. You were very ill when you arrived here, you shouldn't be moving around much." With that, he made his way purposely over to a chair next to the bed Sam hadn't even noticed before and sat down, staring at her expectedly.
Sam had finally had enough.
"Oh, I don't think so, buster," she snarled, and began to march towards the door..
.. Only to get there and find it suddenly blocked by three tall, grave figures.
Skidding to a halt, panic finally started to set in as Sam gaped up at the three men refusing her. They were some of the strangest looking people she had ever seen in all her travels, yet, in some way, some of the most beautiful. All three of the tall, imposing men had long, shimmering gold hair that reflected around them like a trio of halos. They had long, proud faces and deep blue eyes that pierced to her very soul. They were dressed in an assortment of long, flowing grey robes scattered with diamonds.
And all were gazing down at her regally with their slanted, pearly eyes with a look of avid distrust.
Stumbling back quickly, Sam looked around her wildly for another means of escape. Her situation had just gotten a hell of a lot worse and there was no way she was sitting around here waiting for the others to come and rescue her, she was doing it herself.
So intend was she on escape, that she didn't even notice the old man get up quickly from the seat as she started to back away from everyone towards the huge window that acted as a wall in the room. He had just reached her, his hand outstretched to grip her arm, when she noticed him finally.
"Get the hell away from me!" she cried, jerking away in shock, only to hit the bed as she went backwards, and let herself fall ungracefully to a sitting position. As the three men left their post at the door and quickly moved in towards her to aid the old man, their hands securely fastened on the sword hilts at their sides, Sam scrambled onto the bed and pushed backwards until she felt herself hit the head board. She stayed there, her eyes darting between the four men around the bed warily, gasping for breath.
"She is a mortal, Gandalf, " one of the beautiful young men suddenly murmured to the old man. Turning in his direction at his voice, Sam found his gaze locked on her face keenly and she flinched, her eyes again dropping to the long, silver sword he wore strapped to his lean waist.
The old man, Gandalf, obviously followed her gaze for he spoke next to the same blonde man who had first spoken. "Yes, thank you, Haldir. I'm quite sure I can handle it from here." He said pointly, indicating that the men should all leave.
Haldir, the tall, majestic figure closest to Sam, shot Gandalf a quick, intense glance. Whatever he saw there made up his mind, and he gave a great sign before nodding his head shortly.
"Of course."
With that, he shot Sam another distrustful, fleeting look before turning and leading the two other men out of the room silently. When they were again alone, Sam slowly lifted her gaze to Gandalf's, not knowing what to expect.
"Yes, well." He started, again sitting down and crossing his arms across his lap. "I am indeed sorry about all that, my dear. Elves, you see. Very emotional creatures they be."
Still wary, but realising that they hadn't even touched her so far, Sam sat back against the head board more comfortably, and again began looking around her surroundings curiously. Suddenly, she blinked.
Elves??
Turning back to Gandalf, she stared at him with wide eyes, wondering if she had indeed heard him properly. Deciding not to comment on that, she instead said quietly,
"Where am I?"
Gandalf, who before this had been idly stroking his beard, eyeing the room much the same way Sam had been doing, stilled at her words and turned to face her, his eyes shinning. "You are in the Kingdom of Lothlórien, if you must know, where I have taken you." He told her offhandedly. "Under the protection and guard of Lord Celeborn and his lady, Galadriel."
The words meant nothing to Sam and she shook her head, frustrated. "What does that mean?" she asked. "What planet?" she stressed.
Gandalf blinked at her words, his hands slowing. "What planet?" he repeated. "What planet indeed. You are in Middle-Earth of course, where else did you expect to be?"
Watching her reaction with narrowed eyes, the old man wasn't disappointed when Sam choked at his answer but schooled her emotions for a little bit longer. She had to find out where she was, and what had happened to the Stargate before she flew off the handle.
"Middle-Earth?" she said hesitantly. "That is that the name of your planet?" It seemed like a very unusual name to her, but she wasn't about to say that. The fact that the name had 'Earth' in it hadn't escaped her attention either, and she wondered at the significance.
Gandalf suddenly sighed and shook his head. "I don't know where you have come up with this Planet business, young lion, but it means nothing to me. Middle-Earth is the land you stand on." His eyes twinkled at the ironic fact that they were in fact, standing in trees, but continued.. "It is not a planet, whatever that may be."
Forgetting her fear of the situation, her scientific mind taking over, she frowned in confusion and turned around to face the old man. "You don't know what a planet is?" she asked, finding that hard to believe. Maybe, she thought, they used another term.
Gandalf nodded his head indifferently. "It seems so, but I am not bothered by it. I have spent my whole life up till now not hearing that word, and it has made no difference. I have lived my life how I always have without the knowledge of the word you hold dear, so how can one single word mean so much?"
Sam gaped at him, wondering how in hell she was going to answer that one.
Deciding she'd rather not, she tried another path. "What about a Stargate? Have you ever heard of that?"
He again shook his head, and Sam's heart sank. "What about the Portal? The Ring?" she asked, trying to think of the other names it had been called over the years. At the last name, the man suddenly turned to her and blinked slowly.
"Yes, the Ring." He said, and Sam breathed a sigh of relief. "It spat you out, it did." He continued, reaching into his cloak to bring out a long pipe. Sam watched, fascinated, while he loaded it with weed and lit it. Leaning back, he brought the pipe to his lips and took a deep breath.
Seeing they were getting nowhere, Sam pressed the man to continue. "Have you ever seen it before?" she asked, trying to get his attention away from his pipe. Old people were so annoying!
"That Ring?" Gandalf asked offhandedly. "No indeed."
She truthfully felt her heart stop in her chest as she heard his answer. Unable to believe what she was hearing, she breathed, "You haven't?"
Seemingly oblivious to her reaction, Gandalf took a puff of his pipe and turned his bushy eyes onto her once again, suddenly serious. "The Ring you came to us from has never been seen in Middle-Earth before, to my knowledge. I could be mistaken, of course, but it is highly unlikely. At any rate, it is gone now, probably never to return, so why bother asking about it?"
Fury welled up in Sam like she had never felt before. Jumping off the bed, she started to pace the length of the chamber, her arms waving out in front of her as she raved. "How can you say that?" she gasped, coming to a stop before Gandalf, who was watching her with interest, still puffing on his pipe.
Suddenly the sight of it annoyed the hell out of her and she spat, "Would you put that blasted thing down!? Don't you know Smoking's bad for you?"
He ignored her last outburst, instead concentrating on her earlier words. "I saw it clear as day, my dear. I was in fact riding past the very place at which you arrived when it happened. The air became cold; the wind blew stronger, and out of the air appeared the Ring. It was angry, making a terrible racket, when it began to flash brightly. Suddenly, it opened blue, and then it spat you out."
Sam didn't like to think of herself being 'spat out', but wisely kept that to herself. Thinking everything over in her head, she was overwhelmed. Sitting down on the bed again, she put her head in her hands and whispered loudly,
"This can not be happening." The image of Jack filled her mind and she shuddered at the thought of him also being stuck somewhere on this bizarre planet. When she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, the blonde Major looked up into Gandalf's kind eyes and she wondered how she could have ever doubted him. The Elves she was still a bit unsure of, especially Haldir, but this old man, when he looked at her, it was as if she was unable to think of anything bad. Warmth and kindness leaked into her soul with the contact of his hand and she found herself sighing at the predicament she was in.
"I think it is time you told me a bit about yourself, young lion, and where you have come from. For something tells me you have quite a tale to tell."
Unable to keep his gaze, she looked down, wondering how much to tell him. Somewhere inside of her knew it would just be easier to tell this powerful old man everything, even though she did not know him, did not know where in the universe she was. But all she did know was that she was away from Earth, away from Jack, Daniel and the others, and even away from her father and the Tok'ra.
"Tell me." Gandalf said gently, sitting down next to her on the bed.
And god help her.. she did.
****
A few hours later, Sam found herself walking silently through the many gardens of Lothlórien. Gandalf was at her side as they walked slowly between towering tree trunks, her now bare feet crushing the soft, warm grass beneath her feet. As they made their way through the heart of the hidden Kingdom, Sam kept her head down, deeply engrossed on the ground as she walked. That way she found it easier to imagine the four imposing yet loving forms of the men she wanted to be walking beside her on the soft grass as she went to meet her fate.
She could feel them as if they were really there. Jack would be one of side of her, instead of Gandalf, and Daniel on her other; both of her dear friends ready to protect her with everything they could. The rest of her men, Teal'c and Jonas, would be on the fringes, but protecting and giving her strength all the same. Oh, how she wanted them all here with her now.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw them, just as she knew she would. They came in groups. Many, many groups of tall grave men and beautiful, golden haired woman to come and stand on the borders of the garden pathway her and the old wizard were gliding down silently. They lined the pathway eventually, the elvish men and woman of Lórien, to watch her pass them as she made her way towards her fate, they unfathomable eyes following her with impartial gaze. They were golden haired, beautiful eyed and regally grave so greatly that it almost brought tears to her eyes to behold them.
They said nothing, did nothing, as she passed, with only Gandalf at her side, until they came to the start of a flight of stairs so great that Sam gasped, craning her neck backwards to see the end. But she could not, for there was none, they only got lost of the pale, misty shadows of the great trees that blanketed them. But standing there, surrounded by Elves, the mists of Lórien suddenly cleared and released their hidden brilliance to the world.
And it was then, as she stood deep within Lórien, that Samantha Carter first behead the splendour of Caras Galadhon, the City of the Trees, and the last ancient heart of a realm that existed long again, beyond thought and dreams.
It was as if Sam had suddenly forgotten how to breathe. Forgetting the silent, noble crowd behind and around her, and even Gandalf, she took a step forward to view the city as few of her kind had done before. Before her was a tall, great emerald-green wall which surrounded what Sam could only just make out to be a vast hill, on which the trunks of some of the tallest trees Sam had ever beheld were nestled deep within the earth.
Looking up, she saw that in those trees was Caras Galadhon, the greatest city of the Elves of Middle-Earth. It was nestled within the many branches, snug and protected from the outside world. Sam could easily see the thousands of silver, green and gold lights that filtered through the city, glowing in the everlasting mists and shadows of Lórien.
It was then that Sam felt something so profound that she had never experienced it before. Suddenly she knew how Daniel had felt upon first viewing Abydos, how Teal'c felt about Chulak, and hell, even how the Colonel felt about his beloved cabin in Minnesota.
It was in that instant that Sam Carter found home.
****
"You have come to Lothlórien, mortal, under the protection of Gandalf the Grey, but not with the blessing of my lady, for which purpose we have called you to us. Lothlórien is a sacred city, free from the plagues and death of Man, yet here you stand before us, alive and well as can be of your kind. From which do you speak?"
The voice of the man before her fell upon Sam's ears like a mighty sword; deep and swift. Instantly, she felt herself fall to her knees as the awesome power in the voice overcame her. She didn't know what made her do it, really, but her legs seemed not to listen to the rest of her body and did it on their own. The chamber in which she was in fell silent, the many figures seated around the windows all staring down at her curiously as they waited to see what their Lord would do.
Sam was waiting too, mentally cursing herself in disbelief, and she felt her body start to shake with the tension. Suddenly, she felt a cold, slender finger place itself under her chin and none to gently force her face upwards. Blinking a few times, Sam gazed into the depths of Lord Celeborn's everlasting eyes and found thousands of years of memory hidden behind the blue walls. She felt the Elvish King search her soul with his very gaze and was powerless to look away. Indeed, she did not want to look away, for she felt all her mortal sins would be blessed within his eyes.
After a time, Celeborn slowly closed his eyes and gave a small sigh, reaching down to help her to her feet with the gentleness of a king. Then he left her and made his way back towards his lady where they both then stood, looking down upon her, deciding what to do with her.
Feeling a buried strength suddenly begin to flow within her bones, Sam looked up and proudly met their gaze. She was a human, a warrior of the SGC, and there was no way she was going to be looked down upon by these aliens, if that was indeed what they were. She straightened her back, put her hands at her side and met them full on, like a soldier, and she knew Jack would be proud of her.
"She has found hidden strength, my love." said Galadriel clearly, and Sam looked up at the tall woman before her.
Both Galadriel and Celeborn were tall elves, even by what Sam considered normal standards. Both were incomparably beautiful in a way she had never seen before. It was as if the very sun flowed out of their eyes and bathed the world in its splendour. They were together clad entirety in white robes encrusted with gems, and the lady's hair was of a deep, deep gold and fell to her waist in waves. The hair of the lord was a clear silver and straight as an arrow. They were ageless, as old as the earth itself and this could only been seen by gazing in to their eyes, from which the history of Middle- Earth could basically be seen playing before you.
Taking a step towards the majestic pair, Sam lifted her head and spoke in a clear voice just as Gandalf had told her to. "I am Samantha Carter of Earth, and I mean your majesties no harm. I am indeed a guest in your beautiful land, and I come with no blessing, at which I give my heartfelt regret. It was not my intention."
Taking a deep breath, and remembering what Gandalf had told her earlier about this place, she continued. "I know now that you also, mean me no harm, and I offer my thanks. I will readily tell you whatever you wish to know about myself and my land, and all I ask is that I would be given the same opportunity."
She stopped, holding her breath for their reaction, and wondering if this day was going to be her last.
It was Galadriel who answered, in a way. She slowly took a step forward, leaving Celeborn to gaze after her serenely, and came to stand before the fellow blonde human, causing Sam to look up to meet her gaze. They stared at each other for a while, the woman and the elf Queen, before Galadriel suddenly smiled so brilliantly that Sam swallowed the lump in her throat.
She reached up with her bejewelled hand and rested the back of it against Sam's check and Sam felt the skin tingle at the touch. She wondered if the spot would ever feel the same again.
Slowly, yet lovingly, the elf let her hand drop from Sam's face and fall to her side silently. She looked down at Sam kindly.
"Welcome, Samantha Carter, young lion of Gandalf the Grey, to Lothlórien. Let it be known within this realm that you will always be welcome in peace or in peril. Let this be your haven until you find your way home, wherever that may be."
She smiled again, radiantly, and then reached down to take Sam's hand in hers.
"A feast will be prepared in your honour, and you will tell us all about your land, and your travels, and we will decide whether you are worthy of our tales."
****
Hours later, Sam again stood in her spacious chamber with tall windows that acted as walls, her now bare arms resting on the windowsill, gazing out into the misty legions of her new home among the trees.
Frankly, she felt like an Ewok.
That thought brought a ghost of a smile to her lips before it vanished on the wind as the full extend of the last few days finally hit her. Feeling a sob getting lodged in her throat, Sam rested her elbows on the windowsill and let her head fall into her hands as everything hit her at once.
She was stranded, for what was likely the unforeseeable future, as nobody here seemed to have heard of anything even slightly resembling a Stargate and she was alone. How she wished Daniel or Jonas would suddenly run through the doorway, or Teal'c would appear at her side, silent as ever. But most of all, she wanted Jack, Colonel O'Neill no longer, to come bounding into the room, even if it was slightly after Daniel and Jonas, rush up to her side and give her a big hug and tell her that they were getting her out of here.
Oh, she loved Lórien. Possibly more than she ever should, but she just wished the others were here to share it with her. She could just see Daniel's expressions if he saw this place. He would be over the moon, literally.
God, she hoped they were okay.
Jack was going to kill her if he ever found her again. The arrival of that abrupt thought made her jerk back from the window in shock, and make her way over to the large bed. Plopping down on the soft silver covers, Sam unconsciously crossed her arms across her chest, wondering where that had come from.
But it was true; there was no denying that. They had only been seeing each other for a few months, in secret as well, and she could just imagine what he was going through right now. There was a distinct possibility that they thought she was dead, swallowed up by the gate too soon, never to be returned. Closing her eyes, she knew that that was only if they had all survived as well.
Firmly, she told herself that of course they had. It was only her that Gandalf had found where the Stargate had spat her out, wasn't it? There was no one else there with her. So the only thing that could mean was that they had survived, were back on Earth, while she was stranded here, in the middle of nowhere.
And pregnant.
Just bloody great.
Moaning, Sam flopped back onto her back and covered her bare arm across her eyes, unable to deny the truth that she was royally screwed. Mentally kicking herself, she questioned her judgement in telling Jack just as much as she scolded herself for not telling Janet. The second had a fairly easy answer.
She had known that if Janet knew she was pregnant, there was no way she would have allowed her to go to Cimmera with the rest of her team, just as much as she had known that it would mean the end of her and Jack's intense hidden romance of the last few months. Everything would change, there was no way it couldn't with people having to be told that she was having Jack's baby.
Daniel would be shocked, stunned, amazed, delighted.. then annoyed that they hadn't told him earlier. Probably the same with Jonas.
Teal'c.well, Sam wasn't so sure. He would be happy for them, she knew that much, and she had the sneaking suspicion that Teal'c would just love to train a child from her and Jack.
But Hammond and her father.. they would be disappointed in them, that was obvious.
It was for that reason mostly that she hadn't told Janet two days ago when she found out she was pregnant. She knew Janet would be duty bound to tell Hammond, and it was bound to get back to her father either way. But after her little 'accident' a few days ago concerning her and Jack in her lab, she had made excuse and excuse and eventually gotten out of her pre-mission physical so Janet hadn't found out either way.
But telling Jack, well, that had been the easiest part of all. She couldn't deny the fact that she was happy to be having his baby; actually, she was over the moon, even if the timing was a little off. And it seemed that he had felt the exact same way. She knew that she would always remember his facial expression as she marched into his office that very morning, an hour before their mission was expected to begin, and announced the fact, knowing that the cameras in the room would be off for the next 10 minutes.
His mouth had done a very good impersonation of a goldfish for a few seconds before he slowly began to smile. And Smile. And smile, until the fact that they were due for a mission had struck him hard.
But Sam had been expecting this, and quickly stopped his protest, saying that under no circumstance was she missing the trip to Cimmera. Patiently she explained to him that there was no way travelling through the Stargate would affect the baby, (why should it when pregnant woman had probably been travelling through it for thousands of years?) and it was a peaceful mission to a friendly planet.
Finally, Jack had seen the sense in the matter and let it drop, making Sam promise that they were going to sit down and have a nice long chat when they got back to the SGC about what they were going to do with their futures.
But that had never come.
So here she was, stuck in Lothlórien with the elves and an odd old wizard, while Jack was back on Earth probably worried to death about hers and the baby's fate.
It was a cruel outcome on both sides.
But it was one that she was going to make the best out of, she suddenly decided, sitting up straight on the bed. She was not going to stay here, wallowing in her own misery. She was going to make the best out of her life now for her and her baby, until she found the Stargate and got out of here back to the SGC. She would do that for Jack.
Filled with new resolve, she got off the bed and went back to the window, gazing up into the misty treetops of Lórien, seeing the black night sky peaking in from between the trees. They had accepted her in Lothlórien, so this was where she was going to stay until she could go home. She would be protected from the outside world, her baby would be protected, and that was what she desperately needed at this moment, stuck on a world that she knew nothing about.
But she knew one thing, she decided, as she watched the elves go about their business silently below her within the landings in the tree branches.
And that was that she would find a way home, even if it took her entire life to do it.
***