A/N: Thank you for all the great reviews so far! I'm really glad people seem to be enjoying it so far. Your feedback has been really helpful with this first fic of mine. A note on Cocoa Girl's review, I'm not sure why Jack would be purring? hides Anyway, this is just the beginning of what I hope will be quite an adventure for Sam (or misadventures at any rate!) The next chapter will be more Sam. I'm sorry to space them out, but when I write a Sam chap that is following the same thread as another chapter I have to write them together and can't post it since I need to make sure the details are matching up correctly. I've been spreading out the chapters I have done so I won't have to much space between updates and when I have time to work on developing the story. Now I need to start researching some ancient cat worshipping cultures that Daniel might not know about, so it can't be Egyptian. If I can't find something, might just have to get creative!
As SG-1 left the room, Hammond quickly gave orders to have SG-3 and 7 get ready to go off world in one hour and to have someone with veterinary training go check out the Colonel's new furry friend.
Chapter 5
"Well you are back early Colonel." Doctor Janet Fraiser smiled at the boys of SG-1 as they entered her infirmary. She frowned as she noticed their expressions and did a quick head count. Sam wasn't with them. And was Teal'c carrying a cat?? "Did Sam call the showers first? And you better have a good reason for bringing an animal into my infirmary! Who knows what it may be carrying! It could have fleas or worse!" Janet could have sworn she heard the cat growling softly. Great, just great, it would probably attack someone. She tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the sheepish Colonel to reply.
"Awww Doc, the General is going to let us have a mascot..." He let the sentence trail off as he saw that Janet was most definitely Not Amused. Daniel blew his nose again and decided to help bail Jack out before he dug himself in any deeper.
"We think Sam was transported somewhere by an alien device she was studying." Daniel tried to explain. "The only sign she'd been there was her clothes and gear, and this cat had been left unconscious inside her stuff. It has got to be related somehow." Daniel continued to wear a puzzled frown, as he locked eyes with Janet, who's own brow was creased with worry upon hearing Sam was missing.
"General Hammond wished for all of us to be examined before allowing us to return to the planet with SG 3 and 7 to search for Major Carter. I believe we should make haste, the planet is growing darker and the night will be cold." Teal'c added his own assessment.
Janet sighed. Orders were orders. "Ok, we better do this in an isolation room we can't have that cat wandering all over. This way guys." Janet led the way, collecting up some supplies and an aide to help with the post missions. On the way they met up with a Captain who introduced himself as a Captain Brunsfeld, and said he had some training in veterinary medicine, and that he usually worked with the SGC's K-9 units. The cat was growling again softly, eyeing the vet. It seemed to know what was coming. They entered one of the large isolation rooms and Janet directed Teal'c to leave the cat on a metal table with Captain Brunsfeld, and for one of the guys to come with her behind a privacy screen, while the others had the blood work drawn.
Teal'c moved to set the yellow cat down, and paused his hand hovering over it. A familiar tingling sensation had been bothering him while he had carried the cat, it hadn't been strong so he'd dismissed it, but the feeling lessened as he set his small charge down. The cat shook itself out of the t-shirt and sat quietly, wide blue eyes locked with his brown ones. It made a move to stand and take a few steps but again, it couldn't seem to coordinate its limbs and nearly ended up taking a nosedive. Finally, it seemed to decide that it would just sit and hold still instead. He held his hand over the creature, frowning slightly.
"What is it Teal'c?" O'Neill had stopped just before going behind the curtain with Doctor Fraiser, as he noticed his friend and teammate hesitating over the cat, which now sat rock solid still, staring at Teal'c, almost without blinking.
Teal'c creased his brow, as his lips turned down into an even deeper frown. He continued to hold his hand over the cat as he answered. "I am not sure O'Neill. I get an odd sensation from this animal. I believe it carries naquadah. But there is something more."
Jack cursed. "You don't think it's a trap, like that bomb in Cassandra?" Jack exchanged an alarmed glance with Doctor Fraiser, and Captain Brunsfeld just looked confused.
Teal'c shook his head. "I cannot describe the feeling O'Neill, but it is almost as if this animal has once blended with a ghould. But that cannot be possible."
O'Neill almost barked out loud, a ghould cat? That would be the day. But Tealc's face was serious. Not that the Jaffa warrior ever cracked jokes, although he was getting much better with humor. Jack scowled again, great. Just great.
"There's just no way a ghould could take a cat for a host, it's just not physically possible. We should get an scan of the cat just in case though. Especialy if it could be carrying a destructive device." Doctor Fraiser's mind was working through the possibilities of a ghould taking a non-human host. The implications were staggering.
Captain Brunsfeld had stepped forward and cautiously started to examine the cat, feeling along behind its head and down its spine. "I don't feel any scars or anything that would indicate a ghould had entered it, but without a scan it would be hard to tell. Otherwise she seems to be healthy, although she doesn't seem to be too steady on her feet." He said. The cat had not turned away from looking at Teal'c.
"You want to give the cat a cat scan?" Jack smirked at his own joke.
Before Brunsfeld could respond to Jack's wisecrack, Daniel stepped forward with a look of intense concentration on his face. "Wait wait wait... you said it's a female?" At Captain Brunsfeld's nod, Daniel continued his train of thought. "That's it, it can't be, but... that would explain..."
"Spit it out Daniel, what?" Jack impatiently demanded. All eyes were on the archeologist, including the cat.
Daniel took in a deep breath; let it out, than looked at the cat. He approached it, and leaned down to eye level with it. "Sam?" He asked softly.
This was ridiculous! Jack couldn't take it "Oh fer cryin' out loud! Daniel it's a cat. It probably came in while we were all unconcious from that beam, and decided Carter's gear made a nice warm bed. Now lets get these post-missions done and let them give it a cat scan so we can get out and find Carter!"
"No Jack," Daniel argued, "Think about it. Why would Sam's body disappear from inside her clothes, and this cat show up inside of them at the same time an alien device was activated? What if she didn't get transported somewhere, just changed somehow? What if she's right here, inside this cat trying to talk to us somehow?"
As if to emphasize his point, the cat was now avidly watching Daniel and the Colonel, and gave a very vocal "Yow!" It even looked like it was nodding its head up and down. Naaaaah.... Couldn't be... could it? It wasn't possible! Besides... Carter's brain cells they couldn't all fit inside cat brains could they? She was a certified genius after all. "Daniel..." Jack started to try and tell Daniel just how ridiculous his idea was, he was starting to be convinced that there had to have been something in that alien beam and was just about to say so when Teal'c interrupted.
"O'Neill, I believe Daniel Jackson's idea has merit. The feeling I sense from this... being... is the same feeling I get when near Major Carter, since her blending with Jolinar. It is not as strong as I am used to, perhaps due to her now smaller size. I believe we should explore the possibility that this creature is somehow Samantha Carter." Teal'c still held his had over the cat, and at his words the cat stood clumsily and awkwardly rubbed its head on his hand. Teal'c raised an eyebrow and gazed at the small creature. Could this really be his friend and comrade?
"Whoa!" Captain Brunsfeld had been watching the exchange in silence. "Are you telling me you think this cat is really a person? I don't know if that is even possible, the physical differences alone are mind boggling, let alone the cognitive differences..." He trailed off as he realized no one was listening to him anyway, they were all riveted to the scene of Daniel approaching the little yellow cat.
Daniel now stood in front of the cat. They were watching each other intently. "Sam? Is that you?" The cat yowled in reply. "Yow! Meow! Mrow!!" That wouldn't work she couldn't answer them if she couldn't speak. The cat met his eyes with a look of complete dejection. If it wasn't Sam, it was reacting awfully human-like. He thought quickly. "Sam, if that's you, can you nod?" The cat perked up a little, than looked at him solemnly, and nodded. The movement was unmistakable. Cats didn't nod. At least he didn't think so. Daniel felt his heart race. Could it be? Sam had been under their noses all along. Speaking of noses, Daniel grabbed his Kleenex to catch a sudden sneeze. He could swear the cat... no SAM... looked abashed. Teal'c looked convinced of the cat's identity too, but Jack, Brunsfeld, and Janet still seemed skeptical. He decided to ask Sam a few more questions.
"Sam, does Jack like the Simpson's?" That almost looked like a smile as the cat nodded. Daniel grinned. Teal'c decided to join in. "O'Neill is able to knock me down when we are sparring." The cat, no Sam, shook her head from side to side in a definite "no." Again he could swear she smiled. The look of total disbelief on Jack's face was priceless. Daniel couldn't resist another dig at Jack. "Sam, does that lake by Jack's cabin have fish in it?" Jack spluttered as Sam... and now they all had no doubts that it WAS Sam, shook her head very clearly from side to side. Jack stared at the cat that was now practically vibrating in excitement.
Jack approached the table and leaned down, looking the cat in the eyes. "Carter? Is it really you?" This time was a distinct nod. He reached his hand hesitantly towards her, as if assuring himself that she was real. Sam, as if sensing his thoughts, stood on wobbly legs, taking a hesitant step forward and rubbed her head on his outstretched hand. He couldn't stop the smile tugging at the corners of his lips. "Wow. So you're like a cat and all... weird. Hey, Carter, I hope you know I didn't mean anything by those furball comments..." Sam growled softly, and swiped one of her front paws at the Colonel's hand, trying to make a playful swat, but lost her balance and ended up sprawled on the table instead. "Easy there Carter, don't want to bruise that cute little nose!" If looks could kill...
Janet shook herself. She saw so many crazy things come through that gate, but this, this probably had to be the craziest. How many people could say their best friend had been turned into a cat? She cleared her throat, and when she had all eyes, including Sam's, she spoke. "We still need to check everyone out. Especially now. And we should let the general know, besides, some additional tests are needed on Sam I think." She glanced over at Captain Brunsfeld, who nodded.
"I'd like to start with some blood tests and a physical, and get some scans and films as well, especially since she... um... Major Carter... seems to be having trouble walking. But that might just be from being in an unfamiliar body. Doesn't hurt to be safe though." A human trapped in an animal's body... Captain Brunsfeld loved working with animals, but to have one as his superior officer... it was a bit much to take in. An awkward silence filled the room, as everyone realized the implications of Sam being trapped in an animal's body, and the excitement at discovering she was right under their noses quickly evaporated.
Jack coughed. "Okay people, lets get this show on the road, sooner we let Doc Fraiser here poke us sooner we can get to getting Carter back the way she belongs." As cute as Sam was now, he much preferred his very human 2IC. His eyes fell on the object of his thoughts, and as he finished his words, Sam seemed to deflate, whiskers and ears drooped and she slumped on the table. She looked so dejected. His heart ached for her; he couldn't imagine what she had to be going through. He lifted her chin up, locking his gaze on her blue eyes. "Don't worry Carter, we're here for you, we'll figure it out." Sam just looked at him and laid her head back down... across her paws. This was going to take some getting used to on all their parts. Daniel, Teal'c and Janet all added their assurances, than Janet whisked Daniel behind the curtain so he could get started on the inscriptions as soon as possible and Colonel O'Neill went to call the General. This was going to be fun, oh yeah.