A/N: Forgot to say in the last chapter, that Lalene Brooks, sure you can borrow my paperweight lol. It would be fun to see it travel to other stories, and I'm glad you liked it. A small credit if you use it would be greatly appreciated! Hope you enjoy the rest of the fic!
Mild spoiler for the 4th season episode "Upgrades" nothing major, but if you haven't seen the episode, the conversation at the end won't quite have the same meaning.
All thoughts ceased in the next moment as a blindingly white flash overtook the room. Pain exploded, making her feel like her entire body was on fire. And then, Sam knew no more as blackness overtook her.
Chapter 66Jack was pacing outside the entrance to the temple. It had been nearly ten minutes now, and nothing had happened. He was just about to go back in, when it happened. A bright white flash emanated from the building, making the hair on his arms stand up. The light had barely faded before Jack was halfway to the door, stopping in surprise when someone stepped in front of him, blocking the path.
"Sir, maybe it would be better if Thompson and I were to go in first." Janet's stance said that she wouldn't take no very lightly.
Daniel shifted and coughed. "Yeah, Jack, maybe we'd better, uh, wait out here."
Jack wondered what the hell the two had been drinking when he remembered exactly what Carter was likely wearing at the moment. He blinked, hoping he wasn't blushing. "Sure Doc, call if you need anything." Jack moved somewhat reluctantly out of the way. He really wanted to see her again, and see if she was ok, and if the transformation had worked. Daniel and Teal'c seemed equally eager to find out as well.
The radio crackled suddenly, and Jack grabbed it, ready to bolt into the temple if needed. Janet's voice sounded over the tiny speaker. "Sir, just wanted to let you know that Sam's ok, just unconscious. The transformation worked. We're just going to check her over now. Over."
Relieved grins spread, and Daniel slapped Teal'c on the back, making him blink. Jack spoke into the radio. "Thanks Doc, keep us informed if you run into any trouble. O'Neill out."
"Understood sir, we'll let you know when you can see her. Fraiser out." Came the reply, but Jack was too busy grinning. He couldn't wait to see his 2IC again. As cute as the cat had been, he missed Carter's smile when she laughed at his jokes. He missed that intent look of concentration she had when studying some problem. He missed her, not that he would ever say so, at least not where anyone could hear it. There was just too much at stake to risk it so he just buried the feelings until even he had a hard time admitting them to himself.
Daniel and Teal'c stood by waiting as well. Both were eager to see their teammate for their own reasons. Daniel had missed the intellectual discussions he often had with Sam. Sometimes, he could go to her with a problem, and she would listen, even if she didn't totally understand everything, and often she would point out something that would make him think of a new way of looking at it.
Teal'c saw in Major Carter a warrior and a kindred spirit of sorts. Not just a scholar, she was capable of defending herself and her teammates. She had early on accepted him as someone she could trust despite the fact that he had been holding a staff weapon to her when they'd first met. He had quickly learned to respect her, and had been surprised to learn that his respect was returned equally.
All three of them were anxious to see their comrade returned to them whole and as they remembered her being. Strong, resourceful, intelligent, capable. There were many words to describe her, more numerous than the names they all called her by. Carter, Sam, Major Carter. None of the words or names seemed to give justice to the woman they tried to describe.
It seemed like forever before Janet and the female nurse that had gone inside called over the radio that they could come in. Fortunately, the door was wide enough for all three men to enter at the same time, Brunsfeld and the medic following.
Fraser and Thompson had been busy while they'd been waiting outside. They'd dressed Carter in fatigue pants and a t-shirt, and hooked her up to a portable monitor. Dr. Fraiser was busy adjusting one of the readouts, but she looked relaxed and not very worried. Carter lay unmoving, for all appearances asleep. Jack noted that her right wrist was encased in a splint. He wasn't sure if it was a precaution or not.
Janet looked up at the three men and smiled. "She's going to be ok I think, it looks like the injuries were transferred as well, we'll know more when we get her back to the SGC, but for now I think she'll be fine."
In fact, when Janet had first entered the room, pulling back the blanket to reveal the unconscious woman underneath, she'd been shocked at the multi colored bruises covering Sam's ribs, chest, and other areas of her body. She'd placed the splint on, suspecting that the arm was likely broken still if the bruises were there. She'd been hoping that a race advanced enough to create a device to completely change a person to an animal and back would at least heal any injuries obtained, but it didn't seem to work that way.
When she and Thompson had dressed the unconscious Major, Janet had frowned at how loosely the clothes she'd taken from Sam's locker had fit her. She would definitely have a bit of weight to gain back before she could return to active duty.
Jack, Daniel and Teal'c had clustered around Sam, but when she hadn't responded to any of them, they wandered off one by one, studying the room in Daniel's case, or going off to patrol the perimeter in the case of the Colonel and Teal'c.
Janet had decided that since it had only taken an hour last time for Sam to wake, to let her wake on her own before going back through the gate. The General had given them four hours before they needed to check back in.
An hour came and went, and they were all starting to get restless when Sam hadn't stirred. After an hour and a half, Dr. Fraiser was just about to break out the stretcher and haul her back to the SGC to make sure nothing was seriously wrong when Sam moaned.
The moan was easily audible in the silence that had fallen in the temple. All three members of SG-1, who had returned from their various distractions around the one-hour mark, moved in to cluster around their unconscious teammate.
Sam groaned and stirred this time, Jack wincing in sympathy. He'd felt like he'd been sacked with a ton of bricks the first time and he hadn't just had his body rearranged, so he imagined that Carter was pretty sore. Janet had also described some of the injuries she had while they had waited, and Jack knew that cracked and bruised ribs could be pretty darn sore.
"Sam? Sam, it's me, Janet. Sam, honey, can you wake up for us?" Dr. Fraiser had taken Sam's hand and was urging her back to consciousness while the nurse and the medic ran through a set of vital signs as Sam struggled her way back to the waking world.
Sam groaned again, and they all winced in sympathy when her brow furrowed and she blinked her eyes open squinting around her. She seemed to be having trouble focusing her eyes and Janet didn't waste any time shining a penlight in them, making her squint even more. Janet seemed satisfied with what she saw, and sat back, assessing her patient. She was now moving around a bit, and holding her hand up in front of her face, flexing her fingers of her good hand experimentally, as if it was the most amazing thing she'd ever seen.
"Sam, can you talk?" Janet asked.
Sam frowned, turning her attention to the Doctor. "Meow?" She said.
Janet's face fell, and she looked up at other members SG-1, who were staring at each other in wide-eyed shock. Janet turned back to Sam just in time to see the woman smiling.
"Just kidding." Sam croaked, her throat dry.
"Carter!" Colonel O'Neill barked. "You nearly scared the pants off me! You leave the jokes to me from now on!" He thought she'd probably knocked a few years off his life. The color was slowly returning to Daniel's face, only Teal'c was looking on in amusement.
"Sorry sir." She coughed slightly, wincing in pain as the movement made her ribs ache.
"Sam, are you in pain? I can give you something to help." Janet moved in front of O'Neill, all business while she battered Sam with questions.
Sam just shook her head for the pain medicine, but did ask for some water. Janet helped her to sit up and handed her a bottle, and a couple of tablets, which Sam looked at questioningly.
"Its just some Motrin Sam, nothing too strong. It will help your ribs, they were pretty bruised up." Janet knew Sam liked to be clear headed, but she also knew the woman had to be in pain, but was just too stubborn to admit it.
Sam just sighed, and tossed the pills back. The doctor could be pretty insistent, and she was sorer than she cared to say. Janet noticed that she favored her right wrist, which just reinforced the notion that the injuries were all still present. Janet also had to help Sam hold the bottle and drink with her uninjured hand because she seemed to be having some minor problems in coordinating her movements. It might just be the shock and stress from the transformation, but it looked like Sam was in for a series of x-rays and other tests when she got back, just to be safe.
"Well, we just about ready to hit the road here?" The Colonel was anxious to get Carter home, where she could really get checked out. Not to mention he wanted to put as much distance between all of them and the godforsaken machine as he could.
Doctor Fraiser either sensed his unease or was feeling the same way, because she gave a crisp "Yes sir" and started to pack up her equipment while motioning for the medic to unpack the stretcher.
Sam narrowed her eyes at the stretcher and frowned. "Janet, I can walk."
Janet turned her attention back to her patient. "Its just a precaution Sam, until we get you checked out back home..." she started, but Sam interrupted.
"Please Janet, I want to do this. I need to do this, its not far back to the gate." Sam's eyes were pleading. After the past two months, the last thing she wanted was to be carried back through the stargate with everyone watching.
The Colonel stepped in on Carter's behalf, sensing and understanding her need to return home on her own power, and not carried like a helpless invalid. "We can go slow Doc, I'll help her."
Daniel stepped closer as well. "I'll help Sam get through the gate too."
"As will I." The deep rumble came from Teal'c.
Janet threw up her hands. "Fine, do what you want, but if she falls on her face, don't expect me to not say I told you so!" But her threat was empty. The three men of SG-1 wouldn't let Sam fall anymore than they would throw a kitten in a river.
In the end, Teal'c and Jack supported Sam on either side while Daniel carried Teal'c's staff weapon and went to dial the gate. Sam needed the support of her teammates on either side and leaned heavily on them. She was surprised at how weak she felt, and at how unfamiliar her body suddenly seemed. It had taken her several days to get used to moving around as a cat, but over time it had become second nature.
Now that she was back, she suspected it would also take a bit of time to get reacquainted with being human again. Her balance seemed off, and she held onto Teal'c's broad shoulders with her good arm, partly to keep herself upright, and partly to hide the fact that she wanted to take "steps" with her arm. The other arm was fortunately firmly strapped to her body by Janet until she could check the break.
Sam stumbled slightly when they stopped moving and felt the Colonel's arm tighten around her waist, supporting her. Unconsciously, she leaned against him a bit while they waited for the gate to dial. The Colonel was watching her. He turned away when he saw her noticing his scrutiny, but looked back at her questioning "Sir?"
"Just wondering what the first thing you want to do when we get back is. Now that you're human again and all." Her body was warm and solid against his and the Colonel wished the moment could last longer. But soon the gate would activate, and they would go through, back to the Air Force and its regulations. For now though, he was content to offer what he could to help a member of his team, soldier to soldier, friend to friend.
Sam looked down, brow furrowed in thought. She hadn't really given it much consideration, not wanting to hope too much in case they couldn't get her changed back. Suddenly she grinned, looking at her CO. "I want a steak."
Jack raised an eyebrow. "A steak?" He hadn't been expecting that one. He frowned. The last time Carter had wanted steak had ended with a whole lot of trouble...
"And a big baked potato, with lots of toppings. And a diet coke." Sam looked wistful now. She had dreamed about steak and all sorts of other things while forcing herself to eat dry kibble and whatever else she could scrounge in the past two long months.
"Because of the taste right?" One corner of Jack's lips twitched in amusement, hiding a smile while he remembered that particular conversation.
"Yes sir." She ducked her head, unsuccessfully hiding the smile that Jack could never admit that he liked so much.
The last of the chevrons engaged, and the stargate sprang to life. Daniel stood waiting after the others had gone through, while Teal'c and Jack, with Sam still being supported in the middle, walked up the steps to the gate. Jack looked at his team, smiling to himself. SG-1 was whole again. Now even with Daniel's position on the steps in front of the gate, all four of them shared a moment, lost in thought. As one, they all turned to face the wormhole, and as one, they stepped through the gate. SG-1 was going home.
The End. Meow?
A/N: So here is where I say something deep, and meaningful.
"Something deep and meaningful." Heh.
Ok, well seriously, I don't know what to say... its been great, but all good things must come to an end. Congratulations for making it through 66 chapters! I hope you've enjoyed the story as much as I have writing it, and will look for anything else I may do in the future. For those of you that haven't seen it yet, I do have one other fic posted here; you can find it under my profile titled "A Personal Favor." Just a short little bit of humor I wrote while having a case of writer's block. I have a few ideas for other SG-1 based fics, so we'll see what my muse and my schedule will allow me to do.
Disappointingly, I had a grand plan for a Stargate/Pern crossover, but it seems that Anne McCaffrey's wonderful world of dragons is so heavily copyrighted and protected by her lawyers that you can't even use her ideas in a profit free bit of fanfic. Oh well, like I said, I have other ideas. Still... that would have been wicked cool. And if you don't have a clue as to what Pern is, I highly recommend the Dragonriders of Pern series to you. And if you just want to stick to Stargate for now, I have a few recommendations in my short but growing favorites list here for some pretty darn good fics by some really talented folks, so you might want to take a look there too.
Anyway, thanks to all the readers out there, the ones that left so many positive comments, the ones that just dropped a note to say they've read it, and the silent ones, who have just read quietly, and hopefully enjoyed. Without you, the readers, this story would have no purpose. Thanks for giving it meaning.