Chapter 2 - Calamity

AN: All right, after a, I find, mediocre first chapter, I hope this'll be better, it's more emotional.

That night Samantha was dreaming again, of an unfamiliar place and people she did not remember in any way; and there was him again, for the blink of an eye he seemed strangely familiar, then she even knew his name, Jack. Then again she forgot all about him and he was just a stranger like all the others.

The next morning she woke up sweating, not remembering that she had dreamt of anything.

Samantha got up washing herself and brushing her shoulder-long hair tying it into a knot.

(AN: I couldn't resist, I just love her hair...)

She put on her black dress and as she was about to leave Leah entered her room,

"Good Morning, child."

"Good Morning, Leah", she returned, "I didn't expect you now. Is it something special, or...?"

The older servant hesitated for a short moment, then she slowly shook her head, "No, no, it's just that I wanted to look after you."

Samantha knew exactly that Leah was holding something back, but she did not show it right now smiling back at her, "It's good you're here. I was wondering whether you had some tips for me, for my first day as Baal's lo'ta."

"Just don't anger him", Leah responded, "I think you'd better get to work now."

"Yeah, it's about time for morning tea, I'd better go picking it up...", Samantha turned around and left her small bedroom. On her through the corridors of the fortress she pondered a lot about Leah's strange behavior this morning. What had happened that her friend could not freely tell her?

Finally she gave up searching for reasons deciding to concentrate on her new work and to talk to the other woman in the evening.

Leah sighed as she returned to her own room next to Samantha's. She had been worried about her young friend for quite awhile now. In nights like the last one, when her worry even held her from sleeping, she went to look after the younger woman.

Often she found her talking in her sleep or shaken by nightmares. But what she had witnessed this night had been the most worrying thing ever:

Samantha had been talking in the language of the Tauri. The things she had been saying, as far as Leah had been able to understand them, were not good for her, especially not at the position she was having now, some day it would put her and others into grave danger.

But then, as Leah wanted to talk to her about it she had not been able to do so fearing to confuse the young woman in any way that would hold her off from working.

Also there were many other things the two of them had to talk about in that matter, as there was the strange statement about Sha'lan Samantha had made the other day...

In the evening they would surely find time for all of that, Leah calmed herself now trying to think of her tasks for the day.

Jack ordered the papers on his desk. He sighed. This was much easier than putting order into the heavy thoughts that were on his mind. Inwardly he was looking forward to the mission SG-1 would be going on soon, maybe they would finally find Sam or at least find any clue...

She had been gone for over five months now and Jack felt how every further minute without her made him more depressed and it even felt as if he was slowly becoming nuts...

He prayed that Sam would return from wherever she was now, not leaving him that damn alone here.

Once again he imagined where she could be, as his thoughts came on the possibility that she could be in the hands of any Goa'uld he gave up thinking about it hanging his head.

No, he persuaded himself, this wouldn't happen to her. Then again he doubted his own desperate optimism. Jack had enough of it. He rose, angrily throwing a folder against the wall. He needed a break so he decided to go to the cafeteria slamming the door behind him.

Samantha had put away the washed clothes and now she started to tidy her master's private quarters for the audience he would give this afternoon.

She was almost half-done with it as, all of a sudden, somebody was standing behind her. A strange sensation went through her body, it made her realize that it was Baal. She stiffened as she turned around bowing before him not looking up for a second,

"My lord?"

"You can leave this work", he ordered her, "go and take care of the food, now."

"Yes, s..", she was startled, what was it she was about to say?, quickly she corrected herself, "my lord", luckily Baal did not seem to have remarked something.

Samantha left the room, letting out a relieved breath. What had she been thinking? The word that had been on her mind, it felt so alien to her. Sir. It was in her thoughts, but she did not know where it came from, it had no meaning, or had it only lost any meaning?

She was scared of herself now. Maybe all this strange things she thought by day and sometimes dreamt of at night, maybe they had to say something, but what could it be? It was all so vague, so confusing...

Samantha entered the kitchen collecting the things her master had requested for the audience. For her luck the work kept her thoughts from wandering too much, but though she swore to herself that it could not go on with her like that forever, a solution needed to be found as soon as possible.

Late in the evening Jack was lying in his bed trying to finish one of his comic books to distract himself a bit. It did not work very well this time. He always had to think of what Sam had always said about his comics:

She had always smiled telling him that they were the second craze of his she would never really understand, coming right after all these crossword puzzles he used to do.

Sometimes she had asked him if he didn't want to read a decent book before going to bed, just to kid him a little, since she knew very well that this was never going to happen.

Jack threw the book away and switched off the light trying to find some sleep. But he was not successful with that; instead he started to sob and finally he cried unable to fight back his tears. He could not hold this loneliness out for long any more...

As Samantha returned to her room that night Leah was already waiting for her.

"We have to talk", she stated folding her arms in front of her chest.

"I know", Samantha sat down on her bed.

"You're worrying me a lot", the older woman began right away, "your strange behavior in the last time and all these weird dreams ... they can cause you calamity."

"I know", she sighed, "I'm scared of all that myself. I had a worrying experience this afternoon and what did you remark?"

"You've been talking in your sleep last night."

Samantha shot her a confused glance, "About what?"

"I did not quite understand it. It was in the language of the Tauri."

"What?" now she was highly terrified, "I don't know this language and I can't recall that I've ever known it."

Leah was eyeing her with even greater worry and fear now, "How's that possible?"

"It isn't", she shook her head slowly, "but we need to find an explanation for it all."

"And you have to be very careful", her friend admonished her, "if Baal ever gets to know about any of these incidents, I don't know what he'll do with you..."

"I know", Samantha dropped her head a bit, "I'm so scared, Leah", she added softly with tears flowing down her cheeks.

Leah sat down by her side, embracing her. "Shsh, it's all right, we'll find a solution for it all, but please, please don't cry, that isn't good for you."

But Samantha could not help herself and she went on crying for a long, long time unable to stop. Something had to be wrong with her and all the things around, suddenly it all felt so strange.

Okay, so far. Hope y'all like, though it's only one chapter this time. I haven't been so well this week, but next week I'll try to post more than two further chapters...

Oh, and who didn't know what a lo'ta is: It's a Goa'uld's personal servant. We had that, didn't we?