Well, it's been a while, huh? Am sorry for the wait. My muses went mad today and this is the fifth fic I've updated. Pretty cool, huh? ;) Lets hope I can keep it up, eh?

Hope you enjoy!

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Part Seven

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She blinked and rubbed at her eyes. The form she had taken was not unpleasant, in fact it was strangely comforting, but she felt out of sorts, as though she were a piece of metal that had been melted and bent into some other shape. She moved a little, beginning to get the feel for her new body, allowing herself the pleasure of stretching.

She remembered little of who she was which bothered her slightly, she knew that they did not care, they only wanted something, but she struggled to think. She had no recollection, despite her unease, of what she was meant to look like, of who she was meant to be. Everything was odd and colourful. Her surroundings made her feel peaceful and she tried to remember when she had felt that way before.

A distant howl alerted her to another presence and she turned, running into the forest as fast as her legs could carry her. She had been running for so long and she wasn't sure when to stop. Should she stop?

Upon entering a small clearing, she brushed at her fur, cocking her head up quickly as a branch snapped to her right. She narrowed her eyes and growled, her acute sense of smell letting her know that, while of her form, the new creature would not necessarily be willing to let her alone.

The large grey wolf stepped into the clearing, the light from the waning moon lighting its eyes eerily. It inclined its head a little before breaking into what could only be considered a smile.

A flash of light shot toward her. She tried to run, but it was upon her too quickly. She felt her memories flooding past her, remembering her life, who she was. What she was.

She felt her bones cracking and realigning, yet she felt no pain. After a few moments she took a deep breath and curled up, wrapping her arms around legs. She shivered at the sudden loss of her fur.

"Samantha Carter."

She cringed as she was approached, but glanced up, her curiosity getting the better of her. The moonlight cast a halo around the woman's form as she leaned over.

"Samantha Carter."

"Yes," Sam replied, her throat feeling a little rusty as it had not been used to form words for so long. "Yes, that's me."

"You are welcome here, Samantha Carter of the Touched."

The woman's accent was strong and it took Sam a moment to understand the words. The woman leaned closer and Sam was able to make out her features. She had long red hair and fiery eyes that Sam was unable to ascertain the exact colour of.

Sam felt cloth being draped over her and she sat up quickly, realising that she was completely naked. Somehow, she didn't think her hosts minded, but she did. Quickly wrapping the thick material around her body, she struggled to a standing position, her legs protesting at being stretched out and her head spinning due to the newly found altitude.

She glanced around the small clearing, spotting three other people. The others were all men, all slightly taller than Sam and the woman. They all had red hair and the same distinguishable eyes.

"Who are you?" she finally asked.

"I am Ranna of the Elders," the woman said. "My companions are these, Dhern, Peral and Freet."

Sam nodded. "I'd introduce myself, but you seem to know me already."

Ranna chuckled. "We know all who be Touched. We guide and Awaken."

"That's nice, but I have a baby and a…a husband to get back to." Until she had said it aloud, she had not realised how much she missed her life. It was as though the words opened the floodgates to her feelings and she was momentarily struck with grief and dismay that she wasn't entirely sure belonged only to her.

"You can sense him," Dhern said, a note of disbelief in his voice.

Sam nodded, realising that he was right. The grief and anguish she felt at the separation was nothing to what Jack was feeling. She had had no memories to plague her, he had been without her and he had known it.

"I must go back to him."

"You cannot."

She swivelled to look at Freet, her anger very obvious to the four Elders. "I will go back to him."

"Yes," Ranna said, "you will, but not yet. Your spirit must Awaken or you will go mad with the Sense."

"I don't understand," Sam said, unable to mask the pain she, no Jack, was feeling.

"I know you do not," Ranna said, smiling. "But I will explain you."

"And then I can go home?"

Ranna exchanged glances with the others. Whilst Freet was shaking his head emphatically, the other two men seemed to be regarding Sam with disbelief and she was unsure as to why.

"I will find a way home," Sam said, "whether you help me or not. I fought for a long time to be happy and I will not let you take that away from me."

Ranna regarded her for a moment. "There are many things that must be done to allow it. Not all things are of your control."

"I will find a way."

"And I will help you," Dhern said, earning the surprise of even his own people. "It is rare to find someone Touched so deeply. I will help you, Samantha Carter."

"It is not allowed." Freet seemed unmovable.

"Then make it allowed," Sam said angrily. "All I ever did was try to help someone."

"And that gave you the greatest gift of all."

"You took me away from that."

"We did what we must," Peral said, speaking for the first time. "Not often rules be broken and you changed course of life. It, in turn, changed you." He took a step towards her, testing to see if she was all right with him approaching her, before walking right up to her. "You cannot handle changes up here," he continued, indicating her head. "You hear and see what you cannot control. Not meant for humans of Earth."

"Then fix me."

Peral sighed and smiled at her, sadly. "I know not if we can."

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End of Part Seven

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I know, I know! I'm sorry! hides