Chapter 8 people! Hope you enjoy it. And just to clarify for people, THIS IS AN ALTERNATE REALITY STORY FOR BOTH WORLDS! That means that I am certain things for the purpose of this story. You don't like it, don't read it. It's that simple.

I own nothing in this story except for the possibility of the plot...wait, that belongs to the voices in my head. Nevermind. I own nothing.

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"Hello Sam," Elayne said, sitting down next to the blonde.

Sam looked up as Egwene and Nynaeve joined her as well. "What's going on?" Sam asked, a smile on her face. It had been a full year and a half since her arrival on the planet. She had impressed everyone with her fast learning and control over her use of saidar. Rumors among the Accepted had sprung up saying that she would soon be tested for the shawl. Sam merely ignored the comments, not entirely phased by them. Her time at the Pentagon then at the SGC had calloused her towards gossip.

"Nothing much. The Aes Sedai keep trying to quash the rumors that you'll be tested for the shawl," Nynaeve said.

Sam snorted. "I'll only be tested when they believe me ready. Though I am a bit anxious to get out and see the world."

"I hear that even after becoming a full sister you still have training to do," Egwene said, picking at her food.

"Well, you do have to learn about your particular Ajah first. There're probably secrets upon secrets within each Ajah," Sam said.

"Any thought about which Ajah you want to join?" Elayne asked.

Sam shrugged. "I don't know. Not Yellow, Red, or Brown though. I'm not much of a healing person, I don't hate all men, and as much as I love learning I couldn't stay cooped up in a room. I'm actually stuck between Blue and Green." She looked at her friends. "What about you three?"

"I'm leaning towards Yellow," Nynaeve said. "I enjoy healing and helping people in pain."

"They'll only test you once you break through your block," Elayne reminded her.

Nynaeve scowled and absently tugged her braid. She was what was known among the Aes Sedai as a wilder--a woman who taught herself to channel without any formal training of any kind. Wilders tended to create blocks to keep them from drawing in too much saidar and burning themselves out or killing themselves. Blocks also kept the wilders from getting sick the first several times of channeling.

The three girls' eyes widened suddenly as they stared behind Sam. The blonde turned and blinked in surprise to see Sheriam, the Mistress of Novices, standing behind her in her blue shawl.

"Samantha Carter. You have been called to test for the shawl of an Aes Sedai. May the Light keep you whole and safe," Sheriam said formally.

Sam glanced at her friends before following Sheriam down to the lower levels of the Tower. Anxiety made butterflies swarm in stomach, but she kept her face schooled in perfect military composure. They soon came to a halt in front of a pair of large doors and Sheriam blew them open with a simple flow of Air.

"Who comes here?" the Amyrlin's voice rang out.

"Samantha Carter," Sam answered.

"Why have you come here?"

"To see if I am worthy."

"For what would you be found worthy of?" the Amyrlin demanded.

"If I am worthy of wearing the shawl of an Aes Sedai." Once Sam finished speaking she began to undress as ritual dictated. She kept her eyes on the oval ring ter'angreal in the center of the room as it spun and flashed different colors. Seven sisters, one from each Ajah, stood around the ring.

Sheriam stood before Sam. "I will now instruct you," she said. A six-sided star appeared in the air. "When you see this symbol you will go to it, neither hurrying or hanging back. You will not channel until you reach this symbol. After completing the weave you will go forward to the next symbol and repeat the process."

"Remember what must be remembered," Moiraine said from behind Sam.

"One hundred times you will weave, only when you reach this symbol," Sheriam went on, staring Sam in the eye.

"Remember what must be remembered," Moiraine repeated and Sam felt a weave settle into her. The image of the star disappeared and Moiraine took her place among the six other sisters.

Sam let out a slow breath and slowly and determinedly walked towards the now fast spinning ring. She silently prayed that her military training and all that she had been through would be enough. Without showing hesitation she stepped through the spinning ter'angreal…

…And wondered why she was in the wilderness on a foreign planet naked. She looked around and saw a pair of pants and a loose fitting shirt. She hastily pulled them on before looking closer at her surroundings.

She frowned when she saw a six-sided star and knew that she had to reach it. She walked over to it and once she was standing firmly on it, she began to channel. The sound of trees and bushes breaking made her want to speed the weaving up, but she controlled her fear and kept the weaving constant.

Finishing the weave, another six-sided star appeared. She calmly walked towards it, ignoring the shouts behind her and passed through. She blinked in confusion as to why she was naked and couldn't remember what had happened only moments before. Her eyes fell on the star and she made her way towards it.

As she began her weave, several Trollocs appeared from the ground and began advancing towards Sam. Focusing on the weave at hand, she quickly but calmly made several fireballs and hurled them at the Trollocs. She soon finished the weave and another star appeared over two trees that looked like an archway. She marched to the trees, ignoring the screaming death-throes of the Trollocs and walked through…

Sam wearily walked into the new environment, her body aching from wounds that she didn't know where she got them from. She lifted her head and looked around at the stark gray walls of her new surroundings. A heavy metal door was shut to her left and a metallic ramp was on her right leading up to a giant stone-like ring.

As she looked around the room her eyes fell on the familiar star symbol. As she walked towards it the door slid open behind her. "Sam, we've been looking for you," a familiar voice said.

Sam didn't turn or stop walking till she reached the symbol. She looked into the face of her former teammates Teal'c and Daniel and began to weave. Daniel stepped forward. "Sam, you've gotta come with us right now. Jack's dying."

She ignored them and continued to weave. "Major Carter, you must come with us," Teal'c said softly.

Sam finished the weave and the star appeared over the Stargate. Letting out a slow breath, she slowly made her way to the Gate. "Sam," Daniel said softly. "You have to come now. Please."

"I love you all," Sam whispered softly and stepped through the Gate…

…Staggering forward out of the ter'angreal as memories came crashing back. Every cut, every bruise, and the places she received them echoed in her mind. She came to a halt after several steps and stood shaking in the middle of the room.

Sheriam clapped her hands once loudly. "It is done. What happened here is not to be spoken of. It is to be shared in silence with her who experienced it and those that witnessed it." The Mistress of Novices clapped her hands again. "It is done. You will spend the night alone in contemplation before taking up the shawl of an Aes Sedai. It is done," she said with a final clapped and swept out of the room.

Moiraine smiled at Sam. "You passed," she said.

Sam stared at her. "I…passed?" she asked numbly as a Green sister handed Sam her clothes. She began putting them back on.

Verin, a Brown sister, nodded. "You did indeed."

"Will you accept a Healing?" the Yellow sister asked. "You're not as bad as some of the girls we've seen."

Sam nodded. "Thank you," she said. The Yellow cupped Sam's face with her hands and Sam felt like she had been doused in ice-cold water. Sam really wanted to ask about the last trial, but she held her silence. She could see that one person was not happy with her passing: the Red sister, Elaida. Ever since Sam had arrived at the Tower, Elaida had never been kind or indifferent to Sam.

"You should go to your room," Moiraine said. "Get some rest while you can."

Sam nodded and made her way back to the main level of the Tower. She felt different; older, wiser, more mature. She walked into her room and closed the door. She sniffed the air and saw a tray of food on her nightstand. She walked over to it and began slowly eating the food. She couldn't get over the fact that she had passed the test and was now an Aes Sedai. She fell back on the bed and smiled.

She closed her eyes and dozed off. She opened her eyes and found herself in a cabin near a lake. She frowned, turning around. A familiar figure stopped in front of her and stared at her in shock.

"Jack?" she asked, remembering the first dream she had with him in it.

"Sam, is it really you?" he inquired.

She walked over to him and engulfed him in a hug. "It's me," she whispered.

"I'm sorry," he whispered.

"For what?"

"Not being able to find you," he said.

She looked at him, a smile on her face. "Jack, it's okay. I've made a new life for myself. I miss everyone, but I'm dealing. You need to accept that you can't find me. I'm still trying to find a way back, but I don't think there is one. Not unless I learn how to build my own Stargate." She held his face with her hand. "At least in our dreams we're together."

He smiled, staring into her blue eyes. "I'll have something to look forward to when I sleep now."

"I'll always find you Jack," she whispered. She kissed him softly on the cheek, her eyes closed.

A loud banging jerked her out of her slumber and she leapt to her feet. She hurried to the door and opened it. Seven sisters stood outside her door. Sam walked out and closed the door. The sisters surrounded her and led her through the halls back down to the place where she had been tested. Siuan stood in front of the ter'angreal, Leanne standing next to her with a large, faded cushion. Resting on the cushion was the Oath Rod. Sam held her head high and slowly made her way to the Amyrlin.

"Samantha Carter, through the trials of the White Tower you have proven yourself worthy of wearing the shawl of an Aes Sedai. Kneel," Siuan commanded.

As Sam knelt down on the cold stone floor the Amyrlin took the Oath Rod. Sam held up her hands and the rod was placed in her hands. The Amyrlin wove a thread of Spirit into the Oath Rod.

"Once you have spoken the three Oaths, you will be bound to the Tower," Siuan told her. Sam nodded and gripped the Oath Rod a little more tightly.

"By my hope and salvation under the Light I swear to speak no word that is not true. By my hope and salvation under the Light I swear to make no weapon with which one man may kill another. By my hope and salvation under the Light I swear to never use the One Power as a weapon except against Shadowspawn, or in the last extreme defense of my own life or that of my Warder or another Aes Sedai," Sam said. As each Oath left her mouth, it felt like a corset was being tightened around her.

"It is half done, and the White Tower is graven onto your bones. Now rise, Aes Sedai, and choose your Ajah," Siuan ordered.

Sam rose to her feet and looked around at the different Ajahs. She had been torn between the Green and the Blue ever since she learned of them. Setting her jaw in determination she made her way over to the Ajah of her choice. Seeing her destination, the other Ajahs bowed and left the room. The Amyrlin and Leanne left also until just Sam and her Ajah remained.

Sam came to a halt and the three sisters smiled. "Welcome home sister," the one with the shawl said and wrapped the green shawl around Sam's shoulder. Since arriving on this world, Sam finally felt at home.

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Sam's become an Aes Sedai! What's in store next for her? Read to find out. And keep up with the reviews, they make me happy.