Can you hear me, little one? Please, you must wake now…

Sam groaned, rolled onto her side and buried her face further into her pillow. Vaguely, she was aware of the sun on her back, knew that if she didn't get up she'd make them late for PJH-980…

Holy shit! Sam sat up, wincing as her heat started to pound in protest. This had to be the worst hangover she'd ever had, including her years at OTC. Her head hurt, her mouth was dry, and it felt like her eyes were swimming. The next time she wanted to unwind after work, she was sticking with lemonade.

"The pain will pass. It will be better for you to lie down."

Sam twisted around, almost doubling over as pain traveled behind her eyes. The owner of the voice belonged to an old man, smoking an extremely long pipe.

"I would have awakened you sooner, but your friends warned me that you bite when awakened unexpectedly." The gray-haired man smiled around his pipe at her blank stare. "Your friends have been most forthcoming, especially the one who calls himself O'Neill. He has been on the wrong end of your teeth before."

Sam blushed. Take one bite out of a man, and you were marked for life.

He walked forward, holding out a goblet. "The spell has no doubt weakened you. This will help." He held it in front of her until she took it. "I am Gandalf."

Sam eyed the goblet as heat began to seep into her palm. "Samantha Carter." She looked around the room again, and stopped. No way those were windows…

As if to prove her point a lark flew in, settling on a ridge on the headboard. She jumped when she heard Gandalf laugh.

"Don't worry, wonder is something that all people have when they see the beauty of Rivendell."

Sam took a nervous swallow from her cup. The stuff tasted almost like hot chocolate, but thinner.

The two sat in silence for several minutes, Gandalf letting her take in her surroundings. She could imagine Daniel asking questions about the architecture, trying to compare it to something on earth to figure out where these people came from, and when. The colonel was probably asking about the fishing. "My friends?"

Gandalf looked up. "Ah, yes. They have been waiting some time for you to awaken, young lady." There was a mock sternness in his voice that made her laugh. "They awakened hours ago."

Sam swung her legs out of the bed, looking down at herself. She wasn't wearing her standard BDU's. Instead she was wearing a white gown that left her feeling naked. It was then that she noticed something else. "Um, my clothes?"

Gandalf sighed, standing and motioning for her to do so also. "We felt it would be best if you did not have the clothing you wore when you arrived. These are also more comfortable, are they not?"

Sam looked down on herself. Yeah they were, but… "There's something that I have to wear, it's used to hold up… to support…"

When all she got was a quizzical stare, she sighed. "I take it you didn't undress me then."

Gandalf laughed. "Oh, goodness no! Elrond had his maidens take care of the task of bathing and dressing you, just as his pathfinders took care of your men."

"Elrond?"

Gandalf herded her towards a door. "He is currently speaking with your men. I will take you to them."

Carter tried to remember the way back to her room, but she found herself getting confused less than a minute in. Was that two lefts, three rights and half a left, or the other way around. The hallways all looked the same, beautiful but somehow stark.

Jack stood up when the door opened, smiling when he saw Sam. "Good to see you again, major. Enjoy your beauty sleep?"

"Telling tales about me sir?"

Jack held a hand to his chest, a look of shock on his face. "Me, of course not. Daniel here's the one who told you snored-"

"Jack!"

Daniel looked at Sam, shaking his head vehemently as Teal'c watched the exchange with silence.

"As you can see, Colonel O'Neill, she is none the worse for wear," Gandalf said, moving to sit next to Elrond.

Jack nodded. "So Sam, how does it feel to speak elvish?"

Sam was puzzled. "Elvish, sir?"

"Just listen to yourself, Sam," Daniel supplied. "It's actually rather interesting when you finally realize it."

Sam looked between her teammates. "I'm not, I can't be, elves don't even…"

She stopped, then looked from her companions to the two men sitting calmly. "Elvish?"

The dark haird one, Elrond, lifted his chin. "Jack tells me that there are no elves in your world. Here, in Middle Earth, we are quite real."

Sam's eyes darted to his ears. They weren't overly large, but they were definitely pointed. "Holy Hannah."

Jack sighed. "Yep. Seems we landed ourselves in a place every kid would love to visit."

She looked at Gandalf. "But you're…well…"

"Old?" The wizard asked. "I assure you, I am far older than you could imagine. But that is neither here nor there." He gestured towards a table. "There is food if you want it. Please, sit and talk with us."

Sam walked over, finding a place between Jack and Teal'c.

"I was just telling your friends about Rivendell, and my people."

Sam could imagine. "I'd be more concerned about where you keep the stargate. Um, the device we used to get here."

Daniel fidgeted. "They can't find it, Sam. Elrond says his men searched the storage room top to bottom, but there's no sign of it or the DHD."

"Did you ever use it?" Sam asked, eyes moving to Gandalf.

Gandalf looked to Elrond. "This is a tale better told by an elf."

The elven lord looked between the four of them before speaking. "Millennia ago, before the awakening of men or elves in this world and time gained meaning; the resttinaa was placed on this world. How, no one knows."

"So it just magically showed up?" Jack asked.

Elrond nodded in assent. "That is one way to describe it. It remained there, silent, little more than a ring of stone. Then one night, it awakened." He took a deep breath. "That night is one of the darkest in the history of this world. Until then, the Valar, fourteen spirits that were sent to govern our world, had been peaceful, setting things to rights for the coming of elves and men. Something came from the resttinaa, neither animal nor plant, and died on the steps leading to the great circle. The one who found it was never the same. His name is forbidden to be spoken, but he became the Dark One. Something passed from that creature to him, and changed him. He began craving power, wanting only to harm and dominate not only his brothers, but all creatures. He seduced the darker creatures to his side, creatures whose name it is forbidden to speak of, and waged war on his brothers."

Elrond noticed the faces of his audience. Gandalf held his usual passive expression, but the four others were white.

It was Daniel who spoke up. "This Dark One, did his eyes glow?"

Elrond started. "How did you…"

"I knew it," this came from Jack. "I think we know what happened to this Dark One, Elrond. Something we call a Goa'uld got control of him. Basically, it's like a snake that takes control of a host, kinda like a parasite."

Elrond sighed. "Then this…Gua'old as you called it, almost destroyed this world. He threw down the great lamps of the Valar, which were to illuminate this world, and destroyed Almaren, the dwelling of the Valar, before fleeing Arda into middle earth. The Valar feared for the elves, and waged war on the Dark One. The destruction was vast, and much of those lands now lie beneath the seas. He was captured and held captive for three ages."

"Ages?" Jack repeated.

"There is no way to know for sure how long a time that is. The Valar are immortal, and did not judge time by such things as days. At the end of this time he was released, fooling his captors into believing that he was turned from his evil ways. He destroyed to Two Great Trees that gave light to the world, stole the sacred stones, and fled once again into Middle Earth."

Daniel looked outside. "Then how do you have a sun?" It was fascinating, the myths of these people, elves, but not unlike many on earth.

Elrond smiled. "The last fruit and flower of the Two Trees was made into the sun and moon. By this time the elves had awakened, and waged war on the Dark One for several centuries. The Noldor were almost defeated, until the Valar aided them and the Dark One, who called himself Morgoth, was finally overthrown. The Valar returned him to the gate that spawned his evil, and threw him through it."

Teal'c raised an eyebrow. "You unleashed this creature into other helpless worlds?"

Elrond was taken aback. "There is only one way to destroy a Valar, and that is to remove them from the land they were given. They hoped that once Morgoth was banished, he would succumb to his wounds. There is no clear record of how long the Valar struggled with the machine until it finally worked, but once it was done, powerful spells were placed on the resttinaa to keep another from coming through."

When he looked at them again, his blue eyes filled with worry. "And now, you have come through."