Jack sighed as he closed the door behind him. Safe at last. For two hours he'd been up to his neck, literally, in hobbits. Hobbits trying to get inside his clothes. Hobbits asking him questions that he couldn't answer with enough speed. Hobbits trying to relieve him of almost everything he put on his plate.
It was the last one that got him.
"Peace and quiet," he whispered to his room, walking to the large bed and falling on it face first. Without the hobbits it was almost paradise.
"O'Neill?"
Jack sighed, turning his head to look at a bemused Teal'c, who was standing just inside the room. "Yeah, Teal'c?"
"Pip and Merry were concerned when you left the fire room early. I came to assure them that you were still well."
Jack's eyes searched around the jaffa's knees, releasing his breath when he saw no small shapes hovering there. A vivid image of being kept up half the night by the childlike creatures made him shudder. It wasn't that he didn't like them, he just didn't have…patience. "You going back there, big guy?"
Teal'c nodded. "I find the stories and songs of the elves most interesting."
Jack waved a hand. "Then by all means, have fun. I'll see you tomorrow."
Teal'c nodded solemnly, closing the door quietly behind him. Jack sighed again, rolled over, and waited for the ceiling to right itself.
Are you sure you wish to try this?
Jack smiled at the elf who held a crystal pitcher over his glass with a concerned look. "Yeah. Everyone else is raving about it."
"Jessalla, please. Our guest wishes to imbibe, then by all means."
Had Jack been looking he would have seen the slight smirk on Elrond's face, a smirk that was echoed in Gandalf. The other elves just watched with interest as he picked up his goblet, sniffing the ruby liquid. Raspberries, he thought, probably just some kind of elvish juice.
He would have spit out the first mouthful if he'd had a modicum less respect for his hosts.
"Jesus, what's in that stuff?" The colonel grated out when he finally swallowed the burning liquid. Listerine could make a fortune of it. He was sure nothing was left living in his mouth, or anywhere else the ruby liquid touched.
"It is quilafara, fire wine," Elrond said calmly, taking a slow swallow of his own. "This year was exceptionally good."
Jack eyes his goblet. "How old is this?"
Gandalf's eyes sparkled, "It was put down when Elrond was still considered a young man," the wizard answered.
Jack looked between the two before bracing himself for another swallow. Good, this one didn't burn as much. "Very nice," he wheezed.
" You gonna be able to taste anything, Jack?" Daniel asked.
Jack smiled, his stomach making a demand that he put something in it. Soon. "Oh yeah." Then proceeded to load his plate with everything he could see. Crusty bread, still warm from the oven. Roasted game and fowl, fruits, cheese, and some things he couldn't readily identify but were still wonderful went on his plate, and battled to stay there as the hobbits decided they wanted to taste everything he touched.
"I have heard of the quilfara aiding ones appetite, but not to this extent," Strider said, shaking his head as Jessala came round to him. "Do your people have nothing similar in their lands?"
Jack looked at his plate, idly slapping a small hand wrapped around a hunk of cheese. Maybe he should let the hobbits take some off it, just to keep the china from cracking. "Um, not really." Jack answered. "Unless you count moonshine."
Jack left the explanation to Daniel has he launched back into his food. The more he drank the less it burned, until he could taste the subtle mix of berries and flowers. He'd have to ask for the recipe before they went home.
The rest of the meal went by without a hitch, until he tried to stand up and found his legs refusing to take orders. Okay, he thought as he tried a second time to stand, this was definitely the last time he drank anything while on a mission.
Like he hadn't said that before.
While the others were lead to the fire room he made his way, very carefully, back to his room, praying that he wouldn't get a hangover in the morning.
Daniel sighed at the sunlight flowing across his bed. Morning already. For a moment he almost pulled the sheets over his head, until something caught his attention. There was a pile of clothes on the couch across from the bed. Two neatly folded piles to be exact. As he examined them he found one containing a number of robes similar to the one he'd worn the day before, plus a number of large shirts in complimenting colors.
"Well, guess we can't wear the same thing twice," he muttered.
There were other changes as well. The marble-like washbasin was filled with hot water, a cake of what he assumed was soap sitting next to it. A covered tray and carafe sat on the table. He hadn't heard anyone come in, but after last night the Sousa marching band could have come through his room and he doubted he would have noticed.
After washing, eating, and dressing, Daniel began to wander around Rivendell, running a delicate hand over the intricate designs while he sketched them on one of his notepads. He wondered how the elves managed to keep deer from running through the ground floor, or raccoons, for that matter. Everything was in order, without a hint of animal disturbance. Neat, clean, with nothing out of place, or even looking like it could be out of place, it fit together so well.
He passed several elves and tried not to be overt in his study of them. In human myth elves were small, mischievous, forest dwelling creatures that shunned buildings, preferring to live in trees and other plants. The ears had also been exaggerated, until they were huge, sticking up clearly, unable to be hidden. Several had them as four fingered beings with overly large eyes, similar to the "gray" aliens. "Asgard," he reminded himself.
But these elves were different. Tall, graceful, with five fingers and easily hidden ears, they were nothing like the myths that survived on Earth. Was it possible what Gandalf said? That perhaps the elves on Earth had managed to hide themselves humans? It made sense, in a strange way. Perhaps they were even the origin of the typical elf story, a type of subterfuge to keep them hidden in plain sight.
The sound of feet slapping sharply on the floor broke his musings, and he turned to see a tall elf hurrying down the hall carrying a steaming basin. He followed him until they came to a quiet corner of the house.
"His fever has risen again. The poison is spreading once more."
Elrond, Arwen, and Gandalf were gathered around a bed, and he could barely make out the curly hair of who he assumed was Frodo, the hobbit who had his friends so worried at dinner.
"This should not be happening, Gandalf," Elrond said, placing a hand on Frodo's forehead.
The wizard nodded. "The ring is no doubt keeping our healing from taking root. He must be watched. Another relapse might kill him." He looked up. "Daniel?"
The archeologist froze. "Hi." He said, moving forward. "I didn't mean to intrude…"
"Nonsense, we need another pair of hands. Here." A damp cloth was pressed into his hand. "Hold this against the wound."
Daniel flinched as a bandage was removed. The wound was small, but red, with black lines extending from it over what he could see of the torso. He knew enough about first aid to know that it appeared to be some type of blood poisoning. Frodo's eyes were open, opaque, and for a moment he wondered if the hobbit was blind. Taking a breath, he placed the warm cloth over the wound.
The gasping scream almost made him take it away.
"No, Daniel," Arwen said, sitting next to him and taking one of Frodo's hands. "The wound must be cleaned."
"Un Hiam galad," Elrond intoned, his hand still on Frodo's head.
Daniel's eyes widened. The elf seemed to glow in the morning light, the room brightening around them as his words being were by Gandalf, then by Arwen. A feeling washed over him, of contentment, peace and comfort. It was like nothing he had ever seen or felt before.
Jack opened one eye, fully prepared to snap it shut at the first sign of pain. Thankfully, there wasn't one.
"Yes. I love elves," he sad to the room. Yep, he was definitely getting the recipe.
"Jack! JACK! You won't believe what I just saw!"
Daniel came barreling into the room, practically glowing and out of breath. He must have found some ruins that they were going to let him study. "What is it Danny?" he asked as he rolled out of bed.
"They just… I mean, Gandalf, Arwen and Elrond, they just healed Frodo!"
Jack eyed the archeologist. "Yeah?"
"Yes. It was the most amazing thing I've ever seen, or felt. There was no evidence of technology of any kind. Just words! This is the most incredible find. We've hit a goldmine. Just think of what this could do for medicine, history."
Jack sighed, "Daniel, two things. 1) You're talking about two elves, creatures who aren't even supposed to exist, and a wizard healing a hobbit. 2) what makes you think we're even going to get home?"
Daniel paused, "You've thought about it too?"
Jack sighed, "Yes, Daniel. I think we all have, and all of us have come to the same conclusion. Unless a stargate drops out of the sky, we're stuck here." He looked out the window
"But, what about the Goa'uld, Earth? What happens to them if we're stuck here?"
"If we're stuck here, it isn't exactly are problem anymore, is it?" Jack froze the minute the words were out of his mouth. Daniel was watching him warily. Of all the stupid things to say. "Listen, I'm just saying. We can't do anything from here, and if it was a malfunction or something that sent us here how do we even know what it was to try and reverse it to send us back?"
"Any news from SG1?"
Sgt. Siller shook his head. "SG8 just checked in from recon of PJH-980. There's no sign that SG1 ever arrived at the planet. No signs of a struggle, nothing."
General Hammond sighed. Nearly seventy two hours had passed, and still no sign of his flagship team.
They were still trying to piece together what happened. Halfway between Earth and the target planet the wormhole began to collapse, at least, that's what the techs said. Something about the subspace field degrading.
All he knew was that his team was lost somewhere, and he'd be damned if he left them out in space to rot.
THANK YOU SO MUCH! Thanks for reading my drivel! Special thanks goes to darkstranger380, nomuse, Harriet, Frances Holland, otsi., dietcokechic, organized-chaos, J, Brianne, Cheysuli, and PHBee for the great reviews!
OH yeah, Harriet, I'm going on the basis that the books weren't written in the SG1 Universe, which is why no one has any idea of whats going on.
For those of you waiting for the rest of the fellowship to show up, watch for the next chapter. This is turning out to be a really LLLOOOONNNNGGGG story. I'm sorry, but that's how it goes. Hope you stick around for it though J