Changing Fog
Changing Fog
by Lady S
Title: Changing Fog
Author: Lady S
Email: selizaw@juno.com
Status: Complete
Category: Sam/Jack
Spoilers: Unknown
Season/Sequel info: Unknown
Rating: PG
Content Warnings: Some Language
Summary: Sam disappears on another planet. Can they find her before it's too late?
Disclaimer: Don't own anything. Wouldn't mind if I did... but I don't.
Author's Notes: PLEASE!!!!! FEEDBACK!!!!! Sequel? Yes? No? Let me know! I hope you enjoy!
"CARTER!!!" Jack yelled, ignoring the fact that they had no idea what was out there.
"SAM!!"
"CAPTAIN CARTER!!!"
"Dammit where the hell is she?"
"She couldn't have gotten too far Jack, her gear is still here."
"We have no idea what kind of state she's in, Colonel. We need to find her before it's too late."
"I KNOW that Doc!!"
"Sorry Sir."
"Shit... I'm sorry Doc. I just... I gotta find her! She trusted me to get her back to the gate and I let her down!"
"You could not have known of the fog clouds O'Neill."
"Doesn't matter Teal'c. Doesn't matter one damn bit!!!"
Jack stalked off in yet another direction in search of Sam Carter. He blamed himself. It was all his fault! Cater trusted him and he let her down. So he thought. Little did he know that what had happened was unavoidable. There was no getting off the path she had started down barely ten hours ago.
"Sir! The area's clear. No natives, but plenty of wildlife. I think we should stay in teams of two, just to be on the safe side."
"You heard the lady! Teal'c you stick with Daniel, Carter... you're with me." Jack said, raising his voice so that the already wandering archeologist would here him.
Daniel waved his hand never turning from his quest to get to the ruins MALP had scanned three miles northeast. Teal'c followed closely behind him, his staff weapon ready for whatever might come their way.
"Well, Carter. 'S up to you. Which way?"
"Actually sir I've gotten all of my samples already..."
"All of them? No more to get?" Sam shook her head. "Hey... what'd'ya know! Down time! What say we take a walk?"
Sam smiled. "Sounds good to me sir!" Her eyes teasing she walked a few steps ahead of him.
"Oh no Carter! We are not going that way!" Jack called grabbing her sleeve and pulling her backward.
"What's wrong with this way? It's only a forest." She teased. "The big bad Colonel's not afraid of an itsy bitsy forest... is he?"
Jack glared at her. Sam smiled back, putting on her cutest pout. He broke. Throwing his hands in the air Jack walked into the forest followed by a hysterical Sam.
They walked for a few hours before coming to a clearing. Sam sat down in a bed of purple flowers, inhaling their intoxicating aroma.
"These are beautiful! I wonder if they'll grow on earth?"
"Nuh-unh, Carter. You've got all your samples remember?"
Jack couldn't help but smile as he watched Sam put several of the flowers in her hair. Sam placed one in and wanted to move it only to find that they were stuck.
"There must be some sort of sticking agent on the stems." She said. "I'll have to work with them when we get back to the base."
Sam didn't seem worried so it didn't occur to Jack to be so. Besides she looked beautiful with them in her hair. Smiling Jack helped her to her feet, his hands lingering with hers, before they set out again on their way.
They hadn't yet walked half a mile when Sam began to stumble.
"Sir..."
Jack looked back to see Sam collapse to the ground. Rushing to her side he was shocked to see her skin turning a pale pale white.
"Carter? Carter, talk to me! What is it? What's wrong?" Jack asked, his voice growing more and more concerned.
"Sir... feel funny... feels strange..." she whispered, her voice so low he had to put his ear to her mouth to hear her.
"All right! Carter I'm gonna get you back to the gate. I'll get you home! Doc can fix you up. Just stay with me... Carter! Carter answer me! Sam... please!!!!"
Jack breathed a relief as Sam opened her eyes. "Called... called me...Sam," she smiled. "Trust you...Jack."
"Yeah I guess I did!" Jack laughed. She was joking! This was a good sign! "Just hang in there Sam!" Jack turned to gather his gear and noticed a thick dense fog closing in over them rapidly. Even as he turned back to face Sam the fog had become so thick he couldn't see her anymore. Reaching out he grabbed her vest and pulled. It came up into his hands with no effort.
"Sam! Sam, where are you! SAM!!! CARTER!!!!" he yelled.
Just as quickly as it came the fog left. Jack glimpsed some movement in the brush. Turning his head he caught the tail of what looked like a horse tail disappearing into the trees. Grabbing the gear he kept yelling for Sam as he walked back toward the gate to get reinforcements. As he neared it Teal'c came running up to him, Daniel not far behind.
"O'Neill?"
"Jack, what is it?" Daniel said. Looking around he asked, "Where's Sam?"
"I wish to God I knew. Dial home, we need to get help back here to look for her. You two go home and get help, make sure you get Doc. I'll stay here and keep looking."
"O'Neill I do not think you should stay alone."
Before he could respond Daniel cut in. "I'll go get help. Teal'c can help you look. Tell me what happened."
Jack filled Daniel in on everything that had happened. He stepped through the gate and Jack and Teal'c kept on searching.
"Incoming Travelers!! SG-1!"
"Open the iris and get a med. unit down here now!" Hammond ordered.
As he stepped into the gate room Hammond saw Daniel step through the horizon the same time as the med. Unit entered the room.
"Janet! Good get geared up Sam needs you!"
"Hold it, son!" Hammond said holding up his hands. "What happened?"
Daniel explained and before he was done Janet was geared up and ready to go. They stepped through the gate followed soon by SG-3 and SG-7. Entering the planet Daniel signaled to Jack with one shot into the air. Soon the entire team was assembled. Jack explained the situation and handed out the orders. Janet, along with Teal'c and Daniel.
"Doesn't matter one Damn bit!!" he kept repeating under his breath as Jack searched for Sam. "She trusted me."
As prearranged, everyone gathered five hours later, no one having had any sign of Sam. As they split up one more time to begin again an animal approached them.
"Daniel... am I seeing things!!" Janet asked, putting her hand on his arms.
"Not unless I am too!" he replied. "Janet... that's a unicorn!!"
"What?" Jack asked, coming up behind them. "You see Sam?"
"No Jack... look!"
"A horse. You stopped looking for Sam because of a horse."
"Jack!" Daniel hissed. "That is not a horse! It's a unicorn!"
"So? Wait a minute I thought they were just a myth."
"They are... hey hold still! It's coming this way! No sudden movements! You'll scare it away!"
The trio stood mesmerized as the unicorn ambled up to them. Playfully it nudged Daniel, a soft whinny coming from its throat. Daniel reached out and pet it's pale hide.
"Wow! A real unicorn!"
"Daniel I'm glad you found a pet but right now we have to find Sam!"
"Jack..." Daniel said, his attention drawn from the animal. "You called her Sam! You never do that!"
"Yeah...well... Let's just keep looking okay!"
Jack moved out, followed by Janet. With a final pat Daniel also followed him. After a few minutes Jack looked sideways to see the unicorn walking next to him. Something in it's pale mane caught his attention.
"Janet...look! These flowers! These are the same ones that Sam put in her hair! We found them in the forest. It wasn't long after that that she felt sick."
Janet walked up to the unicorn, amazed that it seemed to have no fear of her, and looked at one of them. "They seem to be stuck in the mane. I can't get it out."
"That's what Sam said, that they had some sort of glue-ish stuff on the stem. She was gonna have you look at it when we got back."
"Well I..."
"Colonel!"
Jack looked at the captain from SG-3. "Yes?"
"Sir it's beginning to get dark. We should make camp before we loose the light."
"Do it. Keep them spread out though. But not too far apart."
He snapped a salute and trotted off to pass along the order.
"Come on... we gotta get set up too. Come first light we're up and at it again."
"You got it Jack" Daniel told him.
They walked back to where camp was being set up. The unicorn watched them leave, standing very still until a crash rang out from a pot dropped on a boulder. It then ran, far and fast, until no one could see it anymore.
"Where is this fog coming from?" Jack cried in frustration as they sat watching the sun finish setting. As before, the fog came in quickly, staying for a few moments, and then dispersed the same way.
Guns were drawn as they stared at a man who seemed to come out of no where. The man, dressed in white pants and tunic, held his hands out in a peaceful gesture. Daniel approached him, speaking calmly to the man.
"My name is Daniel Jackson. We come from our planet in peace. We are looking for our friend." He repeated in several languages. None of them made any impact with the man.
"Daniel? Anything?" Janet asked.
"No not yet. Let me try a few more."
"You speak the language of our keepers?" the man said.
"Your keepers?" Daniel repeated.
"Yes. Those who clothe us and keep our garden well. Do you not have keepers, those who tend to you?"
"No... we ah... we tend for ourselves."
"Yes, we know. We have been watching you. You travel over our garden. Why?"
"We're looking for a friend of ours. We can't find her. Have you seen her?"
"There is a new one... the one of hope and grace. But she is not here. It is rare to see one of her kind from a new one. We have so many kinds with us, but very few of her kind. You must tend her very well."
"Do you know where we can find her?"
"No I do not. The keepers may, they know where to find all kinds."
"How do we meet with these keepers?" Jack asked impatiently.
"They play now. You are welcome to join us. The wise ones may know how to find your friend."
Jack, Daniel, and Janet followed the man as he led them to the temple Daniel had visited earlier that day. Now it was brimming with people. The man, whose name was Tishri, led them to a table where an old man sat next to the fire.
"Wise one... these travelers seek their lost one," he introduced them. Stepping away he motioned for the three of them to sit in front of the old man.
"The lost one you seek... she is well tended by you. Very rare is a new one of her kind. The fast ones search her out now. Soon she shall join us. Will you join us in the wait?"
"Yes... thank you." Daniel answered for them.
Jack was getting very antsy. He didn't like being separate from the rest of the SG teams like this. Dawn would be here in no time and still there had been no sign of Sam. Just when he thought he would scream the doors opened. There, in between two men, was Sam! She seemed fine. Her fatigues were changed for a long, formfitting tunic, a sash tied at the waist. She looked around her in bewilderment until he gaze fell onto Jack, Janet, and Daniel.
"Sir!" she called out, her hand waving to them. Before she could get near to them everyone rushed outside. Caught up in the rush, the three of them were outside when the fog came.
As it dispersed Jack saw that all the people that had been there
were gone! "What in the hell is going on here?" he asked. "Sam!! Carter answer me!!"
"Jack where'd she go?"
"I don't know Daniel. Let's go get geared up. I want to start the search from here."
As they walked back to the camps the unicorn joined them, walking next to Jack. Frustrated he shoed it away. Refusing to leave, the animal stayed where it was.
"Go on!! Get out of here!" Jack yelled at it, waving his arms.
Standing firm the unicorn shook it's head and whinnied loudly.
"I don't think it want's to leave Jack."
"It's a she Daniel."
"How can you tell Janet...oh... never mind." He said, a little color rising in his cheeks.
"Would you get out of here!" Jack yelled at her.
Whinnying loudly she butted his shoulder with her head.
"I think I have to agree with you Danny. This girl ain't going anywhere." Rubbing her neck, Jack resigned to having her follow him.
The rest of the day was spent looking for Sam using the temple as ground zero. The teams had switched off, SG's 5 and 10 replacing 3 and 7. SG-1, along with Janet, refusing to leave without Sam, was getting back to camp as they heard a growl from behind them. Without much warning Jack was attacked, a lion-like claw knocking him to the ground. Before anyone could react the unicorn jumped between Jack and the creature, successfully fending it off but getting badly hurt in the process. She lay there on the ground, bleeding heavily from the shoulder and scratched along the jaw. As Janet kneeled to help the unicorn the fog came in once more. Jack swore under his breath and waited for the fog to pass. His eyes on the sky Jack heard Janet gasp and cry out,
"SAM!! Oh my god!!"
His gaze dropping sharply Jack saw Sam lying on the ground in front of Janet, her shoulder bleeding heavily and a long red scratch along her jaw. Jack dropped to his knees.
"Sam!! Oh God!! Janet..."
Janet was already busy tending to Sam's wounds, so Jack held her hand. Daniel saw them but turned to face the man who had come from the direction the lion thing had gone. They spoke while Sam was being helped.
"We have to get her to the gate. I need to get her to the infirmary."
"You can't."
"What? Why not Danny?"
"She can't leave the planet without the consent of the keepers. We have to find them. They're the only ones who can reverse the flowers effects."
"Explain." Jack ordered.
"The flowers in Sam's hair are a special breed that the keepers designed for this garden. They allow her to be an animal, in Sam's case a unicorn, during the day. But come night they revert to their normal way. Some become other animals but most become humans. The keepers know how to reverse the effects. But we have to get her to them within the next three days or is becomes permanent." Daniel explained.
"So how do we get to these keepers?"
"I will show you. I am sorry your lost one was hurt. I meant to harm her none."
"You were that lion thing?" Jack asked, getting angry.
"Yes, I am most apology. We must heal her before the mist comes once, or all will be unable to go."
"How can you heal her?" Janet asked.
"The water of the wood." The man said, as though the answer was obvious.
Janet followed him while Jack stayed with Sam. When they returned the man, Dewristh, placed a few drops from a wooden branch onto the wound. Janet watched in amazement as the wound closed itself.
"How does this work?" she asked incredulously.
"The keepers." He told her. "We must travel for three mists. Can you rise new one?"
"Yes I think so."
Sam rose from the ground, leaning on Jack heavily for support, and they began the trek to find the keepers, except for Janet. She returned to the gate to send everyone home.
As they reached an open plain the fog once more enveloped them and lifted. Where Sam had been standing was the unicorn. Now though Jack understood. Both he and Daniel climbed onto her back and they continued on their way, Dewristh behaving himself for the most part. Twice more Sam and Dewristh changed before they reached their final destination. A table set out in the middle of nowhere, set as though they were expected. Jack and Daniel got down and stood next to the table.
"What now?"
"I guess we wait."
They didn't have to wait long. A moment or two later a man approached them from the distance. He sat at the table, looking at Jack and Daniel.
"Why have you come Dewristh, and who are these new ones you bring?"
As soon as the man said his name Dewristh changed into his human form and sat next to him.
"They are travelers from another world. They say they have come through the great circle."
"The great circle? No one has come through there since the hunters. Are you hunters?"
"No," Daniel replied. "We are explorers. We came to this planet to learn about it. While we were here one of our friends," pointing to Sam the unicorn, "... was changed by your flowers. We wish to have her healed so we may go home."
"Nothing prevents you from going home. Only your friend must stay."
"Unacceptable!" Jack growled.
Sam whinnied and nudged his shoulder.
The old man smiled. "Your friends do not wish for you to stay Samantha. What think you of that?"
As the old man said her name Sam changed back into her human form. Sitting next to Jack she said to him, "They wish for me to be happy."
"Are you not happy here?"
"No..." Sam paused. "You have been kind to me keeper, but this is not my home."
The old man nodded. "Very well. You shall be given a chance to earn your freedom. You must pass my test. It will not be an easy one, but you are a special new one. Not many of your kind are there in this life yet you are one of them upon your first change. Are you ready to begin?"
"Yes."
"Then answer me this... It is stronger than any tree and yet as fragile as a flower petal. Once cracked it can never be truly repaired. What is you answer?"
"What happens if she gets it wrong?" Daniel asked, his curiosity getting the best of him.
"Then she will remain here, and you with her."
Sam looked at her friends and then at the old man. 'I have to get this right! Their lives depend on it.' She thought to herself. 'They're trusting me... Hey!'
"The answer is trust. It will get you through anything and yet it can be shattered to pieces with one blow."
The old man nodded. "You show this trust in your friends, and they in you. This pleases." He said. "Another... It shows itself to no one and yet all but one know when it is there. Those who show it to others do not really have it. Those who keep it to themselves have more than they know. What is your answer?"
Sam's brow furrowed as she mulled the question over in her head. Jack watched Sam as she thought for the answer. Surprisingly the answer came to his mind immediately. He knew which of them Sam was and prayed that she would find the answer within herself. He felt the old man staring at him, a strange look on his face. Turning his attention back to Sam she looked defeated. Jack focused his attention on her, willing her to come to the right decision. As though hearing his thoughts Sam looked at jack and spoke.
"The answer I give is beauty. True beauty is kept within, hidden and unknown to its owner yet seen by all who know him."
The old man, as well as Daniel, watched Sam and Jack as they stared at each other, each one thinking the same thoughts about the other. They passed the third test right then. What could this world offer her when all she needed was there with him... where she belonged?
The old man nodded and waved his hand over the center symbol of the table. A fog rolled in and when it lifted they found themselves at the gate.
The old man stood before them. "You have passed all three of my tests. You are free to go."
With his words the flowers fell out of Sam's hair and to the ground. She glanced at them before turning her attention to the old man.
"But I answered only two questions. What was the third test?"
"You have shown me what happiness this world cannot offer to you. That was your third test."
With his final words the man disappeared from sight, leaving the three of them to dial home.
"I don't get it..." Jack said as the event horizon turned liquid blue. "What happiness was he talking about?"
Daniel shook his head as he stepped through the gate. 'One of these days, my friends. One of these days you're gonna find out.' As Daniel traveled through the gate he heard a voice.
"And you will help them to do so..."
The End
Sequel? Yes? No? Let me know?
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