Sam woke her head fuzzy as she quickly recapped what had happened leading to her unconsciousness; she remembered going to see if she could get a small jump from the hyperdrive then nothing. The pain in her head indicated she must have hit it; slowly she pushed herself to sitting then to standing ignoring how the room span. She reached the phone calling the bridge needing to know what had happened and wondering why a medical team hadn't been despatched to her position. There was no answer, nothing, a million reasons ran through her mind, as she looked round only seeing a little girl. Wait!
She looked back not sure of what she was seeing by the time she had blinked it had gone, leaving her wondering if she had actually seen her. Deciding to go in that direction she wondered the corridors looking for the little girl or anyone else, arriving at the empty mess hall she knew something was wrong it was never empty. She set off to the bridge which was also deserted again confirming her theory. Still if she had been missed maybe others had too she put a call out to all levels receiving nothing the camera confirming it. She was alone on the ship stranded in space.
Sam took a moment to wallow in what this meant before sitting at the computer and beginning to run some basic scans these would then indicate how bad the damage was, she didn't like what she found the sublight engines weren't working neither was the hyperspace, sighing she walked from room to room on the ship ensuring the crew were all gone. She found nobody it was then Sam decided to begin a diary in case she didn't make it setting it for automatic voice record.
As the hyperspace window failed again Sam felt all hope leave her until she felt and hand on her arm. Looking up she saw Teal'c, for a moment she thought he was real until he told her to stay awake she knew if it was really there he wouldn't just be standing there. She knew he was making sense telling her not to sleep but the overwhelming desire to sleep seemed more important than what he was telling her. Her last thought before she shut her eyes was the thought that Teal'c seemed really scary and worried about something, maybe he had left the oven on she thought.
When she woke she had no idea how much time had passed but someone was singing twinkle twinkle little star, she followed the voice down the corridors as she called out it stopped. She groaned but taking note of her situation decided the distress beacon should be activated. Even if the Gould picked it up at least she would have a chance of being found. With that in mind her attention turned to surviving she cleaned her head wound and divided the food up recording how much she had. A dizzy spell had her holding on to the table when Sam heard a voice
"Play with me" it said, unable to believe what she was hearing Sam looked up seeing the same girl from earlier, she had blond hair, brown eyes and was wearing a white dress and trainers. Sam looked away the image to painful the girl she was seeing was exactly how she had pictured Grace looking, it worked as when she gained the courage to look back the girl had gone. Tiredly she looked to the floor wondering what the hell the concussion was doing to her. Deciding that distracting herself was the best option running endless simulations and diagnostics to try and sort the problem out and Daniel appeared. She looked away hoping that like with the girl when she looked back he would be gone. As he began talking Sam focused more on the problem hoping to distract herself but he wasn't about to be ignored.
"Sam hello" the illusion said clicking his fingers, Sam sighed knowing she would have to talk to him to stop him being so annoying
"Were you this annoying when you were ascended" Sam asked that being the only thing that came to mind. As he replied all Sam could think about was why she was talking to herself about something she knew nothing about. The Daniel illusion only confirming what she knew, but in a much more confusing way. By the end Sam had no idea what he was or who she was so she cut him off
"Daniel" she said begging him to stop it
"Just try to go only with it" he said, or was it she? Sam really had no idea,
"You are me talking to me" Sam confirmed, Daniel agreed, Sam sighed her headache getting worse. Humouring him he told her that the Daniel inside her thought she should study the cloud and that it was important. Sam was tired her head pounding all she wanted to do was sleep.
She knew she shouldn't sleep so distracted herself by continuing to sort out the food figuring once it was done she could focus on more important things. It was there she heard the ominous creak that told her the hull was corroding her scans proving it. Even if her food lasted months it was unlike the ship would. She sealed off those sections and boosted the shields and was in the process of visually checking those areas were sealed when the girl approached her.
She was talking in riddles something which Sam's concussed mind couldn't cope with.
"Come on this way" the little girl said. From deep down Sam reacted, an order she could cope with following orders, now if only the girl would answer the questions. AS she rounded the corner she bumped into Teal'c. She could see no signs of the girl. She knew what Teal'c wanted she couldn't sleep. He suggested a theory that she hadn't even wanted to consider that the aliens were using some virtual reality technology to gain access to her mind, to the knowledge she contained. That theory was disregarded quickly they couldn't make her head hurt that much.
She didn't know what happened next but she woke on the floor the cool metal on her face. The pain she felt only confirmed what she knew; this was real and worse of all her head injury was getting worse. It was do or die time the plan that had been in the back on her mind seemed like the best option. Sitting on the commanders' chair she prepared to vent the atmosphere from several levels. She pressed the button holding on as the ship vibrated. That was until she saw the girl screaming holding on for dear life. Immediately Sam stopped the venting running to that section. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself if she hurt her. Reaching the section she got dizzy from the exertion. She was fighting not to pass out when Daniel appeared spouting his latest theory that the cloud wasn't a cloud but an energy or something similar telling her to talk to the cloud. Despite knowing that Daniel was her she couldn't believe she/Daniel was suggesting she should talk to it. When he began talking about the cloud now being a person she couldn't stand it passing out instead.
She woke to the little girl singing sitting up she saw her feeling a jab in her heart as she remembered Grace. She spoke to her remembering Daniel/her words to talk to her. It couldn't hurt she figured as she followed it to the cafeteria where she collapsed into a chair. She disappeared returning with a plate of food.
"What's your name?" Sam asked wanting a name to call her instead of it.
"Grace" was the response. Initially Sam was shocked but then realised Grace was a common name it couldn't be her daughter, it just couldn't be
"Who are you?" She asked instead wondering if she would admit to being the cloud
"You know" Grace replied. Sam froze no it couldn't be despite the looks, the name, and the song it couldn't be.
"No I don't know" she said stubbornly watching as Grace disappeared and her father appeared.
"I am you father after a surreal conversation with him where he basically told her to go out and get Jack and stop waiting and be happy. Knowing he was right Sam found herself crying this could be it the end when it hadn't even begun.
Going back to the control room Sam sat there thinking about her and Jack when Grace turned up blowing bubbles, she was cute but Sam wanted Jack. As if he heard her he appeared telling her to pull herself together get off her butt and save herself more importantly he was willing to give it a go all she had to do was save herself and he'd be there. Sam knew he wasn't lying but had no more time to contemplate it as the ship alarms went off. Grace appeared and Sam lost all patience demanding she told her what she was doing their in she hope was a parental tone. As Grace delivered another riddle Sam focused on the bubble she was blowing it giving her a brainwave if she could only reduce the hyperspace window channelling it into a bubble. With that she ran to the hyperspace control station. She was mildly surprised that when she went into full techno babble mode Grace understood. She was even more surprised when it worked and she began moving through the cloud. She spotted the alien ship guessing that was where the crew was she moved into position in front of it.
All Sg1 began arguing making it hard to concentrate meaning she was grateful when Jack told them to shut up.
She then spoke to the ship waiting nervously as there was no response from the alien ship wondering if she was doing the right thing. Then everyone appeared Ronson demanding to know what had happened. With her head pounding and the threat that the alien ship could beam them all off again at will if she didn't react quick enough. She tried to explain what she was doing but saw Ronson had no clue so just promised to explain it later. As she released the ship Sam prayed they would leave breathing out a breath she didn't know she was holding. All the adrenaline seemed to leave her and she felt tired, old and her head was pounding. She asked to be relieved of duty barely able to keep her eyes open as 2 fit airmen helped her to the infirmary.
She didn't remember making it their, or the journey home but the next thing she knew she was waking up to the familiar sounds of beeps reassuring her she wasn't alone.
"Hey" a voice from beside her said, Sam smiled maybe she was back on the Prometheus
"Jack" She said remembering what she had promised herself life was too short to be alone. Jack of course hadn't been involved in the decision making so was suitably shocked at Sam calling him Jack. She apologised not knowing why but she was too tired to think now, Jack said about a massive concussion but Sam didn't hear.
"How long was I out?" she asked. Seeing his chance of revenge Jack started his version of techno babble but Sam's head was too painful to deal with it right now.
"Sir" she asked just cutting him off hoping he would give her a straight answer. After discussing a party they were throwing Sam took his hand
"Jack I don't want to wait anymore" She told him, Jack turned serious sitting back down on the chair
"Me neither" he admitted getting as close to admitting how hard the time was not knowing where Sam was and if she was coming back.
"I'll retire" he decided kissing her hand. Despite wanting to stay with Sam forever he knew had retirement papers to begin and Sam was looking worn out.
"Be back soon" he promised as Sam's eyes closed.
Sam drifted off to twinkle twinkle little star with a smile. Grace may be dead but this proved she was still with her in her heart helping her mum along. Forever
WOW finished, I hope you liked the epilogue it was really weird to write I don't do it often but thought this needed something so I hope it has rounded everything off nicely
A BIG thanks to everyone who reviewed