Title: Not the same.

Summary: An accident leaves two Samantha Carter's stranded in each others realities with no way to get home. S/J's...

Season: 8.

Spoilers: Various episodes, ranging from season two through season eight.

Disclaimer: Stargate SG-1 and the characters of it belong to MGM and are not mine. I own only a poster, my seasons, and my few other bits of Stargate merchandise.

Note: OUR Carter is a Colonel... not a Lt. Colonel. I know that's not how it was in the show.

I am idiotically starting to post this story, instead of sticking to my promise to myself that I would complete it first. I won't be able to update as frequently as I would like... life has a terrible thing of getting in the way. So, anyways, I have the first seven or so chapters written, but I'm not exactly sure of what's going to happen after that.

This chapter may start out 'weird' but it does improve.

Last thing: This was beta'd months ago by WarmTea- thank you, Daniela!

Carter/ Colonel Carter: OUR Carter.

Sam/Major Carter: Alternate Carter.

Carter's gaze swept around the corner; "Clear!" she called.

Daniel ignored her as he continued to marvel at the hieroglyphics. "Sam, they look Ancient Egyptian-"

Carter tuned him out as she continued to sweep the area. "I'm going to check the rest of this temple," she announced. Teal'c, listening patiently to Daniel's lecture, gave her a small nod. She smiled at him and hurried from the room.

One by one, the rooms turned out to be clear. She knew it sounded bad but she had almost hoped for something more... Exciting! Being held for a few hours or a Jaffa or two, maybe?

She quickly squelched those thoughts. She should be happy that they were safe. Instead, she was wishing for danger, how pathetic! She slowly turned into the last room. It was empty as the rest of the temple excepting one thin slab of 'rock'.

Curious, she stepped forward and examined it carefully.

"It's a Quantum Mirror," she said surprised. As she watched, the mirror jumped to life. She stepped back with a small yelp. To her surprise, she was on the other side. Alternate-Sam stood there, eyes wide with excitement, triumph- and absolute disbelief.

Alternate-Sam was yelling something and Jack- er the General- came running, as did Daniel and Teal'c. She reached an arm out to touch the mirror...

"No!" Carter shouted and, without thinking, leaned forward...

Moments later, blackness covered her.

Å

Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep...

"Sam? Sam, can you hear me?" Carter's eyes fluttered open.

Janet sighed with relief. "Hey, look who's back," she teased. "You had us all worried."

Carter sat up suddenly. "Janet?" she squeaked.

Janet nodded. "You're okay Sam, you-"

Carter looked around wildly. "Where am I?"

Janet gave her a concerned glance. "You're in the infirmary. You turned on an alien device and received a jolt of a sort. You collapsed and-"

"You're dead!"

Janet took a step back. "Sam, are you-"

Carter pushed at the covers and scrambled to her feet. "Where am I? What is this place?"

Janet was worried. Very worried. "Major Carter, I have to insist that you-"

Carter froze. "Major?" she whispered. "Oh god, where the hell am I?"

Jack and Daniel both raced in. "Carter!" "Sam!"

She spun around. "General?" she asked hopefully.

"Uh no..." He said skidding to a stop. "Janet?"

Janet looked just as helpless. "I-I don't know sir,"

"Who am I?" she whispered.

"You are Major Sam Carter," Jack began when Carter shook her head vigorously.

"No! I'm Colonel Samantha Carter of the United States Air Force. Current leader of SG-1."

Jack gestured to Janet. Carter turned to see the doctor advancing with a syringe in hand. "No!" she screamed. "I'm not crazy!"

Daniel stared at his friend, fear in his eyes. Teal'c had entered only moments before and moved to help Janet restrain her. "General, please! I'm not crazy!" Carter screamed.

Jack turned away as Janet pushed the needle into her arm. "No..." she whispered. "Not crazy..." she finished, as her eyes closed.

Beep, Beep, Beep, Beep...

The familiar sounds of the SGC's infirmary filled her ears as she woke up. Sam struggled to open her eyes.

"Hey doc! She's waking up!"

As her eyes opened, bright light made her shut them instantly.

"Turn that light off Space Monkey!"

"Sorry," Daniel apologized.

"Colonel Carter? Can you open your eyes now?"

Colonel? I'm not a Colonel! She opened her eyes and found the infirmary mercifully dimmed. "Hey," she croaked.

They all heaved sighs of relief. Sam focused on the doctor. "Who are you?" she asked furrowing her brow.

"Dr. Carmichael," He said.

She remembered vaguely Janet telling her she was going to go on vacation for the weekend with Cassie... wasn't that next week? Oh well... this must be her replacement.

"Oh. What happened?"

"Don't you remember?" the doctor asked.

Uh, yeah, that's why I'm asking... "No."

Teal'c answered her. "I was listening to Daniel Jackson talk of Ancient Egyptians when we both heard you cry out. We hurried to you and found you unconscious."

"You were next to a Quantum Mirror Sam," Daniel said slowly. "Was it on?"

She concentrated. "I think... I... no, it wasn't." she tried to focus her thoughts. Quantum Mirror? Was that what Daniel had named it? "I found a device I thought might have been the 'remote' and I was about to turn it on and..." she stopped. "I can't remember if I did..."

Jack sighed with exasperation. "Carter, you're like a little kid sometimes!"

She smiled and closed her eyes, exhaustion covering her like a blanket.

Å

When Sam opened her eyes again, Jack was sitting next to her. "Hey sir."

He looked up. "Hey. Brought you something."

She grinned. "Blue jell-o. Thanks."

Daniel and Teal'c entered the room, with Walter behind them. "General O'Neill sir," He began, "we have an off world activation-"

Sam's head shot up. "General?" she asked.

Jack ignored her. "Have..."

Sam tuned out the conversation. General? GENERAL O'Neill?

Jack continued to talk to Walter. "Colonel Carter can check the system when she-"

"Colonel?"

He gave her a bemused glance. "That is your rank."

Her brow wrinkled. "That's not right."

"Why not?"

"I'm a Major."

Jack gave her a concerned glance. "Why don't you take it easy until Dr. Carmichael can-"

"Where's Janet?" She demanded.

Jack froze. "Janet?" he repeated.

"Yeah? You know, the Napoleonic Power Monger?"

"Carter, what the hell is wrong with you?" Jack demanded.

"Sam, you okay?" Daniel questioned.

"I'm FINE!" she hissed. "Where is she?"

"Doctor Fraiser fell in battles many weeks ago. Do you not remember Colonel Carter?" Teal'c asked gently.

"What? No! I am not Colonel Carter! Janet IS alive, I saw her this morning for cryin' out loud!" Everyone automatically looked at Jack who shrugged. "Colonel, you saw her! Remember, the joke about blonds?"

"Uh... I'm afraid not," Jack said slowly. Sam looked to her left. Bearing on her was the Doctor and in his hand was a needle.

"No!" she screamed. "I'm not crazy! Colonel, I SWEAR! This morning when I woke up, we were heading to 92R-455 to check out the apparently Egyptian temple and-" Jack nodded to the doctor who injected the needle into her IV line. "COLONEL, PLEASE! I'm not..." she trailed off. A minute later, she was sound asleep.

"Jack, what's wrong with her?" Daniel asked quietly.

"I don't know Daniel. But I'm going to find out."

I've only seen one other alternate reality story with Sam switching places, so I thought I'd write one.

I know it starts out weird, but it improves... honest!

Thank you WarmTea for beta'ing this so long ago...

I really hope you like it…

Please review!