Title: The Journey

Summary: Daniel and Vala are on a race against time to save a dying Cameron.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate.

Chapter 1: Foreboding

"Go away, I'm busy." Daniel Jackson didn't even bother raise his head up from his book to greet the individual who had just entered his office. He already knew that it was Vala, he had long since memorized the sound of her specific footfalls as she bounded into the room.

"I'm not going anywhere darling, I have something important to discuss with you." Vala sat herself on Daniel's desk and pushed his book away.

Daniel quickly grabbed her hand to stop her. He glared angrily at her. "I'm trying to do some research here, do you mind?"

The raven-haired alien smiled slyly at him. "Not at all, I never mind bothering you while you try to work." She yanked her hand free of his grasp and closed his book in one swift motion.

Daniel felt his annoyance growing by the second. Why must she constantly annoy him?

"What do you want Vala?"

Vala inched her body closer to his before answering. "I don't think that we should go on this mission." Her face changed from playful to anxious in a millisecond.

Daniel sighed in frustration. "Before you say anything else, no we cannot skip this mission to go shopping. I know you miss Sam, with her being on her honeymoon with Jack, but I am not your shopping buddy replacement. Besides that, since Teal'c is offworld, you and I are the only ones going with Cameron on this mission."

Vala frowned at him. "I wasn't going to ask you to go shopping Daniel. I just have a very bad feeling about this mission, a horrible sense of foreboding about the whole situation."

Daniel was surprised. Vala was actually being sincere, she really did seem worried. "Have you told General Landry or Cameron about this 'feeling' you have?"

She nodded and then bit her lip. "Yes, they both just laughed it off. I thought that maybe you could talk some sense into them." She looked back at Daniel hopefully.

"I'm sorry Vala, but they are the ones in charge, not me. I'm sure that your bad feeling doesn't mean anything."

"You don't believe me either?" She sounded hurt.

Daniel repositioned his chair so that he was facing Vala more directly. "Hey, I didn't mean it that way. I believe that you got a bad feeling, it happens to me at times too. What I meant is that usually these feelings are just feelings, not actual premonitions of something bad that is going to happen."

Vala hopped off of the desk. "I understand, but can we agree to at least take extra caution on this mission?"

Daniel gave her a brief smile. "Of course, now go get ready, it's almost time to leave."

Later on that day, Daniel, Vala, and Cam arrived at P4K-723. They were greeted by green fields sprouting some sort of crop and a cluster of buildings in the distance.

"Okay guys let's go explore the village over there." Cameron started walking towards the buildings with Daniel and Vala following suit.

Daniel sneaked a glance in Vala's direction. She had an unsettled look on her face, marring her pretty features. She was obviously still upset by her bad feelings. He hated seeing his normally bubbly and vivacious friend look down, so he went over to her and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. Even though she annoyed him at times, she was a good friend, and he knew when she needed some comfort.

"It's going to be okay Vala."

Vala pressed her body into Daniel's a bit. "I hope so."

When the team arrived at the village, they could tell that something was seriously wrong. The village square was deserted, not a soul in sight. Carts of fruit stood spoiling in the sun, building doors were left ajar, and a sickly smell filled the air.

Cameron wrinkled his nose in disgust. "It smells worse than my Uncle Carl did after he was done cleanin' up the horse stalls."

Daniel and Vala nodded in agreement. "What happened here?" Vala asked to no one in particular.

Daniel walked over to the fruit carts and inspected the rotting produce. "It looks like this fruit has been spoiling for days now, something definitely went wrong here."

Cameron poked open the door to the closest building. "Oh my...Jackson! Vala! Get in here now!"

The pair raced to join Cam. Daniel entered the room to see five corpses littered around the room. The smell was worse there, almost unbearable.

"Eww!" Vala turned on her heel and ran from the building to back outside.

A muffled groan filled the air. Daniel and Cameron turned to see that one of the bodies was moving, still alive.

Cam rushed over to the man's side, trying to help him. He kneeled over the man, looking for wounds, anything that would give him a clue as to what had happened to him.

"Get...get out. Now," The man grumbled and then his head went slack.

Cam immediately tried to rouse him. "Sir! Sir?" He touched his neck, looking for a pulse.

Cameron turned to Daniel and shook his head. "He's dead, I think we should leave."

Daniel nodded in agreement and they left the building. Vala was waiting outside, her creamy complexion even paler than normal in her shocked state.

"I...I told you..."

So she had. She had been correct all along. Daniel sighed. "Yes, you did. I'm so sorry that no one took you seriously, now let's get out of here."

The team hurried to the stargate and back to the SGC.

When they arrived back on Earth, General Landry demanded that they immediately be checked out by Doctor Lam, given the circumstances.

Daniel felt fine, but he had noticed that Cameron had started to sneeze when they returned through the stargate.

Dr. Lam gave Daniel and Vala a clean bill of health and then went to check out Cameron. By that time, he was coughing and sneezing and looking like he had been hit by truck.

Dr. Lam frowned. "I don't like the looks of this, do you think a disease could have killed the people on that planet?"

Daniel shrugged. "I really don't know, but they showed no signs of being injured, but could a disease really show signs this quickly if Cam did pick it up?"

Dr. Lam gave Daniel a stern look. "I think you know as well as I do that alien diseases do not always resemble Earth ones. The truth is that until I know what is wrong with him, I am putting him into quarantine. If you or Vala show any symptoms at all, come to me immediately."

Daniel agreed and relayed the information to a shaken Vala.

"I knew that something was going to happen! And now...and now...poor Mitchell is dying!" Vala sobbed and buried her face in Daniel's chest.

He put his arms around her. "Hey now, we don't know that he is dying, maybe he just has a bad cold." Daniel tried to reassure Vala, but he knew that they both knew that this was no cold. Cameron was in trouble.

End of Chapter 1. What do you think so far?

-J