Our lives are made, for these small hours

These little wonders,

These twists and turns of fate

Chapter 6: Searching and Questioning

"There's no sign of them," Jack responded over the radio link. "Daniel and Elizabeth are both still MIA right now. There's no sign of them here on the planet. They must be aboard a replicator ship or something…"

Sam nodded. "Alright, come on back you guys. Vala actually thought up of a plan but it's going to take some time to put it in place. You can't do anything out there anymore…."

And so, the search and rescue team came back through the gate, ready and waiting to go wherever Sam was ready to send them. But the plan took even longer to implement than expected especially since Sam and Rodney were fighting every couple of seconds. That meant that Teal'c, Cameron and Jack had plenty of time to check up on Vala and her new baby. "Oh Vala," Cameron crooned as he held the little darling in his arms. "She's precious. She's gotta be the cutest baby that I've ever seen."

"Yes she is," agreed Vala as she held out her arms. "But give her back now."

There was a deep seeded fear in her that whenever her new baby was held by someone other than her, she was terrified that her little Kathryn Doran-Jackson would be taken away and changed some how. Luckily for Vala, her friends knew that and were very kind, and very understanding.

"Of course Vala," Cameron stated with a smile as he handed the sleeping bundle off to her mother. "Here she is,"

"And understandable really," Jack muttered as he sat beside her bed. "Considering what happened the last time you gave birth."

Vala nodded darkly as she held Kathryn close. "Yes well, Adria's gone and dead- well not dead, but gone."

"And here's hoping that-"

"Don't." Vala warned as she looked over at Jack. "Don't even say it."

Jack looked back at her perplexed. "Say what?"

"Say that Daniel is dead and gone because he's not," she stated firmly. "He can't be. He has a daughter that he has to meet, and a whole database to decode."

"I have seen first hand the utmost dedication that Daniel Jackson can put into a project." Teal'c stated with a stoic nod. "I am sure that he will be doing everything to get back to you Vala Mal Doran."

Vala nodded and cradled her stirring child a little tighter to her breast. "I know," she stated quietly. "I just- I would hope that I of all people would know if my Daniel is in trouble…"

-o-

And her Daniel was in trouble, serious trouble. He was reliving the last moments of his time as a prior, only this time he found that instead of saving Vala- he was powerless. Shaking the voice away he looked at his bloody palms and saw that he was normal again. That thought of relief washed over him, but it quickly dissipated when he looked around the cavern and saw Vala lying in a crumpled heap on the floor.

"NO!" The cry was ripped from his throat when he saw that she wasn't breathing. He rushed to her side and cradled her fragile body against hers. "No Vala please…." He begged, tears welling up in his eyes as he stared down at her lifeless body. "…please you can't be gone. I did all this for you, do you hear me? I did what I did for you………..I didn't want to lose you…………………Adria threatened your life and I didn't want to lose you. I couldn't lose you-" Daniel's voice broke with emotion and a few tears fell onto her cheek. "-but it looks like I'm going to lose you anyways…."

Daniel pulled Vala's still body against his and rocked it back and forth. He had lost her, after all he had done to protect her and after all she had done to protect him. She was gone….

"God Vala…" Daniel mournfully whispered to himself as he cried. "…how could you leave me like this…I….I…." He could barely bring himself to say it but somehow, even though he knew that she couldn't hear him he knew that he had to say it anyways. "…I love you." He admitted his voice breaking. "…I love you so much…..I never thought that I would love anyone as much as I loved Shar'e but I do…I love you more Vala…..I love you more……"

As Daniel mourned within his subconscious mind, thoughts began to emerge. Memories of his time among the ancients were finally available to him and although the information from Merlin's device had totally dissipated, these new memories provided him with the knowledge that he needed. He blinked away his tears and pulled Vala away from him. With a trembling body, he placed a shaky hand on her face gently, squeezed his eyes shut as hard as he could and concentrated. 'Please…' He prayed to everyone and anyone who might be listening at this point. '…please let me save her….I love her.'

But nothing came. Vala remained motionless and Daniel finally clued in that it wasn't real. "This isn't right…" he muttered as he lovingly placed Vala on the ground. "…this isn't real. I've seen it far too many times for it to be real."

"Very good Daniel Jackson," Elizabeth stated as she morphed out of Vala's body, a sight that gave Daniel chills. "Your perception is quite impressive."

"Yeah well I've been around the block before Elizabeth," Daniel stated as he stood up to face Elizabeth. "What do you want?"

"The knowledge within your mind of course," she stated as she reached out her hand, an act which caused Daniel to react and grab her arm and Elizabeth to falter. "You are surprising."

Daniel nodded. "Like I've said, I've done this little charade before. Ironically, it was about four years ago to the day and it happened to another good friend of mine."

Elizabeth shook her head. "I am nobody's friend…"

"Now, that's not true." Daniel insisted. "You are Elizabeth Anne Weir, the leader of the Atlantis expedition. Diplomatic to all, friend to all…and hater of all thing buglike."

"The replicators are not the inferior bug species of the Milky Way and Ida galaxies. We are the first one, the great ones and above all is me and my brethren that have the capability to ascend."

Daniel's eyes widened. "You want to ascend? Is that even possible?"

Elizabeth nodded. "We are but machines like you."

Daniel rolled his eyes. "That doesn't fly. To ascend, you need to have a soul."

Elizabeth looked sharply at Daniel. "And who are you to say that I don't have a soul?"

"You have a soul Elizabeth," Daniel assured. "Or rather you did before the nanites took over. It's the rest of your brethren that I question having a soul."

"They have a soul Daniel Jackson," Elizabeth assured. "Do you want me to prove it to you?"

And then, before Daniel could react Elizabeth had plunged her other hand into his head once more and he was blinding by a flash of pain with one thought on his mind. "Vala…"

-o-

"Daniel!"

Vala awoke with a start, and in doing so she caused her little darling to awaken as well. Kathryn started to cry, and Vala got up and scooped her little darling up. "Shh Kathy," she soothed as she rocked her baby back and forth. "Shh, little one. Your mother's just had a nightmare about your dear lost dad, but it will be alright. He'll be alright."

"Vala?" interrupted a voice which caused Vala to turn and see Cameron all decked out as though he was going on a mission. "He's floating in the middle of nowhere as though he's on a ship…we're taking the Daedalus. Do you want to come along?"

Come along and rescue my Daniel? Vala thought excitedly, but then she looked down at her little one and shook her head. "I can't," she stated sadly. "I have Kathryn to think about now. I can't be going off into the middle of nowhere, and I can't bring her with me…"

Cameron nodded. "Are you sure?"

"Very sure."

Cameron sighed. "Alright then, see you when we get back."

"Just make sure you get back," Vala stated, but Cameron was already out the door, leaving Vala alone with her little girl in the infirmary. "Just make sure you get back with my Daniel…" she whispered as she held her little girl close. "…I don't want to lose him again."

A/N- Hey guys. Sorry for the long wait. School was a bugger this term, but I'm done now and just studying for exams so I was able to churn this chapter out in about an hour or so... (smiles) ...yay! I'm glad that you're all enjoying it so far, and I hope that you all who have been reviewing take the time to review this chapter..and I know that I referenced 'Unending' in this chapter and I decided that between the end of part one and the beginning of part two, before Daniel and Vala went to Atlantis, they had the little excursion on the Odyessy only instead of being chased by the Ori- they couldn't get out of range of the blast wave from the Asgard planet and therefore Sam enacted the plan... so take the time to review and I hope that I answered any questions that you had.

Luv ya'll!

-Anjirika