Here's the last dream, guys. This one is from The Quest, Part II.

I had a few more flashbacks I had considered, but this will be my final one. From now on, the stories will be my own stuff. As far as I know...

I'm excited to post some of the stories I've been working on that happen later on. I've got some quirky ones coming up, but they will have to wait a few more chapters. Don't want to give you all the good stuff upfront. What kind of writer would I be if I did that?

X

"Trust me, I can handle this." He'd said it, but she hadn't believed him.

Standing in Merlin's room—or at least a replica of the one where he'd done all of his work. Daniel wavered under the influence of what was happening to him. And Vala didn't like it. An hour ago he'd moved something with his mind, and was now using an advanced, Ancient device to create a weapon only Merlin knew how to assemble—apparently because Merlin, himself was inside his mind... and Daniel was slipping out of her grasp.

She gave Mitchell a worried look as Daniel stepped back from the console once more—staggered, was more like it. In that moment, Vala's insides burned to help him.

"I must rest," he said, words that sounded foreign, like he hadn't been the one who'd said them... As if her Daniel had stepped out of his own mind for a moment and let another take his place.

And then he, or whoever was inside his head, said, "I'm not as young as I used to be."

Finding the revelation oddly amusing, though altogether distressing, Vala followed him to the bench. He lowered himself slowly, every joint and muscle in his body screaming at him, and his mind pounding within his skull.

"Daniel?" she asked him, bending down in front of him. "Are you alright?" Her words were soft and sweet. Almost loving.

Drunkenly he breathed hard and looked at her strangely, as if he'd forgotten who she was. "I know you," he mused, straining.

"Well, of course you do, silly," she said chipperly, though still soft. "It's me.... Vala." Her eyes shone with a dull hue of fear. What was happening up there in that big head of his? She smiled up at him, though for the sake of reassuring him or herself she hardly knew.

He thought a moment, and then a slow, heavy smile slipped across his face. He reached up a tired hand to cup her cheek.

Stunned, but still smiling, she lifted her hand to cover his. My god, something was very wrong.

"I had the strangest dream," he breathed, not quite looking at her, but floating his thoughts in a pool of memories. "Everything was covered in ice." He mused on is a daze.

Fear electrifying her body, she shifted her face against his hand, searching for Mitchell's response to all of this.

The Colonel just stood off at a distance, in a worried, thoughtful stance. "Jackson," he said, attempting to evoke some kind of recognition from his friend. Vala returned her gaze to Daniel.

Daniel didn't respond.

Cameron stepped towards the pair, he put his hand on the man's shoulder and shook it gently. "Daniel," he repeated.

As if being pulled out of a dream, Daniel snapped back to reality, though still momentarily groggy. He blinked, he breathed, and looked around him. "What's going on?"

"We're losing you," Vala stated, pulling his face back to look at her. "That's what going on."

His face was inches from hers, but he was millions of miles away.

"Every time you come back from that machine it gets a little worse." She turned to point at the Ancient console that had been stealing his soul for the past hour. Then she looked him in the eyes, her voice cracking a little. "And don't tell me you're fine." Because I know you aren't. Her concern, her fear for his well-being, her desire to save him, her anguish at having to remind him who she was, all bubbling up in her words. Her eyebrows furrowed in sadness, tears taunting her eyes.

"No, I just have too many thoughts in my head," he replied, shaking his head. His eyes were closed, as if Daniel was trying to catalog all of Merlin's thoughts. Stuttering in the way he always did, Daniel tried to explain. "I can't concentrate. I get confused."

She smiled, encouraging. "You have to fight it," she reasoned, aching to save him.

"No!" was his hoarse, whispered reply. "No, no. That's the thing." His hands cupped his temples and he opened his eyes. "I have to let it happen." His eyes were wide, as if seeing a thousands different things at once."That's the only way I can build Merlin's weapon." He breathed deeply again.

Vala, speechless, sat before him, staring sadly, helplessly up at him. She cocked her head to look at Mitchell who was leaned up against the wall of the room, his face mirroring her emotions.

Daniel began to stand up, pressing his weight on Vala's shoulder for support. She offered it willingly. He staggered towards the console, his breath heavy. Cameron stepped forward to pat him on the back.

Vala stood up to meet Cameron, deciding if anyone in this situation could make Daniel stop, it was his commanding officer. She grabbed him from behind, forcing him to turn and look at her. "You have to tell him that he doesn't have to do this. He'll listen to you."

He shook his head, "What team have you been on? Besides... We need this one," he mused. Vala was appalled at his hesitancy to jump to intercept Daniel.

"Wh—what makes you even think we'll be allowed to use it?" Excuses, excuses. "The Ancients didn't even let Merlin get away with it."

"Vala. Vala! Shh!" He silenced her, though not without protest. "Shut up," he whispered a forceful command. "For once."

She stared at him, hurt. Was she the only one who wanted to stop Daniel? To save him?

Mitchell glared at her, and she returned his with one of her own. She was stunned.

"We have to take the risk," he said, turning away from her towards the exit.

She paused for a second, staring off into the distance. It was all becoming clear now—she really was the only one who cared about Daniel. At this moment in time, the universe could go to hell; she didn't care. Daniel was the only thing that mattered. And Mitchell didn't see it. She turned, her mouth open. "What?" she asked, shocked.

She saw it now. She scoffed and trailed after Mitchell. "Look, this is all about no sacrifice for you, isn't it?"

"Whoa, whoa, I'm sorry," he turned, exasperated. "What about you?"

"What?" she asked innocently.

"When you flew that cargo ship into the gap at the super gate, you knew damn well you might not come out the other side alive."

She averted her eyes. No, this wasn't about her. "No, no. That was different," she replied, turning away from him.

"Yeah, different 'cause you," he grabbed her arm and yanked her back to face him, "...were the one taking the risk."

She yanked right back, fighting him physically to mask that she knew he was right. But he was completely wrong. This was Daniel they were talking about. Daniel.

He grabbed her by the the vest, shaking her a little so she would look him in the eye and stop fighting. She complied, though a bitter pout met his gaze, not a defiant glare.

"Now you know," he breathed, "the hard part about being part of this team is not risking your own life."

Tears welled up in her eyes. Daniel.

"It's watching your friends," he continued, "take chances with theirs."

She felt her throat closing up. She couldn't stand this.

"Congratulations," he said, still boaring his eyes into hers. "Now you really are one of us."

She was falling apart. She couldn't handle this. She wanted to run away from this feeling, far away from the realization that she was going to lose her Daniel.

But she couldn't.

Mitchell left her alone with a man who was slowly fading, slowly losing himself... slowly leaving her behind.

Turning, she stared at Daniel—now almost one with the machine. In her head, she knew Mitchell was right, this was worth taking the chance. They'd have a weapon to fight off the Ori. They'd have an upper hand.

But in her heart, Vala wept bitterly. Even if this worked, everyone lost... she lost... because Daniel would be lost. A very real, very urgent need to stand beside him and slip her arms around his waist—to breathe in his scent—shook through her.

But Vala just stood there, helpless and alone, watching the slow decay of the man she'd known and who'd possibly never come back. A tear slid down her face, and she turned her gaze away. She couldn't leave, couldn't run away... not this time. But neither could she witness Daniel's demise. She wasn't ready for that.

X

She tapped on the keys, aggravated, irritated. When her fingers refused to type the letters her head was commanding them to, she banged on the keyboard, bearing down the distress in her mind on the innocent, inanimate object. As if her problem was with it. She growled slightly. "There has to be a way to get back on that planet."

As hard as it had been for her to watch Daniel's will slowly slip away, much harder had been leaving him behind on a planet with her universe-domination hungry daughter. The last she saw of her Daniel had been of Adria glaring down at him—power streaming from her body—and Daniel crouching under the weight of her strength. He was yelling at them to leave, that he could hold her off, but not for long. Mitchell had dragged Vala through the Stargate, though she fought for him to let her go.

But even harder still, was the madness of not knowing if he was dead or alive. She had to find him. If there was a chance, she had to save him.

It was that, or fade into nothingness. Because nothing was what mattered without Daniel.

X

Vala's eyes fluttered open. The last thing she'd dreamed lay heavy on her mind. Had that been something she'd actually felt? She hadn't remembered needing him that much. Could it be possible that she had... she did...

Love him?

That couldn't be possible. No. She'd never let anyone get that close to her—especially not letting them command her soul and her heart.

But as she lay there, unsuccessfully attempting to force herself back to sleep, she realized she'd let Daniel in a long time ago. She couldn't remember when she'd opened the door, but for a very long time, he'd meant everything to her. Why had she let this happen?

How could she stop it?

X

Pacing, Daniel tried to think of anything but this last dream. It was a lie—an illusion. Vala hadn't really felt that way. Dreams always amplified thoughts and feelings three times over.

He consoled himself with this thought. It was the only way he'd be able to face her tomorrow. If he let himself think that she felt that deeply towards him, there would be nothing he could do to stop himself from hurting her. Because he damn well knew he didn't feel that about her. He didn't want her to leave, because she'd become a much cherished—though sometimes irritating—presence. But he didn't love her like that.

He didn't love her like that.

He didn't love her like that...

He didn't...

Did he?

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate... merely dreaming and pondering...