I heard beeping machines and a hissing sound as I came out of my stupor. I looked around and saw that I was hooked up, again, to machines, except this time I also had a breathing mask on. Oh dear. I must have really had a doozy to get myself into the grips of the oxygen mask.

I closed my eyes and breathed in. I felt around for the 'panic' button and pressed. I heard footsteps come close and two nurses soon came into view. They fussed with the nearby machines and took the button out of my hand. They motioned to my face, and I began to nod. Yes, please take off the mask, please let me talk to someone. I felt a wave of sudden fear crash over me as they walked away, shaking their heads.

"They can't hear you."

"What? Why can't they hear me?"

"You are gone to them, Sam."

"No! I am right here! Nurse! Nurse!" I felt hot tears sting my face as I screamed louder and louder, and the darkness came thicker and thicker.

I looked away into the darkness, seeing the uselessness of my fighting. I saw nothing but the endless black.

"Sam."

I swung around. "Daniel?"

Two arms reached around me and pulled me back into the hard chest of Daniel. I felt his feather-light lips press to my temple as he breathed. "Open your eyes."

The scene before me was bright and happy. I searched my memory and couldn't remember ever being in a place like the one I saw before me. The walls were bright with the sun bouncing off the pale yellow. The cabinets were white washed and had small yellow knobs on them. The counter was butcher block and on it stood a vase of yellow flowers. "So beautiful."

"So, keeping you out of the kitchen was worth it?" Daniel asked, coming around me. "I know you aren't thrilled to have sawdust in the rest of the house, but you know, we are working on it."

I looked around and back at Daniel who had his sleeves rolled up and a bright smile on. "You did this for me?"

"For my favorite lady I'd do anything," Daniel said, stepping close and caressing my hair. I marveled in the lingering touch of his long fingers as they stroked my hair. I smiled lazily as he dipped his head and captured my lips. "I'd do anything."

I snaked my hand through his short hair and returned the kiss, deepening it. Oh how I longed to kiss him like that forever. I pulled back with a start. "This has never happened."

I saw a flicker of something in his clear blue eyes. "I know it's too good, but Sam, we have earned this. We have earned the few weeks off."

I placed a hand on his chest and shook my head. "No. This has never happened. This is something too real to have happened. You are using me. Oh, Gawd, you are using me!"

Daniel tried to grab my wrist as I pushed him and ran out the back door, down the sloping backyard, into the trees bordering the house. I ran, the trees became thicker, the slope became rockier and suddenly I was face to face with the same rocky path Daniel and I had climbed before he became a prior. I turned around, wishing for a gun in my hand.

"Would you really shoot your best friend?"

I whipped around and was face to face with Prior Daniel. "Yes."

"No hesitation. Interesting."

"I'd rather have him dead then have him be my enemy."

"Maybe it should be the other way around."

"No. He would die to protect others from himself. He can't do that, so I have to do that for him."

"You?" Prior Daniel asked with a grin. "And what makes you so special?"

"Because I love him. I love him so much. Any of the others would do the same really," I said, stepping back as he took another step toward me. "We all would protect Daniel from harming others. It's what he would want."

"And you decide because you love him."

"Yes."

"What if I don't destroy the body? What if I slowly eat at his brain, making him forget what it's like to hold your hand, see your face, kiss your lips," he said, hissing the words as he backed me against the wall.

"Then he wouldn't be the man I fell in love with. The man I love is strong. He would fight; he would fight until he died before that ever happened. He would sacrifice himself before hurting others."

"And your heart would bleed because he was gone, would it not? You would sacrifice what could have been for the grave?"

I closed my eyes. "Yes."

"Then his heart and mind can never be the Ori's. They cannot overcome such love and devotion. Wake up and find your life."