Author's note: Yes, this chapter is short, but it's brand new to readers familiar with this story.

Please enjoy. :)

Chapter 6

Over the next few days they'd discovered quite a number of interesting facts. One, Celestis was on this planet, and two, there was an annual village pilgrimage to the city occurring within two weeks. Daniel and Vala used every spare minute they had to plan their escape.

They only needed to bring their weapons, radios and Daniel's IDC, but they really didn't want to leave anything behind for fear of getting Ber and Kira in trouble for harboring them if they were found out. They did learn that some villagers brought offerings on the pilgrimage, so they felt reasonably sure they could bring their sacks of clothing and equipment without arousing suspicion. But just to be safe, Vala began sewing pockets into their clothes to conceal the IDC and radios. She also managed to cut an inconspicuous slit in the folds of her dress where she could reach the zat strapped to her thigh.

The night before the pilgrimage, having planned as much as they could, Daniel and Vala tried to sleep. Though for whatever reason, Vala kept tossing and turning on her side of the bed, not falling asleep and thereby keeping Daniel awake as well.

"Forgive me, Daniel," she said eventually.

"For wh—" and then in one fluid motion she had shucked off her nightgown, thrown back the covers and essentially mounted him, one perfect porcelain thigh on either side of his legs and her beautiful full lips literally kissing the words from his mouth. He sat up immediately, with her still straddling his hips. "What the hell, Vala! What are you doing?"

"Just give in, Daniel," she pleaded, her hands grasping at the hem of his shirt to pull it off, her lips fastening themselves to his mouth once more. "We could die tomorrow."

She has a point, Dannyboy.

Great, now his subconscious was starting to sound like Jack, and was that Vala's tongue? He had to put a stop to this…soon…maybe just one more kiss… No! He shook his head to clear the fog.

"Stop it, we're not gonna die." He held her arms in place at her sides so she couldn't reach under his shirt anymore. "Nobody's gonna die. Everything will be fine. Vala!" He risked a weak shout when her hands tore his shirt open, buttons popping off everywhere.

She spread the halves of his shirt wide and bent her head to kiss him once again, this time nuzzling his neck and collarbone, pressing hot, open-mouthed kisses down his chest. "I swear I won't tell a soul, Daniel. None of your friends back home will know you gave in. Please, just do this for me. Be with me," she begged. "Please, Daniel."

"Vala, get a grip! What's wrong with you?" He firmly pushed her body away but she resisted and let her head fall on his shoulder. He could hear her choking back sobs.

"Every time I close my eyes," she confessed, "I see those altar flames licking at me."

Amidst the frenzy in his head and his heavy breathing, Daniel registered what she was saying. Suddenly it all clicked. "Hey, there. Ssh," he tried to calm her.

Her whole body started shaking in sobs, so Daniel let go of his death-grip on her arms and let her cling to him. His heart nearly seized from the sensation of her bare breasts pressed tight against his chest. But Vala's arms were wrapped so tight around his back and shoulders, he didn't think he'd be able to get her to let go.

He tried to dismiss the feeling and focus solely on Vala's fears. "Nothing's gonna happen tomorrow," he soothed. "We'll be fine. We find the gate, dial home and we're outta there."

"Oh, we are so dead," she scoffed through her tears, but some of the shaking seemed to lessen. "That is the worst plan I've ever heard."

"Part of it was yours, you know." He didn't quite think she was mocking him, so he just continued to rub her back and smooth her hair.

She sniffed back a few final tears. "I know, and I'm truly baffled by my stupidity."

"Okay, I'll admit, there might be a few flaws."

"A few…"

"Okay, more than a few. But what choice do we have?" he asked softly.

"None," she admitted. "Oh, I so don't want to die tomorrow. Please, do something, Daniel. Tell me a story, recite the Tau'ri alphabet, count to a hundred in Ancient…something, anything to distract me and help me sleep."

Well that's odd. Obviously sex was her default method of distraction. Note exhibit A: her lithe naked body still sitting astride his and wrapped around him like a warm winter coat. And yet, rather than force the situation with more kisses or fondling or tearing of clothes, she was giving him the choice. And what was even odder—more odd, whatever—why the hell was he even thinking of submitting to her anyway?

"Daniel?"

"I…uh…okay, A, B, C…" he started with the alphabet because he honestly thought he was losing his mind.

"Still awake," she sighed against his neck when he reached the end of the alphabet.

He nodded and began counting in Ancient. At the same time, he lay back on the bed, pulling her down with him and settling her comfortably against his side. Sure she'd probably felt his hard-on earlier, and they were both practically naked from the waist up, but he silently begged her not to tease him. As he counted out loud, he noted with gratefulness that her hand never strayed from where he held it over his heart.

"How was that?" he whispered when he got to five hundred, hoping that the even sound of her breathing meant she might be asleep.

"Your voice is soothing," she murmured back, inhaling and exhaling slowly, her breath slightly tickling the few hairs on his chest. "Thank you, Daniel."

"You're welcome, Vala." And against his better judgment, he kissed her forehead and prayed it wouldn't startle her into her default mode.

Some benevolent god must've heard him because she didn't stir, but merely fell asleep wrapped in his arms.

The next day they found themselves as close to home as they'd ever been since arriving in this galaxy. And Vala had a queasy, uneasy feeling from the word 'go.' They'd ringed from the village to the plains of Celestis; they'd trekked to the city with the other villagers. They'd joined the rest of the pilgrims in a short tour of the city that would end in prostration in the main hall. They'd lagged behind everyone else for a quite a while before losing them completely and venturing out to explore the temple.

It was utter madness, Vala had thought, as they wandered around looking for the stargate. But it was almost as if Daniel was magically drawn to it because they'd soon found their elusive way home. Then again, they still needed to figure out how to dial it. And unfortunately, there didn't seem to be a DHD.

"Dang," Daniel muttered. "It was going so well, too." He started searching the walls of the room for any panels or devices. Vala decided to keep watch by the doorway because she felt reasonably sure they were going to be caught, and soon.

She heard footsteps a few minutes later as Daniel was examining a panel near the gate and she ran through various stories and other delaying tactics in her vast experience. Generally, making out with a fellow conspirator was enough to embarrass a passerby and get them to simply dismiss her and her companion. Why that thought had popped into her head, she had no idea, because it was obviously not going to work in a religious setting. Instead, she rushed over to Daniel, dragged him to the middle of the room and knelt in front of the stargate as if in prayer.

"Hallowed are the Ori," she intoned just as a monk stepped into the doorway. "Blessed are those who follow the Path."

"What are you doing here?" the monk commanded.

"We came upon the great ring of the gods and were inspired with devotion." Vala cowered, and they both bowed their heads to the man.

"Pilgrims are not permitted in this room," the monk stated forcefully. "Why are you not with your fellow villagers?"

"My wife needed a short rest—" Daniel started, lifting his head only a little.

"The long trek across the plains, you understand," Vala finished.

Daniel continued, "We tried to catch up to the rest, but we took wrong turns and became lost. Forgive us." Daniel bowed again.

"Follow me," the man ordered and proceeded to guide them to the rest of the pilgrims in the main hall.

A wonderful six-hour session of prostration followed, and Vala practically itched to leave the place. Every minute was pure torture, for she just knew any second they'd be caught and burned.

Afterwards, a small meal was provided and then the pilgrims were led out of the city and they made their way back to the rings. Upon returning to the village, she, Daniel, Ber and Kira walked back to their cottage. It had been a long day and Vala prayed to any god worthy of worship that she could just go to bed and forget this day ever happened.

Perhaps someone heard her plea because both Ber and Kira also appeared to be nodding off as they got home. They all ate a cold meal of bread and fruits and retired early.

When she and Daniel were settled in bed, Vala hesitated only a moment before curling up against Daniel's side. "I'm sorry, I really am, but I cannot ever, ever go back to that place."

"Yeah, that was…a big mistake," Daniel admitted.

"That is the understatement of a lifetime."

Daniel raised his arm and placed it around Vala's shoulder. "Need me to count to five hundred again?"

She tried laughing but it came out as a choked huff. She had no energy to seduce him, but she desperately needed another distraction. She shook her head at his offer. "Maybe five thousand would do it." She felt Daniel's chest rise in a kind of half-laugh of his own. Vala was reasonably sure he was just as terrified as she was, but instead of being annoyed with her, he complied with her wishes and began to count. Around 285 his lovely voice had put her to sleep.