Cause I still Believe

Believe in Love

Chapter 16: Remembrance

"You're right you know."

"..d….Daniel?"

"I won't tell. I promise Vala, I won't tell Adria about the sangraal pieces still being in your possession. You guys need to finish it if you want to save the galaxy."

"D-Daniel! Oh thank the stars that you're alright! I've missed you so much!"

"You didn't lose me Vala - I'm right here."

ooo

"Vala."

"Y-you know me. You know who I am."

"Of course. You are the mother of the Orici."

"Yes, but do you have any memories of me-us-your life before you became a prior for the Ori??"

"Yes."

"Then why are you helping them? WHY?"

"Because the path of the Ori is the enlightened path,"

"Daniel, you know you don't believe that."

"But I do…"

ooo

'…let origin into my life…my life for Daniel's…not a bad trade….'

'Vala don't do it!'

'Daniel? Is that you?'

'Of course it's me. Adria has control of my will Vala -it's very hard for me to do even this much.'

'I can save you from this Daniel…'

'No! No I did this to save you Vala, you can't do what you're planning to do.'

'What? Why can't I do what I'm planning to do? I'm going to save you Daniel!'

'You are not going to save me at the expense of your own life! You have to keep fighting and let me go….'

"NO!" 'I will not let you go!'

'Vala?'

"Mother?"

"I will never accept origin into my life Adria -not even to save Daniel…he wouldn't want me to make such a sacrifice, but I'm not going to let him go either."

"Mother I have his mind, and I shall have it for all eternity."

"You may have his mind Adria -but you will never have his heart or spirit. They are free and pure…"

ooo

"….Daniel! Daniel, you thanked me once for proving you right when you said that you could take a chance on me-please Daniel! Please prove the same for me…."

"...um, look. I know that it hasn't been easy for you adjusting to your new life here, learning to trust other people and most importantly, refusing the temptation to fall back on your old ways….but you have worked hard to make a place for yourself with us and...and dinner tonight is my way of saying thank you. Thank you for, for proving me right when I said we could take a chance on you..."

"……prove that I was right by taking a chance on you! Please Daniel! I always believed in you, I never once gave up on you! I've always known that you were inside there somewhere…please Daniel, it's home!"

"... You don't remember it, but you made a decision to stop running. It's over. Now it's time to come home..."

"Daniel! You saved me once…please save me again! Pl-"

"NO!"

"…Daniel…"

"NO!" Adria cried out from behind Daniel. She too shot out her hand to crush him but Daniel was quicker than she.

Daniel whirled around and in one fell swoop shot out his own hand towards her and snatched her necklace away. It flew to his hands before she could do anything and she just stared at him in disbelief as he held it out in front of her.

ooo

He looked around the cavern and saw Vala laying 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…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-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...how could you leave me like this…I….I…I love you…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……"

'Please…' He prayed to everyone and anyone who might be listening at this point. '…please let me save her….I love her.'

And as Daniel prayed he felt a warm glow surround him and Vala. He didn't open his eyes, but he could see when the glow climaxed to a blinding flash of light.

Daniel didn't dare open his eyes, but when he felt Vala stir beneath him, they snapped open.

"…..V….Vala?"

"Mmmm…Daniel….? Daniel……is it really you? Are you really here?"

"Yes.…It's really me. I'm really here."

"Oh Daniel! I was so afraid that I had lost you…"

"Vala…you'll never lose me I promise….…I thought that I had lost you. I thought that you had died on me and I-"

"Oh Daniel……you'll never lose me."

ooo

"But I did." Daniel commented as the memory faded leaving them in the field of stars once again. "I lost you, twice. I couldn't believe it after everything we'd gone through. I lost you twice."

"Twice." Vala laughed and it was hollow sound. "Darling I lost you far more than twice..." Her voice softened as a pained look took over her features. "... I lost you more times then I'm willing to count."

"But I'm right here." Daniel soothed with a smile. "Right now, we're together."

"Yes." Vala agreed with a smile. "We are together."

And together they turned to face their memories leading up to what they hoped would be the exit to the maze.