Title: The Journey

Summary: Daniel and Vala are on a race against time to save a dying Cameron.

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own Stargate.

Chapter 4: One False Step

Daniel leaned closer to read the writing and read it to Vala. "Memorize the drawing to lead you to the other side. One false step could be your last."

Vala looked at Daniel with confusion in her gray eyes. "What does that mean?"

"Well, the drawing is like a map of sorts. See how it shows three squares going forward, then two going left and so on?"

Vala nodded and Daniel continued. "I think that that shows the directions we need to take coupled with the correct number of steps to get us through to the other side."

"But why will one false step be our last? What happens if we make a mistake?" Vala bit her bottom lip nervously.

"I don't know, but I certainly don't want to find out. Can you help me memorize the map?"

"Of course darling, let me see...hmm...three steps forward, two steps left, four forward, three right, two forward, five right, two forward, four left, and three forward." Vala muttered the sequence over and over again softly to herself.

After several moments of studying the map, Daniel took a deep breath. "Okay, let's get going. I'll lead us and you can hang on to my backpack and follow my every step. Take small slow steps so you don't trip or fall or get out of line."

Vala nodded. "Okay, but go slowly please."

Daniel opened the door and Vala attached herself to his backpack. He nervously took a step forward into the pitch black room, counting the steps as he went. When Vala was through as well, the door slammed shut behind them leaving them in the dark to find their way through the maze.

Daniel took the three steps forward and then stepped left, correctly remembering that left was the next direction to take. "You okay back there Vala?"

"Yes, let's just get out of here as soon as we can," Vala said, her voice weaker than usual.

"Okay, just keep following my lead."

Daniel and Vala had made it about half way through the maze when Daniel began to question his memory. He thought that he had to go left next, but he wasn't one hundred percent sure. "Vala? We go five steps left next, right?"

"Umm, I think we go five steps right, not left."

Daniel groaned. "I thought it was left. Are you sure it was right?"

Vala sighed audibly. "Well I can't be certain, but I'm pretty sure it was right."

Daniel still thought that the correct route went left next and he trusted his memory more than Vala's. "Well I really think that we should go left next, I'm going to try."

"Daniel wait no!"

It was too late, Daniel started to go left and immediately fell over the side. He caught himself at the last moment, hanging dangerously over the edge of the maze.

"Daniel!" Vala was screaming as she tried to find him in the dark.

"I'm barely hanging on down here! Try to find my hands in the dark and help lift me up!"

Vala carefully kneeled down and searched for Daniel. Her hands eventually found his and she helped him get a better grip on the edge with one hand while hanging on to her with the other. A few tense moments later, he was back inside the maze.

Vala helped him up. "You should have listened to me! I knew we had to go right next!"

"I'm sorry, let's just get out of here."

The two of them slowly began to move in the correct direction again until Daniel's hand came upon a door latch. He pushed it open and he and Vala stumbled into the light of the next room of the temple.

They squinted at the bright light that assaulted their eyes.

"I'm so glad that that is over with," Vala said as she sat down to rest for a moment.

Daniel sat beside her and got out a bottle of water and took a drink. "You're telling me, I thought was going to die there for a second. I guess we know why one false step would be our last now."

Vala shivered in spite of the heat inside of the temple. "Maybe next time you will trust me."

He turned to look at her and saw a stray tear tumble down her cheek. He wiped it away and turned her to face him. "Hey, it's okay. We made it out alive. I apologize for not trusting you."

She sniffled. "I'm glad you're alright darling, don't scare me like that again!"

Daniel chuckled a bit. "Well, I'll try not to. You ready to move on?" He got back on his feet and adjusted his backpack.

Vala nodded and Daniel took her hand to help pull her up.

They headed down the corridor, cautious of anything and everything that was around them. After what they had just been through, they weren't going to take any chances.

After several minutes of uneventful travel through the temple, Daniel's mind began to wander. He was worried about Cameron. He and Vala couldn't even get any updates on how he was doing while they were searching for the gem. He realized that Cam was in the very capable hands of Dr. Lam, but he just couldn't get the image of a sickly pale Cam lying in a bed in quarantine.

"Darling? Do you think Cam will hang on until we find the gem?"

Daniel shook himself out of his thoughts. "I certainly hope so. I was just thinking about him too."

"I really hope we can save him, even though I'm not sure how much he likes me."

Daniel turned to look at his former space pirate friend. "Why would you say that? Cameron is your friend."

Vala shrugged a bit. "I don't know, sometimes I think that everyone at the SGC just puts up with me because they feel like they have to."

Daniel wasn't sure where she was getting that idea from. "That's not true. We all like you, especially the other members of SG-1."

Vala looked Daniel in the eye. "Do you like me Daniel?"

Daniel looked away from her, suddenly uncomfortable. He didn't know exactly what she meant by her question. Sure he liked her as a friend, he had for quite some time now. Did he like her as something more? Well, as much as part of him screamed no, another part wouldn't put that idea to rest quite yet. Yes she annoyed the hell out of him, but she was also an important part of his life, a part that he never wanted to lose.

He realized that she was waiting for an answer, an answer that he wasn't sure he knew yet.

"I like you Vala, you are one of my best friends." Daniel decided that that was the best answer he could give her at the moment.

She frowned slightly at him before quickly turning it into a small smile. "You are one of my best friends too, even though you're a geek."

Daniel laughed to himself. She just had to add that didn't she?

By that time, Vala had boldly ventured in front of Daniel, effectively taking the lead in their journey. When they came to a sudden dead end, she pressed her hands against the wall to look for a hidden door or switch.

Daniel came over to help. He ran his fingers along the right side of the wall until he found a smooth spot among the roughness of the wall. He pressed on it and the wall broke apart before them, unveiling two tunnels ahead.

End of Chapter 4. I promise the next few chapters will be much more eventful! I hope everyone is enjoying the story so far, review and let me know please.

-J