All Daniel could hear was screaming. For awhile he thought the screams were Anna's but then he realized that the screams were his. Anna had stopped screaming long ago.

Then the screaming and the pain stopped. He felt nothing. Gradually his mind woke up, struggling to the surface, pushing through the images and sounds in his head. Throbbing, agonizing pain hit him as he regained consciousness. He wanted to retreat, to go back to the nothingness but then he felt something. It was soothing and gentle. Softly caressing his mind and his body, easing away the images, the sounds, the pain.

Daniel opened his eyes. For a minute he wondered if he had actually opened his eyes, if he was awake. All he could see was the dark. Blinking a few times, his eyes adjusted to the darkness. He could feel the hardness of the floor underneath him, trying to raise his head he was hit with dizziness and quickly put it back down again, waiting for the room to stop spinning.

"Rest," a voice softly whispered.

Bringing his hand up to his face, he wiped his face. His fingers felt damp and sticky. It was blood. Quickly he decided he didn't want to go there, to wonder where the blood had come from. He knew he was injured, he didn't need to know anymore.

The truth was he wasn't concerned about himself. He was more concerned about Anna. Was she alright?

"Rest," the voice said again.

Hearing the voice more clearly Daniel carefully moved his head to one side in the direction the voice was coming from. A wave of dizziness hit him again, causing him to shut eyes and take a couple of deep breaths. With his eyes shut he could hear something moving across the floor. Could feel a body leaning against his for support. Opening his eyes again he saw Anna's face looking down at him.

Even in the dark he could make out the injuries to her face, the bruises standing out alarmingly against the paleness of her skin. Tears and blood streaked her face. She didn't look good. The Furlings had inflicted a lot of damage. But it wasn't the damage to her face that caught his attention. Though it was her face but it wasn't Anna's eyes that were looking at him. Instead the eyes looking at him were filled with a shimmering golden light. It was the entity. The entity was inside Anna.

"You've been here the whole time." Daniel spoke quietly, his voice hoarse, realization sinking as he remembered Anna's words from earlier.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To protect you."

Daniel wanted to say that so far it had failed to do that but before he could do so, the entity spoke again.

"We know. We understand. The Furlings destroy. Pain everywhere. We hear the universe. We feel all that is."

"You're empathic?"

The entity gave a nod of her head for yes, and touched the side of his head with her hand. The voice of the entity spoke to him.

"What are you looking for?"

"I don't understand?

Images flashed through his mind. Daniel saw his previous encounter with the other entity that had taken over Anna's body briefly months before. He saw himself on the planet when that entity had been found, studying the pillars and the cavern.

"What are you looking for?" it asked again

"You. We. I wanted to find you."

"Why?"

"To learn from you. To understand you. It's what I do."

"How can you understand what is, when you do not even understand yourself."

"I..." confused Daniel tried to form the words, but instead his mind was suddenly filled with more images, memories from his life. Good memories and bad. Things he had forgotten and things he'd rather forget. All that he had done, all that he was, was laid bare in front of him. The illusions, the lies he sometimes told himself were pushed aside. The emotions of the entity touched him as he felt all his own emotions rise up. Emotions of love, compassion, anger and fear. With the barriers he saw the truth about himself and as he did so tears slid down his cheeks as he laid there crying.

~*~*~*~

"Vala, it's Mitchell. Can we come in?" Cameron spoke into the comm link outside the room, glancing at Teal'c as he spoke.

"You know I really don't have a problem with you being in the same room while I get changed. I know that you or Muscle wouldn't peek, is the thought of my almost naked body too much for you to resist."

"Vala!"

Hearing the impatience in his voice, Vala relented and activated the door. "You can come on in. I'm dressed, I promise."

Seeing the door open and hearing Vala's invitation Cameron and Teal'c went in. Before them stood Vala dressed in the black one piece body suit that was part of the Kull armour. She was bending over, fixing a piece of the outer armor to her leg.

"It looks good," said Cameron, crossing his arms and looking at Vala.

Glancing up from what she was doing she replied,"Well, black is my color"

Standing upright Vala carried on putting the rest of the pieces of the outer armor and attaching the energy weapons to her forearms before she finally pulled on the last piece, the helmet.

"Now that's pretty cool."

"It does indeed look most impressive," said Teal'c, "We must hope that it is an effective defensive against the Furlings."

~*~*~*~

Gradually the tears dried up and a sense of calmness settled over him, Daniel thought to himself that he hadn't cried like that for a very long time, perhaps never. He turned his head to one side looking at where entity was.

"First one must know the truth of oneself before there can be understanding."

Daniel nodded to let it know he understood. That he understood everything.

"We must leave. If we stay in this body then the one you know as Anna will no longer exist. All that is her will become part of us."

"The Furlings?"

"To kill the Furlings is not our way. Rest now. Help is coming."

Daniel watched as the light left Anna's eyes. As it did this, Anna's body slumped forward as she fell unconscious. The entity formed into a small round shape smaller than his hand. The golden orb of light shimmered in front on him for a couple of seconds before it darted away. Realizing that the entity had gone for now, Daniel pulled Anna closer to him, wrapping his arm around her, holding her tight. He could feel her swallow breathing against him. "It's okay. It's going to be okay," he whispered.

~*~*~*~

"You're sure you want to do this? If you're changed your mind just say so and I'll go instead. No one will think any less of you."

"Mitchell." Vala moved towards him. Reaching out her hand she rested her hand on his shoulder. "Cameron. I'm doing this," she said before pulling her hand away.

Looking at her for a few seconds, he nodded. "Okay"

"I'll see you soon and I'll have Daniel and Anna with me."

Vala took a few steps backwards and gave a nod to Sam who activate the Asgard beam. The white beam appeared taking Vala and transported her onto the Ancient ship.

Arriving on the ship Vala took in her surroundings. She was in what appeared to be a cargo hold, which was in total darkness and empty. Cameron , Teal'c and her had put together a rough plan of the ship from memory and had chosen this as possibly the best location to make an entrance. Looking around Vala double checked that no-one had witnessed her arrival. Satisfied that all was good she left the room and began making her way down the corridors.

After several turns she came across two Furlings standing a few feet away. "Hello boys."

~*~*~*~