Chapter 63

Daniel Jackson sat in the recliner of his study. The sounds of Simon and Garfunkel now replaced by Bob Dylan's Chimes of Freedom. Something Daniel found epicly fitting. His face, hands and clothes were spattered with blood. He said nothing. Just sat there. From the foot of the chair a trail of blood flowed leading into the nearby hallway. The once white walls now splattered with blood, the doors, once pristene, now broken and rotting. He didn't know if what he did was the right thing. If it would lead him down the right path or not. What he did know. What he cared about, was that the choice was his and his alone. He would deal with the consequences.

Wiping the blood from his face and hands with a nearby blanket, he surveyed the long hallway. There was only one door remaining. The one at the far end of the hallway, the rotting decrepit door that had led him to Vala. He was going to lead the issue of The Ori to his friends, with whom he was placing a tremendous amount of faith. He would deal with them in his own time. Right now all that mattered was getting to Vala and getting her home. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. He knew given his present condition that physically it would be impossible, but he knew deep down that if he could reach her, she would be saved.

ooooo

"You have the opportunity to start your life over again," Samantha Carter said as she took a bite of the lime green gelatin. "You could be whatever you want now."

"Therein lies the problem, I don't know what I want," Netan admitted. "That is, if I do not end up in a prison cell."

"You won't. General O'Neill makes a final decision regarding that and Daniel is his best friend. When he hears how you gave your consent for the transplant that saved his life, not only will you not go to prison, he might just give you a medal."

"Even if that is true, leaving the Alliance will be easier said than done. I may sway many to give up their ways but there are too many ravaged by the Goa'uld to walk away from the cause. It would be anarchy."

"Well who says you have to go back. You could always stay here in the Pegasus galaxy. Its far enough away that you would be out of the Alliance's reach and it would give you the chance to start over. Figure out what you want to do."

An awkward silence befell them for several minutes before they were interrupted by Mitchell.

"Hey, just wanted to let you guys know, that Daniel's out of surgery."

"And?" Sam asked as she placed the gelatin on a nearby table.

"Barring rejection, which she doesn't think is likely, Daniel is looking to make a full recovery."

Overwhelmed with joy, Sam jumped up to give Mitchell a gigantic hug. It took a second for her to realize that Netan was still in the room.

"I just wanted to say how sorry I am over the loss of your wife," Mtichell stated sitting at the foot of Netan's bed. "I know that our joy must be painful for you."

Netan smiled softly, "She is in a better place. Of that I am certain."

"I can stay here with you for a while if you want to talk about it," Sam offered. But Netan could see she wanted to be somewhere else.

"No, I am fine Samantha. Go on and visit your friend."

"I'll be back," she said as she bent down and quickly kissed Netan on the forehead. Both he and Mitchell exchanged looks but shrug it off as she exited the room.

"Talk to you later man," Mitchell nodded as he followed right behind.

ooooo

"What was that?" Mitchell asked curiously as they made their way down the small hallway from Netan's quarters to the infirmary.

"What was what?"

"You kissed him?"

"On the forehead. It was a friendly peck."

"Friendly peck?"

"Netan is a friend of mine and we've become close."

"How close?"

"Cam!" Sam berated as she playfully smacked him in the shoulder. "Its not like that."

"Then what's it like?"

"Its hard to explain. I know that realistically I have only known Netan a few days, but I just have this connection to him. Like I have known him forever."

"Its because he reminds you of Daniel."

"There's that. But honestly, Cam, there is more to it than that. And honestly, it unnerves me a little."

"In what way?"

"I feel so comfortable when I am with him. Like I can tell him anything and he would understand. Like there is an unspoken communication between us."

"Do you think there could be anything else?"

"I just met him, Cam. How could there be?"

As they rounded the corner to the infirmary, they were met by John Sheppard and Dr. Weir, neither one of whom looked too pleased.

"What's going on?" Mitchell asked immediately dropping the subject and taking in the situation at hand. "Is is Daniel?"

"No. Dr. Jackson is fine," Weir reasurred as she gave a sideways glance to Sheppard. "Its Kebechet, she's gone."

"Gone how?" Sam asked afraid of what they would say.

"Her body is gone," Sheppard stated matter-fo-factly. "The nurses finished dressing it to prepare it for transport to the morgue. They said there was this flash of light and when they looked at where the body was, it was gone. Only her clothes remained."

"She Ascended?" Mitchell asked, in a shocked and suprised tone.

Weir nodded, "We believe so."

"But how?"

"We're not exactly sure, but we were warned that there was a possibilty by an Ascended Being who has helped us in the past."

"Warned about what?"

"That she was different. And if she were to Ascend she would become a great evil."

oooooo

Vala slept for most of the trek to the shipyard. Terik had managed to secure her passage on a small ship heading towards the outer rim planets of The Ori system. But only for her. Once he reached the rim she would be met by underground spies who would take her all the way to Ver Vallis. Her condition had also greatly improved over the journey. At first she had attributed to Terik's potion. It made her feel better.

However about half way thru their journey Terik noticed a slight improvement in her condition. And as time passed, an even greater improvement. She made a complete turn around in such a short period of time. He had attributed it to a misdiagnosis on his part and was confident that with time, the spells would pass.

But Vala knew it was different. It was the sign she had been waiting for. The improvement in her health had to mean one thing: Daniel was alive and on the mend. For whatever reason, cosmic or Ancient, they were still connected. Although she was still incredibly weak and dizzy when she sat up but Vala was convinced that her heart was no longer in mortal jeopardy. Her overall safety and well being was something else entirely.

As she sat in the back of transport ship, she watched as Terik went over the details of the trip with the transport master. After patting the young man on the back, he came up to Vala and sat down beside her.

"This is where we part ways my dear," Terik stated as he gave Vala's hand a friendly squeeze. "These are men I trust. They have smuggled things for us in the past. They will take you to the rim. There you will meet up with Baz, he is my son. He will take you the rest of the way to Ver Vallis."

"I don't know how to thank you Terik."

"Find a way home. Find a way to safety. That will be all the thanks I need."

"I will. I promise."

Terik gave Vala's hand a small kiss before heading out the door. Vala waved goodbye as the transport doors closed and she felt the ship take orbit. Daniel was alive and she would find her way back to him. She knew now that she had to do what she could to keep her promise to Terik.

Now that she knew Daniel was okay, it would only be a matter of time.