Chapter 66

Vala woke to find herself in a garden. She sat up slowly, taking in the lush green of the foilage, the sweet perfumed smell of the flowers was familiar to her. It was the Great Gardens of Sedaris, the 'gift' the An Tal's comissioned in honor of Rayden's eighteenth birthday. This was Sedaris. This was home.

"It seems so real, doesn't it?," said a voice that made Vala's heart both sink and jump for joy at the same time. "Almost makes you forget that it was all reduced to a pile of ash."

Vala slowly turned in the directio of the voice. There, sitting on a nearby marble bench, surrounded by the most beautiful bushes of blue roses she had ever seen, was her sister.

"A-Aja?" Vala stammered as she slowly pulled herself to her feet.

Aja looked at Vala incredulously, rising to her feet. "I haven't seen you in over a decade and that's alll you have to say to me?"

Tears spilling down her cheeks as she reached out and touched her sisters face. Stifiling back a laugh, she quickly pulled her into an embrace. Aja fell into it patiently, not minding all that much that Vala held her as if she never wanted to let her go. After shifting slightly, Vala got the point, letting her sister go as the two sat down on the stone bench.

"But how . . . what . . I don't understand?" Vala exasperated. "Am I dreaming again."

"No, Vala, this is no dream."

"Then what is this?"

"Another plane of existence," Aja explained as she took Vala by the hand. "There is so much that I have to tell you, so much has happened since the last time I saw you."

"I thought you were dead, we all did."

"I am dead, Vala."

Vala was taken aback, immediately pulling her hands from Aja's grasp.

"Then this is a dream."

"No dear sister," Aja smiled as she placed a hand on the side of Vala's face. "Death, is only the beginning of the journey."

It took a minute for Vala to realize where she had heard that phrase before. Within minutes, her eyes were as wide as saucers. An understanding look came across her face.

Aja nodded without Vala having said a word.

"All can be explained, if you let me."

Vala found she had trouble saying the words but after much effort, managed to pull them out, "Tell me everything."

oooooo

Sam Carter walked the long corridor leading to the infirmary with a heavy heart. They had gone through so much. Suffered so greatly and now it seemed as if it had all been for nothing. She needed to see Daniel. She felt a pang of grief hit her, knowing the long recovery Daniel had ahead of him. Knowing that his condition would mean the end of his career as a member of SG1. She knew that the realization of this fate would kill him. Daniel lived for exploration, for field work. The revelation that he would be banned from gate travel would be a terrible cross for him to bear. One that would likely end his career with the SGC entirely. She knew Daniel too well to know that he couldn't sit idly by at some desk. He lived for the adventure and would be miserable without it. Turning a corner, she found herself in front of Netan's room. The door was open and Sam could see him sitting with his eyes closed, lost in thought. She stood there for several minutes, studying him. He was a man with a singular purpose, to find his wife, and now he had, only to lose her. Not unlike Daniel. Now, also not unlike Daniel, he struggled to find purpose with a life that was now long out of his grasp.

"I know you are there, Samantha, you need not stand silent."

"I just came to check up on Daniel," Sam sheepishly said as she stepped into his room.

"I have heard from Dr. Lam that he is doing well" he replied pausing briefly. "Among other things."

Sam took one look in his eyes and immediately knew what he meant,"You know about the Ascension."

Netan nodded, "There was a flurry of activity, I became curious. She was hesitant but eventually told me everything."

"How does that make you feel?" she asked as she sat down on the side of his bed.

"Honestly, I do not know. When we were on the ship she talked about Ascension. That it would happen when we reached Atlantis. I did not believe her. I thought it was some trick on Kebechet's part. She said we were The Light and The Shadow and together we could do great things. I wanted to believe her, but I didn't."

"Its okay, Netan, you had no idea. None of us did."

"You don't understand, Samantha. She did not just speak of her own Ascension. She said that when we got to Atlantis, we would both Ascend. Now she has Ascended and now I am left wondering whether I am to follow her."

"Do you . . . want to follow her?"

"I cannot lie. There is a part of me, deep down, that would want nothing more than to spend eternity with her. But that is when I thought she was my wife. Now I do not know who she is anymore. She is just as much Kebechet as she is Aja and vice versa. They have become one and the same being. And I don't know who that is anymore, nor, and it breaks my heart to say this, do I want to. I do not want to Ascend, Samantha, but now that she has done so I feel it to be inevitable."

"I won't let that happen," Sam protested much to Netan's amusement.

"I cannot see how you can stop it, Samantha."

Sam's thoughts traveled back to the briefing and to Mitchell's crazy idea.

"There may be a way, that is, if you are feeling up to it."

"I am up for anything at this point," Netan said before giving a small laugh.

"What's so funny?"

"A few hours ago, I thought I had nothing to live for. I could see no future for myself. I was ready to die. And now that I face the real threat of death, and the unknown that follows it, I want nothing more than to live."

"I want you to live."

Netan reached out and touched the side of Sam's face gently, "Then I will do my best to try and live for you, Samantha."

They stared at one another meaningfully for a long moment before Netan pulled her close and passionately kissed her lips. Every fiber in Sam's body felt electric, as if she had suffered some kind of static shock. It had been a while since anyone or anything had made her feel this way. She pulled away gently, fighting back tears that threatened to spill and looked at Netan deeply.

"Then lets do what we can to make sure you do," she smiled as she began filling him in on her plans.