The Ascended Beings I've Met by Maeve Bran

The Ascended Beings I’ve Met

By: Maeve Bran

CATEGORY: Missing Scene

SEASON/SPOILERS: Season 9 “The Powers that Be”

WARNINGS: None

AUTHOR’S WEBSITE:

http://www.fanfiction.net/~maevebran

Vala looked around the cell she was being held in. Daniel was slumped beside the door. Mitchell and Teal'c had left for the night, leaving her and Daniel alone. She knew he was angry. But at who she didn't know.

"Daniel?" Vala broke the silence. "Can I ask you a question?"

"If it means I'll get some peace and quiet, by all means." came the sharp retort of a frustrated Daniel. He wasn't so upset with Vala as he was with himself for not seeing the possibility of the locals imprisoning her for her confession.

"Back in Ver Ager, you mentioned, 'the Ascended Beings I've met'. What did you mean? When did you meet the Ascended Beings?" she asked.

Daniel took a deep breath and briefly closed his eyes before answering. "The short answer is I used to be one."

"And the long answer?" Vala pushed.

"It is a very long story. It started on a planet called Keb. I met Oma Desala and started on the journey to enlightenment. Then a year and half later, I was dying of radiation poisoning. It was very painful but Oma came and offered me ascension rather than death. I chose to go with her. I shed my physical body at the moment of my death and became energy. For a year I watched over my friends as they got into trouble and was unable to interfere. I walked the fine line and came close to crossing it. Eventually I must have, because I was expelled back to human form but with no memory. I eventually recovered most of my memory except for large portions of that year. Two years later, just a couple months ago, I was killed by the Replicator version of my friend Sam, and Oma helped me Ascend again only this time I chose to return to human form. " Daniel explained.

Vala was, for once, speechless. The implications of just whom she had attached herself to sank in. She may have been worshiped as a god but Daniel had been the closest thing the galaxy had to one. Daniel an Ascended being? That baffled her. Not that he had been one but that he had given it up not once but twice.

Daniel was waiting for her reaction. When the silence had stretched on for five minutes, he looked over at her. She was doing an impression of a startled fish. "Don't you have anything to say to that?" he asked sharply.

"Not really. What is there to say? I'm not worthy of your company? I think we both know that is true." Vala said maudlinly.

Daniel looked at her in surprise. "Why would you say that?"

"Daniel, ascension is as close as this galaxy comes to true gods. I just pretend to be a false god and you've been to the higher planes. That says a lot about your character. As does the fact that you still talk to me after the way we met and the way I high jacked you and your team to go treasure hunting." Vala admitted.

Daniel smirked at her latest admission. "I was on a higher plane of existence but that does not mean the Ascended beings are gods or anything close. They are just people who have become energy. Yes to have someone like Oma help you, you have to be good person, but I didn't think I deserved the help but it was better than the alternative. That's the only reason I chose ascension the second time. I knew about Anubis's plans for Dakara. I convinced Oma to fight Anubis, he was half ascended. It seems Oma had been tricked into helping Anubis ascend and when she found out she tried to send him back. The others only sent him half way back to punish her. So she fought him and I came back. This time with my memories in tact. The ascended make mistakes. They are not gods."

"Alright you were not a god but I still think you got closer than I ever did." Vala conceded.

"In the end there is only one thing we can ever control, that is wether we are good or evil." Daniel quoted to her.

"What?" Vala asked.

"That was what Oma said to finally convince me I was worthy of Ascension. It is true. If I have done anything with my life I have tried to do good. I haven't always succeeded but I have tried. You could too. It wouldn't be easy but you could try." Daniel explained.

"I think I may be too set in my ways to change now." Vala said with a wry chuckle.

"It is never to late until you're dead and sometimes not even then." Daniel encouraged.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Vala inquired, becoming more and more curious about what made this complicated man even try to defend her after all she had done to him.

"It means you've died and come back and have been given another chance. Don't waste it. You can make a difference for this galaxy." Daniel explained.

"I've done too much to ever make amends for it. You should know that." Vala stated blandly.

"Yes I know some of what you've done but I've also seen you choose not to kill even to steal a ship. I know deep down inside there is a good woman and that is who I'm defending tomorrow. Not the thief and the liar but the good woman I know hides behind the tough woman she has had to become." Daniel turned to look at her only to find that she was tearing up and about to cry. He reached an arm through the bars and pulled her closer, so her head rested awkwardly on his shoulder. "Now I need some sleep so I can do my best to convince these people not to kill you or to follow the Prior."

Vala attempted to brighten up and said weekly,” I’ve always wanted to sleep with you but I never imagined it would be like this."

Daniel smiled and settled her head more comfortably on his shoulder.

** The End **

Feedback to: maevebran@livejournal.com

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