Disclaimer: Not mine. I'm just playing. I'll put'em back when I'm done.

Rating: G

Synopsis: Just talk. Nothing more

 

"Hey! What'cha doing?"

"Nothing."

"Doesn't look like nothing to me. What are those?"

"Taps."

"Taps? What are taps?"

"These! What do you want, John?"

"Well ... I can't come over and talk to you?"

"–"

"What are you sighing for?"

"I don't frelling understand you, John. I don't know what it is you want from me."

"–"

"Can't you at least tell me ... clearly ... what it is you expect me to do?"

"Tell me the truth, Aeryn."

"About what?"

"About everything. Where were you? Why you left? Who's the father of your kid?"

"I don't know who the father is. I already told you. This fetus could be up to seven cycles old."

"Yeah, or it could be one cycle or less. How the hell did you find Scorpy?"

"I didn't find him. He found me."

"And you never wondered why?"

"I didn't really think about it at the time, John. I was having heat delirium."

"Yeah! Which he put on stand-by with one of his damned suits."

"It saved my life. Would you rather I had died?"

"No! No, of course not. I'm glad you didn't ... I just ..."

"Are you still taking that drug?"

"What drug?"

"That Lakka. Don't you know how dangerous that dren is?"

"We're not talking about me right now. We're talking about you. So, where were you?"

"John!"

"Where were you?"

"–"

"You don't wanna tell me?"

"I can't. I told you. I made a promise and I keep my promises."

"Right. So ... why did you leave? Or have you promised someone not to tell me?"

"Frell you, Crichton."

"Likewise, I'm sure."

"–"

"Sorry. I guess I'm a little touchy about this specific topic."

"You know why I left."

"Well ... no, I don't. I could make a qualified guess, but I don't know. So why don't you tell me?"

"–"

"Look, Aeryn, we've been through a lot together ... even before the twinning. Does that mean nothing to you?"

"Of course it does. I already told you. There is no longer any distinction in my mind between the two of you."

"Which is so totally wrong that it hurts, Aeryn. I haven't shared your time on Talyn with you. He did that. I don't know what you did together. He knew that. Need I go on?"

"No."

"Then tell me once more that we were the same. Because I still don't see it."

"Can we not talk about this?"

"No, we have to talk about this, because I'm getting awfully tired of not knowing where I stand. We two can't pick up where you two left off, because I don't remember the same things you do. What I remember are a whole bunch of painful months where everything went the hell in a handbasket, more or less."

"D'Argo mentioned something about Arneesk."

"–"

"He also mentioned something about Grayza."

"What did he say about her?"

"That she did something to you, but he wouldn't tell me what. So, why don't you tell me what she did to you?"

"Like I want to remember that."

"Well? Now that you're going on and on about how we should talk to each other and get stories straight and dren like that, why don't you start?"

"Because I ..."

"... don't want to talk about it?"

"Yeah."

"Well?"

"Well what?"

"I know about her ... 'attribute'. I know what she does to ... males."

"Good for you."

"Bad for you."

"You could say that. Very embarrassing, too."

"Maybe we should find a diagnosian."

"Why? You think she might be sick or something?"

"No. This is not about Grayza. This is about the baby. I want to know who the father is."

"So do I."

***

"So?"

"So what?"

"You got the result?"

"Yeah."

"Great. Are you gonna share it with me or don't I want to know?"

"I don't know."

"What?"

"If you want to know."

"Well ... I do want to know. So, who's is it?"

"Mine."

"Aeryn, god dammit. This is no time to make jokes."

"I'm not making jokes. It's my baby."

"And that's it? There's no daddy?"

"Yes, there is. But that's not what you asked."

"Oh come on. Stop being so frelling ambiguous. Who's the father?"

"You are."

"Me?"

"John Crichton is the father."

"Could be the other one then, eh?"

"No, it's you."

"But we haven't ..."

"Yes, we have. Before the twinning. On the fake Earth."

"On the ... Oh! Oh, I see. Wow. That's ... well ... wow."

"That was coherent. I'm starting to be afraid for the child's mental capacity."

"Ha-ha. Very funny. You made a joke, Aeryn. So, what happens now?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? That wasn't a whole lot. Did you have it ... released?"

"–"

"Don't look at me like that. I'm leaving a string of pregnancies behind in this mess-up part of the universe. I'd like to get to know at least one of the kids."

"You really think that this is the time and place for me to have a child? With the Peacekeepers and the Scarrans breathing down our necks and a possible war ahead?"

"Well ... no, not really. But ... are you going to have this kid or ..."

"If things work out, maybe. I don't know, John. I haven't thought it through."

"Hm!"

"What does that mean?"

"It means nothing. I get your point."

"Good."

"Excellent."

"Couldn't be better."

"Shut up."

"You shut up. You talk too frelling much."

***

"So, what happened between you and Grayza?"

"Aeryn!"

"What?"

"Don't go there. I don't want to talk about it. It makes me sick to my stomach, just thinking about it."

"Maybe it was something you ate?"

"No, it wasn't. Being forced to consort with that bitch has given me indigestion ever since."

"Nice."

"Isn't it, though?"

"This is one frelled-up universe we're living in."

"You said it."

"What are you going to do about Scorpius?"

"Apart from shoving him out the nearest airlock? Which, by the way, he would probably survive."

"Probably not. Not even Scarrans can survive in space."

"Well ... I don't know. I haven't given him too much thought. He's giving me heartburn."

"What's heartburn?"

"Something that's making you feel really lousy."

"I'm sorry."

"For what? You're not the one giving me heartburn."

"No, about bringing him here. I'm sorry. I know how you must feel after what he put you through."

"No, I don't think you know. But it doesn't matter. Not any more."

"Why don't you like it when I speak English?"

"Because ..."

"Because what?"

"Because you don't get it right and it reminds me ... of things."

"What things?"

"Dreams I had. About you, us, on Earth."

"I would have gone with you, you know."

"Would you?"

"Yes. If we could have been sure that Scorpius wouldn't follow us. Or the Scarrans."

"It wouldn't work."

"Why not?"

"Because you'd be miserable and I'd behave like an idiot."

"And you don't do that now?"

"Shut up."

"–"

"Being on Earth would mean changes. I had this ... stupid idea, this ... dream about how it would be. Everybody was there. Even Pilot."

"That must have been a dream."

"It was. And I realized that it wouldn't work. None of you would fit in on Earth. Earth is far too biassed."

"Much like Peacekeepers."

"Well, yeah. But would you want to subject yourself to that? We wouldn't be able to tell anyone where you're from. We would have to lie. And none of our friends would be able to visit us without ending up on a steel table, being dissected."

"Sounds like Peacekeepers."

"It is to some extent. Although Humans do have a different set of moral codes."

"So, what will you do then?"

"Stay out here."

"You'll never go home again?"

"I don't know. I wish I could sometimes, but most times I know I can't because I've ... well ... outgrown Earth."

"You haven't gotten bigger."

"No, that's not the point. I've changed too much. I'm not who I used to be."

"No, you're not."

"You sound like you're sorry about that."

"I am. You were more fun while you were gullible."

"Ha-ha, very funny. You're becoming a regular comedian here."

"So, you want to settle down somewhere?"

"Eventually, when I know we ... I mean, I can live in peace. But that's gonna happen once in a blue moon."

"What the frell does that mean? What does a blue moon have to do with when and where you settle down?"

"It's an expression, Aeryn. It means that it's probably never gonna happen."

"Well, you never know. If the war doesn't come, then things might change for the better."

"And if it comes we get the hell out of Dodge."

"What is Dodge?"

"A city. It's another expression."

"What does it mean?"

"That we leave in a hurry."

"Why can't you just say that?"

"Because ... I'm trying to stay human, Aeryn."

"And being human means that you have to spout phrases that nobody understands? Then Rygel has as much right to call himself human as you do."

"No. Not like that. It's just, where I come from, that's how people talk. It's a ... cultural heritage. It reminds me of home."

"I missed you."

"What?"

"While I was gone. I missed you."

"Not as much as I missed you."

"This isn't a contest, John."

"I know. But I nearly lost my mind."

"What do you mean nearly?"

"Ah, here we go again. Stop making a joke out of everything."

"Look who's talking."

"Where are the others?"

"D'Argo, Chiana and Sikozu went down to the planet. Rygel is probably either eating or sleeping. I have no idea where Scorpius is, or Noranti for that sake."

"That old bat is full of ideas, isn't she?"

"She's crazy, John. I don't understand how you can trust her at all."

"She's made some things pretty evident to me."

"Like what?"

"Like ... that none of you would fit in on Earth."

"So, she's a destroyer of dreams, then?"

"Well ..."

"John, not all Peacekeeper prisoners are innocent. And she was a prisoner. Maybe you should ask Scorpius if he knows who she is. He might know what she was incarcerated for."

"Yeah, like I can believe anything he says. Aeryn ... I don't know how the hell you can trust him. If I could make sure that he couldn't get out, I would lock him up. The fact that he's prowling around Moya somewhere gives me the creeps. I don't sleep well at night, knowing I might wake up and find him standing there."

"What I don't understand is why he's staying with us."

"Because of me. Because of the wormhole tech. He's still after it and I get a bad taste in my mouth whenever I think about it. I don't doubt for a minute that he'd put me in that damned chair again if he could get away with it."

"You might be right."

"Hell yeah I'm right. He's consumed with his need for revenge. He doesn't give a shit about anybody else."

"But he freed you of the neural clone."

"Harvey wasn't so bad. Sure, he made me look nutty as a fruitbat, but still. At least Harvey didn't try to kill me all the time."

"No, but he tried to get you to kill everybody else. Me. D'Argo. Chiana. Need I go on?"

"–"

"Don't tell me you hadn't noticed that."

"Well ..."

"You hadn't? Frell, John, what are you thinking? That clone was a copy of Scorpius' personality. If you don't trust Scorpius, you can't trust Harvey."

"Well, I was kinda thinking that he picked up some of my personality along the way."

"And twisted it into something sick and dangerous."

"You think I'm sick and dangerous?"

"No, John. And for your information I don't trust Scorpius either. But he saved my life and I owe him for that. As I've pointed out to you before, I keep my promises."

"Not that I'm not grateful that you're alive and all, Aeryn, but have you ever considered why he might have bothered to save your life? If it hadn't led him to me, do you still think he would have done it?"

"No, I don't. Unlike you, I'm not afraid to admit that he has used me. But that still does not change the fact that he saved my life."

"You're taking this honor-code thing way too far, Aeryn."

"It is part of who I am, John."

"I know. But there's such a thing as independent thought. – Well, never mind."

***

"Hey."

"Hey yourself. What are you doing here?"

"Just wondering. You said you didn't sleep well. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Oh, I don't know. Stand guard maybe?"

"Stand guard?"

"Just kidding. No, there really isn't. Unless of course you'd be willing to blow Scorpy's head off. Which I know you're not."

"Do you mind if I stay?"

"It's a free ship, isn't it?"

"Ha-ha."

"So, you gonna stay until I fall asleep?"

"Maybe longer."

"Howdy-ho. I just missed something there. You wanna sleep here?"

"Yeah."

"How about just saying it instead of beating about the bush?"

"What bush? Oh, it's another saying, right?"

"Right."

"Scoot over."

"This is nice."

"This feels good."

"You're still using those oils, eh?"

"Well, why not? They smell nice."

"Sure do."

"John?"

"–"

"John?"

"–"

"Sweet dreams."

THE END