Fallen Angel 4/?
by Jaime
Part 4: The Right Kind of Wrong
Loving you isn’t really something I should do.
Shouldn’t want to spend my time with you.
I should try to be strong.
But baby you’re the right kind of wrong
- Leanne Rimes; The Right Kind of WrongOnce DK was settled, John went back to his room to get some much needed sleep. He was somewhat surprised to see Aeryn sitting on his bed, waiting for him. She looked startled when he entered, not a regular occurrence for Aeryn. “You’re starting to slip there, Aeryn,” joked John.
Aeryn simply smirked in response, “Funny, I came to see how everything went with your friend. You were gone for so long I was just about to fall asleep. So, how did it go?”
“Well, it took me a while, but I think I calmed him down. He’s still very confused, but the shock is wearing down. At least he understands a little bit of what I’ve been doing out here. I told him about all you guys, Crais, and Scorpius, minus the torture part of course. He’s still scared as hell, which is understandable, but I think I’m getting through to him.” He turned to look her in the eyes for the next part, “thanks for the concern, it really means a lot to me.”
She averted her eyes from his gaze and, if he wasn’t mistaken, he could have sworn he saw her blush slightly. ”There’s no need to thank me, I was concerned. We all needed to know how he was feeling as far as his attitude towards us is concerned. Well, I guess I should be going now.” When she got up to leave, she felt John grab her arm in protest. When she glanced back at him, she saw him looking at her with eyes that could only be described as lost.
“Please, don’t go, today has been so crazy, I don’t want to be alone right now.” The last part was said almost sheepishly, and with his eyes downcast. When he chanced to glance up, he saw her looking at him with a hint of fear in her eyes. Knowing what she was thinking, he quickly amended his statement. “It’s nothing like that, its just I need something constant that I can hold on to, something that I know I will be safe with.”
While she still had her doubts, she knew that she needed to do this for him. He had been through too much in the last few monens, and to add this to his problems, she was not sure how he was holding it together so well. How could she deny him of the comfort he so obviously needed? So, she flashed him a reassuring smile, and simply said, “Lie down.” When he did, she slowly lay down next to him and simply enjoyed being held by him. Within a few microts, the steadiness of his breathing told her that he was asleep, and she soon followed.
*****
John Crichton had returned to hell, as he sat there and helplessly watched as his best friend was strapped into his worst nightmare, the Aurora Chair. He was helpless against it because he was in chains against the wall, with a front row seat to DK’s torture. He watched in agony as the switch was flipped with a mere nod to Niem by Scorpius, and he saw his childhood friend writhing in agony, succumbing to the same torture he had.
*****
DK had finally fallen into a light sleep when he was suddenly woken by the sounds of screaming down the hall, instantly recognizing it as John’s voice. He scrambled out of bed, and as soon as he figured out how to open the door, he ran down the hall to his friend’s room. When he got there, he was surprised to see Aeryn Sun already there, comforting him. It looked as if she had been there all night. His thoughts were interrupted when John started with another fit, screaming, “Nooooo!!!” He later started mumbling, “not the chair, please not the chair.”
Meanwhile, Aeryn simply sat there holding him, trying to wake him up. When he finally jolted awake, he sat bolt upright, nearly knocking Aeryn off the bed. His eyes focused on her, and he nearly broke down. She held him as he clung to her. When he finally was under control, he realized that DK was also in the room, and relinquished his hold on her. He saw the worried look on his friends face, and tried to find the words to make him realize he was fine.
“Hey man, I guess you heard me, didn’t you?” When he saw DK nod in the affirmative, he continued. “Don’t worry man, I’m fine, just a little nightmare. You know me, always dreaming up something crazy.” John noticed that DK kept looking between Aeryn and himself as if trying to piece together a puzzle. “Why don’t you go back to bed and get some more sleep, we’ll talk more in the morning.”
DK nodded warily, still not convinced. “Yeah, sure man, until then.” With that, he walked out the door, but his curiosity had been peaked, and he found himself resorting to eavesdropping. He sat outside of John’s door, trying to hear what he and Aeryn were talking about.
******
“Alright John, what was that about? You may have been able to fool your friend, but I know you, and I know your demons. You were having another nightmare about the Aurora Chair, weren’t you?”
John fell silent in confirmation to Aeryn’s suspicions. Finally, he started, “Yeah, but it wasn’t like it usually is. This time, it wasn’t me in the chair; it was DK. Scorpy had found out about his adventures through the wormhole and decided to give his mind a go. Even Niem was there, working the controls in the same, heartless way she did for me. I was chained to the wall across from the comfy chair, helpless to do anything but watch as my best friend was tortured the same way I was. Knowing the hell I went through, I could only imagine what it was like for him, and it was unbearable.”
Aeryn looked at him with sympathy. “John, it was just a dream. Scorpius has no idea DK exists, much less the fact that he’s been through a wormhole. We are all going to do everything in our power to make sure your friend is safe. And if it was anything but the Aurora Chair, I would tell you to forget about it and move on with your life, but it is the Aurora Chair and that is the kind of torture that you don’t forget, ever. I have seen battle hardened Peacekeepers tremble with fear over the threat of being placed in that chair, and it nearly destroyed Crais. But for you to be able to survive it, for as long as you did, while keeping your mental block up, is something I still can’t comprehend. You never cease to amaze and surprise me, John Crichton. Now, you must get some more sleep, because I feel you are going to have another long day tomorrow, between DK and our sparring match, I’m going to need you well rested.”
John’s eyes lit up when he remembered his sparring match with Aeryn was tomorrow. They had them every once in a while, they were Aeryn’s equivalent of a test, and every time she managed to kick the crap out of him. However, he had been practicing very hard, and he had a feeling he might surprise her this time. He was just about to say something when he saw her get up to leave. “Hey, you’re not leaving, are you?”
She glanced back at him with an incredulous look on her face, “Are you kidding me? I would never leave you alone after something like that. I’m just going back to my quarters to change into something a little more comfortable. I would recommend you do the same thing while I am gone. I’ll be right back, I promise.” And with that, she was out the door.
******
DK shot up when he heard Aeryn walking towards the door. Not wanting to be discovered, he quickly ran back to his room. He then proceeded to try to process the information he had just received. One word stuck out first and foremost in his mind: torture. John had been tortured, badly from the sounds of it, and now he feared for his own safety as well. He thought about this for a while, until his musings lulled him into a restless slumber.
*******
John woke up in the morning to a strange sensation, something he hadn’t felt for a while; someone was in his arms. And it wasn’t just anyone, it was Aeryn. That thought sent his mind reeling as he remembered the events of the past day: DK, wanted beacon, fight, nightmare, Aeryn in his bed, and while he tried to focus solely on the latter, he was continually brought back to the first part, DK being on Moya. He knew there was so much more that he needed to tell him, to warn him about, but he knew that now was not the time yet, he still needed to adjust.
Slight movement from the body pressed up against his informed him that Aeryn was waking up. “Good morning Sunshine, and how did you sleep last night?”
She rolled over and graced him with a radiant smile, “Wonderful, actually. And how about you, how did you sleep after your nightmare?”
“Better, actually. I just wanted to thank you for being there last night, it made it a lot better to talk to someone about it, and I knew I couldn’t talk to DK about it.”
“There is no need for you to thank me. I slept quite well myself, actually.”
With a mischievous grin on his face, he replied, “Oh really?” At her nod of agreement, he continued, “Well then, I think we might have to do this more often.”
A myriad of emotions were crossing her face, and when she finally made her decision, she leaned over and lightly pressed her lips against his. When she pulled away, she said with a smile, “I think we might. Now, lets get DK and go to breakfast. Don’t forget, right after that, we’ve got our sparring match. And don’t think for a minute I’m going to go easy on you.”
“I wouldn’t even dream of it.”
******
When DK woke up, he was vaguely aware of his surroundings. When he registered the gentle humming that was around him, he became puzzled. It was only when he opened his eyes that he became truly confused. In a rush, all the events of the past day came back to him, and he realized that it wasn’t just some horrible dream, he really was in another part of the universe with his best friend, who had apparently been tortured, and who has changed so much he is barely recognizable.
His mind was still working through all that information when the object of his thoughts entered his room, along with Aeryn. “Rise and shine my man, just because there’s no actual sun, doesn’t mean you get to sleep all day. Come on, we got to get to breakfast, and afterwards you get to see a special treat. You get to see me kick the crap out of a girl.” At Aeryn’s disbelieving grunt, he amended his statement, “Well, more likely, you’ll get to see a girl kick the crap out of me.” When he saw DK look at Aeryn, as if wondering how she could overtake his friend, John laughed. “Looks may be deceiving. Come on, get up and get dressed, we gotta get to breakfast”
*********
Breakfast went by uneventful enough. DK was a little cautious about the food cubes, and John couldn’t really blame him. The rest of the crew was hospitable enough, telling DK about the daily routine aboard Moya. It was decided that DK would stick with John for a while, so that he could “show him the ropes” as John called it. He needed to be taught some of Moya’s preliminary systems and basic repairs. He was also going to work with John to alter the systems of the Farscape Discovery much in the same way that was done to the Farscape One. DK’s module was in much better condition than John’s, and its larger size would make it useful as a transport for smaller goods.
As soon as breakfast was over, and the dishes were cleared, John, Aeryn and DK moved on to the workout bay. Chiana was going to meet them there, because she “needed the entertainment.” DK got the feeling that these matches were a regular occurrence, and that John was usually embarrassed at the outcome.
DK was sitting watching Aeryn and John stretch when Chiana came in and sat down next to him. They sat in silence for a little bit until she finally spoke, “You know, we haven’t really had a chance to talk yet.”
“You’re right, Chiana is it?” At her assenting nod, he continued, “Its just that everything that has happened has been so unbelievable, I think I could only handle so much. But I am getting better,” at that, she smiled. “Are these things a regular occurrence, these matches of theirs?”
“Well, I wasn’t around when John first arrived, I joined the crew later on. But that’s another story for another time. Anyways, from what I understand, they started out as Aeryn’s way of teaching John to defend himself. But eventually, it became more, it was an excuse to spend time together, even if they were kicking the dren out of each other. Its still really amusing to watch though.”
“What is up with them anyways?” DK asked curiously.
“To be honest with you, I have no idea. I mean, they love each other, that much is obvious. But they’re both too stubborn and too scared to admit it to one another. Each one has a lot of things going on that the other has to acknowledge and deal with. It’s been hard on both of them, but I think they’re finally coming around.” She had a happy expression on her face when she made the last comment. DK was about to ask another question when her attention was drawn to Aeryn and John, they had both gotten into the traditional stance that indicated their readiness to start the match. “Here we go,” she cheerily commented.
They both stood there for a few seconds, each one sizing the other one up. John was the first one to move, lashing out with a low kick that very nearly knocked Aeryn off her feet. She struck back with a punch that was easily deflected by John. Aeryn was visibly impressed by how much he had improved, and decided to increase her speed. He managed to keep up incredibly well, and even managed to get the better of her on a few occasion. The match continued for several minutes, until, finally, John managed to knock her on her back. He took full advantage of the situation and tried to pin her, much in the same way she did when they first met. He smiled down at her in victory, and she used his momentary distraction to reach up with her legs and roll him off of her, rolling herself one way, and him the opposite. She managed to stand up first, and walked over to him while he was standing up, and ended the match with a quick, precise pentak jab, knocking him unconscious. She smiled over to DK and Chiana in victory and gloated, “Works every time.”
DK, meanwhile was watching the match, speechless. John was truly dangerous, if he needed to be. He could easily match some of the black belts on earth. Aeryn as well, he never would have suspected such ferocity from her from just looking at her. He was beginning to get an idea of just how dangerous it was out here, and how formidable of a team they both made. His jaw dropped when John managed to floor her and the ensuing pin, as well as Aeryn’s recovery. When he saw John fall to the floor unconscious, and Aeryn smiling about it, he was almost disgusted.
Chiana, meanwhile, was impressed by Crichton’s skills. However, when she saw Aeryn walking towards him with that look in her eyes, the one that mean that the fight was over, and she knew it, she knew what was coming. No sooner had she thought that, then Crichton was crumpled on the ground in an unceremonious heap. She then noticed the look on DK’s face, and realized that he didn’t know what kind of necessity these matches were. John needed to know how to defend himself, and who better to teach him than someone who used to be one of those he had to defend himself against? Before she could explain these things to him, he was already advancing towards Aeryn.
“What the hell did you do to him?” he demanded.
“It’s a pentak jab. Humans are especially susceptible to them.”
“Did you ever think that you could have seriously injured him? Or have you not heard of the concept of brain damage before?”
“It has never done any damage before. He has recovered just fine.”
“You mean you’ve done this to him before?”
“Yes, but it was under very different circumstances.”
“And what made you think that you had to do it to him now? Was it that necessary?”
“Yes, it was necessary. These matches are necessary for John to learn self defense, defense against the Peacekeepers. The pentak jab is a very common attack for them, and he needs to be ready for it at all times since it is so debilitating to him.”
DK was about to retort, but was stopped short when John started moaning on the floor indicating his return to consciousness. Aeryn was the first one to reach his side, offering him a hand up. He smiled sheepishly, knowing he had been caught off guard. “Guess I should have seen that one coming, huh?”
Aeryn smiled in return, “You left me no choice after pinning me like that, I had to do something to get you to leave me alone. Plus, you knew I was going to throw at least one in there just to try to fool you.”
“Well, you’re right, I did let my guard down, and I deserved whatever I got. You did say you weren’t going to take it easy on me.”
With a pointed glance back at DK, she said “I’m glad we see eye to eye about that.” She backed away from John when she saw DK coming towards him.
“That was incredible man, you gotta teach me some of that some time.”
With that, John’s face grew grimly serious, “Yeah, I do. You need to learn as much as you can as soon as you can.”
******
The rest of the day went by calmly enough. DK followed John around on all of his duties, content to just observe for now. John noticed a strange tension between DK and Aeryn, but decided to keep quiet about it.
When it was finally time to go to bed, John approached his quarters only to see Aeryn waiting for him on his bed again, already in her sleeping attire. When she saw him approaching, she blushed slightly, still embarrassed about her affection towards him. “You decide you couldn’t live without me another night?” he asked with a lopsided grin.
This made her smile in return, easing her nervousness. “Something like that, I just want to make sure you are alright in case you had another nightmare.”
Knowing she was partially lying, but not wanting to push her even further, considering how much effort it took her to just take this one small step, he simply smiled. “Well, make yourself comfy, I’m just going to get changed.”
When he was finished, they both lay down together, with her back pressed firmly against his chest. Secure in each other’s embrace. John finally asked the question that had been troubling him nearly all day. “Was it just me, or was there an excessive amount of tension between you and DK after the match today?”
Sighing because she had hoped he hadn’t noticed, she replied “He was upset with my use of the pentak jab, well, me knocking you out. He didn’t see the reasoning behind it, and he confronted me about it. I didn’t want to trouble you with it because I was pretty sure it would just pass.”
“Well, don’t worry, I’ll talk to him about it tomorrow. Let’s just get some sleep. You wore me out today.”
He heard her chuckle in response, and let her rhythmic breathing lull him into a peaceful slumber.