Family Matters 2
By ISIS
Disclaimers and Notes: see part 1
Aeryn picked herself up from the floor of the Command. A few microts later, John's anxious voice came across the comm from the maintenance bay where he had been tinkering with the Farscape module. "Aeryn? Are you all right? What happened? Is it PeaceKeepers?"
Aeryn answered his frantic questions calmly. "John, I'm fine. It was an asteroid, not PeaceKeepers. Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Where are we, Pilot?" he called, as he raced through the Leviathan's passageways to Command.
"Unknown, Commander. This system does not conform to any of those on the most recent charts we purchased. I am beginning to scan now." Pilot's voice was reassuringly calm. "Not to worry, Commander. Though the starburst was sudden, Moya has complete data on our trajectory and coordinates to return to our original course if necessary."
"That's good to hear, Pilot. Well, while we're here, let's check it out. Any commerce planets?" John asked, arriving just outside the Command, slightly out of breath.
"Not a commerce planet, as such, but there is definitely a relatively advanced civilization on the third planet. Very strange." Pilot mused.
John bounded onto the command and then stood still. Aeryn stood facing him, her face white with horror. "Aeryn, honey, what is it?" John demanded, his heart in his mouth at her expression. He raced over to haul her trembling body into his arms. "Aeryn, love? What is ...?" he began again and then his eyes went to the viewport behind her and he gasped.
Time stood still as he beheld the system he had been seeking for so long.
"My God, Aeryn, it's home. It's really home!" His arms tightened around her and with a sob, he buried his face in her fragrant hair. "I'm home, Aeryn. I'm finally home!" He held her as if he would never let her go. Slowly, he became aware that her arms had dropped away from him. She stood limply in the circle of his arms. He raised his head to see the impersonal Peacekeeper mask back in place on her face. "Aeryn, love, what is it?" he asked, stepping away from her in concern.
She stepped back away from him, her eyes dark in her pale face. Before she could answer him, Pilot's voice came over the comm. "Where are we, Commander? Moya cannot pinpoint our location at all."
"We're in my home system, Pilot. That third planet you identified is Earth."
On the clamshell viewscreen, John saw Pilot's eyes bulge in astonishment. Then they slid immediately to Aeryn. John turned to see her backing out of the Command. John went after her at once, but she had taken off. "Frell!" he cursed. "Aeryn!"
Aeryn ran blindly through Moya's corridors, her heart aching, tears streaming from her eyes. Her worst nightmare had been realised. John had found his home and now she would be left alone. She heard him calling out desperately behind her, and she ran even faster. She reached the door of her old quarters and palmed open the entrance, slipping in and locking it behind her. She leaned back against the wall, out of sight of the corridor.
John arrived at the door microts behind her, "Aeryn, sweetheart, tell me what's wrong! Aeryn? Aeryn, please answer me!" He stopped to listen, hearing the distinct sound of someone gasping for breath in the darkened room. "Aeryn, please, let me in. Don't shut me out now. I need you!"
"Commander Crichton! Please return to the Command. I need your help in finding a safe orbit in this system."
"Not now, Pilot!" John groaned, leaning his forehead dejectedly against the grillwork of the chamber door. "Aeryn, love, please just talk to me!" he pleaded. All he heard was the stifled sobs of someone trying very hard to keep strong emotions under control.
"Commander! I must insist. I am encountering some primitive detection devices in orbit around your Earth. I need your guidance immediately." Pilot's voice was rising in frustration.
John slammed his hand hard against the still locked cell door, "Dren!" he cursed. "Aeryn, I have to go to help Pilot, then I really need to talk to you. Don't do this, my love, please." Then he turned reluctantly away to return to the Command.
Behind the door, Aeryn gulped air into her lungs, desperately fighting off the nauseating despair that threatened to overwhelm her. Unsuccessfully. She raced back out into the corridor and reached the washroom in the nick of time. After being sick, she returned to the bed in her room and curled up in a tight ball of misery. Finally, she surrendered to the misery that had engulfed her as soon as she recognised John's homeworld. Exhausted by her storm of weeping, Aeryn drifted off into a troubled sleep.
That's where John found her a half arn later. When she did not respond to his pleas to open the door, John had Pilot unlock it. He moved into the room cautiously, coming to stand beside her bed, gazing down on her in grief. He saw the traces of her tears still on her cheeks and his heart ached at her pain. He bent and gathered her in his arms. She stirred, murmuring his name but did not awaken. He carried her to their quarters and laid her gently on the bed they had been sharing for nearly a monen. Then he lay down beside her, pulling her into the comforting circle of his arms. He lay with her like that long into the night, his mind searching desperately for solutions to their dilemma.
Despite his anxious pleas, he knew exactly what was wrong with Aeryn. It was the same problem they had faced before on what had proved to be a false Earth. He had asked her to go with him then and she had refused, later admitting her fears. Fears that John had to acknowledge had been perfectly justified in the light of what had occurred. He pressed his face into her hair and breathed in deeply. At the time that they had experienced the false Earth, John had been attracted to her and he had felt that she was attracted to him. He had seen the pain her refusal to join him had caused her then. Now, the possibility of their separation was unthinkable. But John knew Aeryn well enough to know that she was still very unsure of herself in their new relationship, very vulnerable and apt to shut him out, as she had already done. He had to move very carefully.
Another thought occurred to him. Despite everything, he knew he had to face the possibility that it would be impossible for her to join him on Earth. John tightened his arms around her. He knew in his heart that if that were the case, he would stay with her. He could never leave her, as he had once told her. All he had to do was convince Aeryn.
He spent the rest of the night considering possible plans for a safe return to Earth, one that would avoid the false Earth scenario and provide a safe opportunity for Aeryn to join him.
John awoke the next morning to find Aeryn lying facing him, studying his face as if memorizing it for a long life without him. He smiled at her, his eyes full of his love for her. She did not return his smile, instead reaching out her hand to trace along his brow and caress his cheek. He grabbed her hand and pressed a tender kiss into her palm. "Feeling better?" he asked. Aeryn did not answer him, but moved as if to leave the bed. Nonetheless, John pulled her back against him. "No, Aeryn, talk to me. Tell me what's wrong."
She looked at him with hurt anger. "What do you think is the matter with me?" she raged, the old fire back in her eyes. "We've reached your homeworld. It's Earth. You've finally come home, John!" She choked and went on. "When will you be leaving?" she asked, raising her chin defiantly, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.
John chuckled softly and reached out to flick her stubborn chin with his thumb, "Whenever you're ready," he answered.
Aeryn stared at him in shock, then she looked down. "John, please, be serious." She struggled to control herself. " I guess I've always believed that someday you would find your homeworld and then we would have to part. I just thought that, well, maybe it wouldn't be so soon." She rolled over to face away from him. "I should be so happy for you, but I'm afraid that I'm just selfish." She drew in her breath unsteadily. "I don't want to lose you, John. I don't know how I will live without you."
John groaned and lifted himself up to look down at her. He reached over and pulled her hair back over her shoulder, then he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Aeryn. Aeryn, please." He pulled her back over to lie on her back, looking down at her tenderly. "I'm not going to leave you. I couldn't live without you either. Whether it's here on Moya, on Earth or anywhere, we will be together, I promise."
She stared up at him, searching his face desperately for the truth of his words, then with a cry she threw herself into his arms, clinging to him as she sobbed again. John held her tightly as she wept, whispering soft words of love and stroking her back. Finally she lifted her head and gazed up at him. "I love you, John. So much it hurts." She looked away, embarrassed at her uncharacteristic display of emotions.
John smiled back down at her tenderly, "Ahhh, Aeryn, I don't want it to hurt. I want you to be happy. I intend to spend the rest of my life making you happy." He lowered his lips to hers, "Starting right now."
Sometime later, John checked in with Pilot as Aeryn showered and then together they made their way down to Pilot's chamber. There, John outlined the plan he had come up with for their return to Earth. Both Pilot and Aeryn expressed some doubts about the feasibility of the Human's plan and insisted on coming up with an alternative escape, should the Ancient's recreation of John's Earth and its xenophobic tendencies prove true again.
John spent the rest of the day monitoring the transmissions from Earth, checking all the newscasts for current events. *An election,* he thought with a smile. *I can probably use that to my advantage.* He was saddened by news that the Mideast was explosive again, that the environment was still a mess and that poverty and homelessness were still major issues in American life. He smiled sadly at Aeryn as she brought him a steaming cup of what passed for coffee in the Uncharted Territories. She saw the morose expression in his eyes and gave him a questioning look.
John sighed, "It's nothing, Aeryn. Just the same old, same old. Not a lot has changed since I left."
Aeryn came over to lean against the console beside him, pressing her shoulder into his reassuringly. "Did you really think it would?" she asked quietly. "You've only been gone three cycles."
John smiled ruefully. "Yeah, I know. It's just ... well, so much changed in my life, I just thought that the same thing would be happening on Earth." He shook his head. "Pretty dumb, I guess."
"Not dumb at all, "Aeryn replied with a grin. "Just very optimistic." She reached over and gave him a timid kiss on the cheek. "I think that's one of the things I love the most about you."
John grinned at her and pulled her close to his side, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "Thanks, Aeryn."
"Don't mention it," she responded cheekily, making John chuckle.
The next morning, John put his plan into action. Pilot and Aeryn had agreed with him that they should not let anyone on Earth know about Moya's presence in orbit. The Leviathan had taken a position on the dark side of the moon, away from any satellites or probes or orbiting telescopes. John dressed himself in his old IASA orange flightsuit and then took the Farscape module out to orbit above Canaveral. Then he opened his comm. "Canaveral. Canaveral, this is Commander John Crichton in the Farscape One. Do you read me? Canaveral."
There was a moment of static and then a voice came through, "Incoming message, this is Canaveral. Who did you say you were?"
John grinned, "Canaveral. Repeat, this is John Crichton, on board the Farscape One. Over."
There was a stunned silence. "Say again?"
"Look, guys, this is not a hoax. I really am John Crichton. I'm aboard the Farscape One, an experimental spacecraft. I flew out of the shuttle Collaroy almost three years ago and disappeared when a wave of electromagnetic energy hit. I've been gone for a while but now I'm back. Get in touch with Colonel Jack Crichton or Dr. DK Randall. They will confirm my identity. Check the source of this signal if you don't believe me. I will contact you again in twelve hours. Farscape out." John headed back to Moya, wishing he could be a fly on the wall at IASA as they digested that message.
Twelve hours later by John's watch, which he reset to Earth time, John flew out again, this time accompanied by Aeryn. She had insisted on joining him this trip. She was concerned that hearing his father's voice, as he fully expected to do, would upset him and she wanted to be there for him. She was right. The conversation between the lost astronaut and his father was very difficult. Understandably, Jack Crichton was wary and challenged him at every opportunity, trying to establish his identity. Finally, John heard his father's voice catch, "John, it really is you, isn't it?"
John felt his tears of joy stream openly down his face as he replied, "Yes, Dad. It's really me. I don't believe it. I finally made it home." He reached around and pulled Aeryn's hand into his. She smiled down at him from her perch behind him in the cramped cockpit of his module. "Is DK there?"
"John," a tentative voice answered. "I can't believe you're alive. How? ... Where ...?" DK's voice choked with emotion. "I have so many question I don't know where to begin."
"Don't worry, buddy. I have all the answers for you. Right now, I have to talk to someone in authority. I want to make arrangements to land."
DK's voice was replaced by a deep, unfamiliar voice, harsh and commanding. "Commander Crichton, this is General Anderson. Prepare to land your craft at Wilberforce Air Base in Utah. I will give you the coordinates. You will be met and escorted by two F-16's. Do not waver from your course."
John smiled ruefully, "No, General, I don't think so. I will not be buried away on some top secret air force base, never to see the light of day again. When I land, I want it to be in a very public place, with lots of media coverage and everyone aware of my arrival."
The General sputtered in rage, "What are you, some sort of publicity hound? You must understand that we have to protect public safety. Your father and others here at IASA seem to be satisfied that you are who you say you are, but I have questions. You will land where I say, or you will be shot out of the sky, do you understand?"
John's jaw clenched in anger. "I understand that I have been to Hell and back in the three years that I have been gone, General, and no one is going to put me through any more torture." Aeryn leaned forward to place a comforting hand on John's shoulder.
"John, calm down," she whispered, but not quietly enough.
"What was that, Crichton?" the General demanded.
"None of your business. I have a few more calls to make and then I'll get back to you. Farscape out." John cut the connection abruptly. He sat seething in the seat, angry but not surprised at the General's response.
Aeryn spoke quietly, "What now, John?"
"We go to Plan B. Pilot?"
"Here, Commander."
"Were you able to identify the frequencies of those transmissions that I asked you about?" Aeryn listened in confusion.
"I was, Commander."
"Well, open them up. I'm about to make a public service announcement." John leaned back to Aeryn. "Stay out of sight, Aeryn."
Down on Earth, several news broadcasts were interrupted by the sudden appearance of an astronaut in a module, seemingly high above the Earth. "Hello, Earth. This is Commander John Crichton of the experimental craft Farscape. You may not remember me but I disappeared in an accident about three years ago. I'm sure you all thought I was dead, but I survived and now I've returned to Earth. I have a great deal of information that needs to be made public, but a certain General Anderson wishes to keep my return a secret from you." John could well imagine the furor his broadcast was causing. "This is not a hoax. I do not wish to endanger anyone on Earth, but I must protect myself as well. I will be arranging to land in a few arns ... er hours. I will be ready and willing to share my information with any and all reporters who care to see me. I will contact you again with the location of my landing. This is John Crichton, over and out."
John cut the connection, a massive grin plastered on his face. "That should stir things up." He turned around to smirk at Aeryn, who met his eyes with a worried expression.
"Are you sure you know what you're doing, John?"
"Yeah, this time I'm going back on my terms, not theirs. There will be so much press coverage that the military will be unable to sweep it under the rug." He took her hand again and squeezed it reassuringly. "Everything will work out just fine, Aeryn. I promise." He angled the Farscape back towards Moya
As John had expected, the news of his return caused a sensation. Monitoring the transmissions from his homeworld, John had to grin. Newscasts all over the country and eventually the world replayed his message over and over. Panels of 'experts' speculated outrageously in interviews. Remote teams were sent to IASA for confirmation of the story. General Anderson, a tall, imposing, barrel-chested African-American who reminded John of James Earl Jones stalked through a scrambling crowd of reporters, his face like a thundercloud. His aide repeated "No comment," like a broken record. *I haven't made any friends there,*John thought ruefully. He met Aeryn's eye, seeing the same idea had struck her. "It had to be done, Aeryn."
"I know. I just hope it doesn't backfire on you, John."
John took her hand and returned his attention to the screen. He saw his father and DK being similarly hounded and his heart wrenched. "I really wish I didn't have to put them through this as well," he said with regret. "Please forgive me, Dad."
Finally, the report he was waiting for came through. Reporters had managed to catch up with the President, out on the campaign trail. In a hastily arranged press conference, the man who was seeking re-election promised the electorate that John Crichton's information would be kept public and that no harm would come to him. Hearing from his opponent at a similar press conference, the challenger vowed to keep tabs on his opponent's promise, making sure that the public would be kept safe from any threat that the returned astronaut posed, but that all Americans would benefit from whatever John Crichton could tell them.
"Yesss!" John shouted, grabbing Aeryn and lifting her off the ground exuberantly. He spun her around until she laughingly ordered him to put her down. "It's going to work, Aeryn! I know it's going to work!"
They flew out a few microts later to contact IASA. "Canaveral, this is John Crichton, come in."
The transmission was answered immediately. "Canaveral here." The first voice was quickly replaced by the angry tones of General Anderson. "What kind of game are you playing, Crichton?" he demanded.
"I'm sorry, General but it has to be this way. As I said, I have to protect myself. I hope the reporters weren't too pushy. Are you ready to come to some agreement about my landing?"
"How do you know about the reporters? Where are you monitoring our broadcasts from? For that matter where exactly are you?"
"I'll tell you and everyone else all about it when I land. Are you ready to talk?"
"Yes," the General's consent was obviously given grudgingly. "Against my wishes, and those of his security staff, the President has indicated he wants you to land on the White House lawn. Is that possible?"
John's heart did cartwheels. "Yes, it's possible and acceptable." The General then outlined the necessary decontamination procedures and debriefing that would occur, all of which John readily agreed to. Aeryn listened to their conversation with a heavy heart, but John's satisfaction with the deal eased her worry somewhat.
That night they shared a special meal in Pilot's chambers, John doing what he could to lighten the oppressive moods of his friend and his lover. Aeryn smiled wanly at his jokes and listened in confusion to his predictions about what she would see on the television he had asked her to monitor with Pilot. When she rose to take away the remains of their dinner, John lingered behind to speak privately to Pilot.
"Please take care of her, Pilot. I will be back, but it may be a couple of weekens before it is safe for me to return for her or to let her come down to Earth. I refuse to let anything happen to her," John stated fiercely.
Pilot looked at the Human that he had come to trust and admire with approving eyes. "Moya and I will do everything in our power to keep her safe and happy. But please, Commander, be careful. We can never replace you in her heart."
John looked at the giant alien with surprise. "Pilot, you are a true romantic." He patted Pilot's claw where it rested on his console then went to spend his last night with Aeryn.
The next morning, Aeryn stood sadly at the door of the docking bay, watching John load the last items into his module. She fought to hold her emotions in check, not wanting to ruin John's joyous return home with her fears. He straightened finally and walked slowly towards her. Aeryn was reminded of the times past when they had parted like this. She looked down, overcome.
John came to stand directly in front of her. He lifted her hand and threaded his fingers through hers as he had before, then he tilted her face up to his with a gentle finger under her chin. "This is definitely not good-bye, Aeryn. I will come back for you. And if it's not safe for you on Earth, I promise you, we will leave here together. Nothing will keep me from you, nothing!" He leaned his forehead against hers, pulling her lightly into his arms. "I love you, Aeryn Sun." He bent to give her a gentle kiss, but she pulled him closer to her desperately, kissing him hungrily. Passion sparked between them and for a time, John wondered how he could ever consider even a brief parting from this beautiful, fiery woman.
It was Aeryn who finally pushed him firmly away from her. Her eyes glistened precariously as she looked up at him. "You had better go, John. They're waiting for you.They might grow suspicious if you are late." She stepped back from him and took a few deep breaths to calm herself. Then with a grin, she stuck out her hand in the gesture John had taught her at their parting at the the Gammak base. "Good luck."
John grinned lopsidedly back at her, then the smile faded."We'll be together, I promise." He lifted her hand to his lips and then turned abruptly and clambered into his module. He saw her lips move as the docking bay doors closed on her forlorn figure standing alone in the hangar. He settled himself in his module, took a few deep breaths to calm the rattlers in his stomach and then signalled to Pilot to open the outer doors. The tiny white module shot out of the Leviathan and headed down to the blue and green planet.
"Pilot, is everything okay?"
Aeryn's voice came back over the comm, controlled and businesslike. "I'm monitoring the news transmissions from Earth, John. It seems that General Anderson is keeping his word. There are several live broadcasts even now from the White House lawn. They're expecting you."
"That's great, Aeryn. You see, there's nothing to worry about. I'll be landing in a few microts. Watch for me, I'll wave to you from Earth."
John could hear the smile in her voice at his foolishness. "Just don't do anything reckless, Crichton. I want you back in one piece."
"When have I ever done anything reckless?" he replied facetiously, happy to hear Aeryn snort with laughter. "I'll probably be out of communication with you for the next few days, but monitor the television broadcasts. I'll try to let you know how everything is going as best I can. I just don't want them to know you're here yet."
"Understood. John ... I ..."
"What?"
"I love you. Be careful," Aeryn said quickly and then broke the communication. John smiled, pleased that she was growing more and more able to tell him how she felt. *Let's get this little expedition over with so I can get back to Aeryn as soon as possible,* he thought.
"Canaveral, this is John Crichton. I'm within two minutes of landing. Where is my escort?" He needn't have asked. Through the thin clouds of the upper atmosphere, John saw a flash of sunlight on metal and then a pair of fighters drew up along side him.
"Farscape One, this Alpha Six. We will guide you to your landing site. All air traffic has been cleared so you will have an open flightpath. Do not deviate from this heading."
John grinned, "I wouldn't dream of it, Alpha Six. I've waited for this day for too long."
There was a silence on the other end then a friendly voice said, "Welcome home, Commander."
John stared at his comm in surprise and grinned even wider. "Thanks." The clouds parted and John saw the rapidly approaching ground. He spent the rest of his time concentrating on setting the craft down on the green lawn in front of the tall white complex. *A perfect three point landing,* John thought proudly. *At least I didn't embarrass myself by bouncing or crashing.*
He opened the comm to Moya one last time, "Did you see that, Aeryn? Pretty good for a Human, huh?"
"That's not saying much," her voice came back, amused.
"Okay, this is it. Talk to you again in few days," John turned off the engines and began to release the restraints.
"I'll be waiting."
John took another couple of deep breaths and then released the hatch.
Up on Moya, Aeryn watched in nervous fascination as the television broadcast John's arrival. A strange man seemed to feel it was necessary to describe everything in a hushed whisper even though it was clearly shown on the screen. The Farscape landed perfectly and soon afterwards the hatch opened. The crowds watching drew back skittishly as a figure emerged. John stood slowly, cautiously checking his surroundings. Then he climbed down to the green ground. He stood warily waiting for several men clad in heavy encounter suits to come forward. He was escorted forward slowly. The men around him seemed to be more concerned about his safety than any threat he might have posed, Aeryn noted with relief. John was quickly placed into some sort of chamber and the scene quickly shifted to a camera placed inside the chamber. John sat quietly with two of the suited men beside him. One of them gave him an earplug with a mic attached and indicated that he should put it on. Then a tall dark-suited man that the announcer identified as the President approached the chamber, surrounded by six or seven men and woman in equally dark suits. There was a crackle and the sound switched to the conversation between John and the leader of his country.
"On behalf of the people of the United States, I welcome you back to Earth, Commander Crichton," the man said, more to the listening crowd than to John. As he continued in a somewhat pompous and well-rehearsed manner, Aeryn thought that the man could give Rygel some competition in the speechmaking department. The expression on John's face seemed to mirror her thoughts and she smiled that they appeared to be on the same wavelength. Her smile grew even broader as she thought she saw John mouth 'Rygel' into the interior camera.
"Thank you, sir," John said humbly, when the President finally stopped. "It's good to be home at last." The crowds outside cheered suddenly. He waved at the camera and then the scene shifted to the announcer again as the outer camera showed the chamber rolling away. The announcer explained the procedure of decontamination and examination that John would undergo then promised the next report a few hours later. The last shots were of several more suited men lifting the Farscape module onto a transport, covering it with a cloth similar to the one their suits seemed to be made of and that vehicle rolling away as well. Aeryn turned away from the sight, her heart a little lighter at John's obviously positive reception. But she sighed, missing him already, refusing to think about any of the other hundreds of things that could still go wrong.
*************** End of Part Two