Fibbers, Pistols and Cash Part 2
by CeRell
Part - 2 Frustration
Jothee sat in the kitchen. After all the food deprivation he had known, the kitchen was proving to be his favorite room. Chiana wandered in and sat down beside him.
"Eating again? Odd, you don’t look like part Hynerian." She quipped as she leaned into him.
He grinned. "I like being around food. Never got too much of it growing up." He laughed. "It’s comforting."
He slipped his arm around her. "So I hear you and D’Argo are an item. I’d never have guessed that. You are worlds different from him."
"So are you."
"Thank the gods for that."
He has a good heart." She responded. "Among other things." She grinned widely.
"So do I. Shall I show you?" He leaned into her and kissed her. "You need someone that’s more like you. Someone that understands you. Someone like me."
"Like you?" She leaned close to him and played with his tentacles. "You are, what? Fifteen cycles? Just a young little Luxan boy."
"Ah..my little hot Nebari." He grinned widely. "I’m old enough. You grow up fast when you are on your own. You know exactly what it’s like." He nuzzled her neck.
D’Argo walked in. He stopped in the doorway. Hurt splashed across his face as he observed the two in their clinch.
Chiana pulled slowly away from Jothee feeling guilty.
"Don’t stop on my account." D’Argo said sadly as he turned and left the room.
Jothee grabbed her arm as she tried to follow him. "You don’t need to follow him. He’ll be fine. He’s used to walking away. You two were ready to split anyway from what I hear."
She jerked her arm free, glared at him and continued after D’Argo. He hadn’t gone far. He was just around the corner, propped against the wall.
"I’m sorry you had to see that." She said as she laid a hand on his shoulder.
D’Argo brusquely removed her hand. "You could have told me first."
"I was just kidding around with him. Besides, D’Argo, you and I are too different. We weren’t going to last, you know that."
"He’s going to use you and hurt you Chiana. I don’t want to see you hurt. I know the type. He’s a user. He’s my son, but he’s grown up alone, and he’s cold. He hates the universe. I can’t get through to him. I don’t think anyone can."
"Maybe I can help him." She grinned in false humor.
"I hope you can. For your sake as well as his." D’Argo pushed himself tiredly off the wall, turned his back to her and walked away.
Chiana watched him walk down the hallway; a lonely figure. "Ah D’Argo." She whispered. "I’m so sorry." With no audience to fool, her face fell and her sorrow showed clearly on her lovely face.
************
"Since when do people like us get what we want." John's words came to Chiana unbidden as she sat alone in the kitchen. Neri was never far from her thoughts. She ached so badly to go to him, to see him. She still felt so lost since he left her to make her own way in the universe. Figured she had gotten captured shortly thereafter. What was she doing on Moya anyway? She and D'Argo were over. He was too straight for her and she was too wild for him. Jothee's arrival had seen to that. He was more her style though he was so young. She had hurt D'Argo, for that she was sorry. He at least would be glad to see her go. If only she could talk John into letting her go. He had long ago wired the ships so she couldn’t fly them. Every commerce planet they had visited, he’d kept her at his elbow. Jothee had come up with several ships they could have stowed aboard, but John was keeping her a virtual prisoner."Maybe Zhaan can help." She said softly to herself and headed off to Zhaan’s quarters.
She found her meditating, sitting on her bed her legs crossed.
"Zhaan, can I talk with you?"
"Certainly, Chiana." She lifted her hands from her knees and motioned for Chiana to sit beside her.
"Crichton won’t let me leave Moya. I want to go to Neri."
"I know. John thinks of you as his sister I suspect. He was close to his own sisters, Chiana. Very protective. Too protective I suspect as in your case."
"Yes, but..I’m not his sister. How can I get off this ship?"
"I’m sorry. I don’t know other than talking to him. You might try Aeryn. She’s knows him better than the rest of us. If anyone can change his mind, it’s Aeryn."
She found Aeryn working on a piece of machinery in her quarters. For once, John was no where in sight. Chiana sat down across from her.
"Do you mind if I sit down?"
"Suit yourself." Aeryn answered nearly civilly, barely looking up.
"I need to talk to you about Crichton."
"About his not wanting you to follow after Neri?"
"Yes, you helped me on the Cemetery planet. I need your help now."
"This is different, Chiana." She looked up at the unhappy Nebari. "You are talking walking into the middle of a resistance faction. Even I don’t think you should go."
Chiana tilted her head and leaned over the table. "I can take care of myself. I’d be a help to him."
"Could be Chiana, but Crichton is never going see it that way."
"Could you talk to him?"
"We have talked. He’s very set in your not going."
"Nothing will change his mind?"
"I don’t know what I could possibly say to change his mind, Chiana. He can be extremely stubborn."
Chiana looked at her irritated as she pushed her chair from the table. "Thanks for nothing. I will find a way to Neri, Aeryn." Aeryn watched her go, deep in thought. She pushed her chair back, picked up the machine part and left her quarters.
Chiana wandered along the hallways uncertain of what to do, then talked herself into talking with John again. ‘Couldn’t hurt’ she told herself.
She found him, as usual, in the maintenance bay working on his module. He was standing beside it, his head stuck inside an access panel.
"Crichton. I need to talk with you."
"Sure Pip. Hang on a sec. Just gotta fit this back in here...like...that!" He turned to her. "What's up?"
"I need to take a pod. I need to go find Neri. I can't take it anymore."
"No you don't need to go find Neri. It's too dangerous. He said he doesn't want you around the danger. You would compromise what he is doing, put him in more danger. He's too deep into the resistance, Chiana. Nothing has changed since the last time you asked." John patiently explained to her.
She began to plead in her sexiest voice. "He's wrong, John. I won’t be in his way. I can help him."
As her silky voice caressed her words, she got close into his face. "As much as I've always needed him, he's always needed me more."
She ran her fingers along his hairline, around his ears. "Please let me go."
She rubbed her body blatantly against his. John grasped her arms and pushed her gently away but not before she noticed his quick, unwanted response to her.She smiled her best seductive smile and kissed his hands as he held her and swayed back against him.
"Chiana, stop that." John growled.
"Why? You like it. I know you like it." She purred.
"Knock it off, Little Girl. Now." His words reflected he was starting to feel a little irritated with her. He squeezed her forearms to emphasize his serious intent.
Chiana dropped her seduction and pulled her arms away. "You said I could always jump ship when I chose. I choose now."
"It's too dangerous, Chiana. You can't go alone and we can't go with you."
Chiana's dark eyes sparked with her flash of anger. "You're not my father, you're not my brother, and I'm only your tralk in your dreams. You can't force me to stay! Since when did Moya become a prison transport again?"
John grabbed her arms and said with a blossoming anger, "Chiana, think about it. It's far too dangerous. I can't let you go!"
Tears began to well in her eyes.
"You can kick, kiss and cry all you want. I’m not going to change my mind."
"When I first came to Moya you said I could get off whenever I want."
He said softly as he rubbed her arms. "Then I lied."
"I will find him. Some way, I will!" She wrenched her arms from him and threw herself from the room, gray tears falling down her cheeks.
Aeryn stepped from behind her Prowler.
"You have to let her go, John."
He spun around in surprise. "Where'd you come from?"
"I happened to return just before Chiana came in." She held up the part she had gone to her quarters to retrieve.
"So you heard the whole thing. I can't let her go. It would be sending her to her death. I can't DO that Aeryn!" his words were heated as he voiced his frustration to her.
"You can't keep her safe her whole life, John. Her life IS her life to live or die. It's her choice." She hesitated and added as gently as she could. "You aren’t her brother. It’s not your place choose for her."
"I don't want to talk about it." John replied sharply and surprising her, stalked away leaving her alone beside the Prowler.
Aeryn watched him go. Unable and unsure of how to help him accept the fact that Chiana needed to leave them. She realized it was going to take all of her meager skill to help him come to terms with what had to be done.