fibbers8

Fibbers, Pistols and Cash Parts 8
by CeRell

Part 8 Resolution
Several long gut wrenching solar days passed before John knew if she was going
to live or die. He sat beside her bunk waiting, watching…wanting. When she awoke he kept away from her agonizing over how he felt. Partly bitter over her leaving, his heart wounded. He'd lost her once, he wasn’t sure if he'd be able to handle loosing her again. But, ultimately, his internal battle ended and he was drawn to her side. Whatever hell he was in, it was far better than the hell of being apart from her.
John entered Zhaans apothecary. She was alone, cleaning.
"How's Aeryn?" he asked, half-afraid of the answer.
"She'll be ok. She lost the baby though. I'm sorry, John." She replied, lost in thought.
"What?" John was floored. He knew he'd understood her. Her voice had been quite clear. It was the content of what she said.
"I thought you knew." She roused herself and laid her hand on his shoulder.
John stammered as he looked at her, stunned. "But...how...who is the father?"
She looked at him in surprise. "She said you were, John."
"But when?"
"She said when you were on the pseudo earth."
"But that can't be. It was so long ago."
"Sit down John." She pulled out a chair half-afraid he was going to fall.
"Sebacean females can store sperm until they ovulate. She's been under a lot of stress and that can postpone ovulation. A pregnancy can last for more than a cycle."
"But," he searched for the words. "What about birth control?"
"We suspect the ancients inactivated her implant during the physical they gave her back then or your seed isn't susceptible to the drugs we use."
"Whoa." He was glad he was sitting down. "The ancients? Why would they do such a thing?"
"I have no idea. I'm so sorry." She lightly squeezed his shoulder.
He sat in stunned silence. Finally he was able to pull himself together. "Where is she?"
"She was feeling better and just left. Didn't say where she was going."
She watched in sorrow as he gathered himself up and left the room slowly.
"Pilot, where is Aeryn?"
"Aeryn is on the Terrace, Crichton."
John paused in the doorway, watching her. She stood watching the lights move across the huge clear wall. Her arms were crossed protectively in front of her. A slight movement of her head told him she heard his slow approach. He stopped beside her. Quiet, he joined her in watching the light parade as Moya moved through space.
Finally he spoke. "When were you going to tell me?" He asked quietly.
Her shoulder twitched. "I wasn't sure for the longest time. Then it never seemed to be the right time."
He could see a tear roll down her face. He reached over and wiped it away.
"Did you suspect on the Royal Planet?"
"No, not really. I was starting to get headaches, which is one of signs, but I thought my implant was working. I thought the headaches were from the stress of what was going on." She forced herself to continue, hard though it was. "But it made me wonder if we were compatible."
He draped his arm across her shoulders needing to touch her, to communicate physically beyond the restricting bounds of voice. She reached up and grasped his hand tightly, then with a cry, turned and threw herself into his arms. In that instant, as he pressed her familiar body to his he forgave her. Completely. Accepted her for who and what she was, rather than what he wanted her to be. "Ah Aeryn!" His anguish was clear in his voice. He held her carefully. "God I've missed you. It feels so good to hold you again."
"I'm sorry." She mumbled against his neck.
"For what?" He gently asked. He caressed her back as he inhaled her scent. Stroked her loose raven hair. Pulled a lock off her forehead, glorying in the feel of her flesh under his fingertips.
"For loosing your child. For leaving. For everything." She searched his eyes looking for his forgiveness in them.
"You did what you needed to do. I accept that now." He pulled away from her. "As for the baby,
well..What happened, just happened. An accident. It couldn't be helped." He paused. Studied her pale face. "We can have others. We can have a family if we so choose. And Aeryn..I would love to have a family with you, baby." He reverently kissed her, his lips soft, gentle, caressing.
"Someday, John. I think I would like that as well."
"I would really like to start now." He smiled and kissed her again, deeply, wanting, needing to get closer to her.
She pulled away. "John, our contraceptives are likely not effective."
"I hope they aren't, Aeryn."
She smiled at him tenderly. She tossed aside all her inhibitions, all her worries and poured herself into his eager embrace. Frustrated as they struggled out of their clothes, loathe to lose contact with each other as their passions flared and swirled around them. Losing their balance they fell to the floor, Aeryn laying atop of him. She pulled her reluctant lips from his hearing his groaned protest. She lifted her breasts slightly away from his chest looking deep into his exhilerated eyes. A flash of worry flooded them as she moved away. She smiled tenderly then widely. "I’m not going anywhere. Never again. I love you John Crichton. I will love you to the day I die."
A slow smile graced his lips. He laid his hand gently on her cheek, his thumb rubbing her lips feather light. "We have to be the luckiest two beings this side of the universe."
"I don’t know about ‘lucky’" she pulled his hand away and gently kissed and rubbed her lips over his palm. "Definitely the most content."
He pulled his hand away and caressed the nape of her neck pulling her closer. "As long as we have each other, that’s all that matters, Aeryn." He whispered her name, caressing the sounds. "That’s all that matters." He murmured against her lips and kissed her, his tongue dancing with hers. They lost themselves in their passion, forgot the troubles around them and drank their fill of each other.
They spent that night exploring their mutual passions. Learning each other's pleasures. Enjoying each others company. It was morning before Aeryn broached the subject that was so urgent. They had risen, showered, eaten and were in the command center.
"Talyn is being held at the Nebari outpost. My team was killed bringing Crais out."
"He is still on the irreversibly contaminated list?"
"If he survives. He left his post, killed Lt. Teeg. His is permanent. It came down from the high command. But he is bonded to Talyn. So I needed to get him out."
"Are you still officially peacekeeper?"
"Yes. Still a captain, still a commando." She smiled and nudged him. "Still sleepy."
"We'll nap later." He gave her a quick hug. "Maybe." He grinned and kissed her again savoring her taste, his lips roaming her face, returning home to her full, willing, waiting lips.
He turned serious. "I won't let you go back into danger. I will not take a chance on loosing you again."
"I am the best skilled for…."
"No." John snapped.
She watched him in silence as he paced the command center. She knew from experience he would give in. He had to. She was the best trained warrior of the group. The skilled tactition, the experienced leader.
He stopped, looked at her. Knowing what she was thinking. "No. Never." He turned on his heel and left the room much to Aeryn's surprise. She followed. He headed for the terrace. She understood immediately that he needed the feeling of calmness and peace that the room ensued. She stopped by his side watching the star patterns glide past them.
"I never tire of watching this." He said quietly. "Out here, everyone takes it all for granted. Back on earth, it's all we dreamed of. Our whole lives were geared to reaching space."
Aeryn stood quietly. She knew he'd accepted the inevitable. She laid her hand on the small of his back, gently rubbing and said quietly. "We have to go John. We don't have much time. We’ve got to get Talyn out of Nebari hands."
He turned, cupped her face in his hands and looked earnestly in her eyes. "I don't want...no..I can't lose you again Aeryn Sun."
She stood motionless, eyes filling with tears. Her forehead scrunched over her darkening eyes as she struggled to try to rein in her emotions. Her eyes felt locked in their intense gaze.
John smiled wryly. "You're supposed to say, Don't worry, John. I'll come through it fine."
Aeryn's mouth quivered. A tear rolled down her check and she whispered. "I can't promise that."
He hugged her tightly to him. "Oh God, Aeryn. I love you so."
She kissed him deeply, frantically, trying to push aside the thought of his dying during the upcoming conflict.
***************************************
"Crais has died of his wounds escaping the Nebari base." Aeryn reported to Scorpious later that solar day.
"So noted. We either need the armed Leviathan rescued or destroyed. It cannot stay in Nebari hands. You have 3 solar days to accomplish either, Captain Sun."
"Do I have any troops at my disposal?"
"I’ve sent 5 marauders. That’s all I can spare."
"Yes sir. We’ll accomplish our mission." Aeryn turned to Jenovia and the others. "Moya will talk Talyn into letting us on board. I’ll be leading an armed invasion onto Talyn. We’ll have to take him by force. Intelligence says there are 20 Nebari personnel on board. No other Nebari ships in the vicinity. John, Zhaan, D’Argo-I’ll need you three to get the control collar off of him once we get onto his command deck. You’ll have to talk with Pilot as to how best to get Talyn’s control collar off."
They all looked at John. "Sounds good except for the leading the assault part." He took her hand and pulled her out of the command room. "Let’s talk about it."
"John I’m the captain. I have to lead the assault."
He took her into his arms. "Oh. I don’t want to argue about it. But I will tell you one thing, Aeryn Sun. If you die during this assault, so do I." He pulled away from her slightly. "I won’t live without you again. I mean that." He kissed her slowly, deeply. She pressed herself closely to him despite her wounds tenderness. She returned his kiss needing to be closer to him. Needing more than his kisses and caresses. She felt as if she wanted to meld into his body. To become one entity.
"What was unity like with Zhaan?"
He looked at her and tilted his head, smiled ruely. "I don’t remember. She said I wouldn’t. But from what I have kept from that experience, it’s a little like what we have between us." He ran his finger over her lips.
"I love you John Crichton." She whispered through his fingers and reached for his willing lips hungrily.
*******
Moya’s starburst ended close to Talyn. "We have lift off." John said nervously as the marauders left her quickly and flew onto Talyn. The troops ran from the Marauders and were immediately set upon by the Nebari in Talyn’s hanger. John ruthlessly kept Aeryn away from the front line. A firm hold on the waistline of her pants ensured that she stayed back with him. Struggle as she would she couldn’t free herself. She had to direct the unit from the back.
Furiously she turned to John. "Unhand me!"
"No. Not gonna do it. You can direct the crew from right here." He ducked and pulled her down as a fresh volley from the hallway shattered on the wall above their heads.
"Are you always going to treat me like a fragile crystal?" She whispered in frustration as she fired off several volleys with her pulse rifle.
"Probably." He answered seriously as he returned the enemy fire.
They finally made it to Talyn’s command center. The collar was quickly freed. Talyn came to life around them.
"Aeryn Sun!" Pilot’s urgent call came over the comms. "There is a Nebari ship! It’s firing upon Moya!"
John answered. "Starburst Pilot!"
"We’re hit, propulsion is out!" Pilot exclaimed.
Aeryn was working feverishly on Talyn’s console. Slowly he moved around and fired on the Nebari ship, the numbing from the collar still effecting his systems.
"John!" Chiana’s voice came over the comms. "We’ve got fires all over Moya. We’re getting into the pod! Take us aboard Talyn!"
"Moya is going to ram the Nebari ship!" Pilot screamed over their comms.
"No!" John cried. "Stop her Pilot!"
"I can’t! She says she’s going to save Talyn!"
"Aeryn, can we starburst?" He yelled.
"We’re aboard John!" Chiana’s voice over the comms. "You can starburst."
Before their eyes they saw Moya slam herself into the bridge of the Nebari ship. Both crafts exploded into untraceable fragments.
"Another Nebari ship!" Aeryn’s voice cried out. She hit the manual starburst and Talyn quickly starburst away from the Nebari outpost. The crew was thrown off balance. As they regained their balance Nebari troops blasted through the command doorway. Jenovia took the full force of their pulse rifles. D’Argo caught a blast as he whirled to return the fire. When the hail of laser flashes died out John saw Aeryn face down on the floor, her black vest smoldering.
"AERYN!" He screamed and fell to his knees in a pool of Nebari blue blood at her side. He turned her over. Unzipped the vest, yanking it off of her. The gray tank shirt seemed unblemished. He held her in his arms in stark terror.
"Aeryn, are you ok?"
She blinked at him up at him. "You pushed me. You frelling PUSHED me." She yelled at him, rubbing her temple where she had hit it on the console when she had fallen.
"Sorry. Gut reaction." He helped her up and ducked from her furious swing. The bodies in the room got her attention.
"What’s this?"
"Nebari are still aboard Talyn. They burst in just as Moya…" His voice trailed off.
"Oh." She noted her ten remaining crewmen. She turned to the console.
"Talyn how many Nebari are alive on board?"
Talyn made his imcomprehensible noises, she looked to the panel.
"None alive." She looked to her crewmen. "See to it that all these Nebari bodies are moved off the ship." She finally noticed the fallen D’Argo.
"John!" She ran to D’Argo’s side just as Chiana came through the door. She quickly saw him on the floor and knelt down to him. He roused and smiled.
"Chiana. You made it."
"Yea big guy. You’ll have me around a lot longer. Let’s get you to the apothecary and tend to your wounds." She kissed him gently and they smiled foolishly at each other as Aeryn’s crewmen helped him off the bridge.