Music of the Soul 2

by Eli

Rating: PG-13ish
Archiving: Ask and it's yours
Feedback: Always more important than water
Disclaimer: I don't own Farscape....yet.

---

continued

    Crichton had just finished with Pilot and was eager to go see how Pip
was doing.  On his way to the medical bay he heard a soft melodic humming
coming from the corridor that contained Chiana's room.  He stopped dead in
his tracks and ran to Chi's door, not even bothering to knock before he
entered.
    "Pip!"  He went to her and embraced her hard.  "I'm so glad you're okay.
I'm sorry I wasn't around when you woke up, but Zhaan made me leave and -"
he stopped and pulled his face away from hers, she had wrapped her arms up
and around his neck, but she wasn't looking at him as much as through him.
And she was still humming.  "What's wrong?"  Now she looked at him, her dark
eyes mirroring the concern on his face.
    "Nothing is wrong, everything's fine."
    "You sure?"  He questioned, trying to look deeper to find the source of
her anxiety.  "You had us scared there for a while...."  He stopped, no one
else had really shared his concern, not even D'argo, he had the feeling that
things between them had ended as quickly as they'd begun.  "Well me at
least.  What happened?"
    "I.....don't...... know.  I don't remember, really."  She sounded so
vague and small.  John pulled her back into his arms.
    "Well, I'm really glad you're okay.... I'm sorry to do this right now,
but I have to go get some dinner for me and Aeryn, she's mad again."  It was
she who now pulled back, taking one hand from his neck nd running her
fingers tentatively over his face.
    "Yes......go.  It's fine."  She took her arms from him and looked to the
floor.  He planted a quick kiss on her forehead before leaving.
    "I'll come back later,  promise."  He let the door close behind him and
bounded down the halls, the soft humming following him yet again.

    Aeryn sat on her bed, reading some Sebacean literature she'd found
several days ago in a room of a small side passage in the upper tiers.  It
was amazing to her how anti Peacekeeper the text was, maybe there were
others out there who had lost their satisfaction with the ideals of
conformity and supremacy.  It was a comforting idea.
    She was so wrapped up in the flow of the passages, that she didn't hear
John knock at first.  But then he cleared his throat and she looked up,
putting her readings aside for the moment.
    "Yes?"  He entered the room, and she saw he was holding a small tray in
his hands, several different foods laid out.
    "Well, I figured I'd make up for this morning by making us dinner."  She
couldn't help but smile, obviously she'd gotten through to him that
afternoon.
    "Well, you're only forgiven if it's good food."  She said, her smile
growing.  At first he looked mildly concerned, but then caught her playful
tone and smiled back.  He placed the tray on a table and sat down on her
bed.  She saw his actions and said, "Oh, no, don't even think about it."
    "About what?"  He was still smiling with that boyish grin that so
infuriated her, and intrigued her at the same time.
    "Not again.  Not after last night.  The only way you'll sleep in here
again is....."  She trailed off, causing John to lean in just a bit closer
to her, completely intent on that smile, more particularly what lay behind
it.
    "Yes....."
    "..... is if you bring your own blanket."
 
    It was insane how she always ended up alone, but insane was rapidly
becoming a primary adjective in her vocabulary.  One thing was for sure,
she'd been here before, and she knew what to expect.  Not here,
specifically, but definitely here, this situation, this variation of a
theme, it was all too familiar.  John seemed nice, he'd take care of her,
frell he was the only one who would even talk to her at this point.  He so
reminded her of Neri, dren, she missed him.  But John was nice, among other
things.  She smiled at the lasviscious thought, but no, she probably would
not be afforded that opportunity.  He had seen him with that PeaceKeeper,
she'd probably murder him in his sleep, but he'd love her all the more for
it.
    She turned on her side, and came face to face with her life.
    "Well little one, convenient how you're always here."  She began to hum
the tune to herself, not sure that she could take her mother's voice at the
moment.  Then the tears came, they were just there, came of nothing.  But
they were there, she didn't even bother wiping them away.  She almost
welcomed them, they seemed so right at that moment, and all that had
happened to her made them even more poignant.  She sighed deeply and sat up,
pressing the pad to make the music play, and it did.  It played all through
the night, all through her new home's corridors, and all through the soul of
the girl who wept to it's tune.

    Scattered plates lay before them, and they were laughing, slightly due
to a fellip nectar supplemented assignation, and partly due to good company.
    "Oh, oh, oh."  Aeryn slapped John's arm playfully after a fit of
laughter that made her sides buckle, "Have you ever heard the one about the
Grakavian trader and the Planton doctor?"  She began to tell the joke, one
John could have never comprehended, but he didn't care, just listening to
her voice and the sound of her laughter was enough to keep him happy for
hours.  She finished and he laughed as deeply and joyously as he could
possibly fake.  After several hundred microts the roarous laughter died down
to a mere chuckle, and they both sighed contentedly, looking to each other
with happy smiles genuinely gracing their tired faces.
    It was then that Aeryn did something completely out of character and so
unexpected that John had trouble believing it had ever actually happened.
Aeryn Sun leaned over and kissed him, full on the lips, no holds barred,
nothing lacking.  He responded immediately kissing her back.  So far all
limitations had been set by her, and he was willing to do whatever she would
allow, so this seemed appropriate.  The kiss was quite long and left them
both reeling a bit.  John's thoughts were a jumble, a dozen emotions vying
for dominance, one surfacing immediately.  He pulled her back into his arms,
kissing her with nearly two cycles of repressed tension, she didn't seem to
be holding back much either.  He had no doubt in his mind that their lips
might never part, no doubt until.
    "John, Aeryn, something has happened."  Zhaan's voice appeared from
nowhere.  They broke, looking at each other with wide eyes, John responded
first.
    "Yeah, Zhann, what's goin on?"
    "Chiana came to check in with me about an arn ago, she has been acting a
bit strangely."
    "I noticed."
    "As did I.  That's why I asked her to check in with me.  She left quite
hastily, and now I cannot find a small vial of oflalk."
    "Oflalk?"
    "Yes, it's a substance used in small quantities as a sedative or pain
killer, but used in larger quantities, can be an effective poison."
    "And you think Chiana's using it as a poison?"
    "No, but I am a bit worried.  I was distracted when she came to me, she
might have told me she was taking it, and I didn't hear her.  Will you
please check on her though, John."
    "Sure Zhaan."
    "Thank you."
    Crichton turned back to Aeryn who was sitting with her arms crossed,
knees drawn up and eyes looking expectantly to him.
    "Sorry babe, duty calls.  You understand, right?"
    "Of course I do.  Besides," she added, her playfulness returning,
"nothing was going to happen.  Zhaan didn't ruin a single thing."
    All Crichton found himself capable of doing at that moment was smile.
 

The world started to spin, spin, spin.  All along in those wonderful
patterns that she so loved.  And she knew all would be well soon enough, oh
so soon.  Only a matter of time now, yes, small matter of time.  Oh, she
wish it didn't hurt so much.  While she was wishing she wished for someone
to come, to see her, help.  No one could help now, she had left, all was
gone, her music box, gone, her life, gone.  Oh all this fuss over a little
black box.  But again she was comforted.  It was coming soon, so so soon,
she could feel it, so close, no, not long now.  Not long at all.

    John strolled down the corridor, a bit preoccupied with thoughts of
Aeryn.  After checking in on Chi, he'd go, maybe get some nice flowers from
Zhaan, a bit more fellep nectar, go back to Aeryn's and, well...... best not
to get too excited, not quite yet at least.
    He rounded the final corner and came upon the Nebari's room.
    "Heya, Pip, just came to see how you're....." He stopped seeing her form
laying motionless on the bed  "Pip?"  He walked over and she opened her
eyes, thank God, he'd thought she'd passed out again.  "Oh good,"  He sat
down next to her, "So, you cool?"
    "John?"  She said, looking not quite at him, he noticed her eyes were a
bit cloudy, and she was beginning to shake.
    "Yeah, Chi, what's going on?  You okay, you take that oflap stuff?"
    "Just a little." She said with a small smile that reminded him of his
old Chiana.  But that worried him, she'd taken it, and she didn't look so
good.
    "Wait, Pip, how much did you take?"
    "Enough."  She turned her face away, refusing to look at him straight on
now.
    "No, no, don't...... dammit Chiana, why?"
    "I'm so tired."
    "Chiana?  C'mon....please."
    "So tired.  And it's all gone.  Good bye.  Shoulda said that a long time
ago."  Her breath became short and she was shaking even more.  He grabbed
her hands and squeezed them tightly.
    "No, stay with me, stay with me. You have to focus, c'mon little girl,
just stay with me a little longer.   ZHAAN!"  He called out.  "Zhaan!  I
need you, Chi's quarters!  Hurry!"  He turned his attention back to the
quivering girl in front of him.  She muttered something his microbes didn't
translate, her whole body clenching in pain.
    "Sorry old man," She said, in a voice that seemed to come from another
all too distant world. "Too late."  A small smile was the last he saw of his
little girl.

    The funeral had been simple, everyone stoic, a few tears here and there,
a whole air of shock still hanging over the small crew.  No one could accept
it quite yet, especially John.  He'd asked to be alone for a while, and
everyone had respected his wishes.
    Her quarters were exactly the same, Rygel had stayed away, with a threat
of death hanging over his head if he even tried to enter.  So everything was
the same.  Except..... on Chiana's bed, the bed which he'd seen her..... he
choked up, still not willing to accept reality.  It seemed as if any moment
she would come jauncing in with her usual blithe attitude, teasing him and
making him thankful that he'd always have her as a friend, she'd proven
that.  But on the bed, there was a small black box.  He didn't remember ever
seeing it before but he settled down next to it on the bed, picking it up
for inspection.  Fairly simple device, whatever it was.  There was a small
pad on one of the sides.  He pressed it.
   And time stopped.
 

Hope you enjoyed, thanks for reading.
At your eternal service,
Eli