My Own Words
By Lt Commander Lewis
"Crichton, Zhaan, are you there?"
"Sparky! We’re drifting dead."
"How could you possibly frell up with a frell proof transport pod?"
"I dunno, thought maybe you could tell me. Something to do with a stash a' Keedva BBQ in the nav linkage!"
"Oh come on Crichton, what would you really expect from Rygel?"
"Nothing. Aeryn, it’s good to hear your voice."
"Likewise. We have you on Moya's sensors, estimate your retrieval in a quarter arn."
"Can’t wait to see ya."
John paused for a moment.
"You OK?"
Zhaan smiled, "I think so. Thank you for your compassion."
"And I thank you for yours." Said John as he leaned his head on her shoulder.
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John walked into command where he found D’argo and Aeryn, "Hey guys."
D’argo turned to face John and said, "I heard that Rygel was even causing problems for you without being on the same ship." The hint of amusement in his voice very evident.
"Yeah big guy. Sparky seems to cause trouble for just about everyone everywhere." John flashed Aeryn a grin.
"Yes, well perhaps I should go and see what the Hynerian slug is up to now."
"OK, see ya later D’argo." Said John to the rapidly disappearing back of the huge Luxan warrior.
Crichton walked over to one of the command tables and sat down on it.
"You do know there are chairs Crichton."
"Yeah Aeryn, but I like this better right now."
Aeryn smirked and kept checking over the readings, although she wasn’t even paying attention to them.
She was thinking about telling John how she really felt about him. What would he say? What would he do? All of these questions and more raced through her mind as she kept checking Moya’s systems.
After a few microts of silence, Aeryn finally decided how to tell him; "Crichton, you know I would fight and die for you, right?"
John cocked his head and stared at Aeryn; a puzzled expression on his face.
"Of course I know that Aeryn. I think you coming down to the Gammak base on the same day you received the Paraphoral Nerve transplant and saving me, easily convinced me that you would."
John smiled at Aeryn and then stared at the far wall while thinking about something.
After another few minutes of comfortable, yet awkward silence, John spoke; "You know I would fight and die for you also, right Aeryn?"
"Yes John, I do. And you also have proved that to me many times. When we were stuck in the Flax, on the faux Earth when you turned against your own people, when you went to the Gammak base."
"Sometime…when you and I aren’t both fighting for our or each others lives…well I would like to just talk to you, kinda like this but not…"
John was worried that he sounded to serious, and almost amended his words; "You’re right John, that would be a good thing to do. What about tomorrow, my Prowler needs some maintenance done on it. We could talk then and fix my Prowler."
John grinned, "Yeah, sounds good Aeryn."
Crichton hopped off of the table and started walking towards the door.
"And John, I would fight and die for you. Always remember that." Said Aeryn just as John stepped out of the room.
He was tempted to turn back and talk to Aeryn some more, especially about what she meant, but he had promised Pilot that he would help the DRD’s with the Keedva BBQ mess in the transport.
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As he walked out into Moya’s hall he bumped into Zhaan.
"Oh, I’m sorry Zhaan, I didn’t see ya there."
She smiled, "It is all right John."
John noticed something about her smile; "All right Zhaan, what’s going on?"
She just continued smiling and began walking away from him as she said, "Nothing John."
"Zhaan? Zhaan, what’s going on?"
John gave up as Zhaan disappeared down the hallway.
He ran his hand through his hair and turned to go to the docking bay.
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"Yo Aeryn. What’s up?" Asked John as he walked into the cargo bay the next day.
Aeryn turned towards him and grinned, "Once again, another greeting I will never understand."
"Ya well, will you ever understand me, let alone what I say?"
"Probably not." Replied Aeryn with a laugh.
John walked over to the Prowler and climbed up into the cockpit.
"Want me to run a systems check?"
"That sounds good." Said Aeryn as she handed him some tools and then slid under the Prowler.
About half an arn later, John hopped down from the cockpit and joined Aeryn underneath.
"OK, ran the system checks, but I think I found a problem with the wiring. I think we can fix it from here."
"Right." Said Aeryn quickly as she pulled out another piece of the nav system.
Her pulse quickened as she realized just how close Crichton was to her in the cramped area.
Meanwhile, John was doing his best not to focus on how close he and Aeryn were.
"Could you hand me that wrench Aeryn?"
She passed it over to him quietly.
Just as Aeryn’s resolve broke and she turned to pin down and kiss John, he slid back out from under the Prowler.
"OK, I’ll run the system check again."
John climbed back up the Prowler and leaned into the cockpit.
Aeryn sighed; every time she finally decided to make a move, something happened. She was sick of it.
Aeryn slid out from under the Prowler; "John, we need to talk."
"Sure. OK Aeryn." He said as he turned around and sat on the edge of the cockpit.
Aeryn climbed up the side of the Prowler and pushed John back into the cockpit.
John started to protest when Aeryn, wearing a devilish grin, straddled his chest; "All right Crichton, let’s talk."
Before John could even think, she was kissing him as desperately as she had when they were stuck in the Flax.
At first John was surprised, especially since Aeryn’s revelations about Velorek had only happened a monen or so ago. And before that, they had had to deal with the emotional wounds they had inflicted with what they had said when T’raltixx was on board.
Clearly they had gotten past it to be where they were in their relationship now.
"Crichton! Aeryn! You are needed in command." Came D’argo's deep voice over both of their coms.
Aeryn pulled back and rolled her eyes; "Can’t we ever get one frelling moment of peace?"
"No Aeryn. Clearly we can’t." John said with a laugh.
The End