New Year
author: anthony docimo
archive: ask me, and you can!
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sequel to: 3 steps to home
notes: this is more than a tip-of-da-hat...this is a flat-out
reference to a *certain*special* list. you know who you are.
O'Bannon owns only original characters. everything else is mine!
~~~
John Crichton and Aeryn had been on Earth for several months now, and
the beginning of another year was almost on them. So, he decided to
accept his parents' invitation for a New Years Celebration, guests
allowed.
Once he'd gotten over the shock of being part sebacean, John had to
admit that nothing was really different.
Getting Rygel down from Moya had been tough. In the end, John had
handed the commbadge to his mom. The conversation'd gone something
to the effect of:
Rygel: "I'm not coming down."
Mom: "You have a peace with John Crichton, do you not? A truce?"
Rygel: "Yes, what of it?"
Mom: "Then by hynerian law, you can hold no grudge against me, for
I am his mother."
Rygel: "How do I know you won't kill me?"
Mom: "Because I'm no Durka, and my grudge is against Bishan the
First."
Rygel had shortly thereafter come down planetside.
The meeting with Chiana had been just as memorable, if awkward.
Marilyn Crichton, John's mother, had stared at the grey-skinned
alien, unpleasant memories of another grey-skinned alien species
rising.
"Hi," Chiana said, trying to 'break the ice, as John'd put it. "I'm
Chiana." When John's mom continued to stare her down, "Of the
Nebari."
"Never heard of you."
"Oh yeah?" Chiana asked, a good comeback inevitable, "Well I never
heard of you either."
"I was refering to the Nebari."
"Oh."
Zhaan and D'Argo were on their respective homes by now, unreachable.
Things then went from bad to worse, as the last of John's sisters
arrived home. The sister who had not been around when John'd
returned to Earth all those months ago -- for she'd been in space
looking for him.
She'd also brought a friend home. Two of them.
"Bilar Crais, as I live and breathe," John's mom had said.
"Both of which you appear to be doing quite superbly," the former
captain replied.
"How do you know her?" John had quickly demanded of his former
adversary.
"I taught him, John," his mom replied calmly. To Crais, "You've met
my son, I take it?"
Had Crais been human, his jaw would have dropped; as it was, he was
both unnerved and uncomfortable. "I did not know. Skorato sebata."
Marilyn nodded. "Forgiven, under the circumstances." To John's
questioning look, "I'll explain next year."
"Where's Talyn?" Aeryn inquired, trying out some of the chocolate-
covered things that were on the table yet uncovered.
"He is with his mother and Pilot," Bilar answered, "enjoying the
taste of this star system's gaseous bodies."
But that had all been several hours ago, and now John whipped the
cloth from off the food, as midnight was less than ten minutes away.
"Trout," Marilyn remarked.
"It's salmon, mom, fish. I paid eight bucks for it," said John
unneccessarily.
"That's what I said - trout." Marilyn sighed, then took the long,
descriptive road. "A fuly aquatic vertabrate which lays soft eggs
either bundled or not depending on individual species. Better?" she
asked.
John nodded, cowed.
"One of the first words I ever learned in English, John," his mother
told him.
"Trout?"
Both of his parents nodded. "Though it ended up being a lot cheaper
than her learning 'fish' itself; how many times have we gone to a
restaurant, and your mother ordered trout from the waiter.
"So, Kaelyn, what did you plan on naming my grandson?"
His daughter shrugged. "Bilar and I were thinking about a nice
traditional name, so we're down to either Elly if it's a girl, or
Larraq if a boy."
John was so surprised that soda came out his nose. Aeryn just nodded
in approval.
The ball came down on the tv. There was loud shouting from the
humans, echoed by the nonhumans, as well as much drinking of
intoxicants by all.
The New Year had arrived.
~~~~
finito?