A Path to happiness 2: A whole New World
Summary: Aeryn and John drop off Travis Calloman at a nearby commerce planet but encounter problems along the way.
Spoilers: This is the second part in my A Path to Happiness series. Obviously, reading the first installment would help, but it's not necessary. There are also references to Scorpius theories from the more recent episodes like Won't Get Fooled Again and A Clockwork Nebari.
Disclaimer: The Farscape concept, theory, characters, and overall universe is not the property of me, but rather of Fox Studios Australia, Jim Henson Co, Sci-Fi Channel, and Nine Network Australia. This story is strictly for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended. All characters (except for that of Travis Calloman of which I made up myself) are the property of the above companies.
Author's Note: I'd love to hear what you think about it. Please e-mail me with any comments- good or bad- that you may have. Special thanks go to Travis, a friend who gave me the idea for this story. I couldn't have done it without him!
Archiving: If you want it, I only request that you ask me first, then keep my name and e-mail address with it.
"Damn, these conduits just won't fuse!" John shouted, throwing his tool to the floor, barely missing a DRD.
"Calm down John, it's ok," said Aeryn, coming over to his unit from the opposite side of the conduit cluster to help him. A smile spread across his face as she leaned over his shoulder to help him.
"Come here. Closer," he said, a mischievous grin coming across his face. She moved closer, wondering what he would do. "Closer." She moved even closer, having to climb in front of him to do so. "A little closer." She smiled and moved so her face was millimeters from his. "Just a bit closer…" He never finished his sentence because she moved closer, capturing him in a kiss. He wrapped his arms around her, dropping the conduit he had in his hands onto the ground. Her hands moved up his back to his neck, and his moved down. They kissed for a while until they heard someone clearing his throat. They broke the kiss, slightly chuckling as they realized who it was.
"Hey D'Argo. You're the lucky one to walk in on that once again," John said laughing slightly, not letting go of Aeryn, but moving to see the Luxan. D'Argo entered the shaft cautiously, and Aeryn got up, blushing slightly.
"Lucky according to whom? Hello John. Aeryn." He nodded to Aeryn as she passed him to get to the other side.
"What's up?"
"Well, Pilot wanted me to tell you that Moya is reaching a system with some Sebacean inhabitants. He thought it might be a possibility to drop off the Peacekeeper tech, Calloman." John hopped out of the narrow pit in Moya's systems and brushed himself off.
"Has anyone told Calloman yet?" he asked, looking at Aeryn to see her response. She seemed interested, but not in a hurry to offer any information.
"No. We only sighted it a quarter arn ago. Should one of us tell him, or do either of you want to?" They both looked at Aeryn, and she simply looked away. John responded for both of them.
"No D'Argo, I think one of you should. Thanks Big Guy." The Luxan left and John went over to the area where Aeryn was working and knelt down behind her, putting his arms on her shoulders. "You know, in a few arns, he will be gone, and you can put this behind you." She turned to face him.
"I know. I'm just waiting for that moment." She said that and then turned back to her work. He put his head on her shoulder and moved his hands down her arms, squeezing her forearms. She stopped and leaned her head back, resting it on his. They stayed that way for quite a while.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Zhaan walked into Travis Calloman's quarters and saw him sitting in a chair, deep in thought.
"Travis? May we talk a moment?" He shook out of his trance and motioned for her to join him.
"What must we talk about, Priestess?" he asked.
"Well, it is about where you would like to go. We have found a system with a large Sebacean population, but we wanted to make sure you wanted to go there before we made arrangements to drop you off." The young man stirred, thinking about the offer.
"Yes, I think that would be a good idea. It's far enough from Peacekeepers, yet with my own species. That would be just fine. Thank you." Zhaan reached out and put her hand on his knee.
"If you require anything before you leave, all you need to do is ask."
"Thank you, I will remember that." She finally got up and left the room.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Aeryn, D'Argo and John were helping Travis load the transport. They had to go down to the planet, as Moya required some supplies, so they voted on taking the transport even though the tech had few possessions. Aeryn and John were loading the tech's things, when Travis sauntered up to them.
"May I speak with you Officer Sun?" Aeryn put down the bag she was carrying, and looked at John. He too had stopped, but raised his eyebrow. She shrugged slightly and followed him a ways away from the others.
"Yes Travis? Do you need something before you go?"
"No, I just wanted to ask you something. I know you said you loved John, and I believe you, but are you sure you always will? I mean, he's not Sebacean. You could never lead a normal life. But you could with me."
"What are you saying Calloman?"
"I'm asking if you would like to come with me, to live on the planet with me." Aeryn looked slightly taken aback. She motioned for him to follow her and she made her way to another area, closer to the others but while not being in their way. She turned around to face the transport.
"John, come here a moment please." John put down the bags in the transport and briskly walked over to them. She continued. "He's not Sebacean; you are very observant. But I love him. I always have, and I always will. I have lost the Peacekeepers, and I no longer go with the Peacekeeper ways. I will never lead a normal life; Captain Crais made sure of that. Crichton and all on Moya are my family, and I could never leave them. So, in answer to your question, I will not go with you." She hooked her arm with John's, and Travis gazed tersely at Crichton. He quickly turned and walked back to the transport to finish loading his equipment.
"Very well put, Aeryn," John said smiling. She smiled back, and his heart melted, instantly remembering how much he loved that smile of hers. They checked to make sure that everything was loaded and made their way to their quarters to grab their bags.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
John grabbed his bag and they walked hand in hand back to the transport.
"You're sure you want to go?" John asked her; worried that she might not be able to handle it.
"I'll be fine John, really I will."
"OK. I can take a hint." He stopped and grabbed her arm. "I just didn't know if you could handle it. But I can see you can." She looked him straight in the eye.
"Yes, John, I can handle it. I'll be ok. Promise." He kissed her lightly on the cheek and grabbed her hand, leading her back to their quarters.
"Where are you going, John? We need to get back to the transport. They'll be leaving any minute," she said, in complete bewilderment as to where he could be taking her.
"Just come with me. It will only take a minute. Promise." He palmed open the door and grabbed a small box from inside his bedside table. He stuffed it in his bag and turned to the door.
"What is that John?"
"Nothing. You'll find out later." They left in a great hurry so D'Argo and Calloman didn't leave without them.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
In the transport, D'Argo and John were apart from the others. Aeryn was piloting and Calloman was… well they weren't exactly sure where he was. John seemed fidgety, and D'Argo was getting antsy to find out why. Finally, he broke the ice.
"John, what is the matter?" the great warrior asked.
"Nothing. Why should anything be wrong?"
"Well, for starters that's the twentieth time you've checked on that box in your bag. What is in it anyway?" John simply stared at him, unable to speak. He checked to see if Aeryn was listening, but she could not hear them as she was concentrating on the ship and was too far away.
"D'Argo, you were married to a Sebacean." D'Argo nodded, his eyes getting wide. "What do you do when you want to… well… when you want to propose?" D'Argo let out a slight laugh, then looked at Aeryn to make sure she didn't hear him.
"I was wondering when you would get around to asking about that."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Well, it's obvious you love her very much. Obviously, you would have to get around to asking that sooner or later."
"Very true. So how would a guy go about doing this?"
"How do you do it on Earth?" John sat there for a moment, trying to remember how he'd proposed to Alex.
"When I proposed to Alex, I brought her to my place, then just flat out asked her. Humans have this ritual of getting down on one knee and putting a ring on the girl's finger. It's something that goes way back. Why?"
"Well, I figured that it wouldn't be that different from Sebaceans as most other things are pretty similar. Luckily I was right. When I proposed to Lo'Laan, I did it through the Luxan customs. I'm not exactly sure about the Sebacean customs for doing it, but I believe it involves asking, and giving her some sort of flower, a Meridian Prineckel I believe. They can be found most everywhere, and most likely on the planet we're heading to right now." John nodded his head, deep in thought. "What was the box for John?"
"Well, it was the ring that me and my dad picked out. It's an engagement ring. I never got to give to Alex, and I guess I never took it out of my launch bag. I've been thinking about it for a while, but I thought she might be more comfortable with her own customs. I brought it along in case… well I guess as a reminder. Often times human guys get cold feet."
"Cold feet? Why don't you just wear socks?" Crichton had to laugh at yet another phrase lost in the translation.
"No, cold feet like they get the jitters. They chicken out. Or almost chicken out."
"Then why don't you call it 'cheek-ining out'?"
"Chickening out, D'Argo, chickening out! Let's not discuss the appropriateness of human slang terms! So, all I have to do is give her the flowers and ask her to marry me?"
"Well, you need to be dressed in your best. For you I suggest the leather pants and the long jacket. Then you ask her if she will accept your hand in marriage, giving her the flowers then. She will answer yes or no, and if she says yes, then you kiss her."
"And if she says no?"
"She has the option to kill you."
"I guess I had better be sure she'd say yes, huh?"
"I think that would be wise. Or else follow your own customs. Although, they may need some explaining to her."
"I don't know. I'll think about it." Just then, a sudden jolt signified their landing, and Aeryn came over to them, telling them to find Calloman.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
"What else do we need, D'Argo?" John asked as he, D'Argo and Aeryn made their way through the marketplace. They'd left Calloman at a small bar. He'd requested that they leave him there, that he could find his way from there. He thanked them for their hospitality and graciousness. He never looked Aeryn in the eye, although she never looked him in the eye either. They soon went their separate ways.
"It looks like we need some basic food staples and a few maintenance parts for Moya's energy circuits. The repair parts can be found at that cart over there, and the food at this vendor here. Why don't you and Aeryn go over there?" He nodded and he and Aeryn made their way through the crowded square to the vendor.
"This is a good place to get some food. Too bad Rygel weren't with us- he's a great bartering tool," John said, looking at the variety of food. Aeryn tried to stifle a laugh, but it escaped her despite her attempts in hiding it. "What?"
"Nothing," she said, trying to hold in her laugh.
"Well, obviously something's funny. Out with it!" he said, pushing her over to a small alley right near the vendor.
"John, what are you doing?" Aeryn asked, resisting little but making her voice sound harsh and demanding. John smiled.
"Well, I wanna know what was so funny," he said, moving closer to her.
"I bet you do," Aeryn said, smiling too. "But you don't get to know. I'm not gonna tell you."
"Never?" he asked, a sly smile now from one ear to the other.
"Nothing you can do will make me tell you," she said, looking him in the eye and getting more serious.
"Are you sure?" he asked, closing the already little gap between them.
"Yes," she answered slowly.
"Well, I guess I'll have to make you tell me," he said. He then moved closer, and almost kissed her lips, but moved up at the last minute and kissed her brow. He started to back up and turn away, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him back, pulling him into a deep, passionate kiss. He deepened it, and they stood there, in the shadows of an alley right before nightfall, kissing on a foreign planet.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
D'Argo searched everywhere for them. He looked at every vendor that sells food or supplies that Moya needed, and could not find them anywhere. He searched until nightfall, then decided that he needed to leave. He knew, as well as Aeryn and Crichton, that Scorpius's carrier was following them, and that it would only be a matter of time before he caught up to them. A delay like this could mean death for the crew of Moya. So, he left them. He figured he could come back in the morning to get them. He piled everything into the transport and set off for Moya.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Aeryn and John searched high and low for D'Argo. After their make-out session in the alley, they set out to find him, but he was no where to be found. They were walking in circles around the landing pad trying to find him, when they were approached by one of the natives from the planet.
"Are you looking for your Luxan friend?" he asked.
"Yes, we are. Do you know where he is?" Aeryn asked in her smooth, authoritative Peacekeeper voice.
"Yes. He left about ten arns ago in a Leviathan transport," the stout figure said. John saw that he was a medium build guy, similar in size and build to himself, and that he had blonde hair. He had blonde-orange hair with light skin and a tattoo on his right forearm. He looked closer and saw a triquitra with a Peacekeeper dagger above it. Crichton's eyes widened. He nudged Aeryn and nodded at the tattoo, and she too looked worried. She thanked him for his help and bade him good-bye. They quickly walked away in the direction of the square.
"What was that symbol?" John asked when he was sure they were out of earshot.
"That was the Pentáh. It's a special Peacekeeper assassin group. They are special-ops, and they travel with the highest-ranking officer in the field." She slowed, because she knew what Crichton's reaction would be. And she was right.
"Scorpius?"
"Yes. He must be on this planet somewhere," she said, looking at him and pulling him into a shadowy area with several natives around.
"We have to get out of here, Aeryn. It's too dangerous for us to stay here. Either of us," he said, looking dead into her eyes. She nodded and looked around.
"We have to contact Moya. This is a planet with the majority of the natives being Sebacean. It should not be too difficult for us to find a place to contact Moya." She looked around again and headed to a restaurant.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Lt. Travis Calloman entered the restaurant and looked for his companion. Satisfied that he had not found him, he sat down at a secluded booth in the back of the establishment where he could see but not necessarily be seen. He ordered a reslic and waited for his companion. He saw several species, but mainly Sebaceans. He also saw some Ruflians, Candorian trackers, and a few Floundorians. The door opened, and a man walked through. He was not in a uniform, so Travis took no notice of him. Suddenly, the man stood at his booth.
"Lt. Travis Calloman, Special-Ops?" the man barked. Travis snapped his head up to attention.
"Yes, sir. May I ask who is inquiring?" he asked authoritatively but respectively.
"You need not know." He sat down and waved the waiter away. Several people had glanced their way, but a few dirty stares from the mysterious man got them to stop staring. They were now alone.
"I have completed my assignment, sir," Travis started.
"Good. You got close to them?" he asked, sounding rather impatient, but pleased.
"As close as one can get to someone," Calloman said rather cryptically. He didn't wan to come out and say he slept with the traitor because that would irreversibly contaminate him.
"And you are sure?" he asked unsure.
"Yes. Positive. That traitor and her human lover didn't know what hit them," he said. An evil smile spread across his face as he took another drink of his reslic.
"Good. You have done well. Now, please follow me." The man got up. Calloman hadn't noticed before because of the dim light, but he now noticed that his associate had refused to take off his cloak. He thought it odd, but then shrugged it off. He got up, left 2 Peacekeeper credits, and followed the stranger. Outside, the stranger walked about fifty meters into an alley then stopped. He abruptly turned around.
"You said that the Peacekeeper traitor and her mate did not know you were a spy?" he asked Travis again. Travis thought it strange, but answered.
"Yes. They bought the entire story about the tech business."
"Good. Then they will not come looking for you," he said, and reached up to give him a Pantak jab. Calloman fell to the ground, unconscious. The stranger lowered his cloak hood.
"Too bad, Travis. You were a good soldier. But you are, as Crais deemed Aeryn Sun, irreversibly contaminated," Scorpius said, looking down at him. Then, he raised his hood, turned around, and vanished into the nighttime crowd.
End of Part 2