The Traveller's Song Epilogue (pt. 2)

by Shipscat

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As John and Talyn walked away from the camp, John waited for Talyn to speak. Finally, John said, "You want to know what my intentions towards your daughter are, right?"

"Well, now that you mention it.. Actually, I just wanted the two of them to have some time alone together. Meara's been walking around all this time feeling guilty. She's really scared of how Aeryn will feel about her."

"So, no warnings? No lectures?"

"I know that you know my daughter better than I do. But if she's anything like her mother, there's a soft heart under that tough exterior."

"I know that," John said soberly. "Can I ask you something? Did you ever think about settling in a colony?"

"Not really. We like the Travellers, and the Peacekeepers don't conscript from the Travellers. Besides, I don't think I could have kept Meara on the ground that long," he said with a smile.

"What about your family? The one you were born into, I mean?"

"They're gone," at John's shocked look, he continued. "I don't mean they're dead. I don't know what happened to them. There was a civil war on my planet that laid waste to my family farm. There was no one around when I went looking."

"Well, I guess it's true that you can't go home again," John said, looking down at the ground. "My species doesn't live nearly as long as yours. When I am your age, I'll be an old man, or getting to be one. Aeryn, I assume, will still look stunning, like your wife."

"Lucky old man," said Talyn.

"Not so lucky young woman," John answered.

"Meara and I weren't counting the cycles we had ahead of us when we got together," Talyn said. "So, what are the other differences? You look so Sebacean. Surely you must belong to a lost colony or something."

"Not so many. We're genetically compatible, anyway. Aeryn and I. We took a test," John hastily explained, in case he thought there might be grandchildren on the way.

Talyn found that very interesting, but did not comment, except to say, "Meara and I never did. You'd better be careful. Every time Meara says, 'I think I'd like another one,' the words are hardly out of her mouth before she's pregnant. So, if you don't live as long, are you less susceptible to heat? Because I have this theory about the thermodynamics of living beings..."

Meara got a little basket from the ship and asked Aeryn to hand her the baby. After a very careful transfer, Aeryn said, "She's very beautiful, you know."

"You were, too," Meara said shakily. "I hate to wake her up after your mate got her to go to sleep so nicely, but I have to change her before I put her to bed. She isn't going to like this." Meara put actions to words and the baby launched a protest at being so rudely awakened. As she was calming the child, Aeryn said, "He's not my...I don't..when you met Talyn, how did you know?"

Meara turned around to look at her. "I didn't," she shrugged as she held the baby on her shoulder and patted it on the back. "I had no idea what I was doing. If I had known, I would have run like a scared Johian. But if I had done that, I would have missed everything," she said, looking so happy and young at that moment that Aeryn felt that this woman could not be old enough to be her mother.

As Aeryn appeared to be thoughtfully considering this, Meara said, "I am very proud of you. I don't know if it means anything to you or not, but I couldn't possibly wish for you to have turned out any better than you have. And I'm very glad that you aren't a Peacekeeper anymore."

"I didn't leave, like you did. I blamed Crichton for what happened to me for a long time."

"You stood up when it counted, and they shot you down for it. That's exactly what happened to your father. Not very many people are brave enough to do that."

"That's what Crichton said."

"So how long have you two been together?"

"A couple of cycles. We've only recently become..close." Aeryn's voice dropped almost to a whisper. "I'm not handling it very well." To Aeryn's surprise, she found that she wanted to tell Meara about John and herself. It occurred to her that she needed advice, and Zhaan was too far away from the passions of life and Chiana was too close to them.

"Two cycles?" Meara said, surprised. "And I thought Talyn was a patient man." Meara put the sleeping baby in the basket and sat down across from Aeryn, waiting for her to continue.

"It got to the point where I couldn't *not* be with him anymore," Aeryn said, in an agonized whisper. "But I don't know if he wants me forever, and I'm afraid that if he gets to know me better that he won't care about me anymore."

"Oh, Aeryn," Meara said, her heart bleeding for her. "What could he possibly find out about you after two cycles that would scare him away?"

"I'm just afraid I'll frell it up."

Meara leaned closer. "I made a lot of mistakes with your father, and he forgave me."

"I'm really scared," Aeryn said, with tears in her eyes, realizing that this was the first time she had admitted fear to anyone but John.

Meara reached out to hold Aeryn's hand very carefully, wishing that she was a little baby that she could hold on her shoulder and comfort. "All my life I've tried to control things and make everything around me run smoothly. I still do," she shrugged. "But some things, like love, you just can't control. You start out in a ship that's spinning out of control, and you have to find your wings before you hit the ground."

Aeryn smiled through her tears. Then she withdrew her hand and said stiffly, "I wasn't telling you because you're my mother. It's just that you.. look like you know what you're doing."

Meara laughed. "After thirty cycles, I ought to."

John heard laughter as they approached the camp. He thought it was Meara but he wasn't sure as the laugh sounded very similar to Aeryn's.

John noticed that the baby must have been put to bed, as she was no longer in sight. L'ari was lying on his back at Aeryn's feet, and she was absentmindedly rubbing his belly as she talked with her mother. The great paws waved in the air and low growls of contentment were coming from him. John changed his mind again. ‘Doglike' he thought."Definitely canine."

"I did that once. Blew up a pulse rifle. Of course, I was very young when I did it. "Meara blushed a little as she saw John.

"Having fun at my expense?" he said to Aeryn. "That's okay. It is a pretty good story."

After a little discussion, it was decided that the entire family would come up to Moya the next day, barring any sudden appearances by enemies or any unknown critters showing up. Aeryn promised to take Meara up in the prowler.

"Good," Talyn said. "Your mom loves flying . She likes it better than- oof!" he said as Meara's elbow contacted his stomach, "almost anything," he finished innocently. He caught her elbows and pulled her to him, putting his arms around her from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder. Meara leaned back and put her arms over his.

John and Aeryn left them that way, with their arms wrapped around each other.

After they got a little way from the camp, John couldn't contain himself any longer. "Oh, this is great. I can't believe it. You have parents and it turns out that they're Ozzie and Harriet. Okay, there's a little Morticia and Gomez in there, too, but there's nothing wrong with that. How cool can this be?"

"What are Ozzie and Harriet?" asked Aeryn quietly.

"They were on television. They were..um.. held up as an example of family life.

"They weren't for me." Aeryn said, still quiet.

"I know. But I think they would have been, if they had the chance. I know you can't get back what you never had, but I'm just as happy things turned out the way they did."

"Why?" Aeryn asked, a little hurt. She had just been feeling ashamed of feeling jealous of two little girls who were growing up with a mother and father.

"Because I'm a selfish bastard," he said with a grin, stopping and grabbing both her hands. "If things had been different, I would never have met you."

"You would have met me right here and now, in this camp." she said, almost teasingly.

"I would never have survived that long without you," he replied.

"Could you survive without me now? "she asked, uncertainly.

"I don't ever want to have to find out," he said emphatically. Aeryn came closer to him, putting his arms around her and sliding her hands up his back. She breathed him in, marveling again at how right it felt to be in his arms. She touched his lips with hers lightly, letting him know that she wanted to be kissed. He kissed her very sweetly, with just a hint of passion, and she murmured. "You won't have to."

Meara turned around in Talyn's arms and put hers around his neck."Do you think she hates me?"

"She doesn't know you. She doesn't know me. Give it some time."

"I just don't know if she can ever forgive me."

"Meara," Talyn said, taking her face in his hands and looking at her very seriously," She's beautiful. She's healthy. She's not a Peacekeeper anymore, and I think she's happy. That's more than we ever hoped for, and more than we ever thought we would know."

"You're right." Meara said, looking into his eyes. "How selfish can I be? It doesn't matter how she feels about me," and she smiled.

Meara and Talyn went to their home together, clinging to each other.

"I like her young man very much," Talyn said.

"He's not good enough for her," Meara said automatically.

"You didn't think anyone was good enough for Ansel, either."

"I wish there was something I could give her. I can't give them charts to the Gathering Place, not if they're being pursued by Peacekeepers."

"You have a song you can teach her."

John was surprised at the resemblance between mother and daughter when they went to the planet to bring them to Moya. Meara was wearing pants and a short black top, and with her hair tightly braided, looked, to John’s earth eyes, like Aeryn’s sister.

"We’re taking the Prowler," Aeryn said, referring to herself and Meara. " They’re going with you on the transport pod."

"Maybe we should discuss this, Aeryn." John said, looking askance at the group gathered to go to Moya. Talyn, Merisa and the baby he could understand, but L’ari was also obviously ready to go, a pack draped across his back with supplies. ‘Probably pampers,’ John thought.

"What’s the problem, Crichton?"

"Is L’ari coming with us?"

"You are worse than a Peacekeeper," Aeryn started, obviously not in a good mood, "Just because someone has fur and fangs you think they’re going to cause trouble."

"We don’t have a very good track record with critters, Aeryn. I’m sure L’ari is very nice but he looks like a dire wolf," John said, staring at the scimitar like incisors curving over the animals lower jaw, "he might… frighten someone."

"L’ari is a member of the family," Meara said," and he can understand everything you’re saying."

"He goes everywhere we go," Talyn added.

L’ari strode confidently into the transport pod, followed by Talyn with the girls.

"Sorry about that, L’ari," John said.

L’ari wagged his tail in a forgiving but smug fashion.

Meara was very excited to be in a Prowler again. She looked curiously around and asked Aeryn many questions. It didn’t take long for her to decide that prowler technology had advanced since her time. The ship was both faster and more maneuverable than she expected. It wasn’t until she asked Aeryn a question about fuel efficiency that she realized Aeryn had modified her own fighter.

"I had to learn how to do the tech stuff. It was necessary to do my own maintenance and repairs. I had to fix the nose-it was sheared off- and the landing gear…"

‘What happened to the landing gear?’ Meara asked innocently.

Aeryn blushed. ‘just a little accident. Nothing serious. Uh..Crichton taught me lot about working on the engines and such. He built his own ship, you know. It’s a little primitive, but cycles beyond where his people are. And he picks up on new technology faster than I do."

Aeryn let Meara take the controls for a little while. She cringed when Meara automatically reached for a control that Prowlers didn’t even have anymore, but felt better when Meara executed a flawless brock maneuver.

Meara smiled to herself.

"That was pretty good, ’ Aeryn acknowledged. " I didn’t know they did brock maneuvers in your day."

"They didn’t. I made that up. The only person I showed it to was Broc… "

"That was your Broc? That can’t have been your Broc. He’s famous. He practically won the war against the Scarrens by himself. He’s a legendary captain."

"Well, I always knew he had it in him," Meara said, but she looked surprised. "Did you ever meet him?"

‘No," Aeryn said, shaking her head, and leaving Meara wondering if Broc had taken an interest in Aeryn at all. It was good to know that he had been alive as of a couple of cycles ago.

The transport pod was packed, not only with children, John, Talyn, and L’ari, but a few mysterious packages. One of the boxes had airholes and appeared to be making noises. John was fairly sure it was something alive, although you couldn’t take that kind of thing for granted in the Uncharted Territories. He decided not to make any comments about it after the fuss he made about L’ari. He did have a subject he wanted to bring up before he got to Moya, but he wasn’t too comfortable with it and wasn’t quite sure how to broach it. Finally he decided to just come out with it.

"I told you about my friend, D’argo, the Luxan? He has a son. A Sebacean Luxan son," John said deliberately. " If you or Meara have a problem with that-well, D’argo will probably take exception to it. Exception means he would probably want to hit you with something large and sharp, and I would probably let him."

Talyn looked at John’s profile, as he was staring straight ahead and not meeting his eyes. He laughed as a thought hit him. "You’d better not say that to Meara,’ he said. "I don’t know what she thought about hybridization when she was a Peacekeeper, but ever since we got Ansel, she’s become quite opinionated about bigotry and prejudice against miscegenation. Not only would she be offended, but she would give you a half-hour long lecture."

"Good,’ John said, relieved. "they’ve both been through hell..it’s not really my story to tell, though."

D’argo, Zhaan, Chiana and Rygel were there to meet them when they arrived. After introductions all around, D’argo excused himself and Rygel, after a few microts of bravely trying to withstand L’ari’s predatory stare, gave up and fled. As Aeryn and her mother hadn’t docked yet, John decided to start with a tour of Moya.

Aeryn caught up with them before they got to Pilot’s chamber.

"Where’s your mom?"

"I let her take the prowler by herself,’ Aeryn said, offhandedly.

"You trusted her with your prowler?" John said with surprise and approval.

"It was driving me farbotz being in the same cockpit with her."

"Aeryn,’ John scolded, looking around to see if Talyn was in earshot,’ You were going to give her a chance, remember?"

Aeryn stuck out her lip stubbornly and did not reply.

Merisa was visibly awed by her first sight of Pilot. Aeryn introduced him and Moya with affection and pride. L’ari stretched himself out and put his paws on Pilot’s console to see and sniff him better. Luckily he didn’t hit any crucial buttons.

"Pilot, how’s my m- my prowler doing?" Aeryn asked.

"Your prowler just did a loop, a slow roll, and an inverted spin, " Pilot said primly.

"You’re tracking it?" Merisa asked.

"I decided it was best to do so after the other Officer Sun blasted a small asteroid to pieces. Neither Moya or I saw a threat from that asteroid, but perhaps Aeryn’s mother observed something that we did not."

Talyn looked at Aeryn quizzically.

"Pilot was making a joke," she explained.

"Ah," he nodded. "You may call her Meara, Pilot. We don’t use rank designations anymore and I haven’t heard the names Sun or Aeryst since we left the peacekeepers."

"Let me show you the medical facilities," Zhaan offered. "Aeryn tells me you’re a man of medicine."

By the time the short tour was over, Talyn was getting very anxious for Meara’s return. The baby was getting hungry and he was waiting outside the docking area for her to show up. When she came bouncing out, he thrust the baby at her and said, "Take off your shirt, quick!"

Meara stripped off the flightsuit hurriedly and tucked the baby under the loose short top, sitting crosslegged on the floor to nurse her.

"Has she been crying?" she asked guiltily.

"No," Talyn said, "but I don’t think my thumb will ever be the same again."

She looked at Talyn and smiled. " That wasn’t a very enticing invitation."

He sat down on the floor across from her. " Well, if it was for a different reason I think I could make it sound better…how was it? Flying again?"

"It was great. I haven’t lost it. . I guess it’s true what they say, you never forget how to fly. "

"I wish I had been there with you," he said, looking at her shining face.

"No. Not you,’ Meara said, shaking her head. "You still have fantasies about being in the million metra high club. You know, I kind of wonder about that. Aeryn said she had to replace the landing gear, but she didn’t want to talk about it. Did you know she works on her own prowler?" she finished proudly.

"She does? Well, from what I’ve gathered, this motley crew is pretty close. Aeryn seems to be very attached to the ship and its Pilot. Zhaan has an amazing lab- I wanted to spend some time talking to her about her herbs and medicines."

"Well, why don’t you do that while I set up their navigational system. I’ll take the baby."

"It’ll be harder for you to do it if you have Megi. I can take her."

"No. It’s my turn. You go have fun. Besides, I missed you out there…" she said, now addressing the baby.

Aeryn and Merisa walked by while Meara was cooing at Megi.

"I’m taking Merisa for her ride now," Aeryn said shortly.

"Thank you. Have a safe flight."

"We won’t blow up any asteroids, mom," Merisa giggled.

"I was just trying to see if I could still hit anything, " Meara said, a little defensively.

Merisa pronounced the prowler, "Neat. Mom said flying Stumbles just isn’t the same."

Aeryn nodded. She found that understandable.

"There’s a picture of you on the wall of our stumble. Dad painted it from a holochip."

"There is?"

"You were really little. It’s been there since before I was born. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t know about you."

"I didn’t know anyone was thinking about me, much less keeping my picture," Aeryn said painfully.

"I was going to come find you when I grew up. I knew Mom and Dad couldn’t, but the Peacekeepers don’t know about me."

"You should stay as far away from the Peacekeepers as you can," Aeryn said firmly. "Especially now, when you’re still young enough to be recruited."

"Well, I don’t have to do it now," Merisa said, not backing down about her original plan. " I hope I look like you when I grow up."

"Why?" Aeryn asked, a little out of her element.

"Because you’re beautiful. I mean, Mom is pretty, but I’d rather be beautiful."

‘You’re very pretty. I’m sure you are going to be very beautiful when you get a little older," Aeryn answered.

Merisa leaned forward a little and said shyly, "There’s a boy that likes me. He gave me this," she said, pressing a small transparent cube into Aeryn’s hand. Inside it was a perfectly preserved flower with slightly glowing petals. "I haven’t decided if I like him or not yet."

"Well, you kept it,’ Aeryn said gently. "You must like him a little bit."

"Don’t tell Mom, okay? She thinks I’m too young."

"Is he the same age you are?’

"Yes. It would be cycles before he’d get to leave his clan so I’m only going to get to see him every couple of cycles, so Mom doesn’t really have anything to worry about."

"Well, you should tell her. I’m sure she’d understand,’ Aeryn said, somehow feeling that this would be the case.

‘Are you going to marry John?"

"Uh…" Aeryn wasn’t sure how to answer this one. "I don’t know anything about marriage," she answered truthfully.

"Mom says that you should get married before you have babies. She says you aren’t supposed to do things the way she and Dad did."

"It’s different when you’re a Peacekeeper, but I think your mom is right. Doesn’t our father ever give any advice?"

Merisa grinned. "He says follow your heart but don’t forget to fasten your safety harness."

The rest of the flight was spent with Merisa chattering in Aeryn’s ear. Aeryn was not really required to respond. All she had to do was listen while Merisa told her that she wanted to be a doctor like Talyn and that she had just started making her own chanter and soon she’d be able to play the pipes even though she’d been practicing since she was small.

"If you do anything to hurt my daughter I’ll hunt you down to the ends of the universe," Meara said conversationally as she and John were looking at the maps she had brought to Moya.

"You might have a hard time finding me. I’m getting good at being hunted."

"L’ari has a better nose than a Vokarian bloodtracker."

"I guess I’d better not do anything to hurt your daughter, then, "John said soberly.

Meara nodded and went back to what she was doing.

"Aren’t you… concerned about the kind of danger I’ve put her in?" John asked. "I mean, physical danger," he said, knowing full well that the warning he had been given had to do with Aeryn’s heart.

Meara looked at him blankly. She straightened up and stretched a little, taking a quick look at the basket on the table a few feet away. "Do you think that we haven’t had any danger or trouble since we left the Peacekeepers?" Meara asked. "If I had decided, when you walked into our camp, that you were a Peacekeeper hunting down defectors I would have shot you down on the spot."

John nodded. "I gathered that." Then he grinned. "I was expecting to have this conversation with her father."

"Why?"

"Because it’s the way we do things on earth."

"Oh."

Aeryn walked into command and set her helmet down.

"Hi, honey, that was quick."

"Where’s Risa?’ Meara asked.

"She got bored with the prowler. She’s with Zhaan and Talyn."

Zhaan and Talyn were comparing cures, ointments and potions. Talyn was very interested in Zhaan’s herbal remedies. When he was with the peacekeeepers he had relied heavily on technology but since then he had had to make do with what medical supplies he could get. Zhaan was very informative about exactly what flora and fauna necessary medications came from. In return, Talyn showed Zhaan the finer points of the medical technology they had on board Moya. Merisa tagged along and watched and listened avidly.

Chiana came bounding into the command Center. Aeryn was pretending to look at the stars, but she was actually standing very close to the baby and sneaking an occasional peek as she lay sleeping peacefully. Chiana came close and peered curiously into the basket.

"Oh, look. She’s so cute." Chiana said, reaching both hands into the basket.

"Stop that,’ Aeryn hissed, blocking her with an arm. "She’s sleeping" she whispered.

Meara started to go over to where the other two women were, but John shook his head at her. They both watched as a small spat erupted.

"I just wanted to play with her," Chiana said.

"She’s not a toy, she’s my little sister!"

"Well, what am I, chopped keedva?"

"Girls!’ John said, deciding it was time to intervene. "Did you come in here for something, Chi?"

"Oh, yeah…It’s almost time to eat. There were lots of good things in those boxes- baked goods and the like- so it should be quite a feast."

"I think everyone in the clan sent up something. They consider you all family, you know." Meara said.

"It’s very much appreciated. But were we supposed to cook that funny little animal? Because its awfully cute and even if it’s some kind of delicacy I "

"The skulkie? Don’t tell me you cooked the skulkie?!" Meara exclaimed.

‘No. That’s what I was trying to tell you. It was just too cute and I didn’t have the heart and didn’t know how you were supposed to prepare it anyway."

"Good,’ Meara said, relieved. "It’s a pet. They’re good for pest control."

"We’re almost finished. We’ll be in as soon as we’re done here," John assured Chiana.

John and Meara hurried to finish what they were doing, Meara trying to explain what the charts meant and complaining that it would be a lot easier if John hadn’t tampered with the guidance system. While they were engrossed in this, Megi started stirring around, having been awakened by the loud voices. Aeryn looked at John and Meara for help, but neither one of them looked up from what they were doing. She hesitantly reached down for the baby, then pulled away again. When Megi started to make little mewling noises, she very carefully picked her up. Aeryn experimentally tried bouncing her up and down gently and was rewarded with a smile. Aeryn appeared to be pleased with her success. John glanced over to see if Meara had noticed this and caught her smiling to herself.

Meara had just declared them finished when Pilot’s very irritated voice came over the com and said,"Would someone please tell L’ari to leave the DRD’s alone!

They arrived to find L’ari in a corridor not far from the dining room next to a pile of inverted DRDs, their wheels racing uselessly and their antennae wiggling frantically. Talyn, Zhaan and Merisa had arrived before them. Merisa was giggling and Talyn appeared to be deep in conversation with L’ari. John was puzzled as to how such an event had come to pass, until one of the DRDs laboriously righted itself and made a mad dash for freedom. L’ari immediately took off after it and caught up with it before it reached the end of the hallway. With a slide that would have been the envy of John’s little league team, L’ari gracefully swooped the DRD into his mouth. He trotted back with it proudly and placed it gently on the floor, turning it upside down with a dexterous flip of a paw.

"I’d give that a ten," John said with appreciation.

Talyn was shaking his head in remonstration.

A series of little whimpers and barks came from L’ari.

"Yes, I know, L’ari, it was getting away. But they are supposed to be running loose all over the ship. They have jobs to do. Let them all go."

L’ari hung his head and walked reluctantly over to the pile. He flipped all the DRDs over carefully and nudged each of them with his nose. Within microts there wasn’t a DRD in sight.

"Sorry,’ Talyn apologized.

"It’s okay. He reminds me of a Golden Retriever I used to have."

"That’s a good Vorlag, L’ari," Talyn said, thumping him on his side. "Now cheer up, guy, it’s time to eat.’

L’ari perked up at that and followed them into the dining room. Talyn and Merisa sat down at the close end of the table. Meara had a moment of indecision, as Aeryn went around the table to sit at the opposite end, as far away as possible. I t was compounded by the fact that Aeryn was still carrying the baby. Her indecision disappeared as Chiana sidled up next to Talyn. Meara put her arms around Talyn from behind, sliding her hands down his shirt, and gave Chiana a glare that made her move over. Talyn gave Meara an upside down kiss, and she sat next to her husband. Rygel was hovering around Merisa’s elbow, but the gleam was back in L’ari’s eyes.

"Why does that miserable beast keep staring at me like that?"

"You know, Rygel, you look like a chewtoy L’ari used to have when he was a puppy. Do you remember, Meara? The green one?" Talyn commented.

"What ever happened to that old thing?"

"We had to throw it away. It had deep punctures and we had little bits of green stuff all over the stumble."

Rygel turned a sicklier shade of green and moved away, torn between the demands of his stomach and his instinct for self -preservation.

The meal started out tense but improved. D’argo and Jothee relaxed after Meara and Talyn showed no sign of being repulsed by Jothee’s existence. Conversation flowed freely until Merisa’s comments about Moya’s size were answered by a casual reference to Crais and Talyn.

Meara and Talyn exchanged glances. "Bailar Crais? And Talyn?" Meara asked.

The entire crew of Moya turned to Aeryn, who so far had been silent. " I named moya’s child Talyn, after you," she said to her father.

"I’m honored," he said quietly.

"I never thought you would know that I did,’ she said, her voice faltering. "John called it a message in a bottle."

"I’m glad that I know. Thank you."

Aeryn nodded and looked back down at the baby.

"You knew Crais?" John asked.

"Not well. I didn’t think much of him." Meara responded. John launched into the story of Crais, starting with John’s arrival and ending with Crais’ current bond with the leviathan gunship. At some point during this Meara responded to some unheard signal and pulled what looked for all the universe like a cell phone out of her pocket.

"Me or you?" Talyn asked as she answered it. "Me" she mouthed at him a few microts later. The rest of them got to hear a one-sided conversation.

"Not those two again? No, we’ve tried that already…..Just tell them to go ahead and fight it out…No, they won’t- tell them I’m looking forward to taking on the winner."

After a moment of silence, she smiled and said, ‘I thought they would. We’re having a great time. They love the food. " She winced a little. "The skulkie’s fine."

"Uh.." she glanced over at Talyn. "How’s Gwendyl?"

She turned to Talyn after she was finished listening. "Nothing yet."

Talyn nodded.

"And everything’s going fine with breaking camp,’ she added.

"We’re moving on soon," she said to the room at large.. Changing the subject, she asked,’ The skulkie is fine, isn’t it?’

Chiana jumped up and said, "I’ll show you." She came back in a microt with a small, furry, multicolored animal. "I think we should name it Yellow, because it’s the only color it doesn’t have on it."

"Does that thing get any bigger? " John asked. "I thought maybe that box had a critter in it like Larry."

"We’re sorry," Meara said. "Vorlag puppies are hard to come by. We’re really lucky to have L’ari."

John still looked doubtfully at the skulkie. "Does it change into something else? Grow fangs and extra eyes? What does it eat?"

"It’s just a skulkie. It chases and eats vermin and they make nice pets, too."

‘Well, you would worry if you’d seen Trouble with Tribbles. So, it’s just like a cat?"

The entire table turned to look at him. "What’s a cat?"

"Um…an animal that’s a lot like a skulkie?"

Before the many course meal was finished, Meara moved across the room and held her arms out to Aeryn. Aeryn looked up at her blankly.

"I need to have the baby back, Aeryn. She’s getting hungry."

Aeryn startled, as if she had just remembered that she was holding the infant. She held her arms out and let Meara take the baby. After Meara returned to her seat and started feeding the baby, Rygel started sputtering. " You aren’t going to do that at the table, are you? Some of us are trying to eat here."

"Yes," Meara said calmly.

"She always wants to eat when we do,’ Talyn said. "That’s why Meara keeps getting crumbs in her hair."

"It’s a natural bodily function, Rygel," Zhaan explained. "Mothers of many species feed their young that way."

"There are many bodily functions that are not suitable for polite dining," Rygel complained.

"And you have done most of them, right here at this table, your Eminence," Chiana said.

"Peacekeepers. Vorlags. Damn mammals," Rygel was muttering as he flew off in a huff. " Bodyfeeders!"

This elicited a grin and a rare chuckle from Aeryn. More than one head turned around to look at her. "Well, anything that will make Rygel stop eating…"

D’argo’s eyes got misty as he looked at mother and child. " You remind me of Lolaahn,’ he said dreamily. ‘You even look a bit like her. She was so beautiful."

"I think," Chiana said, picking up the skulkie in her lap and standing up abruptly. "that I will start cleaning up." No one replied to this announcement, and D’argo continued talking. "When Jothee was this age, he was so adorable. He had the tiniest little tentacles but I knew that in no time he-

"Da-ad’ Jothee objected, embarrassed. "I think I’ll go help Chiana."

"I’d be happy to have your help," Chiana said coquettishly, with a pointed glance at D’argo that he completely missed because he was still talking.

After she left the room, with an even more embarrassed Jothee in tow, Meara caught Aeryn’s eye and said deliberately, " Wouldn’t she look good with blue hair?"

Aeryn sputtered and choked on her food. John handed her a glass of water and said mildly, "I’m going to have to set out a saucer of milk."

"For the skulkie?" Merisa asked.

After Meara finished nursing the baby, she handed her back to Aeryn without comment.

"She eats a lot, doesn’t she?" Aeryn asked.

"Babies have to eat very often when they’re little. They don’t stay little for long, though. In fact, sometimes it seems like they grow up in a microt."

The baby was awake and in a mood to socialize. Aeryn talked to the baby for a little while, until John said, "And you don’t sound ridiculous?’

"I didn’t say cootchi cootchie coo."

"You just told her she was cuter than a baby leviathan gunship."

D’argo leaned over Aeryn and waved his tentacles at the baby, who grabbed playfully at them, causing him to wince when she managed to grab one and pulled. Merisa, seeing that the baby was getting all the attention, scooted closer to her father, who put his arm around her. She rested her head on his shoulder.

After watching all of this with a benign enjoyment , Zhaan decided that Aeryn and John might need some time with her parents and dragged D’argo away.

Meara brought up the subject she had been waiting to approach Aeryn with.

"Aeryn," she said very gently," Do you remember my telling you about the Traveller’s Song?

Aeryn nodded, her attention still focused on Megi.

"It’s first sung to babies as a lullaby. We Travellers teach it to all our children at a young age so they’ll know where to go if they’re ever separated or lost from us."

"Like teaching them their address and phone number so they won’t become milk carton kids."

Meara gave him the ‘what the frell are you talking about’ look that up until this moment he had been sure only Aeryn could do.

"I would like to teach it to you, if you’ll let me."

"No," Aeryn said. "I’m not your child."

Meara caught her breath, swallowed the hurt, and went on. " If you should ever need us for anything."

"I don’t need anything from you."

"Please, Aeryn, don’t-" Talyn started, before Meara stopped him with a look.

"If you are ever lost, need food, a place to stay where no one can find you-" Meara stopped and looked at John. He was watching Aeryn, who, with a face of granite, avoided looking at her mother but was still holding the baby close and patting it gently.

"What about John? You can both learn it, and if you ever need to, you’ll be able to find each other again. It worked for your father and me. Haven’t you ever had a time when you thought you would never see each other again?"

The granite softened and she looked at John with sad and frightened eyes. "Yes’ she whispered.

"It does sound like a good idea, Aeryn," John said.

It didn’t take long for Meara to teach them both. She didn’t just teach them the lyrics, she interpreted them as she went, telling them the clue that each verse was supposed to hold. John was enchanted with Aeryn’s voice. She had started out in a faltering manner, saying that she didn’t know how to sing, but it was quickly evident that she had a lovely, low singing voice. When they sang together, even Aeryn admitted that they sounded good together. Merisa joined in at some point, but Talyn demurred, insisting that he would ruin the harmony.

The baby fell asleep, soothed by the familiar song. Aeryn pointed this out with delight, as if Megi had accomplished something wondrous. Eventually Meara decided that they had the song memorized and reluctantly the family decided to start packing up to go, L’ari waking up from beneath their feet and following them out the door. John followed them for a microt, making some arrangements, then turned and went back to Aeryn.

"D’argo’s going to take them back down to the planet. We’re going to meet them in the docking bay to say goodbye.."

Aeryn shook her head dumbly.

"Aeryn, aren’t you glad you had the chance to meet them?"

"Why should I be? She’s just going to leave me again."

"They aren’t going to leave until we get there. For one thing, I don’t think they’re going without the baby."

Aeryn looked down at the child in her arms. John had a sudden image of his little sister holding a doll and rocking it when she was distraught, comforting herself by giving comfort. He realized while thinking of this that not only was this the first time Aeryn had been around an infant, but that she had never had a doll, never pretended to be a mommy or had a mother to hold her.

Aeryn thrust the baby towards John. "You do it."

"No," John said, very seriously. " If you don’t say goodbye to your mother and for some reason you never see her again, you will regret it for the rest of your life. Believe me, I know."

Aeryn hung back a little as John said made his rounds when they got to the docking bay. He petted L’ari on the head and said "We didn’t get much of a chance to spend time together," to Merisa.

"We will have to make an effort to get to know one another next time," Merisa said in a very grown up fashion.

"Take good care of our daughter,’ Talyn said.

Meara hugged John and whispered, "I think you’re very good for Aeryn.."

"Thanks, Mom," he whispered back.

Aeryn came forward and scratched L’ari behind the ears, making him thump his tail wildly. Merisa rushed forward and hugged her, giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I can’t wait to tell my friends about you, and Moya, and your boyfriend, and all your friends."

"My boyfriend?"

"That’s what John said he was."

"Whatever that is," she said, smiling.

Talyn asked Aeryn very quietly, "May I touch you?’ and laid a hand on her cheek. "I never got to hold you. Your mom did, but I didn’t." they looked at each other for a long moment. Aeryn started crying the minute he took the baby out of her arms.

Meara wrapped her arms around Aeryn and held on tight, not giving her a choice about whether she wanted to be hugged or not. " I am so sorry," she said, through her tears.

"I know," Aeryn said, not resisting the contact. "Thank you for telling me about myself."

Meara reluctantly let go. " I love you. I always did."

A little later, John and Aeryn were alone together. Aeryn had dried her tears and her head was resting on John’s shoulder.

"You like them, don’t you?" Aeryn asked.

"Yes. They remind me of home. Of course, mom and dad look our age and they both are heavily armed. I suppose it makes sense out here that the family dog looks like a sabertoothed tiger….

"Is a swordtoothed tigger a bad thing?’ Aeryn asked suspiciously.

"Just big, dangerous and frightening."

"L’ari’s not like that. He’s just a sweet cuddly vorlag."

"Sometimes I’m not too sure about your definition of sweet and cuddly." John said, pulling her down so that she was lying across his lap, cradled in his arms.

She looked up at him and said seriously, "Merisa told me they never forgot me. She said there are pictures of me and that they told her all about me."

"They‘re your parents. Of course they didn’t forget you."

"I would never abandon a child like that,’ she said fiercely.

"I know you wouldn’t, Aeryn.. But your mother hadn’t even left the peacekeepers when she had you. If you were still a peacekeeper, would you be able to say the same thing?"

"No."

John smoothed the hair back from her face. "I love you."

"I-" John put his fingers over her mouth.

"Hush..I have something to say. I love you. I will never leave you. Not for earth, not for fear of Scorpius, not for Princesses or any female of any species. Not now, not ever. And I am going to keep telling you that for as long as it takes until you believe me."

Her eyes wide, she said, her voice trembling, " I believe you."

"But John?"

"Yes.’

"Say it again anyway?"