Disclaimer: Farscape is the property of Jim Henson, Hallmark, and Nine Networks Australia and is aired by the Scifi Channel. I make no money off of this story what so ever. No copyright infringement intended.

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A Sebacean Reaction

by Tamar Richardson

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"Has anyone seen Aeryn?" John asked the aliens on the command deck.

"I believe she is still sleeping," Zhaan replied.

"Thanks." Crichton turned to leave, only to collide with Chiana.

"Hello, John," she greeted with a fake, apologetic grin plastered on her face. Crichton wasn't sure what her motives were. Either way, she had grown to be a bit of a nuisance over the past two months.

He moved past her and headed towards Aeryn's quarters. She had been sleeping in too long and too often recently. John intended to find out why.

**********

Crichton entered Aeryn's room. It was a mess! He had become used to her keeping everything (from her room to missions) in perfect working order, often using her pulse rifle to do both jobs. "Aeryn?" he reluctantly called.

"I'm down here."

John walked over toward where the voice had emanated from. He found Aeryn curled up in a ball with her head resting against the bulkhead. He kneeled down and felt her forehead. "You're burning up."

"I feel like dren."

"We should have Zhaan look at you."

She smiled, almost coyly, "There isn't a need. I'm pregnant."

"Wha-?"

"That incident right after Chiana joined Moya. The fake Earth scenario," she explained.

He didn't say anything for awhile, trying to put the pieces together. There was something, something he had once heard.... "I thought all Peacekeepers had an implant that rendered them sterile."

"How did you find out about that?"

"Gilina told me, while were on the Zelbinion."

She looked at him with a hazy glare, "Yes, we do have implants. But they break down approximately every 7 cycles. Mine broke down soon after we had been in the Flax."

"Are you sure that this isn't some sort of head cold?"

"Positive," she responded. "Sebacean females become fertile every two weekens. I haven't been fertile since the incident."

"Well it would certainly explain the frequent PMS," he muttered.He and Aeryn never did talk about what had happened. It was too awkward. Then again, John had never imagined...

"PMS?"

"It's, um... nothing," he said, blushing. "Now what?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we don't know anything about Leviathan pregnancy. How much do we know about Sebacean pregnancy?"

"It lasts about cycle."

He waited for more. "Is that it?"

"Sebacean women live out their gestation in government run institutions. After they give birth, they rejoin society and their children are put in squadrons, where they are raised. The squadrons are our families."

Crichton stood up and stretched his hand out to Aeryn. "I'm taking you to see Zhaan."

"I told you: I'm fine."

"You don't know that, do you?" he replied. "This fever could be a sign that something is wrong with the baby. Aeryn, please, come with me."

"Alright." She reached up and grabbed his hand, wincing as as her cramped muscle were forced to stretch out. "But I still don't understand how Zhaan is going to figure out any more than we already know."

**********

"From what I can see, the baby appears to be in good health," Zhaan said, studying the scanners. She smiled, "Aeryn, this is fantastic."

Officer Sun just grunted her reply. "Is there any chance that the fever could bring on Sebacean Heat Delirium?" John asked, seeing Aeryn's discomfort.

"I don't think so. It seems to be a normal part of the pregnancy."

"It is," D'Argo interrupted, standing in the doorway. He walked in. "I never understood why basic information," D'Argo directed at Aeryn, "was kept from entering public knowledge."

"Information is given out on a need to know basis," she rebutted, "Up until now, I didn't need to know."

"What harm could have been done by releasing information about pregnancy?"

"So, D'Argo, what can we expect?" John asked, halting the argument.

"The fevers should stop after 12 weekens. Extreme fatigue will follow up until the birthing process," he replied.

"Aeryn, I think it's time we get you back to bed," Too weak to argue, Aeryn got up, rested her head on his shoulder, and let John lead her. As Crichton walked past D'Argo, he said, "Thanks, Big Guy."

**********

"Aeryn, time to get up," John announced, gently shaking her.

"I'm too tired," Aeryn complained. She had let go of most of her Peacekeeper training during her pregnancy. It was too much effort to be pregnant and retain the stature of a Peacekeeper.

"John walked to the end of the bed and pulled the covers off of her. They had been sharing the same room since he found out she was pregnant four months ago. Her fever's had stopped, but she slept nonstop.

Aeryn groaned and started to reach for the covers to pull them back up. "C'mon, Aeryn. You don't want Chiana complaining about you getting special treatment." That did it. Aeryn shot out of bed faster than starburst. Hate wasn't a strong enough word to describe the relationship between Aeryn and Chiana. Crichton couldn't imagine what had caused it. The only thing he could remotely think of was the that it had something to do with Aeryn's pregnancy. "Sebacean Hyper-Rage," he remembered mentioning to D'Argo.

"Are you coming or not?" Aeryn remarked.

"Hmm?"

"Breakfast."

"Oh, of course," he replied. "Give me a minute to finish getting ready."

"Hurry up. I'm famished."

**********

Aeryn took a bite out of a brown food cube and made a face, "This is horrible! Is something wrong with the refrigeration unit?"

John took a cube off of her tray and took a bite. "It tastes fine," he paused. "Try one of the green ones."

"I hate the green food cubes."

"True," he replied. "But if you're finding the brown ones disgusting, then the green ones..."

"...should taste all right," she completed. "Fine." She took a green food cube off of John's tray and took a hesitant bite. "Not bad," she concluded. "This is so confusing."

"It'll all be over soon," he assured her.

"Yes, but then I have to raise the child. I don't know anything about children! I can't do this," she exclaimed, frustrated. "I just wish I knew what I was doing."

"You're not going to be alone in this. I'm going to help."

"What do you know?"

"Not much," he admitted. "But I have the memories of parents and how they dealt with me. We'll get through this, Aeryn."

Just then, Chiana walked in, grabbed some cubes, and sat down. "You know, Aeryn, I was thinking."

"There's a surprise," Officer Sun muttered under her breath. John threw her a glare, begging her to remain calm. She did, sorta.

"We're not exactly sure when Moya is going to have her child. It just occurred to me that you two could end up having your babies on the same day."

"What's that suppose to mean?"

"It would just be entertaining, that's all."

Rage flared in Aeryn's eyes. She abruptly stood up. "Aeryn, sit down," John said.

"No, I won't," she replied. She looked at Chiana, "I am not a source of entertainment for you. I am so sick of you provoking me. What the frell do you want from me?" Aeryn's breathing became heavy, gasping for extra oxygen.

"I'm sorry, Aeryn. Did I upset you?" Chiana replied, faking innocence. Aeryn rightfully charged at her. It took John, D'Argo (who had just walked in), and a sudden, overwhelming headache (Aeryn's) to break up the fight.

"Chiana, outside, now!" John yelled. He, like Aeryn, was more than annoyed with Chiana's recent behavior.

"What the hell was that?" John demanded, once she had followed him into the hall.

"Aeryn started it."

"You provoked her."

"When we first met," she began, "didn't you feel something?"

"Yeah: pity," he said. "I didn't think that anyone, no matter how awful the crime, should have suffered through that. I helped you stay on, because I saw that there was a potential in you to evolve beyond what you were. I just hope I wasn't wrong."

"Crichton?" Zhaan's voice came through the commlink.

"Yes?"

"You're needed in the medical area."

"I'll be right there." And so he left Chiana there, her thoughts as her only company.

**********

"What's wrong?" John asked.

"Nothing really," she replied. "The birthing process has begun."

"No, no... It's too early," he stuttered. "Aeryn told me that Sebacean pregnancy lasted an entire cycle. It's too soon."

"What are you talking about, John?" D'Argo said from across the room. "Sebacean pregnancy lasts 25 weekens. It is the correct time."

Crichton stood, wrapped in his own confusion. "Why would Aeryn lie to me?"

"I don't think she did," Zhaan replied. "She may have been told that by her government." She started walking to where Aeryn lay, unconscious.

"Why is Aeryn unconscious?" John demanded.

"It's a normal part of the process," D'Argo assured him. "In order to preserve the well being of both mother and child, the body shuts down all conscious. It's going take a considerable amount of time, we should wait outside."

**********

"Hey," John greeted Aeryn's opening eyes.

"What happened?"

"You gave birth to a beautiful, half-human, half-Sebacean girl."

"What?!"

"D'Argo told me that this is perfectly normal."

She paused, unsure of what to say next, "When I was still a Peacekeeper, every female I knew who ever became pregnant went the government institutions for exactly one cycle."

"Maybe they kept them for other reasons."

"Such as?"

"Rest, retraining, any number of things."

"So, it's a girl..."

"Yes," he paused, "Got any ideas for a name?"

"No. Sebaceans children get their names at random from a computer."

"Sounds very impersonal."

"It works."

He chuckled, "How about Melissa?"

"Melissa? Does it have any special meaning?"

"No, not really. I've always just always liked it."

She smiled, "Melissa."

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