DISCLAIMER:

These characters do not belong to me. they belong to the Hensons', or SciFi, or whoever it is that is keeping me from finding out how thier story ends. So if I borrow them without permission, they have no one but themselves to blame. What's an addict to do, I ask you?

Anyway, I'm driven only by curiosity and an obsession with closure, and not greed. So I agree not to make any money off your characters

This is the first part of my vision of the end of fourth season. I rather like where it seems to be going, and am as curious as anyone, how it will end.

So if you read, if you like, let me know what you think, because for me, that's food and drink.

Fly safe.

Oh, and in this first part, no sex, no violence, and just a wee bit shippy. But I think I stayed true to the characters, let me know if your opinion differs.

HORIZONS

by spiritbard

Aeryn sat in the shade of a grove of palm like trees that caught the afternoon breeze, and made a sound like crabs on the rocks. She fanned herself with a frond, looking for all the world like a southern belle, which made John snort derisively.

Shaking his head to dispel a sudden fantasy he muttered," I'd pay big bucks to see her in a hoop skirt and a corset."

As his face reddened, he was suddenly glad he had his back to her.

"Aren't you done yet ?," she asked, trying to sound bored, " there aren't that many letters in "Aeryn Sun", how long can it take you?"

Squaring his shoulders, he tilted his head on his neck to inspect his handiwork from another angle, " Ya can't rush perfection baby," he replied airily.

He heard her snort of derision, as he backed towards her across the hot sand, sighting along his thumb for perception, " not bad," he said self congratulatory, " not bad at all."

"If you and your big..... thumb.... will get out of my way, I will give you the only opinion that matters," she tried hard not to laugh out loud at his wounded expression.

He stuck his tongue out at her as he plopped beside her, the heat from his sun warmed body, causing her own skin to goosebump. " Everyone's a critic," he sighed. A half smile on his face, he gently caressed her swollen belly with the palm of one calloused hand.

" Hey baby," he said so softly, she almost didn't hear him. Not that she needed to, she had heard this greeting three or four times a day, for the last four months.

" We really need to name this child, or he's going to think his name is "Baby"," Aeryn said with some asperity, casting a sour look at her "husband".

" Well...that might be a problem if it were a boy," he conceded with a shrug, " but since it's a girl,.." "A boy," she interrupted quickly to ward off the jinx. " A Girl," he said firmly," with her mothers' dark hair, and beautiful eyes, and lovely..." he leaned sideways and kissed her gently, his eyes open and locked to hers so she could SEE what he felt. " lips..." he whispered. " Her eyes slid shut blissfully ".....And MY brains," he finished as they fluttered open again. First bemused, and then outraged. He grinned at her. Reaching out he took her chin in gentle fingers, drew her towards him, and at the last second, just before their noses touched, he turned her face towards the beach and said, " So...what do you think? Or can't you read it from here?"

Without turning her head, she shifted her gaze to his , her expression cool, " Please try to remember I'm within striking distance," she said sweetly, as her eyes drifted back to the object in question.

His relaxed amusement dispelled the goose flesh and she warmed through instantly.

She squinted for a second, then putting a hand on his biceps, tried to heave herself out of the sand. Who'd of thought a few extra pounds, would make a once lithe and lean body, so unwieldy. Unsuccessful, she shifted her weight, trying to pretend she hadn't just tried. Putting more effort into it, she heaved again. And failed again. A stray lock of hair, raven wing black, now clung to her sweating cheek and she blew the strand away in irritation. Getting a better grip on John, and pulling her knees up to get her feet beneath her, she strained to get off the ground. But one look in his face, quivering with the effort not to laugh at her, and she just busted up. She sank down beside him again, laughing harder than she could ever remember having done. He rolled around on his back, his arms clamped across his stomach, howling with laughter. The sound echoed in the silence, clear and clean and right. Cascading to join with her own.

" Houston, we have a problem," he chortled, and then succumbed to fresh waves of mirth when she slapped at him lazily. He saw the southern belle again, tapping a cheeky suitor with a closed fan, and tears streamed down his cheeks." Havin' a little trouble with the boosters there Scarlet?" He asked, but was laughing so hard, it sounded like he was a donkey, braying the question.

His laughter cut off abruptly however, when he saw her lower lip trembling, and her eyes behind the rapidly blinking lids, swimming with tears. She fought bravely for a few seconds, and then her hormones took over, and she began to cry. Without a word, he reached across and pulled her against his chest, cradling her gently, murmuring and cooing softly. He waited for the inevitable," You think I'M Fat.t.t.t.t.t.t.t" so he could assure her it wasn't true. But when it didn't come, he worried. Tilting her chin up, he waited long seconds until she lifted her eyes to his, and her expression was bittersweet.

" What's wrong baby?" he asked gently.

A small smile, very Da Vinci, curled her lips as she shook her head. " Nothing is wrong John," she sighed heavily. " In fact...."

"What?" he urged.

" Well..." she shrugged, " it's just that...well, I keep waiting for the other boot to drop."

She pulled away from him, sitting back she gazed into his face pensively," It's so beautiful here. Quiet and safe. I have you...." her eyes dropped to her stomach, and she placed a protective hand over the swell, " and the baby," she smiled that smile again, like the Mona Lisa,"and it's idyllic..."

" But?"....

" Wait, there's more," she frowned," and each day, I learn new things. About you, and this place," she waved a hand," My body, myself..." she paused, and her voice dropped an octave and seemed to stretch taut with a previously unspoken fear," and each night when I go to sleep beside you, I know I've topped out on how much more I can love you....I mean, there has to be a limit right? and then each morning I wake up, and I love you more.Each day, I love this child, our child, more....."

" But???"

" But with that love, comes the fear as well."

"Fear of what baby?" he asked softly.

"Of what will happen to me without you," she said matter of factly.

"Aeryn, you know how to take care of yourself. If ever anyone could survive here it's...."

" That isn't what I mean John," she interupted angrily," It isn't about survival. I was always alone before. Alone I could face. But there are so many things I can't do without you. Don't you know that by now?"

"Like what?" he asked curiously, not bothering to acknowledge the obvious things he was useful for.

" Like....laughing," she dropped her gaze from his shyly," Do you know, I have never laughed that hard in my life?"

She glanced up and met the dubious look on his face. " NEVER," she repeated firmly.

"No one in my life, has ever affected me the way you do John, and I have come to lean on it, rely on it...love it with all my heart. I need you to help me be a good mother to our baby, because everything I know about love or how to express it, I learned from you. Needing you that badly, scares me to death."

" yeah...." he looked away across the rolling breakers, his thoughts, his eyes searching the distance for answers." Yeah baby, I know what you mean, 'cuz I live with it too. For a while, I thought it had driven me crazy." he turned to face her, his tone candid," I mean, I really did Aeryn...I'm not so sure even now, that it hasn't. I feel such a connection to you, and it goes beyond even love. I'm not sure how to explain it, and looking in your eyes right now, and feeling my child move inside you, I don't think I need to. I can see that you already know.That you feel it too, and that scares me more than needing you."

" What do you mean?" she asked quizically.

" I know how I feel," he looked out across the water again," know how deeply I feel it.I know what you mean to me.But now, I recognise that feeling in your eyes, you know, you understand.It honors me, but it frightens me too.To feel responsible to it, needing to protect it and cherish it, always keeping it safe. All along knowing that because of who we are, and what we are, I might fail." He smiled sadly then, and turned to her. The one being in the universe, made to complete only him. "But I love you, so I will always try."

She swallowed hard, tears trembling on her lower lids, and quickly looked away, trying to control the chaos of her emotions.

He was doing a better job of keeping his in check. But then he wasn't pregnant, and he'd had a lot more practice. He was after all, her first,....her only love. In enlightening her to the glories of love, he had won her singular loyalty as well. There would never be anyone else for Aeryn. Ever. As far as she was concerned, her heart lived or died with Crichton.

Nodding slowly, her reply was simple, " Me too."

"So...what do we do now," she asked as he climbed to his feet, and turned to look down at her. He smiled boyishly," We do what we always do baby," he replied, extending his hand down to her. She reached up and clamped strong fingers around his wrist.Looking up she asked," And that is?"

He pulled her up and into his arms in a single fluid motion, her drew her close, leaning towards her to rest his forehead against hers.Smiling he said," We help each other up, and we keep on keeping on."

He kissed her then, releasing all his gratitude and honor into it, sealing his promise.Making his covenant. The sun was descending as he stepped away from her finally. taking her hand, he led her down to the beach, and the little skiff he had built with his ingenuity. It was all he had, and he used it well.

Standing behind her, he wrapped his arms around her, resting his interlocked fingers gently over her abdomen.He propped his chin on her shoulder, as they stood and watched the sun set in a blaze of red and gold streaked with midnight blue. " It's lovely," she breathed.

" Beautiful," he agreed readily.

She tugged at the hair on his arms in amusement," Not the sunset you frellnick, I meant the boat."

She pointed, indicating the small, handcarved figurehead he had afixed to the bow. It was her ( though she would never say so, it was a rather bad rendition ) and he had worked painstakingly by firelight to produce it. So she showed due appreciation. But more lovely was that on the back of the boat he had painted it's name, " the Radiant Aeryn Sun".

She stepped away from him, and towards the breakers, her hand coming up to shade her eyes, and give her a better view of the larger island in the distance. " How long do you think it will take to get there?" she asked. Again.

" Depends on the current, but I would think if we left here tomorrow morning at first light, then we should be able to reach it by the following morning."

She nodded, satisfied and groped backward for his hand.He placed his within reach, and she squeezed his fingers.

Tomorrow, they would see what they could see.