Author: Hope
Rating: R, femslash
Fandom: Firefly/Andromeda
Pairing: Beka/Inara
Spoilers: Set after season one's "It Makes a Lovely Light" on Andromeda's side. In my mind it's preshow on the Firefly side of things, thought I don't think it really matters.
WC: 1,445
Summary: Beka is lost.
Disclaimer: Not so much with the being mine.
A/N: For Bria as part of multiverse2004. Title courtesy of Edna St. Vincent Millay. This is not betaed, so all mistakes are mine. I'm not too happy with it, but eh.
The bridge of the Andromeda is quiet, too quiet, and it's driving Beka crazy.
The others, Dylan and Tyr and Trance and Harper, are all sleeping and Rommie's disappeared to wherever it is she goes at times like these, which leaves just her and Rev Bem on the bridge. It's her first night watch since her ill-fated attempt to reach Tarn-Vedra and she can feel Rev's eyes on her, keeping track of her as she paces behind the slip pilot's chair.
She needs to calm down, relax, so she plops down in the chair and throws her legs over the side. It's been two weeks and she can still feel the buzz of flash in her blood, the nervous energy rolling just under her skin. She hasn't been able to sleep, and the nightmares that roll through her mind even during the day have taken their toll.
She jumps back up and starts pacing again. It feels like the walls are closing in. She can feel Rev watching her still, can feel the questions he wants to ask, the words he's holding back, hanging in the air.
"I'm fine." she spins to face him where he stands at his station. Surprised, he opens his mouth to respond and she bolts for the door. "I just. I'll be right back."
She sprints down the corridor toward the docking bay and the Eureka Maru. She's not really sure what she's doing or where she's going, just that she needs to get the hell out of here.
At the bay entrance monitor she hurriedly taps in an override code left over from Harper's hack of Andromeda's system. With her luck Rev's already woken Dylan up and she's not in the mood for another one of his "you can do it," speeches.
Minutes later the bay doors open smoothly and the Maru glides into the blackness of space. Beka heads toward the nearest slip point, ignoring Rev's hails.
The veins of light are blinding, dizzying, suffocating and for a moment Beka is completely lost. She can't tell which way is up or down, in or out in this maze of slipstream cords. She panics. Picks a path at random and throttles it, punches through the fabric of space, sending the Maru tumbling end over end into normal space.
Her hands are wrapped knuckle white around the Maru's controls, and her head is pounding in rhythm with her heart. There are tears in her eyes.
A breath. Two. And she can see again. There's a big blue planet filling the cockpit view port and the Maru's computer is telling her that they've jumped into some backwater region of space next to the planet Sihnon. That they're 30 seconds away from hitting Sihnon's orbital drift.
She pulls back on the controls and points the Maru toward the drift's docking bay.
It occurs to her now, as she makes her way aimlessly through the noisy corridors, that coming to a crowded drift while suffering the hangover from hell probably wasn't the smartest idea she's ever had. Not to mention running away from the Andromeda and Dylan without a word. She laughs at the thought of all the lectures about the proper conduct of an officer Dylan will no doubt give her when she gets back.
She ducks into a small, relatively empty bar in an attempt to get away from the bustling crowd. The lights are low and the décor is on the seedy side of things, but the bar faces a large view port that showcases a beautiful view of the planet and two of its moons.
Taking a seat at the bar Beka decides to play it safe and order a coffee. The hot liquid washes down her throat, helping to calm her still raging mind as she stairs blindly out the view port.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Beka is pulled back to her surroundings by the sultry smooth voice of the woman standing next to her. Elegant and dark against the bright lights of the bar, dressed in shades of gold and blue, she is breathtakingly beautiful.
"What?" caught off guard, she winces at the hitch in her voice.
"Sihnon." Beka follows the woman's gaze to the large view port and the swirling blues and greens of the planet below.
"Sure, I guess." the brunette turns to look at her again, a question in her eyes and Beka shrugs. "I'm not really a planet person."
"Ah, a spacer." there's something in the way she says it, in the smile that curves her words, that draws Beka in, compels her to smile back.
Beka nods, "Born and raised."
"Really?" she asks, a quiet wonder in her voice as she slides onto the high stool next to Beka. "I can't imagine living your whole life in space. I'd go stir crazy, cooped up on a ship."
Beka can't help but laugh at that. "It can get a bit stifling, but mostly it's not so bad. At least there's not all that dirt and weather you've got to deal with on planets."
"That's true." with a laugh of her own the brunette turns back to face Beka. Stretching out her hand, she says, "I'm Inara."
Beka accepts two fresh cups of coffee from the bartender and turns back to face Inara.
"So I've decided to do some traveling, see what else the universe holds for me." Inara trails off as Beka hands her the warm cup. "Thank you." she pauses to take a sip of the warm liquid and smiles. "And you, Beka Valentine? What has brought you to Sihnon station?"
"I'm just here to pick up some parts for my ship." Beka decides to go with the white lie rather than mention Dylan and the New Commonwealth and all the intergalactic fun that comes with them. "Do some shopping." she continues with a shrug and a smile.
The bar is filling up with people, with noise and Beka can feel the walls closing in again. Her eyes dart around the room, through the crowd. From the door to the view port behind the bar and back again, calculating the time it'd take to get out.
A warm hand covers her own on the bar, quieting her restless fingers and drawing her attention back to the woman at her side. Inara is smiling at her again, eyes calm and bright.
Beka pulls in a breath and smiles back unsteadily, "You wanna get out of here?" she's not sure where the question came from or where they could go, just that she needs to get out of here. That she wants Inara to come with her.
A pause and Inara nods. Beka throws some currency on the counter and stands, waits for Inara to join her. She weaves her way through the crowd, her hand still clasped in Inara's.
Minutes later and they're standing in front of the bay the Maru is docked in. Beka chooses not think about why she led them here or what exactly it is she wants them to do now that they're here. She punches in the access code and the Maru's doors slide open in welcome. She steps back to let Inara pass first.
"This is your ship?"
"Yeah." Beka looks around the cramped quarters with a shrug. "The Maru's not much, but she's mine." she turns back to Inara, offering a small smile. "Sorry 'bout the mess."
Her words disappear into Inara's kiss and Beka reacts on instinct, moving into Inara and the kiss.
"Wow." there's a look of happy surprise on Beka's face as she regards the woman in front of her. "That was. Nice."
A smile spreads across Inara's face as she pushes Beka's bangs from her forehead. "I'm glad." she says, leaning in again.
Inara's kiss is like a planet side sunrise, cool and soothing in its warmth and Beka never wants to stop, just wants to sink into it. Her skin is silky smooth under Beka's hands, her hair soft between her fingers.
"You taste like the stars." Inara whispers against Beka's neck, and she knows it's a cliché, a line, but it sends shivers down her spine just the same. The play of Inara's fingers on her thigh brings a moan to her lips.
Hours later Beka wakes to the beeping of the bedside comm. panel. She looks around, surveying the empty crew quarters. Inara is gone, the hint of bergamont that clings to the tangled sheets the only sign that she was ever there.
She pulls the sheets across her chest and clicks on the view screen with a smile on her lips.