I don't own anything Andromeda.

Set sometime after SoI and definitely not ep-related.

Out of the Past

1. Awakenings – rude

The buzz of the communicator inserted in the night-table – as fitting for the five star-establishment he was in, one of those fancy things with a far too crowded panel with far too many functions – was, although discreet, sufficiently persistent to rouse him enough to make him fumble around, blinded by the pillow he had buried his head under, his fingers hitting one after another the planetary news transmitter, the music program and the room service link before finally touching the right pad that connected him with the so very insistent reception.

"Yeah...?" he inquired hoarsely.

"Captain Hunt, I'm sorry to disturb you, Sir. But I'm afraid that your fiancée is on her way up to see you..."

"My..." His head came up from below the pillow and he began shaking it, trying to chase away the fogginess around it. "My fiancée...?" he inquired sheepishly.

"Yes," the receptionist answered affably, "at least I assumed she was... The lady one often sees in the headlines accompanying you to various events..." he further elaborated with a slight cough.

"Oh..."

Damn'! Beka! What was she doing here? He was off duty for at least one more week... Still not in a fully operational mode, Dylan Hunt grabbed for his chron that he had rid himself of last night and that was now also resting on the small table: yep, the date was right, he hadn't mixed things up, he had one more week of vacation. Which didn't change anything about the fact that his XO, Captain Rebekkah Valentine, was on her way up and... In a slight panic, he began gathering a blanket around himself, attempting to stand up and reach the pile of discharged clothes, but before he could further act on his intentions, the door burst open and Beka strode in past a somewhat startled maid, who had let her in by using her code.

"Oh, but Ma'am, you said..."

"Never mind, my dear. Everything is all right," Beka calmed her down with a huge, beaming smile and firmly closed the door after pressing some thrones into the woman's fingers. Still radiant, she then turned back and let her eyes wander through the spacious room and to the bed, in which Dylan still sat with blankets all around his waist, a slack jaw and a look of utterly embarrassed puzzlement on his face.

"B... Beka..." he stammered.

She chuckled at his astonishment, her grin broadening even further – impossible as this would have seemed. With quick steps she approached the pile of clothing and reached for them.

"Good morning! Rise and shine, my lovely! Vacation is over," she told him, suppressed laughter evident in her voice. She picked up his trousers and a sweater to throw it to him, but then her thumb and index held a laced, black garter in front of her, that she pretended to scrutinise carefully. "Interesting! Changing your style? A bit... kinky maybe, but why not?"

"Beka..." he growled, frowning.

It was in this moment that the mass of blankets next to him began to move, finally revealing a very beautiful, very naked brunette attempting to grasp whatever seemed to be going on around her.

"Ah, that explains it..." Beka exclaimed cheerfully.

"Dylan," the young woman asked, blinking rapidly into the morning sun, "what's going on?"

"Wouldn't we all like to know?" he said in a rumbling voice, finally snatching the sweater from Beka's hand and plunging into it. "Beka, what the hell are you doing here?"

"I'm picking you up. If you don't like surprises, you shouldn't have kept incommunicado. We've been trying to reach you for the past two days."

"Why, what happened?"

"Remember the prototype for the new force-lance with extreme wide-range? The one we got for testing the day before you left?"

He nodded, grabbing for his pants and cumbersomely re-arranging the blankets to protect himself from view while sliding into them.

"Yeah, what about it?" he asked, clearing his throat. "Beka, would you mind...?"

"Oh, stop fussing, Dylan..."

"Dylan!" the brunette suddenly interrupted, sounding more than annoyed. "What's going on? Who is this?"

Beka grinned down on her.

"Would you believe his sister? Hi there, you must be Amanda, he's already told me so much about you... This must be yours," she added friendly, letting the laced strap dangle in front of the woman's face. "Is there more you need or..."

"Beka!" Dylan exclaimed exasperated, finally in his trousers and getting to his feet.

"My name is Lucy," the brunette said in an irritated tone. "And you don't look anything like his sister..."

"Oops, sorry, Lucy, I must have lost track somewhere! And: we might not look alike, but we share the same inner values and principles!" Beka replied as annoyingly cheerful as before.

"Beka!" Dylan almost yelled at her while looking searchingly around him. "The prototype!"

"Ah, yes, that! If you're looking for your socks and boots – they're next to the door... The prototype, right. It's been stolen, Dylan. Rhade and me took the Maru to Terrazed, to test it in the Plakia Heights. Afterwards we went out to grab something to eat and were attacked, while someone broke into the Maru and stole it..."

"What? Are you all right?" he asked, straightening up after having found his footwear.

"Yeah, we're fine... But there is some senator or other coming over to the Andromeda to investigate the matter."

"Dylan, what's going on?" a plaintive question came again from the bed. Boots in hand, he marched back to it and sat down.

"I'm sorry, Lucy. I have to go," he told the young woman, gently removing a rebel lock of dark hair from her face. "I'll have someone come to grab my stuff and bring you breakfast... I'll call you, all right?"

"Yes," she agreed a bit pouting, "but... who is she?"

"She is Beka Valentine," he answered smiling, his index briefly touching her nose.

"Yes, but..." he sighed.

"Lucy, whatever is going on and she really are no concern of yours," he sighed, letting his meanwhile socked feet slide into his boots and bending down to fasten them.

"But who IS she?" the woman demanded to know once more. "You... you seem pretty concerned..."

"Told ya'! It's his big brother-mode," a grinning Beka came to his rescue.

"Dammit, woman, cut it out, will ya'?" Dylan admonished her, grabbing for her hand and dragging her along with him while storming out of the room. "You've had enough fun for one morning. Bye, Lucy, sorry again, I'll call you..." he threw over his shoulder on his way out.

"Yeah, sure he will, maybe the three of us can do lunch, Mandy... err, I mean: Lucy!" Beka told the woman, her head turned towards her while she was letting Dylan pull her along with him. "And really, I AM his baby-sister and don't you let anyone tell you something else!"