SC 66: A Job Well Done
Starburst Challenge 66 (hosted by Vinegardog): Wiles
Spoilers/Setting: Unrealized Reality to Twice Shy
Genre(s): Drama
Word Count: 1089
Disclaimer: The characters and universe of Farscape are the property of the Henson Co. I have not made any profit off this tale, and I am giving the characters back the way I found them. (Unfortunately that means they are still fiction.) Not beta'd. All mistakes are mine.
D'Argo stood in Moya's corridor and crushed the capsule under his foot. He worried about his friend and blamed himself for the changes in John. "Either way, I think you're going to get hurt." His friend had the right to know of Aeryn's doubts about the baby's father, but maybe he should have waited until Aeryn told him.
Since that conversation, John had pulled into himself. D'Argo certainly understood how he felt. He still had come to terms with Chiana's betrayal. The new friendship he had with the Nebari was more satisfying, but he missed the physical comfort.
He could imagine how John felt. And now his friend was taking that dren of Noranti's to dull the pain. The Luxon hated to see his crewmates so at odds with each other. They should kiss and make-up already. Chiana had definitely rubbed off on him; his secret romantic side was coming out.
That was it, he was going to take the bull by the thorns and force those two drannits to talk to each other.
Fifty microts later all thoughts of confrontation went out the airlock. Crichton was missing and the Captain had to go rescue the idiot.
Finally back on Moya, Aeryn left Crichton to deal with the Earth diplomats, making her way to her quarters. After being gone for days, it was so good to see her room. While she was happy to finally see John's home world and experience human life, she was looking forward to sleeping in her own rack without the dust and debris of the 'Carson House'.
She knew that while only a weeken had passed for her, she had been away from Moya for over a monen. There was a thin layer of dust around her room, but everything else was undisturbed.
Except, on the middle of her table, was a pile of blackish bulbs not much bigger than her finger tips. She opened one up and almost gagged at the smell. It was a familiar scent; she'd smelled it on John a couple of times. The Center Chamber sometimes had the odor too.
Curious about the stuff, she made her way to see Noranti. Of course the old woman wouldn't be there when she wanted to talk to her. There was a pot on to boil, and the room reeked of the stuff in the pods. Aeryn was determined to get some answers.
Retracing her steps, she made her way toward the old woman's chamber. She had almost made it there when Pilot requested her presence. The humans were waiting for her to join them.
She decided to wait to talk to John or Noranti until she could get one of them alone.
The next few days were so overwhelmingly busy and emotional; Aeryn completely forgot to ask anyone about the strange bulbs.
She tried to get John to open up to her. His attitude confused her. One minute he was having a 'normal' holly-day with his family, the next he was avoiding everyone. There would be glimpses of the old John. Moments when he would show sorrow and joy, then it would be gone, walled up with the key thrown away. It was almost like seeing two different people.
Then came that night, Christmas Eve, when the shell seemed to crack. She thought she saw his heart in his eyes right before that frelling creature broke in and shattered the moment. For a microt, it was like old times, fighting together to save each other. In the heat of the battle, she smelled that horrible smell again and remembered to ask, "What was that?"
John gave her the typical evasive answer, "Never mind," and she let it go, because now really wasn't the time.
As the mess was being cleared away, Aeryn saw one of those empty pods on the floor. She picked it up and put it in her pocket. One way or the other she was getting answers.
With all the investigators around, Aeryn had to wait to talk to John. Noranti on the other hand—.
As they were unloading the transport pod, Aeryn took the bulb out of her pocket to ask the old woman about it. She didn't like the answer she got. "It's to help him move on, surmount his feelings and forget."
"We're gonna be fine. She likes me."
One hundred microts later, the human's ears were still ringing from the punch when D'Argo came on to Command.
Full of optimism, John said, "Hey D, I understand why you told Aeryn about the lakka, but you should have warned me man."
"I didn't tell her." D'Argo said, anger tingeing his voice. "I was going to tell her. I should have told her, but I didn't. You had to go and get yourself sucked down a wormhole before I could."
"But you're the only one who knew."
"No. The old woman might have told her."
"I suppose. I think Aeryn would have spaced her though."
"We couldn't get so lucky. Look, I don't know who told her, but she knows. So deal with it." D'Argo turned and stormed off Command.
The search for Talikaa was a reminder to Aeryn of what she loved about him: his extreme optimism that was opposite her stoic reserve. It almost felt like old times, even before the old times when John always saw the best of every situation.
When he deflated, it was shattering. A grim reflection of hopelessness. "We never could get it together."
Then Talikaa was dead and everyone was almost back to normal. It would take a few solar days before they were one hundred percent, but most of them could be patient. Aeryn, however, wasn't going to be that frightened creature anymore.
She was going to make John talk to her, whether he wanted to or not.
He was so tired of fighting: tired of fighting the bad guys, tired of fighting himself, tired of fighting with her. He was ready to call it quits and confess everything. How to do it?
"Pilot! My comms are a bit buggy. Can you test the system please?"
And finally those two idiots are kissing and making-up.
1812 observed his human finally getting the girl. Pilot silently thanked him for breaking the stalemate. Now maybe things could get back to normal. They mentally patted each other on the back for a job well done.