Disclaimer: Poor undergraduate student... trying to get money for next year... don't sue.

Status: Incomplete

Pairing: Julia/Alonzo; Hints of Devon/Danziger

Spoilers: General knowledge of the entire series. (All 22 Episodes... sigh...)

Author's Note: Well, after humming and hawing for the last little while I decided to write a new long-fic. Basically, I really wanted to do a Baby!Fic (since I've never really tackled one) but I didn't want to do the standard thing and get Julia pregnant. So, I'm introducing the newest member of Eden Advance another way and letting the situation play out from there.

Singularity

Julia stood to straighten her tired legs and wished that she could just lay down for ten minutes. After hours of walking and trying to find edible vegetation, even her hard cot and sleeping bag seemed enticing. If only...

Squinting into the distance, Julia quickly picked out the shapes of the other members of Eden Advance. Devon Adair, the leader and visionary of this trek through G889, was currently at the head of the team badgering their mechanic about problems with the equipment. The mechanic in question, John Danziger, was presently doing his best to weather through the borage of question. If the set of his jaw was any indication Devon was quickly running through the larger man's patience. Sometimes Julia wondered if there wasn't anything more to the constant bickering two leaders underwent on a regular schedule.

Before Julia could continue her surveillance of the team, the beeping of her gear quickly brought her back to the here and now. Swinging the eye piece over, the doctor briefly hoped the call wasn't from the finicky Morgan Martin, resident hypochondriac.

"Julia, here."

"Hey Beautiful, bored yet?"

Alonzo Solace's voice and face quickly brought a smile to her face and she turned her head from one side to another to see if she could spot their grounded pilot. He, David Walman, and Edward Baines were out of a scouting trip and the group had expected them back two hours ago. To be honest, their overdue arrival was grating on the nerves of all the Edenites.

"From the look of your face I'm guessing that's a yes."

Julia carefully schooled her features, but couldn't stop herself from looking around.

"Ah, now Querida, don't stop smiling."

"Where are you?" Julia said, quiet mirth filling the tones of her voice.

"She speaks!" Alonzo laughed opening for a moment and then quieted down. "We're up on the ridge. And we come bearing gifts."

Julia looked up and spotted the small team of three men. Each looked somewhat rough and tired, but beyond that her medically trained eye couldn't spot anything obviously wrong with them.

"Everyone okay?" Despite the fact that Julia would rather spend the time flirting with Alonzo, her ingrained - literally - responsibilities as a doctor made her asked the question. Sometimes she cursed the supposed gift of her chromo-tilt.

"Yes, Doctor Heller. Everyone is just fine. Aren't we?"

Through Alonzo's gear, Julia could hear the choruses of 'yes docs' that came from the other two members of Alonzo's team.

"Juls, we have something here that you might want to take a look at. I'll bring it down with me, personally."

For some reason, despite the flirtation nature of the words, Julia got the feeling that whatever Alonzo, Walman and Baines had found was more significant then the pilot's flippant tone implied.

"Alonzo, stop flirting with Julia, and get down here."

The unexpected intrusion of Devon Adair's voice into the conversation made the young doctor blush profusely. Not wanting to know how much the older woman had heard, Julia quickly shut down her gear and quickly walked towards the advancing team, hoping to get there before Devon or any of the others did.

Julia watched from the distance as Alonzo carefully handed something off to Walman, who looked decidedly uncomfortable taking the package, and quickly started to run towards her. Trying not to look to overly relieved to see him, Julia also began to pick up speed, her legs taking her straight to the arms of her lover.

"Querida!" Alonzo said loudly before he swiftly kissed the breath out of her.

Laughter erupted from around the happy couple causing Julia to break of contact and a bright red flush to appear on her cheeks. Hiding her head in Alonzo's chest, Julia said, "I'm happy you're back."

"So am I, Juls... so am I."

After standing still for a couple more seconds, the pair broke apart and Alonzo quickly tugged her hand in the direction of Walman.

"There is something you really got to take a look at!"

Julia pulled back, resisting the direction Alonzo wanted to take her in. "'Lonz, we really need to go see Devon. She's been fuming ever since you missed the deadline, and I think Danziger's gotten the brunt of it so far. Anymore, and I think he'll explode."

"This will only take a minute. Really, Juls, you need to see this."

With his stronger frame, Alonzo used the weight of his body to quickly pull Julia in the direction that he wanted to go.

"Really, 'Lonz, she's not at all happy. I don't want to be on the receiving end of that right now."

"Come on Julia, we're almost there."

Seeing that fighting him on the issue was almost useless, Julia picked up the pace and hoped to get whatever it was over and done with. That way she could get Alonzo and the team back over to Devon and relieve the exhausted Danziger of the older woman's presence. At least for a little while.

Excited that Julia was excepting his direction, Alonzo ran forward and took the small bundle out of Walman's care. Quickly, but steadily walking back in her direction, he cradled the package close to his body and only stopped when she was right in front of him.

"Now 'Lonz, really, what is going on?"

"Look Juls, isn't she gorgeous."

Julia was momentarily startled by the use of "she" but quickly recovered and looked inside the blanket that was hiding the package. When the doctor came face to face with a young infant her head whipped up to look at the smiling face of her lover.

"Where..." Julia stopped for a second as her mind struggled to keep up with what she was seeing. "Where did you find her?"

"She's why where late. Juls, we found an abandoned ship!"

The group, under orders from Devon had quickly set up camp when the learned about the discovery that the scout team had made. Once up, Julia had gone directly to her medtent and taken the infant with her. She had already done a quick preliminary scan with her diaglove as soon as Alonzo had showed her the baby; the scan luckily had shown a perfectly health 5 month old, but the doctor in her needed to do more tests. Added to that was Devon who demanded to know everything possible about the child. In all honesty, Julia couldn't blame her as a woman, doctor, or leader. This child was an anomaly that needed to be explained.

"Tell me again, Alonzo, how did you find the child." Devon's cultured tones quickly shut down Julia's mental musings and caused the young doctor to turn around and watch the pilot intently.

Forcing a lungful of air out of almost pursed lips, Alonzo dove into the story for the third time. "Baines, Walman and I were coming to the end of our scout and planning to turn around when Walman's scanners picked up something metallic in the distance. Baines and I didn't think much of it, but Walman wanted to check out the signature just to make sure it wasn't anything of ours."

Julia watched Devon nod silently and then quickly turned and looked at the sleeping infant. She was beautiful, just like 'Lonzo had said, but there was something about her that Julia just couldn't quite put her finger on. That little feeling made shivers run down her spin.

"We took the Rail a few more clicks and I checked the scanner again. This time I picked up more then just a metallic signature; I got a clear emergency locator beacon. It was really weak and barely registering on the scanners, which was probably why we didn't pick it up the first time, but it was there. I decided that we needed to check it out and we went."

Julia watched as Devon's back went stiffly straight and knew that a lecture was coming on. The doctor knew that Devon always wanted to be filled in on anything that occurred out the norm, but also knew that wasn't always possible. To stall any argument, Julia jumped in. "Where was the baby?"

"That's the strange part. When we got to the ship it was clear that someone had once piloted, landed, and lived in the ship briefly. But, besides the evidence of inhabitation the place was totally deserted." Alonzo stopped briefly and walked over to the sleeping child. "Except for her. I don't know who would leave a child all alone, but no one was there. The ship logs showed that no one had been there for at least a couple weeks.

"I sent Walman and Baines out to scout the immediate area while I checked out the rest of the ship-" Alonzo saw Devon's hopeful look and quickly said, "sadly the engines were complete gutted, but basic systems still worked. Whoever was there knew what they were doing. They only took enough with them that the ship would never fly again. The strange thing was that the incubator the child was set up in was totally automated and looked like it could have stayed self-sufficient for weeks if not months. It would have been able to provide for anything she could have needed if it came to that."

"But not indefinitely." Devon quietly said.

"No, and by the logs I saw, the ship was slowly loosing power. Unless there was another generator I didn't see, the incubator would have run out in another week or so."

"Is it possible that whoever owned the ship and child were coming back?" Julia asked.

"According to Walman and Baines whatever tracks there might have been were lost and they saw no indication of the ships inhabitants for about the 30 kilometre radius they checked. The ship was abandoned."

"Anything useful?" The comment came from Danziger who had quietly crept into the tent while the other three were busy talking.

"Tools, power, food were all negative. Some winter cloths and blankets we loaded up into the back of the rail for next winter, but besides that nothing."

Devon and John turned to Julia who was still scanning the baby. "Anything?"

"Anything unusual, you mean?"

Devon, John and Alonzo all nodded.

"Absolute nothing. Blood pressure, heart rate, and temperature are all normal. She's a little malnourished, but nothing beyond what would be expected from being fed intravenously for the last week or two.

"My scans put her to be about 5 months and three weeks old, give or take a couple days, and I'm still working on a genetic sequencing. That should tell us about any genetic anomalies and made a bit about who her parents were if I can cross-check the data with Yale's libraries.

"For all intents and purposes we have a healthy baby girl."

Devon and John walked back to Yale's tent in comfortable silence. Looking around you could almost believe that this was what Earth looked like about two hundred years ago. It was truly breathtaking. When it was quiet and peaceful, Devon sometimes believed everything the Edenites went through was going to be justified. It would happen when this world turned out to be the haven that she and Dr. Vasquez had predicted it to be. Then some problem would creep up and Devon was forced to realize how truly alien this world was to her group of colonists. And how something so alien could be both friend and foe.

"Alonzo is sure smitten."

"Hum? What?" Devon turned around, a bit startled, but finally caught on to what the mechanic had said. "Oh, you mean the baby?"

"No, Morgan." Danziger paused with a moment, a grin appearing across his face. He always knew when he caught the mighty Adair off balance and he relished each moment. "Of course the baby."

"I agree." Devon stopped to think for a moment.

"You know, I don't think I've ever seen our pilot this infatuated... not counting the lovely Doc, of course." Danziger stopped and scratched a spot behind his head. "In fact, it's got me a bit suspicious."

Devon turned to look exactly at Danziger, curious to see where he was going with this line of thought.

"I mean, if Bess had found the child I could understand," Danziger continued, "but Alonzo has never been family man type. It isn't like him to get gaga over a baby."

Devon bit the tip of her bottom lip as she thought. "I also don't like that the child was simply left there."

"Me neither. After all we've been through, I'm really amazed that Alonzo didn't call in when he made his little find. This just smells a bit too much like a set up."

"But using a child, who would do such a thing?" Devon's motherly instinct kicked-in in full force as she thought about a baby Uly or True being left on his own like that.

A ruffle behind them made the duo turn around and watch as Julia stepped out of the med-tent into the bright sunlight. Squinting and holding the now awake child, Julia walked to the water containers and poured out some of the cold liquid for herself.

Devon turned back to Danziger, "The council, penal colonists, rogue Terrians... the list goes on and on. Nothing about this planet is ordinary." Danziger just shrugged.

While Devon knew the list was extensive, the Council was her first thought and the biggest worry. The rogue government agency with its minions had been a thorn in the Eden Project even before launch. The problems had started with simple bureaucratic nonsense and quickly escalated to sabotage, spying, violence, and betrayal. The latest problems with Eve/Reilly and the biostat implants, had made Devon uneasy about their presence for months. Her conversation with Reilly and the fact that he wouldn't acknowledge if he knew where the Edenites were or not had been something that had kept her up at nights on many occasions. However, to place the child in the open and just hope the Edenites stumbled upon her was reaching, even for the Council.

"John, I want you to go back to the ship and see if there is anything Alonzo... missed."

Danziger nodded his acknowledgement. "I should probably take Walman or Baines with me since they know where this place is."

Devon nodded, "I agree. Also, neither seems as connected with the child as Alonzo and I want to know why."

Danziger stopped for a second. "You know, we might be totally barking up the wrong tree here, Adair. Even I admit that Alonzo has changed since meeting Julia. Maybe he just wants the child?"

Devon looked thoughtful for a moment. "And if that's true, we'll gladly take her in. Or, Alonzo and Julia will take her in." Devon smiled. "But if we're right and something is amiss I would rather know now rather than later."

Danziger nodded once more and turned and walked briskly after Walman.

Julia couldn't help but smile when the baby's blue eyes turned to her. She watched as the child raised its little fist and reached for some of her blond hair that had escaped the ponytail Julia had quickly made this morning.

"Nope, sorry, but that's mine." Julia said quietly.

Turning around with the mug of water in her hand, Julia made her way back to the med-tent thinking about all that the child would probably need. While taking care of Uly's condition at the beginning of the trip had been difficult, Julia knew that trying to take care of a baby would open up a whole new can of worms. Since none of the women were pregnant, or had recently been pregnant, Julia needed to make some milk for the baby. She needed to find spare cloth to make diapers out of and she needed to make sure the child was just generally comfortable. All the tasks on the road seemed like a daunting task.

"Juls, penny for your thoughts?"

Julia turned around and saw Alonzo standing right behind her. "I was just wondering if we did the right thing. I mean, what if we can't take care of her? Or what if her birth parents come back?"

"As I told Devon, the place was deserted. They aren't coming back." Alonzo took the time to reach down to the baby girl and let the young infant grab a hold of his finger. "As for taking care of her... If we can take care of Uly and the rest of this rag-tag team, I think we can take care of a baby."

Alonzo looped an arm loosely around her shoulders. "Plus, with the two of us, she'll never want for anything. Come on Querida, we can do this!"

Julia smiled at Alonzo enthusiasm but couldn't help at wondering at his new paternal instincts coming out. "'Lonz, you better be careful or this little one will have you wrapped around her finger." Julia waited a beat before adding. "You just might end up staying on here instead of leaving with the Colony ship."

Alonzo turned and looked into her eyes before swiftly kissing her on the mouth. "Too late. I'm here for good."

Julia felt herself press into the pilot's body slightly and remembered an earlier time when Alonzo had promised her he would stay. At the time the adventure with the spider caves had stopped them for furthering the discussion she had somehow knew even then that he was serious. The flyboy, infamous for his love-them-and-leave-them attitude was no more. Somehow the planet had changed him, just like it had ever single member of the Eden Advance team.

A whimper from the child stopped Julia from wondering about Alonzo's intentions and feelings further. Pulling away from the pilot, Julia looked down at the child.

"We should probably name her." Alonzo stated as he watch Julia peer down at the baby.

Julia looked up at Alonzo surprised. Naming her seemed so much like claiming her and until they knew more, Julia still had doubts about whether that was wise. The group was already getting attached. She didn't even know what her scans would reveal.

"I don't know, 'Lonz." Julia's voice trailed off, unsure.

"Why not, we can't keep calling her 'her' or 'the child.'"

"Come on, it would be fun. And maybe practice?" Alonzo lifted his eyebrows suggestively.

"Aren't we getting a little ahead of ourselves?"

Alonzo shrugged but smiled tantalizingly. "Come on, Beautiful!"

"I always liked the name Sydney." Bess Morgan piped as she walked over.

Julia looked up at the wife of Morgan Martin and smiled. Although her upbringing had been different than any of the other personnel on this journey, Julia found herself likely the young woman and counting her as one of her closest friends. While there friendship had taken a bit of a rocky turn when Julia had been discovered to be a council spy, the time the young doctor had spent afterwards with the Earth-born woman, explaining everything as best she could, had ironically strengthened their bond.

"I like the name Dahlia." Piped in Devon Adair's young son, Uly.

"That's a stupid name!" Said True Danziger, racing up behind the young boy to add her opinion.

Julia smothered a smile at the two kids perpetual game of one-upmanship. "True, that's not nice to say."

Yale sauntered over. "While I don't agree with True's reasoning for not liking the name," the tutor gave the young girl a stern look of reprimand causing Danziger's daughter to blush, "however, I would have to agree on disliking the name."

Uly's face fell for a moment, but the young child just shrugged off his disappointment.

"I always liked the name Danielle." Yale said. "I means 'God is my Judge.'"

Julia nodded. "I had a good friend in medical school named Danielle."

"Really? You never told me about her." Alonzo said, curious.

Julia's face fell for a moment. "She died in a training accident with the Council." Her tone of voice told the group that the topic wasn't open to discussion.

"What about Hannah?" Alonzo volunteered.

Yale's attention seemed to turn inwards and the rest of the group waited as he searched for the meaning. "Its origins are Hebrew, an old Earth religion. It means, Grace of God."

"I like it." Bess stated assuredly.

"Me too." The two kids said at once, causing the gathering of adults to laugh.

"What's going on?" Devon said as she walked up to the group of still chuckling adults. Ruffling her son's hair affectionately, she turned her attention to the baby in Julia's arms. The child seemed to feel Devon's gaze and turned its startling blue eyes in her direction.

"Devon," the young doctor stated. "I would like you to meet Danielle Hannah. The newest addition to Eden Advance." Julia looked around the rest of the team to make sure the name was approved. By the quick nodding, she guessed it was.

Devon held out her arms in a timeless 'may I?' gesture, and Julia carefully loaded the small bundle into Devon's waiting arms. "She's beautiful." Devon looked up and around at the other Edenites. Seeing that Bess seemed to want to hold the child, she passed Danielle over to the other woman's arms. "However, I think the name is longer than she is. Maybe we can call her Danny for short?"

Julia smiled as she realized how easily this new child had fit into their lives. Leaving the baby to the careful watch of most of Eden Advance, the doctor slipped back into the med tent to complete Danny's scans.

TBC