Unexpected Joysp

By: Cassie Valentinep

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Author's Notes/Disclaimer: This is in the first person, told by Beka, Dylan, Tyr and who ever else. Also, unfortunitely, as every one know, I don't own'em, except for Cassidie, she's mine. I'm not worth sueing . . . p

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"Beka, get up. Come on Beka," Trance called. p

"What?" I asked, hoping that it wasn't really morning, or as close as it gets in space. p

"You're going to be late. Dylan's going to send Rommie down soon." p

"Fine, I'm up." I said as I sat up. p

"I'll wait." Trance said as she bounded out of the room. Have you ever woken up and just felt different about the day? I mean, you can't really put your finger on it, but you know that something is going to happen, that kind of feeling? p

"Trance?" I called after getting out of the shower and starting to get dressed. p

"Yeah Beka?" I paused. p

"What's going to happen today?" p

"We're gonna go and do some trading today. Did you forget already?" p

"No, I mean, well, I don't know what I mean." I stopped, collected myself and started again as we left my quarters. p "I have a feeling that we are going to do something, I mean other than trade. I just can't put my finger on it." p

"Of course you can't, we're not there yet." p

"No Trance, that's not what I meant," I said with a little smile. For some one with such extrodinary abilities, she sure didn't catch on to Human figures of speech very quickly. p

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"Way to be late there Bek, you're setting a great example for us," Harper said. p

"Don't you have some bug to be catching?" I replied. p

"Ouch Beka, I think I'll just head back down to my engines. At least they apreciate me," he said as he left. p

"Harper, go away," I said as I slid into the pilot's chair. "Sorry, I guess I over slept." p

"I was starting to wonder about you, I was trying to decided if I should send Tyr or Rev to find you." p

"Let me help you out with that choice, I'd rather wake up to Tyr then Rev any day," I said with a smile. p

"Set a course for Cytherea, Beka," he said with a smile. Who could blame me? I mean, I love Rev like a brother, but who would you rather wake up to, a half naked muscle man or a short, hairy, ugly Magog? I think the choice is easy. p

"Going to slip stream . . . now," I said as we slid in. I love piloting in slipstream, I always feel so alive . . . I don't really know why, but I do. "Exiting slipstream." I said a few minutes later. p

"Wow, Cytherea has changed." p

"Yup, things like that happen after three hundred years Dylan." He just shot me a look and started negotiating some shoreleave for us and got us a docking space. p

"Okay. We have three days. Don't start any fights, Trance, two new plants, max. Harper, find what we need before you find the bar." He looked us over. "Okay, lets go." p

"Hey," Harper called, "Why didn't Beka get a warning?" p

"Because I'm going to be keeping my eye on her personally." p

"Great. Thanks dad," I said as I shot him a look. Quickly everyone piled off the ship. Trance hung out with Harper, Rommie and Rev as they went looking for . . . things . . and Dylan and Tyr tagged along after me. p

"So, where are you leading us Beka?" Dylan asked. p

"Food. I haven't eaten yet." p

"Is that all you think about?" Tyr asked. p

"When I'm hungry, yes. Besides, Breakfast is the most important meal of the day." Tyr just rolled his eyes. p

"I think I'll go and see what Rev is up to." Tyr said as he left. p

"Bye," was all I said. Dylan looked like he was going to say something, but he stopped. p

"I'll take one of what she had," he said. "So, what are you looking for?" p

"Well, I sent Harper off to look for parts. Trance will look into med supplies and new plants and Rev will look at food stuffs and Rommie will remind the others of anything we have missed, plus, I have a feeling that Tyr will undoubtly end up looking at armerments." p

"You didn't give them tasks?" he asked as he took a bite. p

"Nope, they're big kids, they can handle it. Besides, we stopped recently before this and we have, like, 98% of what we need, so, if we forget some things, it isn't the end of the world. Besides, every where in this sector is full of little seedy trading posts like this one," I said as I finished off breakfast. p

"Well, I guess I'll trust you on this one." p

"Good call, besides, don't forget that Rommie came down too. She'll make sure we're okay." Dylan finished off the rest of his breakfast. I couldn't identify mine, but it didn't make me go blind, so, I guess it was okay. We slowly made our way over to some of the parts shops where we saw Trance and Harper. p

"Hey, Harper, com'er," I called. p

"Yeah Bek?" p

"Did you miss something?" I asked as I pick up a part we needed. p

"No, I knew that was there. I'll get that last, I'll get a discount." p

"What if some one else grabs it?" p

"Well, that is why I had it hidden, but since you had to meddle . . . . Valentine, you're nothing but trouble, now get lost and let the genius work," he said as he practically pushed us out of the store. p

"Trouble maker," Dylan whispered in my ear and stayed a little longer than necessary. I don't think that I really minded. Oooohhh . . . you're falling Valentine, look out! "Sorry, some guy was staring, I figured that I had better make it look like you were spoken for," he said, a light blush creeping over him. p

"Yeah, good plan," I said. "Too bad this chick can take care of herself. I'm tougher then I look." p

"I know." And that is pretty much how the three days were spent. The only thing was, was that I couldn't shake that feeling that we were going to do something. Well, that I was going to do something. The only problem was that I couldn't figure out what that "something" was. On the last day, we all decided to stop at the local bar and that was when I found out what the something was. p

"Where's Rommie?" Trance asked. p

"She went back to the ship, she said she was tired of being stared at and then having the guys try to 'buy' her body. I don't know if she meant her physical body so they could have an A.I. or for .. " Harper said as he was cut off by Trance. p

"Oh Beka, just wait until you see the new plants I got. Rev helped me pick them out. They're beautiful!" she gushed.p

"I'll look at them as soon as we take off. Don't forget to remind me Trance," I said as I took a drink. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a small figure, barely clothed, rush by. I looked back again I couldn't find it. p

"What?" Dylan asked as he leaned over. p

"Nothing. I just thought that I saw something." I said absently, still searching for the figure. Could it be a child? p

"Are we gonna have to cut you off after one sip Bek? You're getting rusty, I remember when you could drink me under the table and then some," Harper said. p

Trance laughed of the memory of the one time I did that and Rev just shoke his head. p

"I'm fine Harper and I can still drink you under the . . ." I saw it again, it, she rather, looked right at me, her eyes baring more pain than I could ever imagine in just that small moment in time, and she left again. p

"Beka?" I heard Trance call. I ignored her. I started to notice that Dylan was following my gaze, out of the corner of my eye. I leaned back in my chair and just about fell over when I heard the crash and saw her fall and spill the drink she was carrying. She lifted her head and looked like she might cry and I sawp

her head for a man's unguarded money sack when another large man grabbed her by the arm. p

"You useless little shit! I send you to do one simple, mindless task and you fuck it up! I should have left you on that planet to rot!" By this time the people sitting nearby were watching. p

"Leave her alone you asshole!" I yelled before I knew it. p

"Beka!" Trance hissed. p

"What did you say little girl?" he asked me as he dragged the child along with him. p

"You heard me, leave her alone," I said as I went right up to him and stood under his nose. Maybe playing the hero isn't always such a good idea. He was a good 2 heads taller than me and much stronger than he looked from far away. p

"Yeah, she's right," Dylan said as he came up beside me. Oh good, a little back up in my suicide mission. p

"You gonna stop me ya little puke?" p

"Yes," Dylan simply answered as he turned on his force lance. p

"So will I," Tyr said as he stood up, turning on his force lance as well. p

"Oooh . . . A small girl, her lap dog and a Nietzchean slave. I'm shaking," he said, still holding on to the girl.

"You should be," Tyr said as he went after him and Dylan followed. The man released the girl and she ran into a corner. The fight didn't last long, since the man was drunk and no match for two, very sober men. "The girl, she's mine now, and I will do with her as I please," Tyr said to him quietly. p

"No, you can't have her, she's mine," he said quietly. p

"Not any more. I'm taking her as spoils from your foolishness to try and fight me. She is mine and I will do with her as I please," Tyr said as he stalked towards me. "I give her to you," he said as he stared at me. I started to feel a little scared of him. "You started this, she is now your responsability or problem, how ever you choose to look at it." And with that, he left for the ship. p

"She went that way." Trance pointed over to a dark corner as she went to check on Dylan's wounds that turned out to be no more that a few small cuts from the short struggle. I stood for a moment, gathered my courage, looked over at Harper, who was still in shock and Rev who was simply being Rev and headed over to the corner. p

"Hey there, what do you say about coming out?" Nothing. I always knew that I wasn't meant to have kids. "My name's Beka, what's yours?" Still nothing. "I was wondering if you'd like to get something to eat? You look a little hungry to me. Would you like that?" She gave me a little nod. "Okay, well, all you've got to do is come out of the corner, because, well, I'm just a little to big to get in there with you," I said with a small smile. She studied me for a long while and then slowly moved out of the corner and stood before me. "That's better, so, will you tell me your name?" All she did was look at me. p

"Oh, I know you've got to have one. Everyone has one," I said as I picked her up. She seemed a little shocked at the gesture, but quickly settled in. I could feel her relaxing and slowly becoming heavier. She still didn't say anything.

"Okay, so, maybe talking isn't a good plan right now," I said out loud to no one in perticular. p

"Is this what you meant Beka?" Trance whispered. p

"Why are you whispering?" I asked in whisper. p

"Because she's asleep," Trance said simply. p

"She is?!?!" I said in surprise. "Well, I guess it was, Trance. See, you're not the only one who can do that," I said with a smile as we walked back to the Andromeda and headed for the med bay. p

"Beka, a word," Dylan said. Eep. I'm in trouble. I left Trance to check out The Girl on the bed. p

"Yes Dylan?" p

"What in the name of everything God ever created where you thinking?!?" I could hear the stress in his voice.

"I don't really know. I just had this feeling that something was going to be different on this trading expedition, but I couldn't put my finger on it. I figured it would be something like Harper getting a clue or some action or something, ANYTHING but this," I sighed. "I mean, it's not like I woke up and decided that I was going to get in a bar fight and make Tyr win me a prize." I looked at him, hoping he'd understand. He sighed and looked at me. p

"I'm not going to give you any time off because of this, you have to learn to deal with her on your own time and you CAN'T enlist Rommie, in any form, to babysit Her." He stopped. "As a friend Beka, I understand why you did it and I wish you hadn't, but I understand why you did. If you do need a little help, I can pull some strings with the Captain, I know him well," he said with a small smile. p

"Thank you," was all I said as I looked into his eyes. p

"Beka?" p

"Yes Trance?" I asked as I walked over to her. Dylan followed close. p

"She'll be fine. She's malnurished but other than that all she needs is a good bath and some love," Trance said with a smile. p

"Thanks Trance. Can I take her home?" I asked ansiously. p

"Yep, she's clear," she said as I picked her up and started to leave. "Good luck!" Trance called. p

"I'm gonna need all the luck I can get," I said to myself. p

"What was that?" Dylan asked. p

"Nothing, I'll be on the Maru if you need me," I said as I left the med bay.p