Paradise
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you might see on Andromeda the show. But I own the story!
Author's Note: The long awaited sequel to Salvation! Yes, this time, I'm making up my own quotes. Thank you to all my reviewers, especially Ashley (because you said that it was too fast). Expect this story to include Harper! And probably everyone else, too!
***********************************************************************
"You cannot lose paradise if it was never gained."
-Jen Graham
Chapter One: Words in the Dark
"Penny for your thoughts," Dylan asked Beka as he wrapped his arms around her warm body, on the bed next to him.
"C'mon, they're worth more than that!" she teased. He didn't have to see her face to know that she was grinning.
"All right, an upgrade on the Maru, but they'd better be damn good thoughts," he said, laughing.
"Done!" she agreed, laughing, but she sobered first. "Dylan...I don't know if you really want to hear my thoughts."
He pulled her closer to him and just held her for awhile. Eventually, though, he asked, "I'd like to know what you're thinking. Especially if it concerns us."
He felt her stiffen and knew he had touched on a sore point. "Dylan...you're right. As usual. It's us I'm worried about. I mean, for one thing, I'm one of your officers! Weren't relationships between commanding officers and their...well, their suboordinates-" she said this with such distaste that he alsmost laughed- " illegal? Or at least a court-martial offense?"
"Beka, that was in the days when there was a Commonwealth to court-martial people," he told her.
"But what happens when we restore the Commonwealth?"
"Don't worry about it," he said, stroking her hair calmingly. She did relax a little. "This is a different situation. Normally, you're right, a High Guard commanding officer isn't supposed to become friendly with his crew at all. But that's when there's a four-year mission and a crew of thousands. With you-all five of you-how could I not get close to you? We're a family, not a crew. And you, well, you're obviously a bit more than family." He started to kiss her then, but, although she was responsive, he could tell that her heart wasn't in it. Reluctantly pulling away, he asked, "Beka, what else is wrong?"
She sighed and rolled away from him and onto her back. For awhile, she just lay there and looked at the ceiling, and Dylan let her. Finally, she quietly said, "Dylan, I'm not sure this is going to work out."
"Why not?" he asked, as gently as he could.
"Well...Dylan, this all happened too fast," she said rapidly.
"Too fast?"
"All of a sudden, here I am, in your quarters, naked and in bed with you. There was nothing gradual about it. I mean, sure, I...I didn't want you to die during the Magog attack, but...we went from being friends to being lovers in one fell swoop," she said, the frustration evident in her voice.
One word she said made Dylan feel insulted, and he ended up ignoring everything else. "Lovers? Is that all we are?"
"No, we're not just lovers, but...I don't know what we are. I think...I'm pretty sure I love you. I do love you. But...I don't know. Something just feels...wrong."
"You think this relationship is *wrong*?"
"Dylan, please!"
The note of desperation in her voice made him calm down, and he silently waited for her to continue.
"Dylan, it's not that...it's not that I don't love you, or that I don't want to be with you, because I do. But I'm used to relationships that aren't realy relationships. You know, have sex with some guy to distract him, stuff like that. Like with Leydon."
"You-"
"Stop, Dylan, that was in the past." She paused for a long time and again, he allowed Beka her silence. "What I'm saying...what I'm saying is that I need more time."
He sighed and started to pull her towards him. "And I'll give you time, I promise, as much time as-"
She pulled away, effectively cutting him off. "I need time by myself." She searched for her clothes, started to get dressed. If her face hadn't looked so troubled in the dim light, Dylan might have begged her to stay.
As it was, he simply said, "I'm here when you're ready."
"I know," she said quietly, and slipped out of the room.
TBC...
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters you might see on Andromeda the show. But I own the story!
Author's Note: The long awaited sequel to Salvation! Yes, this time, I'm making up my own quotes. Thank you to all my reviewers, especially Ashley (because you said that it was too fast). Expect this story to include Harper! And probably everyone else, too!
***********************************************************************
"You cannot lose paradise if it was never gained."
-Jen Graham
Chapter One: Words in the Dark
"Penny for your thoughts," Dylan asked Beka as he wrapped his arms around her warm body, on the bed next to him.
"C'mon, they're worth more than that!" she teased. He didn't have to see her face to know that she was grinning.
"All right, an upgrade on the Maru, but they'd better be damn good thoughts," he said, laughing.
"Done!" she agreed, laughing, but she sobered first. "Dylan...I don't know if you really want to hear my thoughts."
He pulled her closer to him and just held her for awhile. Eventually, though, he asked, "I'd like to know what you're thinking. Especially if it concerns us."
He felt her stiffen and knew he had touched on a sore point. "Dylan...you're right. As usual. It's us I'm worried about. I mean, for one thing, I'm one of your officers! Weren't relationships between commanding officers and their...well, their suboordinates-" she said this with such distaste that he alsmost laughed- " illegal? Or at least a court-martial offense?"
"Beka, that was in the days when there was a Commonwealth to court-martial people," he told her.
"But what happens when we restore the Commonwealth?"
"Don't worry about it," he said, stroking her hair calmingly. She did relax a little. "This is a different situation. Normally, you're right, a High Guard commanding officer isn't supposed to become friendly with his crew at all. But that's when there's a four-year mission and a crew of thousands. With you-all five of you-how could I not get close to you? We're a family, not a crew. And you, well, you're obviously a bit more than family." He started to kiss her then, but, although she was responsive, he could tell that her heart wasn't in it. Reluctantly pulling away, he asked, "Beka, what else is wrong?"
She sighed and rolled away from him and onto her back. For awhile, she just lay there and looked at the ceiling, and Dylan let her. Finally, she quietly said, "Dylan, I'm not sure this is going to work out."
"Why not?" he asked, as gently as he could.
"Well...Dylan, this all happened too fast," she said rapidly.
"Too fast?"
"All of a sudden, here I am, in your quarters, naked and in bed with you. There was nothing gradual about it. I mean, sure, I...I didn't want you to die during the Magog attack, but...we went from being friends to being lovers in one fell swoop," she said, the frustration evident in her voice.
One word she said made Dylan feel insulted, and he ended up ignoring everything else. "Lovers? Is that all we are?"
"No, we're not just lovers, but...I don't know what we are. I think...I'm pretty sure I love you. I do love you. But...I don't know. Something just feels...wrong."
"You think this relationship is *wrong*?"
"Dylan, please!"
The note of desperation in her voice made him calm down, and he silently waited for her to continue.
"Dylan, it's not that...it's not that I don't love you, or that I don't want to be with you, because I do. But I'm used to relationships that aren't realy relationships. You know, have sex with some guy to distract him, stuff like that. Like with Leydon."
"You-"
"Stop, Dylan, that was in the past." She paused for a long time and again, he allowed Beka her silence. "What I'm saying...what I'm saying is that I need more time."
He sighed and started to pull her towards him. "And I'll give you time, I promise, as much time as-"
She pulled away, effectively cutting him off. "I need time by myself." She searched for her clothes, started to get dressed. If her face hadn't looked so troubled in the dim light, Dylan might have begged her to stay.
As it was, he simply said, "I'm here when you're ready."
"I know," she said quietly, and slipped out of the room.
TBC...