Title: Angel Bright
Author: Asha MacKay
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Possibly "The World Turns All Around Her"
Summary: The Maggog try to destroy Trance's star and her avatar is fading along with it. (It's fluff, but it's cute fluff.)
Disclaimer: I don't own Trance, Dylan, etc. I'm not profiting; I just wanna move them around a little, but I swear I'll put them back where I found them.
Thanks to Sarah for being my beautiful beta. (How's that for alliteration?)
Trance sat on her bed, her back against the headboard. Her hair fell in loose waves across her shoulders. She didn't have the energy to arrange it in its usual array of dreadlocks and braids. She still wore the pale satin nightgown that she'd gone to bed in, but she'd managed to throw a thin bathrobe on the keep herself warm. She knew she'd be required to report for duty within minutes, but she wasn't sure if she'd be able to get out of bed. As if reading her thoughts, Rommie's avatar popped up at the foot of her bed.
"Should I tell Dylan you're unable to report for duty?" she asked.
"No, tell him I'll be there in fifteen minutes," Trance answered, staring at her hands. She didn't even look as Rommie disappeared. She was suddenly fascinated with her hands. They were pale, like her face, instead of the intense gold that colored much of her skin. She wondered what they'd look like in a few more days. The Maggog were sending volleys of small nova bombs at her star in space, trying to destroy her while remaining inconspicuous, but she knew.
She'd lost all sense of time when a knock came at her door. Startled, her eyes snapped briefly from her hands to the door. "Come in," she called softly, sending her gaze back down to her hands. She didn't want to die.
"You were supposed to report a half hour ago. Anything you'd like to tell me?" Dylan asked, looking at her with concern, but careful to keep his voice neutral.
"No," Trance replied indifferently, spreading her fingers and looking at them in wonder like a child who was seeing them for the first time. Dylan had never seen her like this before. She had always been quick to tell him what was on her mind. He walked over to her and sat on the edge of the bed across from her so he could see her eyes. Putting his index finger under her chin, he slowly tilted her head up, forcing her to look at him. He almost wished he hadn't; her eyes were red with tears and held such an expression… it was impossible to describe, but it was almost hopeless, and Trance had never been hopeless.
"Trance-"
"I'm dying," she stated abruptly, her large eyes locking on his.
Dylan let his hand fall from her face, releasing his breath in a whoosh of disbelief. "You're dying? Are you sure?" It was an asinine question, but he had no idea what to say.
Her eyes remained on his face, large and innocent as she explained herself. "I'm being killed by Maggog missiles as we speak. The abyss has killed so many of my people. It's my turn now."
He knew instantly what she was talking about. The abyss was killing stars, using the Maggog as its unholy vessels. "Trance, you've always fought for me. We'll find whoever's behind this and take them out. I don't understand why you're giving up so easily."
"You can't fight a war for me, Dylan. You do this, and it'll start something terrible. You could die." She was too weak to see the possibilities, but common sense told her that she couldn't lead her captain into such danger.
"I've probably been in much worse situations," he answered.
"Probably?" she asked, a hint of the fun-loving Trance showing through.
"Alright, alright," he said with a grin, relieved that she could at least joke around. "I'm going to fight for you, Trance. I'm not gonna lose another crew member to the abyss."
"But Dylan-"
"This isn't up for debate," he interrupted sternly. "Where are they?"
"Tarn Vedra," she answered, revealing what she was.
"You're the sun of Tarn Vedra?"
"Yes, which is why you can't fight them," she responded. "You're a wanted man."
"Has that ever stopped me from doing anything?" he asked. Trance's eyes returned to her hands, her brow furrowing in disappointment. Her captain was about to commit suicide and it was all her fault. But she'd convince him not to go. She turned her right hand and traced the lines of her palm with her left index finger.
Dylan reached out and took her hands, folding them into his. "What are you doing?" he asked curiously.
"Looking at my hands," she answered listlessly. "I'm going to miss this body. I was just getting used to it."
"So was I," answered Dylan. He absently caressed her hands with his thumb. She watched as he did it, imagining what it would be like to never feel anything again. Tears began to escape from her eyes, but she fought to keep them back.
"Hey," Dylan said softly, placing a hand on the side of her face and brushing away a tear with his thumb in an uncharacteristic display of affection. "Don't do that. We'll take care of this." He'd never seen Trance this desperate before and he really didn't like it.
She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, her eyelashes glistening with moisture. She was beginning to love her avatar- everything she could see and hear and feel…
"Trance?" Dylan asked, wondering what had come over her.
"Hmm?" she murmured, enjoying the sensation of his hand touching her. She almost never got to feel anything like it. She had her purpose, and she was driven toward saving the Commonwealth, but she'd never stopped to just enjoy being somewhat human. She brought her hand up to cover his, then, without thinking, leaned slowly toward him and covered his lips in a chaste kiss.
Dylan was shocked. But he didn't stop her, even though he seriously thought about doing so. He told himself that she was just saying thank you, or expressing her appreciation. The kiss was obviously nonsexual, or was it? The moment her lips touched his, he was unable to push her away. She was so warm and soft and sweet, and in an instance he'd taken his other hand from hers and placed it on her waist.
She'd only meant to see what it felt like, but his hands were so warm, and the feeling of his lips was intoxicating. She wanted to try it again.
This time he was ready for her, and he dropped his hand to her shoulder to keep her back. He was barely able to do so; he wanted to kiss her again so badly. He wanted to do more than kiss her, but he justified it by telling himself that he was a man, and when a beautiful woman kissed him… Trance was beautiful. He'd never really noticed before.
"I'm sorry," she said hastily. "I've just never- I mean I haven't-"
"I know," he interrupted. "I mean I didn't know, but I understand." She smiled shyly at him, but the smile didn't reach her eyes. She wrapped her arms around his waist and buried her head in the crook of his neck, crushing herself against him and trying to draw comfort from his strength. He paused for a moment, then placed his arms around her, his large hands caressing her back and stroking her hair. He loved the way it cascaded down her back, but he knew that if he kept touching her, he might do something stupid. The feeling of her breasts crushed against his chest was a bit overwhelming. He'd always thought of her as innocent and pure, and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was doing something completely wrong. "I should get the crew together and find out everything I can about-"
"No!" she snapped, sitting up and staring him down. "I told you, you can't do that."
"And I told you that it wasn't up for debate."
"Dylan, please," she pleaded, her voice becoming childlike and girlish. Suddenly he couldn't take it anymore. He couldn't stand to see her so hopeless; it just wasn't like her. He gave in and kissed her like he'd wanted to do for the last ten minutes, his mouth slightly open and his tongue darting out to taste her top lip.
She sucked in a shocked breath, not expecting him to kiss her that way, but she wasn't about to protest. She leaned into him again, sighing as he wrapped her in his arms and allowing him to deepen the kiss, even meeting his tongue with her own. What the hell, he thought, breaking the kiss and pulling her into his lap, finally giving in completely. He began to trace her jaw with his lips and tongue, loving the fact that her breathing was noticeably heavier. He crushed her to him with one hand, tangling the other in her hair and bringing her mouth back to his, kissing her greedily, trying to memorize every bit of her. The hand in her hair began to slide lower, caressing her face, her neck, her shoulder, the side of her breast, causing her to give a small whimper as she shivered with delight. That sent him over the edge, and he pushed her down on the bed, kneeling over her and looking into her eyes.
"Do you want me to stop? Because if you do, I will." He was utterly inarticulate at this point in the game, but he needed her to know that she had an out if she got scared.
"No," she said tentatively, a bit nervous, but far from wanting him to stop. He began to kiss her slowly and softly, memorizing the shape and texture of her lips. His hands brushed her robe from her shoulders. He'd always wondered how much of her was gold, and how much was the creamy off-white of her face that made her look like china. He traced the faded lines where the gold turned light with the tips of his fingers, amazed that he had never explored them before. He couldn't imagine what would happen if she faded into nothing, so for the moment, he tried to force it from his mind as he made love to her slowly and gently.
Dylan Hunt entered the room looking somewhat disheveled and very distraught. "We're going to Tarn Vedra."
"What?" Becka asked in disbelief.
"Don't ask questions."
"Would this have anything to do with a certain star?" Rev (who had just rejoined the crew of the Andromeda) asked coyly, raising an eyebrow.
Dylan stared at him in shock at first, then let a smirk grace his features. "I hope you don't mind if we take out a couple Maggog."
"Not at all," he answered.
"Okay, what the hell is going on?" Harper asked, throwing his hands up in the air, but in the process forgetting he had been holding a wrench, which landed on the ground an inch from his foot with a heavy thud.
"Damn it, Harper, keep up. We're going to rescue a- a star?" Becka asked.
Rev looked at her and smiled. "The brightest one in the galaxy."