Summary: After FA, Harvey has to convince Crichton to go to Katratzi.
Disclaimer: Story is mine, characters are Henson's, Kemper's, etc

Comfort
PG 13
Spoilers for FA
Between FA and HTK

"You have to rescue Scorpius...all your fault..."

The words had echoed in his head long after he had woken up. Aeryn had fervently brought him back to reality, stroking his hair to soothe him.

"What's wrong? What happened?"

He gazed blurrily into her eyes, seeing peace and comfort. "Nothing. Just a bad dream."

She didn't believe him for a microt. "You sure?"

He smiled then, turning to kiss her palm. He didn't want to ruin it all just yet. "Yeah. It's fine. Thought you'd still be sleeping."

Aeryn clasped his hand tightly. "Too tired. Too filthy. Too happy." She smiled at the end.

"How about I run you a bath? Get cleaned up, relax?"

She pulled him closer, kissing him softly. "Are you going to join me?"

He had to smile. "I doubt you're feeling up to that. But thank you for asking."

"Thank frell you said no..." She struggled to sit up.

"Well, there's a first time for everything." He picked her up, pausing as she winced. Assured she was fine, he carried her into the bath chamber, setting her atop the toilet as he turned on the water. She watched him as he moved, unable to believe her prayers had been answered. Part of her still feared this was part of some Scarran mind frell, but it was all she had to hold on to. John turned to her, kneeling in front of her, pausing to kiss bruised knuckles. Her hair was matted, she was filthy and exhausted but she was still beautiful, and the sight took his breath away. But Harvey still lingered, making salacious comments in his subconscious. He reached up to the zipper on the horrid yellow medical gown she wore, tugging it down. He threw it into the corner, 1812 would trash it later. What he saw brought tears to his eyes. Cuts, bruises, burns, all over her abdomen. Four deep scars, two either side, looked red and angry. He had seen the contraption that had caused those marks, but the others only revealed the extent of her torture. Deep marks left by thick needles were turning black and blue, redness from the Scarran's heat, beatings and interrogations. And this was only the outside.

"God, baby...what did they do to you?" Tears had formed in her eyes too, from the memories, from his concern.

"They wanted to know where you were...who the father is." Her throat tightened and the tears fell. "I tried to lie to them, make them believe...but they wouldn't stop, wouldn't leave until I stopped fighting..." He wrapped his arms around her then, desperate to comfort her, to make it go away, her pain, his guilt. She sobbed quietly, shaking in his embrace.

"It's all over now, baby. I'm not gonna let them hurt you anymore."

Harvey leaned over his shoulder. "It's not over, John. Scorpius is awaiting you. If he tells all to the Scarrans, it will be you who is responsible for the millions of deaths to follow."

John shut his eyes tightly. "No. No, no, no...it's all over, shhh." He whispered, willing Harvey to leave.

When Aeryn calmed, he checked the temperature of the water and set her in gently. She winced when the water touched sensitive injuries, and he soothed her gently. Aeryn settled back, her body aching and tired, allowing tense muscles to relax as he ran the lathered wash cloth over her, wiping away the grime and sweat and fear of the past few days. He smiled when she closed her eyes, looking peaceful, trusting him completely to care for her. His eyes couldn't help but drop to her belly, and he wondered just how the baby had survived such torture. Aeryn's strength amazed him, and he marvelled at how she now surrendered herself to him completely. He used a jug to soak her hair, smiling when she gave a soft sigh as he massaged her scalp, working out the knots. He thought of the baby, of what Aeryn had said. The Scarrans weren't stupid, they would have been able to tell if it was fully Sebacean. It had to be his. His child. Theirs. He had long accepted that the child would be his, no matter the DNA, he would be the father, he would be the one who raised it. But that didn't stop his heart from lifting at the thought that the child was his completely. He returned to the present when Aeryn caught his hand softly in hers.

"You sure you're alright? You've been so distant. What was the dream about?"

"It was nothing, just...just Scorpius. Harvey. Memories. Actually, I was just thinking about the baby."

She smiled at the very mention, but darkened again. "I hope everything is alright. What they did to me...they said they weren't going to hurt her, but...it was so intense..."

"I'm sure everything is fine. From what I saw, Jenek was never going to take the risk of damaging the baby. If it puts you at ease, we can get Noranti or Sikozu to take look."

She relaxed again as he rinsed her hair out. "I'd like that. But are you sure you're alright?"

John paused and sighed. He wanted to tell her, he really did. But how could he ask her to go to Katratzi? Since she had been kidnapped, all he had thought about was getting her home safe, settling down and being happy. He did not want to risk that.

But he didn't want to risk the lives of millions, either.

"It's nothing, darlin', really. Just...thinkin' bout what to do next."

John helped her from the bath, stopping to brush back her soaking hair and give her a quick kiss, before wrapping a towel around her.

"We could find somewhere quiet, spend a few days, a few weekens...just us?"

"That would be perfect. Just us." It was true, it was perfect. He wanted nothing more than for his nightmare to end and just be with her. No Grayza, no Scorpy, no Scarrans, just him, Aeryn and the baby. But "somewhere quiet"? When the frell did they ever find somewhere like that?

He paused to look at her, stealing one more kiss, before helping her dry off and get ready for bed.

John couldn't sleep. He knew if he closed his eyes for a microt Harvey would be there, taunting him, telling him everything he didn't want to know. Aeryn slept soundly, cuddled up beside him, safe in the knowledge that the baby was fine, still locked in stasis and unharmed. He felt better now that Noranti had treated the wounds on her belly, so at least she was on the road to healing physically. He knew she was still shaken to say the least, whimpering and moaning several times in her sleep, cautious of what she said lest the whole thing be a Scarran trick. But if anything she was happy to be lying in his arms tonight, yet as relieved and joyous as he was to have her back, he couldn't find the same comfort.

He turned his head to stroke her hair, watching as long eyelashes twitched in dreams, lips slightly parted and her breath warm against his skin. But her hand curled into a fist on his chest showed the state of her nerves and he swore he would kill the bastard who did this to her, in the slowest and most painful way he could think of. His mind drifted to thoughts of revenge, and his eyes slowly fell closed as he gave in to the exhaustion of the last two weekens.