Storms
By: X
X0832001@yahoo.com
Disclaimer: I own nothing, I am getting no money for any of this. Just the way I choose to spend my free time.
Rated: PG-13 (a little bit of cursing)
Summary: Beka, Dylan and Harper spend some time on a planet. As one would expect, things don't stay real peachy keen.
The rain was deafening as it beat against the windows. The spray of water hitting the clear glass changed her view of the garden white and opaque. Beka couldn't see anything in the dark night except the rain. She sat in her bed on this alien planet completely unable to sleep. This diplomatic function had gone late into the night and the leaders insisted the honored guests of Andromeda spend the night on the planet. She hated planets. This was one of the main reasons she hated planets, entirely too much weather. Weather sucked.
The thunder was like a huge bang. It sounded like this world was coming apart at the seams and that scarred her. It was so loud. Then there was the lightening, it changed her dark room bright as day. She knew electricity was jabbing into this fragile planet. Beka knew that every bolt could be felling trees, starting fires or frying people. Lightening was a dangerous force. Beka hated planets.
The storm sounds continued to fill the room. Beka groaned; she was scared. She didn't make a habit of being scarred. Sure it happened, everyone gets scared sometimes. Everyone has irrational fears and storms happened to be Beka Valentine's. She extracted herself from the bed and started pacing.
She paced around the floor in front of her bed, worrying about the noises from outside her window. Picking up the headphones Harper had made her from the table beside her bed and put the shiny metal arch over her ear. Beka turned up the volume on the screaming singer to drown out the weather noises but it didn't help. Behind the intense drum beat Beka heard the din of the rain. Thunder claps were louder than the soloist's shrieks and lightning still lit the room.
She couldn't stand being alone for one more moment. Clicking off the little music device she allowed her feet to carry her out of the spacious suite this alien government had provided and down the hall. In the back of her mind she knew where she was headed. She needed the comfort of being with a friend, to just not be alone.
Harper was sleeping. Curled up in his bed, completely oblivious to the thunder, lightning and flood of rain he slept with a little smile on his face. Beka stood in the doorway looking at him but turned to leave. She knew it wasn't often the hyper little engineer got a good night sleep. He seemed more at ease on planets. He loved Andromeda and her challenges, but he was born a mudfoot and would die a mudfoot. Sky and dirt and weather were the things he longed for.
She was trying to make a quiet exit when a thunderclap that sounded like fireworks caused a yelp to escape her. Harper sat up fast. "Go back to sleep" she told him. "I didn't mean to wake you."
"All the times my screaming woke you from a sound sleep, honest, I owe you boss." He didn't have to explain, she remembered what he was alluding to. When Harper first came on board his nightmares made him scream bloody murder in his sleep. Beka would come in and just sit with him. Sit with him so he wouldn't be alone and afraid.
He tapped the bed and she joined him. They talked for hours. They didn't talk about weather. They didn't talk about storms. Just as a few years ago they didn't talk about Earth. They didn't talk about family. Right now they just sat and talked about random things.
They talked about this negotiation and how funny Dylan looked wearing the "Meeting of the Minds" helmet. It was an undisputable part of this culture's diplomatic process. The hat was a rainbow of colors, sequined in places and the bells jingled when he moved. Beka complained it was just as hard for her to keep from laughing all day as it was for Hunt to wear that thing. At least he couldn't see himself.
But the Ichbeins took the hat seriously. They took these negotiations seriously. They wanted the protection of the Commonwealth but seemed pretty determined to have that on their terms. That's why the negotiations had gone on so late into the night. They wanted special treatment and Dylan wasn't about to give it to them. Despite the intensity of the arguing the Ichbeins were still very hospitable and insisted Dylan, Beka, and Harper spend a comfortable night on their planet.
Beka felt her eyelids drooping. It had been a long day. She looked at Harper, sitting across from her. He didn't look tired. He never really looked tired. It was like he had a battery that never needed recharging. But she felt safer having the little ball of energy around. Forgetting the rain and her fear Beka closed her eyes and went to sleep.
Harper smirked as Beka fell onto her side, already asleep. He got out of the bed and arranged the blanket around her. Beka was a big fan of blankets and Harper knew it. When he arrived on the Maru he had never seen someone use so many. When he was sure she was comfortable Harper flicked off the light and walked to her room.
Harper entered Beka's suite and opened the window. He really did enjoy being planet side again. The rain had slowed but still splashed him with water droplets through the open window. He felt the chill of the night air and smelled the wet earth. Smiling he crawled into the bed. Beka was like a big sister, or maybe even a mother to him. No man in their mid-20's wanted to share a bed with their mother. Particularly if their mother was hot like Beka. That could lead to an awkward situation. So he curled up in the nice warm bed, let his senses bask in the wonder of this weather and fell into a sleep as deep as he ever did.
Beka slept peacefully through the rest of the night in Harper's bed. Feeling warm and safe she smiled in her sleep. It was when the sun was just beginning to rise that the trouble began. The door to Harper's room opened and Beka sat up. Two men were standing in the doorway and Beka was in their steel grip before she even realized what was going on.