A/N: DISCLAIMER: I do not own the characters of Avon and Soolin, Vila, or Blake. The rest of the characters are my invention, however.
Thanks to CJH4Ever for reading the first draft and for suggestions that I've tried to take.
Ever wondered what kind of home Avon came from? Who he was? Why he left there? I've tried to answer those questions in this story. I hope you find the results intriguing and enjoyable.
Chapter 1
Soolin extricated herself from the last of the rebel base's debris, becoming aware of a profound silence. By some miracle she wasn't ready to attribute to a higher deity, she'd only been stunned during the final battle between the rebels and the Federation. When the scene of the battle, Blake's rebel base, had fallen about them all, she'd been protected by a desk she'd rolled under.
She straightened, looking around, assessing her position and checking for predators, like large animals or Federation troopers. The only life she saw was a man standing several meters away, silently staring at…nothing, as far as she could tell. He was as ragged and dirty as she, with the addition of a lot of dried blood, though it scarcely showed against his black clothing.
Mindful of his seeming madness of late and the homicidal, or perhaps suicidal, tendencies he'd shown this day, she approached him cautiously. Not quite daring to lay a hand on him, she inquired softly, "Avon?"
No response.
She dared to touch his arm, asking with more irritation than she had ever have shown her superior officer before, "Avon? Answer me!"
No reaction.
Her arms dropped to her sides, weariness combined with hopelessness making even standing upright a battle.
Pulling on reserves she hadn't known she still possessed, she stepped around to face him. Reaching up, she grasped both shoulders and shook the man. Had he been conscious and in his right mind - and when had he last been IN his right mind - he might just have shot her for taking that kind of liberty with him. Vila's the only one who wouldn't have gotten killed for doing this, and he's already dead, she thought sadly.
The bloodied man's eyes didn't flicker, didn't focus on her. He stared over her shoulder, into some private universe where he was alone.
Defeated, she turned away. For want of something better to do, she began talking as if the man were there and attentive, but, really, she was discussing her options with herself.
"Well, we're in a fix, aren't we?" she began, seating herself on a large chunk of pillar. Absently blowing a strand of blond hair out of her face, she glanced sadly around the wreckage of the rebel base that had become a grave for all of her comrades and friends. Well, except the dark silent one beside her. "There's no one around but us, not even…" She trailed off, picturing bold, bluff Tarrant, dark and deadly Dayna, perpetually fearful Vila.
She shook her head, banishing their phantoms. This was no time for that kind of thinking. It was useless, wasn't it?
"Best not to think of them now. Got to get moving now and find a safe place for the night. After that I'll see about salvaging supplies from this place. Then, if there is a 'then', see about getting us off this world."
The immovable object named Avon moved as though struck. He took one step forward, then stopped.
Soolin blinked, bolting to her feet at his first movement, ready to follow him or restrain him, depending on what he was intent upon doing. Her heart sped up, her eyes widened, her blood raced, going automatically into battle mode as she'd been trained. Her hands scrabbled at her empty holsters in a desperate, reflexive search for her weapons.
When he just stood there, she deliberately calmed herself before considering his action.
"So, you want to leave Gauda Prime too." Her chest rose and fell, a weary sigh escaping her. The adrenaline of a moment ago had drained the last of her reserves. "Well, it looks like I'm responsible for you for awhile, doesn't it? I wonder what's going on in that twisted mind of yours?" she mused. "Guess I'll just have to wait and see, huh? You're the only one I have left and I certainly can't abandon you now."
Rising, she continued, "Okay, let's look for a hidey hole for the night and see where tomorrow takes us, shall we?" Taking Avon's arm, she urged him to walk toward a likely-looking outcrop of rocks, the first step on a very long road for the pair of them.
+The terrible noise finally receded, and a blissful silence reigned. Avon curled, comfortable and calm, in the dark. They'd finally left him alone. The guilt and crushing weight were gone, leaving behind a new freedom. He floated in nothingness.+
+Except for that silver thread. Still, it wasn't much of a disturbance. He tried to ignore it. But it allowed him no peace, itching and plucking at him. Finally, exasperated, he uncurled and began tentatively following the fine thread.+
+The thread became a cord. Avon now had no trouble following it. He became aware of another presence, following him, one that was all golden and shining, hovering on the edge of his consciousness. He decided to ignore it, focusing entirely on the cord. He still didn't know where it led. He just knew he had to follow it to the end.+
+The cord was a rope now. Its twisted fibers were made of gold and silver, sunshine and moonshine, and it tugged mightily at him, forcing him ever onward. He gave up fighting it entirely and began longing for the destination he could just barely feel ahead of him.+
+There it was: the end of his journey, the goal, the pull on him, and it had a name-HOME! As he reached it, just before falling into a deep dreamless sleep, he felt that golden presence slip into home behind him.+
A/N: I hope you enjoyed this first chapter and want to read more. Please review, good or suggestions for improvement!