Author: Harper's aka Weird
Censor: PG-13
Spoilers: Bunker Hill, TWG, Ouroboros, and small IMALL
Synopsis: Beka/Dylan Romance with hints of Dylan/Rommie
I seriously have no idea what I was thinking! I am not in anyway a Beka/Dylan shipper, I must have been possessed when writing this or something... ;)
Disclaimers: I don't own anyone here!
O Captain! My Captain! was written by the great Walt Whitman. I only used it for inspiration. It's a great poem, and if you get the chance, I think you should read the whole thing through without my Fanfic to cut you off. Hats off to Whitman.
-------------------
O Captain! My Captain!
O captain, my captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather'd every rack the prize we sought is won;
Beka shivered. It was cold. So cold. Her body hurt, her hair hurt, her eyes hurt. It felt like a flash withdrawl. But she was withdrawing from something much....much more painful.
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring;
"Beka! Get down!" Dylan pulled her to the ground.
"Dylan, what the hell..." A shot went past her. One more second there, and she wouldn't be there to yell at Dylan.
"Uh thanks." He gave her one of those smiles, one that just made her react by smiling back.
"C'mon. We haven't won yet." Dylan jumped up and ran headfirst into the battle. Beka laughed insanly and followed.
But O heart! heart! heart!
Leave you not the little spot,
Where on the deck my captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.
"Oops! Sorry about that." Beka stepped around Dylan to grab a flexi. His closeness was startling, yet exciting.
Oh no, Beka told herself. She wasn't starting this again. After Bobby, she had promised herself....
"Beka? Are you ok?" Beka realized she was still standing awfully close to Dylan. She retracted like she had been bit.
"Yeah...fine...just fine." She got the hell out of there.
O captain! my captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up-for you the flag is flung-for you the bugle trills;
"There's something I need to talk to you about."
"Yeah...I kinda figured that out when you invited me here. So Captain Hunt..." Beka leaned back into the chair and gave him her devil may care grin."Why am I here?"
"Well, you see...umm...." Beka had to smile. Dylan was pacing and stuttering. Just like he always did when he was nervous. And forget about eye contact with this man.
"Beka...have...have you ever just looked at someone and know they were that one. You...you know? Know that you couldn't spend another moment without them?"
Beka's heart jumped to her throat. Was he talking about this?!
"Absolutly. I know exactly what you're talking about." Beka sat straight up, waiting for it.
"Well....there's this woman. And I really want to ask her...you know." He was pacing again. "But I'm kinda afraid...what if she says no." He chuckled. "I know it sounds really stupid. Here I am, a High Guard Captain....and I can't ask a female out on a date."
"Not really." Beka smiled. "It's actually normal to be nervous. And it's comforting to know that Mr. Captain My Captain is human."
Dylan laughed at that. Good Dylan, Beka thought, calm down. Just say it already.
"Well, I wanted to ask you if…" Beka didn't let him finish. She jumped up.
"Yes Dylan. The answer is yes." Dylan gave her a grateful smile.
"That's so great. So which do you think she'll like better, the roses or daisies?"
Beka was puzzeled. "Excuse me?"
"Which do you think Rommie will like better? Roses or daisies?"
Beka began to understand. "Advice. You wanted dating tips?"
Now Dylan looked confused. "Yeah…what did you think I was talking about?"
"Nothing." Smooth recovery Beka. You're a real winner girl, she thought. "Go with roses, they tend to be very traditional." Dylan nodded and turned to leave. But then he had to go and do the worst thing possible.
He went back and gave her a kiss on the cheek.
"You're a great friend, you know that?" And he left. Beka touched her cheek and then ran to her quarters. She never meant to start crying…but she did.
For you bouquets and ribbon'd wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;
Rommie argued about "military protocols" for Dylan's first few attemps. Beka thought it might never work out. She knew it was terrible to wish for such a thing, and whenever she saw Dylan's face afterwards…
Rommie fell for it. How could you blame her? Beka had fallen in the same trap. Except Andromeda had Dylan, and Beka was left with nothing.
Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck,
You've fallen cold and dead.
Harper didn't look crushed, but Beka knew he hurt at first. But he was strong and eventually moved on. But Beka, she had fallen in too deep.
"How about a private dinner on Obs deck? I hope she chokes on a bone. But no. She has to be an avatar. Avatars don't choke, do they?" She was talking to herself as she continued to hit the punching bag.
"If you learned to bend your anger to your will, you could be a much better fighter."
"Screw you Tyr." The Nietzschean stood there and watched her.
"Was there something you wanted?" Beka glanced at him sideways.
"I find this pursuit of yours...un-needed. Dylan has already made his choice for a mate, although I can hardly see why he would choose a machine over a human." Beka turned and walked to him.
"What I pursue is non of your business."
"Correction." Tyr looked down at her. "It is my business. You allow yourself to be distracted by him. It impairs your judgement and as the pilot of this ship, judgement is the one thing you need. Not only that, but to continue to disagree and argue with the ship is..."
"You know what Tyr? Bite me." Beka walked past him.
"You know I'm right." Tyr's words made Beka stop right outside the door.
"And what do you know of love, Nietzschean?" Beka sneered.
"Nothing." Tyr admitted. "But I know how it feels to be alone, mateless." He stepped towards her. "There will be other males."
"But none like Dylan." Beka left.
My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
It hurt. Everytime she saw them together. A small whisper while on commmand. A lingering touch. Secretive glances. It made her sick. If she had been the only person on the ship, and if it wouldn't have hurt Dylan, she might have purposely crashed the ship. But Beka Valentine was better than that. Besides, it wasn't Rommie's fault. It was her own stupid mistake. Her own mistake of falling for another.
Love hurt.
The ship is anchor'd safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;
"We're docked Captain."
"Thank you Rommie." The hologram form blinked off, but the ship continued to watch the Captain. Always so sad, nowadays.
They had done it. Restored the Commonwealth. They had fullfilled the dream of an idealistic High Guard Captain. But not without reward or cost. They had gained much.
Tyr had finally mated. His three wives had joined him on the ship. As much as he had complained about Dylan's antics, he had been stubborn in his refusal to leave the ship.
Harper's cousin, Brendan. He had survived the revolution, but barely. His right arm was lost, along with any sight in his left eye. He had made his way off earth and joined the ship, always a fighter for freedom.
Seamus Z. Harper, himself, had become a respected mechanic, a genius, if you will. He had found himself a wife(Tyr approved greatly). Their twins were complete terrors, but learning fast from their father. Already Seamus Jr. was giving females the cutest pickup lines.
148 planets joined. A new Commonwealth, more that Dylan could have ever dreamed of.
But they had lost much too.
Rev, plauged by darkness, left to seek the light.
Trance...The older Trance had stayed with the crew 'til the end, but then one day disappeared. Left to whatever or wherever her agenda would take her.
Rommie. The origional. Harper had already constructed a new body, but the old one had been long lost in the battle against the Magog.
"Captain?"
Thumb stroking the photograph. Remembering how it used to be.
"Captain, we have to go now. They've started the celebration, and everyone's waiting for you."
"Why Rommie? Why do so many of the evil live, and so many of the good die?"
The ship made flesh looked over her captain's shoulder. And remembered the day...they had all mourned. The one that brought them all together, that helped them face the hard times, their captain...taken from them.
Rommie blinked.
"I miss her too Dylan. But, it was a year ago. We have to let go."
Dylan nodded and stood up. He gave Rommie a kiss.
"She loved you Dylan." Rommie looked at him.
"I know..."
Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.