The Honour Roll: Fireagle (love you dearling), Washu, Mousie, Rae-chan (love you, too), El Juno, chiquita416, Silver Angel and Adam. Thank you all. ^_^

A/N: Sorry I'm taking so insanely long to get chapters out. I see people like Riley and J.L. Matthews (Harry Potter fandom, Slyth- and Snapefics), churning out chapters a mile a minute, and I look at my own paltry six-page offerings once a month (or month and a half!), and it depresses me and I'm completely useless to the world at large for several days. ^_^; I write slowly as of late. There was a time when I could churn out a chapter a night, or at least a week, and that time was known as high school. I had far fewer responsibilities then; I had all the time in the world to write fic. So be aware that I am doing my level best, and I'll have the next chapter out sometime in April, I think. ^_^

I've been struggling with severe writer's block this past month. Been working on shifting it, but it's been slow going. Please bear with me if this chapter seems horribly contrived.

That said, I'd like to profusely thank Sarah McLachlan for recording "Shelter", which got me working on this again and to which, in fact, I listened throughout the writing of this entire chapter. Thanks also to Victoria Bitter for making the LotR:FotR songvid using "Shelter", which is how I first heard it and the only way I have to hear it. (Not that I'm complaining, mind. Beautiful vid. I weep openly when I view it.)

Next chapter ties us back in with canon again. This means I'm going to have to dig out my tapes - I lie, they're set out neatly in front of my VCR. ^^

Spoilers: A tiny one for season 1 episode 8, "It's My Birthday Too (Yeah)", but not set during/around that episode.




Chapter Two: Coming Storm

They're crowded into the smallest spaces
While outside all of nature cries
It's known to be cruel and unfair
But there is no place to hide
~"Shelter", Sarah McLachlan




Some part of him must have been aware that he was dreaming. By this point he had experienced the same nightmare in the neighborhood of several hundred times. The details tended to fluctuate and the vividness had increased over the years, but it always began the same.

He was running, flanked by about thirty others; the corridor twisted and turned seemingly with a will of its own. There was a blaster in his hands. He heard his own voice, his father's voice, barking orders. The passage took a sharp bend to the right.

The Enemy.

Andromedans, hundreds of them. Armed. Deadly. They had been waiting, or massing, or god knew what; they were inevitable, and they were charging.

At this point the dream always hurled him out of his father's body, and he became a mere observer of this scene which had haunted him since the night the dream had been real. The small contingent of Stardogs were surrounded in a matter of seconds, separated, destroyed. His father was swiftly dismembered by the faceless horde.

Not this time.

This time he was grabbed roughly by the shoulder and dragged inexorably backward, back down the corridor the way they had come. The Andromedans didn't seem to notice his absence, and for that he was grateful. He turned, when they had stopped, to thank his savior.

The face that confronted him was Radu's.

In that moment time, space, the nightmare itself fled from him; from them, from Radu's presence.

You saved me. His tone was what he felt, wondering and small.

Yes. A simple acknowledgement, a slight dip of the head.

Why did you?

I had to.

But why?

Because. Radu's eyes were like a cornered animal's, fierce and frightened.

Harlan waited. That isn't a reason.

It's because I love you. Looked away, down, hid his face behind a curtain of hair.

It couldn't be. He couldn't mean it. You don't -

Of course I do. A tiny smile; sort of "What did you expect?"

You - you really... Tentative joy swelled in him, trying to break free of his fears, as if it had been waiting for just this chance.

He woke, grinning, and clutched his pillow tightly as he turned onto his side. He loves me? It was too much happiness - he thought it would break him. Harlan shifted onto his back again, folding his hands behind his head. This was the best thing that had ever happened to him -

"What the fuck?" he whispered forcefully, his eyes widening in horror.




What am I doing here?

Radu remembered this. He had been told, of course; everyone had. All the battles were well documented; the hatchlings were drilled as rigorously in history as in everything else. But most of them could remember, as if they had been there. It was just something Andromedans did.

What was he doing here?

Leading the group of Stardogs who were attacking, however, was someone who Radu was certain had not been present. What was Harlan doing here?

Harlan was going to die.

He acted quickly; no one registered him hurtling through the press of bodies, dragging Harlan away down the corridor. Harlan himself hadn't noticed it was Radu, he didn't think. It didn't matter.

Then, abruptly, Harlan noticed.

You saved me.

Yes. Of course he had.

Why did you? Harlan was supremely confused and Radu didn't understand why.

I had to.

But why? As if Harlan's existence wasn't reason enough.

Because. Could he do this? Could he tell him?

After what might have been seconds or centuries, That isn't a reason.

Breathe - It's because I love you. He averted his eyes; this had been dumb.

You don't -

Of course I do. What else could he do?

You - you really... Harlan sounded so incredulous; maybe humans didn't even have homosexuality.

It was a tiny sound that woke Radu, just a mechanical blip - one of the Medlab's instruments recognizing to itself that he was still whole and hale. He started, gazing around at the blackness with wide eyes and listening.

It had been a dream, then.

Relief welled up in him like the tears in his eyes, and he chided himself for having been so foolish as to hope - even in dreams - before silently crying himself back to sleep.