A/N: Thank you pallysAramisRios and 29Pieces for reviewing!

"Vices"

2393

Being part of a freighter ship meant traversing the galaxy wherever the jobs went. But many of those jobs did tend to congregate around certain planets or systems, particularly outside of Federation jurisdiction. And so La Sirena periodically made a pass over Freecloud, and whenever it did, Raffi made a point of visiting Feely's Snake Garden in Stardust City. It was her favorite place to "get snakebit" as they liked to say. Snakeleaf gave one a rather relaxing buzz—and paranoia but hey, it wasn't paranoia if the conspiracy theories were actually true.

Raffi ordered up some sublimated snakeleaf and plugged the vial into her own personal pipe, then found a dark corner in the hub to sit and smoke in peace.

"Hey, foxy," a green-skinned alien wearing dark shades said as he sidled up to her.

"Get lost."

"Aw, don't be like that. You look tense, sugar, and that's just what you need: blue sugar. It will take you to Nirvana, as the humans like to say."

Raffi shot him a dry look. "And how much is blue sugar gonna cost me?"

He flashed too-bright white teeth at her. "For you? First taste is complimentary. I guarantee you haven't experienced anything like it." He pulled a small pouch from his flamboyant coat and slid it across the table toward her.

Raffi eyed it skeptically for a long moment before pushing herself upright and reaching out to snag it up. Inside was a fine blue powder; she probably had to snort it. Not her usual preference, but it was a freebie…

What the hell. She opened the packet and poured out a little on the back of her hand, then tilted her head back as she inhaled the stuff. It tickled going down and had an odd fizzling sensation. Like champagne bubbles in her head. She giggled at the thought.

"See?" her generous benefactor said with a grin. "Is nice."

"Yeah it is," she said with a chuckle and poured out some more to inhale. Feely's Snake Garden took on an incandescent glow, everything becoming bathed in a soft, photo finish type haze.

"So pretty," Raffi murmured, reaching up to catch one of the fireflies floating above her head.

Someone else caught her hand and pulled her up off the couch. "I can make your night even more wild," a voice slithered against her ear. She giggled, her feet stumbling along as she was guided toward the door. Then the presence holding her up was abruptly wrenched away and she collapsed against the back of a couch.

"Get lost," someone snapped.

"Mind your own business," her green-skinned friend retorted.

Raffi heard a whir of a phaser pistol priming, and then her new friend was swiftly exiting the den. A moment later hands grabbed her arms and hauled her upright again.

"Cris!" she exclaimed in delight as his features entered her field of vision. She blinked against the glowing halo around his head. Wasn't that dazzling.

"Come on, Raf," he said patiently, leading her out of the den.

The fresh air was like an icy blast, but in an invigorating way. Raffi slumped against Rios as they staggered into the street. Her balance may have been atrocious, but she felt great, better than she'd ever felt smoking her usual stuff. Blue sugar was niiice. It made the world more vibrant and colorful, like everything was made of sizzling holo screens.

"The city is holo screens," Cris pointed out, still with that mild patience.

Raffi guffawed because she hadn't realized she'd said anything out loud. Maybe blue sugar increased extra sensory perception.

"More like it lowers something," she heard him mutter. "Rios to La Sirena, two to beam up."

More bright lights swirled around her, whisking her up and away.

When her feet hit solid ground again, she was disappointed.

"Cris, baby, have you ever flown without a starship?" she gushed, pirouetting off the platform and spinning her arms around. "It's ah-maazing."

"Uh, Captain, is everything all right?" asked an Irish voice.

"Fine." Rios snagged Raffi's arm again before she could spin herself into the railing overlooking the lower deck. "And a starship's good enough for me. Come on, Raf, it's time for bed."

"Come on!" she whined. "Let's go out, Rios. You should try some of this stuff. Everything's so bright and colorful." She started patting down her pockets for the packet of blue sugar but couldn't seem to find it.

"No thanks," Rios said, opening the door to her cabin. "You need sleep. You're gonna crash hard from this, Raf. I'll call Emil if I have to."

"Sour puss," she glowered as he maneuvered her to sit on the bed without her realizing they'd gone from the door to the bunk. "So many pretty colors," she murmured, watching the fireflies dancing above her head.

But then another fuzzy shape across the room drew her attention, and she stiffened, scrambling up onto her elbow. "Gabe?" she called tentatively.

Rios glanced over his shoulder, then back at her. "Raf?"

Tears welled in her eyes as her son stood there, after so many years of ignoring her calls. He looked all grown up and so beautiful.

"Baby?" she called, flexing her fingers in a fervent gesture to beckon him over.

But he didn't move. He simply stared at her, expression blank. His eyes, though, those beautiful brown orbs, were filled with nothing but disappointment and hatred.

Raffi's heart stuttered and she tried to sit up but ended up almost face planting off the bed. Rios caught her and eased her back into the mattress.

"Gabe," she called, begged. "Honey, please…"

Still her son said nothing, his glacial gaze boring into her. She let out a broken sob.

Rios climbed onto the bed beside her and pulled her back into his arms. "Shh," he soothed, holding her as the floodgates opened and she broke down into wretched sobs.

Gabriel's ghost disappeared at some point, and the swirling lights twisted into something darker and more sinister.

Raffi crashed hard that night, but Rios stayed with her through the worst of it. She didn't remember most of it, which was probably for the better, but she remembered his arms wrapped securely around her.

And after that, Raffi swore off any drugs that went for that super high that promised to make everything happy.

Happy just wasn't in the cards for her.