Chapter 2: Earth

                "Captain we are entering Earth's solar system." Andromeda informed them as she dropped out of slip stream.

                "Good stay out of scaning range.I'll inform Harper and Rommie to get ready to go ahead like planned." Beka said leaving her station she walked to the machince shops were the two waited. She walked in to find Harper playing around with another pointless little gadget and Rommie looking at his things.

                "Hello, Beka. Are we there yet?" Harper asked.

                "Yes, we just arrived, and Dylan wishes you the best of wishes in your travels and say that we will be here if you need help." Rommie nodded and headed for the cargo bay. But Harper stayed behind.

                "Harper you know that you don't have to do this. Someone can go in your place." Harper looked at her.

                "No it has to be me, Brendan won't trust anyone else." He pasued in thought. "We will be back as soon as possible." Then he followed Rommie leaving Beka to worry about her small friends.

                                                                                ~*~*~*~

                "Ready to go Rom-Doll." Harper yelled up from the engine room. He walked into the cockpit as Rommie started her exit.

                "So Harper who is this Kate?"

                "An old friend...can we not talk about her."

                "I think we need to." Harper remained silent. "Harper I need to know about this kinda thing." She placed the auto-pilot on and turned to face him. "Now spill."  Harper sat down and looked at his hands.

                "Let's start somwhere easier." He scrubbed at his face then began. "You know all about Brendan, well Kate is a close friend of ours. We meet her years ago after one of our raids. She attacked me and i took her to my place and helped her. She was addicted to Flash. After she overcame this we all became really good friends we were never apart. She lived with me and helped me after my parents died and what happen with my cousin she was there for me...which made it hurt even more when one day she up and left. She was offered a job on a ship as a pilot. She left me a note explaining everything and said she would try and stay in touch...She did't I never saw her again after that." Rommie reached over and brushed a tear off his check.

                "Harper..." He looked up at her. "If...if she hadn't left would Beka have meet you?" Harper was quiet.

                "I don't know...probably not. The only reason I was with Beka was because she had saved my life after a bar fight with some other...people...they didn't really like my...point of veiw." Rommie let a small smile show.

                "Somehow that sounds just like you Harper." He grinned at her.

                "I don't know if I should be insulted or commplimented."

                "A little of both." Rommie turned her attendace back to the matter at hand. But conutiuned her conversation with Harper. "Harper you do know how much we all care for you right?" She asked turnning around to see him strugling to get his 'medicne' "Harper!" She shouted and jumped across the small space to help her small friends. She held the inhale to his lips as he sucked in the Magog posion. "Better?" She asked.

                "Yeah, the only thing hurting now is my pride." He informed her. She noticed that he was blushing.

                "Harper what do you mean?" Anger flashed in his eyes.

                "Look at me Rommie...I can't even give myself my own medince without a hand out. I HATE this feeling...I just wish you guys would kill me and get it over with. The eggs are going to hatch and then that will be that for Seamus Harper." He stopped and looked the avator in her eyes. "But if one of my close friends...family." He corrected himself. "Would do it...it would be a lot less painful." Rommie's eyeducts began to water. Curse Harper for making her so...real...she felt emotions, Hate; jealousy; pain;loss...Love...and she hated that. She could no longer hid behind lack of knowledge...she knew what it was like to Love, and Hate and feel loss and she didn't like it.

                "Seamus." A tear slid down her perfect cheek. "Please don't talk like that...Everyone couldn't live without you...even if we act like we could care less...we all love you in our own specail way and couldn't bear to see you die. We WILL find a cure and you WILL get better. Understand?" She asked him. He didn't reply. "Harper?" He finally looked up at her. Detemintation painted on his face.

                "Fine I won't ask any of you to kill me and God Damn I don't have the strenght...yet" She was shocked at what he was saying. "But if I see a chance, Gods help me I will take it." For the first time scine meeting him Harper was scaring her.

                "Harper." She pleaded. "Listen to what your saying-"

                "No Rommie...I will not let what happen to me happen to the crew." He licked his lips.

                "Harper." Her voice was stronger. She grabbed his shoulders and gave him a light shake. "I want you to listen and listen good." He gave her a slight nod of his head. "Everyone on the Andromeda loves you and we couldn't go on if you died." He snorted but she conutiuned. "Beka thinks of you as a little brother, one that she can help to grow up better then she did. Trance loves you just because, She would be hit the hardest if you died she care's for you more then her plants. Tyr...he has proven that your are deep friends if not family he shows you every day when he doesn't shy away from you, when he made that pace if it came down to it he would kill you. It's a passage Neitchian will not kill anyone that asks to be kill unless the person is a close friend or family member and then they will hardly ever do it. Dylan thinks of you has his son, but he will never show it."

                "What about you Rommie? You and Andromeda what do you think of me?"

                "We...I don't know...but I do know that I love you, and it's not because you 'created' me, it's because of what you showed me. About life and love. I love your talent and the way things just seem to fall into place when you touch machiniry. You amase me Seamus and I don't think I could live without you."

                "Sure you could Doll, You're only made up of wires and energy."

                "No Harper. When you made me you left a peice of yourself with me, I don't know how I can make you understand this but it's like we should always be together no matter what...the entire crew. That's the way it's supposed to be. Us against the Universe. And Harper if you weren't there it wouldn't be right the cirlce would be complete. You finish us Harper we need you." Harper looked over at her.

                "Thanks Rom-Doll and now we have work to do...coming up on Earth." And with that he left to go check on the engiunes leaving Rommie to wonder if she got through or not.

                                                                                                ~*~*~*~

                Brenddan hated waiting. He hated having to depend on someone. He glanced over at Kate again. She was sleeping once more. He sighed and looked out the window and gasped there was Uber's coming towards his house. "Damnit Seamus hurry up." He ran into his bathroom and grabbed his gun.Checking it he wanted to know how many shots he had. Four shots...bloody hell. Shaking his head he went back to the other room. "Kate you have to wake up." He shook her.

                "I'm up, what's the problem?"

                "Uber's are closing in."

                "Damn I thought I lost them." She said grabbing her kinfe from under her pillow she nodded to him. "I'm ready." She frowned. "Do you think that Seamus..." She didn't finish her sentance and Brendan didn't answer. The moved to the front door.

                "Look out the window and give me a count." She did as she was told.

                " Three...no wait there is two more in the bushes."

                "No that can't be right." He walked to the window and took a look. He looked at the new intruders. "I think that's Seamus and his firends...oh what is here name...Rommie." Kate smiled then frowned.

                "Girlfriend?"

                "Far from it, bussiness partener." Her smile was back in place.

                "I guess the fight just got even."

                "As even as it every will be. Ready to leave?" He asked her. She nodded. He opened the door and the fighting began. A shot hit the door by Brendan's head and he shot blindly back to where he thought it had came from. He heard a scream and then only two different people were shooting at them. "Kate stay behind me until we get closer." Brendan said she nodded. He shot and shot not hitting any marks. "I have one shot left." He told her.

                "Save it." Stepping out in front of him she ran towards one of the area's were the shots were coming from. Brendan not far behind. All shoting stopped as Seamus and Rommie began hand to hand with the other. There was a shot and a male human scream and then a female.

                "HARPER!!!" Rommie screamed as he flew backwards landing on the dirty ground of Earth. She turned to the young Netichan. "You just made the wrose move you could ever do." She resached out and before he could do anything she snapped his neck. She turned and spotted the other two human's fighting. they were holding their own but Rommie was inraged. She sprited over and threw the two human's to the ground also grabbing this Uber by the thoart she twisted. He fell to the ground and she spat on him. Then turned and ran to where Harper lay. By the Gods let him be okay... She fell to her knees beside him. He was trying to stop the blood that was flowing out of his stoumach.

                "Rommie...Help...there's just so much blood...it's slippy."

                "I know just hang on." She placed her hands over his own and pushed. "Harper this is going to hurt." She said as she did so. He cryed out and Rommie bit back a sob.

                "Maybe this is a good thing, huh?" His pained eyes meet her griefing ones.

                "Just hang on you're not going to die." He smiled.

                "Are they safe? Is Kate and Brendan safe?"

                "Yes, their right here." She called them over. She began talking to them lowly. "You have to keep him awake and talking. I am going to go get the ship. I'll be back in five minutes." And with that she took off running.

                "Seamus? Are you okay?" Kate asked as she sat down beside him. She took his head in  her lap.

                "Been better actually." He cringed as she pressed down on his wound. "How are you are you okay?" He asked worried about her.

                "I'm fine and so is Brendan, you don't have to worry about us."

                "Where's Rommie?"

                "The girl?"

                "Yeah...she's my...my..." He was drifting off to sleep.

                "Your what Seamus...What is she to you?"

                "Family..." He passed out.

                "Seamus...You have to stay awake." She said as she shook him awake. She got no response. "SEAMUS! Damn it. He fell asleep."

                "That's okay, Rommie just got here."Kate turned to see where Brendan was pointing spotting a old beat-up ship Kate smiled. It was the best ship she had even seen in her life.

                "Here help me get him to the ship." She took his head as Brendan grabbed his arms. the two slowly ran to the ship to find the hatch open. The women was up front.

                "Everyone in?" She asked.

                "Clear, let's kick this joint!" Brendan shouted. the women lifted off and Kate was jealous of her skill. Her attendance was distraced by Seamus who was squirmming around in her arms.

                "LET GO OFF ME!" He shouted. Surprise made Kate let go of his legs. Pain crossed Seamus face and he tried to get out of Brendan's handhold.

                "Seamus calm down. It's okay."

                "No...No...let me go!" He ripped out of Brendan's hands and fell forward. He crawled on his hands and kness to the front of the ship were Rommie was. "Rommie, Don'tlet them touch me. I'm infected down...let...them..." He was fading fast.

                "Okay Harper, just relax they won't touch you. Just calm down we will be back at the Andromeda very soon. It's okay now your safe." She ran her hands threw his hair as she calmed him down. Soon he was asleep and she picked him up and carried him into the backroom. Kate and Brendan watched her. Bewilder by her strenght. When she re-emerged she walked straight to the front and sat in the captain's chair. Kate slowly walked up beside  her.

                "Ma'am," Kate began. "I would-"

                "Rommie."

                "What?"

                "My name is Rommie, not Ma'am."

                "Oh, I'm Kate." She said offering her hand. Rommie hit the auto-pilot and took her hand.

                "I know. Harper...Seamus has told me all about you and Brendan."

                "I would like to thank you for helping us."

                "Your welcome but I was only following orders." Kate was confused.

                "From Seamus?" Rommie laughed.

                "No, Captain Dylan Hunt." The girl didn't show any knowledge of who she was talking about but the boy did.

                "You mean of the Andromeda. The old Commenwealth Dylan Hunt." He asked taking a stand beside Kate.

                "One and the same. I am the ships Avator." They were both shooked. She wanted to laugh but remained selint.

                "But you look so...."

                "Human?" She smiled at then knowing."Harper does good work."

                "Harper...made you." Kate stated more then asked.

                "Well not me my personality but me my body yes." Rommie turned the auto-pilot off. "Coming up to the Andromeda." She reached over and pushed in a command.

                " Eruka Maro, requesting permission to land."

                "Permission granted," came a deep male voice. "How was the trip?"

                "Harper was injured."

                "What's new..." The voice snorted."How bad." the last part had a touch of worry in it.

                "How should I know...I'm a warship not a medic." She informed the voice.

                "Just because you have a body doesn't mean you can-"

                "Tyr, can you just open the landing bay and then help me."

                There was a small growl. "Yes of coruse see you in a few minutes."

                Rommie turned to face the two human. Keeping her attendance on landing the ship she began to tlak to them. "I am going to inform you right now that Tyr is a Netichan. But he is a good one, he is helping with our cause so please do not attack him." They nodded with their faces tight with displeaurse.

                                                                                                ~*~*~*~

                A few hours later Harper was slowly waking up in the Medical Bay. "Damn what happen this time?"

                "You thought you were going to be a hero and practicaly died." Trance said as she walked over to the bed.

                "Only almost...Damn I was aiming for good."

                "Well lucky we had enough Nano-bots and they fixed you right up."

                "Thanks can I go now?"

                "Yes, your two friends are with Dylan on the oberservation deck."

                "Thanks Trance." He got up and gave her a small kiss on the check and walked toward the Observation Deck. His body wasn't complety healed and when he finally got there he was out of breath.

                "Hey Boss."

                "Nice to see you up again Mr.Harper." Dlyan told him

                "Pleasure's all mine, truly."

                "Well I must be going, nice to meet you both. Harper." He said nodding his head at him he left.

                "Hey guys."

                "Seamus, come here and give me a hug it's been to long." Brendan said. the two men closed the space and clapped each other's back. "It's good to see you again."

                "I know it's been to long." He broke away and looked at Kate.

                "Kate, nice to see you again." She smiled and lanuched herself at him giving her a big hug.

                "Seamus I've missed you so much." She pulled back and pointed a finger at him. "And if you ever scare me like that again I will kill you myself."

                "Nice to see you again too, Kate." He smiled at her and kissed her forehead. Suddenly pain took ahold of Harper and he fumbled for his necklace.

                "Seamus...what's wrong?" She asked as he inhaled.

                "Nothing...I just remembered that I still have work to do I'll talk to you guys later." And with that he turned and ran out the door.