Okay, here is my first ever Farscape fic! I tried to resist the temptation and I couldn't, had to try!
I don't own anything, I'm not making money, so please don't sue!

This is set I guess a cycle after 'Fractures.' Scorpius is dead (The wicked witch is dead! hehe!) While
Aeryn and John aren't completely back together, they are talking again and getting close. John's going to
get lucky, hehe, anyway, I miss Zhaan. So guess what! She's back! Yea, Stark! ...hmm... I think I'll
shut up now...

Title: Surprise Surprise
Chapter 5: John's Happy Surprise
Rated: R

***

Chiana walked into Command, she had the shift after D'Argo. She had been irritated when Aeryn had dragged her
away from Cassandra and John, but Aeryn's fierce explanation in the hall had stopped her from reentering the
room.

She walked over to D'Argo and stood beside him. "I like her. She reminds me of John, only she's a little
edgy."

"I don't know if I trust her," D'Argo said not looking at her.

"Why not?" Chiana asked confused.

"What does she have against Luxans?"

"You don't trust her because she has something against Luxans?" Chiana asked incredulous. D'Argo didn't reply.
Chiana started to tease him again, but changed her mind. She didn't want to make things any more difficult
between John's sister and his friend. She quickly told him what Cassandra said about the one Luxan she had
encountered.

"That Luxan had no honor," he spoke quietly. When he left, she didn't stop him.

***

John left Zhaan's apothecary with mixed emotions. Cassandra had fallen asleep in his arms after their
crying jag. He carried her to the apothecary. It upset him that she was so light. Her body had become
lean and brittle, not the strong, soft muscles he remembered feeling in their fights. Zhaan was watching over
her, though he felt guilty about it. The last time he had left her, she had attacked Aeryn. Aeryn. He tapped
his com. "Pilot? Where is Aeryn?"

"She's in the Maintenance Bay looking over the ships you acquired."

"Thanks," John replied and walked to the Maintenance Bay. When he entered, he spotted Aeryn underneath the
belly of the fighter she'd swiped.

Aeryn heard someone enter and glanced up at him. She smiled. "Hey, are you okay?"

He walked over to her and sat down beside the ship. She crawled out from underneath and sat next to him. "Not
really." He was silent for so long that Aeryn started to speak again, but stopped when he continued. "She's so
light. I carried her to the apothecary from the central chamber without a problem, I would never have been able
to do that before."

"What happened?" Aeryn asked instantly concerned.

"She fell asleep."

"Oh."

"She's so jumpy. When we were kids, it was nearly impossible to startle her, and, man, did DK and I try. She
jumps at the smallest sounds, the slightest movements." He paused. "And those bastards are still alive. I want
to hunt them down and kill them for what they did." Aeryn said nothing to his startling pronouncement. "D'Argo
thought the ship they were in looked familiar, but couldn't identify it."

"I'll look at it," Aeryn assured him quietly.

"She was there for two cycles, Aeryn. Two cycles. I didn't even know." Aeryn placed a comforting hand on his
arm, and his hand instantly covered hers, seeking reassurance. "No matter how much we fought, we always stuck
together when there was trouble." He smiled suddenly. "She once beat up a girl at our school because she knew
I wouldn't hit a girl." The smile faded. "What else did they do to her, besides frelling with her mind?
She'll never be the same, and it's all my fault." John's voice cracked and harsh sobs racked his body.

Aeryn pulled him into her embrace, holding him close, soothing him with soft words of comfort. When he began to
quiet, she spoke, "It's not your fault, John. Your sister made her own choices, and she's with you, where she
wanted to be."

"No guts, no glory," he whispered.

"What?" Aeryn asked, slightly confused. 'Translator microbes must have made a mistake,' she thought.

"It's Cassandra's motto," he explained. "If you don't try and get what you want yourself, you'll never have
it," he said trying to explain the phrase.

Aeryn nodded slightly, "I... think... I understand."

"Cass could probably explain it better."

"I'm sure."

John looked at her and smiled slightly. Their faces were only a few breaths apart. The mood shifted seamlessly
from one of comfort to one of desire. The silence dragged and the tension grew to almost painful levels. He
leaned close and brushed his lips against hers, gently, hesitantly. He pulled back slightly and searched her
face for a response. Her eyes were closed, her lips slightly parted. He kissed her again, and she responded in
a flash of heat. The tender kiss was replaced by one of pent-up passion finally released. Their bodies meshed
together tightly, tongues dueling in an intricate dance. Aeryn moaned in pleasure when he broke their kiss to
trace a fiery path across her jaw and down her neck. She pulled at his jacket trying to get it out of her way.
He broke apart from her long enough to shed himself of the offending garment. Their lips met again and her
hands delved under his shirt, caressing the skin of his abdomen, circling around to pull him closer.

Their passionate embrace was interrupted when Zhaan's voice came over the com. "John?"

Breathing harshly, their eyes met. "It's always something, isn't it?" he groaned, frustrated.

Aeryn smiled at him, amused, but her eyes revealed her own frustration. "We will finish this later," she said
before she kissed him again. The kiss flared with heat before Aeryn broke away and hurriedly left. John
smiled stupidly after her.

"John? Are you alright? John?" Zhaan's voice called from the vicinity of his jacket.

John stood and put on his jacket, trying to steady his breathing. Finally he hit the com. "Yeah, Zhaan, what's
up?"

"Cassandra is awake and asking for you."

"I'll be there in a few microts."

"You seem flustered. Is anything wrong?"

John cursed under his breath. 'Guess I didn't do such a great job of controlling my breathing,' he thought.
"I'll be fine," he replied and headed for the apothecary hoping the bulge in his pants wasn't too noticeable.

***

He should have prayed. Zhaan's eyes took in his appearance immediately, and she did nothing to stop the smile
that spread across her face. She didn't have to be a Pa'u to know that John and Aeryn had been 'occupied.'
John blushed, grinned stupidly, and turned embarrassed eyes on his sister who, thankfully, hadn't noticed.

"Is anything wrong?" he asked, flicking his eyes to Zhaan for conformation.

"I just had to make sure you were real. I'm sorry if I interrupted anything important," Cassandra replied
quickly, slightly embarrassed that she was still having trouble believing.

John glared at Zhaan when she began laughing. "No, it's okay, Cass."

Cassandra sent him a puzzled glance before looking back at the amused Delvian. "What's so funny?"

"I'm glad the situation amuses you, Zhaan," John said fighting the urge to blush again.

"I am happy for you, John," she said once her laughter was under control. She inclined her head in a small
bow to Cassandra before leaving the room to spread the good news.

"What's up?" Cassandra asked, still confused.

"Uh... nothing. Zhaan's just lost her marbles."

"Sure," Cassandra said her voice thick with sarcasm.

***

Cassandra spoke with John for a few arns before her body demanded that she sleep again. During her two year
long imprisonment, she rarely slept. She was unconscious a lot, but voluntarily sleep wasn't something she
did. She might miss a chance to escape. Her captors might do something to her and she'd never know. She'd
end up sleeping most of the first few weeks she spent aboard Moya.

John stayed with her while she slept until Chiana came. Chiana's entrance caused Cassandra to wake, and John
introduced them again, thinking that their first introduction when they had arrived in the apothecary wasn't
really an introduction. The two women began talking hesitantly. After awhile, their conversation began to
smooth out and they slipped into a discussion about John. They swapped so many embarrassing stories that John
finally left, his face beet-red. Chiana giggled as he walked out, her mission accomplished. The two women
began to really talk, and Cassandra found herself reevaluating her opinions of all Nebari, deciding that at least
this one, could be a friend. And that's what happened. A simple conversation in Zhaan's apothecary began a
friendship that was to cause the crew of Moya a lot of headaches and a ton of laughs.

***

After his rapid exit from the apothecary, John began his 'quest' to find Aeryn. He was very interested in
discovering exactly what she meant by 'we'll finish this later.' He tried her quarters first. No Aeryn. He
tried Command and the Maintenance Bay. No Aeryn. He tried the Terrace and the central chamber. No Aeryn.
'Where is she?' he wondered standing in the main passageway of the seventh tier. He didn't want to ask
Pilot... Pilot. He headed off towards Pilot's Den and sure enough Aeryn was inside. When she saw him, a
seductive smile crossed her face. She quickly bid Pilot goodbye and left the chamber. When she passed John,
she made sure they brushed slightly, and she trailed her fingers along his arm. She walked down the hall
without looking back. John stood there a moment with a stupid smile on his face before taking off after her.
Pilot could sense Moya's happiness that their two favorite crew members were finally settling things, and he
was happy too.

***

John caught up with Aeryn just outside her quarters. He grabbed her arm and spun her around, pinning her to
the wall with his body. "Was there something you wanted?" she asked.

John grinned. It wasn't often that Aeryn turned into the seductive vixen, but when she did, John considered
himself the luckiest man in the Universe. "You."

"Oh, well, I suppose we can work out some kind of arrangement," she replied innocently, placing a light kiss on
his lips. She traced light kisses across his jaw. "What will I get out of this?" she asked.

John captured her roving lips with his own, deciding to show her rather than speak. His grip on her arm
loosened and his hands moved to her slim waist, caressing her through her clothes. Aeryn wrapped her arms
around his neck and pulled him closer. His hands moved up her side and his thumbs brushed the sides of her
breasts. Even through her clothing, it sent delightful shivers down her spine; her fingers speared through his
hair, and she moaned into his mouth. She broke their kiss and opened the door to her quarters. Dragging him
in with her, she entered, shutting the door behind her. It would be a few arns before either emerged from the
darkened quarters.

***

WELL... what do ya think? Please review or send me an e-mail!

Thanks to the peps that reviewed! I really need all the ego boosts I can get for this one since it's my first
Farscape fic, I'm glad to know that it's being well recieved!

~Artemis Luna Diana~