Title: Meant to Be

Author(s): Elflore and Rehanna (No, Reh didn't ask if she could post this. He already told me I could do whatever I wanted with it.)

Rating: PG ...Reh was naughty and made John say "damnit" (pretty mild compared with some of my others. :)

Summary: It's John and Aeryn getting together. Isn't that enough?

Spoilers: None. Vague references to "Throne for a Loss," "Thank God it's Friday, Again," "The Flax," "DNA Mad Scientist," "Nerve," "Picture if You Will." (Don't worry if you haven't seen PiFYW, we don't give anything away. It's not even a quote we use. )

Feedback: Pleeeeease? You'll get a cookie! I promise!

Note: This was an rp for random shippiness to start with and SOMEHOW it turned into a story.. Don't ask us how, we don't know.

Disclaimer: We don't own the characters, wish we did, and then we'd be making all the money, not Jim Henson Productions, Hallmark Entertainment, Nine Networks and the SciFi Channel. Anyway, please don't sue us; you wouldn't get anything. While the characters don't belong to us, the story DOES so please don't steal it, or plagiarize it or anything like that. © Elflore and Rehanna, 2000

*New Author Note* I want a story with chapters. This one would kinda be perfect (I remember having to break it up when I sent it out for feedback). And it will have short chapters. Sorry.

Oh, and so all the lovely people who keep reviewing my J/C stories don't think I'm giving that up on them, I'm not. This was written over a year ago, but I'm becoming a review junkie, so I thought I'd post it here ;) . All reviews will be shared with Elflore (

Aeryn walked into Command, only to see John standing in the middle of the room, staring off into space. She smiled slightly as she walked to one of the consoles, making sure all was in order.

"Morning, Mrs. Crichton."

"Good morning, John."

They were both silent for a few microns, then John finally looked over his shoulder at her.

"Aeryn... you didn't... happen to dream last night, by any chance, did you?"

Slowly, "Yes..." Then she muttered to herself, "At least I hope it was a dream."

"Someone spoke to you?" John prodded. "Claimed they had had know us? Traveled with us? On Moya?" He turned to face her as he talked.

Aeryn barely nodded once, "Yes. How did you...?

"Because last night, I spoke to a Pa'u, not the same one that performed the ceremony yesterday, but.well, we knew she reminded us of someone."

"Need I remind you how many Delvians we've seen on different planets?"

John held up his hands in defense, "I know, Aeryn, I know, but still..."

He sighed and hung his head, then looked up at her again, seemingly trying to find an argument in between the actions. "Aeryn, if she was right, five people, our friends, are trapped."

Aeryn had, more or less, calmly listened to him through all of this. "I don't remember them. And you know as well as I do we've been here alone. No one else has been here."

"Do I? I did. But now, I just don't know anymore. I've had the strangest feelings." He paused. "And if she's right...this could all be our fault. Zhaan said the nebula was, somehow, reacting to our desires."

"You want to do something about it," she stated. "Or try."

"I think we have to."

"Even if it means giving ...everything up?" Aeryn refused to look at him by this point, so she missed the pain that crossed John's face.

When he didn't answer, she started again, almost talking to herself. "Yesterday wouldn't have happened, had I known this then."

John quickly covered the short distance between them, took her by the shoulders, and tried to look her in the eyes. She wouldn't let him.

"Aeryn, please. No matter what happens, I will always love you. No matter how many worlds I have to fight my way through, I will find you. But we can't just abandon-"

Now she looked him in the eye, angrily cutting him off, "-People we don't know?!"

It was John's turn to look away, though he didn't let go of her shoulders. Softly, he tried to reason with her. "Aeryn, if you don't think we should do this, if you don't trust me..." He looked her in the eyes once again. "We won't."

"Don't. You had your mind made up from the moment you woke up."

"But I won't make this decision without you."

"You already have. And you'll never forgive either of us if we don't."

He smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes, "How could I not forgive you for anything?"

Aeryn almost smiled wryly. "You'd find a way."

He shook his head. "No, of course not."

She sighed and pulled away. "Until we get them back, whoever they are and if we ever had them, and no matter what happens then...don't try to lie to me." With that she turned and started to walk away.

"Aeryn! Just wait! I would NEVER lie to you! Even after all this time you think that little of me?"

"That's not what I meant and you know it!" She spun back around, but didn't walk back to him.

John took a deep breath, sounding more in control of his temper when he began again. "Aeryn, I'm not lying. I could never blame you for what happens or doesn't happen here, now. But you're right. I'm not going to be able to live with myself if we don't at least try to do something about this."

"Lying to yourself if just as bad, John. And you would be, telling yourself it wasn't my fault."

"It wouldn't be. Because it's still my choice, in the end. And if you're against it, then I won't do it."

"I already told you, it doesn't matter how I feel."

"It does to me."

"If you want to, and I know you do," Aeryn sighed. "Then, fine."

"You're sure?"

"Yes."

"Right," John ran a hand through his hair, trying to think as he looked at the nearest console.

"Zhaan said it had something to do with the nebula... She seemed to think, if we could starburst out of here, get away from its influence, that the problem should be solved."

"That's plausible, I suppose. Except for one small detail."

"Oh?"

"There's no frelling nebula out there!"

"Ohhh, that. Yeah." John sighed. "Aeryn, I know it's crazy... but, somehow... I can feel it. I just know it's there."

"That's not quite as crazy as some of the things you've come up with," Aeryn muttered.

"I'll take that as a compliment." He half grinned. "Anyway, the problem is...evidently, Moya can't just starburst normally. We have to do it, manually. And we have to talk Moya through it, help her to see through the...whatever it is that's clouding our minds, because it's clouding her sensors, too. Otherwise, it won't work."

"And how do we do that?" Aeryn asked, skeptically.

"We'll have to..." John sighed again, "you'll have to talk to her again. I guess we should head down to Pilot's chamber. And since we have to activate starburst..."