Dangerously in Love

Part 2

"How do you think she is?"

The voice seemed to come from a long way off; she couldn't define where it was coming from and was slightly distorted.

"She's…" That was Jool's voice, she was pretty sure of it "in a fairly bad way Crichton."

"How bad?" That was Crichton.

Aeryn felt hot and weak. Her head swam, she couldn't open her eyes, she couldn't move at all and she wasn't even sure if she was completely conscious. The heat, it was unbearable, it seared through every muscle in her body and she felt burned.

"She had a pretty bad hit, she was lucky that the shield on that Peacekeeper weapon was still up otherwise she'd had been dead before you found her, but it didn't stop a lot of heat and debris hitting her," Jool's voice was shaking.

"Will she be okay?"

There was a long pause, until Crichton repeated the question; his tone rising to the point of panic "Is she going to be okay?"

"John, she hasn't got too many injuries that won't heal by tomorrow, but she's suffered a lot of… mental damage."

"What?"

"The combination of intense heat and being buried under the rubble of that ship-"

"Permanent?!"

"I…"

"Jool!"

There was a series of clicks and Aeryn felt her eye being forced open and a bright light glared painfully. It was shut again and Jool said "I don't know, it's too early to give a clear-"

"Dammit Jool! Don't give me the E.R crap! What is going to happen?!"

"Calm down John," D'argo's reasonable tone came across "Jool's doing all she can!"

"Get off me!"

There was a loud crash, angry footsteps heading towards the door and an overpowering silence that seemed to go one for ages.

Finally, Chiana spoke "What are we going to do?"

"You can pick up my surgical tools from the floor for a start," Jool replied coldly.

"He's a little… upset Jool, give him space," D'argo's voice came closer "He cares for her a lot."

There was further metallic clangs, Chiana said "Is it… really permanent Jool?"

"Like I said, I don't know, but we have to be careful when she wakes up, she could be in a fairly fragile mental state."

"She's not the only one."

Aeryn listened, she felt a strange sensation of ambiguity, she wasn't sure what to think, but she couldn't do anything.

There was a sharp sting in her neck for a moment, a dizzying confusion and she fell back into a dark sleep.

Pilot stared solemnly at his panels, "Is there any chance she's going to wake up at all?" He tried to cover a shaking tone in his voice.

"I don't know, I injected some painkillers and some drugs to heal her injuries. I found some serum in… er… what was her name?" Jool sat on Pilot's banks looking at an opposite wall.

"Zhaan?"

"Yes, her old apothecary had some drugs that might help the heat exposure a little which I administered, but apart from that… there is little else I can do."

"I'm sure you're doing all you can, Moya and I greatly appreciate it Jool."

She smiled fondly at him "You to were close weren't you? You and Aeryn."

Pilot nodded sombrely "She has traces of my DNA in her and she named Moya's baby after her father."

"Talyn?"

"Yes," Pilot scanned his databanks again "when-if- she wakes up… tell her that I wish her the best."

Jool bit her lip "I will," she choked "I'll try my hardest to bring her round and get her back to full strength, I'll do anything I can."

"Thank you," Pilot whispered holding out a mandible to Jool's tear streaked face "thank you."

Aeryn smiled, Talyn's wall red walls surrounded her like a blanket and the almost melodic hum bounced gently in her ears. She shifted a little and rested her head on a pillow, she felt so happy and everything felt so soft and kind. "Mornin' darling."

She turned to look beside her and saw everything that had ever given her happiness and love in her life.

"John…" she sobbed "you're… alive?"

He laughed "Was last time I checked!"

She blinked, "Yes, of course! I just had a… dreadful nightmare, it's nothing."

He chuckled "It's over now," he whispered "I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere."

She rested her lips on his brow "I know."

Then it all passed, with an unremitting speed in front of eyes; the base, the Skarren Dreadnought, her last moments with John, the planet where she saw her mother and John's hastening ghost. Then a stab of heat hit her all over and forced her up.

She looked around, the room was dark and quiet. She was in the lab on Moya. She looked around for a moment, the clouds of grief hovered for a moment and she sobbed quietly. Burying her head in her knees she let the tears wash down her legs.

"Frell, where are you John? Why did I let you go?"

"I'm here honey," at first she thought she was hearing things, but she looked up and saw the unmistakable shadow in the doorway.

It was defiantly him.

She pushed back the covers and ran towards him, "John!" She cried out "it's you!"

She leapt on him, wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply on the lips. The astonished Crichton staggered back for a moment, not sure what he was supposed to do and pulled away from the kiss.

"Aeryn-"

"Please!" Hissed Aeryn "Don't, I have been living in a nightmare ever since I left that mystic planet, I tried to hide my emotion, my grief, back under my Peacekeeper guise, but I can't do it anymore! I love you so much! I can't bear it anymore!"

She held his face hard and forced his gaze into hers "I can't…" she sobbed "I don't care if it's a dream or an illusion, I just want you back so much!"

Crichton ran a hand down her cheek and through her hair "Aeryn, not like this…"

She stared into his eyes and realised.

It wasn't him.

Anger boiled behind her olive eyes, her face bunched up into relentless rage, she swung a fist and caught him hard in the jaw. He staggered back and looked up into her face, holding his jaw "Aeryn-"

"You frelling bastard!" She screamed.

She kicked his leg away from under him and he fell to the floor hard on his back. He looked up just in time to see her land a sharp elbow into his stomach "You should have died instead of him!" She howled "You don't deserve to be here! He should be here!"

She landed a kick in his side, Crichton turned over groaning and holding his side. Aeryn kicked him in the stomach again as he tried to get to his hands and knees and he fell on his front. Crichton coughed and flecks of blood were mixed with his breath. Aeryn grabbed his shoulder and forced him round to face her "I'll frelling kill you!" She spat venomously "I swear!" She sat on his chest and punched his face again, grabbing his neck and swiping across his face.

Crichton, amidst the blinding pain, opened his eyes and saw Aeryn raising her fist again, it was already heavily covered in blood and he shut his eyes again.

"Aeryn," he muttered "I hope this makes you happy."