Crossroads---Part III
When John entered command D'Argo and Chiana were deep in conversation about something. He couldn't hear what but it was obviously serious. D'Argo was holding a vid chip and Chiana was trying to take it from him.
John: "Play nice kids or I am going to send you to bed with no dessert."
When D'Argo looked over at him, Chiana grabbed the chip from his hand and moved away quickly.
D'Argo: "Chiana, it is not your place."
John saw the look moving between the two of them.
John: "Why is my 'spidy' senses tingling? What is going on? Has something happened? Are Aeryn and Rygel all right? Have they checked in?"
D'Argo: "Pilot contacted Aeryn and let her know we would be back within a half an arn."
John looked at Chiana then at D'Argo.
John: "Pilot told me that you didn't tell Aeryn I was coming back. Why not?"
Chiana looked at D'Argo.
John: "Talk to me 'D'."
D'Argo glared at Chiana as his gazed turned to Crichton it softened.
D'Argo: "A lot has happened to Aeryn since you left Moya."
John: "I know she must have been furious with me."
Chiana: "Furious that is a good word for it."
She smiled slightly.
D'Argo: "Chiana."
She stopped talking and sat down on the table. John stepped further inside command.
John: "I did what I thought was best for both of us at the time. I am willing to admit I was totally wrong which is one of the reasons I came back, for her."
Chiana: "She will be happy to hear that."
John: "If I ever get her to talk to me again."
D'Argo: "There is more."
D'Argo hesitated. He didn't know how to say it. John was getting anxious.
John: "Would you just tell me? You are starting to scare me."
Chiana held out the vid chip.
Chiana: "May be this will help."
John: "What is on it?"
Chiana: "Answers."
Chiana slipped off the table. John walked over to her and took the chip. She kissed his cheek and looked over at D'Argo. She left them alone in command. John looked at D'Argo as he inserted it in the console and pushed the button. It was images of a child. The pictures flashed one at a time and chronicled this child's life from birth. The final picture was of Aeryn holding this beautiful boy. John stared at the image. He spoke without looking at D'Argo.
John: "Who is this child?"
D'Argo cleared his throat softly.
D'Argo: "He is Aeryn's son. Your son. His name is Jack."
John stared at this child's face and suddenly it all made sense. The inexplicable pull he felt back to Moya. Just hearing D'Argo say the words filled the emptiness he had been nursing since he landed on Earth nearly two cycles ago. He looked over his shoulder at D'Argo.
D'Argo: "Aeryn found out shortly after you left Moya. She was going to leave herself and find a planet where she would be safe but after a run in with some Tavlik's, she realized the safest place for her to be with the baby was here on Moya."
John turned and sat down. He was staring down at the floor. His heart was racing. He couldn't seem to string two thoughts together. D'Argo came over and sat beside him.
John: "What is he like D'Argo?"
He looked up at him.
D'Argo: "He is a handful, of course I would expect nothing less from a child of Aeryn's. He reminds me of Jothee when he was a boy. He does these new amazing things everyday. As long as I have been on Moya it is nice to rediscover her through the eyes of a child."
John: "Jack…my son….Aeryn and I have a son. His name is Jack."
D'Argo: "You are starting to sound like Stark."
John: "I left Aeryn alone carrying my child. She must hate me."
D'Argo: "She has missed you."
John: "Did she say that?"
D'Argo: "Aeryn is Sebecean. She would never admit that out loud but I could see how she looks at Jack some times. He is a wonderful boy. He and Chiana play for arns down in the lower tiers. He likes to spend time with Pilot. He has an instinctive understanding of Moya."
John stood up. He was excited.
John: "I have to see him."
D'Argo: "They will be returning soon."
John: "I need to see him now. Pilot have the DRDs prepare a transport pod. I am going down to the planet."
Pilot: "Yes Commander."
John started to head out of command. D'Argo went after him.
D'Argo: "John, Aeryn still doesn't know that you are back. You shouldn't just drop in her like this."
John: "He is my son. I have all ready missed almost two cycles of his life. I don't want to miss one more microt."
D'Argo followed him onto the transport pod.
John: "Where are you going?"
D'Argo: "I am coming with you. Some one will have to shield Jack's eyes while his mother kills his father."
John smiled. The bay doors opened. The pod lifted off.
*****
Rygel was hovering on his throne sled outside of the pod door that he and Aeryn brought down to the planet. He had the supplies loaded and was waiting for Aeryn and Jack.
John: "Buckwheat!"
Rygel turned in shock.
Rygel: "Crichton?!"
John: "How you doing Spanky?"
Rygel: "How did you get here? When?"
John: "Twenty questions later, where are Aeryn and Jack?"
Before Rygel could answer John saw Aeryn. She was smiling and looking down. His eyes followed the path of her eyes. He saw Jack walking along side her looking up at her with this incredible smile on his face. She was holding his hand.
John's mind started racing. What was he going to say to her? What could he say? Could she ever understand why he left her behind, especially since he didn't understand himself?
Jack looked and saw D'Argo. He pointed.
Jack: "D'A."
Jack couldn't say D'Argo's whole name yet. Aeryn looked up and saw D'Argo. Jack let go of her hand and ran towards D'Argo. When D'Argo bent down to greet him Aeryn saw Crichton standing there. She stopped in her tracks. She couldn't move. Was he real or was this her mind playing a cruel trick on her? Could anyone else see him standing there?
D'Argo scooped Jack up in his arms. Jack had a big smile on his face. Crichton looked at him. When Crichton reached up and held his hand out to Jack and Jack touched it, Aeryn realized that John was really there. He was back. She couldn't move. She was frozen in her tracks. She was begging her mind to release her body. To let her go to him but she couldn't move.
John held his hands out to Jack. Jack looked at D'Argo.
D'Argo: "It is okay."
Jack looked back at John and moved into his arms. John held his son close to him. He laid his forehead against Jack's. Jack was playing with the buckles on John's vest. John softly kissed Jack's forehead. He hugged him.
John: "I love you Jack."
John looked toward Aeryn. He could see the tears rolling down her cheeks.
John: "D'Argo?"
D'Argo took Jack out of his arms. John stroked Jack's soft hair and kissed his little hand. Jack smiled at him.
John: "Why don't you and Rygel take Jack back on this pod? Aeryn and I will return on my transport."
D'Argo looked at Aeryn.
D'Argo: "Are you sure?"
John: "We will be okay."
D'Argo and Rygel boarded the pod. John walked toward Aeryn slowly. He stared in her eyes. They stood there and watch the pod lift off. When John looked back at Aeryn she was staring at him. He reached out and gently wiped the tear from her smooth cheek. Her eyes closed at his touch. She could barely speak due to her overwhelming emotions.
Aeryn: "You are real. You are here."
John: "I am here baby."
Her eyes opened slowly. John took her hand in his.
John: "Come on, we need to talk."
They walked away from the transport pod staring into each other's eyes.
****
Rygel was keeping an eye on Jack while D'Argo piloted the pod.
Rygel: "Do you think it wise to leave them alone down there?"
D'Argo: "They need their privacy."
Rygel: "What is going to stop Aeryn from killing him without us down there?"
D'Argo looked at Jack.
D'Argo: "Him."
When John entered command D'Argo and Chiana were deep in conversation about something. He couldn't hear what but it was obviously serious. D'Argo was holding a vid chip and Chiana was trying to take it from him.
John: "Play nice kids or I am going to send you to bed with no dessert."
When D'Argo looked over at him, Chiana grabbed the chip from his hand and moved away quickly.
D'Argo: "Chiana, it is not your place."
John saw the look moving between the two of them.
John: "Why is my 'spidy' senses tingling? What is going on? Has something happened? Are Aeryn and Rygel all right? Have they checked in?"
D'Argo: "Pilot contacted Aeryn and let her know we would be back within a half an arn."
John looked at Chiana then at D'Argo.
John: "Pilot told me that you didn't tell Aeryn I was coming back. Why not?"
Chiana looked at D'Argo.
John: "Talk to me 'D'."
D'Argo glared at Chiana as his gazed turned to Crichton it softened.
D'Argo: "A lot has happened to Aeryn since you left Moya."
John: "I know she must have been furious with me."
Chiana: "Furious that is a good word for it."
She smiled slightly.
D'Argo: "Chiana."
She stopped talking and sat down on the table. John stepped further inside command.
John: "I did what I thought was best for both of us at the time. I am willing to admit I was totally wrong which is one of the reasons I came back, for her."
Chiana: "She will be happy to hear that."
John: "If I ever get her to talk to me again."
D'Argo: "There is more."
D'Argo hesitated. He didn't know how to say it. John was getting anxious.
John: "Would you just tell me? You are starting to scare me."
Chiana held out the vid chip.
Chiana: "May be this will help."
John: "What is on it?"
Chiana: "Answers."
Chiana slipped off the table. John walked over to her and took the chip. She kissed his cheek and looked over at D'Argo. She left them alone in command. John looked at D'Argo as he inserted it in the console and pushed the button. It was images of a child. The pictures flashed one at a time and chronicled this child's life from birth. The final picture was of Aeryn holding this beautiful boy. John stared at the image. He spoke without looking at D'Argo.
John: "Who is this child?"
D'Argo cleared his throat softly.
D'Argo: "He is Aeryn's son. Your son. His name is Jack."
John stared at this child's face and suddenly it all made sense. The inexplicable pull he felt back to Moya. Just hearing D'Argo say the words filled the emptiness he had been nursing since he landed on Earth nearly two cycles ago. He looked over his shoulder at D'Argo.
D'Argo: "Aeryn found out shortly after you left Moya. She was going to leave herself and find a planet where she would be safe but after a run in with some Tavlik's, she realized the safest place for her to be with the baby was here on Moya."
John turned and sat down. He was staring down at the floor. His heart was racing. He couldn't seem to string two thoughts together. D'Argo came over and sat beside him.
John: "What is he like D'Argo?"
He looked up at him.
D'Argo: "He is a handful, of course I would expect nothing less from a child of Aeryn's. He reminds me of Jothee when he was a boy. He does these new amazing things everyday. As long as I have been on Moya it is nice to rediscover her through the eyes of a child."
John: "Jack…my son….Aeryn and I have a son. His name is Jack."
D'Argo: "You are starting to sound like Stark."
John: "I left Aeryn alone carrying my child. She must hate me."
D'Argo: "She has missed you."
John: "Did she say that?"
D'Argo: "Aeryn is Sebecean. She would never admit that out loud but I could see how she looks at Jack some times. He is a wonderful boy. He and Chiana play for arns down in the lower tiers. He likes to spend time with Pilot. He has an instinctive understanding of Moya."
John stood up. He was excited.
John: "I have to see him."
D'Argo: "They will be returning soon."
John: "I need to see him now. Pilot have the DRDs prepare a transport pod. I am going down to the planet."
Pilot: "Yes Commander."
John started to head out of command. D'Argo went after him.
D'Argo: "John, Aeryn still doesn't know that you are back. You shouldn't just drop in her like this."
John: "He is my son. I have all ready missed almost two cycles of his life. I don't want to miss one more microt."
D'Argo followed him onto the transport pod.
John: "Where are you going?"
D'Argo: "I am coming with you. Some one will have to shield Jack's eyes while his mother kills his father."
John smiled. The bay doors opened. The pod lifted off.
*****
Rygel was hovering on his throne sled outside of the pod door that he and Aeryn brought down to the planet. He had the supplies loaded and was waiting for Aeryn and Jack.
John: "Buckwheat!"
Rygel turned in shock.
Rygel: "Crichton?!"
John: "How you doing Spanky?"
Rygel: "How did you get here? When?"
John: "Twenty questions later, where are Aeryn and Jack?"
Before Rygel could answer John saw Aeryn. She was smiling and looking down. His eyes followed the path of her eyes. He saw Jack walking along side her looking up at her with this incredible smile on his face. She was holding his hand.
John's mind started racing. What was he going to say to her? What could he say? Could she ever understand why he left her behind, especially since he didn't understand himself?
Jack looked and saw D'Argo. He pointed.
Jack: "D'A."
Jack couldn't say D'Argo's whole name yet. Aeryn looked up and saw D'Argo. Jack let go of her hand and ran towards D'Argo. When D'Argo bent down to greet him Aeryn saw Crichton standing there. She stopped in her tracks. She couldn't move. Was he real or was this her mind playing a cruel trick on her? Could anyone else see him standing there?
D'Argo scooped Jack up in his arms. Jack had a big smile on his face. Crichton looked at him. When Crichton reached up and held his hand out to Jack and Jack touched it, Aeryn realized that John was really there. He was back. She couldn't move. She was frozen in her tracks. She was begging her mind to release her body. To let her go to him but she couldn't move.
John held his hands out to Jack. Jack looked at D'Argo.
D'Argo: "It is okay."
Jack looked back at John and moved into his arms. John held his son close to him. He laid his forehead against Jack's. Jack was playing with the buckles on John's vest. John softly kissed Jack's forehead. He hugged him.
John: "I love you Jack."
John looked toward Aeryn. He could see the tears rolling down her cheeks.
John: "D'Argo?"
D'Argo took Jack out of his arms. John stroked Jack's soft hair and kissed his little hand. Jack smiled at him.
John: "Why don't you and Rygel take Jack back on this pod? Aeryn and I will return on my transport."
D'Argo looked at Aeryn.
D'Argo: "Are you sure?"
John: "We will be okay."
D'Argo and Rygel boarded the pod. John walked toward Aeryn slowly. He stared in her eyes. They stood there and watch the pod lift off. When John looked back at Aeryn she was staring at him. He reached out and gently wiped the tear from her smooth cheek. Her eyes closed at his touch. She could barely speak due to her overwhelming emotions.
Aeryn: "You are real. You are here."
John: "I am here baby."
Her eyes opened slowly. John took her hand in his.
John: "Come on, we need to talk."
They walked away from the transport pod staring into each other's eyes.
****
Rygel was keeping an eye on Jack while D'Argo piloted the pod.
Rygel: "Do you think it wise to leave them alone down there?"
D'Argo: "They need their privacy."
Rygel: "What is going to stop Aeryn from killing him without us down there?"
D'Argo looked at Jack.
D'Argo: "Him."