Part 32
Dylan had been awake for a quarter hour before he felt Beka begin to stir. He lay as still as he possibly could, barely even daring to breathe. He was so scared of how she would react to what had happened between them. They had both been so protective of their feelings in fear of getting hurt again. He had run several scenarios, of how she might react, through his mind in the past few minutes, each one worse than the other. He gently moved away from her and sat on the edge of the bed. Just when he had almost decided to try and find a hiding place before she woke up he heard her speak.
"I know what you are thinking and you had better forget about it. I would just have to hunt you down and then I would be twice as grouchy." Beka mumbled sleepily.
"How did you know?" He asked with a small laugh.
"Because as good as you are at facing down the enemy, you are lousy when it comes to facing your own feelings. Just another of the many things we have in common." She said with a sigh. "I am assuming that this is the result of something in the wine or the food and not just our hormones finally getting the best of us?" she asked.
"I am pretty sure it was the wine."
"Probably right." She said. She finally moved, sitting up and drawing the covers around her. To Dylan's surprise and delight, she snuggled up close to him, laying her head on his shoulder. He lay back down, pulling her with him. They lay in silence for several minutes. Dylan knew Beka was mulling things over in her mind and he didn't want to rush her. When Beka finally spoke, her words were so soft, Dylan had to strain to hear them all.
"Do you think they got what they wanted?" she asked.
"I don't know." He answered, pausing to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "But it doesn't really matter."
Beka sat up quickly turning to face him.
"Doesn't matter?" she screamed. "How the hell can it not matter? Do you know what they want? They want a baby…MY BABY!" She started pounding him on the chest with her fist. "They want to take my baby and they want to kill it! And all you can say is it doesn't really matter?"
Grabbing her wrists, Dylan sat up. She struggled to get away from him but it was useless since he was so much stronger. After a moment she stopped struggling and he pulled her tight against his chest. He felt the dampness of her hot tears wash against his bare skin.
"I am so sorry Beka. Please don't cry. I didn't mean it that way at all. I only meant to say it didn't matter because there is no way in hell I would let them take our child if we did create one. You have to believe me Beka, I didn't mean it that way."
Getting her emotions under control, Beka nodded her head against his chest.
"I know Dylan. I am sorry too. It's just… I don't know." She said with an exasperated sigh. "I never, EVER, considered myself mother material, but just the thought that these monsters would try to hurt a child of mine really, really pisses me off."
"Then we need to find a way to make sure it doesn't happen." Dylan said determinedly.
"Who's the man?" Harper yelled as he danced around command. "I am the man!" he answered himself.
"I take your exuberance to mean the repairs are complete?" Tyr asked him from across the room.
"Yep, she is as good as new." Harper answered. " Not that she was ever new." He added after a moment. "But at least she should be able to get off the ground and to the palace before she falls apart again."
"For your sake as well as Beka and Dylan's, I hope you are correct."
"Is the field where you and Dylan landed before, big enough for the Maru?" Trance asked as they prepared to go rescue their friends.
"Yes, we could land there. However there is no way that the people at the palace will not see us coming in a ship of this size. If we are aiming for the element of surprise, we will have to land much further away." Tyr said.
"I, for one, have always considered surprise attacks…cowardly." Rommie said. "I prefer the direct approach."
"A lady after my own heart." Tyr said with an evil grin.
"Trance? Any 'feelings' on what we should do?" Harper asked.
She was silent for a minute, as if considering their options. When she spoke, all three of the others were taken back by her words.
"I say we take the Maru and ram her right up their evil, friend snatching, planet killing a…uhmm noses." She said with a determined nod of her head.
Dylan had been awake for a quarter hour before he felt Beka begin to stir. He lay as still as he possibly could, barely even daring to breathe. He was so scared of how she would react to what had happened between them. They had both been so protective of their feelings in fear of getting hurt again. He had run several scenarios, of how she might react, through his mind in the past few minutes, each one worse than the other. He gently moved away from her and sat on the edge of the bed. Just when he had almost decided to try and find a hiding place before she woke up he heard her speak.
"I know what you are thinking and you had better forget about it. I would just have to hunt you down and then I would be twice as grouchy." Beka mumbled sleepily.
"How did you know?" He asked with a small laugh.
"Because as good as you are at facing down the enemy, you are lousy when it comes to facing your own feelings. Just another of the many things we have in common." She said with a sigh. "I am assuming that this is the result of something in the wine or the food and not just our hormones finally getting the best of us?" she asked.
"I am pretty sure it was the wine."
"Probably right." She said. She finally moved, sitting up and drawing the covers around her. To Dylan's surprise and delight, she snuggled up close to him, laying her head on his shoulder. He lay back down, pulling her with him. They lay in silence for several minutes. Dylan knew Beka was mulling things over in her mind and he didn't want to rush her. When Beka finally spoke, her words were so soft, Dylan had to strain to hear them all.
"Do you think they got what they wanted?" she asked.
"I don't know." He answered, pausing to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "But it doesn't really matter."
Beka sat up quickly turning to face him.
"Doesn't matter?" she screamed. "How the hell can it not matter? Do you know what they want? They want a baby…MY BABY!" She started pounding him on the chest with her fist. "They want to take my baby and they want to kill it! And all you can say is it doesn't really matter?"
Grabbing her wrists, Dylan sat up. She struggled to get away from him but it was useless since he was so much stronger. After a moment she stopped struggling and he pulled her tight against his chest. He felt the dampness of her hot tears wash against his bare skin.
"I am so sorry Beka. Please don't cry. I didn't mean it that way at all. I only meant to say it didn't matter because there is no way in hell I would let them take our child if we did create one. You have to believe me Beka, I didn't mean it that way."
Getting her emotions under control, Beka nodded her head against his chest.
"I know Dylan. I am sorry too. It's just… I don't know." She said with an exasperated sigh. "I never, EVER, considered myself mother material, but just the thought that these monsters would try to hurt a child of mine really, really pisses me off."
"Then we need to find a way to make sure it doesn't happen." Dylan said determinedly.
"Who's the man?" Harper yelled as he danced around command. "I am the man!" he answered himself.
"I take your exuberance to mean the repairs are complete?" Tyr asked him from across the room.
"Yep, she is as good as new." Harper answered. " Not that she was ever new." He added after a moment. "But at least she should be able to get off the ground and to the palace before she falls apart again."
"For your sake as well as Beka and Dylan's, I hope you are correct."
"Is the field where you and Dylan landed before, big enough for the Maru?" Trance asked as they prepared to go rescue their friends.
"Yes, we could land there. However there is no way that the people at the palace will not see us coming in a ship of this size. If we are aiming for the element of surprise, we will have to land much further away." Tyr said.
"I, for one, have always considered surprise attacks…cowardly." Rommie said. "I prefer the direct approach."
"A lady after my own heart." Tyr said with an evil grin.
"Trance? Any 'feelings' on what we should do?" Harper asked.
She was silent for a minute, as if considering their options. When she spoke, all three of the others were taken back by her words.
"I say we take the Maru and ram her right up their evil, friend snatching, planet killing a…uhmm noses." She said with a determined nod of her head.