Chapter Two

Crais stormed in Tauvo's office and slammed his hands on the younger man's desk, his eyes boring into his brother. "Why did you not tell me about Terrick?" he yelled. Everyone that had attended Tauvo's celebration party the night before left shaken. Crais had spent most of the night pacing with pent up anger and frustration and he refused to wait any longer for answers.

Tauvo looked up at him calmly, the light of Zorosa's sun streaming in the window of his office. "Good morning to you too, Bialar," he simply commented, folding his hands over the stack of reports he had been reviewing. His brother's outburst didn't surprise him. Tauvo would have been more concerned if Crais hadn't come barging in.

"Answer the question, Tauvo!" Crais snarled in his most authoritative tone. He was not in the mood for games.

Tauvo leaned back in his chair, clasping his hands across his stomach as he studied his brother in full Peacekeeper Captain mode. "It slipped my mind," he casually answered.

Tauvo's answer brought Crais up short and he stared at the younger man incredulously. "It…slipped your mind?" he repeated quietly. The vein on the side of his neck twitched and he turned away from Tauvo, rubbing his temple with his forefinger. "Is there anything else that…slipped your mind, brother?" he asked through clenched teeth.

Tauvo's face twisted in thought, his twinkling dark brown eyes gazing around them room before locking with Crais'. "Nothing I can put a finger on at the moment," he replied, the corners of his mouth twitching.

Crais looked at him in fury. "If you were not my brother, I would kill you."

A wide grin split Tauvo's face as he leaned forward in his chair, resting his arms on his desk. "Well, thank you, Bialar. I love you, too," he chuckled, watching his brother's face go red before the angry expression finally faded into one of quiet submission.

Crais stroked his goatee as he stared at the infuriating grin on his younger brother's face. "I hate it…when you do that," he stated. He began to pace the room, causing the dust motes in the sunlight to dance as he walked. "You have always been able to diffuse my anger. Not even Morgan can do that," he observed.

Tauvo shrugged, chuckling. "From what I have heard about my dear sister, she only manages to stoke your anger higher." He saw his brother's raised eyebrow and sighed. "Bialar, with everything else that was happening, you honestly expected me to lay that on you as well?" Tauvo stood up, walking around the desk to stand before his older sibling. "You just escaped execution, found out that your wife was pregnant and had the leadership of the entire resistance dumped in your lap." He smiled, his head canted at a smug angle. "Admit it. You didn't need that too."

Crais' eyes narrowed, his chin lifting slightly as he pointed at Tauvo. "You have an annoying habit of keeping me in the dark." He finally sank down in one of the chairs. "I can only wonder why Sulan did not say anything."

Tauvo rested one hip on the corner of his desk, folding his hands on his leg. "To protect her position, I would imagine." His lips twitched and he glanced at Crais slyly. "You do remember recreating with her don't you?"

Crais smiled fondly, his eyes softening. "On quite a few occasion." He stood back up, pouring himself a glass of water and taking a deep drink. "We remained good friends after I was promoted to Captain and given command of the carrier group."

The younger Crais' face darkened. "That was right after you told Jira Raseen to 'buzz off'," Tauvo commented.

Crais looked at him stunned. He pointed to his brother. "You have been spending too much time around Crichton and Morgan." Tauvo simply shrugged in reply and Crais continued, setting the glass down and motioning in the air with his hand. "I am not surprised that Sulan was part of this."

Tauvo nodded. "Sulan tried to keep most of the things they said about you from Terrick." He gazed at Crais. "Of course, we know how that went."

"Mmm," Crais agreed. He gazed out the window over the growing community, amazed by the changes that had occurred in the short time they had been away. The suspicions he and Morgan had harbored about Zorosa 3 after their first visit turned out to be true. "So…do you have any suggestions about what to do with my…son?" His back stiffened as he said the last word with disdain. "I do not appreciate being threatened." He looked at Tauvo over his right shoulder. "…or having my family threatened, for that matter."

"I had hoped the last three monens in a holding cell would have calmed him down. Not even Mother and Father have been able to make a dent in that hard Peacekeeper exterior of Terrick's." Tauvo joined Crais at the window. "Considering the fact that he is your son, I should have known better."

Crais flashed his brother a dark glare. "I did not want to do this."

Tauvo looked at Crais' reflection in the glass, the frustrated look on his brother's face troubling. "Do what?"

"Discuss this…situation with Morgan." He pinched the bridge of his nose, hoping to stop the headache he felt coming on.

"I'd hate to be in you shoes right now. She was not very pleased last night." Tauvo leaned against the window, his arms crossed.

Crais nodded, his eyes widening slightly. "No, she was not."

Tauvo's eyebrows rose at his brother's comment and he watched him cross the room. "Someone I know in deep dren?"

Crais looked back at him as he opened the door. "Not yet."



Morgan hummed quietly, gently stroking Allan's cheek as he nursed, trying very hard to ignore the annoying nagging in her mind. She knew she shouldn't have listened in on the conversation between Crais and Tauvo, but her curiosity got the better of her. As always. She sighed as Allan let go, laying him against her shoulder to burp him, Suleah quietly sleeping in the crib beside her. Morgan placed Allan next to his sister and began to pace the bedroom in their quarters on Zorosa 3.

The door opened silently as Crais walked in and he observed her for a few moments. She was dressed in one of her favorite red tank tops, paired up with a pair of black leather pants. It amazed him how her body had changed in the course of only a few weekens, going from heavy with child to thin again, retaining some of the weight she had gained with the twins, and even more beautiful to him for it. His groin tightened and he took a deep breath, closing his eyes to regain his control. It never ceased to amaze him that she caused such a strong reaction in him. He opened his eyes and gazed at Morgan, her face wrinkled in thought as she chewed her thumbnail. He gazed down at the twins, gently caressing Suleah's cheek with the back of his fingers. "Morgan…"

Morgan turned at his voice. "Don't," she commented tiredly. "There is nothing you need to apologize for or explain." He had left shortly after dawn and she suspected he went to speak with his brother. And she had been right.

Crais knew that tone of voice and he approached her, drawing Morgan into his arms. He let his hand drift up her arm to cradle her head, his fingers threaded through her hair as he kissed her. "How much did you hear?" he asked conversationally as he pulled her down on the bed next to him. He knew she had been eavesdropping through the neural transponders.

"The whole blasted thing!" She fell backwards on the bed, closing her eyes. "I hate to say this but Tauvo had a point about not telling you."

Crais nodded. "This time he did."

Morgan chuckled, peering at him through slit eyelids. "Would you mind explaining to me how you are going to deal with a fifteen cycle old Peacekeeper son? No offense, Bialar, but you're not a patient man. And teenagers need patience."

He turned on the bed and looked at his wife. "Are you…implying…that I am short-tempered and have no patience?" Crais asked.

Morgan leaned up on her elbows. "I'm not implying it. I'm downright accusing you of being short-tempered with no patience."

His temper flared slightly and Crais realized Tauvo's assessment of Morgan's effect on him was correct. He looked away from her for a moment. "I understand only too well…how much patience…a teenager needs," he stated gruffly. "If you recall, I was the one who raised and trained Talyn almost single-handedly."

Morgan stared at Crais and began to laugh, falling back on the bed. "Oh that's good Crais! He of the cybernetic bleed back!" She held her sides, her whole body twitching as she giggled.

Crais crossed his arms in indignation as he watched her, his eyes growing wide, eyebrows rising. "Then why don't you try speaking with him?" he countered, waiting for her answer expectantly.

Morgan stood up in one swift motion and stared down at Crais in shock. "Are you frelling nuts? That little drensucker held a gun on me and hates me more than he hates you!"

Crais calmly studied her. "You told me once that you worked with troubled teens on Earth," he remarked.

"You would remember that." She propped her hands on her hips. "What's your point?"

Crais stood up, his hands wide. "Morgan, you have more experience with something like this. Dealing with Talyn and dealing with Terrick are…totally different," he answered with a slight shake of his head. He walked over to the window, watching as a flock of native birds flew by. "I will never get through to him. And you seem to…be able to talk to people." He glanced at her.

Morgan stepped up to him, head tilted, hands planted on her hips. "Let me get this straight. You want me to pull my Dr. Joyce Brothers routine on Terrick." Morgan noticed the confused look on his face. She rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. "In other words, you think I can get through to your son."

"Yes." Crais gazed down her, his eyes softening. "Morgan, he has been raised as a Peacekeeper. We need to find out what he knows and if he can be trusted." He leaned against the window ledge, motioning towards her with his hand. "As I said before, you have more experience with this than I. People feel they can trust you and open up." He shrugged. "I am a…perfect example."

Morgan's eyebrows drew together. "I may have more experience, but who said I was successful getting through to any of them?" she asked, arms crossed, striking what Crichton referred to as her little-Miss-attitude pose.

"You got through to me," he succinctly pointed out, motioning to himself. Crais dropped his hand, a small smirk on his face. "You are successful at whatever you do Morgan," he said quietly, pointedly gazing at the twins, daring her to argue.

She sighed, chuckling as she shook her head. "Alright, I'll talk to Terrick." She moved away from him, stopping to lean over the cradle and place a soft kiss on each of the babies. Morgan picked up her pulse pistol, holstering it. "I'll take Aeryn with me. Considering he's your son, he could get nasty. I may have to rough him up a bit," she remarked good humouredly, pulling on the new uniform jacket Bian had delivered earlier. It was a definite improvement over both her old Earth uniform and the Peacekeeper uniforms she had been wearing. She paused at the mirror, running her hands over her still slightly swollen belly. "Man, it is nice to fit in my clothes again."

Crais stepped up behind her as she pulled her hair up, the transponder blinking slowly at the base of her neck. He laid his hands on her shoulders, gently kissing the side of her neck. "I concur that taking Aeryn with you is a wise decision."

Morgan leaned back against him, turning her head, enjoying the feel of his hard body pressed to hers. "Mmm…the things I do for you," she murmured, her lips meeting his.

"Thank you," he whispered, the frustrated look gone from his face, replaced with one of gentle concern. Crais watched her walk from the bedroom. He breathed a short-lived sigh of relief, checked the twins and followed her.

"You owe me Bialar," Morgan called as she opened the door. "You better hope I don't kill Terrick myself!" She smiled at Crichton as he walked in. "Hey John."

"Hey Morgan." He jerked his thumb over his shoulder as he turned in a circle. "Where's Morgan going?" he asked as Crais settled down behind his desk in the living area.

"She went to speak with Terrick," Crais answered sharply, gazing over the stack of reports Tauvo left for him to review. He had hoped to spend some time alone with Morgan and the twins when they arrived, but he knew duty came first and the amount of information outlining the resistance's position from supplies to ordinance to personnel astounded him.

Crichton's mouth dropped open speechless, his temper boiling. He leaned his hands on the desk, his head cocked. "She…Morgan…"

Crais looked up at him with an annoyed sigh. "I know you…comprehended what I said, Crichton."

"He's your son," Crichton squeaked. "Why didn't you go talk to him?" he yelled, standing up. "Terrick held a pulse pistol aimed at your wife and son last night!"

"So Morgan reminded me," Crais answered, propping his elbows on the desk and entwining his fingers, glaring up at Crichton.

"Have you lost your mind?" He paused at Crais' stony glare. "Don't answer that." Crichton began to pace. "Crais, Morgan should be resting! For crying out loud, she only gave birth to the twins a weeken ago!"

Crais laid his hands down, picking up one of the reports. "Crichton, Morgan is better suited to speak with Terrick than I…"

"Bullshit! You just don't want to deal with him!" Crichton whirled on Crais as the Captain stood up at his outburst. He pointed towards the door. "It takes more than a weeken for a woman to heal after giving birth. And with the hormones surging through her right now, she's not gonna be thinking straight!"

Crais stared at him, his eyes hardening. "Morgan has not been exhibiting any signs of strain or irrational thinking. I do not understand…" Crais' jaw clenched as Crichton cut him off.

"Crais, she's human, not Sebacean!" the human pointed out.

"As you keep reminding me," Crais snapped.

Crichton continued, ignoring Crais' jibe. "Trust me. Right now she's riding high on the fact that she now has kids. But her emotions will start on a roller coaster ride from hell any day now. And with the mixture of her DNA and yours still coursing through her body, we have no idea what she's gonna go through." He poked Crais in the chest. "You know how bad the last two monens have been for her!" Crichton shook his head. "I cannot believe Morgan let you manipulate her like that!"

Crais' eyes narrowed, his fists clenching at his side. "You are gravely mistaken if you…believe…that I can manipulate my wife," he growled softly. His respect and love for Morgan's was the only thing that kept him from decking Crichton.

"Oh, yeah, right Crais." Crichton stared at him in shock. "Wake up and smell the coffee, Bialar! Morgan would bend over backwards and kiss her own ass for you if you asked her to do it!" he yelled, his face getting redder by the minute.

Neither man noticed Tauvo leaning in the doorway, simply observing them. The younger Crais saw the dark expression on his brother's face and couldn't help the twitching at the corner of his lips. That particular expression never boded well for the recipient and he wondered how many times over the last few cycles Crichton had gazed upon that dark countenance. Tauvo knew both men had valid points and wondered who would win this battle of wills. Based on the dark look on Crais' face, Tauvo could almost guarantee that his brother would come out on top.

Crais stepped towards Crichton. "Morgan has demonstrated to both of us…time and again, that she is more than capable…of taking care of herself," he said, his voice lethally quiet.

Crichton stared at him, his breathing shallow in anger. "You better hope so," he answered. He pushed Crais, his fingers jabbing the ex- Peacekeepers shoulder. "If your stupidity and incompetence in sending my cousin to talk to your Peacekeeper son gets her hurt, then so help me, I will take Morgan and the twins so far away from here that you will never find us!" He turned on one heel and started towards the door, ignoring Tauvo.

"Is that…a threat?" Crais asked through clenched teeth, his voice never rising.

Blue eyes met brown in rage as Crichton turned and glared at Crais. The human shook his head. "No. That's a promise."



The guard let Morgan into the cellblock, stepping back as she strode in with a curt nod, Aeryn behind her. Currently, Terrick was the only occupant and he sat on the cot against the wall, his eyes closed, one arm propped on his raised knee. She looked at Aeryn.

"Officer Terrick Crais, attention!" Aeryn yelled.

Terrick languidly opened his eyes and stared at them. "Well, if it isn't the irreversibly contaminated Aeryn Sun and the alien trelk Morgan Langtree," he commented, never moving.

"That will win you brownie points with me," Morgan quipped, grabbing the chair that sat outside the cell. She turned it backwards and eased herself down. She was tired and not in the mood for his smart mouth. "You already have one strike against you, Terrick. Never hold a pulse pistol to me unless you intend to use it."

Terrick sat up, staring at her. "Oh, I intended on using it. I didn't count on my…" he paused, a look of distaste on his face, "…father disarming me the way he did."

"Didn't realize your old man could move that fast, did you?" Morgan smiled. "It is not advisable to anger your father, Terrick."

He stared at her. "What do you want?" he snapped.

Aeryn snorted behind Morgan. "I know you were taught to respect your superior officers," she commented.

"She's not my superior officer and neither are you, so why should I respect either of you?" He turned his attention back to Morgan.

Morgan leaned her arms on the chair, her face growing serious. "I came here to talk to you."

Terrick lay down on the cot, his arms folded beneath his head. "I have nothing to say to you." He closed his eyes, dismissing the two women. "And you have nothing to say that I want to hear."

Morgan studied the teenager. She had dealt with ones like him before. "I think you do." She waited, playing with her wedding band, twisting it around her finger. "I knew your mother, Terrick."

"And that is supposed to mean something to me?" he asked, never moving. "She was no better than my father."

Morgan looked up at Aeryn and shook her head. "Why? Because she believed in making the universe a better place to live in?"

Her softly spoken comment was enough to bring Terrick to his feet. "There is nothing wrong with the universe the way it is. It is orderly with lesser species put in their places by the superior ones." He stormed over to the cell bars, grasping them tightly in his hands as he stared down at Morgan. "And as for my mother, it's your fault she is dead!"

Morgan's eyes locked with his. "I didn't think Peacekeeper's got close to their offspring, Aeryn?" she simply commented.

"Under normal circumstances they wouldn't. Although from what Tauvo has told John and I, Sulan somehow managed to keep Terrick close to her."

Morgan nodded, her mouth pursed slightly. "Funny, don't you think? It's almost as if she really cared for him."

"Yes, it is interesting." Aeryn shifted her weight and crossed her arms. "Although I don't know why. Supposedly Terrick is a hot-head and bit of a troublemaker."

Morgan smiled up at Aeryn. "Gee, I wonder who that sounds like."

Terrick's face grew red in indignation. "Speak to me! Don't act is if I am not here!"

Morgan leaned forward and stood up, knocking the chair aside. Terrick was easily two denches taller than Crais, making him tower over her. But Morgan was not intimidated by Terrick. "Why should I?" she asked quietly. "I came here to have a conversation with you. To apologize to you for your mother's death. And all you want to do is cop an attitude with me. "

Before she could continue, Terrick spoke. "As if you understand what it is like to be in my position. To be surrounded by people who hate you because they no longer believe in what you believe in."

Morgan smiled sadly. "Is that what you think? You think these people hate you?" she asked, motioning with her hand in a circular fashion. She stepped closer to the bars, close enough to smell the stale sweat wafting from her stepson. "These people pity you, Terrick because you refuse to see what's right in front of you."

"Which is?" he hissed nastily.

Morgan didn't answer him. She motioned to the guard, taking the cell keys from him.

"Morgan, what are you doing?" Aeryn asked in concern, standing up, her hand on her pulse pistol.

She didn't answer the other woman. Instead, Morgan handed Aeryn her own pulse pistol and opened the cell door, stepping in and pulling it closed behind her, handing the keys to Aeryn. Morgan grabbed Terrick's arm. "Come here," she commanded, tugging on him.

"What for?"

Morgan took a deep breath. "I said come here," she repeated, her voice hardening. She dragged Terrick to the window, standing up on the stool below it, laying her hand on the back of his neck. "What do you see?" she asked gently, her head tilted so that she could see his face.

Terrick watched as members of the resistance, men, women and children, old and young alike, went about their daily activities. "A group of traitors and rebels, every one of them wanted."

She shook her head and without warning, slammed Terrick's head against the window. Had he been prepared, he could've stopped her, but Morgan caught him off guard. "Try again, Terrick. You're Crais' son so I know you're smarter than that."

Terrick ignored the pain that shot through his temple, reminding himself not to underestimate this small, feisty alien woman next to him. He watched the people come and go for a few moments. "As I said, a group of traitors."

Morgan smiled, sighing. "Well, at least you get your stubbornness honestly," she commented. "Terrick, this is a group of people who believe there is a better way of life to be had. People who wanted to have children and families. I have seen fewer uniforms in this community than I have seen ever since I arrived in the Uncharted Territories. That should tell you something."

"It tells me nothing," he said quietly.

Morgan leaned closer to him. "Do you know what I see, Terrick?" She paused, her voice very quiet and gentle. "I see a young couple in love over there, sharing a meal and talking. Over there," she pointed across the square, "I see a family working together to bring in the crops they planted, laughing and enjoying each others company. See that man there? He could be anything he wants now." Morgan gazed at him. "And right before me I see a very bitter young man."

Terrick turned to gaze a Morgan. "How would feel if you lost your mother and your father was a disgrace?" he challenged.

Morgan contemplated him, her eyes tracing the angry lines of his face, the hard brown eyes that glared at her reminiscent of his fathers. "Terrick, your father's not a disgrace. Instead of alienating him, why don't you try to get to know him?" She jumped off the stool and headed to the cell door. "And for your information, I know what's its like to lose my parents and somebody I cared very deeply for."

Terrick laughed haughtily. "And what wonderful solution did you come with? Please, enlighten me."

She stopped, motioning for the guard. "Get this man a change of clothing, some hot food and a bath please," she instructed, ignoring the shocked look on Aeryn's face. Morgan slowly turned as the guard moved away to follow her orders, her chin lifted defiantly. "When my parents were killed, I was bitter for a while. I was already depressed because my best friend, a member of my family, John Crichton, was lost in a space accident. No one knew if he was alive or dead. And it seemed that nobody really cared, except for me." She approached Terrick. "My solution was this. I pulled myself up by the bootstraps, gathered up all my resources and took a chance. I went after Crichton and found him." She crossed her arms, shifting her weight to one foot as she gazed up at him. "What's your solution?"

Terrick stared down at Morgan, his hands itching to wrap themselves around her neck. Self-preservation kept him from throttling her where she stood. "I could kill right now if I was so inclined."

Morgan nodded in agreement. "You could. But then, Aeryn would kill you. I know she has no reservations about doing it." They stood there in a silent battle of wills for a few moments. "So, I'll ask you again. What's your solution?" Morgan turned on one foot and left the cell, locking the door behind her. She stopped as Aeryn left ahead of her, her chin held high.

Terrick had never moved, still standing in the center of the cell, glaring at her. "What?" he snapped.

Morgan looked at him, her blue eyes sad. "I really am sorry about your mother. She died saving my life." Morgan walked out of the block.

Terrick stared at her, furiously swiping at the single tear that slid down his cheek. "And you will pay for it," he whispered. A plan started to form in his mind.

A plan to get rid of Morgan and his father.

A way to complete his mission.