Title: Effervescent Essence
Author: Harper's aka Weird_Peace
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Sequel to And You Thought Larvae Were Bad. I highly suggest you read the first fiction.
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but I love 'em anyways.
Spoilers: Season Two spoilers.

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Harper bounced excitedly when he saw the new scans Trance took. He had a mini holo-disk in his toolbelt he always carried around now with the newest pictures of their unborn child.

"He's getting so much...chubbier." Harper winked. "So this means the fact his head used to big bigger than the rest of him wasn't a sign of early genius?" Trance hit him with a nearby pillow. "He's fine then? This is what twenty-five weeks looks like?"

"I'm a bit concerned that he's still more or less pink." Trance frowned. "It might just be a late development of his, or else the fluids in my body are messing with the picture."

"Why shouldn't he be pink?" Harper asked. "What're little Trances supposed to be?"

"Blue," she replied. Harper looked a little surprised. "And he'll be covered in down for the first few weeks of his life."

"Well that'll be interesting," the young man said a little sarcastically. Trance smiled and shoved him playfully.

"Hey, I'm dealing with constant movements and some chest pains here. Plus I'm gaining weight." She patted her growing stomach. "So you can deal with some blue skin."

"Absolutely," Harper said. "In fact, I like the blue skin. It's just another sign of the Harper genius gene."

"Really?"

"You have met the Perseids, right?" Harper ducked as another pillow sailed his way. "Should I take that as a no?"

"Harper, you need to get going on the Maru." Andromeda's voice drifted over the speakers. "Beka says if you keep her waiting, she's going to have my avatar break your legs and drag you on."

"Do I really have to go?" Harper whined.

"Yes!" Trance and Andromeda yelled in unison.

"Harper, you have hardly ever left me to myself since I was given the baby," Trance put a hand over his mouth, "and if you have, it's only been on the Andromeda with constant surveillance by whatever weird thingamajigits you can think of. Go have fun."

"Besides, Beka has a surprise for you." Andromeda smiled knowingly.

"Trance, I'm just concerned, you know that." Harper gave her his best sad, puppy eyes.

"I know that," she said sweetly. "But go." Trance pushed him out of the Med Deck.

"Try to do something nice..." Harper muttered, jogging down towards the hangar.

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"Heya Sport," Beka called as she heard Harper coming up front from his nap. Well at least he was supposed to have taken a nap. But Harper had been too stressed to even lie down. "Do you have them?"

Harper handed her the disc carefully, as if it were a piece of precious cargo.

"So the little guy is gaining weight. Trance must be please," Beka smiled, tossing the disc back, Harper nearly falling over himself to catch it, and picking up the piloting controls again. She couldn't help but notice the usually talkative engineer was unusually silent. "She'll be fine."

"What if she's not?" he asked. "What if this is the day Mr. Lava Lamp and his Magog buddies decide to make their move? Or the Dragans lay an ambush for them? What if she's trying to get food and something short circuits?" Harper's eyes went wide. "I forgot to fix the glitch in Hydroponics. It could..."

"Harper calm down!" Beka laughed at his paranoia. "Trance is a big girl, she's come back from the dead more times than you've gotten sick. You don't have to worry."

"That doesn't mean I still don't," he grumbled, leaning on the railing overlooking the cockpit. Beka sighed, and shook her head.

"Well we're arriving at Lofn now. Thank god it's a drift."

"What did planets ever do to you?" Harper asked, sliding under the bars to get a closer look.

"Three summers ago, Infinity Atoll," she reminded him. "Besides, didn't Rommie tell you about the surprise?"

"Going to give me any hints to what it is?" he prodded.

"Not what." Beka smiled mysteriously. "Who."

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"Rev!" Beka laughed in childish joy, running up and hugging the Magog. Rev looked just like he had the day he had left the Andromeda, only he had more gray and white hairs than Harper remembered. "I didn't think you'd actually be here."

"A Wayist doesn't lie," Rev said, returning the hug. He stepped back, looking the human over. "My Beka, how have you changed."

"I wouldn't be so sure about that." Beka shifted, too excited to stand still. She turned to Harper who was still standing in the doorway of Rev's small apartment. "We finally found the furball after some major tracking, and Rev's agreed to come back to the Andromeda." Harper didn't make any movement. "Harper, aren't you going to say hi?"

Harper and Rev Bem regarded each other, both knowing what the other thinking about, evaluating.

"Hi Rev," Harper said softly. Rev bowed in turn.

"Ok, what's up guys?" Beka laughed nervously, seeing how the atmosphere almost felt colder from the looks and body language of the two. "Harper, it's Rev."

Harper shifted around, not wanting to say anything in front of Beka. Rev was the one who spoke up.

"Rebecca, could you leave us for a few minutes?"

"Sure thing Rev." Beka walked right out, shutting the door behind her. Rev and Harper stood there for a few more uncomfortable moments of silence.

"The others have informed me of the happenings aboard the Andromeda. I must say I'm a little surprised, but quite pleased." Rev took a few steps towards Harper. "I would have come sooner, had I the chance."

"You wouldn't have had to worry about coming if you didn't leave," Harper said coldly.

"That is true," Rev admitted.

"Why did you leave Rev?" Harper bit his lip. "I mean, my god I was dying. You were supposed to be helping me, not abandoning me!"

"Harper, I am sorry for leaving you and everyone else..."

"Damn straight!" The young man began to pace. "You ran out on us. Why? Did it get too hard for you?" He sneered. "I was infested with larvae, you don't think that's tough?"

Harper huffed around a bit as if he wanted to say something, but didn't know how to get it out.

"I needed you, ok?" he finally said. "You know how hard it is for me to admit that? But I did, and I don't care that you might not have found the cure. You've always been there to offer guidance about the mysteries of the universe, and it may not seem like I listened a lot of the time, but I did. And the one time, the one time I really needed you, you left me."

Rev had stayed silent throughout the speech, waiting until Harper was finished getting everything out before speaking. He knew the man must have had this pent up for months, the tension almost visibly melting off Harper as he shouted and accused.

"I'm sorry..." he began.

"Oh that's rich," Harper scoffed.

"You didn't let me finish," Rev said, holding onto a great deal of patience. "I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'll admit, I was selfish in my endeavors to find self peace."

Harper seemed to think this over, Rev giving him plenty of time. He eventually stopped pacing and sighed.

"No Rev, I'm the one being selfish. I shouldn't have expected anyone to find the cure for me to begin with, and I shouldn't have expected you to drop everything for me," he said. Most would be surprised at this sudden revelation. Harper didn't usually forgive easily, but Rev Bem was his friend, a close one. He was the grandfather that died long before Harper had ever been born.

"Master Harper, you should never think that I, or anyone else for that matter, doesn't have time for you. True friends never abandon you," Rev said urgently. "In truth, I was there the whole time, that is, if I was your true friend."

"Of course you are Rev," Harper's brow creased, hurt that Rev would think otherwise. Of course, he hadn't exactly just made that so clear just now.

"I'm glad to hear that," Rev finally smiled, something that would normally send others running away screaming.

"So we're good?" Harper asked.

"That all depends on you," Rev replied as obscure as ever.

"You know, sometimes I wonder if that jumping around an actual answer isn't just a ploy of saying something so far out there, nobody will be able to tell if you're wrong," Harper accused teasingly.

"Something I picked up from Trance." Rev winked. "Speaking of Trance, how is your child doing?"

"She's twenty-five weeks in." His eyes lit up, and he pulled out the disc. "Want to see pictures?"

"I would love to, but don't you think we should invite Beka back in?"

"Oh, Beka!" Harper headed for the door, but as his hand touched the pad, he turned to Rev. "I'm..." He cleared his throat. "I'm really glad to have you...you know...back Rev."

"I am always happy to return to my friends," Rev answered. Harper nodded, grinning, then went to go fetch Beka.

"My first test complete," Rev whispered, never knowing the irony of the statement as he followed his young companion out the door.