Lili walked yet another lap around the room, waiting for the portal from the Mothership to activate. Stopping, she impatiently tapped her foot, then sat down on a bench. As she checked her watch for the sixth time, she uttered a mild curse at the seemingly endless delay. Volunteers had only moments ago given her an update of events on the Mothership, and the news that Ariel had been in danger was making her crazy. She would not be satisfied until she had her daughter safely in her arms once more. Unable to stay still for long, she stood back up and resumed her restless pacing.

The hum of the portal halted her steps, and she eagerly turned as three figures emerged from the portal's glow. As Ariel ran to her, Lili stooped, and scooping the child up into her arms, smothered her with kisses. Ariel giggled and hugged her mother tightly around the neck, obviously in fine shape.

"Oh, sweetie...Mommy is so glad to see you!"

"Ariel's glad, too, Mommy."

As she looked into her child's face, Lili began to thank her friends for their attention to her rescue. "Guys, I don't know what to say. If anything had happened to Ariel..."

"It is impossible that harm should come to the child. I would not have allowed it, Captain Marquette." Lili's head snapped up at the crisply familiar sound of the Taelon's voice, her eyes narrowing as she scrutinized him. "Zo'or..", she breathed, and drew her daughter tightly to her.

Zo'or tilted his head upwards in a familiar gesture, and smiled at the ex-marine. Ariel laughed, and breaking away from her mother, flung herself into the Taelon's arms.

Lili gasped in horror, and jumping to her feet, started toward the Taelon, but she was halted in her tracks as Liam Kincaid's restraining hand firmly caught her arm and pulled her back. "Let me go, Liam...Ariel." Marquette struggled against her friend, who placed himself in front of her and gave her a sharp shove backwards.

"Lili, stop!" Liam firmly commanded her. "Ariel is perfectly safe with Zo'or."

The Captain's eyes narrowed as she muttered to her friend, "Tell him to let her go, now."

"Lili, if it hadn't been for Zo'or, Ariel would have been badly hurt, or worse,up there. He protected her, so I think you at least owe him a word of thanks. Even if you don't want to acknowledge their relationship."

"What relationship? I told you I don't want Zo'or around my daughter!"

Ariel fixed her mother with a cross look, and then transferred her gaze to the Taelon who was holding her in his arms. Returning to her mother, Ariel rolled her eyes and adopted that superior attitude that annoyed her mother so much. The child sighed, and as if repeating a lesson for a dull student, intoned, "Da'an is Ariel Da'rhu'shee. Da'an is Zo'or Da'rhu'shee." She then smiled a fetching little smile, and turning her big blue eyes to Zo'or, lovingly patted the Taelon's cheek.

Lili frowned, and sighing in exasperation, turned to Liam Kincaid for enlightenment. Liam chuckled at her irritation, and patted her arm consolingly. This, he knew, was going to come as a blow.

"Ah, Lili. 'Da'rhu'shee' means 'beloved parent' in the Taelon language."

Lili shook her head, trying to process this tidbit of information, then her eyes went wide as realization struck her. "Do you mean...I mean...Ariel can't possibly think..."

"What, Lili? What can't she think?" Liam asked, determined to push this thing through.

"Do you mean she considers Zo'or to be her...her...."

"Sibling, would be the correct word, Captain. And while such a limited human term may overstate the case, there is, in fact, a certain connection", Zo'or offered with a slight smile.

Lili nervously pushed her hair out of her eyes, and sank down on the bench. "Oh, no", she muttered. "No..."

"Zo'or! Ariel like her flowers..." and the child began a mostly one-sided conversation with the Taelon.

Liam Kincaid sat down on the bench beside his overwhelmed colleague. "Well, while you're sorting through it all, you should know what happened up there. Tazog was using Ariel to register Da'an's signature and control the ship. One of the first things Zo'or did when he regained control, was to activate an energy shield to isolate her and protect her. Otherwise, Tazog could have continued to use her....and endanger her."

"How did Tazog know she could use Ariel that way?"

"She was on the bridge the first time Ariel made her Da'rhu'shee announcement, remember? She understood Ariel's connection with Da'an."

Lili looked at the Taelon, who was calmly holding a chattering child in his arms. He seemed assured, self-possesed; but without the extreme arrogance that had characterized him before. As he held the squirming bundle, Zo'or's blue eyes would occasionally light up when Ariel would talk about his gardens. And when he could get a word in, his voice was softer and less acidic than the Captain remembered. This was certainly behavior that was atypical of the proud, haughty Synod Leader she'd known before.

Lili slowly got up and approached the pair, never letting her eyes stray from the Taelon. Taking Ariel into her arms she stood close and looked the Taelon directly in the eyes. Lili took a deep breath, and then quickly exhaled. "Zo'or, I want to thank you...and I truly mean that."

"That is not necessary, Captain. I only did what was necessary." As he spoke, Lili noticed a difference in the Taelon. There was a spark in his eyes, and where Lili was used to seeing a condescending smirk, there was a genuine smile instead. Ariel laughed and clapped her hands. "Ariel is happy!!" she proclaimed to the world.

Lili smiled tentatively at the Taelon who had so often been her sworn enemy, and then hugging her wriggling daughter to her breast affirmed, "So am I, sweetie. So am I."

*****

Da'an was seated in the command chair rapidly processing information though a datastream. It had been some days now since the hijacking, and the Taelon was now well enough to resume his duties in a limited capacity. He was analyzing the ship's logs when Commander Boone escorted Kuzak into the Taelon's presence. Kuzak gave Da'an the Taelon salute of honor, and then paused respectfully to await the Synod Leader's attention.

Gracefully waving away the datastream, Da'an inclined his head, and slowly blinked his eyes as he regarded the Jaridian who had been so instrumental in returning the Mothership to the Taelons.

"It would appear, Kuzak, that my people and those of Earth owe you a great debt of gratitude."

"I did my duty the way I saw it, Da'an."

"Then, am I correct in assuming that you wish to continue this effort to form an alliance between our species?"

"You are, indeed, correct. The Peace Movement has been discussing this for quite some time, even before the decision was made to send Captain Marquette as our emissary. We were greatly surprised when Tazog insisted on representing us. She had not previously been a very strong supporter of such an alliance. We subsequently received information that led us to suspect that she was secretly aligned with the High Command, so I was sent along to protect our interests. Nothing is served by continued violence between our people, Da'an. Those who would promote it are, in the opinion of the Peace Movement and myself, the true traitors to their race."

Da'an's gaze shifted from the Jaridian to a point in front of him, and he closed his eyes as if in profound contemplation. Stepping slightly forward, and with slight uncertainty, Kuzak cleared his throat in an effort to continue. "May I ask, Da'an, what is the Taelon race's intention toward the Jaridian people?"

Da'an opened his eyes, and tilting his head toward the Jaridian, regarded him from the corner of his eyes. Slowly, with an air of dignity and authority, he rose, and descending from the command chair approached Kuzak. Standing in front of the big Jaridian, he looked into the eyes of his ancient enemy. With a slow blink and a quiet smile, the Taelon reached out his hand and turned it palm up, in the ancient Taelon gesture of friendship. Kuzak looked down at the slender white hand, so unlike his own. Returning the smile, he placed his big, rough warrior's hand on the Taelon's delicate one.

"May this, then, be the eventual path of our peoples," Da'an solemnly spoke.

"Indeed, my friend," the big Jaridian agreed.

******

Days had passed since the hijacking incident, and as a result of the surprising actions of Kuzak, the Synod was uncharacteristically eager to see an alliance established with the Jaridian Peace Movement. A communications center would be established, with Lili and Kuzak acting as contacts between the Peace Movement and the Taelons. After some wrangling, the two settled on a big room in the heart of the moonbase which would become the communications and operations center for the Taelon cell of the Jaridian Peace Movement. Lili was standing in the middle of this room contemplating where to move the boxes of office gear that just kept arriving from nowhere, when William Boone appeared in the doorway.

"Lili, we need to talk.."

Becoming instantly uncomfortable, Lili began to occupy herself by moving boxes from one side of the room to the other. She and Boone had not had a real conversation since she had arrived here, and after the incident in the gardens, Lili was nervous as to where this might be leading.

"Oh, uh, I'd love to Boone, but I have to...um...clean up this room. If we're going to set up a communications center, you know..." Lili stammered, as she shoved at a particularly stubborn box.

"Look, I know you were wanting to discuss something the other day in the garden. So,what did you want to talk about?"

"It wasn't important....besides, you were...occupied. Um...I didn't mean that sarcastically...or literally." Lili's winced and her face flushed a bright red at the confusion in her own words.

William Boone chuckled in amusement and handed her a box. "Okay...maybe I should start, then. Captain Lili Marquette, I owe you an apology."

Marquette stopped moving the furniture that was suddenly in urgent need of rearranging, and turned to the former resistance fighter. With a little shrug and a shake of her head, she looked Boone in the eye. "What for?"

"I made assumptions about what happened with you. I assumed that you joined with Vorjak voluntarily, and that you had sold out to his policies. I didn't trust you and assumed that you were here to help the Jaridians against us. I should have known that, no matter what you believed about the Taelons, you would never sell out your own people. You've fought too hard to protect them. So, I apologize."

"And, about the sabotage of the Mothership...?"

"Yours or theirs? I don't have any right to judge your actions. I almost did the same thing for a much less noble reason. You were doing what you thought was right at the time. It's past history, now. We'll leave it at that, okay? Besides, I owe you for staying with Da'an. It was difficult for me to leave him like that, but knowing you were with him was a great comfort."

Lili looked away, contemplating a box in the corner of the room, and nervously shuffling her feet. "Oh. Uh, well...that was nothing. Besides, you returned the favor with Ariel."

Boone smiled warmly at his friend, and held out a hand. "Friends?"

Lili looked up into the warm brown eyes of her friend and colleague. She laughed and shook her head. Friends...well, it had never really been anything else, even if she had once hoped for more. And she could never stay upset with William Boone for very long. She clasped his hand, and with the other fist, punched him in the arm. "Friends."

"So what did you want to say to me in the gardens?"

"I just said it. Now help me move this table, and tell me all about you and Da'an."

*****

"Zo'or...look!!" Ariel squealed with delight, as she jumped up and down, attempting to reach a pot of purple flowers perched on a ledge. "My viwets!!!" Ariel stood on tiptoe and pulled at the pot which began to tip precariously. With surprising agility, Zo'or moved to the child, caught the falling planter before it touched bottom, and placed it safely on the walkway.

"Yes, Ariel. Those are exactly like your violets. You are taking good care of them, are you not?"

"Oh, yes...Oh, look...", and with an excited giggle, she was off again, exploring some new marvel of the Terran gardens.

Liam sighed as he plopped down on one of the benches. "I don't know, Zo'or. I think I've decided that babysitting is a bit...well.... strenuous."

Zo'or looked intently at his friend, and smiled. "You know, I do believe that to be the case. But I am gratified to know I am not the only one who finds it so." Zo'or moved the pots of violets behind the bench, making their fragile blooms less accessible to little fingers. "I am pleased, however, that Captain Marquette has relented and is allowing Ariel to visit."

"Well, I think we finally got through to her."

A crash from the other side of the gardens announced that Ariel had found other pots sitting precariously on other ledges.

Liam sighed, and leaning against the tree, crossed his arms as he studied his friend. Zo'or had changed since the hijacking. The retiring gardener had been replaced by someone much more confident and assured. Confident and assured, but not haughty and proud. Well, at least not continuously, although flashes of the former Synod Leader were certainly beginning to emerge. Liam hoped that his friend was at last finding the balance his life so desperately needed.

Zo'or straightened up from his rearranging as another excited squeal suddenly arrested his attention. Liam laughed at the look of concern the Taelon was registering, as he listened for an accompanying crash. "So, tell me..." Liam ventured. "Which is the real Zo'or? Humble gardener, or commanding leader?"

Not hearing any other alarming sounds, Zo'or sat down beside his friend and regarded him thoughtfully. With a sly smile playing across his lips, he confidently answered, "Both, Major Kincaid. Both."

******

Boone found the message from his mate in his quarters. Da'an was going to the moonbase to rest in the Taelon recreation and Boone was invited to join him when his duties permitted.

Boone smiled. Da'an often went to the simulator when he felt a need to reconnect with his origins, but Boone had never been invited to come with him, and he respected that. He assumed that Da'an needed the time for personal and private meditation and contemplation. But now his Companion was requesting the presence of his human mate, and Boone was gratified.

Arriving on the moonbase, he checked in with security then made his way to the deck that contained the simulation room. Pressing his access codes into the lock, he entered the Taelon recreation, not quite sure what to expect.

The scene that greeted his eyes was one of breathtaking, exotic wonder. A virtual tropical paradise surrounded him, with vegetation in every shade of pink, purple and blue. An alien sky of mauve hues floated above. It was about twilight, it seemed, and the moons of Taelon were barely visible in the dimming sky. The alien beauty of the place was overwhelming and Boone stood in the entrance, his gaze attempting to take it all in. Seeing a path through the brush, Boone followed it, stopping many times to examine some interesting and exotic plant; or to listen to the sound of an animal scurrying in the bushes, some alien bird calling in the trees.

As he rounded a bend in the path, he stopped still in his tracks, drawing a deep breath of wonder. A lagoon quietly lapped on the banks there, the vibrant colors of the plant life reflected in it's softly swirling surface. The river that fed it spilled down a rock face from a low waterfall some distance off, it's sound rhythmic and soothing. And there, on a rock that projected out over the lagoon, his mate stood looking out over the tranquil waters, his human facade left behind. The translucent blue of the Taelon's energy, softly glowing in the twilight, was reflected back again in the shimmering pool; and William Boone caught his breath at the sight of this ethereal being who was his Companion. Quietly moving around the path, he made his way up the incline, to the rock on which his loved one stood in silent contemplation.

Da'an turned, his movement even more graceful than usual, unencumbered as it was by Earth's gravity and concessions to human form. Da'an reached out a hand that to Boone seemed too fragile to touch, and with deft, fluid fingers, traced an electric caress along his mate's cheek. Boone gingerly captured the Taelon's hand in his own, and kissing the fingertips, looked inquiringly at his loved one.

"You wonder why I have asked you here", Da'an stated, simply.

"Yes. But whatever the reason, I am already grateful that you have."

"I am contemplating our gardens, William Boone."

"I'm afraid that I don't understand."

"Then walk with me and I will show you." Da'an slipped a hand inside Boone's and urged him to follow him off the rock and back onto the path. Boone noticed that his Companion, who on Earth often needed assistance to navigate the smallest of obstacles, when in his own element was graceful and sure of foot. The two returned to the path and Da'an led Boone further into the forest that surrounded them. In a short time they came to a clearing where the forest gave way to a field of wildflowers.

Da'an sat down in the grass of the clearing and looked up into the Taelon evening sky. With a graceful gesture, he invited his mate to join him; and William Boone expectantly sat down and gazed into his mate's eyes.

"As I have said, William, I am contemplating our gardens and I find they need tending. One may retreat to a place of comfort, but if one shuts out the world, one also shuts out the gardener. Then who will make the garden to thrive?"

"I'm afraid I still do not understand, my Companion."

Da'an tilted his head in the way that Boone found so endearing, and gazed at his Protector thoughtfully.

"Are you disturbed by what I am, William Boone? Does the alieness of our bond bring you discomfort?"

Boone frowned slightly, wondering why his Companion would ask such a question. "No, my Companion. Our bond is priceless to me, and I look forward everyday to discovering the uniqueness of who you are."

"And yet there is much that you have not seen... much I have been afraid to show you. And I have felt the loss of that."

"And why would you be afraid, my Companion?"

"I have kept from your mind that which I fear you would not comprehend, William Boone. That which must seem so different, so....alien. In other words, in protecting my gardens, I find I have shut out the gardener."

William Boone took his mate's hands into his own, and pulling the Taelon close, tenderly kissed his delicate lips. "Then open the gate, my Companion."

Da'an slowly blinked his eyes, which to Boone seemed more hypnotic and captivating than ever before. Slowly and gracefully, the Companion lowered himself to lie on the grass, and William Boone followed, his lips never straying far from those of his beloved's. Boone gingerly placed a finger on one of the flickering blue energy pathways so evident now without the artificial facade to disguise them. Slowly and carefully he traced it's course down Da'an's cheek and neck, lingering there in a soft caress. The Taelon's translucent lips curved in a gentle smile as he placed both of his hands on the human's face, the tingle of his touch eliciting a sigh of contentment from his mate. Trailing his delicate hands down the human's strong arms, Da'an pressed both of his palms into his mate's and Boone felt a delicious surge of electricity run through him. He trembled at the sheer power of the experience as his mind was engulfed in swirling translucent blue; and he gasped as his being was swept away in a tidal wave of pure energy. With every spiraling wave, he was taken deeper into that beloved mind, that cherished essence, than he had ever gone before. That night William Boone's mind dwelt in Taelon gardens; beautiful, exotic...alien. And that night they both knew their garden would flourish. For this place of unique beauty was one of their own making, an expression of all their hopes and dreams; and such a refuge was sure to receive the attention and care of both Protector Boone and Companion Da'an.