A huge fist slammed into Berret's chest and sent him hurling across the Transport Pod's cockpit. The rear bulkhead stopped his flight abruptly and his limp body slid to the deck. His vision faded in and out. He remembered staring up at the flickering lights of the Pod and then Crichton... rather two Crichtons, that sometimes metamorphosis into three Crichtons before blending back into just two again, kneeling over him repeatedly telling him to "hang on." In a mental fog he thought, "Hang on to what?" Then decided it was too complicated to worry about and let the blackness take him.

He seemed to float for a while and then drift back into the light. This time the light fixtures above his head were different. A blurry image of Zhaan filled his sight and the image kept asking him questions in an echoing voice that made the words hard to understand. He was just about to ignore the interrogation and close his eyes again when Chiana slipped into his field of view. She started down at him with worried dark eyes and then turned to Zhaan asking, "Is he going to be all right?"
The Nebari girl's voice had the strange echo quality to it also.
Zhaan said something that didn't sit well with the younger woman, but the conversation had ceased to concern Berret. What had Berret's interest now at that moment was the little clone of herself that Chiana had balanced on one hip. The clone was also looking at him with worry in her eyes. Only instead of being dark, her eyes were bright blue. Berret at first thought the clone had a clone of her own clutched under one small arm, then he realized the third reproduction of Chiana was actually a doll. Berret chuckled to himself at the absurdity of Chiana having a clone, who in turn had a clone of herself, He let go of the amusing thought and drifted back off into the darkness.

When he next remembered waking up, this time the world around him seem more real and solid to him. Someone was holding his hand and turning his head slowly to the left he saw Chiana's face smiling down at him.
"Are you back with us now?" she asked.
"Was I away?" he asked in return in a weak voice, not sure what had happened.
"Yes, for a very long time. We thought we'd lost you," she said, in an unusually serious tone.
"What happened?" he managed to croak out, his voice dry.
Chiana rose, going to a nearby table. She poured a glass of water and helped him drink it before answering him.
"You and John were coming home from a trade mission when the Pod hit a Proton Annex. The energy discharge exploded the navigation station and flung you into the bulkhead. John got you back to Moya as quick as he could. You had a serious concussion and brain trauma that Zhaan thought your microbes couldn't repair in time... or at all. Do you remember anything about the accident?" Chiana asked.
"Only strange dreams..." he paused, looking at her with a funny look on his face.
"What's wrong?" she asked worried again.
"What happened to your hair?" he asked, slowly reaching up to feel one of the long white locks.
Relieved, Chiana giggled slightly. "Nothing, it's been like this for a long time. Don't tell me you haven't been paying attention to me again," she said teasingly.
"I don't remember it being this...." he didn't finish what he was going to say because a scrape and a sniffle at the door caught his attention. Standing just inside the doorway was the little Chiana clone he remembered seeing in his strange dream. Holding her hand was a little boy, older then the girl, but with a Nebari's short jet-black hair. Both children had the same bright blue eyes. Noticing his attention elsewhere, Chiana turned and followed his gaze toward the door. Seeing the children she smiled lovingly.
"Jalen... Chulee... Come see your father," called Chiana to the children at the door.
Bewildered, Berret was too stunned to ask any further questions before both children charged into the room. The girl leaped straight onto the bed, landing on Berret's stomach and driving the wind out of him.
"Daddy, are you okay?" she asked hugging him as he tried to get his breath back.
"Chulee! Be careful, your Daddy's still sick," said Chiana to her daughter.
"I told her not to jump," said Jalen, rolling his eyes at his little sister. "But she never listens."
The little girl stuck her tongue out at her big brother. "He's always so bossy," she complained then turned back to Berret. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said.
Berret looked at Chiana, obviously not knowing what was happening. Chiana's smile faded as she realized at that moment something wasn't right. He recovered for the children's sake and tried to cover up his confusion.
"It's alright... you didn't hurt me, Chulee. I was just surprised and happy to see you both is all," he said hugging the little girl to him. He looked over at his son standing next to the bed.
"I tried to tell her you were too sick to play, Dad," the boy said.
"It's okay, Jalen. You're doing a good job looking after your sister. Thank you."
He tussled the boy's hair and the youngster smiled at his praise.

"Okay kids, it's time for your father to rest some more," said Chiana. "Go find Andrea and Missy to play with while I talk to your Daddy."
"Okay Mom," said Jalen. "Come on Chulee."
"Bye, Daddy," said the little girl, giving him a kiss before jumping down from the bed. Both children ran from the room in search of their playmates. When they were alone again Chiana asked,
"You don't remember them... do you?" It was really more a statement then a question.
"Chiana, I..." he started but couldn't find the right words to say or apologize with.
"It's okay, Jared," Chiana said taking his hand. "Zhaan said there might be some memory loss with the injury, especially with your past history with the collar," she explained.
"Who are Andrea and Missy?" he asked.
"They're Aeryn and John's little girls," she supplied.
Berret thought a microt and then started to ask in bewilderment, "How? When?"
"Jared... love, you have been aboard Moya with us for over eleven cycles. Jalen is almost eight cycles old and Chulee is six. We have been bonded for nine cycles," Chiana told him, stoking his cheek.
"Bonded?" asked Berret, not sure what the term was supposed to mean.
"Yes, Bonded.... mated... Crichton refers to it as married or 'being hitched' or something like that."
"When did this happen?" he asked next, hoping the question would not anger her for some reason.
"Just after the war started," she said as a matter of fact.
"WHAT WAR!" he said in alarm, bolting slightly upright in the bed.
"Calm down, it has nothing to do with us. In fact, it's been out greatest blessing. The Peacekeepers and the Scarren Imperium have finally gone to blows... about nine and a half cycles ago. Somebody blew up somebody else's thingamajig and they been killing each other ever since. We've heard Scorpius is dead, killed when Scarren raiders ambushed his Command Carrier. Neither side has time to bother chasing or hunting us anymore. We're free to go and do what we want now. We've been transporting cargo and making a pretty good profit at it. That's what you and John were doing when the accident happened."
She traced designs with the tip of her finger on the palm of his hand as she talked. She looked him in the eye, holding his gaze with hers.
"We've also had time to raise families. This is the happiest I've ever been in my life," she said.

"Bonded... and with children?" thought Berret aloud. Chiana smiled and gave him an affirming nod.
"I didn't know Nebari and human DNA were compatible," he said in wonder, thinking of their offspring.
Chiana shrugged and threw up her arms; "Surprise!" was all she said while giving him a big smile.
"What else has happened?" he asked.
"Jothee is aboard," Chiana told him.
"D'argo's boy? He found him? When?" asking his questions so fast Chiana laughed.
"We found him shortly after we were bonded... and he's not a 'boy' anymore. He's grown into quite a man and a warrior like his father now. In fact, he's on duty in command at this micron."
"D'argo must be very happy," thought Berret out loud again.
"He is... and if he wasn't, Zhaan would see to it that he'd soon would be," said his wife.
"Zhaan and D'argo?" Berret said incredibly. "I never would have thought..."
"That they'd get together?" she finished for him. "Why? Did you ever think you and I would?" she queried.
"I don't know," he said after a micron's thought, then asked, "...did I?"
Chiana smiled and bent down toward him. "You didn't have too. I took care of that for you," she told him and then kissed him. At first he couldn't remember what he was suppose to do, but she took care of that too.




The others stopped by and visited later in the day. John looked older and had grown a beard, but was still basically the way he remembered him. Aeryn had changed quite a bit. Gone was the hardened Peacekeeper. Parenthood had softened the Sebacean's disposition, but she was still the same strong woman inside. Their two girls had Aeryn's looks. While their youngest, Missy, had her father's sense of the ironic; Andrea was more serious like her mother. Zhaan looked in and changed the bandage on his head. While she was there D'argo arrived and to Berret's shock, greeted him as a close friend. The Luxan didn't understand Berret's bewilderment until Chiana explained that he didn't recall most of the last ten cycles.
"So," thundered the Warrior as he straddled a chair by the bed, "We are back to the days when we despised and hated each other. Were the wrong look or word would have us at each other's throats, are we, Shrike?" He asked in a serious tone, then his face soften and he chuckled. "Don't worry, my friend," he said slapping him lightly on the shoulder. "You and I have fought side by side and back to back in battle too many times for it to come to that again. Those times are far behind us even if you don't remember. When you're better I'll tell you about some of our adventures," promised D'argo
"And he'll tell you over and over and over again!" said a unfamiliar voice from the door. Berret looked over and saw a young man who was obviously half Luxan and half Sebacean. "Father loves to tell his old campaign stories and war tales," said D'argo's son as he ambled into the room. "Uncle John and I can recite them word for word now."
"Jothee?" asked Berret.
"Hello, Uncle. How are you feeling?" the young Luxan asked clasping Berret's hand.
"Better now, but still not remembering much of anything," he answered.
"It'll come back with Zhaan's help," Jothee said reassuringly. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get back up to command. I just wanted to come down and see how you were."
The youth turned and left followed shortly by his father and Zhaan. Leaving him alone with Chiana again.
"Things have certainly changed from what I remember," he said to her.
"Yes, they have... for the better. We're a family now, all of us," replied the Nebari woman. "Malika and Andar will try to be up to see you soon too," she added.
Berret felt something was missing. After thinking about it for several microts, he had it.
"What happened to Rygel?" he inquired.
Chiana laughed at the mention of the Hynerian's name. "I almost forgot! His Royal Frogness has been re-established on his throne. His cousin was overthrown shortly after we arrived in Hynerian space. It seems he wasn't such a good Dominar and once word of Rygel's return reached his subject's fuzzy little ears, there was an uprising. He's the reason we've been able to start the cargo hauling business and why we always have a safe port to go to if there's any need. Not too many people want to mess with the Hynerian Navy."
"I can imagine," said Berret. " But since when did Rygel become so generous?"
Laughing she said, "Oh, he still whines and complains to anyone who will listen about how badly we treated him when he was aboard Moya, but the little toad still misses us, even if he won't admit it. He's even named several of his recent prodigy after us, and he absolutely dolts on the children when we're in port."
"That... I cannot imagine," stated the Shrike.
"Oh, it's true... and stranger yet, the kids adore him," was her reply
"You're lying!" he said in disbelieve.
"Not!" she said smiling while sprouting off the Crichton-ism.

That night Berret slept beside his wife for the first time that he could remember. True to form, Chiana rolled over and dug her elbows into his side in her slumbering search for warmth. Wincing at the poking, he eventually managed to roll the small woman over so her back faced him. Immediately she squirmed herself back until her spine was pressed against his chest. She sighed in her sleep as he tucked a blanket around her tiny form and wrapped his arms around her. This was much more comfortable then the elbow thing he thought to himself. He looked down at her, this much more mature form of Chiana. At the same time he was happy and sad. He was happy she'd chosen to be with him, happy that he was there with her now, and happy about the children. At the same time he was sad about the missing time. Not remembering their bonding or the birth of their children, the cycles of them growing up, or all the time between with Chiana. He'd hoped it wouldn't remain lost to him forever. Sighing to himself, he buried his face in her sweet smelling hair and drifted off to sleep.