Part Three?
Hour's later and Harper filed out with the others, feeling mentally exhausted. For hours he had listened to Kamil speak, listened to the words and felt them warm inside him. He couldn't help but grin, he hadn't felt this good in a long time. Ella and Jamie were grinning beside him as they all walked over to one of the private rooms.
The room was dimly lit and filled with pillows and beanbags. Jamie sank into one of the beanbags and let out a giggle as Ella tripped and pulled Harper down with her. Harper laughed and threw a pillow at Jamie. Ella giggled as the pillow hit home and she snuggled into the beanbag. Harper snuggled beside her and sighed.
"You feel like you've come home, don't you?" Jamie said watching his friend.
Harper blinked "Yeah, it does."
"Welcome to your family Seamus" Ella said.
Harper smiled and listened to Jamie explain what happened to him after he left Earth. Listening to his friend and lying beside Ella in the warm room Harper fell asleep.
Harper blinked his eyes open, sunlight streamed through the skylight. Harper looked round, not realising at first where he was. Jamie was asleep in the beanbag opposite him, a pillow resting on his lap. To the engineer's left Ella was still sleeping, her head resting on his chest, her blond hair had slipped out of its tie and had fallen in front of her face. Harper gently brushed it back, watching her sleep, feeling her chest rise and fall. It felt good simply watching her breath in and then breath out. Soon she opened her blue eyes and stared into Harpers.
"Hey" she said with a smile.
"Hey" Harper replied smiling "Wanna stay like this all day?" His free hand stroked her hair.
She snuggled closer to him, tracing the pattern on his T-Shirt with her fingertips. "That would be nice"
"So what do you guys do around here?" Harper asked
"Whatever we want. A few people, higher up, work so we can have some money. Some of us are teachers for the younger children. We take turns to cook, wash up, those general things. Like a family."
"Like a family" Harper echoed, he raised an eyebrow and whispered, "So that doesn't make us brother and sister or anything does it?"
Ella giggled. "Nope, just…friends."
"I like having friends" Harper muttered.
Before Ella could say anything else Jamie groaned from his bed on the beanbag, rolling over and then crashing onto the floor with a thud. Ella and Harper grinned as he sat up.
"Ow!" He muttered, rubbing his head, "What time is it?"
Harper thought for a moment, "I have no idea, what time is it?"
Ella glanced at her wrist, "Only 1548…uh oh"
"Ah crap" Harper muttered, then suddenly remembered something Dylan had said before they went, 'Okay, but we'll meet in the evening for dinner.'
"Ah Crap! Dylan's gonna kill me!" Harper exclaimed jumping to his feet,
"Ow, Seamus what are you doing?" Ella muttered watching him move over to the door.
"I'm sorry Ella, I was meant to met everyone for dinner last night and I'm 19 hours late." Harper hurriedly explained, wondering what he was going to tell Dylan.
"You'll come back though right?" Jamie said
"Of course I will" Harper said opening the door.
Jamie and Ella quickly came forward and hugged him goodbye and Harper hugged back then almost ran back to the porch. His surfboard was still were he had left it, leaning against the wall. The engineer paused for a moment to straighten his clothes, hoping it didn't look too obvious that he had slept in them and opened the door back to the sunny street.
Young children of many different species were running around, playing tag and eating ice cream, frantic mothers and fathers tried to keep up with them and couples strolled along the beach. Harper stopped for a moment, watching the surfers on the waves, wishing he could join them, but instead retraced his path from yesterday and headed back to the Andromeda in her docking station. Excuses for his being late were rushing through his head but as the high guard ship come into sight he realised he still didn't know what he was going to say. He didn't want to say anything about the Lost Souls Family yet, they wouldn't understand. Besides how could he explain that as he sat and listened to Kamil speak and fell asleep listening to Jamie and Ella that it had felt like home?
Harper entered the air lock and as soon as he did so Andromeda's hologram appeared in front of him.
"Where have you been?" she asked, arms crossed in front of her. Harper was surprised she wasn't tapping her foot.
"I…well…ya see…" Harper stammered, trying to think of a convincing lie.
"Save it Harper," she said "Dylan and Beka want to see you on command deck as soon as you got back."
"Aren't they still on shore leave?" Harper asked
"They're waiting for you first." And with that the hologram flickered out.
Harper swallowed and left his surfboard leaning against the wall again and headed up to command. He might have been able to lie to Dylan but Beka knew him to well. He paused outside of the door to command, his mind thinking briefly of Ella. Taking a breath he walked into command. Both Dylan and Beka spun round to see him, not surprised as Rommie had probably told them he was here. Harper tried to give them a grin but wiped it off his face when they scowled.
"Where were you last night Mr Harper?" Dylan asked
Before Harper could speak Beka started "Did you forget about the meal?"
"Well boss, and erm…boss I was really busy and I just…"
"Do you know how long we were looking for you?" Beka said again and Harper winced
"Well I…"
"We got back at 0100 hours, none of us managed to have anything to eat" Dylan said
"We thought you were laying in a gutter bleeding to death somewhere" Beka scowled
"So you better have a good reason."
"Which better not include alcohol and some 'hot chick'" Beka added
They both feel silent and stared at him waiting for an answer.
Harper took a breath "Well, ya see I was surfing and then I went to this bar to have a victory drink, ya know, and I bumped into my friend Jamie from Earth, he had stowed away on a freighter but we all thought he was dead. So we started talking and catching up and he invited me back to his and we talked to like 3 in the morning and I fell asleep and didn't wake up till about half an hour ago."
"You slept for twelve hours?" Dylan asked
"Surfing really takes it out of you." Harper said waiting tensely.
Dylan narrowed his eyes but sighed, "Okay Mr Harper, but contact us next time."
Harper nodded, "Uh huh, I will"
Dylan turned back to a console and Harper let out a breath and slipped out the command deck, walking back down the corridor, happy his lie had worked. The grin faded a second later when a voice called down the corridor.
"Harper wait up"
Harper froze and Beka caught up with him,
"What can I do for you Beka?" Harper asked brightly
Beka scowled "So where were you?"
"I told you, I found an old friend" Harper said defensively, technically it was true. "Come on boss you would never bug me like this when I was late on the Maru."
"You were normally with trance or some other crew member, you and Tol always had the same crazy passion for surfing."
"I know how to look after myself" Harper fought to keep his voice calm. "I'm not a little kid, I survived twenty years on that hell hole of a planet, I think I can manage a couple of nights without you, captain Terrific or anyone else okay?"
"Don't pull that crap with me Harper" Beka said, voice set on what Harper called her 'Captain Mode'.
"I missed a meal, you didn't have to search for me" Harper's head had started to thump in pain, part of him not quite sure how he had wound up arguing with Beka in the corridor.
"Well I hope you don't bump into any more 'old friends' tonight."
"What happens tonight?" Harper asked
"A meal," Beka explained, "Because of the one you screwed up last night."
"I didn't screw up anything" Harper yelled to her retreating back as Beka headed back to the command deck. "Damn spacer"
The engineer took a breath and tried to let himself relax. Only one place was calling him for that. The LSF centre.
The Andromeda flickered into existence beside him again, "Do you want anything to eat? My sensors say it's been a while since you had anything."
"No thanks," Harper muttered, walking again to the airlock, through Andromeda's image. "I'm so outta here."
Beka stopped once she had turned the corner, gritting her teeth and punched the wall, hard. She let herself punch over and over again, ignoring the feeling of her knuckles cracking. The more she punched Beka forgot where she was, hitting harder and harder.
"Stupid mudfoot. Doesn't he get it?"
Rommie's hologram appeared and stared at Beka, coughing lightly. Beka either didn't notice or ignored her so Rommie tried louder.
"Beka are you alright?"
She finally seemed to notice and spun round, arms up and ready to hit. She froze when she saw the hologram.
"Oh, hi Andromeda, I'm fine" she said quickly.
"Then can I ask why you are denting me?"
Beka sighed and lent against the wall, running her fingers through her hair.
"It's that freakingly annoying little pipsqueak"
"Ah Harper!" Andromeda summarised.
"He just doesn't get it. I'm trying to show Dylan he can trust us and what does that cocky little runt goddamn do?"
Andromeda smiled sypathically. "Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he met up with an old friend?"
Beka sighed, "Maybe but I know him. There' something he's not telling me."
Rommie closed her eyes for a second; "Well he's left the ship now. He even left his surfboard behind."
"It's not that I don't trust him, I just don't want anything to happen to the little mudfoot."
Hour's later and Harper filed out with the others, feeling mentally exhausted. For hours he had listened to Kamil speak, listened to the words and felt them warm inside him. He couldn't help but grin, he hadn't felt this good in a long time. Ella and Jamie were grinning beside him as they all walked over to one of the private rooms.
The room was dimly lit and filled with pillows and beanbags. Jamie sank into one of the beanbags and let out a giggle as Ella tripped and pulled Harper down with her. Harper laughed and threw a pillow at Jamie. Ella giggled as the pillow hit home and she snuggled into the beanbag. Harper snuggled beside her and sighed.
"You feel like you've come home, don't you?" Jamie said watching his friend.
Harper blinked "Yeah, it does."
"Welcome to your family Seamus" Ella said.
Harper smiled and listened to Jamie explain what happened to him after he left Earth. Listening to his friend and lying beside Ella in the warm room Harper fell asleep.
Harper blinked his eyes open, sunlight streamed through the skylight. Harper looked round, not realising at first where he was. Jamie was asleep in the beanbag opposite him, a pillow resting on his lap. To the engineer's left Ella was still sleeping, her head resting on his chest, her blond hair had slipped out of its tie and had fallen in front of her face. Harper gently brushed it back, watching her sleep, feeling her chest rise and fall. It felt good simply watching her breath in and then breath out. Soon she opened her blue eyes and stared into Harpers.
"Hey" she said with a smile.
"Hey" Harper replied smiling "Wanna stay like this all day?" His free hand stroked her hair.
She snuggled closer to him, tracing the pattern on his T-Shirt with her fingertips. "That would be nice"
"So what do you guys do around here?" Harper asked
"Whatever we want. A few people, higher up, work so we can have some money. Some of us are teachers for the younger children. We take turns to cook, wash up, those general things. Like a family."
"Like a family" Harper echoed, he raised an eyebrow and whispered, "So that doesn't make us brother and sister or anything does it?"
Ella giggled. "Nope, just…friends."
"I like having friends" Harper muttered.
Before Ella could say anything else Jamie groaned from his bed on the beanbag, rolling over and then crashing onto the floor with a thud. Ella and Harper grinned as he sat up.
"Ow!" He muttered, rubbing his head, "What time is it?"
Harper thought for a moment, "I have no idea, what time is it?"
Ella glanced at her wrist, "Only 1548…uh oh"
"Ah crap" Harper muttered, then suddenly remembered something Dylan had said before they went, 'Okay, but we'll meet in the evening for dinner.'
"Ah Crap! Dylan's gonna kill me!" Harper exclaimed jumping to his feet,
"Ow, Seamus what are you doing?" Ella muttered watching him move over to the door.
"I'm sorry Ella, I was meant to met everyone for dinner last night and I'm 19 hours late." Harper hurriedly explained, wondering what he was going to tell Dylan.
"You'll come back though right?" Jamie said
"Of course I will" Harper said opening the door.
Jamie and Ella quickly came forward and hugged him goodbye and Harper hugged back then almost ran back to the porch. His surfboard was still were he had left it, leaning against the wall. The engineer paused for a moment to straighten his clothes, hoping it didn't look too obvious that he had slept in them and opened the door back to the sunny street.
Young children of many different species were running around, playing tag and eating ice cream, frantic mothers and fathers tried to keep up with them and couples strolled along the beach. Harper stopped for a moment, watching the surfers on the waves, wishing he could join them, but instead retraced his path from yesterday and headed back to the Andromeda in her docking station. Excuses for his being late were rushing through his head but as the high guard ship come into sight he realised he still didn't know what he was going to say. He didn't want to say anything about the Lost Souls Family yet, they wouldn't understand. Besides how could he explain that as he sat and listened to Kamil speak and fell asleep listening to Jamie and Ella that it had felt like home?
Harper entered the air lock and as soon as he did so Andromeda's hologram appeared in front of him.
"Where have you been?" she asked, arms crossed in front of her. Harper was surprised she wasn't tapping her foot.
"I…well…ya see…" Harper stammered, trying to think of a convincing lie.
"Save it Harper," she said "Dylan and Beka want to see you on command deck as soon as you got back."
"Aren't they still on shore leave?" Harper asked
"They're waiting for you first." And with that the hologram flickered out.
Harper swallowed and left his surfboard leaning against the wall again and headed up to command. He might have been able to lie to Dylan but Beka knew him to well. He paused outside of the door to command, his mind thinking briefly of Ella. Taking a breath he walked into command. Both Dylan and Beka spun round to see him, not surprised as Rommie had probably told them he was here. Harper tried to give them a grin but wiped it off his face when they scowled.
"Where were you last night Mr Harper?" Dylan asked
Before Harper could speak Beka started "Did you forget about the meal?"
"Well boss, and erm…boss I was really busy and I just…"
"Do you know how long we were looking for you?" Beka said again and Harper winced
"Well I…"
"We got back at 0100 hours, none of us managed to have anything to eat" Dylan said
"We thought you were laying in a gutter bleeding to death somewhere" Beka scowled
"So you better have a good reason."
"Which better not include alcohol and some 'hot chick'" Beka added
They both feel silent and stared at him waiting for an answer.
Harper took a breath "Well, ya see I was surfing and then I went to this bar to have a victory drink, ya know, and I bumped into my friend Jamie from Earth, he had stowed away on a freighter but we all thought he was dead. So we started talking and catching up and he invited me back to his and we talked to like 3 in the morning and I fell asleep and didn't wake up till about half an hour ago."
"You slept for twelve hours?" Dylan asked
"Surfing really takes it out of you." Harper said waiting tensely.
Dylan narrowed his eyes but sighed, "Okay Mr Harper, but contact us next time."
Harper nodded, "Uh huh, I will"
Dylan turned back to a console and Harper let out a breath and slipped out the command deck, walking back down the corridor, happy his lie had worked. The grin faded a second later when a voice called down the corridor.
"Harper wait up"
Harper froze and Beka caught up with him,
"What can I do for you Beka?" Harper asked brightly
Beka scowled "So where were you?"
"I told you, I found an old friend" Harper said defensively, technically it was true. "Come on boss you would never bug me like this when I was late on the Maru."
"You were normally with trance or some other crew member, you and Tol always had the same crazy passion for surfing."
"I know how to look after myself" Harper fought to keep his voice calm. "I'm not a little kid, I survived twenty years on that hell hole of a planet, I think I can manage a couple of nights without you, captain Terrific or anyone else okay?"
"Don't pull that crap with me Harper" Beka said, voice set on what Harper called her 'Captain Mode'.
"I missed a meal, you didn't have to search for me" Harper's head had started to thump in pain, part of him not quite sure how he had wound up arguing with Beka in the corridor.
"Well I hope you don't bump into any more 'old friends' tonight."
"What happens tonight?" Harper asked
"A meal," Beka explained, "Because of the one you screwed up last night."
"I didn't screw up anything" Harper yelled to her retreating back as Beka headed back to the command deck. "Damn spacer"
The engineer took a breath and tried to let himself relax. Only one place was calling him for that. The LSF centre.
The Andromeda flickered into existence beside him again, "Do you want anything to eat? My sensors say it's been a while since you had anything."
"No thanks," Harper muttered, walking again to the airlock, through Andromeda's image. "I'm so outta here."
Beka stopped once she had turned the corner, gritting her teeth and punched the wall, hard. She let herself punch over and over again, ignoring the feeling of her knuckles cracking. The more she punched Beka forgot where she was, hitting harder and harder.
"Stupid mudfoot. Doesn't he get it?"
Rommie's hologram appeared and stared at Beka, coughing lightly. Beka either didn't notice or ignored her so Rommie tried louder.
"Beka are you alright?"
She finally seemed to notice and spun round, arms up and ready to hit. She froze when she saw the hologram.
"Oh, hi Andromeda, I'm fine" she said quickly.
"Then can I ask why you are denting me?"
Beka sighed and lent against the wall, running her fingers through her hair.
"It's that freakingly annoying little pipsqueak"
"Ah Harper!" Andromeda summarised.
"He just doesn't get it. I'm trying to show Dylan he can trust us and what does that cocky little runt goddamn do?"
Andromeda smiled sypathically. "Maybe he was telling the truth. Maybe he met up with an old friend?"
Beka sighed, "Maybe but I know him. There' something he's not telling me."
Rommie closed her eyes for a second; "Well he's left the ship now. He even left his surfboard behind."
"It's not that I don't trust him, I just don't want anything to happen to the little mudfoot."