Two solar days later while Rainne was eating in the galley with John, Aeryn
and D'Argo, John introduced her to Chiana and Jool. Both of the girls were
polite, but spent most of their time talking with the others as if she was
not there. She seemed to have nothing in common with them. Rainne had to
admit she felt a few pangs of jealousy when Jool sat next to D'Argo and
engaged him in a lengthy discussion. D'Argo ignored Rainne while he ate
and spoke with Jool. As Rainne was walking out with Aeryn to go talk with
Stark, a tall dark man walked past her, she drew a deep breath and turned
to follow him with her eyes. She caught herself staring at him. He had
black hair and almost black eyes. He seemed to exude a masculine power, he
was handsome in a roguish sort of way, impeccably groomed and very sure of
himself. Rainne turned to reenter the Galley. She knew she wanted to meet
this dark haired, dark eyed stranger. He turned to gaze in her direction.
Rainne moved closer to him.
She smiled and extended her hand, "hi I'm Rainne."
He pulled off his glove before taking her hand, Rainne noticed his hand was also cool to the touch much like Aeryn's. John had said something about them actually being distant genetic cousins, however their body temperatures were much lower than humans and they did not like heat. That is why the corridors and most of the rooms were kept at a cooler temperature.
~~~
Crais could not help but stare. He had never seen such a creature as this. He knew she was human, but she was distracting to look at. She was short compared to Sebacean standards, though athletically built like Aeryn. Upon looking at her again he decided it was the green eyes that drew his attention. Red hair and green eyes were never seen in Peacekeeper soldiers, occasionally in techs and servers. Crais felt a slight tingling in his hand as he held hers. She smiled up at him and despite years of training to mask any emotion or reaction, he could not help but smile back. The feeling was disarming.
~~~
Rainne did not notice but Jool saw that D'Argo had stopped eating and was staring at Rainne. Jool heard his quiet growl when Crais took Rainne's hand. Jool let out a small sigh, she could see the Luxan had deeper feelings for their newest member than he revealed.
~~~
Still holding her hand, the dark haired man finally spoke, low and soft, yet revealing a power that was barely kept restrained. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Bialar Crais, but most call me Crais." He smiled back at her, his voice hypnotic. "I believe you gave our Banik healer quite a scare."
Rainne noticed the others looking at them.
"Yes. At least that is what everyone tells me." She replied, unsure of what else to say. It seemed his gaze was drawing her in.
"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you. I will be going to have a meal, however when I am finished I could take you on a tour of Talyn. He is Moya's offspring." He said dropping her hand. The connection seemed to lessen when they were no longer touching.
"That would be nice." Rainne smiled again. "I am going to talk to Stark for a minute and then I will be going to the cargo bay to continue taking my ship apart. You can find me there when you are ready."
"Okay, see you in a few microts."
~~~
D'Argo got up and walked out after Rainne, leaving the rest of his plate undisturbed. He stopped outside the cargo bay where Rainne's ship was. Rainne had not yet returned from Stark's quarters. D'Argo stepped back into the shadows when he heard footsteps. It was Rainne and she was alone, she ducked into the small cargo bay. D'Argo walked quietly up to the door and peered in. Rainne was at the front of the ship. The DRDs had taken an exterior access panel off and she was staring at the contents. D'Argo stepped into the room and cleared his throat.
Rainne heard someone clear their throat, Crais eats quickly she thought, she turned around and looked back, D'Argo was standing there.
"Rainne." He said quietly, moving closer. His voice softer, more friendly.
"Yes, D'Argo." She replied, smiling at him.
"Would you like any assistance?" He asked leaning on the door frame.
She looked at him, trying to keep any emotion from her face. Is he jealous? He had ignored her until she spoke with Crais.
"No, I am just passing time waiting for Crais." she replied, wondering what he would do next. "But thank you for offering."
"Rainne I." he started. Was going to ask you to stay, here on Moya with me, let me show you around more. The rest of the statement went un-spoken.
Rainne heard footsteps and turned toward them, Crais walked into the room.
"Ka D'Argo, thank you for keeping her company while I ate." Crais extended his arm "are you ready for your tour?"
"Yes." She replied. She looked at D'Argo one last time. D'Argo just stared back at her unable to verbalize his feelings.
~~~
Rainne was speechless when they arrived on Talyn. The younger Leviathan was so much different from his mother. He was slightly smaller and sleeker, but she could feel the power emanating from him. Crais took her to Command first, when Rainne stood in the center of the room her skin began to tingle. The room began to sway, she felt a sudden urge to close her eyes. When she opened them again Crais was dragging her toward the door.
"What happened?" She asked as Crais helped her stand.
"I do not know." Crais said holding her arm to steady her. "Do you feel anything now?"
Her skin still felt tingly but the urge to close her eyes was gone. "I feel tingly all over. But not like when I was standing there." Pointing to where she had been standing. "What is it?"
"It is Talyn's nerve center. Everything in Talyn runs through this central area." Crais explained. "You must be telepathic. I could feel just the edge of your consciousness when you stood in the Neural Cluster. We have never had that sensation before"
"We?" She asked looking around. He was the only one in the room besides her that she knew of.
"Talyn and I." Crais turned around and raised his ponytail, Rainne saw a flashing disk embedded in the flesh of his neck. "Through this neural link Talyn and I are joined together. I can control all of his systems, yet he retains his own control. I joined with him when he was still an infant." Crais turned and walked into the center of the Neural Cluster and chuckled. "Let's just say it has not always been the perfect arrangement. But Talyn and I work well together now."
Rainne wanted to stand in the Neural Cluster again. She felt as if something was drawing her in. Perhaps Talyn and Crais could find the memories that Stark could not. "Could I stand there again?" she asked "Could you try to read my memories? Stark was unable to find anything but."
"You are not afraid?"
"Not while I am awake." she smiled at him. He smiled back but did not move or beckon her to come to him. He had his arms crossed and it made the muscles in his arms even more defined. He seemed so complex and simple at the same time. Rainne realized she wanted to be held in those strong arms, though they had just met only an arn before. He stepped aside and motioned for her to join him in the center.
Rainne stepped into the neural cluster again. She closed her eyes and began to sway. She felt Crais wrap his powerful arms around her. Suddenly she felt some other presence in her mind besides Crais. When Rainne opened her eyes again they were in the corridor outside of command. She did not remember anything. Crais had placed her on the floor.
"Anything?" She asked trying to sit up.
"No." Crais replied. He squatted down next to her. He lifted her chin with his finger. "You look tired. Would you like to continue our tour some other time?"
"Yes. Thank you." Crais helped her stand. She leaned against the warm wall. "I don't know what to do. Where am I from, what happened to me?"
"Those are questions I wish I could help you answer." He extended his arm. "For now I will return you to Moya so that you may rest."
"Thank you Bialar." She replied taking his arm and leaning on it on the way back to the transport.
~~~
After Rainne and Crais left the cargo bay, D'Argo stood in the empty room for a moment, before heading to the exercise bay. D'Argo stripped off his tunic and boots. He began slamming his fists into the punching bag. He could feel the tension releasing, yet he was unsure of his feelings for Rainne. Something in the back of his mind still did not trust her. She had come unarmed but, was she hiding something? Was she planted to spy on them? Would someone come looking for her, come to rescue her or come to silence her and possibly the entire group? Could she be masking her memories or was it as Stark said, was she just a young woman with none?
His thoughts shifted, surprising himself, he remembered the feel of her when he pulled her from the craft that first night, the feel of her when she ran into him in the corridor. The warmth of her little hand when he pulled her up. He knew he felt more than just fatherly affection for her, he was attracted to her. Would she accept him as a possible mate, or did she look up to him only for his strength of character? If by chance they became lovers, would Rainne betray him with Crais as Chiana had with Jothee? D'Argo had seen how Rainne looked at Crais and how Crais had done the same. Was he ready to take that chance? D'Argo did not see or smell Rainne when she returned from her tour with Crais.
~~~
Crais walked back into the Neural Cluster, he stood facing the viewscreen, hands behind his back. He finally let out the breath he had been holding since first laying eyes on Rainne. There was something disarming about her, yet he found it intriguing and knew he wanted to spend more time with her. Talyn hummed and whistled quietly.
"Yes Talyn, I too enjoyed her visit. Perhaps she will come again."
~~~
Rainne heard noises coming from the exercise bay as she walked back to her room. D'Argo was punching the exercise bag, he was sweating and his skin glistened in the dim light, she caught a whiff of his masculine scent as she moved closer. He was breathing heavily, the sound was almost seductive. Rainne was torn. She realized she was attracted to both Crais and D'Argo, even though they were both so different. How would she know if either felt the same about her? Rainne walked into the exercise bay making sure that D'Argo saw her. She knew she would not find out either ones feelings by staying hidden in her quarters all the time. "Has it given up yet?" she asked.
"You have returned from your tour." D'Argo stated ignoring her question.
"Yes." She smiled, "I just came to say goodnight." Perhaps it was not jealousy that brought him down to the cargo bay earlier. Perhaps I should have just walked on by. She thought to herself.
"Goodnight, Human." He said gruffly
"Same to you Luxan." she replied sighing.
"Sleep well."
"I will try."
Once she returned to her room she pulled her clothing off and climbed into bed in just a short gown she had gotten from the storage area. Between the dream and her experience on Talyn, she was exhausted. Rainne hoped the dream would leave her alone for just one night. She pulled the blanket up and wrapped herself in its warmth. She fell asleep thinking of D'Argo.
~~~
D'Argo showered after his workout. He pulled on a pair of shorts and picked up his Shilquen, he played a soft Luxan melody. He could not hear anything coming from Rainne's quarters. He waited a few more moments before placing the Shilquen back on the stand and dropped into bed. He hoped that the dream would not plague her. He knew Rainne was not sleeping well. Stark had tried to help but nothing he did seem to keep the dream from waking her.
The dream began again:
She turned to look over her shoulder, the huge creature roared again. It slashed out at her, barely missing her back. She ran through a building she did not recognize. The creature roared again. This time she could feel the creature's putrid breath against her neck; this time when it slashed out it caught her right shoulder. She could feel the blood running down her arm. Her lungs felt as if they would explode. She stopped and faced the monster. It was massive, with an oily sheen. The wound on her shoulder burned as if acid had been poured on it. When the creature realized she had stopped it stopped also. Suddenly she had the urge to reach out to touch it, suddenly she was no longer afraid, she felt the fear and hatred leave her body like a flame; she closed her eyes but felt the flame strike the monster. She heard the monster scream as it fell to the ground. When she opened her eyes again, Crais was lying there dead in front of her. He was wearing a jumpsuit. Rainne knew that she had killed him. "Bialar, no, no, no." she screamed.
~~~
D'Argo heard Rainne's scream; he thought she yelled out Crais' name. Could the former peacekeeper be in her quarters trying to assault her? D'Argo jumped up, wearing only the shorts he had put on; he grabbed his Qualta blade and stormed into Rainne's quarters. No one was in the room with her, she was tangled in her blanket again and struggling, she was alternately whimpering and calling out, "no, no, no."
D'Argo placed his blade on the couch and extracted her from the blanket. He shook her gently, "Human, wake up." He sat down next to her on the bed. He thought he caught the scent of Crais in the vicinity. He grabbed his Qualta Blade and went out into the corridor. As he left he noticed that the scent disappeared in the corridor. He walked back into Rainne's quarters and caught the scent again. It was stronger as he sat down next to her.
Rainne began to struggle on the bed, she was whimpering and seemed to be resisting awakening. Maybe she had taken a sleep aid, he thought. He pulled her into his lap.
"Rainne,"
She awoke sitting in D'Argo's lap. He was shaking her.
"Rainne, wake up."
She opened her eyes and looked at him. Rainne buried her face against his shoulder. She caught the scent of soap. She wished he would hold her as Crais had done. Instead he grabbed her arms and pushed her back so he could look her in the eye. "Rainne?"
"Yes." She replied. The memory of Crais dead in her dream was still crushing.
"Has the dream plagued you again?" He asked.
"Yes, except." She tried to say it was Crais who was dead.
"Crais was dead in the dream, wasn't he?" D'Argo asked.
How did he know that Crais was dead in the dream, she wondered. Why is he holding me at an arms length? She realized he was trying to avoid looking at her body. She remembered then that she was only wearing a thin gown. She could feel his skin against her own, he was warm to the touch and his skin was slightly rough.
"How did you know?" She asked unable to meet his gaze.
"You cried out his name." He pointed to his weapon. "I brought it for protection, I thought he had come aboard to harm you."
"No he is not here. He did not even leave the transport after he returned me." She turned to face him, should she tell D'Argo what she had experienced on Talyn. Rainne decided against it, she did not want to worry him. She did not want to be forbidden to visit Talyn and Crais. "Thank you for coming." She said leaning on his shoulder. She hoped he would show some sign of affection. "I really do not deserve all this."
Rainne heard him inhale deeply, growling quietly as he exhaled. She was unsure if it was affection, aggression or irritation with her inability to sleep a full night through. He gently lifted her up and placed her back on the bed. She grabbed the blanket and pillow before going to the bench. She wanted to feel the warmth of some living thing while she fell to sleep again. Rainne wished he would stay but she could not voice the words. She was afraid of embarrassing D'Argo and herself. What if he did not share the same feelings? What if he thought she was only a foolish child? How could she bear to see him everyday if something went horribly wrong?
"Everyone deserves comfort at times." D'Argo replied, as he left the room. "Goodnight Rainne I am just next door if you need me."
~~~
There was still something about her that puzzled him, but he could not put a finger on it yet. He was beginning to enjoy their time together, but he was still unsure, especially now after coming across her in her quarters smelling of Crais. What had happened on her tour? He knew if he had stayed in her room much longer he would not be able to control himself, regardless of what had happened while she was on Talyn. Her smell and the feel of her against his own skin aroused him.
She smiled and extended her hand, "hi I'm Rainne."
He pulled off his glove before taking her hand, Rainne noticed his hand was also cool to the touch much like Aeryn's. John had said something about them actually being distant genetic cousins, however their body temperatures were much lower than humans and they did not like heat. That is why the corridors and most of the rooms were kept at a cooler temperature.
~~~
Crais could not help but stare. He had never seen such a creature as this. He knew she was human, but she was distracting to look at. She was short compared to Sebacean standards, though athletically built like Aeryn. Upon looking at her again he decided it was the green eyes that drew his attention. Red hair and green eyes were never seen in Peacekeeper soldiers, occasionally in techs and servers. Crais felt a slight tingling in his hand as he held hers. She smiled up at him and despite years of training to mask any emotion or reaction, he could not help but smile back. The feeling was disarming.
~~~
Rainne did not notice but Jool saw that D'Argo had stopped eating and was staring at Rainne. Jool heard his quiet growl when Crais took Rainne's hand. Jool let out a small sigh, she could see the Luxan had deeper feelings for their newest member than he revealed.
~~~
Still holding her hand, the dark haired man finally spoke, low and soft, yet revealing a power that was barely kept restrained. "It is a pleasure to finally meet you. I am Bialar Crais, but most call me Crais." He smiled back at her, his voice hypnotic. "I believe you gave our Banik healer quite a scare."
Rainne noticed the others looking at them.
"Yes. At least that is what everyone tells me." She replied, unsure of what else to say. It seemed his gaze was drawing her in.
"Well, it is a pleasure to meet you. I will be going to have a meal, however when I am finished I could take you on a tour of Talyn. He is Moya's offspring." He said dropping her hand. The connection seemed to lessen when they were no longer touching.
"That would be nice." Rainne smiled again. "I am going to talk to Stark for a minute and then I will be going to the cargo bay to continue taking my ship apart. You can find me there when you are ready."
"Okay, see you in a few microts."
~~~
D'Argo got up and walked out after Rainne, leaving the rest of his plate undisturbed. He stopped outside the cargo bay where Rainne's ship was. Rainne had not yet returned from Stark's quarters. D'Argo stepped back into the shadows when he heard footsteps. It was Rainne and she was alone, she ducked into the small cargo bay. D'Argo walked quietly up to the door and peered in. Rainne was at the front of the ship. The DRDs had taken an exterior access panel off and she was staring at the contents. D'Argo stepped into the room and cleared his throat.
Rainne heard someone clear their throat, Crais eats quickly she thought, she turned around and looked back, D'Argo was standing there.
"Rainne." He said quietly, moving closer. His voice softer, more friendly.
"Yes, D'Argo." She replied, smiling at him.
"Would you like any assistance?" He asked leaning on the door frame.
She looked at him, trying to keep any emotion from her face. Is he jealous? He had ignored her until she spoke with Crais.
"No, I am just passing time waiting for Crais." she replied, wondering what he would do next. "But thank you for offering."
"Rainne I." he started. Was going to ask you to stay, here on Moya with me, let me show you around more. The rest of the statement went un-spoken.
Rainne heard footsteps and turned toward them, Crais walked into the room.
"Ka D'Argo, thank you for keeping her company while I ate." Crais extended his arm "are you ready for your tour?"
"Yes." She replied. She looked at D'Argo one last time. D'Argo just stared back at her unable to verbalize his feelings.
~~~
Rainne was speechless when they arrived on Talyn. The younger Leviathan was so much different from his mother. He was slightly smaller and sleeker, but she could feel the power emanating from him. Crais took her to Command first, when Rainne stood in the center of the room her skin began to tingle. The room began to sway, she felt a sudden urge to close her eyes. When she opened them again Crais was dragging her toward the door.
"What happened?" She asked as Crais helped her stand.
"I do not know." Crais said holding her arm to steady her. "Do you feel anything now?"
Her skin still felt tingly but the urge to close her eyes was gone. "I feel tingly all over. But not like when I was standing there." Pointing to where she had been standing. "What is it?"
"It is Talyn's nerve center. Everything in Talyn runs through this central area." Crais explained. "You must be telepathic. I could feel just the edge of your consciousness when you stood in the Neural Cluster. We have never had that sensation before"
"We?" She asked looking around. He was the only one in the room besides her that she knew of.
"Talyn and I." Crais turned around and raised his ponytail, Rainne saw a flashing disk embedded in the flesh of his neck. "Through this neural link Talyn and I are joined together. I can control all of his systems, yet he retains his own control. I joined with him when he was still an infant." Crais turned and walked into the center of the Neural Cluster and chuckled. "Let's just say it has not always been the perfect arrangement. But Talyn and I work well together now."
Rainne wanted to stand in the Neural Cluster again. She felt as if something was drawing her in. Perhaps Talyn and Crais could find the memories that Stark could not. "Could I stand there again?" she asked "Could you try to read my memories? Stark was unable to find anything but."
"You are not afraid?"
"Not while I am awake." she smiled at him. He smiled back but did not move or beckon her to come to him. He had his arms crossed and it made the muscles in his arms even more defined. He seemed so complex and simple at the same time. Rainne realized she wanted to be held in those strong arms, though they had just met only an arn before. He stepped aside and motioned for her to join him in the center.
Rainne stepped into the neural cluster again. She closed her eyes and began to sway. She felt Crais wrap his powerful arms around her. Suddenly she felt some other presence in her mind besides Crais. When Rainne opened her eyes again they were in the corridor outside of command. She did not remember anything. Crais had placed her on the floor.
"Anything?" She asked trying to sit up.
"No." Crais replied. He squatted down next to her. He lifted her chin with his finger. "You look tired. Would you like to continue our tour some other time?"
"Yes. Thank you." Crais helped her stand. She leaned against the warm wall. "I don't know what to do. Where am I from, what happened to me?"
"Those are questions I wish I could help you answer." He extended his arm. "For now I will return you to Moya so that you may rest."
"Thank you Bialar." She replied taking his arm and leaning on it on the way back to the transport.
~~~
After Rainne and Crais left the cargo bay, D'Argo stood in the empty room for a moment, before heading to the exercise bay. D'Argo stripped off his tunic and boots. He began slamming his fists into the punching bag. He could feel the tension releasing, yet he was unsure of his feelings for Rainne. Something in the back of his mind still did not trust her. She had come unarmed but, was she hiding something? Was she planted to spy on them? Would someone come looking for her, come to rescue her or come to silence her and possibly the entire group? Could she be masking her memories or was it as Stark said, was she just a young woman with none?
His thoughts shifted, surprising himself, he remembered the feel of her when he pulled her from the craft that first night, the feel of her when she ran into him in the corridor. The warmth of her little hand when he pulled her up. He knew he felt more than just fatherly affection for her, he was attracted to her. Would she accept him as a possible mate, or did she look up to him only for his strength of character? If by chance they became lovers, would Rainne betray him with Crais as Chiana had with Jothee? D'Argo had seen how Rainne looked at Crais and how Crais had done the same. Was he ready to take that chance? D'Argo did not see or smell Rainne when she returned from her tour with Crais.
~~~
Crais walked back into the Neural Cluster, he stood facing the viewscreen, hands behind his back. He finally let out the breath he had been holding since first laying eyes on Rainne. There was something disarming about her, yet he found it intriguing and knew he wanted to spend more time with her. Talyn hummed and whistled quietly.
"Yes Talyn, I too enjoyed her visit. Perhaps she will come again."
~~~
Rainne heard noises coming from the exercise bay as she walked back to her room. D'Argo was punching the exercise bag, he was sweating and his skin glistened in the dim light, she caught a whiff of his masculine scent as she moved closer. He was breathing heavily, the sound was almost seductive. Rainne was torn. She realized she was attracted to both Crais and D'Argo, even though they were both so different. How would she know if either felt the same about her? Rainne walked into the exercise bay making sure that D'Argo saw her. She knew she would not find out either ones feelings by staying hidden in her quarters all the time. "Has it given up yet?" she asked.
"You have returned from your tour." D'Argo stated ignoring her question.
"Yes." She smiled, "I just came to say goodnight." Perhaps it was not jealousy that brought him down to the cargo bay earlier. Perhaps I should have just walked on by. She thought to herself.
"Goodnight, Human." He said gruffly
"Same to you Luxan." she replied sighing.
"Sleep well."
"I will try."
Once she returned to her room she pulled her clothing off and climbed into bed in just a short gown she had gotten from the storage area. Between the dream and her experience on Talyn, she was exhausted. Rainne hoped the dream would leave her alone for just one night. She pulled the blanket up and wrapped herself in its warmth. She fell asleep thinking of D'Argo.
~~~
D'Argo showered after his workout. He pulled on a pair of shorts and picked up his Shilquen, he played a soft Luxan melody. He could not hear anything coming from Rainne's quarters. He waited a few more moments before placing the Shilquen back on the stand and dropped into bed. He hoped that the dream would not plague her. He knew Rainne was not sleeping well. Stark had tried to help but nothing he did seem to keep the dream from waking her.
The dream began again:
She turned to look over her shoulder, the huge creature roared again. It slashed out at her, barely missing her back. She ran through a building she did not recognize. The creature roared again. This time she could feel the creature's putrid breath against her neck; this time when it slashed out it caught her right shoulder. She could feel the blood running down her arm. Her lungs felt as if they would explode. She stopped and faced the monster. It was massive, with an oily sheen. The wound on her shoulder burned as if acid had been poured on it. When the creature realized she had stopped it stopped also. Suddenly she had the urge to reach out to touch it, suddenly she was no longer afraid, she felt the fear and hatred leave her body like a flame; she closed her eyes but felt the flame strike the monster. She heard the monster scream as it fell to the ground. When she opened her eyes again, Crais was lying there dead in front of her. He was wearing a jumpsuit. Rainne knew that she had killed him. "Bialar, no, no, no." she screamed.
~~~
D'Argo heard Rainne's scream; he thought she yelled out Crais' name. Could the former peacekeeper be in her quarters trying to assault her? D'Argo jumped up, wearing only the shorts he had put on; he grabbed his Qualta blade and stormed into Rainne's quarters. No one was in the room with her, she was tangled in her blanket again and struggling, she was alternately whimpering and calling out, "no, no, no."
D'Argo placed his blade on the couch and extracted her from the blanket. He shook her gently, "Human, wake up." He sat down next to her on the bed. He thought he caught the scent of Crais in the vicinity. He grabbed his Qualta Blade and went out into the corridor. As he left he noticed that the scent disappeared in the corridor. He walked back into Rainne's quarters and caught the scent again. It was stronger as he sat down next to her.
Rainne began to struggle on the bed, she was whimpering and seemed to be resisting awakening. Maybe she had taken a sleep aid, he thought. He pulled her into his lap.
"Rainne,"
She awoke sitting in D'Argo's lap. He was shaking her.
"Rainne, wake up."
She opened her eyes and looked at him. Rainne buried her face against his shoulder. She caught the scent of soap. She wished he would hold her as Crais had done. Instead he grabbed her arms and pushed her back so he could look her in the eye. "Rainne?"
"Yes." She replied. The memory of Crais dead in her dream was still crushing.
"Has the dream plagued you again?" He asked.
"Yes, except." She tried to say it was Crais who was dead.
"Crais was dead in the dream, wasn't he?" D'Argo asked.
How did he know that Crais was dead in the dream, she wondered. Why is he holding me at an arms length? She realized he was trying to avoid looking at her body. She remembered then that she was only wearing a thin gown. She could feel his skin against her own, he was warm to the touch and his skin was slightly rough.
"How did you know?" She asked unable to meet his gaze.
"You cried out his name." He pointed to his weapon. "I brought it for protection, I thought he had come aboard to harm you."
"No he is not here. He did not even leave the transport after he returned me." She turned to face him, should she tell D'Argo what she had experienced on Talyn. Rainne decided against it, she did not want to worry him. She did not want to be forbidden to visit Talyn and Crais. "Thank you for coming." She said leaning on his shoulder. She hoped he would show some sign of affection. "I really do not deserve all this."
Rainne heard him inhale deeply, growling quietly as he exhaled. She was unsure if it was affection, aggression or irritation with her inability to sleep a full night through. He gently lifted her up and placed her back on the bed. She grabbed the blanket and pillow before going to the bench. She wanted to feel the warmth of some living thing while she fell to sleep again. Rainne wished he would stay but she could not voice the words. She was afraid of embarrassing D'Argo and herself. What if he did not share the same feelings? What if he thought she was only a foolish child? How could she bear to see him everyday if something went horribly wrong?
"Everyone deserves comfort at times." D'Argo replied, as he left the room. "Goodnight Rainne I am just next door if you need me."
~~~
There was still something about her that puzzled him, but he could not put a finger on it yet. He was beginning to enjoy their time together, but he was still unsure, especially now after coming across her in her quarters smelling of Crais. What had happened on her tour? He knew if he had stayed in her room much longer he would not be able to control himself, regardless of what had happened while she was on Talyn. Her smell and the feel of her against his own skin aroused him.