After the fight between D'Argo and Crais, Rainne refused to see either of
them. One week later she asked that she be excused from further
dismantling of her spacecraft. Since the Twinkie discovery they had found
nothing that jogged her memory. Mostly it was metal parts and wiring.
John said he would finish, if Rainne wanted to help she could assist him as
well. Rainne thanked him and strolled down the corridor. She was feeling
lost and frightened, frightened at what she might be, what she might have
done, what she would become. She was frightened that her presence would
fracture the crew, that it would break Talyn and Moya's bond. She gently
trailed her hand along the wall as she walked. Pilot had told her that
Moya could feel her touch and welcomed it. Rainne realized she had come to
Pilot's den. Pilot looked up as the door opened.
"Rainne, what a pleasure to see you."
"Thank you Pilot." Rainne replied coming to sit on the console while Pilot worked. "Has there been any progress on dismantling my small vessel?"
"Crichton is almost finished with the interior portions."
"Pilot, are there any habitable planets near our position, away from the Peacekeepers?"
"I do not know, why do you ask?"
"I want you to leave me on one." she whispered. "I am a danger to myself and others. My presence is tearing this crew apart." Silent tears streaked down her face.
~~~
"Talyn?" Crais asked, the young Leviathan had just received a transmission from Moya. Talyn was afraid to share it with Crais. "Talyn, I know you received a message from Moya.Tell me."
Talyn explained the transmission. "Then we are in agreement." Crais replied. "Plot the course back, I will retrieve her."
~~~
"We will not abandon you Rainne." Pilot said. "Talyn would never forgive us. He has told Moya he cares for you deeply. He wishes you would come to visit him again."
"Perhaps I should." She said. Even though she was still upset with him she found she missed Crais more every day. Rainne slid off the console. "I will be in my quarters."
"Rainne." Pilot said, she turned to look at him. "We will find a solution."
~~~
Rainne strolled down the corridor toward her quarters. As she passed the Galley Jool came rushing out.
"You are going to ruin everything we have here." Jool spat. "I think you are faking your memory loss. I have never read anything about it, and I have several advanced degrees." She stomped her foot.
Rainne turned and looked at the Interion, Jools hair had turned a bright red from the emotional outburst. She had her arms crossed in front of her.
"I do not wish to argue with you." Rainne said quietly. She was aware of the real reason for this attack. She had heard from Chiana that Jool had tried to comfort D'Argo after the fight with Crais and he had snapped that he was not interested. "I am going to my quarters." Rainne's voice trailed off. She turned to continue her stroll down the corridor.
Jool grabbed Rainne's shoulder, pulling her back. "Do not turn your back on me, worthless little coward. You don't deserve the feelings D'Argo has for you."
Jool's attack finally cracked Rainne's tenacious hold on civility and possibly sanity for a minute. Though she was smaller than the Interion, Rainne pivoted on her heel and shoved Jool against the wall. The green in her eyes seemed to darken as if the pupils were smoldering.
"I have never asked D'Argo to have those feelings." Rainne said quietly. "He has done this to himself." Rainne paused. "Do not ever touch me again." Rainne felt the burning begin in her hands. She raised them as they began to glow. "I believe I have the ability to kill with my hands, Jool. You are giving me a new appreciation for the desire to do so."
D'Argo came around the corner to see Rainne holding her glowing hands up, anger clearly showing on her normally composed face. Jool was pressed against the wall, D'Argo tensed up. Rainne was normally passive. He immediately assumed Jool had provoked her. He strode up to both of them and pulled Rainne back. Anger seemed to exude from her small form. He noticed her hands were glowing. D'Argo glared at Jool.
"Why do you provoke her Jool?" he snapped. Jool just looked at him dumbfounded. Even after everything that was happening, he still defended Rainne.
"Why do you protect her, she loves someone else you stupid Luxan." Jool screamed back at him. "She has you and that Peacekeeper wrapped around her little fingers." Jool stomped off. Rainne leaned on the wall and began sobbing. The enormity of what she had done to Jool knocked the anger out of her. D'Argo laid his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.
"Rainne, do not cry." He said softly. He turned her to face him. She glared up at him. "She tends to get emotional." He said. "She does not mean half the stuff she says in anger."
"Yes she does, you walk around with blinders on." Rainne backed away from D'Argo. "Just leave me alone, don't you get it?"
"Get what Rainne?"
"I want to be left alone. Go watch over Jool if you are looking for female companionship." Rainne snapped and walked away, her mind a flurry of emotion. She could hear D'Argo calling to her but he did not follow. When she returned to her quarters she contacted Crais.
~~~
When Rainne stepped into Command Crais was standing with his back to her in the center of the Neural Cluster, his arms were crossed over his chest.
"Rainne, Moya told us of your request to be left on a commerce planet." he said quietly. He kept his back to her, afraid that if he turned to look on her face his emotions would overwhelm him. The thought that he almost lost her again was tearing into his heart. He and Talyn had made a pact. No matter what it took Rainne was going nowhere, even if they had to stay with Moya until they could convince her to come with them. "Talyn and I were on the way back to retrieve you, if you had decided to try something rash."
"Bialar." she paused unsure of what to say to him. "I don't know who I am." She paused, hoping he would turn around. Crais kept his back to her. "Where I am from? What I am doing here?" She leaned on the door frame. "What if I never remember?"
"Then you can start anew here, in the Uncharted Territories."
"What if someone is looking for me?"
"Then if it is meant to be, that person will find you." He said finally turning around. "Perhaps I was meant to find you, here amongst the crew of Moya." He walked toward her, pulling off his glove he held out one hand. Rainne took his out stretched hand and Crais pulled her closer, he stared down at her. "Stay on Talyn. We can take you away from all this strife."
"No." she whispered. "I can not be the one to take Talyn from his mother and you from your friends." Rainne said as she dropped his hand. Crais raised her chin with one finger.
"They are merely acquaintances." He kissed her forehead, he knew she would discuss it no longer, Crais decided to change the subject, to show her the dying sun he had discovered. 'Would you like to see something wondrous?"
"Yes." She smiled slightly. Rainne felt Talyn accelerate away from Moya. Crais grabbed her hand as he gave the silent command to Talyn to Starburst.
~~~
"D'Argo she is not here." Pilot said again. "She is on Talyn and they have star bursted away from us. Pounding on her door will not change that fact."
~~~
Rainne was very aware when Crais came to stand behind her. She could feel his breath on her neck. Very gently he placed his hand on her shoulder. "What do you think?" he asked as he nuzzled her hair.
"It's beautiful." She whispered. "I never knew a star could be so pretty." Crais turned her around and pulled her tight to his chest. It was then Rainne noticed that Crais had taken the binding from his hair, it hung around his face in dark waves. "I am sorry I pushed you away." She replied. "I was angry. I know D'Argo started it." She paused. Crais gave her half a smile.
"I am sorry I did not handle the situation as well as I should have." He replied. "But it is over now."
Talyn whistled at them.
"Understood Talyn, to the commerce planet. We can be back to Moya with in a few arns."
"What is it?" Rainne asked.
"Crichton has injured himself while trying to attach some of the items from your craft onto his module." Crais shook his head in disgust, the human just could not leave well enough alone. He would never get Rainne fully to himself if he agreed to help every time the crew of Moya called. "I am going down to the planet. Stark wants Silvendur salve to dress his wound." Crais released her. "I want you to stay on Talyn. Follow me."
"Where am I going?" she asked.
"You can stay in my quarters, let Talyn show you some other things we have recorded in all our travels together." He waved his hand over the door control, it slid open. "I want you to stay out of the Neural Cluster."
"Yes Bialar."
~~~
Crais had been gone for two and a half arns. Rainne was tired of waiting and she was lonely and bored. She walked to the door, Talyn whistled and opened it. He flashed the lights, beckoning her to Command. Rainne followed Talyn's signals. When she reached command the door slid open again.
Rainne walked into the neural cluster and looked up. Talyn began to speak to her, she did not understand him at first, but soon she could feel him in her mind. Her Rainne's hands began to tingle. She felt the desire to close her eyes. Rainne crumpled to a heap on the floor. She could feel Talyn probing her thoughts and memories again. She thought back on her memory of the unknown human from her dreams kissing her. He had dark hair like Crais' and blue eyes like D'Argo's. He was a few inches taller than her, he had pale skin and an impish smile. Rainne tried to concentrate on his face.
Dorian, his name was Dorian, they were sitting alone somewhere holding hands and Dorian had just kissed her. She pushed him gently away whispering, "if we get caught we will be punished."
"We can escape, you have studied the schematics, as I have." Dorian pleaded.
"It is impossible." She said as she patted his hand. "We are on a space station."
"I am tired of living imprisoned Rainne." He said. "We are as human as the next person, just because we were created in a lab doesn't mean we can't be free."
"If we are caught we will be terminated or worse. I don't want to live in a cage either Dorian, but I don't want to be dead. At least we can be together."
"Only until they realize what is going on. We are smarter than all of them, they created us and don't even comprehend what we are, what we can and cannot do." They heard a noise behind them. Dorian motioned for her to be silent, they slid slowly off the crate and crept slowly toward the door. She felt someone grab her shoulder.
Rainne opened her eyes. Crais was crouching over her. He had pulled her near the door. "Rainne?" She felt the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Rainne I asked you to stay out of the cluster."
Rainne was still a bit disoriented. "Dorian. His name is Dorian."
"Whose name is Dorian?" Crais asked confused. She could also see the annoyance on his face at finding her in the neural cluster.
"The man in my dream, the one lying dead. I killed him." She was so confused. "I remember him kissing me. In my nightmare he is dead and I know that I killed him. He kissed me." She said quietly as Crais helped her sit up.
"He what?"
"He kissed me. I remember it now. But in my nightmare he is dead. I know I killed him."
"Rainne it is only a nightmare. You said yourself that I was in the dream once, that you had killed me."
"What if it is a memory or something I did in the past." her voice trailed off.
"Your past means nothing to me just as my past means nothing to you. The past is something we can not change, however it is something we can learn from." He helped her stand. "Come out of command. I need you to take this salve back to Moya for Crichton. I feel it would be less stressful for everyone if I avoided the Luxan at this time."
"Yes." She replied taking the package from him.
"When you have delivered the salve and visited with your friend Crichton, I believe you should return to your quarters for the evening and rest." He smiled at her once again. "We will discuss this more in the morning."
"Yes Bialar."
They walked silently to the transport pod, Crais was resting his hand on her shoulder.
Rainne stood on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. "Good night."
"Good night to you as well."
Soon Rainne was back on Moya. She took the salve to Stark and visited with Crichton for a short while.
~~~
Rainne turned to look over her shoulder, the huge creature roared again. It slashed out at her, barely missing her back. She ran through the corridors of Moya. 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 to face the creature.
As she turned she saw a familiar form. It was D'Argo. He was leering at her and growling. Rainne felt him grab her arms and shove her against the wall. Rainne screamed and closed her eyes.
When she opened them again she was staring into the face of Braca but it was D'Argo's voice she heard, he was leering at her. He was rubbing himself against her and growling, holding her hands above her head. "The aurora chair is waiting for you next." He pulled her arms down and dragged her behind him down the corridor of Moya.
When they arrived in Command Rainne saw the chair, in it was Crais. He appeared to be dead. His hair was disheveled, his jaw slack, his eyes closed, his face pale. Blood ran from his nose. Rainne watched as the peacekeeper who had originally interrogated her pulled Crais' body from the chair and discarded him on the floor, kicking his inert form out of the way. Braca began dragging her toward the chair. Rainne struggled, her hands were beginning to burn. She screamed.
Rainne awoke in her own bed. As she sat up, D'Argo rushed in the room. The vividness of the dream caused her to back away from him. She backed herself onto the floor.
"Rainne." He said softly. "It was just a dream." He moved closer to her, she continued to back away from him.
"Don't touch me." She whispered. "Don't." She paused when she hit the wall with her back. She stood quickly, moving sideways she slid past him and out the door.
D'Argo trailed her down the corridor. He could not see her but he could follow her scent. When she reached Crichton and Aeryn's quarters she stopped, she was about to knock when she remember John was still recovering from his injuries. D'Argo stopped down the corridor and stepped into the shadow. Rainne turned and ran again.
~~~
"What is it Talyn?" Crais said groggily. "Who?"
Talyn quietly whistled his reply.
"I will go immediately. Prepare a transport pod."
~~~
Rainne stood in the darkened room, sobbing and shivering. The intensity of the dream had not worn off. She wrapped her arms around herself like a cocoon, lowering herself to the floor she rocked, trying to keep the memory of the dream at bay. D'Argo stopped in the corridor to watch her. He was unsure of what he had done. All the times before the dream had plagued her, he had been there to comfort her. She had never rejected him before. Even now, as he saw her drifting from him into the arms of Crais. He had been there to help her weather the storm of emotion that seem to torment her when the dream awakened her.
D'Argo turned to the sound of footsteps. He listened, the footfall was distinct. Bialar Crais was on Moya and headed his way. D'Argo held his breath as he slipped fully into the shadows of the rest cycle lighting. Crais stopped at the door to the room. D'Argo watched in amazement as Crais removed his gloves and pushed them into his pocket, straightening his jacket he stepped through the door. D'Argo crept toward the door.
~~~
"Rainne." Crais whispered. He crouched beside her. Reaching down he gently lifted her chin. "Rainne, I am here."
"Bialar?" she replied as she looked up at him. Rainne let out a sigh of relief at seeing him there, feeling his hand on her face. He was close enough that she could inhale his spicy masculine scent. Crais knelt on the rug, as Rainne turned to him. He encircled her in his arms, holding her tightly to his chest while her tears flowed freely. She cried for a quarter of an arn before Crais felt her relaxing in his embrace. He gently kissed her forehead.
"Tell me." He said quietly. His voice deep with the emotion he was feeling at holding her. Reveling in the fact that she had called out for him in her time of need.
"I can not." She whispered. She did not want to think on the dream again.
"Tell me," he said a bit more firmly, pushing her out from him to look her in the eye.
"He killed you." She cried out as the tears began again. "That evil man, that peacekeeper."
"Rainne I am right here. It was only a dream." He said trying to calm her once again. Crais realized it pained him to see her so upset.
"It felt like more than a dream." she whispered. Unconsciously she wiped the tears from her face, like a small child. "It felt real.", she turned away from him. Afraid to tell him, afraid he would think she was childish or weak. She was also afraid of the burning in her hands. Could she be a danger to herself or the others.she tried not finish the thought.
"Rainne, tell me the whole dream. You are holding something back." He said.
"D'Argo was in the dream too." Crais bristled as she said the name. "He was holding me, hurting me.then his face changed.to anger." She paused as she took a breath. "I closed my eyes and when I opened them again it was that peacekeeper, Braca. But he had D'Argo's voice. He was going to put me in the Aurora chair." her voice dropped off again.
"Finish." He said.
"You were in the chair." she paused taking a gasping breath as the memory came rushing back.
"I have told you before I was once subjected to the violence of the Aurora chair but have since recovered."
"No, I mean in the dream." Rainne paused as she looked into his dark eyes. She wanted to get lost in his gaze, to forget the dream. "You were dead." she stopped, resting her head on his shoulder. The vocalization of the memory of Crais dead in the Aurora chair was more than Rainne was capable of handling. She began crying again. Rainne realized at that moment the thought of losing Crais was foremost in her mind. The memory of D'Argo's actions were of no consequence. She turned her face toward his as she absentmindedly tucked a stray hair behind his ear. As her hand grazed his cheek, Crais kissed it. Rainne let her hand linger on his shoulder. Crais placed his hand behind her neck and kissed her gently at first, both of them giving in to the emotions that hung in the room like a haze.
~~~
D'Argo stood listening to Rainne's recap of her dream. It explained why she was so frightened by his arrival in her quarters. He turned away when he saw Crais kiss Rainne. Neither of them heard his growl. He had seen all he needed to see.
~~~
Rainne gazed into the dark eyes of the man she now knew that she loved and was surprised at the look that he returned.
"C'thha." He whispered. Finally acknowledging the feelings that had been growing inside him. Feelings that were new and frightening to him. He had felt attraction for Aeryn, but this was something different, yet he welcomed it.
"What?" Rainne questioned. She had never heard the word he had just spoken.
"It is a Sebacean term of endearment. Rough translation, beloved, the one in my heart."
"Beloved?"
"Yes." He whispered. Afraid to say the word twice. Afraid that this was a dream, that she was not here but safely aboard Moya, and he was still lying on his bed on Talyn. Rainne smiled up at him.
"Rainne, what a pleasure to see you."
"Thank you Pilot." Rainne replied coming to sit on the console while Pilot worked. "Has there been any progress on dismantling my small vessel?"
"Crichton is almost finished with the interior portions."
"Pilot, are there any habitable planets near our position, away from the Peacekeepers?"
"I do not know, why do you ask?"
"I want you to leave me on one." she whispered. "I am a danger to myself and others. My presence is tearing this crew apart." Silent tears streaked down her face.
~~~
"Talyn?" Crais asked, the young Leviathan had just received a transmission from Moya. Talyn was afraid to share it with Crais. "Talyn, I know you received a message from Moya.Tell me."
Talyn explained the transmission. "Then we are in agreement." Crais replied. "Plot the course back, I will retrieve her."
~~~
"We will not abandon you Rainne." Pilot said. "Talyn would never forgive us. He has told Moya he cares for you deeply. He wishes you would come to visit him again."
"Perhaps I should." She said. Even though she was still upset with him she found she missed Crais more every day. Rainne slid off the console. "I will be in my quarters."
"Rainne." Pilot said, she turned to look at him. "We will find a solution."
~~~
Rainne strolled down the corridor toward her quarters. As she passed the Galley Jool came rushing out.
"You are going to ruin everything we have here." Jool spat. "I think you are faking your memory loss. I have never read anything about it, and I have several advanced degrees." She stomped her foot.
Rainne turned and looked at the Interion, Jools hair had turned a bright red from the emotional outburst. She had her arms crossed in front of her.
"I do not wish to argue with you." Rainne said quietly. She was aware of the real reason for this attack. She had heard from Chiana that Jool had tried to comfort D'Argo after the fight with Crais and he had snapped that he was not interested. "I am going to my quarters." Rainne's voice trailed off. She turned to continue her stroll down the corridor.
Jool grabbed Rainne's shoulder, pulling her back. "Do not turn your back on me, worthless little coward. You don't deserve the feelings D'Argo has for you."
Jool's attack finally cracked Rainne's tenacious hold on civility and possibly sanity for a minute. Though she was smaller than the Interion, Rainne pivoted on her heel and shoved Jool against the wall. The green in her eyes seemed to darken as if the pupils were smoldering.
"I have never asked D'Argo to have those feelings." Rainne said quietly. "He has done this to himself." Rainne paused. "Do not ever touch me again." Rainne felt the burning begin in her hands. She raised them as they began to glow. "I believe I have the ability to kill with my hands, Jool. You are giving me a new appreciation for the desire to do so."
D'Argo came around the corner to see Rainne holding her glowing hands up, anger clearly showing on her normally composed face. Jool was pressed against the wall, D'Argo tensed up. Rainne was normally passive. He immediately assumed Jool had provoked her. He strode up to both of them and pulled Rainne back. Anger seemed to exude from her small form. He noticed her hands were glowing. D'Argo glared at Jool.
"Why do you provoke her Jool?" he snapped. Jool just looked at him dumbfounded. Even after everything that was happening, he still defended Rainne.
"Why do you protect her, she loves someone else you stupid Luxan." Jool screamed back at him. "She has you and that Peacekeeper wrapped around her little fingers." Jool stomped off. Rainne leaned on the wall and began sobbing. The enormity of what she had done to Jool knocked the anger out of her. D'Argo laid his hand on her shoulder, trying to comfort her.
"Rainne, do not cry." He said softly. He turned her to face him. She glared up at him. "She tends to get emotional." He said. "She does not mean half the stuff she says in anger."
"Yes she does, you walk around with blinders on." Rainne backed away from D'Argo. "Just leave me alone, don't you get it?"
"Get what Rainne?"
"I want to be left alone. Go watch over Jool if you are looking for female companionship." Rainne snapped and walked away, her mind a flurry of emotion. She could hear D'Argo calling to her but he did not follow. When she returned to her quarters she contacted Crais.
~~~
When Rainne stepped into Command Crais was standing with his back to her in the center of the Neural Cluster, his arms were crossed over his chest.
"Rainne, Moya told us of your request to be left on a commerce planet." he said quietly. He kept his back to her, afraid that if he turned to look on her face his emotions would overwhelm him. The thought that he almost lost her again was tearing into his heart. He and Talyn had made a pact. No matter what it took Rainne was going nowhere, even if they had to stay with Moya until they could convince her to come with them. "Talyn and I were on the way back to retrieve you, if you had decided to try something rash."
"Bialar." she paused unsure of what to say to him. "I don't know who I am." She paused, hoping he would turn around. Crais kept his back to her. "Where I am from? What I am doing here?" She leaned on the door frame. "What if I never remember?"
"Then you can start anew here, in the Uncharted Territories."
"What if someone is looking for me?"
"Then if it is meant to be, that person will find you." He said finally turning around. "Perhaps I was meant to find you, here amongst the crew of Moya." He walked toward her, pulling off his glove he held out one hand. Rainne took his out stretched hand and Crais pulled her closer, he stared down at her. "Stay on Talyn. We can take you away from all this strife."
"No." she whispered. "I can not be the one to take Talyn from his mother and you from your friends." Rainne said as she dropped his hand. Crais raised her chin with one finger.
"They are merely acquaintances." He kissed her forehead, he knew she would discuss it no longer, Crais decided to change the subject, to show her the dying sun he had discovered. 'Would you like to see something wondrous?"
"Yes." She smiled slightly. Rainne felt Talyn accelerate away from Moya. Crais grabbed her hand as he gave the silent command to Talyn to Starburst.
~~~
"D'Argo she is not here." Pilot said again. "She is on Talyn and they have star bursted away from us. Pounding on her door will not change that fact."
~~~
Rainne was very aware when Crais came to stand behind her. She could feel his breath on her neck. Very gently he placed his hand on her shoulder. "What do you think?" he asked as he nuzzled her hair.
"It's beautiful." She whispered. "I never knew a star could be so pretty." Crais turned her around and pulled her tight to his chest. It was then Rainne noticed that Crais had taken the binding from his hair, it hung around his face in dark waves. "I am sorry I pushed you away." She replied. "I was angry. I know D'Argo started it." She paused. Crais gave her half a smile.
"I am sorry I did not handle the situation as well as I should have." He replied. "But it is over now."
Talyn whistled at them.
"Understood Talyn, to the commerce planet. We can be back to Moya with in a few arns."
"What is it?" Rainne asked.
"Crichton has injured himself while trying to attach some of the items from your craft onto his module." Crais shook his head in disgust, the human just could not leave well enough alone. He would never get Rainne fully to himself if he agreed to help every time the crew of Moya called. "I am going down to the planet. Stark wants Silvendur salve to dress his wound." Crais released her. "I want you to stay on Talyn. Follow me."
"Where am I going?" she asked.
"You can stay in my quarters, let Talyn show you some other things we have recorded in all our travels together." He waved his hand over the door control, it slid open. "I want you to stay out of the Neural Cluster."
"Yes Bialar."
~~~
Crais had been gone for two and a half arns. Rainne was tired of waiting and she was lonely and bored. She walked to the door, Talyn whistled and opened it. He flashed the lights, beckoning her to Command. Rainne followed Talyn's signals. When she reached command the door slid open again.
Rainne walked into the neural cluster and looked up. Talyn began to speak to her, she did not understand him at first, but soon she could feel him in her mind. Her Rainne's hands began to tingle. She felt the desire to close her eyes. Rainne crumpled to a heap on the floor. She could feel Talyn probing her thoughts and memories again. She thought back on her memory of the unknown human from her dreams kissing her. He had dark hair like Crais' and blue eyes like D'Argo's. He was a few inches taller than her, he had pale skin and an impish smile. Rainne tried to concentrate on his face.
Dorian, his name was Dorian, they were sitting alone somewhere holding hands and Dorian had just kissed her. She pushed him gently away whispering, "if we get caught we will be punished."
"We can escape, you have studied the schematics, as I have." Dorian pleaded.
"It is impossible." She said as she patted his hand. "We are on a space station."
"I am tired of living imprisoned Rainne." He said. "We are as human as the next person, just because we were created in a lab doesn't mean we can't be free."
"If we are caught we will be terminated or worse. I don't want to live in a cage either Dorian, but I don't want to be dead. At least we can be together."
"Only until they realize what is going on. We are smarter than all of them, they created us and don't even comprehend what we are, what we can and cannot do." They heard a noise behind them. Dorian motioned for her to be silent, they slid slowly off the crate and crept slowly toward the door. She felt someone grab her shoulder.
Rainne opened her eyes. Crais was crouching over her. He had pulled her near the door. "Rainne?" She felt the tears streaming down her cheeks. "Rainne I asked you to stay out of the cluster."
Rainne was still a bit disoriented. "Dorian. His name is Dorian."
"Whose name is Dorian?" Crais asked confused. She could also see the annoyance on his face at finding her in the neural cluster.
"The man in my dream, the one lying dead. I killed him." She was so confused. "I remember him kissing me. In my nightmare he is dead and I know that I killed him. He kissed me." She said quietly as Crais helped her sit up.
"He what?"
"He kissed me. I remember it now. But in my nightmare he is dead. I know I killed him."
"Rainne it is only a nightmare. You said yourself that I was in the dream once, that you had killed me."
"What if it is a memory or something I did in the past." her voice trailed off.
"Your past means nothing to me just as my past means nothing to you. The past is something we can not change, however it is something we can learn from." He helped her stand. "Come out of command. I need you to take this salve back to Moya for Crichton. I feel it would be less stressful for everyone if I avoided the Luxan at this time."
"Yes." She replied taking the package from him.
"When you have delivered the salve and visited with your friend Crichton, I believe you should return to your quarters for the evening and rest." He smiled at her once again. "We will discuss this more in the morning."
"Yes Bialar."
They walked silently to the transport pod, Crais was resting his hand on her shoulder.
Rainne stood on her tip toes to kiss his cheek. "Good night."
"Good night to you as well."
Soon Rainne was back on Moya. She took the salve to Stark and visited with Crichton for a short while.
~~~
Rainne turned to look over her shoulder, the huge creature roared again. It slashed out at her, barely missing her back. She ran through the corridors of Moya. 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 to face the creature.
As she turned she saw a familiar form. It was D'Argo. He was leering at her and growling. Rainne felt him grab her arms and shove her against the wall. Rainne screamed and closed her eyes.
When she opened them again she was staring into the face of Braca but it was D'Argo's voice she heard, he was leering at her. He was rubbing himself against her and growling, holding her hands above her head. "The aurora chair is waiting for you next." He pulled her arms down and dragged her behind him down the corridor of Moya.
When they arrived in Command Rainne saw the chair, in it was Crais. He appeared to be dead. His hair was disheveled, his jaw slack, his eyes closed, his face pale. Blood ran from his nose. Rainne watched as the peacekeeper who had originally interrogated her pulled Crais' body from the chair and discarded him on the floor, kicking his inert form out of the way. Braca began dragging her toward the chair. Rainne struggled, her hands were beginning to burn. She screamed.
Rainne awoke in her own bed. As she sat up, D'Argo rushed in the room. The vividness of the dream caused her to back away from him. She backed herself onto the floor.
"Rainne." He said softly. "It was just a dream." He moved closer to her, she continued to back away from him.
"Don't touch me." She whispered. "Don't." She paused when she hit the wall with her back. She stood quickly, moving sideways she slid past him and out the door.
D'Argo trailed her down the corridor. He could not see her but he could follow her scent. When she reached Crichton and Aeryn's quarters she stopped, she was about to knock when she remember John was still recovering from his injuries. D'Argo stopped down the corridor and stepped into the shadow. Rainne turned and ran again.
~~~
"What is it Talyn?" Crais said groggily. "Who?"
Talyn quietly whistled his reply.
"I will go immediately. Prepare a transport pod."
~~~
Rainne stood in the darkened room, sobbing and shivering. The intensity of the dream had not worn off. She wrapped her arms around herself like a cocoon, lowering herself to the floor she rocked, trying to keep the memory of the dream at bay. D'Argo stopped in the corridor to watch her. He was unsure of what he had done. All the times before the dream had plagued her, he had been there to comfort her. She had never rejected him before. Even now, as he saw her drifting from him into the arms of Crais. He had been there to help her weather the storm of emotion that seem to torment her when the dream awakened her.
D'Argo turned to the sound of footsteps. He listened, the footfall was distinct. Bialar Crais was on Moya and headed his way. D'Argo held his breath as he slipped fully into the shadows of the rest cycle lighting. Crais stopped at the door to the room. D'Argo watched in amazement as Crais removed his gloves and pushed them into his pocket, straightening his jacket he stepped through the door. D'Argo crept toward the door.
~~~
"Rainne." Crais whispered. He crouched beside her. Reaching down he gently lifted her chin. "Rainne, I am here."
"Bialar?" she replied as she looked up at him. Rainne let out a sigh of relief at seeing him there, feeling his hand on her face. He was close enough that she could inhale his spicy masculine scent. Crais knelt on the rug, as Rainne turned to him. He encircled her in his arms, holding her tightly to his chest while her tears flowed freely. She cried for a quarter of an arn before Crais felt her relaxing in his embrace. He gently kissed her forehead.
"Tell me." He said quietly. His voice deep with the emotion he was feeling at holding her. Reveling in the fact that she had called out for him in her time of need.
"I can not." She whispered. She did not want to think on the dream again.
"Tell me," he said a bit more firmly, pushing her out from him to look her in the eye.
"He killed you." She cried out as the tears began again. "That evil man, that peacekeeper."
"Rainne I am right here. It was only a dream." He said trying to calm her once again. Crais realized it pained him to see her so upset.
"It felt like more than a dream." she whispered. Unconsciously she wiped the tears from her face, like a small child. "It felt real.", she turned away from him. Afraid to tell him, afraid he would think she was childish or weak. She was also afraid of the burning in her hands. Could she be a danger to herself or the others.she tried not finish the thought.
"Rainne, tell me the whole dream. You are holding something back." He said.
"D'Argo was in the dream too." Crais bristled as she said the name. "He was holding me, hurting me.then his face changed.to anger." She paused as she took a breath. "I closed my eyes and when I opened them again it was that peacekeeper, Braca. But he had D'Argo's voice. He was going to put me in the Aurora chair." her voice dropped off again.
"Finish." He said.
"You were in the chair." she paused taking a gasping breath as the memory came rushing back.
"I have told you before I was once subjected to the violence of the Aurora chair but have since recovered."
"No, I mean in the dream." Rainne paused as she looked into his dark eyes. She wanted to get lost in his gaze, to forget the dream. "You were dead." she stopped, resting her head on his shoulder. The vocalization of the memory of Crais dead in the Aurora chair was more than Rainne was capable of handling. She began crying again. Rainne realized at that moment the thought of losing Crais was foremost in her mind. The memory of D'Argo's actions were of no consequence. She turned her face toward his as she absentmindedly tucked a stray hair behind his ear. As her hand grazed his cheek, Crais kissed it. Rainne let her hand linger on his shoulder. Crais placed his hand behind her neck and kissed her gently at first, both of them giving in to the emotions that hung in the room like a haze.
~~~
D'Argo stood listening to Rainne's recap of her dream. It explained why she was so frightened by his arrival in her quarters. He turned away when he saw Crais kiss Rainne. Neither of them heard his growl. He had seen all he needed to see.
~~~
Rainne gazed into the dark eyes of the man she now knew that she loved and was surprised at the look that he returned.
"C'thha." He whispered. Finally acknowledging the feelings that had been growing inside him. Feelings that were new and frightening to him. He had felt attraction for Aeryn, but this was something different, yet he welcomed it.
"What?" Rainne questioned. She had never heard the word he had just spoken.
"It is a Sebacean term of endearment. Rough translation, beloved, the one in my heart."
"Beloved?"
"Yes." He whispered. Afraid to say the word twice. Afraid that this was a dream, that she was not here but safely aboard Moya, and he was still lying on his bed on Talyn. Rainne smiled up at him.