There and Back Again: Just plain frelled sometimes
Braca looks up at the boy. "Come down from there this instant. It isn't safe."
The boy rolls his eyes and stays where he is.
'Snarky for a seven-year old,' John thinks.
"Come now," Braca calls again. "Come down."
"Frell you," the boy replies.
John snorts aloud against his better judgment, and earns himself a harsh glare from Braca.
"You think this is funny?" Braca snaps. "That's your-"
He stops before he can say it, and John's lips twist into a smirk.
"My what?" John asks. "My… dog? My goldfish?"
Braca says nothing. He's stiff as a board. He's really beginning to hate his job.
And then the last thing John expects happens.
The boy lets Braca have his way. He jumps down and lands right on the captain, who falls to the ground with a loud cry of surprise.
John can't help but smile with pride. No doubts linger in his mind anymore. This boy is his.
Braca slowly gets to his feet and reaches for his pulse rifle to find it gone. He glances at the boy, who is carrying it the best he can in his small arms.
"Oh, no you don't," Braca warns. "Give me my rifle!"
The boy sticks out his tongue and glares harshly.
"He's got your tongue," John tells Aeryn.
She only shakes her head, and John can tell that seeing the little boy has had a profound effect on her.
He places an arm around her and kisses her forehead. "We'll get outta this."
The boy throws the rifle through a hole in the cell door, and John smiles. "Atta boy!"
+++
They're spotted right as they land.
D'Argo finds that he just can't be surprised.
So they run for their felling lives. Again.
Chiana feels that she's a bit out of practice for this. They've been running for seven cycles. They haven't stood their ground and come up with a plan since…
Which is why they don't have a plan as they run through the command carrier.
They are both impulsive, and they know it. Without Zaahn, without Aeryn, without Crichton, they are off balance.
And so they run.
+++
Pilot's den is always a dim place. She's likes to play there, and she feels safe because she can talk to Moya.
Today she has been told that she is to remain in Pilot's den until her Aunt Chiana and Uncle D'Argo return.
"Where did they go?" she asks.
Pilots sighs. He's never had any patience for her constant questioning, but at least he doesn't lash out like Rygel.
"They went to test a theory, Sarah," he tells her. "They'll be back soon."
"Why do I have to stay here?" she asks.
"They want you to be safe," Pilot tells her. "If something goes wrong, they wanted you to be here in good hands."
"Because Stark's hands are crazy hands and Rygel's hands are too small?" she asks.
"Yes," Pilot replies. "And Moya likes your company."
She smiles, finally satisfied with an answer and leans back against the consol.
+++
She looks over the two boys with wonder. So alike. So Frelling alike.
She shakes her head out slightly as she leads John out of the cell. She can't think about that now. There will be plenty of time to sort out muddled emotions when they get out. If they get out. "Alright. You two go that way," she points them in a certain direction. "And I'll go the other way."
"What are we looking for?" John asks.
"A way out," she replies. "What we're always looking for. We'll meet back here in half an arn."
"Wait," John says sharply.
"What?"
"How come you get the gun?"
She blinks, and stares at the standard issue Peacekeeper pulse rifle in her hands. "Because I'm the lady." With that, she stalked off in the other direction.
John shakes his head as he watches her walk out of sight. "Right. Okay." He turns to the boy and sighs. "You need a name."
The boy looks a little taken aback by this. Not what he's expecting. "Why?"
John smirks. "Hey! He speaks! Alright. You need a name because… well, everybody should have a name. What do they call you now?"
"Boy," he replies, looking down sheepishly.
John sighs and shakes his head. "How 'bout… John Junior?" He disregarded the fact the his name was John Junior. It doesn't matter now. He's the only John in deep space now.
The boy wrinkles his nose. "You're gonna call me that?"
"How about we shorten it?" John suggested. "How about J.J?"
The boy blinks and smiles. "Okay."
John smiles back and pats J.J lightly on the shoulder. "Good. Now let's try and get outta here."
They run in the direction they were ordered to and John slams right into a rock-hard chest covered in red cloth.
Braca looks up at the boy. "Come down from there this instant. It isn't safe."
The boy rolls his eyes and stays where he is.
'Snarky for a seven-year old,' John thinks.
"Come now," Braca calls again. "Come down."
"Frell you," the boy replies.
John snorts aloud against his better judgment, and earns himself a harsh glare from Braca.
"You think this is funny?" Braca snaps. "That's your-"
He stops before he can say it, and John's lips twist into a smirk.
"My what?" John asks. "My… dog? My goldfish?"
Braca says nothing. He's stiff as a board. He's really beginning to hate his job.
And then the last thing John expects happens.
The boy lets Braca have his way. He jumps down and lands right on the captain, who falls to the ground with a loud cry of surprise.
John can't help but smile with pride. No doubts linger in his mind anymore. This boy is his.
Braca slowly gets to his feet and reaches for his pulse rifle to find it gone. He glances at the boy, who is carrying it the best he can in his small arms.
"Oh, no you don't," Braca warns. "Give me my rifle!"
The boy sticks out his tongue and glares harshly.
"He's got your tongue," John tells Aeryn.
She only shakes her head, and John can tell that seeing the little boy has had a profound effect on her.
He places an arm around her and kisses her forehead. "We'll get outta this."
The boy throws the rifle through a hole in the cell door, and John smiles. "Atta boy!"
+++
They're spotted right as they land.
D'Argo finds that he just can't be surprised.
So they run for their felling lives. Again.
Chiana feels that she's a bit out of practice for this. They've been running for seven cycles. They haven't stood their ground and come up with a plan since…
Which is why they don't have a plan as they run through the command carrier.
They are both impulsive, and they know it. Without Zaahn, without Aeryn, without Crichton, they are off balance.
And so they run.
+++
Pilot's den is always a dim place. She's likes to play there, and she feels safe because she can talk to Moya.
Today she has been told that she is to remain in Pilot's den until her Aunt Chiana and Uncle D'Argo return.
"Where did they go?" she asks.
Pilots sighs. He's never had any patience for her constant questioning, but at least he doesn't lash out like Rygel.
"They went to test a theory, Sarah," he tells her. "They'll be back soon."
"Why do I have to stay here?" she asks.
"They want you to be safe," Pilot tells her. "If something goes wrong, they wanted you to be here in good hands."
"Because Stark's hands are crazy hands and Rygel's hands are too small?" she asks.
"Yes," Pilot replies. "And Moya likes your company."
She smiles, finally satisfied with an answer and leans back against the consol.
+++
She looks over the two boys with wonder. So alike. So Frelling alike.
She shakes her head out slightly as she leads John out of the cell. She can't think about that now. There will be plenty of time to sort out muddled emotions when they get out. If they get out. "Alright. You two go that way," she points them in a certain direction. "And I'll go the other way."
"What are we looking for?" John asks.
"A way out," she replies. "What we're always looking for. We'll meet back here in half an arn."
"Wait," John says sharply.
"What?"
"How come you get the gun?"
She blinks, and stares at the standard issue Peacekeeper pulse rifle in her hands. "Because I'm the lady." With that, she stalked off in the other direction.
John shakes his head as he watches her walk out of sight. "Right. Okay." He turns to the boy and sighs. "You need a name."
The boy looks a little taken aback by this. Not what he's expecting. "Why?"
John smirks. "Hey! He speaks! Alright. You need a name because… well, everybody should have a name. What do they call you now?"
"Boy," he replies, looking down sheepishly.
John sighs and shakes his head. "How 'bout… John Junior?" He disregarded the fact the his name was John Junior. It doesn't matter now. He's the only John in deep space now.
The boy wrinkles his nose. "You're gonna call me that?"
"How about we shorten it?" John suggested. "How about J.J?"
The boy blinks and smiles. "Okay."
John smiles back and pats J.J lightly on the shoulder. "Good. Now let's try and get outta here."
They run in the direction they were ordered to and John slams right into a rock-hard chest covered in red cloth.