Chapter 8

Aeryn was in the galley wolfing down food cubes. Once she recovered from her sickness she was always ravenously hungry. Jool found her with her mouth stuffed full. Laughing, she said,

"You better not let Rygel see you eating that many food cubes" Aeryn swallowed her last mouthful.

"I can't believe we have nothing else. They taste like dren but I'm so hungry I can't seem to stop eating them"

"Well, you know, eating for two"

"Please, Jool, don't"

"Have you told him yet?"

"Yes, and he was predictably overjoyed and his usual over optimistic self about the whole thing"

"So you've accepted it now?"

"I don't know if accepted is the right word," she sighed. "You know when we were trying to escape from that planet I came really close to getting a dose of radiation that would have dealt with the whole thing, but my frelling conscience got in the way. So I suppose I'm just going to have to go through with it. Don't know whether you'd consider that acceptance"

"Go through with what?" asked Chiana coming into the galley. Aeryn and Jool looked at each other

"Promise me you won't say anything to the others"

"Hey, you know me"

"That's why I need the promise. This is important Chiana, I mean it. I made John promise not to tell anyone and now I'm going to break that promise by telling you"

"I get the message Aeryn. What is it? What's the big secret?"

"I'm pregnant"

"You and John are having a baby? Wow, that's the dradest"

"I'm glad you think so"

"Well you love him don't you?"

"Yes, but."

"And you want to spend the rest of your life with him?"

"I've never really thought that far ahead, but I suppose I do" she replied, a little embarrassed

"Well this is just a step towards that" Aeryn didn't look convinced. Chiana carried on regardless

"Although I understand that in Crichton's culture marriage usually comes before the babies. He asked you yet?" Aeryn shook her head

"He's a good man, Aeryn. I know he'll do everything he can for you and your child" Jool added her weight to the argument

"The princess here is right. There aren't many of them like John about. Trust me, I've done a lot of, ah, research, in this area. You should do everything you can to hang on to him. And besides that butt in those tight leather pants is about the cutest thing in the Uncharted Territories"

"Too right" agreed Jool. Even Aeryn was forced to laugh at that

"Hey, hands off you two, that's mine and mine alone, you keep your hands and your eyes off of it!"

Aeryn had never really had this type of conversation before. She supposed this is what John called "girl talk". She had had many female friends on the command carrier but they were comrades. Their conversations had usually been about how the unit had performed in the latest exercise or battle, where their next posting would be, that kind of thing. She wasn't sure she was really keen on this idea of discussing her problems, even some of her most intimate feelings with other women, but it was a good feeling to share her issues with Chiana and Jool, who when she thought about it, she would consider her friends. They didn't have the same intimate connection with the issue that John had but thought about the problem from her point of view. She decided to really get into the swing of the idea and asked a question that had been bothering her for some time.

"Why does everyone refer to it like this is a joint effort, like we're both having this baby? I mean John's done his bit. He's not going through what I'm going through, not feeling like dren, spending half my life crying at nothing, throwing up all the time"

"I don't know, you just do," replied Chiana "Besides you really haven't tried to think of some good ways of evening out the situation yet, have you?" she put on a whiny voice "Oh honey, the baby won't let me get comfortable, I need to stretch out. Can you sleep on the floor?" Aeryn laughed

"John, being John would probably do it"

"Yeah, and when the little gink is actually born you can get him to do all the really nasty jobs like changing its diaper"

They spent the next quarter arn coming up with various schemes for Aeryn to make John as uncomfortable as she was feeling so that by the end of it she felt great for the first time in ages. This comfy session over the food cubes was interrupted by Pilot.

"A vessel has just boarded Moya. The occupant says that he is delivering supplies from the planet purchased by Commander Crichton and Ka D'Argo"

"We're on our way Pilot" They started down the corridor towards the cargo bay.

"That doesn't seem right. Why wouldn't they just bring them back themselves?" Asked Chiana. This train of thought was interrupted by the comms cracking into life

"Aeryn, Aeryn!" John's voice sounded urgent and desperate

"Yes, John?"

"Listen to me. That ship that has come aboard probably contains a being that is after pieces of me. He wants a sample of human in any shape or form. Do you understand me? He has some enormous critter that is able to sense my DNA signature. You have to keep away from it, don't let it anywhere near you"

"I understand, John. Are you and D'Argo on your way?"

"We should be with you in about 500 microts" came D'Argo's reply

"Pilot, shut the cargo bay doors so that they can't get into the main ship"

"I'm afraid it's too late for that, Officer Sun. Two life forms have already left the ship. One is heading towards you" Aeryn was glad she had told Pilot about the baby earlier. She thought he deserved to know as it might have some component of his DNA. Now he immediately understood John's message and would do everything he could to try and help

"Understood Pilot. I'm going to try and make it to your den. Can you seal as many doors as possible?

"Of course, Aeryn. I will also send DRDs to help"

"We'll go towards the cargo bay and try to hold it off" said Chiana "come on Princess" They ran one way and Aeryn went the other towards Pilot's den. She was within a couple of corridors of reaching him when she heard a loud growling behind her. She turned to see a beast, at least as big as D'Argo, bearing down on her. She drew her pulse pistol and fired, hitting it in the arm and then the shoulder but it just kept coming.

John sped through the ship, D'Argo close behind him. He heard Aeryn scream. It was so unlike her to do so that it spurred him on more, the injury to his leg, hastily bandaged, leaving a trail of blood along the corridor. He rounded the corner and saw the Grasha. It had Aeryn pinned up against the wall. Its jaws were trying to clamp around her abdomen but she was fighting it for all she was worth

"No, you are not going to hurt my baby" she cried through gritted teeth

Whilst his heart leapt at her defence of their child, he knew she couldn't hang on much longer. He raced at the beast and tried to push it off Aeryn. They both fell to the floor and John managed to roll away as D'Argo shot it through the head with his Qualta blade, then for good measure stuck the blade through it's chest

"That should finish the job," he said with satisfaction

"Thanks man. That's at least two I owe you today"

"You can't win John Crichton," said a voice behind them. Crichton sat up, as the old man from the shop seemed to materialise from no where. He was holding Aeryn in a tight grip and seemed anything but weak or infirm, despite his apparent age.

"No, don't touch her, take me instead"

"No, John," Aeryn insisted

"It's alright babe" he replied with a sweet smile for her as he made his way towards them. As he came closer his arm suddenly came up and Sentros fell to the floor, the dagger John had purchased from him sticking in his chest

"Not so God-like after all."

"Where did you get that knife?" asked Aeryn matter of factly as she came into his waiting arms

"Well I bought it from that very same guy as a present for you sweetheart"

"Nice of you to test it's sharpness for me" she said as she stared at her erstwhile captor

"Nothing but the finest for my best girl" he replied with a kiss.