Title: Wherever You Go, There You Are
Spoilers: Farscape: A Human Reaction
Rating: Um, PG just to be safe. Minor language, a wee bit of something resembling alcohol.
Disclaimer: Stargate SG1 and Farscape are owned by lovely, wonderful people. I am not among them.
A/N: see chapter one. Thanks so much to everyone that reviewed – you are a true motivation.
Wherever You Go, There You Are: Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
Aeryn knew, with simple gut instinct, that Crichton would leave. These people – his friends, she reminded herself – had a way to travel between planets without ships. Frelling wormholes. If it weren't for them, she'd be doing her job, just as she always had. She wouldn't have been running for her life, she'd always have enough to eat, she'd be with people like her. People…she didn't really know. Didn't really care about.
She wouldn't have John.
Annoying, frustrating, confusing man that he was. Their relationship was still new and Aeryn had little idea where it was going. However, she wasn't ready to give him up just yet.
"Will you go with him?" D'Argo asked. They had reached the ship and were bringing the supplies on board.
"I can't," she responded shortly.
"What happened before, it wasn't…real."
"It was real." She tossed a sack into the hold, making a loud thud against bulkhead. "It was real enough."
"His friends did not act like the others."
"So? They are here, not back on their base with their labs and containment rooms."
"You think Crichton would allow them to mistreat you?"
"I don't think he would have a choice. I think he will be in as much trouble, if not more."
"Crichton is always in trouble."
That made her smile as she carried the last of the supplies on board. "And you think he needs someone to watch out for him."
"Don't you?" D'Argo stood leaning against a bulkhead with his arms crossed, watching her.
If he didn't know her so well, he would have missed the slight hesitation as she walked past him saying, "I'm going to contact Moya."
"Nice of you to join us, Carter." O'Neill said, somewhat caustically, as she walked over to where he and Daniel were unpacking equipment.
Daniel tossed him a look that said 'be nice' and then turned to Sam asking, "So, how is he?"
"Shouldn't the question be how the hell did he get here?" Jack asked.
"Well, yes, if you're a cranky Air Force Colonel – oh wait, you are," Daniel said.
"John's right behind me, sir. He hasn't told me the entire story, but I think he's had almost as many adventures as we have." She dropped her pack on the ground. "Apparently he was knocked through a wormhole during the Farscape test."
"Yeah, so what is that?" Jack asked.
"John was testing a theory using gravity to provide acceleration. Farscape One was the ship he was piloting when he disappeared."
"And she's sitting in Moya's docking bay right now," Crichton said, joining them.
Carter turned to him, a look of happy surprise on her face. "Really?"
"What's Moya?" Jack asked.
"More like who. Moya is a Leviathan, a living ship."
"Living?" Carter asked.
"Yeah, Sammie, you've got to see her. She's amazing."
"She? You're flying around…in…some kind of creature?" Jack asked, disbelieving.
John laughed. "Trust me, it takes some getting used to."
"Do you actually control her?" Sam asked.
"Pilot does, more or less." Seeing confusion, John backtracked to explain. "Leviathans are piloted by beings who had no other way of space travel. They have a kind of symbiotic relationship with the Leviathan. Once they become part of the ship, they can't leave." He looked off into the distance. "Aeryn can give you a better idea of how it actually works."
"So, Commander," Jack's tone implied the 'if that is indeed who you are.' "What are you doing here?"
"Trying to get home. It's your classic Lost in Space/Voyager scenario." He looked at Sam, concerned. "Is Voyager still on? Did they ever get home?"
She laughed at him. "For the moment, not yet, and you hated the show!"
"Yes, but now I'm living it."
Jack tried to regain control of the conversation – something he seemed to be doing quite a bit of this mission. "So…need a lift?"
"Yeah, about that."
Teal'c approached the group. "O'Neill, General Hammond wishes to speak with you."
Jack nodded, then turned to his 2IC. "Carter?"
Sam weighed her words. "Sir, there may some danger in John knowing about the Stargate."
"For us or him?" O'Neill asked.
"Yes," John replied. "Suffice it to say there is a bad guy out there who would do – has done – a lot to get the information I have on wormholes."
"I don't suppose he has glowing eyes," Daniel asked.
"No. He's ugly as sin, but no glowing eyes," John said. "I'm guessing that's a good thing, right?"
Daniel nodded once. "You could say that."
Jack considered the situation for a moment, then said, " Alright, Carter, you and Crichton are with me. Let's go run this by Hammond. Teal'c, keep an eye out for his friends. Daniel…"
"Temple."
Jack nodded. "Let's go, people."
"Aeryn, are these people who they claim to be?" Zhaan asked.
"Yes." Aeryn's voice was steady and her expression bore no evidence of internal turmoil, but Zhaan knew her better. "I don't know why they're here."
"Looking for John?"
"No. They were surprised to see him. And only one of them knew him. She – they – seemed rather close."
Ah, so that was it. "Where are they now?"
"They've set up a camp at some ruins not far from here."
"What kind of ruins?" As a Commerce Planet, Zhaan didn't think any one group had been on the planet long enough to leave ruins.
"Temple, I think. We flew over them; didn't look like much."
"Interesting."
"We should bring the supplies back to Moya."
"Actually, we're fine. Scans don't show any Peacekeepers, and Rygel and Chiana are being fairly civil to each other."
"What are you suggesting, Zhaan?"
"I'd like to study these ruins. I'd also like to meet John's friends."
Aeryn sighed. Frell. "We'll wait for you here." She ended the communication and turned to find D'Argo standing behind her. "Zhaan is coming down."
"I heard."
Once again, Aeryn brushed past him. As she did, D'Argo heard her mutter, "I do not want to do this." D'Argo waited a moment then turned to follow her. He did not completely understand her relationship with Crichton; he knew she didn't either. However, he knew this sudden turn of events would force her to make a choice. Whatever it was, he would be close by.
"What?" Sam asked suddenly. John was staring at her intently as they walked a few yards behind O'Neill.
He shook his head and looked away. "Just waiting to wake up." Sam smiled at him and he shook his head again. "Do you have any idea how much I missed that smile?"
She dropped her head, still smiling. "I'm guessing more than DK's homebrew."
"I mean it. You've been a constant in my life since that day on the quad. Didn't matter if I was in Houston and you were overseas. Even when you started…"
"Working in a mountain?"
"Yeah, that. Even then, you were never more than a phone call or email away. I've missed calling you at 2 in the morning to ask you some silly question or walking into the lab and finding a message from you."
Sam tilted her head and looked at John. "I missed you, too."
He narrowed his eyes at her. "Do you have any idea how many times I thought, if only Sam knew what was really out there?"
"Probably about as many times as I had the same thought about you. I wanted to tell you." She hesitated. "I actually considered bringing you into the program, but you were already planning the Farscape and I didn't want to take that away from you."
"If you had, I wouldn't be here."
She closed her eyes against his words. "Yeah."
"You didn't know."
"Yeah, but I could've done something. I could've been there when things went wrong."
"You're here, aren't you? Damn, Sammie, I should've known that if anyone would find me, it would be you. Doesn't matter if you were looking or not." He wrapped an arm around her.
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "I was, you know. Looking for you. Subconsciously maybe, but still, every new planet I watched for any sign of you."
"Just how many planets have you been on?"
"Too many to count."
"Gotta admit, didn't picture you wandering around the galaxy like this," he said, lightly poking at the P90 hanging around her neck.
O'Neill called back, "Carter. Heads up."
She looked in the Colonel's direction and saw the Stargate. "Trust me, the gun is necessary."
"Don't I know it." Seeing the Stargate, he stopped. "Okay, what is that?"
Jack, hearing his question replied, "You have a living ship, we have a big stone circle…thing." He waved his hand toward the DHD in a grand sweep. "Carter?"
"Yes, sir." She walked to the large stone pedestal and began pressing the symbols to dial Earth.
John's eyes grew bigger as the first chevron locked. He moved to peer over Carter's shoulder. "Uh, Sammie? Whatcha doin'?"
She placed her hand on the red center stone and watched it glow in response. She nodded her head at the circle. "Watch this."
The blue light pooled within the stone circle's center and swooshed out, causing John to jump slightly. Sucked back in, the light calmed to a shimmering surface.
"Sweet," John drew the word out. "That's a worm hole?"
"Oh yeah." Jack answered.
"I'm impressed."
A voice came from the MALP. "SG-1, this is Hammond. Do you read?"
Jack activated his radio. "Afternoon, General."
"Colonel, Teal'c said you encountered someone from Earth on the planet."
"That would be me," John said, looking at Sam with a silent question. She pointed at the MALP and nodded. Moving to stand in front of the mounted camera, he waved at it.
"General, this is John Crichton. He's with IASA." Sam came to stand next to him.
"Why does that name sound familiar, Major?"
"Sir, you remember when I took some time off to help with a failed IASA program testing a new spacecraft?"
"Yes, Major. As I recall, you knew the pilot."
"Yes, sir. That pilot was Commander Crichton."
John said, surprised, "You left work to find out what happened to me?"
At the same time, Jack said, "That's where you were?'
Hammond forestalled her response to both questions by saying, "At the time, you said there was evidence of a wormhole, but that it wasn't connected to the Stargate network."
Jack jumped in. "Wait a second – another wormhole? I thought you had to have a Stargate to create a wormhole. And why am I just hearing about this now?"
Carter shook her head. "Theoretically, it's possible to create a wormhole anywhere if you have the right conditions. The ring transport is a good example. What it does is create a stable wormhole. John's wormhole wasn't stable, so it disappeared within a few minutes."
Relief washed over his face. "It really disappeared?"
"Yes." She drew her eyebrows together in a question. "Did you think it wouldn't?"
"Long story," he replied. "I'll tell you later." He turned back to the camera. "General, I was pulled through the wormhole and have been looking for a way home since."
" Sir, John is in danger if he stays here. He's being pursued by someone seeking information on wormholes."
"Have you found any evidence of the Goa'uld on the planet?"
"Not yet, sir," Jack replied. "Daniel thinks the locals weren't shipped in by the Goa'uld. The temple doesn't look like anything we've seen before either, but we're still working on it."
"And the person pursuing Commander Crichton?"
"I don't think so, sir, but he may be just as bad." Carter said.
"I assume, Major, you would like to bring Commander Crichton back with you."
"Yes, sir."
"Yeah, about that." John decided it was time to bring up Aeryn. "Don't think me ungrateful, General, but I might need to bring someone with me."
"Colonel O'Neill?"
Jack briefly studied John before answering. "I think we should consider it."
"Commander, are you in immediate danger?"
"No, sir. But that's usually when things get interesting out here."
"Understood. I'll bring your request up with the Pentagon."
"We'll check in again," Jack looked at his watch, "in four hours."
"Good. Until then, Colonel, see what else you can learn. Hammond out."
As the radio connection broke, the blue shimmer dissipated with a whoosh.
"I really want to know how you do that." John said, looking closely at the shapes on the DHD.
Sam grinned at him. "Hey, I had to figure it out on my own."
Jack cleared his throat. "No offense, Crichton, but I'd rather you didn't figure it out until we know you're coming back with us."
"Sooo, you're not going to be happy that I know these are constellations," John said, pointing to the DHD.
"What?"
"Seven of them…different constellations… Of course – coordinates."
Jack spun to face his 2IC. "Carter?"
She held up her hands. "I didn't tell him, sir."
Jack glared at the other man for a moment, then said as he turned to head back to camp, "You know, Daniel's gonna be pissed somebody figured it out faster than he did."
