Ok, here's part two...but first I want to thank those who reviewed the first part:

Ineka: Thanks for the encouragement

Gordon AI: You're stories are awesome, so I'm glad you're liking mine. You're the greatest.

Hawkeye: Thanks for the encouragement as well

OK, if you're really picky and want a disclaimer, go back to part one. Thanks for teh no flames, but can my readers give me suggestions, telling me if anything needs to be improved. OK, if I wrote this well, you might need a hanky...but I may not have done it well enough. Well, enough blabbing, on to part two.

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Chapter 2: If There's a Will, There's a Way

^^^No more pain (no more pain)
No more pain (no more pain)
No more drama (no more drama in my life)
No one's gonna make me hurt again

Why'd I play the fool
Go through ups and downs
Knowing all the time
You wouldn't be around
Or maybe I like the stress
Cause I was young and restless
But that was long ago
I don't wanna cry no more^^^

*Five days, I have five days to find a cure that no one in the known universe has yet to find. No pressure there,* Harper thought to himself giving a sad chuckle as he was walking back to his quarters.

It had taken almost an hour and a half to calm Trance down completely. She been really upset about having to tell him about his unrevokable death sentence. He kept reassuring her that he would be alright. After he had finally succeeded in calming her, he walked her to her room and was now on his way to his.

Deep in thought, he never even noticed Rommie coming around the corner and the two crashed into each other, falling to the floor. Harper was the first up and went to help Rommie.

Sorry Rommie, I didn't see you there, he said pulling her off the ground.

She looked him straight in his eyes and a worried look crossed her face.
*Harper really must have been distracted because he didn't even call me Rom-doll or crack a joke,* Rommie thought to herself.

Still worried about his quietness, which had gone on for a good two minutes now, which for Harper was a record, she said, What's wrong, Harper? You seem worried about something.

He looked at her with his beautiful crystal blue eyes and gave her his little crooked smile that seemed to always melt her and said, Nothing, Rom-doll. Just thinking about a project I'm working on. I can't seem to figure out the configurations for it and I've only got five days to finish it.

With that he started to walk away. Rommie started to stop him to try and get more information about what was bothering him and why he only had five days to finish whatever it was he was working on, but she knew that whatever she tried wouldn't work.

Rommie knew Harper was a very private person, especially when it came to personal things. That's when she got a very sickening feeling in the pit of her A.I. stomach. She knew that if Harper wouldn't tell her, his Rom-Doll, it had to be something horrible that was wrong.

Once Harper was out of sight, Rommie turned around and headed toward Trance's room. She knew that if she could get anything on what was worrying Harper she could get it from Trance.

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When Harper finally got into his room, he went straight to his bed and plopped down on it. He could feel the lump in his throat growing with every breath he took. Rommie, can you please engage privacy mode? Alright, Harper, privacy mode engaged.

Harper just sat on the end of his bed in silence for what felt like forever but then the tears came. He knew that no one could hear him, so he let the tears come. He scooted back against the headboard of his bed and pulled his knees to his chest. He sat there, head in between his knees, his arms wrapped around his head, just sobbing. His crying was so hard that the force of his body shaking, violently shook the headboard that was supporting him. He didn't want to die, not now.

On Earth he had never been afraid to die because he could have died at any minute and on Earth he had nothing to live for. Here, on the Andromeda, circumstanes were different. He was actually afriad to die and leave those he had come to love. Especially Trance, she'd probably take his death hardest, even harder than Beka because Trance would blame herself.

He thought that he would never stop crying. He hadn't cried this hard or this long for a very long time now.

The last time he'd released this much emotion was so long ago. The memories came flooding back. They were so painful to remember, but they were something that he would never forget. How could he forget? These memories would forever be etched in the front of his memory.
The night he had lost his mother was the same night he lost two of his best friends, his cousins, Declan and Siobhan.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Begin Memory~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When he had said good bye to his mother and started to run to safety--well at least the safest place he could find during the raid--he met up with his cousins. He found Siobhan first. She had been yelling out Declan's name desperately trying to find him in the fuss. When he got to her, he didn't even slow his pace, he just grabbed her.

She screamed, but stopped when she saw who it was. Shay, thank the Divine! We have to find Declan, we just have to, she said with a look of dread in her eyes. Harper looked down at her and trying to calm her down, gave her his little crooked smile and said, Well, why don't you used that twin's intuition thing you and Declan always talk about.

The dread started fading from her face and she said, Well, I'll give it a try. The next thing Harper knew, he was no longer leading them, Siobhan was.
When she stopped, Harper couldn't believe his eyes.

There, huddling next to a bush trying to hide, was Declan. Man, you guys weren't lying about that were you? Hey, Declan, man, let's go to the cave, now, Harper said as he and Siobhan ran toward Declan. When Declan saw Harper and Siobhan he smiled and said, Man, am I glad to see you guys.
Once they left, Harper had really thought that they would be safe. How was he to know that the cave they were going to hide in was not as safe as they had first thought.

Harper lead them all the way to the cave, but dropped back right before they arrived. Declan was out in front leading when four Maggog came out from inside the cave. Declan never saw them coming. He never had a chance. They were on him in seconds.

screamed Siobhan as the first Maggog attacked Declan.

Siobhan, come back, Harper screamed as Sioban ran out to try and save him. She was taken down just as easily as her brother had been. Harper just froze, paralyzed with fear.

*What can I do? Oh God, this is all my fault. Why did I have to tell them to go here,* millions of thoughts ran though his head as he finally decided to fight. The final words he ever heard Siobhan or Declan utter were, Shay, please, help us. Right as he went to help them, gun blasts killed the Maggog that had attacked his cousins.

He rushed up the his cousins and fell to his knees as he realized that they were not dead but they were going to suffer a fate worse than death, they had been paralyzed and infested. Harper was so much in shock that he didn't even notice the men who saved them picking he and his cousins up and taking them to safety. All he could think was that this was all his fault.

Over the next few days following the raids, he found out that both his mother and his father had been killed and that his cousins were about to die as well. Harper couldn't believe that, in that one night, he had lost everyone dear to him. He also couldn't understand why he hadn't died along with them.
It was so unfair. Now, he would have to suffer being alone and knowing that he was the reason his cousins were about to die. He felt dead inside and couldn't figure out why he wasn't showing any emotion towards his loss. He knew he should be, but the tears wouldn't come.

The final time he saw them was the same day that he had found out that his cousins were going to be injected with something that would stop their hearts and then they were to be burned with the rest of the dead. They wouldn't even have a proper burial because of those damned larvae.

The twins' nurse told him that he could see them for one last time. He walked into the small room they had been in for almost a week now. The closer he got to the twins, the better he could see the Maggog larvae moving inside them. It made him sick to know what was to become of them.

He walked over to Declan first. He bent down, got on his knees and whispered softly, Declan, I'm so sorry. I should have fought. Maybe I could have saved you. Why didn't I even try? I'm such a coward. I don't know how you will ever forgive me and I don't figure you ever should. Oh God, Dec, why didn't I even try? I'm sorry for what happened and that's really all I can say.

As he walked away he was sure he saw a tear run down Delcan's cheek, which didn't make having to say good bye to Siobhan any easier. He had been closest to her. Siobhan had been like the sister he'd never had. Even though he was older than the twins, anytime he had been scared or sick, Siobhan had always been there for him even though she could have gotten sick herself.

Yet, in her time of need, he had froze. He bent down to her and whispered, Siobhan, what have I done to you? You didn't deserve this, neither of you did. If anyone did, it was me. I should have stopped you or fought alongside you. I should have done the one thing that may have saved you. You were always the bravest of us, like that time when we got lost in the forest when I got that stupid idea of messing up that Nietzschean camp. You'd told me not to go, but I was so damn stubborn and had to go. You followed me even though you knew you would get in trouble.

Harper gave a little chuckle and continued, When we did get lost and I got frustrated with not being able to get us home, you grabbed me, looked me in the eye, and said, Shay shut up, calm down, and follow me.' I did and we were home within thirty minutes. Man, you always knew what to do to shut me up and get me to listen. He felt the tears coming ever so slowly but coming nonetheless.

He tried to continue and said, Siobhan, I'm so sorry. If I could have switched places with you, than I would have in a heartbeat. I don't know why you had to be the one to get attacked. I mean they could have easily came after me, but they didn't. I promise you that I will get off this damn planet and make something of myself, the way we had always planned to. I will miss--, he had to swallow back that tears and when the had regained his composure he tried to finish, I-I'll miss you and I will never forget you. I-I love you Siobhan very much, you and Delcan are the best friends I will ever have. I--

Seamus, it's time, said the man who would give the injection. Harper slowly got up and walked away without looking back.

Once he was outside, Harper ran to an unknown destination. He ran and ran until his surrounding were no longer familiar. Then he collapsed. He just fell to his knees and let all of the emotion he had been concealing come out. He cried for what seemed like an eternity. He never wanted to go back to that place.

So when he finally could stand again, he went back one final time, not even staying for his cousin's funeral, if that's what you could call it, collected what few belongings he had, including the only picture of his family he owned, and left. He knew that he could start over in Boston, the home of Brendan Lahey, his cousin and only living family member.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~End Memory~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Harper began to calm down, he reached under his pillow and pulled out the now crinkled and somewhat faded picture of his family. As he looked at the picture, tears still slowly rolling down his cheeks, he realized that it was now time for him to keep the promises he had made to his mother and Siobhan, which were two of the biggest promises he had made in his life thus far, he would live.

TBC

OK, guys, click that little purple button in the left hand corner of your screen and review...I'm feeling greedy so I want more than three reviews this time, or I'll wait on the next part.....now, I'm just being the evil author, aren't I..mwahahaha. Review, please.