Title: Be careful what you wish for

Summary: It's one of those future fanfics (set seven years into the future) about the long awaited return to Earth. Only the conditions under which John returns aren't really ideal. In fact he spends all of his time home trying to find a way to get back, not just for his sake, but for that of his daughter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Farscape or any of its characters.

Be Careful What You Wish For



Welcome home

Breiyden and Deacon had been walking for at least an arn, when they finally came across something of some interest. After walking mostly through corridors they had found their first chamber and it was vast. It looked like it was similar in diameter to Pilot's chamber and it was filled with a gigantic pool of ice blue water that was glowing, illuminating the chamber.

" This is amazing," Breiyden mumbled to herself as she craned her neck to see the ceiling, it had a beautiful artwork painted onto it. " This must have taken cycles to build!"

" I'm sure it did," Deacon agreed and they both looked around the chamber. Breiyden had some knowledge of what the symbols meant, but she could only find some sense in the inscriptions.

" Well I think that it all means that this is the holy chamber, where the ancient one will reside to watch over the remains for all eternity," Breiyden said and she looked at some other symbols. " It says that if you wish to contact the ancient one, then you have to. Oh I just can't make this one out! I think it means step into the something where the ancient one resides!" Deacon frowned and looked at the pool.

" Um Breiyd? For someone who is the most intelligent person I have ever met, you're pretty dim sometimes you know?" he said. Breiyden spun around and glared at him, going into full defensive PK mode, but Deacon wasn't looking at her, he was looking and pointing to some steps leading into the pool. Breiyden instantly realised what he meant and she nodded resignedly.

" Okay then, well after you!" she said nervously. Deacon looked at her and gave her an amused look.

" After years of studying their culture you don't wanna be the one to make this amazing discovery?" he asked incredulously. Breiyden thought about it and then nodded.

" Okay then," she muttered and she marched over to Deacon and thrust her torch at him. Then she walked over to the edge of the pool cautiously and looked in. The steps led down onto a shallow ledge in the pool, which surrounded a very deep pit, of which Breiyden couldn't see the bottom. Breiyden took a few deep breaths to steady her nerves and then she climbed down the steps until she was knee-deep in the water on the ledge. She walked over to the edge of the ledge and looked down into the deep dark pit. To her amazement something was glowing down there. and it was coming closer.

" What can you see?" Deacon asked, but Breiyden had started backing away quickly. The light was growing at an amazing speed and it was coming up so fast.

She was nearly at the steps when the light shot out of the water causing Breiyden to fall over backwards into the water. She was too mesmerised by the light to care.

" Breiyd get out of there!" deacon ordered and Breiyden scrambled backwards and was literally dragged out of the water by Deacon. Now they both watched in astonishment as the light changed shape and took the form of an old looking Sebation.

" I am the ancient, the guardian of Dasaar and the lost soles of the Dasaari, tell me children, why do you disturb my slumber?"

* * *

Nineteen hundred hours had arrived too quickly and John and Jamie had been given a very teary goodbye from the ISS crew. Now the two Crichtons sat in the module orbiting Earth in silence. John had contacted the IASA headquarters and asked permission to land and they had received it immediately.

" Are you ready?" John asked his daughter grimly.

" No," she said simply.

" Jamie we've been out here now for an arn, you can't keep stalling, we have to go down there, we have no choice," he said sympathetically. Jamie swallowed hard and nodded.

" Okay then. Fine I'm ready," she said through gritted teeth.

" Okay buckle up," he said and she pulled her seatbelt even tighter. Her view from the passenger seat wasn't very good. All she could see as John took the module into a descent was the flames from the module entering the atmosphere and then just varying dim lights as the module descended lower and lower. Finally they were close enough for her to see new lights, from buildings and street lights and from the run way they were about to land on. then they were down. Jamie peered past her father and managed to catch glimpses of military looking vehicles lining the runway.

" Home sweet home," John muttered as the module began to slow down. Finally it came to a complete stop and Jamie undid her seatbelt and stood up in her seat to truly look out of the windows, but her view of the land was obstructed by vehicles and people every where.

" You ready to face the music kid?" he asked as he opened the hatch. Jamie sighed and nodded. John climbed out first and Jamie quickly followed jumping down onto Terran ground for the first time. She instinctively grabbed John's hand, which tightened protectively around hers, as several people approached them. She recognised two of them as her father's father and her father's friend, they were both smiling, the former more so. Soon enough they were standing right in front of them and Jamie started feeling incredibly vulnerable. It was a feeling she didn't like.

Security guards approached the pair and stood in front of them in an intimidating way.

" I'm going to have to ask that you hand over your weapons sir," one of them told John. John had been expecting this so he handed over Winona. Jamie reluctantly handed over her own pulse pistol. Once they'd done this the greeting party came closer.

" Welcome home Commander Crichton," a man in a very formal suit told John. John frowned at him, he had no idea who this guy was. The man realised and smiled. " I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself, my name is Trevor Rowley, I'm the president." John smiled and saluted the man.

" I'm sorry sir, I had no idea." John stammered.

" Don't worry about it," the president said cheerfully. Then he looked at Jamie. " Welcome to Earth Talyn Crais Jameson," he said. Jamie grinned and bowed her head slightly him. She liked this man, he knew of her real name. John smiled too, this Rowley guy didn't seem like such a bad guy. If he was on their side, then the military would never get their hands on his daughter. Then he realised that Jamie hadn't replied so he squeezed her hand gently. She knew very well how to behave in front of important people.

" Thank you Mr President," she said realising what her father wanted. The president smiled at the little girl and then took a few steps back so that Jack could make his way forward. Jack walked over to John and stood right in front of him. Then he suddenly pulled John into a giant bear hug, which John returned happily. Jamie felt bitter that that man had pulled her father's hand out of hers. He was taking him away from her, something she didn't appreciate! When they separated they were smiling at each other with broad happy smiles. Then Jack looked down at Jamie who was staring up at him with her neutral border line hostile gaze. He saw now warmth in her face, only bitterness. John saw Jack lose his smile and he looked down at Jamie to see why. When he saw what he was doing he clapped her gently across the back of her head.

" Jamie stop it!" he ordered. Then he looked at his dad apologetically. " She's just feeling a bit edgy!" he assured Jack, but Jack knew it was more than that. He'd heard what he thought was all of John's horror story about what their lives had been like, and he knew that it would take a lot to win this child's trust.

" No I am not edgy," she said as if reading Jack's thoughts.

" Don't do this," John told her in a mixture of alien languages.

" I'm not doing anything," Jamie snapped back in Luxan (a language she turned to when she was getting angry). It sounded hostile to everyone else, because they took a step back and the guards suddenly raised their weapons. Jamie jumped by their reaction and she hung her head to show she meant nothing by it. Then she looked up at John.

" He's taking you away," she said dejectedly in a mixture of languages. John saw pain her face and he looked away. What had he been thinking, of course she was going to feel insecure and worried and mistrustful!

" I'm sorry," he told her, but then his attention was caught in the form of two young women approaching him cautiously. He gasped when he saw who they were. Alison and Rachel were his younger sisters and boy had they changed! " Oh my God!" he laughed when they were near enough and he hugged them both at the same time and so the reunion went on. John was beginning to feel more and more at ease, but Jamie was beginning to miss her mother more and more.

* * *

The reunion out on the landing strip was only brief, because after meeting several officials John and Jamie were escorted to a conference chamber like the one on the ISS in the IASA headquarters. It was filled with IASA personnel and army representatives. Most of the party (the president and his people) were not led into the conference room, instead into a lounge to wait. John sat down at one end of the table and he pulled Jamie onto his lap again. This time she didn't complain and held her tongue.

" Commander Crichton, it is an honour to have you with us," Dr Andrew Teller, the 'big cheese' at IASA told John from the other end of the table. " And we are very happy to have your.uh guest with us as well." The second he said 'guest' John knew that the fight was coming from inside the IASA ranks. This guy was all for laying Jamie on a dissection table and cutting her open.

Jamie felt her father grow more tense and she tried to figure out what had happened. She stared at this Teller man and wondered what had made her father so scared.

" In a few moments we're going to do a few tests to." Teller continued.

" No tests!" Jamie interrupted firmly. Everyone stared at her in a surprised way. John though, didn't reprimand her, he agreed with her, he didn't want any tests being done.

" It's just as a precaution," Teller told her in a patronising tone. " To see if you didn't carry back any nasty space bugs with you!" Jamie glared at him bitterly.

" Don't talk to me like that," she hissed. Teller smiled awkwardly.

" Like what?"

" In that demeaning tone, I am not a baby, I do understand things you know?" John cleared his throat and put his arm round her shoulders.

" That'll do kid," he told her in 'alien'. Jamie nodded and stopped talking. " Please go on sir," he told Dr Teller, who carried on uneasily, casting that alien child, nervous glances every now and then.

" Well as I was saying, we would rather your blood was tested to see if you are carrying any contagion, and to see if you're in good health," Teller explained, he then looked uneasy again. " We'd also like to carry out some very basic non intrusive tests on Jamie here."

" No tests," John said firmly and Teller gave an exasperated little sigh.

" Commander Crichton, you're making this all very difficult! I need to show something to all the agencies pressurising us for information on this. this child," he stammered. " Every scientist in the world wants to know just the basic information about her. She's the first human, alien hybrid known to man! Just a few X-rays, maybe a MRI scan! I imagine what we could find out." John had waited patiently enough, now he turned on Teller with his most vicious glare.

" No one touches a hair on her head without my say so," he hissed murderously. It was a tone that made the Crichtons and DK stare at him open- mouthed. " She is an American citizen she has her rights." he began, but he was interrupted by a representative of the army sniggering. John fixed his glare on this man. " I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

" General Nick Graham," he said grinning.

" And what is so funny general? I'm sure we could all do with a laugh!"

" How can you even begin to assume that that alien is a US citizen?" the general asked in a condescending tone. John nearly felt his fuse snap. Jamie though couldn't remain calm and she jumped to her feet angrily.

" Would people stop calling me an alien!" she shouted at him in Luxan. " I could break you in two right now! Take it back!" The very last bit she added in English. John quickly pulled her back onto his lap, because everyone, including his family, was looking either terrified or extremely pissed off.

" She doesn't like being called an alien," John explained quickly. " And I'll tell you why she can be considered an American citizen. I am an American citizen, I am her father, so my citizenship and rights can be extended to her! It's the same situation as if her mother were an illegal immigrant or something!" Everyone stared at him, General Graham and Teller in bemusement, but the others with a hint of amusement and relief.

" But her mother doesn't come from somewhere like Mexico, her mother is a completely different species!" Teller complained.

" I'll bet you the law does not specify that the other parent has to be human," John said firmly.

" Yeah only because the very thought of extraterrestrial life is preposterous." Graham began angrily.

" That does not matter, by law she is an American!" John said triumphantly when he realised they were all stumped. " So you would be violating her rights if you conducted these additional tests of yours!" Teller and Graham were literally seething with anger at this point, but John's family and DK were smiling at him.

" Moving on," a woman who sat to the right of Teller said quickly. " Commander Crichton we cannot keep you here by law until the dispute is over about what to do with you. So after the medical tests have been conducted, you will be free to go. but please, I beg of you, remain where it is safe! The press got wind of this story this morning and they are all just waiting to get to you!" John was frowning, this wasn't right, they weren't supposed to let him go. What were they thinking?

" We can go? Just like that?" he asked frowning.

" Well yes, but."

" Well then we'll go," he said without even stopping to think about it. All the IASA personnel looked hurt by his sudden wish to go. What they couldn't understand was that John was thinking of getting Jamie as far away from Teller as possible. He was going to sell them out he was sure, it was only a matter of time, so he had to get Jamie far away before that happened.

" Right, well if you have nothing else to say, let's make with these tests and then get the hell out of here," John said cheerfully.

* * *

Deacon watched as Breiyden went into full intellectual mode with astonishment. He hadn't know the girl could command such authority nor such vigour in her voice.

" My name is Breiyden Morarn, I am part of a crew looking for two of our lost comrades. Their ship disappeared orbiting this planet and we have come here to search for information surrounding their disappearance," she explained. " I am sorry to disrupt your slumber, but I was wondering if you knew what had happened to them?" The ancient stared down at Breiyden with what looked like amusement on her face. Breiyden stared her down bravely. Deacon was amazed at how this kid could act so fearless. He remembered how she was when she first came aboard; fearless, bold, and aloof, but over the years she had become so insecure and worried with all the gang on Moya. No one knew why, but Breiyden was regressing. or progressing as John liked to think. Either way, this was definitely a change!

" My dear child," the ancient said kindly and Breiyden's jaw quavered at this display of affection. " I do know what happened to your shipmates, for it is I who transported them."

* * *

John and Jamie were escorted to a large lab where a whole team of doctors, nurses and scientists tried to separate them, but John wasn't standing for it and he always made sure that he could reach out and touch Jamie at all times.

The tests were very basic, first came a physical examination and then they took blood. lots and lots of blood from the pair. By the time they had finished taking blood John was disgusted to see a large bruise forming on the inside of Jamie's elbow.

Finally the tests had been carried out and John and Jamie were 'free to go'. John was still worried that this was all too easy, but he gladly followed Jack and his sisters out of the IASA building through a back door to where a chauffeur was waiting to take them to Jack's house, two hours away. Jamie sat on John's lap in the back with his sisters whilst Jack sat in the front. DK promised he'd be round in a couple of days to see them. Soon enough they were on their way.

" I don't like this daddy, it's too easy," Jamie whispered in her mixture of languages. John nodded and tightened his grip around her.

" I agree," he replied and he kissed the back of her head, wishing that he could turn back time and be back on Moya with Aeryn, and Warer and Breiyden and the rest of them. Oh how he missed his Aeryn now.

Jamie didn't speak any more, she simply rested her head back and closed her eyes, drifting in and out of sleep.

It was Rachel who spoke next.

" I've never seen you so violent before," she said casually, but she wasn't masking her disgust very well.

" You'd be violent if she was yours Rach," John said sadly and he started absent-mindedly stroking Jamie's hair. " If you only knew what she's been put through, then you'd understand where I'm coming from on this!"

" There was no need to scare everyone to death!" Rachel countered a little too loudly, because Jamie stirred out of her sleep briefly, looked around and then closed her eyes again. Rachel waited until her breathing slowed to carry on. " And that language she spoke. it sent shivers up my spine!"

" That was Luxan, she was feeling threatened. That's the only way you can tell how she's feeling usually, by the languages she uses," he said quickly. " She was scared and angry."

" Can you blame her for that Rach?" Jack asked sadly. Rachel sighed and shrugged.

" I don't know, she just scared me that's all. I don't want her talking like that in front of my girls, she'll scare them," she said grimly. To everyone's surprise John burst out laughing.

" You're what? Exactly how many girls do you have?"

* * *

More to come soon!