The Harvest Festival
Author: blueaeryn
Rating: PG
Summary: The Moya Crew visit a planet preparing for a festival
Spoilers: Through Season 4
Disclaimer: Not mine.
"So, this is some more family," John Crichton asked as he looked around the busy street. "Who knew there would be a Sebaccean break-away colony this far out."
John grasped his wife's hand tightly as they made their way down the crowded square. God, it just felt good to have her next to him, to feel her body brush up against his as they walked side-by-side, to smell the scented oil in her hair as it whipped around her and brushed lightly up against his nose.
"Just make sure you keep your lips to yourself this time," Aeryn Sun said alluding to the last time the Moya crew had found themselves at a Sebaccean colony.
"Baby, these lips only have one name on them." John turned to Aeryn and puckered up. "See." He pointed his finger to his lips. "They say Aeryn, I promise."
Aeryn shook her head and leaned in to give John a quick kiss. John still marveled at how Aeryn had changed in the cycles since he met her, because the Aeryn he first met almost five cycles ago would never have openly given him such a public display of affection.
"Hey, can't you guys keep your hands off each other," a voice said from behind them. Chiana darted from behind John and Aeryn and rushed ahead of them.
"Ain't that the pot calling the kettle black," John asked with a quick smile. He received a perplexed look from not only Chiana, but Aeryn as well. "You know, it is ironic that Chiana is talking about that since she is the queen of it."
"Oh," they both said at the same time.
"Wait a minute, I think that was an insult," Chiana said with a small pout and then punched John in the arm. "Good thing I am in such a good mood, or I would hold it against you."
"I would be tossing and turning tonight if you did," John yelled back as Chiana ran off.
"You know why she is in such a good mood don't you?" Rygel hovered beside John and Aeryn.
"Let me guess, you are going to tell us," Aeryn asked as she looked down at the Hynerian.
"Well, if you are going to speak to me in such a manner, I won't tell you at all," Rygel said as he maneuvered his throne sled away from John and Aeryn. "And it serves you right."
"I am in total devastation," Aeryn whispered to John.
"You know Sparky, he likes to pretend like he is in the know," John said to Aeryn. "Like we care."
John and Aeryn both shook their heads at the same time and proceeded down the street. It was quite a festive occasion and John found himself getting lost in watching the action unfold around him. It kind of reminded him of the festivals he used to attend in the fall when he was in elementary school.
'Know what is going on around here?" John jerked his head toward the various venders wearing festive garments and laying out different food items. "Looks like they are gearing up for a party."
Aeryn got a faraway look in her eyes and then turned to John. "If this is the right time of cycle, then it must be the Sebaccean Harvest Festival."
"Harvest Festival, huh," John looked around again. "Kind of sounds like Halloween."
"Oh, you mean the holiday when we went back to Earth?"
"Exactly," John smiled. "Remember, Sparky got all hyped up on candy. I thought his head was going to explode."
"Yeah," Aeryn said as she turned her head. It was a time in their relationship Aeryn didn't like to remember. She and John were amiable companions at best during that time, yet she tried to show him she was back on Moya for good by supporting him any way she could.
When John spoke of his mother, while they were on Earth, Aeryn just grasped his hand and squeezed it when he said he was going to talk to her. What she really wanted to do was take him in her arms and hold him until the pain went away.
"And you had that outfit on," John said wistfully. "I thought my heart was going to stop when I saw you in it."
"Wish you would have told me," Aeryn said as she held John's hand tighter. "It would have been nice to know."
"Ah, hunny, I'm sorry," John said stopping them in the middle of the street. He turned Aeryn toward him and brushed a lock of hair from her face. "I was a real bastard, wasn't I?"
"Maybe a little," Aeryn said as a huge grin spread across her face. ""But you have done a decent job making up for it."
"Decent, decent." John stepped back pretending to be offended. "I'll have you know I have been at your beckon call."
"Well, for the most part." Aeryn took his hand back and held it in hers swinging their arms back and forth.
"Not far." John pulled Aeryn toward him until her breasts were up against his chest. "I have played the husband, lover and daddy-to-be role to perfection, I'll have you know."
John leaned down and kissed her on the lips. "Oh, perfection." John kissed her again.
"Hey, did you hear?" Chiana said running up to John and Aeryn.
The couple groaned as they parted and turned to Chiana. Damn the timing they both said at the same time.
"Hear what," John asked.
"This place is having a huge festival tonight," Chiana said excitedly. "It is supposed to be really drad."
"That is cool," John said looking at Aeryn. "What are they doing?" John looked back at Chiana.
"Well," Chiana said proud that she was going to be the one to tell them. "They are having a lot of food and a dance."
"A dance, huh," John said. "Care to practice some of those moves I showed you?" John turned to Aeryn and wiggled his eyebrows.
"Well, I am going back up to Moya," Chiana said ignoring their antics.
"Hey, Pip, what did you say." Proving to Chiana that he was only half listening to her.
"Said I was going back up to Moya," Chiana said again. "If there is going to be a party, I can't go dressed like this." Chiana waved a hand across the clothes she was wearing. "Oh, and you guys might want to think about dressing up too. The locals say they really go all out."
Chiana looked John and Aeryn up and down, smiled once and walked past them toward the transport pod.
"Well, what'cha' say," John said taking Aeryn's hand and leading her in the direction Chiana just passed. "Shall we get all spiffed up and show these people how to party?"
"Oh yeah, like anything I have is going to fit," Aeryn said looking down at her stomach, rubbing her slightly distended abdomen.
"You are barely showing," John said placing his hand on her tummy. "Besides, I know you have a little black dress you bought when you and Chiana went to that commerce planet together."
"How do you know about that," Aeryn asked.
"Because I have eyes in the back of my head." John pulled Aeryn toward the transport pod.
"No, it's because you are nosey."
"Well, that too."
John paced in front of the transport pod. The others had already left and John had told them that he and Aeryn would take another pod and met them there. If he was on Earth he would have checked his watch for the one- hundredth time, but he had no time keeping device in this universe. So he paced.
He was about to go and look for her when he saw a shadow forming in the corridor and then she came into sight. Aeryn, his Aeryn was standing before him like a raven-haired goddess and John was so overtaken he almost fell to his knees.
She was wearing the black dress he had been teasing her about, and seeing Aeryn in something so revealing and provocative had him drooling like on of Pavlov's dogs. The saucy number had long sleeves and a scooped neck with fringes around it and it flowed down her legs and ended just past her knees. The dress did a good job of concealing the slight rounding of her tummy, but John could see the thickening of her waist and it made him want her more. She carried their child within her and it made him feel like the luckiest man in the universe.
"Hey, darlin' I'm thinking we just forget the party and have one of our own." John held out his hand to Aeryn. "What do you say?"
Aeryn walked to John's side and placed her hand in his. "I say I dressed up and we are going."
"Whatever you say sweetheart." John leaned over and placed a kiss on her neck. "But I am giving you fair warning that I am looking forward to after the party and getting you out of that dress."
"I thought you wanted me to wear it," Aeryn asked as she stopped on the bottom ladder of the transport pod.
"Yeah, I wanted you to wear it so I could take it off."
"You are a strange man." Aeryn shook her hand and climbed the remaining steps of the transport pod.
The party was in full swing when John and Aeryn arrived. John scanned the crowd and found Rygel, not surprisingly at the food table enjoying the local flavors. Noranti was over to the left testing out some local medicinal remedies, and to his right he saw Chiana dragging D'Argo out onto the dance floor. He laughed to himself sure the locals weren't ready for D'Argo's brand of dancing.
Knowing he couldn't let D'Argo and Chiana outdo him, he drug Aeryn toward the dance floor. "Shall we show these guys how to do it?"
Aeryn smiled that knee-dropping smile and John caught his breath as he looked into her eyes and saw such love and trust. "Yes, I guess we could try."
"Yeah, lets." John pulled her into his arms and felt her head drift to his shoulder. Her arms wrapped around his and they began to sway to the music.
All the horror they had seen, and the pain, all the sorrow came down to this. Times in their life when fate was giving them a break and they had a moment of peace. There was still danger surrounding them, evil chasing them wanting what he held in his mind, but for now he had his friends around him, his girl in his arms and a baby on the way. Yeah, it was just what he had imagined and nothing he would have expected.
"So, this is some more family," John Crichton asked as he looked around the busy street. "Who knew there would be a Sebaccean break-away colony this far out."
John grasped his wife's hand tightly as they made their way down the crowded square. God, it just felt good to have her next to him, to feel her body brush up against his as they walked side-by-side, to smell the scented oil in her hair as it whipped around her and brushed lightly up against his nose.
"Just make sure you keep your lips to yourself this time," Aeryn Sun said alluding to the last time the Moya crew had found themselves at a Sebaccean colony.
"Baby, these lips only have one name on them." John turned to Aeryn and puckered up. "See." He pointed his finger to his lips. "They say Aeryn, I promise."
Aeryn shook her head and leaned in to give John a quick kiss. John still marveled at how Aeryn had changed in the cycles since he met her, because the Aeryn he first met almost five cycles ago would never have openly given him such a public display of affection.
"Hey, can't you guys keep your hands off each other," a voice said from behind them. Chiana darted from behind John and Aeryn and rushed ahead of them.
"Ain't that the pot calling the kettle black," John asked with a quick smile. He received a perplexed look from not only Chiana, but Aeryn as well. "You know, it is ironic that Chiana is talking about that since she is the queen of it."
"Oh," they both said at the same time.
"Wait a minute, I think that was an insult," Chiana said with a small pout and then punched John in the arm. "Good thing I am in such a good mood, or I would hold it against you."
"I would be tossing and turning tonight if you did," John yelled back as Chiana ran off.
"You know why she is in such a good mood don't you?" Rygel hovered beside John and Aeryn.
"Let me guess, you are going to tell us," Aeryn asked as she looked down at the Hynerian.
"Well, if you are going to speak to me in such a manner, I won't tell you at all," Rygel said as he maneuvered his throne sled away from John and Aeryn. "And it serves you right."
"I am in total devastation," Aeryn whispered to John.
"You know Sparky, he likes to pretend like he is in the know," John said to Aeryn. "Like we care."
John and Aeryn both shook their heads at the same time and proceeded down the street. It was quite a festive occasion and John found himself getting lost in watching the action unfold around him. It kind of reminded him of the festivals he used to attend in the fall when he was in elementary school.
'Know what is going on around here?" John jerked his head toward the various venders wearing festive garments and laying out different food items. "Looks like they are gearing up for a party."
Aeryn got a faraway look in her eyes and then turned to John. "If this is the right time of cycle, then it must be the Sebaccean Harvest Festival."
"Harvest Festival, huh," John looked around again. "Kind of sounds like Halloween."
"Oh, you mean the holiday when we went back to Earth?"
"Exactly," John smiled. "Remember, Sparky got all hyped up on candy. I thought his head was going to explode."
"Yeah," Aeryn said as she turned her head. It was a time in their relationship Aeryn didn't like to remember. She and John were amiable companions at best during that time, yet she tried to show him she was back on Moya for good by supporting him any way she could.
When John spoke of his mother, while they were on Earth, Aeryn just grasped his hand and squeezed it when he said he was going to talk to her. What she really wanted to do was take him in her arms and hold him until the pain went away.
"And you had that outfit on," John said wistfully. "I thought my heart was going to stop when I saw you in it."
"Wish you would have told me," Aeryn said as she held John's hand tighter. "It would have been nice to know."
"Ah, hunny, I'm sorry," John said stopping them in the middle of the street. He turned Aeryn toward him and brushed a lock of hair from her face. "I was a real bastard, wasn't I?"
"Maybe a little," Aeryn said as a huge grin spread across her face. ""But you have done a decent job making up for it."
"Decent, decent." John stepped back pretending to be offended. "I'll have you know I have been at your beckon call."
"Well, for the most part." Aeryn took his hand back and held it in hers swinging their arms back and forth.
"Not far." John pulled Aeryn toward him until her breasts were up against his chest. "I have played the husband, lover and daddy-to-be role to perfection, I'll have you know."
John leaned down and kissed her on the lips. "Oh, perfection." John kissed her again.
"Hey, did you hear?" Chiana said running up to John and Aeryn.
The couple groaned as they parted and turned to Chiana. Damn the timing they both said at the same time.
"Hear what," John asked.
"This place is having a huge festival tonight," Chiana said excitedly. "It is supposed to be really drad."
"That is cool," John said looking at Aeryn. "What are they doing?" John looked back at Chiana.
"Well," Chiana said proud that she was going to be the one to tell them. "They are having a lot of food and a dance."
"A dance, huh," John said. "Care to practice some of those moves I showed you?" John turned to Aeryn and wiggled his eyebrows.
"Well, I am going back up to Moya," Chiana said ignoring their antics.
"Hey, Pip, what did you say." Proving to Chiana that he was only half listening to her.
"Said I was going back up to Moya," Chiana said again. "If there is going to be a party, I can't go dressed like this." Chiana waved a hand across the clothes she was wearing. "Oh, and you guys might want to think about dressing up too. The locals say they really go all out."
Chiana looked John and Aeryn up and down, smiled once and walked past them toward the transport pod.
"Well, what'cha' say," John said taking Aeryn's hand and leading her in the direction Chiana just passed. "Shall we get all spiffed up and show these people how to party?"
"Oh yeah, like anything I have is going to fit," Aeryn said looking down at her stomach, rubbing her slightly distended abdomen.
"You are barely showing," John said placing his hand on her tummy. "Besides, I know you have a little black dress you bought when you and Chiana went to that commerce planet together."
"How do you know about that," Aeryn asked.
"Because I have eyes in the back of my head." John pulled Aeryn toward the transport pod.
"No, it's because you are nosey."
"Well, that too."
John paced in front of the transport pod. The others had already left and John had told them that he and Aeryn would take another pod and met them there. If he was on Earth he would have checked his watch for the one- hundredth time, but he had no time keeping device in this universe. So he paced.
He was about to go and look for her when he saw a shadow forming in the corridor and then she came into sight. Aeryn, his Aeryn was standing before him like a raven-haired goddess and John was so overtaken he almost fell to his knees.
She was wearing the black dress he had been teasing her about, and seeing Aeryn in something so revealing and provocative had him drooling like on of Pavlov's dogs. The saucy number had long sleeves and a scooped neck with fringes around it and it flowed down her legs and ended just past her knees. The dress did a good job of concealing the slight rounding of her tummy, but John could see the thickening of her waist and it made him want her more. She carried their child within her and it made him feel like the luckiest man in the universe.
"Hey, darlin' I'm thinking we just forget the party and have one of our own." John held out his hand to Aeryn. "What do you say?"
Aeryn walked to John's side and placed her hand in his. "I say I dressed up and we are going."
"Whatever you say sweetheart." John leaned over and placed a kiss on her neck. "But I am giving you fair warning that I am looking forward to after the party and getting you out of that dress."
"I thought you wanted me to wear it," Aeryn asked as she stopped on the bottom ladder of the transport pod.
"Yeah, I wanted you to wear it so I could take it off."
"You are a strange man." Aeryn shook her hand and climbed the remaining steps of the transport pod.
The party was in full swing when John and Aeryn arrived. John scanned the crowd and found Rygel, not surprisingly at the food table enjoying the local flavors. Noranti was over to the left testing out some local medicinal remedies, and to his right he saw Chiana dragging D'Argo out onto the dance floor. He laughed to himself sure the locals weren't ready for D'Argo's brand of dancing.
Knowing he couldn't let D'Argo and Chiana outdo him, he drug Aeryn toward the dance floor. "Shall we show these guys how to do it?"
Aeryn smiled that knee-dropping smile and John caught his breath as he looked into her eyes and saw such love and trust. "Yes, I guess we could try."
"Yeah, lets." John pulled her into his arms and felt her head drift to his shoulder. Her arms wrapped around his and they began to sway to the music.
All the horror they had seen, and the pain, all the sorrow came down to this. Times in their life when fate was giving them a break and they had a moment of peace. There was still danger surrounding them, evil chasing them wanting what he held in his mind, but for now he had his friends around him, his girl in his arms and a baby on the way. Yeah, it was just what he had imagined and nothing he would have expected.