Looking Back in the Mirror Pt. 2

Author: blueaeryn Rating: R Summary: Sequel to Looking in the Mirror

Notes: Spoilers through Season Four Disclaimer: Not mine.

John felt his stomach clinch as the command carrier came into view. Here we go again, he thought. The ominous structure hovered in space as various ships flew in and out of the docking ports. He took a deep breath and tilted the module to the left preparing to enter the range of the docking web.

"Just fly a straight trajectory," Ariss came over the comms to inform him. "The docking officer knows of your arrival so you haven't been deemed a hostile vessel."

"Gee, thanks for the warm welcome," John replied snidely. He really hated her. His displeasure of her very existence was rivaling that of Scorpy and Grayza.

"Before we dock, I have a question," Ariss asked.

"What do you want," John asked in a frustrated tone.

"Why have you never asked me how I fooled you into thinking I was Aeryn?"

John could imagine a sick smile forming on her face. She was really enjoying this.

"I am trying to block it out. Thanks for bringing it up."

"Well, you really shouldn't beat yourself up about it," Ariss admitted. "I used a neural scan on Aeryn when I captured her and downloaded all her memories."

Well, that was something, John thought. He should still have known that Dame Dementia here wasn't his Aeryn. He would never forgive himself for that.

"She has some steamy memories of you," Ariss continued. "Oh, but wait, it wasn't you. Was it?"

Ariss could imagine John's shocked expression. She really despised this man and inflicting any kind of pain on him was pure joy.

"There was this twinning with you," she said laughing. "She really loved that guy. When he died I guess she had to settle for you. From her memories and my first hand experience, I have to say he was a better lover then you."

John tightened his hold on the controls of his module, and clinched his teeth in rage. The need and will to kill this woman raged through him, and he entertained thoughts of drawing Winona and blowing her away when they landed.

"Listen, Psycho, why don't you just get over your jealousy of Aeryn and move on," John said after a few microts. "You really are pathetic."

"No, John, you are the pathetic one," Ariss quickly replied. "Really pathetic if you think Aeryn loves you as much as she loved the other Crichton."

John was about to reply to her comment when someone from the command carrier interrupted on the comms.

"Officer Sun, John Crichton, we have you on scan," a monotone voice said. "Please continue on your current vector and the docking web will bring you into the hanger."

"Copy," Ariss said.

For the next few microts there was complete silence and John stared out the window of his module. He would never let Ariss know it, but her words cut him deeply. Even though Aeryn proved her love to him daily, he still harbored doubts. Did she still mourn the dead John Crichton? Was he just the substitute? They were questions he would never know the answer to because he was afraid to ask and Aeryn would never tell.

When the two ships landed, John released the canopy on his module and hopped out. Off to the side with Bracca at his side stood Scorpius. The bastard never changed. He still wore the same black suit and the same eerie smile.

He advanced toward John but looked past him to Ariss who was coming from behind John. "I see you have fulfilled your mission. Well done, Officer Sun."

"You can save your praise," Ariss told him. "Just make sure you honor our agreement."

"All in good time, Officer Sun," Scorpius said as he touched her shoulder. "All in good time."

Ariss moved her shoulder so that Scorpius' hand fell from her. She looked him straight in the eye, sneered at him, and walked away.

"Such a headstrong young woman," Scorpius said as he turned his attention to John. "Not unlike Aeryn Sun."

John charged at Scorpius and was face-to-face with him. "You shut the frell up at about Aeryn, you sick bastard. I want to see her, now."

"Of course, John, I will take you to her right away," Scorpius said as he waved his hand for John to follow him. "But first I would like you to meet someone." He turned back to look at John.

"It will only take a few microts."

"Fine, whatever. Just get it over with and take me to Aeryn, then we are going to make a few deals so I can get the hell out of here."

"As I told, Officer Ariss Sun, all in good time."

John and Scorpius left the hanger and Bracca filed in behind them.

Aeryn was pacing the tiny room that had been her prison for more solar days then she could count. She felt empty and alone, and worried for her child. She wanted proof that he was safe, but no one would answer her pleas for answers.

For the second time in her life she felt totally helpless. Not a welcome feeling for a soldier, a warrior. But she was neither of those anymore, she was a mother and it changed her. Re-focused her priorities, and shifted her view of her role in the universe. It was a daunting realization, and she just hoped that one day she would be able to play the role that fate had cast her in.

She heard muffled voices at the door and then it opened. Standing in the doorway with the light spilling in around her was Ariss, her sister. Rage, pure and uncontrollable filled her whole being and she clinched her hands at her side.

"Hello, Sister dear," Ariss said as she entered the room and closed the door. "I see you are getting the royal treatment."

"Get frelled," Aeryn said as she turned her back on Ariss. Looking at her face, so like her own, sickened her so she turned from it.

""Don't turn your back on family," Ariss told her as she walked closer to Aeryn. "I'm the only family you have."

"That is where you are wrong," Aeryn whirled around to face Ariss. "John and my son and the rest on Moya are my family. A family of my own choosing, you are nothing to me."

"It's a pity you think that way. John didn't see it that way. In fact he didn't miss you at all, he had me to play with."

Aeryn formed a fist in her right hand and punched Ariss in the jaw. Ariss stumbled backward and hit the ground. She put her hand on her cheek and glared at Aeryn.

"You will be sorry for that," Ariss said as she scrambled to her feet. "Do you hear me? Sorry." She backed up against the door, opened it and scurried out.

Aeryn made her way over to the cot and sat down. Ariss' words played through her mind and the rage continued to rumble through her. She knew what Ariss meant in her comments about John, and she tried to rationalize his actions, but it didn't stop the sting of pain. He had slept with her sister, thinking she was her and hadn't known the difference.

Scorpius led John through the medical bay, and he noticed an eclectic collection of medical apparatus and the place was buzzing with activity. Near the back of the facility, Scorpius stopped at a door, which was secured with a keypad. He punched in a serious of numbers and the door slid open.

John followed him through a long hallway, and he noticed numerous windows lined the area. Inside were rows and rows of newborn babies. Some were sleeping, others were kicking and trying to put their whole fist in their mouth, while others were crying and demanding attention.

At the end of the hallway, Scrorpius punched in another series of numbers and a door slid open to reveal a small room. Inside the room was one crib, with a baby swaddled in a black blanket. He wore a black stocking cap on his head and a red jumper with a Peacekeeper logo on the right side.

"Meet your son," Scorpius said.

John turned to look at him, and by the triumphant grin on his face, he could tell Scorpius was telling the truth. He rushed into the room and stopped by the side of the crib. With a tentative hand he reached out and touched his son's hand. The baby snagged his large finger and grasped it. John smiled and such love for this tiny being overwhelmed him. His son, he was beautiful.

He pulled his finger from his son's hold and reached up to take off the knit cap. Under it was a shock of dark black hair, just like his mother's, and he stared up at John with the same blue-gray eyes. Tears he had been trying to fight back tumbled from his eyes and with both hands he reached down and scooped the boy up in his arms. Cuddling the child to his chest, he began to rock him and placed a kiss on his downy head.

"I see you are pleased him," Scorpius interrupted. "He is a remarkable specimen."

John backed up with his son in his arms. "You stay the hell away from him."

"I don't wish to hurt him, John. But his continued safety will require your cooperation."

"What the frell are you talking about?"

"I will allow you, Officer Sun and your child a full pardon, as well as the rest on Moya, if you give me something."

"Let me guess," John said as he shook his head. "You want the whole A-to-Z wormhole instruction book, then you will leave me alone. This is a boring record."

"Oh, I don't need that anymore. Ariss took care of that for me, by scanning your journal. I have all the equations, but I need a back-up."

His comments puzzled John. "What." John began.

"I see you are confused. You see, John, I collected incumbent knowledge from your son on wormholes and attempted to transplant that knowledge into another subject, but no one could handle the knowledge."

"So, I need a subject with the same genetic composition to transfer the knowledge."

"So, what does that have to do with me, you seem to have everything you need to master wormholes."

"No, John, I need one more thing from you. The progeny you hold in your arms has proven to carry the DNA make-up for wormhole knowledge, but your next child could not. I am not stupid enough to try and steal your son, for I know you, and you would hunt me throughout the universe to rescue him."

"Well, at least you have that right."

"So, I am willing to make a compromise. I want a sample of your seed and I will use it to inseminate an egg we have already extracted from Aeryn.'

"Are you out of your mind," John asked as he pulled his son closer to him. "No matter how you spell it out, you are asking me to hand over a child of mine to you."

"You have to ask yourself what is more important. Is a child you will never know or see more important then the life of the child you hold in your arms and the life of Aeryn Sun?"

John was shocked into silence. The cadaverous creature was asking him to assist him in creating a life, his child, that he would use for his sick experiments.

"I will give you a few arns to think about it. Bracca will take you to Aeryn, and you may take your son as well. She hasn't seen him since the delivery and has been very anxious to see him."

When Aeryn heard the door open again, she expected to see Ariss. No doubt to spew more of her hurtful comments. Aeryn steeled herself in preparation for her arrival, but was shocked to see a man fill the doorway.

She squinted her eyes to see who it was as the bright light hid his face. She moved closer and raised her hands to her mouth when she saw it was John. He was holding something in his arms and when she heard a small cry, she realized it was her son.

She rushed to his side, and plucked the child from his arms. She clutched him to her breast and kissed the top of his head.

John moved to her and she looked up at him. He knew she knew when he looked in her eyes. Ariss had been here and told her what had happened on Moya. The shame he felt forced him to turn his back on her. He raised his hands to his eyes and covered them. Not long after, he felt a hand on his shoulder and he removed his hands from his eyes and turned around to face her.

She placed her right hand on his cheek as she held the baby in the crook of her left arm. Aeryn stroked his cheek and then ran her finger over his right ear and then brushed the hairs at the back of his neck.

"It's alright," she told him. It was the same thing she said when she comforted him after his nightmare when he rescued her from the Scarrens. "It's alright," she said again as she raised up and placed a kiss on his cheek.

He collapsed at her feet and wrapped his arms around her legs. Rocking the baby lightly, she continued to stroke his head. "I love you," John said in a muffled tone as he had his face pressed into her thigh.

"I love you too," Aeryn replied as she reached down and lifted his face up. She smiled at John and gestured toward their son. "He is perfect, isn't he?"

John jumped to his feet and stood next to Aeryn. He brushed a stray strand of dark hair from her cheek and then ran a finger over his son's head. "Yes, he is."

The scene playing out in front of John, forced him to remember what Scorpius said. Which was more important, his family, which was before him, or the idea of a child that may never be? His answer came when Aeryn stared into his eyes with such love, he felt his knees buckle and he knew with a crystal certainty what he must do. If Aeryn ever found out, she would never forgive him. Hell, he would never forgive himself, but it would be just one more horrid deed he could add to his list, a list that was growing with frightening speed.

John left Aeryn with their son, and informed her that he would be back in a few arns. She got that look of determination as she told him she wanted to go with him. But he shook his head, and for the first time in a long while he won an argument as he told her she had to stay and look after their son.

With his escort shadowing him, John went in search of Scorpius. He found him in his chambers. When he walked in, Sikozu was just replacing one of those damn cooling rods.

"John, it is nice to see you again," Sikozu said as she pushed a button to send the cooling rod apparatus into Scorpius' brain.

"We both know that is a lie, Sputnik," John replied. "Get out." Using his thumb he gestured toward the door.

Sikozu looked at Scorpius he inclined his head in agreement. She closed the small box that was on the side of the table, and turned to leave. She glanced at John as she walked by him and shook her head.

"You wish to speak with me,' Scorpius asked as he eased off the chair he was sitting in.

"No, I wish to deal." John braced his feet and placed his hands on his hips. He eased his right hand down to his holster and rubbed the empty space where Winona was supposed to be. They had taken her away from him, and he felt naked.

"You have decided to take me up on my offer," Scorpius said with a triumphant smile.

"Yes, but I have some stipulations. I want it in writing that we all have full pardons, and we walk away. And I want you off my ass. I will give you what you want, and you leave me the hell alone."

"That is the deal."

"I mean it, Scorpy," John said pointing his finger. "You have taken my mind and now you want part of my very soul. I am doing this for Aeryn and for my son, but it is something that will haunt me for the rest of my miserable life."

"I understand your hesitance, John. But I assure you, this will help us defeat the Scarrens and bring peace."

"I don't care about your politics," John shouted. "All I know, is that there will be another piece of me out in the universe that I will never know."

The procedure only took a few microts and it was over with. John felt sick to his stomach as he handed the vile to the med tech. He tried not to think what it would be used for as he turned and left.

Aeryn was sitting on the cot rocking their son when John entered the room. She looked up at him and smiled. She looked so beautiful, his heart felt as if it stopped at the sight of her.

Walking toward her, he held out his hand. "Come on," he told her.

"Where are we going," she asked as she shuffled the baby from one arm to the other and got off the cot.

"Home," John said as he clutched her hand and they walked out of the room hand-in-hand.

Ariss was shocked when Scoprius offered her an amendment to their original deal. Her assistance would yield even greater rewards and after close reflection, she accepted.

So, just arns after John Crichton and Aeryn Sun left in his module with their son, Ariss lie on a cold metal table. She would be the recipient of a grand experiment. She would carry John Crichton and Aeryn Sun's child. The gestation wouldn't be a great ordeal, she was told, as the surgeons would use an experimental drug, which sped up a pregnancy. She would only have to carry the child for half the time a normal pregnancy would last. Well, that was something, she thought as they placed the fetus inside her.

Back on Moya, the ship was abuzz with the new addition. Everyone wanted a peek at John and Aeryn's son. D'Argo proclaimed him strong and decided he would be a great warrior. Chiana loved to hold him and their son seemed to adore the Nebari. It was yet another male who had fallen under Chiana's spell. Rygel said he had a regal air and they should name him after their Dominar.

It did bring up a question for John and Aeryn. What would they name him? After two solar days of reflection, they both came up with a name. Aeryn wanted to name him John and John told her of a name he had heard and liked.

"What do you think of Trevon," John asked as he rocked their son. Aeryn stood beside him and looked down with a serious look on her face.

"You know, I like it," Aeryn said. "I like it a lot. How about Trevon John Cricthon?"

Just then, the baby gurgled and waved his fist in the air.

"I think that is a yes," John said as he smiled up at Aeryn.

It was time. And Scorpius was glad. The wormhole equations Ariss had taken from John weren't working. He wasn't sure, but he believed Crichton had sabotaged the equations. Everything he tried didn't yield the results he expected, so he congratulated himself on his plan. His backup was about to arrive and then all his questions would be answered.

Ariss was wheeled into a birthing chamber. The surgeon told her everything was progressing on schedule and it wouldn't be long. She only nodded and stared off at the wall. The sooner this was over, the better. She was tired of this child inside of her and wanted it out.

As her time grew near, the surgeon told her to push. Scorpius was in the room and she saw him pacing. His prize was about to arrive and he wore an eager expression.

His presence was lost to her when she began pushing to expel the child from her body. One more push, the surgeon told her and she bore down and felt the child slip from her body.

There was a rustling and frantic tones as the surgeon rushed to the side of the room with the child in his arms. "I don't know," Ariss heard him whisper.

"What is happening," she heard Scorpius say.

Wearily Ariss lifted up onto her elbows. She leaned over to get a better view and when the surgeon stepped away, she saw the lifeless form of the baby. It was blue and not moving and it was then she knew what was wrong. The child was stillborn.

For numerous solar days after the event, Scorpius stalked around the command carrier. Crichton's notes didn't add up and now the child he had counted on was dead. John Crichton had won again, but Scorpius was devising another plan, he always had another plan.

Ariss locked the door to her quarters and pulled out a comms device. She took one last look at the door and activated the communications device.

"This is special operative Ariss Sun checking in," she said into the device.

"I read you, Sun," a voice said on the other end. "Was your mission successful?"

"Very. Scorpius doesn't have the equation to complete his wormhole research and the child he hoped to transplant the wormhole knowledge into is dead. I infected the fetus with a deadly contagion just arns before the birth."

"This contagion will not be traceable?"

"Of course not," Ariss replied. "There is no way they can trace the death back to me. The death appears to be just a tragic incident."

"Good work," the deep voice said. "Emperor Stallik will be pleased."

"Tell him it is a pleasure to be working for him," Ariss said with pride. "I look forward to informing him of my progress in person very soon."

"I will pass that along to him. Mallik out."

Ariss smiled as she replaced the comms in the wall behind her bed. A beeping noise informed her that someone was at the door to her quarters. Checking to make sure the communication device was out of sight, she went to the door.

Sikozu stood before her. Ariss moved to allow her in and closed the door behind her.

"I just wanted to check and see how you are," Sikozu asked as she paced the room.

"Fine, everything is fine."

"That is good to hear. I am glad the mission was successful. So, tell me, how is Emperor Stallik anyway?" Sikozu smiled after her question and Ariss smiled back. It was good to have an ally when you were planning a coup.