Hello! Yeah…it has been a while since I last wrote an Andromeda chapter…for any of them! Everything has been getting neglected with me…my boyfriend, ma mates…my tv shows.

People have probably forgotten this even exists! Anyhow, chapter three for all you nice folk.

**********************************

Med Bay…

"So, you're Seamus Harper? My Harper?" Dylan Hunt asked almost straight away, he didn't want to waste any time.

"Yeah. Brilliant, good looking and intelligent Seamus Harper of the Andromeda Ascendant," the smaller man offered brightly.

Oh yeah, Dylan thought, Sounds like him.

"Uh huh…" Dylan walked over to the bed, "So…care to tell me how you got here?"

Harper smiled hoping to relieve some of the growing tension, "I thought you knew about the birds and bees?"

"That's not what I meant," Dylan kept his voice even, trying to keep the annoyance at a bare minimum, "How did you get onto my ship and no smart comments okay?"

Harper pulled the covers around his knees and sighed. He shivered as Dylan regarded him coolly. How was he going to say that he jumped into his teleportation device and landed here?

He ran a hand through his hair, ruffling it and causing it to go in all sorts of fun directions. He regarded his hands for a long second, he was covered in small nicks and cuts. Underneath his fingernails was blood, blood from Beka, Tyr…everyone he had encountered on the Andromeda.

"Mister Harper?" Dylan raised an eyebrow, "Harper!"

Harper snapped his eyes to Dylan's, "Sorry…can't say. Hey…would it be okay if I stayed here for a while?"

Dylan rubbed his chin, "That depends."

"On what?"

"You. Tell me why you're here and as to why and I'll think about it," Dylan offered.

Harper rubbed his face tiredly with cold hands, "I can't."

"Then you know I can't let you stay here," Dylan responded.

Harper fell silent as he looked at the deck despondently, Dylan saw a flash of what looked liked betrayal in the engineer's eye. It held so many emotions, hurt and surprise being the more discernable.

"Thought I could trust you," Harper whispered softly, "I thought you could help. You're Dylan! You help everyone!"

Dylan frowned. He couldn't help but feel something for the small man. Even though he knew this wasn't his Harper, there still was that feeling of doubt in his mind.

"You have to see it from my point of view," Andromeda's captain explained, more for his own benefit than for Harper, "Would you trust someone who appeared outta nowhere?"

"I can't…Dylan…I really wish I could tell you. Really, ya gotta trust me on that but I can't," Harper desperately tried to keep his voice steady.

All that he could see running around his head was the gruesome scene he had witnessed on the bridge. Blood had spattered most of the usually sparkling bridge. Blood from one of his friends…

***************

Future Harper's past

He quietly crept up to the ladder, he could hear voices from the ever nearing bridge. Part of him knew that he shouldn't be anywhere near it, that he was disobeying Dylan's direct order.

The voices sounded like they were getting angry and Dylan very rarely got angry. Slightly miffed or annoyed but never ever angry. When things were going up the proverbial spout and everyone else were losing their heads, Dylan would keep his cool.

"Wonder what's goin on up there," Harper muttered softly, "Well…curiosity killed the cat and satisfaction brought it back."

Ah, you're no cat, as quick as you may be, the reasonable little voice in his head reminded, Aren't you disobeying Dylan's order by even being here?

Well…yes and no. I'm following Beka's order, Harper paused, unsure if he should just accidentally 'drop in' on Dylan and the nice new friends.

Even if he cracked a few jokes, eased the tension that seemed to be rising on the bridge. The Andromeda needed this alliance, the Magog were on their merry little way, slowly munching their way through innocent worlds.

His heart thundered in his chest, like it always did when he knew he was doing the wrong thing. What if he interrupted them while they were having a nice little chat and they were about to sign the charter to join the Commonwealth?

Gunshot's quickly laid rest to any and all questions that had been running through his mind. His heart stopped in his chest as he heard Dylan shout out to the ship, telling her to activate the security systems.

No matter how quick or indestructible everyone thought Dylan was, he wasn't quick enough to outrun his own death. Harper's eyes widened to saucers as he heard the shouts draw nearer.

Fumbling, he pulled out his weapon, hoping to whatever gods were listening that this was a whole nasty little misunderstanding and not the full blown attack that it was turning out to be.

Carefully, he dropped onto the bridge, barely hearing his own footsteps as his heartbeat drowned out any type of sounds. He could see Dylan at the other end of the bridge, force lance ready and aimed at one of the guests.

"Harper! Get outta here!" Dylan ordered, "Now!"

"Uh, Dylan? Everything okay?" Harper nervously eyed the scene, his finger just itching to pull the trigger.

Every Earth honed, Magog and Nietzschean tuned instinct screamed to him to fire on the lead alien. His blue eyes darted from Dylan to the main screen then back to the captain.

"Everything is okay," Dylan lied, he knew that Harper wasn't going to believe him, "Just a slight misunderstanding."

Harper said nothing but shifted his weight on the balls of his feet, getting his centre of gravity ready for a quick move. He swayed his hips almost motionlessly, his breath quickening slightly.

"Harper…it's okay," Dylan outstretched his hand.

"You told Rommie to activate her security systems," Harper ventured, "You don't normally do something like that unless there is a problem."

"Just showing our guests the Andromeda's security protocol," Dylan answered smoothly.

Had Harper been that little bit more naïve, he would of believed the man standing in front. As it was, Harper wasn't all that trusting of people he could trust.

"Harper, look out!" Andromeda's holographic AI screamed, her normally cool and collected voice filled with panic.

The genius of an engineer somehow found his reflexes being tested to the limit. He felt Dylan's large form crash into him, knocking all the oxygen out of his lungs.

Gunshots once again filled the bridge, amidst all the chaos, Harper swore he could of heard the mechanical footfalls of the Andromeda's security bots. They were quickly eliminated, not one having the speed to pull out a weapon as fast as a human counterpart. They all fell to the deck.

Harper didn't open his eyes, hoping that Dylan would get off him and make the situation right. Something wet and warm started to seep through his shirt.

"Dylan…hey Dylan," Harper couldn't stop the sickly feeling of dread creep up in his throat as he whispered.

"Harper? Harper…" the voice called out in a sing song voice, taunting him.

*************************