TITLE: Break

NOTES: This is a sequel fic to 'Vengeance'. If you haven't already read that, go do it now or you'll spoil your appetite. With tons of thanks to my beta; Layton.

FEEDBACK: is huuuuugely appreciated, so get typing when you're done! Think that's it, enjoy :)



CHAPTER ONE ~ Aftershock

"Never let yourself think it's over. It never is."

- Kellen Vega

CY 231

^~*~^

"Harper, are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to. I'm sure we can find a way to get around it. There must be a loophole somewhere so you don't have to give evidence."

"Dylan, it'll be fine. Contrary to popular belief, I can lie pretty well," Harper told him. "When I'm not talking to Beka or Trance," he added jokingly.

The topic was, and had been for some time, the Autriva investigation. The Commonwealth were conducting the investigations, which were taking place on Ostara, in the Halls of Justice. Andromeda was docked on the orbiting station while she underwent a rather intrusive check-up to determine her fitness for duty. Dylan and Rommie, along with the rest of the crew, were on Ostara's surface. It was regulation that none of the crew were to be onboard during the assessment.

The Autriva incident was three weeks ago today, but the investigation had begun only four days ago. So far only facts had been discussed. The questioning would be the following day.

Dylan and the others were wary of Harper agreeing to take the stand, seeing as he had something to hide. Harper, on the other hand, acted unconcerned. He seemed to have recovered swiftly since the ordeal. It wouldn't have been surprising if it had taken a while to get over surviving a suicide attempt and all his friends finding out he committed murder long before they knew him, but Harper appeared to be the usual, fun-loving, wise-cracking engineer that he had always been. In fact, only two days after Rommie was back to her normal self, Harper was too. It was only Trance suspected that all was not as it seemed, and Harper's 'normality' was just a mask. She saw herself as an expert on them, seeing as she wore one much of the time. Masks hid sides of your personality that you didn't want anyone else to see. Masks hid secrets.

"Well, you have all night to think about it. If you change your mind all you have to do is say so." Rommie told him.

One of the after-effects of the 'incident' as it had been dubbed, was most of the others becoming overly protective of him. All but Tyr, of course. Tyr hadn't really spoken to Harper more than he had to since it happened - something with which he was mostly upset, but strangely relieved of. Tyr wasn't really the 'let's sit down and discuss' type of guy.

The others had all given him their pep talks, all of which Harper had listened to graciously and told them repeatedly he would be okay. As if they could magic it all away with a few kind words.

"I'm the Andromeda's chief engineer," Harper told Rommie. "I *think* they might want me to explain why you....you know."

"Went nuts?" Beka filled in for him, not one for side-stepping the obvious. "Sorry," she added, regretting her bluntness.

Beka, Dylan, Rommie and Harper were all in the hotel bar, a dank little pit of a place. Dylan intended to have words with whoever suggested their accommodation. Well within character, Trance was looking around a nearby arboretum and Tyr was checking out the gym. Beka often found herself wondering if it was possible for that guy to get any fitter. She'd never voiced this particular thought, however, for fear of the embarrassing implications her friends would probably make.

"It's a reasonable description." Rommie shrugged off Beka's words.

"Well, it's getting late, we should probably get some sleep," Dylan said, talking in Rommie's direction. Remembering that she didn't require any, he turned to Beka and Harper. "We should probably get some sleep."

Rommie smiled at the others. "See you in the morning. Don't forget, Harper, if you change your mind...."

"You'll be the first to know," Harper finished.

Beka paid for her pitiful excuse for a cocktail and headed up to her room after saying goodnight to the others. The fate of Andromeda was being decided by a bunch of leaders from random Commonwealth member-worlds, two hundred people lost their lives because of Andromeda and her friend had tried to kill himself - all the space of three weeks. But Beka's mood was not as dark as she had expected it to be. She had faith that the Autriva incident would be categorised as an accident, and that they would soon be going about their usual routine of saving the universe and putting themselves in extreme peril. Harper certainly seemed fine, and things would be back to normal in no time. She was sure of it.

^~*~^

Harper returned to his room and silently closed the door behind him. In the darkness he waited for what he knew would come.

"Miss me?"

It was her.

^~*~^

End of Chapter One