"You're sure you'll be okay up here with her?" Aeryn asks. She's asked me about that so many times that I've lost count. Okay, true, I'm shocked and amazed that they're even going anywhere without the kid, but I think the part that scares her is that they're leaving Rose with me. If it was Zhaan or D'Argo, they would have no problem with it at all. Which I think is stupid- I'm not that bad. You have to worry about Rose more than you do me.

"We'll be fine," I say, and I see Rose nodding. See, she likes me. "Rygel and Pilot are going to be here."

"You know what? Don't go to Rygel," Crichton says. "Let's not have Sparky giving out babysitting advice."

He's got a point. But anyway... "Go. Before Zhaan and D'Argo leave without you," I say. "Me and Rose are gonna have some fun."

I see Aeryn open her mouth to say something, but Crichton takes her arm, pulling her away. "Comm us if there's any trouble," he calls, and they go to meet the others.

I look at Rose. She's got that look on her face, one I know well. When the parents are gone, she knows what she can get away with. That's why she likes me. "So. What do you want to do?" I ask her.

"Play," she answers with a wide smile.

"My kind of girl! What do you want to play? You outgrew peach-a-boo." Crichton taught her that one a while ago, and she used to love it. Now you cover your eyes and she's gone off to find something more interesting. I think she was born without an attention span.

Rose makes a face to tell me exactly what she thinks of that idea. "Okay, fine," I say. "Remember that game I taught you? The search game?"

"I like that game!" she says, totally excited.

"I'll hide first," I say.

"No, Chia, I wanna hide!" Rose says, pouting.

Fine by me. "Then you hide. Remember the rules. I'll count to fifty microts." I put her down, and turn towards the wall, letting Rose hide. I know where she'll be. She always goes to the nearest storage closet. She loves that hiding place. I start counting, and I can hear her scamper off.

I don't even give her to fifty. At twenty-five I stop and start out of command to the first storage closet. "I found you, Rose," I say, and open the door.

And she's not there.

"Rose?" I call, turning back around. She got a new hiding place. Where did she go? She knows the rules: she can just go down the hallway. So that limits her to the hall, that closet, command, and a couple rooms down at the end.

Let me tell you, after searching all those places, she's not in any of them. Nowhere. She just is gone.

Wonderful. I just lost Crichton and Aeryn's daughter.

It's not like she would have been able to get off Moya. That's a good thing. Problem is, I don't know where in hezmana she is. Time to cheat a little. "Pilot?"

He appears on the screen. "You called?" he says.

"I need a favor. I lost Rose, and I need you to help me find her. You're still showing her somewhere, right?" I say. I hope he's still showing her somewhere...

Pilot pauses as he comes up with the answer. "She... She seems to be between this tier and the one below."

Between? "What do you mean between the tiers?" I ask.

"She appears to have crawled into the ventilation shaft," Pilot says.

Oh, dren. I can just see it now: Aeryn finding out about this, then taking her pulse rifle and shooting me. Okay, gotta get Rose.

"Be right back," I groan, and head towards the nearest shaft. I pull off the covering, sticking my head inside. "Rose? Are you in there?"

"You don't win till you come get me!" I hear her say.

I can't believe this. So this is what Crichton's been warning me about. Probably why he and Aeryn went down to the commerce planet. "I'm not coming in there!" I tell her.

"Then I'm not coming out!"

For a microt I debate leaving her there. That'll teach her. But I can't do that to the poor kid. "Chia, come get me!" she calls. "Don't leave me here."

She's good. She's really good. I sigh. "Can you get our of there yourself?" I ask.

"Yes."

"Then come out."

"No. Come get me!"

I'm never having children. Ever. "I'm serious. Come out!" I say.

"No!"

I'm starting to think of ways to get her out, whether she likes it or not. I don't know how much Pilot can do, and Crichton's right, I am not going to Rygel... Looks like I'm on my own for this one.

I sigh. I can't leave her there, but I can't reach far enough to find her. "Meet me halfway?" I say.

"No."

This is over. "I can't believe I'm doing this," I mutter, and try to squeeze myself into the shaft, hoping I can get out afterwards. How does Rygel do this all the time?

When I finally manage to get inside, half hanging down into the shaft- which is a lot smaller than you might think. And she's still out of reach. "Rose, you're gonna have to help me here," I say. "Take my hand."

She shakes her head. "No."

"I'm telling your mother when she gets back," I threaten.

Rose pauses, considering that. "Mommy likes me," she says confidently.

"And do you want me to leave you here so she can get you out?"

That got her. "I'll come out," she says.

I reach out my hand for her, but she doesn't budge. "No! I'll do it," she says.

Never again. I am never doing this again. Not unless Crichton and Aeryn bribe me with something really good, at least. Sighing, I work my way out of the shaft, managing to work my back into a whole new shape while doing so. And bumping my head on the wall. Ow.

"You can come out now," I say, hoping this wasn't just a trick to get me to leave her alone.

Luckily she's not that far down, and I don't know how, but she actually climbs up the shaft. (Oh, so maybe that's how Rygel does this all the time.) I didn't know a kid her age could do that, but right now I'm glad she can.

And then just when she's about to climb out, she stops. "I'm done," she says.

"You're enjoying this, aren't you?" I say.

She just gives me the most evil grin...

Tough. I reach into the shaft, pull her out without smacking her into the wall like I did to myself, and stand her on the floor as I put the covering back on. Later on I will get the DRD's to glue that thing on. Tight.

"You're not leaving my sight," I tell her as I start taking her back to command.

Rose giggles. "You're no fun."

"Yes, I am, just not right now." I pick her up again, not ready to let her walk somewhere that she could get into more trouble. One scare a day is enough for me, thank you.

"Are you really going to tell on me?" she asks, sticking out her lower lip.

That look doesn't work on me. I have perfected that look. "Not unless you're good," I tell her. "Otherwise, I tattle."

She lets out a sigh, like I've just asked her to do the impossible. I'm starting to wonder if that is the impossible for her. "I'll try."

"Good," I say.

"Can I play in Daddy's ship?" she asks suddenly.

"Does your father let you play in there?"

"Uh huh."

Liar. "No, he doesn't," I say. She's not getting away with this. Doesn't work on me.

"Please? I asked nicely," Rose says.

"That's nice. You're not going anywhere near there. I plan to live through the day."

"I won't tell," she says in a sing-song voice.

"Nope. It's not going to work, no matter how much you try," I say. "We're going to pretend like today didn't scare me until your parents come home."

She really doesn't like that, and tries to get me to put her down. "Come on, Chia, put me down," she says. "I'll cry."

"I know that technique well."

As we get to command, I put her down. "Pilot, close the doors," I say, and he does so.

He's back on the little screen. (One day I'll ask what that thing is called.) "I see you found her," he says.

"And she's staying found," I say, looking pointedly at Rose.

She answers me by crossing her arms and pouting. I don't know how she thinks this is going to work. I just about invented her routine, trust me.

"The transport just arrived," Pilot says. "You won't have to keep watch on her for long."

You can't imagine how relieved I am at that. How long was I fighting with her in there? They took no time at all to get back.

"You're no fun, either," Rose tells him.

I don't think Pilot cares.

She ignores me till Crichton and Aeryn come back through the door, and then she jumps up and runs to them, hugging their legs. "What'd you do to her?" Crichton asks me, smiling.

"I'm chaining her to a table next time," I tell him.

Aeryn looks at Crichton. "Why didn't we think of that?" she asks.

I can think of a few reasons. "Anything she tells you isn't true," I warn, on my way out.

"I'm sure. You might want to help D'Argo and Zhaan unload the supplies," Aeryn tells me, picking Rose up. That girl gets picked up so much, I'm amazed her feet have ever been on the ground for more than a microt.

Sure. "Watch me run," I say, making sure the sarcasm is obvious. Uh uh. I'm gonna enjoy the silence for a good long time...

"Chia," Rose says, and she gives me a huge smile when I look at her. "I win!"