Title: Left Turn at Albuquerque
Author: Harper's aka Weird_Peace
Rating: PG-13
Synopsis: Sequel to And You Thought Larvae Were Bad and Effervescent Essence. I highly suggest you read the previous fictions.
Disclaimer: I don't own 'em, but I love 'em anyways.
Spoilers: All around.

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Trance gently cradled a sleeping Owen in one arm while moving the pillow behind her back with another. Harper had made the rocking chair she sat in when he was on one of his ancient earth babbles about customs. He had been talking about how his grandmother had a real rocking chair made out of actual wood. Trance smiled as she remembered the look on his face when he continued on about how his mother would tell him stories about sitting in that chair with her mother, and how she regretted not being able to keep the chair for him.

Trance thought it was sweet and yet sad what Harper was doing. Humans couldn't change the past like her species could and occasionally did. Instead they often tried changing the past through the future, a technique that only worked about half the time.

Owen blinked as he began to stir. The baby yawned and buried himself closer to the warmth of his mother. Trance stiffened as something akin to deja vu hit her. Deja vu usually didn't come attached to good things.

Owen was suddenly very much awake. He stretched his tiny arms to one corner of the room, giving mommy a gentle mental nudge to let her know she needed to pay attention to him. Trance followed Owen's gaze and her arms tightened around her baby. Owen sensed his mother's fear and wrapped his tail firmly around her wrist.

"It's too early," Trance whispered, her eyes locked on the only other person in the room. Loki pushed himself off the wall and walked over to her, his eyes softening as he looked at Owen.

"You and I both know you've received more time than you're supposed to have," he said sternly. "I went to the council myself and had them prolong your period. But two weeks after the birth is two weeks too long."

"Please Loki..." she begged him. "It shouldn't be like this."

"It's not your place to decide how the universe works," Loki said. "We sometimes bend the rules, yes, but we do not break them."

"And how do you or any of the others know this is what the universe intended for our children?!" Trance cried out, knocking the chair over as she stood up and backed away. Owen's tail was painfully digging into Trance's skin now, not that she noticed. Loki hesitated, knowing his sister had a way of manipulating words. If he allowed her to get to him this time, the consequences would be bad for all three persons in the room.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you become attached. Why does this pain you so?" he finally asked, avoiding her question. "You knew what would happen from the beginning and yet you made no case against it."

"I didn't know how hard it would be then," Trance said softly, stroking Owen's growing locks. "And you don't understand how much this would hurt Harper."

"You haven't told him?" Loki rolled his eyes. "You know it only becomes worse that way."

"I can't. And I don't want to have to," she replied.

"Trance," Loki approached her and wrapped one arm around her shoulder while his tail snaked it's way around her waist. Trance looked like she didn't know whether to accept him or pull away. "If nothing else, think of the child."

"I am."

"No, you're not. This is a dangerous place for him to live. Disease, weapons of mass destruction, black hearts, corruption...the list goes on. The rules have only been made to make sure he lives a fulfilling life." Loki traced Owen's cheek with his tail. The baby giggled, grabbed the tail with one hand, and began to chew on the pointed tip. Loki grimaced, but didn't do anything else.

"There is already talk amongst the people," he said so softly Trance almost didn't hear him. "You know prejudice exists in our society, and that Owen will not have an easy life being a halfling. But humans here will not accept him either. His only chance lies with your side of the family, and they won't accept him if he doesn't go through the proper procedures."

"Do you want him to be an outcast? Like you?"

Loki's last words stung simply because they were laced with so much truth. Trance pulled out of his grasp and walked away, holding Owen out in front of her as if examining the child. Could he take it? Could she take it? Owen looked back at his mother with the innocence and trust only a child could have. He smiled, his eyes finally leaving Trance's as she pulled his small body into a tight embrace, a few tears leaking out of the corner of her eyes. She quickly turned and held out her son.

"Just take him!" Trance cried, never daring to open her eyes. Loki grasped the baby and pulled him into his arms. Owen blinked as if taken aback by his mother's actions, and then started to bawl as if he knew what fate awaited him. Loki didn't bother saying anything else; he just left.

And Owen went with him.

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"Harper, are you ok?" Andromeda looked down at her engineer with concern. Just a few seconds ago he had gasped and dropped his tool, the human's face turning completely white as he did so.

"Something's wrong." Harper stood up and bolted towards his quarters, not needing Rommie's assistance in finding Trance. The mental kick he had just received scared the hell out of him. But not as much as finding Trance sitting in the rocking chair he had built for her and Owen, looking very much like she had died for the hundredth time.

Truthfully, Harper's heart actually skipped a few beats before the golden pixie turned to her head towards him to confirm she was alive. Trance's eyes were haunted, and her appearance almost made Harper forget something was missing.

Almost.

"Where's Owen?" he choked out, frantically looking around the room. Trance turned away, afraid to look at Harper. This only served to panic him more.

"Where's Owen?!" he asked shrilly, grabbing Trance's arm almost too roughly.

"He's gone."