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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"Gone? What do you mean gone?" Harper sank to his knees in front of Trance, clasping her hands so hard his knuckles were turning white.

"Harper," Trance started, still too afraid to dare look him in the eyes. "I've kept a lot of secretes about my species from you, but this time I was severely unfair. I...I don't think you'll ever forgive me."

Harper didn't say anything; the worry in his eyes only grew stronger. Everything Trance was doing, everything she was saying, only continued to scare him. Harper hated fear, and if she didn't do something soon, Trance was going to have to deal with a very angry engineer.

"When Perseids have children, they are not raised by the parents. Instead the government feels it is best if they are the ones to raise the child. The parents are allowed limited contact with their son or daughter." Trance winced as Harper's grip turned unbearably hard and he went entirely stiff. She gently pried him off of her before continuing.

"We deal with children the same way," she said. "The council takes them and raises them into fit individuals." There was a long pause while Trance allowed Harper to digest the information. He had sat back on his heels with his hands in his lap. The young man's eyes were distant as if he had mentally taken himself away so he wouldn't have to deal with any of it.

"When do we get to see him again?" Harper finally asked, his voice calm with an edge of ice to it. This was the part Trance dreaded most of all.

"In two years."

"And how long will he stay with us?" Harper's voice had not changed.

"After the two years, he is ours to keep," Trance said carefully, her words guarded. Harper seemed to be brought back to reality. He blinked a few times and looked up at Trance, knowing there was something more. There was always a catch.

"What aren't you telling me?" Harper asked. "And Trance, I swear if you lie to me this time, all the love I have for you won't protect you." Trance was taken aback by the darkness in those words. She almost expected his eyes to be alight.

"It means two years of time will pass here. Since Owen has my blood in him, he will only look in his early twenties even though sixty years will pass where he's training," she answered softly. Harper's mouth opened and closed for a few minutes as he tried to form words. He swallowed and tried again.

"So when Owen, my son," Trance winced again, "comes back to us, he will be an adult. He will have grown even past my years. I will have missed his first step, his first word, his first loose tooth..." Harper sat back and pulled his knees to his chest, his hands pulling at his hair as he waded through so much emotional turmoil he thought he would burst.

"Harper, please let me explain..." Trance reached out to place a hand on his shoulder. Harper slapped it away and Trance pulled back like a wounded animal. "I didn't want him to become an outcast. My people would have never accepted Owen if he didn't go through these courses and trails."

"Does their acceptance matter so much that you felt you had to give away our son?" Harper asked, voice dripping with malice.

"Yes," Trance said honestly. Harper shook his head and started to giggle. "Harper, Owen is going to outlive you by many years, and when you're gone, my people will be the only ones who will accept him. The people here will never love him..."

"But I did love him!" Harper screamed, standing over her. His 5'6" stance suddenly towered over the gold pixie that remained seated. "And you ripped him away."

"That's not true!" Trance was standing now as well. "I sent him somewhere safer where he would be protected."

"You don't think I would've done everything in my power to keep him safe?" Harper started laughing again. "That's just typical of you Trance, isn't it?"

"Harper, you don't understand what the consequences are," she pleaded.

"Oh I understand. I have it down perfectly well. Owen's going to be his mommy's little boy. He's going to grow up with a bunch of your people and learn your rules. He'll be secretive and think of me as a silly little human, right Trance?" Harper snarled.

"I do not think that way," Trance countered.

"Whatever. To you we don't even have feelings. We're just toys for you to play with and manipulate." Harper was surprised his eyes were dry. But then again, he had cried so much over the past few months, he felt there was nothing left to give. "That's all you've ever done Trance. You didn't care about me when this whole thing started, you just wanted a kid. You've lied, you held back information, you said and did things without consulting me, and I bet you never even stopped to think about what this would do to me..."

"You're being unfair!" Unlike Harper, Trance was crying hard. "Harper, I wanted to die every time I thought about what giving up Owen would do to you. I tried to think of ways to get past it, but I couldn't. I was so scared, and you're right, I was wrong not to tell you sooner," she admitted. "But I only did it to protect you."

"Protect me?" he hissed, glaring at her. "You're going to make Owen just like you."

"They'll teach him about human customs too." Trance was trying to make things right again, but only fell back into misery as Harper shook his head.

"No, not that. Just like you came back from the future, all grown up Trance. Do you remember that day?" Harper asked. "Even then you didn't think about how it would affect us all. You just changed places and suddenly instead of my innocent purple princess I had some golden warrior queen to deal with. And now, now instead of my innocent little baby, god only knows what I'll be handed in the next two years."

"Tell me how to get him back," Harper demanded. Trance shook her head.

"You can't get him back. My people won't listen to you. And you don't have the abilities nor the concepts to reach Owen."

"But you do," he said. "And they will listen to you."

"I can't risk taking him back," Trance said, wiping away the fresh tears that were threatening to fall. "I'm sorry."

"Apologize all you want." Harper was completely cold in tone and manner. He looked the picture of living death. "You were right. I will never forgive you for this. I want you out of my quarters within the next hour, or I will have Andromeda toss you out." Trance sobbed harder as he went on. "I am not leaving this ship, and I won't force you to either, but I'll tell you right now Trance. I'm going to avoid you. I'm not going to speak to you unless I have to. I suggest you stay out of my way from now on."

By now the former golden goddess was now just a broken golden alien on her knees, clutching her stomach as if in pain as her body racked with sobs. Harper stared at her as if she were an obstacle to step over; machines had more worth. He turned and walked out of the room, leaving Trance in her misery. And all he could think of was that it was about time she got knocked off her high horse.