Child of the Sun Chapter 13, an andromeda fanfic

Author's Note: Italics signify thought or emphasis.

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Though Drago and Dylan had reached the mess first, Drago remained frozen in the doorway until his sister drew even with him. Alura looked around the room and realized that Drago had never seen so many people at once before. She was sure it was overwhelming to the five year old. When her father had taken her away from Midden to the planet that was his base of operations, she had still been too much in shock from what had happened to care how many people she was suddenly faced with. Alura was about to pick him up and comfort him when Dylan spoke.

"Rhade, would you mind helping Drago get something to eat. I need to speak to Alura."

"Of course, Captain."

Alura watched as Telemachus squatted briefly beside Drago and softly said something to him. Whatever it had been must have been comforting, because Drago smiled at the older male and took Telemachus' hand when it was offered. When they had walked far enough away, Alura turned her gaze back to Dylan. He had been watching the two Nietzschean males as well, and she waited until his attention turned to her.

Frowning slightly, he asked, "I thought Tyr's son's name was Tamerlane?"

"It was," she confirmed. "But when he was a baby, Olma and his guards spoke so often about Drago Museveni around him that he started to only respond to the name Drago."

Dylan's frown deepened, "Why would they do that?"

Alura's eyes widened. "Trance didn't tell you?" Dylan shook his head and she continued, "Drago is the genetic reincarnation of the Progenitor."

"Ah," Dylan murmured. "I take it Tyr's sudden rise to power has something to do with that?"

"Yes," Alura replied simply.

Somehow she knew that he wouldn't reveal that dangerous secret without her having to ask for his discretion. After all, he had secrets of his own, and he didn't hurt the innocent.

Dylan sighed.

"I've decided to make you a more permanent member of the crew." He held up a hand when Alura opened her mouth to thank him. "But if I think for any reason that you or Drago are a danger to the crew, you will have to leave."

"Understood, Captain," Alura responded. "And thank you."

"You're welcome," Dylan said. "And I believe I told you before to call me Dylan. Since you'll definitely be staying, you need permanent quarters. You'll have to take one of the empty officer suites, especially with your son joining you. I'll have Andromeda assign the appropriate suite and two bots will be at your old quarters an hour after dinner ends to help carry anything you need moved. We can talk about a duty schedule later, but I'm sure we can work out an engineering and med rotation that you can bring Drago on."

"Thanks again, Dylan."

Dylan smiled and waved her into the mess hall. "Let's go eat."

Alura and Dylan got their dinner and sat down with Telemachus and Drago. They were sitting at a small, round table, Drago on one side of Alura and Telemachus on the other. Dylan sat down across from Alura.

Dylan glanced at Drago and then at Alura, "Maybe we should just get the announcement out of the way while most of the senior staff is in the same place."

Alura nodded. There was no point in delaying anymore. Better for the crew to find out from their captain than have Drago say something unknowingly that would set everyone off.

"Drago, stand on your chair," she said softly as she and Dylan stood to face the rest of the room.

The boy did so, but reached for her when a lot of the people present turned their attention in the direction of their table. She held him on her hip, his little arms wrapped around her neck. Beka and Harper were sitting a few tables away, and she was almost afraid of their reaction. Somehow the knowledge that if it was too big a problem they could leave on the Dance didn't make her feel any better. She glanced very quickly at Telemachus. She didn't want to have to say goodbye to him.

Dylan cleared his throat loudly and announced, "Most of you have met Alura. Today she rescued her half-brother and has decided to adopt him. She has also trusted us with the truth of her identity, which anyone who has concerns about should come talk to me. So, I'd like you all to welcome Alura Anasazi and her son Drago to the Andromeda Ascendant."

There was murmuring among many of the Commonwealth crew tables. One table clapped; Alura noted that Alicia Kenyon was among the group that obviously didn't care who her father had been. She was glad to retain the woman's friendship and smiled at her thankfully. Nervously, Alura glanced in Beka and Harper's direction. Beka looked pale, her mouth slack. As long as the Eureka Maru's captain wasn't preparing to attack, Alura didn't really care about her reaction. Harper, on the other hand, was choking on his food. Someone from a nearby table quickly performed the heimlich manoeuvre on the engineer, who wheezed gratefully and slowly drank from a Sparkly Cola bottle.

Alura and Drago sat back down when Dylan did. The four table-mates began eating, trying to act as normal as possible. After a few minutes of nothing happening, they all relaxed and began to enjoy their meal in earnest.

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"Captain."

The holographic Andromeda had appeared and Dylan put down his fork. Luckily for him, he had been practically finished with his dinner anyway. Alura smiled when Telemachus nudged her, both of them noticing Drago staring at the AI's holograph, a forgotten forkful of beans hovering in front of his still open mouth.

"Yes, Andromeda?" Dylan responded.

"You have a communiqué from Tri-Lorn waiting for you in your quarters."

"Thank you, Andromeda, I'll be right there." Dylan turned to Alura and said, "Excuse me all of you. And if you see Trance tell her I'd like to talk to her."

"Of course, Dylan. And thanks again for everything."

Dylan smiled and waved a friendly goodbye to Drago. The boy returned the wave and turned back to his plate, finishing his meal. Minutes later, Harper joined their table, sitting down across from Alura in the chair Dylan had abandoned. Telemachus got up to get dessert, Drago going with him.

"So," Harper started. "Anasazi, huh?"

Alura nodded. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, Harper..."

"Nah," the young human cut her off. "I can understand not wanting everyone to know that. We probably never would have given you a chance if we had known from the start." He paused, looking at her with a guilty expression. "I... I'm sorry we killed him, at least for your sake, and Drago's."

Alura frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Tyr was holding Beka hostage on the Abyss' planet. Rhade, Dylan and I shot him. It's hard to tell which of us actually killed him, but he is dead."

Alura was still frowning, but she nodded. "It's alright. It had to be done."

Harper glanced in Telemachus' direction and Alura followed his gaze.

Harper had a note of panic in his voice when he asked, "Uh, I haven't ruined things for you and Rhade have I?"

"No," she said softly.

Because the three men had been trying to save someone they cared about, she couldn't hold her father's death against them. And they hadn't been the ones to kill the father she had loved as a small child. The father who, though he had abandoned her first emotionally and then forever when he was killed, she had continued to love despite her overlying anger at him.

Harper gave a relieved sigh and excused himself, mentioning it would be a few days before he could help her finish repairs to the Dance. Telemachus and Drago walked back to their table, Harper saying something to Telemachus on the way. Telemachus' face was worried as they approached.

"Harper told me he told you," he said carefully as he sat, handing her a dessert plate.

"It's forgotten," she assured him softly.

Telemachus sighed with relief. The other two started digging into the pie in front of them, but Alura decided now was as good a time as any to ask Telemachus for the favor she had been pondering for the last couple hours.

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"Telemachus, I have a favor to ask," Alura began.

He put down his fork and gave her his complete attention.

"I was never taught much of Nietzschean history and culture, but Drago will need to learn it. Would you consider teaching him during your free time? I have money to pay you, of course."

"I don't want your money," he responded, thinking I want you. He was only slightly surprised to realize how deeply he did want her. Not just for a dalliance, he had never had a relationship, especially one based solely on physical attraction, and had no intention of starting with her. No, he more than wanted her, he loved her. He didn't know when the feelings had started, maybe the moment they had met, but the events of the day had made him face the feelings that had been growing over the last several weeks. But he knew he couldn't be the one to start anything between them. He had no idea how she felt, and even if he did, he was too set in Nietzschean ways to go against the idea that the women picked their mates. Or was he? "How about I get a favor later when I decide?"

"Okay," Alura responded. "Anything I can give you or do for you. And I mean that."

Telemachus smiled. He wondered just how much she truly did mean it. When he got up the courage, he would find out.

They had just about finished their dessert when Beka approached their table.

"Can I help you, Captain Valentine?" Alura asked coldly, her body held stiffly.

Beka frowned. "You never gave me an answer this morning about teaching me Tai Chi."

Alura's eyes flicked to Telemachus, sadness in her gaze. He wondered why until she spoke, feeling sadness well within himself at her words. He almost wanted to attack Beka, knowing she was the real reason behind Alura's decision. But that might set a bad example for the boy.

"I'm not going to have time to do Tai Chi at all anymore now that I have Drago. So I definitely won't have time to teach you."

Beka frowned deeper, but turned toward Telemachus. "How about you then? If you won't be practicing with Alura, you'll have time."

"Actually I won't," Telemachus answered, not feeling guilty in the slightest. "I'll be tutoring Drago during my free time, and anyway, I don't know enough myself to teach you."

Evidently Beka didn't have anything to say to that, and she walked away, not looking in the least happy about the situation. Telemachus was relieved she hadn't made a bigger deal out of it, but also wished she hadn't asked in the first place. He hadn't wanted to lose that time with Alura.

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Alura was busy throwing things into her trunk when someone knocked on her door. She glanced over her shoulder at Telemachus, who got up and answered the door for her. Trance smiled at Telemachus as she came in.

"I came to offer my help," Trance said.

Alura smiled. "I'm almost done, I've pretty much been living out of my trunk except for my clothes. But I will need help carrying the plants."

"Okay," Trance responded, sitting down on the bed next to Drago.

The holographic Andromeda appeared near Alura and told her, "The two bots to carry the trunk are outside your door."

"Thank you, Andromeda. You can send them in now," Alura said, tossing the last article of clothing in the trunk from her closet.

She closed the lid to the trunk just as the bots came in. She stood back and let them pick up the heavy object. Alura picked up the fern near the bathroom and gently handed it to Drago.

"Can you carry that one for me?"

Drago nodded enthusiastically and clutched the plant's pot protectively to his chest. Alura handed two plants each to Trance and Telemachus and grabbed the last one, which had a fairly large pot.

They made an odd little procession down the halls to the main crew living quarters corridor. The bots entered a room and Trance pointed out that her own room was the door to the right before they walked in. Alura's mouth fell open. Not only was the living room bigger than her whole previous guest quarters, it was larger than Telemachus' living room, which she had seen her first day on the Andromeda. There were three doors other than the main one, all open. One of them led to a large bathroom complete with tub and shower, and the other two were bedrooms, one slightly smaller than the other with a single size bed as opposed to a queen.

"Can I put this plant in my room?" Drago asked.

"Of course, sweetie," she answered, smiling as he ran excitedly into the smaller room and set the fern carefully on the nightstand beside his new bed.

Alura directed the two bots to put the trunk in the larger bedroom. When they were gone, she set the plant she had carried on the desk in the corner, not sure yet where she would put it. Trance and Telemachus each set their two smaller plants on the desk as well. Evidently done exploring his new room, Drago walked through the bathroom and Alura's room while the adults watched.

"He seems to be adapting well," Trance observed.

"He's a remarkable boy," Telemachus said.

Trance smiled. "Yes, though it is a little strange to think of him as my grandson."

Telemachus' face split in a wide grin, a twinkle in his eye. "Feeling your age, Trance?"

Alura laughed at that, and Trance gave them both a stern look.

"Oh, I almost forgot, Mom. Dylan wanted to see you."

Alura and Telemachus watched with interest as the Avatar blushed.

"I guess I should go see what he wants," she mumbled.

Trance said her goodbyes and left. Drago came back into the living room and sat on the couch, yawning widely.

"I think it's time for bed," Alura said softly.

Drago rubbed his eyes and nodded, yawning again.

"Say goodnight to Telemachus."

"Night," the little boy said, moving to the older male and hugging him.

When Drago went into his room, Telemachus said softly to Alura, "I'll wait out here, there's something I want to ask you."

"Okay," she answered. "I'll be right back."

Alura went into Drago's room and pulled the covers back for him to slide under. After she had pulled the blankets back up and tucked them snugly around his little body, she leaned forward to kiss his cheek. Drago reached up with both arms and hugged her to him, kissing her cheek in a similar fashion.

"Can I call you Momma now?" he whispered.

"I'd like that very much, sweetie," she answered, fighting tears.

"Night, Momma."

"Goodnight, my son."

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Telemachus waited until Alura sat beside him on the couch to ask her the question he had been considering since before their return from Midden.

"When we were on the planet and Drago expressed his sorrow over missing Tyr, you said you missed him as well. I know you were sincere, but you had never said anything positive about him before."

Alura got up and retrieved the viewing device she had brought from the Dance. She sat back down next to him and handed it to him.

"Play vid file TADAAA14," she said softly.

"Confirmed. Playing V-File TADAAA14," the device responded.

Telemachus watched as Tyr scowled down at a slighty younger Drago.

"Where is your sister?" he asked, crossing his arms across his chest.

The small boy shrugged, his eyes twinkling. Tyr turned around as if searching the room, revealing a very young Alura clinging to his back.

Telemachus smiled at the scene.

In the video, Drago covered his mouth but could not stifle his giggle. Tyr turned back to the boy, smiling widely. Alura laughed when her father swung quickly in a circle, catching her when she lost her grip. Tyr scooped up Drago in the other arm and spun both his children around in circles. All three were laughing when he stopped, kissing each child on the cheek.

"End vid," Alura ordered quietly.

"He was a loving father," Telemachus remarked after a moment, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yes." Alura sighed heavily. "But after Drago died, his hope died as well. He couldn't look at me without wishing Drago had been the one to survive. After that, he only paid attention to me when it suited him, which wasn't very often. I miss the man he was when Drago was alive."

Telemachus put his arm around her and tightened his hold when she hugged him. Her head stayed on his shoulder for a couple minutes until she yawned. She pulled away and covered her mouth with one hand, turning a sheepish grin in his direction. He smiled back gently, wanting to make sure she knew that he cared, that he was glad she had lived.

"If you hadn't lived, who would have saved us, who would have saved Drago?"

Alura smiled at him and he felt his heart swell.

"Thank you, Telemachus."

They both laughed when she yawned again. Telemachus stood and pulled Alura up from the couch when she held out her hand.

"I should go and let you get some sleep," Telemachus said, walking to the door.

Alura trailed after him, standing in the doorway when he walked through it. Telemachus turned around and hesitated, not sure what their plan of action would be for starting Drago's training and not knowing when the next time they saw each other would be if they no longer had their morning sessions. He knew she ate breakfast alone and really didn't want to have to wait for lunch or dinner to see her again.

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Both of them lingered in the open doorway, Alura wondering if Telemachus was as unwilling as she to put an end to the connection that had formed so strongly between them during the events of the day.

"Is something wrong?" Alura asked lightly, unable to read the emotions warring in his dark eyes.

"I'm going to miss our sparring matches," Telemachus admitted huskily.

"We don't have to stop," she replied softly. "Drago needs to continue to learn to fight, and I need to keep in top condition to protect him. It would be an honor to continue working with you."

"The honor is mine," he returned.

Telemachus lifted her hand and lightly brushed his lips across her knuckles. Alura's lips parted and her breath softly caught in her throat at the tender gesture. Somehow it was a million times more intimate than when Achilles had kissed her hand. Because it was from Telemachus, she had felt the tingle of contact travel from her hand all the way up her arm.

Looking into his eyes, she could tell he was waiting for her to respond in some way. At that moment, she wished she was as bold as a normal Nietzschean woman in matters such as personal relationships, but all she had the courage to do was try to maintain the spiritual connection they might lose if they stopped doing Tai Chi together.

"We can still practice Tai Chi if we do it in my quarters instead of the obs deck so Beka won't feel slighted."

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Telemachus smiled his agreement, glad to still have their focusing sessions together, even if it wasn't what he had been hoping for. "I'll see you here in the morning, then. How about half an hour before we usually start?"

"Okay. Goodnight, Telemachus."

"Goodnight, Alura."

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She watched him walk down the hall, wishing with all her heart that she'd had the courage to kiss him. Telemachus suddenly pivoted and walked back to her. Confused, she waited for him to say something.

"I've decided what favor I want from you in return for tutoring Drago," he told her.

"Yes?"

Looking straight into her midnight blue eyes, he commanded lightly, "Kiss me."

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Alura blushed violet and bit her lip, looking down. Knowing her well enough now to sense her shyness and inexperience, Telemachus gently lifted her chin so she had to look at him.

"Just put your mouth on mine, I'll help."

Blushing an even darker purple, Alura moved forward into his waiting arms. Her eyes searched his face, and Telemachus stayed still, wondering what she was looking for. He gently settled his hands at her waist when she leaned her forearms lightly against his chest, her bone blades lying flat against him. Though he wanted to clasp her tightly to him, he deliberately kept his hold loose. He didn't want to startle her. This way, if she wanted to pull away, she could.

Alura sighed suddenly, and Telemachus knew it was a release of tension. He lifted one hand and gently traced the blue and silver patterns on her lovely face. Her eyes drifted shut and she leaned into his touch for a minute. Then her eyes opened and she smiled at him.

Telemachus smiled back, the expression faltering only slightly when he had a moment of doubt. Some Nietzscheans on Tarazed, and elsewhere of course, acted more like humans in regards to physical relationships, but he followed the older Nietzschean ways, at least in this. Like Alura, he had never kissed someone. He had never truly wanted to until now.

He wanted to prove he was worthy of her affections, that he could please her as she deserved. But what if he was a horrible kisser? He had studied, and probably knew of more techniques than most people who had been kissing – and more - their whole adult lives, but knowing and actually doing were two different things.

Then he had no more time to worry, because Alura's lips were brushing his. The first touch was light... a test. But when something sparked between them, Alura deepened the contact, pressing her lips fully against his. Telemachus closed his eyes, more than willing to simply feel what was happening. As her mouth moved infinitesimally over his, learning his shape he theorized in the back of his mind, Alura hesitantly lifted one of her hands to the side of his head, gently caressing the hair behind his ear.

Telemachus hummed his approval of the gesture against her mouth, and Alura more confidently sank her fingers into his hair, her other arm looping around his neck. This freed him to tighten his arms around her, bringing her fully into contact with his body. Her curves fit against his body perfectly, the fact that she nearly matched his height lining them up well, chest to chest, hip to hip.

Alura's mouth parted slightly and she pressed warm, moist kisses on his lips. Telemachus splayed one hand over the small of her back, massaging in small circles. His other hand moved up to cup the back of her head.

"Mmm," Alura moaned against his mouth.

She nipped lightly at the fullness of his lower lip, and he groaned softly when her tongue darted out to sooth the tiny hurt. Taking the cue from her to deepen their embrace, Telemachus opened his mouth and slowly stroked the seam of her lips with his tongue before she opened fully and let him in. Their tongues met tentatively, swirling and tasting. Both of them learning what they and the other liked.

Telemachus groaned softly when they broke apart for air minutes later. Alura smiled shyly at him, but pulled her body away from his. The urge to pull her back into his arms was not as strong as the knowledge that he was not forward thinking enough to go against the Nietzschean mating rituals. It was close, but she had to be the one to choose him.

"Alura, you have to be the one to make the next move," he told her gruffly. Her gaze flicked briefly away before meeting his again, a faint blush staining her cheeks. "Whatever happens between us from now on has to be initiated by you. Do you understand why?"

Alura nodded. Telemachus leaned forward briefly to brush his lips against her forehead. She smiled and they quietly said goodnight to each other. He gently turned her around and watched her take the step that brought her fully into her quarters. He stepped back, allowing the door to slide closed, only turning toward his own room when the door was all the way shut.

A smile curved his lips as he walked to his quarters. This had certainly been an eventful day, and if she felt even part of what it had made him realize he felt for her, both of their lives would soon make another big step forward, this time together.

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Alura leaned back against the door and sighed. That had been amazing. She gingerly touched her fingertips to her slightly swollen lips. A kiss, to their people (at least the ones that followed the true Nietzschean disciplines), was something shared only between a man and a woman who seriously felt a future together was in the works. And that had been no simple kiss. Did he really feel that way about her or was he making an exception because she wasn't a full Nietzschean?

Realizing that questioning only his motives wasn't fair Alura examined her own feelings. Even before she had gotten past the fact that he was Nietzschean, she had been attracted to him; after all, who wouldn't be? But it had quickly become more than that, especially after they had started meeting every morning for their sessions and spending other free time with each other. She knew she cared very deeply about him, but how deeply?

Closing her eyes, she forced herself to picture the moment on Midden when it had seemed that there had been a chance that only one of them would be making it back to the Andromeda with Drago. What would she have done if something had happened to Telemachus?

Alura gasped at the pain that struck her heart and threatened to tear her apart. Her eyes opened and she reassured herself that everything was fine, wiping tears from her face. She had her answer now: she loved him. It was as simple and as complicated as that. Could she risk the pain it would cause her when she left the Andromeda by asking him to be her mate? She knew his place was here, fighting alongside Dylan against the Abyss. Could she really let him go once he was hers?

And she didn't have just herself to consider anymore. Drago, she knew, was already attached to Telemachus. How would her newly adopted son feel if he came to depend on Telemachus as a surrogate father only to be whisked away with the chance of never seeing Telemachus again? But on the other hand, she knew the possibility of that was very high whether or not anything else happened between herself and the Lieutenant Commander.

Of course, she could be wrong about this whole thing. He had left it up to her to make the next move, as a Nietzschean woman should. But what move was it that he was hoping she would make? Could he really want to be tied to her permanently, for her to claim him? In that moment, she had never wished so strongly that her star existed, that her Avatar powers were still with her. To even know a hint of what he felt would make all of this so much easier.

Alura sighed and pushed away from the door. Quietly asking the ship's systems to turn off the lights in the living room, she made her way into her new bedroom and lay down. She was much too tired to make such an important decision right now. But as she drifted off, Alura's brain was still swirling with possibilities.

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Preview: Drago has a nightmare. Alura asks Telemachus for a little time to adjust to her new life before she makes a decision about him. Beka gets mad.