Child of the Sun Chapter 14, an andromeda fanfic

Author's Note: Italics signify thought or emphasis.

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Trance walked slowly down the corridor, faltered slightly, and started walking again. She stopped in front of Dylan's door but did not knock. Instead of going directly to his quarters after Alura had told her that Dylan wanted to talk to her, Trance had gone to obs to check the plants and then to med deck to make sure everything was cleaned up. She was very nervous to see Dylan for the first time since the small, impulsive kiss that had happened between them.

It meant a lot more to you than that, a voice in her head taunted.

Trance sternly told the voice to shut up. She stared at the metal door for several minutes.

It's late, she rationalized. I'm sure he's in bed now. I'll just see what he wanted in the morning.

She had just turned away from the door when it slid open.

"Trance?"

Dylan's voice sounded hesitant, unsure. Trance silently berated herself. The kiss must have been as much, if not more, of a surprise for him than it was for her. And then she had avoided him all day. What must he be thinking, feeling? Trance felt terrible. She wasn't here to add to Dylan's burdens, but to lighten them, to help him carry the load no one person should have to bear. She turned back toward him and smiled shyly, apologetically.

The man she loved waved her into the first room of his quarters, his office, watching her with guarded eyes. It had been so long and they had come so far since he had last worn that expression around her that it physically hurt to see him wearing it now. But then he sent her mind reeling in a whole new direction when he suddenly took her into his arms and kissed her. This kiss was entirely different than the first. It was very purposeful on his part just for a start.

Trance's brain stopped working a few seconds into the kiss, feeling Dylan's soft lips molding to her own at the same time that his emotions washed over her. Nervousness, desire, hope and love. It was enough to make her gasp at the loss when his lips left hers. She looked up at him with a dazed expression from the safety of his arms.

"To get over the awkwardness of the first kiss," Dylan explained gently.

Trance laughed softly at his logic and Dylan smiled, his nervousness dissipating. It made the other feelings come through even stronger.

"That's a very good tactic, Dylan. Should we see if it works to get past the surprise of the second kiss?"

Dylan grinned in answer to her playful smile and question. He dipped his head and mated their mouths once more. This kiss was deep and exploring, and Trance could not help the whimper that escaped her. Dylan pulled back slowly, taking a step back from her. Trance let him go, waiting patiently as he reined in his desire for her.

"There are a lot of reasons we shouldn't do this right now," Dylan started slowly. "But none of them can compare to my love for you. Love is the greatest power in the universe, and I've come to realize that hiding my love for you or keeping it locked away because of duty doesn't make me stronger. Accepting it, embracing it, hoping that you feel the same way, makes me feel I can take on anything. But whether or not we act on it is up to you."

Trance felt happy tears welling in her eyes during Dylan's speech. She blinked them away and took a step toward Dylan. He didn't reach for her or move closer himself, wanting the choice to be hers completely.

Trance gently looped her arms around his waist and stood on tiptoe, lifting her mouth in offering to his. He smiled before his head swooped down to re-establish the intimate contact. His arms encircled her again, making her feel that she was a part of him. When their mouths parted to take in much needed oxygen, neither one of them moved away from the other.

"I love you, Dylan Hunt," Trance said seriously.

"I love you, too, Trance Gemini," Dylan responded.

Trance smiled happily and looked past him to his personal living space. It was a bit too soon for total intimacy, but she didn't want to leave him yet and they both needed their rest.

"Can I stay with you tonight, Dylan? Just to sleep in your arms," she asked hopefully.

Dylan smiled down at her and Trance reached up a hand to trace the laugh lines bracketing his mouth. Dylan lightly caressed her cheek with his fingertips, following the line of her cheekbone all the way to the top point of her left ear. Trance shivered at the pleasurable sensations that coursed through her.

"I'd like that," Dylan answered softly.

They turned and walked hand in hand into his sleeping quarters.

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Alura was awakened in the middle of the night by faint cries and whimpering. Disoriented only momentarily by her new bedroom, Alura quickly scrambled up and into the living room. The distressed sounds were coming from Drago's room.

She walked in to find him kicking his feet, obviously in the throes of a nightmare. He cried out again and she flinched, wondering what he was dreaming. About to reach out to wake him, her heart broke for him when he screamed.

"MOMMA!"

Alura quickly gathered her son into her arms, soothing him gently when he suddenly woke. He clung to her tightly and cried for several minutes, his sobs fading into hiccups and finally silence. When Drago peered up at her through eyes shiny and red from tears, she smiled gently at him.

"Do you want to tell me what your nightmare was about?"

Drago looked troubled, but answered quietly, "Magog killed you and I had to go live with Olma again."

"Oh, sweetie, I'm fine. And you'll never have to go live with Olma again, I promise."

"Okay," Drago said softly.

He lay his head back down on her shoulder and sighed quietly. Alura instinctively rocked him for a few minutes, remembering that as children whenever one of them had had a bad dream they would climb into bed with the other until morning.

"Would you like to stay in my room for the rest of the night?" she asked.

When Drago immediately nodded, Alura carried him into her room and tucked him in beside her. As she watched him drift back to sleep, she hoped that the nightmare wouldn't be a recurring one. It almost made her thankful that she could no longer dream.

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"Enter," Alura called when Telemachus knocked on the door in the morning.

Telemachus smiled at her and at Drago. Drago grinned back around a forkful of cold ham. They were eating her normal breakfast of cold meats, cheese and fruit, her favorite of the choices available from the organic replicator. Telemachus moved to the machine and requested the same meal in a bigger portion and sat down to join them. The three of them ate in companionable silence.

When they had finished their breakfast, Alura directed Telemachus to the area in front of the sofa which she had decided was the best place to practice. She allowed herself to look into his eyes for the first time that day. She didn't have to have her Avatar abilities to see that he desperately wanted to talk about what had happened the night before. But she wasn't ready, and it wasn't a conversation she wanted to have in front of anyone, even Drago.

"Drago's just going to watch the Tai Chi session this morning," she informed Telemachus. "He can decide whether or not it's something he wants to learn."

Telemachus nodded and looked at the boy sitting on the sofa. Alura noticed the double take Telemachus executed when he noticed Drago's attire. Her son was wearing the same pants as the day before, but was now clothed in a t-shirt that had obviously not been made for a child. The sleeves, meant to be short, came all the way down to just past his elbows, and the material of the body had been cut to hang a few inches past his waist.

"Rommie's cleaning his shirt and finding someone who would be willing to sew him some clothes. Until then, we have to make do."

Telemachus nodded and moved into the position they usually began their morning sessions with. Alura allowed herself to focus solely on the relaxing martial art for a full forty minutes. When they had finished, she slipped her shoes on for the walk to obs. There was no way they had enough room to spar in her suite, no matter how much bigger it was than her former room.

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Alura was demonstrating a hold on Telemachus when Beka walked onto obs deck. Beka was pretty sure Telemachus could have broken free if he was willing to gut the woman with his arm spines, but evidently getting free wasn't that important. Then, Drago asked a question about that very move and Alura demonstrated the fact that Telemachus didn't actually have the wiggle room he needed to get a good swing in.

Beka moved her gaze to Telemachus' face and found him watching her with a dark expression. Not sure she wanted to know why he was looking at her like she was an intruder, Beka turned her attention back to Alura. The other woman evidently felt her stare, because she let go of Telemachus and moved toward her son. The lioness protecting her cub. It would have been cliche but for the feeling Beka got that were she ever to cross Alura when it came to her son, Alura would tear Beka apart with her bare hands.

Despite her curiousity over the child, Beka had no intention of doing anything to or about him. She owed Tyr that much. She didn't, however, feel any kindness to Alura because of who her father had been. Beka rationalized it by pointing out to herself that the Tyr from Alura's reality was not the Tyr of this reality. Not her Tyr... the one she had loved but had betrayed anyway for the good of Dylan and his precious Commonwealth.

But Dylan's way of fighting the impending darkness was the best way she had come across so far, and until something better came along, she intended to stay right where she was. That didn't mean that she had to like who she was stuck here with.

"You said you weren't going to have time for this anymore," Beka accused.

Alura's eyes flashed. "Do you see anyone here doing Tai Chi? No. Nietzscheans train to fight from the time they are old enough to say the word until they are too old to do so. We aren't going to stop just because you want something else, Captain."

Beka didn't like the way Alura said her title, as if being a Captain was something to look down on. She raised her voice to near shouting level, "I am the Second In Command on this ship, and while you are onboard, you will address me with the proper respect!"

"Respect has to be earned," Alura said coldly.

In a softer tone, she said, "C'mon Drago," and the two Anasazis left the room.

Beka stared after them for a few minutes, wondering if insubordination was enough to get Alura into trouble with Dylan.

When a throat was cleared somewhere behind her, Beka finally acknowledged the glare Telemachus had directed at her when she had first entered the room. "What?"

A muscle in his jaw jumped before he answered her with deadly calm, "Not everything is the way you want it to be, Captain Valentine. I should have spoken up when you approached me yesterday. Even without Drago in her life Alura would not have wanted to teach you Tai Chi. I knew this, but because I have a lower rank than you on the Andromeda, I said nothing, not wanting your anger directed at me. But Alura is not..."

Telemachus faltered and Beka stared at him suspiciously. He had been about to reveal something, but what?

"She's not what?"

"Under your command. She has the right to choose her friends. For whatever reason, she has not chosen you. Leave her alone."

Telemachus turned and left obs, anger practically radiating from the Nietzschean in visible waves. Beka watched him walk toward his quarters, knowing he was on duty soon on command deck and still had to change into his uniform. She had never really cared about learning some ancient Earth meditation technique; she had simply wanted an opportunity to study Alura. Find out what her strengths and weaknesses were, but mostly what secrets she was hiding. But it didn't appear that Alura would be letting her in anytime soon.

Beka knew when people had secrets, she had spent most of her life hiding her own and she recognized the signs. She knew Trance believed that her daughter had a reason for keeping her past from all of them, but sometimes the red and gold alien was just too trusting, a trait Beka had prided herself on never having.

A slow smile spread across Beka's face when she remembered just how upset her argument with Alura had made Telemachus. If she could find a way to drive a wedge between Telemachus and Alura and rekindle the friendship that had begun with the Nietzschean Lieutenant Commander before the other woman had come into their lives, would Telemachus tell her what he knew? She would have to wait for the perfect opportunity to find out.

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Dylan began the afternoon's senior staff meeting as soon as every member of his inner circle was present.

"I received a communique from Tri-Lorn yesterday. According to the report, rules of engagement have been decided upon in the Commonwealth civil war. The major Commonwealth-held planets will be neutral ground, with the Triumvir in charge of each system acting as Commander-In-Chief to the forces of each planet."

"What does that mean for us?" Beka asked.

Dylan sat back further in his chair and sighed, "Tri-Lorn has made it clear that if we are in desperate need of repair or personnel changes, we will be safe on Tarazed."

"Well, that's good news, isn't it?" Harper asked, his face twisted in a confused half-grimace due to Dylan's serious tone.

"Yes and no," Trance answered softly. "It's good to know where we stand, but setting out rules of engagement means that this civil war is now official. The Commonwealth is being torn apart."

"Sorry, Dylan," Harper said sincerely.

Dylan smiled sadly at the engineer. To the assembled group, he finished his annoucement, "Tomorrow we have a scheduled rendezvous with a liaison from Tri-Lorn. He'll be bringing us more detailed information Tri-Lorn didn't have time to include in his message. All of this will be relayed to department heads and squad leaders to pass on to the rest of the crew. Dismissed."

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Telemachus waited silently in his chair as Beka, Harper and Rommie left the meeting room. He watched as Trance got up from her chair and stood behind Dylan, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Dyaln's tense expression eased considerably. The two had always had a closeness that Telemachus had envied, but there was something more there now.

If he was reading their body language right, Trance and Dylan were now in a fledglng relationship. When he had first come onboard the Andromeda, Telemachus might have looked down on a High Guard officer fraternizing with a crew member, but he knew Dylan and Trance well enough now to simply be happy for them. They deserved whatever happiness they could find in these dark times. He dared to dream that he, too, would soon have a relationship to draw strength and comfort from.

Which led to the reason he had stayed behind when the meeting ended.

"Trance, I would like to ask a favor of you," Telemachus said.

The red-and-gold alien he hoped would soon be his mother-in-law turned an expectant gaze in his direction.

"Alura has asked that I tutor Drago in Nietzschean customs and culture since her own knowledge of our history is limited. We haven't had a chance to discuss the details of when the lessons will take place, and I'd like to have some time after my suty shift to discuss things with Alura."

Trance nodded her understanding of the situation, obviously still waiting for his favor to be asked.

"As Drago's adoptive grandmother I was hoping you could use the excuse of wanting to get to know him better on your own to allow me some one on one time with Alura so we can talk freely without Drago there."

Trance smiled. "Of course, Telemachus. I would like to get to know him anyway."

The look in the woman's eyes told him that she knew he had more than just Drago's education on his mind to speak with Alura about. Telemachus gave Trance a grateful smile and inclined his head to Dylan before taking his leave of the couple to head back to command deck for the remainder of his shift.

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When the knock came on the door late in the afternoon, Alura glanced up from the holo-novel she had been reading aloud to Drago, The Life Story of Alexander the Great.

"Andromeda?" she queried softly.

The Andromeda AI's disembodied voice told her, "It's Trance."

"Come in," Alura called, knowing the Andromeda would send the invitation out into the hall. Then to Drago, "We'll read some more tonight before bed, okay?"

"Okay," he easily agreed, getting up and going into his room.

Alura set down the holo-novel and stood up to greet her mother, who pulled her into a hug. Trance looked surprised at the first whoomp of the basketball against the wall in Drago's room, but she smiled when she realized what the boy was playing.

"Dylan gave him the ball at lunch and promised to teach him to play soon. Can I get you anything?" Alura asked as she and her mother sat down on the sofa.

"No, thank you. I came by because I know Telemachus is going to be teaching Drago Nietzschean history and culture, and I was wondering if I could help tutor him too. He'll need a well-rounded education."

"I know, and thank you. There's only so much I can teach him myself."

"And you'll need a little time for yourself as well," Trance said softly.

Alura smiled faintly, thinking that rather than alone, she wanted free time to spend with the other Nietzschean male onboard. She would die before she would send Drago away, but always having him underfoot would not be conducive to feeling out the possibility of a relationship. But that thought led to another concern to add to her list about whether Telemachus would really want to be her mate. She already had a child, and not of his bloodline.

As her first mate, it would be his right for her first children to be his. But she could not change her circumstances, and even if she could, she wouldn't. Would he be willing to accept Drago as his first son, his heir, despite who Drago's biological parents had been? And what if she couldn't bear him children of his own? Avatars had few children, usually only one or two over millenia, and she had no idea what her mixed heritage meant to her breeding abilities, let alone what not having a star meant to her health and life expectancy.

"Don't worry so much," Trance said, interrupting Alura's troubled musings. "Now, how does botany and basic biology sound to start? I think physical sciences like physics and engineering would be Harper's area of expertise, and I can take care of life sciences."

"That's actually a great idea. I had field med training, but I'm nowhere near as knowledgeable as you are." Realizing suddenly how cheerful her mother was being, Alura asked rhetorically, "You told Dylan how you feel, didn't you?"

A warm smile of remembrance lit Trance's entire being. Alura smiled too, wishing she could be that happy and secure in the knowledge that she was loved.

"Your time will come," Trance assured her gently. "Now, if my grandson would like to accompany me to med deck, we can start his first lesson."

Alura called Drago into the room, knowing he had been listening to their conversation.

"Yes, Momma?"

Alura smiled widely. She couldn't seem to stop herself from smiling anytime he called her that.

"Would you like to go with Trance now?"

"Okay," Drago said reluctantly. He turned to Trance, "What's botany?"

"The study of plants," Trance answered.

Excitement suddenly lit Drago's face. "Are you going to teach me how to take good care of my fern?"

He had waved an arm in the direction of his room when he asked, and Trance smiled.

"You'll be an expert before you know it."

"Okay," Drago answered, already moving toward the entrance door. "Do I have to call you Grandma?"

Trance made a face at the question for Alura's benefit and quickly answered, "No, just call me Trance."

Alura laughed softly to herself as her son and her mother left the room. Turning her attention to the empty walls and surfaces in the living room, Alura decided to make a list of things she wanted to bring from the Dance to make this suite seem more home-like. It was more for Drago's sake than hers. She didn't think the Andromeda could ever feel like a permanent home to her. But she wanted to give Drago as much of a normal life as possible.

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Telemachus anxiously looked at the time readout on his console again. A minute and a half of his shift remained. Telemachus shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He looked down again. One minute and twenty seconds. He sighed.

"You can go, Rhade. Just stop fidgeting."

Telemachus blushed dully at Dylan's words, but could not help being grateful for the extra minute.

"Thank you, Captain."

He was already on his way out the door when he heard Dylan say, a smile in the human's voice, "You're welcome, Commander."

It only took a few seconds for him to decide not to change out of his uniform before going to see Alura. Why waste the extra minutes when he didn't know how long Trance would have Drago? He walked swiftly to Alura's door and knocked on the metal surface. It slid open soon after to reveal Alura smiling shyly at him. She stepped to the side and waved him into the room.

When the door was closed again, she stepped closer to him and lightly kissed his lips. Since she had initiated the contact, he felt comfortable enough to take it a step further, putting his arms around her and deepening the gentle kiss into a passionate one. Alura was the one to pull back after a minute, avoiding his eyes.

Telemachus watched her, wondering why she had broken the contact.

"I know we haven't had a chance to talk about last night yet," she started, "and I know it's up to me to decide where we go from here, but I need a little time."

"Can I ask why?" Even to his own ears his voice sounded quiet and hurt.

Her gaze flew to his, and she moved close to him again, lifting one hand to rest it on his chest.

"You mean a great deal to me, Telemachus. More than I can say until I make my decision. Despite the fact that I am not a full-blooded Nietzschean, for me there is only one place we can go forward from here..." She lifted her hand to stop him from speaking when he would have told her that he wanted that. "But before I can ask you I have some thinking to do. My life has changed a great deal since I came to this reality, this time, and I... I just need a little time, okay?"

Telemachus squared his shoulders. He didn't want to wait. He wanted to be hers now. But he could understand the enormity of her situation. And if, the Divine forbid, she did decide that she didn't want to be mated to him, better to find out before it actually happened.

Telemachus nodded but took a step away from her. Away from temptation. No matter how much he understood her side of things, he wouldn't make it easier not to make a decision by spending all his free time with her. If she truly wanted him as a part of her life, she had to claim him.

"Until you make your decision, I think we should limit seeing each other to our morning sessions and when you drop Drago off for his lessons," he told her softly. Alura looked sad but she nodded, so he continued, "I'm never on duty the hour immediately following dinner, so I think that would be the best time. You can just send him to me in the mess hall when the two of you are done eating."

"Thank you," she said softly as he left the room, her voice sad.

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Alura wiped away the tear that slid down her cheek when Telemachus left her suite. She understood that it would be hard to be around each other until she made her decision... for both of them... but she had never considered that he would want to keep their contact to a minimum. For a moment she wondered if he was punishing her for her indecisiveness, but she knew the separation would hurt him as well. From his reaction to her request for more time, she knew now that he did want to be her mate.

Knowing she wouldn't be completely happy again either until the situation was resolved, Alura decided to go through her list of concerns and address each one. Whether or not he would agree to her proposal was no longer a major concern, though she still had a lingering doubt that she could be enough for him.

As for Drago, Alura knew Telemachus was already starting to love the little boy, and even if he didn't want to adopt Drago, did it matter? Drago would be her heir, no matter what Telemachus decided in that regard, and she had more than enough material wealth for Drago to live comfortably for the rest of his life. Drago would be Alpha of Kodiak Pride, such as it was, when he was of age, so he didn't really need whatever position being Telemachus' son would provide.

That left her past, her future on the Andromeda and her questionable ability to bear his children. Everything that she had shared with him so far, he had accepted, and much better than she could have hoped. If he ever wanted to know more about her past, she decided, she would tell him. She knew in her heart that she could trust him not to pass on what shouldn't be known by others.

She could always ask him to leave with her if staying on the Andromeda stopped being an option for her. Alura would never stop fighting the Abyss, no matter where she ended up, so maybe Telemachus didn't actually have to be on the Andromeda to be a part of the fight. And even if he did stay, she would be devastated to leave him even if he wasn't her husband. So why shouldn't she accept whatever time she was given with him?

Alura left her suite and headed for med deck. As soon as she walked in, Trance turned to look at her with a worried expression.

"What's wrong?" her mother asked.

"Hopefully nothing," Alura answered.

She smiled at Drago when he waved at her from a work station in a corner of the room. Drago turned his attention back to the microscope in front of him.

"I need you to give me a complete physical."

"You want me to try to figure out if there're any physical side effects to you not having a star?" Trance asked.

Alura sighed, "It would be good to know if there's a chance I'll have a normal life span, but I haven't felt sick or weak. Mostly I need to know if I can have children."

Trance's eyebrows rose. "Am I safe in assuming that these children would be three quarters Nietzschean?"

Alura blushed. "Please keep it quiet until... until I actually ask him."

Trance pulled Alura into a tight hug, whispering in her daughter's ear, "Congratulations, Alura. I know you two will be very happy together."

Alura wondered if her mother was giving her a glimpse of the future by using the word "know" instead of "hope". But somehow she couldn't bring herself to ask. When Trance patted a nearby examination table, Alura settled onto it, prepared to be subjected to needles and scans. After a barrage of tests and a quick trip to get her medical records from the Dance and bring them to Trance, Alura left med deck with Drago happily babbling about the things he had already learned in his first day of botany.

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Preview: The liaison from Tri-Lorn (a familiar face) shows up with news, supplies and messages from one crew member's family.