Rhade paced up and down his old crew quarters. He was angry at Harper for interrupting him and Vivian. He was so close, then Harper just came in and Vivian didn't even object. He didn't understand, didn't she feel for him the way he felt for her? Or was he just imagining it? And what really pissed him off was the way Harper had smirked at him, knowing how Rhade felt and enjoying it. That was what really set off his Nietzschean instincts. To get Vivian he would have to fight for her. Oh, and he would fight. Even though it was Harper. But, hadn't he just been thinking about how he missed Harper? I mean, this is how he is, he can't help it. And Rhade did have tons of girls hanging around him like Magog on an asteroid colony. And what did Harper have? Another android who didn't love him, at least in the way he wanted her to. But still, how could Harper even try to be with a girl like Vivian? She was completely out of his league. Besides, she was obviously more interested in Rhade. Or was she?
Rhade growled. This was all so frustrating. The jealousy, the doubt, the strange fluttery feeling he got in his stomach every time he saw Vivian. He wasn't supposed to have these feelings anymore, not after Louisa died. He thought he would never have to go through this again. Then again, wasn't he enjoying it? He loved the feeling he got whenever she said his name. He usually hated it when people called him Telemachus, but when she said it, it was different. He wasn't sure how, but it just was. He can't keep thinking this way. He's been pacing up and down his quarters for at least fifteen minutes now thinking the same things over and over. He would have to talk to Harper. But, what would he say? 'Hi Harper, I love Vivian so you can't have her.' Oh yeah, that would work. He could always threaten him, that might work. But that would just prove how low he's sunk in the last nine months. No, he would just have to win her over. That shouldn't be too hard.
Harper lay in bed thinking about Vivian. And Rhade. What was Rhade about to do when he had walked in? That was a dumb question, he was obviously about to kiss her. At the time Harper had acted all cool and confident, but he really wasn't sure what Rhade might do. He looked pretty pissed when Harper busted in on them. What if he tried to hurt Harper? Harper had dealt with Nietzscheans before and he knew how they got when you got in the way of them and their girls. He shuttered. Just thinking of Rhade beating him up gave him goose bumps. That guy is huge. He could flatten Harper. God knows he'd come close to doing it before. But wait, Rhade wouldn't do that would he? He had sacrificed a lot for Harper when they were kidnapped by the Patriarch. He was tortured and Harper didn't even notice. Yet, he hadn't held a grudge against him. He never got really angry with him when he made fun of Nietzscheans. He still wasn't sure. All this, added with fatigue and caffeine withdrawal was giving him a major headache. He needed to get some sleep. Slowly, thinking about Vivian, Harper fell asleep.
Vivian was thoroughly enjoying all of this. Two guys fighting over her, who wouldn't like it? Especially when those two guys were Seamus Harper and Telemachus Rhade. On the one hand you had Harper, smart, funny, cute, and very available. Then, on the other hand you had Rhade, muscular, incredibly hot, deep, and mysterious. How, could she decide? She was leaning towards Rhade, but when Harper busted in on them it showed he could take charge. She thought she would let them fight it out. She loved watching men fight over her, even if it did break up a friendship.
Doyle stood on command with Dylan. "I don't like to see Harper like this," she said. He had been acting so strangely with this new girl around. Although, that was fairly normal for Harper. He wasn't a great judge of character when it came to women. That was why she was there, to protect him from himself, or rather, the women he decided to trust.
"Yeah, me either. But, that's the way Harper is around any woman. You get used to it after four years."
"You forget, I've been with him three years, if you don't count the four years I was Rommie."
"Oh, right. Sorry, I just forget sometimes. It's all a little confusing."
"Try being the one who's pretty much three people at once."
"Point taken."
Trance could feel it, something was wrong. She wasn't sure what, she still didn't remember much about this place or these people. But the air just felt tense, like something was building. Something that could not be good. She thought it had something to do with this new girl. She hadn't actually seen her, but Dylan told her about her. She was supposedly very beautiful, and had the two called Harper and Rhade fawning over her. She sort of remembered these two, more like flashes of memories, not actual memories. But, still that was something. She had been racking her brain trying to find something, some sort of recognition of anything. It was difficult, but as she spent more time with these people she began to remember just small things. One thing she did remember was how Harper and Rhade used to argue. And this girl could only bring trouble.
The Next Morning
Beka walked on to the obs deck of the Andromeda. Rhade and Harper were there with some girl. She looked like a slut. Beka almost laughed at this, Rhade and Harper like a girl and immediately she calls her a slut. But then again, it wasn't normal for Rhade to be drooling over a girl, Harper yeah, but Rhade? The only time Beka had ever seen him act like this was when he first met Louisa. Now there was a scary thought, it would be like Louisa all over again, only worse. She would rather have the drunk depressed Rhade than the giddy lovesick schoolboy Rhade.
"Hey, what's going on?" she asked.
"Nothing much," Harper answered. Beka was staring at Vivian, sizing her up. "Oh, this is Vivian. Vivian this is Beka."
"Hey," Beka said. Harper put his arm around Vivian and Rhade whispered something in her ear, making her laugh, and making Harper scowl. This was getting sick. It was even worse than with Louisa. Now they were fighting over a girl, for god's sake. And a fight between Rhade and Harper would not end up good, especially for Harper. Finally, Beka couldn't stand it anymore, she felt like she was gonna be sick. So she stalked out of the obs deck and headed towards Dylan's quarters.
Dylan was sitting with his feet on his desk, his arms behind his head, and his eyes closed when he heard the door open. He opened his eyes to see Beka, hands on her hips, standing in front of him. "Hello, Beka, I didn't expect to see you here."
"I just came to ask you if I could take a shower here when I saw Harper and Rhade with some girl on obs deck," she said. He knew who she was talking about. Vivian. He had agreed to let her stay on the Andromeda until she could find a place to stay for good. But by the way things were going it seemed like she would be there for a while.
"Yeah, that's Vivian. I told them that she could stay for a while."
"Really? Don't tell me you're drooling over her too."
"No, she didn't have any place to stay."
"You're such a softy." Truth is, Dylan was starting to get sick of Rhade and Harper following Vivian around everywhere. It was kind of creepy, especially for Rhade. Well, maybe he would talk to Rhade and Harper about their behavior around this girl, because he did not want to see them get in a fight over her.