Gah can you believe i started writing this beast in November of last year? frell me..will it never end?

Thank you for all the wonderful comments you guys are the best

oh a big hug to jips for my nifty new banner

and for nureek and jips for being such pests.

thank you to eljay for being my beta (though she hasn't seen this next bit yet..)

Oh BTW Eljay you have mail hehehe
2 months later

Harper stood in the barren field. The frost painting the bare and crusty stocks of harvested grain. He shivered slightly as the sun began to rise. He cast his eyes up one last time at the fading stars.

With a sigh he turned slowly back towards the small village where he had been staying. He refused to call it home.

He rubbed his hands on his bare arms. Seamus Zelazny Harper was on an alien planet. A year ago he never would have been able to imagine it. Then again he couldn't have imagined a life that didn't involve Raven and Fergus. It had hurt so much after they had first died. When he was alone and it was dark he would cry. He didn't even think Andromeda had known he was crying. Unfortunately, he had had a lot of practice crying in the dark. He looked over his should at the rising sun. He desperately wished that the Maru would come blasting out of the sky to come get him. Just like she had the first time.

Every morning he would come out and watch the stars fade away. No Tyr in a slipfighter, No Beka with guns blazing, no purple pixies with broken coffee pots... No one ever came. Ever so often there would be a flash and he would get his hopes up but it was just another ship heading for the spaceport. Well, he wasn't going to wait much longer. He had a plan that would take him home. "Soon," he reminded himself with conviction. "Soon."

He toes grew damp from the frost in the thin worn boots that he wore. He had had nice boots when he had arrived. Beka had bought them for him. They had been new and everything. He had never had new boots before. They had been shiny and black like Rommie's hair. The second day after he had arrived Byron took them. Well actually Byron's dad took them and gave them to Byron. He got Byron's old boots and they pinched Seamus's toes. That's the way it was round here.

Thoughts rolled around his mind. He seemed to have trouble focusing lately. These people were not different at all from the people of Earth. In Fact they were people from Earth. All had escaped in one way or another. It was the kids his age that had never known Earth. They were born here but their parents hadn't forgotten their old lives. They had plenty off food to eat but people horded it. The strong took from the week and the week suffered, nothing really ever changed. Except, this time he didn't have anyone watching his back and people took from him. Without Fergus, or Brendan, his parents, Beka or Tyr he had become one of the weak. But, he swore on Little Raven's grave he wasn't going to stay that way.

As he entered the low wooden building he was immediately assaulted by the smell and the noise. The building when he had first saw it reminded him of an old lumberjack cabin he saw in a book once. It smelt like, stale sweat and over cooked food. Harper stepped forward grabbing a tray so he could get his food from the 'grub line' as everyone called it. The food was a strange mix of old Common Wealth protein supplements, organic Persied vegetables and whatever grain the colony had managed to grow out in the fields. He let his eyes cast over the crowd as he waited in line. Woody wasn't here yet. Woody had been his only friend through the last two months and he didn't feel like being alone right now.

Suddenly a rough hand grabbed around the back of Harper's neck forcing him violently to the floor. Harper bit his lip as his hands scraped across the rough floor and his knees bruised. Byron and his group of friends pushed their way by him and got their food. They all laughed and joked about the 'runt' on the floor. Being these kids were only descendent from Earthers they didn't seem to have the same problem with height that harper had.

Harper snarled and leapt from the floor straight at Byron. These stupid spoiled kids would learn some manners from him even if it meant it meant they'd have to eat through a straw.

Byron saw him coming though and raised his meaty paw catching Harper in mid air. Harper hit the floor again this time there was blood on his lip. But her wasn't about to stop there. Harper was up again. He ran at the bigger boy again. This time he succeeded in catching his arms around Byron's midsection and pushed him back in a tackle. Serving trays, dishes and food flew everywhere.

Vaguely, Seamus could hear people yelling but he could focus on nothing but killing Byron. Months of frustration, grief and pain had finally found an outlet. He was sitting on Byron now his bruised knees pinned the big oaf's arms down. Harper swung and he swung. His vision blurred and turned red. Noise from the others in the room roared in his ears but he had lost all of senses other then one. Rage.

Then there were arms pulling him back. "No!" He screamed in outrage. "It's not fair!" Every face in the room slowly came back in to focus. Everyone was staring at him, even Woody, who stood by the door with a shocked look on his face. "It's not fair!" He nearly sobbed. He sunk to the floor deflated and the hands on his arms let go.

Woody was at his side then, with a soft hand at his elbow the older boy led him towards the door. Harper could feel theirs stares like hot knives on his back. The room was dead quiet too you could have heard a pin drop. But, Harper would have heard nothing even if a bomb had gone off. The only thing he could hear was the beating of his heart and the grief that was stored there.

He shook loose from Woody's concerned hold and ran.

He ran like he had never run before. Not even the night his dad saved him from the Uber's. He ran till his chest burned and his legs ached; then he ran faster. All the demons of his past chased him. All the people who had left his life mocked him.

He didn't feel the cold rain on his neck; he didn't feel the vines from the trees tearing at his skin. He just ran.

He didn't remember stopping; he didn't remember the sun setting; or the voices shouting worried. He huddled against the tree staring up at the stars.

"Harper? Is that you? Thank goodness? Are you okay?" Woody shouted over his shoulder. "I found him! I might need some help!" Woody reached for him and Harper did his best to scuttle away. Woody just rubbed his hands up and down Harper's arm. Harper bit his lip it hurt. Woody started to prattle. "I was so worried. Byron's dad is really pissed off but most of us are on your side. I thought for sure you were dead. I'm glad I found you...."

Harper finally found his voice. "How many hours have you been looking?" he croaked.

Woody gave him a funny look then. "Harper, we've been looking for you for two days."

Harper laughed out loud near hysterics. "She hasn't come after two months but you found me Woody. I've been waiting for two months and you have been looking for two days. She didn't come but you did."

There was other's there then and blankets and walking. They helped him in to a small transport that bumped and jostled him as it drove. "Woody?" Harper called.

"Shhh, Harper, I'm here but you need to be quiet I think your very sick. Your skin is hot."

"Woody?"

"Quiet."

"No, please I can't stay here I need to go home."

"We are, we're going back to the colony now." Woody tried to comfort him.

It was dark. Harper strained to see the road ahead but soon gave up. He let his gaze travel upwards to the sky through the canopy of trees. The stars sparkled almost tauntingly. "No Woody, I need to go to my real home. Please, I need to go home. I don't belong here." Harper let his eyes sink close. "I don't belong anywhere."

The door creaked open and sunlight poured in. The light jumped of her hair and even in it's disgruntled state it shined. Beka raised her head off her grimy mattress with a groan as the light hit her eyes. She didn't even bother to open her eyes it was the same thing as before. Every couple of days they would show up to torment her. They would ask her questions about Dylan and his plans for the Commonwealth. Or they peppered her with questions about Trance. The questions never made sense though and she couldn't have answered them even if she wanted to. The really bad days were when they didn't ask her questions at all.

"Go away you psychotic lab assistant and take your Nietzschean lap dogs with you." She swore rebelliously.

"Really Beka?" Questioned a deep but smooth intoned voice. "Lapdogs? You have a better imagination then that."

Her eyes flew open and she was on her feet in an instant. "Tyr, you son of a bitch!"

Tyr laughed lightly. His smile irked her even more. She couldn't control her fist as they clenched and unclenched at her side. "I should kill you." She snarled.

"Yes, but not today. For I'm here to rescue you fair maiden from your imprisonment."

"You took out the guards?" It was more a conformation then a question.

"I did and I know where you might find your young prince."

Beka glared at him and offered him one final threat. "If you hurt one hair on his spiky little head..."

"I assure you he's quite safe. But, now we must hurry." Tyr swiped a key card he must have gotten from one of the guards and opened her cell door.

The two of them ran side be side towards the door but Beka couldn't resist one more question. "How did you find me?"

Tyr smiled again. He was having way too much fun. "That rust bucket of yours is hard to miss even in a spaceport this side. I simply entered and traced your homing beacon."

Beka punched him in the shoulder hard. "Take it back!" She snarled.

Tyr looked at her quizzically.

"The Maru is not a rust bucket!"

Tyr laughed a loud.

"When I get Harper back you and I are going to have a long talk."

Tyr just continued to smile. Soon Beka couldn't help herself. It was infectious. She felt the weight lift off her heart. It was a heavy burden she hadn't realized she had been carrying. But, soon it would be okay. They were going to get Harper.

Harper was really sick for two days. A kind lady came and went. She put a cold cloth on his forehead and smelly leaves on his chest. When his fever broke Woody was there to offer him water. He didn't remember much from when he had had his fever but at one point her remembered shouting from outside the bunk door and he asked Woody about it.

Woody sat across from him in a sturdy homemade chair. "It was Byron and his dad. They want to see you punished for what you did." Woody grinned then. "You broke his nose in three places...he looks like he has a cauliflower on his face instead of a nose."

Harper allowed himself a small smile but it quickly slipped away. "What do the other's think?"

Woody studied the mug in his hand and gave a small shrug. "I don't know there is a lot of mixed reaction. Byron's family is pretty popular. They provide a lot for the colony."

Harper watched his friend for a moment picking his words. "Woody? Why do you stay here?"

Woody looked up meeting his eyes. "I-I'm not like you Harper. I'm not strong."

Harper looked at him in shock. Strong? Him? "Woody, are you nuts!?"

"No, I mean it Harper. Maybe you need to here this. Don't roll your eyes at me. Sure I'm bigger and older then you and stuff but I could never do what you've done. I mean you've been in space, you've seen Magog and lived through it. You're not scared of Byron or his family. I'm scared of everything. You're probably the bravest guy I ever met."

Harper looked at Woody stunned. Where the heck had that come from? He didn't know what to stay. Luckily, he was interrupted by a coughing fit. He chest burned as his breath hitched in his throat. After a moment it was gone. Woody handed him the glass of water and he gulped it greedily.

Once he had recovered Harper looked at Woody with a small smirk. "I think you're wrong Woody. I know your brave, I have proof."

Woody looked at him quizzically.

"You're my friend." Harper finished and the two of them laughed lightly. When they fell silence returned Harper let his thoughts turn back to the one thing that preoccupied him for the last two months. "You know I still got to leave don't you?"

Woody nodded. "I know."

"Will you come with me?"

"I can't. My life is here. Good or bad. But, I'll help you get away. Believe it or not I've got your back."

Harper smiled genuinely for the first time in a long while. "I never doubted it for a second."

"I've got a plan but it means you'll need to be ready to travel by tonight."

Harper gave a brief nod. "I can do it."

"But, you've been sick?"

"I have to do what I have to do."

TBC

Where was Tyr? Did he find the Bones? Will Beka get to Harper before he leaves?

Why was the Mad Persied asking Beka such weird questions?

And what the frell is going on with Dylan, Rommie, Trance and Rev Bem? Stay

tuned for your next episode of Three Parts Dead

muhahahahaha