A/N: about half of this was once again typed by the Maglenan Princess. Love ya, Sam!

vampiregirl081: thanx!

prin69: yeah! power to the monkey-lovers! sorry, I HAD to have them obsess over Rhade! no, Bekers does not seem to share very well... :P

Iara: I just thought the chicks & Rhade would just be a cute little scene just because I could! happy you love it!

eris: oh, yeah, that was one creepy episode. I don't remember the part about the monument, though, but that WAS a hard episode to watch. Poor Earth! anyhow, I had to have an Earther in the Squad somewhere, and Oenone (who no longer reviews for some odd reason) gave me that wonderful character.

Vee017: yeah, I'm gonna try to update more, now. oh, that makes me so happy! you have no idea how worrie di was that Jade would be percieved as a Mary Sue! Jade/Achilles is one of the three possible romances I have in mind for her; the others are Jade/Corrin and Jade/ other character that I won't reveal right now because I'm leaning toward him. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Chapter 25

Ghostly gray figures swarmed around him. "Daddy?" came a girl's voice. "Daddy, why weren't you there? Daddy, daddy, daddy, daddy…"

"Father?" asked a male voice. "Father, why didn't you come help us? Did you want us out of the way?"

"Dad?" said an older female voice. "Dad, I needed you. You weren't there. Where were you?"

"Telemachus," came a grown female's voice. "Telemachus, I gave myself up for our children. Why did you not come? We died in vain. Telemachus, you betrayed me, betrayed our children. You could have saved us, but you didn't."

Their faces were around him, accusing him.

"No!" Telemachus bolted upright in hi bed breathing heavily. He had broken out in a cold sweat, and he rolled out of bed and over to the sink. Telemachus splashed his face with cold water. He felt hollow inside, like someone had reached deep inside him and ripped out his soul.

"Just a dream," he muttered, laughing quietly. He looked up at the mirror above the sink and saw the face of Nefatari looking back at him in silent accusation.

Telemachus blinked and shook his head; looking back up he saw his own face.

"What's wrong?" Beka asked from the bed behind him.

Telemachus turned and smiled at her. "Just a nightmare."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Telemachus shook his head quickly. "No, no, I don't." He hesitated. "Beka, I feel terrible about saying this..."

"What is it?" Beka sat up and looked at him; deep in the pit of her stomach she had a sinking feeling.

"Beka, please don't take this the wrong way; you are amazing, and I love you more than any other living being, but..." he trailed off.

"But what?" Beka asked warily.

"Please understand, I don't want to hurt you, but..."

"Spit it out."

Telemachus bit his lower lip. "I just... I can't. I just don't think I can have another relationship yet. The nightmares are returning, and I just don't think I'm ready. Can we still be friends?"

Beka blinked furiously and nodded, not wanting to cry in front of him. "I understand. I can't know what you're going through, but if you ever think you're ready... I'll be here."

Telemachus nodded gratefully. "Thank you, Rebecca. I'm sorry I cannot be the man you deserve." He opened his mouth like he was going to say something else, then closed it again. Without another word he activated the door. "I'm sorry," he whispered sadly as the door hissed shut in front of his face.

Beka waited for a minute, maybe more. Then she rolled over onto her side and cried into her pillow, soaking the cloth with warm, hot tears.

A/N: this is what happens when the Jade Rhade has a romance but has absolutely no idea what to do with it!