Part 18

"Rev!" Beka screamed as the doors opened wide with the combined efforts of Dylan, Tyr and Rommie. She rushed forward seeing Harper slumped lying unnaturally in Rev's hold, and she knew the paralysis had taken Harper. "Rev," she spoke calmly now. "Tell me that Harper is still breathing, please, just check, remember your venom."

Tyr moved past Beka to enter the room, and headed towards the three other fallen paralysed goons. Beka awaited an answer but Rev didn't move and only gave a low growl in response. "Rev, please," Beka tentatively moved towards the reverend. "This is Harper, your friend, he needs help," she stressed with concern, seeing just by sight that Harper was in a bad way.

"These people," Tyr spoke up gesturing to the goons laid on the floor. "They are still breathing, alive," Tyr informed Beka casually, and with somewhat bored air.

"Your venom isn't affected by the virus anymore," Beka realised with hope, looking back at Rev. "Rev, you're getting better, you just have to fight your own instincts now," she stressed.

Beka froze as Rev's claws moved across Harper's torso, Tyr and Dylan could only look on uncertain, but Beka moved forward once more, closer to Rev. "Rev, I'm sorry I doubted you," she spoke sincerely. "But Harper trusts you, he told me you didn't hurt him, please, Rev, speak to me," Beka finally reached out and placed her hand on Rev's arm.

"Rebecca," Rev quietly spoke, and then paused with effort. "We should hurry, young Harper has internal injuries, and he is still losing blood," Rev revealed, and took another deep breath.

"Tyr, Dylan, take Harper, and be careful not to move him too much," Beka spoke with urgency now, but her eyes were locked on Rev. "Come with me," Beka requested as both Tyr and Dylan gently removed Harper from Rev's hold.

With consideration, Rev slowly got to his feet and with Beka's encouragement he walked beside her as they moved towards the exit. Rev then stopped, and turned to the fallen youths he had paralysed. "We should check on them," Rev motioned.

"Tyr said they were breathing, in an hour or so they'll be fine," Beka assured him. "I'm more concerned about you," she added with care.

Rev seemed preoccupied now with what had happened around him, as he looked upwards. "And how are the others, Barton?" Rev looked upwards.

"I have a feeling you don't want to know," Beka tried to sound diplomatic.

"I am sure this drift will appreciate whatever actions you took against this gang," Rev simply spoke, bowing his head as he continued towards the exit.

"How are you feeling?" Beka asked.

"Health wise, I do believe the fever has finally passed," Rev stated.

"That's why you used your venom on those boys, and Harper," Beka needed to know Rev's motives, as she stared at him now.

"It was a risk, but one I had trust in," Rev agreed. "Beka, I can not pretend that I wasn't tempted."

Beka took a deep breath now, and looked away from Rev. "I know, I saw."

"My primal instincts have grown strong in me," Rev continued.

"The illness has woken them up, that is all," Beka reassured her friend. "And it can't have helped, with the lack of faith I showed, you deserve more from me."

"Rebecca I owe you so much, that I expect nothing more from you," Rev stated as fact. "As a member of your crew I am not beyond your strict codes of discipline, and I know my actions against young Harper go against your codes."

Beka sighed heavily, before smiling. "Rev, you're more than just my crew, you're almost family," she looked at Rev now. "And you needed me, and I wasn't there for you," Beka then looked away as her doubt returned. "But I've always trusted you, and I've always had this security of knowing you would never harm me, or those I place around me."

"I know," Rev could only answer.

"When you first arrived on the Maru, I was but a child who knew nothing of your kind," Beka fondly remembered now. "To me you were like a big teddy bear that Daddy had invited to stay, I wasn't put off by your teeth or claws, it just made you more interesting to me, the kid who loved horror stories," she grinned.

"Your childlike acceptance of me was refreshing," Rev remembered now, as they walked slowly back to the Maru, the others now far ahead of them both. "A lot like when young Trance appeared on board, she too quickly accepted me."

Beka only nodded her head now, but she lost her smile. "But Harper, he didn't have the advantage of ignorance or child innocence." Rev was quiet now with Beka's words. "It sounds crazy but I feel like I'm only really figuring that out now, I mean I knew he came from hell and your kind played a large part in that, but I never realised how out of touch I was, at least when it came to Harper."

"Harper has been a challenge for me since the day Bobby brought the boy on board," Rev now revealed.

"And his seemingly quick acceptance of you didn't help?" Beka guessed, as she looked at Rev for his response.

"It would have been better for the both of us if he had turned around screaming, never to be seen again when he first met me," Rev considered. "But then I would have missed out on the opportunity of working alongside such a brilliant mind, as Harper's is."

"When I saw Harper dying in my arms by your actions," Beka now began with hesitation, before finding the strength to continue. "It broke my heart, it was like the fantasy I knew was being ripped to shreds, and for the first time Rev, I saw you as the monster that other people see when they first meet you," she stated, and Rev could only listen now. "I realised in that instant what I had been asking of people, if they wanted to serve on the Maru."

"Beka, I always valued your trust more than anything else, and if I have lost that then I have lost the most precious thing I owned," Rev spoke with sadness.

"No Rev," Beka corrected him. "Maybe I didn't see it before but I still trust you, deep down, and even though illness tried to take you, you showed your strength and no one got hurt by your actions," Beka stated firmly, then paused before continuing. "You've just shown me stuff that I wasn't ready to accept, the possibilities," she added.

Rev slowly shook his head. "Rebecca, you should know that I had very real thoughts, desires, towards the human, towards Harper," he cautiously spoke. "And right up until the moment you placed your hand on my arm, I was contemplating giving into my more natural instincts," he revealed with regret clear in his voice.

Beka put an arm around the Magog's shoulders as they walked, instinctively keeping to the shadows to avoid being seen. "Rev, are you secretly in love with Harper?" she asked with seriousness, but her face soon broke into a smile.

"Beka!" Rev scolded her mocking. "Magog do not love in that way, my feelings for Harper are purely sadistic and cruel, as my heritage dictates," he quickly added to defend his pride, soon relaxing and joining her teasing. "But the truth is that the human is tempting to my instincts, and will always be my greatest test of willpower."

"You so much as scratch him, Rev," Beka now warned.

"Fear not," Rev assured her now. "I wish the boy no harm, not now I am back in full control of my hunger and instincts."

"Just be sure that the next time things go a little screwy, you get the hell away, that's an order," Beka lightly scolded him now, partially hugging him as they walked. "Don't ask me why I'm only just realising it, but Harper means a lot to me and I don't want him eaten, ok?"

"Understood," Rev confirmed. "I will do all I can to ensure that I never eat him, Beka, and I will strive to protect him from such a fate, and do all that is asked of me to win back your trust in me."

"Well right now I do believe Trance might need your help, Harper looks in bad shape," Beka now quickened her pace. "That's all I ask of you, for now, we'll deal with everything else later."

"He took quite a fall from that walkway, I fear he has done himself quite a bit of damage," Rev agreed, and they both hurried towards the space port.

To be concluded.