Part 12

Trance didn't know what to think as she left Med Deck, both her patients had just left and she had no idea why, or where they had gone. She had only left them for an hour or so whilst she had helped Dylan, and they had no reason that she knew of for them to leave, so why, she now wondered, had they both defied her orders? She had been mulling over their possible reasons for the past hour, as she had sorted out a few urgent things for Dylan after their meeting, but Trance now knew it was time to deal with the more pressing issue, and she was going to start with Harper.

"Andromeda, locate Harper for me," Trance requested with a tired air.

"Machine shop seven," Andromeda returned. "Trance, Beka wishes to speak to you."

"Can you connect her to this terminal?" Trance acknowledged and although she really wanted to speak to Harper, she activated the terminal in the corridor. "Beka," she greeted after Rommie followed her instruction.

"I stopped by Dani's quarters as requested," Beka stated. "And you're right, she's here but something is wrong, she's huddled in the corner and won't speak to me, I've tried for the past half hour but with no success, and this isn't like before, she appears upset but I don't know why."

"OK," Trance sighed. "Keep trying to get her to respond, I'll try and stop by soon to see if I can to help in any way," she added.

"OK," Beka agreed and signed off, leaving Trance to turn on her heels, add more questions to her growing list and head for machine shop seven.

"Harper!"

Harper looked up and saw Trance enter the machine shop, and she didn't seem pleased. "What?" he asked abruptly, distracted by his mind refusing to let what Dani had said to him go, and he wasn't in the best of moods as a result.

"Who gave you permission to leave med deck?" She asked.

"I did, next question?" Harper didn't seem too bothered by Trance's words and continued working without further comment.

Trance waited for a moment before adopting a softer approach. "Well at least let me check that you are ok, so I can make it official, so Dylan won't ask what I'm running down on med deck, with patients discharging themselves."

"I'm fine," Harper returned, missing Trance's attempts to lighten the mood but he looked up and caught the expression that always calmed him, the famous Trance smile. "I'm just a little sore and maybe tired, that's all," he finally spoke, and sighed.

"You shouldn't be working," Trance stated, as she quickly scanned him.

"I'm not," Harper moved away from the worktop and retrieved some more materials. "I'm just messing about, keeping occupied, I need some distractions, that's all."

"Did you speak to Dani at all earlier?" Trance then ventured, there was a hesitant manner in the way she asked the question.

Harper considered lying but then thought better of it, this was his friend and he trusted her, and he knew he had wronged by leaving med deck, she deserved something, he considered.

"We said a few things," Harper answered distantly, pretending to be focused on the scanner he was holding, but only succeeded in looking like he was hiding something in the way he avoided Trance's stare.

"What things?" Trance asked, but it was clear that Harper was not going to explain further, so she moved a little closer. "Harper, we found Dani huddled in the corner of her quarters and she refuses to speak to anyone, Beka's been trying to the past half hour to get her to talk, so what happened?"

Harper looked at Trance quickly, with an air of surprise before he frowned once more. "Nothing," Harper said defensively, and put more distance between them, until finally he glanced at Trance and knew that she wouldn't leave unless he said something. "We just said a few things and then we both left med deck, what's the big deal? She hasn't spoken much since she came on board, so nothings changed," he offered remaining defensive in his manner.

"This is different, and you know it," Trance responded strongly.

"Hell yeah, I guess it is different," Harper stated more animatedly, and he glanced at Trance, as he took a deep breath. It was clear that he wanted to say more and Trance didn't stop him. "One minute she thinks she has brain damage, and the next you come along and cure her, it might just be a little overwhelming to her to realise that her life has been a complete sham at the expense of a stupid uber!" Harper declared with surprising passion, as Trance just watched as he continued.

"Trance how do you expect her to react? She obviously worships that uber, and you've taken that away from her, and you've given her doubt and confusion in return," he stressed, and he knew he probably sounded a lot harsher than he intended, but that was how he felt and he wasn't sure where those feelings had come from.

Trace gave Harper a moment to calm down, and he finally looked sad, as he glanced at her. In seeing her expression, Harper suddenly appeared to look guilty, and looked away. Finding more composure, but still facing away from her Harper shrugged.

"Things were said, Trance," he said quietly, and with some shame. "It'll probably be a good idea if I maybe don't see Dani again, I don't think she particularly wants to see me again, she doesn't like me that much," he shrugged, sounding down. "I have issues, she has issues, major issues and this isn't some mindless spat, we just both come from very different places, even if we are both from Earth," he attempted to explain and he looked uncomfortable, as he glanced over to his golden friend. Checking her reaction, Trance offered nothing and simply continued to look at him without speaking. "I knew that getting involved in this mission would be a bad idea, so why didn't anyone listen to me?" he said with regret.

Trance now smiled as she stepped closer to Harper. "Harper," she said warmly and she placed her hand on his arm, to comfort her troubled friend. "I think the only problem here is that Dani does like you."

Harper immediately showed his confusion and then he began to slowly interpret what Trance was trying to tell him with her expression alone. "No way," he now grinned, almost mocking his friend as she stood beside him, but Trance did nothing to indicate that she had been joking.

"She doesn't, not like that," he now disagreed strongly, losing his amusement. "You didn't see her earlier, she said things, does things, she thinks I'm just a stupid kludge, and she slapped me because I said things to her that she didn't agree with," Harper offered quickly, in an attempt to steer the conversation away from what Trance was suggesting, but still she didn't speak to defend her thoughts.

"Trance, you're wrong about this," he stated firmly, not knowing what else to do but protest, with Trance failing to react to his reasons why she was wrong, he then moved away. "What," he hesitated abruptly, unable to find the words, as confusion now reigned, and he felt he'd been put on the spot, he then turned to her confused. "Where did this come from?" he asked "And how is this suddenly about me?" he questioned uneasily, demanding a response now as he stared at Trance.

"You like her too," Trance realised catching something in his manner, and seemed a little surprised by her own words, as she moved to lessen the distance between them.

"No, no way," Harper denied immediately. "Stop this," he demanded sharply with anger, looking every bit uncomfortable and agitated, as he absently checked items on the back shelf.

"Harper I can't explain, but I don't think I'm wrong about any of this, and there's nothing wrong with having feelings for this girl," Trance calmly stated, and with a hint of a smile. "And if I am wrong, then maybe my understanding of human relationships still needs some work, but if I'm right, Harper, promise me you'll be careful."

Harper snapped his attention back to Trance. "Why, what do you mean be careful?" he asked before thinking.

"Dani is the mission, and this is Beka's mission," Trance reminded him.

"I know that," Harper snapped, and he turned back to the shelves, resting his forehead against the cold metal, with his back to Trance. "I don't have any stupid feelings for Dani, well except for bad ones," he said through gritted teeth, almost in disgust at the idea.

"That's ok then, I guess I just need to work on my instincts then," Trance offered sadly. "But please do consider this, Harper, you have me, Beka, this crew around you whenever you need us, and Dani has no one, and she's alone, whatever was said between the two of you is exactly that, between the two of you," Trance said with care. "But just remember that she's still the mission, and you have an obligation to this crew, Harper, to assist with all missions in any way you can, and we need you Harper on this mission," she commented calmly, before leaving the room.

Harper finally turned around and looked for the moment at the space that Trance had recently occupied, not able to totally comprehend or believe what she was telling him, as he began to contemplate his own feelings, and he couldn't help but fear them.

"But what if you're right, Trance," he said to himself, and with a heavy frown he placed his hands down on the work bench and let his head drop. "What if I do," he began but he couldn't finish his sentence, the truth was too scary to admit.

With his head still down, Harper reminded himself of the mission, Dani was the mission, Trance was right, and Harper understood that all too well. He also knew without doubt, that so far he had been the only one who Dani had responded to, and with a deep breath he knew that he owed it to Beka to try and move past whatever grievances he had with Dani, move beyond whatever he was feeling, and help her to get this mission completed.

Beka stared at Dani, nothing she said or did was making any difference to the guest, and she was at a lost as to what to try next.

"Dani, just give me something," Beka finally spoke. "Are you hungry, do you want to do anything, visit any place? Just say something," Beka spoke slowly and with frustration.

Dani looked up at Beka, but said nothing. Beka looked upwards, what she thought was going to be a simple mission had turned into exactly the opposite and it was taking all her willpower not to throw the slave out of the nearest airlock.

"Beka," Trance spoke up, and Beka turned to see the golden alien gesturing to her to step outside, Beka didn't waste anytime in doing as she was asked.

"What is it?" Beka asked once she was outside the room.

"I just spoke to Harper," Trance said with care.

"And?" Beka asked, not seeing the relevance but guessing Trance had more to say.

"It was just a hunch, what with them both discharging themselves from Med Deck at the same time, without reason," Trance continued, and she seemed to be choosing her words with care.

"I'll kill him," Beka instantly reacted, as she figured it out. "If he's done anything to make Dani this non-responsive," Beka caught her words, knowing that Dani had hardly been talkative before. "More so," she quickly added. "He's going to pay, I don't get many missions of my own, or come across rewards I can realistically claim very often," she seethed and began moving. "All I want is to complete this mission, is this so hard for this crew to understand!" she seethed with frustration.

"Beka, no," Trance hurried after the already departing Beka. "Yes, I think they said things to each other that were not nice," Trance attempted to explain, whilst trying to keep up. "Beka, Harper is the solution not the problem, but he has his own issues with her that have nothing to do with you or your mission, don't you see this?" Trance questioned.

"I get that, Trance, I understand he has this whole slave hang up issue thing he has going on, I'm not stupid, I have figured that one out myself," Beka insisted, as she kept a brisk pace. "But he's going to help me solve this problem whether he wants to or not, I can not waste any more time on this mission."

"I don't think we should push him," Trance suggested.

"I have had my fill of tiptoeing around Harper with this mission simply because he thinks we don't respect him, either he snap out of this or," Beka was stopped mid sentence, suddenly aware that someone else was listening to her.

"Or what, Beka?" Harper's voice sounded, he was stood only a few meters away now. "You going to finally fulfil your promise and throw me out the nearest air lock?" Harper accused. "Hell don't mind me, I'm just being stupid, what I feel is not important right now, so long as you get your freaking reward," he stated bitterly, and then sighed, as he awaited Beka's response but she wasn't even looking at him now, too caught up in her own problems, he considered.

Harper looked at Trance, shaking his head. "This was a bad idea, yes the great Seamus Harper has them sometimes," he decided, more to himself, and made to turn.

"No, Harper come on, you were going to talk to Dani, right?" Trance spoke up quickly, wanting to recover the situation before it became a lost cause.

"I was," Harper agreed, reluctantly turning back. "But I've changed my mind, she isn't worth it, none of this is worth it," he glanced at Beka who seemed close to the edge now, and it became clear to him why he felt that talking to Dani was not a good plan. "Look at her, Trance, you heard Beka, this is my fault and if I go and speak to Dani now, I'll just make a bigger mess of things," he stated with regret.

"Harper," Beka now spoke and she approached the engineer with regret. "Please, just talk to her so we can get this hell forsaken mission done and dusted?" Beka requested, trying to sound indifferent. "I don't want this to come between us, I wasn't thinking, I'm the stupid one," she offered quickly, and she appeared to genuinely want to make it up to her friend.

Harper looked at Beka and appeared in two minds, and he glanced at Trance. "What do I say to her, to Dani?" Harper then asked for her advice with confusion.

"You could say sorry?" Trance offered.

Harper looked confused. "For what?"

"You said you both said things," Trance prompted.

"Yeah, we both said things, so why should I be the one to apologise?" Harper asked, with a stubborn air.

"Because you think you're the better person, right?" Trance guessed, and saw the look Harper now threw her. "So prove it," she added with a coy smile.

Harper looked away and for a moment it looked as though he was going to leave, but finally he sighed and walked towards the guest quarters.

"Harper," Beka called after him and he stopped and looked at her. "Thanks," Beka half smiled.

"No promises," Harper stated downbeat, before continuing into the room.

"We should stay here, just in case," Trance suggested.

"Just in case of what?" Beka questioned.

"In case something happens," Trance cryptically shrugged, and Beka couldn't argue with her logic so they remained outside.

"He'll forgive me, right?" Beka then questioned. "I've treated him like such crap lately, said things I didn't mean, and I don't know why, but," she attempted to explain.

"You're both focused on different things right now, different issues, and neither are compatible," Trance offered. "Beka, Harper will give you the help you need, I have no doubt but Dani is not a simple case, you have to show more patience," she spoke wisely.

Beka took a deep breath. "I have pushed haven't I?" she accepted. "Ok, I'll try to back off, this mission isn't worth losing Harper over, so I'll give Harper time to do whatever he has to do to get Dani to co-operate."

"Good," Trance half smiled.

Dani looked up and saw Harper stood in the doorway, they didn't speak and instead they stared at each other for a few moments. Harper frowned and finally broke the silence between them, he couldn't see any of what Trance had suggested, Dani was showing no sign that she liked him, quite the opposite as her glare burned into him with hatred. Harper tried not to feel any regret for her reaction to him, but it wasn't easy, he looked away and tried to find a distraction elsewhere.

With the growing silence between them, he knew Dani was expecting him to make the first move, so with hesitation and a sudden feeling of embarrassment, Harper nervously attempted to speak, whilst trying to appear casual. "I'm sorry," he finally offered, inwardly cursing Trance for suggesting he apologise first to prove he was a better human.

Dani didn't immediately react and Harper felt compelled to turn on his heels and leave, and forget he'd even got mixed up with this woman. But just as Harper was about to move, Dani's voice stopped him. "Me too."

Harper felt a sudden wash of relief that Dani had responded, and his feelings took him by surprise as he tried to comprehend exactly what he was feeling. "Good," he then declared, and in a show that he was ok to leave it at that, Harper continued. "Glad we got that sorted, so now will you just speak to Beka so we can all return to our normal lives?" Harper requested.

"I can't return," Dani sighed, and she stood up from the floor where she had been sitting.

"Yeah, you can," Harper offered brightly. "If it's what you want, then just do it, if Yussuf is all big and cuddly, then what's the problem?" Harper asked animatedly, backing away slightly to avoid being too close to Dani.

"You are," Dani spoke quietly.

"Me? What did I do?" Harper immediately asked, and then caught her words, and suddenly the room felt much smaller as he looked at her, and saw that she was staring straight at him, no longer with hate.

"You've sold me on the idea of freedom now," Dani shrugged, giving no indication of anything else she could fault Harper for.

With a brief flash of relief, Harper found his breath again, and some amusement in the look Dani now wore. "It's a lot better than working for an uber," Harper stated softly, relaxing slightly.

Dani looked away before speaking. "You've made me think, and I have thought about a lot of things since I left med deck, and Shay I don't want us to fight," she offered softly. "I want you to be a friend," she said with some uncertainty in her voice, as she glanced quickly towards him, to check his reaction before turning away again.

Harper's nerves returned, and he was unsure where Dani was going with her words, but he wasn't going to encourage what he feared she was leading up to, if Trance had sensed correctly. "Dani, I've already apologised for what I said earlier so it's forgotten already, let's just leave it at that and I'll go," he offered, but Dani turned to face him and he was caught staring at her for a moment, before she spoke.

"Will you help me?" Dani again. "I have no one else to ask, please, at least consider it, I need friends if I'm to make it outside of Yussuf's control."

"Dani, I keep telling you that you do have other people to ask," Harper insisted. "You potentially have the whole commonwealth to ask now," Harper stated as fact. "Look, I guess I can make sure Dylan instructs the commonwealth look after you in the best possible way, but beyond that I can't do too much."

Dani stepped closer to Harper now, and she was looking at him, all of him, as her confidence seemingly was growing with her decision to chose freedom, and Harper didn't instinctively back away as she entered his personal space.

"I'm sure there's a load more people better qualified than me to help you," Harper attempted once more to explain, but Dani was really close to him now and he was growing increasingly distracted by the attention she was paying him.

"I think you can help me a lot more than strangers I don't trust," Dani smiled, and Harper froze as Dani place a hand on his chest, that moved to his shoulder.

"Dani," Harper hesitated in his speech as her face came even closer to his, that he could smell her, and he closed his eyes knowing he should resist but also knowing he was in no hurry to.

Harper glanced at her, and for the first time he looked into her eyes at close range and his more natural instincts took over as he made the first move, and their lips soon met. For a few moments, their actions were uncontrolled and rushed, the surprise and newness of what they were discovering overwhelmed them, as they discovered the feelings they hadn't fully understood before.

Moving slowly backwards, under the momentum of Dani's actions now, Harper found himself responding to her even more, as he slowly continued to kiss her in return. Harper now felt that he fully understood those feelings he had been having, and after having made the first move, he remembered Trance words, and they no longer seemed laughable, and he now desired more, as they continued their embrace.

Finally after what seemed a long time, the need to take some air made Harper pull away and look into Dani's eyes, seeing something close to need in return.

"What is this?" Harper asked, a little breathlessly.

"Didn't you work it out?" Dani asked, a teasing and partially embarrassed smile. "I thought you were a genius."

"Maybe I need to do some extra study," Harper returned unable to stop himself, and Dani moved in again before Harper stopped her. "Look, no, this is a very bad idea," Harper said, as his common sense arrived.

"Why?" Dani asked, her body still close to his.

"Because," Harper offered, but failed to provide an argument before Dani kissed him again, and this time Harper didn't stop her, and their hands now began to explore each other's bodies. A small alarm in Harper's head however caused him to stop once again, and he finally pulled away, putting more distance between them this time.

"What now?" Dani asked with agitation.

"You want something," Harper stated.

"Well spotted, what gave it away?" Dani joked.

"I mean more than me," Harper snapped. "Look, only two women have come onto me like this recently, one wanted me for my mind the other wanted my brain, literally, both I'm willing to bet eventually wanted me dead, and neither one wanted what I wanted, so what the hell do you want?" Harper finished and finally breathed.

"Hey you kissed me," Dani protested lightly.

"You didn't exactly stop me," Harper returned. "You knew what you were doing, just as much as I did," he stated firmly.

"I just want freedom, Seamus, nothing else," Dani stated calmly. "I want to experience freedom and you keep telling me about it, so show me," she stressed. "Help me."

Harper shook his head. "Something is very wrong here."

"Yeah, you're right," Dani agreed with brightness and renewed vitality. "Suddenly I realise that I don't have a brain injury, that I'm not some worthless uber's mate! I've discovered that I'm actually a human being and that it's not a crime to be one," Dani stressed and took hold of Harper's hand. "You've shown me, Shay, you've proved to me that humans have a place in this universe that does not involve uber control, so if that's wrong, then kill me now because I don't want to return to my old life, I can't."

Harper let Dani's passionate speech sink in before he responded. Maybe their little spat earlier had provoked this response, maybe Trance, as always, had been right about Dani's feelings towards him. Did he hate Dani, no, Harper had to be honest. He had hated what she represented, but the person he had discovered, albeit once he worked through the issues, wasn't all that bad, just a little misguided in her life and a little hasty in her actions, and as he looked at her now, Harper couldn't ignore the fact that he felt happy to have her attentions.

"What about this," Harper gestured between the two of them. "You want my help I get that, but what else, that kiss?"

Dani brought her hand up for her temple, shaking her head. "I don't know, I wasn't exactly planning that," she gestured. "And you kissed me."

"And again, you didn't exactly make it difficult, you were practically stood on top of me, don't make this out to be something I instigated on my own," Harper argued.

"I wasn't," Dani quickly returned. "I'm as surprised as you, in part, I just didn't think you liked me in the same way that I kind of like you," she said with some awkwardness, avoiding his stare now.

"Well," Harper partially shrugged. "I don't hate you, even if you have lied and tried to kill me," he stated with a sigh. "I should hate you, hell, I've hated people for much less, just ask Rhade, but I don't hate you Dani, and I don't honestly know why, but I think I may be starting to realise," he offered with a brief smile, as he used his hand to touch Dani's chin, so she looked at him.

"I have also helped you," Dani pointed out helpfully, as she stared at back at him. "And I enjoyed the kiss, you know maybe, I don't know, maybe we have something here?" she ventured with uncertainty in her voice. "Who knows what any of this is, I do know that life is full of surprises, or so I've been told," she said with an air of confusion. "And you have been a surprise to me, Seamus Harper," Dani now smiled with affection towards him, and Harper was momentarily frozen with fear by the look.

"Look, Dani, seriously I do have to think about all of this, away from here," Harper decided suddenly, needing some space, and to breath.

Harper knew that this wouldn't be something he could decide on right now, and just walk blindly into, for once he was able to keep his more natural instincts in check. That realisation already informed Harper that this was unlike anything he had experienced before, there was something very unreal and scary about how he was feeling, he needed to get away but he didn't want to leave, his body however ignored his mind, and quickly he backed away, almost stumbling towards the exit in his sudden haste to leave.

Dani simply smiled, partly in amusement, watching his every move.

TBC