TITLE: A Past to Outdo

NOTES: Dun dun DUNN!

CHAPTER TEN Walking Away

"In all my life I have never found a harder thing to say than 'goodbye'."

- 'Beginning to the End' - Aluai

CY 5631

A transport ship arrived for Dr Ellis and Harper. Everyone was gathered in the docking bay to say their goodbyes. The atmosphere was surreal. No-one ever expected one of their own adopted family would be leaving them. Ellis escorted Harper from his room, where he'd collected a few things.

"Harper, I'm sorry it had to come to this. I wish things could have been different," Dylan told him sincerely.

"Me too. But thanks, for trying, I mean. Anyone else woulda kicked me off the first time I screwed up, but you just let me keep on doing it...seriously, you could have a complex, maybe you should see someone about that," he joked. It was better they had something at least a little positive to remember him by.

"Maybe you should just stop all the screwing up?" Dylan joked back.

"Okay, well, whichever's best for you," Harper shrugged.

Trance stood next to Dylan, and embraced him in a hug. She couldn't help the tear that escaped her eye. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you more," she whispered.

"Don't be," Harper said. "You were right, I'd be dead right now if it wasn't for you, and I plan on repaying you."

"I'll miss you," Trance said.

"You too."

Next in line for their sorrowful goodbye was Tyr, although Harper wasn't entirely sure what to expect from him. "I expect to see you back here," he said, with a hint of warmth, then added blankly; "The monitoring screens in the gym are still malfunctioning."

A small smile appeared on Harper's lips. "Guess I shouldn't expect any fruit baskets from you then."

"I'll make a deal with you," Tyr said seriously. "Go to the facility, get better, come back, fix the gym monitors and then perhaps I'll consider giving you a fruit basket."

Harper couldn't even imagine Tyr saying 'fruit basket' before now, let alone proposing to give him one. "Deal," he replied.

Rommie was next to Tyr, clearly wondering what she was going to say. The light-hearted atmosphere disappeared and was replaced with an awkward silence. Harper decided to be the one to break it. "I'm sorry I hurt you. And I'm going to earn your trust back, even if it takes my whole life," Harper said solemnly.

Rommie smiled weakly. It wasn't much but it was a start. "Then I suppose you'd better get well soon, so you can get started."

Last but not least, Beka. There was a world of hurt in her eyes, impossible to make up for. This would be the first time in literally years when they wouldn't be together, to watch each others backs, and to come home to. When Ellis had suggested taking Harper to a facility, she had reacted...not well. But the doctor insisted they weren't helping him enough, and Dylan agreed that he couldn't handle things as well as he would like. He assured Beka that he would come back once he got the help he needed, and Beka was sure as hell going to hold him to that.

"I'll get better," Harper said. "And things will go back. I promise."

"Make sure that they do, okay?" Beka returned, biting her lip to keep from crying. She wanted to be mad at him, to make it easier, but it was impossible. She hugged him tightly and he returned it.

"We'd better get going," Dr Ellis interrupted. "Don't worry. I'll take care of him."

Harper pulled away from Beka and didn't look back at her, for fear that he wouldn't be able to turn away again. They boarded the ship, and in moments they were gone.

Beka couldn't handle the overwhelming emotion, and rushed from the room. Trance followed her, and the others soon left too. It was done.

Harper watched the Andromeda until it was smaller than his eyes could see. Though he knew he would be coming back some day, he couldn't help feeling it would be for the last time.

Beka spent the rest of the day in Command, trying hopelessly to take her mind off of Harper. It was strange; all she felt like doing was crying her eyes out, but no tears came.

They reached Meretsegar, where the lone, pathetic-looking Nietzschean transport was orbiting. As soon as the Andromeda showed up, they ran off with their tail tucked between their legs.

"What a waste of time," Beka said out loud.

"Are you kidding? I wish all our missions were like this. At least then we'd get some sleep every now and again," Dylan replied.

"You're telling me you don't miss the distraction? The excitement? The danger?" Beka mocked. It was so obvious Dylan was an adrenaline junkie like herself.

"Okay, you got me," Dylan admitted. He sighed. "What I wouldn't give for a swarm of Magog to come and start tearing us to pieces."

"As much as I enjoy listening to you two tempt fate, we're receiving a scripted message from Pythia." Andromeda announced. "They've been experiencing communications problems, and send their apologies for the delay."

"It's probably the red tape from Dr Ellis's transfer. Just put it on file," Dylan ordered.

"I'll take a look," Beka said. "Not like I've got anything else to do."

Dylan began writing up a report about their mission while Beka scanned through the files. They weren't to do with Ellis's transfer, but they most definitely about the good doctor.

"Oh my god, Dylan..." Beka said, her skin turning the palest white. "Dr Samantha Ellis was murdered the day we were supposed to pick her up from Pythia. They never found the killer."

End of chapter ten

Next chapter: Reasonable Doubt