This story is now for Fox of the Nova and Vee017, I had a funky day and they made it all better.

"Normal Again" is the name of a Buffy episode. I, ahem, borrowed it.

Chapter 2
Growls and Blame

"Dylan, I think that I may have something here"

"Well Rommie, do tell then."

"What's the point, it's not going to be her. It's never her."

"Yeah, well, ya know what Rhade? Maybe if you would put down that glass we might have found her already. And don't give me that glare! Here you are, just drinking away while we're actually trying to find her! No, you know what? Just keep drinking, because it's obvious that you don't even care about Beka!"

Throughout Harper's little speech Rhade had been trying to gain control of his anger, and slowly losing that battle. And when he said that he didn't care, he lost it and threw Harper to the wall growling.

"Rhade!"

"Stay out of this Dylan! Don't you dare tell me what I do or don't feel." He growled out, voice dangerously low, pinning Harper closer to the wall, his bone blades pressed snug against the younger man.

"Aw, did I hurt the poor uber's feelings?" Harper mocked, ignoring the fact that the man could so easily kill him. Rage and anger and sadness and a blame of Rhade finally being able to be released.

"My feelings were irreversibly shattered when Beka was taken."

"HAH! Yeah right, nice try uber. I'm sure you were crushed when she was taken from right under your nose."

"I am warning you. Stop. Right. Now." He managed to get out.

"We have been trying everything to get her back and you just sit in that bar all day sulking, drinking, as women throw themselves at you. You don't even miss her. I bet you're glad Beka is gone, cause now there's no one to argue with you!"

"I loved her!" His face slackened, and his grip loosened on Harper. He backed away and ran his hand threw his long locks. "I love her," he choked out, "I love her and she was taken right after we had a fight and I said that maybe we should take a break from each other."

Harper stared at Rhade, some realization as to why the man had been depressed coming to him. He didn't only lose a friend; he lost the woman he loved.

Dylan, as shocked as he was by this revelation, managed to mutter, "How long."

Rhade turned to the other man. "It was only a few weeks," he began, feeling too worn out, "It was amazing and I was never happier. That night I told her that I loved her. We got in a fight after that, and I left the hotel. When I finally got back to tell her that maybe we should just rejoin the Andromeda," he swallowed, "well, you know the rest of what happened."

The other men in the room nodded.

Andromeda, who until this moment had chosen to remain silent, decided to join the conversation.

"This lead is a man. He may be helpful to us. It seems that he is a slave dealer, dealing only in women. If you go in posing as buyers, you can talk some information out of him. Chances are that he has seen Beka, sold her, has her, or may know something or someone that could help us in getting her back."

"Fine. Andromeda, set up a meeting," Dylan said to the hologram, not taking his eyes off Rhade.

"I'm going back to the bar, call me when we leave," and with that Rhade left the room, taking out his flask and taking swigs as he went.

"Uh, boss."

"Yes Mr. Harper."

"Do you, I mean. This guy, the kinds slaves he sells and the people that he sells them too, well, they, they uh."

"They are basically stolen women who are sold and then raped by their owners?

"Uh, yeah. Do you, I mean, do you?"

"Harper, I think that if Beka were taken by this man, then I feel bad for whoever bought her. Because she would give them one hell of a time if they tried to touch her."

The young man nodded his head, though didn't seem entirely convinced that the woman he valued so much would be okay. "I'm going to get some sleep. Wake me when we're leaving."

Harper exited command deck and walked to the Maru, where he had taken up residence ever since Beka went missing.

Dylan sighed once the doors swished shut, letting the weariness show on his face now that he was alone.

Two years.

It had been two years since he had seen his first officer, his pilot, his friend, and his little sister, Beka.

Two long, exhausting, painful years.

OoOoOoOoOoOooOOoOoooOOOoOOOo

(Author slinks away to write more)