Part 3
It had been nearly an hour now since the storm had ceased, and the wind had dropped. The sunrise would occur soon to allow them to continue their journey, and Beka stood outside now, temporarily consumed by the smells and sensations around her. The thick forest felt fresh and lot less threatening now that the storm had passed, and the slight chill in the air was welcomed.
Harper however still hadn't returned, and Beka was beyond beginning to worry and had only been held back by Dylan and Rhade's continued insistence that Harper could look after himself. Beka finally turned around.
"I'm going to look for him," Beka announced. "I don't care if he grew up in hell, I know for a fact he didn't grow up in a place like this, and I'm not going to just wait until he decides to come back!" she stated, revealing her anger.
Dylan checked the time and frowned. "He has been gone a while, stay in contact, Beka, and let us know if you need any help in looking. I hope Rommie is still working on the communications problems, so keep trying your communicator just in case, now that the storm has passed the interference should too, so they should kick into operation soon."
"Now you care," Beka stressed under her breath with annoyance, and she tentatively moved forward into the forest. Once clear of the base, she brought her communicator up to her face. "Harper, come in, Harper," she spoke like a mantra for a good few minutes, as she continued to walk but only dead static came back. "Harper, you little godforsaken planet rat, come the hell in," Beka finally stressed with frustration at the continued silence.
Her communicator finally crackled to life. "Hey, Beka, did you call?" Harper's hoarse voice came back; there was a lot of background noise that meant she could barely hear him.
"Harper!" Beka exclaimed. "Where the hell are you, and please tell me you are ok?" she demanded, scanning the area for any sign of her friend, and turning her nose up at the damp forest around her.
"I'm 'A-ok', Beka," Harper returned softly, his voice lacking its usual enthusiasm.
Beka relaxed her concerned anger for a moment. "Well, you don't sound it," she admitted, still looking around hoping to spot him in the dense forest.
"I've just woken up, and in a damp forest, you try sounding your best after that," Harper relayed and she could hear the smirk.
"Harper, we brought the temporary shelter for a reason, remember?" Beka stated abruptly, trying hard to control her anger once more, not understanding why Harper had felt the need to sleep out in the forest, especially during a storm.
There was silence from Harper now, and Beka was quick to notice it. "Hey, keep talking to me, where are you?" Beka asked.
"By the river," Harper replied.
"There's a river?" Beka questioned.
"Listen," Harper instructed.
"What am I listening for?"
"Just stay silent and focus," Harper returned.
Beka took a deep breath, and listened. "I'm not hearing anything."
"Close your eyes," Harper's voice encouraged.
Feeling stupid, Beka closed her eyes and once again listened and then to her own surprise, she heard it. "Water," she spoke with joy.
"Keep walking towards the water, I'm right by the fall," Harper instructed. "That's what you're hearing."
"I wondered what that row was, sounds as though you're sitting under it," Beka admitted, and she began to walk towards the noise. "Harper, please tell me you are not sitting under the waterfall."
She heard him laugh. "No, I'm not sitting under the waterfall, Beka," he finally spoke with amusement in his voice.
"Good, because I wouldn't put it past you," Beka returned with her own amusement.
Reaching a break in the trees, Beka was stunned as she saw for the first time the natural water fall before her, it was an incredible sight and she couldn't help but stare in awe at its beauty.
"Quite a sight, isn't it?" Harper's voice sounded over the communicator. "Now are you still wondering why I chose to be here, instead of the shelter?" he added.
"I don't think I've ever seen anything like it," Beka agreed, barely remembering how to function, as she brought the communicator up to her mouth. Blinking her eyes, she became aware of the surrounding area. "Where are you?" she asked.
"To your left," Harper simply responded, and Beka finally saw him. He was sitting on a jutting out rock, his legs dangling down appreciating the early morning sun.
With care, Beka made her way to his position and after some moments was able to join him. She cautiously looked at him, and saw that he was soaked through with water running down his face, and she wasn't surprised as she caught some of the waterfall spray herself, as she sat down.
"Those were your dry change of clothes for our trek today," Beka pointed out finally.
"My other ones should be dry by now," Harper returned, all the while failing to look at her, as she had settled down.
"The others are packing up, we'll be moving soon," Beka stated, and knew Harper wasn't quite himself, unusually quiet and lost in his surroundings. "Are you ok?" Beka finally asked, hating the silence.
"Yeah," Harper sighed, seeming to know now that Beka was with him, as he glanced around and offered the briefest of smiles.
She noted how tired and sad he looked, and Beka couldn't help but feel guilty for what she imagined he must be feeling. "You know if this is about last night, we haven't judged you, or anything," Beka offered cautiously. "I think we just never really gave it much thought before, you never really offered that much about your past and we just didn't think about it too much."
Harper seemed uncomfortable now, and with his hands he brushed his damp hair back into their usual spikes. Beka felt even worse, her words had had no effect on him, and had done nothing to break the tension. She looked at him again, and then to the tranquil pool of water below them from the rock where they sat, she then noticed the notable wet patches around them.
"Harper, have you been swimming?" Beka questioned, putting the clues together.
"If you'd have been an hour earlier you'd have seen a lot more Harper," he answered and found a smirk.
"You weren't! In that?" Beka mocked horror, words losing her for a moment.
"I forgot to pack my trunks, so shoot me," Harper frowned, absently kicking his feet against the rock now.
"You have no idea what's down there!" Beka scolded. "How do you know that isn't bad water, we can't afford for you to go ill on us, Seamus, when we're out of communication with the Andromeda and over a day away from med deck, what were you thinking?" she stressed.
"Water, Beka, that's what's down there, nice water, and its great," Harper stated finding a genuine smile, and then sighed on seeing Beka's still horrified expression. "Look, I know what bad water looks like, ok? It looks like crap, you can't see your own reflection in it, it's usually surrounding by stuff that isn't this," he gestured to their surroundings, his actions becoming noticeably angered. "Bad water is the drudge that I had to grow up with on Earth!" he ranted. "I'm not stupid, Beka, so stop treating me like a freaking kid!" he snapped and hurriedly got to his feet.
"Harper," Beka quickly relaxed and scrambled to her feet, she then stopped him moving away. "I didn't mean to lecture; I've just been worried about you, Seamus. You ran off during the storm without word, after what was discussed last night," Beka looked down. "I'm just sorry if I did anything to upset you last night, or if we were somehow insensitive."
"It's not you, Beka," Harper shrugged now with a heavy sigh, and moved to a fallen log to sit down. "It's this planet," he sighed and rubbed the back of his head as he rested his arms on his knees.
"You have been acting kind of strange since we got here," Beka admitted, and sat next to him. "The whole at one with nature thing," she shrugged.
"This planet is everything Earth wasn't," Harper frowned, as he glanced around thoughtfully.
"We've been to planets like this before without you going all nuts," Beka pointed out.
Harper considered her words before speaking. "I think I'm home sick," he finally revealed. "Been thinking about Earth a lot lately."
"Without wanting to insult you, Harper, but why?" Beka asked. "Earth is hell, its crawling with Dragans and Magog, it's a dead world compared to this."
Harper looked confused for a moment, as he focused on his hands. "Not so much Earth, Earth, I won't ever miss the nightmares, hardship and disease," he stated cryptically. "But I miss my old life, and what I use to be, what used to be important to me."
"I don't understand," Beka frowned, it wasn't often that Harper spoke like this, about his feelings and whilst he wanted to talk, she wanted to help him.
Harper didn't respond immediately, as he considered his reply. "You still have the Maru, your childhood home, and Dylan and Rhade still have some semblance of the Commonwealth to hold onto, all stuff from your past that you've held on to," Harper shrugged with a sigh. "What do I have?"
"Nightmares," Beka answered truthfully.
Harper got to his feet. "I'm serious, Beka, what do I really have?" he asked, his voice rising slightly.
"A better life," Beka offered with conviction, and silence greeted her. "Harper, you escaped that hell for a reason, and trust me, you didn't come away with nothing, you took a lot of emotional baggage with you," she frowned. "It's just you continue to carry it around and rarely talk about it, like this, you should offload it," she finished.
Harper seemed troubled, as he moved to the edge of the rock and idly looked at the water below. Beka had rarely seen him like this, allowing his past to consume his thoughts to the point he wanted to actually discuss it, and she simply hoped that he would continue talking; knowing it was about time he did speak about his past, but that hope was short lived.
"Dylan and Rhade could probably do with some help," Harper finally spoke, seemingly losing all interest in talking, and made to move back to base.
"They were doing fine without us," Beka countered, and remained sitting on the log.
"But we should go back, if Dylan wants to move soon," Harper lightly argued. "With the communicators working now, I guess the Andromeda isn't as far away as we think," he added, but saw that Beka was making no attempt to move. "Are we going?"
"Do you want to?" Beka questioned, looking directly at Harper, who in turn seemed suddenly intimidated by her stare.
"We should go," Harper answered.
"But do you want to?" Beka asked.
Harper looked around, catching sight of the waterfall again. "We have to go," he responded distantly.
Beka activated her communicator and waited for Dylan to respond, after a few crackles it came to life, as she move away and out of earshot of Harper, a response came soon enough.
"Dylan, it's Beka, I found Harper," Beka spoke in a hushed voice to be sure Harper didn't overhear.
"How's he doing?" Dylan's voice returned.
"He's ok, but I was wondering if you and Rhade would be able to continue without us for a while longer?" Beka asked, and held her breath. "Maybe give us about twenty minutes?"
She heard Dylan sigh. "I really would prefer us to move out in twenty minutes," Dylan returned. "We need to reach our destination before dusk, or we'll be camping for another night."
"I know," Beka sighed now. "It's just," she glanced around to Harper as she spoke. "I don't think Harper's frame of mind right now is in the right place, this planet and our discussion last night has flipped him."
"He's ok though?" Dylan checked, pleasing Beka with his concern.
"Yeah, I think so, I just think whilst he's in this mood he could do with a friend, and not be simply pushed along to the next destination," Beka stated. "Twenty minutes, that's all I ask."
"I get the picture," Dylan responded knowingly now. "Very well, twenty minutes," Dylan relayed. "Let's hope there are no more storms that could delay us further, we're still out of contact with the Andromeda; basically we're on our own."
"I thought the Andromeda was back in touch, we have communications," Beka questioned.
"Short range only, Rhade fired up the short range scanner to boost the signal strength in this forest, to assist you in finding Harper, but we still haven't heard from the ship," Dylan relayed.
"I see, doesn't look like we'll hear from Rommie then, like she warned us," Beka remembered the mission briefing.
"We're all big girls and boys now, we can look after ourselves for a few days, Beka," Dylan returned brightly, seemingly unconcerned.
"I'll see you in twenty," Beka confirmed. "And thanks, Beka out."
Beka turned and faced Harper with a smile. "We have twenty minutes before we need to return, I managed to sweet talk Dylan into letting us sit out the camp breakdown."
"Great, so now I'm a special case," Harper complained, as he kicked the dirt with his boot.
Beka sighed, her low talking to Dylan must have got Harper's attention and he must have figured out what she was asking. "Why not abuse Dylan's good nature every so often?" she offered, hoping her words would turn him around.
Harper seemed to brighten slightly at Beka's suggestion, and knowing she was just trying to make things right he relaxed slightly. "So what are we going to do for twenty minutes?"
Beka smiled as she considered his question, but noticed Harper wrapping his arms around himself. "Let's get you out of those wet clothes for a start," she suggested, and immediately regretted her words when she saw a flash of amusement in Harper's expression.
"I see, so you have twenty minutes with the Harper in a forest and you want me to strip for you?" Harper questioned, unable to hide his wicked smile. "Beka Valentine, you really didn't have to go to all this trouble to get me alone."
"Harper, shut up, your clothes could easily dry in minutes on these rocks alone," Beka stated, feeling the heat against her palm, deciding not to play along with Harper's suggestion, her intentions had been to continue their earlier discussion, but it seemed Harper had other ideas and his mood had obviously switched.
Harper looked at the rock, and then down at his clothes, before turning to the water. "How about a swim, whilst we wait for them to dry?"
"Harper," Beka whined, really wanting him to take the opportunity to talk without actually ordering him to.
"Come on," Harper encouraged. "You can swim can't you? If I have to strip, I might as well dip," he grinned like a child.
"I don't want to get wet," Beka stated, but saw the look of disappointment on Harper's face. "You go ahead, if you must," she suggested a compromise.
Harper frowned, and then shook his head. "No fun alone, done that already," he stated and stuck his hands in his pockets and began to walk, to head back to camp.
Beka looked upwards, wondering if it was such a good idea to have requested the extra minutes with Harper, with the strange mood he was in. Before he got too far away she called out for him to stop. "Ok, if you're sure it's safe," she said, and removed her jacket.
"It's safe, boss," Harper immediately brightened, as he scurried back.
"I don't like water as a rule," Beka warned.
"Trust me, you won't believe this water," Harper grinned. "It's warm, and feels great," Harper hurried down to the waters edge and quickly removed his boots, and before Beka could stop him he dived in fully clothed.
"Harper, shouldn't you have removed your clothes first?" Beka questioned from the water's edge. "The whole point was to dry them!"
"They were wet anyway," Harper considered, as he used his arms to stay afloat, up to his neck in the water now.
"Come on, you're shy, admit it," Beka teased now as she took the hem of her shirt and then slowly lifted it. She saw Harper staring in disbelief, trying to remember to paddle and stay above water, but then saw as she kept her shirt on. "Well if you're not showing, either am I," she declared and charged into the water with a huge splash, covering Harper with water as she did so.
TBC