Part 18

The bar was quiet and Doyle had collected all the glasses that needed to be cleaned, and now awaited further instructions. Her mind drifted back to seeing Dylan, Beka and Rhade earlier, but she hadn't been able to talk to them and now she wished she had. It had been over a month since she had last seen Harper, nearly three weeks since she had discovered the truth and she needed answers.

"Hey, day dreamer," Sembler's voice disturbed her. "Why don't you take a break? We should be quiet now for a couple of hours."

With a sigh, Doyle nodded her head and pushed herself away from the bar to face him. "I'll just be out back, just give me a shout if you need a hand," Doyle stated, but looking at Sembler she noted that he was no longer looking at her, he seemed to be staring past her. "Sembler?" She ventured unsure, but his eyes were locked on something behind her, and she slowly turned.

Doyle froze on seeing Seamus Harper stood staring back at her, and for a moment nothing was said.

"Just play it cool, Doyle," Sembler whispered from behind her, a comforting hand on her shoulder. Sembler then jumped over the counter and moved past Doyle towards Harper. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "I was starting to think you were avoiding me," he teased and embraced Harper fondly.

"Hey," Harper smiled. "Long time no see," he agreed.

"And the lovely lady?" Sembler prompted, taking Kalika's hand.

"This is Kalika, Kalika, this is Sembler, he owns the joint," Harper introduced.

"Wrong me friend, I'm a man of my word," Sembler hinted.

"Don't start with that, I can't, Sembler, it's too much and I have no experience," Harper stressed already knowing what Sembler was referring to. "I'm just here to have a beer, that's all; I'm not ready for this."

Sembler put a hand on Harper's arm. "We'll talk later," he smiled. "And lucky for you I've been training up the best bar maid this universe has ever known, truth be known she can run this place with her eyes shut, so you won't have to worry too much," Sembler enthused and moved aside to gesture to Doyle.

Harper took a deep breath. "Hey, Doyle," he spoke awkwardly.

"Harper," Doyle simply acknowledged.

Kalika took Harper's hand and squeezed it gently unsure how seeing Doyle now would affect Harper.

"Can I get something to drink for this lovely lady, and me?" Harper then asked towards Sembler, who gestured to Doyle.

"Two of the best, on the house, this is a celebration my friend!" Sembler joyously declared and escorted Harper and Kalika to a nearby table, playing the diligent host.

"Please you don't have to," Harper attempted to downplay Sembler's attentions.

"You're free, Harper, from everything! Isn't this what you wanted?" Sembler took a seat opposite them both and smiled. "And those mythical friends turned up, plus you're in exquisite company, and you seem on the mend, I heard you were ill," he gestured to Kalika before looking back at Harper.

"Please, we just wanted a quiet drink," Kalika spoke up, still holding Harper's hand under the table.

Doyle duly arrived with two drinks and set them down, Harper's eyes never left her but she avoided his gaze before walking away. Sembler noted Harper's disappointment and frowned.

"She's ok," Sembler simply said. "I've been looking after her, helping her out."

"Thanks," Harper offered. "I never wanted to hurt her," he added.

"Hurt her?" Kalika couldn't help her curiosity.

"Not physically," Harper pointed out quickly. "Stuff happened, unavoidable."

"You shouldn't have stayed with Marika, Seamus, all this was avoidable," Sembler came straight to the point.

Harper took a gulp from the drink that had been set on the table for him. "I didn't mean it to come between Doyle and me," he stressed.

"Well it did, after all she had done for you," Sembler got to his feet. "But she's fine, considering all the facts."

Harper watched Sembler move away and he nervously grinned at Kalika. "Beginning to think this wasn't such a good idea."

"We don't have to stay," Kalika offered.

"We're here now and you deserve a night out," Harper smiled.

"Don't stay because of me," Kalika returned.

"I want to stay, and I want to know more about you, I hardly know you," Harper stated, looking into her eyes. "You've known me for nearly a month now, I have a bit of catching up to do," he grinned.

"What do you want to know?" Kalika asked with a smile.

"Is your brother a psycho?"

Kalika laughed out loud, and looked away with amusement before looking back at Harper. "He's very protective of me, and equally stupid."

"Why does he hate me?" Harper asked.

"Seamus," Kalika frowned.

"So he does hate me, you're not denying it," Harper stated.

Kalika sighed. "He was in love with Marika too," she admitted.

"Oh," Harper looked away.

"He knew about you and her, that you were together," Kalika chose her words wisely.

"Just the once," Harper was quick to point out.

"He knew," Kalika frowned. "And that's all he needed," she looked troubled. "He had his reasons, but I really don't think now is the time to discuss this."

"You think he'll lighten up?" Harper checked.

"Maybe, he has issues, mostly family related, and I'm not sure you really want to know all his problems, there's so many," Kalika nervously laughed. "Just take care around him that's all I ask, he's prone to stupidity more so than most," Kalika looked at Harper again, and saw only concern for her in his expression.

"He doesn't scare me," Harper offered confidently. "If he is protective of you, and I'm right about your feelings for me, then he won't do anything, right?"

"It's why he never did," Kalika smiled fondly.

"So you've saved my life twice," Harper declared.

"Just keep out of his way and don't give him any reason to doubt you," Kalika warned, and took Harper's hand into her own. "He's still stupid."

"Said as only a sister can," Harper smiled.

"Harper."

Harper's attention was suddenly snapped towards the figure stood next to him. "Doyle."

"Can we talk?"

"Now?" Harper spoke, slightly flustered.

"Now."

"Where? Here?" Harper gestured to a seat.

"In private," Doyle gestured to the back rooms.

Harper glanced to the door beyond the bar, and looked at Kalika. "Order more drinks, I won't be long," he smiled, as he got to his feet and began to follow Doyle.

"Doyle," Sembler hurried over before they reached the door. "Why don't you use that corner table to talk, the back rooms aren't necessary," Sembler encouraged.

"I want to talk in private, I have things to discuss with Harper," Doyle stressed.

"Doyle, it's perfectly private over there," Sembler insisted.

Harper was unsure why Sembler wanted them away from the back rooms, but soon began to grin. "What you got back there, illegal goods?" he teased.

"No, but," Sembler hesitated, not knowing what to say to Harper, his fears for his safety being his main concern but he didn't want to alarm his friend, or betray Doyle. "I just think you should stay in the public areas."

"You do have illegal goods back there or maybe something worse," Harper's eyes brightened. "I have to take a look at this," he enthused.

"Decision is made," Doyle spoke with a smug expression, before turning to follow Harper to the back rooms.

Sembler took a deep breath and wished he had more staff on duty, as it was he was needed to man the bar, as well as clear the tables. All he really wanted was to ensure Doyle didn't carry through her previous threats against Harper, especially not on his territory.

Dylan cleared his throat before looking at Beka, who looked back at him with amusement.

"Are you going to tell us why you've had that inane grin on your face since we left Seefra One?" Dylan asked her.

"I'm guessing it's got something to do with the runt," Rhade remarked, all three of them were stood on command, using what little power they had to try and manipulate Andromeda's scanners.

Beka glared at Rhade for his comment before looking at Dylan. "Things went well," she smiled, as she remembered.

"He didn't bite your head off?" Rhade asked.

"Rhade!" Beka snapped. "No, actually he hugged me, actually he suggested that soon he might be ready to help us, actually he's feeling a lot better!" she stressed at the Nietzschean, who simply frowned.

"He said that?" Dylan checked.

"Yeah, right after he hugged me," Beka stated.

"That's great news, why did you wait so long to tell us?" Dylan asked.

"Because I've been savouring the fact that maybe, just maybe, a little ounce of hope and good luck might have come my way," Beka frowned. "I didn't want to waste it."

"Hold onto that, tight," Rhade simply said, without explanation, before they all continued with their work.

Harper walked into the room and was immediately disappointed to find it was empty bar a table and some chairs. He glanced around, hoping to find what Sembler didn't want him to see but was unable to see anything that raised suspicions.

"There's nothing here!" Harper exclaimed as he spun around to face Doyle, who had entered the room behind him. Before he could react Doyle had a hand around his throat and backed him into a wall. "Doyle!"

"Why did you do it, why did you lie to me!" Doyle demanded to know.

Harper was still gathering his senses, as he tried to comprehend the situation he was suddenly in. "Lie to you?"

"You told me I was human, I believed I was human," Doyle stressed with anger lacing her words.

"You're as human as you feel, Doyle," Harper insisted and felt her grip on his neck tighten, and he momentarily gagged. "Doyle, can't we just discuss this without the grip around my neck?" he requested.

"Tell me why!"

Harper closed his eyes and concentrated on his breathing. "I did it because," he paused, and Doyle pushed him back into the wall to prompt him to continue. "I did it because I needed you by my side, and for that you had to believe you were human."

"You lied to me!" Doyle stressed, with her face close to Harper.

"It was the only way," he looked into Doyle's angered eyes, almost seeing a stranger. "I had to protect you, me, and," he paused again.

"And?" Doyle prompted.

"I didn't do it out of spite, Doyle, just the opposite!" Harper stated.

"Don't tell me for love," Doyle sneered.

Harper looked away, suddenly seeming to become despondent in Doyle's hold. "What do you want me to say?" Harper then asked, feeling the bruising grip tightly around his neck.

"I want you to say why you did it," Doyle reiterated, not letting up.

"And if I don't?" Harper challenged.

"I thought you were my friend," Doyle stated, avoiding his question.

"Likewise, but friends don't strangle each other," Harper returned.

Doyle stared at Harper, and he saw some of her anger melt away. "Why did you build me?"

"I needed a friend, someone to rely on," Harper admitted. "I was lonely, afraid and I just needed some reassurance that I wasn't alone."

"You built me to keep you company?" Doyle questioned and once again Harper felt her grip tighten.

"Not like that!" he was quick to stress. "Never like that."

"Then why?"

"Marika was starting to get weird on me," Harper frowned. "A bit like what you're doing now actually."

The comparison with Marika immediately caused Doyle to move away, releasing her grip on Harper. He straightened up, and composed himself before continuing.

"I built you because I needed to show Marika that I wasn't some easy target that she could pick off at will," Harper explained with more care now. "I had to have you believe you were human so she wouldn't suspect, and wouldn't realise that I was holding out on her."

"Holding out on her?" Doyle asked.

"Think about it, Doyle, I built you and I could have built a hundred more but I didn't, and every time you were in the same room as Marika, we were mocking her," Harper stressed. "Her dream, her vision, she could have had it all and I could have given her it, with my eyes closed," he grinned now.

"You were able to do that, complete her work?" Doyle checked.

"Yeah, but I'm not some cold hearted idiot, I knew her plans would bring pain," Harper looked down. "I grew up in hell, Doyle, I didn't want any part in building that same hell here," he frowned and then took a deep breath. "I sabotaged my own efforts to stop her, and I built you as a means of one day revealing to her what she could have had," Harper moved closer to Doyle now. "But that day never came, and I never got the chance to show you who you truly were, the wonderful being you are, and you should have had that moment of glory with me, in showing Marika the honest truth, but it was taken away."

"Marika knew I was an android, she was the one who told me," Doyle stated.

Harper seemed troubled, as he avoided her stare. "She figured it out soon enough."

"How?"

"Apparently I talk when I'm being tortured," Harper sat down with resignation on one of the chairs and put his head in his hands, leaning on the table. "So hate me, you're not the first, kill me and put me out of my damn misery if it makes you happier, Doyle because that's all I want," he stressed, hiding his head in his hands. "I deserve everything I get, every bit of torture, every illness, every bit of hate aimed at me because fact is," Harper looked up with desperate eyes. "I'm not a nice guy, I'm not a genius; I'm just a stupid kludge!" he stressed. "More so now than ever," he added with sadness, rapidly wiping his eyes to hide his obvious emotions.

"Why didn't you tell me the truth once Marika had figured it out?" Doyle calmly asked, not reacting to Harper's emotions as he struggled to keep control of them.

"I couldn't, it was too hard," Harper softly admitted. "I didn't want to lose you, I was selfish."

Doyle considered his words and then sat opposite him. "Since I found out I have planned every move exactly to make you pay for what you did, how I would hurt you and how I would make you suffer."

Harper looked at Doyle with unease now. "When do you want to start?" Harper asked nervously.

"I now realise I only have to do one thing to truly make you suffer," Doyle stood up, and moved to the exit. "You have to earn the right to be my friend, Harper, and you have a long way to go before you will be considered any friend of mine," she stated and left the room.

TBC