Part 29
Beka paced the command deck and looked upwards. "I already have a job that I need to take in two days, if I take it we have to leave tomorrow early," Beka stressed to Dylan and Rhade.
Both men looked at her and it seemed to finally hit them that the crew was breaking up, the time had come for new paths to be forged. "Are you ready to leave?" Dylan asked.
"I have half a crew, with Trance and myself," Beka stated. "Possibly Kalika," she added.
"And Harper?" Rhade checked.
"I don't know," Beka admitted and it was clear that he was the reason she was stressing out. "I don't want to push him but I feel like I am."
"He's already told me he's not going to stay on the Andromeda," Rhade informed them and both Dylan and Beka looked at him, the confirmation hitting them. "Last night he stopped by my quarters and told me that it had been the toughest decision of his life, but he felt he needed a new challenge, a new direction."
"I feared that," Beka admitted and leaned against the console. "What can I offer him that's new and fresh, he's already served the Maru as well," she stressed. "Those other offers, new ships, new missions, new start," she frowned. "Maybe deep down I'm just being selfish, because I know that's probably the best thing he can do right now, for himself."
"Harper would certainly be welcomed back by the Commonwealth, and both those offers he had would be good for him, I agree," Dylan stated. "But I'm not sure he should be taking them."
"You're not?" Beka checked.
"Harper is not Commonwealth," Dylan began and saw the looks on his friend's faces. "He has the skills but he has never had the discipline, he's always been Hunt's crew, Beka's crew, not Commonwealth Crew."
Both Rhade and Beka considered this one fact and then looked up to see Harper and Kalika stood by the entrance to Command. Harper gave an impish grin. "Me and Dylan had a long talk yesterday," he offered brightly, as he began to move forward almost with optimism. "Long overdue in fact, but he told me the same thing and made me realise that leaving the Commonwealth is taking nothing away from me, I'm taking myself away from them, my own decision, my own will."
Beka saw Kalika fondly gripping Harper's hand, showing him support and the smile on her face gave Beka renewed hope as Harper spoke again. "So boss, I'll make sure the Maru is ready to go tomorrow, ok?"
Beka stood stunned for a few seconds before her relief pushed her towards Harper to embrace him tightly. All the tension and fears washed away as she refused to let him go, and he enthusiastically returned her hug.
"He truly will be the death of her, mark my words," Rhade frowned, as he checked the console he was working at.
"Then just make sure you keep a long distance eye on them, that's all I ask in handing over command to you," Dylan spoke in a low voice so only Rhade could hear.
Rhade smirked. "Like I'd let them out of my sight for a second," he offered. "Someone needs to watch her back with the crew she's got."
Dylan smiled and then looked over as Beka finally released Harper. "I was so scared, Seamus," she told him, as she held his face in her hands.
"I just needed time," Harper admitted, a little embarrassed by Beka's emotions. "I've just got to go and tell the girls that daddy is leaving," he then frowned, showing reluctance.
"Doyle and Rommie are big girls now," Rhade stated with mocking tones.
"And will kick your butt if you try anything," Harper threw back. "You best treat them like ladies."
"About time someone did," Rhade returned with a smirk.
"Funny," Harper simply said, then turned to Beka and Kalika. "I have to do this alone."
"Are you sure, last time you were alone with those two you became far too friendly with a sharp blade," Kalika spoke with concern.
"That's why I need to speak to them alone, Rommie needs to know I still love her, trust her, with everything that's happened I've not had the chance to tell her," Harper offered. "Besides, Doyle will be there."
"Doyle has stated a death wish on you more than once," Beka reminded him.
"All blown out of proportion, that's so old even Dylan is younger," Harper stressed as he backed out of command quickly, whilst Dylan hurled a friendly insult at him.
Rommie looked at Harper, she could see he was talking but his words were not registering. After a moment he seemed to pick up on this fact and began to ask what was wrong, but she didn't know. Turning away, Rommie moved to the workbench where she had been checking the progress of the nanobots she had been fixing. She felt both Doyle and Harper move either side of her, they both spoke but she was in no mood to listen.
"Rommie, I'm leaving because things have changed," Harper spoke, and finally she listened.
"Between us?" Rommie asked.
"No!" Harper exclaimed. "Rommie, I'm speaking to you now because I don't want you think that."
"I attacked you, I nearly killed you," Rommie reminded him.
"You were not yourself, you still needed to be repaired, it wasn't your fault," Harper explained.
Doyle pushed herself away from the workbench. "It was my fault, I had what you needed."
"No!" Harper exclaimed again and this time moved away from them both. "Listen, the both of you," he stressed and waited until they both looked at him. "You two are the most beautiful works of art I have ever created, nothing compares and you're both intelligent, amazing feats of science and if I die tomorrow I'll die a proud and happy man because of you."
"We have both at times wanted to kill you," Doyle pointed out, and it became clear the two androids had been talking a lot about that fact, as they shared a nervous glance.
Harper simply smirked. "You know there's a queue of people who have at one time or another wanted to do the same thing, it's normal, perfectly normal," Harper stressed.
"We were not joking," Doyle pointed out.
"Either were the ubers on Earth, the collaborators, the magog," Harper returned. "I still live and breath, ladies," he smiled. "Even Trance couldn't kill me," he then added flippantly, but his words caught him unexpectedly and suddenly he felt the need to look away. "Anyway, even if you did," he nervously attempted to continue. "You didn't kill me so no big deal," he hurriedly finished.
"We both wish you would stay with us, where we can protect you," Rommie now spoke, moving up to Harper.
"Don't do this, please?" Harper pleaded as he looked at the two most important people in his life, two life forms he had created. "It's not an easy decision to leave you both but you belong here," Harper stated, avoiding their gaze now.
"You belong here too," Doyle supported.
"We don't trust Trance, or the business Beka will be getting you mixed up in," Rommie stated.
"Ok, stop," Harper ordered, turning to them both and he took a moment to stare at them both. "I've made my decision ok?"
Both androids nodded their heads, and Harper took a deep breath. "Rommie, I wanted you to know that I'm so sorry that I couldn't fix you sooner, and that you had to go through that hell because I couldn't let you go, really I'm sorry," he stressed sincerely, looking at her for any sign of forgiveness.
"I understand now, and I'm glad you couldn't let me go," Rommie smiled warmly. "It's something that happened, nothing more, all forgiven," she added.
Harper showed his appreciation and then turned to Doyle. "And Doyle, Doyle," Harper repeated her name with care, as he looked at her fondly. "I should never have lied to you, and I should have listened to you a heck of a lot more than I did, but I was dumb, and you kept trying to tell me that, so I'm sorry," Harper admitted. "You kept me safe and sane on Seefra and I'll never forget that, you're the closest thing I have to family now, don't ever think I don't care."
Doyle looked at him strangely as Rommie cleared her throat, and Harper looked at Rommie and smiled. "You too babe, but Doyle has a connection that I never told her about, and I guess now is the time you should know," he offered and took a deep breath. "My name isn't Harper, not really," he began and both androids stared at him now confused. "My birth given name is Seamus Zelazny Doyle and that's why you mean so much to me, you're family," he revealed and Doyle seemed both shocked and pleased by the news.
"And the two of you, you're sisters, no doubt about it you both have shared the same memories and you have each other, and families stick together right?" Harper offered brightly. "Rommie has her two other sisters on board this ship, so you're good, you're all good and will look after each other, yes?" Harper prompted and was pleased to see that Rommie was the first to agree. "So stay in contact, and keep in touch with your old pa, ok?" Harper finished quickly, not knowing how his words had been taken. "It's time you both lived your own lives away from me," Harper finished and for what seemed the first time, both androids accepted Harper's request for a friendly hug.
"So who is Harper?" a new voice asked and Harper released his girls and spun around to see Beka approaching, looking upset.
"Beka, I didn't know you were there," Harper admitted.
"Obviously," Beka returned.
"What's the big deal?" Harper sensed her mood and was a little unsure.
"Finding out someone I felt I knew and called by a name that isn't actually his name, it's kind of a shock, you know?" Beka stressed.
"It's just a name," Harper attempted to reason.
"Not to me," Doyle offered.
"Ok, look," Harper flustered. "I told Doyle the truth because she deserved to know why the heck I gave her the name she has, ok?" he stressed to Beka. "Doyle deserves that much but this attitude?" he checked. "I don't need this, Beka, and I'm not even sure where it comes from, so my Earth name doesn't match my spacer name, it changes nothing!"
Beka took stock of the situation and took a deep breath, as she reacted to Harper's words. "You're right, I'm sorry."
"I'm still Seamus, and I might as well be called Harper now, there's no one alive now who ever knew me as Seamus Doyle," Harper spoke with some sadness in his voice at the realisation. "And Doyle is Doyle, see nothing has changed."
Beka was rapidly losing the battle with her emotions. "You're still Harper, yeah?" she checked. "I really need to know this is true, after everything that has happened, just tell me again to confirm that you are."
Harper reached out and gave Beka the comfort she needed. "I'm still Seamus Zelazny Harper," he spoke sincerely. "Maru engineer, annoying you in no time," he added with a knowing smirk. "But not like old times," he then stated. "I have a whole load of new things to annoy you with, have no fear," he stressed, holding her tight as Beka started to laugh.
Beka pulled away, still holding Harper. "Can you really do this, leave your two girls behind, the Andromeda, the commonwealth and accept Trance all over again?"
"Why don't we stop asking those questions and just see?" Harper suggested. "Done way too much thinking lately, and besides you'll be there, and Kalika," he added.
"You and Kalika, it's erm," Beka hesitated. "You look good together."
"Stop it," Harper smiled, as he pushed himself away from Beka. "I like her, but I don't know," he shrugged.
"The adventure that lies ahead for you guys, I'm almost jealous to be staying here," Rommie offered.
"You're welcome to join us," Harper stated.
"I think the updates you'll send us will suffice, my place is here, with my new sister," Rommie gestured to Doyle.
Harper couldn't help the proud smile he now wore. "How the hell, after everything that's happened, did I end up feeling like the luckiest man alive?"
"Now that you can blame us for," Beka offered. "Now snap out of it, we have work to do and only a few hours to do it in, time is money," Beka ordered.
"Right on it, boss," Harper snapped alert and got to his feet, walking with Beka to begin his new life.
Three months later.
Beka moved through the Maru and into engineering, finding Harper above her fixing something that had him hanging precariously off the ladder.
"How's she looking?" Beka called up, always concerned about her ship especially since it had once again become her home, her crew's home.
"She'll live, so long as we don't run across any more angry port authority types," Harper stressed, as he climbed down. "What can I do for you?"
"Just wanted a chat," Beka smiled. "It's been a while since we've stopped long enough to just talk."
"Talk about what?" Harper asked.
"It's been three months, Harper," Beka prompted.
"Have I been on probation?" Harper teased, as they began to walk. "You trying to tell me I'm being thrown out the airlock for doing a poor job?"
"Don't tempt me," Beka mocked. "I just wanted to check that you're doing ok."
"Ship is all ship shape, right? Despite the many knocks we've taken," Harper gestured around him.
"For once I'm not talking about the Maru, Seamus, how are you holding up?" Beka asked.
Harper seemed to relax, and resign himself to the serious heart to heart Beka obviously wanted. "I'm good."
"You always say that," Beka responded.
"Because I am," Harper smiled. "Seriously, no problems and I might even add that I'm glad I joined your crew, Captain Valentine," he chirped.
"You never really left," Beka encouraged.
"True, but I have no regrets, the girls keep in contact, the big uber girl even does and he's looking after my main girl ok, so I'm good," Harper explained manically.
"How are Rommie and Doyle doing with Rhade as their captain?" Beka asked.
"Well I told you I think Rommie is bored," Harper reminded her. "But fundamentally she's a warship and I never remember programming the meaning of retirement into her psyche," Harper smirked. "I think Doyle is helping her though, when she isn't fully focused on Captain Tight pants," he offered and Harper saw Beka raise her eyebrows. "Doyle's picked up a thing for Rhade, so Rommie tells me; Doyle says it's all in Rommie's mind."
"You really turned them into sisters didn't you," Beka smiled.
"I did nothing but use the power of suggestion," Harper defended.
"There was something I wanted to talk to you about," Beka then ventured.
"I knew it," Harper seemed to tense up, as he moved to sit at the counter, avoiding Beka's questioning gaze.
"Trance."
Harper just nodded his head. "I will snap out of it, ok?"
"When?"
"I don't know."
"Not good enough."
Harper turned to Beka with a flash of anger that he quickly extinguished. "You tell me, Kal tells me, she tells me but it's not getting through, I know," he stressed, focused on his hands. "She's my purple pixie all grown up but she isn't," he stated. "She tortured me, Beka, taunted me and I can't just dismiss that, I can't quite forget just yet."
Beka moved to sit next to Harper. "I know, but you've moved on before and I know you can do it again."
"I don't know," Harper hesitated. "Before I didn't have a whole heap of confusion in my head, you know?"
"Talk to me," Beka encouraged as she gently rubbed his back.
"Marika," Harper simply said the name as if it was all the answer Beka needed. Beka noticeably tensed on hearing the name, and Harper knew he had to continue. "I still think about her," he offered awkwardly, knowing he was treading dangerous ground saying this to Beka, knowing her feelings. "She used to torture me too, kept telling me I asked for it, I needed it."
"She was messing with your head," Beka reminded him.
"Trance did that, she messed with my path so I would meet Marika she made that happen, knowing Marika would do that to me," Harper stressed. "I fell in love with a psychopath because of Trance's will, not my own and it was love, Beka, and it still hurts," he stressed and brought his hand up to his face, in a feeble attempt to hide his rising emotions.
Beka put her arm around Harper's shoulders for comfort, as he continued. "I can't block those feelings I felt for Marika, and I've tried so freaking hard to forget," he stressed with gritted teeth. "And I know its destroying what I might have with Kali, and then I see Trance, that Trance, not my Trance, and I know that she's caused this, she did this to me."
"Do you love Kalika?"
"I don't know, and I have no idea what I truly feel because I thought I was in love with Marika and then discover those thoughts might not be my own," Harper sniffed, as he held back the tears that threatened.
"Harper," Beka held him closer, she had known he was being distant with them all but had never suspected such turmoil inside him. "Why didn't you come and talk to me, why did you keep this all inside?"
"Been playing nice, so you wouldn't think I wasn't happy here," Harper admitted, burying his head in her shoulder.
"For the smartest person I know, you're pretty dumb sometimes," Beka offered, as she comforted him. "For reasons I have no idea why, Kalika doesn't want to leave you, she's all living all breathing and right here, so why don't you just go and see her, and tell her what you feel."
"What do I feel?"
"Imagine you wake up tomorrow and Kalika is gone, you'll never see her again," Beka prompted and suddenly Harper sat upright.
"Crap, what the hell am I doing?" Harper stressed. "Thanks Beka, thanks, I owe you," he quickly moved to go in search of Kalika, but he stopped suddenly and returned to Beka's side. "I don't know if I said this before but Beka, I'm really sorry I was so crap to you on Seefra."
Beka was caught by the random apology but went with it. "And I'm sorry too, for all I said and did," Beka smiled calmly. "No looking back, only forward, ok? You're back on the Maru where you belong, and now you're fit and well again, with that stupid illness having finally left your system, we can finally start looking for that bit of luck that's way over due," Beka stated.
"I think I may have already found my share," Harper spoke with a distant gaze. "I need to speak to Kali, like right now, before I make another dumb ass mistake in my life," he stressed eagerly but then just looked at Beka. "I do know one thing though, and that's that I don't deserve a friend like you, Beka," Harper stressed and kissed Beka lightly on the forehead before finally leaving in search of Kalika.
Beka sat dumbfounded for a moment before a smirk appeared. "We're just as bad as each other, Seamus, I don't know what I ever did to get a great friend like you," Beka spoke to herself, and then looked up to see Trance stood by the hatchway. "Sorry kiddo," she motioned to Trance. "You have a lot more work to do if you ever hope to win his trust again, and I'm speaking from experience, a lot of experience," Beka stated getting up, and she moved past Trance to return to her piloting duties, she then stopped and turned to the younger alien. "Do you still see the future?"
Trance nodded her head and then shrugged. "Bits and pieces."
"How're we looking?" Beka prompted.
Trance offered a brief smile. "We're looking good, Beka."
"Harper?" Beka pushed.
Trance looked to one side and then smiled again. "That would be telling," she teased and then partially bounced down the hall, leaving Beka to just stare and for the first time be genuinely reminded of an old long lost purple friend with a tail she had once known.
"Rhade's wrong, it's not Harper that's going to be the death of me, it's the whole damn crew," she frowned and then smiled. "Wouldn't have it any other way," she decided, until the ship suddenly shirked to the side a little.
"I'm on it, boss!" Harper wailed over the ship wide coms.
"Except maybe I do miss the firing capabilities of the Andromeda a tiny bit," Beka grouched, as she hurried to the pilots chair to check their progress.
THE END