I do not own Andromeda or any of it's characters. I'm so glad I finally cranked out an Andromeda story yay!!!! Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!
Trance sits at the bar bored with her elbows on the table and her cheeks in her hands. Harper tends bar and chats with his eccentric customers. Harper looks over at Trance who is looking out the window. The light coming in made her profile a fairytale-like silhouette. Her hands were perfect and dainty little things. Her natural beauty illuminated his measley establishment. She was above everyone there and he felt honored to be a character in her story.
"And how are you today my golden angel?" he asked pulling her down from the clouds.
"I'm fine thank you Harper, so sweet of you to ask. Although it is a little warm in here." The way she smiled when she spoke was lovely, he could watch her talk for hours.
"Maybe I can help with that," he said while pouring a drink over ice.
"Oh Harper I don't think I should..."
"No worries baby, its lemonade."
She smiled from ear to ear slightly blushing. Harper continued his conversation with his crazy consumers. The way he just broke away from something he was busy with, just to give her one on one attention, made her feel so special. He really did have a good heart.
The day was drowsy and golden. The dust floated lazily on a slow day in the sunny saloon. Trance would have happily fallen asleep right where she sat if an unwelcome guest hadn't intruded on her solitude.
"Hey so what's up with your skin anyways I mean like why are you sparkly and everything?"
Trance was left without the words to deal with this drunken stranger.
"Ok so don't talk to me whatever, I have plenty of other women that would beg to be in your position."
What could she do? She stayed silent hoping he would get the point and leave. Just as she thought he was getting ready to leave he slammed his fist on the table causing Harper to shoot his eyes her way.
"HEY!!! IM TALKIN TO YOU!"
She jumped at his screams and tears started to creep into her eyes. Harper ran to her rescue.
"Hey look over there, free booze!" Harper bluffed. The drunk turned away foolishly searching. Then just as he looked back Harper reached his hand behind the man's head and slammed it into the counter knocking him immediately unconscious. The strength he possessed was surprising to say the least, this was not a small man he had just casually knocked out. Harper made his way around the bar closing the space between him and Trance. He looked silently into her deep, misty eyes. He grabbed her warm, smooth hands that seemed to be trembling. His calmness synced up with hers and he held her hand as they floated out the doors and into the fiery evening breeze.
"What do you think about getting away from all this for a while? How about you and I go watch the sunset from the Andromeda?" Harper softly suggested. She was looking down but he slightly crouched as he spoke to search for her gaze.
"What about the bar?"
"I'll close early, ehh, don't give it a second thought doll face." he said with his scrunchy eyebrow look he makes when he's nervous.
The two made their way to the ship. Their stroll consisted of talking, chuckling and mostly cheering up. Suddenly they were on the observation deck watching the Seefra sun crawl under the horizon. They sat down and Trance sat about a foot away from Harper. She hugged her knees and fiddled with her fingers. The sun hit their faces and they couldn't help but close their eyes. Harper woke up in the middle of the night to find Trance in a deep sleep propped up uncomfortably on the steps. Harper stood up and picked up Trance to take her to bed. He walked down the hallway with a dreamy Trance in his arms. He got to her room and laid her on her bed very gently. He looked around her room for the first time since she was purple. It had been a really long time since the change but he assumed she would have made it home by now. She had a little glass table with some plants and very small jewelry box by her bed. He opened it to find it was falling apart. There was a small golden sun inside that looked as though it should turn but it had lost its will after so many years. How did he think she would get these things anyways? She didn't have ways of making money the way he and Beka did. Before he could finish his thought he found himself falling asleep in a rocking chair that sat snuggly in the corner. The morning sun made it's way across the room and onto the sleepy duo. They both woke up at the same time. They looked out the window then at each other. She scrunched up her shoulders and smiled very cutely at Harper who gave her the sweetest smile back. Together they got up, stretched, and went to open the bar. The two stood at the exit of the beloved ship feeling a little dumb. Why weren't they outside yet? They exchanged concerned glances.
"Andromeda?"
"Yes Harper?"
"We'd like to get out now please. It's startin to feel a little prison-like in here ya know what I mean?" he said rhetorically.
"Ship-wide diagnosis incomplete, exits off limits for 14 more hours."
"Wait what? Rom. Rom! Oh boy."
"We're stuck huh?" Tranced asked.
"Not at all, I'll get us outa this. Come one, walk with me down to my workshop."
There was Trance 15 minutes later looking down at Harper holding a control panel. His face was covered in smoke other than the outline where his goggles were.
"Yup, we're stuck."
Trance chuckled to make him feel better, plus she thought he looked awful cute.
"I can't do anything without Dylan's authorization codes. Sorry babe. I tried." he looked down sadly. She put her hand on his face and lifted his chin with a sweet smile.
"Come on let's get you cleaned up." she pulled his hand like a mother and her toddler.
Harper hopped up on the counter and Trance handed him a warm rag to wipe off his face. She turned on the stove and began cooking. He watched her move like the breeze. It was as though her feet never met the ground. Sun rays shown on the table through the steam of their breakfast. Harper fiddles with something that he wants to surprise her with but decides he'll wait. They head to Dylan's basketball court and decide to waste some time. There was nothing more wholesome than watching Harper have fun. Real, uninterrupted fun. They played hard and laughed even harder. A belly laugh like that can only be shared between best friends. Now tuckered out they sat together against the wall sharing some ice cream, two spoons, one tub.
"I remember when we used to have times like these all the time. I'm so glad we're here now and that it's just us." Trance delightfully admitted. She didn't know what that meant to Harper, having her validate their friendship and mention missing it after all this time. He pulled out of his pocket an old ribbon she used to wear in her hair. He wanted to give it to her so many times but he was afraid how she would take it.
"I saved this for you. It reminds me of those times we shared. Maybe you could wear it while we make more." he said with begging eyes. Tranced gasped with her hands to her chest.
"Oh Harper." she said almost breathless. He was worried, not able to read her face. She looked at him deeply.
"I can't believe you kept this... thank you."
"Can I?" he asked.
She turned around giving him her unspoken permission. He pulled two hairs together and tied them with the ribbon. It could have gotten lost in her hair that flowed much like ribbon. Her curly locks fell delicately. He almost leaned in to smell them but caught himself.
"Hey I just thought of something!" Trance said joyfully. She explained an idea of how to get out of the Andromeda through the docking bay.
"That might actually work. What can't you do Trance?"
He said her name without any jokes or twists. Strangely enough, it was the most beautiful way he could have said it she thought. For hours they tinkered with panels and rusty tools. The giggly pair was covered in grease and manuals lay all around them. Suddenly Andromeda interrupted the moment.
"Analy...analysisisis..."
The two shared the same look as they made eye contact. Their wide eyes and open mouths meant hope as they listened for a forgiving ship.
"Analysis complete. You may now exit at anytime. Thank you for your patience."
"We did it!" Harper said as he picked up Trance and spun her around. She couldn't stop smiling for anything in the world. When he lets her back down they are so close their eyelashes could touch. Both felt they should move away but neither did. He holds Trance by the waist and her hands meet happily around his neck. He leans in and she closes her eyes. Whatever's about to happen is about to happen, she says to herself. He kisses her cheek in the purest of ways. It was the loveliest of kisses she'd ever received, it felt like true loves kiss. Together they went to leave the ship that had done them many favors in the last day. The door opened and in plummeted to the floor a confused and slightly annoyed crew. Dylan stood up along with Beka and Rhade.
"We've been trying to get you guys outta here! I was on my way to tell you guys that the lockdown would begin soon and to warn you not to go onboard but you got to the ship before I got to the bar. What were you doing all that time?" asked Dylan.
"Ummm" Harper mumbled scratching his head. They looked at each other and smiled, it would be their secret, just like old times. The next morning Trance woke up to a surprise. Her jewelry box sat next to her bed like always but it was completely restored. The sun now spun inside and the music played once again. She pulled it close and cried happy tears. She was thoroughly excited and grateful for the new memories she would make now that she had her Harper back. A note left inside the box read "Thank you for spending the day with me."
