Contact

Dragonlots aka Dana Bell

Chapter 12

It was the second taste of him that told her the truth and she wondered if he, or any of them suspected. Lightly her now warm finger traced the angle of his jaw and he smiled at her. His hand cupped the back of her head and pulled her toward him. Their lips met and she savored the flavor of his kiss.

"You're beautiful," he breathed.

The smile that touched her lips was rueful. He thought so now, but later, when the effects wore off, he wouldn't think so. "Let's just enjoy this time, Lee. It never lasts."

"You keep saying that."

"It's true." Jessica lay back in the curve of his arm. He was a good lover. Practiced, though she didn't want to know how many others there had been.

"What is Earth like?" He turned on his side to face her.

"It is," she paused, trying to find the right words. "In conflict. You have one government, we have many. If you can two countries to agree," she laughed. "It's a miracle."

"Maybe we can help them."

"You're sweet to say that, but I doubt that will happen any time soon."

"Maybe our arrival will change that."

She turned on her side to gaze into his eyes. "Lee, the SGC didn't even tell them about the Stargates or life on other planets, even when Earth was attacked." Her hand rested on his upper arm. "Whatever makes you think that they'll treat you any different?"

"But you're the lost thirteenth tribe. It's time for us to reunite and live together in peace."

"I wish that could be so," she easily lied. It was better for Lee to cling to what he believed. The cruel truth she'd just learned would shatter him, his father, the president, and every person in the fleet. "As I said, we should just enjoy this moment."

"Gladly." He kissed her again with passion and she returned with the same.

The real truth could wait.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

The damp ocean breeze wafted into this room and Barnabas found the brine scent familiar. It was so like the ones he tasted at the Old House and grown up with. When he returned from the various trips he'd at first accompanied his father on, and later as an adult, it was salty spray that greeted him home once more.

Carefully he stepped up over to the balcony door and closed it. He'd asked for heavier drapes explaining he still hadn't adapted to the longer days of the planet. He doubted anyone suspected the truth. Besides, he was a creature of legend.

Although, given their exposure to the Wraith, maybe not so mythic. His nature was similar to their other worldly enemy. The only difference was in how they ingested their food. The aliens sucked the life energy away. He drank the blood.

He turned away from the sun light he could no longer bear and sat down on a chair. Before him on the table was his laptop and he'd been making notes and writing brief reports of his journey. Barnabas had no idea when he might be able to travel on an intergalactic spaceship again. It was a trip he wanted to remember.

His eyes read through a few entries, pausing at the one he hated to remember. He'd never admitted to anyone what had happened between him and Jessica on her eighteenth birthday. Why he'd finally recorded the shameful incident, he wasn't sure. Maybe it was simply guilt. Or maybe, if she screwed up badly with the Colonels, he wanted someone to know, in the event something happened to him.

"What did I do?" he said sadly. With a shake of his head, he forced himself to read what he'd written, despite the deep pain it caused him.

I don't remember a time when Jessica looked more beautiful. She stood at the top of the stairs, her long purple gown perfectly complementing her. It was slightly off her shoulders, the simple pearls I had given her on her sixteenth birthday draped around her throat. She'd added matching earrings and her face glowed.

"Jessica, darling, you look beautiful." Roger told her what I had been thinking. He smiled as the proud father he had the right to be. A part of me envied him.

Gracefully she flowed down the carpeted stairs. She took her father's offered arm and we went into the dining room. Elizabeth had outdone herself. She'd used our family's best china and had used fresh flowers tastefully arranged in crystal vases for centerpieces.

I took my place with Carolyn across from me. Odd that I don't recall who she was dating at the time. Elizabeth took her place at the head of the table, Roger on her right, David on her left. Jessica had sat beside her father, basking in the favored attention.

Dinner went well and without incident. Personally, I was glad. The mischief David had caused when he was younger although often dangerous had been bids for attention. His father had taken care of the matter and the result had been dramatic and welcome. The young man was a Collins after all.

We had gathered in the drawing room, sharing fine brandy and sherry, conversation. The looks Jessica kept giving me, seemed to me inappropriate, and as soon as I could manage it, I left. Walking across the grounds I tried to clear my mind. I hadn't fed yet and the blood lust was fast overcoming me.

"Barnabas!" Her voice so sweet and innocent pounded through my empty veins.

"Go back to Collinwood," I growled at her when she breathlessly joined me.

"I thought we'd go for a walk together. We've done so for all my birthdays." She slipped her hand over my arm. Her eyes begged.

She wasn't safe. I knew that. Yet, I had never been able to tell her no. With a curt nod I agreed and we walked to the Old House. I escorted her inside. She took a sat on the settee and gave me a smile one her age should not know.

"I'm your cousin," I reminded her.

"You're the finest man I know." She reached up and drew me down beside her. "I know you like me."

Her scent drew me in, the pounding of her heart drawing me in a way I should have resisted. "Jessica," I begged.

"It's alright." Her soft lips touched mine and I was lost.

Later, I knew the full horror of what I'd done. Neither alive nor undead, she would live the rest of her life in the dark shadows. A partial victim of the curse Angelique had placed upon me centuries before. Another Collins destroyed because of the witch's jealousy.

And my own weakness.

0000000000000000000000000000000000000

Elizabeth Weir welcomed her guests aboard as they arrived. The first was a young blond woman with a tough exterior and the air of an experiences soldier. She recognized that from being around John Sheppard. The second she wasn't sure what to think of. The tall blonde was beautiful and yet gentle.

"If you'll come this way." Weir escorted the two into a large room often used for ship board meetings.

"Interesting," Starbuck commented, taking a careful look around. No doubt the woman was noting where all the escape routes were.

"It's adequate." Elizabeth sat down at one of the tables. "Please," she indicated two of the functional chairs.

"Are you from Earth?" Natalie asked sitting gracefully, despite the tight blue dress.

"Why do you ask?"

"We're searching for it."

"To destroy it I'm sure," the soldier mocked back.

"Not all of us hate humans."

"Could've fooled me."

Sitting forward, Weir asked, "Has there been some sort of war between you?"

"They nuked the entire human race. Destroyed our worlds. We've been on the run ever since."

"I'm sorry for that," the Cylon said. "That is no longer what we want."

"Perhaps I can help," Elizabeth offered. "I'm good at negotiations and helping both parties reach a peaceful agreement."

"I'm more interested in your story," Starbuck returned. "Kind of strange to encounter another human all the way out here."

"As I said, we were looking for a new home."

"You said something about," Natalie frowned like she was trying to remember, "Wraith?"

"Inhuman creatures that suck the life out of you."

Thrace laughed. "Like the Quorum."

"Believe me you don't want to encounter them. If we'd known what we know now," she stopped. No need to tell them too much.

Yet Starbuck seemed to understand. "You didn't know about these Wraith."

"No." She didn't really want to tell them too much. Elizabeth didn't know enough about the situation to trust them yet. A change of subject was in order. "What are you doing out here, Starbuck?"

"Longer story."

Weir sat back and crossed her arms over her gray tunic. "We have plenty of time to get to know each other."

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Jessica closed the door behind Lee and stared at the bed they'd shared. The sheets were messed up and the blanket had ended up on the floor. Somehow the pillow had managed to wind up on the other end.

With a sigh, she sat back down and put her head in her hands. When they'd first encountered the Colonials they had thought them another lost human colony, like those they'd found in the various Gou'ald strongholds. Maybe taken by some System Lord and forgotten in the vastness of space.

But now, she raised her head. She knew the truth. And she knew she'd have to anything she could to keep them away Earth.