The Way We Are
Chapter 5
NC-17
Thanks again to Laura aka vinegardog for the beta, I am in your debt. If you are ever in LA again, I am buying you a drink.
John laid Aeryn down gingerly atop one of the tables in Moya's medical bay. He positioned her on her right side and began to take stock of her injuries. His wife was a bloody mess. Few times in his life had John Crichton felt this murderous and he knew that had Aeryn not finished Velorek off, he would have killed the man without hesitation.
Aeryn groaned in pain but didn't seem to fully rouse as he began cleaning the blood from the wounds on her back.
"Sorry, babe, I'll try to make this as painless as possible but I have got to get this bleeding stopped so I can see if any of these cuts are going to need stitching." John kept his voice in a low soothing tone. He wasn't even sure she could hear him but if she could he wanted her to know that he was there and that he was doing his best to help her.
1812 skittered into the room and his entrance only reminded John of how utterly alone he was. Not only were there still pirates aboard Moya that needed to be dealt with but there was a ship full of them waiting outside as well. Most importantly, he could have used an extra pair of hands to help with Aeryn.
"1812, can you seal that door? Try to keep them at bay as long as we can."
The DRD shut and engaged the door locks. Then, he applied an adhesive along the seams where the doors met and between the door and the floor.
John managed to get most of the bleeding stopped but one cut was much deeper than the rest, it would definitely require stitching or adhesive paste. John grabbed a fresh bandage and applied pressure to the wound.
"Aeryn, hold still, okay, be very still. I have to grab a few things I'll be right back."
John quickly rummaged through the various bins and drawers that Noranti kept medical supplies in. He found the gun that he had seen both Zhaan and Noranti use to seal wounds. He familiarized himself with the controls and shrugged. If Noranti could do it, surely he could figure it out. In another drawer, he found the salve that he knew had restorative properties and was formulated for Sebaceans.
When he returned to the table, Aeryn was still out cold. The bandage that he had recently placed on the cut was already soaked through with blood. He tossed it on the floor with the other bandages that crowded the area at his feet. He grabbed another bandage and again applied pressure to the stubborn wound.
"Commander Crichton. . ."
"Not now, Pilot!"
"But Commander. . ."
"I said, not now!"
Pilot didn't listen to John. Instead, he patched the transmission from the pirate ship through to the clamshell in the medical bay.
The pirate with the dreadlocks appeared, "One of my men tells me you've killed Vel. Another says you have offered us your cargo if we agree not to take the vessel in your hangar bay."
"Velorek is dead. Look, I don't really have time for negotiating. Take whatever you want. I told you we don't have anything of value. If you want the module take it but get your goons the frell off my ship." John never took his eyes of Aeryn and the sealant gun. He had never used the sealant gun before and wanted to make sure he did things just right. He tentatively depressed the trigger and a stream of warm flesh-colored sealant seeped out of the tip of the gun and into the groove in Aeryn's back.
Aeryn wailed and her eyes popped open. John had forgotten to anesthetize the site before applying adhesive. The gash stung as the adhesive dropped into the slash and began its work regenerating the tissue and closing the wound.
"Don't frell with me. I am not nearly as nice as Velorek. Where are you keeping the goods?" The pirate demanded.
John threw a bloody rag at the clamshell. "I told you already, this is not a cargo vessel. This is a freaking residential zone, alright! Now, the only thing we have of value is my module and quite frankly, compared to other ships you have seen, she ain't much. I got some food cubes and some crackers in center chamber, a couple bottles of raslak, that's really about it. Look, I lied to your guys to buy time. We don't have any stinking riches!"
The transmission ended abruptly.
"John. . ."
"Shh, it's okay, I am here. Sorry. I know that hurt but I had to get it sealed right away."
Aeryn tried to reach for him but he was behind her and the movement caused the muscles in her back to stretch, she cried out.
"Here, here," he said as he came around the table to face her. He went down on his haunches bringing them face to face. He tucked a wayward strand of hair behind her ear. "You're gonna be okay. You've lost quite a bit of blood though. I need to see if I can find you some antibiotics and something to ease the pain."
"He's dead?" She asked to confirm what she already knew.
"Yes," John nodded.
"I killed him." She stated.
John nodded again even though he knew it wasn't really a question.
"Aeryn, I don't know what happened in there, but I know you and I know that you wouldn't have killed him if he hadn't threatened your life."
"How many are left?" Aeryn asked as she struggled to rise off of the table.
"Whoa, whoa, lay back down," John ordered and gently placed his hand on her bare, bruised shoulder to prevent her from getting up.
"We have to do something."
"We will, I will. . .but. . .you. . .Aeryn. . . look you are gonna have to stay put. If you open that wound again it could be bad. I just got the bleeding stopped and you don't want to get it infected."
Aeryn wasn't listening, she continued to struggle against him in an effort to get up.
"Look, 1812 has sealed these doors. Even if they manage to find us, it is going to take them a while to get in here. We have a few microns at least to formulate a plan. Now, lay back down or I will strap you down."
Aeryn arched an eyebrow in defiance.
"Try me!" John warned.
Aeryn relaxed and settled back onto the med-table.
Satisfied that Aeryn was going to listen to him for once, John began searching for painkillers and antibiotics.
After unsuccessfully rifling through two bins, John found some patches in a third drawer that he believed to be used for alleviating pain. He grabbed them and showed them to Aeryn.
She shook her head, "For the love of Cholak, John are you trying to kill me? Those are for Luxans. A dose of pain meds that high would . . ."
"Commander, they are sending another boarding party," Pilot interrupted and appeared on the clamshell.
"Great, just great," John located the serum he believed to be used as an antibiotic and held it up for Aeryn's approval.
"Yes, that's good, bring it here, I can handle the pain, I am going to need to stay focused anyway. Hand me a pulse pistol."
"Aeryn, we don't have any weapons in here."
"Oh yes we do. We have all of these meds. How many syringes in there?" Aeryn motioned toward the bin where the syringes were usually kept.
John thanked his lucky stars that his wife was a genius. She was always bailing his ass outta trouble.
"Those patches will kill a Sebacean but they will take too long. We need something that will incapacitate them immediately."
John counted 14 syringes.
"How many pirates still on board?"
"Five, if they have managed to release the one in the cell and the one you tied up."
"Well, we have to assume that they have. Pilot, can you tell how big the new boarding party is?" Aeryn asked.
"One microt. . . . life scan suggests another six pirates on their pod."
"Can you close the hangar bay door?"
"Yes, but that may cause them to fire their cannons."
"Maybe, but they won't fire until their pod is out of range which could give us a few more microns," Aeryn responded.
"She's right, do it Pilot, seal the door. Don't let them board."
"Closing now," Pilot answered.
"Aeryn which of these will be most effective against Sebaceans?" John held up several vials.
"Those green ones. How many of those do you have?"
John took a quick inventory. "Looks like about seven."
"Good start loading the syringes."
"Commander, a ship is approaching and fast!" Pilot cried excitedly.
"What kinda ship, Pilot" John was almost afraid to ask. The last thing they needed was more trouble.
"The pirates are returning to their ship. They have ordered the ones aboard Moya back to the ship. They've given them ten microns. . ."
"Are they complying?"
"It appears so. . . Commander . . . it's. . . it's Jothee."
Jothee appeared on the viewscreen. "Heard you were having a bit of trouble, we'll be there in half an arn."
"Jothee! Is the baby with you?" Aeryn asked.
"No, but he is safe, Chiana has him! How many pirates are we talking about?"
"They are making a run for it. You scared them off but Aeryn is in bad shape."
"I'll be fine. Can you comm Chiana and let her know that it is safe to return?"
"Sure. Be there in a bit."
All the pirates had managed to get off Moya in time accept for Drego who had been locked in the cell. Jothee and his crew placed him under military arrest for piracy. Ka Sandar disposed of Velorek's remains and led a four-man team through Moya putting things as back to normal as possible. Fa'Tarka, the crew's medic, went straight to work on Aeryn. John was amazed, the whole debacle seemed to end as quickly as it had begun. Although, he was nearly certain that Aeryn would be having nightmares about the incident for cycles to come.
Chiana and Rygel arrived with D'Argo four hours after Jothee had boarded Moya. Aeryn was under heavy meds but insisted on seeing her son, nonetheless. John climbed onto the med table with Aeryn and held his son securely in his arms while the near-sedated mother cooed softly until she cooed herself to sleep. After Aeryn nodded off, Chiana took D'Argo to his nursery and John stayed by Aeryn's side.
Jothee's crew left the following day but Chiana and Rygel stayed a full weeken to help out with the baby.
"You probably planned the whole thing as a ruse to get me back to Moya," Rygel said to John as he boarded the Hynerian royal cruiser.
"You wish Sparky. Fly safe." John replied.
Chiana ran and jumped into John's arms.
"You take care, Pip. We owe you one and I know you will want to collect."
"Oh, I could think of a way you could repay me," Chiana licked her lips.
"Chi." John admonished, "Okay, guys, I'm outta here," John waved and closed the hatch on the transport pod.
As he flew away from the cruiser he could see Chiana and Rygel arguing animatedly through the viewports of both vessels. Chiana on Hyneria was never going to work!
A quarter-arn later John landed the transport softly in Moya's hangar bay. As he headed toward the boarding ramp, Aeryn entered the pod wearing nothing but a sheer black wrap. His voice caught in his throat. Aeryn walked closer and pushed upward on his jaw closing his gaping mouth.
"Trying to catch pop flies?"
"Huh?" John cocked his head in confusion.
"Pop flies, you know. . .your mouth was wide open."
"No, No, it's just flies. Are you trying to catch flies. Pop flies are baseball, honey," John corrected.
"Oops, sorry, baseball, well then, touchdown!"
"No, that's football but hey let's forget sports okay. You look ravishing." It was all he could do not to grab her and frell her senseless. Her taut nipples were just barely visible beneath the fabric. Her nether curls pushed the garment slightly outward above her delicious sex.
"Well, that's good because I plan on ravishing you," she teased.
"You sure you're ready, I mean after all that happened."
"John, what he did to me or tried to do to me. . .look you can't keep treating me like I am going to break, okay. I am fine."
"Okay, your wish."
"Oh, I like the sound of that because I have a lot of wishes that involve that pretty mouth of yours."
"Well then, where do you want me?"
"On the floor, over there, where we tried to get dizzy earlier."
"Busy, where we tried to get busy," John corrected her again as he lowered to the floor.
Aeryn stood over him and place a foot on either side of his torso. This position allowed him a fabulous view of her secret flesh. His cock hardened in his cargo pants.
Aeryn undid the shoulder hook and let the gauzy wrap pool onto John's body. As the garment fell onto him, John could smell the sweet perfume that Aeryn had sprayed onto the garment. It was floral and spicy. It drove him even wilder. His hips bucked in anticipation.
"So beautiful, Aeryn."
"You're the pretty one, John. I'm just a soldier."
John sat up and pulled her down to meet him. "Never doubt your beauty Aeryn, you are gorgeous. You okay?"
Aeryn nodded but John could see she was hurting.
"Talk to me."
She shook her head.
"You know I won't quit, what's going on?"
She turned her back to show him the scabbed but healing lacerations.
"They're hardly visible," he told a little white lie.
Aeryn gave him an eyebrow, "Don't give me that dren. They look awful. What's worse is that the deep one, it will definitely leave a permanent scar."
"Doesn't matter, you're still beautiful. What he did can never take that away. Lay down. . . on your stomach."
Aeryn complied.
John began tenderly kissing each scar. His kisses were so soft that they almost tickled Aeryn but they were emotionally healing. Aeryn hadn't realized how much she needed him to kiss the pain away. Tears seeped out of her eyes and trickled down her cheeks onto the floor as he caressed her back with his perfect lips.
John laid down alongside her while he continued to press kisses to her mutilated back. He entwined his left hand with hers and used his right hand to pull her toward him. She could feel his arousal against her hip. John kissed up her spine to her neck. His hot breath sent moist pleasure coursing out of her. She moaned in pleasure and John responded by sliding two fingers of his right hand inside her.
"You like that?"
"Mmm. . .yes. . . so good. . . . but. . . I want you. . . all of you. . ."
"You sure it's okay?"
"Mmmhum," she hummed.
John quickly undid his trousers and kicked them off. He mounted her from behind and slid himself slowly inside.
Aeryn clenched her fists at the completeness of the feeling of having him inside her. She had been so afraid that Velorek was going to. . .No! She would not think of that now. . .this was John, her John.
John sensed something was off.
"Everything okay?" it took all his will power but he was able to still himself.
"Can't. . . not like this. . . let me roll over, I need to see you, see your face."
"Baby, if it's too soon, we can stop."
"Don't want too, just let me roll over."
"But your back. How about I lay down?" He offered.
"No, I want you on top, I'm yours, John. I need to be yours tonight."
John pulled out and helped Aeryn flip over onto her back. He slid gently back inside her, "Oh, Mrs. Sun-Crichton, you are always mine!"
John moved slowly in and out of Aeryn until she began to urge him to frell her harder and faster.
John did his best to keep his weight off her but still please her, it was not an easy task given that he was also driven mad with pleasure.
He thought he was doing an admirable job until her tight walls clenched around him and he lost all sense of control and began rutting like a teenaged boy until he spilled inside her and then collapsed on the floor next to Aeryn.
"Thank you," Aeryn whispered softly.
"No, thank you, good gawd woman!"
"I love you, John. I love the way we are. I would not trade this for anything in the universe."
"Still miss being a Peacekeeper?"
"Not a bit, still wish you could go home?"
"I am home."
The End.