Title: ALL IT TOOK

Author: Ennix Sun

Email: Ennixsun@hotmail.com

Feedback much appreciated!! Helps me improve my lil fics! If there's any story ideas you'd like including in future just let me know.

Rating: Err not sure probably PG, maybe PG/13

Summary: Set during A Human Reaction. This is the morning after the night before. Basically an alternate ending starting from the morning after the night in the safe house.

Spoilers: A Human Reaction (obviously!)

Disclaimer: I don't own Farscape etc, just this little story.

Archiving: Sure! But let me know first so I can check it out!!

***

ALL IT TOOK

The rain had stopped.

A warm glow filled the room as the sun began it's climb into the pale grey sky. Morning. As the honey soaked slits tickled his eyelids, John awoke to the soft lilt of birdsong outside the large patio window. He smiled, for a moment not realizing why he felt so calm and contented. He recognized Earth, the holiday house, and finally sighed as fear of what was chasing him began to filter into his drowsy brain. He clenched his fingers, a nervous habit, and for the first time, felt the silky strands his hand was immersed in. He opened his eyes fully then and looked down, as memory came flooding back. Last night. Him and Aeryn. Their first time. It had happened! Sure it had been under heavy duress but it had happened. And he still couldn't deny the wonderful feeling, that'd filled every cell of his body, when they had finally crossed that bridge. The one he'd dreamed about for so long. She was amazing. And here she was, still in his arms, head pillowed on his chest, her raven hair spread over her pale shoulders like an ebony web. A small smile graced her lips. There was no sign of the constrained Aeryn he knew before, just the unguarded , unafraid woman he found last night. Even in sleep she was the most beautiful creature John had ever seen, and with that thought in mind averting any trace of fear and worry, he gathered more of her sweet smelling hair into his gentle grasp and once again succumbed to the oblivion of sleep.

***

They were leaving.

The sun had risen high in the sky, watching the early morning play out like a busker's street performance. It was about 9am. John was checking the power setting on his pulse pistol (which Aeryn had thankfully lent him after their escape). Aeryn herself had just finished braiding her sleek ebony hair and was reaching for her own weapon.

A crash.

Both heads turned instantly as the white front door surrendered before them. John froze, the gun falling from his grip in surprise, as the gaping hole revealed a platoon of army soldiers, a hard and impenetrable wall, each with their gun trained on him or Aeryn. They'd found them. Already? It couldn't be. Aeryn however reacted instantly, with perfect military precision. Training initiated, she reached for her pulse pistol and raised it to fire. But almost instantly a loud "ping" resonated through the room as bullet hit metal. The gun flew from Aeryn's hand and out of her reach. Her beautiful face turned to John, contorted in a sudden look of surprise and confusion. However her attention soon returned to their attackers as they began to advance towards them.

"Aeryn run!"

The words wrenched themselves from his throat as Crichton quickly bent down and retrieved his own weapon and Aeryn's along with it. He holstered his pistol and without a backward glance, turned on his heel and made for the back door.

But his retreat was cut short as sounds of a struggle emanated from behind him. He turned to find the soldiers paying him not the slightest bit of attention. All their efforts were focused on his Sebacean comrade, who at that moment was demonstrating to them the finer points of Peacekeeper self defense. There was three of them, each holding a rifle and covered in protective gear. Aeryn stood weapon less, surrounded by these military hounds. In nothing but her leathers and white tank top. But the look of determination on her face made up for any armour. The three goons tried to intimidate her first, closing in like brick walls. But she didn't back down. In true Aeryn fashion she took up her position, without hesitation, and attacked her three oppressors hand to hand. At first, surprise and shock at the slight woman's skill seemed to give Aeryn the advantage. But shock doesn't last long, and this time they had Aeryn's own confusion at the strange situation, on their side. Despite her best efforts and skill Aeryn in disadvantaged state proved no match for the three human bullies. Within microts they had restrained her and two of them were dragging her out of the door.

Crichton had watched all this in disbelief; fear, anger and confusion holding him where he stood. He tried to move, to respond, but his feet wouldn't obey his brain. He cursed himself feverently as he watched the army goons drag away the woman he loved. Thoughts and emotions swept over him as he battled with his own shock and cowardice. A voice suddenly pierced his daze

"John!" Aeryn cried desperately continuing her futile struggle. As she was bundled out of the house.

Finally the force released it's grip on Crichton's frozen body and he rushed towards the door. Looking down to his right he saw the activities had recommenced in the street outside. Aeryn had broken free once again and was desperately trying to escape up the road and into the maze like safety of the surrounding housing estate. The other troops seemed to have disappeared, back into their huge army vehicles, ready to return to base. The three hounds still remained however and as John watched a few more lackeys appeared to help apprehend their alien quarry.

Quick as a flash John sprang down the steps and broke from the house in front of them all.

"Aeryn c'mon!" he cried continuing up the road away from the trouble. She made a sudden break towards him and he slowed to a standstill. He extended his hand towards her, as her tired face grew closer. He smiled uneasily.

"C'mon baby. C'mon.." he whispered frantically.

Aeryn smiled back, relief washing over her terrified features as she reached out towards him, when her features suddenly contorted back into surprise and terror. John watched in horror as her legs were swept from beneath her and Aeryn hit the ground with a sickening thud. Before she could stand she was surrounded by four or five soldiers. They quickly incapacitated her.. with heavy hands, gun butts and a vicious kick to her stomach.

John recoiled in dismay as her whimpered cry splintered the sudden cloak of silence. He trembled with rage and anguish as they dragged their prey to her feet, barley noticing the two soldiers now starting towards him. Aeryn merely dangled there limply, barley conscious. John suddenly found himself upholstering his pistol and moving tenaciously towards the scene the fire in his eyes fueled with rage. A gun shot. John felt the air stir as the bullet whistled past his arm, mere centimetres from his bare flesh. Only then did he see his rapidly approaching assailants. The shot also seemed to have woken Aeryn from her agonized delirium as Crichton found her eyes suddenly fixed on his. They were wild and afraid, but determined as ever, as she yelled across the void

"Crichton! John, run!"

A heavy hand swung at her head and silenced her. She lolled like a rag doll. Crichton immediately stepped forward as a trickle of blood appeared at her temple. But her head suddenly shot back up and her eyes found his.

He froze and looked hard into her face, disbelief at her words written clearly in his features. But looking into her eyes, and at his rapidly deteriorating situation, he knew she was right and he had to do as she said.

With one last look he did all he could to communicate everything he felt for this brave, confusing woman. Then with all his strength he turned on his heel and took off at a run into the surrounding area. He refused to look back. He heard the angry shouts and shots being fired as he made his escape. The thud of boots which rang threateningly in his ears slowly regressed as he finally lost the soldiers in the warren of public buildings and houses. In the distance he finally heard the slam of heavy doors, the roar of engines spluttering to life. And in his minds eye he watched, as the army van drove away holding the most important thing in his weird and wonderful life, a prisoner and headed towards her death.

***

It had started to rain again.

The sky overhead was an angry grey but still allowed enough light to create the impression of early evening. The birds had stopped. It was warm. Warm and wet. The air hung thick over the tortured land, strained, as though bracing itself for another bout of thunder. Yet despite the heavy steel drops, pounding the earth's crust John slipped through the sodden foliage surrounding the army base and pressed himself unheeding, against the mesh perimeter fence. He scanned the area warily. His eagle eyes noticed nothing unusual, the customary guards nothing more. Obviously the powers that be had no idea how strong a relationship John Crichton held with their Sebacean prisoner. There was no way he would be leaving her to die.

His mind raced with a million impossible plans, each one tried and discarded like old news. The rational part of his brain told him he had almost no chance of ever seeing Aeryn again, let alone breaking her out of the impassable complex. But the rest of him, the part which responded to his heart, told him he had to try. Aeryn deserved at least that much.

Stealthily he maneuvered towards a pair of guards standing close to the perimeter fence. Keeping to the bushes he remained just out of sight whilst still within range to hear what they were saying. All he needed was a lead. Something about where Aeryn was or who was guarding her. Anything. 'Who knows I might find out who won the Superbowl.' he thought dryly

Finally within earshot he positioned himself in the middle of a large, broadleaved bush. Heedless of the rain beating his head and shoulders and blocking out all other sounds, John concentrated on the guards' conversation.

"So they got her huh? Who'd have thought they'd have been so stupid? "

"I know," came the smug reply "As if somewhere like that wouldn't have been the first place we'd look."

The guards laughed jovially and Crichton silently fumed as he realized they were indeed discussing Aeryn and himself .

"So what now?" they continued.

'This is more like it!'

"Well," came the suddenly hushed reply "seems they're taking the alien chick up North. The Russians have got some base up there where they can prolong testing or something. Shipping her out some time tonight. Couple of hours or so. Then it'll all be finished."

"So that's all of 'em?"

"Yeah. Just Crichton left now. He'll soon come to his senses when he realizes all his little alien friends are all cut up into little pieces. A few days on the run in this weather, and he'll come crawling back!"

John somehow resisted the urge to shoot both the men where they stood and instead slithered back to his original position near the base entrance. The men's' laughter rang heavily in his ears.

Crawl back would he? The only place he'd be crawling back to any time soon would be Moya. With Aeryn alongside him if he had anything to do about it! Still tense and annoyed he settled himself against another shrub, shielded from view of the base but with the huge gates well in his sight, and tried to process the situation. He knew this type of base, knew about procedures and security more than the average citizen. He also knew what was going to happen to Aeryn and where. Finally John came up with a plan. It was a long shot at best. Very 'Aeryn'. One she would have been proud of. Violence first, sense later. As soon as the van transporting her pulled up for it's regulation security check, just outside the gates, he'd take out the security guards and hold the drivers at bay with his pulse pistol. Then he'd break open the door, free Aeryn, steal the van and drive to freedom! Easy. Okay, maybe not that easy, but in his position his options were depleted. It was all he had, it would have to do.

With his mind made up John finally noticed the rain that was still pouring in torrents. His thin shirt and jeans now clung to him in their saturated state and the cold had finally started to permeate his tough resolve. He quickly maneuvered further under the cover of the surrounding shrubbery. Still soaked, though considerably better covered, his mind momentarily surrendered, forgetting the tactical musings of a jail breaker and instead drifted back to happier thoughts.

To Aeryn.

She had been fascinated by the rain. Enthralled. Tilting her head and opening her mouth, drinking it as it fell. Like a small child. He recalled how amazing she looked with her hair plastered to her head. The child-like grin which fell across her face as the tried to voice her wonder at the natural phenomenon. A single drop of water dancing lightly on the end of her nose. He'd wanted, so badly, to reach out and brush it away, leaving his hand to stray and caress her illustrious chin and soft cheek. But they were in danger. Again. So it had all been work. Till later. Till the hopelessness of their situation and the unrelenting attraction between them both had finally brought them together to share the night as one.

He remembered noticing as they made love how her hair still smelled of the same rain which had captured her Sebacean heart. The angry sounds of the storm outside  had contrasted vividly with the softness of the emotions which filled that small room and encapsulated them in their own private world, where no hunters were coming for them in the morning. And as Aeryn had finally laid sleeping in his arms, and he'd placed a soft chaste kiss upon her smooth forehead, John had tasted the rain, merged with something purely Aeryn. Delicious.

Now, sitting under a rain soaked bush, in the jaws of danger, John ran his tongue over his dry lips and could still taste her there. She was part of him. Branded on his person. Though he'd never put it into words, he realized now how much he had come to love this woman with whom he so often came to blows. He couldn't leave her. Despite his lack of advantage, sense or any real chance of success he would not abandon Aeryn. There was too much left undone, unsaid, too many regrets. He would fight for her. To the end.

He was dragged from his abyss as the sound of heavy metal gates clashing open shattered into his consciousness. He sprang to his feet and crouched low, observing the gate just a few feet away. A white van, one he recognized as the same one which took Aeryn away earlier, was pulling out of the gate. Without stopping to think Crichton moved silently from his hiding place and edged towards the vehicle. He observed only two guards present at this end of the huge compound. 'Obviously keeping this little incident under wraps' he thought dryly as he registered the lack of any major threats with relief. He approached the van from one side, just as the security guard who's back was turned headed towards the back of the truck.

'Perfect.'

In an instant John was behind him and before he had any chance to cry out , John's pulse pistol connected with the back of his skull and he hit the ground unconscious.

'One down. Three to go.'

Continues with page 2 >>

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