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2020-11-05
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Cute And Cuddly

Summary:

Summary: Harper has trouble getting past Dylan's protective streak. Then someone makes Harper an offer he can't refuse and Dylan realizes Harper is indispensable to more than just Andromeda. Pairing:  Harper/ofc, Harper/Dylan

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

Cute and Cuddley
by nancy

"You think you're in love like it's a real sure thing.
But every time you fall, you get your ass in a sling.
You used to be strong, but now it's ooh baby please.
'Cause fallin' in love is so hard on the knees."
-- Aerosmith

"Just do us all a favor and try not to antagonize them, okay?" Dylan asked. He glanced at Tyr who had that faintly amused expression on his face that was just not a good sign.

Dark eyes opened a little wider as the tall man assumed an innocent expression. "Would I do anything to jeopardize the mission?"

Dylan snorted. "No Tyr, of course not."

"Hey! Wait up!"

Dylan and Tyr both came to a halt at the breathless shout. Dylan grinned as Harper almost skidded right by them. "Mr. Harper. You really should get a better breaking system."

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up," Harper retorted, mock-glaring up at him. He held out a bag and continued, "It just so happens that I have here, in my hot little hands, the one thing the Shoven will trade just about anything for and, if you're really nice to me, I might just let you have it."

Dylan reached for the bag but Harper pulled it back, holding up a finger in warning.

"Ah, ah, ah!" Harper cautioned. "First, you have to promise me that I get to come along."

Dylan opened his mouth to protest, briefly locking eyes with Tyr to see the other man in total agreement. There was no way Harper was going down to the surface. If there was any sort of accident or malfunction within the ancient structure and any of the toxins entered the building, Harper was as good as dead. "Harper. You're not going. It's that simple."

Looking smug, Harper stepped back, the bag held behind him. "Then you're not getting this."

"I don't even know what it is," Dylan said pointedly.

Wriggling golden eyebrows triumphantly, Harper informed them, "It's a cold mazin center strip."

Irritated, Dylan demanded, "Where did you get that?"

"Doesn't matter. They need it to replace a really old part on one of their generators and these babies are miiighty hard to come by," Harper said, looking very pleased with himself.

Dylan looked at Tyr who nodded briefly. Without a word, Tyr crossed the space between them and started to wrestle the bag from Harper.

"Hey! Wait! No fair! That's mine!" Harper shouted, trying to keep hold of the bag. Tyr was, of course, far too strong for him to keep hold of it. Glaring at Dylan, he spat, "You can't do that."

"Harper, it's for your own protection," Dylan said patiently. Didn't the other man understand that he was just keeping Seamus safe?

"Harper it's for your own good. Go and hide, Harper, you need to be protected. Run away Harper, this is no place for weaklings," Harper sing-songed bitterly. "Did it ever once occur to either of you that maybe, just maybe, I have some pride?"

Dylan and Tyr exchanged another look.

"Okay, bad example," Harper admitted. "But the fact is that you can't protect me forever. I'm a man, for cryin' out loud, not some, some child! I realize that my cute and cuddly appearance brings out people's protective streak but come on. I've been holding my own against slavers and sex pervs and thugs and pretty much the entire universe way longer than you've known me. The two of you treat me like I'm some kid who doesn't know the first thing about taking care of himself and you know what? I am fucking sick of it. Okay? I am sick of it. Just like I'm sick of the both of you. Either you trust me or you don't and, obviously, you don't."

Dylan watched in astonishment as Harper turned and walked away. If Harper had shouted and bitched his rant, it would've told Dylan that the smaller man was just blowing of steam. But his voice had been low and calm, if somewhat shaky from the depth of emotion spilling out. He looked at Tyr for help.

Tyr held up his hands and said, "Don't look at me. You're the Captain."

"Thanks," Dylan muttered. He grabbed the bag from Tyr and jogged after Harper.

It took about ten minutes, and a call to Rommie, to locate Harper in one of his favorite hidey-holes. Harper looked up at his approach and Dylan was shocked by the level of hurt in the blue-green eyes staring at him. It wasn't even anger or hostility, more like a weary depression. "Mind if I come in?"

Harper moved a few feet further into the tube and Dylan climbed inside. He sat down, crossing his legs, and tossed the bag at Harper. "I trust you, Harper. And no one, no one, is saying that you're not brave. I know for a fact that you're brave. Your cute and cuddly appearance has nothing to do with my wanting to keep you safe. In this particular situation, your bravery doesn't even come into the equation. They don't have great filters and that structure is on its last legs. Your immune system would be shredded if any of their atmospheric toxins leaked in. You can't fight a gas or a toxin, especially if you don't even know that it's there."

Dylan sighed and looked at the younger man who was still not very happy. "Harper. I'm not trying to insult you or hurt your pride but you are too valuable to risk on a mission where your presence isn't even required."

"Valuable?" Harper repeated, hopeful surprise etching out the hurt.

"Yes, valuable!" Dylan exclaimed in exasperation. "God. Harper, don't you know that yet? You are essential to Andromeda. Why do you think we tore apart the galaxy looking for a way to get those damned larva out of you?"

Dylan didn't know what happened but one moment Harper was starting to look like he was coming around and the next he completely shut down. The hurt was gone, but so was everything else. There was no sparkle to be found in the eyes staring back at him. "Harper?"

Harper gave him the bag. "Take it. Don't need it here anyhow."

"Harper, what's wrong?" Dylan asked.

"Nothing. Everything's fine. Look, I've got some work to do, okay? And you're going to be late to your meeting if you don't leave."

Dylan frowned, knowing that something was wrong but not what. And Harper was right, he was going to be late. But he didn't seem to be hurting anymore either so... "Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I'm fine boss. You go. I'll see you later."

He hesitated another moment then shrugged. Even after two years it was still hard to get a bead on Harper sometimes. He was so changeable and unpredictable. "All right. I'll see you when we get back."

Harper nodded and began crawling out of the pipe in the opposite direction. Dylan swung the bag over his shoulder and climbed out of the shaft. He needed to hurry up or the Shoven were going to get pissed. And there was almost nothing worse than dealing with irritated Shoven. They gave off a really, really bad smell.

* * * *

"All right Hunt. We need to talk. Just what did you do to my engineer?"

Looking up in surprise at Beka's demand, Dylan asked, "What are you talking about?"

Blue eyes glared at him as Beka said, "Harper. You know. Short little guy, spiky hair, bounces a lot. Or he used to anyhow. What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything to him," Dylan answered, mystified.

She frowned at him. "You must have. Ever since the Shoven he's been...normal."

Eyebrows arching, Dylan repeated, "Normal."

Obviously frustrated, Beka said, "Yes! Normal! He does his work. He hasn't made a single smart assed remark to me in days. He's actually filled out paperwork. Normal!"

"Paperwork. Harper has done paperwork?" Dylan asked in disbelief.

Beka thrust several sheaths of films at him. "Do you see these? Requisition orders. He filled out requisitions and gave them to Rommie this morning. I stopped by the shop to ask what the hell was going on and it was...it was..."

"What?" Dylan demanded.

"Clean!" Beka shouted. "Harper's shop was clean! Tidy. Neat. Organized. A place for everything and everything in its place! So what the hell did you do to my engineer?"

That strange helpless feeling that so often entered the pit of his stomach when dealing with Harper in trouble flared up. "I didn't do anything, Beka. I'll talk to him, see what's going on."

Arms crossed over her chest Beka warned, "Well you better because if you don't? They won't be able to find your body."

For all the fact that Dylan was Captain of the Andromeda and nominal Commonwealth leader, the deadly seriousness in Beka's voice sent a shiver of threat through him. She completely meant it and Dylan didn't doubt that she would know just where to hide his body. Stiffening his spine, Dylan ground out, "I'll fix it, Beka."

"Good."

He watched her go, breathing a sigh of relief when the door closed behind her. "Rommie."

Rommie's holographic form appeared before him. "Yes Dylan?"

"Where's Harper?"

"Deck Sixteen, aft," she reported.

He nodded but frowned. "Have you noticed anything odd going on with Harper the last few days?"

"Odd?"

"Yes, odd. Has he been behaving differently?"

"Well no, not really. He's been a little more proactive than usual but that's about it," she said.

"Proactive how?"

"Well, he's been doing a lot of maintenance checks and upgrading of systems that don't strictly need them. When I asked him about it, he replied that he wanted to make sure that I was fully functional in case something happened and he didn't have time to do it later."

"But otherwise?"

"He's fine," Rommie confirmed.

"Right."

"Did you need anything else?"

"No, thank you Rommie."

Rommie vanished and Dylan stared at the spot where she'd been for a long moment. Shaking his head, baffled by the strange industriousness of his engineer, Dylan stood to leave when his door opened and Trance walked in. It was still bizarre to see long red locks of hair instead of short blond ones and a golden tint to her previously purple skin. Not to mention the, ah, revealing neckline. Not that her previous outfit had disguised the slender, petite form any, but this seemed more...more for whatever reason.

"Dylan. We need to talk."

Sighing faintly, he sat back down and muttered, "Of course we do." Louder, he said, "Have a seat, Trance."

She shook her head and said, "Thanks but this won't take long."

"All right. What can I do for you?"

"We have to go to a world called Penalla," Trance announced.

That hadn't been what he was expecting. Though with Trance, really, there was no way to know what to expect. "Excuse me?"

"Penalla. It's a small world that orbits a larger gas giant in the Penaj system," Trance said.

"Why?"

"Because."

His head lowered with his sigh, and he counted to ten before looking at the woman again. "Because why?"

"I can't tell you. But it's really important. To Harper."

That got Dylan's attention. "Why? What's going on with Harper?"

"Well, I can't really tell you but it'll be a bad thing if we don't go there," she said.

"Trance."

"Dylan, I know this is a little out there, even for me, but you need to trust me on this."

Looking into her earnest, dark eyes, Dylan sighed again. "Does Harper know he needs to be there?"

"Um, no."

"Of course not."

"But he will. In about twenty minutes he's going to get a message and ask you to go there. You say no then he sneaks off in the Maru. You're going to be all upset and determined not to go after him and things kind of go downhill from there," Trance said in a rush.

He was almost afraid to ask. "Downhill?"

Biting her lip, Trance nodded. "Really downhill. But if you're already on the way to Penalla then Harper won't steal the Maru and everything will be fine. See?"

"Sure. Why not?"

"So you'll do it?"

Scowling, Dylan answered, "Do I have a choice?"

Smiling brilliantly, Trance said, "You always have a choice, Dylan."

"Of course I do," he muttered sourly. "Rommie."

"Yes Dylan?"

"Set course for Penalla, Trance has the coordinates," Dylan ordered.

Trance nodded happily and left his office. Dylan took a few deep breaths and reminded himself that it wouldn't do any good to strangle Trance because she didn't seem to be able to die. Not permanently anyhow. He was just about to head out, again, when his door chime signaled, again, and he roared, "What!?"

There was silence from the other side then the door opened to reveal a thoroughly bemused Tyr. "May I come in?"

"Sorry Tyr, of course. Come in," Dylan apologized.

"Difficult afternoon?" Tyr asked.

"No more than usual," Dylan replied dryly. "What's up, Tyr?"

"We need to talk."

Dylan sighed. "This is about Harper, isn't it?"

Dark eyebrows raising in surprise, Tyr answered, "How did you know that?"

Smiling thinly, Dylan said, "Lucky guess. What's the problem?"

"He's overstepping his authority," Tyr said flatly.

What the hell? Shaking his head, Dylan asked, "How so?"

"He has rerouted security subroutines from my command," Tyr reported. "He's claiming that as head engineer, he needs to have access to everything, including security systems, in case of emergency."

Not seeing the problem, Dylan said, "He does."

"I know he does. You know he does. But this is Harper," Tyr said pointedly.

Pursing his lips, Dylan conceded, "Good point. I'll talk to him about it."

"Good."

Dylan watched him go then waited. Something was bound to happen if he just waited a little...

The chime rang.

"Damn I'm good," Dylan muttered. "Enter."

This time it was Harper himself instead of someone coming to talk about him. Though, of course, there wasn't anyone else left on board to complain about Harper. Forcing a smile, Dylan greeted, "Mr. Harper. What can I do for you?"

"I um, I just got a message a few minutes ago. I need to take off for a few days," Harper said, subdued.

Keeping his expression clear, Dylan asked, "Where to?"

"Penalla. It's a tiny planet, you've probably never heard of it," Harper replied.

"What's there?"

Flushing, Harper said, "It's ah, it's personal."

"I see. So, you want us to change course so you can run an errand, is that it?" Dylan asked quietly. He didn't miss the tense set to Harper's shoulders, or the way the younger man wouldn't meet his eyes. Something was seriously wrong and Dylan was determined to find out what.

"It's not an errand. I just, can't go into details," Harper muttered.

"I'm not asking for details," Dylan said mildly. "Just some sense of what's going on. Is it a war? Any smuggling or assassins involved? Hijacking? General, all-purpose mayhem?"

Harper finally looked up, a reassuringly familiar smirk on his face. "All of the above."

"Oh. All right then. Just checking," Dylan assured him with a smile.

"So um, can we?"

It seemed to Dylan that if he said anything but yes that Harper would break into a million pieces, he was that tightly wound. "Yes. I'll inform Rommie."

Very little of the tension leeched out of the slender man. "I've got the coordinates here."

"That's all right, Rommie already has them," Dylan said.

Harper frowned. "How?"

"Oh you know the Commonwealth. We get around," Dylan said blithely. Harper turned to leave but Dylan said, "Harper, wait. Can I talk to you about something?"

The tension slammed back into him but Harper turned back and faced Dylan. "Sure boss. What's up?"

"Have a seat," Dylan said, motioning to the sofa, turning to head that way himself. He took the stuffed chair instead of the couch so he could both give Harper some space and be comfortable while facing the engineer.

Somewhat cautiously, Harper sat at the sofa and said, "What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Just wondering how you were doing. Aside from this mysterious new errand you need to take care of. I haven't seen much of you for the last few days," Dylan said, leaning back and forcing his body language into casual interest. It must have been the right thing to do because Harper relaxed a hair.

"Oh. I'm fine."

"Are you bored?"

Startled by the question, Harper shook his head. "No. Why?"

"Well, I understand that you're filling out paperwork these days," Dylan said, aiming for humorous. "And steeling security subroutines from Tyr. And a little birdy told me that you finally, finally cleaned up the machine shop. Not that I'm complaining, by any stretch, but I was wondering if perhaps you'd gotten bored because honestly, I can't think of any other explanation."

Harper flushed. "I'm not bored. I just wanted to make sure that everything was taken care of."

"Yeah, I heard. In case you didn't have time later," Dylan finished, unable to completely keep the suspicion from his voice. "Harper, can't you tell me what's wrong? I thought we were friends."

This time he said the wrong thing because Harper's jaw tightened. "Nothing is wrong. God. There's no pleasing any of you, is there? First you all complain that I'm a freaky little electronic pack-rat and now, when I clean up after myself and actually do my job, you complain about that too!"

"No, Harper, that's not it," Dylan said hastily.

"Is there anything else? Boss." Harper asked, standing abruptly.

Dylan searched his face for any sign but Harper just stared straight ahead. Sighing, Dylan shook his head. "No, nothing else. You can go."

Harper turned and left without another word.

Rubbing his eyes, Dylan wondered if maybe it wouldn't be better to just let Beka kill him. It would certainly be less frustrating.

* * * *

Plucking tiredly at his shirt, Harper stared at the ceiling and wished that he hadn't had that last Sparky cola. He could feel the stimulants racing through his system when all he wanted to do was sleep. Was that such a difficult thing to accomplish? Sleep. Eventually everyone needed to do it. Turning over, he pressed his face into the pillow and groaned in frustration. It was impossible. This whole situation was completely and utterly impossible and he was going to go round the bend any minute.

From day one, he'd wanted Dylan. He snorted remembering the 'Greek God' comment he'd used that very first day. It still held true but there was so much more now. He felt good with Dylan around. The other man believed in him and trusted him, even respected him, even if that was the extent of his feelings for Harper. His heart hurt a little more as he thought about how much he needed and loved Dylan. The only problem was that Dylan didn't feel the same way. Not that he could see at any rate. Dylan liked him, he just didn't like him. He saw Harper as 1) a crew member, 2) a crew member and, 3) a crew member with a really bad streak of luck.

For months he'd tried to get Dylan to see him as more than some hapless unfortunate. Of course, getting impregnated with Magog larvae hadn't helped his quest any. It had pressed every protective instinct in Dylan's repertoire which, Harper had unwittingly discovered, was really pretty damn big. Vast even. Huge.

Fuck.

Turning over again, Harper thought about Penalla. How did he get himself into these kinds of situations? Cosmic irony? Karmic justice? Or just blind stinkin' luck? He was leaning towards a combination of all three at the moment.

Like it was his fault that a girl he'd accidentally rescued just before hitching up with Beka turned out to be some high-born noble type? He hadn't even gotten beyond her first name before breaking her out of that slaver's den. Harper had only known that she'd looked way too innocent to leave in that bastard's clutches. So he'd jacked into the security system, disabled it and broken her out, along with a few hundred other slaves.

It had been stupid, totally idiotic and he'd paid for it with his own capture. His mind shied away from thoughts of that really horrible period of three days before his escape. An almost non-existent scar on the back of his thigh itched as he tried not to think about it. Lora had tracked him down even though it had taken her what, seven years? She'd found him here, on Andromeda and now she wanted to thank him properly.

Which would normally be really cool except that he really didn't want to marry her.

* * * *

"Incoming message from Penalla."

Dylan nodded and said, "On screen, Rommie."

The forward communications screen lit to show a dark haired, strikingly pretty young woman with dark eyes. Dylan perked up a little and said, "Captain Dylan Hunt of the Andromeda Ascendant."

"Myage Lora Indarn," the woman replied with a pleasant smile. "Is Seamus there?"

"He's not on the bridge but I will get him for you," Dylan said.

A brilliant smile blossomed on her face. "That would be most kind of you."

"No problem," Dylan assured her. He looked at Beka who shrugged to show her ignorance of what was going on. "Get Harper up here."

"Aye, aye Captain," she murmured.

He ignored the mild sarcasm and turned back to the woman on the screen. "So, may I ask your interest in Mr. Harper?"

If anything, her smile increased as she replied, "Oh of course! You are his commander, after all. Seamus is my fiancé."

Dylan's jaw dropped in shock and he instinctively gaped at Beka. He wasn't at all reassured by the similar expression he found there. Finally connecting his tongue to his brain, Dylan repeated, "Fiancé? Since when?"

"It will be seven years in four days time. We were so worried about him. I've had people looking for Seamus ever since he disappeared. You don't know how relieved I was to discover him working for you! And in such a noble cause, as well," Lora exclaimed.

The way she kept saying Seamus was starting to irritate Dylan. "This is...a bit of a shock. Harper hasn't said anything of it to any of us."

She sighed, apparently warmed by his revelation. "That is so like him. He tries to make others more comfortable by downplaying himself and his station."

"Station?" Dylan asked weakly.

"Well, as my husband he will be First Myage which is a position that holds considerable political weight here on Penalla," she explained.

"I see." Which, of course, he didn't. At all. Dylan was so confused that he was starting to drown.

Just then Harper walked on the bridge and came to stand beside him. Harper took one look at his face and stated, "She told you."

"Ah, yeah. First Myage?" Dylan demanded.

Sighing, Harper ignored him and turned to face the screen. "Hey Lora. How's everything?"

"Much better now that you've come home, Seamus," Lora replied. "When will you and your friends be coming down to prepare for the ceremony?"

"It's just me," he answered, looking uncertainly at Dylan. "The Andromeda has to be somewhere else right now. They went out of their way to get me here as it is."

"I understand. Should we send a shuttle for you?" Lora asked.

"That won't be necessary," Dylan cut in. "We wouldn't miss this for the world. When should we arrive?"

"The sooner the better," she said. "The ceremony is to take place tomorrow."

"Then we'll be down shortly," Dylan said.

Smiling again, she said, "Wonderful! I shall transmit the landing coordinates. See you very soon my love."

Harper smiled weakly and said, "Yeah. See you soon."

The screen went blank and Dylan could feel the stunned silence on the bridge like a living thing, a serpent getting ready to strike. Before anyone could say anything he barked, "Harper! My office. Now."

Harper sighed again and followed him into the office. Once the door closed, Dylan took a few deep breaths to clear out the irrational anger before facing the other man. When he did, he was glad that he'd paused because Harper looked sick. He was deathly pale and practically swaying on his feet while he stared at the floor. Concern immediately flooded through him and he asked quietly, "Are you all right?"

Apparently startled by Dylan's soft question, Harper looked up cautiously. "Not really."

"What's going on Harper? Please, tell me," Dylan pleaded, stepping closer.

Wrapping his arms around himself, Harper looked back at the floor. "I have to get married."

"I heard that part. I still don't know why. Or how this came about. Or why you didn't say a word about it to me," Dylan exclaimed.

Harper flinched. "I'm sorry. I know this leaves you in a bind but Trance is really good and can spot you til you find someone to replace me."

"Harper. I don't care about that. I care about you," Dylan said firmly. "And you are so far from okay with this that you're practically falling apart."

Looking at him intently, Harper said, "I saved Lora's life about seven years ago. I got captured instead. It was bad. I escaped. End of story."

"How does saving her life translate into a forced marriage?" Dylan asked. He was going to leave the sparse explanation alone for the moment. He'd beat the full story out of Harper later, when there was more time. When they could just find a nice quiet vent shaft, like they always did, and Harper could spill the awful tale and Dylan could be there for him. Like he always was.

"The Penallan are kind of funny about things like that. People are responsible for other people down there. If you save someone's life, in their eyes, you're bound to them for life. If I'd already been married, or you know, involved with someone, then Lora would've become my sister, or, something like that anyhow," Harper explained, still not looking up. "I told them that I didn't want to marry her. That I didn't love her. Doesn't matter. I'm responsible for her now."

"Harper, that is ridiculous. They can't force you to marry her," Dylan said flatly.

At that Harper's head came up and he stepped forward demanding, "Tell me why I shouldn't marry her, Dylan! Give me one good reason and I won't. Just one! What do I really have to look forward to here except a short life span, danger on an almost daily basis and a generally sucky quality of life? Hell, you should be glad that I'm marrying her. It'll keep me nice and safe and out of the way."

Dylan was taken aback by the bitter fury in Harper's voice. It was almost as though the other man was goading him into...into what? Forcing his own emotions aside, he said helplessly, "I don't know what to say, Harper. I didn't realize that life here was so bad for you. Of course you should go, if that's how you feel."

Harper groaned, his eyes closing as though he was in pain. "You don't fucking get it do you?"

They stared at each other for several long moments after Harper's shout and Dylan was shocked at the sheen of tears in the blue-green eyes opposite him. Everything inside was screaming at him to just tie the other man up and get the Andromeda as far away from here as possible but he stifled the impulse savagely. This was Harper's life and Harper's decision, his own feelings didn't enter into it.

Finally, Harper seemed to sink in on himself. His head went down again and he said, "Please don't come to the ceremony. I don't want you there."

Hurt, Dylan couldn't think of anything to say and so said nothing. Harper turned and walked out, the door hissing quietly closed behind him. Stunned, not sure what had happened, he sat on the couch and tried to figure out when his life had taken such a drastic turn for the worse.

It was probably an hour later that his door chime sounded, dragging Dylan back from the miasma of his thoughts. "Come in."

He was unsurprised to find Beka standing there but was surprised by the gentle expression on her face as she asked, "How're you holding up?"

"I ah, confused," Dylan admitted, running a hand through his hair. "Did you try to talk him out of it?"

She snorted. "If you didn't have any luck what makes you think I would?"

Frowning, Dylan said, "Because you're practically family."

Beka took a breath as though to say something then stopped. She leaned against the desk, crossing her arms over her chest, and asked thoughtfully, "What does Harper mean to you?"

Stiffening, Dylan replied, "What's that got to do with anything?"

Eyes narrowing, she stared at him for a long time before saying quietly, "You fucking coward. You never even told him that you love him, did you? You let him go down there thinking he had no other options."

Standing, Dylan corrected, "I don't love him, Beka. Not like that. He's a friend and a crew member, nothing more."

Shaking her head, Beka said, "Come on Hunt. I know you better than that. I've seen the way you look at him. The way you always send him running for cover at the first sign of trouble. The way you touch him. I sure as hell don't get hugs like that and I'm a friend and crew member too. You don't come to find me when I have a problem to get off my chest."

"I do too!" Dylan exclaimed, stung.

"Not like you do with Harper," she countered flatly. "Dylan, he loves you. I think he has pretty much from the beginning. Any fool could see what he has to offer and would snap it up. If it didn't feel so damned incestuous, I'd've done it myself long before now. He's so vibrant, so filled with life and he loves you! How can you stand to let him go?"

Dylan didn't answer, keeping a stony silence.

Glaring, she said, "Fine. I hope you remember that you had this chance and let it go. It'll be cold comfort years from now when you've succeeded in your mission and have no one to celebrate with."

The door closed just as quietly behind her as it did Harper. Head throbbing, Dylan collapsed back against the cushions and closed his eyes. This was a total nightmare.

"Dylan."

"Not now Rommie."

"Dylan, it's Harper. The shuttle the Penallan sent crashed."

Dylan's eyes snapped open and he jumped to his feet, instantly striding out of the office onto the bridge. "Life signs?"

"Faint. There were four to start with, including Harper, and now there are only two. I can't make out whether or not Harper is one of the remaining life signs. The shuttle crashed in the mountain region just east of the Capital," Rommie reported.

"Beka, you have the bridge. Tyr. Meet me on the Maru. We're going down to search," Dylan said.

"On my way," Tyr's voice said over the comm badge.

It was only a few minutes later that he arrived on the Maru and he found not only Tyr, but Trance as well. "What are you doing here?"

"You're going to need me for medical assistance," she reminded.

Dylan swallowed at the unpleasant thought but nodded and strapped himself in. Tyr started the ship's engines and they were on their way to the surface.

* * * *

Fuck it was cold. And something was keeping him from breathing right. Huh. Maybe he should try opening his eyes? A few seconds later, Harper managed to do just that and found himself in the wreckage of the Penallan shuttle. There were jagged holes in the top and snow and ice already inside. Great. So even if he managed to get the huge honkin' piece of metal off his chest, he was still going to freeze to death.

Sighing, Harper looked around for anything to use and managed to shimmy over a few inches to grab a metal bar that looked like it used to be part of the steering console. He used it to prop the scrap off him and wriggle out from underneath. Pain shot through his foot but he ignored it, dragging himself further into the ship.

He touched the pilot's neck but there was no pulse. He limped a few more feet and found the co-pilot alive, but unconscious. A few more hobbles brought him to the other side of the shuttle only to find the official guy dead. Well, half and half, not too bad, especially since he was in the alive portion. Glancing around, he searched with his eyes for anything that could be used to keep them warm until a rescue party arrived.

Not a damned thing. Which made sense since it was only supposed to be bringing him directly from the Andromeda to the surface. It wasn't stocked for a long term journey. Not wanting to move the co-pilot, Harper lay down beside the man and pressed full length against him for body heat. His ankle was throbbing with what had to be a bad sprain or a break, his head was killing him and his ribs hurt like a bastard but right now Harper was mostly figuring that it was the cold that would wind up killing him.

* * * *

It didn't take long for Trance to pick up the wreckage with the Maru's sensors. Dylan had contacted Myage Indarn and told her not to bother with a rescue attempt, that he had everything under control and would inform her when he'd retrieved Harper. She'd sounded irritated at his high-handed behavior but he didn't even care. The only thing he cared about was getting Harper and bringing him back to the Andromeda. He'd question his motives about it later, after Harper was safe.

Tyr set the Maru down a short distance from the wreckage and they walked as quickly as possible through the snow. Dylan's stomach dropped when he saw just how many pieces the shuttle was in but forced himself to keep going. He entered the wreck first and his eyes immediately spotted Harper lying beside one of the other men. He was so still and pale that for a moment Dylan was positive that they were too late and his heart stopped in panic.

Trance pushed past him and rushed to Harper's side. She ran a scan over him and the man beside him. "They're alive."

Dylan almost collapsed in relief. Looking at Tyr, he was surprised to see the other man equally relieved but didn't comment on it. Harper had a way of endearing himself to everyone; militaristic Nietziens included. Walking forward he asked, "Anything I can do?"

"Not yet. I'm going to set his bones as best I can then you can carry him back to the Maru," Trance said.

"What's broken?" Dylan questioned, almost not wanting to know.

"Broken ankle, concussion, four broken ribs and a sprained wrist," she reported.

"But he's going to be all right," Dylan demanded.

Trance looked up and smiled. "He's going to be fine."

Dylan waited tensely until Trance gave the okay to move Harper. He crouched beside the smaller man and carefully pulled him into his arms. It took a few minutes to get him settled properly but there was no way Dylan was going to drop Harper on the slick walk back to the Maru. Tyr stayed behind to help Trance with the remaining survivor.

Harper stirred about halfway through the journey and muttered, "Stop the ride, I want to get off."

Dylan chuckled and replied, "Sorry Harper but we're not stopping until you're back home where you belong."

The bandaged arm shifted to wrap around Dylan's shoulder and Harper pressed his face against Dylan's throat, nibbling a little at the exposed skin. "S'ok. I think I'm just gonna keep dreamin' nice dreams like this. You smell good for a dream, Dylan, taste good too."

"Thanks," Dylan said, pausing to dare a small kiss to Harper's temple.

"Thazza terrible first kiss," Harper complained.

Grinning, Dylan said, "It'll have to do until we get you all fixed up."

Harper didn't reply and Dylan saw that he was unconscious again. He entered the Maru and went instantly to the bunk area, setting Harper down carefully. Sitting on the edge of the bunk, Dylan ran his fingers lightly through Harper's damp hair. They would get back to the Andromeda, fix Harper up and then Dylan would tell the other man how he felt.

Beka had been right, he was a coward not to have done so before now. Dylan had been so positive that the best thing for them both was to stay friends that he hadn't taken into account Harper's feelings. Or the fact that not telling Harper he was loved would eventually drive the other man away. Though of course he should have known better. Harper was the type to want everything or nothing at all. He lived with such passion for life that it scared Dylan because Dylan wasn't like that.

Footsteps interrupted his thoughts and he looked up to find Tyr staring at him with a disapproving expression. Straightening, he asked mildly, "Problem, Tyr?"

"Aside from you fondling Harper while he is unconscious?" Tyr replied, his tone acidic.

Dylan pointedly didn't remove his hand from Harper's hair as he countered, "I think it's time we got back to the Andromeda."

Lips tightening, Tyr nodded and left the bunk room. Trance arrived just then with the Penallan leaning heavily on her but conscious and mobile. Standing, Dylan faced them and asked, "Are you all right?"

The man nodded wearily. "We were shot down."

Dylan carefully restrained himself from exploding. "Shot down?"

"Yes. And someone sabotaged out radio so we couldn't call for help or report it," the man confirmed. He glanced at Harper and said, "It's not a big secret that not everyone wants him back as First Myage."

"Back? I thought he hadn't become it yet," Dylan said.

Frowning as Trance helped him sit, the man explained, "He saved over three hundred of our people from slavers; that automatically qualified him for any Myage position. But he also saved the First Myage's daughter which told us that he was destined to be First Myage. I thought he was great, personally. He seemed to know what it was like to be, well, a citizen, you know?"

Dylan smiled and nodded. "I know. But not everyone feels the same as you?"

"No. The Myage are responsible for us all but they have been bred to do so all their lives. It was difficult for a few to reconcile an outsider becoming First Myage," the man said.

"So Harper's life is in danger if he actually goes through with becoming First Myage," Dylan said flatly.

The man nodded. "I'm afraid so."

"Is there any way he can get out of it?" Trance asked.

Dylan shot her an irritated look but listened carefully to the man's answer.

"Only if he is already obligated somewhere else."

Grinning mischievously, Trance said, "You mean if he's already involved with someone, a lover, right?"

The man returned her smile and nodded. "That is a consideration, of course, but it's mostly if his presence elsewhere serves a greater good."

"That is good to know, thank you. Why don't you get some rest," Dylan suggested. "Trance, can I speak to you for a minute?"

"Sure Dylan," she agreed, helping the injured man lie down.

He exited the bunk room and waited for her to join him. When she did, he said, "If I didn't know better, I'd swear that this was some elaborate set up of yours to get me and Harper together."

Looking at him innocently, Trance replied, "I don't suppose I could convince you otherwise."

Pursing his lips, Dylan shook his head. "But that's all right. Right now, I'm just so relieved that he's all right that I'll try and kill you later."

Serious now, Trance said, "I didn't know that this would happen, Dylan. I actually thought you would stop him from coming down here altogether."

He stared into her dark eyes before nodding slowly. As mysterious and manipulative as Trance was, Dylan knew she honestly cared for Harper. She cared for all of them. "I believe you. So. Now we drop off the Penallan and head home."

Trance shook her head. "I think we should get back to the Andromeda first and then send him back on a shuttle."

"Any particular reason why?"

Trance shrugged. "Same reason the shuttle was shot down in the first place."

Right. Someone was trying to kill Harper. "Good point. Tyr!"

"What?"

"Head for the Andromeda, not the city," Dylan ordered, heading towards the bridge. "It seems that someone doesn't want Mr. Harper to become First Myage and I'm all for obliging them."

"Understood."

He had just belted himself into his seat when a communication sounded. Opening the channel, Dylan found Lora staring back at him angrily.

"Where are you going with Seamus?"

"Mr. Harper is coming back to the Andromeda so that we can attend to his injuries," Dylan said coldly.

"We can treat him here," she said.

"You know, for some reason, I just don't trust you. Someone just tried to kill Harper and I'm betting that even if you don't know who, you knew something was going to happen but didn't do anything to stop it," Dylan commented.

Furious now, Lora exclaimed, "I love Seamus and would protect him with my life! How dare you insinuate otherwise!"

"Oh I'm not insinuating anything. Once we get Harper all fixed up, he can tell you himself that he is previously engaged and will not be signing up as your First Myage or anything else," Dylan said bluntly.

"Is that so?"

Dylan didn't like that tone of voice. It usually meant...

"Dylan!"

"What is it, Trance?" Dylan asked, dread crawling up from his stomach.

"It's Harper! He's...he's gone!" she exclaimed.

"Gone?" He looked at the comm screen to find Lora looking at him smugly. "What did you do?"

"We retrieved what is ours, Captain Hunt. Seamus is going to be my husband and First Myage and there is nothing you can do about it. I suggest that you leave this planet while I'm in a generous mood," she said before cutting communication.

The dread turned into icy panic clawing at his throat, making him mute. He looked over at Tyr who was practically vibrating with anger. Their eyes met and Dylan knew that the Nietzchian was just as in love with Harper as he was. That might be a problem, but they'd have to deal with it later. "Let's get him back first."

Tyr nodded slowly in agreement.

* * * *

"Seamus, Seamus my love, wake up."

The soft voice was soothing and familiar, bringing Harper up out of the cozy warmth he'd been soaking in. Fingers stroked along his cheek, adding sensation to sound and coaxing him to open his eyes. Instead of the infirmary, which was generally where he woke up when he didn't know where he was, he found a high-vaulted ceiling and luxurious silken tarps.

"Seamus?"

The voice finally clicked and Harper groaned, following the sound to...yep. "Hey Lora. How'd I get here?"

"We found the wreckage and brought you home," Lora answered, smiling gently at him. "You were injured but nothing that won't be taken care of in a couple of days."

He frowned, almost remembering something about the crash, no, about the rescue. Arms holding him, strong arms, a familiar scent filling his nose.

"Seamus."

The memory was disrupted by her voice and he focused on her. "Sorry, just, I thought I was remembering something important about the crash. Were there any other survivors?"

Sadly, Lora shook her head. "None my love. I was so frightened. Thank goodness you were all right. We have, of course, postponed the ceremony until you are well enough to enjoy it."

He nodded unenthusiastically. "Sure. Sounds good."

She leaned closer and hesitantly pressed her lips to his. After a moment, Harper opened to the kiss, allowing her to take the lead. Why not? It wasn't like any of his dreams were ever going to come true anyhow.

Lora pulled back, smiling fully now, and brushed bangs off his forehead. "That's my Seamus."

Sighing, he managed a smile and nodded. Her Seamus. Well, he supposed that if he couldn't be Dylan's Harper, then at least he could be Lora's Seamus. Someone should be happy.

* * * *

"They'll be keeping him in the First Myage guest quarters until the ceremony," Kyle said, pointing to a sector of the holo-map. "Probably here or here."

Dylan nodded. "Do you know what security there is like?"

"Sorry. I never went in that part of the palace," Kyle apologized.

"That's all right, we're grateful for the help you've been giving us," Dylan assured him.

Kyle had been furious about what had happened, especially when Trance had told him exactly what Harper had been doing with his life for the last two years. In Kyle's mind, Harper was definitely more needed on the Andromeda than as First Myage. He had immediately volunteered to help get Harper back in whatever way he could. "I wish it were more."

"It'll be enough," Dylan said. "Now, what about the ceremony?"

"I think that's the best place to get him back," Kyle replied. "It's public and all the other Myage will be there. Not to mention that it's probably where the assassin will make his or her next attempt."

Dylan tried not to think about that. "And you said the ceremony would take place at the Temple."

"Right. That's over here. There will be so many people there, you can easily get in without worrying about it," Kyla said.

"No security?" Tyr demanded.

"Guards, of course, but they'll be more likely to be thinking about the food and drink after duty than their duty," Kyle reported with a grin.

"We have to assume that she's put them on notice," Tyr warned.

Dylan nodded. "I agree. Which is why Trance is going to disguise us."

Tyr scowled and said darkly, "The last time Trance 'disguised' me, I didn't get my own nose back for a week."

Grinning, Dylan commented, "Then I suggest that you don't make fun of her again."

Kyle echoed the grin and continued, "There is a part towards the beginning of the ceremony that calls for objections. That is when you must speak. If you don't, nothing you say or do after will prevent the union. Unless Harper himself declines to go through with it at the end."

"So she's going to try and keep us out until after that," Tyr said.

Nodding, Kyle said, "Exactly."

Dylan smiled grimly. "Well gentlemen, let's not keep them waiting."

* * * *

The mirror showed someone that Seamus wasn't used to looking at. He was dressed in some kind of suit, a gray, fitted thing that actually made him look kind of...respectable. His hair had been cut and tamed somewhat, and the collar of the suit hid the data-port on the side of his neck. He was all dressed and ready to go.

Sighing, Seamus looked around the large, airy room that he'd been staying in and wished for the hundredth time that he'd been able to say goodbye to at least Beka and Trance before the Andromeda had pulled out. He'd thought that they would come to the ceremony even if Dylan didn't.

"Seamus my love. Are you ready?"

He looked over at her and smiled. "You look great, Lora. And yes, I'm ready."

She walked over, holding up the long silver gown that complemented his gray suit. "Thank you. So do you."

He took her arm and they walked out of the room. It was quiet in the hall they walked down and Seamus didn't miss the guards trailing them. He hadn't missed the guards who'd been assigned to his suite doors, either. It would've been really hard to miss them since they were all on the huge side and very visible. The problem was that they made him nervous more than secure. Why would he need them?

Making a note to ask Lora about it after the ceremony, Seamus continued to walk. They left the building and got into a transport. It was only five minutes later that they arrived at the Temple and he got out then helped Lora out. As they were walking up the steps, the hairs on the back of his head rose in that warning way they had that he was being watched. Looking around, he didn't see anything out of place. People were lining the entrance but they were all smiling and happy. He put his hand on Lora's back and guided her into the Temple but, once inside, he pulled her over to an empty alcove. Leaning forward, he whispered, "Is there something going on that you haven't told me about?"

Maintaining her smile, Lora murmured back, "Like what?"

"Like the fact that I've got a really bad feeling that something's about to happen that doesn't just include getting married," Seamus answered. "Something that involves guns maybe? An attack?"

"Don't be silly," Lora assured him.

"Lora," he warned, pressing his lips to her ear. "I've got a very good sense of when things are about to get bloody and I've gotta tell you that it's going off the charts right now."

She hesitated then conceded, "Perhaps not everyone is pleased that you're going to be First Myage."

Seamus gave her his best Tyr impersonation and she bit her lip before saying, "It's possible someone might try to kill you at the ceremony. But we have guards in place and security precautions. You really don't have to worry, Seamus!"

"If I don't have to worry, why didn't you mention it before now?" Seamus demanded quietly.

"I didn't want you to think I couldn't protect you," she admitted. "You're so important to me, Seamus. I care for you and would never let anything happen to you."

God. It all came back to that, didn't it? Did no one think him competent enough to stand up for himself? Grinding his teeth in frustration, Seamus walked away and said, "You should've trusted me enough to be able to take care of myself. Or at least arrange my own protection. I could've called Dylan and had him scan things from Andromeda so we wouldn't have to worry about it."

Lora's jaw tightened in anger. "The Andromeda is gone, Seamus."

"I know that. But I could have called them back and..."

"No! This discussion is over," Lora interrupted.

Jaw dropping, Seamus was about to protest when he realized she was right. It wasn't like the Andromeda was around to defend or anything. Shrugging, he held out his arm and after a moment, Lora smiled and took it. They returned to the main area and walked to the front of the Temple. There were some interested looks as to why they'd stopped the procession but Seamus ignored them all.

They reached the front of the Temple and he faced the official, taking a slow, deep breath. He could do this. Really. It was a snap. Just pledge the rest of his life to the woman standing beside him.

Seamus swallowed heavily, forcing down the panic as the official began speaking. He looked at Lora and she looked back, dark eyes practically glowing with happiness. He forced a smile. The least he could do was try and make this a good day for her. It wasn't like this was a bad thing. He had a good woman who cared about him and the chance to make a real difference in the lives of the people on this planet. It was sure as hell more than he was able to do on the Andromeda.

Right. This was definitely the right thing to do. All he had to do now was ignore the ache where his heart used to be.

* * * *

Dylan was prepared for just about everything except the way Harper was hanging on Lora's every word. For the smile he was sharing with the woman who'd pretty much kidnapped and then cut Harper off from his friends. Unless...did Harper really not want to see them again? Shaking that thought firmly from his head, Dylan nodded to Kyle and Tyr and they split up. Beka was on the Maru and Trance had the Andromeda's bridge. Just in case they needed a fast getaway.

Though how the hell they'd get around that transportation beam, Dylan still didn't know.

'One thing at a time,' he thought firmly. He moved slowly towards the front of the Temple, keeping to the shadows as the official's voice droned on and on. When he reached a strategically close spot, he turned towards the wall and began pulling the latex mask off.

"For any who object to this Union, this is the time to speak."

Projecting his voice so there could be no mistake, Dylan called out, "I object!"

There was a surprised stirring in the crowd and Harper jerked around in shock at his voice. Dylan stepped forward, pushing through the people between him and Harper.

"Who are you and what is your objection?" the official demanded almost angrily.

"Captain Dylan Hunt of the Systems Commonwealth. Seamus Harper is my head engineer, actually he's my only engineer, and part of my crew," Dylan said firmly.

"Dylan. Don't do this," Harper warned wearily.

"No, Harper, I have to do this. You didn't leave me any choice except to do this when you wouldn't talk to me," Dylan said. From the surprised widening of Harper's eyes, Dylan could see that this was news to the other man. "You can't complete this union because Mr. Harper belongs on the Andromeda. His place is helping to restore the Commonwealth."

"You don't need Seamus for that," Lora interrupted. "There are plenty of engineers who could take his place."

Staring into Harper's eyes, Dylan said, "Seamus Harper is irreplaceable to the Andromeda, and to me personally."

Shock rippled across Harper's face but he didn't reply so Dylan looked at the official. "It was my understanding that if Mr. Harper is involved with someone else, this union can't go forward."

"Well, yes, that's true but..."

"Seamus isn't involved with anyone," Lora exclaimed.

Glaring at her, Dylan countered, "How do you know? Did you ask him?"

"Dylan, Lora, stop it," Harper said quietly.

"Seamus, how can you stand there and..."

"Harper, will you tell her that..."

"Shut up! The both of you!" Harper shouted, stunning them both into silence. He looked at the official who was watching all three of them with an amused grin. "Nice to see we're entertaining you. Mind if we take this someplace else?"

"Not at all," the man replied. "My office is through that door."

"Thanks," Harper said shortly. Glaring at both Dylan and Lora, he ordered, "Let's not keep the nice people waiting. Inside, now."

Dylan followed Harper and Lora through the side door into a separate room. Once the door closed, Dylan leaned against it, watching as Harper started to pace. This was something he was familiar with and knew an explosion was about to take place. Sighing, he settled in to wait, wondering if he'd be in one piece when everything was over.

"Seamus, love, what are you so upset about?" Lora asked quietly.

He stopped pacing abruptly and faced her. "You want to know what I'm upset about? For starters, how about you telling me that my friends took off without saying good bye when they were here and trying to get a hold of me."

Dylan firmly kept his mouth shut.

Swinging towards Dylan, Harper exclaimed, "And don't give me that look because you're in deep here, too."

Opening his mouth to protest, Dylan nearly bit his tongue when he shut it again at Harper's glare. Okay. They would do this Harper's way.

Turning back to Lora, Harper said, "I don't know what made you think that I wouldn't want to talk to my friends but you were wrong. Just like you were wrong to not tell me I was in danger here at this ceremony. You can't expect to have a real marriage by keeping things from me."

Looking at the floor, Lora said quietly, "I'm sorry Seamus."

Harper sighed and touched her face. "It's all right. I know you were only thinking of doing what's best for me."

"Harper..." Harper's finger instantly pointed at him and Dylan swallowed the rest of his protest. Crossing his arms in irritation, Dylan waited.

"If we're to have a real relationship, a real marriage, you can't keep things from me," Harper continued, his voice quiet but firm.

"I won't, I promise Seamus," Lora vowed. "Please, give me another chance?"

Dylan's heart plummeted when Harper didn't say no.

Instead, he turned to face Dylan and said, "As for you. Do you really think barging in here and telling everyone how irreplaceable to the Andromeda I am is going to stop this?"

"Harper, didn't you hear the rest of what I said?" Dylan asked.

"I heard you, I just don't believe you," Harper answered simply. "I asked you on Andromeda to give me a reason to stay and you certainly didn't volunteer that little tidbit then. When it would have made a difference."

"You're telling me that in four days time, you've totally fallen out of love with me?" Dylan demanded incredulously.

Harper paled but shook his head. "That's not the point. I'll probably always love you. But you don't feel the same. I'm just a part of the crew to you."

"No, no you're not, Harper," Dylan objected. Running a hand through his hair, he continued, "Look, this is hard for me. I haven't felt like this since my wife. I didn't want to feel like this for anyone never mind one of my own crew."

"Feel like what, Dylan?" Harper asked quietly.

Helplessly, Dylan replied, "Do you need me to say it?"

"Yeah, yeah I do, Dylan. I'm a verbal kind of guy in case you hadn't realized that over the last couple of years," Harper pointed out.

But Dylan couldn't get the words out. Not with that slightly desperate look on Harper's face or the coldly triumphant expression on Lora's. After a long minute, an eternal minute, Harper nodded as though expecting just such an outcome and turned to Lora, holding his arm out to the woman. She took it and they walked by Dylan towards the door. He reached out, grabbing Harper's hand. "Harper, don't."

Head lifting stubbornly, Harper said, "Don't what, Dylan? Spend the rest of my life with someone who says that they love me? Someone who isn't ashamed of me?"

Dylan's hand fell away and Harper and Lora left the room. For a moment he couldn't do anything except stand there in shock. Harper was going to marry someone else despite loving Dylan. He was really going through with the ceremony even though he knew how Dylan felt about him. He had to know how Dylan felt.

Shaking his head, Dylan took a few deep breaths and composed himself before walking back into the Temple. He walked quietly to the side of the main room, keeping in sight of Harper though the young man didn't once look in his direction. He looked...good, handsome, the gray of the suit subtly charging Harper with an air of authority Dylan had never noticed before. No, it wasn't the suit, it was...Harper wasn't moving. He was still. The eternal bounce that had seemed an integral part of Harper was gone.

Unable to look at Harper anymore, Dylan turned his head to scan the crowd. Everything seemed perfectly normal. There were some curious looks at him but they flittered away when he glared at them. He met Tyr's dark eyes across the room and shame burned his face hot enough to force his eyes away.

He saw Tyr move forward when the official repeated his question about objections, but something else caught his attention. If pressed, Dylan wouldn't even be able to say what it was, but he was instantly jumping across the distance between himself and Harper. As he tackled Harper to the ground, using his own body as a shield, he shouted, "Tyr, balcony!"

There was an exchange of laser fire and something hot seared into his back. Dylan cried out in pain but didn't relinquish his hold on Harper, determined to keep him safe at all costs. Of course his job would've been made easier had there actually been any cover on the dias but it was totally clear and he couldn't move anymore for the pain running through him.

The last thing he saw before blacking out was Harper's horror filled expression as the other man said something that Dylan couldn't quite make out.

* * * *

"He's waking up."

Dylan frowned at the words, recognizing Trance's voice and wondering how he'd gotten back to the Andromeda. He sighed slowly as he remembered that Harper was safe and opened his eyes. Beka's anxious face was staring down at him. He was sore all over but it wasn't any kind of excruciating pain; more like he'd had too hard of a workout. Clearing his throat he asked, "Was I that bad off?"

She grinned in relief and said dryly, "As a matter of fact, yes. They used a dispersement beam and it was a pretty high setting for you. Thankfully, you've got quite a bit more mass than Harper and Tyr managed to cut it off before any permanent damage was done."

Trance appeared in his line of sight just then and said cheerfully, "It was still touch and go there for a while but you're going to be fine now."

"Thanks. What happened after I was knocked out?" Dylan asked.

"Tyr killed the assassin before we could find out who hired her," Beka reported with a grimace. "He and Kyle hustled you to the Maru pretty damned fast and we came straight here."

Trying to keep his voice level, he asked, "Harper?"

Beka shrugged. "He's fine. You took the hit meant for him. He ah, didn't come back with you."

Of course not. That would make Dylan's life too easy. Sighing, Dylan said, "Are we still in orbit over Penalla?"

"I figured it was safer to get out of transport range just in case," Beka informed him. "We don't know how far out they can use that beam."

"Right. Good decision," Dylan confirmed listlessly.

"I think we need to give Dylan some time to rest," Trance said. "Beka?"

"Sure," Beka agreed hastily.

He watched them go then closed his eyes. If only he'd been able to get the words out then Harper would be with him and Dylan would be making damned sure that the other man couldn't think straight enough to move, let alone leave his quarters. With his eyes closed, he could imagine that Harper was there, beside the bed. He could feel the residual heat coming off the smaller man and the ghosting touch of dexterous fingers over his hair.

His eyes snapped open when he realized that it hadn't been imagination touching his head. Harper stood beside the infirmary bed, looking at him curiously. Swallowing heavily, Dylan croaked, "What?"

Smiling faintly, Harper answered, "Nothing. I just always wondered if your hair felt as soft as it looked. It's softer, baby fine. Nice."

Confused, Dylan repeated, "Nice."

Harper nodded. "Very nice. But we'll get back to that later. I think we have more important things to talk about than your hair."

"Harper. What are you doing here?" Dylan demanded, wondering if the fog around his brain was drug-induced or Harper-induced. Either way, he was having distinct trouble getting his thoughts in any kind of order. "Beka said you didn't come back with me."

"I didn't. I had to stick around and go through a Myage Council meeting to formally tell them that I'd be staying with the Andromeda. I didn't get back until about an hour ago. At which time, I told Beka it was probably best not to tempt Lora any more than necessary and to high-tail it out of there," Harper explained. He winked and grinned suddenly and continued, "What can I say? It's the Harper magnetism."

Trying desperately to keep himself from grabbing Harper and dragging him down onto the bed, Dylan asked, "But what changed your mind?"

"About what? Going through with the ceremony?"

Dylan nodded.

Harper reached out with his hand and cupped Dylan's face, tilting it towards him. "After your rather spectacular impression of a human shield, which, by the way, I will kick your ass about later, I remembered something pretty fundamental about you."

Frowning, Dylan prompted, "What?"

"You're more of an 'actions speak louder than words' kinda guy," Harper answered simply. "For all your speech making, you clam up pretty tight when it comes to personal stuff. And you know what?"

Starting to smile, Dylan asked, "What?"

"I think you owe me a much better second kiss," Harper murmured.

Dylan reached up with his hand and caught the back of Harper's neck to bring him closer even as he used his other arm to prop himself up. The first touch of lips to lips was harder than he'd meant but he'd wanted it for so long that Dylan couldn't help himself. Not that Harper seemed to mind from the speed with which his mouth opened and he pressed into the kiss. A couple of seconds into it, their tongues met and heat rolled through Dylan as they got to know each other's teeth and tonsils. Groaning his disappointment, Dylan fell back against his pillows, breathing heavily. "When I get back to full strength..."

Harper grinned. "When you get back to full strength, we better be somewhere where nobody is going to interrupt us for a week."

Dylan echoed the grin. "At least a week."

After a few quiet moments, Harper opened his mouth as though to speak but Dylan pressed a finger to the younger man's mouth, silencing him. "I don't know what's going to happen, Harper, but I do know that you are irreplaceable to me. You fill this void I didn't even realize was there and you make me remember that it's all right to laugh at myself. I'm in awe of your strength and courage and I love you. I probably won't remember to say that nearly as often enough as you need me to, but I mean it with everything I am."

Harper kissed Dylan's fingers then pulled the hand away, cradling it in both of his as he said, "Damn Dylan. Take the wind out of my sails why don't you?" They chuckled and he continued, "I love you, Dylan. You piss me off a lot but I love you almost more than I can stand it."

Dylan stared into the vibrant blue-green eyes for a long time before shifting over and asked, "Sleep with me?"

A slow, wicked smile blossomed on Harper's face as he replied, "For now, sure."

Shivering at the sensual intent in Harper's tone, Dylan waited for Harper to get settled then wrapped his arms around him. There were definitely going to be a lot of changes but for now, just holding Harper was enough. Sighing deeply, he tightened his arms briefly and murmured possessively, "My Harper."

A soft chuckle rippled through Harper at the quiet declaration. He burrowed closer and closed his eyes, agreeing, "Your Harper."


END

Notes:

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