TITLE: "GOOD FOR THE SOUL"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "Farscape"

PAIRING: John/d'Argo

RATING: NC-17. M/M *SLASH*

STATUS: New.

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed

SEQUEL to "THE CALL OF BLOOD".

The usual disclaimers apply. No infringement of copyright is intended.


"GOOD FOR THE SOUL"
Written by Alison M. DOBELL
* * * * *

It was worse than simple panic it was chaos. Aeryn finally put her hands over her ears and yelled. Loud. Nothing happened. Frustrated she took out her pulse gun and fired it into the air. Moya lurched and Pilot's voice could just be heard demanding to know why a weapon had been discharged. Silence fell instantly. So sudden it was painful to the ears. Everyone was looking at Aeryn. Their drawn stricken faces mirroring the fear and sorrow etched into her own. "That's more like it." She grumbled.

Aeryn moved forward on numb legs, trying to see passed the blood. Zhaan was cradling Crichton's head in her arms, her tears flowing down pale blue cheeks. D'Argo and Chiana were trying to stem the blood with anything they could get their hands on. Stripped down to their waists, their clothing shoved up against the gaping wound acting like a sponge not a cork. They
were distraught, frantic to do something, anything but face the damning truth unfolding before them. It was as if they were trapped inside a nightmare. Aeryn shook D'Argo and yelled in his ear. "What happened?"

He could not speak. His mouth opened and closed but nothing came out. She turned to Chiana. "Chiana, speak to me! What happened?"

"John. Too much blood, Aeryn. Can't stop the blood..."

"Where's the baby?"

The mention of his son roused D'Argo from his fugue. "The baby's still inside, Aeryn. We can't get it out. That's why John lost so much blood."

Aeryn frowned. Not understanding. She went to Zhaan, prising her away from Crichton. Her heart shuddering to a stop at the sight of him. He looked.... No. She was not going to go there. He was not going to die. She would not let him. Zhaan was shaking her head sadly. "I couldn't do anything, Aeryn. I'm so sorry..."

Aeryn pushed the words away. It was not what she wanted to hear. "Zhaan, pull yourself together. I need you. *John* needs you."

"John's dying Aeryn..."

"No, Zhaan, John is not going to die. He is not going to die because we are not going to let him."

Something in Zhaan sparked, just briefly. Was it hope? Aeryn shook her again, a little more gently this time, recognising that the Delvian was in shock. "Zhaan, whatever happened we have got to stabilise his condition. Do you hear me?"

"The baby..."

"Frell the baby, the baby can wait."

Surprised, Zhaan looked at Aeryn. Her emotional fog starting to clear. Aeryn saw focus slowly return. At last. She hoped it was not too late.

"Now come on, Zhaan. We have to stop the bleeding. Anyone who can't or won't help can get the yotz out of here!"

Zhaan almost smiled. Aeryn was acting like a military commander. She nodded. "Yes, Aeryn, of course."

Aeryn started to snap orders. Got Chiana and D'Argo busy cleaning the blood off the floor, Rygel was sent to get more medical supplies. Pilot was asked to provide DRDs. Puzzled he opened his mouth to ask, took one look at Aeryn's face and just nodded. Within microts the chaos was gone to be replaced by a hive of sudbued activity. Zhaan peeled back the clothing D'Argo and Chiana had piled against Crichton's wound. Aeryn laid her ear to his chest, praying there would still be a heartbeat. She concentrated, ignoring everything else around her, then a sigh of relief squeezed
through her tight lips. The answer to a prayer. He was still breathing though his heartbeat was ragged. "He's breathing, Zhaan." She looked at the Delvian, pleased to see she was now checking on Crichton. Getting back to her normal efficient self. "Zhaan. I need to know what happened."

"Everything was going well until I made the first incision. I knew where the baby was but when I got to the location the foetus had retreated up between John's internal organs..."

"What?" Interrupted Aeryn in shocked surprise. "How the frell did it do that?"

Zhaan gave her a blank look. "I don't know."

"We *are* talking about a baby here? A foetus not a parasite?"

Zhaan frowned. "Of course. Why would you think it was a parasite?"

"Zhaan, I may not be the most maternal of people but I can tell you this much. Babies do not crawl around inside the womb - or in this case John's stomach - and hide."

D'Argo had finished cleaning the floor and heard what Aeryn was saying. The DRDs now busy sterilising the floor behind him. "That is not completely true, Aeryn. Luxan's are unique biologically."

"What do you mean?"

"Every Luxan is a product of thousands of cycles of evolution. We are a warrior race not only by nature but by design."

"So you are saying what exactly?"

"I am saying that if the foetus, the baby, was frightened it would have the instinct of generations that came before it to try to protect itself. In this case, hide."

Aeryn was frowning. Zhaan busy with the medical pads Rygel had bought her, binding the wound as best she could until she could sew it up and seal the wound properly. Aeryn looked at D'Argo then Zhaan. "Why would the baby be afraid?"

Chiana tilted her head sadly, looked down at Crichton and brushed a gentle hand through his hair. He still had not stirred. She looked at Aeryn. "I think the baby was frightened because John was."

Everyone looked at her then Zhaan nodded. "Chiana, you're right. When I started to operate on him he was terrified."

"That's normal, Zhaan. Anyone would be..."

"No." Said Zhaan, cutting Aeryn off. "You don't understand. He was not just frightened Aeryn, he was terrified. He was also upset. Imagine all that emotion seeping through to something as fragile as a new life."

Aeryn did not say anything. She was having trouble with everything that had happened to Crichton including this frelling pregnancy but she did not say so.

"I think," Said D'Argo slowly. "Before we can even think of extracting the baby we have to find a way to calm John. Take away his fear and the baby will be easier to handle."

"You talk about it as if it is some kind of tralk, D'Argo."

He smiled thinly at Aeryn. "I am talking about instinct, Aeryn. Doing what is right for Crichton AND the baby."

Aeryn bit her tongue, just stopping a tirade of accusations and bitter recriminations from tripping off her tongue. That would not help and right now she had get them to help her save Crichton. Everything else came secondary to that single objective including the baby. "Okay D'Argo, how do we do that?"

"First we have to stabilise John but he has lost a lot of blood."

Zhaan looked at Aeryn. "Sebacceans are the nearest in physiology to humans..."

Aeryn looked alarmed. "What are you suggesting?"

"I want to compare the compatibility of your blood to John's. If it is a close enough match I want to give him a partial transfusion."

She paled significantly. Zhaan looked at her in alarm. "What is it, Aeryn?"

"Nothing Zhaan." Crichton was not the only one afraid of going under the knife. She paused and looked down at Crichton. Tentatively she reached out and touched him, her fingers trembling at the thought of losing him. She looked up with tears in her eyes and nodded at Zhaan. "Do it."

Zhaan immediately took a sample from Aeryn and checked it against Crichton's. They were not the same but the match was pretty close. She did not know whether it would work but right now they were prepared to try anything. To wait any longer would be to consign him to an early grave. Something none of them were prepared to do. Zhaan set everything up and ran a line from Aeryn to Crichton, careful only to transfer a few pints of blood to replace what he had lost. Afterwards Aeryn went to get up but Zhaan would not let her. "You need to rest."

"I am alright, Zhaan."

"Yes, you will be but you have to give your body a chance to absorb the blood loss."

Aeryn sighed. She did feel weak and dizzy but was not going to admit as much to Zhaan. Instead she made it look as if she was doing the Delvian priestess a big favour. Zhaan managed to keep the smile off her face. "Thank you, Aeryn."

A few hours later, Crichton started to stir. As he eyes flickered open he was surprised to find that everybody was in the apothecary, anxious facing looking down at him. His throat was incredibly dry and sore for some reason. He felt light headed and it was hard to focus. Apart from that he
felt pretty good. "What's everybody doing in here?"

Aeryn wiped a tear from her eye and just held his hand. He frowned slightly. Aeryn had been crying? Had he been that bad? Zhaan smiled gently at him. "Everyone was simply anxious to make sure you were alright."

"And the baby?"

They exchanged anxious looks and Crichton felt his heart lurch with dread. Aeryn squeezed his hand.

"Don't tell me we lost the baby, Zhaan." He whispered.

D'Argo shook his head. "No John, the baby is fine but there is a problem."

"Problem? What problem?"

"The baby is resisting being born, John." Said Zhaan.

He was puzzled. "A baby can do that?"

Chiana laughed lightly. "Yeah. If it's a Luxan."

Gentle laughter broke the awkwardness of the moment. Rygel eased his thronesled closer. "We nearly lost you." He said gravely, ignoring the annoyed looks from the others. Well frell them, it was the truth and it was about time people starting telling Crichton the truth. "The baby did not
want to be born because it was frightened."

"Frightened? Are you telling me I scared the kid before I even had a chance to meet him, Rygel?"

The Hynerian shook his head. "No, though that would be an understandable reaction."

"Rygel!" Yelled Chiana, annoyed.

Crichton lay back and laughed. "Way to go, Sparky. Everybody's favourite grandpa."

"Rygel is right," Said Zhaan.

"Of course I'm right," He said irritably. He cleared his throat and gave Crichton a stern look. "I may not approve of what happened, John, but there are some things that are similar between all species when it comes to giving birth to one's young."

"And you'd be an expert." Quipped Chiana.

Rygel glared at her then ignored her. His expression softened as he looked at Crichton though he tried to appear as aloof and stern as before somehow he did not quite pull it off. In his own way he really was quite fond of the human. "The baby is fed and nurtured within the womb - in most
cases - and is very susceptible to the moods and emotions of the mother." He paused. "In this case, you."

D'Argo laughed outright, he could not help himself. Rygel glared at him with such hostility that Zhaan admonished D'Argo to keep the peace. Chiana and Aeryn hid smiles.

"What are you saying, Fluffy? The kid has pms?"

"I have no idea what that means but you need to know that any distress you feel, is felt by the baby."

The room went deadly quiet. Crichton looked round at the sea of faces waiting for the other shoe to drop. There was *always* another shoe.

"What Rygel is saying is that we can't hope to remove the baby unless we can keep you calm."

He raised his eyebrows. "I don't believe this. It's *my* fault?"

Zhaan shook her head. "I'm not saying that John, no one is. When you were frightened it was picked up by the baby. The baby then tried to hide."

"Hide?"

Chiana nodded. "Smart baby."

D'Argo glared at her. He did not think that was funny.

"Why would the baby want to hide? It's not my baby, right D'Argo?"

Everybody looked at Ka D'Argo. His mouth opened in shock, his skintone darkened with embarrassment. Chiana looked from one to the other then dug him in the ribs. "What's he talking about? Not *his* baby?"

D'Argo started to choke, unable to form words. Crichton looked at their stunned faces, his voice going quiet. "You didn't tell them?"

Unable to speak D'Argo shook his head.

"Tell us what?" Said Chiana impatiently. She looked ready to hit him, with something very hard.

"Uh, I think D'Argo should tell you Chiana."

"Tell me what?"

D'Argo looked around the room, wishing everybody would disappear so he could speak to Chiana alone but it quickly became obvious that it was not going to happen. They wanted to know too. He sighed, wishing the ground would open up and swallow him. That he would fall into a black hole and just disappear.

"You should tell her, big guy." Said Crichton softly.

D'Argo looked at him and suddenly all his nervousness left him. Crichton was right. After all, it was his fault they were in this mess in the first place. He nodded and looked at Chiana. "When I found out we were incompatible Chiana I told you it didn't matter. I lied. It mattered to me but I realised it mattered even more to you. You never complained but I knew you wanted a child. A child I could never give you." He paused. You could have heard a pin drop. "Luxans are able to switch sexes and while another Luxan male could impregnate me a female of another species could not. For Luxans have both male and female genitalia."

Aeryn stifled a laugh. D'Argo ignored her. He ignored everybody but Chiana.

"I was desperate to give you a child so when we last made love I kept the fertised seed. Luxans have been known to preserve their seed in this fashion for several weekens. I could not bear to flush the seed of life from my system without at least trying to find another to carry it for us."

Chiana's mouth dropped open. She looked at Crichton but he said nothing. His eyes gentle, compassionate. He was her friend. D'Argo coughed slightly and Chiana looked at him.

"I was still in a highly active state sexually after we had joined. As you know when a Luxan enters the breeding cycle all their senses are heightened including smell. I could not get John's cent out of my head. Everywhere he went, his scent drew me. It was driving me crazy. So I acted on it."

Chiana lowered her head a little as she looked at him. Wanting to be sure of what he was saying. "You *acted* on it?"

"Yes. I set out to seduce him."

The shock on Aeryn's face made Crichton close his eyes and bite back a groan. Trust the Luxan to make a four course meal out of it. Next he would be giving them a blow by blow account of what he had done to him.

"Afterwards I noticed he had what looked like a mivonks..."

Crichton flushed bright red and pulled a pillow over his face. Aeryn looked at him and tugged the edge of the pillow but he hung on for dear life.

"Yeah, then what?" Urged Chiana. She was actually starting to enjoy everyone's reactions. Forcing D'Argo to say it front of everyone was going some way to punishing him for what he had done.

"It was not a sexual opening but a... a 'navel'. An opening that once joined the mother and child of humans while the child grew in the womb." He looked nervously towards where Crichton was trying to climb inside the pillow to hide. "Is that right, John?"

"Mmm hmmm."

Taking that as an affirmative, D'Argo continued in his slow lumbering methodical way. It was driving Crichton nuts and a source of deep amusement to everyone else, though they kept their faces straight for D'Argo. No one wanted to be on the end of his rage. Plus they were all curious to hear how the story ended.

"Using my secretions..."

Crichton looked up in horror from under his pillow and threw it at the Luxan. "D'Argo!"

D'Argo looked at him in surprise, wondering what was wrong. "What?"

"Do you have to go into every 'intimate' frelling detail? Just tell them about the baby!"

He frowned, annoyed at the interruption. He had been rather proud of his efforts to be accurate. "That is precisely what I was doing, John."

"Oh God," Mumbled Crichton, wishing he had kept the pillow. He flung an arm over his eyes and tried to shut his ears. "The guy's killing me."

D'Argo ignored his muttering and continued. "After forcing an entry through this passageway..."

"You did what?" Interrupted Chiana.

Now very angry, D'Argo could hardly contain his temper. "Chiana! If you insist on making constant interruptions I shall not tell you another thing!"

Stunned she clamped her mouth shut and sat back down. Subdued.

"Now, where was I?"

Crichton groaned softly and hoped D'Argo would not go through the whole embarrassing episode again. Fortunately he remembered where he had left off.

"Once I had forced an entry, I located what I thought was a suitable space to place the fertilised seed. Luxan males are able to carry the fertilised seed, nurture the foetus as it grows inside them, then give birth in place of the female. It did not occur to me that males of other species might not be able to accommodate this advance in evolution. I thought only of finding someone suitable to the task of carrying our child. Someone I could trust."

Aeryn looked stunned. "Then John isn't the father?"

"No. I am the father and Chiana is the mother."

Aeryn looked at D'Argo. "Why did you pick on a male, why not look for a female?"

"Someone with a womb would have been a great advantage." Said Rygel. "But what do you expect of a Luxan?" He added with a grumble.

Zhaan was looking puzzled. "I don't understand, D'Argo."

"What is it you do not understand?"

"I was able to form a connection with the baby and was able to allow John to feel it to."

D'Argo smiled. "I did not know you could do that, Zhaan."

"Neither did I." Grumbled Aeryn, wondering what else the Delvian knew about Crichton that she had not bothered to share with her.

"If John is not the father, I do not understand how the baby could connect with him."

"I had problems with that one too, Zhaan." Said Crichton as he took his arm away, curious to hear D'Argo's answer.

D'Argo looked uncomfortable. Rygel's eyes narrowed. "What else are you hiding, Luxan?"

"I am *not* hiding anything, your flatulence!"

"Then how could I make that connection, D'Argo?"

He looked at Zhaan, sighed then looked at Crichton. "I should have told you."

"Told me what?"

He sighed again and took Chiana's hand in his. Everybody held their breath. "You see, I wanted the baby to have your eyes."

For several microts no one spoke. Crichton looked at him in disbelief. "My eyes?"

"Yes."

Crichton was not sure how he was supposed to react to that. "What have my eyes got to do with it?"

"I cheated."

"Cheated?" Said Rygel, his voice soft and dark. Crichton could swear there was a whiff of disapproval there. Talk about the dominar calling the probakto black.

"Yes. I took some of John's DNA to ensure the baby had his eyes."

The room erupted. Everybody talking at once. Those that were not laughing or playfully insulting the Luxan honour code were trying to wrap their heads around the logic of one very lovesick Luxan. Crichton thought the shame of it all would kill him. Aeryn found her earlier anger and
tension had gone, and wicked humour flickered in her eyes as she watched him squirm. When all the exchange of views died down, Crichton said the one thing that brought them all full circle. "Okay, now D'Argo's finished can anybody just tell me this: how does that help us bring this baby into the world? Preferably alive and kicking with me still in one piece?"

* * * * *
END