Author's Note: No new notes, except: if you want to contact me, please e-mail me at mouse3of3@yahoo.com. Thank you!
Disclaimer: see part 1
Chapter Three: Escort to the Maru
Her brother stood in stunned silence for several minutes. Beka was just beginning to get worried about him when he broke into an uncertain smile. "This is a joke, right?" he asked. "You cooked this up for revenge. Play a prank on your unsuspecting brother for all the times he's been unreliable."
"You said it, not me." She knew that Dylan and Tyr wanted to comment, but didn't. "And it's not a joke."
"Then why don't you have a helix?" He was grasping for straws.
"I do, I just don't wear it." She grinned impishly. "Besides, I like wearing a ring better."
Rafe groaned and sank his head into his hands. "You're serious about this?"
"I think we've established that, yes," Tyr interjected. "Can we please change the subject?"
"Stay out of this, Uber. Let me talk to my sister."
One second Rafe was standing right in front of Beka, the next he was backed up against the hull of the shuttle. Tyr hadn't touched him- all he had had to do was advance and glower. "Do not," he said, in a low voice, but quite clearly and distinctly, "address me as `Uber.' Furthermore, what concerns Beka concerns me as well. Is that clear," he paused for emphasis, "kludge?"
"Tyr!" Beka and Dylan's indignant exclamation echoed off the walls of the shuttle bay.
Tyr merely glanced at them and pressed, "Is that clear?" Rafe nodded. "Good." He pushed off the hull and moved back to his former position, behind Beka.
Dylan stepped between the siblings, a wall protecting them from each other and their entourage. "Well, now that we're all reacquainted, why don't I have someone show you to guest quarters?" He turned to summon over one of the security officers by the doors, but was interrupted.
"That won't be necessary. He'll stay on the Maru with me and Tyr."
The three men turned and stared at Beka like she was insane. She pulled her two crewmates to one side. "Look, he doesn't believe me. I'll put him up in one of the cabins, he sees us together for a week or so, he's convinced."
"Then what?" Tyr asked.
"Then we see what he thinks of his new relative." Beka shrugged and turned back to her bewildered brother. "I'll take you over- it's in another bay. Besides, Dylan's due back on duty and I don't want to disturb any of the new crew."
"What about the Nietzschean?" Rafe looked nervous.
"Tyr will come with us."
Beka led the way out and hoped that she wouldn't have to keep them from killing each other.
*****
The walk over was accomplished in utter silence, though Beka could feel the other two eyeing each other balefully behind her back. When they finally stepped onto the Maru, there was an obstruction in her path. Even as she tripped over Harper, Tyr grabbed her arms and steadied her before letting go.
She put her hands on her hips and glared at her engineer- now chief engineer that they had more crew, and soon to be ex-engineer if he kept propping himself up in doorways. "What are you doing here? I could have broken my neck!"
Smirking, he informed her, "The genius works well here." He held up a small gadget for proof, then stood and cocked his head in her direction. "Are you alright? You didn't seem too well earlier. All that moaning and groaning and retching put me off my breakfast."
"I checked with Trance, I'm fine," she said, loud enough to be heard by everyone, then leaned over and whispered, "but don't mention the baby, Rafe doesn't know yet."
Harper was genuinely surprised. "Rafe's here? Why didn't anyone tell me?"
"Because I only got onboard half an hour ago." Rafe reached over and clasped his hand. "How're you doing?"
"Great, if a few napping Magog in my guts are ignored. You?" He caught Beka's intensified scowl. Scooping up a few wires, he muttered, "I know, I know, I'm going," and made his hasty exit.
"What was all that about?"
"I'll explain later," Beka turned to face him. "In the meantime, hole up in your old cabin. How much stuff did you bring?"
"All of it." He saw her exasperated look. "Relax, you saw the size of that shuttle. I travel light. Has anyone used my cabin lately?" He ducked down the hall to the crew cabins.
Beka watched him go, then turned to Tyr. "See? It's easy; we just need to keep him diverted and see how well he adjusts before we tell him more."
Tyr wasn't convinced. "How much do we have to divert him with?"
"On this ship? A lot."
"True." He looked over her. "You were sick this morning? Again?"
"Yeah. I did check with Trance, though, and apparently it's just prolonged morning sickness. It might be hanging around longer than usual, but other than that," she shrugged, "it's no problem."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"You were on duty by the time it hit, sadly enough, and I haven't really had a chance."
"Sadly."
"Anyway, most of the moaning wasn't because of the sickness." She grinned.
"I remember." He pulled her around and against him. "How long do you think your brother will take in there?"
"Not long enough. He should be back right about-"
"Rocket! You changed my- sorry, didn't mean to interrupt." Rafe did an abrupt about-face and started to head back into the hallway.
"Now," Beka finished. "It's okay, we weren't doing anything important." She grinned even wider at Tyr's look, half amazement, half irritation. "How about we go get your stuff?"
"All right, just," he glanced between her and Tyr, "please don't do that. It's really, really...weird."
She shared a look with Tyr. "No promises on that score. Come on, Tyr, we need some muscle on this one. Please?"
He rolled his eyes and followed the siblings out of the airlock.
****On to part 4.
****