"Someone's happy, who signed up know?" Beka said the phrase in jest, but when his grin got bigger Beka knew she had guessed right.
"Quardain 5 decided to join. I told them about what we were trying to do and they agreed."
Beka looked at him skeptically, Quardains had the reputation of being an unmanageable population, and she couldn't see them changing their ways just because Dylan told them of his renewed Commonwealth.
"Okay, I had to twist their arms really hard."
Beka continued to look skeptical.
"Okay, I threatened that if they didn't sign that when the Magog showed up to decimate their planet, we wouldn't be there. Of course, I told them if they did sign, the Andromeda would be right there with them to fight of the invasion."
Beka grinned. "I knew it." The quickly got up of the floor and hugged him. "Congratulations, Dylan." She then turned to leave when Dylan shouted out to her.
"They invited us to a State dinner. That means formal dress, Beka."
Beka walk out of the room muttering, "I hate dresses!!"
*****
The Andromeda crew arrived at Quardain 5 to find a lovely blue orb of a planet. Even Beka who normally avoided planets like the plague couldn't help but marvel at the beauty of it.
"Beka, Trance and Harper, I want you to come down to the surface with me. Tyr and Rommie, I want you to stay on the Andromeda just in case things go bad." Dylan started to walk out the door, leaving Beka, Trance and Harper to follow him.
*****
Once on the planet the group decided to split up. Trance and Harper went off together while Beka and Dylan went off another way.
Beka and Dylan looked around at each other before they started walking off towards one of the open markets. Even with the reputation of being agreeable and stubborn, the planet was simply beautiful. Also the vendors were friendly, leaving Beka to wonder where the population's reputation came from.
Dylan pointed towards a stand of children's toys and then quickly walked over towards it. He started to riffle through the pile as Beka stood back and laughed.
"What are you looking for?" Beka asked between laughing.
"When I was younger I used to love looking through the toy stands."
"You??" Beka asked, trying hard to keep more laughter from erupting.
"Yes me." He teased back.
Dylan stopped for a second, his hand frozen over a teddy bear. He slowly pulled it out of the pile and stood staring at it.
"What? Dylan what's wrong?"
"Nothing's wrong. I used to have a bear just like this when I was a very little. I guess it just surprised me that they still make it."
The vendor had heard their conversation and headed towards them. "Actually they don't. This is one of the last ones left of this line. I believe the last one was made 15 years ago."
Dylan looked into his pockets and a sad frown came over his face when he realized he didn't have any money. Beka quickly pulled out the necessary money and paid for it before Dylan could make any objections.
As they started to walk away Dylan touched her elbow and stopped her. "Beka when I told you the story about the bear, I didn't mean for you to buy it. I know how short you are already, and I saw the price tag on that toy. It wasn't cheap."
Beka pulled the toy out from under one arm and quietly handed it to him. "Dylan I did it because you as much as anyone deserves some happiness. Even if it comes in the form of an old toy." She turned around slightly and looked at the time. "Come one, we better be going. We need to get to the dinner before people come looking for us."
*****
Beka stood looking around in the middle of the ballroom. Tables lined two sides of a dance floor. Behind it, a long table of food and drink stood waiting. Waiters mixed around with the people offering Champaign. Beka took a glass, straightened out her blue dress and slowly walked towards where Trance and Harper had just arrived.
Beka walked up behind Harper and whispered into his ear. "No date again Harper?"
Harper almost jumped. "Well..."
Trance interrupted, "Well, Harper had a little trouble getting a date."
"And that's unusual since when??" Beka laughed.
"Well, anyway, I agreed to be his date," Trance announced happily.
"You what?!" Beka almost spat out her drink. "Wait you can explain it to me later." Beka started to walk away when she saw Dylan signal her.
Just before she walked away, Beka heard Harper mutter, "I still can't believe it bit me!!"
Beka started to laugh, totally missing Trances, "Well, the way you came on to her I'm surprised she didn't do more."
*****
Beka, Dylan, Harper and Trance came back on the Eureka Maru after a pleasant and rather uneventful signing. Dylan was positively beaming, and Beka felt his happiness was contagious.
The group slowly left her ship and Beka sat back into her seat. Something around behind the console, and Beka reached behind to find it. It was one of her old CD's. Rafe must have forgot this one when he took the rest of her collection.
She turned around and stuck it into the player and sat back as the slow rhythm filled the room.
I been thinking about us
I been turning it round and round
Even buried my head in the sand of the Holy Land
That claims my name
And I'm not a liar
When I say that I love you
I just take one look in those ruby eyes
And I see the light
Beka found her thoughts roaming towards Dylan. Then it hit her. The reasons that she constantly
wanted to please him, the reason that she was so afraid to disappoint him, the reason that she
wanted him to be happy. She was falling in love with him.
So I raise my hand
Love is my witness
And I am guilty for a long of thing I've done
But if I'm the holy daughter, you're the holy son
And my heart says
Love is my witness
God who was she fooling? She was in love with him. But what should she do about it? Did she stay
here and think and think and think until there was nothing left, or did she go after this?
Beka sat down hard. Even though she wanted to think it out, she knew what she had to do. Beka slowly got up and stopped the CD. She quietly put it away in her case and left the Maru. She had to see Dylan. She had something huge to tell him.
The End.
Full Song:
I been thinking about us
I been turning it round and round
Even buried my head in the sand of the Holy Land
That claims my name
And I'm not a liar
When I say that I love you
I just take one look in those ruby eyes
And I see the light
So I raise my hand
Love is my witness
And I am guilty for a long of thing I've done
But if I'm the holy daughter, you're the holy son
And my heart says
Love is my witness
Don't run away
Don't let 'em plant that seed in ya
Emotions are deeper than the empty stares
That disapprove
Life is a diamond
At first surrounded by the coal
It takes more than words
More than words to make us whole
So I raise my hand
Love is my witness
And I am guilty for a long of thing I've done
But if I'm the holy daughter, you're the holy son
And my heart says
Love is my witness
If you wanna make God laugh, tell Him your plans
'Cause that won't take you to the Promised Land
So I raise my hand
Love is my witness
And I am guilty for a long of thing I've done
But if I'm the holy daughter, you're the holy son
And my heart says
Love is my witness
My Heart says
Love is my witness
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