Chapter Three: A Short Trip Back to the Present

     "You sound like you were one hell of a teenager," Dylan said, laughing.

    "Oh, yeah, I was awful.  I think I was part of the reason Dad took Flash all the time.  Then again, that started out way before Andy's first visit," Beka told him, not quite knowing why.  She felt comfortable around Dylan at the moment.

    "Oh," was all Dylan could manage.

     "Well, I came to terms with that a long time ago," Beka said, hoping that Dylan would believe her.  Both knew, however, that Beka was lying, and Beka's recent experimentation with Flash had proved it.

    "That's a hard thing to deal with, growing up with an addict," Dylan commiserated, sounding pitiful even to himself.

    "Well, I dealt with it," Beka assured him, far too distant.  "Did ya know, Dad actually entered a rehab clinic before Andy came?"

     "Really?  That couldn't have been fun," Dylan said, remembering Beka's withdrawal.

     "I doubt it was," Beka agreed, wincing and unconsciously touching her hair.  "Ya know, I knew I should hate Andy.  I mean, Dad went through detox for her, but never for me or Rafe.  But I just couldn't.  When she wakes up, and you really meet her, you'll find that it's impossible to hate Andy for any length of time.  She's...just special."
 
    "She seems like a great person.  I can't wait to talk to her," Dylan said, looking at the woman on the bed.  Trying to get Beka to tell more of her story, he asked, "So Andy didn't mind you going out?"

     "She asked me if I hated her.  I felt so awful about leaving her later-especially since my father restricted me to the Maru until she left," Beka said, laughing at her own stupidity.  "I hated my father, not Andy, and I could never figure out why.  The only consolation I had was that Rafe was grounded, too."
 
    "He couldn't have been too happy," Dylan replied, grinning at the image that entered his thoughts.
 
    "He cursed me out, in Andy's presence.  Dad was so mad, he cut off all of Rafe's communications as well.  Rafe ended up not speaking to me for a few weeks.  I think that was why I got so close to Andy..."