Sacrifice

A/N; Sorry for the long wait for this one. I keep saying it for all my stories but I can never seem to find the time to write at the moment but I promise not to abandon any of my works. This chapter is a little shorter than normal because of the fit of the chapter in season two of Andromeda and covers the intermission chapters at the beginning of the season and because of that the episode information is limited because I've focused more on the characters themselves. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 11; Absence of Identity

Two weeks later

Zero sat back from the latest small space he had been cramped into over the last two weeks as it hummed to life. He was working hard on the control deck right now but he was still going carefully down the extremely long list of jobs he needed to do that he'd tied into Harper's list and that Andromeda was monitoring to make sure they were doing things as efficiently as possible.

While they worked on things Rommie, Trance and Cyrus worked to clear the several thousand Magog corpses from all of the hallways. Though Cyrus was always quick to keep an eye on Zero and lend a hand with anything that he didn't help with though it was actually just as important right now to clear the corridors as the bodies started to decompose.

Zero frowned down at his pad and then bit his lip as he shifted over to Harper's list. He hadn't really worked on anything at all today and had barely done anything for a couple of weeks though Zero really couldn't blame him expect he knew that Harper loved to work and if he wasn't then he was really bad off.

"Andromeda, run a test on your navigation systems." He prompted.

"A full test?" She asked.

"I think that's everything to do with navigation sorted out." Zero nodded. "Hardware and software. So run a full diagnostic and then let me know if there's something that still needs work."

"Beginning diagnostic." She nodded. "Time to completion, three hours and forty-two minutes."

"Alright." He looked back at his own list. "I need to work in order. Slipstream controls are next but I'm a little stuck until Harper sorts out the calibration problems on the starboard rails."

Andromeda's hologram appeared. "I will speak with Harper."

"No." Zero sighed. "I'll do the calibrations."

"Are you sure?" She frowned down at him.

"Just give him space, Andromeda." He sighed. He hadn't really talked to Harper much lately but he knew that twice Andromeda had come to wake him because Harper had had a particularly bad nightmare but both times Cyrus had intercepted her and gone to Harper instead. As long as Harper was getting help then Zero didn't mind and he was keeping his distance because of his own part in Zero getting infested by the damn larvae.

"Calibration will most likely take six hours." She pointed out.

"It's fine. I'll work late." He assured her as he stood up and looked around the mostly destroyed control deck. It wasn't really a priority though as long as the systems were working elsewhere. He had an idea for rebuilding it though and he'd need Harper's help to pull it off.

"You will work yourself to death if you attempt to do all the repairs yourself at this rate." Andromeda warned as he stood and headed for the doors. He'd need to raid Harper's lab for the tools he'd need for the next job.

"It's fine, Andromeda." Zero shook his head. "I haven't had a single vision in two weeks. It's done wonders for my sleeping habits."

He walked out into the corridor and her hologram jumped ahead of him. "I'm sleeping more than normal even with working overtime. I'm okay with that, Andromeda, and right now Harper needs the time to get his head set straight. He deserves the break after what he went through."

"And what about what you went through?" She demanded.

"Not much point worrying about it right now since I don't actually have enough information on it." He shrugged.

She appeared on one of the screens and he paused to face her as her hologram appeared next to him. "I have been looking over all references to figures in historical texts and legends that match the description you gave."

"What? Light 'abominations'?" He scoffed. "That's going to be a long list."

"I am assuming that your visions are tied to the race that the Abyss tied you to." She announced. "I am linking the search to references of temporal abilities."

"Well they did transport me into the future." He shrugged. "I hadn't thought about that. Either way it's hardly a priority right now. Repairing you and sorting out Harper is more important."

"I'm asking Cyrus to assist you with calibrations." The hologram announced.

"Stop mothering me, Andromeda." He demanded. "Both of you… hell, all three of you. Cyrus needs to help clear the corridors before the smell becomes permanent. It's hard enough working in those areas already after just two weeks."

"Very well." She nodded and both images vanished.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

A week later

After three weeks he was very much getting tired with the workload, even though he was still sleeping well. The problem was most of the work now was starting to become more mechanical and without Harper to help he was stressing himself and then having to concentrate on the more technical software side of things too and with Cyrus still helping Rommie and Trance to clear the decks and Harper hiding he was doing a lot of it himself.

"Dad?" Cyrus called across the engine room where Cyrus was trying to sort of one of the AP regulators so that he could then move up a few decks to a damaged section of AP cabling that fed some of the AP cannons. The cannons were working fine so far as he could tell but the computer control systems were completely fried but until he had power he couldn't try to sort them out so that tied into five jobs before he could even do that one and three should have really gone to Harper.

"Cy?" He stood up and leaned back on the dead side of the AP channel even though it was all shut down right now. His teenage-looking son smiled and quickly gave him a short hug though Zero guessed it was more to check on him than another excuse to hug him.

"Rommie is worried about Harper." Cyrus told him softly.

"I know." Zero frowned.

"More specifically now." Cyrus countered. "He's in the medbay and his blood-toxicity is rather higher than normal." Cyrus told him before wincing. "And he's got a gun."

Zero frowned and suddenly missed his visions like he hadn't for three weeks. He'd had no idea that Harper was that far gone and the realisation made a shock of pain go through his chest. What if he'd been telling everyone to lay off Harper but in fact it was making him worse? He knew Rommie and Trance were always checking up on him but maybe making him work would have helped.

"Let's go." Zero announced and ran from the room. Cyrus stuck with him but it wasn't far to the medbay and they were just in time to see Harper turn a gun towards his stomach. Zero walked closer and Cyrus stayed at his side, ready for anything.

"Harper." Zero spoke softly as he circled around a scanner that was focusing on the larvae in Harper's stomach. He stopped a pace from Harper who was staring up at him but hadn't moved the gun from his stomach.

"Leave me alone." Harper grumbled.

"You don't really want to do that do you?" Zero asked as he reached to the side and flicked off the scanner.

"Maybe." Harper grumbled.

"Uncle Harper. Give me that gun. Please?" Cyrus asked, rather upset, and the tone made Harper twitch. Cyrus was focused on the trigger and Zero knew that Cyrus could spot the smallest of movements of Harper's trigger finger and have the gun out of his hand before he could fire.

"I've seen you do this already, Shay." Zero spoke softly. "Please don't do it for real." Harper twitched again. "I need you. All of this is too much without you."

Harper dropped the gun into his lap and Zero moved closer and took it from him and set it to the side. Zero closed the gap and pulled Harper against him and held onto him loosely. Harper broke down and hid his face in his chest. Zero slowly pulled back once Harper had control of himself again and Cyrus hugged him quickly.

"What am I supposed to do, Zero?" Harper asked.

"I feel a bit lost without my visions all of a sudden." Zero grumbled. "I wish I could have just one that showed you with us in the future so I could be sure you'll be fine."

"Maybe that's why you're not having any." Harper sighed. "Because whatever they are they don't want you to know I'm stuffed no matter what."

"If we don't get those out…" Zero shifted to grab Harper's head between his hands and look into his eyes. "If I lose you I will do everything to get you back."

"Like what?" Harper frowned.

"They put me over three thousand years into the future." Zero pointed out. "I'd do anything for you, Shay."

"Anything?" Harper asked softly.

Zero looked down in embarrassment before nodding. "Just don't leave me." Zero begged. "Please?"

"Promise." Harper nodded.

Zero slumped in relief and moved to sit on the bed next to Harper. "I hate that this happened to you. I hate I couldn't stop it."

"I know." Harper nodded.

Cyrus shifted and hugged Harper tightly which just made Harper chuckle a little.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

A week later

Harper had been a lot cheerier the last week since his talk with Zero and Cyrus but he was still withdrawn and buried himself in work but the return of the Eureka Maru with Dylan, Beka, Rev and Tyr had stirred up something in Harper and he'd been hiding away the last few days in big jobs around the ship, basically avoiding them.

It was the second night after their return that Harper opened his bedroom door which made Cyrus bolt upright on his half of the bed. The corridors were finally clear and Cyrus had taken to spending the entire nights lying on the other half of the bed and shutting down his links to the ship so he could rest even though it didn't take more than a fraction of a second for Andromeda to notify him of a problem. Cyrus was down to boxers as always at night because he found it uncomfortable on his senses to be weighed down by the combat trousers, t-shirt and hoodie he wore during the day and it didn't hurt to be able to cuddle up to his dad whenever he wanted to.

"Uncle Shay?" Cyrus asked softly as the door shut again and Zero slowly sat up and blinked tiredly at Harper as he shuffled towards the bed.

"What's up, Shay? Nightmare?" Cyrus asked and shifted into the middle of the bed. Harper pulled off his shirt, shoes and trousers and crawled into the bed.

"Not been to bed." Harper grumbled into the pillow before rolling towards Zero who stayed on his back so as not to turn his back on Cyrus. "This bed's getting too small." Harper grunted.

"No, it's not." Cyrus announced and tucked himself up with the covers.

"Zero. Did you mean it all last week?" Harper asked.

"About needing you?" Zero guessed and Harper just nodded. Zero just turned his head towards Harper and thought about his words before deciding to just throw caution to the stars and pulled Harper up to him so he could see him properly. Harper hovered over him with a small frown on his face. "I love you, Shay."

"Love?" Harper gasped.

"Love you and need you." Zero nodded. "I mean as more than just a friend."

"Together? You and me?" Harper swallowed thickly.

"I think that sort of depends on you, Uncle Shay." Cyrus teased.

"Shut it, brat." Harper complained before dropping his head onto Zero's chest and wrapping his arms around him.

"Sorry, Shay." Zero sighed heavily which just made Harper look up at him. Harper frowned before a small smile emerged on his lips before he lowered his head. Zero tensed before relaxing completely as Harper's lips settled against his for several very long seconds as Zero returned the kiss softly.

They separated and Harper smiled down at him. "Wondered if you felt that way." Harper told him softly. "I hoped you did but I wanted to wait to see how it worked out. With everything happening…" Harper sighed. "I didn't want to push you into anything."

Zero smiled up at him and Harper rolled to lie over him but settled down straight away. "Does this mean I get a new daddy?" Cyrus asked cheekily which made Zero choke and Harper blush furiously. They both reached out and swatted Cyrus gently but it was clear to Zero just how tired Harper was so they all settled down to sleep.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Two weeks later

Zero was proud to say that all of Andromeda's systems were officially up and running to expected standards. She could still do with a serious overhaul with a team of thousands of engineers but she was running pretty well for an engineering team of two. Plus the rest of the crew chipping in wherever they could.

They'd been at Pierpont Drift for the last few days as they tried to negotiate a peace between a Than fleet and the local crime lord and ruler over a stone that was important to the Than but had been missing for more than a century. Zero had been kept out of most of it because ex-slaves were a traded commodity on the drift. Capturing them and selling them back to their old owners was a profitable venture for some so he'd stuck with going over their repairs and running tests. And a nice lie in before spending the day with Cyrus in his VR suite to check on his systems after being online in his physical body for a month before they'd finally left the drift with all their problems solved.

Zero was on his way to dinner with Harper in his rooms, which were becoming their rooms since Harper rarely slept apart from Zero now and that had been noticed by the rest of the crew. Tyr was the only one that was showing a problem with it. Gay Nietzscheans wasn't really heard of because it was considered a bad trait for carrying on their genetic superiority. Didn't carry over to taking out gay tendencies on unwilling human slaves though it seemed.

He was just passing the observation deck when he spotted the figure inside looking out of the window at the distant stars and decided to go inside. Dylan on the observation deck meant he was troubled and Zero really hadn't seen much of the man since the World Ship incident. He didn't bother trying to hide his approach but it seemed Dylan was distracted too much to hear him and he twitched a little as Zero appeared a few paces to the side along the rail.

"Zero!" Dylan sucked in a breath. "Don't do that."

"I didn't do it on purpose." Zero shrugged. "You were distracted. Problem?"

"Nothing in particular." Dylan frowned before moving back away from the window to the bench and sat himself down. Zero leaned on the railing and studied him.

"Did the universe get big again on you?" Zero asked and Dylan looked up at him in confusion and surprise.

"I…" Dylan frowned. "I don't know if I would have thought to describe it that way but I suppose that's it in the simplest terms. How did you know?"

"Good guess." Zero laughed.

"Still no visions then?" Dylan asked.

"Nothing since just before the World Ship attacked us." Zero shook his head. "But as for how you're thinking we all have a moment like that in our lives. For me it was when I met you I suppose."

"I don't think you can give me that much credit." Dylan laughed.

"I'm an odd case. Maybe I had a moment like it before but I don't know. All I knew was slavery in one complex on one world. Nothing mattered to me but my family and then they were gone."

"Shouldn't that be your moment?" Dylan asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I kind of went onto autopilot after that." Zero shrugged. "I was just dealing and things were just happening if that makes sense."

"I get it." Dylan nodded. "First you found a way to escape and that led you to Beka and then she took you in and you went along for the ride salvaging Andromeda."

"Then this huge bloke in High Guard uniform was standing over me with a glare." Zero laughed. "That's what changed things. I decided to help you out in the end if you remember. I made that decision because the universe was bigger than just my situation."

"And you think that's the same as me?" Dylan asked, clearly interested in how Zero saw it.

"Well when you first came out of the black hole you wanted to rebuild the Commonwealth and that might seem big but it was a dream. You wanted it." Zero shrugged. "But now there's a World Ship and if you don't get a Commonwealth running that is powerful enough to defeat it then the galaxies are screwed. Your Universe just got much bigger."

"You're right." Dylan sighed and hung his head. "But I'm not alone."

"No. You dragged all of us into it too." Zero laughed and Dylan flashed him a smile. "I want to help you, Dylan. I'm just not sure what as."

"As a friend." Dylan told him quickly.

"You know what I mean." Zero rolled his eyes. "It would be nice to be able to understand myself."

"After what the Abyss told you?" Dylan asked.

"I'm confused and this lack of visions isn't helping me." Zero shook his head. "Part of me thinks that I did this to myself. The lack of visions thing that is."

"How so?" Dylan frowned.

"I thought Andromeda had killed Cyrus." Zero sighed and with a flash of light Andromeda's hologram was between them on Zero's right with a frown on her face. "Or at least the other stored copy of you that you've now integrated."

"When I fired on you in your lab?" Andromeda frowned.

"It wasn't your fault." Zero sighed.

"What happened?" Dylan prompted.

"Harper and I were working on Cy's body in the other room so Andromeda couldn't see it but he was in one of the consoles in my lab. Aware of what was happening through a sensor reader I put onto the console." Zero explained. "Andromeda fired at me and I was dodging and then I saw it. One of her early shots hit right in the middle of Cyrus' console and straight through."

Zero paused as he shut his eyes for a moment before looking up at Dylan and he knew his eyes were damp. "I know it was a console but I knew Cyrus was in there. It was like seeing your own child shot in front of you." Zero shook his head. "I got into the back room and Cyrus' body was on the table just as always with no sign of life and I went to pieces."

"Except he must have transferred from the console when he realised the danger." Andromeda prompted.

"He did." Zero nodded. "It just took him a few minutes to fully install himself into the hardware and take control but I wasn't really thinking straight. You see I'd seen him in visions. I remembered seeing his android body smiling at me. Hugging me. I remembered seeing him with all of you."

"And you thought the visions had lied to you?" Dylan asked just as Andromeda's hologram terminated and left them alone.

"I remember thinking that they were useless. That they were something I'd come to rely on for our protection and they were nothing trustworthy. That the one thing that made me truly useful was useless." Zero sighed.

"The visions aren't what make you useful, Zero." Dylan sighed.

"I know." Zero shrugged. "But even beyond that. They were a reason for why I existed. They told me there was more to me than just being a slave with barely any memory."

"And you think that losing faith in your visions is what's stalled them now?" Dylan asked.

"I'm not sure." Zero shrugged. "I never saw anything beyond the World Ship really. Maybe it's just that nothing is really dangerous right now. I don't know."

"And that added to what the Abyss told you." Dylan nodded. "That you're some creature of light that watch over the galaxies."

"He didn't quite say that." Zero pointed out.

"That's our conclusion though." Dylan shrugged. "I know Andromeda made you a list of all such beings from her databases. It's a long list."

"Every race has some sort of mythical being." Zero shrugged. "Somehow they transported me three thousand years into the future so they must have power. If I'm not human what am I?"

"It doesn't matter to us." Dylan shook his head.

"There're too many questions about me." Zero sighed. "What was I like before? Why did I choose the Abyss and get punished by these Light 'Abominations'? Why put me here and now? Am I here because of you and if so why?"

"I thought about that." Dylan sighed. "Their timing and your visions since coming onto the Andromeda. You were meant to be here and you were meant to help."

"Maybe to prove myself worthy after I chose the Abyss?" Zero asked. "Help you and prove myself again."

"Maybe." Dylan nodded.

"And the worst question in my head." Zero looked at Dylan and bit his lip. "Did the Abyss come to the tri-galaxies because of me? Did I call it here? All the Magog attacks…" He trailed off.

Dylan just looked at him and he was obviously struggling to find something to say to him. In the end he stood up. "I don't have any real answers for you, Zero. But I'll help you find them."

"Thanks." Zero whispered and slipped out of the room to go apologise to Harper for being late for their dinner together.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Five days later

"Zero." Dylan greeted as he walked into the room.

"Cyrus said you wanted to see me?" Zero asked as he looked at the screen that showed a graphical representation of the world they were currently orbiting. Dylan had asked Andromeda to call him for a chat in his own quarters and she had done so by telling Cyrus. Cyrus wasn't linked to the ship like Rommie was but he was in contact with the Andromeda AI whenever he wanted.

"How's Cyrus coping with life?" Dylan asked.

"He's having a brilliant time." Zero laughed. "He likes treating me like his dad. Spends every evening telling me all about his day."

Dylan smiled at him gently. "Rommie tells me he's almost twice as powerful now than he was when he first installed himself in his avatar."

"He's evolving himself very fast." Zero nodded. "But he's still him."

"So I've noticed." Dylan nodded. "I take it you're aware of what's going on?"

"You mean about the Pyrian ships toasting Inari freighters?" Zero asked.

"Yes." Dylan nodded.

"I've been paying attention." Zero prompted. The Inari government had asked for Dylan's help and they'd come to help because of the poor freighter crews that had been killed in the last few months only to find out it was a Pyrian Torchship that was targeting the cargo ships full of Ammonium Phosphate, a fertiliser that Inari produced in copious amounts. "But you're leery about going up against the Pyrians, right? Because of the old treaty the Commonwealth had with them?"

"Exactly." Dylan nodded. "It's not like the Pyrians to attack without reason."

"It's been three hundred years, Dylan." Zero reminded him. "Things change."

"Well I need your help." Dylan told him. "We're in the middle of this and we don't even really know either side of the story."

"You want me to hack the Inari and find out?" Zero asked.

"Do you think you can do it?" Dylan asked.

"I can definitely do it." Zero nodded. "Getting the information will most likely be child's play. Doing it unnoticed will be the challenge."

"I'd rather you weren't caught but I won't just hand you over if you do." Dylan told him.

"Cyrus can help me out." Zero grinned. "He'll love it."

"Let me know what you find out." Dylan nodded.

Zero excused himself and headed back to his own room where he could just as easily access Andromeda's communications systems in order to start his hack against the Inari. He found Cyrus helping Harper out but soon they were ready to get started. Cyrus let Zero take off his shirt and access his data port on the back of his right shoulder blade and Zero used a hard cable to link his own data port to Cyrus' core AI and quickly found himself well immersed in Cyrus' VR matrix.

"Hey, dad!" Cyrus grinned warmly as he bounced.

"You've shrunk a bit." Zero frowned down at Cyrus who scuffed his foot. "Don't you like your height?"

"I…" Cyrus fidgeted. "I like my avatar's height. I like being shorter than you though. It's just not efficient in the real world. I'm just making the most of the VR."

"To be cute and innocent?" Zero smirked before reaching up to muse Cyrus' hair even though it wasn't really effective in the virtual reality.

"So, we've got work to do?" Cyrus asked eagerly.

"We've got to find out what the Inari are possibly doing that's upset the Pyrians." Zero announced.

"So I get to hack into the Inari databases?" Cyrus grinned.

"Shouldn't be any harder than when you went up against Andromeda's AI." Zero shrugged.

"Requesting access to Andromeda's communications systems." Cyrus announced and the VR shifted around them to show the link Cyrus had formed to Andromeda's communications hardware. "I think it best that you hack through me, dad." Cyrus announced. "I can protect you from any aggressive reactions."

"Alright, kid." Zero chuckled knowing Cyrus wouldn't have it any other way and together they got to work. They used their two guests as guides assuming that they'd be involved in whatever was happening and spent the next few hours looking around for the secrets of the Inari civilisation.

"Dad?" Cyrus asked after a few hours as he flagged something amongst the massive amount of data that Cyrus was searching. Even now the information they'd discovered was going to Andromeda. The Inari people had been trading Ammonium Phosphate on the Pyrian black market for its highly addictive properties and the Pyrian military were cracking down on it by targeting the suppliers. Right now Dylan was dealing with that situation and Cyrus and Zero were just checking on things.

"Cy?" Zero turned his attention to him and around them the VR vanished to show a scene that Cyrus had found. It was a security camera video but Cyrus had turned it into a three dimensional image using two other camera angles. In the middle Trance was sitting on a lab chair but she didn't seem to be strapped down but the door was definitely locked.

"I thought she went down as a guest." Cyrus frowned angrily at the man fretting in front of Trance. He was scared.

"Can you connect me?" Zero asked.

"Holographic system located." Cyrus announced regally.

"Transmit our images." Zero nodded and grinned when he and Cyrus appeared behind the old man. He couldn't actually see from the hologram's vantage point but basically saw himself appear on the VR.

"Cyrus! Zero!" Trance greeted happily.

"You don't look very comfortable." Zero announced but his expressions were limited though Cyrus' image was glaring at the old Inari man.

"It's all alright, Zero." Trance nodded. "He wont stop me walking out of here."

"Are you sure, Auntie Trance?" Cyrus demanded before glancing away and with a click the door unlocked. "I've discovered data on tests run on you. They're not pleasant."

"Nothing I couldn't handle." Trance assured them. "Do me a favour and delete their information on me. I'm returning now."

"I'll come pick you up in a slip fighter." Zero announced before their holograms vanished.

"Dad?" Cyrus asked. "The information in the recordings… Trance told him what she was."

"Trance's secrets are her own." Zero shook his head. "Being what you are means you'll learn secrets but you have to respect people's privacy.

"Okay." Cyrus nodded and lifted a hand. All the data spinning around them shrunk down into a sphere that hung over the palm of his hand before it solidified and disappeared down into the ground. "I've locked the data up in my core."

"Good boy." Zero smiled before ejecting himself. Cyrus' arms were around him where he'd taken to holding him upright and he pulled back as he took out the cable to his data port. Cyrus gave him another warm hug before Zero closed his access panel and let the skin heal over it with a glow of light.

Zero grabbed his Force Lances and put them on either hip before leaving the room. "Andromeda?" He prompted and she appeared on a screen in front of him. "Can you prep my slip fighter?"

"Of course." She nodded. "We are now returning to Inari."

"Tell Dylan I'm going down to pick up Trance." Zero announced. "The locals weren't actually that welcoming of her. She's handled the situation but I'd rather pick her up now."

She nodded to him. "Dylan has given his authorisation."

Zero checked out the slip fighter briefly before launching out into space and turned down towards the planet, letting Dylan demand access for him.

Soon he was picking up Trance and on his way back. Somehow she'd walked right out of the place without trouble. "What did you see on the cameras, Zero?" Trance asked him from where she stood behind him. She'd strapped herself in for leaving the atmosphere but was now free to move around. Her hand settled onto his shoulder.

"Not much." Zero shook his head. "Cyrus saw everything though." He turned to look at her over his shoulder and saw her frown. "I don't care what he learnt. I trust you and I care about you. And Cyrus loves you like a real aunt. You're family to him. He's deleted all of the records the Inari hand on you and encrypted what he copied. It's now secure in his systems but I'm sure if you ask him to delete it or give it to you he will."

"He's not scared?" Trance checked.

"Whatever he learnt about you hasn't changed how he feels about you." Zero shrugged. "And I'm sure when we learn the truth it won't change how the rest of us feel either."

She squeezed his shoulder gently. "Trance?" Zero asked as he lined up to the Andromeda. "You know more than you ever let on, right?"

"Sometimes." She nodded.

"Do you know anything about me?" He asked. "Anything about light abominations and the visions?"

"There are many in the universe that perceive more than normal." She assured him. "But I do not know much more about you than you already know. You are an enigma. Out of place."

"You mean I shouldn't be here?" Zero twisted to look at her even as his slipfighter spun and slipped back into the launch tunnel and onto the cradle which pulled them back into position much slower than he'd been launched ten minutes earlier.

"You were not originally meant to be as you are at this precise moment in time." Trance told him. "But that doesn't mean you don't belong here."

"That made sense." He grinned back at her as he shut the fighter down.

"Have you ever met somebody like me?" Zero asked.

"You have a presence greater than most people." She told him softly. "A presence like I've only felt in one other person before."

"Who?" Zero frowned.

"I am drawn to all of you. You all have a part to play." She announced simply. "But only Dylan feels like you do."

"Dylan's more important than I am." Zero told him.

"Yet Harper and Cyrus both love you more than anything else in the universe." Trance smiled as he helped her climb out of the fighter.

"You always know exactly what to say to people, don't you?" Zero smiled at her.

"So do you." She laughed. "Visions or not."

Zero accepted her hug happily and soon he was going in search of Harper.

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

Two weeks later

Zero stretched a little as he woke and felt Harper's arms around him so stilled but was too late and Harper shifted his arms as he awoke. Somehow he'd managed to work himself so his back was against Harper's chest which meant Harper was up against the top of the bed to give him the support. Clearly they'd fallen asleep like this after sex and managed to not move through the night.

"I feel weird with you resting on my stomach." Harper told him softly.

"It doesn't bother me." Zero sighed knowing that Harper couldn't even look at his stomach without picturing Magog bursting out of it but Zero had no trouble seeing past that.

Zero lifted himself up off of Harper who shifted to lie flat on the bed. Zero lay himself out before reaching for Harper's medication on the bedside table. Harper dutifully took his dose but still grumbled about it even as Zero hung it around his neck and then kissed his chest. Harper had finally gotten over his depression about the Magog enough last night to be intimate with Zero and he looked far more alive today. It wasn't until afterwards that Harper had realised that Zero might have had an issue with Harper topping him after what had happened to him as a slave but there was nothing about Harper that reminded him of bad times.

"So peaceful without anyone around." Harper muttered to him.

"Except for four AI personalities." Zero laughed. "One of which probably spied on us last night."

"You think Cy would do that?" Harper laughed.

"He's curious." Zero shrugged and leaned down to kiss his lover firmly.

"I think he and Rommie are bored with everyone away." Harper laughed. The rest of the crew had taken the Maru in search of a woman called Isabella Ortiz who had formed a twenty-planet union that had been destroyed by the Kaldarens and was now in hiding. The Andromeda would be too obvious so Zero and Harper had been left in charge with Rommie and Cyrus while Dylan, Beka, Tyr and Trance went after her. The sudden emptiness of the corridors was rather heavy on them, especially with Rev being gone now that he'd gone on a mission to find himself but it had given them the privacy to be more intimate.

"Let's shower and then go find Cyrus." Zero announced. "He'll pout otherwise."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOX

End Chapter