Fallout 10 (G)

[aeryncrichton]

For the benefit of anyone (like at least one of my betas, LOL) who's forgotten what these fics are all about, the "Fallout" stories are a series of epilogues to A Day in the Life.... In that original story (written after Bad Timing, before PKW, so it is has become an AU future universe), Einstein charges John and his youngest child, Meara (Merry), with preventing an incursion into Einstein's realm about to be caused by Furlow and a clone of JC. John goes back to Dam-ba-da at the time of TJohn's confrontation with Furlow to prevent her from running off with Crichton DNA. While John is gone, Aeryn ends up telling their three teenage children about the other Crichton. Trouble ensues back on Dam-ba-da (gee, it's a Crichton plan, what a surprise!), and Aeryn and Meara end up coming to rescue him....  The "Fallout" stories follow on from the series of emotional discoveries that took place during that first fic - and that Fallout just keeps growing. This is the 10th, and I believe last, installment in this series.  I'd always intended to fetch Livvy from earth, and this is the result....

You'd probably be best off to read the series before reading this, though it's up to you if you want to tackle it on its own.  If you'd like to read the rest, you can find the complete series listing on my website, or search through this board.

Rating: G
Setting: About 20 cycles after Bad Timing, and shortly after Fallout 9.
Spoilers: Through Bad Timing in a general sense, but LATP particularly
Disclaimer: Not my universe, not my characters, no disrespect intended and no money being made!!

Many thanks to Loco, Shipsister, and Crash for beta duties!  You helped greatly, as always!  Thanks for letting me snurch a couple great ideas, Crash!  

I hope you enjoy this little offering. It will be in this post and a reply here in this thread.

Note to self:  Do not name children after relatives when said relative is going to be in the same room much of the time in the fic, and one of the parents is not good with using nicknames!  


Fallout: A Day in the Life Epilogue....

Part the tenth, in which Olivia surprises her parents with a request.

It was a comfortable winter afternoon in southern Florida. Olivia Sun Crichton was settled in her room at her Aunt Olivia's home, oblivious to all the things that had been so new and different to her a third of a cycle before. There were the fluctuations in the level of light as the wind rustled through the leaves of the trees outside or a cloud passed overhead; the sharp sounds of bird calls and barking dogs that made it through the closed windows; even the once-strange feel of the room itself, with its straight walls and light colors, and the rectangular window looking out onto a bright world full of blues and greens. It was all so different from her home on Moya, the living spaceship where she'd spent her first sixteen cycles. After a few months on Earth, everything felt natural to her here, completely normal – though she wasn't really conscious of the change in outlook.

Livvy was sitting on her bed, her back against the wall and legs folded in front of her, her attention on the screen of the communications device she held in her hand. "Admission requirements," she muttered under her breath as she dragged her fingers down the palm-sized screen, scrolling through the website of the university where she'd just spent a semester in a special geology course. "Where are the frelling admission requirements?" She only had a few days to get all her facts together, before her parents came to take her back to Moya. At last she found the appropriate page, and began scanning through the list eagerly. It didn't take long for her to realize she was going to need some help deciphering what her cousin Dani would no doubt find obvious. Much of the jargon here was still a foreign language, and translator microbes were no help at all in figuring out what many of the prerequisite classes actually were, relative to Livvy's education in the Uncharted Territories. But Dani was the last person she was prepared to ask, since the two cousins didn't really get along. Well, not the last person. Her father could probably interpret the requirements for her, but Livvy shied away from even the thought of asking him for help on this. Maybe Rory would help her sort it all out. After all, Rory was the one who'd first suggested she stay....

As she contemplated texting the graduate assistant she'd been working with since she'd been here, a gentle rumbling noise intruded on her consciousness. Her heart quickened as she recognized the unmistakable sound of her family's transport pod. Leave it to her dad to get here early! She had no doubt this was his doing; her mother stuck to the plan. Still, she was thrilled at the prospect of seeing her family again, and she dropped the phone on the bed, leaped up, and raced downstairs.

Livvy stopped short as she arrived on the ground floor to see her parents standing beyond her Aunt Olivia in the open doorway. Her siblings TJ and Merry were just visible behind them. She hugged the wall at the bottom of the stairs, unintentionally hidden from her parents' view by her aunt. Livvy took the opportunity to play observer, watching her family's expressions and reactions while she remained, at least for the moment, unseen. Her parents wore huge smiles on their faces as they regarded Aunt Olivia, who wore an equally huge welcoming grin. All three appeared to be speechless with pleasure at seeing each other again. Her dad, eyes sparkling, spoke first. "I know, I know, we shoulda called ahead." He shrugged dramatically. "But we were in the neighborhood, and we thought we'd take the chance that you were home."

Aunt Olivia snorted, then punched her brother in the arm and grabbed him in a hug. After that the paralysis dissolved and Livvy's parents and siblings entered the house. With joy, she shook off her own paralysis and ran to meet them, and immediately found herself enveloped in an enthusiastic group hug.

* * * * * * * *

Aeryn stood in the kitchen with John and his sister, as the two humans searched the refrigeration unit for something to "throw on the grill." Although she and John and their family planned to spend their nights on Moya and didn't need sleeping accommodations, their early arrival had meant that Olivia wasn't prepared for feeding four extra people. But she was a determined hostess, and had already put some snacks out on the table. While the children – John and Aeryn's three teens, plus Olivia's eleven-cycle-old son Evan – devoured the food, Aeryn left John and his sister to their bonding ritual.

She found herself looking out into the dining room and quietly observing her middle child. She'd never volunteer it to John, especially since this time on Earth for Olivia had been her idea, but she'd missed their daughter as much as he had. Standing here now, Aeryn was amazed at how good it felt to see the girl again, even after such a short separation.

Although she had passed her sixteenth birthday on Earth, Olivia didn't look very different. She was now wearing worn-looking blue jeans instead of her typical black leather pants, but her mother recognized the bright flowered T-shirt and the black shoes the kids called "Nikes" as clothing the teen had brought with her from Moya. Looking at Olivia was still like looking in a mirror for Aeryn, with the exception of the girl's brown hair, which was nevertheless pulled back in a familiar simple braid. But Aeryn suspected her daughter was more than a few denches taller, and she looked...relaxed. For her typically intense middle child, that was unusual. Being planet-side for an extended period apparently suited her.

At least, Olivia had looked relaxed, when they first arrived. Now, though, Aeryn noted that the girl was sneaking occasional looks over at her parents, and every time she did, she looked more nervous. Aeryn frowned. What was that all about?

John appeared at her side, and draped an arm around her shoulder. Distracted from her maternal concern for a microt, Aeryn looked up at him, and he bent down and dropped a quick kiss on her lips. "There's not a lot to work with in the fridge," he said, nodding over his shoulder in the direction of the kitchen. "We're thinking we'll just order pizza when Dan gets home. Liv says Dani has plans for the evening and won't be home till late."

"I told you we shouldn't have come early."

Before John could answer her mild rebuke, his sister appeared beside them. "It's fine, Aeryn, really. Everyone loves pizza, and there's plenty of food for breakfast. We'll get to the store tomorrow and stock up."

"Ah, Aeryn's right, we shoulda stuck to the plan," John admitted. "Coming early upset your schedule. But, hey, we have some great news!" he said, beaming at his sister. He raised his voice and called, "TJ, come over here!"

At eighteen, TJ was as tall as his father, and looked remarkably like him, except that he had his mother's black hair instead of his father's brown. At John's call, he glanced up at the ceiling in supplication before leaving the younger group behind and walking over to his parents and his aunt. Olivia trailed after him, an expression of curiosity on her face, but Meara and Evan stayed with the snacks. Aeryn watched, bemused, as Evan's pet dog Midnight tried to coax the two youngest children into parting with some of their food. Her attention was drawn back to her immediate environ when John put his arm around TJ's shoulder and announced, "TJ's been accepted to the Royal Science Academy!"

"Congratulations!" his Aunt Olivia exclaimed. "Now," she chuckled, "what's that?"

John let go of TJ and laughed. "Think MIT, Caltech, and Princeton all wrapped up in one! It is the place to go in the UTs if you want to study science! The boy here aced the entrance exams!"

The younger Olivia whooped, then raised her hand and gave her brother a high five. "Way to go, TJ!" she exclaimed. "You're going to love being away at school! When do you start?"

"Pretty soon. I think I'm expected in about two weekens."

"Don't let your brother fool you with that 'aw shucks' attitude, kiddo," John told Olivia with a laugh. "He knows exactly when he's expected back on the Royal Planet, to the microt." He pulled her in for a hug and said, "Perfect timing, huh, girl? You're coming home just when TJ is leaving! We have conservation of kids on Moya!"

From cycles of practice, Aeryn ignored John's gibberish. However, something in what he'd said had apparently upset Olivia, because she could see the girl stiffen in her father's arms. John had to have felt it. Yes, he let go of his daughter and put his hands on her shoulders as she stepped back. Looking into her eyes, he asked, "What's up, Liv?"

Olivia tried for a bright smile, but neither of her parents was fooled.

"Olivia," John began with a warning edge to his voice, as if his use of her given name wasn't enough of a warning!

Everyone – parents, aunt, siblings and cousin – was looking at her now, and Olivia flushed pink. But then she set her jaw, and, flicking a quick look at her mother, faced her father squarely. With a deep breath, she blurted, "Iwanttostayhere!"

John was stunned speechless, but Aeryn blurted in return, "What?"

Olivia took a deep breath and turned to plead her case. "I want to stay on Earth and go to college. A proper four-year program. I like it here, Mom," she coaxed, "and Rory says I should be able to qualify."

Before Aeryn could begin to figure out how she felt about this new development in child-rearing, John blew up. "This is about some boy, isn't it?" he snapped at their daughter. As if this turn of events was somehow his sister's fault, he whirled around to face her and yelled, "I told you, no boys!"

"It's not about a boy, Dad!" Olivia protested as her aunt sputtered indignantly. "It's about going to school, like TJ's doing!"

"TJ's eighteen! You're still a child!" he shouted. "No. Absolutely not! You're not staying!"

"John," Aeryn began, her voice sharper than tempered acier steel. If anyone was behaving like a child....

In the sudden silence, TJ took steps to diffuse the situation. "Hey, kid," he said, punching Olivia in the arm. "You wanna go to Moya and see Toto? He's missed you a lot."

By the way her eyes lit up, Olivia obviously wanted to go, but she looked warily at her parents. Apparently this rebellion only carried so far, and she wouldn't walk away without permission.

Aeryn caught John's eyes, and after a microt, he nodded almost imperceptibly. He flapped his hand towards their daughter and said, "Go. We'll talk about this later."

Thrilled with her temporary reprieve, Olivia murmured her thanks, grabbed her brother by the arm and started for the door. Before they got there, Meara announced her intention of going as well. Aeryn couldn't really blame her for wanting to get away from the parental tension, and John apparently thought so too, because, after a quick look at his wife, he nodded.

Not wanting to be left out, young Evan begged for permission to go too. "Please, Mom?"

Concern in her eyes, his mother asked, "TJ's flying?"

No doubt glad to be on solid ground again, John barked a laugh and shook his head. "Liv, the boy's been flying since he was knee-high to a grasshopper. Evan's safer with TJ in a spaceship than you were with me in Old Betty."

Olivia's eyes softened. "Is that supposed to make me feel better?" She shook her head in frustration.

Aeryn couldn't help adding her support. "TJ is an excellent pilot."

"Pleeeeze?" Evan begged again, bouncing up and down.

Olivia sighed. "Fine, go. But be back in time for dinner!"

With a whoop from Evan, the children took off for Moya without any more delay.

* * * * * * * *

Livvy sat in the back of the transport pod, berating herself for not waiting for a better time to talk to her parents about staying on Earth. She couldn't even pretend she hadn't known they weren't going to like it, especially her dad. Her brother apparently considered that he'd done enough by getting her away from the parental units for a while, and he didn't even try to cheer her up, just kept up a running commentary to their cousin about what you could see outside the pod as they ascended to orbit from Earth. Merry glanced back at her a couple times and shook her head, but she didn't say anything either. It was just as well, because Livvy didn't want to talk about it anyway! She felt absolutely sick to her stomach. When TJ set the transport pod down in the docking bay, she was up and scrambling down the stairs almost before the engines had completely shut down.

She hadn't been on the deck for more than a few microts when her pet weersa, Toto, swooped down from some dark corner of the cavernous bay. She heard the swoosh of his furry body gliding through the air, and looked up to see where he was. "Livvy! Livvy home!" he cried when he saw she was looking at him. She held her arms out to catch the flying ball of fur, but even though she was prepared for him, he still nearly knocked her over as he landed in her arms. Staggering to catch her balance, she hugged him and laughed, feeling some of her unhappiness melt away. With his dark-circled eyes, gray fur, and the black and white stripes ringing his tail, Toto really did look a lot like a raccoon, just like her father had always said. He was even about the same size as a raccoon. She'd known Dad was right from seeing vids, but the impression was much more striking now after having actually seen a number of the Earth critters up close and personal during the past few months. Except, of course, that with his webbed limbs, a weersa could glide long distances, which a raccoon couldn't. She was stroking Toto's fur and telling him how much she'd missed him when everyone else exited the pod.

Evan rushed over to see Livvy's pet. Although her cousin had visited Moya a few times in the past, Toto generally made himself scarce in the face of newcomers, so Evan had never seen him before. During Livvy's stay on Earth, Evan had become the little brother she'd never had, and the two of them had become fast friends, so when he reached out to pet Toto, she immediately introduced them.

"Ev-an?" Toto repeated in his high, scratchy voice, just to be sure he had it right.

"Yes, Evan," she assured him with a hug. "Evan's family," she said, giving her cousin the highest accolade Toto would understand.

"Evan fam-ly!" he repeated, nuzzling Evan's hand.

Evan was wide-eyed over the fact that her pet was talking, even though she'd told him about Toto many times. "He really talks, Livvy! That's amazing!"

"He's amazing all right," she agreed. "He's also, oof, heavy," she laughed, shifting Toto's weight. "Down you go," she said, putting the weersa down on the deck. Evan crouched down to observe Toto some more, and Livvy looked at her siblings. Merry and TJ exchanged some kind of look that got Livvy's curiosity going, and then TJ nodded.

"Hey, Evan," Merry said. "Let's go see Pilot! I bet he'd like to see you again and see how tall you're getting!"

Livvy hid a smile, because what sounded like a lame excuse was actually completely true. Moya's symbiotic pilot 'didn't get out much,' as he put it occasionally when he was feeling wistful, so he really enjoyed seeing the changes in people first hand. As far as she remembered, Evan hadn't been on board Moya for a couple of cycles, so his growth would be obvious. The bright blue tips in his hair would be surprising, too.

Interestingly, Evan looked to Livvy for permission to go. She smiled at him, and said, "Hey, that's a great idea! Tell Pilot I'll be there to see him a little later!"

Left alone with her older brother, Livvy looked at him and said, "Well?"

TJ looked back, as if trying to decide whether to yell at her or not. In the end, he just said, "Let's go to the center chamber and see if there's anything we can take back down to Aunt Olivia's for dinner."

Claws clicking on the deck, Toto followed them to the center chamber, never more than a few denches from her feet. Feeling as if she were heading for the gallows, Livvy was very glad of his loyal presence.

* * * * * * * *

Aeryn hated being ambushed emotionally. A physical attack was no problem; her training kicked in and she responded automatically to the threat. But when the surprise hit her heart...her brain went into slow motion, and it seemed to take arns to process the shock and begin to think again. As the sound of the transport pod faded away, one corner of her mind noted with satisfaction that TJ had made a particularly controlled take off. That, at least, she could understand. She glanced over at John.

He, too, was silent, apparently mulling over the situation, as they stood with his sister in her living room. None of them had moved since the kids rushed out the door.

Perhaps sensing that both parents were still struggling with their daughter's unexpected request, Olivia cleared her throat. She turned to John and said, "Well, you handled that with tact and compassion."

John grimaced. "I am my father's son, it seems."

Olivia gave him a wistful smile, which she widened to include Aeryn. "Come on, let's go get something to drink while we talk about this. I think we all could use it."

"Oh, hell yes!" John agreed with a snort. He shooed Aeryn and Olivia into the dining room, and brought three bottles of beer from the kitchen, setting them on the table one at a time, each with a deliberate clunk. They all took a few swallows of beer in contemplative silence before John put his bottle down again and threw his arms up in the air. "What the frell is she thinking?" he burst out. "This was supposed to be like, like summer camp! A chance to have an adventure, and then go home!"

Olivia leaned forward on her elbows. "Honestly, John," she began, and then backed up and started again. "And Aeryn...both of you. I'm as surprised as you are! I had no idea she was thinking of staying. She never said a word to me! She seemed to have a good time here, and she did great in her classes, but I assumed she was looking forward to getting back to Moya. She never said anything to make me think she wasn't!" she repeated emphatically.

Remembering how good her daughter was at keeping her feelings to herself, Aeryn wasn't actually surprised to hear that. Going to the heart of John's initial objection, she asked, "You're sure there are no males involved?"

Olivia smiled. "Now, that I can answer. Definitely not in the way you mean. Dani's as boy crazy as they come. I know all the signs. This is not about a boy!"

"Who's this Rory she mentioned?" John growled.

Laughing, Olivia said, "Rory is a grad student she's been working with in her geology classes. A female grad student," she added. "They haven't spent any time hanging out together as far as I know. Rory might have encouraged Livvy to continue her schooling here, but it would have been strictly mentor-student! I hate to say this, John, but if she told Liv she could handle a regular university program, she probably knows what she's talking about."

Aeryn took that in and considered it. If Olivia's instructor felt she was qualified, and she really wanted to take the course....

John's voice interrupted her thoughts. "So, the question is, is Livvy just feeling her oats and going native here, or does she really want to stay on this ball of rock?"

It seemed fairly clear to Aeryn that John's thoughts were paralleling hers, but.... "Going native?" she asked.

Olivia explained, "Going native would be superficial stuff like glow-in-the-dark tattoos, or dying her hair blue like Evan's." She shrugged. "Or Borg implants."

John did a perfect double take. "Did you say Borg implants?"

"They're implantable connectors for the interweb," Olivia said with a grin. "A direct link between your brain and all your communications – phone, internet, social networking.... They're all the rage with the kids these days." She rolled her eyes. "Dani is driving us crazy begging for one but I say no chips in her brain!" Completely misunderstanding the strained look on John's face, Olivia said softly, "She's asking to stay here to go to school, John."

John and Aeryn shared a look, gauging each other's feelings, and then simultaneously turned their attention to Olivia, since she seemed to be advocating they let their daughter stay. "What would you do," Aeryn asked, "if it were Evan asking to leave home and go into space?"

Without a moment's hesitation, Olivia said, "Evan's only eleven!"

John countered, "Dani, then."

The three of them stared at each other for a long time, and Olivia finally sighed and said, "I don't know. I really don't. Olivia's very mature, and she seems to know her own mind, but...she's still only sixteen."

John was obviously softening. "Could she stay here?" he asked. "Hypothetically?" Both John and Aeryn saw the hesitation on Olivia's face and he prompted, "Problems?"

"Not with Livvy, she's a great kid, but—" Olivia paused and chose her words carefully. "It's been hard on Dani having a celebrity in the house."

John nodded. "Yeah, I can see where that could be a problem. So that means the dorms, at least until she's older. She'd really be on her own."

"We'd still be here for her, John, you know that! And she can always come and hang out for weekends or holidays. Did I tell you she's got a driver's license?"

"A driver's license!"

"She was so frustrated about being coddled by the Secret Service that I thought taking lessons might give her a sense of independence. I never thought she'd be here long enough to actually get a license, but she picked it up so fast...." Olivia shook her head in wonder.

John snorted. "Liv, she grew up flying spaceships. A car is a piece of cake!" He nibbled on his lower lip and then sighed and looked at Aeryn again. He took a deep breath and said slowly, "I guess I say maybe. If she can pass the entrance exams so she's not stuck in remedial math and English."

"Remedial?" Aeryn exclaimed. "Olivia is very clever! She speaks English, Sebacean, and bits of five or six other languages!"

"Most of which is not fit for polite company!"

They searched each other's eyes, and their serious faces dissolved into smiles as Aeryn acknowledged the truth of that last statement.

"Seriously, babe," John said, "it's nothing against our girl! It's just her...eclectic...education. Like all the work I was doin' with TJ to make sure he had all the exam topics covered for the Science Academy."

"Why not the Science Academy, then?" Aeryn countered. "Geology is a science. She'd be with her brother, and it's much more advanced."

"Rocks are rocks, Aeryn, whether they're on Earth, or the other side of the galaxy." After a pause, he concluded, "Let's just see how serious she is about this first before we go making decisions."

Aeryn eyed this apparent change of heart – after all, John was the one who'd said absolutely not – with suspicion. Still, she was surprised at how reasonable the wait and see suggestion sounded. Perhaps Olivia didn't have her heart set on this after all; maybe she was just considering it as a possibility. They should find out before making a final decision. She looked back at her husband and nodded. "Right. We'll talk with her when she gets back."

"After we eat."

"Of course."

"In the meantime," Olivia announced, "I vote for another beer!"

"Amen!" said John, and Aeryn quickly agreed.

* * * * * * * *

[aeryncrichton]

With Toto watching their every move, TJ and Livvy rummaged around the center chamber a little, half-heartedly looking for food to bring back for dinner. Pretty much stumped, Livvy suggested, "Maybe Dad would like some fellip nectar with his pizza?"

"Nah," TJ said, shaking his head. "If we're on Earth, he always wants beer."

"You're right," she said with a sigh. Tired of the stalling, she crossed her arms in front of her and faced her brother. "Look, just get it over with, okay? Whatever it is you have to say, I'm a big girl, I can take it."

TJ gave her a look that said he doubted that, and then let her have it. "That was really stupid, you know. Just hitting them up out of the blue like that."

She'd expected something of the sort, and really, she'd already been saying the same thing to herself. But.... No buts. There was no good way to explain, but she tried anyway. "I know, Teej. I do. But I was trying to get all my ducks in a row so I could explain it better, and I thought I had more time, and then you came early. So I didn't have everything ready, and then, and then Dad started saying I was going to stay on Moya when you left, and...I... just couldn't let him keep thinking that, so I just told them."

"It was still stupid," her brother grunted when she came to a halt.

As much as she knew he was right, she still glared at him for saying it. Stubbornly, she said, "I am going to stay on Earth and go to school. You're going away to a great school!"

TJ's mood unexpectedly turned dark. "Only because Dad knocked up a princess," he muttered, and then scowled.

"What?" He had to be joking!

"It's a long story."

"Well, you'd better tell it!" Livvy demanded, distracted from her own troubles.

TJ proceeded to tell her a crazy story from twenty cycles before, about their parents and a princess and poisoned DNA, and how their dad's human DNA was compatible with the princess, and the princess' mother the Empress was forever grateful – when she wasn't threatening everyone with death because all this was a huge secret. Oh, and their big sister wouldn't be born for sixty more cycles.... Livvy gaped. "Mom knew about this?"

"Of course she did."

Livvy shook her head in wonder. A sister who wouldn't even be born for sixty cycles? "I guess it's no weirder than there being two of Dad once." Frell, their family had the craziest things happen to them!

"I just wish it didn't mean that the Empress got me into school like she promised. I wanted to do that on my own."

TJ was an idiot sometimes. Livvy shook her head again. "Dad said you aced the entrance exams. Did I hear that wrong?"

"No. I did ace them," he admitted.

"Then what does it matter if the Empress was grateful, you frellnik? It's not like you weren't qualified! You would have gotten in anyway!"

"That's what Dad says."

"See," Livvy said, and thwacked his arm. TJ snorted, and just as Evan and Merry came into the room, Livvy told him, "If you're going to stay on a planet where you don't know anyone, I can stay on Earth where there's family!"

"Only if you convince Mom and Dad," TJ warned her.

Evan dropped down to play with Toto again, but Merry joined the conversation. "You know, if TJ goes to the Royal Planet, and you stay on Earth, Liv, I'm going to be stuck here alone with Mom and Dad!" she pouted.

Stricken, Livvy looked at her younger sister, who at thirteen wasn't going to be going away to school any time soon. And then she caught sight of Toto, holding his head up so Evan could scratch his neck. Toto was her pet, he was very attached to her, and she couldn't bring him to Earth. He wasn't suited to life without trill bats and Earth was paranoid about contamination anyway. Was she being unfair to Toto and Merry to want to spend four cycles away from Moya? "Are you okay with this?" she asked her sister anxiously.

Merry's serious expression transformed into an impish grin. "I'm fine, you fekkik. With you two gone, I'll have Dad all to myself! We can study wormholes all day long!"

She would, too, Livvy realized with a pang of jealousy. Merry and their dad were two of a kind when it came to wormholes. They'd love not having the distraction of two other kids in the family! As to Toto, though...she'd just have to try to explain to him that she wasn't coming back to stay for a while yet, and hope he understood. A thought struck her, and she turned back to Merry. "You're going to have to help take care of Toto, you know!"

Her little sister sobered again. "You know I will, Liv. He's been spending a lot of time with me since you've been gone. He's a lot more fun than I thought he was."

The two girls looked at each other for a few microts, and then Livvy threw her arms around Merry. "I'm going to miss you," she whispered.

"I'll miss you too," Merry whispered back.

TJ cleared his throat in the silence. "I guess we should take off if we want to be back before dinner."

Merry agreed. "If you're going to convince them to let you stay, Liv, you don't want to start out on the wrong foot!"

Livvy nodded, her stomach once more feeling like it held well over a sakmar of duridium. The mere thought of eating made her feel sick, but her sister was right – it would be better not to start out by failing to return on time.

Livvy was the last one up the ladder into the transport pod. When she reached the airlock, she found her brother waiting for her.

"Don't mention the sister thing to Dad," he said softly.

"Why shouldn't I? You and Merry talked to him about it, didn't you?"

TJ shook his head as if she were hopelessly dim-witted. "You wanna stay here and go to college? Then don't bring it up, at least until after they say yes!"

She guessed it made sense her dad would feel bad about the whole thing. Great. Now her stomach felt even worse. But she solemnly swore to TJ that she'd keep her knowledge to herself.

They headed back to Earth and pizza, leaving Toto behind.

* * * * * * * *

Much to John's surprise, the pizza party had been remarkably relaxed. Livvy had initially picked at her food, but she'd settled down as they ate and chatted. Now the kids were cleaning up, and putting the remains of the meal away. Actually, from what John could see, it looked like TJ was eating any remaining slices of pizza he could get his hands on. That boy had an amazing appetite! But, it was time to move on to other things.

John caught Aeryn's eye, and they stood aside in the dining room and spoke in low tones. "Liv probably doesn't need both of us interrogating her," he said. "Okay with you if I have a little father-daughter chat, try to see what's going on in her head?" He watched his wife try to decide if he was going to be harder on their daughter than she would be – or easier.

"All right. Just don't promise her anything before we can talk."

"Like you didn't promise her she could come here in the first place?"

"I didn't! I said we would discuss it!" she hissed.

"As if I had a choice at that point!" Ah, well, that was water under the bridge. In a more conciliatory tone, he backtracked and agreed to the restriction. "I'm just gonna see if she's really serious about this. A little fact-finding."

She shook her head, then leaned in and kissed him on the cheek. "I know. Go."

"Thanks," he mouthed, and then turned towards the kitchen and called, "Hey, Liv." When his daughter turned to look at him with nervous eyes, he continued, "I think there are enough people on the clean-up crew. Let's you and me go for a walk. It'll be light enough for a bit yet."

Livvy's expression turned into a perfect copy of her mother's at her most determined. "Sure," she agreed, and walked over to him, back ram-rod straight.

Chuckling, John gave her a quick hug and said, "This isn't going to be an inquisition, I promise. But you know we need to talk about this." The determined expression stayed on her face, but her posture relaxed. John counted that a victory, and he ushered her out the front door. At the end of the driveway, he mentally flipped a coin and then strolled down the sidewalk to the right, towards the setting sun. "So, I guess you've had a pretty good time here, huh?"

Livvy's eyes sparkled, and she gushed, "Yeah, it's been really great, Dad! I've met so many interesting people, and I've been to the draddest places, like these great caves in Kentucky! I wish I could show you and Mom and TJ and Merry!"

"Well, maybe we can take a little side trip before we leave," he said, keeping it vague who would be leaving. Whether she was staying on the planet or not, they could probably squeeze in a little vacation to one of the places she'd come to love.

She smiled in anticipation, but moved on, sneaking up on the main topic. "I really love going to school here. It's so different from all the study courses we did on Moya!" she told him earnestly. "I'm learning so much, and there's so much more to learn about geology. Stuff that's hard to learn without field work! Dad, I really need to stay here to do what I want."

Field work. Wow. She really was thinking about school, not partying. Still.... "Livvy, baby, you're sixteen. That's kinda young to know what you want to do with the rest of your life." Observing his daughter's reaction, he saw that deer in the headlights expression that he knew from Aeryn's face when she was caught off guard. Damn, Livvy was so like her mother in a lot of ways, and not just looks.... He decided to give her time to figure out how she wanted to respond to that, since understanding Liv was the whole point of this conversation. They walked along in silence for a while.

Finally, Livvy came to a stop, and when he paused beside her, she took a deep breath and said, "It's not about the rest of my life, Dad. It's about now. I, I really like it here, being on a planet. I know the rest of you love it in space, but I'm not like you. I feel...I feel like I belong here. It feels...right. I love you guys, and I've missed you a lot, and I'll miss you if I stay, but there's so much for me to learn here...."

John felt like he'd been punched in the gut. On the one hand, it hurt like hell to feel his daughter wasn't happy living with her family, but on the other, he was amazed at one so young having such an understanding of herself. She didn't get that from either side of the family! He reined in his hurt feelings, and went for the practical. "Okay, let's agree for a microt that you want to go to school here. You can't just walk into a degree program in a university, you know, they have requirements, like your brother just went through with the Royal Science Academy."

Livvy grimaced. "I was trying to figure all that out when you came early. But Rory says I'm qualified, so I think I can do it."

"So, this Rory, she's talking about State, right?" Livvy nodded. The education snob in him couldn't resist asking, "Why State? Why not someplace better, like Duke, or MIT?" He stopped himself from adding, "Where I went," which he figured would be the kiss of death for either school.

His daughter's grin suggested she remembered the family connections anyway. "I want to go to State, Dad. I like it, the program's great for me, and I have friends here. Family too."
 
Remembering his sister's comments, he asked, "So, you were thinking you'd stay at your Aunt Olivia's? Because—"

She cut him off with a shake of her head. "I want to live in the dorms, like a normal kid."
 
"You're not a normal kid here, Liv, never will be. You're half Sebacean, and you've spent your whole life in space. You will always be different," he told her bluntly.

"You know what I mean, Dad. I want to be treated like an ordinary person on this planet. Everyone else starts in the dorms. That's what I want to do, too."

John suppressed a sigh. Well, that was just as well, since they couldn't impose on Olivia any longer anyway. He still wasn't wild about the idea of a sixteen-cycle-old in a dorm with older kids, but...she'd just shown him she was mature beyond her age. She'd be okay.... Frell and damn! He knew at that moment that she'd won him over, but he'd told Aeryn no promises. Even though he was pretty sure Aeryn was good to go with this, he tried one more time to make sure Livvy was being realistic. "It wouldn't be all rocks and caves and field trips, you know. There will be a whole lot of required courses in English, and history, math, stuff like that. Phys Ed requirements with sports you don't know how to play."

"I know." She sounded certain, but she'd also admitted earlier that she hadn't really researched all the requirements.

He chewed on his lower lip while he thought, and Livvy waited nervously. "How about this?" he said at last. "We'll go back and take a look at those entrance requirements, and the degree requirements, too, and if you still want to do this, we'll run it by your mom. Okay?"

"Yes!" Livvy squealed, and threw her arms around him. "Thanks, Dad!"

"I mean it!" he told her. "Your mom has to agree!"

"She will."

"It's up to you to convince her."

Livvy laughed. "Dad, if I can convince you, Mom will be a piece of cake!"

"Yeah, well, just don't let her see you think she's a pushover!" John snorted. Livvy opened her mouth as if to say something, and then closed it again. He considered pursuing it then and there, but decided whatever it was could wait. "Come on, let's go," he said, jerking his head back the way they'd come. They turned around and headed back to the house as sunset turned to twilight.

* * * * * * * *

Livvy tried to look more confident than she felt. Despite what she'd told her dad, she knew that getting her mother's permission to stay on Earth and go to school wasn't guaranteed. But her dad had gone through the requirements with her, helping her understand the ones that had been a mystery earlier, and she was still determined to stay. She took a deep breath and entered Aunt Olivia's den where her mother was pacing. She cleared her throat and said, "Hey!"

Aeryn stopped and gave her daughter the once over. "Did you find all the information you needed?"

"Yes."

"And you still want to stay."

It wasn't a question, but Livvy answered anyway. "Yes."

"If I said no?"

Livvy shrugged. "Then I'd try to change your mind."

Her mother smiled softly. "I was your age once, you know." After a pause she added, "I assume your father has already said yes."

Livvy nodded.

Aeryn looked quite serious. "This wasn't what I had in mind when I suggested you come to Earth."

"It wasn't what I expected, either, Mom. It just happened. I'm...good here."

Aeryn looked off in the distance somewhere, and then sighed. "You have my permission as well, Olivia, as long as you gain admittance to the course. You're too young to stay here without a goal."

Livvy smiled with delight and relief. "Thanks, Mom," she said, and gave in to the impulse to throw her arms around her mother, who hugged her back tightly.

As Livvy stood back from the hug, her mom caught her eyes. "Just do well, and be happy."

"I will!"

Her mother snorted. "All right, go tell everyone I said yes, then."

Livvy turned and started out the door, and then she remembered something. She turned around. "Mom, what's this about a princess, and a baby sister on the Royal Planet?"

Aeryn groaned. "Here we go again. What do you want to know?"

* * * * * * * *

A few arns later, back home for the night, Aeryn found herself walking briskly, but aimlessly, through Moya's corridors. She ground to a halt in the middle of the walkway in Pilot's den, lost in thought. Pilot's voice intruded on her musing.

"Is it true?"

She looked up. "Is what true?"

"We are leaving Olivia on Earth for an indefinite period?"

Aeryn held her head high. "Four cycles, Pilot. It's a standard university course on Earth."

Pilot examined her closely. "Is everything all right, Aeryn?

She was silent for a moment, and then she sighed. "No."

"Can I help?"

Aeryn smiled despite her inner turmoil. It probably wouldn't help, but Pilot had wisdom she often lacked. She crossed over the rest of the way to his console and climbed up next to him. "I was raised to be a soldier, Pilot. It's all I ever imagined for my life. Service, promotion, death. I had a purpose in the Peacekeepers."

He waited for her to continue, and when she didn't, he said, "Surely you don't miss the Peacekeepers after all this time?"

She shook her head. "No. Not at all. I outgrew that life long ago. But...." She struggled to express her feelings. "My life here, with John and the children, gave me another purpose, a better one. It has meant a lot to me to protect our family, and to help our children grow into productive adults. Now, with TJ and Olivia both leaving us...." She hesitated and then admitted, "In some ways, I'm relieved to be free of a responsibility I never expected to have." There, she'd said it.

Pilot widened his eyes, encouraging her to continue. "But?"

"I will miss them," she breathed, and the ache in her heart told her that she would miss her offspring not just a little, but very, very much. "And," she sighed, "I seem to have lost my purpose again."

Pilot pondered her concerns. "Meara is still here, and will be for some cycles," he pointed out.

"You know as well as I do, Pilot, that Meara will spend most of her time with John. It's not a matter of love or affection, just one of talents. Meara and John have an affinity for wormholes that I will never share."

"But, you can sense wormholes, as I do."

"But they don't speak to me. There's a difference."

Pilot sighed. "I have noted that. Wormholes don't speak to me, either."

Aeryn smiled wistfully and patted him on the claw. "You and me both, Pilot."

They sat in companionable silence for long microts. Pilot finally ventured, "Aeryn, as long as I've known you, you have been a soldier, but also a nurturer." She started to protest, but he kept going. "Even in those first cycles, long before your offspring arrived, you nurtured Crichton, Talyn...you even tried to nurture Chiana."

Aeryn laughed at the last example. "I don't think I ever had much influence on Chiana! But I suppose," she admitted grudgingly, "I did try. At times, anyway. When I wasn't considering shooting her."

Pilot let that pass and went on. "Aeryn, I see no reason to think your role here will change now that your older offspring are leaving. I believe you are wrong in thinking that Meara no longer needs you – and Crichton will always need your care!"

She snorted with amusement, and abruptly much of the tension leaked out of her body. "You're right about that much, at least!"

Pilot reached out a claw and touched her cheek. "Moya and I will always need your protection, Aeryn."

Aeryn reached for his claw and held it next to her face. "Thank you, Pilot. You've helped more than I thought you could."

"You are very welcome, Aeryn." After a short pause, he added, "It will be much quieter around here without TJ and Olivia, though."

She smiled wistfully and said, "Yes, it will."

John entered the chamber just in time to hear their last exchange. "Empty nest syndrome's kinda tough, huh?" he said, walking up to where she sat on Pilot's console.

Aeryn grinned and shook her head. "The nest isn't empty."

John's face went completely still, and then his eyes widened, just a little. Aeryn frowned, wondering what she'd said to alarm him so. After a few microts, he cleared his throat. "You're not...." he began, with a cautious glance at her middle.

Aha! With enlightenment came laughter, and emphatic denial. "No. I'm not!"

"Oh, thank God," he murmured, and then backpedaled so quickly that she frowned again. "Not that I wouldn't love another little you or me," he babbled, "if you were, I mean...."

"You're not serious?"

After a few microts, he sighed. "No, I'm not, not really. Been there, done that with little ones. I can wait for the grandkids. It's just...I didn't expect we'd be down to one quite so suddenly – or so soon."

Aeryn hopped down to the deck and reached out and cupped her husband's cheek in her hand. She answered his fears, rather than his words. "They'll be fine."

"I know they will. They're ready. I blame Einstein for this, though." Seeing her puzzled expression, he elaborated on his theory. "If he hadn't sent us off to Dam-Ba-Da, we'd've been going along, business as usual, for a couple cycles yet. Instead, everyone got all riled up about this and that and ancient history, and next thing you know, the kids are talking about college!"

Well, the chain of events probably wasn't that linear, but she had to admit, she'd be happy to blame Einstein herself. She hated the black-eyed being's hold over her husband, and now, it seemed – after the adventure John had just referred to – her younger daughter as well. "You need to know something," she said fiercely. "I will not let frelling Einstein take you or Meara from me."

John wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly. "Ah, baby, there's no one else I'd rather have watching my back. You know that," he murmured.

Pilot cleared his throat in what Aeryn took to be an "I told you so" observation, and she turned and gave him a slight nod. When he nodded in return, she smiled, and turned her attention back to John. "Come on then. We should get some sleep. If this university Livvy wants to go to is anything like the Science Academy, we have a lot of work ahead of us."

"Worse, prob'ly. Earth's not used to alien students, and she's underage, besides." But his negative words had a cheerful bounce to them, and when he took her hand his body transmitted nothing but relaxation and contentment.

Aeryn concentrated on that warm, secure grip as they made their way to their quarters, thinking about what the cycles might hold in store for them. The one thing she was sure of was, no matter where her children wound up, whether in space or on planets near or far, she would always have John Crichton close beside her.

[capt31]

It is obvious all the hard work you put into to this series of stories. Very well put together and the interaction between the players was such that it enticed the reader to follow. Not going to say that the 2 John's premise was one I cared for in the series, but I think you did a better job working that then they did.

I did have a concern with this addition about how the agreement was done between John and Liv without Aeryn.......and then she finds John has agreed. I would have thought John would have played that one with Aeryn present, since there was no rush to say yes. But thats just me!

Thanks for keeping these two together in fanfic and sharing it with all of us!

[aeryncrichton]

Hi, Capt31, glad you're still around here reading!   

I think it's not so much that John did a deal with Livvy without Aeryn....but that he knew that Aeryn was probably okay with it, and he basically told Livvy, "It's okay with me as long as your mother agrees."  I think even Aeryn looked at it that way, LOL!  Admittedly, once you've got one parent on your side, LOL, it's hard for the other to say no, but I like to think John and Aeryn are pretty much on the same wavelength with things like this.  They'd kind of kicked it around before John went and talked with Livvy.

Oh, and I'm definitely keeping the two together!  But then, so has the show, and the comics are the continuing stories of John and Aeryn and their family as well.