"(But) that's the thing about this planet. It never lets you stay the same." Alonzo Solace in "Promises, Promises"

____________________________________________________________

At the moment, there were so many actions and feelings that Dr. Julia Heller should have been experiencing.

She should have been ecstatic. After all, a crisis of monumental proportions had just barely been averted. Despite her many efforts, she'd watched helplessly as Eden Advance had begun to die, inches at a time. Her friend Eben was the first to succumb to the mysterious illness and all of them were well on their way to a slow, painful death. And when it was later learned that the group's deterioration was courtesy of malfunctioning bio-probes which had been implanted into their bodies without their knowledge or permission, the doctor still had been unable to find a way to save her friends or herself.

But, thankfully, Elizabeth had finally agreed to help and they'd successfully eradicated the virus infecting the Eve program. Though Julia had been unable to save Elizabeth and Franklin from the terminal effects of cold sleep poisoning, the rest of Eden Advance's physical health was returning to normal. The searing headaches, loss of motor control and lethargy was gone. Even her lover had returned to his former charming self and, from almost the very moment that the bio-chip threat was neutralized, he'd been intent on making her see that her future on G889 was brighter than ever. Julia should have been able to breathe a sigh of relief and finally permit herself the opportunity to enjoy a few much-needed hours of uninterrupted rest.

However, as she sat firmly ensconced in the med-tent, the doctor was unable to take comfort in their improved circumstances because it turned out that her job was far from over. And in fact, she felt more powerless than ever.

She took a break from analyzing the hundreds of microscopic samples she'd collected and blinked several times in a fruitless effort to clear the haze from her sleep-deprived eyes. Arching backward in her chair, she swung around the eyepiece of the gearset which had taken up permanent residence on her head and touched the keypad above her ear to play the queued video recording.

"Eight days, twelve hours and some odd minutes after we began to die, we started to live again. But we discovered a terrible secret about this planet that may doom all of our efforts to survive here. Our only hope may be my son and his special link with this strange new world. I'm just afraid that I won't live long enough to see if I'm right.

You see, I have a secret of my own. I never had a bio-stat implant. My sickness was different. So while the others recover, I remain sick. My mind is filled with visions of my own death. And I'm scared... scared that Bennett and Elizabeth were right; that I will be the first of our kind to prove that we cannot live here."

Julia sighed as the image went black. It had been three days since Devon's unexpected collapse and the woman had been mere seconds from death when the crew had hurriedly placed her in one of the cryo-crypts on Bennett's ship to prevent her organs from experiencing a complete shutdown. Since then, Julia had practically memorized the final entry in Devon's gear log, yet she continued to listen to it over and over again, desperately searching each word and even the inflection of her voice for any possible missed clues; anything that could possibly help her understand how and why this was happening to an integral member of Eden Advance.

Until she'd listened to Devon's vid-log, Julia had no idea that the leader didn't have a bio-probe. The physician tried to push aside her gnawing questions as to why Devon lacked the implant, as well as to why Devon would hide this detail. Did Devon knowingly keep this vital piece of information to herself from the beginning or did she simply realize it at a later time?

Julia couldn't help but feel the pangs of a guilty conscience. She'd never even considered checking each crewmember to confirm the presence of the Council probe and it certainly had never occurred to her to come right out and ask them. After all, how could they possibly have known whether or not they'd had the apparatus implanted into their bodies if they weren't even aware of its existence in the first place? Plus, it was important to note that Devon had been exhibiting the identical symptoms as everyone else in the group. Or had she?

Julia had been and still was overwhelmed by the events of the past days and she could no longer remember specifics about Devon's illness. Had the doctor even asked her directly or had she just made a general assumption? There had been no doubt in anyone's mind that Devon was sick and she'd been on the same downward curve as the rest of Eden Advance. Julia could remember how pale and exhausted the leader appeared to be just before her first collapse after she'd pleaded with Bennett to use his knowledge of Eve in order to spare their lives. However, Julia honestly couldn't recall how Devon looked once Eve had been cured. Devon had seemed to be improving with the others, yet clearly she wasn't. And Devon had to have known it. So why in heaven's name didn't she say something?

Until that point, Julia was certain that Devon had been truthful about her medical history. In fact, it wasn't long after the doctor had returned from the botched scout to recover Cargo Pod 9 that Devon had approached her with a few mild medical complaints. Julia had run the necessary tests and was surprised to find a medical condition that set the leader apart from the rest of Eden Advance. She had just started Devon on a daily dose of nutritional supplements to help her deal with her chronic symptoms and had just begun to research her proper treatment when Bess and Danziger were suddenly infected by the flower pollen. Because the two latter crewmember's health were in dire straits and required all of her immediate attention, Julia had set aside Devon's less urgent case with the promise to keep a watchful eye on her.

Devon seemed to be doing quite well when Eden Advance had abandoned the winter camp for greener pastures. But almost the very moment they'd entered that cursed valley, the crew began to sicken, prompting Devon's seemingly mild plight to be put on the back burner yet again.

Now after running test after test on the various samples gathered from Devon, Julia continued to be dumbfounded. Clinically, there didn't seem to be a root cause of this current illness and her lack of a neural implant seemed to be irrelevant. This left the doctor to grudgingly hypothesize that Devon's previously diagnosed condition which certainly hadn't been any sort of a threat to her life, had somehow triggered her organ failure. And Julia had no clue as to how or why this would happen.

The physician rubbed at her eyes yet again and checked her chronometer to confirm that it was still indeed morning. As she rotated the eyepiece of her gearset in order to search for answers that were perhaps hidden in a few of the older entries in Devon's archived vid-files, she was shaken back to attention by the rattling of test tubes clanking against one another on her desk. Suddenly, the table, her chair and the ground around her feet began to quake and Julia could feel the whooshing vibration of two Terrians tunneling through the earth just beneath her. She swung her chair around just as the creatures sprouted from the dirt a few feet behind her work station. This prompted the doctor to jump in her chair so high that she was surprised that her head didn't come into direct contact with one of the tent's support poles.

Julia wasn't sure if Alonzo had coincidentally been near the med-quarters at that moment or if he'd simply sensed the Terrians' arrival due to his growing relationship with them and had immediately sprinted to the location. Either way, the pilot suddenly burst through the tent's entrance, joining a still seated Julia who had yet to say a word. Both witnessed the beings as they immediately got down to business by beginning a long series of simultaneous trills which sounded almost mournful to Julia's ears.

Once the creatures' overlapping echoes had ceased, Julia turned to Alonzo for a translation.

"Is this about Devon? Are they here to help us?" she asked.

Having understood every word and feeling that the Terrians had conveyed, the pilot was clearly in a state of shock as he digested what he'd just learned. "Yeah, they need to talk to us about some things," he nodded.

He turned to meet Julia's eyes and grabbed her hand, furthering, "The Terrians know why Devon is dying."

________________________________________________________

As the sun was in the homestretch of its daylong journey westward, Alonzo was on a quest of his own as he diligently searched the campsite. Julia and his unscheduled meeting with the Terrians had lasted nearly three hours. After the creatures' return to the earth, the couple had spent the remainder of the afternoon fine-tuning their plan to accomplish a task that had seemed beyond their reach only hours before. And now it was time to bring John Danziger into the loop.

Alonzo had a pretty good idea where Danziger was. Only hours after Devon had been placed in coldsleep, the mechanic had instructed the members of Eden Advance to unload their supplies and to re-erect the campsite in the shadow of Franklin Bennett's ship, just as it had been before. He then relocated all three vehicles to the outskirts of camp, far away from the nearest tent. It was obvious to everyone that John had done this to provide himself with a much needed hiding place and that's where Alonzo assumed that he could be located.

As the pilot made his way through the somber campsite, he stopped just outside of the navigation tent where Bess and Denner were washing their personal laundry in a large metal tub.

After exchanging greetings, he asked, "Have either of you seen Danziger around?"

Bess halted her scrubbing and gave the sleep-jumper a sad smile. "He's been with the kids all day."

"Actually, I saw him head towards the 'Rover about a half an hour ago," Denner interjected, motioning behind her. "I think he was pretty pissed off."

"Why?" came the simultaneous question from Alonzo and Bess.

Denner matched Bess' sullen expression. "He accidentally overheard Walman and Baines talking," she revealed. "They were wonderin' how long we're all gonna wait around before giving up and headin' on to New Pacifica. At first, Danziger looked like he was gonna blow a gasket. But then he said all calm-like that we aren't going anywhere. He said he'd made a promise to Devon that he'd keep the group together. And that she was part of the group and we're not leaving without her."

She continued with a shrug of her shoulders, "Then he stormed off toward the 'Rover and I haven't seen him since."

The trio took a moment to silently reflect before Bess summarized what all three were thinking. "He misses Devon," she expressed. "This has been really tough on him. Tougher than he'd ever admit to anyone; or to himself, for that matter."

And they don't know the half of it, Alonzo thought to himself as he let out a deep exhalation. "Thanks for pointing me in the right direction," he relayed as he as he reinitiated his quest to find Eden Advance's provisional leader.

It didn't take him long at all. The pilot edged his way along the camp's perimeter, carefully avoiding the newly positioned grave markers for Franklin Bennett, Elizabeth Anson and the four other crew members of the Venus class starship who'd perished when their first-generation coldsleep crypts had malfunctioned. As he rounded the rear bed of the Transrover, he noticed that the driver's side door to the vehicle was wide open and there was a pile of tools carefully laid across the front seat. He squinted in the waning sunlight to view John Danziger wedged completely underneath the main console. As Alonzo closed in, it became apparent that, although the mechanic had seemingly started some sort of repair, judging by the lack of movement and his anguished expression, he'd clearly lost interest in the project.

John snapped to attention and his face hardened into stone when he noticed Alonzo's presence. "What are you doin' here?" he muttered, reaching for a random tool to give the appearance that he was busy.

"Julia sent me to get you," Alonzo said plainly.

There was no missing the flash of panic in Danziger's eyes. "Is she-"

"No, Devon's the same," the pilot quickly interrupted to ease John's fears. "But we need to talk. I need you to put aside what you're doing and come with me right now."

Alonzo's rigid face and posturing made it clear that he wouldn't accept no for an answer. He'd figured that Danziger would go without a fuss, but taking into account Danziger's current overburdened and grief-stricken state of mind, there really wasn't any certainty as to what his reaction would be.

Luckily, Danziger didn't take issue with the pilot's orders. He wriggled his oversized frame out from the cramped space and used his voice-print to securely lock the vehicle before falling into step beside Alonzo. Both were lost in their thoughts and no conversation was offered between the two friends as they entered the more populated section of camp.

Danziger couldn't hide his surprise when Alonzo led him past the Med-tent, and he definitely couldn't mask his alarm when he realized that his meeting with Alonzo and Julia was going to take place inside Franklin Bennett's ship.

John hadn't been back to the vessel since placing Devon in her cryo-crypt and he certainly hadn't emotionally prepared himself to visit her now. As he descended the ladder behind Alonzo, he kept his eyes pointed straight ahead and purposely avoided even the quickest of glances in the direction of the chamber in which Devon was entombed.

Julia was in the largest room of the ship with her back to the approaching pair, busily punching away at the buttons on one of the vessel's built-in datapads. Danziger noticed that she seemed more energetic than he'd seen her in days and he tried his best not to read too much into it.

"So, uh, what's the verdict, Doc?" Danziger asked, hoping to get this over with so he could get out of the ship as quickly as possible. "You found something?"

The doctor halted her actions and swiveled toward John to give him her complete attention. There was no doubt in her mind that being in Bennett's ship again had to be an excruciating experience for the mechanic. And little did he know that it was about to get much harder.

"We're planning to cycle Devon's cryotube up first thing in the morning," she informed him. "I'm going to need you here for the entire process in case we have any electrical issues."

She ignored the burst of emotion that flashed in John's eyes as she furthered, "And sometime between now and then, I'd also like you to perform a general diagnostic of the ship's plasma core. I know that Devon has only been under for three days, but the age of these crypts makes me nervous. I don't want to risk a repeat of what happened last time."

It took Danziger a moment or two to absorb the full gravity of her words. "So you figured out why she's sick? You can fix her?" he asked, still working as hard as he could to stifle his hope for fear that he'd just be let down even more in the end.

"Yes and no," she answered. "I mean, the news is good. Alonzo spoke with the Terrians and they have a plan to help her. They also explained why she went into organ failure."

The physician let out a sigh before continuing, "This is where the news isn't so good. And it's important that we talk to you beforehand. You need to be brought up to speed on this... because what's already happened to Devon and what's going to happen to her... well, this affects you, too."

Danziger's brow furrowed, unsure as to where the conversation was heading. "I don't understand."

Julia and Alonzo traded an uneasy look before she relayed, "If all goes well tomorrow morning, I fully believe that she will make a complete recovery. But..."

She paused uncomfortably. Let the fishing expedition begin, she thought to herself. "Did Devon ever tell you that she came to me a few weeks ago complaining of fatigue and an upset stomach?"

Danziger shook his head.

Not getting the answer that she'd hoped for, Julia plowed forward, her awkwardness increasing with each syllable. "Did you notice that Devon had recently gained a bit of weight?"

Now John was definitely confused. "Sure, and I was glad to see her put on a few pounds. As thin as she was, I worried that she'd been giving Uly some of her rations. Why?"

Julia and Alonzo exchanged another glance while inhaling deep, simultaneous breaths. It was clear to them both that Devon had purposely kept Danziger in the dark about her health.

As such, Julia was forced to cut through the now molasses-thick tension and reveal something that she knew would change Danziger's life forever.

"John," she said plainly. "Devon was pregnant."

The mechanic's head and shoulders immediately lurched backward and his entire body visibly tightened. Alonzo sprang into action, hastily locating and rolling over a nearby chair. He slid the wheeled furniture next to Danziger, silently motioning for him to sit down before he toppled over like a statue and landed right next to his jaw which had relocated south the moment Julia's monumental words had been spoken.

"That can't be true," he finally croaked out.

Julia grabbed another chair and placed it directly across from him, seating herself. Alonzo stood behind her with his hands supportively on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry that she didn't tell you," she said sympathetically. "I wasn't sure if she had. And at the time, I was bound by my oath as Devon's physician to keep her medical issues confidential."

Danziger raked his hand through his tangled curls. "Then why are you telling me now?"

"Because I'm going to need your full cooperation and it's important that you're fully brought up to speed on all of the details. Devon's life is at stake and, as far as I'm concerned, that supercedes doctor/patient privilege. Plus, I think that you have a right to know."

She swallowed hard before continuing, "And before we go any further, I also need to tell you the very sad news that the baby did not survive. I'm very sorry."

Julia considered reaching out for John's hand in a comforting gesture as she spoke, but quickly realized that the mechanic looked as though he'd recoil from any and all physical contact.

He wore a shellshocked expression and was clearly too stunned to speak as Julia continued with her explanation.

"I've known about Devon's pregnancy for some time, but I'd never considered the idea that it was somehow connected to her illness. She'd seemed to become sick right along with the rest of us. It wasn't until after we placed her in cryosleep and I listened to her gearlog that I learned that she didn't have a bio-stat chip. It was a terrible coincidence, and one that almost killed her."

Alonzo took up where Julia left off, inwardly noting that Danziger looked as though he'd just been struck by a sledgehammer. And it was only going to get worse.

"Today, the Terrians came to us. And the first thing they did was to apologize, John," he relayed with both reservation and sadness. "Because it turns out that they were the ones who almost caused her death."

Before Danziger could react, Julia was quick to clarify, "The Terrains-- the planet itself-- had somehow known that Devon was with child. Not only that, it had detected that her fetus possessed the same hereditary Syndrome strain as Uly."

She furthered, "Their intention had been an honorable one. All they'd wanted to do was to help Devon have a normal, healthy baby. The planet tried to eradicate the strain while the fetus was still in the womb, as opposed to Devon giving birth to a sick child and then having to wait until he or she was old enough to undergo the same change that Uly had. In fact, their goal was to fix the fetus without encoding it with any Terrian traits at all. And the planet never expected Devon to be aware of what it had done on her and her baby's behalf."

Alonzo cut in, "At first there weren't any problems and Devon's body accepted the cure. But then her organs began to shut down and, even now, the Terrians have no idea why. And they're also devastated that the fetus was accidentally aborted in the process."

While Alonzo was speaking, John's gaze nosedived to the floor. This prompted the pilot to round Julia's chair and bend down on one knee in order to reinitiate eye contact with the mechanic.

"They're gonna do their part to heal her," Alonzo expressed with as much optimism as he could muster. "They've also learned from their mistake and they've given me their promise that this won't ever happen again."

He felt the need to add, "They're so upset over what they've done that I could actually feel their pain while I spoke with them."

At this point, Danziger seemed to be on synapses overload. His bulging eyes were still trained on the floor and he began blinking so much that Julia could almost picture the gears grinding in his brain as he sorted out the particulars.

"I'm sorry that I had to keep the details of Devon's pregnancy from you," she felt the need to reiterate, her tone laced with guilt. "This was a difficult situation for me to be in because, not only was she my patient, I consider you both to be my friends. Alonzo didn't even know until this morning when the Terrians told him."

"How far along was she?" Danziger asked in nearly a monotone, still not meeting either of their gazes.

"About thirteen weeks," the physician answered simply.

Alonzo, still leaning on one knee, angled forward to pat Danziger comfortingly on the shoulder. "Look, I know that this won't seem like much of a consolation right now, but the Terrians assured me that there's nothing stopping you two from having another baby in the future," he divulged with as much enthusiasm as possible under the circumstances. "Not only can Devon still carry a baby to term, the child will be Syndrome-free because the DNA strand which carried the disease has been permanently wiped away. It won't ever be an issue again."

Gauging by Danziger's spiritless expression, the pilot's words of encouragement had little to no effect.

"What are you going to tell the group?" he asked stoically.

"Nothing," Julia replied. "That is, nothing beyond the fact that the Terrians have come forward and offered to heal Devon. The details surrounding her illness and her cure are a private matter that will stay between the four of us. Later, you and Devon can dispense whatever information that you want to when you're ready. Or don't say anything at all. That's your choice to make, not ours."

The doctor gave Danziger's knee a reassuring squeeze to emphasize her words. "But please don't forget how much everyone here cares about you two. You're not just the leaders of our group, you're members of our family. You and Devon have suffered a terrible blow and there's not a person here who'd hesitate to offer their love and support to help get you through this."

At almost the very moment Julia had finished speaking, Danziger sprung to his feet, causing the pair to jump backward in surprise.

"Do you need me to start working on the plasma core right now or can it wait a few hours?" he asked in a low, unwavering voice, again avoiding the topic at hand.

He was already stalking off toward the exit by the time Julia responded. "The Terrians are going to start the process just after sunrise. It just needs to be done by then."

As Alonzo joined the doctor at her side, she impulsively called out, "John!"

Danziger halted mid-step, but didn't turn around.

"I know this is a lot to take in at once," she offered supportively "But try to focus on the positive. If all goes as it should, by this time tomorrow Devon will be back with us."

"And in the meantime," Alonzo offered to the still nonresponsive mechanic, "whatever you need, all you have to do is ask."

As fortune would have it, Danziger realized that he had stopped exactly at the doorway to the chamber which housed Devon's cold-sleep crypt. As Julia and Alonzo relayed their words of encouragement, Danziger was unable to resist the pull of his line of sight ever-so-slowly drifting to the side and into the room to permit himself a lingering look.

Danziger remained with his back to Julia and Alonzo and his partially rotated head still eclipsed most of his features. But even behind a curtain of unruly curls, there was no missing the sorrow etched across the mechanic's face. In fact, in Julia's eyes, Danziger looked as though he'd aged ten years from the time he'd entered Bennett's ship.

At last, John was able to force his feet to move forward again and he reinitiated the small journey out of the capsule and back to his emotional sanctuary, otherwise known as the three vehicles along the campsite's edge.

"I'll be back in an hour or two," he declared, his voice sounding numb as he listlessly climbed the ladder and retreated into the ever-darkening twilight.

There was a few moments of silence before Alonzo turned to Julia and shook his head defeatedly. "Jeez, as if the guy hasn't been through enough already."

Julia did her best to view the glass as half full, instead of half empty. "Things'll be better once Devon is awake and they can talk things out," she relayed in a hopeful tone. "They'll get through this."

However, despite her projected optimism, the doctor couldn't help but exhale a sad sigh. Over the past months, she had witnessed Devon and John slowly transition from constant adversaries to a tempestuous friendship. As they'd gotten to know one another better, the edges of their sharp personalities seemed to soften somewhat and many in the group had noticed that the pair had been spending more and more time together. Recently, there had even been a few whispers suggesting that perhaps their partnership had secretly extended well beyond simply running the day to day operations of Eden Advance. And now it was readily apparent that Devon and John had indeed become lovers. Julia wished that she could have persuaded Devon to confide in her regarding the details surrounding her pregnancy. And she certainly wished that Devon had chosen to confide in John.

Julia couldn't imagine the emotional roller coaster that Danziger must be currently enduring. She sincerely hoped that his burgeoning relationship with Devon would be able to survive this.

And most importantly, she hoped that the Terrians' cure for Devon would be a successful one. The alternative was too upsetting to dwell upon.

__________________________________________________________

Later that same evening, Julia and Alonzo jointly called a group meeting in order to fill the rest of the crew in on their plan to revive Devon the following morning. They also let the Edenites know that all of them would be barred from attending any and all activities pertaining to their leader's resurrection, but promised to keep in gear contact as much as they could regarding their progress. The pair also remained true to their word and stuck to the details of the cure, as opposed to the particulars surrounding the origin of Devon's illness. Although Danziger had been temporarily coaxed from his self-imposed seclusion to attend the gathering, he said very little.

After the meeting was dispersed, Danziger again vanished for a few hours before finally resurfacing and making a beeline directly for Bennett's ship. Julia was already there and it became blatantly obvious to her that the mechanic had no interest in engaging in conversation, so their various tasks were individually executed in complete silence. Moreover, whenever Julia's work prompted her to relocate and placed her in closer proximity to Danziger, he would immediately and soundlessly move to a different section of the ship to continue his assignments along with his need for solitude.

Danziger toiled away in the bowels of the vessel well into the early hours of the morning when the doctor finally abandoned him so that she could prepare the med-tent for Devon's return. After garnering less than two hours of uninterrupted slumber, Julia returned to the craft to find that Danziger was still there. And judging by his haggard appearance, he'd not permitted himself a single moment of sleep nor even the smallest of breaks.

As Julia performed a quick inventory of Danziger's accomplishments, she realized that he had gone way beyond what had been asked of him. Not only were the cryogenic modules in perfect working order, he'd apparently given the entire ship a complete once-over. He'd inspected each wire and coil and had performed conductivity tests on every one of the vessel's leads. He'd even gone so far as to overhaul and update the entire electrical system. So much had been achieved that Julia wondered that, if they'd somehow been able to extract the Venus-class starship from the side of the mountain without too much structural damage, whether or not it could actually be used to transport Eden Advance to New Pacifica.

The doctor searched for Danziger among the many shades of gray before locating him along the far wall of the main room of the craft as he replaced a metal panel which housed several miles of cable. She noted that John looked as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders. And at that moment, she knew just how he felt.

"You did an amazing job, John," she praised, trying to infuse as much hope into her voice as possible.

"Thanks," he muttered, briefly meeting her eyes before his gaze plummeted to the floor.

He paused to let out an exhausted breath before expressing, "I know this has been tough on you, too. You've been workin' really hard these past days and I want you to know that I appreciate all that you've done." He shook his head and swallowed hard. "Sorry that I didn't say anything before now."

Before Julia could answer him, both of their attentions were drawn upward to the craft's entrance where Alonzo appeared.

"The Terrians are ready to begin," he called down to them as he quickly descended the ladder's rungs.

Julia's stomach tightened and she traded a foreboding look with Danziger as they silently made their way into the smaller enclosure. Alonzo joined them but remained in the doorway while Julia and Danziger branched off to different sections of the room.

The physician turned toward Danziger. "Ready?" she asked, poised at the panel which monitored and controlled Devon's current cryogenic state.

Danziger stepped forward to stand directly in front of Devon's cold-sleep crypt, his eyes stinging as they adjusted to the bright light emanating from the vertical tube in the otherwise darkened room. His gaze remained trained on Devon's still form as he reached outward to slip the small Terrian staff from the door handle and set it aside on a nearby metal table. Only then did he rotate his head back to Julia and nod his affirmation that he, too, was ready to begin the process.

Once Danziger had concurred, Julia's hands were a myriad of activity as she punched in a complicated system of codes. Although it felt like several minutes to the trio of very nervous Edenites, in reality it was only a matter of seconds before the whir of the ship's cryogenic equipment came to life. And soon afterward, the small screen which monitored Devon's biorhythms began to react to their efforts.

Although Danziger had been physically ready, he clearly wasn't emotionally prepared when the door to the icy coffin automatically slid open and out fell Devon Adair into his awaiting arms. He tried to swallow his panic as he acknowledged how cold her skin felt against his own, as well as the blue hues of her lips and fingertips. Barely conscious, Devon's eyes opened ever-so-slightly though she was too weak to focus her gaze or to speak. She was also clearly fighting for every shallow, raspy breath that she took.

John scooped her pale and feather-light frame into his arms. "I gotcha now, Devon. Just hold on," he choked out, his voice uncharacteristically emotional. "You're gonna be fine."

It was uncertain if the leader had heard or understood his words, but Danziger couldn't waste time worrying about it and he sprang into action. He carried Devon into the main chamber before draping her over his shoulder and hurriedly scaling the ladder with Julia and Alonzo in hot pursuit.

The life continued to drain out of Devon's body as Danziger made his way out of the porthole-like exit and down the hill. The med quarters had been dismantled and then re-erected at the base of the small mountain in order to save precious seconds. The cure would take place there as opposed to Bennett's ship because the Terrians were unable to penetrate the craft's metal hull. Plus, it was imperative that Devon be as close to the Mother as possible.

The small group entered the tent and were greeted by six Terrians. Alonzo immediately began to interpret the creatures' instructions and, at their request, Danziger laid Devon flat on her back on the dirt floor in the center of the enclosure. Both he and Alonzo briefly averted their eyes as Devon's bathrobe was hastily removed and a light blanket placed over her in order for as much of her skin to be in direct contact with the Earth as possible. At this point the rise and fall of Devon's chest was barely discernable and her eyes had closed.

Without a moment to spare, the Terrians took over and it was almost shocking how simple the healing procedure was. In fact, it reminded the threesome of the Terrian healing remedy employed when Uly's health had briefly relapsed after Gaal had captured and enslaved an entire tribe of the creatures. However, this was on a grander scale.

Alonzo, Julia and John could only stand back and watch as the six Terrians surrounded Devon and crouched to the squatting position, their heads bowed in reverence to their Mother. Simultaneously, the beings leaned forward and placed both of their hands onto the ground. One hand remained connected to the planet's life-force while the other gathered a handful of dirt which was then generously applied to Devon's bare skin.

As they dispersed the loosened soil, one of the Terrians raised his head in John's direction and let out a small trill.

"He wants you to place a handful of dirt on Devon's head," Alonzo interpreted to the confused crewman.

Danziger immediately complied, approaching Devon's still-limp body and lowering to one knee. He dug his fingers deeply into the ground and removed a large helping of soil; so much so that the loose particles spilled from between his fingertips as he gently massaged the dirt into her auburn hair and scalp.

As the process continued, Julia came forward and ran her Diaglove over the length of Devon's body to monitor their progress.

"She's stabilizing," she exclaimed, so happy that she almost let out a relieved chuckle. "All of her life signs are strengthening."

Julia's good news inspired John to grab more dirt for Devon's head while the Terrians seemed to ignore the doctor entirely. As they continued their work, the color began to return to Devon's skin and her breathing increased in both speed and intensity. Moreover, her lungs no longer sounded as if they were filled with fluid. It wasn't long before her eyes began to flicker, though she was still unable to open them, and there was some minor twitching in her fingers and toes as the circulation returned.

Their mission complete, the Terrians' hands returned to their sides and they stood back up to their full height. As all six raised their heads and took two paces backward, a chorus of overlapping trills filled the air.

Alonzo didn't hesitate in his reply. "Yes, we understand. And we thank you for fixing your mistake and for returning our leader to us," he expressed with compassion, yet with a healthy dose of authority in his voice. "You are forgiven."

Obviously pleased with what they'd heard, the Terrians nodded in unison before vanishing back into the Earth. Not wanting to separate Devon from the planet's healing properties just yet, she remained on the dirt floor for several more minutes. Julia continued her examination while John raised Devon's head slightly in order for Alonzo to hold a cup of water to her lips. All were pleased when the leader was able to swallow a few small sips of the liquid.

With Julia's eventual endorsement, John lifted a much-improved Devon into his arms, swaddling her in the now dirt-riddled blanket as he transferred her to the comfort of a nearby cot. Though Devon's eyes had yet to reopen, Danziger felt her nestle against him and she exhaled a slow, steady breath. As soon as she was settled in her new sickbed, Julia placed a hypogun to her neck and injected a synaptic enhancer to aid in her recovery. The effect was immediate and Devon's eyes opened to view Julia as she kneeled next to her cot.

"Welcome back, Devon," Julia greeted warmly as Alonzo joined her at her side.

Devon opened her mouth as if to speak, but the doctor cut her off. "You need to conserve your energy, so don't try to talk. Just listen, okay?"

She did her best to answer the most pertinent questions that she might have, deliberately concentrating on the more positive news and leaving out the information that she'd suffered a miscarriage.

"You were only in coldsleep for four days. The Terrians healed you and you're going to enjoy a complete recovery, as long as you follow doctor's orders, of course. Uly is doing fine and I'll let him come by to see you in a few hours, once you regain a bit more of your strength. However, I see no reason why you can't have your first visitor right now."

A half-smile graced Julia's lips as she rotated her head. "Danzi-" she started to call out but stopped when she realized that she was addressing an empty space where Danziger had been standing only moments before.

Julia and Alonzo performed a quick scan of the room and, to their shock, found no sign of the mechanic. Without notice or detection, he'd slipped out of the tent sometime after depositing Devon into bed.

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Devon Adair was grateful to be alive. It had been nearly thirty-six hours since her resurrection and her health was steadily improving at an astounding pace. Though she would remain bedridden in the med-tent for at least another day, she had already regained enough strength to sit up on her own and her appetite was slowly returning. As Julia had promised, Devon had been able to share a tearful reunion with Uly the prior afternoon and he'd remained at her side the rest of the day and evening while a steady stream of overjoyed visitors were permitted brief hellos to welcome her back to the world of the living. True Danziger had even been kind enough to bring her a small vase of wildflowers which Bess had helped her pick and Julia had cleared as a nonbiohazard. However, there was one Edenite who had yet to stop by and whose conspicuous absence continued to be a source of much concern for Devon.

Of course, once she had been filled in regarding the origin of her illness, the details of her cure and of Julia and Alonzo's conversation with Danziger, Devon couldn't blame the mechanic for choosing not to visit her. However, she'd incorrectly assumed that John's need to see her would eventually outweigh any negative emotions that he currently harbored. And as the hours ticked by, she was filled with doubt that John would ever come of his own volition.

Desperately needing to see and speak with Danziger, Devon finally decided to take matters into her own hands. Still too frail to leave her cot, she'd had Uly retrieve her gearset and she'd attempted to initiate contact herself. When John failed to respond to her call, she'd switched channels and tried again. Never one to give up easily, even in her impaired physical state, Devon continued to call him every few minutes over the span of several hours without success. As the sun began to set, Devon ultimately abandoned the quest, though she resolved that the very moment that she'd regained enough strength to exit the tent on her own, her first act would be to march straight to Danziger and force him to acknowledge her. She had to somehow make him understand the reason for the choices that she'd made, so they could begin to repair their fractured relationship.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait that long. Julia had just finished her final round of tests for the evening and Uly had climbed onto Devon's cot with the intention of reciting his favorite bedtime story which he'd memorized thanks to Danziger's repeated telling when the trio's attention was drawn to the tent's opening. The crease of the fabric was pulled back ever so slowly, briefly allowing them a glimpse of the distant flicker of the campfire before a large shadow stepped forward to block their view.

"Hi, Mr. Danziger!" Uly greeted excitedly.

"Hey there, Kiddo," came the rather subdued response as John entered the dwelling. He halted several steps shy of Devon's sickbed and his face remained concealed in the shadows.

Uly was oblivious to the immediate tension in the room, though he wasn't sure why everyone had stopped talking all of the sudden. Meanwhile, Julia observed Devon noticeably gulp. The leader's breath seemed to be caught in her throat as she straightened her posturing and folded her hands neatly on her lap. At the same time, Danziger rocked back on his heels awkwardly and jammed both of his hands deep into the pockets of his jacket.

The silence stretched uncomfortably onward until Julia beckoned to Uly, "Why don't we let your Mom and Mr. Danziger catch up with one another, huh?"

"Okay," Uly said brightly before leaning forward to give Devon a tight hug. "I'll tell you the rest of the pirate story tomorrow."

"Sounds good, Sweetie," she said, returning his embrace. "You go to bed when Yale tells you to, all right?"

Uly pulled his head back to gawk at her in confusion. "You mean Mr. Danziger, right Mom?" he corrected. "He's the one who's been taking care of me until you get better."

Now Devon was at a loss for words again. "Of course," she expressed. "You mind John and do whatever he tells you to."

"Uh-huh," Uly said. He bounded full-speed toward the door but was stopped mid-step when a large hand reached out of the semi-darkness to plant itself firmly on the little boy's shoulder.

"True's at the campfire. Why don't you two hang out there for a while and I'll be along soon," Danziger directed, his fatherly tone giving the false impression that the child had a choice in the matter.

"Mm-kay," he agreed as the mechanic retracted his arm and Uly wasted no time racing over the threshold. As the tent flap fell to a close behind him, there was a final 'See ya', Mom' as the boy vanished into the sights and sounds of nearby camp.

Julia's departure was much more restrained as she gathered her med-bag and Diaglove. She gave Devon's wrist an encouraging squeeze and traded a silent nod with Danziger before quietly exiting the enclosure.

Now that their privacy was assured, several more seconds of uncomfortable stillness passed between the pair. Devon squinted into the shadows in a failed attempt to discern the details of Danziger's face.

"Aren't you going to come any closer?" she asked, nervously.

She heard the mechanic exhale a deep breath before he edged forward several small paces and stepped into the light. Although he was now in closer physical proximity to her, Devon could see by the grimness of his expression that he was farther away than ever.

She decided to begin their conversation by stating the obvious. "You haven't stopped by to see me since I was healed."

"I've been busy gettin' the vehicles ready. I figure we'll be leavin' as soon as you're up and around," he said softly, his voice nearly monotone in nature.

Devon tried her best not to sound admonishing as she relayed, "You know, I've been calling you all day, but you weren't wearing your gear."

"Yeah, I was," came the plain reply.

Devon's brow creased in bewilderment. "You didn't answer any of my calls."

"So what else is new?" he shrugged.

His response caused both of them to emit slight snorts before their eyes saddened again and there was yet another lapse of stillness.

Devon was inwardly kicking herself. She had so much that she'd wanted to say to John, yet now that she had at last been provided the opportunity, she was overwhelmed by a tsunami of emotions. And given the current circumstances, she could only imagine what inner turmoil Danziger was currently experiencing.

"Julia tells me that you played a major role in bringing me out of coldsleep. She says that without your help, I wouldn't be here right now," she remarked, hoping to kickstart the conversation.

He shook his head. "Nah, not really. The Diggers pretty much did everything," he replied, prompting Devon to note that, as usual, Danziger had downplayed his importance in the lives of those around him. This only served to increase her guilt and despair over several of her actions over the past months.

Understanding that she could no longer delay bringing certain details out into the open, she pushed forward. "I also want you to know that I set Julia and Alonzo straight about the presumptions they'd made about our relationship. And my... situation."

She paused and her voice reflected her anguish as well as her confusion as she asked, "Why didn't you tell them the truth?"

Danziger took another cautious step forward, yet opted to remain standing instead of taking advantage of the chair placed directly next to her cot. He looked as if the mere act of drawing breath was almost too much for him.

"Wasn't my place," he sighed. "If you'd wanted them to know, you woulda told 'em yourself."

"So you let them believe-"

"It didn't matter what they believed," John said, cutting her off, his voice still just above a whisper. "It only mattered that they finally figured out why you were sick and how to bring you back."

The leader exhaled another dispirited breath. "Well, I'm sorry that you were placed in that position," she expressed with sadness. "I'm sorry for a lot of things. And I owe you an explanation."

Danziger shook his head and Devon didn't miss that his eyes lingered at the tent's exit, as if he was perhaps considering another quick getaway.

"You owe me nothing," he finally muttered.

"I owe you everything," she proclaimed, launching herself forward to grab his hand with both of her own in order to prevent his possible departure. "You're my best friend and one of the very few people in my life who I can trust. I should have been honest with you. I should have told you the moment that I found out that I was pregnant. But I didn't know how to do that. I thought that you would hate me and I couldn't risk losing you."

John knifed roughly through his curls with his free hand. "For God's sake, Adair, how long did you think that you could keep that a shanking secret?" he erupted in exasperation.

"I wasn't thinking," she expressed, stung by the fact that John had chosen to call her by her more impersonal surname. "I messed up. I know that I've hurt you deeply and you have every right to be furious at me. But please just give me a chance to explain."

Still grasping his hand, Devon marshaled her strength and pulled downward to coerce him to seat himself on the chair next to her bed. As he grudgingly acquiesced, he set his jaw in stone, clearly bracing himself for what she was about to tell him.

"I know that we've never talked about Shepard... or really anything about our time in the underground caves," she began. "A lot happened down there and I guess that it sort of became an unspoken rule between us that it was best just to move forward. But we need to discuss it now because it's the only way to make you understand."

Danziger could only sit there like a statue as Devon dove into her explanation. "I was told that Shepard had sent for me across the Heavens. And it was true. I didn't remember him at first. He knew things about me that no one else did and it frightened me more than you can imagine."

"I didn't have to imagine anything, Devon. I could see it on your face when you told me," Danziger felt the need to interject. After all, he'd been there, too.

Devon nodded before proceeding, "But things changed. What I've never told you is that I knew Shepard while I was still on the Stations. But we'd never met in person because, by that time, he'd already been jettisoned here to G889 as a penal colonist. And even though we were light years apart, he was literally the man of my dreams."

There was no missing the revulsion on Danziger's face as she spoke. It was clear to Devon that Danziger's opinion of the man hadn't changed since the moment they'd been introduced.

She did her best to explain her unusual and rather complicated relationship with Shepard. "You have to understand that back when Uly was diagnosed with The Syndrome, I was so overwhelmed. I was heartbroken and terrified and I'd never felt so completely alone. Then Shepard came into my life and took some of that away. And sometimes he'd help to guide me through decisions."

Her eyes brightened and there was a soft, fleeting smile. "He was the one responsible for telling me about G889. He said that Uly could live a long, healthy life here. And he was right."

Devon tightened her grip on John's hand. "When I finally realized who he was and the profound effect he'd had on my life and the life of my son... I can't put into words how happy I was. Finding him again turned my whole world upside down. I couldn't think or see straight. Suddenly, picking up with Shepard where we'd left off so many years before took precedence over everything else, even the mission to New Pacifica. That was why I was willing to let you and True return to camp without me. I was prepared to stay as long as it took to convince Shepard to come with us. I didn't want to be separated from him ever again."

Devon's face darkened. "But then he was killed and our lives changed again. The Elder promised that Shepard would find me again and he was right. The very first night that we were back at the BioDome, Shepard dreamed to me."

Danziger's shock over the bombshell that Devon had been in contact with Shepard since his death prompted him to yank his hand from her's as his back went ramrod straight. In fact, he looked as if he'd just been gutted like a fish.

"I was so relieved that he'd come back to me and he began to visit me in my dreams every few days," she continued, trying her best to ignore the mechanic's expression. "But after you and I were transported to the East coast shoreline, I realized that the relationship that Shepard and I once had could never be repeated. Back in the caves, he'd told me that I was no longer the same person who he'd met all of those years ago and he'd been right. I'm not unhappy or alone anymore. As hard as life has sometimes been, I'm now surrounded by people like you John; friends who look out for me and who care for me as much as I care for you."

Emotion swelled in her voice and she spoke slowly, choosing each word with great consideration. "I let Shepard know that I'd always be grateful to him for all that he'd done for me and that I'll always cherish our time together, but I wasn't in love with him. He'd asked me if given more time, if I could somehow be swayed, but I said that it was too late... that my heart already belonged to someone else. I said that it would be best if he didn't contact me again and he agreed. And I haven't seen him since that night."

Danziger's eyes noticeably widened, his mind and heart obviously engaged in a heated debate over whether or not Devon had just confessed that she'd chosen him over Shepard. And quite possibly whether or not it mattered at this point.

He was still attempting to sort it all out as Devon pressed onward. "And then our situation changed again. I found out that my short time with Shepard had produced a child. I didn't know what to do. I could barely handle the news myself, much less discuss it with you or anyone else."

She shook her head in defeat. "Of course, I knew that I couldn't put off telling you forever, but I wanted to hold off for as long as I possibly could. Things were going well between us and I didn't want to do anything to disrupt that. I was just reaching the point where there was a noticeable change in my physical appearance when the group started getting sick. And then Eben died... and I'm watching all of you wither away before my eyes...."

The leader paused to swallow the lump forming in her throat. "Anyway, that's a discussion for another time, but I just needed you to know how sorry I am for keeping my pregnancy from you. And for you having to deal with Julia and Alonzo's assumption that you were the child's father."

As she'd spoken, Danziger had gradually wilted forward in his seat with his elbows resting on his knees. His gaze was squarely on the floor and he rubbed hard at his ebbing temples.

"If we all hadn't started droppin' like flies in this godforsaken valley, what would you have done?" he asked. "I mean, what were you plannin' on telling me?"

"The truth," she answered simply, trying in vain to meet his still-lowered eyes. This was also when she first noticed several beads of perspiration on his brow. "That I was going to have a baby. Shepard's baby. And that I was going to need your friendship more than ever."

Devon's hand involuntarily drifted to her stomach, feeling for the baby that no longer grew within her womb. "Even though my child may not have been conceived in love, it would have been raised in it," she expressed, her tone thick with grief over her loss. "I'd hoped that, over time, you and I would have worked through our differences and I'd have your full support and your guidance. I'd hoped that you would have become a father figure to this child, much like you have to Uly."

Devon held her breath as she anticipated John's reply, desperately wishing for a positive response-- or any response, really-- to her words, especially considering the enormity of what she'd just told him. Instead, she was disheartened to watch Danziger silently shake his head several times before lumbering to his feet.

"Okay, I think we've talked enough for tonight. Don't wanna wear you out," he relayed, his voice and drooped shoulders reflecting how overburdened he'd become.

"Wait," she implored, bewildered at how quickly things had turned. "You don't have to leave yet."

Danziger's crestfallen gaze finally met hers. "Yeah, I do," he said quietly.

"But don't you have anything to say to me?" she posed, still trying to elicit a reaction from him, even a negative one. "Anything at all?"

"Not right now, no."

Devon was unwilling to let him go that easily. "John, I know that you feel betrayed... in several ways," she acknowledged, her face riddled with concern. "Are we going to be able to get past this?"

John's body language became more severe. "Don't have much of a choice, do we?" he shrugged.

Devon's voice was saturated with emotion as she exclaimed, "I'm not talking about working together to get to New Pacifica, I'm talking about us.... our friendship. I'm talking about our feelings for one another.... another subject where there seems to some unspoken rule between us that we can never discuss."

His eyes narrowed. "You know, maybe that's also a conversation for another time, don't ya' think?" he suggested while he folded his arms tightly across his chest, clearly becoming annoyed.

"When?" she pressed.

Feeling cornered, Danziger let out an mirthless snort and tossed his hands skyward. "I don't know, Devon. I'm not like you. I can't plan out the next decade of my life in advance like you can."

He briefly clamped his eyes shut and inhaled a cleansing breath in order to compose himself. "Look, you talked. I listened," he relayed in a much calmer tone. "Maybe the best thing for you to do right now is to concentrate on gettin' better and puttin' us back on the road again. And I'll concentrate on... well, there's always plenty of shit around here to keep me busy."

Without waiting for Devon's response, John immediately vacated her bedside and backtracked toward the tent's exit while Devon digested how horribly wrong their encounter had gone. Of course she'd anticipated that John would be upset-- and quite possibly infuriated-- by her actions. But once everything was finally out in the open, she'd expected him to at least partially understand her choices.

Moreover, she'd hoped that they'd immediately be able to begin the process of healing their wounded relationship and putting all of this unpleasantness behind them. And there was no ignoring or suppressing her grief over the child that she had lost, She'd been counting on John's unyielding support to help her get through the next days. In fact, now more than ever, she recognized just how much she needed Danziger's presence in her life. And she also desperately needed his forgiveness.

"Please don't go yet," Devon blurted out just as Danziger reached the threshold, causing him to halt in his tracks.

"Stay here for a while longer," she implored to the back of his head. "Talk to me. Tell me what you're thinking."

John craned his neck back in her direction and his eyes were hard. "You don't wanna know what I'm thinking right now."

"Yes, I do," she insisted.

The ice cold tremor in his voice spoke volumes. "Trust me, you don't."

There was no fluctuation in his tone as he furthered, "I think it's best that we call it a night, for both of our sakes."

Devon closed her eyes, remembering the promises she'd elicited from Danziger after her first collapse. She pictured his serious yet vulnerable expression as he vowed to keep the group together and to take care of Uly if she didn't make it with the rest of them. She recalled the sensation of his hand delicately stroking her hair as he'd assured her that they would all get through this together. She'd believed every word then and, by the look on his face, he'd appeared to believe it, too. But after today's conversation, now she wasn't so sure on either count.

Devon let out a dispirited sigh. Though she'd wanted nothing more than to know what was going on in Danziger's clearly spinning head, it was evident that to push him any further would likely damage them both beyond repair. So she decided to cut her losses.

Now it was her turn to avoid eye contact. "Okay," she whispered. "But whenever you're ready to talk, I'll be here."

John matched, then surpassed her strained, dejected tone. "Yeah, well, none of us are exactly gettin' off this rock anytime soon, are we?"

His words and demeanor shook Devon to her very core. Her gaze was still centered on the floor and she blinked back her brimming tears, unable to speak.

"Anything else?" Danziger barked a little too loudly for both of their tastes. He immediately dialed back his intensity and took a full breath before asking again, "Is there anything you need? Do you want me to have Julia bring you a sleep aid?"

Devon's eyes lifted and returned to Danziger's, all but certain that buried deep beneath the layers of pain and betrayal, there had been the faintest glimmer of compassion-- of the affection that she'd grown so used to hearing-- in his voice. She was determined to hear it again.

"I'm fine," she assured, trying to convey a host of emotions in her tone, including her deep regret for all that she'd put him through.

Devon's face fell when Danziger's immediate reaction was to reharden his expression back into stone.

"I'll send in Uly to say goodnight one more time before he goes to bed," he declared.

Devon was clearly overwhelmed and, in stark contrast to John whose face and voice seemed void of all emotion, she openly displayed her devastation.

"Actually, I think that I'd rather be alone right now," she said cheerlessly, the tears reappearing in the corners of her eyes.

Danziger reached behind him to part open the tent crease and the indifferent tone of his reply sent a shudder down Devon's spine.

"You're the boss."

Without another word or glance, Danziger allowed the canvas flap to fall to a close behind him. Devon's mouth was agape and it took her several moments to regain the ability to breathe again. At last, she exhaled a series of stunned gasps and she pressed her hand against her chest to quell her loudly thumping heart.

Based upon Danziger's 'boss' comment, she worried that in Danziger's shattered frame of mind, the two of them had regressed all the way backward to simply an employer/employee dynamic. Devon sunk back into her cot defeatedly. There was no way that she could let that happen. At least, not without one hell of a fight.

She pulled the blankets up tightly around her as she forced herself to calm down and steady her thoughts. It was imperative that she approach this predicament rationally and not let her emotions get the best of her. In fact, there was no better moment than this to put her innate optimism to good use.

There was little doubt that this had been a major setback in their relationship. However, she had to have faith that the damage she'd caused wasn't irrevocable. And fortunately for her, time was on her side.

Danziger had been correct in that, for now, she needed to focus her energies on returning to her prior good health as quickly as possible, along with reinitiating Eden Advance's journey to New Pacifica. Once she was recuperated and the group was far away from this terrible valley, her efforts could be concentrated elsewhere.

Obviously, her interaction with John would be rocky at first. He'd do his best to avoid her, but this would be nearly impossible to achieve for any extensive period of time. After all, he was her second in command and his input was integral to the success and the very survival of Eden Advance. Moreover, he was glaringly aware of his obligations to those who had placed their trust in him and he wasn't the type of man to shirk his responsibilities. This would also definitely work in her favor.

Undoubtedly, each new day would provide new opportunities for Devon to slowly chip away at the mechanic's hardened heart and prove to him that she was indeed worthy of his trust and his companionship. And one day, perhaps far down the road, she would eventually win back his love.

Of course, it was imperative that Devon exude patience and she would have to resist the inclination to pursue him romantically. But if other areas of their relationship were successfully restored, it would be all but impossible for Danziger to continue to deny their mutual attraction for one another. The pair could finally act upon their feelings which they had kept buried for far too long already.

Already feeling much better, Devon reached over to the makeshift nightstand beside her bed and turned down the lumalantern, propelling the room into near blackness. However, true to form, her gaze instinctively sought out and located a small pocket of moonlight filtering in through a tear in the tent's fabric.

Though her body remained severely weakened by her ordeal, her resolve was now stronger than ever. Over the next several hours, Devon's eyes remained wide open while her brain focused on working out various strategies, as well as finding logical solutions to the obstacles which she and Danziger might encounter on their mutual path to recovery. And she was surprisingly encouraged, if not downright excited by her prospects.

One thing was for certain: Devon was most definitely up to the challenge. And she had a feeling that, deep down, so was John.

THE END

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