IF YOU GIVE ME A CHANCE
By
Lizzy
Timeline: On way to New Pacifica
Author's E-Mail: heckercw@voicenet.com
AUTHOR'S NOTES:
Hiya,
Well, for all your informations (did that sound right?), *I* did finish this one, but I'm gonna make you wait anyway <g>. If you've never heard of me, don't fret. I've never heard of me either <g>. According to Leigh, this story and the ones that come after it ought to be posted at Earth-2 G889 by the end of today, but who knows. I figured I'd just send them on the mailing list 'cause I feel like it. Any objections??
I don't know if all of this will make it . . . I had a bit of trouble getting it all to Leigh . . . so if the end is missing (should finish with 'End pt 1') just tell me and I'll do it over <sigh>.
So here it is, "If You Give Me A Chance Part 1" by Lizzy.
=P! I think I need a better name. Any suggestions? Anywho, on with the show. This is a story that explains how *I* think Devon and Danziger will finally get together. Vicki Firth's had her moment, now it's *my* turn!!!
Anyway, all of those disclaimers apply. This is the first of my ff work.=)'s, ?'s go to heckercw@voicenet.com
IF YOU GIVE ME A CHANCE, Part 1
By Lizzy
Devon Adair shivered in the air of the brisk, autumn morning. No one else in the Eden Advance camp was up; it was just her. She stood on the banks of a river they'd discovered upon arrival the day before, surveying the land ahead. Behind them lay a mountain range that had taken them a good two weeks to cross, and ahead flowed a river. They were planning on looking for a shallow spot in the river so they could ford it, and not have to leave behind any vehicles.
Morning on G889 was one of the few pleasures that Devon was ever able to enjoy by herself. Very rarely were any of the others awake this early in the morning. It would still be another few hours before Julia, or Bess, or Yale, or Alonzo would wake and start a campfire for breakfast. For now, the land belonged to Devon.
Though she wasn't quite the only *creature* up. Grendlers could be heard howling in the distance, and Devon could've sworn she heard a koba rustling in the bushes behind her.
As she breathed out, she noted the fact that her breath turned into a fine mist. It appeared they would no longer be dreaming of air conditioning. Devon shivered, wondering if they'd reach the safe haven of New Pacifica before having to face yet another frighteningly cold winter on G889.
Besides the sounds of the insects, and some of the larger animals on the planet, it was completely silent. The sound of silence was one that Devon had come to appreciate while on this planet. Back on the stations, *something* was always on. There were the air recirculators, the thrumming of the power cells, the thrusters used to correct their orbit if they accidentally veered closer to their fiery death in the atmosphere . . . something.
The sun was merely a sliver on the horizon. The rate at which it was rising made the change in location almost imperceptible to the human eye, though it was quite visible once it crested the hills. They'd had over three hundred sunrises on this planet, and yet Devon could still appreciate the wonder of it all.
A loud rustling in the bushes behind her caused Devon to whirl around. Startled, she found herself staring into the eyes of John Danziger, who was equally surprised. "John!" she exclaimed, "What are you doing up?"
He seemed to have recovered faster than her, and asked, as if he'd never been surprised to find her there, "Funny, I was gonna ask you the same thing."
Devon shrugged absently, and turned back towards the view of the rising sun. "I'm always up this early. Gives me time to think."
Danziger dropped into the damp grass beside her, and took a look at what she was looking at. "I doubt I want to know about what." he chuckled.
"I doubt you do." Devon said.
"Real quiet out," he pointed out the obvious. It was apparent he was trying to make conversation with her, but Devon wasn't willing. Conversation with John Danziger always made her feel awkward, exposed. Even when they were arguing. Especially when they were arguing.Devon simply nodded, trying to focus her attention on the rising sun. They sat in silence for a few minutes, and just as the sun was almost all the way up over the horizon, and she was about to get up and go back to her tent before Uly woke up and found her missing, when Danziger suddenly said, "Wait a sec Adair, just hold it right there," he made a picture frame with his hands and said, "Yeah, there, the way the light reflects of your face . . . . Definite Kodak moment." Devon shook her head, and tried to stop the blush from creeping to her cheeks. He always managed to unnerve her.
"I . . . I'm going to go back to my tent now . . . " she said, and got up off the ground, wiping her hands on her pants. "Uly . . . Uly might wake up or something. Don't want to scare him, you know."
Danziger nodded, but seemed a bit disappointed. So Devon got up and went back to her tent, and was relieved that Uly was still sleeping peacefully. It was only five minutes after she'd crept back into bed when she was lamenting the fact that she'd chickened out again. *How the hell does he do that to me?* she asked herself, but didn't know the answer.
As with most days of travel on G889, the dawn brought, along with the calling of birds, yet another obstacle for the Eden Advance. On this particular morning it took the form of a raging river.
Devon sighed as she surveyed the situation. It seemed pretty grim; there was no place shallow enough at their current position to ford it. It appeared that they'd have to send out scout teams in both directions down the bank of the river. Devon hated splitting her team of sixteen people up, and hated even more having to stop and await their return.
It was September again; their second on this planet. The Eden Project's tents were set up in a small clearing a few yards from the banks of the river, amid a thin forest of trees that had begun to shed their leaves.
There was a line of drowsy colonists by the Transrover, as Julia Heller unloaded a crate full of spirolina bars for breakfast. Among them was Devon's nine--but almost ten, she had to remind herself--year old son Ulysses. Uly was carrying on a conversation with True, Danziger's ten year old daughter.
The two were quite close in age and usually got on well, but were prone to rather heated arguments over the most frivolous of things, just like their parents.
*John . . . * Devon thought to herself, *Can't live *with* you . . . As usual, she couldn't bring herself to add 'can't live without you,' because she knew the thought would only bring about the usual confusion and turmoil associated with her complex relationship with the man. It also reminded her of the night before. *Was he making a pass at me?* she couldn't help but wonder, *No, he wouldn't do that. That's too juvenile, too direct. He wouldn't think of doing anything of the sort. Plus, he knows how I'd react, no matter my feelings.*
Deciding she needed a cup of rehydrated coffee and perhaps a bit of spirolina to clear her thoughts, Devon headed over to the others. As she approached, True and Uly's conversation immediately ceased and they shuffled ahead in the line to accept a spirolina bar from Dr. Heller.
"What're you two talking about this morning?" she asked the children. Not prying, but honestly curious.
Uly shrugged as he headed over to the DuneRail with his food and sat in one of the two seats. True did the same, and Devon leaned against the roll bar while munching on her breakfast. "Nothing," he said.
Devon saw True give Uly a sharp jab in the side with her elbow. "Kobas," she corrected, "We were talking about kobas."
Devon tried not to look amused, since it was quite obvious that that was *not* what they had been talking about. They were probably plotting some prank . . . she'd have to watch out.
"Well, we'll probably get moving soon," Devon said brightly, trying to put their river obstacle out of her mind and enjoy her breakfast.
"Don't know about that, Adair," Devon turned and once again came face-to-face with Danziger. Images from the morning flashed before her eyes, as well as his words. 'The way the light reflects off your face . . . '
She followed his gaze to the rough, white-capped waters of the river a number of the group had opted to call the Adairran, since it was Devon who had suggested it as a water source when consulting her map a few days prior. Their only other choice aside from crossing the river was to cross a treacherous set of mountains, a task to which no one was up to. Especially after the one they'd just come through.
Devon had to nod in agreement at his words, then, polishing off the last of her spirolina, suggested that they have a tactical meeting over by the 'Rover to choose a course of action.
After his mother and Danziger walked off in the direction of the Transrover, Uly turned back to True.
"You're crazy, you know that?" he said to her as he crammed the remains of his breakfast into his mouth.
True shrugged and swallowed a mouthful. "You can believe that, Uly, but you'd just be deluding yourself." Uly followed the path of her gaze over to where Devon and Danziger were both studying a map intently, and shuddered when he caught Danziger sneaking a glance at Devon.
"I don't think so, True. I'm sorry." "Fine, be that way," True said, "But they're *so* obvious. Just ask Bess. She'll straighten you out. Says she's been on to them since our first week on the planet."
Uly refused to admit True could be right. The concept was just too weird. His mother and John Danziger? It was obviously something True had made up. But then they hadn't been fighting so often lately . . . No.
Shaking his head, he crumpled the spirolina wrapper and shoved it into his pocket and got up out of the Dunerail. "You're crazy," he muttered to True as he walked off.
True stuck her tongue out at him. "Oh, you'll see Uly. You're gonna have to come to terms with it eventually!"
"Scout team?" Alonzo Solace asked Devon Adair, though he knew the answer. It was fairly obvious, considering the circumstances, that they had no choice but to send a scout to find a shallow place to ford.
Devon nodded. "Just go a few miles in both directions. It can't be deeper than 3/4 of a foot, though, or we're sunk."
"Who're you sending?" Alonzo asked, shoving his hands into his pockets and leaning against the Transrover.
Devon shrugged, saying, "Depends who wants to go." "I'd like to go," he offered, "Haven't been doing much scouting lately. I miss the old 'Rail."
"Okay, you can go with the northern team. AS for the south, I was--" "Hey, Mom!" Uly's voice interrupted his mother as he rounded the sides of the Transrover, True tracking after him, looking disinterested and slightly bored. He stopped a few paces away and looked at her, puzzled. "How come we're not packing up yet?"
Sighing, Devon explained the situation to the children. After she was done, True enthusiastically exclaimed, "Can Uly and I go? We've never been on a scout before, and really want to go."
"Speak for yourself!" Uly glared at his friend, and in return received a gently nudging by True's elbow.
Devon frowned. "I don't know. You could be away from the group for up to a week. I could get dangerous. You never know."
"Oh, I'll take care of 'em!" Alonzo volunteered, much to True's joy. "Let them live a little. Of course, that's only if I have your parents' permission."
"C'mon, Uly, it'll be fun!" True encouraged her companion. Uly looked at her with an odd expression. In his opinion scouts sounded boring. True, upon noting this, added, "I'll explain *later*."
Uly sighed softly and looked to his mother, and said, without any real conviction, "Mom, can I go?"
After chewing her lip for a moment, Devon gave a sigh of defeat. "Alright, Uly, you can go. But True, you'd better go ask your father."
"Alright, True, alright. What's this all about?" Uly demanded as he dashed after True, who was heading over to the Dunerail to ask her father's permission. He reached out a hand and grabbed her by the shoulder, forcing her to turn around and face him.
Sighing, True explained impatiently, "Like I was saying earlier, Uly, our parents are *crazy* about each other. They just haven't had enough time to figure it out."
Uly rolled his eyes, thinking True was probably going crazy after being on a planet with the same sixteen people for so long. "True, it's been a year since we landed. I think that's quite long enough. Now, would you explain the little trip you've got me volunteering for?"
True gripped her head in her hands out of frustration. "Argh! You don't understand, do you? Our parents haven't gotten together because they're too afraid to make a move with the both of us hanging around."
"So you think if we leave something might happen," Uly finished for her.
True nodded. "Yes. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go ask my father's permission.
Uly allowed her to pass.
There were two scout teams: North and south. Alonzo, True, and Uly headed out in the Dunerail while Baines and Walman took the ATV. Doctor Julia Heller had recommended that Devon not go along since she'd been on every scout in the past few months and saw no reason for her to run herself ragged.
Danziger had been forced to stay behind and fix a broken solar panel on the Transrover. This work was tedious and for the first day or so of the children's absence, he was very grumpy. However, once it was repaired he calmed down a bit, spending a little time by the river, helping Cameron catch alonzo fish and assisting those on KP duty with the fry.
Devon also felt a little liberated by her son's absence, not having to keep a constant eye on him, trusting that Alonzo would keep him safe.
Three times a day, in the morning, at noon, and before bedtime, they would contact the children on gear. And three times a day True would conduct a conversation similar to this:
"Hey Dad," she'd say.
"(morning/evening/afternoon) True-girl." he'd reply. True would grin. "How're you?"
"I'm just fine."
"Good," True would say. Then, for a reason Danziger couldn't discern but True knew quite well she'd ask, "So how's Devon doing, then?"At this he would frown. "Okay, I guess. Why?" True would shrug. "Nothin'. Just wondering. I think Uly wants to talk to his Mom now."
And so it went for a good two days. The scout's progress was delayed by a heavy rainstorm they couldn't travel during, and it also raised the water level a bit. So it seemed it'd take a bit longer than anticipated to find a suitable area for crossing.
It was almost dusk. Devon sat along the banks of the river, which was now raging from the extra water the rainstorm had brought. Most everyone was preparing fish for dinner. Since Devon had been lucky enough to draw the chore of dishes, she didn't need to assist them.
The river was being quite noisy; the sound of the water rushing past the rocks, knocking driftwood into them, and making louder-than-usual gurgling noises created a cacophony of sounds that was almost deafening.
And yet in some strange way it was actually calming to Devon. Peaceful. Nature running its course. No matter how loud or destructive it was, it was still beautiful.
The water was a cloudy, muddy, murky mess. The banks were wet from rain, and Devon's feet were cold. No matter. A nice warm dinner was being prepared.
"Nice day for introspection, eh Adair?" Danziger's voice, partly sarcastic, partly amused, came from behind. He certainly had a knack for interrupting her "quiet time."
Moving her head slightly, just enough to catch the smirk on his face out of the corner of her eyes, she replied, "Yeah. You ought to try it sometime."
He dropped onto the sopping wet patch of the grass beside her and said, as if insulted, "Are you saying I'm not introspective? I don't have quiet time like you? What do you think I'm doing under the hood of the Transrover? *Fixing* it? Hell no! I let Baines do that!" He chuckled, amused by his own joke. Just like him.
Devon, though she did appreciate and indeed feel amused by his attempt at humor, however lame, did not laugh. Instead she said, "Did True and Uly call yet?"
John shook his head, then let out a sharp laugh. "You know what, Adair? I heard the damnedest thing from Heller. Apparently it was something she'd overheard True talking to Bess about."
At first Devon didn't have the slightest interest, since gossip wasn't really her thing and she'd thought it wasn't John's, either. But he continued to say, "It's about why True and Uly were suddenly so interested in going on scouts."
Devon raised an eyebrow to this, since it had struck her as odd when True so enthusiastically volunteered.
"What'd she say?" she asked, trying not to sound too interested. "Well," he said, "And I'm sure you're gonna find this very funny, Heller said she heard True saying to Bess that they were gonna go on the scout because they think that if they're not around we'll fall in love or something."
He laughed, a bit nervously, and glanced at Devon. She only blinked in confusion. He sighed at her reaction. "Y'see, it's one of those kid things. Heller says it's normal. If two kids are friends and one has a single father and the other has a single mother they usually hope that they'll get together."
Devon nodded slowly. She'd never realized, or even thought that any such idea would enter her son's mind. Being a single mother was just a fact of her life, and one of Uly's. She hadn't expected he'd have any thoughts about remedying the situation. Perhaps she'd toyed with a few notions over the years . . . but nothing too serious.
She then realized that Danziger was watching for her to give him some response. Devon looked up to reply when her eyes caught his. Looking away immediately, afraid she'd never be able to otherwise. "Then . . . then I suppose we ought to talk to them when they get back."
They sat silently by the raging river for awhile longer. Devon found the situation very disturbing. John had laughed at the very idea of the two of them every having a relationship. Was it just a joke to him? Or did he think *she* thought it was a joke, and was therefore acting in a way he thought she'd find acceptable? Devon wasn't sure.
Suddenly she found herself feeling a bit hungry and decided she ought to go and check on the dinner's progress. Without telling Danziger her plan, she started to get up, being wary of the wet bank.
Unfortunately, she wasn't wary enough. As soon as she had gotten up to her feet and taken a step, her foot slipped on a patch of mud, sending her sliding down the slick bank. She tried in vain to grab at the few blades of wet grass, but to no avail. There was nothing she could do to stop herself from sliding into the river's raging torrent.
Panic. That was the first thing that went through Devon's mind. The cold river water rushed around her, forcing her down river.
She tried to put her feet down to stop herself from moving, but they slipped quickly off of the smooth rocks on the bottom of the river.
Since she couldn't stop her progress, she decided staying alive until someone saved her ought to be her immediate concern. What was it Yale had always told Uly and True to do if they fell in the river? "If you fall in, always remember to . . . " Unfortunately, Devon had never paid much attention since she'd never thought she'd fall in.
Rather annoyed with her lapse of memory, Devon focused on trying to keep her head above water, which was a difficult and strenuous task because of the rough current.
She didn't see the rock coming. She felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, and all went dark.
The moment Devon slipped into the raging water of the river, John Danziger's entire body went numb. he sat there, frozen in fear, a feeling he hadn't felt since Elle's death.
But then his mind cleared, and he knew exactly what he had to do. Without giving a moment's though to it, he leapt into the current of the river, careful to keep his feet in front of him as Yale had so many times told the children to do.
He paddled down river as fast as he could, chilled to the bone by the frigid waters. He knew what he was doing was absolutely crazy. Another thing he knew was that he'd go absolutely crazy if he let Devon Adair drown before she knew how he felt. He'd been through this before, back before she was healed by the Terrians, when she'd been put into cold sleep after developing the Syndrome, and it had almost killed him. But she'd survived, and she wasn't going to let her slip away from him again.
Then he saw her. She appeared to be snagged on a rock in the middle of the river. He could tell she was unconscious.
Quickly he steered himself, feet ahead, and caught his hand on the rock, trying vainly to plant his feet in the rocky bottom of the riverbed. *No matter,* he thought, *I won't let that stop me.*
As fast as he could possibly manage, he grabbed her by the waist and slung her over his shoulder, being sure to keep her head above water and steering himself towards shore.
IF YOU GIVE ME A CHANCE, Part 2
By Lizzy
Dear people:
Seeing as the first part arrived completely (though the last line was missing so it *didn't* actually end with 'End Part 1') I have decided to try part two on you. Apparently Leigh *didn't* get my stuff up yesterday (a little talk is in order . . . ) unless I got the wrong address because I understand Earth 2-G889 is moving and it's all messed up.
Anyway, enjoy.
PS- just yell if it doesn't say 'THE END' at the end.
Twenty minutes later, Danziger loped back into camp, soggy and cold to the bone, carrying and unconscious Devon in his arms. Everyone there immediately dropped everything and rushed to ask him what had happened, since their absence had yet to be noted.
But Julia would have none of it. She had Baines relieve Danziger of his burden, and John was too exhausted and cold to protest, and told him to take her to her tent and lay her on the cot.
She sat Danziger down in his own tent with a blanket and a tub of hot water, along with a cup of coffee and orders of bedrest. She then rushed back to Devon's tent to make sure she was okay.
Devon was breathing normally, but still had not regained consciousness. Julia made sure she was kept warm in her cot, and recruited Bess Martin as a nursemaid, with orders to inform Julia if she regained consciousness.
Fuzziness. Blurry flashes of light. What was that? The sound of a rushing river? Vague memories flooding back. Water, cold.
There was a sharp pain in the back of her head. Devon reached up a hand to feel it. A bump the size of a goose egg! What had she been doing? The river. Oh dear. She sat up straight and blinked. A wave of dizziness passed over her.
As her vision cleared, it became apparent that she was in her tent, back at camp. Bess Martin sat in a chair in the corner, reading some text off of one of Julia's medpads.
Bess's head jerked up when she heard the sound of Devon's motion, her mouth dropping open in surprise. "Devon!" she exclaimed. "You're awake!"
Devon cringed in pain at the volume, her words hurt her ears. "What happened?" she croaked, her mouth dry. She needed a drink.
Bess jumped up from her seat, putting down the pad and saying softly, "You'd better just lie down again. Julia says you've got quite a bump."
Doing as her friend advised, simply because she felt downright awful, Devon repeated, "What happened?"
"You fell in the river," Bess said plainly, kneeling on the ground at eye level with her patient.
Devon raised an eyebrow and yawned, then instantly regretted it as pain shot through her head. "Did I? Well that explains it." She shivered and rubbed the back of her head again.
Bess nodded. "Yeah. If it weren't for Danziger, you'd probably be dead right now."
"What?" Devon exclaimed, the sound of her own voice making her head pound.
"Nearly froze, too. That river is *cold*." Devon sat up again, ignoring the wave of dizziness. "I--I have to go and see him . . . to, uh, thank him . . . " she said, but Bess pushed her right back down.
"Oh no you don't. Not until that bump goes away. And besides, Julia doesn't' want anyone going near him, in case he's caught pneumonia or something. Now in the meanwhile," Bess said, tossing Devon a set of gear, "Why don't you call Uly. You've been unconscious for nine hours now; and he wanted to talk to you, to be sure you're okay."
Grudgingly Devon agreed.
The scout teams still hadn't found a suitable place for crossing. Alonzo estimated it would take them another two days or so, if they were lucky. Devon wished him well, and then asked to speak to Uly.
Her son was, quite naturally, alarmed at hearing what had happened, but the fact that she was alive, well and talking to him visibly calmed him.
After speaking to Uly, Devon put aside the gear and decided to get some of that rest Heller had ordered.
It was a full two days until Julia allowed Devon to be up and about. It was nighttime, just after Bess had brought her dinner.
Devon asked her if she would be allowed to visit John, or if he was still under surveillance. Julia told her that he was okay, and still resting, though he was allowed to get up if he liked.
After hungrily polishing off the last of her dinner, she left her tent and went to visit Danziger. Just as Julia had said, he was sitting in bed, reading something on info pad.
He glanced up when he heard her enter and offered her a smile, motioning for Devon to take a seat at the foot of his cot. She sat down, though was slightly uncomfortable with his proximity. She often felt that way these days.
Devon cleared her throat and said, "I, uh, heard what you did." At this Danziger looked away, almost bashfully. She'd never seen him look that way before.
"No, really," she continued, "If you hadn't jumped in after me, which, by the way, was a stupid, boneheaded thing to do, I'd be dead." She took a deep breath. "Truth is, there were a number of times where if you didn't do something I wouldn't be here. And I've never gotten a chance to thank you."
He took a deep breath as well, shrugging. "Same here." Devon clasped her hands together, and fussed with her fingers nervously. She took a quick glance at Danziger, and noted that he seemed just as nervous. "I . . . I just wanted to, uh, to say that, and now I guess I should be going . . . " she got up off the foot of his cot, and was about to head for the tent's flaps, when she felt his hand on her arm.
"Devon, wait." was all he said, all he had to say. She sat back down beside him, and looked at him. He certainly seemed pretty damn nervous, a way she'd never seen him before. Her own emotions mirrored his. Nervousness, confusion. Her whole body went tense, and a feeling of panic swept through her. *Oh, good God, what am I going to do?*
If she'd been able to think at that point, she probably would have wondered if he was thinking the same thing. The two of them sat there for a moment, just a moment, staring at each other, wondering what was going to happen next, who would be the first to make a move.
It was John. He slowly lifted up his hand and placed it on her shoulder. "Devon, I uh . . . " he couldn't seem to find the words, "I . . . "
She put her own hand on his arm, and couldn't help but laugh softly. "I know, I know. Me too." And there was that silence again. But then, simultaneously, their faces began to inch forwards, until they were brought together in a kiss. Devon resisted the urge to laugh again as a wave of joy passed through her. Joy and relief, both at once. *Finally,* she thought.
But neither of them pulled away. Instead, they continued to kiss, and Danziger put his arms around her, and lowered her down to the cot. "Ouch!" Deovn suddenly exclaimed, and he jerked away.
"What?" he asked, looking rather disturbed. Now Devon did laugh. "Your <ha ha> your <chuckle> your info pad is <giggle> poking into my back. I'm sorry <guffaw>!"
He shook his head, laughing as well. "Oh well," he said softly, leaned over the side of the bed, and they both went tumbling, Devon making a wild grab for his sleeping bag and it landing on top of the both of them, laughing.
They both blinked in the darkness beneath the blankets, and continued to giggle. "Oh geez, John Danziger, we're a mess," Devon laughed, pulling a little closer to him. "Do you think we're ever going to get this right?"
And he said softly, "If you give me a chance."
Devon awoke lying on the ground, her face buried into the sleeping bag. Her back ached from being on such a hard surface for so many hours, but she didn't care. The memory of the night before was enough to make her care less about anything in the world. She lifted her head up a little, and noticed that no light was filtering in from the crack between the tent and the floor, which meant it was still early morning, before dawn, which was why she was still so tired. Then again . . . maybe not.
She closed her eyes again, and only had a moment to wonder where Danziger had got off to before she felt his cool hands on her bare waist. She shivered slightly, since she had been warm in the sleeping bag, but otherwise didn't mind. He pulled her up off the ground, with little help from her, and when she opened her eyes again and blinked in the darkness of the tent, she found she was sitting beside him, leaning against his shoulders.
"Morning," was all he said, simply sitting there and watching her. She offered him a smile, and sighed. "It's awfully early." He smiled as well. "I thought you liked to get up early. Watch the sunrise. Think. Be introspective," he grinned. "Something I guess I need work at, eh? Now's your chance to teach me, Adair."
"Well, it is true I do like to wake up early," she blinked blearily through her disheiveled hair, which had fallen over her eyes. *I need a brush,* she thought wearily, *I look like a monster in the morning.* "But *not* if I was up late the night before," she continued.
He shrugged, "How's a guy to know?" He kissed her once more, which almost instantly brought her to wakefulness, her vision clearing. *May as well get up anyway,* she thought, *Otherwise I could sleep in forever.* So she got up in the darkness, and snatched a shirt up off the ground and tossed it on, running her fingers quickly through her hair. "I'll be outside, by the river," she said, wondering if she really wanted to go back near the river.
Danziger nodded, and she ducked out the tent flap, and noted that the sun was actually almost all the way up, but the other tents had been blocking their view, nearly running into Julia Heller, who was a few feet away, looking very startled.
"Julia!" Devon couldn't help but exclaim before shutting her mouth. "Devon, uh, I just, I just uh heard voices and wanted to know what was going on," Julia stammered.
*Oh damn,* Devon thought, *Quick! Think of something!* Sure it would be nice to have a relationship with Danziger, but who knew what the rest of the group would think of it! They were their leaders! They were supposed to be objective. Danziger was supposed to be the weight at the other end of the scale, what would happen if they suddenly started agreeing?
"I, uh, I heard it too, I just finished talking to him," she covered quickly, taking advantage of all those improvising sessions Yale had done with her when she was a child, "He was, uh, talking to True. She . . . she had a nightmare, and called him on the gear." Devon began to nod vehemently, so Julia was sure she knew what she was talking about.
Julia nodded, and looked as if she had accepted this, and just as she turned around and headed back to her and Alonzo's tent, she said, "And Devon,"
"Yes?"
"You're wearing his shirt."
Devon looked down. Indeed she was. In the darkness she must've grabbed the wrong one. She blushed in embarrassment and was about to come up with some other excuse when she realized Julia had walked off, making nothing more of it.
The river had clamed quite a bit in the past few days, returning to its steady, gurgling rush of water. It was hard to believe it had ever swept her away, since she was sure that now she would've been able to deal with it. She'd been there for fifteen minutes, and no sign of Danziger. Perhaps he was practicing his introspection back at the tent. Who knew.
So Devon sat there on the banks of the river that had started all this, and couldn't help but wonder. What if it hadn't been Danziger who had been with her that day. What if it were Walman? Or Baines? Or Mazatti? Or one of the women? Would they even have jumped in? If it had been Walman, would it be *his* shirt she was wearing? It was all very disturbing and confusing to Devon.
She knew from experience that relationships formed under extreme circumstances rarely survived. For all she knew what had happened last night had been some kind of repayment for saving her life. She didn't like that idea, wished she hadn't even thought it. But if it were true, one thing was sure: She was going to have to kill him.
Devon Adair was one woman who didn't appreciate being used. You never insult her, you never cross her, and you never, ever betray her. Perhaps it wasn't the simple idea of being used, but the fact that Danziger was someone she really cared for, and she wanted to think what had happened was out of love, not some sort of payment.
She shuddered, her mind swirling. And what if it had been of love? What would she tell Uly? They'd been on their own, aside from Yale, for their entire lives, it had never been otherwise. How would he react to having to share his mother's attention with not only Danziger, but True also? They had never been the best of friends, and Devon didn't even know if Uly liked Danziger himself one bit.
Maybe this was all too complicated. Maybe she and Uly were always meant to be alone, to have nothing but each other.
No, that wasn't true. She wouldn't let it be. She heard a rustling in the bushes behind her. Turning around, she saw Danziger standing behind her, dressed in a different shirt, and looking rather amused. "Looks good on you," he commented, eying her shirt and taking a seat beside her on the banks of the river.
Devon scooted over a little, twisting the ends of the shirt in her hand. "I'm sorry, I just, you know, grabbed it."
Danziger nodded in understanding. He stared long and hard at the rushing water for a few minutes, until Devon finally said, her voice cracking with emotion, "I'm not a fling, John, am I? Because I've been the fling."
He looked at her, startled. "What? You?" he shook his head, reaching for her hand, but she pulled away. "No, Devon, I'd never do that to you. I know you and Uly have had a difficult life, and I'd never do anything to compound that."
"How would you know?" Devon asked, hoping she didn't sound bitter. He shrugged. "Just seem like it. I had a difficult time with Elle's death, I figured it would be the same for you."
Devon looked away, twisting her fingers together, shaking her head. "No, Uly's father isn't dead. It's not that at all John. I just don't appreciate having a one-night stand with anyone, that's all. I . . . I want a meaningful relationship with someone. Not a fling. I want someone for Uly, and I want someone for me. If that's what you want, too, then that's fine."
Danziger didn't even hesitate in answering, "That's what I want. It's what I've always wanted from you. It's *all* I've always wanted."
At that she couldn't help but smile. She slid closer to him, and took the hand he had previously offered. "So, this is it then," she said, "I guess we're . . . together, then." The two of them nodded in unison, and then broke out laughing together, sharing the bliss as well as irony of the moment.
"Ah, who'd ever have though we'd end up like this, Adair," Danziger chuckled, "I mean, of course, besides Bess. And she's probably got the rest convinced, too. Ah, well. Who cares."
And, still guffawing and chuckling, the two of them kissed. It was at that moment that Bess Martin decided it was a good time to go down to the river and do a little laundry before Morgan woke up. Devon and John either didn't hear her coming, or thought nothing of it, and when she pushed through the surrounding trees and saw them, she dropped the basket of laundry and exclaimed, "Dev--John--Oh my God, I am so sorry!"
The two of them jerked immediatly away from each other, and Devon pushed a stray lock of hair back behind her ear. Before either of them had a chance to explain, Bess had grabbed the basket and made a quick retreat, leaving the two lovers only to laugh once more and Devon to say, "No, no, I don't think we are *ever* going to get this right."
The very next day Alonzo radiod back and announced that he, Uly, and True had discovered a not only shallow, but also narrow stretch of river that the Transrover could safely cross. So they packed up their tents and trekked off in the northward direction as soon as the southern team returned.
Thankfully neither Bess nor Julia had spoken a word (except, perhaps, to their respective gentlemen), seeming to respect Devon and John's right to privacy. Even though no one else knew for sure, Devon could tell Yale thought something was up. He knew her better than anyone in the team, perhaps even her own son, and the way he was looking at her made her think he might have caught a few of her stolen glances at Danziger.
At any rate, Uly and True both were glad to see their parents, and rushed to meet them as soon as the group pulled into view. They were both soaking wet, and Alonzo said that they'd been swimming in the river. While at first Devon was alarmed, when she saw the particular spot she was relieved. It was no more than a few inches deep. This seemed to be where a stream turned into the mighty Adairran River, and looked so harmless even Devon was willing to take a little walk across it.
Even though they'd lost a lot of time on the scout, Devon declared a vacation day. Most people spent it splashing in the water, even though it was a little cool out, but a few of them decided to catch up on their chores.
True Danziger was one of these. She decided that it would be a nice surprise for her father if she cleaned some of their clothes. It was easy enough; Bess Martin had showed her how a long time ago. But her father usually insisted upon doing it, since he thought she was too young to worry about such things. So she took their clothes from the back of the Transrover and went to the side of the river where Manya Bogdanov was also doing her laundry.
She smiled hello to the communications technician, who nodded and offered to share some of her soap with her. True thanked her and began to wash the clothes in the rushing waters of the Upper Adairran.
After a while, the chore became cumbersome, and she wished she hadn't decided to do it in the first place. Some of her father's supposedly dirty clothes didn't even look like they needed washing. She picked up one of the particularly clean ones, and gave it a good sniff.
True quirked her eyebrows at the scent. It certainly didn't smell like her father. More kind of a flowery, delightful kind of scent. She shrugged and gave it a good scrubbing anyway.
That night they all gathered around the campfire, their first group fire for over a week. They all had a special treat; toasted berries that Heller had found growing along the banks of the river in plentiful numbers. Baines had decided that they tasted better a bit burnt than they did fresh, so everyone made it a custom to burn it a tad.
True popped one such berry into her mouth and then snatched up her stick again, before Uly had a chance to steal it. She slid three more onto it and circled around the fire to a space where no one was leaning towards the fire to roast them. This forced her to sit next to Devon Adair. True had been idly wondering if anything had happened between Devon and her father while she was away, but the two seemed to be acting as normal as ever.
She leaned out over the fire to roast her berries, and, once they were done, she pulled them off and popped them into her mouth as well. Devon was doing the same with her stick. Uly was on the other side of the fire, by Alonzo, talking about some Terrian stuff or something. True had never taken much interest in it.
Devon was getting up to get some more berries from the basket that Julia and Alonzo had collected, when she accidentally tripped, falling over on top of True. She quickly apologized and tried the maneuver again, this time successfully, but True didn't mind. She was deep in thought. When Devon had fallen, True had gotten a good whiff of her. She smelled exactly like the fragrance on her father's shirt!
When Devon sat back down with her berries and stick, True just looked at her and grinned. Devon smiled back, albeit nervously. She was probably wondering what True was so happy about.
Long after the others had loped off to their respective tents and slipped beneath the sleeping bags, when the once roaring campfire was nothing more than a scattering of glowing embers, Devon Adair and John Danziger remained, sitting beside each other on a log around the fire circle, both deep in thought, both clasping their hands in the others.
"It's a clear night, tonight," Devon pointed out, looking up in the sky at the many winking stars. They'd probably passed many of them on their way to G889, over a year ago.
He nodded, poking at the tiny red embers with one of the roasting sticks. "Reminds me of that little hill, you know, by Mary's Garden. Sitting up there at night, you could clearly see stars that are nothing but a tiny dot here."
Devon looked at him strangely. "I never knew you went to that hill," she said, "I thought I was the only one who knew about--"
"Adair, do you think you're the only one who stays up late at night and stares at the sky?" he asked her. She shrugged. "I guess I'm a little more introspective than you thought, eh?"
She chuckled, "Perhaps." The two of them sat in silence, though this time it wasn't so bad, because she wasn't afraid to look at him, to get lost in his gaze. Of course, she wouldn't do that in front of anyone else. Devon was a very private person. Which made her think ... "Do think anyone suspects?"
He looked at her, raising an eyebrow. "'Suspects'? What are we, criminals?" he chuckled softly, "Do I think anyone knows? You mean aside from Heller, Bess, and probably 'Lonz and Martin?"
Devon blushed, she hadn't thought of that. Of course, she wouldn't put it past Bess Martin to tell at least her husband. In another few days she probably would have started some rumor over the entire group. Of course, this time it would actually be true, and she had Heller to back it up. "And the kids?"
"Ah, I dunno," he shrugged, looking at her, "Kids are very perceptive. If they don't know now, they'll figure it out eventually. Especially my True . . ."
She gave him a good whack on the shoulder. "Right, your True. Much brighter than Uly, I guess."
"Well, look who she's got as a father?" he grinned at her in the semi-darkness.
Devon snorted, "Yeah, look." The two of them just stared at each other for a moment, and then broke out laughing. "Look at us!" Devon exclaimed, between sniffles of amusement, "We fight about the *stupidest* things!"
He had to nod in agreement, but then put his arms around her, and she leaned against him. "Well, we might as well savor our privacy for as long as we have it, because if Bess Martin knows, so does everyone else."
At that, Devon had to agree.
-The End-
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This text file was ran through PERL script made by Andy. Original text file is available in Andy's Earth 2 Fan Fiction Archive.