TITLE: "NOT QUITE HOME"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "Farscape"

PAIRING: No specific pairing.

RATING: PG-13.

STATUS: New. First in a series.

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@ao.com

SERIES/SEQUEL: Series - 'Alternate Paths'

SUMMARY: "Crichton, D'Argo and Chiana go down to a commerce planet for supplies. Crichton makes a new friend and a whole lot of enemies." The usual disclaimers apply. No infringement of copyright is intended.



ALTERNATE PATHS 1: NOT QUITE HOME
A "Farscape" story
Written by Alison M. DOBELL
* * * * *

It was weird the way these things always happened to him. Maybe he should just paint a huge big target on his frelling chest and be done with it? Crichton figured it must be some unspoken law of the Uncharted Territories. The commerce planet was a nondescript little mudball with a rich kind of soil that meant almost anything organic would grow there. It reminded him of a rich alluvial plain. Dark and loamy and with a slightly spicy aroma. Damn if it didn't remind him of the afterscent of joss sticks. He kept thinking how much Zhaan would have loved this place then berated himself for getting morbid. At first he was keyed up. Expecting anything. His hand rarely straying from Wynona. The market was low key and the people had more interest in what they had to trade than who or what they were. Crichton saw a variety of alien races all peacefully going about their business then loading up and flying off-world. Despite the bars and entertainment centres no one seemed to stay overnight and that suited him fine. Once they had their supplies they would hop in the transport and be back aboard Moya before you could say Star Burst. At least. *That* was the plan.

He and Aeryn had another fight. Not the noisy name calling spats of yesterarn but the sulky silent glares that had become Aeryn's forte. It annoyed him so much and that fact made her more determined to freeze him out with the silent treatment every time he annoyed her which was pretty much every time he drew breath. He was sick of it and just before they got ready to depart Moya he had one hell of a bust up with her. In front of the whole damn crew of all things. This time the anger in her eyes did not chill into permafrost. This time there was a murderous heat in her eyes. A look that would turn any self respecting male into squag. But he was John Crichton and at times humans had amazingly thick skins and a poor sense of self preservation. Besides, his own anger was blinding him to his own best interests. Aeryn had stormed off and refused to go down to the planet with them. Fine. That suited him just *fine*. Let her sulk. It was her turn anyway. Chiana had given him a sideways look but he had pointedly ignored it and she knew better than to pass comment. D'Argo just grunted and got the pod ready. Next thing he knew he was gazing out at the first days of the Garden of Eden.

His mood lightened the microt they hit planetside like a huge weight lifting off his shoulders. D'Argo threw him a cautionary look but Crichton was too busy taking it all in. Feeling his excitement stir at the sights and sounds of somewhere new. This was what he loved about space travel. Not the endless cycles travelling through space but the planets they went to, the species they met, the new things they saw and learnt. He could not stop the little boy inside of him being curious, the scientist in him wanting to mentally dismantle everything he saw until he understood what he was seeing inside out. D'Argo shook his head and wondered how in hezmana the human had managed to live this long. He looked at Chiana and silently warned her not to get into trouble. They needed food and some parts for Moya. At least with Aeryn remaining on board Moya he would not have to spend all his time trying to keep her and Crichton apart. The way Aeryn was acting the human was not likely to survive if she lost her temper again. He huffed and Crichton turned his head, caught the Luxan's eye and gave him a big smile.

"This is one beautiful planet, D'Argo. What's it called?"

"Eventray."

Crichton mumbled the name over and over making D'Argo frown at him. "*What* are you doing?"

"Nothing. Just trying to work out what the name means."

"Why? We are here to collect supplies then we will be going."

"Aren't you ever curious about the places we visit, D'Argo?"

"No. Curiosity killed the krets."

The human laughed. "Cats, D'Argo. Curiosity killed the cats."

"That's what I said."

He thought about correcting the big guy then thought better of it. The solitary sun had decided to start shining and it was too relaxing to getting picky. "Okay, fine. I'm gonna take a look around."

"We are here for supplies, John." Stressed D'Argo like a particularly stuffy maiden aunt.

Crichton waved a hand in the air without looking back, his loose limbed gait already disappearing among the many colourful stalls filled with a bewildering array of foodstuffs and local crafts. D'Argo scanned the stalls with a more critical eye and wondered if they had anything high tech enough for their needs. Chiana smiled at him which made him instantly suspicious. She waved a vague hand in another direction. "I saw some trinkets I want to look at, see you back at the transport pod."

"We should stick together." He grumbled.

"Yeah, we'll do that when we get back."

He opened his mouth to protest but she was already hurrying away in the opposite direction to the one in which Crichton had gone. Frell. Now he had both Crichton and Chiana loose in different parts of this planet. This was *not* a good day. Shaking his head with annoyance he decided to just get on with getting the parts they needed. John and Chiana were delegated to get the food.

* * * * *

Crichton was enjoying himself. All the building tensions between him and Aeryn momentarily forgotten. The relief was wonderful. Why couldn't every day be like this one? The sun was warm on his face, the people were quiet but friendly in a distant kind of way. Not wary exactly but respectful of each other. It made him think of years gone by on earth, a gentler more innocent age. He was surprised to find a pair of sharp green eyes watching him when he looked up from his reverie. The boy was about nine or ten years old but with an awareness about him that cautioned Crichton not to underestimate either his intelligence or his age. He tried a smile on for size. "Hi, what's your's name?"

The boy considered the human for a microt before answering. "Bish."

"Bish?"

The boy nodded.

"What kind of name is that?"

The boy answered with a question of his own. "What is your name?"

"John Crichton."

The boy grinned back. "What kind of name is that?"

Crichton laughed. <Touche!> The boy decided he liked the sound of his laugh.

"Is this your home, Bish?"

The boy nodded. Watched Crichton's eyes roam around the produce laid out on the stalls. "You came for food?"

"Yeah, supplies for our ship only I don't recognise anything I'm seeing."

"What are you looking for?"

"An alternative to foodcubes for a start."

"Foodcubes?"

"Yeah, they're dull squares of protein. Have little or no taste and are the least exciting foodstuff known to man."

"Man?"

"Yeah." He pointed at the boy then at himself. "Man. Us. People."

The boy shook his head a little. "You are strange."

"So I've been told."

Crichton picked up something that was the look and size of a melon but was purple in colour. The boy grinned at him. "You wish to eat that?"

"If it's good to eat."

"It tastes very good but is not so good."

"What does that mean?"

The stall holder was glaring at the boy as if to shut him up. It seemed a sale was a sale no matter what planet you were on.

"If you are not used to it, the fruit can be addictive."

Interest sparked on his face. "Addictive? You mean like alcohol?"

"Alcohol?"

"Yeah...like raslac?"

A frown fleeted over the boy's face. "Yes."

Crichton grinned and bought four of them. The boy watched in silence and followed the human from stall to stall. Making odd comments about the various fruits and vegetables the human was amassing and curious about the way some of his subtle warnings were purposely being ignored. Seeing the human was getting too weighed down to carry much more the boy spoke to one of the stallholders and produced a small hand held hoversled. He handed it to Crichton with a grin. Crichton grinned back and gratefully loaded the sled. "You know, you may make yourself so useful Bish I'll want to keep you."

He was joking but something sobered in the boy's eyes. He did not say anything but steered the human through the perplexing array of stalls to a clearing where tables and seats were laid out for rest purposes. Crichton looked around but could see no one selling refreshments. It reminded him of a picnic area. He wondered if they had trash cans too and was almost disappointed when he didn't see any. It was good to rest a microt but he was thirsty. He eyed the purple fruit and found the boy watching him closely. "You hungry, Bish?"

Bish shrugged. Okay. Maybe they thought it rude to ask for food from strangers? Crichton cut open one of the purple melons and inhaled. <Oh man, this was going to taste *so* good> His smile widened. Deftly he cut out the seeds and split it up into wedges. He offered the boy one but Bish shook his head. Crichton bit into the fruit and began to chew, the expression on his face turning to one of pleasure. "Oh man, I am *never* leaving this planet! This fruit is delicious!"

The boy's eyes widened. "You can tell that from just one bite?"

Crichton laughed. "Believe me, on my home world eating is considered a serious business and the preparation and cooking of meals is an art form."

Bish looked confused. "Why would you look at it and not eat it?"

Crichton took another couple of bites of the fruit and chased the juice leaking down the side with his fingers, licking it off with obvious relish. The boy looked worried. "You should not eat too much of it until you are used to it, John Crichton."

"Just call me John."

"John." Said the boy, trying the sound of the name on his tongue.

Crichton swallowed and looked at the boy for a microt. "What's the worse that can happen? I wake up with a hangover." He chuckled softly, eyes gentle. Friendly. "You worry too much."

The boy just looked at him and said nothing. When Crichton finished the first fruit he went to cut open another but Bish put his hand on the fruit and looked at him. "I want to show you something."

His words distracted Crichton from his mission of stuffing himself stupid. Curious, he tilted his head. "What d'you have in mind?"

"The wonders of our world."

The human smiled again and Bish found himself fascinated. He had been to many places, seen any number of strange exotic things. Creatures that could only live in the shadow of nightmares. Visions that could only be expressed in dreams. This human was something else entirely. A creature seemingly without guile and with no aggressive tendancies towards others. True, he carried a weapon but that looked to be a cautionary adjunct not a prerequisite for first contact. He was nothing like the Peace Keeper he appeared to be and the way he followed the warmth of the sun was so un-Sebacean that he was fascinated. Bish was pleased so far with what he had seen. He wondered what species the human was and what he would make of the Forest of Tannar.

"Where we going?"

Bish smiled for the first time. "A place that will steal away your heart."

"Your planet did that the moment I set foot on it, Bish."

The boy looked at him, solemn and considering. A happiness stirring in him that he kept at bay with caution. The compliment touched him for it was honestly given. They walked for half an arn, Crichton talking almost non stop as he guided the little hoversled and stopped every few dench to study some piece of flora or fauna. Everything seemed to interest him. Catch his eye. Bish watched him, his eyes wary as they approached the Forest. Suddenly Crichton froze. Bish hunched in his tracks, taking up a defensive stance but could see nothing wrong. No hint of danger. "What is wrong, why have you stopped?"

Crichton inhaled deeply and closed his eyes, a peace stealing through him that evoked memories of home. Earth. The boy was startled to see mist in his eyes when he opened them. "It's just so beautiful, Bish."

In that microt everything changed. Something flickered in the trees ahead of them and Crichton moved with a speed and fluid grace that belied his lazy movements of just a few microts ago. He automatically stepped in front of the boy to shield him and drew his pulse pistol. He never got to fire it. Something hard and fast struck him from the canopy above. Bish yelled, waved his arms and knelt beside the fallen human. A red stain widened on his chest as he rolled him onto his back. He was unconscious, his breathing ragged as if his lungs had been pierced. Anger suffused Bish's childlike face. The bright red blood bubbling up from a great hole. The warriors broke from the trees and crowded round with their weapons ready and their cloth masks drawn in a fierce war-like rictus hiding their faces. Each man had the dark hair and tanned skin native to the planet. The man nearest to Bish wanted him to step away from the human so they could finish him off. Bish glared at him and stood over Crichton. Half the size of the warrior his eyes were as adamantine as steel.

"You did a poor thing, Ishinn. A cowardly act that shames our people!"

The warrior frowned. Angry but puzzled. "We will skin him and sell his meat in trade."

A strange mix of vowels and clicks issued forth from Bish's mouth and the man turned pale and bowed. "We did not know, Bishyin Mal. Strangers are never brought to this most sacred place."

"He is no stranger." Said Bish firmly. Extending his protection over the unconscious man with his choice of words. The human had tried to protect him and almost paid for it with his life. "He is my friend."

Ishinn inclined his head and as Bish looked round at the rest of the warriors they lowered their weapons and removed their masks. The masks were made of a rough woven cloth that reflected no light. Plant dyes were used to form the faces, each mask only being used by one particular warrior. When he died the clan would eat of his flesh and drink of his blood but his mask would be buried with his bones. No fell creatures would eat of their dead. The strength and honour of the clan remained with them. Always.

* * * * *

Four arns later D'Argo had everything on his list including some items for Aeryn's prowler. It took him another two arns to find Chiana but even with them both looking they could find no sign of Crichton. D'Argo snorted, his annoyance rising as the solar day lengthened with no sign of the human. "I warned him not to wander off!"

"Perhaps he got lost?"

"He *always* gets lost."

"Hey, at least he didn't get in any trouble this time."

D'Argo just looked at her and she fell silent. Yeah. They hadn't found Crichton yet. It was way too early to assume he was just lost. "We will wait another two arns Chiana, if he is not at the pod by then we will return to Moya with the supplies."

Chiana looked alarmed. "You can't leave him here!"

"I will come back for him in the morning."

She shook her head. "No, D'Argo. We don't know this planet and neither does John. Anything could happen to him."

"He got himself lost," Growled D'Argo. "He can get himself found again!"

"Yeah but supposing he can't?" She paused and looked at him, her head tilted, eyes pleading. "Would John leave us if we failed to turn up at the transport pod? Would he just say to hezmana with us and leave us behind?"

"I said I would return for him," Said D'Argo in a softer tone.

"What if he is in trouble, D'Argo? What if he's somewhere fighting for his life and we just leave him? Tomorrow could be too late."

"If he wanders back and has not been in trouble I will kill him myself!"

Chiana smiled at him. Knew she had won. "John loves you too, D'Argo."

He snorted loudly at her foolishness but they both knew he did not mean it. No way would D'Argo ever abandon a friend.

* * * * *

Aeryn Sun was furious. She could hardly contain her anger. D'Argo sounded annoyed but she also detected traces of concern creeping into his voice over his com badge. Aeryn stopped pacing. "What are the people like down there, D'Argo?"

"As far as I can tell they appear to be peaceful. This is an agrarian world, Aeryn."

"So John just wandered off?"

"It looks like it..."

Before he could continue Aeryn cut him off. "Get back to Moya D'Argo, we will go back down to the planet tomorrow and look for John."

His unhappy voice floated back to her. She could almost hear the pain in it mixed with a fair amount of frustration. "I will be staying down here overnight, Aeryn."

"I thought you said people didn't stay overnight?"

"They do not but the facilities are here if needed and it isn't simply John any more."

Aeryn mentally started to swear. "Don't tell me..."

"I can't find Chiana."

* * * * *