TITLE: "THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "Farscape"

PAIRING: M/F/F

RATING: NC-17

STATUS: New.

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

SERIES/SEQUEL: SEQUEL to "AGENDAS"

WEBSITE: http://www.carlajane.50megs.com/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "Crichton begins to find out more about tribal life and what is expected of him."

The usual disclaimers apply. No infringement of copyright is intended.


"THE OTHER SIDE OF PARADISE"
A "Farscape" story
Written by Alison M. DOBELL
* * * * *

He was so excited, his passion so easy to harness and control. Cycles of sexual frustration being manipulated and milked for their joint benefit. The relief that raged through him so intense. His seed so strong and vibrant as it filled her. She rode his thrusts and encouraged him with hands, lips and body. He was aching with need inside her, the way she arched up against his thrusts driving him so deep and pulling every last bit of passion out of her. His perspiration mingled with the scent of the juices absorbed into his skin. He was magnificent. She drew their love making out, easing his aching shaft out most of the way so she could make him shudder as he re-entered and came with a force which shuddered inside her until her bones ached.

Delicious. Some of the others had finished and were watching them. Attracted by their heat and passion. Taking note of the techniques they were using and comparing them with their own. There was no embarrassment. No sense of prying into something that was none of their concern. What affected the clan affected them all. Hemnoth was so happy to be mating with this male, he was so strong, virulent and gentle. She let him rest, watched him as he drifted into a short sleep. Held him and warmed him with her body, her posture almost possessive.

When he awoke half an arn later she fed him between kisses and slowly began to rouse him once more. She did not want to waste any of his precious seed. She could feel him starting to build to another orgasm. Her eyes drew one of the other women to her. The woman knew what she was being asked and began to annoint herself with the juice in preparation, her naked body glistening as she worked. One of the other women moved behind her to annoint her back then stepped away. The woman, Margenna, had not been with child for four years. This male was virule, strong, and still young. She wanted desperately for him to impregnant her but first he must be acclimatised to accept his new mate.

Hemnoth nodded for the woman to move into position. She knelt behind Crichton. Hemnoth was laying flat on her back, her legs hooked up around Crichton's waist where he had guided them as he entered her. His thrusts were quickening now but she managed to slow him down even though the effort was costing him. She could feel the groan of frustration building in his throat. "Soon, my love, soon." She murmured. Kissing his sweat soaked face and neck and working him with an excruciating rythym that almost had him crying for release. Margenna rubbed more juice into his back, up his sides and then massaged his neck, her teeth nipping gently at him as she sidled up against his back, increasing contact and friction so that he could get used to her touch. Her hands drifting around his body and teasing his nipples into little hard peaks as she nuzzled his ear. He was so close, so frelling close. Hemnoth kissed him, stole his breath and slid him out of her as she swung her hips off him so Margenna could move round and take her place.

Hemnoth caught Crichton's free hand and dipped it into Margenna's warm depths, encouraging the human to work her with his fingers and make her moist for him. While he struggled to hang on she held his weeping shaft and kept him dancing on the edge while the two clans watched. His breathing was ragged now, all over the frelling place. His heartbeat an irregular thunder.

Hemnoth was gentle with him, did not want to hurt their prize. She checked Margenna and smiled at the silky moisture clinging to the human's numb fingers. She kissed the moisture off his face, teased his lips with her own and guided his shaft into Margenna, her own body sliding round behind him to embrace him as Margenna arched into his thrusts burying him tight up against her pelvic bone. The woman's eyes widened with the power of him, the urgency and the rising pace exciting her with the promise of his fertile seed.

Hemnoth bit the back of his neck gently and held on, her hands caressing him while his hips pumped and Margenna clung to every thrust of his weeping cock. Her moist walls clinging to him like a virgin, the suction on him encouraging him to pump harder and harder while the women continued to excite him. Building him up so high he was in danger of losing all contact with the ground. So close. So close. He was frelling dying. Reaching the cliff edge. About to fall off if they didn't push him over first. He opened his mouth and gasped, froze a microt as they brought him to the point of coitus, then with a rush his spine snapped and he cried out as he burst inside Margenna, his heat whipping through her and nudging her into orgasm with him.

Hemnoth clung to his back, kissed his soaking wet neck, stroked him gently as he came back down to earth. His eyes were closed. Too shattered to open them. Too wasted to speak. Margenna was glowing with joy, her eyes looking down on him with gratitude. She could feel him shrinking inside her but did not want to pull away. She hugged him to her and began to lick the sweat off him to absorb his scent as he drifted into the sleep of exhaustion. Hemnoth smiled into the side of Crichton's neck. Her eyes meeting Bishyin's as he crouched on the other side of them and smiled at him. Bishyin's own partner, Ryal, was next to him. Their bodies glistening from their own recent exertions. Hemnoth looked at Crichton's shattered face, stroked a hand through his wet hair, her look gentle and tender. She looked at Margenna.

"We must let him sleep, Margenna." She cautioned.

Margenna gave a wicked smile and slid back a little so that his now deflated penis could slide out of her. She cradled it in her hand and massaged it gently. There was no reaction from the human. He would be insensate for at least an arn if not longer. Hemnoth grinned at her, watching Margenna's hands caressing the sleeping man between them knowing he would not be able to perform again until he had had sufficient time to recover. "Do you think it will work this time, Hemnoth?"

Hemnoth smiled, her eyes sparkling like green carbonated water. She kissed Crichton's closed eyes and cradled him gently. Her look protective. Such a treasure to them. Let him sleep. He would need his strength. "Yes, Hemnoth. I think this may be the one."

* * * * *

Chiana was livid. D'Argo tried to calm her down. Even Rygel was glowering at Aeryn. Unrepentent she stood with her arms crossed and stared out of the command viewport. Chiana walked in front of her so that Aeryn could not simply ignore her. "What were you thinking, Aeryn? We agreed, remember? You do *know* what it means to agree?"

The Sebacean shot her a warning look. "Back off, Chiana."

"Oh yeah? Well who made you Captain? You can't just do what you like and drag the rest of us along with you."

"I wasn't asking you to come."

"No that's right, you were just going to order Pilot to tell Moya to go back to Eventray and since we're all still aboard we get dragged back there too. When were you going to tell us, Aeryn?"

"They killed John."

"Yeah, and you know what? They'll probably kill us too."

"I am prepared to take that risk."

D'Argo shook his head. "Aeryn, be reasonable..."

She turned to him, a look of murderous rage in her eyes. "Be reasonable? D'Argo, John is the most reasonable man I have ever known. Reasonable to the point of driving me bartantic! And where did that get him? It got him killed." She broke off as her voice choked and turned her head away from him.

"Aeryn," Said Rygel in his diplomatic voice. "If we knew who had done this to John it would be a different matter. But we don't know. Chiana and D'Argo were down on the planet with John, we weren't. What makes you think you'll have any better chance of finding his killers than they did?"

Aeryn blinked back tears. Her whole frelling world falling apart about her and nobody cared. "Because I would not come back until I had found them, Rygel."

He did not have an answer to that. None of them did. They watched Aeryn walk out of command and a heavy silence descended. D'Argo looked at Chiana and Rygel. "We cannot let Aeryn go back to Eventray."

Rygel looked glum. "We may not be able to stop her, D'Argo."

* * * * *

He awoke slowly, feeling warm and comfortable. Loved even. As he thought about that and savoured the idea he felt gentle hands caressing him and opened his eyes. It was still dark but there was a bright moon shining fitfully through the swaying canopy of leaves. His eyes adjusted to the light, took in Hemnoth's face hovering over him and remembered last night. <Wow, that was some meal> She smiled at him, her fingers tracing patterns across his face with one hand while her other hand rubbed gently down his chest. That was when he realised they were both still naked. He sat up suddenly, his reaction prompting her to wriggle close to him, a hand sliding between his legs as she kissed him and sucked his tongue. He could still taste the fruit on her lips and felt himself hardening in her busy hand. He tried to pull back, to tell her they needed to sleep, when a second pair of hands rubbed his back and began to massage his shoulders. Lips kissing up his spine to the back of his neck. Nipping, licking and kissing his nape before moving up and capturing an earlobe. The hands now stroking up and down his sides as the tongue flicked in his ear canal with a wet heat making him tremble. A moan escaped his lips and was instantly devoured along with all his attempts at resisting. Having found the spots that turned him on they were relentless and all his muscles turned to jelly. Oh man, they were going to keep him going until his dick fell off. He had the insane urge to giggle but the women were already working on other ways to occupy his mind.

They were the Borg and he was being assimilated. Resistence really was futile.

* * * * *

Pilot recognised the precision of her step as she approached his den. Purposely did not look up but kept his attention on Moya's controls. Aeryn paused in the doorway then walked over to his console. He knew what was troubling her. The others had already talked to him. He was still not sure what he should do so he was surprised at what Aeryn said.

"Pilot, I have this need, this compulsion to go back to Eventray. To somehow avenge John's death." She paused a microt. What she had to say was not easy. "The others don't want to go and I realise I'm being selfish. I can't bring him back Pilot and it's my fault that he's gone."

"No Aeryn, it is not your fault." Said Pilot, his expression full of concern for her.

"Yes, yes Pilot it is. It is very loyal of you to say it isn't but I can't hide from the truth." She climbed up and sat on the console next to her friend. "I was always pushing him away, even when my heart wanted nothing more than to open up to him. What's wrong with me, Pilot? Why can't I let someone love me and love them in return?"

"You do Aeryn, but cycles of being a Peace Keeper tell you it's wrong. That is what the problem is. Your training from birth."

Tears rolled down her face. "What should I do, Pilot? I feel so lost, so alone without him."

Pilot reached out with a clawed hand and cradled her face gently. "You are neither lost nor alone. You are among friends, Aeryn."

She sniffed. "The others hate me."

"They do not hate you but sometimes they find it hard to understand you."

"Same thing."

"No Aeryn, it is not. You need to talk to them, explain your feelings."

"Explain my feelings?" She laughed painfully. "If I could do that Pilot we wouldn't be in this mess. John would still be alive and we wouldn't be having this frelling conversation."

For a quarter of an arn they shared a companionable silence. Pilot working quietly, Aeryn enjoying the peace and his comforting presence. She looked up at last. Her decision made. "The others are right, Pilot. It's time to move on."

Pilot inclined his head. "If that is what you want, Aeryn."

"What I want?" She paused a microt to steady herself. "No, it's not what I want Pilot but it is perhaps what I need."

He said nothing. Watched sadly as she left his den. He was worried about her. So was Moya. They could only trust that her pain and loss would heal.

Aeryn found the others in the mess hall. All conversation stopped as she joined them. They looked at her but no one spoke. Fine. They were not going to make this easy for her. She took a deep breath. "I have been thinking about you said and you are right. We can't go back. I can't bring John back and trying to find his killers would be a waste of time. They are probably long gone now and he would not want that anyway. He would want us to go on with our lives." She paused and saw the surprise on their faces. It felt good to still be able to do that though it was a hollow kind of victory.

Chiana tilted her head warily. "So what're you saying Aeryn? Move on, move on where?"

The Sebacean shrugged. What did she care anyway? Nothing mattered any more. They could do as they frelling well pleased. "Wherever you want."

The Luxan took a couple of steps towards her. "You know what this means, Aeryn?"

"Yes, Yes, D'Argo I know what this means." She sounded tired. Drained. "It means you all get to do the things you haven't had the chance to do up until now. D'Argo gets to go and hunt down Macton. Chiana gets to go and look for her brother Nerri and the resistance. Rygel can go and try to win back his throne. Jool can do what she wants as well."

"And you?" Asked D'Argo gently. "What are you going to do, Aeryn?"

She looked surprised at being asked. Had not thought they would care just so long as they got what they wanted. Maybe Pilot had been right. Maybe they were her friends after all. "I...I will stay with Pilot and Moya."

"So will I." Said Jool.

Rygel looked at all their glum faces and tried to cheer them up. "Where are we going to ask Moya to take us first?"

They looked at each other for a microt then D'Argo spoke. "Chiana goes first."

"Okay." Said Aeryn.

"Hey, why do I have to go first?" Said Chiana. Not that she did not want to go first, she did, she was just suspicious at Aeryn complying so easily and everyone giving her the first choice. That made it a trick, right?

Rygel harrumphed impatiently at her. "Just now you were bleating because you *couldn't* go to find your brother now you're bleating because you can! Make up your mind you Nebari tralk or we will make it up for you!"

She spun round on the little Dominar and grabbed him before he could back out of the way. "Shut your wakket hole, Toad. No one was speaking to you!"

Cross, D'Argo roared in frustration. "Enough, Chiana! Let go of Rygel. And Rygel keep your comments to yourself. We will each get what we want. We will take it in turns like civilised beings."

Only after he had said his piece did he realise that Aeryn was no longer in the room. He sighed. His heart heavy and full of sadness. Suddenly his revenge on Macton did not seem quite so all consuming or satisfying. Yet part of him knew he would never rest until he had found the man who had killed his wife and pinned the blame for her murder on him. If it took him a hundred cycles he would find him.

* * * * *

He stirred slowly. Felt so damn groggy. Ached all over but with a wonderful lack of tension in his body. He tried to stretch but seemed to be tangled up. His movements roused the women. He felt a tongue slide in his ear, little shivers running under his skin as hands plied him gently, their stroking and touching dancing over him in a medly of sensations that woke him to find the sun blazing down through the panapa leaves making him squint. He tried to push the women off. Hemnoth murmured in his ear as she writhed up against him. "We're glad you're awake, John."

"Mmm, well I'm glad too 'cause I gotta go take a leak."

Hemnoth pulled back to look at him. "A what?"

He shuddered as Margenna worked her way down, licking him with her tongue in places where the sun did not shine. A flush of anger blazed in him. "Will you cut that out?"

The women froze. Had never heard an angry word from him before. Taking advantage of their stunned expressions he extricated himself and frowned at them. "Look, I don't mean to offend anybody but I'm nobody's fucktoy, okay? We had a great time but now I gotta go pee and get washed and dressed. Things to do, places to be."

They exchanged baffled expressions and watched him grab his scattered clothes. When he had gone Hemnoth looked at Margenna. "How did we upset him?"

Bishyin's voice broke into their reverie. Neither had heard him come up behind them. "It is time for you to go back to your camp now."

Hemnoth shook her head. "We will wait for him."

"No. John is not going with you."

"Why not, Bishyin? We need him."

"You have had him, Hemnoth. *All* night, remember?"

"You do not understand. We need his seed."

"Ask him next time."

Margenna was nearly crying. "But that is a cycle away!"

He nodded. "Yes. If you had not wanted to take so much from him he might want to go with you now. Did you think of that? Besides Margenna," he added gently. "You may be with child by then."

Margenna nodded and fell silent. Hemnoth looked thoughtful then gave Bishyin a little bow. "You are wise but a cycle is still too far away."

He saw the glitter in her eyes. Thought of his night with Ryal and relented a little. "Perhaps we can agree on half a cycle?"

A little smile teased her lips. "A monen would be better - though still too long for us to wait."

He considered what she was asking. "I will not let harm come to John. If he does not wish it, you must not force yourselves on him. Are we agreed?"

Hemnoth exchanged a look with Margenna. Gave the woman a nod to send her on her way. When she looked back at Bishyin there was a strange light coiled in the jade depths of her eyes. "I want him Bishyin and I will pay whatever you ask."

His eyebrows rose at the directness of her request, especially as he had laid out his own more than generous conditions. It was unheard of to question the ruling of a clan chief. "You want? What about Margenna? The others?"

"Only if he wants to. He will be mine. Under my direct protection."

"And if he doesn't want to lay with your women?"

She smiled slowly. Years of seduction in that smile. "I can keep him satisfied myself. I may even decide he is not for sharing, Bishyin. As I am sure Ryal feels the same way about you."

The breath caught in his lungs. "You play a dangerous game, Hemnoth. I will not be manipulated."

"Would you rather go to war?"

Surprise turned to anger. Before he could issue a challenge Crichton re-appeared. Dressed and washed he looked and felt a hundred times better. He frowned at the expressions on Bish and Hemnoth's faces. "Um, am I interrupting something?"

Hemnoth smiled at him, slowly licking her bottom lip with her tongue. He could not take his eyes off her. Felt a slow flush come to his face. Bishyin was annoyed. "John, the women are going."

He broke eye contact with her with difficulty. "Oh yeah, bye. Nice to um meet you."

She stepped up to him and looked into his beautiful blue eyes. Oh yes. She *had* to have him. She looked at Bishyin. "Your choice, little chief."

Crichton looked at Bish, confused and not catching all the nuances except that the women did not seem quite so friendly this morning. "I will not force anyone to do what they do not want to do, Hemnoth. War or no war."

"Way, way, wait! Did you say war? What's this about a war? What's going on?"

When Bish did not answer immediately Hemnoth spoke instead. Her eyes flicking from Bish to Crichton then holding him with her gaze, her body brushing lightly against his as she moved closer so he could inhale her scent. He tried to think what it reminded him of. "We need your help for a little while longer, John. Bishyin has refused. Without your help we will have to go to war."

"What war? Why?"

She stroked his cheek then ran a finger gently over his lips. It was taking her all her efforts not to seduce him there and then. With an effort she took a step away from him. "Every cycle the two clans come together. We share everything. Our food, our fire, and our bodies. We part and bring into our clan the next generation of the tribe. It has been this way with our clans for centuries."

"What does this have to do with me?"

"You are not Eventrayan, John. For some reason though we mate every year less and less of our females bear children. Our clan is diminishing. Dying. You bring new seed, new hope, to our clan. If you will not help us we will have to wage war."

"And what will war accomplish, Hemnoth?"

"If we lose the war many on both sides will die. Those that survive will eat of their flesh, drink of their blood, then their masks and bones will be gone from the tribe forever."

"Uh oh, did you say you *eat* your dead?"

They both nodded. Crichton had gone completely white. He sat down before he fell down. Bish and Hemnoth exchanged anxious glances then sat down either side of him. "John," Said Bish carefully. "What is wrong?"

"I...uh...I...uh, I saw some bones."

Bish nodded. "Yes, ancestors."

"Lots of bones. Inside the trees." He swallowed. Suddenly he was finding it hard to breathe. The horror of the whole situation hit him like a truck. "You *eat* your own people? How gross is that?"

Hemnoth put a hand on his shoulder, tried to calm him down. She did not know why the human was so upset. "Is this not the practice among your own people, John?"

He looked horrified. "No it is not! We call that cannabalism lady and it is not considered good manners to dine on your neighbours."

She looked at his stricken face and exchanged a look with Bishyin Mal. She moved closer to the human, the warmth of her body next to his. He seemed unaware, still in shock, trying to take it all in. "John? If you agree to come with us, help us, a great war will be avoided."

He swallowed, looked at Bish but the boy was not doing or saying anything to influence his decision. Bish would defend Crichton to the death but he would not make his decisions for him. Crichton closed his eyes. Why did these things all have to happen to him. He felt a kiss on his cheek then Hemnoth's arms gently cradled him close to her. "I will not share you unless you desire it, John."

His eyes flicked open. Would this nightmare never end? "Share me?"

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "I promise on my blood. Come with us, live among us for a while and if you want to go we will let you leave. Unharmed."

He looked at Bish. Could he believe her? Or was he simply going to end up the main course in their next meal?

* * * * *
END