Rating: PG
Spoilers/Season: no spoilers, season 2 (early-mid)
Summary: John and Aeryn meet an interesting woman on a planet while searching for supplies.

Farscape is property of the Jim Henson Company, Hallmark Entertainment, Nine Network Australia and the Sci-Fi Channel. I don't own any rights to the characters except Maleina- I'm just borrowing everyone else for this story.)

If you like this story, give me feedback at jensyn@psci.net

Supplies were running low and there were no commerce planets within sensor range. Pilot had done a scan of the area and found a planet with vegetation and life two arns away. No command carriers had been detected, so they were safe for the time being. Scorpius was still hot on their tails and showed no sign of halting his hunt until he had John in his custody once again.

John and Aeryn had volunteered to scout the planet for food enough to last until they could find a commerce planet to get proper supplies. Taking Aeryn's Peacekeeper Prowler they flew down to the planet, only to encounter a electrical storm of some kind. There was lighting everywhere. Aeryn did her best to keep control of the Prowler.

"Aeryn, what the frell is this?" John asked, almost yelling.

"It appears to be an electromagnetic storm of some kind. I've never seen the likes of this one before, Aeryn answered, doing her best to pilot the craft and answer John's question at the same time.

"We need to land soon or this storm's going to do it for us," John added.

"I know that, Crichton," Aeryn returned, annoyed. "What do you think I'm trying to do?"

The Prowler shook once and then again, only harder.

"Aeryn...?"

"Not now, John," Aeryn replied, doing her best to keep the Prowler steady. The storm rocked the ship like a pebble in a hurricane.

There was a bright flash and then it all went black.

"Ohh, my head," John groaned, sitting up in his seat, holding his head where he had hit it. "What hit us?"

"That's a very good question," Aeryn replied, undoing her harness and opening the hatch to let herself out. John slowly followed suit.

The storm raged on above them, almost like it was gloating in the fact that it had crashed them.

"We need to find shelter" Aeryn yelled above the storm, the wind catching her hair and whipping it about. We'll access the damage on the Prowler later."

John nodded in agreement and they went off in search of a safe haven until the storm died down. It took nearly an arn, it felt much longer thanks to the raging storm, to find a cave nestled into a mountain. They shook themselves off as best as they could as they made their way into the cave and out of the storm.

"You have any flares?" John wondered. "A flashlight?"

"No."

"Just our luck."

"Oh, quit it," Aeryn replied. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. You?"

"I'll live," she answered.

"What the frell was that?" John wondered. "One minute it felt like we were in a washing machine and the next minute we're crashed. I mean, come on, what happened?"

"A washing...? Never mind." Aeryn shook her head. "I don't know what happened. Like I said, I've never seen a storm like that before. It seemed electrical in nature."

"No kidding," John almost snidely remarked.

"No need to be that way, John."

"What way?" He asked, getting defensive.

"That way. Oh, never mind. We must've been hit by lightning," Aeryn concluded.

"Yeah, hit by lightning and you lost control."

"I did not lose control - I blacked out. Are you implying that I'm a bad pilot, because it certainly sounds that way," Aeryn said, on the defense.

"I'm not implying anything. I was just saying maybe..."

In the middle of his sentence, John heard the hum of a gun in his ears and felt the barrel against his temple.

"Damn darkness," John cursed.

"State your name and business," a female voice demanded.

"My name's John."

"John, tell your friend to put her gun down or I'll put a hole in you head before she can pull the trigger," the girl announced.

"Aeryn, put the gun away," John nervously suggested to Aeryn.

"I can take care of..." Aeryn announced.

"Aeryn..." John repeated. "Please."

"Take her gun," the girl told him, "then yours and slowly hand them to me."

John and Aeryn complied with the faceless girl holding a gun to John's head.

"State your business," the girl repeated.

"Our Prowler crashed and we just needed some shelter, we're not here to hurt you," Aeryn assured.

"Could you please remove the gun from my head?"

John requested.

The pressure on his temple lessened at the gun was removed.

A bright light filled the cave and they squinted from the sudden burst. They saw before them a young woman, nearly as tall as Aeryn, with pale red hair and blue eyes. Very striking features. She wore a black jumpsuit and leather boots. A Sebacean. There was something familiar about her, but they weren't quite sure what. A small gasp caught in the girl's throat, she tried to stop it, but it just slipped out.

"My apologies," the girl proclaimed. "It's been too long."

A dumbfound look came across John's face, an equally confused look crossed Aeryn's.

"What are you talking about? What's going on?" John demanded.

"Frell you!" The young woman replied in return to John. Aeryn nearly cracked a grin when John looked stunned. "You come into my home and demand to know what's going on? Ever hear of common courtesy?"

Aeryn stepped forward. The girl took a step back. "I apologize for my friend, he's not from around here. I'm Aeryn Sun and he's John Crichton."

"My name's Maleina."

"What did you mean by it's been too long?" Aeryn wondered.

"I haven't seen another person in over two cycles."

With Maleina leading the way, John and Aeryn found themselves further and further inside the caves.

"It's an ambush. She's going to kill us when we get to where we're going,"

John predicted.

"She will not," Aeryn returned.

"She pulled a gun on me."

"I've pulled a gun on you and I haven't killed you," Aeryn said.

"Not yet," John replied under his breath.

They found themselves at their destination point, an enormous cave. They were stunned to see that it had all the amenities of a home: a bed, a makeshift kitchen, and a workstation with rudimentary tools and machinery parts lying on the table top.

"You live here?" Aeryn wondered, stunned.

"All my life," Maleina answered. "Twenty-one cycles."

"I'm going to try and contact the others," John announced. "Keep an eye on trigger happy here."

Aeryn nodded and gave John a 'why-bother-with-a-comment-to-that-one' glance and stayed with Maleina as she gave her a tour.

John walked to the opposite of the cave to try and contact the crew of Moya, but he had no luck. He joined Aeryn and Maleina.

"I can't get a hold of anyone," he announced.

"Not with the storm going on," Maleina told him.

"I'll try again in the morning," John told Aeryn.

"It won't work then, either," Maleina added.

John gave Maleina an annoyed glance. "And why not?"

"Volatile atmosphere - it jams radio signals. My parents tried to make contact for three cycles without any luck," she told him.

"And you know this for a fact?" John challenged.

"Yes. Now, I wouldn't be here if my parents made contact, would I?

The atmosphere blocks signals, trust me," Maleina finished.

John tossed his hands up and groaned, "Perfect."

"Settle down," Aeryn told him. "It won't do us any good. We'll take a look at the Prowler tomorrow."

"You're welcome to stay here tonight - the both of you," Maleina invited, giving John a dirty look with the last part of the comment.

"Thank you, Maleina," Aeryn said.

"Once again, I apologize for my behavior earlier," Maleina repeated.

"Okay," John commented, as he walked away.

"It's in the past," Aeryn replied. "A misunderstanding."

"Yes," Maleina nodded. "There's not much in the means of food, but you're welcome to anything I have."

"You're too kind."

"You're the first company I've had in...well, you're the first company ever. I'm going to turn in. There are blankets in the corner and the bed is in the back."

"Good night, Maleina."

Maleina made her way to a smaller entry way, pulled back the curtain to a small room and went in to what Aeryn guessed what her bedroom. Aeryn joined John, who had found the food storage compartment and was helping himself.

"I see you've found the food already. She said there wasn't much, but she told us to help ourselves."

"It's the least she could do," John said, taking a bite of what looked like a squash of sorts.

"Are you still crying over the fact she pulled a gun on you?"

"Aeryn, she could've killed me!"

"She didn't. She apologized. Just get over it."

"She could be a Peacekeeper," he assumed.

Aeryn cast a doubting look at John and answered, "She's not Peacekeeper."

"You don't know that. She certainly acts like one.

"Well, she's not. If she was she would've gave me her rank and regiment the moment she saw me."

"Yeah, well, maybe she's undercover," John concluded.

"Out here? Don't be ridiculous."

Shaking her head, Aeryn made her way across the cave to where

Maleina had directed her.

"Where are you going?"

"To sleep, John. And I suggest you do the same. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow," Aeryn announced, matter-of-factly. "Good night."

"Yeah, good night," he returned, taking another bite.

"Crichton. Wake up," Aeryn rousted. John shifted, but didn't wake. "Get your lazy butt out of bed now!"

Startled, John woke up and fell out of bed and hit the floor with a resounding thud.

"What?" John whined.

"I'm going to access the damage to the Prowler," Aeryn announced.

"Are you coming with me?"

John pulled himself up. "Yes. Is Maleina coming with us?"

"I haven't seen her all morning," she confessed. "Let's get going."

The storm had died away but the sky was dark and cloudy like it wasn't over yet.

"From the looks of things, we're in for another storm," Aeryn said as they trekked back to the Prowler.

"No kidding," John said sarcastically.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out that way," he apologized. "I didn't sleep very well last night. Did you happen to hear crying, by any chance?" John wondered.

"No, I slept like a baby," Aeryn answered. "Why?"

"I could've swore I heard crying last night - probably just the storm."

"Probably. There's the Prowler." She pointed as they made it up the hill.

"Frell! Frell! Frell!" Aeryn cursed.

"Problem?" John asked, knowing very well that there was.

"Power converter got fried when we got hit last night," she announced.

"Can you fix it?" John wondered.

"I can try to fix it. Maybe Maleina has the tools I need."

"Let's hope so," John replied.

Another arn later, they were back at the cave. Maleina was sitting by the fire, stirring the contents of the cauldron.

"There you are," she said. "I was wondering where you ran off to."

"Just checking out ship, seeing how badly it was damaged, Aeryn returned.

Maleina nodded.

"You don't happen to have any tools to fix this, do you?" Aeryn wondered, holding up the damaged power converter.

"I'm not sure, but you're more than welcome to what I have," she answered.

Aeryn made her way to the work station and John reluctantly made his way to the fire where he sat down.

Maleina gave John a glance that was part contempt and part frell you . John's nerves were nearly fried. Since they had arrived, all Maleina had given him was trouble.

"What is your problem?" He confronted.

"What do you mean?" She returned.

"You have been nothing but rude to me since we arrived here. I haven't done a thing to you. What gives?"

"I'm sorry, my etiquette with people is rusty, that's all," she answered.

"No, no. It's more than that."

"I have been alone for the last two cycles of my life, then suddenly you and Aeryn show up, I wasn't prepared," she stated. "My father was the last person I saw."

"What? Did he die?"

"Might as well," she replied, her voice full of contempt. "No, my father didn't die. He ran out."

John almost felt like kicking himself. "Sorry."

"Yeah." she mocked.

"So, what happened?"

"My mother died and half a cycle later, my father went out and never came back. I assume by now that he's dead."

"I'm sorry."

"A little late for that," Maleina snapped.

"Now wait a minute," John started. "I'm trying to be sympathetic and you're giving me Dren?"

"Never mind," Maleina stated and left the cave.

Aeryn, hearing the commotion, joined Crichton. "What did you say to her?"

"What did I...? Why is it always my fault?"

"Because it usually is. Go after her."

"Why?"

Aeryn gave him a look that said a thousand words. He knew that look too well and he took off after Maleina while Aeryn worked on the converter.

It took a while, but John finally found Maleina. She was knelt down in front of a rock covered grave.

"Maleina?" He yelled.

She took one look at him and walked away.

"Frell!" He cursed. Curious, he made his way to the grave and saw something that nearly made him turn white.

"Aeryn? Aeryn?" John shouted breathless as he found Aeryn still at the work table, fighting with the converter.

"Dren!" She cursed, tossing the power converter down.

"That's going to help," John stated.

"Frelling thing! Lightning fried the wires and Maleina doesn't happen to have any lying around. None that I can use anyway."

"There's something you need to see."

"Right now? I..."

"Aeryn, please. You need to come with me...right now."

"How can this be?" Aeryn wondered, stunned, staring at the makeshift headstone with the phrase: 'Aeryn Sun Beloved wife and mother. You will be loved and missed always.'

"This is probably where she disappeared to this morning."

"Don't be ridiculous, John. Maybe some of the letters were washed away."

"Aeryn, please. It reads Aeryn Sun as clear as day."

"Why would she do such a thing?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe it was here before she was born," Aeryn concluded.

"Or maybe she has plans for you," John announced.

"I'm not that sinister," Maleina's voice rang out from behind them.

They turned to face a ashen faced Maleina. Her eyes were red from where she had been crying.

"Maleina, what's going on?" Aeryn wondered.

"It's a long story," Maleina told her.

"We've got all the time in the world," John returned.

"Two and a half cycles ago, Aeryn Sun fell ill with the living death. There was a heat wave that year and she got trapped in it. We found her - you - too late, she was already at the end. My father and I did our best to keep you comfortable. In the effort to retrieve you, I fell ill myself. My father managed to save me, but it was too late for you," Maleina remembered. "I buried you here. Looking down at the grave, she began to cry. My father just sat like an empty shell. He loved her so much and then she was gone. He died with her that day, on the inside. Half a cycle later he was gone - he left while I was asleep. No explanation."

"How can this be?"

"Maybe we're in an alternate universe," John theorized. Aeryn tossed his a look of disbelief. "Hey, stranger things have happened."

"How did you survive the living death? Without cooling blankets? Even the caves aren't enough to help," Aeryn stated, knowing all too well what the living death felt like. She had been lucky enough.

"I'm only half Sebacean," she answered.

"Half? Then what's the other..." John wondered.

"Come on, Commander," Maleina began. "Haven't you got it figured out by now? What else looks like a Sebacean, but isn't? Come on, you're smart. I gave you a hint earlier."

An almost confused look crossed John's face. He shook his head.

"No way."

"Crichton, what?" Aeryn asked, confused.

"You're not..."

"Yes, I am," Maleina answered.

"What?" Aeryn repeated.

"How?" John managed to say.

"Temporal rip," Maleina whispered.

"What?" John wondered.

"The storm and the atmosphere caused a temporal rip and you hit it while you were on your way down here," she concluded.

"How do you know?" John inquired.

"You told me - fifteen cycles ago."

"John, what's going on?" Aeryn demanded.

"Aeryn," John began, turning to Aeryn, "meet our daughter."

Still dumbfounded by the mere thought, John and Aeryn were still unable to fathom that this young woman was their daughter. She couldn't be, yet she was. The feeling that something familiar about her, the feeling they had both had when they first saw her, finally made sense.

"So we hit a temporal rift that knocked us twenty-two cycles into the future?" John repeated, just to make sure that he had heard Maleina correctly.

"That's what my father - you - theorized cycles ago to him and my mother. Apparently they hit the rift, which was much smaller back then, and were thrown half a cycle into the future. Which, in turn, would explain why your - their - friends aboard Moya couldn't find you or them. However you want to put it. My parents tried to contact Moya, not then knowing that they were in the future. After countless tries to contact Moya, they decided to make a home and a cycle later, I was born."

"Unbelievable," Aeryn pondered.

"So, now you see why I treated you the way I did," Maleina said

to John. "You're him, but you're not."

"You're punishing me for something I haven't done," he returned.

"For being somebody I'm not."

"He's gone. You're here. I took my anger for him out on you."

"You're just like Aeryn," he told her.

"I know." Maleina smiled. "I'm so sorry."

John reached out and took Maleina in his arms and gave her a well earned and long overdue hug.

"He was a fool to walk out on you," John told her.

"I still love him though," Maleina said pulling away from John. Aeryn stood off to the side. Maleina almost swore she saw a tear brimming in the corner of her eye, but she kept her silence about that. "I want to keep you both here with me, but I know I can't."

"You may get your wish, Maleina," Aeryn told her. "My power converter on the Prowler is fried. We're not going anywhere."

Maleina closed her eyes and took a deep breath before replying, "If you go just over that hill," pointing to her right, "in the valley is where their Prowler crashed, lightning hit the engine and fried it. Apparently, you're from an alternate past than my parents. My parents couldn't have left even if they wanted to. She's old, but the converter's still good. Trust me. Commander Crichton, I have some of my father's notes about the rip that may be of some interest to you."

Two arns and a replaced power converter later, the Prowler was up and running.

"Are you sure you won't come with us?" John offered. "There's plenty of room."

"I'm sure." Maleina nodded. "I don't belong up there. Besides, this is home. It's time to find out if my father's still alive or not - it's time for him to come home either way."

"We wish you luck," Aeryn stated.

"Thank you," Maleina answered.

"Last chance," John offered. "We can try to send a transport back down for you."

"I'm sure. Hey, you never know, we may meet again under different circumstances," she said smiling. "You better hurry or you'll miss your window."

With quick goodbyes, John and Aeryn were on their way. Hopefully home to Moya and their friends.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" John wondered as they lifted off, taking one last look at 'their' daughter.

"She's our daughter, of course she will," Aeryn boasted, smiling, ever-so-slightly.

"My counterpart says the rip is at these coordinates. I hope they're right."

"You're not the only one," Aeryn added.

The ship began to rock like it had before they had crashed. The storm tossed them about for several microns.

"Anything?" John yelled.

"No, noth..."

A bright, white light enveloped them.

"John? Aeryn?" Zhaan's voice rang out of the comm badge.

"Yeah, Zhaan, we're here," John answered, sighing in relief in hearing Zhaan's voice.

"Thank the goddess. We lost you for a moment. Are you okay?"

"We're fine," Aeryn told her. "Just a little shook up."

"Where were you? What happened? We lost you off our sensors for a moment. We feared the worst," Zhaan said, her voice full of concern and relief.

"You wouldn't believe us if we told you," John told her.