TITLE: "SOMETHING SO STRONG"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "Farscape"

PAIRING: JOHN/STARK

RATING: NC-17. M/M/F. *SLASH*

STATUS: New.

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed

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

"SOMETHING SO STRONG"
A "Farscape" slash story
Written by Alison M. DOBELL
* * * * *

Crichton saw Aeryn. She was waiting as he eased himself out of the cockpit of his module. The Farscape 1 looked small and kind of lost in the belly of Moya. A lot like him. Stark smiled in his mind. With love and reassurance. Crichton had forgotten how beautiful Aeryn was. How much he loved to look at her, simply be in her radiant presence. Stark had not. <Look at her, John. Remember>

<God Stark, how could I forget how beautiful she is?>

Stark smiled in his mind. <That wonderful face. Proud. Courageous. Intelligent...>

<Pissed off> Crichton added with a soft chuckle.

<Naturally. Your fault>

That amused him. <*Ours*>

That amused Stark. <Touche> He felt Crichton's surprise.

<You know that word?>

<I have access to all your memories, thoughts, experiences. *Everything*>

<Um, Stark? Do you...>

That was when Aeryn interrupted him. She was frowning. "John, are you alright?"

It took a conscious effort for him to speak. The words heavy weights he had gotten out of the habit of lifting. "Yeah, Aeryn. I'm fine."

The frown did not diminish but her voice was softer. "You don't look fine. You look like dren."

She raised a hand, startled to see silent tears fall. Her heart ached. Had she done that? She touched his cheek, the sensation almost made him cry again. He was so sensitised by Stark's presence, absorbing the Banik's sensitivities and seeing, feeling, so much more than he had before. "Did you....did you *see* Stark?"

He managed to nod. "Oh yeah, I saw him Aeryn."

His voice was thick with emotion. He saw that she was moved too and touched her face with wonder, fascinated by the emotions stirred in those dark unfathomable depths. Drinking in the sight of her with his eyes. Her touch reverberating between him and Stark, intensifying what he was feeling on a magnitude ten times as powerful as his hitherto lumbering human sensibilities. It was so incredible. So subtle. He could not believe all the layers he had been missing. Loved her so much and knew Stark did too, though his feelings went so much deeper. His passion for Stark had momentarily eclipsed every thought and memory he had of Aeryn. Yet Stark knew and loved him too much to deny him anything. How could he ever explain what had happened to them to Aeryn? Would she understand? Would it freak her out? Suddenly he felt sad for Aeryn. Love flooding his heart. She carried such sadness, such loneliness inside her. It was cramping all her emotions, stunting the beautiful vibrant growth of her heart like weeds rising up to choke every breath she took and she did not even know it. He wanted to cut those weeds down, expose her to the light. Kiss those lips, awaken the fragile beat of her heart to the heights and depths of his love. He could feel that Stark wanted it too.

Aeryn was uncertain. Puzzled and afraid of his silence. He just stood there looking at her as if he had never really seen her before. He looked...stunned. She did not realise he was stuck in a depth of joy beyond imagining. It slowed down his reactions to her, rocked his world. So much was going on inside his head and in his heart. His silence was beginning to scare her. Sensing her fear for him, he smiled in gentle reassurance, his hand cradling her cheek, his eyes looking deep into her very soul. "Hush, Aeryn." He whispered. "It's okay sunshine, it's alright. I'm okay." He kissed her lips gently. His heart marking time until he could tell her. "More than okay."

She was shaken. "What happened to you down there?"

He sighed and drew back from her, his thumb rubbing her cheek, his eyes searching hers, willing her to understand. To give him time. "I'll tell you later, Aeryn."

She was tempted to press him but something stopped her. Instead she nodded, leaning in to his touch. He sighed and kissed her again. His lips gentle, drawing hers open. All the anger and rage she had kept pent up inside her now dissipated. It was a relief to let it go. He had frightened her and she had been going to berate him. Knock some frelling sense into him. All thought of that was gone now. She flicked her tongue between his lips, needing to taste him, to sink herself into his sweetness. Lighting a fire in him that she wanted to bask in, needing his heat, his love, his touch, his beautiful body sliding up against her own. Hands caressing, cradling, seeking, touching. Wanting him to need her as much as she needed him. It was an ache in her soul expressed in her body because she had no words for what she was feeling, no expression more compelling that this. He wanted to caution her to wait but she was so hot for him, her hands and lips urging him on. Lips begging. He felt Stark responding with him, the chorus of feelings too powerful for him to hold back. <Oh God, Aeryn, what are you doing to me? To *us*?>

He pulled back slightly, his eyes glazing over with the heat of passion. "Aeryn, anyone could walk in on us...Our track record in that department is not good."

She smiled and took his hand. A kiss to keep his lips warm then she pulled him along with her. They were soon in her quarters, her hands flying over his leathers as soon as she had him in the doorway. He groaned at the pressure of her hands, his cock hardening as she slid a hand down between his legs. She was devouring him now, her tongue probing urgently, rubbing herself up against him as she stroked him with her hand. He groaned into her mouth, his hands removing her clothing until nothing seperated them but a rising tide of desire. <God Aeryn, you are so beautiful and I want you so much. We *both* do>

He was not sure how moral this was but could not stop himself. She wanted him and his heart sang at the knowledge that her lust was born of love. Stark celebrated with him and he felt their twin passions heightening her every touch in the heat of his skin. Perspiration forming in a hot mist on his flesh, his heart thudding a heavy rhythm against her chest as he caressed her breasts, one in each hand, thumbs rubbing across her hardening nipples as she got more excited. They missed the bed completely and landed on the floor, neither moving to correct their error. Both too carried away with the heat of passion. She rolled him over, wanting to be on top. He smiled to himself. Aeryn liked to dominate, have the upper hand, even when they were making love. He did not mind, did not care, just wanted to love her, to cherish her. To steer his heat inside her and rock her until they both exploded. He felt Stark in his mind, his thoughts, his touch igniting still more passion in him, making him so rock hard, his hips starting to buck already against the motion of Aeryn's hands. He was moaning so loud into her mouth, his excitement affecting her, bringing her to the boil. She moved one of his hands from her breast to guide it down to fulfill a more urgent need, urging his fingers to delve into her sex. The moisture doing crazy things to his control. He sucked her tongue with his, her lips bruising in their demands, his fingers rubbing her clitoris, caressing her nub and building the heat in her as he throbbed in her hand, hips rocking and heat rushing up his cock in a leaking stream. He was close, so close. He pulled his lips back from hers, panting heavily now, so hard to hang on. "Oh Aeryn," His voice ached with passion.

He could not get another word out. She plastered his face with kisses, his perspiration as delicious to her as everything else about him. He looked so beautiful this close to orgasm, it turned her on as nothing else could, knowing she could bring him to this. Break him with her passion, his aching shaft throbbing with heat between her legs, the pressure of her hands almost undoing him. She made him wait, brought him to the painful brink of orgasm and held him panting on the edge while she urged his fingers into a harder faster rhythm to bring her to the point of coming. Then when she was almost there her frantic impassioned hands pulled him into her moisture laden depths and hips thrust deep into his, impaling herself down on his wonderfully engorged and throbbing muscle as hard as she could, shoving him inside her
with as much strength as she could muster, her legs hooking up round him and gripping him as her walls flexed against his rocking shaft. He closed his eyes, the ecstasy dragging groans from so deep inside him that she was shivering with the pleasure of it. Stark stroked his mind, touched off areas in him that trembled and heightened every touch of his love making with Aeryn. He could not have spoken if his life had depended on it. He was too far gone in the throes of the most erotic passion. At last he came, his release so hot, so hard, so intense that it felt like he was dying. Hot semen shot up his shaft and filled her, his spine snapping as he came, his heat blending with her own as she came with him. Aeryn rose on his every thrust, arching into him, rousing him to push harder and harder, to milk every last drop out of him before they collapsed spent and sated in each others arms. Awash with passion.

It took several microts before he could move let alone find his voice. He felt Stark's warmth in his mind, his pleasure and joy so loving, so gentle, doing such beautiful things to him while he rested in Aeryn's arms. Gradually he was able to move, his hands brushing the silk waterfall from her face so he could see her eyes, kiss her and worship her with his lips. She stirred slowly against him, feeling tired but happy. Content even. The thought made him smile. She felt the curve of his lips against her face as he kissed her and opened her eyes, curious to see what had amused him. "What?"

He chuckled. "Do you think we can get on the bed now, Aeryn?"

She raised her head and found herself laughing gently back. Frell. She had not even noticed they were on the floor.

* * * * *

D'Argo was pleasantly surprised by the way in which Aeryn and Crichton appeared to have made their peace but it baffled him how easily it had happened. One minute he was sure that Crichton was on the verge of cracking. A mere breath away from leaving them. What had happened? What had changed? Zhaan found him deep in thought on command. No one else was there. She considered him a moment before joining him.

"Sweet D'Argo, you are troubled."

Not a question. A statement of fact but spoken so gently that he could not take offence. He sighed. "It is John and Aeryn."

She tilted her head. "What about them?"

He looked at her, his exasperation plainly evident. "I do not understand. I thought John would have nothing to do with Aeryn."

"Why would you think that?"

"You know why. Stark."

There was a small sad smile on her lips. It hardly disturbed her outward calm but he had noticed. "Stark is a Banik, D'Argo. His love is not confined to one person, one race, even one time."

He frowned. "What do you mean? Are you saying he does not love John?"

She shook her head. "No, Sweet D'Argo. He loves John with an intensity that will last his whole life through. He may even carry that love acoss many lifetimes if he chooses. That is not what I meant."

"What did you mean?"

"I think that his love for John is such that he would love whoever John loved. Regardless of whether they loved him back."

His frowned deepened. He did not speak.

"He will not hurt Aeryn, Sweet D'Argo, because he would not hurt John. But I think Stark loves Aeryn also." She paused for emphasis. Her voice ever gentle. "In her own right."

He thought about that. "And Aeryn agrees to this.....this.....*sharing* of self?"

Zhaan smiled and put a hand on his shoulder, her eyes watching him with affection and humour. "That is for them to decide D'Argo, not us."

"Where is Stark now? On the planet? With John?"

She smiled. "With John."

He watched her eyes for a microt as if all the secrets of the universe hung like little supernovas waiting to light up his heaven. Or plunge them all into chaos. Why did chaos seem the more likely option? "Sharing a mate does not work, Zhaan." He cautioned quietly.

"Perhaps. In some cultures it is the norm, D'Argo, but they are hardly sharing a mate."

"Then what are they doing?"

Zhaan paused, wondering how much to tell him. In the end she gave a gentle inclination of her head. "Patience, Sweet D'Argo. Trust that they know what they are doing."

He frowned. "I do not want to see Aeryn get hurt."

She patted his shoulder. "Neither do I."

* * * * *

Rygel was thoughtful. He watched the receding binary system but was not focussed on it. He was deep in thought about solar flare activity of all things. Something he remembered about wormholes. He could not quite remember it all but he was sure Crichton had said something about solar flares in relation to the creation of wormholes. Was that the real reason they had come here? If it was then what was Stark doing here? And if it wasn't and Crichton had only come because of Stark then why were they leaving?

* * * * *

Crichton was thinking the same thing but for different reasons only he did not know it. He was sleeping. His arms wrapped loosely around the radiant Aeryn Sun. He stirred slightly in his sleep. Dreaming. Aeryn stirred, awake now. A smile teased her lips with memories, a hand sliding gently over Crichton's chest, her fingers brushing through the light hair and circling his nipples. She watched his face and flicked out her tongue, drawing the tip slowly across a nipple while she rubbed the other with the fingers of her right hand. He did not wake, but stirried slightly at her touch. She propped herself up on her elbow and watched him sleep, letting her hand travel further down, enjoying the feel of his firm body beneath her fingertips as she explored. Licking his nipple and starting to suck and nibble gently, catching the nipple in her teeth to tease it. Her lips curved in a wicked smile. She saw him frown and paused, thinking her teeth had caught him too hard. The frown deepened and something that looked like pain crossed his face. Her smile vanished in sadness, a nightmare then. She slid up the bed a little so she could be level with him. His mouth was moving soundlessly and he seemed to be getting upset. She brought her hand up and stroked his cheek, her lips brushing his with love, wanting to banish his nightmares.

He did not stir. She was frowning now. "John." She nudged him gently.

He did not react. A low agonised moan leaking from his lips, again the unspoken litany mouthed as he stirred without waking. Aeryn sat up and looked concerned, shook him hard. He did not wake but seemed to get more distressed, tossing his head now and beginning to perspire.

"John. Wake up, you're having a nightmare!"

* * * * *

He could not wake. Stark was trying to get to him, reach him, protect him, but something was stopping him. Crichton was trying to tell him not to worry. Telling him how overjoyed he was to be with him again. To share this intimacy with Aeryn. He could still feel Stark, his thoughts touching him and loving him but the contact was fading. How the hell could it fade? Stark was with him, wasn't he? Why was their touch becoming numb, their thoughts more distant from each other? He felt an urgency from Stark. Something that felt like fear. He tried to shrug it off. Impossible. This world they shared was inviolable. The one safe place where they could stand against the darkness. Only something had found a way in. Something insidious that was dividing them, excising his friend and setting up ribbons of panic that wounded him with a fear so deep he could not see the end of it. The abyss that beckoned terrified him. Stark was crying out but no sound came from his lips. Tears ran down the left side of his face. He was receding from him, fists banging against the transparent wall that pushed him back. Crichton called out his name, his heart not understanding what was going on, why he would leave him.

Then he felt it. Something dark and oily and incredibly evil. Totally alien and without mercy or compassion. Bad enough to feel the touch of an enemy stirring. Worse by far to look into the abyss of hate and give it a name. Laughter echoed up from the depths and made his skin crawl. His mind shrieking. Scorpius. <How the frell did you get here?>

He seemed amused. <I never left you, John>

<The chip was removed>

Scorpius smiled ingenuously. So smug, so confident in his evil. <Yes, it was, wasn't it?>

<So, this is just a nightmare>

That amused the half-Scarren. <Not a nightmare, John>

<Then what? What is this, Son of Scorpius? Return of the Killer Clone? What?>

` <Did you think there was only one chip?>

He felt his heart falter. Teetering on the edge of the abyss. <Oh God, no. Don't let this nightmare be happening>

Scorpius was sittiing on a pastel pink sofa drinking from a champagne glass, he raised the glass in a mock toast. <Oh but it *is* true, John. You just haven't accepted it yet. But you will>

Then the sofa and the champagne glass were gone. There was only Scorpius. He reached out a hand to touch him and Crichton screamed...

* * * * *
END