Crichton was in Command staring at a console when he heard Aeryn desperately hollering over his comm, “CRICHTON! CRICHTON!” By the shrill screams in the background, he knew just where she was. He looked up at D’Argo and they both left the room at a dead run. Accosted by the noise level as they rounded the corridor to the room that held Aeryn, they could tell just how bad the situation had gotten. Then they saw her. Aeryn was kneeling on the floor. One of them was pulling her head back by her hair, two had control of her right arm and four more had her legs pinned to the ground. Aeryn was trying to free her pulse gun from her right thigh holster with her left hand. She had just extricated it, when Crichton noticed. “Aeryn, NO!” he shouted as he rushed across the room and snatched it out of her hand. “They are just children.” “They are undisciplined monsters, Crichton. Get. Them. Off. Of ME!” she said through clenched teeth. “D’Argo, if you don’t stop laughing and make yourself useful, I will shoot you FIRST, as soon as Crichton gives me my gun back.” Checking to make sure the safety was on, Crichton put Aeryn’s gun into his waistband at the small of his back. “I don’t think I’m giving it back to you until we deliver these kids, Aeryn,” he said as he untangled a little girl’s fingers from Aeryn’s hair. D’Argo picked up all four of the children that were sitting on and hugging her legs. Crichton stood up, picking up the little raven-haired girl, and Aeryn unwrapped from around her arm the fingers of the two children still hanging onto her. The little boy ran and hugged one of D’Argo’s legs; the little girl latched onto Crichton’s. “Where did Chiana go?” D’Argo asked Aeryn. “It was her idea to transport these orphans to their new homes. Isn’t she supposed to be watching them?” “She said they needed more blankets and left me here while she hunted some down. Pilot,” Aeryn directed her voice into her comm badge. “Where is Chiana? Or Zhaan? Or even Rygel, he’s their size.” “Aeryn, look what they did to you! Can you imagine what they would do to Rygel?” Crichton laughed. “Hmmm, good idea. Pilot! Tell Rygel to get down here!” Pilot appeared on the shell screen. “Chiana is returning with the blankets, now, Officer Sun.” Aeryn looked at the children. The little girl that Crichton was holding had nuzzled her face into his neck and was sound asleep. The one hugging his leg had sat down on his foot, and was drifting to sleep, resting her head against his shin. Even the children D’Argo had hanging on to him had quieted and their eyes were sleepily closing. “How do you do that?” she asked, wonderingly. She leaned forward to examine the girl at Crichton’s neck. “Are you sure she is asleep? Maybe she’s just waiting for you to lower your guard so she can take a big bite out of your neck.” “They’re just scared. And tired,” Crichton said soothingly. “Still,” Aeryn said softly, “this does look sweet, John…” and she slowly put her arms around Crichton’s waist and then swiftly grabbed her pulse gun from his waistband, batting away his free hand as he tried to stop her. “Ha! They’ve already made you soft, Crichton.” “Aeryn,” John warned. “Oh, I probably won’t shoot any of them, Crichton.” She was putting the gun in her holster as Chiana walked into the room. Chiana looked around and cackled, “Aeryn! Had to call in the reinforcements?” “I wouldn’t laugh, Chiana. This morning, three of them were wandering the halls when YOU were supposed to be watching them. AND, you were supposed to be watching them NOW. This was your idea, transporting these little creatures…” “Creatures? Aw, Aeryn,” Crichton reasoned. “Look at them. They’re little angels.” “If that means they’re tolerable when they are comatose, Crichton, I agree.” Aeryn walked to the door, turned around and looked at Crichton. “I suppose, some day, Crichton, you would like to have a couple of these.” Crichton’s face broke into a big grin and Aeryn rolled her eyes, shook her head, and left. “She’s going to make a great mother, someday. Don’t you think?” “As long as she never has to be in the same room as her children,” D’Argo agreed. “Chiana, they are getting heavy.” Chiana spread out some blankets and starting relieving D’Argo of his load. “The reason they get into the hall,” Chiana defended herself, “is that the holes in the cell doors are too big. They can crawl through them.” “I think I have an idea, Pip,” Crichton said, turning to D’Argo. “Help me out?” “Of course,” D’Argo responded, and as soon as they had helped Chiana tuck all the children in, they headed for the maintenance bay where Crichton remembered spotting some mesh. “Why don’t we just put the mesh over the door holes?” asked D’Argo. “If we do this, then Pilot can help babysit,” Crichton said from the lower tier of Pilot’s chamber. “Plus, we can divide the children so they aren’t so overwhelming.” Crichton had found three of the smaller sections between the ramps in Pilot’s chamber and was using the mesh to section them apart. “We are building cages,” protested D’Argo. “Nah, they’re playpens. Chiana can divide the children into the different sections and easily keep an eye on them. The DRDs can even help without the children being able to reach them and pull out their appendages, or whatever they are.” “Yes,” said Pilot from his console, “after this morning’s incident, I think I will use the DRDs with guns, Commander.” “Are you sure YOU didn’t get Aeryn’s DNA, Pilot?” Crichton countered, not bothering to ask what had happened this morning. “These three sections are also the most shallow, so Chiana can just hop in to take care of the kiddies, then hop to the next section…” “Commander?” Pilot questioned. “Are these changes you are making permanent?” “Yeah, Pilot. I thought that after the children are gone, we could keep Rygel in one of these. Hell, he can have all three.” Upon seeing Pilot’s look of consternation, Crichton amended, “Don’t worry, Pilot. This can all be easily removed.” After he had finished, Crichton hopped out of the last section, pointed his arms toward them and sang, “Ta da! Whatcha think?” “Ta da, indeed,” D’Argo answered dryly. “We shall see tomorrow. I’ll help Chiana bring the children here when they awaken. We are deep into our sleep cycle now, John.” “Yeah, thanks for the help, big guy. I’m turning in, too.” After a pause, Crichton added, “Hey, you’re supposed to ask me what I’m turning into.” D’Argo grinned at Crichton. “Yes, John, I don’t know whether we understand you more now or are just so used to NOT understanding you that it doesn’t register anymore. Goodnight, Pilot.” They said their goodnights and headed for their quarters. John reached his quarters and threw his jacket on a bench. “Hey, Sundance,” he whispered to the back of the form in his bed. “You awake?” He sat on the bed and started to take off his boots. Aeryn rolled over to face him. “Yes, John. Are you finished your little project?” “Yep, ‘Operation Playpen’ is a go, got the green light. At oh-seven-thirty on the mission clock, we will synchronize our watches and…” “What are you talking about?” “Nothing, babe,” he said as he finished undressing and climbed under the blanket. He lay on his back and Aeryn rested her head on his chest, flinging her arm and a leg over him. “Hey, Aeryn…” “What?” “Do YOU want to have children some day?” “You know, you talk too much, John,” she said and decided she should find other ways to occupy his mouth to help him resist the urge for more conversation. Soon, they found other ways to occupy more parts of their bodies. By the time Crichton and Aeryn got to Pilot’s chamber the next morning, Chiana, D’Argo and Zhaan had brought and deposited the children into the play sections. Chiana was standing in one of the sections feeding two of the children. “Hey, Crichton!” Chiana called. “Look! I think this is going to work.” “Great, Chi. Do you have everything under control here?” “I believe she does,” Zhaan answered. “But I told her I would stay to help her for a while. You and Aeryn may wish to eat, John. Pilot said he would need your assistance soon. You, too, D’Argo.” “Sounds good,” Crichton said, slapping his stomach and turning around to leave. “Sparky! Whatcha got there?” Rygel had just entered the room on his throne sled carrying a bag. “Just some things to occupy the children. And don’t go getting any ideas, Crichton. I am just trying to lessen that infernal noise that they make when they become bored.” “Yeah, sure, Ryg. Hey, Chi, Santa Sparky is here with the gifts!” Crichton announced as he headed out the door. “Maybe he can give the good little boys and girls rides on his sled.” Aeryn and D’Argo looked at each other, rolled their eyes and followed Crichton. D’Argo finished tightening the bolt and looked at Crichton. “I think we’re finished. Pilot?” “Yes, Ka D’Argo,” Pilot replied. “The DRDs report the blockage clear and the container fully reassembled. Moya wishes me to extend her gratitude.” “Yeah, it’s been a long day,” Crichton said as he climbed onto a ledge and looked down into a thin tubing. Aeryn had been the only one of the three that would fit and still have room to work. “Hey, Aeryn! Ready to come back up?” “No, Crichton,” Aeryn voice sarcastically came out of the container. “I thought I would spend the night down here in Moya’s internal fluids.” “Yech,” Crichton and D’Argo both said as they reached down and grabbed Aeryn’s arms and pulled her out. “Yuk, Aeryn,” Crichton announced. “It’s all over you.” “Really, Crichton?” Aeryn confronted him. “Next time YOU go down and see how clean…” “Okay, okay, sorry. But, man…!” Aeryn looked at D’Argo scrunched-up face. “What’s the matter with you?” “You smell like dren!” Aeryn looked at Crichton, who had his hand up to his face, covering his nose. He nodded, confirming D’Argo’s assessment. “I’m going to take a shower and change,” Aeryn announced as she started to leave. “I’ll meet you later in the CenterChamber to eat.” “Hey,” Crichton called after her. “We have tools to put away here!” Aeryn turned to stare at him, her face set like stone. “But, we’ll take care of it, honey, you go shower.” About halfway to her quarters, Aeryn passed the corridor housing the entrance to the laundry facilities. She stopped, looked down at the slime covering her, and backtracked the few steps back to the corridor, then walked down to the room. There was no one there, so she took off her boots, then stripped down to her standard black PK underwear, throwing articles of clothing into the fluid as she got them off. Looking around at the things the others had left spread out to dry, she found a plain cloth. She wiped as much of the slime off herself as she could and threw the cloth into the cleaning fluid. Then she saw one of Crichton’s grey tee-shirts. She peeled off her underwear, throwing that, also, into the fluid, and put on the shirt. “Now to get to my room without meeting anyone,” she said. Looking out into the hall to make sure no one was there, and holding down the shirt at the hem with one hand and her boots in the other, she ran to her quarters. Once there, she let out a breath. She pulled off the tee shirt, threw it on the floor, and went to enjoy her well-deserved shower. When Crichton and D’Argo finished straightening the room, Crichton said, “D’Arg, let’s go check out Snow White and the seven dwarfs.” At D’Argo’s puzzled expression, he clarified, “Chi and the kids.” “Don’t you think we’re rather dirty, John?” D’Argo asked. “Somewhat dirty. But by the time we clean-up, they’ll probably be asleep.” D’Argo nodded and they headed for Pilot’s chamber. When they got there, Chiana was in one of the sections singing and feeding two of the children. The little raven-haired girl who had fallen asleep in Crichton’s arms the night before spotted him and started screeching, holding up her arms to be picked up. “I’m a little dirty, darlin’,” he said and held out his arms as proof. This just made the little girl start jumping up and down, screeching louder and straining her little arms in Crichton’s direction. “Just pick her up, John,” D’Argo sighed. By now, the three children in the other section were starting to screech and held their arms out in D’Argo’s direction. D’Argo gave a resigned look and climbed down into the section with the children, who immediately started climbing on him and into his arms. Crichton picked up the little girl. She wrapped her thin arms tightly around his neck and her legs around his chest as far as they would go. She nuzzled her face into his neck as she had the night before. “D’Argo,” Crichton asked quietly, “what’s wrong with these kids? They look Human… well, Sebacean, but you say they’re not. And shouldn’t they be talking by now?” “They’ll never talk, John,” D’Argo whispered. “Their race communicates using screeches and noises. Perhaps Zhaan can explain the medical reasons behind it. I cannot.” “Sad,” Crichton said. He paused and looked around. “Umm, Chi.” Chiana looked at Crichton. “I know I’m tired, but I did get that doctorate at MIT, and all that math I had to know for my Slingshot Theory should qualify me a little…” “Crichton,” Chiana said, exasperated, “usually by now you’ve said SOMETHING that I can understand.” “I count six.” At Chiana’s puzzled expression, he repeated, “I count six. Six kids. Didn’t you have seven?” Chiana jumped up onto a ramp and counted. “Oh, frell!” She started looking around the chamber. “Hello? Little one? Are you here? Oh, frell, where are you?” “Calm down, Chiana,” D’Argo soothed. “We’ll help you look. Pilot can you and a few DRDs look after these children while we search Moya? Ask Zhaan to help. They’re almost asleep anyway. And call Rygel and Aeryn to help search.” “Of course,” Pilot responded. “And I’ll have some DRDs join in the search.” “Aeryn might be in the shower and not respond, Pilot,” Crichton informed him. They quickly settled the children and Chiana, Crichton and D’Argo met in the hall. “How did you lose a child?” Crichton accused Chiana. Then he noticed how hurt and scared she looked. “Aw, I’m sorry, Pip. You’re doing a great job with the children. Honest. Do you know which one is missing?” “A boy,” she answered. “The one with brown hair.” “Okay, good. We’ll find him. He’ll be fine, Chiana.” Crichton lowered his head to become level with Chiana’s. “Hmmm? Okay? Everything will be fine.” Chiana gave an uneven smile, but he could tell she was still scared. D’Argo verbally divided the ship and they started searching. Aeryn finished her shower and dried herself. She stretched, luxuriating in the feel of ‘clean’. She put on clean underwear and started to retrieve clothes to wear from the cabinet. Then she changed her mind, dug into the bottom drawer and pulled out another one of Crichton’s grey tee-shirts that she had hidden there. Well, John was pretty much just wearing the black ones now, she rationalized. She was tired and decided she had a little time to lie down before meeting to eat. The guys would have spent at least half an arn cleaning up the mess and putting away the tools before they could even start their showers. She was about to comm Pilot to wake her when the others gathered in the CenterChamber, when she saw movement under the blanket on her bed. “John?” she asked, puzzled. “You better have taken a shower before you…” She stopped as a pair of impossibly blue eyes under a mop of brown hair peered from beneath her covers. The familiarity of the eyes and hair gave her pause, even as she registered the smallness of the body. Just then, he sat up, the covers falling away, and the child held out his arms to her. “How did you get in here?” Aeryn asked rhetorically. She walked over to stand near the bed and he started bouncing, his arms still outstretched. “No, I will not pick you up.” The child strained his arms towards her, and, shaking her head, she repeated, “No.” The child lowered his arms and tilted his head and gave her a look. Aeryn gasped. She felt a very familiar feeling. That feeling that always made her think her breath had been stolen away. That feeling that, before now, only one being had ever given her. She sat on the bed and looked closer at the child. He returned her stare, widening his eyes. She kept looking at him in wonder. Then he grinned and rested his head against her arm, gazing up at her. “By the stars!” Aeryn exclaimed. That fine, soft brown hair, those impossibly blue eyes, the tilt of his head, and, hezmatta, that damn grin. “Little frelling Crichton,” she whispered. The little boy climbed onto her lap, nestling against her. “Oh, no!” she protested. “Chiana! Pilot?” Where the hezmatta was her… Dren! She had forgotten to take the comm badge off of her clothes before throwing them in the laundry fluid. Dren! It was probably ruined, too. She sighed and looked down at the child. He looked sleepily back up at her; looked at her with his little boy face. “Oh, sure,” she said. “You get that ‘look’ and you never lose it, do you? It’s always there to use to get your own way. You grow up, but still you have it…” His eyes were starting to close and his little hands fiercely gripped her shirt. Well, Crichton’s shirt. “All right. But JUST until you fall asleep. Then I am returning you to Chiana.” Satisfied that she wasn’t giving in to him, giving in to ‘that’ look, Aeryn lay down holding the little boy in her arms, falling asleep a few seconds after he did. Crichton was searching the crew’s quarters and had reached Aeryn’s. Seeing her lying on the bed, he started walking in to wake her and ask if she had seen the little brown-haired boy. Crichton stopped and his face broke into a huge grin. He went back into the corridor. “Pilot,” he whispered. “Yes, Commander?” “Please let everyone know that I found the child. I’ll return him in a little while. You can call off the search.” “Done, Commander. May I ask where you found him?” “Aeryn’s room. I’ll explain later.” And he turned off his comm and quietly reentered the room. He stood for a few minutes, watching Aeryn. Then he gently sat on the bed, and tenderly stroked her hair from her face. As he sensed she was waking up, he leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Whatcha got there, Sundance?” Aeryn looked at John, then looked at the child sleeping in her arms. “Little Cri…,” she started. “Umm, he was here, in my bed, when I got here,” she amended. “I was going to take him to Chiana once he fell asleep. She must be worried…” “Yeah, we’ve been searching the ship for him. I’ve already sent word to Pilot that he’s okay, so there’s no rush.” John couldn’t resist the tender, sweet way she looked and he leaned over and kissed her again. Then he lay down facing her, the child in between, sleeping. John stroked the child’s hair, then found one of Aeryn’s hands and intertwined his fingers with hers. “John, you realize you are still very dirty,” Aeryn murmured sleepily. “One boy and one girl. At least,” he whispered, staring into her eyes. “Hmmmh…?” “One boy and one girl. A boy for you and a girl for me. Then a bunch more. For both of us.” “What?” “A girl for me. Every father should have a ‘Daddy’s Little Girl’. Trust me on that. A boy for you. You know, so I can teach him football, train him, drill him, teach him all my moves. Go to all his games, make sure he understands all the plays and executes them properly. Then when he gets his football scholarship to college, and leads his team to the Rose Bowl, based on everything I have taught him, and I’m sitting proudly in the stands, and the TV cameras pan over to him and get really close… then he can look straight into the camera and say, “Hi, Mom! I love you!” That’s why you need a son, Aeryn.” Aeryn smiled at him sleepily. “John, I have no idea what you just said. But I’m sure it was very sweet.” They stared into each other’s eyes until they fell asleep. They woke up about an arn later when Chiana’s voice came over John’s comm, “Did you really find the kid, Crichton? Where are you?” Part II: The Seven Dwarfs