All the EFC characters are not mine. It takes place in the season 4. Just after 'Essence'. I've not seen the episode and just read some spoilers and Seven stories. Forgive me if it interrupt something in the EFC timeline or whatever. Just if you wonder, in this story, Zo'or mean last hope and Ma'or mean lost hope.

¤

Da'an was lying on a table. He was weak. Renée was there. But she did not participate in any way. She did not understand what happened to the Taelon.

Da'an had entered labor two days ago. He suffered like this since two days! His face was convulsed in pain. T'than, his mate of the moment, was beside him, holding his hand tightly, whispering softs words to him. The Taelons healers were around him. The room was dark, lit only by Da'an's energy form, which was a bright white, not a good sign. The room was surprisingly silent. No one spoke. Da'an managed to keep his mouth close. T'than's voice was the only thing Renée could hear.

Da'an moaned in pain. Renée approached closer. She heard a scientist let out a exclamation of surprise. She knew something was wrong with Da'an. She was so close to him, that she could sense the tension of the air around her. She was in the middle of a formidable energy mist formed by Da'an's body.

Da'an let out a long, painful, cry. Renée almost screamed in fear and horror. The Taelon body materialized on the table. He fell in unconscienceness. She saw the scientists go to him and slap him till he aowke. His mate tried to help him. She was revulsed by the Taelons manners with Da'an. He was in pain, he was nearly dying. Evoluated race, my ass, she tought, angrily.

Fulls of tiny glowing energy particles appeared on top of Da'an's form. It slowly formed the vague shape of a body. Smaller than a human baby. Just eight inches long. Da'an lifted the arms and reached out for take the baby to his chest. The healers took the child away from Da'an even before he could just touch it. She saw not pain on the Taelon's face, but sadness, and despair. She wanted to scream, to tell them to let Da'an held his own child.

T'than stroke gently Da'an's cheek as he breathed hard.

Avoice came from another part of the room. "The child is stable and it does not lose energy. It will survive." Da'an sighed in relief, letting himself fall back on the table. "But it's barren Da'an."

Da'an shooked the head, looking like he was about to cry. T'than let his head fall, despaired. "Zo'or. Name him Zo'or." Da'an said this after some hesitations. Renée remarked it was the first time someone called the child by 'him', not 'it'. The healers looked at the child like disgusted by him. They held him out to Da'an.

The Taelon took him to his chest and huuged the tiny being against him, caused the child, Zo'or, to giggle, Taelon version. T'than extended his hands and Da'an, reluctantly, let him hold the baby.

As T'than spoke softly to his child, Da'an jerked again in pain. And the same thing as before happened. This time neither T'than or the healers expected this to happen. Renée understood instantly. Twins. Zo'or has a twin brother. Da'an reached out for grasp T'than's hand. This one pulled away, with the child in his arms. Renée looked in disbelief as Da'an's mate exited the chamber, the baby, crying for his other parent, in his arms. This was why Zo'or was so angry at T'than.

Da'an grasped the edge of the table as the convulsions began more painful. His fingers twisted the Taelon's material under his grip. He was in a totally energy form now. The glowing form appeared again on the Taelon body. It finally took a form and it began to cry, just like a human baby, she thought. Da'an curled the child in his arms as he sat on the edge of the table. The scientist looked at him like scared. Twins were not in the normality for a Taelon. In fact it was the first time ever that a Taelon born more than one chile at a time.

Finally one healers reached out and took the child. He examinated it for a moment and sighed. "Da'an…" Da'an look was even more filled with sadness "Da'an, I'm sorry." There was no need for much more words than this.

Da'an spoke finally. "Let me hold him a last time, please." The healers hesitated and let the young parent hug the child for a while.

Da'an whispered soft words in his child ears. "Ma'or. That's your name, little one." The scientists took the chils away from Da'an.

They opened a small tube, looking like a crystal bottle, Renée thought. And carefully put the child inside it.

Da'an truly looked like he was about to cry. He was pressing his lips together for not spoke.

"Da'an, we are not even sure if he will survive…" said a healer, who will be known as Mit'gai in the future. Da'an lift a hand for silencing the young healer.

"Trust me, he will," he said simply. Da'an exited the room, walking slowly, shivering. She took as step aside as Da'an walked out. She was really sorry for the Taelon. She felt something strange on her cheeks. She touched it with her fingers. Water. She was crying.

The healers cleared the room after Da'an. She was alone in this dark chamber. She went toward the tube where the child was like frozen in an energy mist. The child moved inside it. He was alive, and he would live. She was ceratin. One of the four child Da'an spoke of, surely.

The child suddenly oepned his eyes, his deep blue, softly golwing, eyes, and stared at her. She saw him tried to speak. Without a second of hesitations, she reached a hand and touch the cold fabric of the tube. She felt the despair and the sadness of the child to be locked like this. She advanced her hands a little more and unlocked the tube. The child gasped for his first breath of air. She gently took him in her arms and hugged him to her chest.

"I'll help you little one. Yes, I'll help you."

¤

Renée Palmer awoke suddenly and jerked. She remembered where she was and fell back lying on her bed. She was breathing fast. She raised and went to the bathroom. She asperged her face with water and looked at herself in the mirror. She had cried. She could see the trace of the tears on her cheeks.

She lowered the head, totally amazed and surprised.

'Why am I dreaming of Da'an's children?' she thought. But she still felt the tiny glowing Taelon baby in her arms. She shooked the head and went back to her chamber. She had a very important meeting this morning. And the sun was almost raised.

¤

Da'an awoke at the same time than Renée, in his energy stream. Since two nights, he knew that both him and this woman had done the same dreams. He did not need to be remained of Zo'or and Ma'or birth. It had been painfull one time, now he lived it again and agina each times he went under the energy stream.

The form of the glowing child in his little tube, in the middle of a room full of little tube with children inside, was always present before his eyes each times he closed them.

A long tear rolled down his cheek. Despite the scientists tried to clear his body of the human's emotions, he still felt them. He would had not touched Renée Palmer this time. Da'an non-Taelon emotional state had created a link between him, Renée…and Ma'or.

Da'an sighed as he began to cry, alone in his Embassy.

¤

Renée entered the big conference room, déjà full of people. She knew, by Liam, that Da'an was supposed to come here. She did not know why but she was anxious to see him. Anxious and nervous. She had a very strange feeling running in her body.

She feared to start to be friendly toward, not the Taelons, but just Da'an. Da'an was a Taelon. He was an ennemy, an invador. It was clear in her head. But each time she closed her eyes, she saw the small thin child in his blue energetic tube. She saw Da'an suffering, on this table, suffering from the lost of his first child, took away by the other parent, and suffering from the lost of his second child.

She felt what he felt once. She, too, lost a child once. She knew how you felt after. How you felt destroyed. She had realized how strong Da'an was. Zo'or was his child. She had ever considered them as ennemies of each others. And can live each days, seeing this child, his own child, that he born and could never love and take care of.

Renée briefly wondered how Da'an could support to put four, four, of his child inside those damned blue tube. She shooked her head, amazed of where her thoughts had bring her. She sighed. She could undertand Da'an, but she could not be sad for him.

She advanced in the room, passing through the little groups of people. Da'an was on the stage, speaking softly with Liam.

"The child is stable and it does not lose energy. It will survive." Da'an sighed in relief, letting himself fall back on the table. "But it's barren Da'an."

She shooked her head, from the unexpected flashback. She shaked and put an hand on a chair for not fall on the ground. When she raised the head back she saw Da'an's worry gaze fixed on her. He locked his bluer-than-blue eyes in her gray-bluish ones. He blushed blue and turned back to Liam, finally releasing her from his icy look.

The woman who diriged the conference announced to everyone to take their place. Da'an stayed on the stage. She hoped a second she could just sit on a chair, but she was there as a Doors International CEO, and she needed to represent the compagny on the stage. She climbed the stairs slowly.

She felt suddenly so tired, that each moves took so much of her energy. She was shivering. She was tired.

She came back to this world when she sensed Liam's strong hands on her shoulders. He had took her off toward a shadowing part of the stage.

"How you all right?" he asked.

"Yes. Yes Kincaid I'm all right. You can release me now, you know." Renée Palmer was back. She spoke ina such icy tone that he shot her an impatient look, and walked back to sit beside Da'an. She shooked her head slowly, trying to extract the odd thought she had from her mind.

"Push Ms. Palmer, push. She's almost here. Let's go it's almost finished," said the nurse sharply.

Her eyes widened as another flashback came to her mind. She turned the head, feeling to be watched. Indeed, Da'an's worry gaze was fixed on her.

She walked back to her place on the stage. Beside the Taelon. She sat, still shaking a lot. She tried to keep her hands unmoving, but they were shivering uncontrolably. She took a deep breath. Behind her shoulder, from the corner of her eyes, she could see Liam's worry gaze. She turned just enough for shot him a significative look.

She shivering more as she felt another flashback coming.

Da'an spoke finally. "Let me hold him a last time, please." The healers hesitated and let the young parent hug the child for a while.

She was brought back to reality by Da'an's cold hand on hers. When she saw what the Taelon was doing, she took away her hand, like burned by fire.

His eyes seemed sadened a moment by this sudden revultion, but he did not show it and just turned back toward the woman on the stage.

¤

Renée did not listen to the woman's speech. Neither she did to Da'an's one. She just listened to the soft, so soft, Taelon voice filling through her ears. Like a music, like a song, she thought.

'What am I thinking of Da'an's voice?' she thought angrily against herself.

Finally the long speech of the Taelon finished. And she could escape during the break. She did not know from what she was hiding, or from who. But she exited the building. It was winter outside. She had only a white shirt on. Without any coat. She was cold, very. But she did not care.

Everything for escape from this hell!

She heard as inside the monitors told to everyone the end of the break. Those breaks were not supposed to be fifteen minutes long, she thought.

I'm not going to return.

You're not going to return inside Renée.

Too late. She was returned inside.

Dammit!

She was going nowhere, just following her pace. She walked till the conference ended. She felt sick. Sick of all. Sick of the life. Sick of fighting. Sick of hiding. Sick of lying.

"I'm so sorry Ms.Palmer. Please believe me. I'm so sorry," said the nurse as she told Renée that her only child, was dead. Dead when born. She was crying. All little cells of her body ached. "No. It's impossible. It's not true. Mon Dieu, what I have done for that you hate me so?" she asked to the empty wall of her empty hospital room.

Da'an truly looked like he was about to cry. He was pressing his lips together for not spoke.

"Da'an, we are not even sure if he will survive…" said a healer, who will be known as Mit'gai in the future.

She had slided to the floor during the two flashback. She got up and sat on a chair near to her. She put her head in her hands. She let the tears fall. The tears she was holding back from the night she had done this dream.

Da'an had lost a child when he was young. Renée had lost a child when she was young. There was the link between them. It was that she had sensed when she had touched his hands.

¤

Almost all people had left the conference room when Renée came back in. She was shaking. Only four people were inside. Da'an, the woman who had made the first conference, Liam and a photograph who was taking pictures. She was even not at the middle of the room, that Liam almost ran toward her.

The young hybrid took her arm and pulling her toward the door.

"Where were you Renée? You disapeared after Da'an's speech." Liam asked nervously, maybe a little to loud. Da'an and the other woman turned toward them. The Taelon bowed his head, looking in Renée's eyes.

"I was outside."

"Outside? You don't have your coat," he replied.

"Outside the room, Liam. I felt a little sick that's all."

"I think you're better return home, Renée." She perceived some concern in her voice. He really cared about her.

¤

"Please, if you can excuse me…" I said to the human woman. She nodded, visibly annoyed by this interruption.

I walked toward Ms. Palmer and my protector. I was not sure what my feelings were toward this particular woman. I felt an odd connection with her. Something we had in common but I did not know what it was.

I interrupted Liam. "Ms. Palmer. I understood you were not well?" I asked, attempting to speak in a soft voice.

She hesitated. I could almost feel it like it was my own's feeling. I had a connection with her. That was sure.

"No…No Da'an. I'm quite well." I know she's lying. I see the tears track on the skin of her face. Her skin is more white, showing that she went outside without the needed protection for this time of the year.

"Ms. Palmer I wish to speak to you in private."

She just turned away and walked out of the room. Liam shot me an angry look, like if I was responsbile of such a situation. And also a look of warning. I knew he were spying me from a while. Even now I cannot believe how much our relation ship have deteriored.

I bowed my head toward him. And followed Ms. Palmer outside.

¤

Renée sat on a chair near to the door. She passed her hands in her blond hairs. She closed her eyes. She heard the noise of the soft fabric of Da'an's suit when he appoached her. Renée felt more that she physically sensed his hand on her right shoulder.

"Ms.Palmer?"

"Da'an," she acknowledged softly. He took a near chair and sat in front of her. He crossed his fingers together and raised the head for look at her.

"You feel it too, no?" She was surprised when she recognized her own voice. Da'an looked surprised by her audacity but nodded slowly.

"Yes. But I'm not sure what is it," the alien replied after a moment. Around them was a perfect silence. Da'an spoke again, almost unhearable. "You did not leave because you felt 'sick'." He stated like he was sure but she sensed the need to acknowledge his statement despite all.

"No. You're all right."

"I felt that you had difficulties to be in my presence, Ms. Palmer."

She did not know what answer to this. Officially it would be an insult to answer that by a yes, but she did not want to deceive him. And to lie to herself.

"Yes it's true. I felt…uncomfortable, in your presence Da'an. Please don't take it as an offense," she whispered. Da'an lifted his hand for silence her apologizes.

"There's no need to apologize Ms. Palmer. I fear than all this you suffer belong to me." Renée shot him a nervous look. He continued. "When I was…in this emotional state, I created a link between us. I'm sorry. I'll do everything I can for break it if you want." He got up to leave her. She advanced her hand and catched his wrist.

"Please don't Da'an." She was not sure if she was asking him to not leave or to not break the 'link' between them. She raised for look at him in the eyes. With her shoes she was as tall as him. She could look at him in the eyes. He understood almost immedialty what she waited from him to do.

He took her hand. "I know you know something. I know you experienced something during this conference Ms. Palmer. Please tell me what you seen," he pleaded. She looked around them. They were completly alone.

"You saw it too?" He hesitated and bowed his head to one side. Then nodded, reluctantly.

A lot of time after, she would be surprised that at this moment she did not react to the fact that this Taelon had felt with her, felt the same she had felt a long time ago.

What she saw, what she saw. She was not even sure of what she saw. She took a deep breath and spoke finally. "The…other night…I mean yesterday, I dreamed. I did a strange dream." He interrupted her.

"What did you see Ms. Palmer. Please tell me."

She was surprised by his anxiety, his nervousness also. She did not know aliens could be like that. Must be the humans emotions, she thought a bit after, when she recalled the 'incident'.

"I…I dreamed of you Da'an." He did not respond right after. He just locked his eyes into hers and blushed blue. She was facinated by his form. She was totally absorbed by this energy form. So alien. So different. But definitaly not ugly. Beautiful even. Almost despite herself, she raised a hand for touch him. She realized at this moment she had never wondered by herself about the Taelons. She just had believe what others people had say her. She had always thought like the others said. She had never wondered if maybe one, or two, of them could be different. The Taelons and the Humans were not so different at all. She thought all of this as she looked at her hand slowly rasing for touch his face.

He let her stroke his cheek for a while, then looked back at her. She realized what she was doing and withdraw her hand, quickly, flushed a bright red, under his amused gaze. "Please tell me what did you see," he said a faint smile always on his nicely traced lips.

She tried to think and to remember her dream clearly. She closed her eyes and spoke " I saw you and…I don't know… you seemed younger than now… And I was there but you did not saw me... It had many Taelons too… I saw T'than… And Mit'gai… And a little child you called Zo'or… And another one you have call Ma'or." she murmured so low that Da'an had to step closer to hear what she was saying.

When she finished, Da'an lowered the head miserably. "You saw Zo'or's birth," he simply stated, looking like at the edge of crying again.

"The other child, Ma'or," she hesitantly said, "Is he still with your others children you spoke me of Da'an?" She remembered when the Taelon had cried before her, for his lost child, under the influence of human emotions. She briefly wondered, how painful Da'an's life had been, if he was not able to cry like he did the other day. He had cried for his children but how many friends he had lost, how may fellows Taelons, how many time he had seen his friend dying under his eyes….

She had seen how Zo'or was cold and ruthless with him. His own child…She sighed.

"Yes. He's still there. Barely alive. Comdamned to be uncounscious for the rest of his life, even not being a part of our Commonality…" A long tear rolled down Da'an's cheek. Renée was surprised, she thought the Taelons had given the humans emotions back to Richard. Da'an murmured something angrily in Taelon language and wiped the tear away.

Renée took a step closer. They were almost chest to chest. The first thought she had was that Da'an was more cute than many men she had seen in her life. She quickly reprimed it, lowering her gaze to the ground.

"I believed you had given back the emotions to my bro…" she asked, waiting anxiously for the answer.

"We have Ms. Palmer. It's just…that it was an experience and…The scientists did not succeed in purge totally the humans emotions from my body. I had some humans genes from my old protector William Boone, and it just made the whole thing worse. I fear that I will have those humans feeling permanantly."

"I'm sorry." Renée did not know what Da'an felt but she wanted to apologize.

"Don't be. I voluntered for this experience. I knew what the risks for me were. I'm the only to blame for my condition," he sighed. Before she could continue or add something he spoke again, "I need to confess you that I had dreams too." Renée started to suspect something. "I saw you Ms. Palmer." He did not elaborate further as he saw the look on her face.

She turned her back to him and let her forehead against the cold surface of the window. Renée bite her lips for not cry. She sensed her eyes be full of tears. As she thought of her little body, of the thin body she had cradled, hopelessly in her arms before the nurse just took it away from her, trying to comfort her by her apologizes. She did not want apologize, she wanted her daughter, her little daughter. Her daughter. The only child she ever had in this life. She passed three years out of school, out of town, in a psychiatric institution, out of all. She did not want to see anyone. She had become almost crazy. Her first child. Her only child. Now, each time she saw a child, in his mother arms, she thought that it could have been her. Her and her daughter, playing in the snow, eating an icecream, ran after a cat or whatever…

She felt the cold tear rolling down her own skin.

Da'an's strong hands squeezed gently her shoulders, and forced her to turn to him. He lifted her chin with his hand for look at her in the eyes. Her beautiful dark gray-blue eyes were full of tears. Her lips shaked when she spoke. Her contacts with Da'an have been a lot too far of what she could support, mentally and psychically. Da'an was a Taelon after all, an alien…and an ennemy. "Please Da'an release me."

Da'an realized he was holding her shoulder hard. He quickly undo his grip on her shoulder, but still stayed too close to her for let her go away. "Please Da'an. I…I can't stand this anymore. Let me go, please." She did not know if she was speaking of herself or of Da'an's closeness. Da'an opened his mouth but his look hardened when they both heard a strange noise behind them.

¤

I knew he had felt my presence. I have a kind of link with the Commonality, because of my Kimera parent. I did not hesitated a second. I saw Renée's face full of tears and I became angry.

I pulled out my gun and targeted it toward Da'an.

"Da'an I strongly suggest you to move away from her."

He turned, with the, now usual, cold and disdainfull mask on his face.

"Major Kincaid," he said as an acknowledgement. He always called me Major, not Liam. Our relationship had deteriored till a point I did not imaginate possible. We were as cold with each other that Sandoval and Zo'or.

"You heard me Da'an. Get away from her."

"You disapoint me Major," he said sarcastically. To my surprise, I saw track tears on his cheek.

He slowly took a step away from Renée and another, and another. She was safe now. I sighed in relief. Da'an did not take his eyes away from my gun, still pointed at him. A sob from Renée make us both turn the head toward her. I walked for see what he had done to her, but I sensed his strong grip on my arm. I turned and saw his eyes fixed on my face.

"I warn you Liam. If you don't stop to always…spy my private buisness, I will consider the need to change of protector. Another Taelon than me will not be as permitive." He released me and turned for walk toward the shuttle.

"And what was your 'private buisness' with Renée Da'an?" I shot back just before he dispeared after a corner. He just turned, looked at Renée a last time and blushed a deep blue.

I finally dropped my gun and went beside Renée and helped her to raise up. She was crying. I passed an arm around her shoulders and we walked and sat on a bench.

To my surprise, she let me hug her. And she even cried on my shoulders for a while. When she was able to speak without break in tears, I asked her the question I had on the lips.

"Renée, what happened? Did Da'an did something bad to you? I mean…did he…" She cut me.

"No Liam. It's not that. Da'an have not been 'bad' with me. He is just so….Ah you cannot understand," she snapped. She got up abruptly and started to walk away.

"Renée." I ran after her. "If you cannot explain it to me just tell me what happened…" I suggested as kindly as I could. The only result was that she pulled my hand away and walked even faster toward her car.

"You would not be able to understand Liam."

"And why?"

"It's woman buisness," she said hesitantly this time. Woman buisness! Da'an and Renée….She continued, "If you want to know, he spoke to me of his children." She closed the door of her car and just let me there.

Da'an had children! God! I believed the Taelons were barren. I remembered, with my perfect Kimera memory (a gift from hell!), the room I saw once on the mothership. The room full of bottles, with something looking very much like baby inside. I did not pay that much attention at the moment.

I heard the noise of the shuttles passing into interdimentional.

"Damn!" They had left without waiting for me.

The mothership was dark. It was the 'night' period. Almost all the lights were shut down. Da'an waved the door of the room open. The purple door disapeared in front of him. He hesitated before entering inside the chamber

He was not come here since almost one century. In The room. He had hold them, often. In his arms. When the energy level was enough high for permit him to exit his children from the tubes. The walls, the longs walls. So long that he could not see the end of them, lost in the shadows. Fulls of bottles. Fulls of unborn children. Taelons children.

Da'an collapsed, covered his face with his hands. No. He would not cry. It was not Taelon. It was a Human emotion. Not even his owns.

He was wrong, he knew he was. The scientists had told him that the Human's emotions would ever be a part of himself now. A Taelon with emotion. He had often heard resistance members speak of the Taelons in this way, non-emotional being, emotionless alien…Not anymore.

He wondered briefly how the Humans could stand this. Thic constant emotional exterior demonstration. All the others of them could knew what emotions they were experiencing. How ashaming it must be.

He was one of the 'lukciest'. He jad just four children there. Quo'on had eight of them, unborn children who would never see the light of the sun. And Mit'gai had eleven. They were some of the few oldest Taelons in the place. He just tried to imagine the despair of a parent who had to put eleven of his children in bottles for the rest of their lives.

He felt long tears fall down his cheeks, between his melted fingers. He hoped his despair ans sadness could go with them.

He got up and fanatically searched for the name of his children under the little bottle. He did not care of the tears on his face. He just wanted to find his children, see them another time. After many minutes he found them. In their little blue energy tube. They were moving in their energy shower. When he came toward them, they felt him, they felt their link with him. They extended their smalls arms toward him. But the glass stopped them. Da'an was so near he could sense their hope and their sadness…and their despair, mirroring his own. He slidded his hands on the sides of the bottles, trying to reach his children through the energy glass. More tears rolled on his cheeks. He was breathing hard and fast.

He heard footsteps behind him and the soft noise of the door closing. He turned sharply, fearing that it would be one of his fellow Taelons.

It was indeed. And the one he wanted the less to see. Zo'or. He heard the footstpes approaching closer. He released the bottles he was holding in his hands.

He turned on his heels for look at Zo'or.

"What are you doing here?" he asked his voice shaking. Zo'or looked like disgusted when he saw the tears on his parent's face. Da'an had asked in Eunoia. Zo'or approached him. Da'an took step back after step back, till his back was against the purple wall. Zo'or continued to walk toward him, looking like he considered the being in front of him to be part of an inferior specie.

"I was just looking for you Da'an. Your protector told me that you were not in your Embassy," whispered Zo'or in his usual ruthless tone.

Da'an looked reassured by this. He relaxed a bit. He even smiled. Zo'or's eyes widened just like the other Taelons was in shock. It was Zo'or's turn to take a step back.

Da'an got up and wiped the tears away from his face. "Did you ever saw they were crying for help Zo'or? They are asking me to help. I must help them. Look at their tiny arms." Tears rolled down his face again. "How can you stand to see them like this. Your own brother is amonsgt them. Did you ever wondered what would have happened if it was him who would have lived as a living Taelon and not you?" Da'an waited for Zo'or to answer.

"Did you?" Da'an asked once again, louder this time. Zo'or did not answered the first time, looking puzzled by his parent's state.

Zo'or finally found the force to think about it. And shooked his head. "No. I never had this idea Da'an." He was spoking to Da'an as if he was a little child. Zo'or stepped back again, looking worried by Da'an now.

"How many times I came here, just watching them. They know they will never live as you live now Zo'or. The know it. They know it…" Da'an fell on the ground, continuing to sob like a child, his back against the wall. He was always murmuring the same words. They know it. They know it. He covered his face with his hands again crying long painful tears.

Zo'or approached him, slowly. Da'an took his hands off of his face and looked at Zo'or, his eyes full of tears. Zo'or took his parent shoulders and brought him up violently. Da'an had closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"You'll never know it… You'll never know how much I've suffer…when he took you away from me…when I saw you…disapearing of my life…forever…"

Zo'or's face hardened. He did what a Taelon had never done in years of co-habitation with Humans. He slapped Da'an right and hard in the face. His parent did not fell, but just turned his head away because of the slap. Zo'or gripped Da'an strongly by the shoulders and shaked him. "Awake Da'an. You're becoming insane. You act like a Human. You're a shame for the Taelon race. Stop it."

This seemed to bring Da'an back in this world. He raised the head and placed his hands on Zo'or's arms, removing them from his shoulders. Zo'or still looked angry.

"I strongly suggest you to get some rest Da'an," Zo'or snapped. Without a word more, Da'an just turned his back to his child and left the room.

Zo'or sighed. He knew perfectly well that such violence was not necessary to calm his parent. He also knew that this demonstration of emotion was just the Human equivalent of what he too felt for these children. But that he would never have said to Da'an. How ashaming it would have been. Zo'or slowly raised his hands and stroked the side of the bottle he knew had Ma'or inside. They were perfect twins at birth. He wondered if he was like this when he came to this world. He sighed and left the room with a last sad glance at the energy tube.

¤

Da'an entered his quarters on the mothership. If it had a door, he would have slammed it hard. Zo'or could not understand. Zo'or could never understand. Zo'or had not felt what himself had felt when he had born those two children. Not need to speak of the other children he had born before.

He went toward the energy shower and waved it open letting the soft glowing blue energy particles, feed his aching and tired body. Just before fell in a completly unconscious state he felt that he would do another dream again. Indeed.

¤

When Da'an closed his eyes he felt a strange omen. He reopened it but he was not anymore in his chamber. Not in a Taelon place either. Another of those dreams, he thought.

He was in a Human hospital. Just to judge by the colors, the way of speaking and the materials, it was long ago. Beginning of the 21th century maybe. The others Humans did not seem to remark him or to see him. He was just before the door of a chamber. He did not open it, but passed through it. There was a young woman on a table, visibly birthing someone. He read the name on the paper. Renée Palmer.

The woman on the table, it would be more appropriate to call her a girl, seemed to suffer a great deal. Her face was twisted with pain.

She had spoken of a lost child too. No, he thought, not with her. She was very young.

She was lying on the metal table, her abdomen still wearing long blue and red scars from the painful birth. She was under sedative but he could see the sadness and the despair on her face. Long tears were streaming down her face. A nurse took care of wiping away the blood on her belly and thights. Ms.Palmer was crying.

He heard something in the other room. He went toward the door and just looked through the window. The doctor was sit on a chair, his head between his hand. On another metal table, the tiny form of the baby was lying. It was still covered by blood. But it was blue. It was dead. Da'an understood a couple of seconds after.

The doctor finally raised and told to the nurse :

"I'll say it to her," he finally blew out. The nurse nodded. Da'an returned in the chamber where Renée was. He sat on the edge of a chair beside the bed. Renée turned on her side, causing her to smirk in suffer.

"Please, tell me she'll live. Tell it to me please…She cannot be dead…she cannot be…"

The doctor just shooked his head as a no. "I'm sorry Ms. Palmer but she was already dead. We have lost her."

Renée did not respond she just turned her look on the celling. Long tears began to fall from her eyes. The doctor exited the chamber and closed the lights. Renée stayed there, crying in the bed. Da'an was still there. He approached her and knelt beside the bed. They faced each others. He gently raised his hand for stroke her cheek.

"You…" Renée whispered.

"I did not know Ms Palmer. Words does not exist for say how I am sorry for your lost," he whispered near her ear. She remarked he had like tears or sobs in his voice. "I know how it is painful."

"I believed you knew," Renée whispered slowly. Da'an shooked his head as he continued to stroke lovingly her profile and hairs.

¤

The dream stopped suddenly. All vanished around him. He was again in his chamber on the mothership. In his energy shower, but Liam was beside him. Instinctivly, Da'an withdraw in his chair.

Liam saw the fear look in Da'an's eyes. He took a step back and jumped down the chair.

"I'm sorry Da'an. I did not mean to awake you but I called you and you did not answer so I came here for see if everything was all right…" Liam explained a bright red flushing his cheeks. He felt like he wa sinterupting Da'an's private moments.

Da'an waved the arm for stop the energy stream and rebring the chiar back in a sitting position. He turned away a little, so that he was looking at Liam's shadowing form from the corner of his eyes. Da'an finally spoke : "But you did not come for just that, did you?" he asked softly, still not enough confident in Liam for step closer.

Liam smiled, relaxing the mood considerably. Da'an had the feeling to see the old Liam, the one who trusted him, Liam the child. He smiled at those good memories.

"You ever had it for see through people," said Liam, still smiling. His smile faded away when he said the next part of his sentence, "No. I came for…apologize Da'an. I could appear brutal with you the other day. Please excuse me. I thought you and Renée were…well…" after many other tries of explaining, Liam stopped and flushed even a brighter red.

Da'an smiled in return, closing his eyes. "As Humans say, apologize accepted Liam. I, too, was more angry than necessary this time." Da'an stopped and locked his eyes on the floor.

Liam made the Taelon salute and turned to leave, but Da'an's voice stopped him when he was almost in the doorstep. "I know something changed your mind Liam. What Ms. Palmer told you exactly?" Da'an asked.

Liam turned on his heels and was surprised to find the Taelon just before him. He was about to say that she said nothing which could appear of some importance but the infinite sad look in Da'an's eyes made him change his plans. "She told me that…you spoke to her of your children…" Liam said almost unhearable.

Da'an lowered the head and turned his back to Liam, going toward the window. He did not answered, or even acknolwedged, Liam statement. He felt the young man's hand on his shoulder. And Liam's voice rang in the room, "Is it true? That you have children Da'an…" he asked gently.

"Yes, it is. I have five children Liam. Four of them are in energy tube, almost dead." Da'an said. He did not wish to expend the subject. But Liam needed to know more of this.

"You don't have enough living energy for bring them to a complete life, no?" he asked already sure of what the answer would be.

"No. The Commonality is too weak." He stopped and then spoke again but his voice was slightly different, more emotional, more Human-like. "I've born them. As often as I can I go for comfort them. They are too young for sense the Commonality, but they are able to feel me." Another pause. "Each days I sense a little more the burden of being a dying race on my shoulders. How many of our children will never see the real world. Some of them are in those energy tube form more than a century. And we can do nothing for them…" Da'an truly stopped, after saying this. If Liam could see him, he would see that his eyes were full of tears. Da'an blushed blue and took away those Humans emotions.

He turned to Liam for prensent to him his facade of every day, the looking cold but gentle, American Companion, strong and powerful. Not the real being he was…a broken one.

Liam's hand, still on his shoulder, gave it a little friendly squeeze. For show him that despite of all their differents, despite that they were fighting for different sides, he would respect and value Da'an's private life. He did not know by what the Taelons had passed be fore coming to Earth, but he knew for sure that Da'an had suffered too much for just one being during his life. "m'sorry…" he murmured.

Da'an knew Liam could not do anything for help him. They were officially enemies now. Liam the Human Resistance fighter and Da'an the North American Companion.

Da'an turned to Liam and opened his mouth but the beep of a global cut him. He waved open a communication channel. Zo'or's face appeared on the datastream. Da'an's face hardened slightly when eh saw his fellow Taelon and his voice was a most cold one when he spoke : "Zo'or. What is it you want?"

"I request both you and your protector on the bridge Da'an. And if you know where Ms. Palmer is, tell her to come." He cut the other end of the line.

Da'an turned to stare, looking like worry, to Liam. "Have you seen Ms. Palmer, Major?" he asked Liam, again the former American Companion.

"Not since yesterday, Da'an. She was not looking very well at the time." He responded more formal than ever.

"Find her, please and join me on the bridge," said Da'an, before turning away and exit the chamber.

¤

¤

Liam finally found Renée in her apartment, after twenty minutes of searching and many calls from Da’an and Zo’or. He was about to tock on the door when he found it already open. Starting to get worried he pulled out his gun and entered. He heard something when he entered, a soft noise from Renée’s chamber. He dropped his gun and gently closed the door behind him. Liam stepped in Renée’s chamber and he saw what he believed he would never see. Renée was curled up in her bed, her arms around her knees, crying softly her eyes closed.

“Oh god…”

Liam took silently a step and another toward the bed. He felt like invading her life or privacy or something. She opened her eyes, and saw him. But she did not react. Renée just stopped crying. She had actually to bit her lips for do so. Liam sat on the edge of the bed.

“Renée…What happened?” he asked softly. He was totally unaware of what do in those types of situations. He reached a hand out for stroke her hairs slowly, brushing them away from her face. She sat in her bed and let her jaw against her knees. Long tears were rolling down her face again.

“I don’t know Liam…”

She seemed so helpless, so small, so sad. She continued to speak, even if it seemed to hurt her more than release the pression on her shoulders. “I don’t know what’s happening to me…I feel so sad…But I sense that it’s not my own sadness, that it’s someone else feelings…I’m so sad Liam…And I don’t know why.”

Liam did not know what to do. Instinctively, he passed an arm around her shoulders and hugged her to his chest. She let him do and cried on his shoulder, letting tears flow down now, not even trying to hold them back.

She truly didn’t know why she cried right now. It was like her body did against her mind willing. She had returned to her apartment in the early afternoon and she had just sat on her bed and began to cry. For all and for nothing. For her lost girl. For all the damned life she had lived since this damned boyfriend had left her in this institute with her pain to know her girl to be dead. Dammit, she was just 17. She did not know that Micheal would do that. Would abandon her with her baby. He claimed to everyone he loved her. Dammit.

The life is so unworthy.

And then her thoughts came strangely to Da’an. To what he had said. To the strangeness she had felt when she had seen him like that. Crying. Like she was now. Crying for his lost baby. She had seen how they were alike. How Taelons and Humans could be alike.

She suddenly stopped crying for a second and her body tensed in Liam’s arms. She knew why she was crying. Not just for her child. But for Da’an’s. She felt like this just since Da’an had spoke to her, share those events of his long live with her. But he could not cry like this. His Taelon and American Companion state was too important for that he could permit himself to show his emotions. She was crying for both of them. Da’an had spoke of a link between them that he could broke if he wanted, but she had said no to him.

No. She wanted to know, to believe, that there was someone for understand her fully. Someone who had lived the exactly same thing than her. She let the tears run again down her white cheeks.

She had almost not conscience of Liam who cradled her against him. She clung to him, still, searching for something that could rebring her back in this level of life. Suddenly some voices rang to her ears. Soon it was a chorus of voices. Da’an, she called out. No, she understood, she could not call Da’an. She WAS Da’an. She was experiencing the Taelon Commonality, with him. Oh god… this closeness… this total trust… this permanent bliss state… She believed she had seen strange things in her life. She was wrong. That was definatly the strangest thing she had ever seen. Or experienced would be a more wise word to choose. She was thinking like him now. She almost did not realize that she was thinking in…Eunoia, Da’an’s tongue. So soft… So strange… So alien… Ah god…

She did not want it to stop… She wanted to share more with him…To be with him. No to BE him.

She sensed some feelings of confusion, of excuse, of shame from Da’an. And then it stopped. Completly. NO, she yelled mentally, almost unconscious of what she was doing. If she would be awake, she would have flush a bright red. He seemed quite surprised by her demand but still went away from her. He left her alone in her mind now. All the others voices stopped at the same time.

She awoke in Liam’s arms still crying. She let fall a couple of other tears and then she ceased to cry. The young hybrid was holding her close to his chest. She had her head on his shoulder. She knew he loved her. Maybe himself knew not of it. But just the way he looked at her. How he spoke to her. How he acted with her. Or maybe just his general attitude when she was in the ten meters around. And his strange acting, when he had seen her and Da’an. They were too close for his taste, that’s all.

Since he had revealed to her that he was part alien, at first she had had repulsion and disgust for him. Then she had felt compassion and sadness when he had told her his whole story, his whole life actually. How his mother death had sadened him, what Da’an had meant for him, as a mentor, a friend, the father he never had, and after this all the things precipitated. His leadership of the Resistance, all the friends he had lost. And now Liam’s feelings for Da’an. He was not sure if trusting him was right or if he doomed himself in the Resistance by that.

She sighed. All those confused feelings, from them both. Now, herself knew not of what think about the Taelons. Not about the Taelons, she had still the same opinion about them. About Da’an. She had dreamed with him, lived a bit of her existence with him and now she was not sure anymore of what think about him. He had seem so lost. She shook her head.

Liam touch on her back made a shiver go down her spine. She came back to this world. She pulled back from him a little. His face was a mask of worry and concern for her.

“I’m all right Liam,” she whispered.

“Renée? You have speak in Eunoia while crying,” Liam said hesitantly as he feared to upset her.

“Really?” she said with a soft smile, “I’m sorry if I scared you. I…Ah how can I explain this to you,” she said like frustrated by her inhability to speak. She took a long breath and spoke finally, “You remember when you saw me and Da’an together?” A nod from Liam, his face a little harder at the souvenir. “So…this time, he told me that a link was formed between us. And this link, I mean…I can feel what he feels, I can sense what he senses, I’m him Liam. It’s so strange. But I think he broke our link, because our closeness was ashmaing for him and his fellows.” As she finished, she saw an odd look on Liam’s face.

“You let him make a link between you two!” said the Major in the most total belief she had ever seen on his young face. “But, Renée, do you think of the implications for the Resistance? And for you?”

She smiled as she pulled off from his tight embrace, “I’m aware of this, but Liam, he seems so lost, so alone. He’s so sad. You cannot understand I suppose,” she whispered as she raised from her bed.

Lian’s voice rang in the chamber : “Renée I just wanted to say you…that I’m sorry for what I did the other day, I did not mean to…”

“It’s all right Liam, I was also sensible this particular day. I would be the one to apologize.”

She took a cover and wrapped it around her shoulders. Liam got up fastly and turned her to see her face, by catching her arm. He was about to say something when his beep of global interrupted him. He turned away from her and opened it : “Yes, Sandoval?”

“Zo’or had requested you and Ms. Palmer on the bridge almost thirty minutes ago.”

“We are coming Sandoval,” shot Renée from the other end of the room.

“Good.”

Liam closed his global soundly as they both exited the room. He would never see the slight smile on Renée’s face.

¤

Da’an entered the bridge more slowly than usual, just after Zo’or’s call. He felt a strange feeling interrupting his thoughts. He put a hand to his forehead, he realized a little too late how much Human he had just acted. The only human of the bridge, Sandoval, followed him with his eyes, during his whole ‘travel’ between the door and Zo’or’s chair. Intrigued by his way of acting, a good numbers of his fellows Taelon also turned toward him, their eyes wide opened. He arrived before Zo’or’s chair and made to his child the Taelon salute.

Zo’or looked slightly confused by Da’an’s manerism but still give the Taelon salute back.

“My protector and Re…and Ms. Palmer will take a longer time that we had thought Zo’or. I apologize for this inconvenience.” Da’an said bowed, slightly his head. His parent had never manifested such behavior with him. Zo’or was looking strangely at him. He sent a thought toward Da’an, and received no response, even not an ackowledgement. It surprised him so that he warned the fellows Taelons who were around his parent in the Commonality, and they prudently draw back letting the two Taelons alone.

He searched for some feelings that could explain his parent… state. When he find what he was searching for, he draw back suddenly and came back to his physical body.

“Clear the bridge,” Zo’or yelled through the room. As the agent Sandoval was about to exit, Zo’or called him back : “Agent Sandoval, please stay here.”

Sandoval stayed just before the door and opened his ears wide. Da’an was still standing in front of Zo’or’s chair. The older Taelon seemed lifeless. His stare was passing like through Zo’or and the window. Da’an was gazing out in the stars.

Zo’or jumped down from his chair and moved toward his parent. Sandoval did the same.

“Da’an?” Zo’or called harshly. His child voice bring Da’an in reality.

“I’m sorry Zo’or, what did you say?” he said in a voice that surprised both Zo’or and Sanoval by his great weakness.

“I just asked you if you were all right,” said Zo’or more quietly this time.

“I’m all right Zo’or.” Neither Sandoval or Zo’or believed him. They exchanged a worried look. Da’an was again in his little universe. Zo’or walked toward Sandoval.

“Do I call a healer Zo’or?” asked his implant quietly.

“No, no, agent Sandoval. He’s not physically sick.” Zo’or stopped and looked to his parent, sadness filled his eyes. “Do you know Ms. Palmer well Agent?”

“No, not really. But how this is related to Da’an?” asked Sandoval, frowning.

“It’s none of your concern Agent,” Zo’or snapped. He had sensed her prensence very clearly when he had gone to Da’an through the Commonality. He knew that there was something between his parent and this young Human woman. There was also a tension between Liam Kincaid, Da’an and Ms. Renée Palmer. He shook his head from those strange thoughts.

“Kryss?” asked Sandoval, still looking worried.

“No. He has been purged from all the substance in his body. He’s a lot better than he was. In some months he will not need the Kryss or the substitute anymore,” whispered Zo’or. Da’an shivered quietly. Zo’or’s gaze hardened, “Agent Sandoval, leave us alone,” he said sharply, surprising Sandoval. The Human bowed his head and quickly exited the room, letting the two Taelons alone, on the bridge.

Once alone Zo’or approached his parent. He touched Da’an’s shoulder lightly. He was even more surprised by what he feel while being in physical contact whit Da’an. The Taelon was with Ms. Palmer. With Renée. Da’an did not even know that his child was sharing with him. Zo’or get deeper into their communication. He saw all that Da’an had felt from some weeks. He saw his own birth form Da’an’s point of view, he saw himself being got away by T’than, his other parent, he felt what Da’an felt. Only then he knew why his parent was crying the other night. How many pain he had suffered. How many the Human’s emotions were affecting his personality. They could never be totally took off from his person. He sensed that his parent just be aware of his presence and watching. Da’an fastly draw back and, ingoring Renée’s pleading – he could not believe this Human wanted to maintain the contact with a Taelon – he broke their link.

Zo’or retired his hand from his fellow’s shoulder. Da’an fixed a cold look on his child. Zo’or blushed blue.

“I apologize for my..disturbance Zo’or. I will go and see Mit’gai.” Da’an just turned away and made his way for exit the bridge.

“Da’an?” Zo’or called, “I’ve still not tell you why I had summoned you.”

His parent turned to him, looking fatigued by Zo’or’s behavior.

“I wanted to wait for Ms. Palmer arrival but, I will inform you now. You surely know that in three days we’ll be experiencing the lower level of vital energy within our Commonality.” Da’an looked just like he already knew and did not really want to hear of this. “What you don’t know, it’s that Mit’gai and others Human scientists, found a way to implant one of our…” Zo’or hesitated in fear to upset greatly his parent, “…children to a Human female.”

¤

Holy sh*t!!!

MORE, JEANNE!! FOR THE LOVE OF DA'AN AND ALL THAT'S RODDENBERRY, MORE!!! S'il vous plait? (did I spell that right?)

¤

Renée and Liam were walking in the dark mothership's corridors. They had been called on the bridge almost thirty minutes ago. Zo'or would be furious, as usual. They stormed in the room. Zo'or was sat in his chair, speaking softly in the Taelon tongue with two scientists. Da'an was behind Zo'or facing the window, apparently lost in thoughts, but just listening to the conversation of his fellows.

Mit'gai and T'than were also presents. In a corner of the bridge, they spoke softly, wishing not to be heard, holding each other hands, very close. Liam frowned. Lovers, he wondered.

Zo'or lifted up a hand, silenced all conversations in the room.

"Ms. Palmer, Major Kincaid…" he welcomed the two Humans. Liam and Renée suspicion started to grow. "This is a very important meeting. I ask you, all of you," he eyed the other Taelons, "to not speak of this, outside this place. What you'll hear today is still experimental and could… shock some minds on Earth."

Liam started to listen more carefully, crossing his arms on his chest, a neutral expression on his face. If he would have turned the eyes from Zo'or, he would have seen that Renée tried desperatly to catch Da'an gaze. But the Taelon avoided her eyes, almost nervously. There was definatly something between those two.

At this moment Zo'or continued, "Lo'al," he showed one Taelon in his energy form, "is responsible of a very experimental project concerning the fate of both our races. We, recently and finally, came to a constructive and acceptable result." He draw back in his chair and linked his hands together, his face showing nothing of what he thought.

The other Taelon advanced in the center of the room. "Taelons are barren," he stated simply. Liam's mouth almost dropped open. He knew, almost surely, but to hear one of 'them' say it like that… T'than and Mit'gai frowned in the same move, in disaprouval. "And in lack of energy. In other words, we're dying."

He was, obviously, adressing the two Humans. "A last generation has been born over a milenia ago. Zo'or is the youngest of our race. We had many children, but not enough energy for keep them alive. They are placed in cryogenic state, waiting for a chance to enter this world." Liam liked better him than other Taelons politicians. He was speaking just what needed to be, just enough clearly. "Along with Humans scientists, we are working on this since our arrival on Earth. And today our efforts finally came to a result. A definitive one."

He stopped, like he was attempting some interruption. But even T'than, who was looking very angry though, did not interrupt him. "We have found a way to place a Taelon child in a Human body." Renée turned to Da'an this time the Taelon did not try to avoid her interrogating gaze but standed it. For the first time in many days, he had a ghostly smile on his lips. Renée flashed him a smile in return.

"You can guess that our first experiments have been disastrous, for say just that. It's because of that the public, both Human and Taelon, must not know of that before this project will be officially started." Zo'or interrupted, "In three Earth days, we'll be experiencing our lower energy level into the Commonality. And we fear that… we will not have enough energy to sustain both the actual members and the children. Even if all the Taelons placed themselves in sa'am'ad. We cannot wait anymore. We are in need of a Human female for volunteer for this experiment. Ms. Palmer is there as a representative of Doors International…"

Zo'or continued but Liam did not listen anymore. He leaned toward Renée. "You knew of that?" She shook her head in the negative, frowning. "Another of their crazy experiments," Liam whispered so low that only Renée could hear what he said.

She turned to him an shot him a so angry look that Liam almost withdraw.

"Ms. Palmer, is Doors International still respecting our alliance about this?" asked Zo'or, in his natural suspiscious mood.

"Of course Zo'or," she responded automatically. She thought a moment and turned her eyes toward Da'an for a second. "May I know who's the child who will be first used as experiment?" she requested in return.

Zo'or closed his eyes briefly. The others Taelons locked their stare on their feet. Da'an advanced, moving nervously his hands before him. "One of my children is going to be the one to be used first, Ms. Palmer," he whispered. Renée closed her eyes and lowered the head. Liam opened his eyes wide and eyed turn after turn Da'an and Zo'or. Da'an… children…!

Renée took a long breath. "I volunteer." Liam almost jumped in surprise.

"You?" replied Zo'or, astounded.

"Yes, me."

Da'an could not resist and moved close to Renée. "Please, you're free to do what you want Renée. Don't feel forced by the feelings I accidently shared with you," he pleaded, quietly.

Surprising herself, she raised a hand and stroked his smooth cheek. "I'll do it Da'an. Allow me, please," she whispered, tenderly.

He sighed and nodded silently. "If you permit me Liam," he bowed to his protector, "Ms. Palmer need some explanations. It's not an easy procedure, I must warn you," he added for Renée. Lo'al, Mit'gai and T'than departed first followed by Da'an and Palmer. They all disapeared in the dark corridors of the mothership.

¤

Liam was left alone with Zo'or, on the now deserted bridge. He remembered that one second before Renée was beside him and then she was disapeared after Da'an and the other Taelons. His mouth was slightly open. He did not believe what he just saw. What was that chit! Did Renée had exchanged body with someone! She was not going to do this?! She must think of herself, of the mouvement…and of me, added a smile part of his mind…

He sighed and put his hands on his hips. He could not resist suddenly, he felt an impulse and exclamed, "Dammit! The ****ing *****!" He was not sure if he spoke of Da'an or Renée or both. And then he remembered that he was not alone. He bite his lips. Damn, this is the worst day since a lot of time, he thought angrily.

Zo'or was watching him with wide eyes. "M'sorry," he whispered, hoping and crossing his fingers for that the Synod Leader did not take that for an offense.

"For a Human, being under such an emotional pressure is hard sometimes," he said as a forgiveness. Liam did not know how, and especially why, but he felt more comfortable in Zo'or's presence than before, since they had shared with Ma'el's relic. He could easily remember. Zo'or did not suspect that the device would expose his primary thoughts so he did not protect hiself. During less than a second Liam had found himself surrounded by Zo'or's thoughts, his feelings, him… The experience was not bad at all. Maybe Renée and Da'an had done something like that, he thought.

He was rebrought to awareness by Zo'or's harsh voice. "Follow me Major. I think that you too, need explanations about that."

They took a portal in the corner of the room and arrived to a section of the mothership Liam had came only once in, when he had accompanied Da'an there.

They followed purple corridors after purple corridors. Liam was completly desoriented and he just prayed for that Zo'or knew where they were going.

Finally they stopped in front of a door. Zo'or looked briefly at Liam before pressing his palm on it. He reverted to his blue energy state for the authorized acces and the purple wall vanished in front of them. Liam took a careful step in. It was a very large room. He lifted the eyes and could not see the celling.

It was a perfect circle. But then he heard like a faint noise. It started very lightly, like the noise of a little insect. Then it grew bigger and stronger. Zo'or waved his hand and something illuminated the walls Liam could not see before.

The soft noise became more and more clear. Voices, it was voices. And then, like an explosion of noises, of confused voices in his head. He wanted to hear, to listen to them all but he could not. He screamed in pain and collapsed on the ground, covering his ears with his hands. Zo'or shut back the protectives walls.

Fortunatly, Liam was turning his back to the Taelon. He felt in his hands a feeling he knew too well. The sha'ka'ra'va… No, it was not possible, not after all this time. And why now. He pressed his palm against the other, trying to hide the growing light and pain in his hand.

He heard Zo'or's footsteps behind him. He got up as fastly as he could, still rubbing his palms together, begging the sha'ka'ra'va to stop. He found a strange feeling growing within him : more and more the Taelon approached, more his sha'ka'ra'va was hard to keep under control. When he felt Zo'or's hand on his shoulder, it was too much.

He moved away from the Taelon and unlocked his hands. The alien glowing thing in his palm was bigger he had ever seen it be. "Dammit! That damn thing hurts!" He was trying to keep his hands in fists but it just made the pain stronger.

"Give me your hand."

Liam lifted the head for meet the gaze of an astounded, and scared, Zo'or. The Taelon was afraid of him. But he still extended his hands…with his own sha'ka'ra'va glowing in the center of it. Liam lifted his hands and his face twisted in pain. He placed his hands carefully against the Synod Leader's. Almost automatically, it stopped. He took away his hands. Zo'or smiled, in his typical manner, and closed his fingers on his palms, making the sha'ka'ra'va stop. Nothing needed to be said, all had been shared as thoughts.

"You're not in full control of your potential, Major," said the Taelon. Zo'or and Liam stayed a long moment simply staring at each other, seeing each other with new eyes.

"You'll not kill me. No you're too in need of energy for kill some who might provide you some," Liam realized.

"You're right Major. I should arrest you and kill you now. But if we don't use wisely each seconds…" He not finished his sentence. The meaning was enough clear.

"What was that I heard?" asked Liam still completly desoriented.

Zo'or turned to him, looking at him from the corner of his eyes. "You heard them. All our children." Zo'or waved his hand once more. Liam prepared himself to cover his ears with his hands, but he just felt a light, soft noise, like the children were whispering and not screaming.

"You always hear them?"

"All the time. They are still Taelons and part of the Commonality."

The young hybrid walked toward the wall, covered by little bottles, with tiny babies inside. Closer he got, stronger their call was. From the Human or the Taelon race, a baby was still the cutest thing in the universe. Liam approached closer. All the children near to him started to be more agitated. They felt someone alien in their little world. Liam concentrated his eyes on one of them. Fast, he saw very clearly the tiny arms and legs moving in the energy mist. They were, evidently, in their natural energy form. Their head was maybe a little bigger than a Human's would be, but there was the only noticable diference between the two. He could even see their fingers moving like trying to grip something. Their eyes were not open though. He saw only two little blue balls, hiden by their entire blue form.

Unconsciously, he advanced a hand for touch one of them. But he was stopped by the virtual glass bottle.

He draw back, slowly. He could not let them die. He raised a hand to his face, and found that he was crying. A long tears had slid down his left cheek. He wiped it away and turned to Zo'or.

"Do you have a child?"

Zo'or turned from Kincaid. He started to walk slowly. "No, but Da'an has some. He already told you, I suppose. And I have a… very close person within them," the Taelon whispered.

Liam walked for join Zo'or. The Synod Leader stopped right before a group of tubes. Zo'or stroked with his fingers a symbol that Liam had seen often - Da'an's name, Taelon version.

"My twin brother, Ma'or," Zo'or whispered, almost unhearable. "I'm the only one of Da'an's children who survived. And still then I have not been able to threat him like a parent," he finished in a sigh.

Liam closed his eyes. He felt a flashback coming. Indeed. Something he had got from his touch of Zo'or's mind the other day. "You two were like only one. You were in perfect health as him was too weak to live. Separated from him, you became cold for all you missed. You miss a part of yourself. You're only the shadow of what you were," he said quietly, not hesitating on even a word. Zo'or simply listened to the truth, spoke in Liam's mouth.

"I should not have survived. He was far much better than me,"murmured Zo'or.

"What is done is done Zo'or. You cannot change the past."

"They are the only reason why we still try to same ourselves Major. If not we would have give from long ago to the Jaridians. We hate this war from the day it has begin. But we can't let them die. They are our hope of suvival, of continuing existence." Zo'or said. He turned his back to Liam and walked toward the door. Before exit he turned a last time.

"I hope that you're enjoying what you see here Major," he said harshly sarcastic, "because this is the fate of both the Taelon and the Human race. We were like Humanity once. We evolved. We changed and we finally end our existence as a specie. This," he showed with a wave of the arm all that surrounded them, "is the final, deadly step of evolution. Remember that Kincaid." Liam was sadenned to see so much fatality.

Just before stepping outside Zo'or stopped and staggered. His eyes widened. "Come with me Major. It has begun." Like for sustain his words, the lights in the room flickered once and in Liam's head, and surely in the Commonality, the whispering transformed in a deep screaming. In the room, a couple of illuminated bottles became dark and dead.

¤

[This message has been edited by Jeanne (edited 12-16-2000).]

Wow. I hate Taelon/Human romances, but wow. I can sooooo see it.

Wow.

Liam/Zo'or is something natural for me now...

Kinda sexy huh!!!! Yep I agree with you seven, made me think of Da'an/Lili sharing as holo said before!!!