This planet was so beautiful, and on the surface, so peaceful. But look beneath and there was danger. It would take your life in an instant and if you hadn’t done everything you wanted to in your lifetime, then tough. It didn’t care. Look at Sheppard.

Devon closed her heart against the pain she felt each time Sheppard’s name was mentioned. She had never loved him, of course, but she had cared for him. Deeply. Theirs was a connection that could not be described, and one she could never feel again. Sheppard had been willing to leave his group and come with her and the Eden crew, to New Pacifica. He had been ready to live with her and love her in a way no man had ever loved Devon Adair. And then the planet, in the guise of the old witch Katrina, had stolen his life from her and laughed in her face.

Tears sprung to her eyes, and Devon turned on her side, away from her son, as she lay in her bed. Uly was asleep. Everyone but her was asleep, and she was quiet, but she did not wish to wake her son with her cries of pain.
“Sheppard,” she whispered into the night. She still missed him, terribly, and wanted him back. On the Stations, Devon’s lovers had been men wishing to advance themselves in business by getting into her bed. She’d known that, and used them as easily as they used her. Uly’s father had been one of those. His name had been Jonas Young, and she’d told Uly only a little of him. It had been enough. Jonas, like all her lovers, had been manipulative, using sex to try to get him further ahead in business. Though she had not made love with Sheppard, Devon had seen the true emotion in his eyes when he looked at her, had known that he loved her, and that loving him would be different to sleeping with the others.
“Oh, Sheppard,” the woman moaned again, and closed her eyes against the pain of lonliness. Was this her fate? Forever alone, on the outside, watching others pair off, watching Bess and Morgan, Julia and Alonzo.... Yale and Denner?! But she had Uly. And one day Uly must grow up and find someone himself some cruel part of herself spat back. She bit back against another sob, and curled into a half-foetal position, railing at her destiny of being alone.

“You are not alone, Devon,” said a voice. Devon opened her eyes, and found herself in the blinding white Dreamscape she had met Sheppard in. Her gaze searched it hopefully, and found him standing there, silent after his short comment, watching her curiously.
“Sheppard!” she cried joyfully and ran to him. But he did not return her embrace, instead he merely stood there, staring at her. Fear crept into her heart. Had the one man who had honestly cared for her turned against her too?
“Sheppard?” she asked in a small and frightened voice. This rejection was one she could not face.
Then he smiled. Tenderly, gently, smiling down at her. “Devon, love, how I’ve missed you.” But he still did not touch her. There was something resigned in his gaze, something infinitely sad and Devon’s heart ached as she realized this.
“I’ve missed you too, Sheppard. You’ve no idea how much.”
But he shook his head. “Ah, love, but I do. You see, I’ve been there, with you always. On your travels. While you were in cold sleep. You’ve never really been alone, have you, Devon?”
“But I feel like it,” Devon answered, her voice as hurt and small as a little girl’s.
“I know. But I was there. I’ll always be here, Devon, love,” Sheppard told her, smiling down at her through the light. “While you need me still.”
“I’ll always need you!” Devon vowed fiercely.
He tilted his head at her, almost like a Terrian, and his lips quirked oddly. “Not true, Devon. And that’s part of why I’m here.” Devon had been wondering about that. She looked up inquiringly and he explained.
“I am not the only one who loves you, Devon.” Although he said this as if it were some great revelation, his eyes were still terribly sad as they watched her.
“Sheppard, what do you mean? Uly? Yale? I know they love me.” Devon stared up at him in confusion and he only shook his head.
“Not Uly. And not Yale. Someone else. One who loves you as I love you. Perhaps even more. Someone whom you can love, as you never really loved me.” She opened her mouth to protest but he smiled sadly, and held his finger to her lips, silencing her. “Ah, love, I know. You and I were never meant to be.”
Devon suddenly felt something hot and salty on her cheeks and realized with some shock that she was crying. Crying? Sheppard touched her cheek with his finger and wiped the tear away, looking at the glistening moisture on his finger oddly.
“Tears, Devon? Surely not. Surely no tears now you have finally been given your chance for true happiness,” the man said, that ineffably sad smile still firmly in place as he looked down at her.
“What happiness?” Devon cried out in confusion. “Why have you come to me now, Sheppard? Why now?”
“I told you that, Devon. To tell you that you are not alone. That there is someone who waits for you.”
“Who? Waits for me to do what?” the woman demanded, beginning to feel irritated with all this mysteriousness.
Sheppard sighed. “Waits for you to admit to yourself how much you need him. How much you love him, as he loves you. I made him promise to take care of you, to keep you safe, but you have to let him. He has waited a long time now, Devon, a very long time. Would you keep him waiting forever?”
Devon could only stare at him. Was this really a visit from Sheppard? Or some bizarre construct of her subconscious, trying to comfort her in her time of lonliness, because she’d eaten something strange for dinner?
“Who, Sheppard? Who waits for me?” the woman asked, deciding that even if only for this moment, she needed to believe him. Needed to believe that someone wanted her, Devon, for herself, not for her fortune or her power.
Sheppard smiled again, this time encouragingly, and Devon felt a shift in the Dream. Her old friend’s eyes drifted over her shoulder, and Devon swung around, feeling someone watching her from behind. She caught sight of a tall figure, with familiar sandy blonde curls and bright blue eyes, eyes that watched her, silently asking a question, waiting for her answer, waiting, waiting, waiting....
“John Danziger?” she whispered, taking a half step towards him.
“He’s waiting for you, Devon.”
He’s waiting for you Devon.... Waiting....

Another voice came to mind. A deep, husky voice comforting her when she’d thought Uly was lost, when she’d been terrified Yale was also dead and gone forever, a voice that had been there, comforting her all the times she’d needed it since landing on this planet.
John Danziger!
“Devon.....” The image of John spoke only her name, a word which echoed around and around until the whole Dreamscape seemed to be spinning around her in a dizzying pattern of light and darkness, and Terrian trills and sad smiles and bright blue eyes that silently waited....

And then she was awake, sitting up in bed. The pale light of dawn crept through the ‘door’ to the tent, and Devon stared in wonder. She had slept through the whole night? She hadn’t slept a whole night since Julia had stopped giving her sedaderms!
“Oh, Sheppard,” Devon sighed, recalling the Dream. Had it really been a Terrian-style Dream letting Sheppard comfort her even in death? Or just her over-active imagination?
He’s waiting for you, Devon. “John!” the woman exclaimed, remembering to keep her voice low. Uly was still asleep, she didn’t want to wake him. Climbing out of bed, Devon dressed swiftly, and ducked out of the tent, feeling refreshed and awake for the first time in a long time, and ready to face the world.
And John Danziger.

Yale watched Devon as she leaned over the maps. He sighed, concerned for his friend. At least, she didn’t seem tired this morning. Perhaps she had gotten some sleep. Automatically, the old Teacher checked for Uly, and found him sitting near True and Bess, eating his breakfast.
“Devon?”
She didn’t appear to hear him.
“Devon?” He touched her shoulder and she jumped and looked up at him.
“Yale!” She smiled tightly. “I’m sorry, I was a million miles away. Did you want something?”
He frowned down at her. “The group is ready to move out.” She nodded, and returned her gaze to the maps, which she had been staring at. “Devon, are you all right?”
She nodded. “Of course, Yale. I’m fine.”
“Did you sleep well last night?”
At last, she gave him an honest smile, and almost laughed. “Actually, Yale, I did. I slept all night. I’m just a little distracted this morning, that’s all.”
He saw her gaze drift over to where Danziger and Alonzo were loading the Transrover. A mysterious smile appeared on the old Tutor’s lips, while Devon frowned absently. Well, this was certainly preferable to her having a relapse. Yale doubted that Devon was watching the pilot so closely, and his smile broadened as he saw her gaze follow Danziger when he moved around to the other side of the Rover.
“Yes, I can see that,” Yale answered, with a rumble of laughter in his voice. She looked up at him, startled, and, still smiling secretively, Yale patted her shoulder as he did Uly’s, and walked away, chuckling to himself.

Devon stared after Yale for a moment, then shrugged. So he’d caught her staring at John. He was her oldest friend, she couldn’t be embarassed in front of him. She began bundling up the maps she’d been poring over, and put them in the box she’d been leaning against. Grabbing the rest of her gear, she headed over to the ’Rover to stow them.
“Here, let me help you with that, Devon,” Alonzo offered. She smiled gratefully and let him reach up above her and pack her stuff in with the rest.
“Thanks, ’Lonzo,” Adair responded, and he gave her his easy, flyboy grin in response.
Devon turned, missing the hurt expression on Danziger’s face as he watched their display of easy friendship. When Devon turned to face John, his face was the cool mask she’d grown so accustomed to.
“Hey Danziger, come here, I need to ask you something,” Devon called to him.
The mechanic looked over at her suspiciously, then approached. Devon fought back an urge to giggle, because he was looking at her like he expected her to suddenly transform into a Z.E.D and shoot him, or something.
“It’s okay, John. I promise I won’t bite,” the woman assured him, smiling. John grinned sardonically back at her, and paused near her, looking down at her over the top of his sunglasses.
“Yeah? Whatchya want, Adair?” His expression told her that he really didn’t have time for this, that he had to get the group ready to move out, that he had a whole lot of things to do....
But all those things went out of his mind when Devon Adair reached up and took his sunglasses off.
“Devon, what are you doing?” he demanded uncomfortably, when she just stood there, staring at him, peering into his eyes like she expected to see the path to New Pacifica burned in there.

Devon didn’t answer immediately. She just looked, and looked deep into his blue eyes, searching for the flicker she’d seen in her Dream. And she smiled because his eyes, these eyes she’d looked into so often the past months, held the same waiting expression, the same silent question in them as the eyes in her Dream. And she knew. She knew.
Devon smiled broadly, confidently up at him. “It’s okay, John. I’ve got what I wanted,” and she grinned at him before handing him his glasses back and turning and walking away, leaving John Danziger staring after her like she really had just turned into a Z.E.D.
“Hey, man, what was that all about?” Alonzo asked, coming up behind him. Danziger shook his head slowly, watching Adair walk off without once looking back.
“Damned if I know, Solace.”

John Danziger sat alone, leaning against the Transrover as he ate his lunch. The group had stopped for midday break, to let them all get an hour under cover from the bright sun. Spring was getting warmer as Summer approached. He sighed wearily, not liking the idea of having to built the new colony in full-Summer heat. It amazed him that they’d been almost a year on this planet already. New Pacifica was getting closer and closer every day. In fact, Yale estimated only another month, at the most - unless, of course, they ran into some unforseen obstacle - before they reached their goal. Devon would be pleased.
Ah, Devon.

John’s gaze drifted automatically over towards Devon Adair, where she sat with Uly and True, eating lunch. True had invited him over before, but John felt uncomfortable around Devon lately. There was something changed about her. The other morning, when she’d come up to him, pulled off his sunglasses, and stared at him, had been the beginning. Or perhaps it had been the dance? The big man sighed, and shook his head.
Maybe it was the pool, he wondered, smiling in remembered embarassment for that moment.
“Hiya John,” came a far-too-cheerful voice. Bess. Danziger tried to force himself not to groan, and looked up at her.
“Hello, Bess. Anything I can do for you?”
She shook her head cheerfully, and sat down beside him. “Not really, John. Actually, I thought it might be the other way around.”
Danziger stared at her in confusion. “There’s something you can do for me?” he asked.
She nodded. The mechanic raised his eyebrows. “And what might that be?”
Bess looked at him for several moments then asked, “John, are you happy here?”
“Happy? Here, ya mean on G889? With aliens that pop up from the earth anytime they want, slobbering creatures that stink to high heaven, little reptiles with deadly claws, Z.E.D’s, penal colonists and psychotic Council computers to boot?” John grinned sarcastically. “Sure! Who wouldn’t love it here! Good real estate, great neighbours... As long as you don’t mind the stench or the occassional short-term coma...”
Bess gave him her mothering admonistrative look that worked so well with the children and sighed. “John Danziger, that is not what I meant. I mean, are you happy here? Are you considering staying here after the Colony ship comes?”

Danziger stared out across the rocky plain they were crossing. He’d seated himself looking away from the mountainous region they’d just passed across, because he disliked looking back. He always looked forward. Forward... to what? Momentarily, his gaze focussed on True and Devon, chatting away happily. Devon was a big influence in True’s life these days, as was Uly. He suspected True’s attachment to Devon was the result of her developing adolescence - Saints, the thought of his little girl becoming a woman terrified him. It would be easier to handle with Devon around. And this planet was beautiful, even if it was dangerous.
“I’m not sure, Bess, and that’s the truth. There was a time.... when I wouldn’t have hesitated. When I would’ve said no way, and dragged True back home to the Stations. But...” He sighed. “The Stations aren’t home anymore.”
“What is, John?” Bess asked gently.
He looked up at her. “This planet. It’s become our home, hasn’t it? Y’know, I don’t think anyone will be going back on that Colony ship, not even our handsome young flyboy over there,” and, with a slight grin, he jerked his head to where Alonzo was sitting with Julia, laughing at something she was saying.
“I think some people will be very happy about that,” Bess said, and stood up. Somehow John had the feeling she didn’t only mean Julia. But when he raised his head to question her, she was already gone, walking back to her husband. John looked around, his gaze taking in the group, that had started out as practical strangers and come together to form some crazy sort of group, almost a family. And he smiled.

Danziger stood and headed over to where his daughter and Uly were sitting with Devon. “Mind if I join you?” he asked, directing the question at True, but his eyes were on Devon. She smiled invitingly, even as True happily grabbed his hand and pulled him down so he was sitting next to her.
John looked up and met Devon’s eyes, and they smiled at each other.

It was a warm night, with Spring in full swing. Although she was tired from walking most of the day, Devon was still wound-up and full of excited energy. They were not far from New Pacifica, only two weeks away. How could the rest of the group sit still for even a minute, when they were so close?
Devon laughed at her silliness. They had to rest. It was dangerous walking at night. She knew this, knew they could not possibly just keep on walking until they reached New Pacifica. But she just wanted to be there now! Already, the colony had been delayed almost a year. The Colony ship would be here in another year. Would that be enough time to get the hospital up and running, to erect enough shelters for the Syndrome families?

Devon sighed, and sat down on a boulder nearby. She’d already started drawing up a roster plan, determining what had to be done first, even if there were none of the supplies at New Pacifica that they’d hoped would be there.
Morgan did say he thought there was a trace from a cargo pod near there, Devon reassured herself. She could only hope that it would contain medical supplies, and building equipment. The woman sighed, weary just from the thought of the work ahead. But she would not trade it for any other job.

“Up a little late, aren’t you Devon?” a deep, husky voice asked from behind and Devon jumped.
“Danziger!” she exclaimed, glaring at him. “Don’t scare me like that!”
John just smiled and sat down beside her. He had two mugs in his hands, she saw, and he offered one to her. At her questioning look, his smile broadened.
“I had a feeling you’d be out here. Too excited to sleep, huh?”
The woman smiled sheepishly. “We’re so close, John.” At least she wasn’t sleeping because of excitement, not because of insomnia. The past week had seen her getting healthier, and she was almost back to normal. She certainly had more energy now.
“Yeah, I know.” John sighed contentedly, and seated himself beside her, his back against the boulder. “Y’know, when we first crashed here, New Pacifica seemed so far away. Like there was no chance we’d ever get there. And now it’s just a week or two away.” He shook his head, marvelling at it. “It’s amazing, to think about all we’ve been through together, in the last year.”
Devon nodded. “I know. I never could have imagined any of this, when we set out.”
John chuckled to himself, remembering how he’d berated Devon when they’d first arrived, for exactly that reason: not forseeing the future.
“I don’t think any of us could have, Adair.”
Devon smiled, and sipped her coffee. “I’m glad we came here,” she said happily. She expected Danziger to make some sarcastic comment, but he didn’t. He only sighed contentedly and nodded.
“So am I.”
Adair glanced sideways at him. “Does that mean you’re thinking about staying?”
Danziger considered it for a moment, recalling his conversation with Bess, then nodded. “Yeah, I guess maybe I am.”
She smiled and leaned her head against his shoulder. She hadn’t realized she was going to do that, and the close physical contact caused John to tense, and it was only then that Devon realized what was going on. But she didn’t move her head. And John leaned his cheek against her forehead, staring up at the stars.
“I’m glad,” Devon told him softly, completely content as she hadn’t been for years. John just smiled and enjoyed her closeness.

“So, what’s the prognosis, doc?” asked the handsome flyboy pilot, Alonzo Solace, of his lover, the dedicated Dr Julia Heller. Julia looked up at him, shaking her head at his flippancy, and peered down at her diag-glove which showed the readings she had just taken of Devon Adair.
“Well, your strength is returning, but I don’t want to stretch you too much, Devon. You can’t afford a relapse,” and Julia grinned wryly. “I can’t afford a relapse.”
Devon grinned back, for she knew how hard Julia had worked during the time when she had been ill. “But all traces of illness are gone, right?”
Julia hesitated, and looked from Devon, to Alonzo, to John Danziger who stood impassively in the doorway to the Med-Tent.
“Well, yes.” At Devon’s smug smile, she employed full doctor tone and said firmly, “but you are not completely healed. The disease took a lot out of you and -”
“And you’re not going to tire yourself out trying to get us all to New Pacifica,” Danziger warned, his tone lightly mocking.
Devon turned and stuck her tongue out at him. She was in good spirits today, this examination proving that she was free of the illness that had so nearly killed her.
“Exactly, Devon,” Heller agreed, smiling at Danziger. “Agreed?”
“Agreed!”
Julia nodded, satisfied. “Very good, then. You’re free to go.”

Devon smiled brightly at Alonzo and Julia, and ducked past Danziger out into the brilliant sunlight. Uly, seeing her emerge, instantly discarded whatever game he and True had been occupying themselves with and sprinted over to her. He came to a skid in front of her, his big dark eyes full of worry as they settled on his mother. Devon, smiling, bent down to be on eye level with her son.
“It’s okay, Uly, honey. I’m fine. Julia says the illness is all gone now,” Devon reassured him. Uly flung his little, spindly arms around her and held her with a strength that surprised her.

Her little boy, who’d been so sick for so long. The woman found her eyes were full of tears as she held onto him just as tightly. Was it always to be illness for their family? First Uly had nearly been taken from her by the Syndrome, and then Devon nearly wrenched from her son by the planet’s disease. Yale stood nearby, as he always did, watching but not intruding on the mother-son love that knew no bounds. They had defeated two illnesses to stay together. Nothing could separate them now.
“It’s okay, Uly, I’m alright now,” Devon whispered in his ear, and she felt his small frame shudder as he finally allowed himself to accept that. She knew what he’d gone through while she was in cold sleep. She could see the lingering fear and worry in him, in the way he had watched her continually, and so often refused to let her out of his sight. The past week or two had seen him relaxing a little more, but the odd time or two he’d stared at her with that intense look had worried Devon. Now he was free to just be a little boy again, to accept the life she had fought so hard to give him. They were almost at New Pacifica.
Everything would be fine.

“We’ve found cargo pod 11!” Morgan reported via Gear a week and a half later. Morgan, Baines, Mazatl and Magus had taken the Rail and detoured to check out what could be the trace of a cargo pod.
“That’s great, Morgan!” Bess replied, even as the rest of the Eden crew who’d been waiting around to hear their report cheered.
Devon sighed in relief, and activated her own Gear. “Morgan? It’s Adair. The pod is still full? It hasn’t been raided?”
Morgan’s grin broadened. “We’ve checked! It’s full! Missing nothing at all!”
“What’s the cargo manifest say?” Adair asked eagerly.
Here Morgan paused to check the manifest. “It says... medical supplies... building units... food supplies... botanical and biological in vitro embryos...” He stopped and scowled irritably. “Great, another horse.”
“And fruit and vegetables, and meat, too!” Devon retorted, grinning as broadly as any of them. They’d hit the jackpot, all right!
Morgan looked interested in the meat bit, but Baines evidently removed the Gear from the council worker’s head and put it on his own. “Devon? You there?” Baines asked. “We also have some more vehicles... An aircraft... Uh...Another ’Rover, some ATV’s and two Rails,” he added, grinning.
“More vehicles for me to fix! Just what I needed!” Danziger complained but even he was smiling widely. Thinking of the times they’d needed just a boon as this was turning out to be but were denied it would make anyone bitter, so it was best to concentrate on the run of good luck they seemed to be having now.
“There’s also some personal luggage,” Baines added, then shrugged. “Don’t know what, yet, but this is where all that special stuff was stowed, I guess. Martin here says he’s got a big supply of chocolate and expensive wine.”
“Ooooh!” True cried at the thought of chocolate.
“Don’t worry, True, we’ll share,” Bess reassured her, laughing.

Devon stepped back once Baines had given the full manifest and signed off, to let Morgan speak to his wife in private. Adair had a feeling Morgan wanted a word with Bess on her theory on sharing their chocolate. She sighed in pleasure as the spring sun settled around her shoulders like a warm coat. Everything really would be okay now.
They were only a few days away from New Pacifica. She was well again. Uly was safe. They had supplies, more vehicles, an aircraft... Everything they could possibly need.
Devon’s gaze glanced over at Danziger, then slid away. And they had each other.
Danziger caught her watching him and winked. As he did, Devon smiled, and felt a warmth bubbling up inside her. The way he looked at her, smiling like they were sharing a private joke... Her smile widened as he sauntered over to her.
“Looks like you’ve almost done it, Dev,” he murmurred, resting one hand casually on her shoulder. Devon leaned back, equally casually, so her back was leaning against his chest.
“Looks that way, John,” Adair replied, happily. Sheppard was right about Danziger, Devon knew now. He was waiting for her, waiting for her to make the last move, to accept his silent and steadfast love. And she vowed to herself that she would, the very day they reached New Pacifica. He wouldn’t have to wait much longer.