================================================================================
TITLE: The Hidden
AUTHOR: Tina Price
TYPE: Story
RATING: PG
DISCLAIMERS: Earth - Final Conflict, all characters and images therein are the property of the Tribune Entertainment Company. Several characters appearing in this story are my own creation. Any similarity with anyone living or dead is purely coincidental.
SPOILERS:
NOTES: This story incorporates some elements of the first few episodes of the second season, but is, in point of fact, "An Alternate EFC Story line". <Script appearing like this denotes mental communication or thought.> As always, I am in no way receiving 'privileged information'. Any advice, criticism and kudos are always welcomed. Please contact me at the above e-mail address.
================================================================================

The Hidden
by Tina Price <TinaP@prodigy.net>

Boone was dead - gone on to face the void, and all of Da'an's hopes for the future lay in ruins. His Implant, also his friend and otherself, had met his end not by natural means, but by the hand of one of Da'an's own people...

Zo'or.

Even now, the North American Companion felt himself consumed by a sensation he had never before experienced as thoughts of harming the one responsible for the needless tragedy which had just occurred held sway.

An overpowering urge to strike out - to deal pain for pain seemed to overtake him, despite the faint thought that such mayhem would serve little in the long run.

Boone would still be gone...

With something between a sob and a snarl, he swept a stack of books from a table and left his chamber.

Zo'or had heard and accepted his challenge. The one responsible for this horror was on his way.

Da'an would meet him in the audience chamber...

Sandoval glanced to his left at Zo'or for the second time in the last thirty seconds. Truth was that he had been sneaking glances at him ever since they had boarded the shuttle. The Taelon's presence had always made him somewhat uncomfortable, but now it positively frightened him.

After killing Boone, Zo'or had frozen momentarily, as though receiving a mental communication of some sort. Then he had laughed - REALLY laughed - an event which had caused Sandoval's hair to stand on end and brought up goose bumps all over his body.

They had quickly boarded the shuttle, bound back to the embassy, but for what purpose?

He glanced to his left once again, but this time the Taelon was ready. With a quick turn of the head, he met Sandoval's gaze.

"What is it?" Zo'or snapped, clearly out of patience.

"I just want to know why," he said in a low tone. He may not have considered Boone a friend, but he certainly hadn't wished such an end for him.

"Why I terminated Da'an's implant?" Zo'or smirked. At his nod, the Taelon continued. "William Boone may have been an implant... but he was also a spy for the liberation."

"What? That's absurd! His motivational imperative..."

"Was not, and never was functional," Zo'or finished. He paused to observe Sandoval's facial expression and apparently satisfied that he was suitably shocked, smiled.

Sandoval shook his head and blinked. "That's impossible! He was implanted AND tested. I was there! Any way, even if his M.I. wasn't working, how could you possibly know it when Da'an himself..."

"Da'an knew." Zo'or sighed as though the knowledge was a great pleasure. "The Liberation had their spy, and I have mine. My agent is as firmly entrenched in their organization as Boone was in ours, and informs me that Da'an himself was responsible for, amongst other things, helping Dr. Sahjit Jinnah to escape you."

Feeling as though the world was rearranging itself around him, Sandoval clutched the arms of his seat and tried to fight down all the ugly thoughts which swirled through his head. True that he had never trusted the large auburn-haired police chief, but for Da'an to have accepted him and granted him the blessing of a non-functional motivational imperative!

Swallowing convulsively, he spoke as the shuttle touched down, "Are we here to take Da'an into custody?"

Zo'or's smile became that much colder.

Together they entered the darkened audience chamber to find Da'an seated stiffly in his chair. He was hardly recognizable, for his eyes fairly blazed with anger and pain. Everywhere his skin was visible, his inner pathways could be seen pulsing through his human-like form.

Sandoval's mouth dropped open as Da'an rose and stepped down from his chair.

He projected a look of such intensity... Was it anger?

A stream of harshly spoken Eunoia issued from the Companion, as without warning, he lunged forward and grasping Zo'or's jumpsuit, spun him to the ground. He followed by quickly placing a foot on his rival's chest and pinning him to the floor.

Sandoval took a step backward, uncertain of what he should do. His movement drew Da'an's attention and the North American Companion lifted his head to glare at him.

"You shall not listen to this one!" he commanded forcefully in English. "He is Umrathuma himself!"

Before Sandoval could react, Zo'or knocked Da'an's legs out from under him.

The Companion had the presence of mind to fall on top of his opponent.

Zo'or rolled, managing to come up atop Da'an. He reached down to grasp the North American Companion's head even as the palms of his hands began to glow.

Sandoval panicked. Zo'or had Shaquarava! If he didn't act quickly, Da'an would be killed!

But, before he could take more than one step in their direction, something extraordinary occurred... Even as Zo'or gripped his head, Da'an raised his hands, palms outward. There was a blinding flash as energy was discharged, striking Zo'or in the chest and catapulting him across the chamber.

The U.N. Representative slid down the wall and came to rest in an unmoving heap.

Sandoval stared in disbelief as Da'an came to his feet and glared at him, apparently believing that he might attack as well. When he bowed, the Companion seemed to relax and slowly moved toward the his fallen rival.

Zo'or's eyes fluttered open and he tried to focus on the Companion, but he seemed unable to move.

"You are not the only one... to have gained something from Boone's antibodies," Da'an hissed down at him.

Turning away from his vanquished foe then, the Companion struggled to compose himself. Then he wilted as a look of shame washed over his face.

"Carry Zo'or to the shuttle," he commanded in a quiet tone. "We must, both of us, report before Quo'on.

With a sigh of relief, Sandoval stooped and lifted Zo'or, who seemed to once more be unconscious.

He refused to mention Zo'or's knowledge about Boone. The man was gone, after all. If he truly were a spy, he could do no more damage. As for Da'an....

Sandoval sighed inwardly. He had no proof, and besides, with Boone gone the Companion was effectively crippled. There was little chance that he could pass secrets along to the resistance even if he so wished - not without getting caught.

The implant smiled inwardly as he moved towards the shuttle bay with his burden. Perhaps he would now be returned to his position as Da'an's attaché...

Da'an stood in an attitude of complete subservience before the Synod leader. His head was bowed, his eyes downcast. Only the nervous motion of his fingers betrayed his inner turmoil.

In the aftermath of his fight with Zo'or, he had been overcome with remorse so that now only shame, grief and guilt consumed him. Behind him, Sandoval stood beside Zo'or, who had been laid out unceremoniously on the chamber floor.

The North American Companion had told of the events leading up to the current moment. Now he and Sandoval stood silently, awaiting Quo'on's judgment.

The silence seemed to go on forever. Da'an wished for it to be ended - in truth he felt his control over himself to be slipping.

He could not bear the humiliation of breaking down before these two!

"Agent Sandoval," the Synod leader spoke. "Take Zo'or to his chambers. The Synod has communed. He shall remain there for twenty one Earth rotations... without an energy stream. You shall remain with him until he is... aware once more."

"Yes Quo'on!" The implant immediately bowed, then hoisting the still unconscious Taelon over a shoulder, left the room.

Da'an felt Quo'on approach and was soon able to see his feet.

"Return to your protectorate," his superior ordered.

He began to quiver with reaction. "I cannot..." he whispered right before he collapsed.

Quo'on stared in amazement at his crumbled brother and then knelt down to render any aid he could.

Zo'or sat hunched against the wall with his face buried in his hands. His entire body quivered with pain and the humiliation he felt at having been so easily vanquished.

Da'an had reacted like a wounded beast! There would be other days, though... His rival bled freely from his wounds - it would take little to finish him off.

Once he had recovered, he would deal them all a blow which...

Warm arms suddenly encircled him and pulled him close.

"Zo'or..." said the one voice he loved in all the world.

Slowly lowering his hands, he peeked out to see Nivian on the floor next to him. Her eyes held his with such sympathy and love that he instantly flung his own arms around her and held her close.

"Do not do this to my people or your own," she whispered. "In the end you will only destroy... everything."

"Where are you? Why will you not come to me?" he asked, as he realized that they met only in a dream.

"I cannot," she choked out. "Only here with you am I able to function. In reality I am quite ill..."

He moved to kiss her, afraid that their psychic meeting would end before he had the chance.

To his surprise, their lips met and for one sweet moment he forgot everything else which had befallen him.

Finally though, she pulled away.

"Please remember," she said urgently. "Do not destroy us all in your quest for power..."

"No!" he cried out as she began to fade away. "Nivian, do not leave me again!"

"A part of me will always be watching..."

Zo'or opened his eyes to find Sandoval squatting before him, rubbing his hands. Instantly, he slapped the implants hands away.

"Leave me be!" he said, indignantly, as he struggled to sit up. He made it to his elbows before collapsing back onto the meditation mat. He let his gaze wander about the chamber and recognized it as his own aboard the home ship.

"How came I to be here?" he asked, although he was already picking up on his situation from the commonality.

"Da'an had me carry you before Quo'on," the implant said slowly, carefully. "You've been unconscious for over an hour..."

"Spare me your attempt at softening the news," he spat. "What is my situation?"

"The Synod leader has decreed that you be confined here without an energy stream for the next twenty one Earth days."

Zo'or digested the information.

This could work in his favor... if he could recover his strength before his release. Without an energy stream, such a feat would normally be impossible, except....

Except that he had discovered something very interesting in the time he was with Nivian...

"There is no reason for this course," Quo'on said, as he circled his brother. Again he took in his sibling's appearance and was shocked to the very center of his being by what he saw.

The North American Companion wore an expression of such sorrow that even those of his own kind, who had never experienced that emotion, would know it immediately for what it was. He was unconsciously mentally broadcasting his misery as well, frightening and driving away all those whose curiosity led them to investigate the disruption in the Commonality.

"There is every reason for my withdrawal," Da'an whispered back. "I cannot carry on my duties. I cannot... " he stopped with something which sounded suspiciously like a swallowed sob.

Quo'on got up the courage to place his hands on the Companion's shoulders. He knew that those Taelons who formed permanent bonds tended to fade quickly away when their loved one joined the void. He had never thought that Da'an's loss of his human love would trigger the same behavior...but now he worried that it had.

"Da'an, you must not join the void," he cautioned. "William Boone will see you again soon enough. Now, he would wish for you to continue as North American Companion. He would wish for you to continue building a bridge between our peoples."

Da'an sighed. "This I know...however, I am not able to do so at the moment. My mind is filled with such thoughts that I fear I shall go mad! I have attacked one of my own people!" He turned a pleading expression on his brother. "I cannot go back to the embassy - not when every room brings Boone to mind! Someone else must fill in for me until such time that I may once more function in that capacity..."

Quo'on nodded and then pulled Da'an close. "I shall contact Eh'har. He will oversee your protectorate as well as his own," he whispered. "We shall release a statement to the news media." Pulling back, he squeezed his sibling's shoulders reassuringly. "I am sorry for your loss. Go now and heal that you may return to us both wiser and stronger than when you left."

The Companion nodded. "I can be found within my chamber here," were his parting words.

Quo'on watched as he slowly shuffled from the room. Without Da'an, his position within the Synod was weakened. Those who thought as Zo'or did now equaled his own supporters in number...

According to Synod standards, he could not confine Zo'or for more than three human weeks.

He hoped that Da'an would return before Zo'or once more began influencing the Taelon ruling body.

Sandoval jumped and nearly fell out of the small chair he was balanced in. He hadn't even realized that he had drifted off to sleep until something rudely startled him awake.

Zo'or poked him sharply in the ribs a second time.

The Taelon, apparently somewhat recovered, had made his way across the room and now hovered over him. His eyes were lit brightly despite his dim, sickly appearance and the scowl which twisted his features made the implant's hair stand on end.

"On your feet, lazy creature!" the Taelon snapped at him. "You were assigned to serve me and you shall do so still."

Sandoval stood. "How may I be of assistance?" he found himself automatically asking.

Just then Zo'or teetered unsteadily and he quickly grasped the alien's arms to help steady him. "Are you all right, Zo'or?" he asked. "It's too soon for you to be up... and without an energy stream..."

With an amused expression, Zo'or suddenly gripped either side of his head...

...and kissed him!

Sandoval immediately began to struggle, but Zo'or pulled his mouth away and hissed in his ear.

"Stop fighting me, you fool! I take only what I require to strengthen myself."

Again their lips met, but this time Sandoval simply froze and passively allowed the contact. Not that he had much choice... He was an implant, and if Zo'or ever discovered that Kha'rha had enabled him to bypass his motivational imperative...

He tried to concentrate on something else, but the sensation being produced by the Taelon's lips was... distracting, to say the least...

It did little to quell his revulsion.

About the time that he felt that he would have to push Zo'or away, the Taelon stepped back and glared at him.

"You are singularly uncooperative," he sniffed. "...however, I have obtained what I require." Zo'or walked to the chamber window and stared out at the Earth beyond.

Sandoval quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his left arm and watched his master with narrowed eyes. Funny... he suddenly seemed to be greatly improved and had even stabilized his human appearance.

Composing himself, the implant moved to stand beside the alien.

"What are your plans?" he asked.

Zo'or's grin reappeared. "Boone has been eliminated and Da'an, in his own way has been as well. All is in readiness for the... next phase...

Sandoval shivered.

Julianna Belman shuffled unsteadily into the main conference area of the Liberation's underground headquarters. Everywhere around her people were working, talking animatedly and even laughing.

She moved to a chair in a corner which was relatively quite and dark and all but collapsed into it as Jonathan entered the room with Lili and Augur. The three of them were in the midst of a heated conversation - probably about Beckette.

She watched them with haunted eyes and willed her heart to calm itself.

'How am I going to do this?' she thought. 'How can I be the one to bring such news?'

Just then Jonathan spotted her.

"Julianna," he began as he moved towards her. Then he saw her face. "What's happened?"

"Boone!" Lili called out. "Is it Boone? Please don't tell me..."

The entire room went silent as everyone turned to hear what was going on. Rising to her feet, Julianna slowly approached Lili, a look of pity upon her face.

"Da'an contacted me a short time ago," she said softly. She shook her head and found it difficult to go on. She was a doctor! She should be used to being the harbinger of bad news by now! After a moment, she took control of her voice and continued. "He told me... things... Afterward, I found Agent Lassiter waiting outside my front door with something for you. He said that Da'an wished you to read it before all your 'friends'..."

Lili hesitantly took the folded paper from her outstretched hand and opening it, began to read aloud:

"It is with the greatest of pain that I inform you that my Implant, my friend, William Boone, has traveled on to greet the void.

"Truly, I know not how I shall continue on without him."

"Quo'on asks that I not follow Boone. He makes the valid point which I now impart to you - We must not surrender to the darkness. If we honor him, we must, all of us, continue as he would have wished."

"I therefore have temporarily withdrawn from my position as North American Companion until I find myself once more able to continue the struggle towards understanding and union which is required of both our races."

"Finally, I have given Dr. Belman an understanding of those events which led to William Boone's premature journey into the void. She has agree to pass this information on to you. I trust that you shall forgive me for not doing so myself. Already, I sense plans being put into motion, plans to remove myself and those who think as I do from any future struggles. My continued existence upon this plane is not assured... however, I shall endeavor to contact you when I am able."

Until then, Peace Lili... to you and your friends."

The paper fell out of Lili's nerveless hands. She had barely made it through the letter without sobbing, but now she broke down completely.

Augur gathered her close as he himself struggled to hold back tears.

Of all those gathered within the room, only Jonathan Doors' seemed untouched by the news. His CVI did not allow him the luxury of grief - or any other strong emotion.

"How?" he rumbled dangerously in his unique, gravely voice.

"Zo'or." Belman spoke the name as though it were a curse. Her eyes hardened as she wiped away her tears and met her lover's gaze. "The little bastard snuck into the facility last night and vaporized..." Again she began to lose control. "...at least he never knew what happened..."

Lili suddenly pulled away from Augur. "I don't care if I have to volunteer to replace Will as Da'an's implant - I'm going to get myself a skrill and vaporize that arrogant Taelon troll!"

Augur snorted. Then he saw the look she turned on him.

"You're not serious..."

"You just watch me!"

"That's enough!" Doors moved to stand directly before Lili. "Remember what Da'an said, Lili! If you honor his memory, you have to continue the fight - the way he would have wanted you to. That does NOT include blasting Zo'or out of his boots! ...At least, not at this time..."

She dropped her eyes to the floor. "So what now?" she whispered. "Where do we even begin?"

"We begin by watching the news - by seeing what the Taelons are going to do next," the billionaire answered. "Then... we decide what needs to be done..."

Within a few hours, the Taelons interrupted radio and television programming to make the sad announcement. In an unheard of first, the Taelon leader himself broke the news to the world.

Quo'on, in his human guise, appeared on screens all around the world.

"It is with the greatest of sadness that the Taelon Synod announces the passage of Commander William Boone," he said softly.

"Late yesterday afternoon, the sole implant and attaché to our North American Companion was seriously injured while fulfilling his primary duty as protector to our people. He passed peacefully on to the next level at zero two hundred seventeen hours Eastern Standard Time."

"William Boone was possessed of a compassionate and caring nature. He was much loved by both our peoples... however, although his passage will be mourned by every Taelon and Human who knew him, there is one amongst us who grieves beyond the rest."

"Our North American Companion, Da'an, is stricken by the loss of his close human friend, so much so that he is currently unable to resume his duties as a Companion. He asks that you forgive him this. He will return to you when he feels that he can once more execute his duties proficiently."

"In the interim, the Pacific Companion, Eh'har, shall also assume the North American chair. His responsibilities shall be great and Da'an asks that you treat him kindly."

"I leave you all with a thought - a reflection - if you will... Herein perhaps lies William Boone's greatest achievement; that a human could feel such empathy and friendship for a Companion that his passing would leave said Companion crippled by a grief which no Taelon has felt for millennia... "

"That a human and a Taelon forged a bond of friendship and trust... should give us all hope for the years to come."

Da'an was still in self-imposed isolation three weeks later. The pain of his loss had not faded even a fraction. His days were spent meditating in the hopes of regaining his emotional balance, but visions of Boone - memories of every moment they had spent together, still tormented him.

Worse of all, he also saw himself at each encounter, the way William had seen him. In the earliest days of their association, he had disappointed the human on more than one occasion... He had even hurt him a few times.

Once, he had put him through a cruel test which had involved a human female - Elysse Chapell. That test had inflicted the worst sort of mental pain on his friend. Boone had even told Marquette that he had never felt so violated in all his life!

At the time, Da'an had been incapable of understanding the torment the test had brought. Now he cringed at the truth of what he had done. Yet, Boone had seen this as well and had forgiven him soon after the incident.

How he wished he could take those times and change them!

How he wished that he had relished every single second spent with Boone as though it might be the last!

When he had last seen Boone within his own form, they had been in his audience chamber. Boone had said that he would contact him as soon as he had further information about Hag'el...

With a sigh, he ended his useless pursuit of inner peace. Rising slowly to his feet, he shuffled slowly to the view port and took in the distant view of Earth.

The chime of the datastream brought him back to the present.

Dro'vha's appearance in the stream actually managed to spark his interest.

"I was to inform you when the infant clone was ready to begin its existence?" Dro'vha reminded him. The kindly Taelon, although not of the scientist caste, had been charged with watching over the clone's development. He, like Da'an, had come to know and care for the late implant, and had taken his duty as guardian to the clone very seriously. Aware of Da'an's predicament, he took delight in bringing his old acquaintance this good news.

"The infant is ready?" Da'an's eyes lit up, glowing softly, despite the fact that he still held to his human appearance.

"We only await your presence," Dro'vha responded.

"Then I waste no further time here." Da'an cut the link, and for the first time in weeks, left his chamber.

A short time later, the sorrowful Taelon entered the very small lab whose sole purpose had been the gestation of a new human life. A very special life at that, for it was all which remained of the human Da'an had come to love - William Boone.

Da'an was amazed by the preparations Dro'vha had made for this event. The lights were dim, the room quiet and before the small tank which still supported the infant a warm bath, towels and a blanket had been arranged. A chair had been pulled up as well - a high-backed rocking chair of all things!

The North American Companion smiled at Dro'vha. "I see that you have thoroughly researched this event," he said, impressed.

"I wished everything to be optimal."

"When can we begin?" Da'an asked, as he stepped forward and peered into the tank. It was difficult to make out the form inside, for the tank was kept in a darkened area.

"The time is now." Dro'vha signaled to the scientist who had been responsible for the clone's development. "This is Ban'hn," he told Da'an, as the scientist took up a position before the tank.

Da'an watched avidly as, without preamble, Ban'hn reached into the tank and lifting out the slippery human infant, placed it into the warm bath. Quickly, he rinsed the child and placed him on a towel. He then picked up a hose of some sort and expertly suctioned the infant's mouth and nose.

The child balled up his little fists and scrunched up his face in apparent displeasure at what was happening. Even before Ban'hn cut it's unnaturally long cord, it began squalling at the top of it's lungs.

Da'an looked on in amazement as the infant's color went from a blue-gray to a pink tone.

The newborn continued to cry as he was dried off and firmly wrapped in the blanket as Da'an found himself fighting the urge to scoop the child up and comfort it.

Dro'vha turned a knowing look on him. "Please sit," he told the Companion, gesturing to the rocking chair.

Da'an quickly complied and the infant was passed over to him by Ban'hn.

As soon as he cradled the child, it stopped crying and Da'an stared at the infant as it looked back at him with large, green blue eyes. Slowly he took in it's fine, red hair and then unwrapped it for a moment as tradition dictated.

Finally satisfied that the newborn was healthy and whole, he gently re-wrapped it and held it close to him. He felt an unreasoning sense of pride - and a growing sense of strong attachment to the child whom he had already decided should be raised by Boone's sister.

Holding the child in the crook of his arm, he rocked it and smiled gently as it drifted off to sleep.

He could not keep it, for it would be unfair to raise it apart from it's own kind.

He would have to say his good-byes before he could no longer bring himself to do so.

Reaching out to it with a hand, he moved to gently brush its cheek, but as soon as their skin made contact, something extraordinary happened...

There was a sudden wrench - a pain which felt as though a part of him had been torn away...and then a thin, blue stream of energy fled his fingers and was absorbed by the newborn.

As quickly as the pain had started, it ended.

He suddenly emerged from an alien world of timeless, twisted sensation and blurred reality to find himself gazing up into the face he loved best... Why did Da'an look so big?

The child opened its eyes again, only this time there was an unnatural intelligence in them.

Da'an began to quiver with reaction and could do little else but stare.

He was holding Boone!

"Da'an, what is happening?" Dro'vha asked, having sensed the Companion's distress.

The startled Companion glanced around the room, and noting that Ban'hn had departed, turned back to address his fellow diplomat.

"Somehow, a large portion of Boone... which I unknowingly retained... until now... has moved on to the infant. It now has Boone's consciousness!"

Dro'vha blushed blue and stared at the baby intently. "Does he possess all his memory, or only his personality?" he asked.

Da'an gently laid a hand on the newborn's head. After only a few seconds, he blushed a brilliant blue. The look he turned on Dro'vha was one of pure joy.

"This IS Boone!" he announced in melodic Eunoic tones which conveyed his exultation. Then, as though receiving a warning from the infant itself, he frowned. "No one must know of this. Boone must remain dead in the eyes of our people and the general human population. It is the only way to guarantee his safety!"

"I will see to it that an acceleration chamber is set up somewhere secure. I believe we can have him back to adult stature within a few months..." Reaching behind him, he grasped a baby bottle off the counter and handed it to Da'an. "In the meantime, I assume that you will care for him?"

"I shall." Da'an settled back into the chair and with softly glowing eyes, fed the newborn its bottle as he rocked the chair.

The infant latched onto the bottle and devoured his first meal greedily, bringing a smile to the Taelon's face. For the first time in many weeks, he felt that there was some hope for the future.

Again he laid a hand upon the child's head. Boone's thoughts were jumbled and very confused - but they were there. Eventually, he would be fully restored.

Until then, Da'an would show him every care. He would not lose him again!

With Dro'vha's aid, he managed to smuggle the infant and some supplies into his chambers, where he prepared to remain until such time as the acceleration chamber was finished being constructed.

Preparing his meditation mat, he plopped down onto it and spent long minutes staring at the infant as it slept in his arms. Never had he felt such profound affection for any being as he now felt holding his restored...and quite helpless... other. After a while, he curled up on his side with Boone cradled against him and slept deeply for the first time since he had acquired the ability.

In his dreams, he explained to Boone everything which had happened.

A soft moan came from the narrow hospital bed, the first sound to leave its occupant's mouth in a full three weeks.

The sound came again, louder than before. One of Siobhan Beckette's hands clenched briefly before restlessly twining in the sheet which covered her. Just seconds later one of the monitor alarms sounded...

Dr. Park immediately entered the claustrophobically small room which had been set up as a hospital room and frowned at the monitor read outs. Her patient's blood pressure had suddenly shot way up, as well as her heart rate and...

Beckette groaned and began tugging against her restraints.

"Oh my God!" Park breathed.

Leaning down, she felt her patient's belly and wasn't very surprised to find it hard as a rock.

The Implant was in labor.

"Siobhan!" she said loudly, as she smoothed the woman's hair back and then patted her cheeks. "Open your eyes, hon. Look at me."

As though emerging from a restless dream, Beckette squinted and shied away from the light.

"Where am I? Ughhhh.... My back! Oh! My head!"

Park loosened her bonds and worked the bed controls so that both the head and the foot were slightly elevated.

"What do you remember?" she asked the rapidly blinking implant.

"Agent Sandoval and I were in Saint Michael's Church..." she whispered hoarsely. "Ahhhh....uhhhhh.... Oh, my head! What's wrong with me? My belly! Have I been shot? Oh God! I look as though I'm going to burst!"

"Siobhan....this is going to be very difficult for you to understand at first... but do you remember Hag'el?"

"Sure. We were tracking him down."

"The man you met in the church was not Agent Sandoval."

Beckette's eyes widened. "Hag'el?" At Parks' nod she froze. "He kissed me!"

"That was three weeks ago and I'm afraid he did more than just kiss you." Dr. Park placed a hand on the implant's abdomen and patted it gently as it began to relax. "Hag'el managed to impregnate you, Siobhan. You've been in a coma ever since."

Siobhan's eyes rolled up in her head and she fainted.

When she again opened them five minutes later, it was to find Jonathan Doors, Lili Marquette and Dr. Belman in the room with her! She had fallen into the hands of the Liberation...

"My head...." she whimpered. The pain had become intense. She felt as though a drill were perforating her skull.

"Your CVI was damaged somehow during your encounter with Hag'el," Belman explained.

"So I am to die..."

The doctor grasped her hand and squeezed it. "Don't be ridiculous. We'll replace the implant - and yes, you'll still have free will."

Siobhan frowned. "How do you know..."

"Boone told us," Doors replied. "He was one of ours."

Boone was a liberation spy? Beckette's already painful head really started throbbing. "...but... I thought that he and Da'an..."

"Da'an was aware of Boone's connections," Lili added. "They were working together to help save both our peoples... but then you had to show up and start getting nosey..."

"I don't understand..."

"You followed me to the church, remember? You were about to blow my cover and expose our base, when Hag'el showed up," Lili hissed. "We had to call Boone in and in an attempt to make peace with Hag'el, he was critically injured, but not before he vaporized the alien."

"I'm sorry," she gasped, as another contraction seized her. "William Boone has my deepest admiration, as does Da'an. I never would have..." She had to stop talking for a while, until the contraction eased off. "I pray that Will is recovering," she finished weakly.

There was silence in the room.

Finally Dr. Belman spoke, "Zo'or killed him three weeks ago - only hours after the battle. Da'an has withdrawn from his position and Zo'or himself has disappeared."

Beckette closed her eyes. "What are you going to do with me then?" she whispered, as she turned her head away from them.

Doors cleared his throat. "It seems to me that that's all up to you..."

Upon the completion of his brief exile, Zo'or immediately made his way to a shuttle with Sandoval in tow. His implant had spent at least ten hours of each Earth rotation with him during his imprisonment and his presence had allowed the Taelon to retain his strength.

Quo'on most likely anticipated that he would spend the next forty eight hours close to an energy stream.

Now was the time for him to finalize his plans...

As they boarded the vehicle, Zo'or took the pilot's chair himself and began the preliminary startup procedures.

"Will you tell me where we're going?" Sandoval asked.

"I must make some final arrangements..." he threw back over his shoulder. "...and you shall continue the search for Nivian Ibraham. She must be removed from what is to come and escorted to the safety of the home ship."

Belman emerged from the small hospital room shortly after a baby's cry began echoing throughout Liberation headquarters.

"You can come in now," she said. "but only two at a time, please!"

Doors and Lili pushed their way to the front of the crowd and followed her in.

Beckette lay on her bed with an infant in her arms, her expression kept alternating between joy and sadness.

"May I introduce the newest member of the liberation, Liam Kincaid," Belman announced.

"Liam?" Lili asked.

"Kincaid?" Doors questioned.

"Liam is the Celtic version of William," Beckette explained. "and Kincaid was my mother's maiden name." She offered the infant to Lili, who quickly waved her hands before her.

"Uh, no. I'm not good with babies," she said, as though the thought of holding one terrified her.

Amazingly, it was Doors who stepped forward and took the child. Cradling it like a pro, he unwrapped the baby and apparently satisfied that it looked completely human, rewrapped it and rocked it gently.

"I can see you've done this before," Beckette drawled.

"Joshua Doors is my son," he answered.

"So I've heard," she answered amusedly.

"Some things you just never forget..." The billionaire handed the infant back to her. "You understand that Dr. Park will need to run some tests on him?"

"Yes. So long as he isn't hurt, that will be fine."

"Have you considered our offer?" he asked.

"The one where you give me a new CVI and send me back to companion service while keeping my child as insurance for my silence?" She winced as her head began pounding again. "I've thought it over and I have a better suggestion."

"And what might that be?" Doors asked suspiciously.

"We do things as you suggested... but, I take over Boone's role."

"What?" Lili and Belman asked together.

"I go back to Kha'rha, but I remain your operative. My Companion is every bit as approachable and open-minded as Da'an. I'm sure that with some time, that we could become as effective as the team you lost."

The three resistance members stared at each other.

"What about Liam?" Lili asked.

"No one can know of his existence," the woman on the bed answered. "He must stay here with you. I'd like to say that I have deep feelings for him, but this has all happened so suddenly for me that I feel as though birthing him was simply a strange dream." She sighed deeply. "Truly, I feel it best that I not be allowed to grow too attached to him."

"But he's your child!" Belman protested.

"He's the child I have always wished to have, but I see now that there is no way we can remain together. I'm not a monster, doctor. I'm thinking about his safety and about insuring that there is a world left for him to grow up in. His safety still ensures my silence.."

Doors nodded. "Good enough. I accept your suggestion." he turned towards Belman. "When will you reimplant her?"

"The sooner the better, but I can't get started until Park arrives to begin her studies of the infant... Where IS she?"

"That's a good question..." Lili mused. "I never saw her leave."

"She's like that," Doors muttered. "I've warned her about it before, but she insists that when one of her patient's needs her that she's going to leave." He placed the infant up on his shoulder. "I'll take care of this little fighter until she turns up."

He left the room as three sets of amused eyes watched.

It was with some amazement later that day that Lili found herself called to Washington by the acting North American Companion, Eh'har.

As she entered the main corridor, she heard voices around the bend and slowed to listen.

Agent Sandoval was talking with one of the guards...

"You're sure that it was Dr. Ibraham?" the implant asked.

"Definitely. Commander Boone had already cleared her for entrance to the embassy at any hour of the day or night. I recognized her as soon as she showed up."

"What happened to her? Her visit here seems to be the very last time see was ever seen." There was silence for a while and then Sandoval tried again. "The woman's life may be in danger. Zo'or himself has ordered that she be found. If you know anything and refuse to divulge your knowledge..."

The guard sighed