Somewhere in the Arabian Sea by Red Star Robot (not rated - Gish?)

[simplystars.livejournal.com]

Fandom: FARSCAPE
Pairing: none/gen - Aeryn Sun, Stark
Author on LJ: redstarrobot
Author Website: n/a
Why this must be read:

The relationship between Aeryn & Stark is largely unexplored in Farscape canon, though they have experienced the most intense grief and loss of their lives in each other's company. In RSR's story, they are both seeking - how to move forward with their lives, which choices to make, which path is the right course. They are gentle with one another, beginning to heal with a stoic acceptance and the lingering hope that one day they will regain a measure of joy. [set late season 4, spoilers for 3.04, Self-Inflicted Wounds: Wait for the Wheel & beyond]

This fic is locked to farscapefriday, so you'll need to join the community to read it.




"So, uh... you're having a baby... good... good..." Stark doesn't quite reach out to touch her, but stops his fingers a few inches from her, stroking the air a little near her belly.

Aeryn's posture stiffens. "Yes," she says.

"Sorry," he says, and pulls his hand away. "I mean, I'm very happy for you."

"No," she says, "it's fine, it's..." She steps to the side as an impatient DRD moves on a collision course with her foot. "You understand these things, Stark. Is he the same man, or different?"

His eye widens in surprise. "Yes," says Stark.

"I mean it," she says. "He looks the same, he sounds the same, he... he smells the same, and tastes the same." Stark's face is a study in careful composure, but she doesn't notice, and keeps going. "But is he the same? The things we experienced together, the reasons I fell in love with him... they're gone. They might be there. They have the potential to be. But they're not. You were there on Talyn, I share more of those experiences with you than with this John Crichton."

"I see your dilemma," says Stark, thinking more about where she's going with that thought than about her dilemma.

"And then sometimes he's not the same. He still smells and tastes the same, but he looks different, harder, and he sounds like a different man entirely. I tell myself that it's just because he's been through different things from my John, but that doesn't make it better, because it makes it very certain that he's not the same."

Stark isn't sure which of them is about to be more heartbroken. "He has the same soul," says Stark soothingly, and he reaches out to stroke her hair.

"Are you sure?" says Aeryn. "Really, are you?"



Somewhere in the Arabian Sea