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Like clockwork, Aeryn's eyes fluttered open at the same time they always did. Years of training had conditioned her to wake at the same time every morning, no matter how long she had slept. She stared at the wall in front of her for a moment, then sighed. A dream, she told herself. Just a horrible dream. With another sigh, she rolled to her back.
Or at least, tried to. She didn't get very far before she hit something very solid. Crichton... John. She came fully awake, her brain finally registering the weight of his arm around her waist and the heat of his
breath on the back of her neck. Oh, he was real. He was definitely real.
She shifted in his embrace so she could see his face. His arm tightened around her, and she knew he was awake even though his eyes were still closed. "Morning," she said.
"Already?" he murmured.
She made a soft noise, echoing the disappointment she heard in his voice. Reaching out, she gently laid her hand on his cheek. John smiled, but still didn't open his eyes. He pulled her closer, and she rested her head against his shoulder.
"So, do we have anything we absolutely have to do today?" he finally asked.
She thought for a moment. "No, nothing I can think of."
"Good. Then we can just stay here a little longer." Aeryn raised her head to remind him that on Moya, there was always something that could be done. He had finally opened his eyes, and as she looked into them, she was surprised by the intensity she saw there. "Stay with me, Aeryn. Just for a while. Please."
For a moment, Aeryn simply lay in his arms without answering. Then she smiled, and he knew her answer. "All right."
She snuggled closer, tucking her head under his chin and resting her hand on his chest. Quietly - so quietly he had to strain to hear - she murmured,
"I'm glad you're real."
John smiled. "Me, too, Aeryn. Me, too."
His lips briefly nuzzled her ear, then he hugged her closely to him. Relaxing, Aeryn went back to sleep, happily wrapped in John's arms.
Read Ending A
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