SC 60: Angel Olivia

This is my first Farscape Fanfic. I really hope I did the characters right. This wasn't supposed to go where it did. I blame Harvey.

Starburst Challenge 60(hosted by vinegardog): The story should star at least one of our main characters either lying or being lied to and then being caught in the lie or uncovering the liar.

Rating: G.
Spoilers/Time Frame: Terra Firma.
Disclaimer:The characters and universe of Farscape are the property of the Henson Co.

Olivia's long lost brother was home. Miraculously, that solar flare had not killed him. He was here on Earth with amazing friends.

She really liked Officer Aeryn Sun. While she was almost painfully shy, she obviously loved her brother. That first night when they were decorating the Christmas Tree, Aeryn was soaking up all the family stories. Her whole face was lit up and she was laughing. This didn't seem to be something she did often. Every mention of John's childhood brought an introspective look to her face. She was absorbing anything they were willing to tell her.

John trusted her completely. He never entered or exited a room without checking on Aeryn. He was very protective of her. For Aeryn's part, she worked hard to keep John in her peripheral vision, as if she had to check his location at all times. Often John and Aeryn moved as one, communicating with just a look or a head tilt. They had secrets they didn't want to share with anyone. Whenever they were asked about their world they would give one or two word answers.

Aeryn had taken the time to learn John's language even though she had no reason to. With translator microbes she didn't need to speak the language to comprehend what was said. For someone not born on Earth, she had an excellent grasp of English. John had been correcting little pronunciation mistakes. She took the corrections well, like she really wanted to know his words.

It started out as a simple conversation. Aeryn asked Olivia about her brother's favorite movies. They talked about space movies and old classics. Cartoons were a subject of humor. Aeryn asked who Wile E. Coyote was, so Olivia decided to to take her shopping. A small excursion to the mall turned into a big government production of "protecting" the aliens. Chiana and Noranti were invited along. Chiana wanted to do some clothes shopping and Noranti wanted to try the local perfumes. They wandered into a shop selling incense.

Aeryn and Olivia decided to try the book store first. For some strange reason Aeryn was interested in reading about Jonah and the Whale. Aeryn told her about a creature called a budong. John said it was like the whale in Jonah's story. Apparently the creatures could swallow ships the size of Moya whole.

The next stop was the video store where browsing for VHS tapes made for lively conversation. If Olivia wondered about Aeryn's feelings for her brother, the thoughtful Christmas present she bought to celebrate a holiday she don't understand, was telling.

"We should buy "It's A Wonderful Life". That's such a great Christmas story. It would give you a real feel for some of our traditions. It's one of Jimmy Stewart's best films. "Harvey" was another great film. The were my dad's childhood favorites. They are old black and white-.

"Did you say Harvey? He's a character in a movie?"

"Yeah. You should watch it sometime. Harvey is an imaginary rabbit that only Jimmy Stewart can see. Everyone thinks he's crazy because he talks to the rabbit. Turns out he's real and other people start talking to him too."

"Sounds like John might have already told me about it. I seem to recall that story. It must have been one of his favorites."

"Hardly," Olivia snorted. "John thought Harvey was annoying and should have stayed out of people's lives. Dad loved that movie. My brother prefers "It's A Wonderful Life. It's about a guy who has to loose everything to realize how much he really has. It takes place at Christmas time and he gets help from a guardian angel named Clarence."

"Is it a good movie?" Aeryn's not sure it's one she would want to watch, since it's one she's living. "Does it have a happy ending?"

"You should watch it and find out."

"Won't you please tell me? I don't think I'll have time to watch it and I really need to know the answer."

Olivia caught Aeryn's eye. With the perception only John's sister could have she said, "This isn't about the movie, is it? It's about you and my brother. You love him, don't you?"

Instantly, Aeryn shouted, "No! Of course not."

Olivia just stared her down. Aeryn had never seen her look more like her brother before that moment. She'd thought Olivia was the easy going one of the family, but maybe she was their hidden strength.

Squirming under that look, Aeryn thought about her answer. Olivia deserved honesty, but she didn't want to admit the truth out loud. If she did, there would be no going back. "Po-Possibly." She stuttered, then rushed on to add, "But it doesn't matter, he doesn't want me, he has moved on."

"Funny. He says the same thing about you. When I asked him about you, he said that your word for the two of you is yesterday." Aeryn flinched and Olivia could see that Aeryn was hurting just as much as her brother. Suddenly she felt like she was back in high school passing love letters around class for other students. "Aeryn, it's not my place to say this, but don't give up on my brother. He's stubborn, and God knows he comes by it honestly. But he's also loyal, sensitive and tragically romantic. He doesn't give his heart easily and once given it can't be taken away.

"I've only seen my brother serious about one other woman in his life. She easily chose her career over him. As much as he thought he loved her, making the space program meant more to him.

"When I see the way my brother looks at you, I can't imagine anything being as important to him as you are. I don't want to pressure you, but please, don't break my brother's heart. He might seem tough, but right now he's very fragile. The way he looks at you, when your not looking? I think his love for you might be the only thing keeping him going. John has never looked so alone in all his life. He used to laugh and smile a lot more than he does now.

"And now?" Aeryn asked, almost whispering.

"Now, it seems like he's holding his breath. Like he's waiting for the shoe to fall and his world to come crashing down on him. He's almost brittle in his thoughts and movements. He's always got his guard up."

"A lot has happened over the cycles. The Uncharted Territories are a hard place to live. We've both made bad decisions, mistakes. Some we just can't take back."

"Aeryn, I've known my brother all my life. I have never seen him look at a woman the way he looks at you. You are the key to his happiness." Olivia turns to Aeryn. "If there is one thing that I've learned it's that life is too short to waste a minute of it. Don't throw it away on on misunderstandings. You love him. He loves you. You two need to stop lying to each other and work it out.

"Live in the moment, you don't know if there will be a tomorrow. I lost my mother a long time ago. Her death devastated my family. When Mom got sick, we had so little warning, it was already too late to treat the cancer. The doctors tried, but even today, there is no cure for it, only treatments that sometimes work and make you even sicker."

Aeryn stood there staring like a deer in the headlights look. "Your right." She looked down, then back up, "I'll talk to him, either way I'll finally have an answer."

"Now, enough of this depressing conversation. It's Christmas. We have a lot of shopping to do. Where do you want to start?"

"Let's start with Harvey." Olivia shakes her head in amusement. Her brother was going to be so mad at her for introducing Aeryn to that rabbit!