The Paths Not Taken

In the Kingdom of the Blind part 3

(Very very alternate Scenes, heck, the whole episode is altered, but since this stuff comes next I'll keep the title. The rogues haven't found out what the Vorlons did to Lyta, or how telepaths were created. Either way, it goes out the same as the show did.)

*//Thoughts broadcast to/from (another) telepath.//*
//Private thoughts or mental argument - when one person is trying to decide something.//
~Emphasis marks~
"Words like this are translated from another language for the reader."
~~~~ Scene change - small (or POV change)
******** Scene change - large (or POV change)

(PG 13)

********

*//Lyta! We wondered where you were! Hurry up, we have to seal this exit, and Byron wishes to speak with you.//*

*//Seal this exit??//*

*//You don't know!? Go inside. Find Byron.//* He picked up a welding tool after swinging the door closed, urging her once more to find their leader. *//It's not safe outside, we have to stay in here. There's just a few exits left to block, but some we'll just have to guard since we can't block them properly.//*

Lyta looked at Paul in bewilderment. *//Is Bester back early? Captain Ivanova would never let him in before the time, not with Byron and her (image of pair making love) so close!//*

*//No. But Byron has . . . you need to find him. Go. Now!//*

*//I'll talk with Byron.//* Lyta hurried away.

She could feel Byron's presence as she was rapidly winding through the maze of walls towards him. He was agitated, extremely so. //What is going on?// She wondered to herself, gently probing around her. Everyone was in a bad mood, as she passed some others they barely glanced at her as they hurried by, minds closed around personal panic. It seemed to take a long time to locate Byron, even though it was probably less than ten minutes until she walked up beside him. He was with a large group, in the middle of an argument.

"They'll be coming for us any minute, there are more security guards then normal circling around already, checking the doorways and nearby corridors. Continue moving the food stores into here, get everyone together and accounted for. The situation outside is almost certainly beyond Sheridan's control, the other ambassadors will insist on our arrest. I know Ivanova will do what she can for our sake and her own, but she'll likely be outnumbered and may not be able to restrain them from coming on her own."

"So now what? Your plan didn't work, Byron. Do we go along like sheep when they come for us?"

"No. We will refuse to be arrested. But we will do so peacefully. We'll finish welding shut all the airdoors, block the transport tubes. They'll have to dig us out, inch by inch. And you know we can protect ourselves against that."

"What happens when the food runs out?"

"Then we'll have nothing to eat. And when the other worlds hear of us starving in here for the dream of our own homeworld, it may soften their hearts towards us. The longer it takes them to get to us, the more we may have a chance to negotiate. In time, cooler heads may prevail."

"No!" The man Byron was arguing with snarled. "When I was first identified as a telepath, my family said to wait. Perhaps they won't come for us. Perhaps we can work this out in peace. But they came for me, and my sister. And now they will come for all of us! We've spent years on the run, and in those years we've been free. From the Psi Corps, free from the hatred and the oppression and the fear. How many of you want to go back to that? Because that is exactly what will happen if we sit here and wait."

"Then what do you propose?" Byron asked.

"You had the right idea, Byron, you just didn't go far enough. We have their secrets, we can fight back. I say, we leave here while we can, split up, and strike back. Make them understand that if they give us what we want, we'll go in peace. And if they don't, we'll fight."

"You'll fight."

"Yes."

"And kill."

"If necessary." He moved to a nearby crate, shifting a blanket to uncover a batch of blades. He picked one up. "We took these from the Drazi. We can get more."

Byron pulled the knife out from the man's hand, shaking it at him lightly. "Have you learned so little? Is there not one of you who understands?" He tossed the blade back to its companions. "I am staying here. Whoever wishes to go, can go. I have no hold over you."

"Byron . . ." The man said softly.

"Go. While you still can." He would not face his opponent. "I had hoped your actions would somehow prove BETTER than the Corps' has."

He turned and left, a few followed, then the twins, and finally a few more. Over a dozen in all left. The rest moved in closer to Byron, lingering in his presence before beginning to filter off to seal the area and collect the last of the food.

Byron had sat down on a crate, his face in his hands. Lyta moved to sit by his side, gently taking his head and resting it on her shoulder, trying to comfort him somehow as the others in the room mindspoke hurridly before moving off to other areas of the sanctuary.

*//Byron . . . what is going on?//* She quietly, gently queried, trying to contain her confusion as she wrapped an arm around his back protectively.

So he told her, and she suddenly understood why she'd had to trance the guards to get inside, and why everyone was so . . . so the way they were. *//And I think you need to tell me something, also, Lyta.//* He placed his palm on her lower abdomen, looking at her levelly. *//Only a very strong Psi could pick it up so soon, but we are not alone in here, are we?//* He asked rhetorically, placing his other arm around her shoulders.

She had put her blocks up stronger when she saw where his hand was heading, but she couldn't hide the baby's existence from him without jamming. But if she jammed him, he'd lose the contact he kept up with nearly 200 others, and the coherence of the group was fragmented enough. "I . . . I will stay here. I can protect you when they come. I have to. I promised myself to protect to her, and since you know, I have to keep you away from the Corps, which I'd do for you anyway." She covered the back of his hand with her own.

"Does Mr. Allan know yet you're carrying his child?" Byron asked. "Despite our clashes - which I do try to avoid - he has recently done much to help us, more so than many other mundanes. I hadn't expected him to bring Delenn here secretly, certainly didn't think he'd get so many of my children away safely. You saw Tyler's gift?"

"A pacifier." Lyta grinned, remembering the expression on the baby's face as he'd tried it out, then her smile became nervous. "Zack doesn't know yet. I can't let him know."

"Didn't he ask you to come here? To ensure your safety?"

"I haven't been able to talk to him in several days, the attacks on the shipping lanes have led to violence among some of the locals. He's been busy, even more so than usual. I've seen him but haven't been able to talk with him. I tried, before I came here, but I didn't want to disturb his work. So I came, hoping to speak with you about her."

"And 'her' would be . . . the child?"

Lyta nodded. "And . . . I need to tell you about her mother. Who the father is really is," she added uncomfortably.

"Lyta . . . who else could it be?" He moved his hand onto her cheek, guiding her face to look at his own. "You are not attracted to any other men, besides him and myself, and you've turned down my own offers. Although Susan was quite willing that one day for a threesome, you didn't give in to your obvious desire. Why? I saw your face afterwards, you'd been crying. I realised later it must have been hard to block two strong telepaths, being in the next room, why didn't you come and join us? You still want to lay with me, I can still feel it from you. The doors are being sealed, we wouldn't be disturbed." His hand dropped down to caress her chest, stroking with his thumb while feeling her fight her own hormones.

Lyta jumped up, backing away a few steps. "Byron, I'm sorry, I DO want to but I can't, I just can't! Why would you ask me that? I've just told you I am ~with~ ~child~, why would you want to get me horizontal now?"

He looked at her, trying to get through her shields to scan her, find out what had suddenly upset her so much. "Because you are upset over something, and I want to help you. Because there is no better way than intercourse to share thoughts. Because of old habits. Because you have an attractive body that I want to feel under me, around me. Because I can order you to my bed and I know you'd obey me, but I don't want to force you, don't want to have to rape any more women as a demonstration of power! I gave that up when I left the Corps!"

"Oh please Byron you weren't posted to the reeducation centers please tell me you weren't one of the ones who-"

He had faced the other direction. "I got out as soon as I could, Lyta, I didn't want to have to do that. But everyone who becomes a Psi Cop must experience it. You interned with us, you know! And you left, just as I did. Our bodies our tools, Lyta, they can be used in many ways. But I won't force you. I won't. You must believe me on this, I-"

"You're the father!" She suddenly blurted out.

Byron stopped his speech in surprise. A long moment passed while she could only stare at the floor in shame.

"What did you say?"

"I said . . . ~you~ are the father." She repeated nervously.

"I heard that. That . . . isn't exactly what I was expecting, Lyta . . . but . . . you're telling the truth, somehow. But that's not possible!" He suddenly froze, comprehending. "A transfer. You accepted a transfer?"

She nodded, still not looking at him.

He ran the likely donors through his mind, but the list was too long to accurately guess. //She said Allan didn't know - uh oh. That he couldn't be told. Why not!?// "From who?"

Her reply was very faint. "Susan."

"What! But - she would never allow herself to get pregnant in the first place. She has full access to medicine, including contra's!"

"I don't know how it happened - I mean - why it happened, just that it did, and she wanted it gone immediately. She woke me up last night, said because I had immunity . . . she couldn't allow herself to be discovered as a telepath. So now I'm pregnant with her child. With ~your~ child. I'm afraid, Byron. I can't hide this from Zack for very long, I had to take injections this morning because I became so ill. What happens next week? What if the doctor mentions it to Zack? She thinks he already knows, she thinks your daughter is his! How do I tell him? How do I explain that I have been faithful to him? He will know he is not the father, he knows we are not lovers, we are close, but our trust is new, fragile, and this will shatter it! I have so few allies or friends left! Susan is seriously considering leaving soon, I don't know if you'll still be ~alive~ in a week, Delenn is leaving soon, and even now her and Sheridan have been too busy to speak with me, not even to give an order! There is no one left for me but Zack! He doesn't fear me, hate me, or look down on me! He cares for me! I don't want to lose him! But I will! Please, Byron tell me what to do! Tell me how I can survive this!"

Byron was both annoyed that one of his followers should care about a mundane, and he was concerned for Lyta's sake and for the sake of his newest child. He was confused, a feeling he didn't like, especially when added to the day's frustrations. "I don't know yet. I must be alone to think for a while." He turned away, leaving her alone.

Lyta had the bad feeling that she'd be alone a lot in the time coming.

For a brief minute, she wished Tyler was with her again, instead of safe on Minbar, she wanted to hold someone so very much.

Say what you will about angels not existing, but when Amiee walked in and saw Lyta huddled by herself in a corner, she walked right over and hugged Lyta. Not a word was spoken, but the very molecules in the air vibrated with the love she felt for her friend.

*//Come on, Red, let's find some food. I can smell it cooking from here.//* She grinned and pulled Lyta to her feet, leading her into an adjoining common room, her arm hooked into Lyta's.

~~~~

" . . . I have to apologise for adding to your worries, but at least you'll know she won't be ill again." Dr. Hobbs finished off. When she got no verbal reply, she slowly turned and left him alone in his office.

Zack just sat at his desk, stunned, only wearing his facial mask of calm because of long decades of practice, then his detachment crumbled completely and he had to cover his face with his trembling hands.

To say he was shocked was an understatement in the extreme. His brain whirled, attempting to figure out what he had just been told, attempting to solve this horribly personal added dilemma. //Was she really pregnant? How? Did she have another . . . seizure was the word Lyta used. Was it another seizure? What happened? What if she is pregnant? That can't be possible, she couldn't control her telepathy enough to - oh, no.//

//Byron.//

//No no no if that slut did anything to her I'll . . . I'll what? She loves him too, but he doesn't love her, he doesn't love anyone, she knows, she showed me, did she have sex with him anyway? Lyta would never do that! But . . . she does have desire. And she is a gorgeous woman, so many men here have called her a sex kitten, I thought they were ~so~ wrong. I hope they ARE wrong! God, did she go to him because she couldn't go to me? I tried! She knows I want to, I've showed her, she's seen, I've told her, she heard, just last week in the garden on one of our walks I told her I still want to try to make love with her, if she wanted to try again. But she was afraid, so I didn't press the issue. Did she know she'd already taken a lover? Was she too ashamed to tell me? Did she want us both? Yes . . . I know that much. I felt that in her. Is Byron able to control her seizures enough to get in long enough to make her conceive? Could he control her strongly enough to have her ~willingly~ screw him? Could he control her long enough to rape her? I saw each child we smuggled out, over a dozen of them looked so much alike I just KNEW Byron was the father. And when I woke up with Lyta sleeping next to me, the Captain had been in C&C the whole night. Byron had been with another woman. I don't know which was more surprising, the news of Byron taking another woman into his bed besides Ivanova, or finding Lyta in ~my~ bed with me.//

He sighed into his palms as he remembered his astonishment at finding her sharing his quilt, her dress on a nearby chair, her head lying on his chest as she curled up next to him. His arms had wrapped around her during his sleep and his hand was lightly cupping a breast. He had gently lifted the offending hand away before she could wake up and discover his indiscretion. He'd known she had the code to get in, but wasn't sure she'd use it. The feeling of her body beside his own had made him very glad she had come, despite the fact there had been tearstains on her face, meaning Byron had been 'broadcasting' again to the point of making her weep.

//Although from Lyta's few words later that morning, I guessed it was 'women', plural. But Lyta knows, she knows he doesn't love her, he might care, but no more for her than any of the others in his group. Harem. What about the men? I don't want to even think about that. Wait . . . I can (don't WANT to) remember during the first broadcast, other couples were waking up and going at it as well. That's why the second round was worse than the first . . . but what about Lyta, now? Where is she? Why would she need medicine to prevent morning sickness? If she is pregnant, she can't be! Please don't let her be! I love her! If she is pregnant, could that prick Byron be the father? Is she alright? Is she hurt? Did she know about this stunt of Byron's? I hope not! But where is she? I've already checked her room and my own. And she hasn't been seen yet. I hope she's ok. I have to try to reserve judgement until I can have a pregnancy test done . . . and, God forbid, a paternal DNA test.//

"You all right, Chief?" A hesitant voice floated in from the door.

Zack put his hands on the desk, staring at the reports in front of him. "I'll be fine," he lied. "What's the latest?"

"Nothing new yet. Captain Ivanova is pretty sure that Miss Alexander ~is~ in with the telepaths, but isn't sure whether her silence is from not being able to contact us from a mechanical failure or from not being allowed to. The few scans we can make of the area shows some rooms, most in fact, have lost heating, and a few rooms aren't getting fresh air in. Either way, the PA system is nearly set up. They'll be able to hear us, even if they don't want to."

"Thank you, Anderson. That'll be all for now."

"You're welcome, sir . . . may I say something? Off the record?"

"I'm listening."

"Well . . . from myself, all the troops, we all hope she's ok. We know how you two are . . . we hope she's not hurt. She's a great lady, with all the help she's given us during the war, and teaching us how to block scans in case one of the damned Psi Cops tries to pick our brains illegally, and everything. Everyone likes her, everyone. If the rogues hurt her in any way, they'd never get off here without retribution. I suppose saying this doesn't give you plausible deniability, but you've probably figured as much already."

Zack nodded grimly and the officer left.

//I have to reserve judgement until a pregnancy test is done. I can't think about this before then. She must have gotten frightened over a second telepathic seizure . . . it's the only explanation.//

//I pray it's the only explanation.//

~~~~

Lyta shivered and pulled the blanket a little closer to herself. Amiee had left a few minutes before, when Paul had asked her to come try to help fix the heat, maybe find some way to get warmth in without opening the airdoors and leaving them vulnerable. It wouldn't get cold enough to hurt anyone, but it was getting uncomfortable for anyone who wasn't well dressed for the chill. There were lots of small groups, huddled together to stay warm.

Lyta tuned everything out, concentrating on warm thoughts. She was laying in a desert, two suns overhead, her back against a sizzling hot slab of rock. A grey lizard basked next to her. She was warm. No she wasn't, she was too darn cold. The lizard's world faded back into memory as a chilly breeze touched her cheek. //Grrr.// She walled herself away deeper from her senses, retreating further from the outside.

Then she noticed the cold drift away from behind her as Amiee's warm body returned and moved next to her again, shared the blanket and wrapped her arms around Lyta. *//Amiee, your hands are cold!//* She sleepily complained as she felt chilled fingers on her stomach, spread out to warm up.

*//I'll be sure to mention that to her when I next see her.//* Byron's soft voice echoed to her. *//Easy! Easy, I didn't mean to wake you. Be still, Lyta. I ~will~ protect you. If you ever thought I meant otherwise, then I apologise. As long as I am able, I will protect you. You've done so much for us, there is a debt of honor, even if I didn't wish it personally. If we can leave for a homeworld, your company would be welcomed for as long as you wish to stay with us. But I know how fond you are of this place, if you wished to return later, your personal grant of sanctuary would probably still stand. After your . . . my daughter's birth, and a few months of recovery, your physical appearance would likely be close to what it is now. As long as you don't let anyone medically scan you, perhaps it will remain a secret, as Susan wishes. There may be physical signs afterwards, such as stretch marks. If so, you'd have to keep them hidden, unless you've already been bred, has Mr. Allan seen you without clothing?//*

Lyta sent to him *//images: of her Coriana 6 recovery, when Zack had helped change her bandages; holding her up so she could attempt to walk/images: of Zack cleaning and dressing her a few weeks ago when she'd -/No, no, I can't think about that!/images: from almost a week before, when she received a second - unsupervised - massage, one that covered considerably more area than the first he'd given her and lasted for over an hour, until he had to leave her side to take a very cold shower to remove his growing needs or he'd have risked hurting himself as well as her/images: the morning a few days before, when she'd woken up to him watching her, his gentle smile at her sudden shyness. He'd given her a shirt of his to wear (way too large for her) while her dress was being cleaned and he'd made her breakfast, few words being spoken in the comfortable calm.//*

*//I know why he's so attracted to you. You're flawless. But there is a good chance you must never again allow him to see you without full attire if you want to keep the little one's presence a secret from him. If, as you fear, Dr Hobbs mentions this to him, I will still help if I can. I am still the leader of the human telepaths here, you fall under my guidance. Chief Allan is bound by his own laws not to interfere as long as you are with me.//*

*//I'm not afraid of him hurting me physically, he'd never do that, but I don't want to lose him as a friend. But I am afraid it is getting too late for that.//*

Byron sighed and stroked her arms with his fingertips, tracing the thread pattern on her shirtsleeves, marking friendship against her aura of sadness. *//I almost wish Susan was here with us, but she'd never agree.//*

Then the PA system activated, Zack Allan's voice filling the sanctuary. They listened in silence to the mixture of gruffness and concern, and his plea for Lyta to come out.

In the minute that followed, Byron spoke up in the silence. "You could go, Lyta."

He could actually taste her fear. "I don't want to."

Byron gave her a tighter hug, trying to calm her. But he'd reached a decision, and he had to make her follow it. "When they do start to cut in after us, we can hold them off for a day, two days, maybe three. No more, because by then our time will be over." He sighed and looked at her, reassuring himself it was for her own protection. "There will later come a moment where I will ask you to leave me behind. You will need to leave me, to leave ~us~. I will need you to protect my newest legacy. I will need you to protect yourself, to protect your memories of me as best as you can, and to protect the others. When that moment comes, you must do exactly as I say. Promise me that, Lyta, promise me!"

Lyta stared at him with grieving eyes, and gave the faintest of nods. Then she wrapped her arms around his warmth and cried silently.

********

next part

~~~~

"I just don't understand it, Steven. What could make her turn like this?"

"Well, let's see. She's been adjusted by the Vorlons, dumped by the Vorlons, used as a weapon, quit the Corps, lost her best chance of 'freedom' - by his own hand - and dedicated herself to finishing his life's work. Pick one or all of the above, and let's face it, she's pissed."

"Massively. No, there's something more going on here. Something that pushed her over the edge."

- Sheridan and Franklin, "Wheel of Fire" (slightly altered to fit this storyline, but hey, she ~might~ have been pregnant in the canon version, we'll just have to see Crusade to tell for sure!).