Orphans Beloved: "Beth Rhymes With Death…"

Summary: Like my Immortal Beloved and Sheldon Swifties bits in my Buffyverse and Sheldonverse, these are fragments and short bits, some longer…Just to fiddle with ideas, possibly forming longer tales later.

Disclaimer: No copy write infringement intended…

Sorry for delays…Projects, new life, holidays. Will try to continue to finis.

Part XXXI…

"Aldous Leekie in VR…" Ferdinand smiled up at the image of Aldous on screen. "Remarkable…What will you people do next?" he shook head at Delphine, who eyed him cautiously. "Of course the real Aldous is still unaccounted for, you're sure you're not just pulling our legs here? Oh and pardon me, Ms. Niehaus, how are you?" smile at the image of Cosima filling half the screen.

Yeah, thanks. Cosima, slight nod.

"Afraid not…Though I hope it's true as to my counterpart." Virtual Leekie gave slight sigh. "The lack of any attempt even by encrypted code via me is disturbing."

"Well, lets hope for the best." Ferdinand noted… "For the moment the real problem is here. We have Helena and Rachel to rescue and Beth to help…" he smiled at Beth in her Rachel suit… "Settle."

"Beth isn't dying again." Art insisted.

"I certainly hope not, after that remarkable resurrection." Ferdinand nodded, waving hand. "Please, I'm here to do what I can to help, and despite my official liaison duties, you know I have an interest in seeing word of Beth doesn't slip out, lest Rachel become a candidate for black-bagging for study." He eyed the general group steadily… "First of all we have to arrange things with Castor and dear ole Major Dierden."

"Colonel." Helena's voice on speaker. "He was promoted when Helena was at base…By the way, I am Beth, not the one at Dyad. She is Rachel, making the deception."

"Helena, dear…" Ferdinand beamed at the phone, shaking head to a glaring Sarah...Don't shitte grin me, asshole. "We really have to start to trust each other. I apologize for listening in before I announced myself but it's to your benefit that I know the situation. I can be of great help here. Castor doesn't want to antagonize Leda…You know how it is…" he eyed the group in general. "The military, even the British, already has a black eye and a bad rep from the various past escapades of the last century…People would much rather believe a fiendish military plot than even an evil large corporate one. They'd take much if not all of any heat to fall out of this. I promise you, let me negotiate with Paul. I'm sure they'll deal."

"It is a possible safe way to get Helena back…" Delphine hesitantly noted to the others, Sarah giving sour look.

"Even if I trusted you for a moment, I don't trust Paul or his people. They want Helena's babies and Helena's regenerative abilities. They won't 'negotiate', at least not in good faith."

"Perhaps not, but it would be a distraction…" Ferdinand pointed out. "You see, I am being honest with you all. You've managed to get them this far. We don't have to hand them over, just get Castor talking. And meanwhile our heroic Mr. Hendrix…I mean that seriously Alison!" he called to phone. "Continues his daring-do on the road. Paul's already forced to be cautious, this will just slow him down a bit more and every extra moment can count in these situations, as you know all too well, Sarah." Smile. "Nice coat by the way, is it new?"

She frowned…

"And what's in this for you? If I may ask?" Felix eyed him. "Rachel?"

"Yes, quite frankly." Ferdinand nodded. "I want Rachel safe and Lord knows what could happen to her if she's taken with Alison."

"Meaning you'll want me out…" Beth spoke up.

"It is Rachel's body, Beth." Ferdinand eyed her calmly. "You're a good person, you wouldn't want to steal a sister's body. But, who knows what the future holds there. If you're concerned you know if I care for Rachel, I'll do nothing to harm her body."

"Beth isn't leaving…" Art, firmly.

"Art…" Beth put hand on his arm. "This is a decision I have to make when the time comes."

"And since none of us knows how you came to be in her and when that time for a decision will come, if ever, for now, lets accept we have common interests." Ferdinand, calm smile.

"How would you contact Castor? The usual channels aren't responding, I've tried." Delphine noted.

"Topside has its own methods of contact and a Castor member on its board, to liaise. I'll get through." Ferdinand, calmly confident.

"We have to monitor that conversation." Sarah, firmly.

"You can, if it runs though me." Virtual Leekie noted. "Plus I can encrypt and resend any message so they won't know the physical source."

"That's acceptable." Ferdinand nodded. "If you all agree, I'll give our counterpart Leekie my codes and he can put through a call. You'll be here to monitor what I say to them."

"It can't hurt to try, Sarah." Cosima's image noted.

"Yes, yes! Let Ferdinand…" Rachel's voice on phone cut off… "I don't trust him or her, Sarah!" Alison's voice.

Sudden rumbling from the phone…

"What's that?!" Cosima's image asked.

"They're bombing the lake, south of us!" Donnie's voice on phone.

"For Heaven's…!" Rachel, cut off again… "Just drive honey…Oh, I think I may broken my jaw…" Alison's voice, groan at end.

"No, just bad bruising, sestra." Helena, serenely. "I had the busted jaw once, in Europe…In my other life. Helena did, I mean. I still am Beth, Mr. Ferdinand…"

"That's probably not going to fool Paul, Ms. Childs." Ferdinand, pleasantly. "But I do agree we shouldn't reveal Beth's return here as yet. And, Rachel? If you are taken or they escort you back down to us, let Alison do all the talking. You don't want to become interesting to these people."

Another muffled roar…Rachel nervously refraining from a brittle "as if I didn't know" comment.

"Sarah?" Ferdinand eyed her. "It's sounding like Paul is prepared to use any means necessary…"

"He won't kill us but I think he's trying to get us to head for his people…" Donnie called. "I'm trying to make for the woods on the far side of the lake…"

"Keep going, Don, but take care. All right, try and reach Paul." Sarah frowned at Ferdinand's smiling face. "If you pull anything…"

"I want Rachel safe, that's your best guarantee here." Ferdinand took seat next to Beth. "All right, Doctor…" he looked up at Virtual Leekie. "Can I give you the code via the Dyad computer system?" he pulled cell phone.

"That's pretty much me, so yes…" Virtual Leekie smiled.

"Right then, here you go…Lets hope our new minted Colonel is ready to listen." Ferdinand, punching keys.

Quickly averted glance where Beth still kept hand on Art's arm, gently stroking, Ferdinand's smile fixed and beaming, despite the slightest paling of his face.

Paint Lake, Manitoba…

Another explosion lit up the night side, just to the south of them, as Donnie drove as carefully and as fast as he dared over the rather ridgy ice of the lake…

"If I can get us into those trees over there…" he noted to indicate the forest on the opposing shore… "…I think we can…"

Another blast, slightly closer, rocking them…

"They really want you, sestra." He grinned to a smiling Helena.

"I'm just another Toronto cop, bro…" she did a rather good Beth. "Though not for…"

"Can you two can the sentimental bonding and get us off this piece of…?" Rachel spoke up suddenly.

"Quiet! Do I have to hit us again?" Alison growled.

"Go ahead, I've my own…" "Beth has something to say about that now…" arch tone.

"She…Wouldn't…Dare…"

"To you? With pleasure. Nice to know someone might be able to use your body for good." Satisfied tone… "OH!" as another blast rocked them.

"He is gonna break the ice with this if they don't stop…" Donnie noted to Helena in whisper. "You don't suppose he's that pissed at you and Sarah and Beth?"

"If so, you and I will swim us all to safety then I will gut him like fish, after readin' him his rights of course." Helena, grim hiss.

"That's a plan…" Donnie nodded. "At least I should float pretty well…" smile.

"Charming, could you ple…?" "I said, shut up!" from the back.

"Cosima? Any luck with that call?" Donnie asked.

"I wouldn't trust Dyad asshole Ferdinand, I know of him. He killed more of us than I did." Helena noted, shaking head. "Though much of that is on you, sestra Rachel." She turned back to eye Alison.

"No offense, sestra Alison…"

"None taken."

"Hey, Donnie…" Cosima's voice. "Ferdinand's calling now… Just try to avoid going through the ice, ok?"

"Maybe I should come up front and help guide you, Donnie." Alison called. "Yes, that is me, Helena." To Helena's look back at her… "Rachel doesn't want to die here either."

"You're distracted, sestra." Helena noted.

"Yes, and the psychotic murderess nun turned imitation cop after Sarah is just fine as navigator…" Rachel sneered.

"Attention!" loudspeaker blaring. "Mr. and Mrs. Hendrix, we don't wish to harm you. Pull over and wait for our people or we will continue firing on the ice sheet! You've five minutes before we resume."

"Well, at least they is not claiming I will not be harmed…" Helena noted.

"Just about a mile now…" Donnie, urgently, hands tight on wheel.

Sounds beneath and around them…

"What was that?" strange tone as if in unison from Alison…

"I know I heard cracking!" Rachel cried. "Hurry, Donnie!" Alison.

"Calm yourselves, sestras. Ice is thick and we are in God's hands…" Helena, soothingly. "And Rachel, you cannot freeze more than you already are, ice sestra." Chuckle.

I'm the butt of a psychotic…Lovely…Rachel thought furiously.

….

Colonel Dierden's command vehicle on the south shore…

"Sir, Copter 1 reports heavy cracking in the ice sheet!" Corporal Messner reported, looking up from her radio console.

"Cease fire, repeat the broadcast…Get our ground units off the ice immediately and prep the choppers for a water rescue if necessary. Are the diving teams ready in 4 and 5?"

"Standing ready, sir." She nodded.

"Tell them to remember while their priority is Helena, they're not to let…" he paused as his phone buzzed.

"Dierden." He spoke to phone. "Siobhan?"

Sarah, at the Dyad conference room listening to speakerphone, suddenly clenching hands, Felix nervously staring at her.

Ah, me…Perhaps I should have used my personal code, Ferdinand smiled to himself…