Alex woke with a strangled scream. He'd been facing off against the man in the white uniform. Will, The captain, Doc, Anders and a bunch of the others had been there, cheering him on. The man was saying Alex didn't have the nerve to fire. Alex didn't want to listen to any of them. He didn't have to shoot. He didn't have to do this.

    His hand moved up against his will. He tried to lower it, even using his other hand, but it didn't work. His hand moved past the man's groin, his stomach, chest to stop with the gun aimed in the middle of his forehead. Alex didn't want to do this, he told himself over and over, but what came out of his mouth was a maniacal laughter as he squeezed the trigger and the man's head exploded.

    Alex moved quietly to avoid waking Will, and went to the shower to wash the sweat off him. Then he kept scrubbing himself. He forced himself to stop when he noticed his skin was red. He wanted to keep scrubbing until there was nothing left of him.

    He repeated it had been a dream over and over, but he couldn't shake the feeling he'd felt a moment of thrill when the beam hit the man's face. He didn't want to have felt it. He wanted it to be something the dream had created, but doubt remained.

    Like he didn't already have enough nightmares to deal with. Awake his stomach complained. He headed to the dining hall.

    Carlina wasn't there so he was able to eat whatever he wanted, and as much as he wanted. Sated he went back to bed.

    * * * * *

    "Wake up!" Will was shaking him, "Don't sleep through the party."

    Alex blinked, then rubbed his eyes. "What party."

    "Job's done, so we celebrate. Even best cause no one got hurt."

    Alex didn't think that was right, but he couldn't recall why.

    "Up, up, up. You've slept long enough."

    "Okay, I'm getting up, but I'm not going to any party." 

    Will stared at him. "You got to come."

    "No, you go. You have fun. I'm going to Asyr's lab." 

    Will shook his head. "Everyone wants to see you, say thanks."

    "What for?"

    "For keeping them safe, dummy." Will planted himself in front of the door and waited for Alex to dress. Then he dragged Alex to the common room.

    Alex heard the music three halls away. Will started bopping to it not long after that. Alex froze at the entrance. It was dark with colored lights moving about the large room. There was more people there than he'd ever seen. Even this close Alex couldn't make out what the music was, except that it had a deep base. On one side people were dancing.

    Alex figured the moment Will let go of him, he'd turn around, but his friend didn't let go. He dragged Alex through the side of the crowd that wasn't dancing until they reached a makeshift bar. Those who noticed them waved to Alex, calling his name, well, calling him Crimson, like everyone did.

    At first it was probably because it was his last name that they used it. A lot of people on the ship only used last names. Now, he suspected it was because of the two dead bodies, at least one of which had created a large pool of blood. Alex thought he was going to be sick, so he drank from the glass that appeared in his hand. He gasped, that was strong stuff.

    Will had let go of him, so he decided to leave. He didn't make it three paces before someone put an arm around him, thanked him loudly for making sure he survived the job and toasting Alex. Somehow, Alex had another glass in his hand, so he drank with him.

    On his way to a crate, serving as a table, so he could put the glass down, two women kissed him, then toasted him. He drank with them. A man caught him as he reached the table, hugged him and toasted Alex. Alex's glass was empty when he placed it on the crate.

    He turned, trying to locate the door, and someone put another drink in his hand. Alex tried to refuse it, but the woman, he thought it had been a woman, vanished in the crowd.

    The crowd moved, and carried him away from the crate before he put the glass down. Someone screamed his name, and the people around him realized he was there. They all turned in his direction and raised their glasses. Alex drank with them. This one was something smoother. When his glass was empty, it was replaced. Men and women shook his hand, hugged him, kissed him, and drank with him.

    When he finally reached something he could lean against, it was a small crate going to his waist; more of a stool than a table. He sat on the edge of it, and tried to will his head to stop spinning.

    Alex wasn't a drinker. The most he'd ever had was a couple of Golden Delight at Alien Nation, the bar back on Deleron Four. He'd nurse them, as an excuse to look at the aliens moving about.

    It was a light drink, unlike what he'd been handed here, and he'd drank a lot more of them. He was pretty sure he'd be able to make it back to his room, but he felt safer waiting a while.

    The accolades worried him. He wasn't a hero or savior, he'd just done his job. He didn't like being put on a pedestal, but what worried him more was how Anders would take this. If he was afraid Alex was after his position, he was bound to see the adoration as a threat.

    Someone ran hands up his back, then around his sides and along his stomach. The person nuzzled the back of his neck. "So this is where the hero's hiding," a deep voice said.

    "I'm not hiding," Alex replied, "just resting." He leaned his head back, and the man nibbled on Alex's earlobe. He closed his eyes and a moan escaped his lips.

    "Not used to being celebrated like this?" the man whispered.

    Alex shook his head, which dislodge his earlobe from the mouth.

    The hands massaged Alex's chest. "You shouldn't be hiding from it. You're the hero, enjoy it, take it for everything it's worth." The mouth kissed the side of his neck then his cheek, as the man moved in front of him. "You shouldn't be afraid of taking your due."

    The man kissed him, and Alex responded. He wrapped his arms around him, and held him tightly. Alex parted his lips and the other man's tongue entered his mouth. Their tongue played together, and Alex felt something was wrong, the tongue was too soft. He opened his eyes and looked into blue ones.

    Alex broke the kiss and moved away. That wasn't Jack. "What's wrong?" the man said. Alex looked at him. "Anders?" He glanced around for the man's posse. He should put his back against a wall to avoid being stabbed in the back. "What the hell are you doing?"

    The man smiled. "I was kissing you."

    Alex felt the anger rise. "Kissing me? Wasn't it yesterday you wanted to kill me?"

    Anders raised his hands to placate him. "I'm sorry. I was still riding the adrenaline high, and two of my friends had been hurt. When I got to the bridge I saw the blood your little friend was cleaning up. Murry told me that you were interrupted."

    Alex nodded. "That's when part of the security system came back online. It was just a coincidence it was in your section."

    "I believe you. I figured I'd make up with you." Anders moved closer, but Alex stopped him before he could lean in again.

    "Kiss and make up? Really?"

    "Why not?" Anders grinned. "And we can go to my cabin. My bed is much bigger than what you have where you're staying."

    Alex kept his suspicion to himself, but that wasn't why he pushed the other man away. "I already have someone."

    "That guy you're meeting up whenever you're getting off the ship?"

    Alex nodded.

    "So? It isn't like he can know what you're getting up to here."

    "It isn't because he isn't here to check on me that I'll cheat on him."  

    "You're serious? You're not going to have sex with anyone until you're with him? You realize it's going to be at least a year before we're in that area, right? And I mean subjective, not objective."

    "I know, and yes, I'm going to be abstaining until then."

    Anders whistled. "I'm impressed with your fortitude." He smiled lewdly and leaned in. "But if you ever find you can't hold out anymore, come find me." Anders turned and disappeared into the crowd.

    Alex's head reeled, but from what had happened this time, not the alcohol. After a moment he headed out. Before he reached the first turn Will appeared next to him.

    "Why're going?"

    "I'm not a fan of parties. I've already had too much to drink, and having Anders hit on me is just too weird."

    "Ander's hit on you?"

    "Yeah." He noticed the frown on his friend's face. "Why?" 

    "I've never known him to be into guys. He's all about the women."

    Alex shrugged. "Maybe he had too much to drink too." 

    "I wonder what he's planning," Will whispered.

    "You go back, I'm just heading to our room. I want to sleep this off and then get to work on the computer."

    "I'll go back once you're in the room."

    Alex wanted to protest, but he was too tired. Hopefully after that he'd be back to his normal functional self.