vilakins | Ficlet: Certainty

For last week's b7friday topic of things that go bump in the night, 350 words set in early season 4.

Certainty

It wasn't any use. He couldn't sleep. And he suspected if he did, he'd have nightmares.

Then there was a faint clatter and Vila sat bolt upright. That was from the fine thread he'd stretched across Avon's door and attached to a teaspoon under his own. All the rooms had their own bathrooms, so what the hell was Avon doing out of his? 'Hell' was right. Vila grabbed the gun from under his pillow and slid fully-clothed out of bed.

He opened his door quietly and listened. Nothing. Avon hadn't triggered the alarm further along so he had to be close. Unwilling to put the light on and reveal his position, Vila crept along in the dark--and bumped into someone. He almost yelled in fear. Then the someone grabbed him and Vila felt unmistakable evidence--double in fact--that it wasn't Avon. "Dayna?"

"Vila?" Dayna pushed him away. "What're you doing here?"

Right then, Vila was regretting the embrace had been so short, but he kept wisely silent. A small torch clicked on behind Dayna. So Tarrant was there too?

"I suspect," whispered Tarrant, "that we're all up to the same thing: checking on Avon. If he's till in there."

"He is," said Vila. "Since it was you who set off my alarm."

Dayna raised her eyebrows in surprised respect. "Nice work. Right. Let's go and see if he really did blow up Dorian's room." She frowned at Vila's gun. "That's not a stun clip."

"Yeah, I know."

"You're that scared?"

"Well, yes, but you could also see it as reassuring under the circumstances."

Dayna grinned in the gloom. "See your point. All right, let's go."

***
They regarded the tumbled rubble of the collapsed stairwell. "I think we've misjudged Avon," Tarrant said at last.

Dayna nodded. "That's pretty comprehensively blown up."

"Or down in this case," said Vila, vastly relieved. "I think I can get some sleep now."

***
Avon lay awake, staring up into the darkness. He'd used a lot more explosive than necessary, but he'd had to bury the most powerful temptation he'd ever encountered very deep indeed.