DISCLAIMER: All characters from the TV series, Babylon 5 are copyrighted to 'Warner Brothers', 'JMS' and 'Babylonian Productions'. All characters created outside and the plot of this story are copyrighted to the author. This work is non-profit and cannot be sold for profit. This is for entertainment purposes only and should be taken as such.
AUTHOR: Katrina
SYNOPSIS: A Marcus/Ivanova story set after the end of season 4. Ivanova meets an old friend of Marcus' that may have the answer to bringing the Ranger back.
SPOILERS: Minor, season 3, 4 and 5.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Previously posted under my other account as Lady Galahad. Just putting all my stories under one profile now.
LOVE CONQUERS ALL
Susan Ivanova sat at the back of a dingy bar, nursing her drink. As usual, it was vodka. It had been eight months since she'd left Babylon 5 and taken up command of her new warlock-class ship called Hydra. They had docked at yet another planet to replenish supplies and she had decided to have a little shore leave in a bid to relax.
With a sigh she sipped some of the clear liquid and relished the burning sensation as it slid down her throat. Only eight short months and yet they felt like eight long years. She missed everyone at the station so much.
John Sheridan, although now President, still kept in touch. He'd been sad to see her go but understood and supported her decision to leave. She was on better terms with Michael Garibaldi now, they'd had a long talk and sorted things out.
Stephen Franklin she heard from the most. They'd formed something akin to a brother/sister bond after he had found and comforted her that awful day in Medlab when she had been inconsolable over the way fate had dealt her yet another terrible blow. On more than one occasion Stephen had asked her to return to the station and meet up with her friends but she knew she couldn't step one foot back on there again until she'd found some way to bring Marcus back.
Marcus. At the thought of him, Susan picked up her glass, swallowed her drink and slammed it back down on the table with loud thump. She reached for the bottle that was to her left and refilled her glass, swallowing the second drink down just as quickly. Closing her eyes, she allowed the all too familiar feelings, that thinking of Marcus and what his sacrifice stirred up, wash over her. Anger, sadness, frustration…love.
Love. How she wished for the umpteenth time that she had listened to her heart and just given him a chance. What she wouldn't give for a second chance now. 'Poor guy wouldn't know what hit him,' she thought with a wry smile. If truth be known, she had already been thinking of nudging their 'relationship' along once the war with Earth was over anyway.
She'd stopped him in sleeping quarters of the White Star and told him that she knew what the so-called Minbari greeting he'd once spoken to her, really meant. Seeing how uncomfortable he'd looked, Susan knew that he was waiting to be told, in a very loud way, exactly what he could do with his compliment.
It had hit her then, almost like a physical blow, just how much it would hurt him. The realisation stopped her for a second as she acknowledged to herself that she never wanted to see him hurt again, emotionally or otherwise. Close on the heels of that revelation was another, stronger one - she loved him.
Looking him straight in the eye though, she lost her nerve to say anything more than a quiet thank you before walking off. The surprise in his voice as she overheard him say "you're welcome" in Minbari had made her smile. She'd decided then, that when they got back to Babylon 5 things were going to change between them. Little did she know that her decision would be too late.
Susan opened her eyes and forced back the unshed tears. She refused to cry again, it didn't solve anything. Slowly, she refilled her glass and took a sip. Drinking didn't solve anything either but at least it helped numb the pain.
She sat back in her seat and reflected over the last few months of her new command. The new ship was excellent and her crew were exceptional. Officially, it was a shake-down cruise. Unofficially, she'd been sent out to try to find and contact new races. She had welcomed the challenge and also used her orders as an excuse to hopefully find some sort of cure for Marcus' condition at the same time. They had searched hard but it was slow going and so far they'd only found two races that they'd previously had no knowledge of before. While this had pleased her superiors, it had offered little comfort for her own personal crusade as the aliens were about as advanced as the Pak'Ma'Ra.
For the first time since she'd started out on her mission, Susan began to doubt whether she'd ever find any information that would help achieve her personal goal. That thought made her even more depressed.
Taking another sip of her drink, she noticed an old man walking slowly towards her. Absently, she noted his appearance. He was short, wearing glasses and although shabbily dressed in a fraying beige tunic and black pants, he was clean. His hair was receding and the same steely-coloured grey as his beard. It took her a couple of seconds to realise that he had stopped at her table and was smiling gently at her. Not appreciating the company, Susan glared back at him hoping he'd take the hint.
The old man's smile widened.
"Captain Susan Ivanova?" he questioned. His voice was soft with a English accent.
Susan raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Who wants to know?" she replied curtly.
The man grinned then.
"Ah, you must be Susan Ivanova. Marcus described you well."
Susan's mouth dropped open in shock and she felt her heart contract painfully at the mention of his name.
"I beg your pardon?" she managed to choke out, her confusion evident.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I've been very rude not introducing myself," he said contritely, holding out his hand to her, "My name is Duncan and I've come to tell you that have the means to bring Marcus back."
END PART ONE