David's Aunt
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot
Summary: David's life and interaction with the woman who is his aunt, godmother and stepmother. ( not blood aunt)
Six year old David Sheridan wanted to scream after listening to his parents fighting for the last half of an hour. It was near eight o' clock, he was supposed to be in bed, but John Sheridan, President of the Interstellar Alliance and his wife Delenn, once Entil'zha, now Ambassador to the Alliance were too busy to help him change and get into bed. Delenn was not a warrior, as such, she did not make a brilliant Entil'zha. Not bad, just not brilliant. However, she was needed as a symbol between the two peoples at the time she was Entil'zha. Three years ago she had stepped down and all agreed it was for the better.
David was so tired of all the shouting. No one was looking. The sun was just falling. He stared to the house a little over a quarter of a mile away. It was so tempting to and seek comfort there. No one would notice he was gone he reasoned, besides, this was the ranger training facility or the grounds were, the actual building was a quarter of a mile in another direction. But this was the safest place in the universe.
His mind was made up. His small legs covered the familiar path in fifteen minutes. As he arrived, the resident was just arriving home. She turned and seeing him, smiled and waited for him to reach her, hugging him and giving him a kiss before ushering him inside. " Aunt Susan," he sighed, relieved she wasn't angry with him
The woman in front of him was Susan Ivanova, Entil'zha of the Rangers and Vice President of the Interstellar Alliance. She wore a black turtle neck and long black skirt with the black cloak and badge of the rangers. Her hair was in a widow's bun. She was slim, underweight, her eyes had a haunted look that never quite went a way. He was drawn back to the time three years ago, when he had first met her. It was one of his first memories.
It was late night. His father and uncles had been gone for several days. They had been quite upset right before they left. Swearing about some one named Bester. They were back. He snuck downstairs and peered in the door to his father's study. Sheridan and Garibaldi were pacing the room, with angry, concerned looks on their faces. He followed their gaze to where Dr. Franklin was kneeling in front of a woman. She was young, and yet so old. Her body seemed broken where she was curled into a corner. Her slight form was clothed in a black skirt, peasant blouse and vest, all threadbare , with nothing to protect her body from the shivers that were running through her body. Her body was covered in wounds. She seemed afraid of the men, but did not move away, as if afraid to stay and afraid to move.
He entered the room. To everyone's' surprise, she lifted her head just a little. She reached toward him just a little and after slightly grazing his arm with her torn hand, she pulled back bowing her head as if apologizing for acting without permission. Sheridan quickly reassured her, " it's okay, Susan, this is David." He pushed his son towards the woman just a bit.
The woman was Susan Ivanova, and she had just spent the last three years in a Psi Corp prison being used as a breeder, and in that time had born six children. She had endured constant torture. Even years later she had such difficulty moving her back. They had taken a whip to it nearly everyday, knives and fire. From that moment on he knew her as ' Aunt Susan' and in his world of parents fighting, and Uncle Stephen and Uncle Michael both caught up in their private lives, she was the only one he had.
She had taken over as Entil'zha and Vice President as soon as she was able. Since she had come, there had been trouble between Mother and Father. Mother blamed her for the death of Marcus Cole. Also, Mimbari custom required that she as a single woman stay away from Father, one of her best friends, a married man. While she respected this and never entered their home and had stopped seeing John outside of work. But he was upset. She was sick. Often times she would loose consciousness from the pain. The alliance did so much shipping of supplies, they never had painkillers to spare for her, or at least not enough. She needed someone to check up on her. Mother wouldn't allow father to ever go to her home. She was not entirely pleased that David visited Susan so often , but Father had put his foot down there.
While this issue was not the center of the fights, it had opened father up to the fact that his wife could be a cold shrew.
Just like ever time David visited after running away, Susan fed him, made him hot chocolate and lay him in the room he had in her home. After he fell asleep she lifted him up, ignoring the pain it sent up her back, carried him home. She had already sent a text message. She rang the bell and waited for John to come. When he opened the door she silently handed David over and left.
Four years later, Delenn was dead, shot by a bullet meant for Sheridan. David felt tears force themselves out of him. Father looked lost as well. Stephen and Michael were there with their wives. So was Aunt Susan. David in his grief barely registered the fact that it was her first time since she had come there. She held him and allowed him to express his grief with one had on Sheridan's shoulder.
Six months passed. Father had resumed work. David had returned to school. For the past few days David had had the feeling something was going on. His suspicions were confirmed when Sheridan left the home in the evening and returned hours later . The next day, Sheridan summoned him.