Home to our Joys,

Home to our sorrows.

Disclaimer: Not mine

It had been a year since the end of the Earth war. Sheridan was working at his desk. Now that the Interplanatary Alliance had been founded and he had been sworn in President, that rank as well as the rest of the Army of Light senior staff was higher than the highest rank of each of the member governments which included all the major species of the known region. He leaned back a moment as a woman ran in. Commander Susan Ivanova, his second in command, the Vice President, came in and smiled at him. He smiled back. Everything had turned out well for them.

She was married to Marcus Cole and had a daughter a year and a half old, Laura Hope Cole who was a week older than his daughter Leanna. His older son was 3 years old and his name was David. The two families as well Michael, Stephen and Lennier were very close.

Susan came over in her black uniform, and perched herself on the edge of his desk. He smiled at her. He remembered during the wars how worn out she had looked. She had had to work so hard in those days. Now she had a lighter load as the station was no longer new as it had been in Jeff's day, or at war like the recent years. Her crew was trained. She no longer had to be up at ungodly hours to train hundreds of people and often came in with Alpha shift at eight instead of 5:30 when she used to to meet her pilot students with whom she met once a week. Now she worked till late afternoon, in C and C repairs, pilots and anything else that came up. She spent evenings going over paperwork or spending time with her family, and then spent a few nights a week doing undercover work with her ranger husband in downbelow.

It was now evening. He stopped what he was doing to look at her. She smiled and was about to show him something when Marcus came in with the kids. Shy Leanna in his arms and Laura and David running ahead to their parents with childish shouts. They stood and Susan grunted as David flung himself into her arms. John had to place his hand on the small of her back to steady her and keep her from falling over as he took Laura. For a few second they greeted one another until the children climbed off and began to play on the floor.

Marcus came over and wrapped his arm around his wife. She leaned back to rest against him. John smiled. He waited until Marcus released her before asking, " What did you want to show me?"

She held out an invitation, a wedding invitation. It was from an Lieutenant Jenette Paris, Susan's room mate at the IO. It was addressed to Susan and it said she could bring a date. He read it and looked up, the wedding was in two and a half weeks. He reads it and said ," Have fun."

She scowled and handed it back to him." What?" he demanded.

She pointed to the area where it said she could bring a date, " yeah so you and Marcus have fun."

" You come with me. It will be fun."

" Why?"

" Because nearly everyone will be there from the Io. It will be like a reunion. "

" I was never close to the crew there, you remember."

" It will be a good chance for you to get to know them." she said, coming up from behind him to wrap her arms around his neck and rest her chin on his shoulder.

" Won't Marcus mind?"

From where he was playing with the kids he said," you would be doing me a favor, I hate dressing up in that tux she picked out, besides she wants to take you, and I hate formal parties, attended too many of them as a kid." He gathered up the children to take them to the park, leaving Susan and John alone again.

She pulled him up from his chair. Her slim hands in his own. He felt the strenght in them and the weariness. He could feel the blisters on them, formed by years of hard work. His own smooth hands suddenly made him feel ashamed. He rubbed her hands gentily in his own, " Come on," she wheedled after a moment of silence.

He thought over it, it would be fun, just him and Susan. And it was so rare that she ever asked anything of him. She looked really excited about this. He sighed to fake his reluctance, she saw right through it as he said with great drama, " I guess I will go." She smiled and hugged him hard, her slender body wrapped around his as he returned the gesture.

They had rushed to his and Delenn's quarters; she was there alone. Quickly John told her of their trip, he too was excited. She smiled, it would be good for them both.

" When do we leave?"

" Three days." Susan responded to his question," We can go by shuttle, and then the white star can pick us up when it is time."

" There are going to be alot of functions with everyone there. What should we take?"

" Regular clothes, something dressy for the first few parties."

" What about the wedding and reception?"

" Smart one, what is the Io." Susan demanded.

" Earths dock."

" Yeah so we can go planet side to go shopping."

he grinned even more, he hadn't thought of this, they could see there families.

Three days passed quickly. Soon they were departing the station, They boarded the shuttle and took the cockpit. Susan in the pilots seat. They were both wearing civilian clothing. He wore light brown pants with a green cotton shirt. She wore a long black skirt and a clingy sky blue turtle neck with black heels and her hair loose.

She leaned forward," This is commander Ivanova to C and C, permission to jump."

" Permission granted," said Corwin hastily, holding up a Centuri transport to allow his commanding officers leave. They both laughed.

The 24 hour by the advance shuttle made in white star style was enjoyable for the both of them. As they neared the station, John began reading over the crew compliment. " It is mostly the same crew, maybe 20 of us left out of 100, and 30 people came. Michael Brumby, who used to be the Xo is now the Captain." At this Susan became quiet.

" What's wrong?" John asked, he was pleased to be able to see his former Xo again. He had never been close to the man but it would be nice to see him again. She mumbled something and tried to change the subject. He refused to allow it.

She sighed, " Brumby isn't exactly a model officer. When we were at the Io, he traded favors... rather openly. If you weren't interested... let's just say he made it very difficult for you."

" What do you mean?" John asked harshly. He thought over his time at the IO. John was the reserved leader. He maintained a distance from the crew. He had relied on his senior staff to keep him up to date. He had not been close with his senior staff either. He was vaguely aware the crew disliked his Xo but nothing came of it. He personally had not liked the man either but Brumby did his job well enough. Susan had been his only friend there. Brumby had discouraged his friendship with the lower deck personal, even if she was second in command to the chief pilot. He had always had a dislike for her. John had assumed it had to do with her violent nature and tendancy not to obey blindly.

Susan sighed, " Nothing.'

" No what is it?" John demanded somewhat impatiently, taking her by the shoulders, rather roughly.

Susan, shocked responed," Fine he wanted sexual favors for a good word here and there, promises of promotions, some women said yes. I said no. He pressed me. I said no. He made up charges against me to have me on some kind of probation rather regularly. Then one night, he came to my quarters, my roommate wasn't there. and he..."

" What? " whispered John, afraid of what he was about to hear.

" he tried to rape me." she said quietly. " I fought him off. But I am just not looking foward to seeing him again. He always looked at me like I was a slut, he did that to women in general. He said things, that I was... sleeping with you."

John thought over their years at the Io. He felt ashamed he hadn't known, ashamed he had agreed with Brumby over her punishments in an attempt not to show favoritism. He remembered when Brumby had come to him to but Susan under house arrest for two weeks for being repetitively insubordinate with him. John remembered being surprised; he had nothing but glowing reports about her. She was always respectful with him even with their friendship. When he had asked her privately she had said okay, as if learning something rather than agreeing. As for the charges of sleeping with him, he could prove false. Part of the time Anna had been alive, but even after she died, he and Susan had been nothing more than friends. She never acted inappropriately towards him.

John growled angrily, but not at her, but himself and at Brumby. She looked at him. He looked at her softly, a sorrowful look for what she had endured. He gentily wrapped his arms around her. She returned the gesture. That is how they were when they were hailed by Io c n c who were expecting them and granting them docking leave before they had time to ask.

Ten minutes later, they stood out in the shuttle bay as Captain Michael Brumby and his staff stood at attention in front of them as they were the commander in chief and second in command of the Alliance and Army of Light. Ranking them higher than even the president of Earth. As they did so, crew men took there belonging to the presidential suites on board as Earth was so close. John glared at Brumby and moved away forcing him to stand at attention to Susan alone, who understood John's attempt and silently tried to stop him. He watched Brumby stare at Susan and noticed the hateful look he directed to her as well as the obvious leer and arrogance. John motioned to Susan to hold him at attention and she did so for several seconds before finally calling and " at ease."

" Welcome aboard, Captain, Commander." said Brumby heartily as he shook both their hands. He introduced his senior staff, many of whom had served when Susan and John had been aboard.

Susan and John went to their quarters, both showered and dressed, donning their Allaince uniforms. Susan headed for the furies dock where her former co was preparing to send his wingman with a crew to escort a supplies ship through hyperspace to a destination about 3 hours away. Half way there she was intercepted by Brumby, who grabbing her arm pinned her against the wall and said sneeringly," So you still with him, he your kid's daddy?" he said, the liquar in his breath.

Susan hissed, and pulled herself from him ran to the docking bay. Unobserved, John watched silently, holding himself back from beating the man to pulp.