This is a scene I was originally writing as the beginning of a Thirdspace filler fic. I liked this opening scene with Marcus and Zach so much I thought it holds up as a nice short fic on it's own. If I ever decide to finish (or restart) the Thirdspce fic I'll post it here, so if you like this be sure to put an alert on it. I have quite a bit of it down, just not sure where to take it

Anyway, enjoy, and please review - it really makes my day.

"Hey man!" Zack said slapping Marcus on the arm and taking the free seat across from him at the table. Marcus winced and swayed involuntarily at the crude gesture. "Mind if I join ya?"

"No, not at all." What was it with human males and the need to inflict damage as a sign of friendship? he wondered as Zack unwrapped and picked up a massive hoagie sandwich. It was just brimming of all sorts of things that one person should not eat, and slathered heartily with a half dozen more.

Mister Allen eyed it great with zeal but stopped short before biting into it, as he spotted something. His chipper mood went dark looking at it mournfully. "Aw hell, look at that."

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Hmmm?"

"They call this meat?" He sat the sandwich and pulled out a thin slice of the brown fibrous matter with in it hesitantly with his fork He splayed it out the item for inspection, jabbing with his cutlery it as if it were a lab experiment. Zack grumped looking over his shoulder towards the mess hall crew. "I've been stuck on this can four years and I haven't seen a scrap of real meat in that time. Let me tell you, what aliens consider meat can vary and I'm pretty open minded, mind ya' - and I still ain't seen any. I'd kill for a steak, even over done to the point you could use it for charcoal. You know?"

Marcus nodded knowingly with a wry smile as the man punctured the brown material with a fork and wiggling it in demonstration. He sniffed it.

"Naw, this thing never walked on legs, that's for sure." Zack said disgusted.

Marcus smiled taking a drink from his mug. "A lot can be said for value of condiments."

Zack nodded absently poking the matter with a fork once more, before crossing his arms in disgust. "Yeah, they got me through basic, but I think they even have limitations. I think just I lost my appetite." He said dejectedly. "Hell, I paid for it, you want it?" he said lifting the corner of it up as an offering.

"As appetizing as you made it sound, alas, no, I just finished my lunch." Marcus said with a grin pointing to a empty bowl in front of him.

"Remind me never to buy from unlicensed food vendors in the Zocolo again. Aw damn, I knew it was too good to be true." He sighed wrapping it back up. "Seven credits out the window. I tell ya', no one is gonna be happier than me when this is all over and I can go home and get a real sandwich, no, a cheese steak with loads of onions, oh man, that would be the -" His attention diverted, his head slowly turning.

Marcus followed the man's eyes and was startled to find they led directly to the Station's telepath. She was trying to remove her creditchit from her wallet rather unsatisfactorily with her gloves. Sighing and looking very embarrassed she removed them, salvaged the chit, and replaced them. Zack was caught there in a moment of tortured longing, the look in his eyes gave him away. He was in love, Marcus knew his own kind when he saw it.

"Uhm... you have something in your eye there." Marcus said pointing, trying to hold back a grin.

Zack turned. "Huh?" he stopped and started patting his cheek, "Where? What is it?"

Marcus leaned over as if he was looking for the object, and with his best clinical voice, teased the man. "I'd say it was a 5'9" redheaded telepath. That might be tricky to get out. I'll go get a saw."

Zack glared at him. He glanced back as the telepath left the canteen with a small salad and bottled drink. "Does it show that bad?" he whispered looking like a schoolboy caught in a secret.

"Mmm, just a bit," Marcus lied. It was pretty damn obvious, but then it was his job to read people.

"Damn," He cursed under his breath slamming the table "Don't tell her, okay? I'm trying to take it slow."

"I understand fully. It's like an interstellar dating program sometimes," He said, "Everyone here seems to be interested in someone else on the station at sometime or the other."

"That's no lie. Like I heard some rumors that you had it bad for Ivanova, is that true?" his expression went almost sneaky as he turned the conversation onto Marcus.

He cringed "Uhm, ah... " He did the only thing he knew he could - he lied." No."

"Ah, good I was worried." He laughed.

"No, I'm a bit too smart for that I think." He smiled. "Where did you hear that?"

"Ah I dunno, someone, I don't remember. You know how station scuttlebutt goes." he said. "Whoo Boy, there's a death sentence. I feel sorry for the unlucky bastard that gets her."

Marcus laughed along, it was better to look as if he was in on the joke. "Does she know?"

"Who? Ivanova? I'm sure she hears the same crap I do. Probably more."

He cleared his throat uncomfortably. "No. Lyta. Have you told her how you feel?"

"Ah, No. I tried, but she's still real skittish - After all that Vorlon business, she's got a whole lot to deal with right now. She's almost like an abused bird, y'know? - I'd like to help her but I'm afraid if I try to get too close she'll fly off or something."

"That's very poetic, Zack," Marcus praised, rather amazed. For Zack it was rather on the verbose side. The bird analogy fit another woman Marcus knew as well.

"Ah well, I guess it shows I've been reading a lot since there's nothing to watch anymore. Hell, for all I know she might actually be able to fly, god only knows what the Vorlons did to her." Zack sighed. "I'm not even her type so I dunno what I'm even going on about."

"Never say that," Marcus scolded firmly, pointing his finger at him, "And, certainly never believe it. Never give up on what, or who, you want Zack."

"I hope it's not already too late. It's almost like she's not the same person she used to be."

Marcus nodded, he'd noticed that as well, at least since the Vorlon's leaving. "I can't help you there. I haven't known her as long as you have. How long is that exactly?"

"Since she came on board the first time."

"Ouch. Smitten that long eh?" At Zack's strangled look Marcus raised a hand to reassure him. "I won't breathe a word, believe me."

"Speaking of Lyta, did you hear what the command staff did to her?"

"No, what?"

"They made her move into Class D quarters 'cause the Vorlons weren't paying her way anymore. That's gratitude for ya, huh? After all she did for this place."

"You're kidding!" Marcus was aghast.

"Nope. I told her myself because I didn't want her getting a recorded eviction notice, didn't seem right, y'know? I mean we couldn't have done what we did without her, right? I know I'd be pretty pissed off, too, if they did that to me."

"Indeed..." Marcus nodded stunned. He couldn't believe it. He had a Class C accommodations and they certainly weren't much to write home about but Class D were a definite step down from there. He wondered now if he could offer her a switch. He barely used his quarters as it was anyway. Class D's were also a bit closer to his base of operations. "Having seen her in action, she's not a person I'd want cheesed off at me that's for sure. I'd be going out of my way to be on her good side."

"About that - I heard some wild stories, about the stuff she did out there against the shadows? Is that all true?"

Marcus clamped his lip together and hmm'ed. "If it seemed implausible, impossible, and totally unbelievable, then yes, it's absolutely true."

"How can that be? She's supposedly only a P5, or at least she used to be." Zach whipsered looking around. "Before the Vorlons."

"I only know what I saw, and there's no way she couldn't have done what she did if that was still the case. I firmly doubt even Bester himself could."

"You're shitting me."

"Afraid not." He said raising his eyebrows in conclusion. "The truth is often stranger than fiction, and that's more often true than not here, isn't it?."

"You got that right! Geeze, we've seen such freaky crap recently I don't know what else could top it. I think it's got to be smooth sailing from here on out."

Marcus smiled. "I'm not a normally superstitious man by nature, but I think that's what they call a 'jinx'. If this all suddenly goes to pot, it's your fault. I just want you to know that now."

Zack laughed at that same second his comlink beeped. Both stared at it for a second then looked at each other with a heavy sigh, "Uh-oh." they both said simultaneously with great dread.

"Allen, go." He answered it.

"Mr. Allen, we need you in the war room," came Captain Sheridans voice. "We have a situation."

"On my way!" Zack snapped back into mode.

Sheridan responded. "And find Marcus if you can." Then he mumbled under his breath, "We have got to get that man a link."

"Not bloody likely," Marcus whispered rolling his eyes. They were always trying to make him conform to their little system.

"Oh, no problem, Cap, I have Marcus right here." Zack smiled at Marcus. "You want to talk to him?"

"No, just tell him Whitestar 12 is waiting for him to leave immediately." The link blinked off.

Marcus pointed at Zack with a dark, but humorous, gleam as he stood up. "Let me just say this for the record - Jinx!"