Oh hey :) Few important things I have to mention. Promise to make it quick as possible!

1. This deals with happenings after Concordia (so, obvious spoilers) Please note it was mostly written BEFORE Siege, so it isn't fully compatible with later episodes.

2. Believe it or not, I'm not a V doctor. So forgive me of my medical technical phrasing sounds...dumb. I think it's not too bad.

3. This is NOT an Anna/Marcus romance. I'm trying to keep it as in-character as possible, and I can't imagine Anna/Anyone currently. However I'm not totally AGAINST the idea of A/M (could be interesting:) but it's not happening in this story.

4. Big big thanks go out to GreenDogg who beta'd this for me and did an excellent job. This was the first time I've had someone beta me, and it was interesting and awesome to get a second opinion before posting!

5. Actually, at first I thougt this was super-OOC but then I saw Siege and we see how Anna reacts to Marcus being incapacitated and I thought to myself, it might be only a tiny bit OOC, so I left it as it was.

6. I hate Thomas with a deep passion and I hope he gets tossed off the Mothership.

7. Time for me to stop talking!

Enjoy :)

lyrics - "Broken" by Seether.

I wanted you to know I love the way you laugh
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away
I keep your photograph and I know it serves me well
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone away

The stars were beautiful from this planet. They shone like diamonds, or fireflies, or whatever other lovely -and clichéd- metaphor you could think of. They burned like a million tiny fires, so many miles away. It hadn't been long since this shuttle passed within much closer range of them. If the humans thought they were breath taking from this distance, their wildest dreams couldn't comprehend what they looked like in close proximity. Silly little things, humans.

Anna stared out the massive windows of her personal quarters, past the stars without seeing them, into the black abyss from which she'd come. She'd travelled hundreds of light-years for this. Her 'master plan'. This was all she ever wanted, and it was coming true. Slowly though, agonizingly slowly.

And she would do anything.

She would lie to the face of anyone who stepped in front of her. She would shower Earth with ethereal gifts. She would enlist the aid of whatever forces necessary. She would capture live specimens for the sole purpose of slamming a needle into every surface of their bodies to extract every possible detail of information. If one of her own was responsible for a certain incident, she dealt with it.

There was no action or image too brutal for a Queen on a mission.

So why was the sound of a gunshot still pounding through her mind, accompanied by the slow-motion replay of her right hand man cringing in agony and crumbling to the floor?

"Critical condition ... deep ... intricate ... may not survive ..."

She'd dealt with Thomas, then Ryan, deftly and coldly. No different from her usual manner. But there was a different icy chill in her voice tonight, a new hardness in her eyes. Now she was back in the same spot where she'd began this day- fiercely optimistic and full of hope. In the last few hours, that had morphed into fury and disappointment. She sat down at her desk - the high heels had finally gotten the better of her, for the first time. She didn't want to think of this as admitting defeat, but tonight was undeniably a bitter setback.

Marcus was her true right hand, her constant companion, strong, steady and trusting. And she reciprocated it. She didn't entrust her deepest thoughts to many... there was too much at stake. But he'd earned her trust, so he knew as much as she was willing to share with anyone. And despite the fact that there were still thoughts she kept from him, he followed her without hesitation. He was the driving force behind...everything. She'd learned a phrase from Lisa, something slightly humorous, that humans said to describe someone they were close to...what was it? P.I.C - Partner In Crime. Yes, that was it.

For a moment, she nearly smiled.

Thomas was a good man, a good V. But he wasn't Marcus.

What am I going to do?

The thought circulated slowly through her mind, a genuine question. What was she going to do? She felt a calm sense of purpose as she calculated the possibilities, entertained ideas on how things would change around here if Marcus failed to survive.

She couldn't come up with any tangible ideas, but she did not panic. She simply remained collected and glassy-eyed.

Staring beyond the stars eventually lost its appeal (not like it had any to begin with) and she pulled up a screen to review Chad Decker's brief report on the night's events. Chad's demeanor always brought some amount of amusement. He was gloriously oblivious, charming to boot, and not to mention, easy on the eyes. She recalled how Marcus regarded the news anchor... that territorial note in his voice, underlined by the passive-aggressive glare. Then again, he was more or less like that with everyone.

She watched the news clip several more times, at a loss for anything else to do. Sleeping was out of the question. The rest of the ship was asleep, with the exception of security, and the doctors working on Marcus. She wouldn't sleep until she knew his fate.

Critical condition. How bad was it, really? Thomas wasn't a doctor; he was just passing on a message.

Wonderment and curiosity finally got the better of her, and she summoned Joshua.

"My Queen. I was just about to come report to you." the V doctor stated with a respectful bow upon stepping into the room.

"How is he?" she snapped, much more abruptly than she'd intended. She took a step towards Joshua who stood steadfast.

"We have done all we can. He will either wake up within the next several hours, or he will not wake at all."

And for some reason, everything that had happened this evening chose this moment to make it all feel real to her. She cringed, but kept herself composed as ever.

"Can I see him?" she inquired, almost as an afterthought.

"Yes." replied the chief of medical staff. Had he detected a hint of anxiety in her voice?

She followed him blindly down to the medical bay, even though she knew perfectly well how to get there. More glances than usual turned her way as she walked - she realized belatedly that she was still wearing her beautiful red gown. She decided that once she took it off, she would never wear it again. There may even have been traces of blood...his blood...on it. But it was impossible to of the onlookers, a male and a female V in blue shirts, watched as Anna walked by. She made eye contact with them but didn't say anything. Once out of sight, the two Vs began whispering to each other. What was all that about?

She and Joshua turned the final corner into the medical bay, and for the first time that night, she truly felt something stir deep inside her.

He was lying face-up with his chest fully exposed and bandaged, hair disheveled, breathing apparently shallow. Had it not been for the fact that he was resting on the surgical table surrounded by blood-soaked towels and bandages, along with the remainder of his shirt -also stained dark red- he would have looked like someone who'd just gone to sleep after a particularly exhausting day.

Anna approached the shattered figure of her Second-in-Command tentatively, almost appearing fearful. She hadn't been prepared for the blood, why hadn't it been cleaned up? This was a state-of-the-art V facility, not a human O.R. Mopping up a bit of blood surely couldn't be too bothersome, she thought viciously.

But...it was so much more than a bit.

It wasn't really the blood that bothered her. This was Anna, the woman who could stare into someone's eyes while ripping them apart with her tail. Blood itself wasn't a concern. It was just that... Marcus was always the strong one, the dependable one, the survivor. His blood was supposed to stay inside him. She'd never seen him break, or hurt, or show any feeling whatsoever. She hardly ever saw him blink.

And suddenly, he was just lying here.

She stared down at his weakened body, her eyes like black holes. For once, words escaped her.

Joshua stepped up beside her.

"We have not yet sealed the wound because his heart was cut by the bullet, causing severe damage. We have done as much work on it as we can for now, but we must give it time to start healing naturally before we finish administering to it. Our medicine is advanced, but not flawless."

"What if he dies before then? You should be saving his life, not standing around and waiting for a miracle like the humans do." she retorted bluntly, then silently winced at the sting in her own words.

"He is too weak. If we continue working now, we will cause irreparable damage. As good as our technology is, we are not used to dealing with bullet wounds. I know this is difficult to take in..." Joshua replied patiently. His voice was painfully heavy - he and Marcus had also worked closely for many years. "...but it could have been worse. The bullet hit on an angle, so it didn't pierce the heart. Rather, scraped the side. "When and if he wakes up, he will be in terrible pain. Recovery will be excruciating. But... he is in capable hands, and... I believe we can save him." the V specialist continued cautiously.

"Why is there still blood."

The way she said it was more like a statement than a question.

"We just...didn't get a chance to...tidy up." Joshua muttered abashedly. "I can do it now..."

He made a move to pick up a towel, but the Queen's hand clamped onto his arm halted his efforts.

"Thank you. You are dismissed." Anna stated in an unnaturally subdued tone, never once taking her eyes off the face of her fallen comrade. She continued her silent vigil, unblinking and unmoving long after Joshua's footsteps faded into the distance.

This was agonizing in a way she'd never experienced. The closest she'd ever come to this was the morning she'd gone to visit Lisa in the hospital after the "attack". But that was a far different situation, she had been the one responsible for Lisa's injuries that was nothing like this.

Then her blood turned to ice.

No.

It was just like this. This was because of her. She'd known there was a threat. She hadn't been shell-shocked when Ryan belatedly alerted them of the assassination plan. She'd known something would happen tonight. Just had a feeling. So she should have realized that if someone was willing and able to take her life, the same person would have no reason not to take Marcus down if he stepped into the line of fire. Which he had, willingly.

"We must proceed." her only protest. Had she really said those words?

"I'll take your place. You were the target. Not me." He'd said it as if it was nothing.

If she'd taken a moment to consider it, she would have realized the obvious. Anyone who wanted to hurt her would likewise jump at a chance to harm her Right Hand.

But at that moment, she hadn't been considering the fact that everything was on the line, for both of them. As she retreated into the security of the crowd and he walked onto the stage unprotected and vulnerable, all she could see was Concordia. Shining so brightly in her mind, it eclipsed everything else. If someone had to step into danger in order to keep the scheme on track, so be it. Every V should be willing to die for their Queen; Marcus was not exempt from this.

So Anna had no explanation for the invisible bullet that had ripped through her heart at the same moment Marcus fell to the ground. In trying to protect her and only her without ever asking anything in return. He was now paying the ultimate price.

Suddenly the icy claws of realization clamped down upon her.

It should be me lying there.

She pulled up a chair from the other side of the room, positioned it next to him, and sat down wearily. Mind reeling, trying to squash the feelings and understand them at the same time. The unfamiliarity was terrifying.

She flashed back to the horrible night of her soldier eggs' destruction, back to the moment she'd been rendered senseless and paralyzed by "her first human emotion" as Marcus so calmly diagnosed.

She'd never told him, nor did he ever come close to guessing, but his strength and solidity was what kept her on the edge of sanity that night. All he'd done was stand in the room and maintain a guarded silence, but it had been enough to keep the avalanche of rage and grief from becoming too much.

Now that she thought about it...really thought about it, she could scarcely remember an important moment that hadn't been shared with him. More times than not, he was right there with her, sometimes walking at her side, or following several steps behind. Watching over her protectively. A silent guardian.

The first steps she took on earth. Striding through the screaming crowds, holding her head high through every moment. Making the first speech.

He'd been right behind her.

When she dealt with the FBI, the threats, the insecurity as the Fifth Column rose, the drama surrounding Lisa's "attack" -contrary to all appearances, nothing about that experience had been easy or pleasant for Anna. And the horrible moments when she'd realized her own comrades doubted her capabilities as a leader, all the betrayal.

He had never wavered, never faltered. Rarely left her side.

She would never admit it to anyone, she could barely admit it to herself.

Marcus kept her strong.

That wasn't to say he'd never questioned her. He had. He often did. She found it reassuring, that he was thinking, using his brain when everyone else followed mindlessly.

That said, anyone else would have gotten skinned alive for questioning the way he did.

And that thought brought a rare smile to her lips.

She turned her impassive gaze onto her companion's limp form. His chest rose and fell; the sound of his breath shuddered slightly. He looked like been through Hell and back.

Almost cautiously, as though unsure whether she was doing something inappropriate, Anna picked up the clean towel Joshua had left behind, and gently wiped the flecks of blood from his unmoving face and neck. Then reached upward and pushed his hair up off his forehead.

There. He looked like himself now. Except for the fact that he was without his usual suit. A matter which probably would have agitated him had he been conscious.

The smile vanished from her lips. What would he think of dying alone on this table?

No... Not alone.

She raked her eyes over the rest of his body, searching for some missed bloodstain she could remove, anything to distract her from the previous thought. What she saw was his left hand dangling partially off the table, appearing pathetically lonely and weak. Painfully unlike his usual demeanor.

Then Anna felt something the likes of which she had never experienced, but knew would always haunt her. She was seized with an inexplicable urge to...how did the humans say? Hold his hand.

It couldn't be too difficult, she'd observed Lisa and Tyler on many occasions and they made it look as natural as breathing.

She hesitated for a moment. Glanced around the room as though making sure she was completely alone, as if anyone could have said something against her. But she couldn't shake the feeling that she was doing something that was odd and frowned-upon...

She cast her eyes over his wounded frame, stripped of strength and dignity. Joshua's statement rattled the back of her mind:

When and if he wakes up, he will be in terrible pain. Recovery will be excruciating.

She'd be there at the ready to bliss him, as soon as he needed it. He'd earned it.

In one decisive motion, she slipped her left hand into his, then wrapped her right hand over both of them.

Not if he woke up. When. They'd come too far for some sharpshooting Fifth Column brat to tell her it all ended here. He would regain consciousness. He would come back from this. And she would be at his side. As he had always been by hers. Whatever happened from here, they would face it side-by-side as they always did.

Exhaustion, grief, stress, guilt, every despicable human feeling finally won over. The Visitors' mighty High Commander leaned forward until her head rested against his left shoulder. For a second, she felt a twinge of idiocy, she must look like a foolish human girl right now... but sense of familiar comfort outweighed whatever reservations she had, so she finally closed her eyes and surrendered to peace.

Marcus was the closest thing she had to a friend in this world, and she had to come this close to losing him to realize that. When she discovered who was responsible, when she tracked down the cowardly idiotic bastard who thought he could hurt one of her own and get away with it ... she'd rip them apart with her bare hands. She wouldn't rest until she made their attacker scream for mercy.

That thought alone was enough to give her all the vindictive satisfaction she needed to drift into a well-earned sleep, lulled by the strengthening breaths of her broken -but not beaten- Second-in-Command.

You've gone away, you don't feel me, here anymore

The worst is over now and we can breathe again
I wanna hold you high, you steal my pain away
There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain

This was originally going to be a oneshot, but I had too many ideas to cram it into a oneshot without having to shorten other parts and making it feel rushed, so I'm splitting it into 3 seperate parts. I put a lot of thought and effort into the whole process, and I'm happy with how part 1 turned out. Part 2 is in the rough stages, and 3 has been started.

I wonder of tonight's new episode will totally blow this fic out of the water. Even if it's nothing like I imagined, I hope Marcus will at least get a bit more screen time... but *SPOILER ALERT* HE LIVES! I creeped pictures from future episodes of Season 2 and he is very much present, and alive and well! Huge relief for me.

Well, stay tuned and enjoy tonight's eppy! *screeeam!*

RXP

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