The next morning Marcus woke in a blaze of morning sunshine once more. His dreams had been many that night, but troubled, all concerned Susan's pending arrival - some had not exactly been all that pleasant. He yawned happy to have them over, he had to remain positive this was the right thing and the right time. Proceeding downstairs to the bathroom and took his morning shower. He was lazily slumped over his breakfast while reading a book over the kitchen table, when Delenn suddenly was before him standing patiently, as if out of thin air.

"Delenn?" he asked amused by her timid call for his attention.

"Are you... busy?" she wound her fingers together nervously. Not a good sign.

"No. What's up?" he asked and suddenly began to wish he'd stayed in bed a bit longer.

"Sech Durhan has fallen ill."

He sat up instantly concerned for his former teacher. "What's happened? Is it serious?"

She waved her hand. "A minor respiratory ailment has suffered for some years I'm afraid has worsened recently. He will be fine with some time to recover the doctors say."

"Oh good." Feeling the other shoe hanging in midair, he prodded her, "And…"

"And it leaves us without a Level 1 Denbok instructor." She said then softly smiling.

Marcus' jaw fell, then snapped firmly into place "No."

"It would only be for a few days, perhaps a week. I would not ask if I was not confident you were the right person."

"Delenn, I am in no shape to teach a denbok class! Hell, I never would have considered myself competent for teaching Denbok to anyone when I was in prime condition. I haven't even practiced since I woke up. I'm certainly not worthy to replace the finest living master of the art himself!."

She sat down next to him. "It is an early introductory class. The recruits are 'green' as your people say, only having been in the program for only a few weeks and have not yet even held a denbok. Durhan was still in the history and theory portion of the curriculum. You should have no trouble picking up where he left off." She straightened her back slightly. "He suggested you for the job himself."

"Alright, I know you're pulling my leg now."

Then she smiled. "He said it is time you 'started being of some useful purpose again'."

"Oh very nice, I forgot 'returning from the dead' is not a excuse with you people."

"I happen to agree with him. Since you have arrived you have done little but take walks, sleep and 'mope around' as John says. You act more like a prisoner than a man who's returned to his life. You need something to do."

"I am still recovering Delenn. I'm on so many medications I can't sleep, when I do I have nightmares.. I'm not the person you want teaching anyone. I shoudln't even be around david."

She nodded smirking "My point is, we do not know when Susan will arrive," She didn't say 'if she comes at all', but she didn't need to. "It would be good to put your mind elsewhere until she does."

"I think you forget I also broke the only real rule the Rangers have. I left battle, and most importantly I did NOT die for The One. I'm no role model for the Rangers and I have no place teaching them anything, let alone how to be what I could not."

"With that I do not agree. And neither does Durhan, or he would not have suggested you. We think it is that reason that makes you the perfect candidate. I do not wish to order you-" She regretted her unfortunate phrasing immediately.

"Order? You'd order me?" He said his mood suddenly darkening, he threw his book to the hard floor with a loud slam. "I've been doing what was expected of me for my entire life! When does my life become mine again? How many times do I have to die?" Even as he said the knew it was one of his many new medications talking, but it didn't cool the anger building in him. "I'd like to think my death concluded my service contract, but I'm getting the distinct impression that it's not the case."

"Your life is yours of course," she said carefully and purposefully locking eyes with him to regain some control. "I thought your return was due to a desire to rejoin it. Are you saying you do not wish to be a Ranger anymore?"

He sighed shaking his head trying to clear his head. "I'm not sure. I did what I came to do. The shadows are gone. Clarke is dead. Maybe it's time for me to move on to something else. Anything else, hell, nothing at all. You know, there is this thing called 'retirement' I've heard a lot of good things about. Supposed to be something about a beach and playing bingo in short pants."

She pushed past his ranting. "You were the only student Durhan took that session, yes?"

"Yes, yes," Marcus shook his head acknowledging the fact but was still in denial. "He's the finest bloody denbok master alive for fuckssake, what's he doing teaching a level one class to a bunch of greenhorns?"

Her nose curled up distastefully at his swearing but said nothing, "He felt it was more important the new recruits get a more disciplined introduction than they have been getting from other Sechs in their beginning stages. He will be teaching his advanced apprentices as always from his home." She finally sat at his side. "He regards you as one of the finest he's ever taught, which is why he wants you to take his place. He says you know his teaching style and philosophies as well as anyone."

"Well, yeah. I could quote Durhan chapter and verse. There's a reason I have it memorized. I got it beaten into me the hard way, over and over and over again." He said rubbing his skull "I still have the dents to prove it. But that still doesn't make me the right choice for this after all that's happened. Frankly, I'm surprised they haven't run me off the planet with torches and pitchforks yet."

"Marcus-" she started tersely, he interrupted her.

"Notice I said 'yet'."

"I assure you that will not happen."

"Not as long as you are in charge anyway, which is a little comforting I have to admit." He mumbled looking up at her resignedly. "Alright."

"You will do it?"

"Just until you can find someone else." He said "You're right, I could use something to do till she arrives. I've already read everything in the house."

Delenn smiled nodding and left to make arrangements.

-----------------------

"So. Ivanova T-minus, What? Twelve days?" Franklin said sitting back in his chair at the the human bar he and Marcus met in every evening since the Doctor had arrived. He'd been helping out the new Ranger medical department and filing in the Xenobiological data they needed as more and more rangers entered from outside Earth and Minbar. Stephen was supposed to have left a week ago but upon hearing Ivanova was enroute he announced he was going to stay until she arrived. Also, he had joked, to make sure Marcus survived the encounter.

"Something like that." Marcus mumbled into his beer. "Her ship was already on the way to Humboldt when I called."

"Humbolt Station? Wow, she was far out there. So how did she look?" Stephen pressed.

"I dunno, it was audio only," he said sullenly.

"Ouch. Wouldn't even even see ya huh? After all that happened?"

"To be fair, it was 4am her time." he tried to sound convincing. There was something else going on he couldn't put his finger on.

"Nervous yet?"

"Me? Quaking." he revealed smirking, an uneasy laugh catching in his throat. "I feel as if I've been waiting forever. I know what it feels like to be on mindwipe row now."

"It'll be okay." Stephen aid supportively.

"I hope so." Marcus nodded sullenly, "If I'd known I'd have to face her afterwards I'd never have done it, you know. That's rather the point of the whole selfless act thing - the freedom to be heroic and a coward at the same time. It is rather ironic. She spent all that breath threatening me with some rather imaginative ways to die then once I actually do it for her, she goes all melodramtic and put me in cryo so I can come back and do it all over again? If it wasn't my life I'd buy that book and call it great science fiction."

Stephen was silent a second, as if trying to decide what to say. Finally he just shook his head and leaned forward. "You know, I told her she was nuts when she said she wanted you put in cryo. We all did, she wouldn't listen. She only ever said it was just easier for her to think of you as still being on Babylon 5."

"I still can't get over that. She could barely stand to be around me, though I did felt she protested a bit too much. Not as if I smelled or-" Marcus' words trailed softly away as is attention drift to a young shapely blonde at the bar.

The doctor let out a soft low whistle. "Man, If Kate was even half that pretty, you're officially are insane for coming back, you know." he said appreciatively scanning the lady's form.

Marcus only nodded turning back around, and slouched back in his chair, his eyes clouded in his own thoughts. "You know it's funny, when I was there I'd think about Susan and what happened constantly. If I'd acted sooner, or gotten moving faster, if things had ended differently-"

"You'll drive yourself nuts with that kind of stuff. There was nothing you could have done."

"I know, but my point is... now that I'm here all I can think about is Kate. Everyplace I go I'm reminded of her. I can't help but wonder if I made a mistake coming back."

"It's one you've already made, you can't go back and undo it."

Marcus bit his lip for moment then looked up with a dread certainty, "Actually, I can."

Stephen was about to ask for a clarification but knew his friend would never say, so he wisely changed the subject. "So, I hear you are teaching tomorrow."

Marcus nodded animatedly waking up from the stupor of his dwelling thoughts, "Delenn had the Sech uniform on my bed this morning, I guess that makes it official. To be honest, I think she's just trying to get me out of the house."

"Well, you have been there a month."

"Yes, but I never intended on that, trust me. I thought 5 days, maybe a week. It just spun out of control with her being out of contact so long. I didn't expect to turn into a no-good in-law who out stays their welcome." Marcus muttered.

Stephen nodded. "Well, it's not like you have anywhere else to go."

"I've been working on that actually."

"Oh yeah? Getting a place?"

He smiled obviously not willing to say more.

Stephen got the conversation back on track. "So this class. Think you're up to it?" It was a Doctor question, he obviously didn't and wanted to see if the patient concurred.

"It's only two hours a day, that's it. Beginner class, should be easy. Supposed to be going over Denn'bok theory."

"Uh oh. 'Supposed to' huh?" he said reading between the lines. "Don't push it."

"I don't intend to, I'm fully aware of my new limitations trust me, but theory is dead boring. If they want me to do this, I'm doing it my way. Besides what fun is being a sub if you can't throw the lessons out the window?"

"Oh. This should be interesting." Stephen teased taking a drink.

------------------------

Minbari were never late, but then he was not Minbari and they would learn that soon enough, he thought as he sat his cane against the wall outside the door, took a deep breath, and walked in exactly two minutes late.

He was greeted with the expected chittering of voices that minutes left alone will encourage and immediately had the few rowdies, chatterboxes and authority haters picked out and mentally noted.

With his hands casually in his pockets he strode in the room without a limp. It had been hard to do and now the hip screamed at him asking for some relief as he stood stock straight military stance waiting for all the students to acknowledge him. He let out a impatient sigh and leaned to one side, relieving the weary joint, putting on a large act of waiting for the last few voices to stop talking. They obviously had not noticed the rest of the recruits locked in tense silence around them.

His right hand flew out of his pocket fast as lightening, a startled yelp from the back of the room of a startled student was struck on the back of the head by a red blur. A small red ball bounced off the floor like lightening and back into Marcus' waiting hand as instantly as it left it. His fingers closed around it and slowly his hand lowered.

All eyes, including the chatty wayward recruit, were now all paying attention to the stranger in front of the room.

He wore no Sechs robes, or even a ranger uniform, only a simple set of brown fatigues exactly the same issue as they wore. They had not been given their badges yet, and he wore none either. They didn't quite know what to make of him, that much was obvious.

Only once the room was silent did he start talking. "Now that you've all met my assistant, Mr Bouncy…" he looked around the room at their shellshocked faces and lowered the hand he had caught the ball in. "I'm Marcus. Not Sech Marcus. Not Anlashok Marcus. Not even Mr. Cole. To you I'm just Marcus, and I'm your introductory Den'bok instructor for the next few days. Sech Durhan has taken ill, and asked that I take over this class for a few days."

He looked from face to face, most only just registered any respect with his last sentence. "I can't promise you that I am as good as the master, but I am much better than any of you. Questions?"

One raised his hand very hesitantly, he was a blonde younger man maybe all of 25. Marcus nodded to him.

"Pardon me, but... I believe I've heard your name before in some stories from the senior rangers…"

"Yes?"

"They said you were dead."

"You'd be surprised how often I hear that." He said finally letting a slight smile enter his face. He clapped his hands once loudly and changed the subject. "Alright, boys and girls, if you are anything like I was when I was where you are, you've been sitting here two weeks and you're bored silly and want to do something other than talk about Den'boks." Marcus asked striding out of the room as smoothly as he could manage.

A long moment later he poked his head back in. "Well chop chop! Do you need an invitation?"

They all jumped out of their chairs and followed him like a mother hen walking single file down a dizzying array of hallways and corridors drawing looks from sechs alike. The only sound was the tick tick tick of Marcus' walking stick. Finally they entered a large open gymnasium room. In the center was a metal basket filled with wooden quarterstaffs.

"Being that real Den'boks are rarer than Jolian Beef, these low tech versions will have to suffice. Most of the techniques are the same." He palmed one and tossed it to the ranger who had asked him the question. "Everyone grab one and I'll assign partners."

----------------------

The class had gone well. He'd done little more with them than teach stance and grips this first time, but they were attentive students. After weeks of tedious theory and doctrine they latched on eagerly. He was replacing the last of the staves in the storage basket when a familiar voice reached his ears from the doorway.

"When I heard that Marcus Cole was not only alive, but had come back to teach Den'bok in place of the Great Durhann - well, you'll forgive me for needing to see it with my own eyes." Came the voice of Turval, the Rangers Mediation instructor. He looked even older than he last saw him, yet at the same time ageless. The look of quiet amusement was evident in the older man's face, and with his ever present gleam in his aged eyes, he spoke again. "Now that I have seen it I do not know whether to mourn or rejoice."

Marcus smiled, bowing politely to his former teacher who was once the bane of his existence, but one he highly revered and respected nonetheless. "I'm not sure either." he smiled sheepishly as Turval bowed back in greeting.

The elder Ranger gripped his upper arm, and smiled in an uncharacteristic motion of warmth. "It is good to see you again regardless. Are you well?" the question was phrased carefully as he nodded towards the leg Marcus was favoring when he entered.

He nodded nervously, then shrugged knowing he could hide nothing from the man. "Getting there." He patted his right leg, "Neroon's little contribution didn't take well to the deep freeze. Gives me some trouble time to time."

"Ah, well. All in good time as they say. Keep up your training" Turval nodded looking into the empty room. "How did your first class go?"

"Good. Though I can tell they don't know what to make of me quite yet. I don't exactly think like a Minbari."

"Yes, nor do you dress like one. Which leads me to ask; why are you not in uniform, Anlashok Marcus?" he used the title purposefully.

Marcus looked down. "Turval, I'm not Anlashok anymore, and I wouldn't feel comfortable in the uniform."

"Once Anla'shok, always Anla'shok, Marcus. If you no longer consider yourself to be Anlashok, then why are you here?"

"Delenn. She never saw me in training obviously or she'd know I'm certainly no role model. I wasn't the best student thats for sure."

"Yes, you were a handful, but you tried harder than the rest to became one our finest. You look surprised."

Marcus nodded. "Well, yes, I am a bit. I just always felt I was just following in William's footsteps."

"You were even trained by Durhan himself, correct? And, if I remember, you were the first human to earn that honor." The old minbari smiled wisely. "Your brother couldn't even say that, now could he?"

He shook his head solemnly, "No, but then he never really had the chance."

"And your assignment to Entilzha Delenn... do you think we do such things without first considering if such an esteemed honor is deserved?" The old man smiled. "What makes you think this was not asked with the same consideration?"

"But after all that happened, the rules I broke... the way I left... I never imagined that I would even be allowed back in the building let alone be asked to do this."

The old Minbari laid a hand to Marcus's shoulder, he looked accusingly at his former student. "I fear you do not think enough of yourself, or us, if you believe we would be anything but pleased to see you again, alive and well. Perhaps that is the root of all of this." His look softened with a slight smile, "As I told Delenn after your unfortunate departure, I always felt you joined the Rangers for the wrong reasons. Perhaps now you can rejoin us for the right ones. I, for one, hope that you can and finally become the Ranger we've always believed you to be."