======
See chapter one for disclaimers
======


War Bride
by Julie Watkins

Chapter 10 Date: December 27, 2247 (five days after the Battle of the Line)

-*-


"I can't tell you how lucky I feel some times, even when he's not here. ... Someone said that 'love has no borders' and ours certainly proves the point."

Anna Sheridan, Revelations


-*-


Privilege had its rewards, John decided. At this point he was still working under the assumption that "Dad pulled strings", but he also had to put credence to the fact that, this time, he had done his own part. The flagship. His mind boggled. My ambush killed their damn flagship. Just being alive, being able to think of a personal future; that was heady enough. The rest hadn't sunk in yet.

He still reacted to every unexpected sound as if it were a battle alarm. He couldn't remember his last "deep" sleep that wasn't exhaustion.

"The shuttle will dock in ten minutes," Loch announced.

"I'll be in the docking bay," John replied.


-*-


"'Samuel Adams,'" Anna read the name aloud. "His ship." She smiled, reaching to squeeze David's hand. She wanted to see the look on his face -- she was sure hers must be comical -- but she couldn't look away. Without a comparison for scale, the ship looked larger than it was. To do what John did, he couldn't have a small ship, could he?

Five days. Her mind could barely contain it. Only five days ago she was counting the hours, ready to die. She had watched John die, so she thought, when she saw the reports of the battle in the Asteroid Belt. Now they would be together again, soon to be married "for real". Thinking back on everything this she had done to protect the marriage fiction, it seemed treason to think in such terms.

It had been a strange path from the shelter to this shuttle. David had called Carol to say John had survived, but that message had been followed by silence. Late the next day, Anna was called away and she was already in low-Earth orbit before David rejoined her. The promise of reunion was both a hope and a fear. It was no longer a curse to say or think the words "He's alive", hopes were no longer fatal dangers; it was hard to relearn habit.

In the midst of the semi-organized chaos of the government and military changing gears and changing objectives David had managed to pull strings again. The Sam Adams, among other surviving Earth Force ships, had be ordered to Earth, but David was not content to wait. He found that John had done something that had made the top brass take notice. When he discovered the reason, David had determined that he and Anna would meet John's ship en route.

"John did 'something '?"

David beamed. Anna, of course, didn't know what to expect, but David's explanation had left her mouth agape. They had heard rumors as the Minbari fleet approached Earth that they had suffered some damage during the engagement at the Asteroid Belt.

"It wasn't damage. Four of their warships were destroyed, and it was Johnny that did it."

"That can't be right. One Earth ship doesn't have that much fire power. John isn't a general. He was following orders, not giving them. There must have been a half dozen or more officers that outranking him on the field, and more back on Earth. How -- "

"Believe it." David's expression was dead earnest. "Old Soldiers are particular about these things. The plan had been John's, accepted by the local CO. If he's credited him with the kill, he was responsible."

That was the reason for all this secrecy and hurry. John had made himself a War Hero, and the politicians and the media would have use for that. With so much hardship behind, and so much hardship to come in the reconstruction, it would be good to have something positive to think about. John, though he didn't know it yet, had just been volunteered.

David had had a hard time convincing his wife that everything was all right, with all the secrecy and his leaving so abruptly. He had finally made the comm call from the abbreviated "bridge" of the Palau. It was a crowded little freighter out of Luna that was heading to Mars with a bulging packet of orders and as well as replacement personnel. Anna could only hear David's words. She left when the conversation turned romantic -- she missed John terribly. After two years of waiting -- suddenly free of fear -- her patience had run out. With difficulty, Anna had kept an appearance of outward calm. David knew better.

Not a moment too soon, the Palau met the Sam Adams a day out from Mars. The ships matched trajectories (though in opposite directions) to allow a faster shuttle to speed back and forth, and a hot-rodding pilot ferried David and Anna across.


-*-


The status screen announced, "Passengers off-loaded," then the docking siren sounded again, and the transport shuttle departed.

John had mixed emotions when he saw a "formal" reception committee would greet Anna and Dad. No brass band and no dress uniforms, but as much of a receiving "line" as could be managed in zero gravity: officers floating by the door, and he could see other curious crew and passengers on the edges.

He didn't have the same crew as he had had with him during the battle. In the hectic too-few hours the Sam Adams had been in orbit around Mars, the ship had been refueled and many personnel had transferred on and off.

Dr. Shair and his patients had moved to a hospital station. There had been a shuffle of pilots, as Dale got a few of his missing squad back. He sent word to the rest, still at Io, to try to attempt to find rides to Earth. In addition, the ship gained several passengers: Heavy casualties meant mass reassignments of those EarthForce officers still alive.

For several of the crew (and nearly all the draftees), Mars was their home and they took new assignments planetside. One of people he had lost was Cadiz, and that had surprised him. John had thought that Cadiz would want to take advantage of the part he played, and John had been ready to make a glowing recommendation, but Cadiz had left -- hardly speaking a word, as if he were running away. There was a mystery there, but something at the back of John's mind warned him that it was better to let be.

Kapura had taken a transfer as well, but that was easy to understand: she missed her children. Cadiz, in their last real conversation, had promised John he would use his contacts to get her an assignment close to home. Aronson had wanted off with the rest of the draftees, but John convinced him to stay. He had gotten word that Anna and Dad were coming, and he wanted them to meet as much of his bridge team as possible.

So the shufflings were accomplished, and John had most of his crew still with him, at least to Earth. Reassignments were coming, but -- he smiled -- there would also be some private time.

In a few moments he'd be with Anna. So many times these last months he'd thought he'd never see her again.

He should have told McKay he wanted this "private", but there he was -- and Turk next to him -- and it was too late to change things. And he wasn't sure he wanted to. They were a good crew and he was proud of them. Of course, they wanted to meet Anna, even if he hadn't been as free answering questions about his personal life on the Sam Adams as he had been on the Valiant and before.

In the past months the crew had heard stories, augmented by old scuttlebutt, and the marriage fiction was almost common knowledge, but John had avoided the topic. It wasn't just that impending doom made the "game" feel pointless. Being in command made it an inappropriate act of desperation.

It all seemed just a little bit unreal.


-*-


This is it, Anna thought, and cycled the door open. David had hold of both suitcases; all she could see was John. She wanted to launch herself at him, but that wasn't a good idea in zero gravity. She pushed off slowly, but once hands touched, he let go of his handhold. He needed both hands and arms to hold her.

Everything went away for a while.

It was a kiss, a magical kiss. Husband, she thought, with the strength of all her belief. It had been a spell, almost an incantation. She had declared him as husband, and had -- it seemed -- forced the universe to make her vow "truth."

What else did I have to keep my hopes alive, but simple hope and hopeful love? She had been no different from any other person who had watched the sky and waited in fear. Most had waited in vain.

For whatever reason, John had survived and had returned to her. She wanted to weep for joy.


-*-


"Now ain't that a sight?" McKay laughed.

It was impossible to kiss chastely in Zero G. Up or down -- "vertical" or "flat" -- didn't have much meaning. When arms engaged in an embrace, that meant legs got tangled as well. Angular momentum had them in a slow spin.

"'Get a room,'" someone called.

John and Anna abruptly became aware of the others in the bay. Anna's face turned pink, but John forced his blush down; it Would Not Do for a CO to admit to a loss of dignity in front of his crew. (He'd been in command for less than six months, and he was still very sensitive to such things.) He did what he must to keep in control, though he was inwardly kicking himself.

John grabbed McKay's out-stretched hand and pulled himself and Anna to the hand rail. "Hello," he said evenly.

That was answered by catcalls and whistles.

"I'll have all of you know," John thundered, "this is my wife." Anna hid her face in his chest. "So what are you staring at?"

Turk's laugh was unmistakable.

"Don't give me that, Janet." John answered. "You were there."

"Sure I was."

He shook his head at McKay. "Bob, could you get these yahoos back in order? We'll do the introductions later."

There was a quick hug for Dad as well, and then they took the handholds toward the turbo. "The crew's kind of keyed up," John apologized as they approached the door. "He's a good ship."

"SHE!" Turk bellowed, continuing the perpetual argument.

John opened his mouth just as the turbo door did the same. As usual, Turk's timing was impeccable.

She -- also as usual -- claimed the last word. "You take care of your lady; I'll take care of mine!"

The turbo's motion took them into the rotation, giving them a floor to stand on. They returned to their embrace. John kept his breath steady, though hers was getting ragged. It will be. It will be.


-*-


With the click of the door locking, coherent thought was gone. Anna somehow was holding onto her suitcase: she dropped it against the wall. They were in John's quarters, in the rotating section. Gravity was normal. She didn't know where Dad was. It didn't matter.

She reached behind her neck to unclasp the chain she was wearing. She pulled off John's ring as the rest dropped to the floor.

Pushing the ring on his finger, she didn't give him a chance to speak before kissing him again. Mouths clamped together, she pulled at his uniform.


-*-


There had been words, not many: love, need. The inarticulate vocabulary of passion and desire.

In happier times they would slowly drift into sleeping after John retrieved the sheet to cover them, but the pain and fear were still too close. He clung to her and shuddered. "Oh, God, Anna."

"I love you," she answered.

"I love you, too," he replied happily, but the laugh was cut short. Robert and Edith were dead; they had died not knowing EarthForce had fulfilled his promise to keep Earth safe. They had died certain of the opposite; they had died unreconciled to their daughter's choice. For a few frantic days John had been hoping desperately, watching for reports for Orion, praying for help to reach there in time. Help was in time ... but not for Anna's parents. She told him in her first message, David told it in more detail. The letters had been cold patterns of light and dark on a flat screen. It was better that way. "I'm sorry -- " he began.

She stopped him, knowing what he would say.

So he only held her a long time, feeling her tension relax. Tenderly he stroked her face. "Thank you."

A shudder had touched his voice. "John?"

"You kept me living." He kissed her hand that reached to his cheek. "I couldn't tell you until now." His eyes filled with tears. "That first battle, I was stranded, my reserves were hit. When I was rescued I had less than an hour's worth of oxygen left. If I had panicked I would have died. But you were with me, and I wasn't afraid." He smiled, eyes clearing. "Only sorry you wouldn't know."

She also was trembling. "John -- "

"Shhh," he closed her mouth with his thumb. "It's over. We're safe. Earth is safe."

They were silent a long time, letting themselves think about the future, after it had been so dark for so long. The fear had been overpowering.

"We watched the battle above us," Anna whispered, staring outward. "The Battle of the Line. We knew it was the end." Her voice was soft. "Some people went crazy, hiding. There was a man handing out poison pills. I didn't take one. When the battle came close, he didn't want to see it. I think the announcement came soon enough to prevent the suicides. I didn't know what was going to happen, but I wasn't going to throw my life away. I think you kept me living, too. So many people -- they were no more than ghosts. I could not have faced that alone."

She thought back on the speech Auden had made, announcing the surrender. "I think the President has it right. God changed his mind. I don't know why. I'm not going to question."

He held her close.


-*-


"Go away!" John yelled at the buzzer. "I quit. I'm on vacation." Anna laughed happily.

The buzzer sounded again, and then David's voice followed it. "Johnny, let me in."

"I'm naked, Dad. I'm not getting dressed."

Anna added in a stage whisper, "Ever?"

Under normal circumstances they wouldn't have said such things. Under normal circumstances such a response would have given them privacy.

Their respite was brief: the situation wasn't quite back to "normal."

"Are you covered?" David's voice asked.

He's not going to go away, John thought to himself. I wish I had turned that intercom off. "Yes, yes. Open."


-*-


David stepped around the clothing scattered on the floor to stand next to the narrow bed. At the back of his mind was the thought that this should be uncomfortable. Dimly he realized he would be embarrassed when it came time to tell stories. But right now it was a sign for happiness: they had survived. Propriety would matter again later. John lay on his back and Anna was snuggled under his arm, head on his chest. The sheet lay across them, pinned by John's arms. The perch looked precarious. "How's the honeymoon doing?"

Anna giggled, legs moving under the sheet, more towards center. John felt too happy to be embarrassed. "Pretty close to heaven," he said, smiling at his (soon to be) wife.

"Very good," David grinned. He started to say more but the words caught in his throat.

John's eyes darkened. "I know, Dad. I was scared, too." He pulled Anna close. "I am so happy to be alive." She continued the motion to claim his mouth with a kiss. His hands caressed her back through the sheet.

"Ahem," David said, trying to get their attention.

" 'Told you, I'm on vacation."

"Sorry, no. With the honeymoon accomplished, we need to go back a bit further in time for a wedding. Then we can finally start moving forwards to the future."

David was right; there was much to be done. But John was in no mood and kept getting distracted. When Anna broke away to consider something David asked, John turned her head back. "I have a question."

"Yes?"

His face became grim with concentration. "How many newlyweds -- "

Anna groaned, burying her face onto his chest. Light bulb jokes.

" -- does it take to screw in a light bulb?"

She tried to push away but he was too strong. "It depends on how much room there is in the light bulb."

He shook his head, grinning. "Why screw in a light bulb when a bed -- " he arched his back " -- is so much more comfortable?"

"John!"

He ignored her protest. "What's the difference -- "

"John, stop it."

" -- between a girlfriend, a hooker and a wife?"

She turned to David in desperation. "Dad, make him stop!"

David had his eyes covered, afraid the sheet would go AWOL any moment. John's penchant for bad jokes was almost legendary. "'T'ain't possible."

"A girlfriend -- "

Anna yanked the pillow out from under John's head and tried to smother him with it. John pulled it out of her grasp and sent it across the room, narrowly missing David. Anna started digging her knee between John's legs and, stifling an "ouch," he skipped to the end of the joke: a wife would be considering what color to paint the ceiling. "'Do you like beige?'"

"John Joseph Sheridan, you are a cruel monster!"

He only smiled.

"Children," David interrupted. "You've had enough time to play. Could we have some order, please?"

John relaxed and then Anna followed suit. "Yes, Dad."

"I'm going to leave now. Put your clothes back on; I'll meet you in your office."

"Yes, Dad."

As the door clicked behind him, Anna started to climb off the bed. John pulled her back. "Knock, knock," he said in a low voice.

Anna's eyes rolled.

He held her arms tightly. "Knock, knock," he repeated. The voice was louder this time.

She gave up, smiling her surrender. "Who's there?" The voice was sensual.

"Just you," his face softened, eyes full of passion again. "Just me. Shall we take advantage?"


-*-


When John and Anna emerged, he was grateful to discover that the only marriage detail left to be worked out was the EarthForce invitation list, a task which David and McKay seemed to have well in hand. David had been assured by Mr. Elytis "the more the merrier", and if the restaurant burst from the crowd, it was no less than the soldiers were due. McKay, therefore, was getting the word out to anyone who might want to come.

This shift in thinking caused conflicting emotions. Life continued, for the lucky. Yet the War would refuse to be left behind. There would always be traps and sudden darkness.

Looking at the list was an up and down thing. "Mary Earline might have fun," John said hesitantly at one point. "Did she make it?" His brow wrinkling, trying to think. "Was she on Stockholm, or had she transferred?" McKay keyed her name into the computer while John explained to Anna and Dad. "Last year she spent the five days she was on Valiant putting in the new grid trying to punch a hole in the story during the time we were trying not to be overcome by bad news." Back then marriage "memories" were still being invented. For some, the fun in the game was to try to disprove the fiction. "Mary's the reason I had to invent the hyperspace dragon ..."

Earline wasn't the only unknown that had to be looked up on the casualty lists. For some people there wasn't an answer yet. And there were other details to be reported.

"Your estimated wedding day is December 30th," David said. "As soon as we can get you back on ground. "Mom is already talking with Judge Tait. If we delay at all, the politicians and media will horn in and take over -- Ugly. You're a War Hero, Johnny, and everyone is going to want to grab a piece of you. I don't want strangers intruding. This is private, and we're going to keep it secret."

"But my friends -- "

"Censorship is on our side here," McKay inserted. "I can send out an 'all forces' bulletin under 'Top Secret' and no reporter will get word. Or if they do -- it would be field staff afraid to get blackballed. I don't want anyone left out, any more than you two do." All of EarthForce, it seemed, had been kibitzing on the details of this celebration for the past two years. It was easy to hand over the details to others. The wedding and party had always been a group effort, and all the sweeter for that.

"You should have heard Lizzy," Dad said in the midst of it all. "According to Mom she saved the day when a reporter came to the door. He knew you two were 'engaged,' and wondered about the wedding date. Mom didn't know what to say but Lizzy -- her deadpan frazzled look -- says 'It takes a long time to plan a wedding. Can we just get them home first?'"

John laughed, counting up the months. Yes, some of the debates had gone on forever.

David's story wasn't finished. "When pressed, Lizzy said the date was 'fluctuating.' I would've just lied, but it's going to be even funnier at the party and when this comes out. So how about that, Johnny?" he grinned wildly. "Your very own conspiracy. Do you think we can keep the reporters away until after the vows are taken and the cake is cut?"

"I think we have a chance," Anna put in. "It's hard to get anything past Liz. There's going to be some rather significant professional vultures that are going to look foolish."

"Huh. I'd rather be sure of who's going to make a fool of who." Then he laughed. "I would love to pull one over Foran." Stan Foran was the obnoxious president of ISN. "If we do a good enough job, maybe he'll leave us alone."


=== end chapter ten ===