*******************************b5*********************************
Jade awoke the next morning and found that John and Delenn both still slept. He decided he didn't want to waken them yet. So, he dressed himself quietly and left the room. He intended to go back out to the barn to see Tranquil Moon. He got only as far as the kitchen though. Liz was sitting at the table reading a newspaper and drinking coffee.
"Good morning."
He stopped dead in his tracks. To Liz he looked like a trapped animal. "Its okay, I just wanted to say hi." His eyes flicked back to the stairs and then to the table where she sat. He nodded and went on his way.
He entered the stable and crossed to Tranquil Moon's stall. "Good morning, Tranquil Moon. Can I ride you today? John said that horses were for riding. I never rode one before though. Will you teach me how to ride you?" The horse whinnied and trotted over shaking its head like it understood him. He reached out to pet her and smiled as she leaned against his hand. He scratched her shoulder. "I better get back before Delenn wakes up and worries. See you later." He exited the barn and reentered the house. In addition to Liz, Nancy, David and John were sitting around the table all drinking coffee.
"Morning Jade."
He whispered, "Morning John."
Then came to stand near at hand. John lifted him onto his lap and asked, "How's Tranquil Moon?"
"She said she was okay this morning, and that she would teach me how to ride her."
"Well I told Delenn that as soon as you and I had eaten breakfast we were going riding and not to expect us back for quite a while." Jade smiled at this and hugged John.
"I'm not that hungry John."
John chuckled and said, "You should eat anyway we'll be gone most of the day. I'll pack us a lunch while you grab a bite."
**********************************b5*********************************
Jade watched atentively as John saddle the horses, explaining what he was doing as he did it.. Once he finished John tied the second horse to Tranquil Moon's saddle. Then he helped Jade to mount up and climbed up behind him. John took the reins and got them moving out of the barn and into the pasture behind. He lightly kicked and the horse began to canter. John headed for a line of trees off to the left of the house.
"Where are we going?" Jade looked at him over his shoulder.
"Well, right now, I'm gonna take you and show you the stream that runs across Dad's land. Later, we'll circle around the house and come up on the lake. Danny and Dad and the boys are going fishing later."
"What's fishing?"
"I'll show you later buddy. Right now lets concentrate on teaching you how to ride. Now, take the reins-" John showed Jade how to get the horse to move and how to get her to stop. Then he got off Tranquil Moon and mounted his own steed. His was a large grey horse with dark spots. "Follow me, champ."
Jade watched John for a moment then got moving and followed. John showed him the stream as the rode beside it for a while, and they stopped in the shade of a tree leaning over the water to eat lunch. "Are you having fun Jade?"
"Yeah, lots of fun. I like riding horses with you." He answered around a mouthfull of tunafish sandwich. They finished and lounged under the shade for a minute.
"Are you ready to get back to the house and learn to fish?"
"Yep. Sure." They mounted up and headed back toward the house.
**********************************b5*********************************
They neared the lake and heard laughter and talking.
"Follow me Jade." John then headed toward the lake. They topped a rise, and below them was the sparkling water of the lake. Really it was too small to be a lake, but it was too large to be a pond or a tank, so they called it a lake. On the near bank stood Dan, Stevie and Matt, and lounging in a chair was David. A little farther down, a small dock went out into the water. Sitting on the end of the dock were Delenn, Liz, Nancy and Jessie Ann. Delenn had her shoes off and her feet in the water, as did the other women. Jessie Ann was laying on her stomach, and had her hands in the water.
Delenn looked back and waved. Jade waved back and John led them down to the water. "Have you guys caught any yet?"
"Yeah, Grampa caught a big bass." Matt informed. "Dad, got a catfish, and we haven't even gotten a bite yet."
"Where are they?" Danny indicated a line anchored not far away leading into the water.
"Come here, Jade." John led him over and pulled the line in. On it were two fish.
"Wow. Thats a fish?"
"Yep, that one is a bass." He showed Jade the large mouthed fish, "And this one is a catfish."
Jades eye brows came together in a frown. "Why is it called a catfish, John?"
John laughed. "Because of the whiskers on its face. They make it look like a cat."
"Oh."
John chuckled again. "Come on, lets get you set up here."
He re-anchored the line and grabbed the extra pole that David had brought. "Now at first I'll just help you and teach you. If you like it I'll let you take over and I'll go to the house and get my own pole."
"Okay."
**********************************b5*********************************
Jade was a quick learner, John would give him that. Within about twenty minutes, Jade looked like a master fisherman. He'd caught two bass and countless pirch, (for twenty minutes worth of fishing). "You're doing great buddy. Are you having fun still?"
Jade nodded.
Matt uttered, "Great he's putting us to shame."
"I'll agree with that. Hey, Matt, lets go for a swim." Stevie offered.
"Sure!"
They pulled their shirts over their heads and dove in. "Wooo hooooo!"
"Its freezing, but it feels good."
"You guys. You're going to scare the fish."
"So he's catching them all anyway. This is fun."
Resigned Dan stripped his own shirt off and joined them.
David looked annoyed, "Dern kids, always ruining a good fishing trip." He shook his head in mock disgust. "Oh well, if you can't beat 'em, join 'em." He followed his son-in-law and grandsons into the water.
"Why'd they do that John?"
"I think they are jealous of your beginner's luck." John hit on an idea. "Would you like to go swimming?"
"I don't know how, John."
"That's okay I'll go back to the house and get some trunks for us, and then I'll teach you how." Jade nodded vigorously. "Okay then, I'll be right back."
"John?"
"Yes?"
"Can I go in now? It looks fun." He looked to the ground and stiffened, as if waiting for punishment. John lifted his face, and smiled.
"Of course you can, but stay close to the shore. It gets deep pretty fast."
"Yes, John."
"HEY, DELENN," she looked up from her conversation with Liz, "I'M GOING UP TO THE HOUSE FOR A BIT. BE RIGHT BACK, OKAY.
"ALL RIGHT."
David also yelled from a ways out in the water, "TAKE THE HORSES."
"YES, SIR."
John departed with the horses. Jade removed his shoes and socks, and walked a little ways out into the water. Moments later Jessie Ann splashed past on her way toward her father. "Daddy, catch me."
"Jessie Ann get out of the water. You were sick with fever two days ago I don't want you to get sick again."
"Please Daddy? They get to." She said indignantly, gesturing to her brothers.
"I said no, Jessie."
"But Daddy why?" Her eight year old voice held disappointment.
"Because I'm your father and you do what I say!"
**********************************b5*********************************
From behind him Jade heard, "Because I'm the father and you do what I say."
He froze for an instant of a second and then splashed his way to shore and headed for the house.
**********************************b5*********************************
"In Valen's Name!"
Liz was taken aback for a second. "What?" Nancy looked over sharply from watching the guys splash about in the water.
"Something has frightened him. Excuse me."
"Who?" As she turned she saw the small form running away from the water, in the direction of the house. Delenn ran down the dock after Jade.
Jade ran as fast as his legs would go. He had to find a place to hide a safe place. He ran for the barn.
Delenn hadn't caught up to him by the time she reached the house. He was no where in sight as she rounded a corner. She entered the house, "John, John-"
"What!?" He came running down the stairs in shorts and the shirt he'd been wearing.
"Something frightened Jade; he took off and I couldn't catch him. Is he with you?"
"No, I haven't seen him."
"We have to find him, John. Bester is still looking for him."
"Don't worry we'll find him, and Bester can't get anywhere near here neither can his operatives." She seemed to calm a little, but not much.
"You look around in here, and I'll go look around outside."
"All right." She walked off calling out to Jade.
John went outside and circled the house calling for the boy. "Jade come on, where are you?"
Nancy and Liz ran up, "Where is he?"
"I don't know, Delenn couldn't catch him. She's inside looking for him."
"Can we help?"
"Yeah, but if you find him call me or Delenn. Do not approach him." His voice held an edge that startled both women.
"Why?"
"You could make him panic, and run again. Just find one of us."
"No need," Stevie walked up, "I saw him take off and followed. He's in the barn." John started that way, "Uncle John, he's in the stall with Moon. You won't be able to get to him. I tried and nearly got trampled."
"What, what do you mean?"
"Its like she's protecting him or something. As soon as I got near the gate she went nuts. Kicking it and rearing back on her hind legs and making an awful racket. I never heard a horse make that noise before."
Now, John was running to the barn, and to Tranquil Moon's stall. When he walked up to the gate it was exactly as Stevie had said. John backed off a little and the horse quieted. He peered into the stall, and could just make out Jade in the farthest corner. He was crouched in a ball and shivering violently.
Stevie had followed him in and John motioned him over closer. He whispered in Stevie's ear, "Go get Delenn. Tell her that Jade's here, and that I need her to talk him out again. Go, fast." Stevie bolted for the house.
**********************************b5*********************************
Delenn entered the barn, "Where is he, John?"
"He's in the stall with Tranquil Moon." She moved toward the stall. When she neared the gate the horse screamed and reared back to paw the air with her front hooves. Delenn stumbled away. John grimaced as he steadied his wife, "I should have warned you, but I really had hoped she wouldn't do that. Damn it!"
"Let me talk to him John. It will be all right."
"Okay."
**********************************b5*********************************
Jade hunched in the corner of the stall. His mind was in a frenzy. The confusion and fear was so overpowering that he didn't, at first, hear Delenn speaking to him. "What happened, Jade? Tell me, little one, please let John and I help you." He curled tighter in a ball and stared at the wall.
"It's not working. Why? He seems more frightened now than he did the night I talked him out of the vent."
"I don't know Delenn. I'll go talk to everyone maybe they noticed something. Stay with him, and keep talking to him, maybe he'll calm enough that the horses won't pick up on his fear, and we can get to him."
Jade shivered, and instinctually sent out his distress as he had when Delenn had been taken.
**********************************b5*********************************
John rushed out of the barn intending to head for the house. He didn't have to go far the whole family stood a few feet from the barn door. Dan and David and the boys were still dripping from their swim.
David stepped closer, "What's going on, John?"
"Jade is frightened, it happens. Look I need to ask you all to tell me what happened back there. If any of you noticed anything that might have scared him."
A chorus of no's sounded. John shook his head. "Okay then I'll need you to tell me everything that happened from the moment I left to the moment he took off."
Dan began, "Well, he was wading around near the shore, and then Jessie came out to me. She was sick a couple of days ago, and I didn't want to risk her getting chilled enough to catch a fever again. So, I told her to leave the water, and she put up the normal why's and pleases. I told her that she was to do it because I was her father and she did what I told her to. Then-"
"Shit! Thats enough, thanks." He turned as Delenn walked out.
"John, when you left I picked up something from his mind. He let me see just a bit, but it was enough. He's distressed and calling for Susan."
"Great! If he can send that far, and she can hear it she will be able to get him out of there by this evening. I don't doubt that she will take the first available shuttle to get here fast."
"Yes, but can he send that far."
"I wouldn't put it past him. I mean, you saw what he did to Lyta." She nodded hopefull. "What will we do if he can not though?"
"Go call Susan, and tell her we've had a problem with him. That he's calling for her. That should take care of it." Delenn took off for the house.
"John," David's voice was stern and filled with apprehension and anger, "What the hell is going on here?" The last was asked with slow and measured grace, that it was apparent he did not posess at the time.
John sighed resigned. "Okay, I'll tell you what has happened. Guys," he indicated Stevie and Matt, "take Jessie Ann inside and keep her there, and tell Delenn to stay inside for a bit too."
Both nodded; even though they were adults they knew by the look on John's face that he didn't want them to hear this for their own peace of mind. Matt lifted Jessie Ann, and they trotted off to the house.
"This is the extremely short version because I don't want to leave him in there alone for too long." He got nods from all and continued. "Jade was captured with his family when he was three. The men who had them brutally murdered his entire family. Parents, a younger sibling, grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles I mean the entire family. They made him watch as they were killed. Then the man that led them kidnapped Jade. This man, who has been amplely punished, was not a nice man, and more than a little crazy. He beat Jade for any reason that he felt was justifyable. It didn't matter what Jade had done. He made Jade call him father; that is why he ran from the lake he hates that word. He flinches every time its mentioned. The day Delenn found him he was so frightened that she had to coax him out of an air shaft. And this I will tell you, he was covered with blood, his eyes were swollen shut, there were bruises old and new intermingled on his body. All of his body, there were thin lines that were still more welts than bruises, his leg was broken, his ribs were broken, he kept his eyes averted and wouldn't look anyone in the face, he would go into hysterics if anyone but Delenn aproached him, it was the most horrible thing I have ever seen. We got him cleaned up and comfortable. We didn't know that the man claiming to be his father was the one who'd done that. We found out the next morning though. Delenn had stayed with Jade the entire night, and he was getting ready to sleep again after his midday meal when that son-of-a-bitch walked in, and Jade, still drugged mind you, leapt off the bed to get away. He fell when he tried to run in the cast. When he hit the low scanner it snapped another rib and that in turn ripped into a lung. Jade was in surgery for six of the longest hours of my life. When he woke up Delenn wasn't there yet and he didn't like being alone with Doctor Franklin or myself. I called her and when she got there and had calmed him we figured everything was okay." He took a deep calming breath.
"Then Bester scanned him, and Jade freaked. He was afraid to block it, but he was afraid to let it happen. Lyta had to assure him it was all right because Delenn couldn't understand the telepathic aspect at work. We knocked Bester on his ass and killed his intention to take Jade to what is left of the Corps. We thought that everything would get better after all that, but we learn things almost daily that are just as horrible.
Today for instance: he didn't know what a fish was let alone how to fish, he doesn't know what baseball is. What six year old doesn't know what fishing and baseball are?" John was near to tears. "But we can't let these things overpower us. Delenn and I just want to show him how happy life is, and if we have to deal with grievous things like this all the better. Then we can let him know about things that he doesn't need to worry about anymore. There are times that I want Bishop to still be alive so that I could beat him to a pulp for the things he's caused. There are days that we feel that we've made so much progress, and then something like this happens and we've lost ten miles for every foot that we gained." He was overcome and couldn't speak any longer. Then he felt Delenn's arms encircle him.
"But we still do not give up, I believe that having Jade in our life is a blessing. It gives us a chance to give love that would be wasted were he not here."
"Come, John. Let us go sit near him until Susan and Marcus arrive. It appears that my fears were for naught. She left Earthdome at approximately the same time that Jade bolted from the water here." They walked away from the four silent, stunned members of the Sheridan family.
**********************************b5*********************************
Susan sat fidgeting in the passenger seat of the shuttle she had commandeered. Marcus had insisted on piloting. She saw the shoreline of North America ahead finally. "Hurry Marcus, Jade needs me."
**********************************b5*********************************
John heard the shuttle land outside, and bolted for the sound. He met Susan halfway. She was running full tilt toward the barn. "What happened?"
"Dan was disiplining Jessie Ann and he said something that set Jade off. He won't let us get to him, and Delenn said she heard him briefly call out to you."
"He is calling me. Lead the way."
John led her into the barn and showed her which stall he was in. She stepped up to the gate, "Jade? Will you talk to me? Jade? I wan-"
Jade bounded around Tranquil Moon and climbed the gate until Susan reached out and pulled him to her. "Its okay, Dushenka. He's gone remember. He can't hurt you again."
"I heard him!" The small voice was panicked.
"No sweetling, it wasn't him he is dead, he can't be here."
"No! I heard him! He said that he was father, and I had to do it! I heard him Susan, I did!"
"NO! Jade! Bishop will never hurt you again. He no longer exists in this life. You need to understand that. He is gone now."
Jade cried now, "But I heard him say it again."
John's eyes lit with inspiration. "I understand. He said that to you before didn't he Jade."
Jade nodded into Susan's shoulder, "He told me that, and he hurt me John. I don't want him to hurt me again."
"He won't Jade. It wasn't him. Dan was telling Jessie to get out of the water so she wouldn't get sick. All parents say that sometimes."
"Don't say it! Please! no more!" He was still hysterical.
John sighed. "Do you think it would make you feel better if we went inside?"
"Is Susan coming?"
"Yes, Jade I'll stay for a while."
**********************************b5*********************************
Marcus walked up as they left the barn. "How's the little chap doing?"
"Still scared, but at least he came out."
"Good."
They walked to the house. Jade, still in Susan's arms, had reached out for, and now held onto Delenn's hand with one of his own. The other arm was still wrapped around Susan's neck his tiny legs around her waist locked together behind her. As they entered Dan came up, "I'm really sorry for scaring you Jade. I feel awful about it."
"Its okay, Danny." John said, "No one knew it would happen. We don't know what might set him off. It could have been any of us. Both Delenn and I have had this happen before after we said or did the wrong thing. He just needs a little quality time alone with Susan and Delenn, then he'll be good as new."
**********************************b5*********************************
Susan and Delenn passed by and went up to John's old room. Jade gripped Delenn's hand until they entered. He let her go and clutched Susan more tightly.
"Its okay Dushenka. You are very safe here. Delenn won't let anything happen to you, and neither would John. Neither would Marcus or I. I promise you."
"I know, but I can't help it." His voice was small and constricted with guarded emotion. "I don't like being scared all the time, but I don't know how not to be." The last word came as a strained moan. Then Jade noticed the tears on Susan's face, and he couldn't hold in the emotion any longer. He keened long low sobs. Delenn sat near them and the two women enfolded him in a supportive hug. They all cried for a while and finally Jade quieted.
"Better now?" Delenn asked.
"Not really. I'm sick of crying. I hate it."
"I know how you feel, Dushenka, I was the same way for a long time, but it is good to cry and get the hurt out. If you keep it inside it will kill you."
He took a deep breath and seemed to consider it. "I guess you're probably right." Jade yawned, and before long he had climbed off Susan's lap to lie between them, his head pillowed on Susan's leg and holding Delenn's robe. The two sat in silence for a bit, and then Delenn stood gently removing Jade's hand from her robe.
"I need to assure John that he will be okay now. You don't have to stay if you don't want to he'll sleep for a while now."
"That's okay I want to. You guys are going back to Minbar in a few days right." She got a nod, "I want to spend as much time as I can with him then, even if he's asleep. There's no telling when I'll get another chance after you leave." She loked down at Jade with a mother's compasion in her eyes. Delenn knew how she felt. She suspected her own face had held that expression more than once since Jade came into her life.
"All right, then I will tell John not to disturb you. He shouldn't sleep for more that an hour. If he does wake him so that he will sleep later." Susan nodded, and Delenn left the room closing the door as she did.
**********************************b5*********************************
As she entered the sitting room she heard Marcus speaking with John and his family. John seemed to be trying to explain things between Susan and Marcus to Liz and Nancy. The guys, as John called them, were more interested in the tales of Marcus's adventures.
John looked up questioningly. "He's sleeping. Susan wants to stay with him."
"Okay, good." He motioned her over and she sat beside him. He put an arm around her and held her close. He held her as much to comfort her as to comfort himself. She leaned against him and listened to Marcus speak of his travels.
**********************************b5*********************************
Susan watched the small face relax in slumber. She realized that this was the only time she had acctually seen him relax. That fact saddened her. She wondered if he would ever truly know happiness. She suspected not because of the things that he'd been through. She didn't know what those exact feelings were, but she knew how hard he'd have things from her own experiences. She had lost loved ones and been betrayed. She hadn't seen anyone die like Jade had, except for Marcus, and Jade had returned him to her. She was gratefull to him for that, and yet a small part of her wished that he'd connected with her that first day. She didn't begrudge Delenn any of this child's trust or love, but she did envy it. She would almost give Marcus for what Delenn had shared with him. She felt love for Jade that she had never even hoped to feel for a child. She had wanted children, but after Marcus, it hadn't seemed right to have a child with anyone else. She loved Marcus with all her being, and she loved Jade as much as she did Marcus. She wondered why Jade had called to her today. It had taken her by surprise to get that calling. He should have turned to Delenn, but he hadn't he'd held Delenn at bay until she had gotten there. It puzzled her even more that she hadn't had to work on getting Jade to come out. It was at that moment that she realized that she did have that same trust that Jade shared with Delenn. He had shown her that by calling to her.
Jade shivered and groaned holding more tightly to her. Absently she stroked his hair to soothe him, and began soflty singing a Russian lulaby that her mother had sung to calm her after a nightmare. She resolved to talk to John and Delenn about an arrangement for Jade to come and spend time with her and Marcus during the years ahead. She had an insight that he needed her as much as he needed them.
**********************************b5*********************************
Delenn and John walked in the peacefull afternoon breeze. Jade had been asleep for half an hour, and they had seized the opportunity to spend some time alone. They spoke little, and when they did it was of little concern. John had decided that for this time they would not worry about Jade or anything else. They would simply be together. He had his arms around her as they walked the trail down by the stream. She leaned into him intimately. To an onlooker they were just a couple out for a stroll. They weren't the President of the Inerstellar Alliance, or the Entil'zha of the Anla'Shok. They were two regular people in love and enjoying each other's company. Eventually they settled in the shade of a giant oak and spoke of their love for each other, and before long things in the world centered on them alone.
**********************************b5*********************************
Jade woke an hour and a half after John and Delenn left on their walk, Susan hadn't the heart to wake him. They still had not returned. He awoke with his head pillowed on Susan's lap and his hands gripping her uniform; he noticed the crinkles his grip had created and let go to smooth them.
Susan had been dozing lightly, and at his movement she opened her eyes carefull not to move to suddenly so she wouldn't scare him. "Hi there. How do you feel?"
"Not scared anymore." His voice was small.
"You don't need to be embarassed, Dushenka, we understand. Just be happy."
"Okay," he tilted his head and studied her face. "Susan, what does du, du,"
"Dushenka?"
"Yeah, what does that mean?"
"It means, little soul. My father used to call me that when I was a little girl." She saw him cringe at her use of the word father. "Not all fathers hurt children Jade. In fact I bet if you thought really hard you would remember your own father and how he was with you."
He concured, "Yes, I member him. But father he got mad when I thought about him. I don't want another father ever."
"But what about John. I know that he wants to be your father, and to show you that a father is a good thing."
He thought that over for a bit, "John can be my f, f, f, f, father," he stumbled over the word, "but I don't want to ever call him that."
"You could call him dad. I'm sure he won't mind. I bet he'd be thrilled."
"I hope so." He looked solemn for a moment as if gathering his resolve, "But I don't know what to call Delenn. I mean I want her to be my mother, but I want you to be my mother too. I don't know what to do about that. I want both of you to be my mother. But I don't want to hurt either of you by calling the other mother."
Susan was overcome for a moment. She had to blink back the tears of joy that threatened to spill down. "Well, I don't know for sure, but I doubt that Delenn would have a problem if you called us both mother. Maybe you could just use different forms of the word for both of us. You could call one of us mother and the other mom or mama or something like that."
"That would be okay, but I think that it would feel too funny."
"You could call her mother, and have some other name to call me. Some special name. I know, how about Susochke. My family and close friends called me that."
Jade's face lit up at the suggestion. He nodded, "I like that name. Susochke." He was trying it out.
"I like to hear you call me that. Its been a long time since anyone has been close enough to me to use that name."
"Why?"
"My mama died when I was a little girl, and my brother was killed in the Earth/Minbari War. My papa died in 2257. That was right after I started working on Babylon 5."
Jade's eyes had filled with tears as she spoke, and now they ran freely down his small face. "I'm so sorry, Susochke, I know how it is to not have a mama, or a daddy, or a little sister any more."
"Oh, don't you be sorry. I loved them very much, yes, but they will never be gone. Not as long as they are in my heart. And neither will yours as long as you remember them."
"Yeah, I guess so." Susan let out an amussed sigh at his tone. "Come on, lets go find your mama and papa."
"Okay, but do you think that John and Delenn really want me to call them mama and papa."
"I know for a fact that they'd like nothing more than just that."
"Okay." She stood and lifted him off the bed, and they decended into the sitting room.
**********************************b5*********************************
Marcus sat with David, Dan, Liz, Nancy and Jessie Ann they were talking of the recent elections and the changes that had occured in the past few months within the governments. The older boys had gone off to do their own things. David noticed them first since the rest either had their backs to the stairs or were sitting sideways to it. "Hey there," he addressed them, "come join us." Susan walked over and sat near Marcus. "How are you young man?" David asked.
"Okay." His voice was barely a whisper.
"Jade, what did I say upstiars. Don't be embarrassed, we all understand."
He nodded, but Susan got the feeling that Jade wasn't so much emarrassed as apprehensive. He wasn't quite comfortable around John's family.
Marcus took the focus off of Jade's apprehension by asking him how he'd been enjoying his stay.
"I like it." He lost his fear when speaking to Marcus. To Susan it was no surprise, but to the rest, who'd assumed that Jade hadn't met Marcus before, it was unexpected. "John taught me to ride a horse and to fish and he was gonna teach me to swim, but I got scared."
"Well, I'm sure that there'll be time to learn to swim tomorrow. They went for a walk by the way. I noticed that you were looking for them."
"Thanks Marcus."
Liz shook her head, "Do you two know each other?"
"Yes, I should say so." Marcus tone was light and conversational. "Little chap saved my life, I guess you could say. Why don't you tell them how young man." He lifted Jade off of Susan's lap and placed him on his own.
"Okay Marcus." Jade started reserved to tell them how he'd brought Marcus out of the coma not really going into detail on the more complex telepathic actions. His voice gained strength as he moved on though and Susan was amazed that her fiance could be so subtle. He'd gotten Jade to open up a little and that was all that he needed. She knew that now he would have little fear of these people who had become his family.
************************b5************************
John and Delenn returned a short time later. As they approached the house they heard laughter. John opened and held the door for Delenn. She went in and he followed; they entered into the sitting room and heard Jade's soft voice telling a story. They stood a the back of the room as he was finishing the story. He began describing a building made of crystal, and surrounded by waterfalls on all sides. Delenn and John instantly knew which building he was speaking of. Jade finished the story with his boarding a passenger shuttle, and taking off. Then he noticed John and Delenn standing behind Liz and Danny.
"Hi Mama! Hi Dad!" He said, his face alight with joy at seeing them.
Delenn sighed, 'Finally, he realizes he is our son.' She threw her arms around him as he stepped over to her. She looked behind her at John and saw tears on his face. He wrapped them both in a hug.
"Hey there, sport, feel better?"
"Mmm hmm. I was telling Aunt Lizzie and Grandma, an' Grandpa an' Susochke an' Marcus an' Uncle Danny about the world I saw before when I went to Babylon 5. The one that has the pretty building on it."
"I heard, I know that building very well. It is one of my favorite sights at home on Minbar." They both chose not to make a big deal of Jade acknowledging his family as family. Just happy that he had.
**********************************b5*********************************
For the next few days Jade became more and more comfortable with his new family. Susan and Delenn and John sat down and discussed a schedule for Jade to spend time with Susan and Marcus throughout the years.
John taught Jade to swim and play baseball. Things still were not easy and they had to coax him out of the stables twice more before they went home to Minbar a week later.
As the shuttle decended near the Alliance offices Jade sat in Delenn's lap and looked out the windows in wide eyed wonder. "Look! there is the building I told you about." He pointed to the Temple of Valen.
"Yes, I will take you there in a few days and give you a tour if you would like." He smiled at her and nodded vigorously. "First, though, we must get you settled in at the house."
"Okay, Mommy." Delenn still hadn't gotten over the wonder of hearing him call her that, and hugged him to her planting a kiss on his cheek. He returned the favor. John came in from the cockpit and announced that landing would be occurring in five minutes so they all had better strap in. Jade climbed off of Delenn's lap into his seat and John helped him to strap in. John then settled himself next to Jade. Jade took hold of John's hand as they descended.