Title : ...and a Happy New Year
Author: Jo Taylor
Part 6 of 7
Pairing: Marcus/Ivanova sort of
Rating: General
Disclaimer: Characters belong to JMS, the idea belongs to me!!
Authors notes: Well, this was supposed to be a light-hearted follow up to Merry Xmas; it didn't end up that way g
Feedback most welcome
… and a Happy New Year
Only the faint glow of a single candle lit Susan Ivanova's rooms. She should have been meeting Stephen and some friends in the bar an hour ago, instead she sat in the gloom of her quarters downing one straight vodka after another. Five now, or was it six? And still the alcohol was having no measurable effects. Marcus' face swam before her, pale features highlighting the brilliant eyes, dimming as his life drained out through her fingers. She should not have left him. The damn Pak'mara probably had him for dinner. She had contemplated having the whole delegation rounded up and stomach pumped. But even if that had been Marcus' fate it would not bring him back. She tipped back another shot and let her eyes rest on the flame. Tonight was the time for resolutions, to make those promises that you never kept. Usually she decided to watch her weight, or cut down on the drink, maybe be nicer to her subordinates. Whatever she chose it lasted only a week or two at the most, this time she decided that, should Marcus be found she would never put herself in the position of missing him again. The pull he exerted on her she would ignore, keeping him at arm's length. Her fingers moved to the wolf's head that hung around her neck, touching it gently. "Damn you, Marcus," she whispered.
***
Shaker was looking the worse for wear by the time Marcus and Maggie reached him. Blood trickled from his mouth and one eye was swollen, the bruise already coming out.
"What happened?" Maggie's voice was crisp as she turned to John.
"He made a run for it. Didn't get far though." Knuckles crunched as his fist tightened.
"Nicely done!" Marcus stepped in. He knew Shaker from old, there was no way to negotiate the information from him, brute force was all he understood.
Shaker's eyes had widened seeing Marcus entering the room, apparently none the worse for the encounter with his men. "Surprised to see me? Now why would that be, hum?"
Pressing back in his chair, Shaker tried to avoid Marcus eyes. "I don't know anything," he said defiantly. "You can beat me till I drop but there is nothing I can tell you."
"Maggie, I think you can leave him in my care for a while," Marcus said, not taking his eyes from Shaker. "I am about to take him up on his kind offer."
"John, you stay here with Marcus, Mark come with me." He was surprised at her agreeing so quickly, but then he remembered the look on her face when he had related Naomi's story, the hint of steel that he had noticed on their first meeting. She knew what had to be done, if this trade in children was to be stopped.
The door closed behind her and Marcus moved closer to his victim. "John, would you be kind enough to hold Mr Shaker for me? I want to ask him a few questions."
***
"Well?" Maggie was clearing up the dishes as Marcus came into her galley. It was well into the small hours by now, and he had lost all sense of time.
"Naomi?"
"Still asleep. Here, sit down before you fall down."
True, he was more tired that he had thought it possible to be. Every muscle ached and he could feel the flare of infection hot around his back.
"Over did it a little," he sighed as he sank into the chair she indicated.
"Did you find out what has been happening? Where the children are?" Maggie returned with a cup of water and two tiny blue pills. "Take these, they will help bring your temperature down. I should check those dressings again as well."
"Later, Maggie. I'm not sure I can move right now."
She looked at him in concern, noting the deepening lines across his brow. "You need to rest..."
He caught her arm. "No, let me tell you what I found out. Then we must get word to Garibaldi and the others." He laughed softly. "It's my New Year's resolution, to get those children back to their parents. All of them," he added with savage conviction.
"It started with a couple on Mars who were turned down for adoption because of their age and the fact that the man was diagnosed terminally ill. After all, what life could a child be offered in such circumstances? Anyway, the man had used Shaker to transport various illegal artefacts for his company. Somehow the difficulty he was having came up and Shaker offered his services, for a hefty price as you can imagine.
"That was the first of many, and not just from Babylon five, though this area of Down Below seemed an ideal hunting ground. Maggie, there are hundreds of children out there, hundreds who have passed through Shaker's hands." His fingers tightened on the cup he still held, knuckles gleaming white against the dark blue china.
"They had the children kidnapped early evening or late morning, papers were ready for them within the hour and the kids smuggled out as patients on transfer or return to their home planet. All this at the heaviest traffic time, security would be stretched with the transports coming and going. Not once have they been stopped, not once did anyone query the orders. Stephen and Garibaldi will hit the roof when I tell them what has been happening. Not all the children were taken out that way though, some were drugged and crated for shipment like so much cargo."
"My God, Marcus. Those poor infants." Maggie held back her tears with a visible effort. "What happened to them?"
Marcus tight smile held no humour. "Shaker very kindly gave me the information crystal that holds all his records. It seems he doesn't like to leave it anywhere and so carries it with him, for safety. His hiding place was a little uncomfortable but I'm sure he feels better for passing it on."
Maggie's lips twitched appreciatively at his humour.
"Naomi's people were only supposed to be passing through the station. They were going to hand her over to new adoptive parents, further out toward the rim. A couple who didn't mind her latent telepathic powers and who could keep her hidden from PsiCorps. When they got here it was the middle of the Christmas celebrations. They were down on the Zocalo when the raid was taking place, in the confusion that occurred she got separated from them and somehow ended up Down Below. I can only think that she saw me, remembered me. And that while I was delirious, my barriers right down she managed to reach my mind. I have had no sense of her since then."
"I'll get you something to eat, then I will change your dressings. Naomi will be up soon, I think you should take her as soon as possible. Reunite her with her parents, Marcus."
"I intend to." He sank back into the chairs comforting embrace and let the tiredness seep through him.
***
Stephen's first indication that something odd was happening in his surgery was the sudden turning of heads toward the door. He turned to follow the amazed looks his staff was sending that way. In the door stood Marcus, next to him a small blonde girl some six years old. One hand was tightly gripping Marcus' the other held a ragged doll of indeterminate age.
"Marcus?" Stephen headed forward and watched the child shrink closer to the Ranger. He slowed his impetuous stride and smiled gently at the little girl. "Hello, Naomi. It's nice to see you again."
Deep brown eyes looked at him for a moment then up at Marcus.
"Do you remember Stephen, Naomi? He met you here last year, when you arrived with your mother and father."
She nodded, still unsure but accepting Marcus' word implicitly.
"I need to talk to Stephen for a moment, would you sit over there for me? I'll be right here," he added, seeing the frightened look return to her eyes.
Quickly he filled Franklin in on all that had occurred. Dipping into his pocket he brought out the crystal. "I'll have to leave this with you. I promised Maggie I would personally take Naomi to her parents. Delenn isn't looking for me is she?"
No, she is still off station with the Captain but they are both due back later today. What do we tell them?"
"I'll leave that to your creative genius. Do you have a location for the Siskins? I'll be off as soon as I have changed."
"You might want to look in on Ivanova. She was pretty upset over your disappearance. We had you figured for dead, especially as we could find no trace of you on the station."
"Susan... upset?" His mind turned over the possibilities, rejecting them one by one. Susan might have been miffed that he had vanished but she had never indicated she cared a jot for him. The flutter of excitement that had churned within him died as he decided Franklin exaggerated her concerns.
"I'll catch up with you all in a few days, when I have dropped Naomi off and had a chat with one or two of Shaker's associates. Don't worry, Stephen," he said, seeing the frown descending on the doctor's face, "I'll take it easy. Maggie would kill me if I did any more damage to her stitches."
"You'd better let me take a look while you are here. Don't pull that face, get up there."
His examination was thorough and the accompanying grunts and tuts left Marcus wondering just what was wrong. He felt fine, tired and a little achy, but nothing worse.
"Well, I don't know how, but the wound on your shoulder is just about healed, the one on your back is ready for the stitches to come out. I'd like to meet the woman who did that. I haven't seen a stitched wound since medical training. It's a good job, very good."
"I'm sure Maggie would love to meet you. When I get back we'll go and find her. I'll want to bring her up to date on Naomi." He slid off the bed and held out a hand to the child still sitting patiently waiting. She ran to him, grabbed his hand and said quickly, "Can we find mummy now?"
"We are on our way. Stephen, would you let Garibaldi know that Shaker is down in Grey 16, I left him tied to a rather heavy piece of pipe work, behind some packing cases. Oh, you might want to send one of the doctors along as well."
Stephen's brow raised enquiringly.
" We had a little chat, about this and that." Marcus explained, succinctly.
"Right..."
...