Out Of The Darkness Chapter 5: , a babylon 5 fanfic

[AC][AL][MV][GD (Graphic Descriptions)]

Disclaimers: All B5 characters and settings belong to JMS and Warner Brothers and anybody else with legitimate legal claim. Don't want them, not claiming them, just borrowing them. Only one character's mine, but if the Great Maker needs her, or someone similar to her, she's his.

Spoiler warning: *Definitely* contains spoilers up to the current U.S. episodes of Season 5 (as much as I can actually use within the context of this story), as well as Book #9. *Could definitely* contain spoilers through the end of Season 5.

This is my first foray into the mystery genre, so please forgive any really glaring errors.

Big boxes of virtual Godivas to all who helped in the birth of this baby! You guys are the best!

Enough of my stalling. After some brief spoiler space for those who may not be up-to-date with the U.S.. . .

Perpetual dedication:
Dedicated to those of us who think there had to be a better way for Ivanova to realize it.

*****

I forced down a yawn as I walked into the cell that housed Alina Minette. She was sitting on the floor with her legs crossed and her palms resting on each knee. I'd heard about the meditation techniques that the Rangers had been taught, but this was the first time I had ever seen them in action.
"Good morning, Captain," Alina said, not even opening her eyes. "I trust you slept well?"
"Never better," I said. "Garibaldi said you had information for me?"
Alina opened her eyes, standing up with a grace that I actually envied. She reached over her head and stretched. "Yes. When I awoke this morning, I remembered two rather interesting things."
"What?"
"It may not be that much help," she said, searching for the right words. "But I think I've been in contact with that species before."
"You think?"
"It was in battle. You see, I used to command White Star 22. We were with Delenn during the meeting with the Drakh two years ago. I felt it as we fired upon the Drakh mothership."
I tried to remember all of the information I had been given access to about that meeting. Delenn had said that because she considered it internal Minbari business, there had been no reason to bring it to the War Council. If it really *had* been Minbari business, what had human Rangers been doing there?
"If there was ever a time to be out of the loop . . . . So, you believe this killer's a Drakh?"
She shook her head. "No, Captain. I can't be sure of that. It could be, but they may have had allies on board their ships."
"Okay, so what's the other thing?"
"Do you remember me telling you about trained telepaths finding anonymity within the Rangers?"
I nodded.
She looked worried. "The complete record for every member of the Rangers is in the master system in Tuzanor. I spoke with Rathenn this morning. Two weeks ago, they caught someone hacking into those files. Our technicians came to the conclusion that the hacker hadn't accessed the truly important information, but it appears they were wrong. Captain, every Ranger that has been killed was a telepath."
"Even the Minbari?" I asked.
"Even the Minbari." She handed me a data crystal. "This is a listing of every telepath within the Rangers and their current name. Before you ask, yes, I am on that list."
I put the crystal in my pocket. It was important information, all right. There was no arguing with that. It was just important enough to be fabricated. "What did Marcus give you for your ninth birthday?"
"What?"
"You heard me. Your ninth birthday."
She was obviously confused. "Why do you need to know that?"
"Trust me, it will help."
Alina turned away, slowly starting to pace. "My ninth birthday? I think that was the year Marcus gave me the book. The first real book I'd ever seen." When she faced me again, she had a nostalgic smile on her face. I could see the pain of memory in her eyes. "Yes, it was Shakespeare. A Midsummer Night's Dream, actually. He always called me Titania. Will was Oberon. Well, until he got sick of it and punched Marcus in front of half the colony."
I couldn't resist a laugh at the thought. If this was all fiction, at least it was entertaining fiction. "That's Marcus," I told her. "I've lost count of the number of times I've wanted to punch him."
She shrugged. "I just gave him a taste of his own medicine. He was such a troublemaker when we were kids, so I thought that if he was going to call *us* characters from Midsummer Night's Dream, then I'd just have to call him Puck."
I'd only read the play once before, but I knew the reference. "I'll bet he loved that one."
"Let's just say his overdeveloped sense of nobility kept him from killing me," Alina managed between giggles.
I leaned back, still smiling as I tried to size up the situation. None of my telepathic warnings were going off, but did that really mean anything? The more I thought about it, the more convinced I was that Marcus was right about Alina.
But she had already barreled through all of the blocks I had up once, and I hadn't even seen it. Could I trust her not to do it again, even if it *was* to save her own life?
At least now I had a way to find out. "If there's nothing else?" I asked.
"No, Captain."
I waited until the cell door closed behind me and I was well on my way to the lift before I contacted Garibaldi. He wondered why I wanted to wait two hours to meet. For once I told him the truth. There was something I had to take care of first.

**********

"Midsummer Night's Dream," I told Marcus. "She said you used to call her Titania."
"And she used to call me Puck." He slowly shook his head. "I always hated that."
"From what she tells me, it sounds like you deserved it." I watched him sitting in my office chair. He looked too comfortable. "So, she's right?"
"Yes, Susan. She's exactly right. If I were you, I'd trust her."
"Is there *anyone* you don't trust?"
"Shadows, actually," he said. "Spiders . . . you on a bad day."
The joke didn't amuse me. "Very funny. Look, how much do you know about the meeting Delenn had with the Drakh two years ago?"
"Why would I know anything about that?" he said, evasive.
"Marcus, anyone with half a wit could see Delenn was grooming you to take over the Rangers. Why *wouldn't* she tell you anything?"
"Because she considered it internal Minbari business?"
"How can it be internal Minbari business if some of the White Stars that went with her had human crews?"
He looked surprised. "How do you . . . Liana told you that?"
"She was there," I said, hands on my hips. "Stop avoiding the question, Marcus. It's important to this investigation. Answer me."
"All I know is what Delenn put in the official report. Lennier wouldn't even tell me anything else. I'm sure if you contact her-"
It was all I could do to not hit him. "I can't believe this! We're talking the safety of a quarter of a million people, including the two of us, and you're trying to keep Delenn's little secrets?"
"You know I can't hide anything here, Susan. Why bother asking? Why don't you just take a dip into my memory and find out?"
Great, now he was getting mad. I took a deep breath, counting to ten. As infuriating as he could be sometimes, I did feel a little bit guilty getting so angry with him. I walked closer, tried to calm him down with a hand on his arm. "I trust you, Marcus. I trust you enough to take what you're willing to tell me. I know the friendship you have with Delenn. She must have told you things that weren't in that report."
The muscles under my hand relaxed. After a couple of seconds, he'd calmed down enough. "They were trying to assist a Pak'ma'ra ship that had been attacked by the Drakh. Delenn ordered the fleet to follow them to their mothership. They sent a representative to meet with her on board her White Star. He recognized her name from the War. She refused to cooperate with them. After he left, the fleet was attacked as it tried to leave. That's all I know. I tried to get more details, but she wouldn't tell me. Lennier just told me to ask Delenn. Maybe Liana-"
"I think your friend has said everything she's going to say, Marcus. I just needed confirmation that we could trust her. At least now we have a better idea of what we're looking for." I felt a pin prick at my neck. "They're bringing me out."
"I thought it was an odd time for you to be sleeping."
"Desperate times," I said. "You'll know if I find anything."
Before he could disappear on me, I left him in the office. I must have been getting used to these little visits, because my subconscious seemed to be creating exits for them. A thick fog covered the floor outside the office as I walked out of the dream and back into what passed for my reality.
Doctor Hobbs smiled as I opened my eyes. "Welcome back, Captain. I trust the catnap was worth it?"
"Yes," I said, fighting off a yawn. "Quite worth it. Where's Stephen?"
"With a patient," she said.
I nodded and tried to pull myself off of the bed. My muscles were still waking up, so I was a little shaky at first. I could almost feel the stimulant working its way through my system. It took a few seconds, but I finally managed to stand up. When I was sure I could do it, I headed for the door.
That was when I heard the voices.
"Can you believe it?"
"I swear that skin healed by itself!"
"She didn't even touch her!"
I followed the voices and pointed stares to Isolab One. There was a security guard right outside the window. Stephen was on the other side, a look of pure awe on his face. He looked for all the universe like a man witnessing a miracle. Alina stood beside him, her hands hovering over Lochley's unconscious body.
What I saw happening on the other side of that window was supposed to be impossible.
Stephen brushed an instrument over Lochley's bare hands, and the fingers danced in response. The skin looked like it had never been damaged.
Alina slowly moved her hands to a position over Lochley's throat. Her arms were just beginning to shake from the strain. The bandages had been taken off of Lochley's throat, and I could see the ragged edge of the knife wound. While I watched, the bright red skin around the cut started to fade. When it regained its normal pinkish color, it started to reshape itself.
As Alina worked, she nodded intermittently at Stephen, cuing him to remove one of the sutures that had been binding the neck wound. My jaw was hanging open at the sight of the wound knitting back together. There should have been something -- a light, a sound, anything -- that gave some indication of the absolute impossibility of what was happening.
After Stephen removed the last suture, Alina sagged against the bed, exhausted. Stephen quickly wrapped an arm around her waist and escorted her out of the Isolab.
"Are you sure?" Stephen asked as they walked through the door.
Alina nodded. "Yes, Stephen. I will be fine. I just need to rest."
"Right," I said. "That's why you look like you just faced down an entire Shadow fleet?"
She looked me right in the eye, and I almost felt her exhaustion. "Your witness can speak to you now, Captain."
"Seriously?" I said, looking over to Stephen. "Is she telling the truth? You said-"
"I know what I said, Susan. Yes. She's telling you the truth. I'm not even going to pretend to know how she did it, but it looks like she healed all of it."
"Alina, how long before she can make a statement?"
"That's up to Captain Lochley," she said. "Stephen had to sedate her so I could work. For me to lift that sedation would do more harm than good."
"Ivanova to Garibaldi," I said, slapping my link. "Come to Medlab One. We'll talk as soon as you're through interviewing Lochley."

**********

"So, that's what we've got, Michael."
"Damn. There hasn't been a single sign of Drakh activity anywhere near this place for six months. And now you're telling me we're looking for one of them?"
"Maybe."
He looked skeptical. "Lochley said it was Minette that attacked her, not a Drakh. Just exactly how much do you trust her, Ivanova?"
I fought the urge to yell at him. I could understand his paranoia, but Michael had never seemed like a person that would let it control him. We were going to have to have a long talk when this was over. "Look, I know your opinion when it comes to telepaths is not exactly high right now. Can't say as I blame you, but I have my reasons for trusting Minette."
The look on his face openly questioned my grip on reality. "Would you care to enlighten me on what those reasons are?"
"No, I wouldn't."
"I'm sorry, Ivanova," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I'm not sure I can accept that information."
"Why not?"
"She's a telepath. You said yourself that she's a P13. How do you know she didn't put the information in your head to make you trust her?"
I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "I *don't* know," I said, indignant. "But we don't have any other leads, Michael. Don't tell me you intend to stick your nose into every single corner of this station looking for him until you actually *find* something? That could take months, maybe years. We just can't keep this station sealed up that long. God knows we can't keep the Rangers locked up with a maniac for that long." I started to pace. "No, we've got to find this nutcase and get this station back open as soon as we can. And if you ask me, that means taking every lead, no matter where the hell it came from, and no matter how paranoid you are."
"There is something you're not telling me," Garibaldi said, glaring at me. "I've known you too long. You're hiding something important. What is it?"
I tried hard not to laugh. If he was this paranoid about a telepath that he barely knew, how would he take the whole truth? A part of me thanked God that I hadn't told him about the one other connection between the victims. I had the distinct impression that Garibaldi might not have minded a few telepaths getting killed, even if they were Rangers.
"There are going to be things that I just can't tell you, Michael. It's not that I don't want to, it's just that I can't. I have enough reasons to believe her. I don't care how much you trust her. I believe what she's saying. The real question here is whether or not you trust *me*."
He folded his arms over his chest. I could feel him sizing me up. He trusted me, he just didn't like the information I was forcing him to accept. "All right. Yes. I do trust you."
"Then take this lead, Michael," I said, putting it straight out. "Check for Drakh. Check for any allies that *anybody* might know they have. If this bastard is still on the station, we are going to find him. Hopefully, we'll do it before another Ranger dies."
Garibaldi slowly walked out of the room, stopping in the doorway. "Is Alina the telepath?"
"What?"
"The telepath. Your last resort."
I could have put an end to it all right there, but for some reason I just couldn't lie to him. Then again, I couldn't exactly tell him the whole truth, either. "No, Michael. She's not the telepath."
He leaned a shoulder against the wall. "Are you *ever* going to tell me who this telepath is?"
That was a very good question. One it took me a few seconds to answer. "Maybe, when you're ready to hear the answer. Let me know what you come up with, Michael."

**********

"Susan!"
I woke up with the scream of Marcus's thoughts still fresh in my mind. Danger, I had an overwhelming feeling of danger. I may have still been a little hazy, but I was sure of one thing. Marcus was in trouble.
The fear came back to me as I slid out of bed. I was halfway into my uniform when I reached into the dresser drawer and grabbed my PPG. When it was tucked away in my belt, I found my link.
"Ivanova to Medlab One."
There was no response. Even at this hour there was someone on duty. Now, I was getting worried.
"Ivanova to Garibaldi," I said as I pulled on my uniform jacket. My fingers were frantically working the fasteners as I headed for the door.
"Yeah?" Garibaldi asked. Even over the link, I could tell I'd woken him. Well, life was rough sometimes.
"Michael, something's going on in Medlab One. Grab a couple of your people and meet me there. Ivanova out."
When I got through the door, I took off at a full sprint.
I didn't stop running until I reached Medlab One. The doors were shut tight. I tried to look through the glass, but the lights were out on the other side. When I stepped in front of the sensor, the doors didn't want to open.
"Computer, open doors to Medlab One."
The computer didn't answer.
"Emergency override. Security code Ivanova-alpha-two-two."
Nothing.
"Ivanova to C&C. The computer's not responding to voice command. I need the doors to Medlab One opened yesterday."
"Working on it, Captain."
After a few seconds, the doors began to slide open. I was about to walk through when they stopped. The opening didn't look big enough. "That's it?" I asked.
"Best I can do from here, Captain."
I tested the gap. I had maybe one or two centimeters to spare on each side, but it was enough for me to slide through. "It'll have to do," I whispered. "Thanks. Ivanova out."
I waited impatiently a few more seconds for Garibaldi to get there. When he simply refused to show up, I drew my PPG, charged it, and stepped toward the waiting darkness. I looked around as best I could, and when I was sure it was at least relatively safe, I slid through the gap.
I couldn't help thinking that this was grade-A stupid. Why not wait on Garibaldi?
My question was answered telepathically. A deep surge of pain hit me from nearby. I followed the feeling, searching with my free hand until I found a warm body. Closer inspection told me that I'd found somebody's arm. I recognized the groan that answered my touch. It was Doctor Hobbs, and she was badly hurt.
My mouth began to form the words, but before I could ask what happened a crash from the back of the Medlab grabbed my attention. It felt like a lead weight had landed in my stomach. The same sense of panic that had woken me up just a few minutes ago hit my telepathic senses like a tank. Only this time, I wasn't so sure of its source.
PPG in hand, I slowly stepped away from Doctor Hobbs. My eyes had started to adjust to the near-darkness, and that let me see the path the killer had taken, straight toward Isolab Three . . . and Marcus.
The fact that I could still feel the panic helped my nerves. As long as I felt that, he was still alive. As long as he was still alive, well, that was all that mattered.
I started to slowly walk toward the Isolab. No matter how hard I tried, it was nearly impossible to move around the overturned trays and carts that were all over the floor. I ran my hands over the wall until I found the privacy switch. The bastard had shut it off. Well, turnabout was fair play, right? Flipping the switch to turn the recorders back on, I concentrated on what was going on inside that room.
The lights flickered out of Isolab Three. I could see the security officer that Garibaldi had assigned to protect Marcus. He was laying in a crumpled heap on the floor.
Now what?
That was when I heard the snap. It was a sound that reminded me too much of something I'd heard when I was a kid. That was when Gayna had come home with an antique switchblade. That decided it for me. It was now, or never.
I took a deep breath, holding the PPG in front of me with both hands as I turned into the doorway. "Don't move!"
What I saw nearly stopped me cold. The eyes of a very surprised, very familiar Minbari found me. I could see the knife blade in his hand.
"Neroon?" I whispered, recognizing the face. It definitely looked like him, but why now? He'd stopped short of killing Marcus the last time. Had he come back to finish the job?
Wait a minute, didn't Delenn say Neroon was dead?
Marcus was not going to believe this.
Neroon held his empty hand out toward me. "No, little human."
I had to shake my head to get rid of the telepathic voice.
The flickering lights caught the blade as it shifted in his hand.
"I said don't move!"
Neroon shimmered.
"What the hell?" My fingers were shaking around the PPG. I took a step closer to Neroon, trying to figure out a way to stop the blade that was just a few inches from Marcus's throat. "What the hell are you?" I demanded.
The blade stopped, but just long enough for Neroon to swing an arm at me. He clipped my shoulder, but it was enough to throw me solidly against the wall.
My first instinct was to throw up, but I managed to keep it under control. There had to be a broken bone somewhere in my body, but where? I moved my right arm to try and stand back up, but the only thing that I got was the feeling that someone had put my shoulder through a blender.
What on Earth made me think I could get that close? This was a guy strong enough to take out two Minbari. He could have broken me in half without even getting winded.
I plastered my right arm to my side, dropping the PPG into my left hand. That wasn't any better. The blood was pooling on the floor from the gash the knife had left in my upper arm. Great. Now I had a real handicap to work with.
It took more concentration that I had ever thought I possessed, but I managed to control the pain enough to get back on my feet. My vision was drifting in and out of focus. "All right, if that's the way you want this," I said, lifting the PPG. The pain was almost more than I could handle. Somehow, I managed to get a wavering aim at Neroon's shoulder. "Let's even the score."
I pulled the trigger.
The shot hit precisely where I had wanted, but it didn't have the effect I'd intended. Miniature lightning bolts danced over Neroon's body, up and down his arms, out over the blade in his hand. I jumped toward him and took him down, getting the blade away from Marcus. The current hit me briefly. The pain was blinding, but somehow I managed to pull away.
I landed on the floor beside the bed. I braced my back against the bed's support as I kept an eye on Neroon. The knife was safely in my hand. I gave it a close look, and found one frightening detail, the detail that had probably allowed the thing to get past security in the first place.
The blade was concealed in the body of a Ranger's pin.
Neroon began to shimmer again. The longer I watched him, the more I realized that the shimmer was happening at a regular interval. Whatever it was, I was sure it had never been Minbari.
"What are you?" I whispered.
Covering him with the PPG, I waited for the electric current to subside before I reached toward him. Something told me that I was looking for a belt. It was invisible, but there.
"A changeling net?"
Now, I had never actually seen one used, but Garibaldi had told me more than a few stories over the years. It definitely seemed to fit his description.
"Ivanova?"
"About time, Garibaldi," I said, not quite loudly enough for him to hear.
"You in here?" he yelled.
"Here, Michael," I said. My eyes, and the PPG, never left the body on the floor.
"What the hell's that?" Garibaldi asked from somewhere behind me.
"Our killer," I said.
"Neroon? I thought he-"
"I don't know what the hell he is, but it definitely isn't Neroon." I braced myself against the pain and leaned forward, pulling the invisible belt from the creature. Neroon's appearance faded, uncovering a large creature encased in black with a white, bony head and large red eyes. The shimmer was the result of its breathing. I recognized it immediately from Delenn's briefing "Drakh."
"Yeah. You guys were right. What are they doing here?"
"Finishing what their *friends* started," I said, fuming. Forcing myself to take deep breaths, I sat there and tried to cope with the pain that was hitting me from both sides. "I don't know what he wanted, just what he did. Put him in . . . no *under* the brig. If he starts talking, I want to know about it."

**********

The Garden on my station had never felt so peaceful. After so many lifeless places, the fantastic greenery that surrounded me was a nice change of pace. For all I knew, it might have even been a sign of his condition.
"Found what you were looking for?"
Once I managed to get myself back into my skin, I went searching for the voice. I found Marcus leaning casually against one of the taller trees. Even if I hadn't been able to feel his mind, the way he was watching me screamed that there was more than one meaning to that question.
"We got him," I said.
"No. *You* got him."
"You helped."
He nodded and pushed himself away from the tree. I couldn't resist smiling. That cocky attitude that only he had was back. I never realized just how much I had missed it. Even his smile was back. What walked toward me was the closest thing to the Marcus I'd known than anything I'd seen in the two weeks since this nightmare had begun.
"You're feeling better, I take it?" I asked.
"Getting there. I suppose this makes us even now?"
I shook my head. "Not even close."
"But you saved my life."
"Not the same," I told him. "You didn't just save my life, you gave me yours. There's a big difference."
There was a time, not that long ago, when I was convinced that I'd never be happy again. Okay, so maybe it was okay to be wrong from time to time. Maybe I was just going to have to get used to the idea. "By the way," I said, trying to distract myself. "You never did explain to me exactly where we are."
"Most likely scenario? What's left of my mind."
That got a laugh. "Figures. Okay then, why does it feel so different in here? I mean, normal telepathic contact doesn't work like this. I feel like-"
"You can barely hide anything?" He looked down at the artificial ground at our feet. "If our theory is right, this is hardly a normal telepathic connection. We're tied into each other on a level that's beyond telepathic. The walls won't help us here."
"What walls?"
"The ones we've built around ourselves. May I just say that I've seen castles that weren't as well-fortified."
I would have gotten angry, if he hadn't been right. Had it really taken both of both of us nearly dying to finally get through those walls?
"Don't have to worry about that anymore, do we?" he asked.
"Did you really think I'd never know?"
He raised an eyebrow. "You tell me. What would you have done if I'd told you?"
I was actually surprised by the answer to that. "I'm not sure. Most of the time, I probably would have laughed, said you were crazy."
"Most of the time?" he asked, smiling. "When wouldn't you have thought I was mad?"
I tried to pull myself away, afraid I'd say something stupid. I managed to get a few steps away before he stopped me.
"Susan?"
"You have no idea how much I wish I'd listened to you when you tried to warn me about that debris," I told him. "Then none of this would have happened."
"Don't be so sure. Trust me, there were still plenty of opportunities in there for us to get killed." He smiled playfully at me. "You didn't have to take the first one that came along, you know."
"I'm a combat pilot, Marcus. Do you have any idea how *embarrassing* it is to basically get killed in an interstellar fender bender?" I asked as the humor became contagious. "Well, at least you got your heroic suicide, didn't you? How could I be so cruel as to deprive you of that?"
"Suicide in the name of love," he said, giving it a dramatic flourish. "Maybe Duncan was right. Maybe I have read too much."
"At least too much Shakespeare. When you wake up, I'm going to have the complete works of one Harlan Ellison waiting on the computer in your quarters."
"You *like* him?" he asked with distaste. "He was always a little too cynical for me."
I looked into those bright blue eyes and smiled. "Marcus Cole, the eternal optimist. Well, at least some things never change."
"Of course, some become even more beautiful," he said, brushing his fingers against my cheek.
For a minute, I just closed my eyes and enjoyed everything I was feeling. With everything that was going on, who knew when I would get this chance again?
The idea threw cold water on the situation.
"This isn't over, Marcus."
"Of course not."
"No, I mean this nightmare with the Drakh. Alina found out that all of the Rangers that were killed were telepaths. I've got a very bad feeling about this."
He looked skeptical. "A bad feeling, or are you just getting paranoid?"
"You don't understand." I held my hands out to the greenery that surrounded us. "Just because we're here means that we have a whole new set of problems to worry about. You're not used to having to hide the fact that you're a telepath. I am. It's not easy."
"Susan," he said, taking my hand from the air. "You worry too much. If we're protected within the Rangers, we are protected by the best. That Drakh didn't kill either of us, did he?"
"Not that he didn't try."
"Did he?" he asked insistently.
"No."
"Now, could the Psi Corps do any worse to us than that Drakh?"
I thought for a second. "Depends on your definition of worse."
He groaned. "Susan! Are you so used to hiding from the Corps that you can't accept the fact that you are *finally* safe?"
"God, I hate it when you're right."
He simply smiled that annoyingly placating smile. "Now," he said, sliding his fingers through mine. "I seem to remember you were telling me about that brother of yours. Tell me more?"
I let him pull me down to sit on the grass beside him. We spent the night talking about Gayna, Will, Liana, and a few childhood adventures that could only be described as bizarre. I was surprised at how comfortable it felt.
I laid back on the grass, staring up at what passed for sky. Yes, I could definitely get used to this.

*****

I stepped into the interrogation room two steps behind Alina Minette. She walked right over to the restrained Drakh and stared into those huge red eyes. "You can't hide now, coward," she said in a voice that was so filled with threat it had me worried.
I put a hand on her arm to try and calm her down. As much as I would have liked to kill the thing myself, we just couldn't run off and break Alliance law.
I tried to muster all of the dignity I could, but it was hard to do with one arm bandaged and the other shoulder bound so tightly I couldn't move it.
"As the acting representative of the Interstellar Alliance," I announced, "I am informing you of your current situation. You will remain on this station, in our maximum security facility, until your trial. Right now Earth and Minbar are having a ball trying to figure out who gets their hands on you first. Both governments *are* pressing charges. Four counts of murder in the first degree, two counts of attempted murder, one count of assault with intent, and they're just getting warmed up. Do you understand?"
The Drakh looked at me, then at Alina. She blinked, shaking her head as if she'd been hit. "He understands, Captain, but he doesn't think we have any power over him."
"He doesn't, does he? Garibaldi, do we have a statement from this . . . thing . . . yet?"
Garibaldi shook his head. "Nope. His vocal translator won't do anything we'd understand."
"What about Minbari?" Alina asked.
"Tried that, too. It only has a few words. Not enough."
Alina stared intently at the Drakh for a few seconds before backing away. She looked like she'd just seen something both scary and disgusting. "I've got one now," she said. "It's revenge. Against us and the Vorlons."
"The Vorlons?" I asked.
Alina shook her head like she was trying to clear it. "Yes. We know the Vorlons were responsible for creating telepaths on every world. With the Vorlons gone, the Drakh are targeting their creations. They're starting with the Rangers as revenge for driving their masters out."
Garibaldi swore. "You mean, every telepath of every species in the Alliance is a target for them?"
"Precisely, Mister Garibaldi."
Garibaldi turned on me. "Then why did he go after Marcus? Unless he's-"
"He's *not* the one, Michael," I warned him. "I have no idea why he was going after Marcus."
Alina looked confused. "Marcus wasn't on the list I gave you, Captain."
"We'll talk about this later, Miss Minette."
Alina nodded, ending it with a nod toward the prisoner. "I conveyed the nature of his circumstances to him, Captain. He is resistant, but I believe the maximum security facility should be able to keep him incarcerated until the trial and summary execution." She spoke the last words with a frightening level of venom in her voice. It was enough to make me realize that the sooner we got her out of here, the better.
"Come on," I said. "I've got to go turn this station back over to Lochley before the President and Delenn get back."

**********

I could sense Lochley almost two meters before I hit the turn into the docking bay. She was standing in front of the door, her back to me, looking like absolutely nothing about the last two weeks had phased her in the least.
"Captain Lochley, good to see you up and around," I said, trying to at least be pleasant.
From the look on her face, I could tell she wasn't nearly as happy to see me. "Thank you, Captain. At least I have *my* station back intact."
Now, there was gratitude for you. I managed to fight off the urge to inform her *precisely* how much of Babylon Five belonged to her, but it wasn't easy. "At least all I have to worry about are the Rangers again."
"Until Delenn gets back," she said.
The longer we stood there, the worse the silence got. Lochley's foot tapped on the deck. To anyone else, it would have looked like impatience. To me, it was a sign of an impending explosion. She must have picked it up from John. When she couldn't take the silence anymore, she turned on me. "You know, I could call the Psi Corps tomorrow."
"You could," I said, staring straight ahead, "but you won't."
"Why not?"
She wanted to have a little verbal fencing match, did she? I glared at her, deciding to make it look like I was bluffing. "Because the Corps can't do anything."
She found something about that deliriously amusing. "Really? What makes you say that?"
"President Sheridan," I told her. "Face it, you're overruled."
"You're an Earthforce officer, Captain. They find out you're a rogue teep, you could lose your commission. Is that what you really want?"
Now, the ace in the hole came out. "How many times did you and I stare at each other over the barrels of pulse cannons during the civil war, Captain?"
Lochley blinked.
I continued the assault. "How many times could I have killed you? How many people around here don't trust you any further than they could throw you? How lucky are you to still be in Earthforce, let alone hold a command rank? How close are you, *really*, to a mutiny here, Captain? You have no idea how many people around here were ecstatic to see me take over for you."
Lochley stared. "Is that a threat, Captain?"
"Only if you're threatening me. I'll make you a deal. You keep the Corps out of this, and I let you run the station your own way."
"You won't get in my way?
"No."
The docking bay doors opened. Delenn and John walked toward us with smiles on both of their faces.
"Deal," Lochley quickly said before snapping to attention.
"Susan, Captain," John said. "I read your report. Good work, Susan. You and Miss Minette saved a lot of people's lives. Nice to see you've recovered, Captain."
Lochley gave him a quick nod. "Thank you, sir. I am pleased to announce that the station is fully operational once again."
Delenn stepped around John, her hand landing on my good forearm. "Susan, have you arranged funerals for the human Rangers that were killed?"
"Their families have been informed. We're waiting to hear if they want any special arrangements. The Minbari victims are waiting for you, Delenn."
"That is acceptable," she said, looking around the room as the four of us walked out. "Where is Alina?"
I took up step beside her. "She sent her apologies. She said there was something very important that she needed to check into in Medlab and that she would formally greet you in your office."
Delenn slowed down, taking my good elbow. "And Marcus?" she quietly asked.
I let Lochley and John keep walking. "He's fine. I got there before there was any harm done."
"Susan," Delenn said, her voice still low, "I know you left one detail out of your official report. You neglected to mention the one connection between all of the Rangers who were killed."
"I didn't want-"
"-to put Marcus in jeopardy. I understand. Susan, I must know, so that we can protect both of you properly. He is not listed in our records as being a telepath."
I shook my head. "I don't know, Delenn. If the readings Stephen has been getting are any indication, he's about a P3. I don't think we'll know for sure until he's awake, though."
She thought about it for a second before turning back to follow her husband. "Then our records will not be complete until Marcus wakes, will they?"

**********

I walked into the Isolab just in time to hear Lyta Alexander's voice. "I don't see it, Stephen. You're telling me he's connected to someone telepathically?"
"Yes," I answered for him. "You can't pick it up because it's not exactly a normal telepathic signal."
Now, it wasn't that often that anyone confused the strongest telepath in human history. I had to admit to a rather perverse pleasure at the look that crept onto Lyta's face. "What do you mean, it isn't a normal telepathic signal? He's really connected to someone?"
I nodded.
"Who?"
"Me."
She went from confused to surprised. I was two for two. "You?" she asked. "How?"
"I'm going to let *you* explain this one, Captain," Stephen said, giving me a sarcastic look as he walked out of the room.
"That's what we've been trying to figure out," I said.
"We?" Lyta asked. She didn't look very certain that I still had a grip on reality. "You mean, you really have been talking to him?"
"I know it sounds crazy, Lyta. Trust me, I didn't believe it myself at first."
"Do you plan on enlightening me?"
I took a deep breath, trying to figure out where to start. I had this feeling that Lyta already knew about me, anyway, and it was a known fact that she had no love lost for the Corps. I finally came to the conclusion that I could trust her. "Well, the best we can tell is it happened with that machine. The same energies that caused my abilities to kick in set up some sort of feedback loop. That machine apparently works on a genetic level. It must have copied the gene from me and fed it back into him. That's why you can't pick it up. It's too focussed."
"And you can talk to him?" she asked, taking a step closer to the bed.
"Yes."
"Now?"
I shook my head. "There are times I can almost feel it. It's like something just brushes my mind."
"The link can't form when you're awake."
"Exactly. I had Stephen check his neurotransmitter levels. The more severe fluctuations have happened during the nights I remember talking to him."
She ran a hand over her red hair. "How? He's been tested by the Corps. They don't miss anyone. If he really were a telepath-"
The look in her eyes said she'd had an idea. She walked over to the computer display. I followed her, and found that Stephen had pulled up what looked like two genetic records. "I'll be damned," Lyta whispered, staring at the display.
"What?"
"You're right. I have no idea how, but you're right."
"It *did* change his genetic markers?"
Lyta pointed at the screen. "See for yourself. Stephen was about to show me the records when you got here. The only difference between now and this old record is the telepathic gene."
"Old record?" There was only one way that Marcus could have had an old genetic record. I looked at the display, and found the code that corresponded to the old Earthforce genetic registry. "He was in Earthforce?"
"Yes."
I turned and found Alina standing in the doorway, a dark cloak covering her shoulders.
"He was drafted," she said. "That picture you saw was from our going-away party."
"Wait a minute, he told me it was *your* party."
Alina shrugged. "He wasn't too thrilled about being drafted, Captain. Didn't think there was much of a reason to celebrate. I tried to keep up with what happened to him as best I could from Minbar. Once he got out of training he was assigned to Earthforce Intelligence."
I raised an eyebrow at Lyta. "That would explain a lot. Why didn't he ever tell me?"
"He got out of training a few months before the Minbari surrendered, Captain. After that, he went back to Arisia and stayed there until it was destroyed. From there, he went to Tuzanor. You know the rest." Alina took a step closer to the bed. "Captain, I may be able to help with this situation."
"Situation?" I asked. Then it finally occurred to me what was happening. "You really think you can do it?"
"Yes, Captain."
"Do what?" Lyta asked.
"She's a telekinetic healer, Lyta, and a strong one, from what I've seen. She's the reason Lochley's up and around."
Lyta's eyes shot open. "You never told me that! But the Corps uses teeks as assassins. Who trained you?"
"The Minbari, with the occasional Vorlon thrown in for good measure. It's a long story."
"I'd love to hear it."
Alina smiled. "Of course. Marcus and I were like family. Anything I can do to help him, I will."
"What do you want us to do?" I asked, finally managing to shake off the shock.
Alina's green eyes looked down at Marcus. "I need someone to monitor his vital signs while I work."
Stephen chose that moment to wander back into the room. "You've got it. I was beginning to wonder when you were going to try this."
"Stephen, you mean, you knew about this?" I asked.
"Of course. She told me what she was thinking as soon as she was sure she could pull it off." He removed most of the surrounding equipment, and started to take readings with what was left. "He's still comatose and stable. All of the non-essential equipment is gone. Ready when you are, Doctor."
"Good," Alina said. Her eyes slowly closed. The palms of her hands came to rest over Marcus's forehead and chest in a motion that looked practiced. "I can help him," she whispered, opening her eyes on Lyta. "I will need your help, though." I could see the pleading in Alina's eyes as she looked from Lyta to me. "Both of you. I need Lyta's abilities to work with mine. Captain, you will be able to tell me if this is working long before Stephen will."
"You've done this before?" I asked, nervous.
"Yes."
"Tell me what to do," Lyta said, solid as a rock.
If Lyta wasn't nervous, then there was no way in hell that I would be. "You're the boss," I told Alina.
"Thank you." Alina collected herself, then took Lyta's hands in her own. "I'm going to channel some of the energy through you. All I ask is that you put all of the power you can behind me."
Lyta nodded, and Alina turned her attentions to me. "You're the person closest to him, Captain. The connection you have should activate well before anything these instruments will be able to pick up."
"But, if it's telepathic, won't you be able to pick it up?"
Alina smiled. "Lyta and I will be too busy. We may get a sense of him, but you will be able to keep a closer watch."
Somehow, I knew what to do. I walked up to the head of the bed and placed my hands flat against the pillow. "What makes you think I'll know this is working? Precisely what in the hell are we trying, anyway?"
Alina's palms came together gently over Marcus's chest. "The Minbari have an interesting theory about coma patients, Captain. Since they basically think of the body as a reflection of the soul, someone in a coma is nothing more than a soul that's been temporarily displaced, that needs to be connected back to its body. Their scientists haven't been able to come up with a clinical way to reconnect them yet. It takes a specially-trained telekinetic to do it."
"And you've done this how many times before?" I asked.
"This will be the third time. And yes, the other two fully recovered."
I looked down at Marcus, thinking about what we were about to attempt. As Garibaldi loved to remind me, I'd had some truly nutty ideas in my day. This one, though, had to go down as crazier than any idea *I'd* ever had.
Okay, so maybe it wasn't crazier than knowingly taking the White Star fleet up against a fleet of Shadow-enhanced destroyers. I'd done that, even against my own better judgment.
John still considered that to be the decisive victory in the campaign to reclaim Earth.
That had to have been the most half-baked scheme of my life, and it had worked like a charm.
One thing still bugged me, though. "Why would I know before either of you? He can't contact me when I'm awake."
"That's about to change," Alina said, smiling. "You said you can feel it when he tries to reach you. This will surprise the hell out of him. He'll reach out for help the only way he knows he can -- to you. As soon as you feel him trying, let me know. Lyta and I will work on repairing the damage."
I nodded, and Alina turned her attentions to Lyta. "If we get to a point where you think you can handle some of this yourself, go ahead. I'll check on everything before we finish. Once you find the pathways, the rest is easy."
"I'm not telekinetic," Lyta tried to protest.
"Tell that to someone who might believe it. Now come on, let's get to work."
Alina guided Lyta's hands to positions over Marcus's forehead and heart. I wasn't sure how I knew what to do, but something told me to put my palms against the sides of his face. Even touching his skin, I couldn't sense him. I was as if the lights were on, but no one was home. It bothered me a little, until I remembered that I had never really tried to sense him when I was awake.
The sound of someone whispering filled the room. Alina had begun a soft mantra. It took me a couple of seconds to realize that she was speaking in Minbari, but it was a dialect that I had never heard before.
Suddenly, a tingle started in my fingers, setting off every single one of my telepathic alarms. The tingle worked its way into me, finally settling into my arms. The pain that I had been trying to ignore very slowly went away.
Surprised, I opened my eyes to find Alina still whispering her mantra. She was staring directly at Lyta. The sight of Lyta's eyes almost made me flinch. They were absolutely black.
Whatever they were doing, it looked like it was pushing the both of them to their limits.
Wings. For a second, I heard the flapping of gigantic wings.
Without warning, my vision went black. When I got my balance back, I realized that what I was seeing was a mass of fibrous, broken lines that looked more like frayed strands of human hair than anything else. Fiber after fiber began to knit together into perfectly smooth strips.
The brush of Marcus's presence finally appeared, getting stronger as each strand mended.
"He's aware of us," I announced.
Alina's voice took on an almost mechanical tone. "Understood."
I heard Stephen's voice in the distance. "Vitals are just starting to creep up."
The lines continued to re-form.
*Susan?*
*Yes, Marcus?*
*What's going on?*
We're trying to help you. Now, be quiet.*
Seconds felt like hours, until we finally hit the last ten pieces of the puzzle. By my count, that left them only five connections to repair.
*Susan?*
*What is it, Marcus?*
*What are they doing?*
*Putting your mind back together with your body.*
Four connections left.
"Heart rate normal," Stephen said.
*My what?*
Three connections.
*Let Alina explain it. I'm still not completely sure I get it.*
*Has she done this before?*
*Twice.*
Two connections.
"His respiration is normal," Stephen said. I could hear the disbelief in his voice. "Blood pressure normal."
*Susan?*
*What is it, Marcus?*
One connection was all that was left.
*I love you.*
*I know.*
The last connection slowly knit together.
*I love you, too. Now open your eyes.*
The lines faded from my field of vision, giving me a clear view of two women who looked like they were about to fall over from exhaustion. "Lyta? Alina?"
Lyta held up a hand, wagging her head. "I'll be fine," she said between deep breaths.
Alina leaned against the bed. "Me, too. How's he?"
Almost on cue, I felt the skin under my fingers start to twitch. I looked down just in time to see his eyes open.
"I'm fine, now," he whispered.
I heard a sniffle. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Lyta wipe away a tear.
"He's right," Stephen announced. "I don't believe this. You're a little malnourished from the month of intravenous feeding, but other than that your readings look amazingly normal, buddy. Well, what's normal for you, anyway. I want to keep an eye on you for possible muscle atrophy, though. Between the cryo and the coma, you've been under long enough to worry about it."
He accidentally patted my bandaged arm.
I flinched, but It didn't hurt. That surprised me more than anything else.
"You okay, Susan?" Stephen asked.
"I don't know." I tried to move my arm in its shattered shoulder. It wasn't even uncomfortable. "The pain's gone."
Stephen grabbed a scanner and aimed it at my shoulder. I could feel his reaction. He wasn't surprised by what he saw. "Alina must have warmed up on you."
"What?"
He showed me the scanner, but I couldn't make heads or tails of the readings. "She healed your shoulder, Susan. Probably took care of that knife wound, too. Let me get a better look at it before you take off for the night, okay?"
I nodded, wondering if Marcus had felt the same tingling feeling when she'd healed him.
"Tell you what, I'll take Lyta and Alina to Isolab One and check on them. Give you two a few minutes alone."
"Thanks, Stephen." I stopped him before he could follow his newest patients out of the room. "And, Stephen, tell Alina I'm sorry -- and thank you."
He shook his head. "Nope. I want to be there to see the great Susan Ivanova publicly admit that she was finally wrong." With a pat on Marcus's shoulder, he added, "About a lot of things."
"Stephen," I said.
"Hey, it's no crime to be wrong, Susan. When it comes to the two of you, I think everybody was. I'll be back in about ten minutes." He grabbed a portable scanner and left the room.
When he was gone, I decided I didn't have time to waste. "Marcus?"
"Yes?"
I stood there watching him for what seemed like a long time, and the words just left my mouth. "Marry me."
"What?"
"You heard me."
*I must still be dreaming. I didn't wake up.*
"You look awake to me," I said.
*Stop that!*
"Stop what?"
*That!*
"Then answer me."
*Why?*
I had forgotten how frustrating he could be. "Because I asked you a question."
*No, why ask now?*
Some very familiar words popped into my head. "Why not later? Would you prefer I wait until that millisecond when *your* brainwaves go flat? Face it, Marcus, you're stuck with me for the rest of your life. We can put off dealing with what happened, or we can stop this little song and dance routine and try to make something good come out of this. Unless. . ."
*Unless?*
"There wouldn't be some kind of rule about Rangers not getting married, would there?"
He shook his head.
*You know that's not true.*
"Then what's the problem?" I leaned down beside the bed, making sure I was just the right distance from his ear when I said, "Unless the big, brave Ranger is afraid of the right hand of God?"
Thanks to my location, I got to hear the groan that answered that question.
What felt like a truly wicked smile appeared on my face. I had him, hook, line, and proverbial sinker. I decided to just sit there and watch the decision being made. The emotions that came to me were strong, but conflicted.
Oh, I knew what his answer was going to be. Now that I'd actually had a second or two to get used to the idea, I fully intended to badger him until he said yes.
From what I could see, though, he wasn't so sure he liked the idea of leaving me to face the universe alone and widowed at what would probably be a young age. For all either one of us knew, he wouldn't live to see tomorrow.
I reached up and tucked a stray lock of hair behind his ear, feeling the seriousness of the situation come back. "Marcus, you are not about to tell me you love me, give me just about all of your life and walk away like nothing happened. I'm the professional worrier. Let me be the one to figure out what to do when all of this is over, okay?"
*Susan?*
Granted, my heart and I hadn't been on speaking terms for a *very* long time, but what happened next had it screaming at me. Reaching up, he pulled my hand from his forehead and brought it the inch or so down to his lips. A very gentle kiss was pressed against the inside of my wrist.
*Yes.*
"Good," I said, smiling. "So, think you'll be up and around in a week?"
"Hmm? A week?"
"That's probably the earliest we could get the wedding together. Besides, you want to be healthy for that honeymoon, right? I mean, admittedly, these new quarters they've assigned me aren't quite as big as my old digs, but there just isn't enough room for you and those unicorns of yours."
"Unicorns?" I could feel him putting the pieces together. "Oh, that."
"Susan, get your hands off of his throat. God, I leave the two of you alone for five minutes and he's bright red!"
If the sight of the blush in Marcus's cheeks hadn't made me laugh, the sarcastic tone of Stephen's voice definitely did. "You want to tell him?" I asked.
"Tell me what?" Stephen asked.
"How long before I can go home, Stephen?"
"Well, right now your readings are good. If they're still this good in a couple of days, I'll probably release you."
I smiled at Marcus. "A couple of days?"
"I was always a fast healer," he said, apologetic.
"With a little help," I reminded him. He was still holding my hand beside his cheek. "Stephen, do you think he'll be all right in a week?"
"Provided he doesn't die between now and then, I don't see why not."
"Could you two please stop being so cavalier about my impending doom?" Marcus asked.
I looked right into those blue eyes. "Only if you stop trying to kill yourself. You've had your heroic suicide, remember?"
"All right," he said, rolling his eyes. "Stephen, if I'm still alive in a week, would you be the best man at our wedding?"
The look on Stephen Franklin's face was absolutely priceless. Not once in all my years had I ever seen a person *that* surprised. "Wedding?"
"Wedding," Marcus and I said.
Stephen smiled at him. "Marcus, you don't waste any time, do you?"
"Actually, she's the one who asked."
I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it myself. He actually looked *more* stunned. "Susan? You?"
"We don't have that much time to waste," I shrugged.
Stephen stood totally still for a few seconds, apparently taking in the information. "Have you told anyone else yet?"
"Nope," I said. "You're the first to know."
"Really?" he asked, smiling. "This could be the first time *I've* been the first person to know something around here. Thanks."
"Well?" Marcus asked.
Stephen reached out and took Marcus's other arm. "It would be an honor."
A loud gasp from the doorway drew all of our attentions.
Delenn was standing there, her hands covering her mouth. I could see the tears in her eyes. "Marcus," she whispered.
"Hello, Delenn."
She walked over as best she could, until she was standing beside the bed. Stephen backed away, which gave her more room to maneuver.
"Lyta and Alina both want to see you, Marcus" he said. "You think you can see them in a couple of minutes?"
Marcus nodded, and Stephen left.
I tried to pull my hand away, figuring he would want to talk to Delenn alone, but he wouldn't let me go. "No, you don't," he said. "Please stay here?"
"You sure?" I asked.
"Positive."
I reached over and grabbed the nearby stool. If I was going to stay, I was at least going to be comfortable.
Delenn grabbed Marcus's free hand. She had finally managed to get herself under control. "Did you get your wish, Susan?"
"Yes," I told her.
"Wish?" Marcus asked.
"Susan wanted to be the first person you saw when you woke," Delenn explained. "I am so happy to see you, Marcus."
If he only knew just how happy she really was to see him. I realized at that point that Delenn needed Marcus back almost as much as I did. After everything that had happened, by getting him back, she also had Lennier.
John would never know how much his wife had lost when she lost Lennier.
I tried not to dwell on the topic, for fear Marcus might pick up on my thoughts. The only problem was whether or not Delenn had thought of the same thing.
Judging by the way Marcus was looking at her, she hadn't.
"It's good to be back, Delenn," he said.
"You know," I said, "I would have thought you were enjoying that. All of that room to yourself."
The look of annoyance on his face was priceless. "You mean, having the *whole* of Babylon Five completely to myself, save for your *occasional* visits? You thought I would enjoy that? Love, you obviously don't know me as well as you thought."
"Well, I have-"
"-someone around who does," Alina interrupted. She looked slightly less exhausted, but the smile on her face had far more energy that anybody in the room. "Welcome back, Puck."
"Liana," Marcus whispered. "It *is* you."
She glanced at me for a second. "Now, I can understand the love of your life not believing me. She doesn't seem to trust anyone. But you?"
"They told me you were dead," he said.
"Funny," she chuckled, "they told me the same thing about you. The ubiquitous 'they' seems to have a bad habit of being wrong lately, eh?" She stepped up behind Delenn, her smile not fading one degree in its brightness. "You look pretty good for a dead man, Cole."
"You don't look half bad yourself," he said. "Though, I do miss the red hair."
"She wanted to dye it back," Lyta said from the doorway, "but I thought it might get a little confusing around here."
"Oh, admit it, you were jealous," Alina shot back. "Just because I was *trained* by the Vorlons, and you were merely *enhanced*."
It was obvious that this was an old argument and, judging by the tone of Lyta's voice, one they found very amusing. "You're just jealous because I can breathe their air."
"A lot of good that does us *now*," Alina said, keeping up the banter. "I mean, it's not like we're all headed for the Vorlon homeworld any time soon."
"*You* might be headed there sooner than you think."
Alina looked at Lyta, raised an eyebrow, and turned back to Marcus. "So, when's the wedding?"
"Next week," he said.
"A little soon, isn't it? I mean, we've got a lot of planning to do."
"We?" I asked.
Delenn looked seriously offended. "Susan, Alina is correct. Granted, my experience with human marriage ceremonies is limited, but I do understand that a considerable amount of work is involved. You do not wish for our assistance?"
The three of them looked at me as if I had gone off the deep end. I had the strangest feeling that some sincere covert planning had taken place for just such an occasion.
If it had just been Delenn, I would have had a chance, a slim one, but a chance. The idea of going up against the *three* of them, however, that intimidated even me. "All right. I give up! If you three want to help, that's fine with me. But I have the *final* call on everything, okay?"
The smiles that appeared as the three of them looked at each other confirmed it. "The three of you *were* planning this the whole time, weren't you?"
"To a point," Delenn said.
"To a point?" Alina asked. "Captain, we've only had three weeks to work, and you *know* what the last two weeks have been like. How much could we have possibly planned in that amount of time?"
Something told me I didn't want to be the one to answer that. So, I took the roundabout route. "When are the flowers arriving?"
"Friday," Lyta said. She promptly received the most accusing looks I'd ever seen from Delenn and Alina.
I heard laughter, and looked down to find Marcus watching the whole spectacle with very much the same expression Garibaldi had when watching his Daffy Duck cartoons. "What do you think is so funny?"
"Nothing," he said, desperately trying to look innocent. "Absolutely nothing."
"Ladies," Stephen piped up. "I hate to interrupt this little kaffee klatsch, but I have a patient that needs his rest. You have a whole week to plan. Knowing you three, a day is more than enough time. Lyta and Alina, you both could use a good night's sleep. Delenn, off your feet, doctor's orders."
The two telepaths pouted, but did as they were told. Delenn followed suit, disappointed as all hell at being forced out. I heard whispers and giggles as they left. "They're not done with us yet," I said.
"Maybe," Stephen said, "but that's something you two can deal with tomorrow. I'll have a bed brought in here for you, Susan. You can stay until he's discharged, okay?"
I nodded. "Thank you."
Stephen stopped in the doorway, "And, by the way, congratulations."
As he left, I began to contemplate everything that had just happened. I felt like someone whose whole life had been changed in a whirlwind of fate. A whirlwind that had come out of my own mind.
And I couldn't help but wonder just what in the world I had gotten myself into.

[End Part 5 of 6]