"You know it's impolite to eavesdrop on other people's private conversations!" she angrily said to Marcus as he stepped out into the light. "What were you going to do if I didn't realize you were there? Just saunter on in acting as if nothing happened? As if you heard nothing?"
He was just as enraged as she was. "How could you leave? How could you tell Delenn that you accept the job with the Alliance and then add a condition?"
"How could I leave? Marcus how could I stay? I can't compete with someone who's dead!" she yelled at him.
Marcus reeled back at her comment as if she'd slapped him.
Susan felt bad for putting it quite so bluntly and obviously hurting his feelings. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that," she said in a lower tone.
Quietly he said, "You know."
Susan nodded yes. "I accessed the MedLab database. I know all about Commander Susan Ivanova and how you tried to save her."
"You shouldn't have done that," Marcus said, anger rising in him once again.
"Why not? YOU obviously weren't going to tell me. Now I know what happened," Susan said.
Pointing a finger at Susan he shouted, "YOU know nothing!" Marcus took in a deep breath before continuing. "You had no right snooping around and getting that information!"
"I had every right to know! It's pretty obvious that you weren't going to tell me the truth!" Reigning in her anger she added, "And that's all I ever wanted from you."
She walked away from Marcus but turned back to look at him and softly said, "You loved her, didn't you?"
His back was still towards her when he lowered his head. He never saw the tear that rolled down her cheek as she said, "I thought so" as she left MedLab.
He turned around as he said, "Wait." But it was too late. Susan was gone. *Nice going Cole. You've managed to mess things up once again. Another woman you care about is gone. All because you're a bloody fool. Face it Cole - your afraid. Afraid of loving and losing again.*
=
Susan stormed into Marcus' quarters and began packing. *24 hours and all this will be over with. You'll be far away from the station and hopefully Marcus will be completely out of your mind. You were stupid to believe that he'd ever have any feelings for you. You saw what you wanted to see,* she said to herself.
Susan knew that Marcus would return soon and she didn't want to be here when he did. She would find somewhere else to stay even if it meant staying in brown sector. Walking over to the BabCom, Susan remembered that she had one more thing she needed to take care of; she needed another bodyguard for the next 24 hours. So she placed a call to Zack Allen and within minutes, it was taken care of. The new bodyguard would stand watch outside of Marcus' quarters until she needed to be escorted somewhere.
She was in the bedroom when she heard the now familiar hiss of the door opening. Closing her eyes she said to herself, *Please don't let that be Marcus. Just give me a few more minutes and I'll be gone.*
Marcus stood at the doorway to the bedroom watching Susan pack. He couldn't let her leave him. But he knew that there was only one way of preventing it: he had to tell her everything that happened. Marcus was dreading this moment; he didn't want to relive all those emotions again. But he would if it meant that Susan would stay.
Susan had picked up a shirt and was about to stuff it in her bag when a hand reached out and stopped her. She knew who it was. "Don't worry Marcus, in a few minutes I'll be out of your room and your life and you won't have to see me ever again."
Marcus grabbed her other hand and held them close to his chest. Softly he said, "Don't go."
Susan looked up at him. He could see the confusion in her eyes, so he said again. "Please don't go."
"Why are you making this so hard for me? I don't WANT to go Marcus; I HAVE to. You've given me no other choice," she said, pulling her hands away from him. She walked away from him and into the living room.
He followed her. Marcus wasn't about to give up so easily. He realized that he was in love with this amazing woman and he couldn't let her go. He was determined to get her to stay.
"Then let me give you a reason to stay," he said, walking over to her. He gently put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. Marcus looked her in the eye and said, "I'm falling in love with you."
Susan wanted to cry. Those were precisely the words she had been longing to hear. But now, she needed more. She needed to know exactly what happened between Commander Ivanova and Marcus. She needed to know exactly where she fit in his life.
"Oh, Marcus," she started to say. "How can you be in love with me when you can't even say my name? You can't say the name Susan without thinking of Ivanova."
"She will always be a part of my life. I will never forget her," Marcus said, as he took her hand and lead her over towards the couch.
Sitting down, Susan rested her hand on Marcus' knee and he put his arm around the back of the couch. "I'm not saying you should ever forget her. But I can't compete with a ghost Marcus. I'll lose every time."
Marcus nodded. He understood completely what Susan was saying. "Why don't you let me start from the beginning."
END PT 7
He was just as enraged as she was. "How could you leave? How could you tell Delenn that you accept the job with the Alliance and then add a condition?"
"How could I leave? Marcus how could I stay? I can't compete with someone who's dead!" she yelled at him.
Marcus reeled back at her comment as if she'd slapped him.
Susan felt bad for putting it quite so bluntly and obviously hurting his feelings. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that," she said in a lower tone.
Quietly he said, "You know."
Susan nodded yes. "I accessed the MedLab database. I know all about Commander Susan Ivanova and how you tried to save her."
"You shouldn't have done that," Marcus said, anger rising in him once again.
"Why not? YOU obviously weren't going to tell me. Now I know what happened," Susan said.
Pointing a finger at Susan he shouted, "YOU know nothing!" Marcus took in a deep breath before continuing. "You had no right snooping around and getting that information!"
"I had every right to know! It's pretty obvious that you weren't going to tell me the truth!" Reigning in her anger she added, "And that's all I ever wanted from you."
She walked away from Marcus but turned back to look at him and softly said, "You loved her, didn't you?"
His back was still towards her when he lowered his head. He never saw the tear that rolled down her cheek as she said, "I thought so" as she left MedLab.
He turned around as he said, "Wait." But it was too late. Susan was gone. *Nice going Cole. You've managed to mess things up once again. Another woman you care about is gone. All because you're a bloody fool. Face it Cole - your afraid. Afraid of loving and losing again.*
=
Susan stormed into Marcus' quarters and began packing. *24 hours and all this will be over with. You'll be far away from the station and hopefully Marcus will be completely out of your mind. You were stupid to believe that he'd ever have any feelings for you. You saw what you wanted to see,* she said to herself.
Susan knew that Marcus would return soon and she didn't want to be here when he did. She would find somewhere else to stay even if it meant staying in brown sector. Walking over to the BabCom, Susan remembered that she had one more thing she needed to take care of; she needed another bodyguard for the next 24 hours. So she placed a call to Zack Allen and within minutes, it was taken care of. The new bodyguard would stand watch outside of Marcus' quarters until she needed to be escorted somewhere.
She was in the bedroom when she heard the now familiar hiss of the door opening. Closing her eyes she said to herself, *Please don't let that be Marcus. Just give me a few more minutes and I'll be gone.*
Marcus stood at the doorway to the bedroom watching Susan pack. He couldn't let her leave him. But he knew that there was only one way of preventing it: he had to tell her everything that happened. Marcus was dreading this moment; he didn't want to relive all those emotions again. But he would if it meant that Susan would stay.
Susan had picked up a shirt and was about to stuff it in her bag when a hand reached out and stopped her. She knew who it was. "Don't worry Marcus, in a few minutes I'll be out of your room and your life and you won't have to see me ever again."
Marcus grabbed her other hand and held them close to his chest. Softly he said, "Don't go."
Susan looked up at him. He could see the confusion in her eyes, so he said again. "Please don't go."
"Why are you making this so hard for me? I don't WANT to go Marcus; I HAVE to. You've given me no other choice," she said, pulling her hands away from him. She walked away from him and into the living room.
He followed her. Marcus wasn't about to give up so easily. He realized that he was in love with this amazing woman and he couldn't let her go. He was determined to get her to stay.
"Then let me give you a reason to stay," he said, walking over to her. He gently put his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him. Marcus looked her in the eye and said, "I'm falling in love with you."
Susan wanted to cry. Those were precisely the words she had been longing to hear. But now, she needed more. She needed to know exactly what happened between Commander Ivanova and Marcus. She needed to know exactly where she fit in his life.
"Oh, Marcus," she started to say. "How can you be in love with me when you can't even say my name? You can't say the name Susan without thinking of Ivanova."
"She will always be a part of my life. I will never forget her," Marcus said, as he took her hand and lead her over towards the couch.
Sitting down, Susan rested her hand on Marcus' knee and he put his arm around the back of the couch. "I'm not saying you should ever forget her. But I can't compete with a ghost Marcus. I'll lose every time."
Marcus nodded. He understood completely what Susan was saying. "Why don't you let me start from the beginning."
END PT 7