Commander David Corwin shook his head as the door before him slid slowly open. She should change her password code more often.

To his surprise the light was on. Cautiously he peered into Captain Ivanova's quarters. When he saw her there, in the middle of the room, he let out a breath he didn't known he had been holding.

He quickly looked around the room and let the tension ease from his body, there were no empty bottles or glasses.

Stepping inside, Corwin looked to the centre of the room where Ivanova stood.

Her head was down, the collapsed Minbari Pike in her outstretched hands. It looked like she was trying to offer it to someone. Corwin knew this stance; he had seen her stand that way for nearly an hour once.

With a sigh, he took the pike from her, placed it, with Markus's cloak, into the cabinet and closed the top.

Quickly making his way to the Captains partitioned bedroom, he pulled down the covers and returned to Ivanova's side.

He was there only a moment when she collapsed. Corwin caught her before she hit the ground. He carefully carried her to her bed, pulled off her boots and lightly tucked the blankets around her.

"Computer, lights at one forth," he kept his voice low, not wanting to awaken the now sleeping Captain.

He didn't call the doctor. She did not know about the exchange of life force energy that saved Ivanova's life, and Corwin knew, in his bones, that what was happening to her now had everything to do with that experience.

He wished he could do something more to help her. He liked working with her. He hadn't even thought about it when he was offered the position as second officer under Susan Ivanova. There had also been the option of taking the same position under the Captain that was taking over B5. The fact that he didn't like Mark Simpson had simply made the decision a regretless one. Not that it would have mattered; the decision had been made.

The truth was there was more to it than the fact that he liked working with her. He liked her and he would honestly do almost anything for her.

He just wished he knew what to do now.



Ivanova knew that in the darkness that surrounded her there was nothing, no light, no matter, no life.

Some how, that didn't scare her. The fact that she stood barefoot in a pool of light that cast no shadow, in an emerald green silk negligee, did not scare her ether. It was not the first time she had been here.

Slowly she let her eyes drift closed. She was totally relaxed; the tension she always carried was gone.

She knew he was there before she heard him.

"Susan," the sound of his voice made all of her nerve endings tingle.

She opened her eyes slowly, afraid that if she acted to quickly he would disappear.

Markus stood before her in his own pool of light. Her eyes locked with his and she could hardly breathe, let alone move.

He lifted his hand, then hesitated for moment, as if unsure. Slowly, she took a small step forward and lifted her own hands, resting them lightly on his chest. The movement brought Markus's fingers to her cheek. Slowly, as if he was afraid she would break, he cupped her jaw in his hand. The warmth of his delicate touch set her nerves aflame, her whole body waited for his next touch.

His thumb lightly rubbed her bottom lip. The sensation sent shivers through her, making her gasp.

Markus's whole body stiffened as his eyes focused on her lips. Her tongue darted out of her mouth, running over her lips. A grown escaped him as his lips descended to meet her's. Her eyes drifted closed.

When his lips did not touch hers she opened her eyes to see what was wrong...



...and saw only the dull gray ceiling of her quarters.

Rolling on her side, Ivanova pulled herself into a tight ball and started to cry silently.



Lennier sat in the Command Bridge of the WhiteStar 8, staring almost unseeing at the front view port.

Although there had been other WhiteStar's closer to the co-ordinates Officer Kay had given him Lennier thought it would be best if he went himself.

"Activating jump-gate engines."

Lennier watched as normal space formed around him. The Starfurys and the space tow quickly followed him out of hyperspace.

With silent efficiency the crew of the WhiteStar 8 quickly scanned the surrounding area, and easily located the only ship in the near vicinity. Badly scarred and barely limping through space, The Acheron filled the view screen.

Lennier sat there stunned, Marcus, you should be here.

The screen in front of him changed, blurred and then reformed into the face of Commander David Corwin.

"This is the..." Corwin stopped in shock, "Lennier!"

"Yes, Commander," Lennier said, barely keeping a smile off his face, "made we be of assistance?"

"Yeah," Corwin said, regaining his composure, "Our jump engines are out."

"We will help you jump. Do you require a tow?"

"Depends on where are we headed?" Corwin asked with a shrug.

"Babylon 5."

"Oh," Corwin looked stunned.

"Commander," Lennier said, hoping to bring them back to the situation at hand.

"Yeah," Corwin paused, "we have enough fuel to get to B5, we won't need a tow."