The Gathering of Souls IV

by evie4

Minbar's fate is sealed forever. Sheridan amazes everyone. Londo and Refa meet at last. Tafali works on his own theories about Selene & all the players get suited up.

4. Sacrafice of Angles

When White Star 2 confirmed that all their actions were broadcast inside the room Marcus and Selene looked to each other.

~will they be mad?~

~they will be confused. they will be hurt when I tell them I must remain silent.~

~can you handle that?~

~we both know I don't have a choice besides, what are they going to do? kick me out?~

~be glad you aren't Anla'Shok. there are many cleansing and purification rituals just for that sort of attitude. you don't want any part of that.~

She laughed. Z'al had not yet embraced an obsession with certain things. Rituals as punishment––or behavior modification—were still off the table. She got the feeling when they started in on her, that might change. She was really hoping to sneak off to her quarters quietly without having to deal with anyone from the Fleet. She did not know that both Vir and Tafali were there. Even though Vir could not board the station, he could summon her. Tafali said it should wait considering the way she looked and the fact that they did not know what she endured.

The captain wanted to get down to the logistics of the next war. Liberating Earth might be easier now that the Shadows and other things were gone. No one really bought that considering Psi Corp and Earth Gov. Michael thought it would be like teenagers throwing a wild party as soon as the parents went out of town. No one liked that. Marcus said they needed more information now on the specific workings of just what was going on. Delenn said that they needed a rest period to insure that their minds were clear. The Minbari Fleet would remain to defend the station. Everyone looked at her knowing she had a plan. When Fannol caught her make eye contact with Susan he figured they were in on it together. Then Delenn dismissed everyone and told them to either go back to their normal jobs or if they were off duty to go rest. When Susan did not rise from the table, he had a pretty good idea what was about to happen and agreed. Delenn said nothing. Susan spoke.

"John, I have a suggestion and I hope you won't be offended."

He's got his own suspicions about what she's going to say but let's her go with it.

"This past year has been harder on you than anyone else. These last few months and last few days go beyond what others had to endure."

Then she stopped to see if he was keeping up with her.

"I admit it has been overwhelming at times. And stressful." Satisfied with that,

"I think you should get away for awhile—a few weeks—you haven't had a vacation since you took this assignment and nobody's counting the time you were dead. That alone entitles you to time off."

"Yeah, I guess. But, I'm a wanted man. Earth Gov remember? I don't really feel like spending time with Draal." And he laughed.

Now she knows he's yanking her chain.

"Fine. I'm relieving you of duty. Stephen could do it but I think you want it to go down this way. White Star Prime is on standby. You're going to Tuzanor for 3 weeks. Michael will workout the security. The Three will stay out of your way. Talia will go as your protector."

That caused him to do a double take.

"Talia? Protector."

"You know how bossy she is, no one will get in your way. Besides, you'll need her. In case you forgot who you are, the Minbari have not. Minbari are much more polite than humans so they won't come right up to you but, John, they've been waiting for you for 1,000 years."

"Anything else I should know? And when exactly am I leaving? I haven't had time to pack."

"Be snide all you want, it doesn't help the situation and I can tell you want to go and are just putting up a little fuss."

When she hesitates on answering the questions and glances at Delenn he knows something's up.

"Susan?"

"I had to clear it with Talia first, you see. So she had two days notice."

"What did she do?" Delenn smiles and Susan laughs at that.

"Not much. You can leave as soon as your bags are packed but your clothes won't be finished until tomorrow. Talia put in another rush order but 3 weeks worth of clothes is a lot."

He just stared at her. He knew he wasn't going to wear his uniform during that time but hadn't thought what he would wear. After the last time this shouldn't be something to put past Talia. That she thought of it amazed him. Susan read his expression and thoughts.

"I told you that she is, without question, the go to girl. Just don't screw up and do anything that will cause her to whip out some additional rituals."

"Additional?"

"You said it yourself, you went to hell. Bottom line, after all you've been through I can pretty much guarantee you'll be cleansed and purified."

He didn't laugh. He thought about it for a few moments then turned to Susan with a straight face,

"Yeah, I think that's a good thing."

She nodded and Delenn smiled.

"I was wondering about taking a class or something to learn how to use the denn'bok. Maybe I could learn while I'm there. I'm not as——enthusiastic as you are about fighting, Susan, but it wouldn't hurt to learn."

She cringed a little. "If you really want to, Sech Durhan will have to teach you. Its his right. Um, he's intense."

"Intense?"

"I'm good because I got tired of him kicking the crap out of me 5 hours a day."

"Never mind."

"Wait. The upside is that he taught Entil'Zha Sinclair. He was intense but he could hardly kill Entil'Zha. Me, he had no problems with. But you're Isil'Zha. I'm certain he won't try to kill you."

Sheridan thought about that for a bit and decided he'd rather spend time getting his ass kicked than drowning in rituals with Talia and Kailenn.

"That sounds good. What's the procedure for something like this?"

"I'll contact him and tell him you want to learn while you are there. But that you are there to rest and recover from the war and he is not to kill you."

"I appreciate that last part. Thanks." Then he looked to Delenn, "Aren't you coming?"

"No. This is your time. I will be here when you return. Besides, there is quite a bit of work for me to keep more than busy."

And that was that.

For some reason, the captain actually thought that going to Tuzanor would mean they would strip back some of the tissue paper and lighten up. Michael wasn't having any of that. He didn't mind the captain getting away or going to Minbar. He just really didn't trust him out of his sight and away from the station anymore. All of his guards were to go with him and Tathann was to use his judgment on whether he thought a 4 or 6 person detail was necessary around headquarters. He was firm that 8 was the bare minimum whenever they left the grounds. Then Michael ordered White Star Prime be escorted by two War Cruisers. He almost ordered that the ship travel cloaked the entire way but decided that might be a bit much. He did order tactical to engage the defense shield without waiting for the captain's order the moment he felt the situation required it. He didn't have to tell White Star Prime anything. They weren't losing him on this trip. Then Garibaldi thought about it and informed White Star Prime and Tathann he was going too. Susan, Zack and Marcus saw that coming but didn't say anything.

Susan was not kidding when she referred to Talia as his protector. Talia contacted Rathenn to say that the captain was coming to Tuzanor for 3 weeks. Then she got tough with him and laid down the law that absolutely no information gathering of any kind was to take place by any individuals who she'd allow to remain nameless for the time being. She informed him that Garibaldi would be coming to coordinate the captain's security and that it was extensive. And, she informed him that she would be coming to personally assist the captain and anyone who wanted to spend any time with him had to come through her. Rathenn was surprised but then he wasn't after the way she handled the Centauri. He assured her everyone would behave. Talia told Kailenn to ease into any time with the captain and that he REALLY needed rest. Kailenn heard, but she already had her plans for Captain Sheridan. All she had to do was get her hands on him and everything would be fine after that.

He really didn't know what he expected. He'd researched Minbar and he knew what the planet looked like. He'd seen pictures of monuments and various cities. Pictures and vids did not prepare him for the real thing. Tuzanor was beautiful. As they approached the headquarters, Talia could tell what he was thinking. It must be the same thing all of them thought on arrival. Amazing. She risked a glance at Michael and had to do a double take. She knew that look. [Uh oh.]

Michael memorized the entire lay out of the complex when Sinclair first arrived. He wasn't taking any chances and wanted to be sure everything was in place the way he wanted it. The Three and Kailenn met them on arrival in the great hall. They spread the word that Captain Sheridan would be coming for a visit and that he was not to be disturbed in anyway. That did not mean they couldn't sneak a tiny peek at him. Durhan decided that Susan would pay dearly for her brazenness when she admonished him not to attempt to kill the captain or permanently maim him during their lessons. The Anla'Shok and personnel knew how to follow their instructions about leaving the captain alone. They were also instructed not to attempt to gather information either. Rathenn felt Talia's warning surely could not be meant for the Three of them and that she intended him to pass it along to others. Still, he knew all he needed to know about John Sheridan. So did his brethren, they would not be actively seeking information. If some should fall in their laps, well that was another matter entirely. Talia must have picked up on that because she pinned Rathenn with a level 10 glare that said she meant business.

It did not take long for Sheridan to see why everyone craved coming to this place. He decided not to fight Talia and pretty much let her take over ordering everyone around, including himself. But it did make things easier. He wasn't going to mention that or he'd never get rid of her once they returned to the station. So, he had nothing really to do that first day except take a walk. Turval is now absolutely convinced it is a human reaction after having witnessed Susan, Talia, Stephen and now the captain take to that garden. He had dinner with the Three, Talia, Kailenn and Michael. He didn't have to say one word about privacy or topics to avoid. Anytime a discussion got close to anything TALIA felt he didn't need to discuss, she moved everyone right along. Some times she was subtle, some times she was not.

When he wasn't watching the captain like a hawk or checking the perimeter, Garibaldi decided he'd lighten up and enjoy himself as well. There was no doubt in his mind that a time would come when the captain would be living on Minbar, at least partially. That meant he would as well. As far as Michael Garibaldi was concerned, John Sheridan was his watch. He wasn't as observant as he should have been because Kailenn sprung her trap and he was snagged. No one commented but the Warrior and Anla'Shok guards really wondered if he actually thought he'd get by her. He did make the mistake of pointing out that he'd already completed her classes. Yeah, big mistake. In addition to his 2 hour a day private lessons, he found himself doing some serious meditating and a bit of cleansing of his own since he sounded like he thought he didn't need to learn or explore anything else. He didn't mind it as much as he thought he would. He liked Kailenn's style. She had tunnel vision when it came to something she wanted and was as subtle as a sledge hammer. Those kinds of people work well for security folks like Garibaldi. He doesn't have to wonder what they'll do, he knows what they'll do.

Time with Durhan was exactly what Susan said. Though it was obvious that he was paid deference, Durhan was serious about that denn'bok. They didn't spend 5 hours a day together because Talia informed Durhan that did not qualify as rest. Durhan realized Talia Winters was not afraid of him. He could not decide if he liked that or not. Turval informed Michael that he might want to learn as well and he'd be more than happy to teach him. He wanted to point out that the Soulwalker was very good but they weren't supposed to know he was a Soulwalker or that he knew the denn'bok. Didn't matter, Michael agreed.

Sheridan wanted to go to the Temple of Valen. Why he thought it wouldn't be a hassle was beyond him. Michael consulted with Sinclair's old guards to see how they handled his visits. He knew Sinclair's head of security so they talked frankly. Then he and Tathann went there to do an inspection of the grounds, temple, and verify exits or escape routes. He also wanted to see the size of crowds that might be there. Only when he was satisfied 100% did they return to the training camp. The entourage was enormous and Captain Sheridan had to complain once he stepped into the hallway and saw everyone,

"Michael, this is not necessary."

"First, some of them aren't even yours. Talia's going so those Moon Shields are with her." Some times the captain could be just like Stephen. When he saw Sheridan loosen up a bit he continued,

"Second, its an 8 person detail. You've had it before. This isn't any different. Third, anytime you leave these grounds you will have an 8 person detail. Now, let's go."

And with that, Michael walked away quickly. He decided it was acceptable misdirection not to mention that 6 of his guards were already there in plain clothes. A few minutes rationalization and he was absolutely certain that fact wasn't even relevant.

If he thought they stared at him on the station when he first returned from Z'ha'dum, it was nothing like Minbari bowing to him when he went to the temple. People did pull back and they did crane their necks. Word spread from other governments about what their ships witnessed at this Gathering. All Minbari noticed quickly that the Anla'Shok and Warriors made no report and had no comment. Many at the temple were shocked to see the make up of his guards. Moon Shields and Fire Wings with Anla'Shok! They were surprised at these Warriors considering how everyone reacted to the Black Star. Delenn rubbing their noses in it by naming his ship the White Star, didn't help the Warriors get over it. But when the Religious Caste created an entire fleet of White Stars, they had a colossal fit. Obviously, not these Warriors.

John Sheridan liked it. He more than liked it, it called to him and he did not want to turn away. His reaction was intense and unmistakable. Some Minbari risked discrete peeks out of the corner of their eyes and realized they should not have been surprised considering who he is. Talia knew that look. She'd seen it written on Susan's face every time she came here. She knew this was going to be a special place for him as well. Thinking quickly, she went to Michael and explained her thoughts on the subject and that whenever she is here, Susan comes daily. That's all Michael needed to know to begin mentally creating some sort of Temple of Valen protocols. He was already outlining Tuzanor protocols. White Star 3 would be proud.

Four of his guards stood watch inside the temple. That was a little strange for some of the other visitors. It had been some time since Entil'Zha went away. They had forgotten how the Anla'Shok were about his security. No, they didn't know how Michael Garibaldi was about Sheridan's security because there were also 3 plain clothes guards sitting inside as well. Sheridan didn't realize how long he could spend in a chapel or praying. It took the other visitors by surprise. His guards were used to this from visits to White Star Prime. They knew he could spend all night praying when something was on his mind or he was trying to prepare. Three hours was nothing to them. Finally, he got up and walked out to see these fantastic grounds Susan raved about.

"She was right. They are beautiful."

So engrossed in his sojourn through nature he didn't notice the crowd build up. Michael did and so did the guards. They were concerned for his safety first and his privacy second. Everyone knew he needed peace and they all seemed to feel like he was finding it here. They did not want an incident to disrupt that. Talia made a judgment call and let her shields down once she felt Michael's agitation and saw all the guards, even her's tense up. She would know the moment someone decided to make a move. Sheridan saw none of this. He was sitting under a tree near the shallow end of the stream. He did not know this was the exact spot Susan and Sinclair sat on her first visit. He was simply enjoying himself.

He knew that there was going to be a lot of work to do once he left Minbar. Fighting the Shadows was a long and exhaustive war. How they were going to battle Earth, he did not know yet. He needed to build another coalition. This time, he needed humans. Earth Force, Free Mars, those at Proxima 3. But before any of that could happen, they needed to get inside Psi Corp and find out what they knew or had. He didn't ask any of the Technomages if they knew where any secret bases were before he kicked them all out. He understood that had to be broadcast Fleet wide but it still did not make him comfortable. He did not want that other to mention things about him. All that talk about him being a legend or a myth started people on the station staring again once they found out. Then he realized he should be grateful everyone survived, the war was over, and the Shadows were gone. Getting rid of everyone else was the cherry on top. He just hoped people understood that didn't mean individuals didn't have the capacity to be evil or embrace their dark nature. Personal growth and development would take some time.

After a few more hours he got up to leave. He was shocked to see the number of people milling about or just standing off to the side away from his guards. His first thought was that someone important from the Religious Caste had come or even one of the Grey Council so he started looking around covertly. Michael saw this and walked up to him.

"What, in Valen's name, are you doing?"

"All these people. They look like they're either waiting for somebody important or somebody who's a real big deal is inside the temple or around here somewhere. I was trying to see who it was."

Garibaldi just stood there staring at him wondering how someone so smart could be this stupid.

"Stop trying. Its making you look like an idiot."

"Fine. Someone from the Grey Council right? Their faces are always covered, though. I thought it might be someone from the Religious Caste but figure the Council is a much bigger deal."

Sheridan is whispering this to Garibaldi like he's figured out some trade secret. His friend can only stare at him before shaking his head.

"You never spent much time at the front of the class did you?"

"Huh?"

"They are staring at you."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"I think I'm ready to go now."

Michael doesn't like that tone and thinks he should say something. They head over to a bench far enough from the guards to speak privately.

"John, its new. But its not. You've been dealing with this since you returned. Its just that the station is more isolated. We shield you better. You aren't the man you used to be and you never will be again. But, you weren't intended to be. Would you want to go back 3 or 4 years ago? Would you want to be that person?"

Garibaldi makes him think. He remembers the way he thought and felt before Babylon 4.

"No. My skills and training, my general preferences or dislikes, that's something that stayed with me. But, my life changed on Babylon 4. At least my understanding of what life was about. And it continued to change as I grew up in the months that followed. I wouldn't want to go back."

"Good. I know it will take some getting used to. You probably thought you could do the Universe's work, complete your purpose and sneak by without anyone noticing it was you."

They both laugh and Sheridan turns to him with a faint blush.

"Yeah. I admit I kinda did."

"Jeff had some of the same feelings you do. He had to make some of the same adjustments right here in Tuzanor. He got used to it. Except not being able to do certain things for himself or go out on his own anymore. But, he got used to it. I will try my best to make certain allowances. Try to ease up in certain areas to make you feel as if you have more freedom. But the bottom line is that your safety is my number one priority. The station takes a back seat to you. I'm not going to let anyone get too close to you who shouldn't and I'm not going to let you wander off on your own somewhere and put yourself at risk. Susan and I have tried to instruct the guards on how to do their duty without being intrusive. I can't and I won't cut down on the numbers. They won't stop being watchful. But your safety and privacy are their top priority. You know that Susan and I are the only ones who they report to. And, she only asks for updates or helps with changes. Anything you do, anywhere you go, its just the guards and me and we won't comment or tell."

He hears the seriousness of the situation in Michael's tone and realizes how hard this is for his friend. He considers what the changes in him have done to Michael's life.

"Hey, I'm fine. You're right. Its just something I will have to get used to. Sinclair seemed to have the hang of it by the end. Maybe I will as well."

"You're actually doing fine. Remember, the war just ended 6 days ago. Minbari waited 1,000 years to fight that war. Then you went and threw out the play book and wrote your own. Anyone would be awed even if you weren't who you are. You are prophecy fulfilled. And you are more than that. They know that. Minbari know you are their future and that is why they are staring. Wouldn't you be curious and want to take a look?"

Sheridan just stared without a word.

"I warned you all about thinking I can't do deep!"

They both laugh then head over to the others and leave.

Seeing Captain Sheridan was a sight and a treat for many people. Word spread quickly, all over Minbari, that he was not only in Tuzanor but that he visited Valen's temple. They wondered where he was staying. The only two places they could come up with were Valen's home or with the Anla'Shok. That seemed like the best choice. Word had also gotten out that the Nine had been there for a week. No one knew what happened while they were there, why they were there or what was discussed. Yes, they knew they left the ship when the Vorlons surrounded their space but they wondered why the Nine went there, to Tuzanor rather than any place else. Now they see Isil'Zha up close. He looks different in Minbari dress. The general consensus is that his uniform is fine, but they prefer this look on him much better. They believe it suits him.

Kailenn was pleasantly surprised that she did not have to use any strong arm tactics with Captain Sheridan what so ever. That was what she liked best. Talia spoiled her and usually she had to work on a person for a few days or lessons until they were pliable. Not Isil'Zha. After returning from his visit to Valen's temple, Sheridan sought her out that evening. That was MORE than she expected.

"Kailenn, I was hoping we could spend some time together while I'm here."

Every ounce of training and discipline was called on to keep her from jumping up and down.

"I am honored Captain Sheridan. I am always available to be of assistance. How may I help you?"

[Yes! He fell right into my lap!!!]

"I am open to suggestions. I've had a hectic schedule with the war. This is the first time I've had to relax in a few years."

"Yes. The others find refuge and peace here. You haven't been able to join us until now. Hopefully you will feel as they do, that this is your home."

He thought about that seriously for a moment. His first reaction should have been Babylon 5 or even his parents' home on Earth but it wasn't. Then he studied her for another moment,

"Yes. This is home."

Kailenn is so overjoyed she's afraid she might explode on the spot.

"Why don't we take a walk, captain?"

He nodded and headed off with her knowing full well he'd walked into whatever she already had planned for him. He also saw that Talia was an excellent student. Exactly like the teacher.

Rathenn and Durhan watched all of this silently from an upper walkway. Turval was instructing Mr. Garibaldi at the time.

"What do you think Durhan?"

"I think his burdens are heavy but his commitment is still strong and unwavering."

"True. What about Earth?"

"There will be another war and he will be in the middle of it. Or the heart of it."

"That is dangerous."

"Yes. The problem is, how do we protect him? Fighting this upcoming war and resolving the situation with Earth may be apart of what he was intended to bring about."

"Alright. But how do we help?"

"More ships. More Rangers at the ready to assist. Or simply giving him refuge when he needs time away from it."

Rathenn considers that last one carefully. "Yes. He will definitely need that. We were right to give him Entil'Zha's old suite from when he first lived here. I think it should be his permanently. No matter what else happens."

Durhan said nothing but nodded his agreement. Rathenn's concern is for more than how this war will impact Sheridan's safety, he is certain of it. That caused him concern. But he decided to watch and wait. When Rathenn was ready to speak, he would.

Delenn's clan Elder got many surprises. First, he learned that Captain Sheridan was on Minbar at Tuzanor. That was news to him considering reports confirmed that Delenn was still on Babylon 5. He is well aware of the engagement and the formality of the proposal and, therefore, must speak with the captain. Truthfully, it was only one of the reasons. Secretly, he just really wanted to meet the man. But when he contacted Rathenn to inform him that he would be coming to meet with Sheridan he was stunned by the response.

"That is not a great surprise. However, anyone who wishes to speak with or spend any time with Captain Sheridan must clear it with his assistant, Talia Winters."

Not to be put off in the least, he IS clan Elder after all, "Fine, fine. That is a formality I suppose. I'll simply inform her who I am and that should clear his calender."

Rathenn is unsure how to dash the man's hopes without offending him.

"Talia is Kailenn's student. In fact, she is Kailenn's prize student. Talia is an instructor on Babylon 5 and she learned everything from Kailenn. Everything."

That brings him up short. He wasn't sure how to respond to that.

"Well, humans and Minbari differ in personality and address. She could not be that much like Kailenn."

Rathenn decides to just go for it and tell it like it is.

"Talia is not afraid of Durhan and she does not care that he knows it."

"What!"

"I believe you heard me."

This causes Tridali serious concern. Everyone is afraid of Durhan. [How is that possible?] Seeing the dire situation, he seeks Rathenn's counsel on the matter.

"How should I go about making an appointment?"

Rathenn knows that cost him so he does not rub it in.

"I will pass on your request to Talia and ask that she consider it. Either way, she will contact you as to her decision. Yes, she is the one who makes these decision and if she decides Captain Sheridan does not need to know you wish to speak with him, he will not know you wish to speak with him. You understand he is here to rest from the war?"

Tridali thinks his chances of meeting Sheridan are pretty much nil at this point but decides to put on a confident face. Then he considers that, yes, the war just ended. The man has to be tired. And if the reports he received from outside Minbar are true, he as much to recover from.

"Thank you, Rathenn. I appreciate your efforts."

As it turned out, Tridali lucked out. As Kainahre, Talia took her responsibilities very serious. The preparer's job did not end with the proposal but continued up through the wedding. She saw the appropriateness of the two of them meeting. Unfortunately, the engagement was a secret and therefore, Talia informed him that he was not to introduce the subject unless the captain brought it up. After speaking with her, or rather being instructed and lectured to by her, he understood what Rathenn meant. Nevertheless, she cleared some time one evening for the two of them to speak privately. But, he was admonished not to stay too long. The captain was here to rest! Tridali found that warning a bit redundant since she insisted on being present the entire time. He had no doubt she was monitoring the direction of the conversation and would reign him in the moment he treaded on an area she disapproved. [Yes, she is exactly like Kailenn. Perhaps worse.]

Durhan and Turval noticed that something was weighing on Rathenn at times and it had something to do with Captain Sheridan. They discussed the matter and decided that they would not pry but they would be watchful and available to him. When they noticed Rathenn and the captain walking the grounds or sitting in the garden speaking for some time, they were both certain there was no information gathering going on. In fact, Turval was of the opinion that Rathenn was doing most of the sharing. They made no comment and did not interfere.

Talia seemed to sense Rathenn's intentions when he first started spending time with the captain. She was observant just to make sure. And, she admits that she did listen in only briefly to insure that the captain's privacy was not breached. That was all that she needed to be certain. They spoke of faith and prophecy. Rathenn spoke of his time on the Grey Council in great detail, its inner workings and he spoke openly and in depth of Dukhat. He confessed his feelings and action during the war and all that he said in either protest or compliance. He spoke of Sinclair and their shock at learning who he was. Then he told all the things they did to watch and protect him over the years since. For some reason, Rathenn thought Sheridan needed an deeper understanding of their Caste system and the political working and maneuvering. He spoke of many things. Sheridan sensed that Rathenn was giving him this information for a reason but could not find it in their talks initially. Then he understood that Rathenn was giving him history, facts, basis and leveraging of Minbari politics, the society and information not known to many let alone the general public as something to build on because he thought the captain would need it in the future. He appreciated that and filed everything away.

The captain preferred his spot at Valen's temple but he did enjoy meditating in the garden in the mornings. He rose early and would go out to watch the sunrise first. It was a special treat for him since living in space so many years deprived him of it. He would see his sunset at Valen's temple. Michael initially suggested that he vary his routine and not have a set schedule for safety reasons. But when he saw the captain try to conceal his disappointment, he told him not to worry he'd work it out. This was the most peaceful time John Sheridan could ever remember. Yes, he found peace and strength in prayer and meditation but that was so much more different than this. Here he was surrounded by internal and external beauty. There wasn't one person at headquarters who missed his serenity or didn't pray that he be able to maintain it. He passed the Mineria on his second morning there and was surprised to find it in the garden. Then he decided he was not.

He was committed to his path and he knew he would faithfully fulfill his purpose. That did not mean he felt himself above the need for more strength or for peace. No, with what was to come between them and Earth, he knew he needed to grab a hold of serenity anytime he had the chance and not let go. And, it wasn't like the Universe gave him a blue print of exactly what to do. Telling him to create balance, harmony and a new order in the entire universe was a bit broad. He hadn't exactly worked out his entire game plan yet and was taking each stage step by step. He was confident he'd think of something; he just needed a little cushion along the way. The Three stood where two looked on with Entil'Zha just a few years ago at Susan. This time they saw John Sheridan and they knew it right. They had no questions and moved on silently. Others noticed the same thing but had a complete understanding of the necessity of his prayers now that they saw the true face of the man and what his life was really like. They did not invade his private moment and moved on as well.

Just like he tried not encourage Talia, Sheridan was determined not to encourage Kailenn. Truthfully, he was enjoying their time together and their talks. She was amazed at this man and found herself the student at times instead of the teacher. She mentioned that everyone else from Babylon 5 seemed compelled to visit the Sisters of Valeria to read the ancient texts and scrolls preserved there. He agreed at first thinking it would be a nice trip and he might learn something interesting about their past culture. That was until Kailenn mentioned that Valen specifically ordered all the remaining records that had not been destroyed be gathered up and preserved in that spot for all eternity. He also ordered that the Sisters always make them available to those coming from the Anla'Shok with a specific request to see them. That really got his attention. It meant that Sinclair learned something 1,000 years ago that he thought they would need to know or understand. He considered how he'd gone to great lengths with the Book of G'Quon to leave them that message about telepaths. Then he considered that before he left for Babylon 4 Susan, Talia and Stephen had already come for a visit. It was reasonable to assume the others would at some point in the future.

Kailenn did not bat an eye. Nor did she display the tiniest outward sign of anything amiss as she watched Captain Sheridan go from pleasantly interested in another learning experience to wide eyed recognition at the mention of Valen's orders. [I KNEW it!!!] Then Kailenn considered what that Dark creature at the Gathering said. His comments about Sheridan and how long it took him to arrive. That he wondered if Sheridan were simply a myth or legend. Yes, Kailenn was starting to put more and more pieces of this disjointed puzzle together.

"Whenever you like, captain. I'll make the arraignments."

She smiled and was the picture of accommodation and unassuming grace. On the inside she was hopping up and down at the confirmation that she was right.

Michael Garibaldi might be head of security and the watcher of all things, but Talia Winters was watching just as well. She saw his expression as they came up to the training camp. She knew that look for certain. So, when she allowed herself a few minutes rest from micro managing the captain's life and personal affairs, she watched Michael Garibaldi. He was hooked. She knew where his heart was and where his faith lay a long time ago. Michael's down to earth tactics and bizarre complex mind threw people off on occasion. Talia had come to understand that was exactly what he wanted and one of the reasons he was so good at his job. Still, she watched him. She knew that he was taking some time to himself away from the grounds and had a strong suspicion where he went. That's when she approached Tathann,

"I notice that Michael leaves the grounds at regular intervals daily."

Tathann wanted no part of this conversation. He wasn't sure where it was going but he was not about to report on Michael Garibaldi. Talia didn't care what he wanted or did not want.

"Let's not play games. I can misdirect and misrepresent better than any Satai so a little plain talk between us is in order."

That surprised him until he remembered who he was dealing with so it didn't.

"How can I help you?" Resigned to either being killed at Garibaldi's hand or wishing for death to get away from Talia.

"I do not like the idea of him being alone and unprotected. His is shrewd and cunning. He is very good at his job and the most watchful person I know. However, there are times when the watchman must let down his guard in order to deal with certain things. If you do not assign someone to either accompany him or follow him and stand watch, I will ask one of my own guards to do so. It would defeat the purpose of blending in because there are very few Warriors in Tuzanor and an abundance of Anla'Shok. The choice is yours, what's it gonna be?"

He was shocked so he didn't answer. Tathann knew that Garibaldi was quietly going to Valen's temple daily but made no comment. He had not realized that Talia knew. Nor did he consider that she would consider any potential security risks to him. It showed in his expression. Talia waited for him to work through his surprise and any other emotions or responses quietly. She still didn't care what he wanted as long as he did what she wanted him to do. Tathann must have picked up on that.

"I will assign someone to accompany him without comment. He will—get the picture—when they fall in step with him."

"And?" A good start but not nearly enough as far as she was concerned.

"And, someone else will be there when they arrive. Is that sufficient?"

She thought about it for a few moments. Then decided it would have to be so that they didn't scare him off.

"For now. Keep me updated on the situation. If he raises one complaint or attempts to dismiss whomever goes with him, let him know it was my decision. If he really wants to fight about it, he can take it up with me. But, he knows better."

Tathann was happy to be out of that situation unscathed. Mr. Garibaldi could not possibly blame him for his actions once he learned he had Talia Winters on his back. He relaxed.

Selene left the Zocolo while the victory celebration was in full swing. All she really wanted to do was sleep. There were many things going on inside of her and much to think on in private but she did not have the energy or the time to address any of them now. She also knew that it would not take long for her friends to find and confront her on her participation in the Gathering. They'd have many questions and she had only one answer, "I can't tell you." She figured that would get old quick. Thankfully, they left her alone for the entire evening and she got caught up on her rest. It was simply the calm before the storm. The next morning she got an incoming message from Tafali saying he was on one of the ships in orbit and would like to speak with her as soon as she could come up.

[Uh oh!]

"Sure, how about an hour?"

"Fine. I'll send a shuttle down for you."

"Thanks." [Damn! What is HE doing here?]

She really should not have cursed Tafali's presence and once she stepped into the office she understood why. The picture of outward calm and composure,

"Hey, Vir, I didn't know you were here."

"We came in with White Star 14."

When Selene just stared at him he added a little more to the sentence.

"To the Gathering, I mean. Since Talia was so adamant that all the Shadows had to leave the Republic in 22 hours and they would do it with or without Z'al's help, I had to see the finish line."

[You are so not fooling me Vir. And Tafali, I know you've been spinning this around all night]

"Sounds reasonable considering."

Vir and Tafali noticed that she wasn't the least bit defensive nor did she seem guilty or like she was hiding something. No matter what Tafali might think, Vir had no questions about Selene's loyalty or commitment. He was still curious and wanted to know what was going on. He'd seen too much impossible and strange Ranger behavior over the past week along with whatever it was Captain Sheridan and Delenn did. But seeing her in the mix, that pushed him over the edge.

"You went out on White Star 2."

Selene instantly sees that ain't a question. At first, she decides it doesn't merit and answer since it isn't a question but she remembers who she is speaking with. Vir is her superior and she will not disrespect him.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because I was supposed to go."

Not the answer either man was expecting and both were heartily searching for the misrepresentation in anything she said.

"What does that mean? I don't understand."

"I was on White Star 2 because I was supposed to be there."

They turn to each other and as if by telepathic communication remember Talia and Fannol's answer that they knew there was an attack because they were Anla'Shok. Since Tafali decided not to rule that out as a legitimate answer, he was prepared to cut Selene some slack on it. Honestly, he didn't consider this an inquest so much as a way to get some more information to flesh out his theories. Vir was having a much harder time dealing with that answer. Time with Ari'ahn aside, he wasn't use to cryptic responses like that. He wondered if this was the result of prolonged exposure to Anla'Shok or Minbari. Instead of fighting her on this point, he moved on. For now.

"We saw you in the room with the others. It seemed obvious by your response that you had no idea you had been transported there. Why were you selected to go?"

Yeah, she was prepared for that question but she actually couldn't answer it for herself completely. She knew she couldn't speak on these things. But, she had to give him something. Problem is, she had nothing to give.

"I can't say."

"You can't say because you do not know or you can't say because you cannot tell us?"

"Yes."

That was it for Vir. She seemed to have more and more in common with Vorlons, Minbari and Anla'Shok than she did with Z'al!

"Selene, you have to admit it's a bit strange. Your answer was unclear. Could you please clarify?"

"I can't say why I was chosen to be there. I am not allowed."

This raised two eyebrows.

"Delenn? Don't tell me Marcus Cole said something to you. Who could possibly think they have the right or the authority to instruct you to keep secrets from us?"

"The Universe."

Her expression and tone was dead serious as she looked him straight in the eye and did not back down. She dared them to ask a follow-up. On this point she would not defy its will or instructions and neither of those two could make her.

"Blessed Z'al!" That was a joint response by Woodward and Bernstein as they both nearly fell out of their chairs.

Tafali sees where he can get just a bit more information than Vir 'cause he's been thinking on this for a few hours. Ok, more than ½ the night.

"The Universe itself instructed you to be silent as to your reasons for being selected to stand with them?"

[Finally a question I can answer.]

"Yes."

He's not giving up that easy and hopes Vir stays quiet while he's on a roll,

"What was that gateway? Where'd you guys go? And what did you do? Oh, and why?"

"I can't say."

"Can't say 'cause you were instructed to be silent on all four of those questions?"

"Yes."

He's twirling this around in his head some more wondering if he should ask anymore questions or if he should sit back and let this play out with Vir. Nah, he's got a few more.

"By the Universe?"

"Yes."

"Can you return to headquarters with us now or does your assignment on Babylon 5 need to be permanent?

He surprised her with that one. She didn't think they would try to reassign her any time soon but was prepared to discuss some veiled reasons why she would need to stay. She studied his face trying to size up his true intent or if he was simply toying with her. She knew he was thinking many, many different things in that head of his but he put the question out there now so that either meant a transfer as punishment instead of some ritual or they were planning on it anyway.

"I cannot return yet. I need to be here."

Vir's not sure where he's going with these questions cause he's still dealing with her saying the Universe told her not to tell. But he knows Tafali and that self satisfied look in his eye means he feels like he just hit pay dirt. Since he's got no more questions for her on the subject, he changes it.

"What's the status on bringing more Narns in? I know G'Kar didn't give you a reason but if we can get more people into the station now that the war is over that would be good."

"We haven't had a chance to talk about it but I don't think it'll be a problem now."

"Why?"

"The way we were smuggling them in was a serious security risk. The attack made that pretty clear. Now that the war is over, it should be fine. But I'll have to speak with the others to be certain."

Both men are confused by part of what she said and it shows.

"Attack?"

"Yes, before the Gathering we were attacked inside the station by much Darkness. It was a long battle and very gruesome."

Neither are liking what she said or what they are thinking.

"Explain."

She doesn't get it but answers the question.

"Two days before the Gathering began. We were invaded by Shadow soldiers and various creatures of Darkness. We fought all over the station to kill them. It took everyone but we obviously survived and defeated them."

She has no idea why both of them are just staring at her with their mouths hanging wide open. Finally,

"You fought as well? You were allowed to actually fight?"

"Yes." [What's this all about?]

"Along side Anla'Shok?"

"Yes. And every member of the War Council."

"What? They were actually out there?"

"Of course. Entil'Zha is pretty deadly with a denn'bok. And so is Dr. Franklin. I didn't know he had it in him!" Then she laughed as she thought back on that.

Neither of them were sure what that meant. Vir decided they needed to talk and she needed to leave before the others thought they found some kind of fault with her actions and were reprimanding her.

"Ok. Thanks for clearing some of this stuff up. There's no problem with your actions or your performance, Selene, it was just a surprise that's all. Let me know as soon as G'Kar says its ok to make a move again."

"Sure, no problem and thanks."

After she left they were silent for a long time. Vir was very good at reading Tafali's various expressions and this was his serious thinking face. But, he had to cut in and ask one question,

"Why did you ask her if she could come back with us or if her assignment needed to be permanent?"

"Because her answer might have supported my theory."

[Is everyone going to start speaking like a Vorlon?]

"I'm gonna need a lot more in the way of details."

"Oh, sorry. I told you I suspected its about her and that she's connected to them in some way. All of this is confirmation. I still don't have a clue how it works but its definitely confirmation."

Vir's lost and doesn't mind admitting it."

"What are you talking about?"

"First, they were attacked on the station at the same time as those Rangers were back at headquarters. We weren't able to interfere. We still don't know why because you haven't told us yet, but we weren't able to help. Doesn't matter because they did the impossible and defeated all the Darkness while surviving. She was able to fight. She didn't know there was a question of whether or not she could. She just jumped in it with them. You heard her, the entire War Council out in the middle of it. If it was anything like what Lydia, Adam and Malcolm faced I'm more than impressed. Something tells me, it was a lot worse."

"Again, what does this have to do with her not leaving the station?"

"They are still here. She is connected to them in some way. Some part of the over-all plan includes her interacting with them in something I do not know. You heard her. We both saw them go through that gateway and we saw them crawl out ½ dead 24 hours later. Whatever they went through it was for the rest of us. Captain Sheridan said others agreed to stand in our place and bare the pain. I'm certain he and Delenn bore a heck of a lot of pain. But I'm also certain they did as well."

He stops for a minute 'cause his theory still needs work and he knows he doesn't have all the details worked out yet the way he needs them.

"Anyway, she stood here and told us that she couldn't tell us anything because the Universe told her not to. Vir, that means something. I'm not getting in its way."

"I never said I intended to. I'm still reeling over the last 72 hours. The Talia Winters who sat across from us at that table is not the same woman I knew on the station."

"Well, I don't know anything about that but she certainly had command of the situation and the confidence or faith to know she could back up her words. That's something particular to the Anla'Shok and she's not. She also wasn't wearing her uniform. Why was she dressed like that?"

"I don't know. I noticed it but didn't have time to think about it. She was wearing the robes of the Minbari Religious Caste. That doesn't make sense. For some reason, and I guess a Shadow war counts as a reason, they opened the Anla'Shok to humans. But I think that has something to do with Sinclair. Though why he was Entil'Zha I do not know. That makes no sense. Anyway, that's the Rangers. How and why Talia Winters is associated with the Religious Caste is beyond me."

Tafali thinks that's somehow connected but realizes he won't get any answers and can't ask the questions. He also thinks that it's a side mystery. Selene is the bigger one.

"We'll never get an answer to that so let's not even bother speculating. What are you going to do about Selene?"

"There's nothing I can do. I saw what I saw. I don't understand it, but I saw it. I assigned her to the station and she's done an excellent job. I don't really have a legitimate reason to change that. She's obviously made solid contacts though something tells me she won't be reporting on any of them. There's no reason to move her, yet."

"I don't think WE have any say in the matter Vir. I don't think it would be wise for us to even attempt it."

"What aren't you saying?"

"That when she's supposed to leave the station, she will."

Selene sat in the stone garden for awhile. Actually, she sat there too long because it caused more than a few people some concern. She looked anxious and a bit depressed. She also seemed confused. But those watching her could not intervene while she worked through whatever was bothering her. When she had a visitor, more than a few seemed to relax.

"Was it that bad?" There was no need to include any more details they both knew.

"I'm not sure. The questions were what I expected. The responses to my answers were also what I expected. The inquisitors were not."

"Come again?"

"There's no need for it to be a secret, White Star 14 knows so you have access to the information. Vir and my other superior are up there in orbit. They were with the squad that rounded up the Shadows from Centauri space. They were front and center at the Gathering."

"Oh. Are you in trouble?"

"Well, it was kind of hard for them to demand specifics once I told them who told me not to tell."

"I guess so." They both laughed at that. He saw she was tense and wound up before he approached. She seemed to relax just a bit and he wanted her to relax a lot more.

"Yeah, I sort of wish we did have those cleansing rituals for punishment."

"Why?" He's not liking where he thinks its going.

"A question as to whether I should remain here on the station or be transferred arose. I don't think they will but they obviously thought about it."

"Isn't that extreme?"

"I couldn't answer one question they asked. And the one thing I could answer in any detail made them stare at me with their jaws on the floor. I don't know what that was all about and I'm not asking."

"Ok, I see where that might be a concern for them. Are you being transferred?" He's not sure why he asked and he certainly doesn't feel like caring one way or the other. It brought him nothing but pain in the past. Unfortunately, he does.

"No, I don't think they'll move me. The others will look at me questioningly now that they've gotten most of the details from everyone else. But, I'm in charge of this little group here so they'll leave me alone." Finally, she laughed and it seemed genuine. Wanting to keep her mind off of things,

"Have you eaten yet?"

"No, after the summons I didn't have an appetite. But I'm hungry now."

"Good, let's go."

They headed off completely unaware that they had many pair of eyes on them.

"I take it you have something in mind."

"Not exactly. I am simply monitoring the situation. Marcus is my friend as well as yours."

"True. Though I am unsure how––monitoring him having a conversation with someone helps him."

"Lennier, you are thinking too narrow."

"Please, enlighten me."

She looks at him with mild disapproval well aware of the sarcasm within that statement.

"He has not been happy. Or at least not as happy as he could be. He was not as successful as he wished in hiding his feelings for Susan from everyone except Susan. I choose to believe she was completely unaware because she would not hurt him intentionally."

"No, Susan Ivanova prefers to inflict physical not emotional pain. I do not believe she ever noticed them."

"Exactly. And, certain events have occurred over the past few months that concerned me greatly. His well being is just as important to me as yours, Lennier."

"If that were the case, you would not continually insist on placing yourself in harms way."

She brushes that aside with a wave of the hand as if it's a trivial matter.

"Lennier, we have discussed those things. They are in the past. Now, back to Marcus. I told you that I happen to notice they seemed to become friends a few months ago. I simply wish to support that friendship."

"That sounds reasonable, Delenn. The means of supporting that friendship are still unclear to me."

Delenn sees that Lennier is determined to be difficult on this matter.

"Do you have an objection? Before you answer that, do you not wish for Marcus to have more friends and be happy?"

Lennier sees how she loaded that sentence so he can't get out of it gracefully and is not happy.

"Of course I wish him only the best. My question was what do you 'plan' to do."

Delenn hasn't worked all of it out completely. She also does not wish to share what she has worked out with Lennier because he does not seem enthusiastic and might not agree to help.

"I will continue to be his friend. If he should want some additional personal time to spend with his new friend, I will not object. In fact, I will encourage it. He works too much and rarely does anything for himself."

Lennier cannot disagree with anything she's said. He knows Delenn, though. There is much more to the story and he's absolutely certain she's got a plan.

"Is this your way of deflecting his attention or interest from Commander Ivanova?"

"I am absolutely certain that his attention was deflected from the time Selene first arrived on this station. His interest in uncovering her mission was too intense. At first I attributed it to his natural curiosity, the fact that it did infringe on his position here in charge of all station Rangers——though we did not know at the time that she was not a Ranger——and her ability to get around him successfully. That irritated him. On some level, I think it still does. The point is, his attention has been directed at her for quite some time. It is only in the last few months that it has been in a less negative and healthy way. I see nothing wrong with them spending as much time together as they possibly can."

And that's where Lennier spots the plan. He wisely remains silent hoping not to give away his new understanding so that he can gather information covertly. He cares for Delenn deeply but Marcus is also his friend. He might need rescuing from Delenn's next plan and Lennier sees he'll have to be the one to do it.

Susan settled back into the job as acting commanding officer while the captain was on vacation. She noticed a few odd things but since they did not rise to a level exceeding the normal degree of odd, she did not get involved. Things almost felt normal again. Except that they were still fugitives from Earth Force, there was a Minbari Fleet protecting the station, and Corwin had taken liberties in re-adjusting her schedule and some duties. [I guess he's learned how to be more assertive and aggressive over the past year.] She wasn't sure how it was going to work since she basically turned everything over to him the day after the captain went to Z'ha'dum. If it were her, she wouldn't like someone snatching back the promotion—temporary or not—and all the authority it came with just when she was getting good at it.

That gave her an idea and the perfect excuse. Corwin stole most of her job by not giving it back, she decided to steal some of the captain's job. She considered that balance. Besides, he was going to be extremely busy when he returned from Minbar. She also didn't want him to get a stress headache and ruin the calm and peace she was certain he'd achieved.

In the meantime, White Stars 3 and 14 were learning a great deal more about their captains. It is unfortunate that Talia was attending to the captain on Minbar because Ivanova and Fannol needed some attending to of their own. None of their friends on the War Council had ever bothered to tell them about the light show complete with music and refreshing floral fragrance. They still had no clue. Kesha's device allowed Fannol to deactivate security cameras but since their mission to the Vorlon home world, he didn't think he had any thing to hide. ——aside from the dreams and that nightmare. White Star 3 wouldn't think of ever giving Susan Ivanova something like that unless they could over-ride it at will.

After surviving the Gathering, they were inseparable except when on duty. Fannol was rarely on the station except when he was meeting with Marcus to hammer out some means of getting specific information from within the Earth Alliance now that the Shadows and other were gone. They worked contacts and informants in down below and tapped anyone working shipping or trading vessels coming from that area of space. Susan was only on the station as long as it took her to complete station business, oversee League meetings and check up on other staff. Though, for some reason, Corwin had taken it upon himself to do that last part so she was free of it. She also found that Corwin's light fingers when it came to her job actually made her day shorter and her life easier. Once they went after Earth, it would be hell again.

Off duty was a different matter altogether. She and Fannol were darn near one person, they were in each other's pocket. They sparred, meditated, ate, and just generally hung out together. They also started bringing work they needed to finish when they visited each other and camped out in each other's office together until they were done. The night of the victory celebration, they returned to Fannol's ship to spend the evening together. The Shadows and Darkness were gone forever. The war was over and they survived. Both of them were focused on completing their individual missions and could not think about losing the other. When they returned from the gateway, it was if their connection had been severed all over again and they had to take time to re-establish it. And, they did. Talia never did have a chance to point out their behavior in Tuzanor. She really didn't want to and once she saw they restrained themselves at the station she did not think it necessary. She was wrong. It did not take the crews long to see the same things all those at Tuzanor saw. The physical contact and constant touching was both intense and seemed to be increasing for the most part.

While neither of them seemed the least bit aware of their behavior, they were both aware of what has happening between them. Ever since the day Fannol returned from Vorlon space and he and Susan had their reunion in the War Room, they began to understand what was passing between them. Either they did not care to dissect it or they did not care to discuss it because they simply embraced it without thought to any consequences or the opinion of others. Never had either of them had someone in their lives whom they cared for as deeply or as completely. Never had they had anyone care for them in such a way. And, it was true, they had no secrets between them. Kosh's interference simply delayed the inevitable. Once they left the War Room for her station quarters, they were so open to each other, nothing was held back. And, neither intended it to be. Much of the information they did not understand. Or they did not understand how it would play out in the grand scheme of things so they opted to let it go and simply focus on each other.

White Stars 3 and 14 were forced to have a status meeting on the phenomenon that was Ivanova and Fannol. Both crews silently observed their behavior when they were together and apart. Both came to the realization that neither of them were consciously aware of their physical responses or actions toward each other. This caused them to create some new protocols to protect their privacy and good name. They agreed that since they only exhibit the intensity of contact and interaction on board their ships, they would add it to the list of secrets they were already keeping for their captains. When Susan's guards finally admitted to what occurred between them in the shuttle bay before White Star 14 left for Centauri space they knew this was more serious than they thought. Most wondered how that was possible and what it was. Then they considered all they knew about both of them and dismissed that thought as irrelevant. They did conclude that wasn't something others needed to witness...especially if those two were unaware of their audience. White Star 14 was confident that once she returned and was advised of the situation, Talia would know exactly what to do. That was their official response. Secretly, none of them wanted to mention it to Fannol.

While having lunch, Marcus decided to do something that was most definitely against his better judgment. Actually, he didn't technically decide, it just sort of popped out. Once it did, he was instantly ticked at himself and poised himself for another round of hell.

"If you're not doing anything tonight, the Nician government is sponsoring a musical performance in the arboretum. We could grab something to eat afterwards."

[Bloody hell!!! What are you thinking? That's right. You AREN'T thinking!!!!!]

That kind of caught Selene off guard. With everything leading up to the attack and the Gathering she and Marcus hadn't really gotten to spend any time together lately. She wasn't offended because she understood what was happening but she wasn't sure how she felt about that.

"What time?"

"Huh?"

"What time is the concert?"

"Uh, 19:00." [Why is she asking for details?]

"Ok, but I'm gonna be REALLY hungry afterwards so I hope you weren't thinking snack instead of major meal." Then she laughed at herself. It was true.

He doesn't actually know what to say. He hadn't intended to ask her 'cause he was still annoyed with her general presence in his life. Which made no sense considering they're having lunch and he just asked to spend more time with her. Once he did, he was certain she'd refuse though he wasn't sure why. At this point, he's just staring at her with a strange look on his face. Like he's not quite sure what's going on.

Selene's wondering if she said the wrong thing. She's also hoping he'll stop with the bug look sometime soon.

"Marcus?"

"Huh?"

"Are you alright?"

Realizing he probably looks like an idiot. "Yeah, I'm fine. So you want to go? With me?"

"Yes."

Marcus Cole isn't the Anla'Shok poster boy for nothing. He quickly regains control of the situation. "Great. I'll pick you up about 18:45. That should give us plenty of time to get seats."

"Alright. I've never actually heard..." She's cut off in the middle of her sentence when her communicator interrupts.

"Tafali to Selene"

By the expression on her face Marcus can tell she doesn't think its gonna be good news.

"Selene."

"We're sending a shuttle down for you now. We need to meet again."

"Sure. I'm on my way." When she ends the transmission she just plops her head down right on the table and groans. Marcus gets it.

"I take it that was your other superior."

"Yeah. But I'm guessing they aren't gonna start the rituals." Then she groans again. "Actually, I don't have a clue what they want."

He's sympathetic to her situation but he also can't help seeing the irony in the situation from his own perspective. Then he tries to dismiss that thought or at least set it aside so he can be there for Selene.

"Come on, I'll walk you to the shuttle bay. Don't think negative. It might be a promotion."

That actually makes Selene crack up laughing for some reason. "Aren't you Mr. Sunshine and positivity."

"Don't let it get around. It might ruin my reputation." They both laugh knowing its true and head to the shuttle bay.

Walking back, he can't help wondering if she's going to be transferred from the station. Then he asks why he cares. Then he dismisses the question without answering it and goes off to find some extra work to take up his evening in case she cancels.

Selene is just sitting there looking at Vir with a blank expression on her face. She's giving nothing away one way or the other. She has no idea why he's doing it. She wouldn't have questioned or thought anything of it before their meeting 2 hours ago. Which causes her to wonder why they didn't bring it up then. Regardless, she's just waiting for the rest of the information and final instructions.

Tafali and Vir notice she has no response one way or another and neither can tell what that means.

"Are you alright Selene?"

"Yes. I'm fine why do you ask?"

"Because you aren't saying anything. No reaction?"

"I was just taking it all in. Is there anything else I need to know about this new development?"

Tafali does not look at Vir and it take much discipline not to turn his head. He suspects that she's suspicious about their motives considering the meeting this morning so he jumps in,

"After you left this morning, Vir was telling me that this was what he'd planned on telling you before the Gathering strangeness occurred. It was gonna happen anyway after the Shadow war was over."

Now Vir sees what Tafali's thinking and knows he must clear things up for Selene.

"Really. I lived on this station. I was here when Captain Sheridan declared independence. The Minbari literally showed up at the exact moment with the Fleet or Earth Force would have opened fire on the station. Z'al needs this station for many reasons. Aside from the Narn issue, we are still working on other projects. We are still not openly a part of our society. Londo may return to the station as ambassador once he 'attends' to the palace. We've still got to keep an eye on him and whatever he's done there in the last few days. Point is, he'll need close watching here. And, I can't do that. Something tells me he'll be trying to recall me from Minbar soon. That's not something I can afford to let happen and I don't know what I'll do about it in the meantime.

We need to continue good relations with the command staff and War Council. Something tells me they're all going to be focused on fighting again. We have a responsibility to help them any way we can. The Rangers were good to us. Helped us more than I can say. And, I still don't know how we drove out all those Shadows and got them to the meeting place but the truth is, if it weren't for White Star 14, we wouldn't have thought it possible.

You are good at what you do and you've handled yourself here for months. You have seniority over everyone else here and I'm making sure that's known. Any questions?"

Selene listened to everything he said while trying to catch anything he didn't say. He sounded sincere. Somewhere in there was a plan but with Vir, you just never knew until he told you something so Selene figured she'd let that go for now. She was also sure this had something to do with her answers to their questions but didn't know how. And she was absolutely certain he wanted her where he could send her out on missions specific to Z'al when he got ready.

"No. I'll meet with G'Kar tomorrow. He needs the day off. You should definitely hear something from me before the end of the week."

"Good. Ok, get out of here so we can take off." He laughed and she couldn't help it and joined in.

Once she was gone Vir turned to Tafali, "What do you think?"

"I think she was more than suspicious and I think you picked up on that. In light of what just happened 2 hours ago, you can't blame her. But you left out your other reason for doing this."

"What's that?"

"That you believe me. You think she's connected to them in some way and you're trying to give her time to find out how. You know they're heading for a civil war but that could take months or up to a year. We've got to get rid of whatever Shadow tech the Ministry of Defense has and that will be difficult. We'll have our hands full but so will she."

"Some times you think you're sooo smart Tafali. This time you just happen to be right. Let 'em know its time to go home."

Marcus waited until the absolute last minute to leave his quarters. He hadn't heard from her after the meeting but he knew that their ships left orbit an hour after she went up. He's certain she would have told him if she had to leave but he still wondered what kind of shape she'd be in this evening. She really didn't look the least bit enthused about going to that meeting. [Not that I blame her.] Selene couldn't decide what to wear and that was getting on her nerves. Well, she had to mentally rephrase that. She really didn't have much aside from her uniforms. She couldn't wear Centauri clothes, not that she had any or ever did. For some reason, Centauri dress for women was so not her style she just never bothered. The objectification of women was obvious and it was a bit too frilly for her. And a bit too revealing! But, she had no idea what was or was not appropriate for Nicians. After agonizing over it, she opted for a uniform and grabbed the first one hanging in her closet without even glancing at it. "Why should I, they're all the same?" Then she laughed and went to shower. She decided that since she was going to a special performance she'd jazz herself up just a touch so she didn't come off like riff raft. She left her hair down and trudged out her make-up kit. "I wonder what the shelf life of this stuff is. Hope its not toxic considering I haven't used any of this gunk in like 2 years."

At exactly 18:45 her door chimed. [Punctual. Ok, that's good to know.] "Hey."

He didn't say much. Actually, he didn't say anything. He never really looked at her before. Sure when he was sizing her up or trying to gather information or when he happened to be looking in her direction for a few minutes. But he never REALLY looked. At least that's his story and he's sticking to it. He had to admit to just noticing how beautiful she is. He also noticed that there was absolutely no way to distinguish her from a human female. Not that that mattered to him in the least. It was just something he couldn't help noticing. He noticed that her eyes were the color of almonds and her skin was a color just darker than pecans. Then he wondered if he was hungry or if there was some other reason he was using food as a reference to describe her. Finally he realized he wasn't speaking,

"Hey. Ready to go?"

"Yeah, I'm all set."

About 10 minutes into the concert they both looked at each other. Neither had heard this type of music before. Neither was prepared for whatever it was because they really were having trouble classifying it as music. Both knew they couldn't leave so they decided to suffer in relative silence. Until Selene leaned over and hissed in his ear,

"I'm going to assume you've never heard their music before and had no idea. Its still not getting you off the hook. I did mention something about eating a lot. Add dessert to that list now."

Then she eased back into her seat as if she hadn't said anything. He just looked at her and couldn't help smiling. She's the first person he'd ever met who metered out punishment in food. Unbeknownst to either of them, several pair of eyes were watching them closely. Two were surprised to run into them at the concert by accident. The others had been following them all day. He just knew there was trouble in the works when he turned his head and saw that triumphant look on Delenn's face. Knowing they could not really speak during the performance, Lennier was trying to find a way to ensure Marcus did not see Delenn that evening. He looked to be having a nice time though it was apparent by the identical impassive masks both of them wore, neither Marcus nor Selene enjoyed the music at all.

Once they left the concert and were sure to be away from the others they could not stop laughing. "I swear it sounded like a good idea at the time. Their artwork is very pretty. I just assumed the music would...compliment it."

"I guess that's gonna be your official story huh? Fine. Next time, I'll pick the entertainment. Now, where's my food?"

"I'm sensing you have some food issues here. Anything we need to discuss?"

"Yes, we should discuss you feeding me. Its 22:00 and I'm starving. Also, we always eat when we hang out. I would have figured that after the last several months you would have realized that's a requirement not an option with me."

"You must have a high metabolism. I don't see where it goes."

"Yeah, that and I work out. Now that the others are here I have someone to spar with."

That gets Marcus thinking. He hasn't really had a sparring partner in a while. But the denn'bok isn't compatible with the Ket'las. "Do you know how to use a denn'bok?"

"Yeah. Its how I learned the Ket'las."

"Really, who taught you? Malcolm?"

"Yeah. Any additional form of fighting is always something I strive to add to my list."

"You're serious?"

"Absolutely. Let's just say I'm proficient in many things and qualified in many more."

That made Marcus stop and stare at her deeply for a full minute. He saw what he needed to see, nodded his complete understanding and they walked on. "Well, if you'd ever like to spar with the denn'bok some time, let me know. I've got an extra one."

"Thanks."

"Ok, what do you want to eat."

Some times Selene thinks that Marcus forgets crucial things too easily. "Food!"

He laughed. "I got that part and I promise to feed you soon. I meant did you have a preference? Centauri, human, Narn, Minbari, Drazi...? Get my point?"

"Funny guy. No Centauri. No sense advertising." Then she snorted and shook her head. "I eat Narn food daily. But, food's food. Minbari sounds good or even human. I'm open just so long as I get something."

"Yes, I got that part. Ok, Minbari it is."

"Fine. But let's hurry!" With that they both take off 'cause Marcus knows full well she isn't kidding.

Marcus did not know why he was surprised. She warned him it wasn't going to be snack. He was also surprised to learn that she had no real familiarity with Minbari food. He quickly noticed that fact did nothing to impair her ability to put it away. She seemed to be completely enjoying herself and he couldn't help laughing.

"What?"

"You're really enjoying your meal."

"Of course. First, its food and I'm hungry. Second joy and pleasure are two essential elements of life for our existence. One should take every opportunity to seek out, embrace and experience those things. I am experiencing much joy and pleasure from both my meal and my company so I think Z'al would approve." As soon as she said that she couldn't believe she said that so she ignored the fact that she said that and kept eating.

Marcus had been down that road before. There was no way he was setting himself up for that again. Almost two years of Susan's actions and comments that made him think he had a chance when he did not. Then he realized it wasn't really fair. He never expressed himself. He only tried to ask her out once and it took over a year to do that. He knew that wasn't really it either. Months before Fannol went to the Vorlon home world, he was well aware that he didn't have a shot with her and he should try to get over it. His pride hurt and still did but he was working on it. He checked, they didn't have a ritual for that so he let it go. He wasn't sure if Susan knew her own mind but he watched her occasionally during the months Fannol was gone. It was obvious to him. And the...whatever that was when he returned was nothing but proof. It fascinated him but he could tell that Delenn was concerned because he didn't have a reaction. Other than finding it strange, beyond the typical Fannol and Susan strange kind of way, he knew exactly what he was seeing. He didn't think anyone else but Stephen knew what that was and he was absolutely certain Susan nor Fannol even realized anything was happening. Even so, he and Selene had become friends. They had a good time when they hung out. He wasn't reading anything into anything. Friends is what they were and that's how it would always be. Of course he still had that inside information about her from their psychic flashback but he hadn't had time to sort that out. He also wasn't sure he was supposed to say anything.

She noticed he was awful quiet. "You're pretty quiet."

"Oh, I guess I just zoned out for awhile. Do you want to talk about what happened earlier?" No need to guess what he meant.

"Depends on who's asking. A friend or someone gathering information."

"Definitely as a friend."

"They aren't going to remove me."

"What else?"

"Three more people have been assigned to the station. In addition to our regular duties, and some you don't want to know about, we are to be of assistance to you all with the War effort any way we are needed."

"Why?"

"Because it's the right thing to do. The Rangers who were with us for months were a great help and certain people---whom you know quite well, want to make sure that others know their assistance was appreciated."

"What else?"

"Fine, you know its good P.R. Cynic!"

"Realist!"

"Whatever." And they both laughed at that.

Delenn is watching all of this very carefully and knows that she is seeing the seeds of something very good for Marcus. Lennier might be reluctant to embrace her belief that Marcus needs this and that they can be of help, but that makes it no less true. When she returned to the meeting room after her ordeal with the Shadows and saw Selene among the others, she was absolutely certain that was confirmation that her place was with them. That she was somehow connected to them. No, she still did not understand how the Centauri fit but she asked for guidance and understanding. Lennier confirmed that Selene was taken right along with Marcus and that she entered the gateway. That was all she needed to know. Now, she just had to figure out a way of getting the two of them to spend more time together on a regular basis. "This is good. In fact, I would classify this as a date though I believe neither of them would." Then she went off to meditate on it further.

About two weeks after the war ended, a report on Selene's activities was filed that caused some confusion and concern. No one noticed when she began taking midnight strolls around the station. It seems that it had been for some time the way she moved as if it were routine. Closer attention to her was in order so that her habits could be observed and understood. There was no real way to tell if this was abnormal behavior for her or something she is prone to do from time to time. Some of her movements were learned. She visited the stone garden when she was anxious about something or worried. No one had seen her visit the garden since the morning after the war ended. This night she did not go to the stone garden. After taking a long walk around the station she went to the open air garden and strolled around for some time. When she left, those watching her assumed she was headed to her quarters but were surprised to find her moving toward the shuttle bay. Her destination was monitored and that's where the concern grew. She headed down to Epsilon 3. The last time she visited the planet she was there for over 24 hours and many other strange things occurred in her absence. It was after 2am when she left and there was no sign of her for several hours. Speculation of whether she requires 24 hours on the planet arose.

There was some bit of alarm when she did not return the next morning and serious questions as to what should be done were discussed. Marcus had no idea where Selene was. He sent her a message about getting in some sparring time but hadn't heard from her. When he overheard G'Kar mention that she missed their breakfast meeting, he became concerned. Selene never passed up food, especially free food. He knew something was wrong. Thinking about the last time she went AWOL, he pulled G'Kar aside and gave his opinion. Then said he would go down to the planet to check on her so he should not inform the others she was missing. There really wasn't anything they could tell any of the other members of Z'al as they really weren't supposed to know about the planet. Once a report came in that Marcus headed down to the planet they assumed he went to check on her and decided to wait for his results. Unfortunately, if he did not return in a timely manner someone would have to be contacted. It would not do to have them both missing.

"Hey."

She didn't expect anyone to actually talk to her. When she arrived she told Draal that she just came to get away from the station to think and promised not to get in his way. He shocked her by being nice and telling her to make herself comfortable, because he was working. Time either moves really slow on Epsilon 3 or she just zoned out for awhile cause she was wondering what he was doing there at that time of day.

"Hey. What are you doing up so late?"

"Late? It 10:00."

"What? I had no idea." Then she kind of looks around wanting to glare at Draal for not telling her the time but knowing she doesn't want the bear out of its cave. He'd been nice, she wouldn't rock the boat.

Marcus senses that but says nothing. He's wondering why she was sitting on the floor leaning against the wall and figured she had something on her mind. What he can't figure out is why she came down to the planet. Instead of trying, he sits down next to her.

"Yeah. You missed your meeting with G'Kar. I came to see if you were alright."

"Darn. I didn't mean to keep him waiting. Hey, how'd you know where I was?"

"I took a shot. The last time you were MIA, you were here."

"Yeah but I could've been anywhere."

"Yeah, but this is Babylon 5. Logic does not apply. Obviously, I found you."

They both laughed at that. She can tell he's curious but determined not to ask what drove her from the station and she is gratified by that. She cannot tell him that the station itself is what drove her from it. That just makes no sense. She's decided to practice avoidance for the time being. Marcus immediately picks up on that and let's it go.

"Thanks for coming to get me. I guess we better head out so I can make things up to G'Kar. Plus, my butt hurts from sitting on the floor. He really should invest in furniture for company."

"I heard that!"

Selene jumps up and runs toward the shuttles with Marcus just a step behind. They are both trying to hide their laughter because neither really wants to get yelled at. C&C noted the activity on the planet and the two shuttles headed back to the station. That information was passed on and a special notation was made for future reference.

Marcus and Selene did not have a routine, so to speak, they simply spent time together on a regular basis. Delenn had not yet interfered and Lennier hoped that her monitoring of the situation proved that they really did not require her assistance in regards to any matters. Lennier was well aware that there was hope and then there was reality. As long as Delenn perceived that all was going according to her wishes she would simply watch and wait. The moment that things changed, she would intervene. She already worked out one part of her plan or what she referred to herself as phase I. She really did not have to do anything. The means and motive fell into her lap along with the opportunity. She would do something about that next week. All in good time.

In the meantime, Selene was still taking the occasional walk around the station in the middle of the night. Still unsure of her behavior, there wasn't much to do accept observe and update her file. Until the night she went to the stone garden. That raised one or two eyebrows.

Selene hated getting these feelings. She did not understand them and she did not know what to do about it. She was absolutely certain it was tied to this crazy station but that still made no sense. Then she considered her challenge during the Gathering. She wonders if the others are the least bit moved or awed by something like that. They don't seem to be. Marcus seems to have chalked it up as one more thing on his daily schedule and moved on. Well, things like that did not happen to her on a daily basis. She did not know what the others had to face or what they endured but if it was as difficult and confusing as hers, she wondered how they weren't still reeling over it. Plus, something else was bothering her and she did not know what. She did not know that she had three different people watching her with a great deal of concern. Stephen watched Selene. Zack watched Stephen watch Selene. And Marcus watched Zack watch Stephen watch Selene. Obviously, something was not right and it rose to a level that caught Stephen's attention. Marcus wondered about Zack but he remembered all those security changes he made and considered this was enough of something to catch his attention. What Marcus did not know was that Mai'lenn was watching him along with the others. And Selene saw none of this. At 3am, she finally decided it was time to get some sleep.

The next morning she realized she should have tried to get some sleep a heck of a lot earlier than 3am. The courier who woke her up had little sympathy. Vir had a special mission for her. "Great. At least I know it won't involve Technomages this time!" Then she thought that wasn't really funny considering the circumstances. Once she heard his message she had to scrunch up her face in some attempt to process but could not. It made no sense. Then she remembered who's orders these were and knew that it wouldn't make sense to her because she only had part of the information. She thought about it several times, several different ways trying to decide the best way to go about this. She did not have Centauri papers. She could not pose as a human there because she might get caught as a telepath. She decided that she would have to pretend to be Andrasi. She knew their language and enough of their customs to pass for one. They did not have a home world anymore and were nomadic people since their sun went nova. That would cut down on many of the questions. She needed the clothes and papers. That would be a problem. Well, all of this was a problem until a second courier stopped by 20 minutes later with everything she needed. Apparently, passing for Andrasi wasn't an original idea because Vir thought of it and sent everything. And, he meant for her to leave immediately.

She got dressed in one of the outfits and wore her black cloak on top to cover it up. She would not take anything with her that would contradict her cover if detained. She spent some time and care hiding her non descript weapons in her cloak and packed the rest in a bag. Surveillance equipment in place, she headed out to inform G'Kar and Truladi that she was leaving for a while. Then she had another stop to make though she wasn't sure what that was all about. G'Kar took one look at the cloak and the travel bag and just shook his head,

"Try to come back in one piece."

"Yes sir." They said no more but looked at each other carefully. He really hoped Vir knew what he was doing.

Truladi had the same reaction but wasn't as shrewd. He didn't know where she was going, but they all had the feeling that Vir sent her out on the riskier missions more than anyone. They figured there was a reason for it and she always came back alive so they said nothing. Assured that he would not allow anyone to get out of line in her absence she went to make her final stop. Still wondering what she was doing or why, she just sort of let it go, went for it and knocked. It wasn't 8:00 yet so she hoped he was awake or not home. She realized that she'd lost out on that last part when the door slid open. Before she could say anything, he stepped out of the way and let her in. She could tell he was in the middle of meditating and she felt horrible for the intrusion.

"Don't worry about it. Its not a big deal." He saw the travel bag and the cloak. She hadn't worn it since the day she reported to the Council and revealed herself. This was to be an undercover assignment.

"I'm that transparent huh?"

"I've learned to read your expressions. What's up?"

"I have to take off for awhile. I just found out this morning." Then she stopped 'cause she kind of felt stupid coming to tell him she was leaving. They were friends, yes. But she could have sent a message or even comed him. Now she's wondering if she went too far. She didn't look him in the eye. Marcus noticed that she looked everywhere but at him.

"Do you know how long you'll be gone? Ball park."

"Hopefully not more than a few weeks. If I'm not back in a month you'll know I'm dead." It was the truth but somehow it seemed funnier in her head than when she actually said it out loud.

He didn't like that and he didn't find it the least bit funny. He looked at her and saw that she was still looking everywhere she could but at him. He decided to call her on it. At this point, he didn't care.

"Something offend you?"

"Huh?"

"You seem to find every nook and cranny of this room far more interesting to look at than me."

That surprised her. And it also caught her so off guard that she lost her game. When she turned to look at him she pretty much gave away what she didn't even know was there. That caught him off guard and threw him off his game. It really should have been funny and probably would have if not for the fact that she was heading into something unknown and dangerous. Neither of them knew what to do. And neither knew what to say. Then Selene realized she was supposed to say something but didn't know what.

"I..." And that was pretty much it. By this point she was absolutely certain she'd topped off the idiot scale and turned to leave while she still had a shred of dignity left. As she reached for the panel she felt a hand on top of hers stop her from opening the door as he leaned in to whisper in her ear,

"Let me walk you to your ship." He could also sense she had little desire to go where ever she was headed but was determined to see it through. She couldn't speak for some stupid reason and so she nodded. He did not let go of her hand and took her bag with the other. She risked looking up at him again. Big mistake. Now that she did, she actually couldn't look away. Marcus was not prepared to believe any of this until he considered the irony of the situation again so, yeah, he believed it. Just because there could be something there, she probably wouldn't make it back. Then he dismissed that thought completely. She shook herself loose because she had to get going. Without another word between them they left his quarters and headed for her docking bay. She didn't even ask or wonder how he knew where her ship was. This was Marcus Cole she was dealing with.

No one was more overjoyed to see White Star Prime enter orbit than the collective crews of White Stars 3 and 14. To their credit, Fannol and Susan managed to restrain themselves completely when not on board one of their ships. Since they knew it was an unconscious effort, the crews had to wonder if it was part of some built in safety valve or mechanism. White Star 3 was more than eager for White Star 14 to update Talia so that they could have firm guidance on how to proceed. White Star 14 just wanted her to take the heat for them.

No one could deny it, the captain looked well rested and whole. Proof positive of the healing powers of Tuzanor. Captain Sheridan wasn't as effective as he wanted to be in discouraging Talia. But the truth was, she was good at it and she made his life easier. Too bad he was broadcasting a bit too loudly because that was ALL the validation she needed. Her duties as attache, social secretary, bouncer and enforcer seemed fixed and permanent. Even Michael could not complain about her foresight. He tried to dismiss the guard who accompanied him to Valen's temple but the guard wouldn't go away. "Following order sir." Michael Garibaldi is head of security so that makes no sense to him whatsoever. "Who could possibly give you an order that would supercede mine?" "Talia." "Oh." And that was that. Once again, Talia got her way.

Now that he was centered both mentally and spiritually he was ready to get down to tackling the problems with Earth. He wasn't so focused on that he did not notice a considerable amount of what was barely left of his job as Commanding Officer seemed to be missing. He confronted his XO,

"Corwin stole most of my job. You weren't here so I stole part of yours. Find somebody else to steal something from. Apparently, that's how it works around here." Then she shrugged, dismissed herself and walked out of his office.

Things were not completely working out to Delenn's satisfaction. She was not sure what had occurred but that would not prevent her from putting phase one of her plan into motion.

"John, I'd like to discuss the make up of the War Council as we prepare for Earth's liberation."

He had not seen this one coming at all. Since he had no clue he waited for her to explain herself.

"Alright. I am listening."

"I believe that it would be beneficial to add another member. It would seem that person has already been added to our collective for reasons we do not yet know."

It really wasn't hard to figure out who she was talking about at this point but wondered why she did not mention the name.

"I assume you are referring to Selene."

"Yes. Did you not notice her in the room with us? She was chosen to accompany the others through their challenges yet she had no knowledge of what was happening. She is trained in a manner akin to Rangers, she has contacts in many areas. And I believe that we all learned she has the ability to out maneuver even Michael Garibaldi and station Rangers. In addition, I think that it would seem strange that a group of alleged humans here on the station who joined with us to fight the Shadows and are to remain on the station are not represented on the Council."

He thinks she went a little too far with that last point but since he loves her he really does not care how she fashions the logic for her arguments.

"Fine. I'll talk to her after the meeting. We should head over now. She and G'Kar seem to really get along well. He's the best judge of her."

[I do not think that is necessarily true anymore, John. I believe Marcus holds that distinction now.]

Delenn noticed that Marcus was very quiet during the meeting. He said little but paid close attention and seemed to study a few of the reports very closely. She thought it had something to do with starting a campaign against Earth. Shadows are one thing, war with your species is something very different. After the meeting he Michael and Fannol set off to work on some information gathering techniques. The captain wanted to find out if there were other Earth Force ships who defected along with General Hague's. If so, they would need to hook up with them and let them know that Babylon 5 was safe harbor.

Lennier knew that Delenn was getting to the point where she would interfere. When the captain informed her that Selene had not returned his message she felt she should mention it to Marcus to try to gage the situation. She was unprepared for his response.

"What do you mean she is not on the station?" Delenn seemed quite offended that Selene would dare to interfere with her plans by being absent.

"Just as I said Delenn. When she returns [If she returns] I'm certain she'll return his message."

She didn't like his demeanor or tone. He seemed too relaxed and unaffected. She did not like that at all. However, she could hardly question him on such a personal matter. He gave no outward signs of distress so she resolved to observe and not interfere. For the moment.

Marcus had done every single thing he could to keep himself busy and preoccupied over the last 3 weeks. He was very careful not to vary his routine or call attention to his actions in any way whatsoever. As much as he would have preferred quiet time on White Star 2, he knew that would cause a panic. So he contented himself to his quarters. "She said if she didn't return in a month I'd know..." He did not wish to finish that sentence. He was going crazy cooped up in his quarters and he could not wander the station in the middle of the night. That left only one option. He boarded his shuttle some time after midnight and headed down to the planet. The only thing he could hope was that Draal was either in a good mood or would take pity on his need to get away from the station. As it turns out, Draal said nothing. He merely nodded his head in recognition and moved on.

He did not like this. He did not know what he was doing. Selene was his friend so of course he would be concerned about her on a dangerous mission. He also did not understand any of what happened before she left. No, that is not true. He understood it but he had to convince himself that it was not true because if she did not come back and there were no way to find out one way or another it would be just one more tragic failure in his life. Or rather in his personal life. He also wondered what he should do with the personal information he had about her. Obviously, Stephen knew and understood much more than he did. Marcus considered the fact that Stephen has told her nothing. But why was he watching her? He knew something was going to happen. All these thoughts just kept swirling around in his head. In 4 days it would be a month. That was the bottom line. And since he did not know where she went, he could not even attempt to search for her.

While Marcus thought he'd slipped away to Epsilon 3 unnoticed, others were discussing the situation. As of yet, there was nothing that they could point out as abnormal behavior. Then again, none of them felt that group was above subterfuge. Since they do not know why he traveled to the planet specifically all they can do is wait for his return. G'Kar is growing concerned by her lengthy absence. Yes, she has taken missions of this length before but he saw the look in her eye. She wanted no part of it if she could help it. He saw her bravely fight Shadow soldiers without being asked. He saw her enter the gateway and survive her challenge. None of those things caused her the least bit of discomfort or fear. He saw both in her eyes.

The 4th day came. He could do nothing else to pretend it away. He wondered if she just might be delayed. He didn't care about not calling attention to himself anymore. He informed Delenn that he needed to take a few days off for personal reasons and that he would appreciate it if she did not mention it to anyone. She heard what was unsaid and immediately agreed. He did not want to do it and he decided to wait until the last possible minute before he had to do it. He had no confirmation one way or the other. That was his justification for not performing Ish'tara. He knew that was probably selfish but he figured that defeated the purpose of hope. Another rationalization but he did not care either. What would he do if she returned? Their last meeting was charged with the possibility that she might not return. He studied on that for some time and realized that those emotions and feelings for a friend could get twisted and distorted. It would have been easy for him to misread something in her manner or expression at the time. That had to be it. Then he decided that delusions weren't really as helpful and comforting as he thought they would be.

Three days later he couldn't put it off any longer and began preparing the alter. He'd done this before. Fallen Rangers in the past he was close to. This was different and he wasn't sure why but it was. Just as he was about to light the candle someone knocked on his door. His heart seized. Only one person ever did that. Usually when she didn't want to talk to him about something and hoped he either wasn't home or wouldn't hear the knock or when she was afraid she was disturbing him. He had to smile at the fact that she didn't realize he knew those were her reasons and he could tell by the way she knocked which it was. Still he wouldn't get his hopes up only to have them crushed that it was someone else. He did not rise to answer the door.

"Come in." This way he could continue the ritual if it were not her. He did not look up as the door closed and his visitor entered. He still did not look up and they said nothing, just sat across from him on the floor. She didn't know specifically what he was doing but she had a very good idea why and was kicking herself for being the cause of it. She could feel his anxiety and his fear. For a telepath he was broadcasting his emotions rather loudly. She heard his thoughts from the hall. She knew he was doing this ritual for her, though he did not want to. He still did not look up and she did not speak. She reached over and took the lighter from his hand and put it down on the alter without a word. Then she waited for him to look up. When he did not she moved to sit next to him and lifted his head to meet her eye.

He would not meet her eye. All of this had to be a trick. His mind spinning something to keep reality at bay. Things did not work out for him like this and he was not even sure what things he was dealing with at this point so he could only go with what he knew for certain. She was his friend and she was gone. She caught those last three words and knew she had to do something to end this madness.

"I am here." When he did not answer or look at her she pulled him close and rested his head on her shoulder. She would wait for him to believe but first she would give him a little push.

~I am here~ and she stroked his hair while she waited for him to believe. This was the hardest thing she'd ever experienced. Knowing that she was the cause of inflicting pain and distress on him did not sit well with her at all. It distressed her and she could not help herself. Her thoughts at this point were just as loud as his when she was in the hall. [What have I done!] She did not realize that she was moved to tears by their collective pain but she was. And she did not realize until he finally lifted his head to look at her that he had shed tears of his own.

~I am sorry. Forgive me.~

~Why? What did you do?~

~Disappointed you. Hurt you. Caused you distress and pain. I am sorry.~

He could feel her agitation increasing the more she communicated and he had to stop it. He reached over and pulled her close to him and held her back.

~It alright. I'm just glad you're back. Nothing else matters.~ He felt some of the agitation decrease but the guilt, distress and something else he did not know or could not name did not. This time he shifted her so that she was resting against him. Only after some time were they both quieted enough to attempt to speak. He was happy she was safe and returned. He tried not to think about the way she felt in his arms and dismissed that thought as inappropriate for a friend. Finally he leaned down,

"Are you alright?" He would not swear but he thought she leaned in closer before she answered.

"I am now." No mistake, he was absolutely certain that time. His heart skipped a beat or two as he wasn't quite sure what that meant or what to do about it but he definitely thought it was a good sign.

"Are you hungry?"

She couldn't help laughing at that because she knew he was dead serious when he asked. That meant he knew her very well. She liked that.

"Yes, but I am comfortable."

His head snapped up and his gaze seem to burn a hole in her searching desperately for something. She did not know what he was looking for but also did not deny him. He completed his inspection without comment.

"Well, maybe we can find a happy medium. Really Selene, its better when you aren't hungry." He found that rather amusing but since his mood had definitely improved in the last hour she would allow him his fun at her expense.

"Alright. What exactly are you going to feed me and how long is it going to take?"

"Well, I'd hate to make you uncomfortable so how about I cook for you?"

This caused both eyebrows to shoot up and she had to pull back.

"That's very considerate of you. Um, Marcus, do you know how to cook?"

With mock indignation, "Of course I know how to cook. I'm quite good at it, I just don't really have the time. And cooking for one isn't fun."

"Ok, not to be presumptuous but how come you never offered before?"

He turned away from her but not quickly enough to hide the blush and she thought she'd hit on a sore subject of some kind. Before she could take it back he answered,

"I don't know. I guess I never thought you'd be interested in trying out my cooking. Or want me to."

"What's the first rule of Selene?"

"Food is a good thing."

"That should have been your starting point. Next, you're my friend and you have been for awhile. You have to know that I'm interested in many things. Things which include food definitely shoot straight to the top of the list. Should I offer to help? I can't cook."

He wasn't sure how to take a couple of those sentences so he resolved to file them away for another day and work on them then. The last two he could address with no problem.

"No. We won't be having a cooking lesson tonight. Besides, asking if you 'should' offer to help rather than just offering to help implies that you really don't want to and are just being polite."

She cracked up at that 'cause he saw right through her. "True. So I'll just lounge around while you hop to it. So, hop to it."

"You have to let go first."

"There's always a catch." She said that so softly he almost missed it, but he didn't.

Delenn did not like what she heard in his voice when Marcus requested the time off. She's been worried about him for the past month and knows it has something to do with Selene. She finally went to G'Kar and broached the subject so that he would understand her concern was for Marcus, not Selene's private affairs. G'Kar knew this but his words were of no comfort.

"She is working. It was an assignment and one from which she may not return." Delenn did not want to hear that at all. She feared that when Marcus shut himself away like that it was because he'd gotten some word of her condition. She could not interfere if he were performing Ish'tara which she was certain he was preparing for after Lennier informed her of certain purchases he'd made from Minbari merchants in the Zocolo. That was three days ago. She could not go to him for another four. Lennier was growing concerned about Delenn's agitated state. If she were not careful she would reveal Marcus' private struggle because Captain Sheridan was very observant, especially when it came to her.

They noted that Marcus has been off duty for the past few days with no explanation. Cause for concern as to both their safety grew when Cole's movements were carefully traced back to the Zocolo three days ago. He was seen walking with a purpose to certain merchants, then returning directly to his quarters. His purchases were later verified by members from Zack's special team. Everyone knew what those items were for and none of them wanted to hear that. It was logical to assume just whom they were intended to be used for. How he knew was a mystery until someone started to back track his activities over the past two weeks. The general consensus was that they set some kind of time for her return as a way for him to know whether she survived or not. That would explain his midnight trip to the planet, his unexplained leave of absence, and his purchases in the Zocolo. It gave no one satisfaction to come to these conclusions.

It did not take long for the watchers to learn that Selene returned. C&C sent out notice that her ship exited the jump gate and was headed to the docking bay. More than a few people decided to get visual confirmation of her return and so they made their way to various locations beyond the docking bay to see her for themselves. They didn't have to wait too long. Shortly thereafter she raced through the station and did not stop until she reached Cole's quarters. She hasn't come out since. This was a relief to everyone though it alerted them of a the serious problems they faced in watching her because of the uniqueness of her situation. Her superiors could send her anywhere at anytime and there would be no way to monitor her situation or aid with assistance. Somehow they had to find away around that. Why someone got the idea to go out to the bay and check on her ship, no one knew. Its condition was reported immediately and it was cause for great alarm.

"This is really good!"

He was pleased that she liked it and could tell it was genuine. Though, he had to remind himself of the second rule of Selene. Food is food. Nevertheless she smiled and that's when he realized how much he missed it. And her.

"Thanks, I'm glad you like it."

"Well, just don't think this is a one shot deal. Now that I know your secret I plan to exploit it. Many, many times." Then she laughed. He just looked at her silently studying her. Selene decided that since they are both alive and their friendship survived the torment she caused him, she'd get used to the bug look and ignore it. He did not know what to think or what to do about anything so he decided to do nothing. But he could not deny how much he was enjoying this. How much he enjoyed spending time with her. And, it pleased him that she seemed just as happy to spend time with him. Still, he would not make too much of it. He had plenty of experience with that kind of disappointment.

After dinner they sat on the couch quietly for several minutes. He knew he could not ask about her mission so he would not. That did not stop him from wanting to know if she were really alright. Selene sensed that he was concerned about many things. She realizes that he purposefully did not pry into why she spent the night on Draal's floor. For that and many other things, she was thankful. She also knew he was more than concerned this time and that she owed him. She had not filed her report to Vir yet but she was also aware that she would be making a report to the Council within the next few days so he would know some things anyway.

"You want to know what happened." A simple statement. This was Marcus Cole she was dealing with. No need to posture or dance.

"I try not to want more than you want to give." And he could have slammed his head into a brick wall for that one. [Will I ever learn to shut up!]

She wasn't sure how to take that and did not know if she should think on it too much or move on. They were friends. He had given her no indication that it was to be anything more than that. And since she was not even sure why that last thought popped into her head she decided to discard it completely and ignore it.

"I'm not certain but I don't think friendship works that way. Somehow things just sort of even out. Let's not keep score."

He was grateful that she let him out of it and so he simply nodded for her to continue.

"I was on Mars." Then she stopped talking and waited for him to either explode or whip out the bug look again. To her surprise, he said nothing. What he wanted to know was why Vir would send her straight through the gates of hell. And when he considered all he knew he realized how dangerous the situation truly was. Then he could not figure out, for the life of him, why the Centauri would care about what was happening in Earth Alliance.

"Should I ask why?"

She shook her head. By the way she did it he understood it was something well beyond her and that she didn't know all the reasons. Then she exhaled deeply and started fidgeting with her hands. He'd never once seen her nervous. Knowing he was partially the cause of it didn't sit well with him so he tried to lighten the mood.

"Hey, don't worry about it. I'm not going to pry."

"Its not that. I'll have to make a report to the Council but I haven't filed my report back home yet." Then she leaned back against the couch and closed her eyes. He knew whatever was there wasn't good. He knew about the Technomages but they were all gone. What else could be the problem? He reached over and took her hand as a sign that he was there for her. It was such an easy and unconscious gesture it made him stop and think for a minute. He had no fear that she would refuse him or think it strange. Then he added that thought and observation to the list of things he would not think about.

She turned her head toward him, opened her eyes just a smidge, and smiled while holding his hand back.

"I still have to sort through most of the information. There is much I do not understand and much more that makes no sense. I can offer no concrete proof for some of it."

He has no clue what that means and doesn't try to hide his confusion. He knows she's not trying to be difficult. She's just overwhelmed and probably exhausted.

"Really, we don't have to talk about it tonight. Know that I'm curious but I'm also not going to pressure you. Right now, anyway." Then he laughs. "Seriously, its fine. You must be tired, I didn't mean to keep you up."

He said it but he really didn't mean to imply that it was alright for her to leave. She was gone for over a month and he had no idea where she was or if she'd be back. He really didn't consider 3 hours nearly enough quality time but he wouldn't say those things. Selene wasn't actually in any hurry to get up and go anywhere. She was quite comfortable where she was but if he wanted her to leave she would. On some level, her instincts said he didn't but she convinced herself they were incorrect.

~you're not keeping me but if you've got something else to do, I'll get out of your way.~

That was a bit much for him. He was on sensory overload. The soft caress of her inside his mind definitely impaired his judgment and common sense because he reacted without thinking.

~don't go.~ Then he pulled her close and simply held her. Friend or not, he couldn't deny that it felt good. And that's when is body reconnected with his brain and complete mortification set in. He had no idea what he'd done or why and he started trying to think of a way out of or around it. Nothing came to mind in those first few seconds and grade A genuine panic attack was about to set in. Before he could experience a proper melt down, she put her arms around him and leaned in closer. He did not know what that meant. He would not think about it or try to understand it. All he would do is be grateful and content himself with these moments of Delight.

Both were surprised to wake up the next morning only to find that they had fallen asleep on the couch. Neither wanted to think about the position they were in and simply moved on to morning pleasantries. And neither seemed to notice that they weren't actually doing much about altering their position in any way.

"Hey."

"Hey."

Selene is wondering what happened to the rest of her mental faculties and wonders if she's suffering from a general or specific strain of stupid. Marcus is pretty much thinking the same thing about himself but they both manage to rise to the challenge of avoidance and evasion.

"I better go check in with G'Kar. He never thinks I'm going to come back from these assignments."

"Does he have reason to think that?"

She knew she should end the conversation but she also knew he had a right to know and she wasn't going to lie to him.

"Yes."

"How often?"

Her hesitation gave him all the answer he needed but still he waited.

"Every time."

He said nothing but tried to digest what he heard. Why? Why would Vir do that to her? He wouldn't ask Entil'Zha why and he wouldn't refuse so he knew why she accepted them.

"I have skills." She looked away quickly and busied herself inspecting the wall. There was nothing else she could say and did not want to destroy the peace that they managed to create between them. She would not have him thinking the worst every time she left the station. Nor would she give him cause to terminate their friendship. Before she could find a way to fix it, he cut in. Marcus understood everything she just said and didn't say. He knew who he was dealing with even if he didn't know ALL of her skills, the ones he did know about were sufficient reason for Vir to send her out on these kinds of assignments.

"Selene, don't apologize and don't worry. We are friends. We have strange and unusual jobs, but we are still friends. No matter what."

She hadn't realized just how much she needed to hear that. She'd pretty much mentally worked herself up for him thinking the worst.

"Thank you. It means a lot."

"Good. Now, you should get going. G'Kar will want to see you with his own eyes and then I believe you have a secret report to construct."

She couldn't help giggling at the way he phrased that last part since she didn't give him any real information last night.

"True. It'll take some time."

He didn't want to push his luck but he also wanted to see her later so he didn't think about it and asked,

"Do you want to get together later?"

"Yes."

No matter how much time they spent together, since the Gathering it always makes him do an internal double take when she simply says yes knowing that he's asking because he wants to spend time with her and not just to do something. He isn't used to that. He is also determined not to get used to that because things like that always lead to pain for him.

"Ok. How about 18:00?"

"Sure. What are we doing?"

"It's a surprise." She just looked at him with an expression that said 'remember the Nicians' then shook her head.

"Surprise me all you want but there better be...."

"Food included. Yes, Selene. I know the routine." Then they both laugh as he releases her and she stands.

"Just checking." When they reach the door there is a brief moment of mutual hesitation. Both seem to decide that a hug between friends is both appropriate and completely in order considering the circumstances. And both seem to realize that their friendly hug turned into an embrace unconsciously so they pull apart quickly thinking they each imposed it on the other. To cover the moment as he opens the door,

"I'm glad you're back."

"Me too."

G'Kar said nothing at first. He simply looked at her. That was all it took for him to know that this assignment, more so than the others was almost her last. He could tell that she split the hair between life and death on this one razor thin and did not like it. But, he also knew that he could do nothing about it. Instead he smiled at her warmly and genuinely,

"I am glad to see you DID return in one piece."

"Sir, we've talked about that." Then she laughed. "Yes. I'm glad to be back. Were there any problems? Anyone get out of line?"

"No, everything ran smoothly. We have gotten two more groups in since you left and everyone's making the adjustments. Truladi isn't the leader you are, but the others seemed to sense they should behave in your absence."

"Quit buttering me up. I gotta go prepare my report. Uh, I'm gonna have to make another report to the Council at some time. Could you see about getting me on the agenda?"

That's when G'Kar remembers, "Actually, before that happens you need to make an appointment with Captain Sheridan as soon as possible. He tried to contact you but did not realize you had already left the station before his return."

"Tell me I'm not in trouble."

G'Kar laughed, "No. Not this time, but I'm sure its bound to happen some time in the future."

"You're such an optimist. I'm going home now."

It was no surprise that she would meet with G'Kar after leaving Cole's quarters so everyone was in place. It was a surprise that they spent the night in seclusion. Well, until everyone considered that he was on his third night of Ish'tara when she returned. Something like that is unusual and probably takes considerable time to work through.

Selene checked her messages and saw that the captain had contacted her on the day he returned from Minbar. She wasted no time getting back to him and agreed to meet within the ½ hour. Selene had absolutely no idea what he would want with her, considering who he is. She really has no idea how to play this so she figures she'll let him lead and she'll just follow. When Captain Sheridan finally stopped talking she couldn't decide if she was still suffering from the prior effects of stupid or if she lost her ability for higher reasoning. There was no possible way that she heard what he just said. Instead of responding, she just stared at him blankly waiting for the actual conversation to begin because she obviously had some kind of hallucination.

"Selene?"

"Yes, sir."

"Are you going to answer the question?"

[Yes, I am definitely losing chunks of my memory in place of these hallucinations. He asked me some question regarding the Narns and I did not hear him because I am suffering from some neural dysfunction.]

"I beg your pardon sir. What was the question?" Now Sheridan is looking at her strangely until he start to get a clue and smiles.

"Will you join the War Council as we prepare for the liberation of Earth?"'

She's not sure how these things work so she merely tilts her head to the side. Her vision is not impaired, her breathing is normal, and her pulse rate seems fine. Definitely not a heart attack. She considers a stroke because the brain is still a mystery to many in science and medicine and there could be some parts they still are not familiar enough with to understand what happens when they shut down. Satisfied that she isn't suffering from a stroke she rights her head and continues to look at him blankly without responding. John Sheridan has become a master at patience. He decides to let her work through all the possibilities in her head. He's convinced that she's convinced herself she is suffering from some physical or mental ailment and is simply searching for symptoms.

Its not a question of whether she would do it. If they actually think she has anything to contribute to their group even if its being the one to run errands or pour coffee, she'll do it. She just can't imagine why they'd think she has anything to contribute. She decides not to question it or search for reasons. She also realizes that she's made a complete idiot out of herself so she better answer before he rescinds the offer.

"Yes."

She says nothing else and asks for no other instructions, information or clarification. As far as she's concerned, he'll tell her what he wants her to know when he wants her to know it. Plus, she's pretty sure he's questioning her intellectual capacity at this point. So, she just waits. He's wondering why she does not ask any questions.

"Alright. We meet tomorrow in the War Room. 13:00. You know the way. I'll have Susan forward you reports to get caught up on in the meantime. Is there anything else?"

"Yes. I have a report to make."

That surprises him. She's only been on the Council 37 seconds. "The nature of your report?"

"To advise you all on the information I gathered during my latest mission."

When she says nothing else he asks nothing else. Considering what she reported the last time, and what she tried to report the time before that, he's certain it will be a doosy. Delenn finally confessed that she was worried about Marcus because Selene had been gone so long and that G'Kar stated she might not return from this one. It does peak his curiosity for whatever she knows.

"Fine. Then I look forward to hearing it then."

"Thank you, sir."

Back in her quarters, Selene wades through all the information she has. Her mission report must go by courier but she feels that this report is too time sensitive to wait. Technically, she's already agreed because she did not feel like she could put Captain Sheridan on hold and she did not think she should refuse the offer. She had no idea why except that she should not. When she looked up on the screen she saw both their faces scrunched up and smiling.

"Hello!"

"This is a treat, both of you at once."

"Well, you rarely ever call. Oh wait, you've NEVER called. We figure its an occasion. What's up?"

"First, don't worry I'm finishing my designs and should have the blue prints ready to send out some time tomorrow for your review and inspection."

"That's good to know."

"The reason I called is because I was offered a seat on the Board of Directors and I accepted."

"Excuse me?" Vir's wide eyed but Tafali's not saying anything and he's wearing the poker face.

"Yes. Our business associate informed me that the Chairman of the Board tried to set up an appointment with me several weeks ago, but I was obviously out of town. We met this morning and the offer was extended. I did not feel it my place to put the Chairman on hold and I also did not think my accepting would detract from our efforts. In fact, I believe that it would merely enhance our development."

He's still a bit surprised by all of this but pulls it together as he surfs through Selene's coded message. Finally, all he can say was,

"That sounds fine. Keep me updated on the project and any way we can be of assistance."

"Thank you."

When the transmission ended Vir turned to Tafali and waited for his comments since Vir just KNEW he had comments.

"First, I'll start with I told you so. That may not be the most mature response but it's the truth so cut me some slack."

"Tafali, what specifically are you gloating over? Or is this a general gloat?"

"Ha. They know she's connected and they're bringing her in. It doesn't have anything to do with the mission or anything she may or may not have found out. Captain Sheridan wanted to speak with her before he even knew she left. Yeah, she's a part of whatever's going down or whatever is coming."

Vir thought about that for awhile, "Agreed. Evidence keeps presenting itself to support your theories. This means that we can't keep sending her out. Someone else is going to have to do that from now on. I wonder what she found out this time?"

"Who knows. But considering that you sent her through the backdoor to hell, I'd say she's just lucky to still be alive."

"Are you saying this one was too much for her or that I went too far?"

"I'm not saying either because I don't know all the reasons."

"Yeah. But it was necessary and I'm certain she gathered useful information."

"Ok. If she sends it out tomorrow, we'll have it by the evening after that and can look at it for ourselves. I'm not sure who else we've got who can take her place. Let me look it over and see."

Lennier felt compelled to gather as much specific information as he could and prepare a report for Delenn on the situation for two reasons. Captain Sheridan informing her that Selene returned and agreed to join the Council merely gave her a few moment's of relief. Both of them were certain that if she did not return it would be detrimental to Marcus' well being. However, Delenn knowing that she returned did not help calm her worries about the two of them forming a relationship. Sensing that Delenn was torn between going immediately to inform Marcus of her return and waiting to find out if Selene had bothered to contact him, Lennier knew he had to intervene.

"You are absolutely sure?" She was agitated and excited at the same time.

"Yes. We can imagine that the situation was extremely delicate. He was within the third day of Ish'tara when she returned. No matter the depth of their friendship, it is reasonable that there would be much to discuss and deal with."

She chews on those words for a few moments remembering her own feelings when John went to Z'ha'dum and not wishing them on anyone, especially not Marcus.

"You are right. Did you learn anything else?" She knows he did by the hesitation and the look of displeasure at both the information and having to report it.

"She will be in need of a new ship before her next mission." He did not wish to give these details.

"You know much. Tell me everything."

"One of the engines is no longer a part of the ship. There are several hull breaches. It appears to have been in a major battle of some kind. Massive damage from weapons fire. Phase, pulse, laser, and cannon. I have no idea how many different ships were firing at her but the variety of weapons suggests quite a few."

"In Valen's name. What could she possibly have been doing to attract that kind of attention? And Where? I do not understand how Vir could send her into something like that."

"I am unfamiliar with the specific particulars of their Order but there are many similarities, don't you think Entil'Zha?"

Delenn does not miss that dig but decides to ignore it completely.

"Well, it is a good thing for both their sakes that she is now a member of the Council. They can hardly send her out on an assignment like that again."

Lennier got the distinct impression that if they tried, they would be getting a call from Delenn.

At exactly 18:00, her door chimed and she could not help but smile at both his promptness and his presence. Then she decided that last thought was irrelevant and dismissed it.

"Right on time."

"I aim to please."

"Ok, so where are we going? And there better not be strange entertainment involved."

"Come on."

She didn't say anything but seriously wondered if they were going to hang out in the shuttle bay all evening until he pointed to his shuttle and told her to get in. [Ah, we're going for a ride. Wow.]

"I heard that, smarty pants."

Caught, she could only laugh and settle in. She noticed they headed for White Star 2 and figured she'd just relax and let things play out. She was on board before but that was not the time to explore. She was on the bridge the entire time and there was just too much going on. It was a war ship. Granted, the first time she saw it she thought it looked like some crystal figurine or a piece of sculpted art, not a war ship. But she had no idea. He mentioned that there was a chapel on board and that made perfect sense to her. But this was amazing. She could not and did not try to hide her expression of delight as she moved around. Vir would not think it practical and Tafali would laugh that it was out of place but she thought it made perfect sense. Never in her wildest dreams would she think someone would actually design a garden on a war ship. She smiled openly, almost like a child. Marcus couldn't believe her reaction. He wanted to show her something different and for some reason, he felt she would appreciate it but he never expected her to be this enraptured. She was like a child seeing something wonderful for the first time. But when she turned to him his breath caught in his throat,

"Thank you. I never...this is a surprise."

He wasn't sure he could speak. She looked so beautiful and happy, he decided she should always look like that. But the look she gave him, Marcus would not believe what he saw was real. It was nothing more than his imagination. His secret desires projected so he pushed it aside.

"I can't take credit for it, but I'm glad you like it."

"I do. Can we look around?"

"Absolutely, we can spend the evening her if you like."'

"Definitely." When he reached out and took her hand, Selene felt her pulse race and prayed that her palms wouldn't sweat or that she wouldn't do anything that registered on the idiot scale. They were friends going for a walk in a garden. Its not like they never held hands before. There was no cause to read anymore into the gesture as anything other than the simple actions of a friend.

Anla'Shok gather information. It is what they do. They also monitor certain situations so that they are able to contain the spread of information. The bridge crew of White Star 2 knew what they saw during the Gathering even if they decided that they actually did not see anything. So when Selene and Marcus came on board, they decided to watch everything to decide if they saw anything or not. They knew he had been on board earlier and that he requested use of the garden that evening. No one else was using it, it was not a hardship or an inconvenience. They watched very closely over their monitors and found this very informative. Until they were informed that Entil'Zha was coming on board. Then they switched off the monitors and returned to their other duties. When Delenn asked and was informed that Marcus and Selene were in the garden and had been for some time she was very pleased with that information. [all appears to be well. perhaps I should just make sure.]

So, the bridge got the unspoken message when Entil'Zha glanced at them nonchalantly then moved over to the com station and switched the monitor to view the garden. They said nothing and did not react. They remained silent but covertly observed her to gage her opinion on the matter.

"A picnic in a garden. This is a surprise Marcus Cole. A lovely one."

He was about to burst from the praise and the fact that he could tell she was genuinely pleased. When he glanced up to say something to her their eyes met and neither could look away. They would both be mortified if they knew they had an audience. About the same time, they both sensed that they were staring and turned away from each other nervously. Then they just sort of stood around not looking at each other for a few very long minutes. This time Selene recovered first,

"Well, it is a picnic, I suppose we should eat."

"Yeah, that was the general idea. Also the major requirement for the evening's entertainment." He laughed and she was relieved that he hadn't picked up on her mistake earlier so she laughed with him and they sat down to eat.

The crew was quickly able to determine Entil'Zha's feelings on the matter as she looked on attentively. She smiled knowingly and nodded her head in a manner that said all was well. They definitely had her stamp of approval. There was a moment when Delenn was visibly concerned. She was elated that the attraction was mutual and that the feelings were more than platonic. That much was obvious when they let down their guards. The problem was, they rarely let down their guards. And the few moments of complete openness that could have truly set their relationship on the right path were not even acknowledged. She could tell that neither of them is aware of the other's feelings but that it is more than that. Neither of them is willing to believe the other's feelings so they remain silent. Understanding the delicate nature of the situation from Marcus' perspective she knows not to push them. She is quite aware that he will not expose himself to hurt or rejection anymore after he was so open with his feelings in the past.

She does not know Selene but she begins to suspect the real reason for her apparent shyness and unwillingness to believe that Marcus is interested in her. This is completely unfamiliar territory for her. Delenn is almost certain that Selene has never been in this position before and that her utter lack of experience is the reason for her unsureness. That makes Delenn smile just a touch as she remembered her own situation. These new facts help her with a specific course of action. She will not interfere directly. She will merely find opportunities for the two of them to spend time together because she is confident they will gain confidence in their own feelings and recognize those of the other. [and if they do not, I have many alternatives.]

"This is a lot of food. Are you trying to tell me something?"

"Nope just wanted to provide you with many opportunities for joy and pleasure."

Selene looks over at him and can't help but smile. "Thank you. I think I'm developing a serious affinity for Minbari food. Ok, I only had it the one time before but I really like it." Then she tasted some of the vegetables and looked up at him quizzically.

"Its called Flarn."

"Ok. I had some the night of the Nician massacre. This doesn't taste anything like that. How come?"

"Easy. The food on the White Stars is better than on the station."

"Then why do you eat on the station?"

"Cause I live on the station. Would you have me shuttle up for every meal?"

Selene isn't about to mention that for food this good, yes she'd spent the 8 minutes in the shuttle to eat. But she also realizes she might not have the best credibility in that area considering the second rule of Selene so she let that go.

"No, I guess not." For some reason she found that funny.

After they finish eating and put everything away they lay on the blanket staring up at the ceiling. Then Selene thinks of something.

"I met with Captain Sheridan today."

"Really, why?"

"He left a message while I was gone that he wanted to see me. He asked me to join the Council."

That was news to Marcus. He could see how that could be beneficial to both sides considering her recent mission but no one else knew where she went. He considered her individual skills and knowledge so yeah, he could see it. Except none of them knew. Then he thought about the Gathering. For some reason, she's connected to them. It only makes sense to bring her in. But he smells PLAN in this and is absolutely convinced this is the hand of Delenn moving. Then he considers that if she joins they will have more time to spend together and he'll have more legitimate reasons. But the best reason would be that Vir would have to stop sending her out on these crazy suicide missions. He saw Lennier going to the docking bay where her ship was and waited until he returned. Then he went to take a look for himself and couldn't believe it. His heart nearly stopped when he thought about how close she was to not coming back.

"Did you give him an answer?"

"I said yes. I don't know why he asked and I didn't ask. I don't know what he thinks I can bring to the team but I'll do whatever I'm asked."

"Good. I'm glad, it was the right decision. And, we both know you have...skills that will benefit the team throughout the war."

Marcus could tell he was going to have to bring Selene back to the garden often. He knew she would never ask but the look in her eye and her expression screamed, this was her spot. That was just fine with him. Anytime he could put that look on her face he'd gladly do it. Four hours after picking her up, Marcus dropped Selene back at her quarters. He had a great time and couldn't wait to do it again. Then he reminded himself it was not a date. They were simply two friends spending time together.

Selene wasn't so sure how the others would react to her joining their happy little family so she decided today would be a really good day to stand behind G'Kar. She wasn't very subtle when she showed up ½ hour before the meeting to 'hang out'. He understood what she was feeling so he said nothing and they headed off together.

The first thing she immediately picked up on is their relaxed attitude toward each other. They're discussing serious topics and making serious decisions but that does not stop them from a laugh or a smile and she likes that. She still kind of feels like an outsider since Marcus and G'Kar are her only friends in the room. Delenn is kind and always gracious but they aren't really friends. But, she has to admit, everyone welcomed her and not one person gave the slightest indication that they did not want her there. Everything that happened before the Gathering was another life time from what happened once they stepped through that gateway and she knew it. After much of the meeting was underway the captain turned to Selene and nodded then looked back to the group.

"Selene has a report to make on what she learned during her last mission. Go ahead."

"Thank you captain. Just over a month ago I went to..."

Before she could say another word, a very distinctive throat cleared behind her and she turned around,

"No?"

"No."

"Ok."

"Why don't you and Marcus come down now."

"Should we bring chairs?" She could hear Marcus snicker and couldn't help turning to meet his eye with a grin of her own.

"Is that sass?"

"Not at all."

"Good." And with that, Draal was gone. Selene turned back to the table and couldn't help the slight eye roll. She mumbled but everybody heard,

"Why does he always wait until after I spend time writing the report to say no?"

Many things were revealed in that short conversation and everyone picked up on it. Selene keeps managing to gather significant and important information but isn't allowed to share it until its too late to change the events, which means something. Her relationship with Draal has improved to the point of inside jokes. Jokes that Marcus seems to be aware of as well. Marcus must know this information she isn't allowed to share or at least a part of it. Both of them have obviously seen Draal without any of their knowledge. Selene and Marcus are friends and somehow most of them missed out on that. Fannol says nothing but he senses they are more than friends. Susan's not sure how she feels about Draal's relationship with Selene until she identifies that as jealousy and immediately purges that. But she's wondering what the deal is between her and Marcus. So is Garibaldi. Talia picked up on Susan's thoughts and almost rolled her eyes. She's been working over time with those two and really doesn't think Susan has any cause to wonder about any other couple or potential couple when she and Fannol have their own issues.

Much louder Selene addresses the captain,

"Captain, I'm sorry to disrupt your meeting but as you heard, I won't be reporting today. And I need to go."

"That's fine, we understand."

As she gets up from the table she turns to G'Kar,

"Sir, I'll check in with you when I return."

"Alright."

As they head toward the door Selene stops and looks at Marcus, "You gotta drive."

"Yeah, I know. We'll talk about that later."

"Fine. Something tells me this is gonna take awhile. I'm stopping for snacks on the way out."

"Sound good to me. I'll grab the chairs."

No one's sure what's going on or what that conversation between Selene and Marcus was all about. Delenn is concerned that it rises to the level of what she had to share before. Garibaldi asks what they're all thinking,

"What was that about?"

No one knew. Then they all seem to remember the one person who absolutely positively without a doubt always knows everything and swing their heads over in Stephen's direction. He's gotten tired of the impassive look over the years. Now he just shrugs and says don't ask when they want to know something. He's noticed they don't always ask questions but hope if they all stare at him long enough he'll throw out a bone.

"They knows stuff and their not allowed to tell. Draal's keeping them quiet." Michael just looks at him and even Talia and Sheridan have to scrunch up their faces in disbelief,

"That's the part of the story we all figured out on our own. I meant the other stuff."

"Oh. I can't tell you." Everybody just groaned and went back to what they were doing.

There was some concern when the door opened and the two on everybody's most watched list leave the War Room ahead of schedule. Lennier already informed Mai'lenn that Selene was now a member of the Council so they knew she wasn't simply giving her report and leaving. They seemed relaxed and comfortable as they split up in different directions. No one was sure why Marcus Cole was carrying two folding chairs and Selene was purchasing snacks from one of the Minbari food stands when the others were still in the meeting. As they headed to the shuttle bay someone contacted C&C to make Corwin aware and to make sure he monitored where the shuttle went. There were really only two possibilities. Confirmation went out that they went down to the planet. Since everyone else on the Council knew of their whereabouts they would continue to monitor the situation but not be alarmed.

Two days later Delenn was becoming distressed. Draal only kept her there 24 hours the last time. What could possibly merit this kind of seclusion? She did not like it in the least. The captain knew the woman he loved and he knew how much she cared about Marcus. He could never really tell the true nature of their relationship. Some times it was like siblings, some times it was parental. Some times it was something he could not identify. There were times when Marcus seemed to be the parent and others when Delenn took that role. Some times she was the older sister some times she was the one being scolded. But their protectiveness of one another was unmistakable. And, it was instantaneous on their meeting. Within less than a week they were inseparable. Ever since Fannol and Susan had their unusual reunion, he knew that she was extremely concerned by his lack of response or reaction. He also knew that she has taken it upon herself to be the guardian of his happiness and the protector of his heart.

He now looks at her idea to bring Selene onto the Council in a new light. "Plan, that's what it was from the very beginning. A slight misdirection since everything she said was true, but her motives are much more clear now." He's not mad or even concerned. Garibaldi got plenty of reports from when they were at Tuzanor. He also had some interesting information from much further back than that. According to his sources, Selene and Marcus have been spending a considerable amount of time together for several months. How far back was unclear but reports confirmed that it included the time Fannol was with the Vorlons. "Which would explain why he didn't have a reaction to Susan and Fannol. He'd already gotten over her and moved on." It seems that whatever the nature of their relationship is, they do not care to share it with anyone. They don't advertise that they spend time together or are even friends but they aren't actively hiding it. He sees nothing wrong with that and hopes that everything works out well for Marcus. He sincerely hopes that if they are meant to be together romantically, they are. He wishes them well but its really for his own selfish reasons. He is well aware Delenn will not let this go. She intends to see Marcus Cole happy in a committed and loving relationship or die trying. Its that last part that'll get in the way of his plans.

On the third day as they're secure in the shuttle and taking off, "It wasn't the snacks that ticked him off, it was the chairs."

"How can you possibly say that?! At least the chairs lasted all 3 days. We ran out of food the first night."

"How was I supposed to know he's got a vindictive streak? Pushy, snippy, condescending, and overbearing yes. Vindictive, not a clue."

"Well, its not like we starved. He's actually got a pretty good set up down there. Most of it seems to be wasted on Zathras, he doesn't seem impressed."

She laughed at that, "No, he doesn't.

Everyone was alerted almost at once when the shuttle lifted off from the planet. It was anybody's guess and a toss up as to who was more relieved they were back. From the demeanor of everyone on the Council, that was not normal or expected. And it was clear none of them could go in search of them or interfere with whatever was happening down there. When Selene and Marcus returned to the station, everyone watched them. They watched as Marcus checked in with Delenn and Selene went to G'Kar. From the less than 5 minutes they were with either it was very likely neither gave any details of what occurred on the planet. Then, they each went about their respective duties.

Vir and Tafali were very concerned when no courier brought her report and they could not contact her. After speaking with G'Kar the only thing they knew was that she was safe and unharmed but detained for the moment. When G'Kar said no more, Vir got the message and figured where she was. He wondered if she'd show up with another Vorlon this time then dismissed it. They weren't prepared for her oral report 2 days later.

"Come again?"

"The project has been scrapped. I can't finish the designs or the blue prints because there won't be a building or construction."

"And you know this because?"

"Our people are not licensed or certified for this. The Board isn't either. Basically, the project's a no go."

She had no idea if they were following her on this or not 'cause she was making up code as she went along. Tafali finally spoke,

"And the one who's in charge of issuing the licenses or certification can't be persuaded?"

"Nope."

"Perhaps we could get around him or her by going over their head to the top."

"There is no one above this one. We're already dealing with the top. The project is dead."

That pretty much summed it all up for Tafali. He loved getting more information to support his growing theories about Selene but he really wanted to know what she found out. On a side note, he thought it was really cool that she kept getting told to shut up by the Universe. Even if it isn't the best conversation, its still a conversation. He wasn't sure how Vir was going to respond so he turned to him,

"Well, if we can't get a permit, we can't get a permit. Carry on. I'm sure you're going to have plenty more projects to work on. Accept anything the Board hands out if you can. And keep us updated when you can."

"Thank you."

When the transmission ended Vir did not even bother turning around. "Don't say it. When you gloat it is so immature and unbecoming."

"I wasn't going to say a word. I'm wondering what we're going to do. We can't send anyone else in for the same reason she can't file the report."

"We move on to the next thing on our list and keep our eyes open."

All was relatively quiet for Babylon 5 for the next few days. Then things started to change slightly. Early on they noticed that Selene and Marcus required closer monitoring in the evening and late at night because it was impossible to tell when one of them would start having restless nights. Zack and Mai'lenn were thankful that they made these arrangements or they might have missed what was unfolding. Zack had taken to wandering the station late at night doing a light security check before the Shadow attack when he felt something was going to happen. That was how he was able to confirm his suspicions by watching Marcus flee the station in distress. Now, he and Mai'lenn take turns but somehow, they both seem to know when there is something going on.

It was the third night in a row that she took the same route through the station, then ended up in the stone garden as usual. She seemed anxious, confused and agitated. No one was sure what this meant so they continued to watch closely. They were mindful of what happened the last time she was moved to go there. This went on for another week without incident or any trips to the planet. This really did not give any of them cause for relief because they were well aware that Stephen was silently watching her from a discrete distance. During the second week her routine changed and that caused more than a few of them to seriously question what was happening with her or what was going to happen to her. She went to the Observation Dome late at night. Captain Sheridan was the only one who did that and they knew it was not a good sign of things to come. They reassured themselves that she was not Captain Sheridan but things started to take a turn for the worse. Stephen walked right into the Dome and sat on the bench not 3 feet away from her. He did not speak to her or even acknowledge her presence. She never turned around. She stood there looking out and he sat there watching her for hours. Then she turned and walked back to her quarters as if she'd never seen him.

She did not know what any of this was about. She did not know what was happening to her or why she was feeling these things. All she knew was that she was restless and felt ill at ease. She had no way to confirm her suspicions or belief that it was the station but she was 100% certain that the place was haunted and haunting her. She was also trapped. She had not purchased a new ship yet and did not have a shuttle so she could not visit Draal again. Plus, if she did it would call attention to her travels there and she knew the others would report her actions and behavior to Vir and Tafali. She had no idea why she didn't want that to happen except that she did not want anyone to know. She also did not want to give them any cause to remove her. Yes, she was on the Council, but if they knew she were wandering the station in the middle of the night and going to the forbidden planet without reporting what was down there she was certain they would think her crazy and in need of attention. She was going out of her mind and it was starting to show. Zack and Mai'lenn wondered how long it would be before she started to feel like a caged animal. They knew since her ship was taken by salvage that her shuttle was also destroyed. They both assumed that whatever was happening within her, the others of her group were not to know. They could not intervene yet so they continued to watch and wait.

Not much got by Michael Garibaldi. Well, except for the fact that he had a security detail of his own and constant watchers. But aside from that, he saw everything else. After Draal's appearance in the War Room and that exchange between Selene and Marcus his interest was peaked. He knew that whatever she found they were not to know about so he refrained from trying to research that. He wondered why they had to take Marcus' shuttle so he went out to her ship on a hunch. He couldn't believe what he was seeing and wondered how she managed to survive let alone make it back to the station in one piece. That's when he considered just how serious the information she gathered might be. He got a report from Stephen's guards that he was sneaking by them again. Michael issued the same directive Mai'lenn did when he was secretly going to visit Kosh, "Let him think he lost you but keep him in sight and don't let him see you." Garibaldi wasn't too sure what to think when they said he was watching Selene so he asked what she was doing. The answer and how long it had been going on did not sit well with him at all. That's when decided to take a walk late one night and see for himself. That's when he saw her in the Observation Dome and Stephen sitting on the bench. Whatever it was, he didn't think it was good. Once Stephen's guards said something like this happened he required a full report. That's when he learned Stephen was watching her the night before she left on her mission. He knew he would have to update the captain but something told him to wait a little bit longer. He had no idea what he was seeing but he knew what category it fell under.

Marcus knew she wasn't sleeping. He strongly suspected that whatever she learned during the mission wasn't the entire reason for her behavior. He never asked her why she left the station to camp out on Draal's floor all night but he was certain her recent behavior was connected to it. Stephen's constant watching her was definite cause for concern as far as Marcus was concerned but that wasn't all. He saw the way she paced. It was as if she were trapped in a cage or trying to claw her way out of a cell. Marcus wasn't sure but he got the feeling that it was the station she felt she needed to get away from desperately. She hadn't purchased another ship yet or even a shuttle. That meant she didn't want the others from Z'al to know. Then he figured she didn't want them to find out about the planet and that's why she wouldn't risk trying to go down there. He figured it was time to intervene quickly but wasn't sure the best way to handle it. One night she was in the Observation Dome pacing pack and forth obviously agitated about something. Stephen was not there and Marcus wondered about that but counted it as a good sign and moved on.

"Hey, what a surprise to see you here."

"Huh? Oh um I was just..." Deciding to deflect and go on the offensive since she really couldn't answer that question,

"What are you doing here? Or up this late anyway?"

Marcus saw right through that but cut her some slack, "I have to go up to White Star 2 and do some work. Its going to take me the rest of the night. This was me taking the long way to the shuttle bay."

"Oh. Well that makes sense."

"Hey, since you're up anyway, do you want to come up? Like I said, I've got a few things to do but you could hang out in the garden while I work and I'll meet you later."

If Selene had any idea how open her expression was she would have run into the night screaming. The look of gratitude, relief, and desperation tore at his heart. He knew that whatever she was going through was tearing her apart on the inside.

Recovering, not so quickly, "Yeah, that would be nice." It was all she could do not to drag him off to the shuttle bay.

White Star 2 was naturally concerned when they got the hail that Marcus was coming on board. Monitors on and Rangers watching closely, they were surprised to see Selene with him. It was the middle of the night. That was cause for concern and they watched to see if they were headed to the chapel. Relieved they did not, they still weren't sure why either was on board. What they couldn't understand is why she went to the garden and he went to the crew quarters. White Star 2 had only had an opportunity to monitor her behavior twice. The first was shocking and a great surprise considering they did not know who she was. The second caused one or two knowing looks and smirks among the crew because they knew exactly what that was about. They weren't concerned. And after observing Entil'Zha they understood that she was not only in support of the relationship, she was eager to see it blossom. They suspected she would intervene some time soon if they did not continue satisfactorily in her opinion. They watched her in that garden and they knew trouble when they saw it. They heard about the condition of her ship. It did not take long once she had it removed for word to get out.

But that's not what held their attention and caused them to look at each other in dread for whatever was coming or whatever was going to happen to her. ½ of White Star 2's crew used to watch the captain on White Star Prime. They were well aware of what they were looking at. Someone checked on Cole and confirmed that he was sound asleep in the bunk room. They put their heads together on this one and it didn't take long to figure it out. They assumed he knew something was bothering her and used some rouse to get her up to the ship where she could work it out in private. That let them know that she must have been wandering the station and this was his attempt to shield her. It also made them aware that she did not want any of her people to know what was bothering her. Now they consider what they did not see on the bridge and are certain that others do not know she has that ability. Fine. White Star 2 is used to keeping secrets for various members of the War Council...and none of them missed that addition...they plan to add hers to the list.

The third night Marcus just "happened" to stroll by the Observation Dome on his way to the shuttle bay Selene knew what he was doing. While she appreciated it, she knew he could not continue to interrupt his sleep because she couldn't find any. She suspected that he wasn't doing any work on board the ship and never had any to do that late at night. No, she was certain that it was just a rouse so she could wander their beautiful gardens in private. She wanted to protest and say that it wasn't necessary because she did not want to impose. The absolute truth was that it was necessary. She could not stay on that station at times and something was driving her from it. She planned to purchase another ship so that she could shuttle down to the planet. Draal seemed to know when not to be snippy so she didn't think he'd hold a grudge from the chair incident. But it wasn't that. Something was driving her from the station to something specific and she did not understand why. All she knew was that the garden made her feel better even if she wasn't any better on the inside.

"I know what you are doing. I appreciate it but you can't keep doing this."

He knew she'd figure it out sooner or later but he hoped she wouldn't refuse the help just because she didn't want to inconvenience him. He could tell this was something serious and that she had no clue what was going on.

"That's what friends are for. Look, I know you don't want to talk about it and I don't want you to say anything you aren't comfortable with but we need to be honest about a few things."

That snapped her head up and she was definitely on guard.

"What are you getting at?"

"Retract the claws Selene and just listen. Its obvious that you don't want the others to know that you're going through something. Its obvious that you feel something on the station is disturbing you. You look like a wild animal caught in a trap. Anyway, you seem to need to leave the station so I have a suggestion."

She wants to deny many if not most of the things he is saying but cannot so she simply waits for him to continue and makes no comment. Marcus knows her so he knows what she's doing and simply rolls his eyes then moves on.

"Go up to White Star 2 anytime you like. You can take my shuttle tonight and I'll have another one sent down tomorrow that you can use."

She starts to protest.

"If you keep haunting the station, it won't take long for someone to find out. No one will pay any attention to the shuttle. No one will even know you're on it."

"Its not right. If Entil'Zha found out I.."

"Don't worry about it. I haven't spoken to her and I won't say anything. The crew hasn't said anything. And, trust me, she would not mind in the least. Nor would she say anything."

There was no way out of it. She could not refuse the lifeline he was handing her and they both know it.

"Thank you."

"Come on, I'll walk you to the shuttle bay. I already told them to expect you."

"Presumptuous!"

"Confident!" They both laughed and walked off.

When Marcus returned from the shuttle bay heading back to his quarters without Selene, Garibaldi contacted C&C to confirm the destination of his shuttle. He knew it could only be going down to the planet or to White Star 2. For Marcus to have turned over one of the shuttles to her and sent her up there alone it meant that he had serious concerns and knew some of what was going on. It also meant he knew she had to work through it on her own. After the 5th consecutive night of Selene heading up to White Star 2, Garibaldi contacted them to ask what she was doing. Their hesitation confirmed they were keeping a secret or two of hers as well so he rephrased the question,

"Is she in the garden or the chapel?" That question made them feel a little more comfortable plus they knew they had to answer him. Truthfully, he could just come up and look for himself.

"The garden." And when they would say nothing else, he understood that they saw the same thing up there that he saw on the station. He knew it was time to inform the captain.

John Sheridan really wasn't sure what was going on or what to make of anything Michael just said. They both came to the conclusion that whatever it was, was about her and had nothing to do with Z'al. That explained why she was trying to hide it from them. And, they both guessed that Marcus had some knowledge of it. Neither were sure what to do about it or even if they could help.

"I don't know if this has anything to do with what she found out during her last mission or not but its obviously not sitting well with her."

"Yeah, about that last mission. Her ship was totaled. I have no idea how she got it back here or even how it survived the jump gate."

"What do you mean? Specifically." He doesn't like that at all.

"I don't know what went down specifically, but she was in a hell of a battle. I'd say at least 5 or 6 different ships were firing on her by the different types of weapons." Then he stopped.

"What else? Because I know there's more."

"Let's not speculate because of Draal's orders but some of the damage was caused by an Earth Force Destroyer."

"In Valen's name. What..." Then he stopped and sat back quietly thinking through what he'd just learned.

"How long has Stephen been watching her?"

Michael's caught off guard by the change in direction but knows the captain is working something out, "Consistently for about 2 weeks before she started going up to White Star 2. He hasn't made any house calls yet so we can assume its not time for whatever is going to happen to happen. Prior to this, I have confirmation that he watched her the night before she left on that obvious mission to hell."

"Alright, obviously she and Marcus are trying to hide this from everyone for some reason. From what you say, so is White Star 2. Let's let them have their privacy. It'll just have to play itself out."

None of Selene's worries are sitting well with Marcus. The crew updates him and he is to know if she ever moves from the garden to the chapel. They weren't really too enthused by that. He really didn't care. Now he's wondering if what he knows about her is part of the problem. He wonders if not telling her is actually adding to her situation and its driving him crazy. He also doesn't know what any of it means. And he's wondering about some things he's managed not to think about for a long time. To top it all off, he's getting that feeling again. It won't go away and he can't shake it. He just knows the change is coming and its worse than anything he's felt before. Not wanting to attract Stephen's attention or anyone else's for that matter, he decides to take a ride of his own. He doesn't want to go up to the ship because he does not want her to think he is checking up on her so he goes to the only other place he knows. He's really hoping there won't be any snide comments or hard feelings this time.

Draal decided that they were both forgiven for their impertinent behavior in the past. He watched those two and he knew what they were struggling with. Some parts were amusing, others were deadly serious. With Selene on White Star 2 and Marcus camped out on his floor for the 4th night in a row, he knew that things were heating up and that something would have to be done soon. Draal did not create the future, nor could he change it. He simply watched and then watched what was to be. Susan was a surprise. This new development with her and Fannol caught him unaware and Draal never liked to be caught unaware. So, in addition to monitoring Kesha and Dulann (which he had to admit was becoming his favorite pass time) he kept a closer eye on Trouble and Fannol. He hardly had to watch Marcus and Selene, they kept coming to him.

In the middle of Fannol's report on the information they were able to gather from some traders doing business within Earth Alliance territories and how they might make certain contacts, Draal showed up again. Nobody missed Selene and Marcus groan involuntarily.

"Excuse me Fannol. Sorry to interrupt your report." Then he turned Selene and Marcus,

"Don't think I didn't hear either of you. Come down."

"Should we pack a bag?" Then snorted trying to suppress her laughter. Marcus turned his head in vain trying not to be noticed.

"You are dangerously close to the line missy." Then he turned to Marcus and narrowed his eyes, "You too."

"Sorry." They both say at once.

"And there will be no light buffet served this afternoon. You two got crumbs everywhere the last time!"

That caused Selene to snicker but Marcus gave her a sharp look. She just waved her hand in dismissal.

"Ok. Sorry about that. We're coming now."

He didn't even respond, just disappeared.

Before they could say anything the captain turned to them both and said, "Dismissed."

Selene turned to G'Kar but he cut her off with a wave of the hand, "Yeah, yeah. Go."

As they got up from the table and headed for the door Marcus gritted his teeth at her and said, "I told you he was ticked about the snacks!"

Once they left the room Talia looked around the table and then sat back in her chair, "Who's going to make the report?"

Everyone sort of looked at her blankly but she could tell the three who were faking it so she turned to each of them pointedly and pinned them in a glare.

"Let me rephrase that. Which one of you is going to make the report?" That caused a few eyebrows to go up until they all remembered that Talia had perfected bossy over the last two years. She was not about to be ignored or dismissed on this point.

Michael knew he couldn't report Selene's actions on the station without alerting Stephen that he was aware of his actions but Stephen solved that,

"Its ok Michael, I know when I'm being watched."

"Fine. You want to tell the story?"

"Not really except that its obvious I know the reasons for their actions and why Draal continues to send for them. I also know why they go to him without being called."

"Huh?" That's news to everyone.

"Obviously you're not monitoring them very well. They go, either together or separately down to the planet. Selene hasn't been by herself in awhile but she has spent the night there on several occasions. So has Marcus. And, he has stayed down there every night this week."

That's definitely news to the captain as well as everyone else. "Why?"

"I can't tell you that."

"What can you tell us?" Michael just wants him to bottom line it.

"The reason Selene no longer goes down to the planet at night is because Marcus arranged for her to have a shuttle from White Star 2 and she goes up there every night. He, in turn, goes down to Draal."

Delenn is very surprised to learn that Selene has been on board her ship. She is not displeased but does not understand. Since Talia looked at Michael, Stephen and the captain, she knows they knew this.

"John?"

Hoping he's not in trouble, "Michael told me." Then looks at her innocently and tries out one of her patented disarming smiles for good measure.

Looking at the captain cross eyed, "Since we're playing the SELL OUT game, I'll step up. From what I know she's been up there every night for the past two weeks. Before that, she spent nights walking around the station or sitting in the stone garden. Marcus finally intervened when she took to the Observation Dome for hours at a time and took her up to the ship. Then he made a shuttle available for her to come and go as she pleases. Its obvious they're trying to hide what's going on with both of them."

"What is she doing on board?"

"She was in the garden." Delenn and everyone else sees where that's going and don't really like it. None of them missed Michael's evasion to the question of what she is doing by stating where she was spending her time. That meant she moved to the chapel. Delenn's first thoughts are for Marcus because she does not understand his struggle and feels guilty that she did not notice. Then she is concerned for Selene. Finally, or most importantly she is not sure, she is concerned these events will interfere with them developing a relationship. She turns to Stephen,

"Why?"

"I cannot tell you the reason that Selene is being driven from the station. All I can say is that she is. The ability to seek refuge on White Star 2 saved her. Selene is special. She has many skills she's learned over the years. She also has certain gifts. Some she is not aware of, some she is. She is blessed."

"And what about Marcus? What could cause him to go to Draal?"

"I can't tell you that either. Both of them are more than they seem. I was not prepared for her when she walked in this room the first time. I don't know how she got by me all these years but I did not even know she existed until that day. Marcus is special in a way none of you know. He is blessed as well. The truth about him has been shielded from everyone."

Then he looks at Fannol, "Even Kosh did not know. I know and Lorien knew but he's gone so that just leaves me and you guys have to know I'm not telling."

"What are you saying? Stephen we don't understand any of this. At least I don't." Talia turns an openly suspicious glare on the captain until he finally crumbles,

"I don't know. Stop looking at me like that." Satisfied, Talia nods then turns back to Stephen with a raised eyebrow.

"There's not much more I can add people. Except, that I suspect they will be leaving us soon."

That got everyone's attention, "What!!!" No, Delenn does not like this one bit. Why would Marcus have to leave?

Sheridan decides to try for a bit more clarity than that considering he's losing two people, "Why and for how long?" He doesn't even bother asking where cause a) he suspects b) he knows Stephen won't tell c) knowing doesn't help the situation and will just drive Delenn into creating a plan to save Marcus.

"How long is as long as it takes them to complete the mission. Why is obvious. It needs to be done. Draal's probably briefing them on it now."

Susan doesn't actually know how any of this makes her feel. She knew he was hiding his identity but Stephen said it was being hidden from everyone. Then she wonders about him going off on some mission with Selene. Marcus is her friend, though they haven't spent much time with each other lately. Especially since the war ended. Then she realizes that all her off duty time is spent with Fannol. That makes her smile internally. It also causes him some relief. He followed her thoughts and began to worry that she did not enjoy their time together. She picked up on that and breached all protocol by reaching over under the table and taking his hand. Talia didn't miss that and neither did the captain though he suspected from Talia's reaction there was a lot more to it than what he saw. It was confirmed when she cleared her throat delicately and they dropped hands immediately. He decided that Talia was much better equipped to handle whatever was going on between the two of them but knew it had to be serious for her to be on guard and for them to respond so quickly.

The captain let everyone take in what Stephen and Michael reported. Why the two of them would voluntarily spend time with Draal was beyond him. He'd noticed that spending all that time in the Great Machine and with Zathras caused him to loose his people skills and act as bossy as Talia. Then again, when he thought about it, they both seemed to have worked out an easy relationship with him. He acted offended, but Sheridan could tell that he likes Selene and Marcus. He can also tell that Delenn is not pleased with anything that she heard from Stephen but the one thing she does not like is his guess that Marcus will be leaving. He's not sure how she will cope with his absence since the two of them have become a permanent fixture in each other's lives. G'Kar looks very concerned. Its no secret the affection he has for her. He also seems to have taken it personally to be responsible for her. But Sheridan sense something else. With the wealth of knowledge and information G'Kar has about many workings of the universe he's certain that Stephen's words struck some cord with him and now he's going over what he knows trying to put together the pieces. Wanting to draw everyone's attention away from those two he turns to Fannol and asks him to finish his report.

"I'm still not getting it. How come you get to assign away missions instead of the captain?"

Draal decided that the stress and strain of the last few weeks was too much for both of them so he would ignore that. He did level them both with a powerful glare that said to be silent.

Once they left the planet, they hailed C&C for permission to dock in Kosh's bay. That caused Corwin to raise an eyebrow but he said nothing and simply opened the bay doors. Then he transferred command codes for entry to them directly. He knew this was going to be a problem so he sent out an update as soon as he finished. No one else liked that information because now they were certain of many things. Most importantly, the two of them would be leaving the station. That ship was like one of the ones that came up from the planet to defend the station when the Fleet departed. All of those ships left with the Vorlon war cruisers. That meant this ship remained on the planet for some reason and everybody thought that reason was Marcus and Selene. The fact that the ship was made based on some kind of technology and from some kind of material they could not recognize or identify didn't cause anyone to relax.

When they entered the War Room neither one of them wanted to look at anyone and sort of pretended they hadn't actually left. That confirmed it for everyone, they would definitely be leaving on some mission somewhere. If they could tell, they would. As the meeting came to a close the captain purposefully asked if anyone had anything else to add. It was obvious they were supposed to make a report and neither wanted to. Marcus looked to Selene but she pretended that she did not see him. Everyone figured that was her way of letting him know she wasn't going to say anything. Then there seemed to be a telepathic argument taking place across the table by the eye rolling, shoulder shrugging and exasperated sighs since neither was looking at each other. Finally Marcus said,

"I have a small report."

Michael was this close to saying there was no such thing as a small report and that was a pitiful attempt at de-emphasizing whatever he had to say. But, Garibaldi was feeling generous today so he didn't say a word. When everyone just looked at him to continue---or everyone except Selene because she was engrossed in folding and smoothing the cuffs of her sleeves. Marcus knew that was another sign she wanted no part in it, he continued,

"It seems that Selene and I will be going on an away mission to gather some specific information." Then he stopped talking and started gathering up his things. Selene took that as a cue to stop playing with her clothes and started packing up the reports and papers in front of her. The captain was not amused,

"Care to share anymore than that? Like what this information pertains to."

"The war."

The captain sees he's going to have to pull teeth on this and decides he doesn't feel like it.

"That's very broad Marcus, considering we are also trying to gather information on the same thing. What a coincidence."

"We are to check in with Proxima 3 to personally ascertain how they're holding up in their Resistance efforts against Earth Gov. The planet already had its own military contingent and planetary defense systems so it was easier for them to break away and defend themselves than some others." This is agreeable to everyone and Delenn is relieved. They all nod their approval and understanding. Until he keeps talking.

"We are to confirm certain things about the status of Earth Gov, Clarke's support and his forces. Then we are to investigate certain areas."

Susan is trying to follow him but can't, "Could you be anymore vague? Where are you two going? Specifically?"

They both hesitate and the captain has his answer. Its confirmed when Marcus scoots closer to Delenn and nods at Selene to finally speak.

"That's classified."

The look on her face is as neutral and impassive as it gets. She doesn't give anything away but G'Kar met her eye. He knew she was terrified and that she did not want to go. Everyone is silent for a few moments as Garibaldi and the captain make eye contact. They both have a pretty good idea where Selene was for a month, they just can't figure out why Vir would send her there. Or why Draal would send her back. Delenn is struggling very hard not to explode over this information. She wonders why Draal would feel he can do this. As far as Delenn is concerned it is too dangerous for either of them. She does not want either of them anywhere that they can gather specific information and verify anything about Earth Gov or Clarke. And Delenn isn't fooled in the least by Selene saying their destination is "classified". She knows there are only two places they could go to get that information and does not want them there. The only upside to this is that they will be together but she still does not like that. She planned on sending them both on a mission together some place less dangerous and more suited to them having quiet time together to relax and let down their guard. Talia turns to Selene and asks,

"How come Draal gets to pass out assignments?"

"I asked that myself, he wasn't amused so I wouldn't bring it up the next time you see him if I were you."

Sheridan turns to Selene since Marcus is obviously dealing with Delenn in that weird way they have, "When do you leave?"

"In the morning sir."

"You will be taking White Star 2?"

"No, Draal's full service when he wants to be. He gave us a ship."

"He gave you two a ship?"

"Yes. He said we had to take it and not one of the White Stars." She's calm but she knows Vir's gonna be steamed about this later.

"Also, you should be advised that it is best not to begin or attempt any offensive moves toward Earth Alliance in our absence. Perhaps your time would be better spent strengthening Babylon 5 and the Minbari's relationships with other League worlds. Sir." She knew she just told Captain Sheridan and the Chosen One how to run his war and his station but it's the best she could do without going into any specific information. The captain looked at her for several seconds, hard and long. Selene struggled to hold her composure under is attentive eye. She'd been trained but she realized it wasn't Chosen proof. She darn near cracked while he was conducting his own investigation. Satisfied with the understanding he got from her, all he did was nod and move on.

"Ok. How long do you two think you'll be gone?"

"Unknown. We also have another stop to make so it might take a lot longer than we think." Knowing they're just stalling and not being difficult,

"What's the other stop?"

"The Lanep system."

They're all now convinced that they have a very good idea where the two of them are going for the classified part of the mission. That was bad enough for them to deal with. But this last revelation is more than any of them can take and none of them have fully absorbed it but they know full well what that system means after Talia's report from hell. Seeing the necessity for neither of them to say another word the captain brings the inquisition to a close.

"Fine. You two need to take care of things and pack so you're dismissed now. We'll see you when you return."

They hopped up from the table but everyone noticed Selene make eye contact with G'Kar while Marcus looked to Delenn and they both nodded. It was obvious they would be visiting them later. They left without a word.

"This is getting to be a habit. We might get spoiled."

"No chance of that. I will be out of commission for awhile."

That gets Tafali's attention though he doesn't say anything and let's Vir carry on. Tafali prefers not to be an active participant in conversations with Selene because it interferes with his information gathering techniques. He likes to hear what's said then jump in with questions to find out the specifics of what isn't said. Then he likes to get anything that will work on his theories. He has to admit they're stalled at this point.

"How so? Did the board give you a project this soon?"

"No, this one was subcontracted through the director of licensing and certification." She really hopes that makes sense. Vir's not responding.

"Excuse me?"

"One of those working directly for the director of licensing and certification assigned this new project. It will be extensive and will take a considerable amount of time. The dangers of not paying close attention to detail is evident in this assignment but I willingly embraced the challenge." Then she stops hoping he caught the important words in that sentence.

"I see. Is the Board aware of this project?"

"Definitely. They were present when contact was made and they know the full extent of the plans. Whether or not they have any say in the blue prints or designs down the road is up to the director."

"What about us?"

She hesitates because Draal was specific in his instructions. She sees that the situation has put her at a cross roads.

"Unless the director or the head of subcontracts informs me otherwise, we should consider this a reciprocation of the corporate exchange program we participated in previously." And that's all she was prepared to say. She could not swear but she's almost certain she heard Tafali off screen chuckling. When Vir turned away from the screen for a few seconds and it stopped, she knew she was right.

"Fine. Let us know when you get back. And have a safe trip."

"Thank you."

"If you're finished with the hyena routine do you have anything to contribute?"

"Yeah, she's not going by herself but she left that part out for a reason. Maybe it was oversight, maybe she couldn't figure out a way to work it into the conversation. Notice she's just making up her own code as she goes along? Of course these situations she keeps finding herself in warrant it."

"Is that all?"

"Nope. Just the general I told you so, but that's understood so there's no need to keep repeating it. Oh, and she may or may not make it back from this one but I get the feeling they've got some kind of protection."

"What do you mean protection?"

"That the director or someone following those general orders intends for them to survive and carry out whatever their parts are in the master plan. AND I think we should get ready to loose her on a permanent basis."

"What!"

"I don't think this plan ends with whatever goes down with Earth. Its more than obvious that she's connected and a specific part of the plan. Think about it. If it takes 5 or 10 or even 20 years for the entire plan to unfold and not just the parts their working on now, are you going to tell the Universe she can't stay with the others cause she has work at headquarters to do? Something tells me that entire mixed matched group is in it for the long haul."

"I'm not going to ask on what you base that or what evidence you have to support that because it is nothing more than a feeling. Just so that I don't have to hear you say I told you so, I'll accept this one now. Unless there's anything else, I've got to meet Ari'ahn. I have no idea what I'm learning today."

Marcus was surprised that Mai'lenn didn't seem the least bit surprised by his request to meet with her. Ever since the Gathering he'd noticed that she and the rest of the station Rangers seemed intense about something. Or at the very least, very serious. He hadn't been paying attention during the time Selene was gone and over the past few weeks when he was dealing with both of their problems so he's pretty sure he missed some things. Nonetheless, he found it odd that she had no reaction to his stating he was leaving and was not sure when he would return. She simply nodded and waited for him to get to the point. Knowing he still had to meet with Lennier and Delenn, he didn't take the time to speculate or question her. He put her in charge of all station Rangers and Delenn's security. She had full authority to make any changes or assignments that she felt were warranted. He also impressed upon her Delenn's predilection for evading certain security measures so she would need to be watchful. Mai'lenn was to accompany Delenn on White Star 2 and they were under her authority as well. Marcus also reminded her to coordinate with Garibaldi when or if Delenn wanted to travel or spend time with the captain. Finally he said that she should check in with Lennier regularly for updates on Delenn from a personal perspective but she was to be extremely discrete. Mai'lenn already had security measures in place for Entil'Zha that Marcus was not aware of. Once Corwin informed her and Zack that Marcus and Selene returned from the planet with a ship they were certain the two would be leaving and they started putting their contingency plans into effect. The only thing they could do was pray those two returned because there was no way for them to watch over them once they left.

When Marcus left the War Room the first thing he did was contact Lennier and briefly inform him that he was going out on a mission and that Delenn was not in good spirits so he should be on hand to assist her when she returned. Lennier knew what that meant. He decided not to wait for Delenn to return to her quarters and headed off toward the War Room. If she preferred to spend time with the captain afterward, that would be fine. But Lennier did not wish for her to spend one moment alone so he would be ready. Guards and station Rangers positioned to watch the door did not miss the subdued demeanor of everyone who left the room and went on alert that something was happening. Zack and Corwin were immediately updated and they were prepared to intervene if necessary. None of them really trusted that group not to run off and do anything in the name of saving other people's lives and what was right. They just kept getting themselves into trouble and serious danger in the process.