His mother and William volunteered to keep her busy and out of his hair. Hopefully it would end soon, Ben was due to arrive any minute.
He was honestly just afraid to get near her. One; she was fragile. Two; well, he wasn't sure he could keep himself under control. He'd come very closet to doming something he never could have forgiven himself for. Just being around her at those few meals that last week made it impossible to concentrate. He didn't want to do anything he'd regret, and at this point, and Christine wasn't anything but one big regret. One he'd probably never get over.
He certainly wasn't going to go about relationships the same way again. No, he'd be cautious about what he said, and did. He wouldn't throw his whole self into anyone again until he knew they felt the same. He'd have to learn to slow down. There would be no repeats of this horror story if he had a say about it.
Not like he had anyone worth pursuing on Arissia anyway. The only other available female was Big Sue, and well, the less he thought about Big Sue the better.
His assistant called a few hours later that Ben had arrived. He gave out a hard sigh of relief and pushed away from his desk. He called his mother and said to tell Chris to meet him in the office in 30 minutes. He dodged out the door to head to the shipping dock to meet his much awaited secret guest.
"Nice ship," He said entering the dingy loading area seeing the sporty little narn number was on the pad. Marcus offered his hand in greeting.
"It's a rental, was all they had. Is she still here?" Ben asked jumping from where he'd been waiting for him on the deck to shake it.
Marcus nodded, "She's on her way to my office in a few minutes. How do you want to do this? Want me to bring her here? You go there?"
"You seem awfully anxious to get rid of her."
"Just damned inconvenient, Ben. I don't have to tell you she's rather high maintenance. I'm pretty much running this place alone now. I just don't have time for that crap anymore."
Ben nodded, whatever he'd said seemed to satisfy him somewhat. "I'll go there."
"Alright, Let's go the back way, come on," he said motioning him towards a narrow hallways. "We won't cross her path on the way there."
He lead him through the winding passages and out into the main hall. He punched in a code and the door opened. "I'm just going to pick up some papers and go back to my room and work. So take your time. When you go, take that hallway that way all the way it dead ends and turn right, it'll take you right back to your ship."
Ben nodded absently, looking at his hands as he wound his fingers together nervously. "Marcus, listen I want to thank you for all this. You've gone beyond the call."
"It's no problem."
Ben put his hand on his shoulder. "No really, I mean it. I know you two had a history. She only just told me last year about you being childhood sweethearts and all. I know what she did to you – we did to you - I'm sorry for that too. If I'd known I'd never have…"
"She didn't tell you. It's ok. Really."
"No, it's not. I mean, I suspected, but she only ever said you were best friends. I believed her. It was a really rotten thing to do to someone. If it was me I'm not sure I could be so gracious. I'm really glad you didn't hold any grudges."
Marcus just couldn't not like this man. "I don't have any beef against you, Ben. Or her really either. I'm just happy she's with someone I like - not some asshole." He picked up his briefcase, and went to leave. "Just give her a good life, Okay? Give her something I couldn't."
"What if she doesn't want to come?" The suggestion was there, what if she didn't want him anymore, what if she changed her mind and wanted Marcus back. Would he want Ben to leave without her?
"She will. She doesn't belong here anymore; she never did. She knows that." He lowered his head to exit. "Maybe I'll stop by and see you both if I ever get to Mars."
"I hope you do, and thanks."
"Like I said, no problem."
Marcus went home and splayed out his papers, put on some very loud, very hard edged "metal" music from his brother's leftover music collection. It suited his mood and most importantly distracted him. He got to work and tried very hard to lose himself in the crashing rythyms and not think about what was going on a few corridors away.
An hour or so later he got a message from his shipping foreman as he'd requested; Christine and Ben had departed. She was gone. He knew he wouldn't see her again. He thought he'd feel better about her being gone once and for all. He didn't. He felt lost, and for the first time very, truly, abysmally alone. Frowning, he turned the music up even louder, so loud he winced.
It was suddenly as if someone plucked the one string holding him together. Wet trails began to roll down his cheeks as he sank to the floor in tears of long repressed pain and loss. His body racking as he strained to breathe through his sobs that were muted by the blaring guitars. He grieved his father, he wept over losing Chris once more, and he mourned the part of his soul he'd lost to all this, and the bit fo darkness he'd found that had taken up residence in it's place. He'd never be the same person again. He couldn't afford to be, he had nothing left to give.
He watched the light as it danced on the edge of the viscous filmy coating of his glass as he swirled the liquor in it. It was a game he played when drinking alone, he'd drink and do this until it became really interesting. Then he knew he'd had enough. He was not quite there yet; he was still dead bored. He shot back the remaining mouthful and poured himself another from the bottle he'd ordered.
"I take it from the decrepit look on your face that it did not go well with your lady-friend," came the now familiar and surprisingly not at all unwelcome voice of his most recent (and increasingly more regular) acquaintance Ambassador Londo Mollari. The mixture of humor and genuine concern was not lost on Marcus's ears. The ambassador pulled a chair from another table and sat across from him.
"Actually…" Marcus smiled sadly, eyes still locked on his glass. "It went as well as can be expected I suppose. Which is to say abysmally."
"Ahhhh… I see." Londo's fanged mouth grin dimmed significantly, "I was hoping it would work out for you. " "Well, thank you." He nodded appreciatively.
Now the statesman's face became melancholy, "What I would not give for another night in the arms of a certain beautiful lady of my past. Adira - The love of my life she was." He leaned over with a sad smirk, "Incidentially, she was not a redhead – I was all the trouble she needed, apparently."
Marcus warmly smirked, feeling a real affinity for this man all of a sudden.
Londo looked him in the eye most seriously. "I envy you. I really do. You had your chance, you may not have taken it," The Centauri's voice was somber. "But not many men get such a chance again. No, those only come around once, then they are gone."
"I know." Marcus said solemnly.
The quite inexplicably, Londo began to sing, it was low at first as Marcus understood some Centuari, he was only able to hear enough to be able to roughly pick it out as a rather tragic but charged tale of love and loss. The song built upwards, growing louder and louder, as it did Londo pounded his fist to he table for emphasis.
After the second verse the entire Casino was watching intently and the Ambassador sang oblivious to all. Most didn't know what he was saying, but the sad, dramtic melody was all they needed to know. They all looked mesmerized. He finished and opened his now sad eyes the crowd erupted in applause, he threw out his arms and bowed as if he had intended on performing for the entire room, "Thank you! Thank you!" He said graciously waving then sitting down.
A moment later when Franklin appeared drink in hand, "Ambassador! sounds like the parties over here! Mind if I-" He looked up to see who the ambassador was sitting with. The shock was evident. He'd not expected Marcus to know Londo, let alone associate with him. A week ago he would have agreed. Marcus grimaced uncomfortably with a nod, acknowledging the doctors presence.
"I'm sorry... I didn't know you were busy…" Stephen said stepping backwards to leave them alone once more, obviously thinking Marcus was working somehow.
Londo rose and sat his arm on the doctor's shoulder, stopping him in his retreat. "No, no! Stay! We are a morose bunch but well will not be so long!" He grabbed another chair and plunked it down with a loud bang. "Sit Dr Franklin, sit, sit!" He motioned wildly. "Do you know my companion? This is-"
"We've met!" Both men chimed together at once, then looked at each other as Londo did not only seem to notice but not care as he began a long rollicking story of his youth.
Finally Mollari, seeing a particularly enchanting dancer, took his leave towards her, and Marcus now sat alone with Stephen.
After a overly pregnant pause, the doctor spoke up with a saccharine smile. "So, this is new."
Marcus nodded silently.
Franklin nodded towards Londo's back. "Should you be hanging out with him?"
"It's more like he's hanging out with me." Marcus smirked swallowing the last of his glass. "He started a conversation in Arrivals when I first saw Christine, seeing the look on my face when I saw her I guess and started him on about lost loves and all, now the man won't leave me alone!" He chuckled "If I didn't know what I know about him I'd be inclined to really let myself like him. There's something quite sad and sweet about him, you know. He's very endearing once you get used too him."
"Yeah, Like a club to the head."
"No, no, I can't quite place it. He's definitely not who I thought he was. But since the man is following me like a lost puppy, we'll see what I can learn from him while he's at it. So, just for the record I'm a security consultant, just here a few days on business."
"Of course you are." Stephen said nonchalantly into his glass as he took a drink.
"You think this is a bad idea."
"I find Londo seems to cause trouble and that you have a habit of finding it - I'm just hoping I come out of this alive, that's all."
"Your optimism is heartening." Marcus said sarcastically, "And you say I spend too much time with Ivanova."