***********************Chapter 9*************************************

We reached Minbar with no complications. It was a fun trip. Uncle Mike regaled us with stories about B5. He told us about the time my father had been kidnapped by the Streib and how he had gotten free. He told us how shocked he had been when he had first seen my mother after her change. He even told us about the time he had been shot in the back after the assassination of then Earth President Santiago.

He shared many stories with us, some that I had heard and others that I hadn't. He also filled a few of the gaps in some of the stories that I had been told. Some of them had me laughing so hard, I nearly fell out of my seat. The one about how he had over heard my parents talking about the word 'butt' was particularly funny. I could imagine my parents having that discussion. My mother had one of the most unique senses of humour of any one I had ever met.

Whenever he started to really get going, Aunt Lise would step in and tell us about something he had done. I had never known that he had once been a GROPOS. I had also never known that he was a recovering alcoholic. They were both candid about anything they were asked and neither tried to gloss over any unpleasant details.

We all ended up sharing stories from our pasts. I told my friends, for the first time, what I had been through a few years earlier with the Centauri. Shannon shared with us the grief she had felt when her mother had died a few months back. Kahlen told story after story about her former compatriots. It seemed that this small group of people was all that stood between chaos and order on her world. Marcel told us a myth from the race he had known. He told us more about them in those few hours than he had told is in the previous year. I realized that he really was trying to open himself to others.

By the time we landed, we were all worn out both emotionally and physically. We were greeted by a pair of Rangers, some of the ones I recognized from my childhood. They greeted me warmly, and told us that my parents were in the capital finalizing details for the trip.

I felt a twinge of disappointment that they weren't there. I knew that they were very busy, but I would have thought that they would be at the port to meet me. After all, I hadn't been home in almost a year.

As we stepped into the groundcar, Kahlen reached over and gave my hand a squeeze. I thanked her silently and saw her nod, so I knew that she was actively scanning.

As we rode along slowly, my friends gaped out the windows at the crystalline structures that seemed to grow out of the terrain. Their awe made me reassess the world of my birth. It had never cessed to amaze me how beautiful my world was. The world was a piece of art. Everything was a piece of the whole and it was all beautiful.

There were few other vehicles moving along the pathways and I remembered that it had always been so. People rarely left their homes or workplaces, and when they did, they preferred to walk or take less technological means of transport. I sighed as a sense of warmth and familiarity settled in my chest. For all my differences, this place was my home and these were my people.

We reached the house a little later. There were a few guards standing outside and the small flyer was on the pad. The small four person flyer had been something my father had worked on over the years. He claimed that he occasionally needed to feel the air beneath his feet. I understood. I also felt the drive to fly free of the ground and soar in the air. I was envious of Kahlen's ability to do just that.

The guards snapped to attention and a pair of Religious cast came out of the house. They told us that they would see us to our rooms. I grinned and told them in perfect Andranoto that I knew the way, and that we would carry our own bags. They bowed deeply to me and walked back into the building. Before they got to far away, I asked them which of the guest rooms had been prepared.

The taller of the two, a male with an elaborate crest told me and added that there was a meal ready in the smaller of the two dinning halls. He asked that we be not be long, for the cooks had prepared a special welcome home feast. I thanked them, and they grinned. They told me, in perfect english, that they were happy I was home, for my mother had been sad since I had left.

Uncle Mike asked me for a translation and I told him what I had said. He grinned, amused. He too, knew the house very well. My parents had set aside a set of rooms for when their friends came over, which wasn't all that often any more.

I showed my friends were to stow their gear while Uncle Mike and Aunt Lise went to find their rooms. They were on the next floor of the five story building. My friends were all roomed in the suite closest to my old room, where I knew my things would still be, untouched, except perhaps, for the occasional cleaning.

As I stepped into the room that had housed me for the large majority of my life, the sense of being home strengthened and I let up a small cry of pleasure. I had never thought I was homesick until I stepped through the doors into what was my private sanctum. I knew that no matter where I went, or how long I was gone, this would always be my home.

I changed into a more dignified outfit. It wasn't exactly a match for the Ranger uniform I usually wore, but it was more respectful than what I had worn during the trip. As I finished tying the last catch, a beeping at the door announced that I had a visitor.

I announced them to enter, and my friends stepped in. For a moment, I felt a little nervous. I had never before had friends in here. This was my most private area of seclusion. No one except my parents and the rare servant had entered this room since I reach puberty.

"Well, what do you think?" I asked as I gestured at the room and down at myself.

"You look great! How come you never wore that before?" asked Kahlen as she studied my garments.

"I only wear them here, at home. They're not the sort of thing I'd want some of the others to see me in." I laughed. "There's enough of them who already think I'm spoiled. Why should I let them see me dressed up? But never mind me," I lowered my voice shyly, "do you like my room?"

"It is a very lovely place." replied Shannon, her voice low as she studied my home. She was looking at a picture -an actual honest to God picture!- taken of me on a horse. It had been the first time I had ever seen earth. I was nine. My father had taken us there to the farm where he had grown up. My grandfather had died in one of the Drahk attacks, and my grandmother, my Aunt Liz and my cousins were now looking after the farm.

"Is this a horse?" Shannon asked.

"Yes." I explained about the picture.

"That was a very kind thing for your father to do. He must love you a great deal."

"He does." I answered, watching Kahlen as she checked out the bookshelf. She seemed excited by several of the titles. "My father insisted that I have actual books and not just data crystals and computer files."

Marcel grinned. "Personally, I like computer files."

Kahlen snorted. "You would. You're part computer yourself."

We shared a chuckle and the exploration continued. There were other pictures, both paper and holographic in nature, showing me and my family at different times in my life. My personal favourite was the one of my parents taken a few days before my birth. There was such a look of happiness in my mothers eyes and in the eyes of my father as he looked down at her. Whenever I looked at that picture I knew that no matter what happened, my parents would always love me.

The door beeping startled us out of my recantation of my life. Mary and a Ranger stood at the door.

"Come on, David. Food's ready." she said with a grin. I shook my head. She was becoming too much like her father for my liking.

We walked through the corridors and down the stairs. The entire time, I had a nagging feeling that something wasn't right. Not wrong exactly. Just . . . that there was something going on that I didn't know about. Mary was sporting a grin that a cruiser could fly through, and the Ranger with her was also trying to hide her emotions.

As we approached the family dinning room, the sense of anticipation that hung in the air grew. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kahlen stifle a giggle and whisper something to Shannon, who also bit back a laugh. I guessed that she had picked up a stray thought that she found humorous and sighed silently.

As I pushed open the doors, I realized that the room was completely black. I reached into my sleeve and grasped my pike, not knowing what to expect.

"Lights." I called in Andranoto.

The lights came on and I blinked.

"Surprise!!" shouted the people gathered in the room.

I nearly dropped my pike. Seeing that there was no threat, I closed it and place it pack in my sleeve. Looking around at the faces of all the people I cared about, I felt my eyes water.

"Mother! Father! I thought you wouldn't be here for a few more hours!" I said as they stood looking at me.

They were grinning and crying at the same time. I approached them and we came together in a hug. We were crying and laughing and squeezing each other, happy to be together again. I looked down at my mother and a jolt went through me. Either she was getting smaller, or I was growing.

She placed her hand on my cheek in a gesture I knew she reserved for me and my father. "It is good to have you home, David. It has been too long."

"Yes. It has. I should have returned earlier." I remembered my suspicions and laughed. "I must have looked foolish, standing there with my pike, ready to defend myself."

"No, son, " my father stated, his voice shaking slightly. "You did exactly the right thing. You went into an unknown situation ready to defend yourself. "You behaved perfectly in line with your training. In fact, I would have been disappointed had you reacted any other way."

I was too happy that they were here, with me, to care. I tossed my arms around them again and pulled them close. I took a deep breath and the smells of my mother's shampoo and perfumes wafted in the air. Tears were streaming from my face and I had forgotten everything except the feeling of love my parents were exuding.

My mother pulled back and looked me over critically. She reached up and wiped my eyes with her sleeve. "You should not cry in front of all these people. What will they think?"

"I don't care." I said, reaching up and wiping her tears away. My father was grinning like an idiot, one arm around each of us.

"But you haven't introduced your friends." she rebuffed, glancing over my shoulder to the doorway.

I turned my head and saw them watching us, all of them wearing goofy grins on their faces. When Shannon realized that my parents were watching, she controlled her expression and bowed low. Marcel grinned wider, nodding his head to my father, who he had already met. Kahlen was staring at my mother, an expression I couldn't recognize on her face.

I grinned and gestured for them to come in. They did so slowly, Mary slipping out from behind them and joining her parents at the table.

"Mother, I would like you to meet the best friends I have ever had." I said, angling my body so that I was facing them while standing in between my parents. "The human man is Marcel, he has no last name. The woman is Kahlen O'Reilly. The other with them is Shannon Hinnonson."

"Hinnonson?" my mother asked. "You are Minbari, are you not?"

"Yes, Madam President." she answered shyly. "My parents and I lived on a human colony. I have spent my entire life among them. When my parents moved there, they took a human style name. They took the clan name and added the word 'son' at the end."

"Hinnon? I knew some of that clan a long time ago. Did your parents ever work on the White Star Fleet?"

"Yes, Ma'am." she replied. "They were among those you chose to be honoured to be among the designers and chief builders."

Light dawned in her eyes. "So you are the child of Geron and Hateri?"

"Yes, Madame President. I am honoured to be in your home"

"It is I who am honoured to meet you, Shannon. Your parents were good people and I was saddened by their decision to leave." My mother gave her a brilliant smile and bowed to her. Shannon smiled back wanly. My mother tended to have that affect on people. "Please, all of you. Call me Delenn. The friends of my son, are my friends also. Be welcome into my home." She studied my other friends while Father spoke quietly to Shannon, gesturing her to a seat.

She was facing Kahlen, who was still looking at her with that expression on her face. They studied each other for a moment, before each broke into a grin.

"It's a real pleasure to meet you, Delenn." Kahlen said, holding out a hand. "I've been looking forward to meeting you since I first got to know David."

"Thank you. David has spoken much about you all." My mother took her hand in hers, and instead of shaking it gave it a gentle squeeze. They seemed to communicate silently for a moment before my mother let go, her smile wider than before.

She then turned to Marcel. As she did I remembered something Kahlen had said to me recently. It seemed to be true. Marcel was always the last included in anything. Another thought struck me as I watched the small figure approach the giant who still stood by the door.

*It's because they're afraid of him.* I thought to my self. *It's not a conscious thing. They just see him and react to his dominating presence by being hesitant to approach him. I've done the same thing myself, and I'm his best friend. He's a warrior and it flows out of him like the sense of peace from my mother or of solidity from my father. He can't help it. His every action and posture screams it loudly for everyone to see.*

I tuned back into the conversation in time to catch their greetings.

"Hello, Delenn." Marcel's face was split by a lopsided grin. He reached down and placed his huge hand in front of my mother. She looked down at it for a moment before taking it with her own. Marcel gently shook his hand up and down a few times. My mother's hand was swallowed completely by his.

"Greetings, Marcel. Welcome to our home." My mother studied him the same way she had studied Shannon and Kahlen. It was almost as if she was judging their worthiness to be my friends. "I have heard somewhat of you. Is it true that you were born on a deserted planet and grew up among aliens?"

He nodded. "Well, I wasn't exactly born, as it were, but that is how it lived."

"Were you never curious about your origins?" she asked.

Marcel seemed to think about it for a moment. "Not really. I had friends. I wasn't alone. I not only learned everything that the computer was designed to teach me, but I also learned how to sing, and how to fight. I was able to put into practice many of the theories the machines told me. I even learned a style that combined the best of all human martial arts, and several alien martial arts. I was quite comfortable. Then the Ranger ship landed. I saw then what I was and I realized that I would have to leave. So I asked them to take me with them and they did. About a year ago, I applied to join the rangers, and I was lucky enough to be roomed with Davdan, Shannon and Kahlen."

My mother turned to face me. "Are you still using that childhood name, David? I would have thought you would have grown out of it by now."

I explained why I used the name I had unwittingly given my self as a child. She nodded and came back to stand with me and father.

"I understand. It can be difficult being in our position." I knew she was speaking from experience. There was a bond between us that existed between no one else in the universe. In a way, we were the only two of our kind. She had dealt with the problems of being neither one nor the other for longer than I have.

She brightened and took my arm, leading me to the table. I recognized a few of the people standing there. There was Dranenn and Faltenn, two of my friends from childhood. Standing at the far end of the room was another of my 'uncles'.

I turned to Uncle Mike. "I thought you said Uncle Stephen and Aunt Susan weren't going to be here?"

"Did I say that? I seem to remember saying that they wouldn't be coming with US. I can't recall saying anything about them being HERE."

I shook my head. "Hello, Uncle Stephen." I called to the tall black man.

"Hello, David. It's been awhile."

I faced my mother. "Is everyone coming with us on our family vacation?"

It was Uncle Stephen who answered. "No. Unfortunately, I could only get away from the office for a few days. There's been an outbreak of some kind on a Minbari colony world. They asked Earth for help, and since I'm the resident expert on Minbari physiology, they sent me."

I was worried. "Is it dangerous?"

He shrugged. "It doesn't seem to be contagious and it isn't fatal. From what I've seen, it renders the victim . . . sterile. There are a few other symptoms, including homicidal rage as it nears the end of the cycle."

"Do you know what caused it?" asked Shannon from her place a few feet away.

He shook his head. "Not yet. I think it could have something to do with the food stores that they've received recently. Right now, I have people going over the shipments with a fine tooth comb. I'll study their findings when I get back." He smiled. "Look. I'd rather not discuss it any more. I'm here for a few days to see my favourite patient and my friends."

My parents guided me to a seat at the head of the table. It was the spot where my father usually sat, but he shooed me into it, taking the chair to my right while mother sat on my left. Marcel finally came and got a seat in between Kahlen and Shannon.

We sat and the food was served. It was a mix of all my favourites, both human and Minbari. There were even a few dishes I had learned to like from some of the other races. I was honoured that my parents would go to so much trouble.

While we ate, we talked. There would be several discussions going on at the table at one time. Uncle Mike was bragging to Uncle Stephen about how Mary's tennis game was proceeding. Dranenn and Faltenn were talking to Shannon and Kahlen. If I had paid attention, I would have seen them almost flirting with Shannon.

Marcel was talking to Mary and Lise. I couldn't really hear what they were saying, but Mary kept looking at me and giggling. My parents and I were in our own little world, talking about nothing and everything. My mother had recently negotiated a peace between the Centauri and the Narn that guaranteed that should either race reopen hostilities, they would have to forfeit a very large sum of money and resources to the Alliance. I wondered how long it would last. I knew that the current Centauri Emperor, Vir Cotto, was a friend of my parents and did not like what his people had done to the Narn. He would do everything he could to keep the peace. As would Ta'lon, the leader of the Narn ruling body, the Kha'ri.

Conversations drifted and mingled among the guests. I learned that Dranenn and Faltenn would soon be going to the temple for the final tests. I over heard my father whisper something to Kahlen, who was sitting next to him. I could just make out her blush in the dim light.

We talked and ate for hours. I don't believe I had ever eaten that much in my entire life. Everything was so good! The food was magnificent, the company was the best I had had in a long time, and the sense of peace and love that hung in the air was soothing.

Eventually, we could eat no more. Marcel seemed downcast when the meal came to an end, but he cheered up when we moved to the balcony that over looked my city. To my surprise and delight, there were fireworks exploding in the air. I could even make out flyers doing all kinds of stunts. I looked at my parents and they grinned.

"How did you ever arrange this? And all for me?" I asked them quietly.

"It was not just for you." my father replied. "They wanted to do this. Every one of them volunteered. Hell, most of it was planned by themselves when they heard that you would be coming back." There were tears in his eyes. "They all love you, son. Every single one of them out there is doing this because they care for you."

I couldn't speak. I pulled him into a hug. I felt slim arms slide around me and knew that they were my mother's. I had never before felt so happy.

Eventually, the fireworks ran out and it grew too dark to see the flyers. People started drifting off to bed, leaving me alone with my parents. We sat there, on the balcony that had always been one of my favourite places to read and play, not saying anything. We basked in each others presence.

"I am so proud of you, David." my mother said. "You are becoming a man."

I blushed. "Thank you."

"I have missed you." she said, her voice warm and filled with love. "It has been odd. Since you left, I have felt that something was missing."

"I feel the same way, Mother." We were sitting on the bench that stood on the balcony. My mother was on my left, and my father on the right. "It is good to be home. Even if only for a little while."

My father was being unusually quiet.

"Is there something wrong, Dad?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No. I was just remembering the first time I held you in my arms. You were screaming and kicking and I couldn't believe that something that small could make that much noise. Or that I could feel that much love for someone besides your mother. You were perfect."

I tried to answer but, when I opened my mouth, I yawned. My parents giggled.

"I think you should get some sleep. We have much to do tomorrow." Mother said, as she pushed me off the bench. I tried to protest, but she shushed me. "We have two weeks together in which to talk, David. It was a long trip and you are tired. Go get some sleep."

I grinned. "Okay. Goodnight, Mom. Dad."

"Goodnight, David. May your dreams be filled with joy."

As I rounded the corner, I paused. I peeked around the edge of the wall. My parents were sitting together now, their arms around each other. My mother's head was resting on Dad's shoulder. I could just make out what they were saying.

"We've raised a good son, Delenn. He'll be a fine man one day. He has some good friends and they will only get better."

"Yes. Did you know that it was Shannon that changed the carvings on his crest? Kahlen was telling me about how Shannon had always wanted to become a carver." She seemed to struggle for a moment, as if searching for the words. "John, do you have any regrets?"

He leaned back and thought for a moment. "No. Nothing much anyway. If I had to do it all over again, I would make the same decisions. What about you?"

It was her turn to consider his words. "I regret that I did not tell you sooner how much you meant to me. And that you will not be there with me to watch our son become a man."

I felt a catch in my throat. She said the words calmly. Too calmly really. I could tell that she was fighting not to break out crying. My father tensed and pulled her closer.

"We've had this discussion before, Delenn. What I did had to be done, and I was the only one who could do it. You remember what I told you about the dream Kosh sent me?"

Her head bobbed up and down in a nod.

"What happened, happened. There's nothing I or anyone can do to change it. If I hadn't gone to Zha'ha'dum, we would never have found Lorien, the Shadows would have been stronger and we would never have been able to convince the First Ones to fight with us."

"In here, I know you are right, " she said tapping her finger to her head. "But in here," she tapped her chest were her heart was. "In here, I can not help but feel cheated."

He leaned in and gave her a kiss. "If I hadn't gone, neither of us would be here now. David would not have been born and the Shadows would have won. I think that's worth the sacrifice I made." He smiled down at her. "No matter how much time we have left together, know this, my love. I WILL see you again, in the place were no shadows fall. We are old souls, destined to find each other again."

They cuddled together and I quietly slipped away, tears threatening to fall again. It was not fair that the universe had demanded such a price of my parents. For all they had done, they deserved more than a palsy twenty years together.