Chapter 6

Taking a deep breath, she entered the office.

"Hello Mr. President. I hope you have some time for our little interview."

"Of course, Miss Anderson." He answered and motioned to a chair next to his desk. "Take a seat, please. I heard of the interviews you had with some crew members. I'm really looking forward to your questions."

"So, tell me please, how is your research going Miss Anderson.", asked the President leaning back in his chair.

"I learned some really interesting things." answered Katie with a shy smile.

"Really? You're telling me, our lives here have been interesting?" Sheridan grinned.

"Well, perhaps interesting is a weak word for that particular time, but this is a completely new perspective for me. The whole situation, the confrontation with living legends is something loads of journalists back on Earth would kill for to experience." Katie shrugged her shoulders helplessly.

"And you're a very young journalist and a bit overwhelmed by meeting living dinosaurs." Sheridan concluded.

"I would never dare to call the President of the Interstellar Alliance a dinosaur." Katie's eyes widened with shock. She didn't expect Sheridan to be such a humorous and relaxed person. Immediately realizing, that she behaved way to shy and intimidated she put her recorder onto the table and straightened her back.

"Well, Mr. President, I would like to ask you some questions about the years 2260 and 2261."

Sheridan was both amused by her timidity and impressed by the way she tried to appear to be an experienced reporter. "Feel free to ask. What would you like to know?"

"What can you tell me about Marcus Cole? What was it like to work with him?"

President Sheridan thought about this question for a moment, he stared at a blank point at the opposite wall, and then he took a deep breath and leant forward. He put his elbows on the table and met Katie's eyes. "He was very determined and loyal. I'd say he was a great warrior – had he been under my direct command I would call him a great officer. But with the rangers it was a peculiar situation in the beginning. We didn't really know if we could rely on them. Today we know it. And in a way, I knew I could rely on Marcus." Sheridan smiled reminiscently. "Although you could never be sure, what stunt he would pull out next. He was somewhat extreme. Dr. Franklin can fill hours talking about the injuries Marcus received while fighting for the less fortunate people in Down below. Or when he got beaten up by those he wanted to protect. I guess, Marcus was to idealistic from time to time. Oh, and his humour – most of the time he was annoyingly ironic. I guess Ivanova was more than once inclined to cut off his head."

"Do you think they didn't get along with each other?" Katie asked suspiciously.

"There was a strange air about them. He was worshipping her. She was the Juliet to his Romeo performance. Sometimes he acted like a lovesick teenager, but when it came to his responsibilities he was very serious and – well, determined."

"Did there ever happen something between them – romantically?"

"Not that I heard of it. But Delenn and I both hoped for them to come together. Delenn would never have played matchmaker, it's not in her personality to do so. But I think she had her reasons, why she selected Marcus as the station ranger. I have a feeling, she knew about the chemistry between them earlier than the rest of us."

"So it was a stressful atmosphere to work with them?" Katie asked curiously.

"It is always stressful to have an over protective second in command. Susan was such a person. In the beginning, when Marcus came to B5, she didn't trust him. Then she was afraid he and Delenn would bring me into dangerous, even life threatening situations. Those fears haven't been unfounded, but I drew my proper decisions. And well, you always have to live with your decisions." Sheridan paused to concentrate on the same spot on the wall as before.

"You have to know Susan was a horribly mistrustful person. Having an intruder on board whose loyalty was unclear was a most irritating situation to her. But even when she knew that Marcus could be very well trusted, she couldn't let go off her own barriers. Only in the last weeks of the campaign against Clark she became a bit friendlier to him. I have no idea what changed her mind, but Delenn told me about it. I was absent those days."

Katie didn't dig deeper into this statement. She very well knew that Sheridan meant his time in the hands of Clark's men. Awkward silence filled the room. Neither the President nor Katie wanted to be reminded of any of the things that happened in Clark's prisons. Sheridan was a survivor, but both Katie's parents had died in one of those.

"I'd love to meet Susan Ivanova in real life. I heard so much about her. She must be a very interesting person." Katie tried to change the topic.

"Well, then I can provide you with the opportunity of your life. Her ship is to come to Babylon 5 soon. They'll have new materials and some new personnel to take on board in about two weeks. I have seen the schedule. They will be here for about one week."

"How do you feel about seeing her again? I heard she has never again sat a foot on B5 since 2261." asked Katie before even realizing that she could probably complete her research with an interview of Susan Ivanova.

"I'm looking forward to seeing her, of course." Sheridan answered with a broad smile. "It's almost four years by now." His happy expression diminished a bit. "It'll be a happy day when I see her again. But it must feel strange to her, to come back. In our Medlab, there is a cryo-unit where Marcus still lies. She ordered to keep him there, till a medication can be found to reanimate him. To be honest, I don't think it will ever be found. But Susan is very stubborn and she didn't want to give up on her friend.

I only think it will be so awkward for her, to come her knowing he is here, too."

"He is on Babylon 5?" Katie asked shocked.

"Didn't you know? I thought you talked to Dr. Franklin before you came here." Answered Sheridan surprised.

"He didn't really tell me anything about the circumstances of Marcus' death, or near death." Katie couldn't cover her confusion. "Could I see him?"

"I don't think it would be wise to do so. I also think Susan has banned anyone from this unit. In her order she disposed that no one has the right to open the unit or change any settings." Seeing the disappointment in Katie's eyes Sheridan added. "But I will do everything I can to convince Susan to talk to you. Perhaps she even wants to meet you, as a relative of Marcus, although I wouldn't bet on this possibility."

Half an hour later Katie left the President's office and went to the Zocalo. She felt like she needed a really big cup of coffee. She was overwhelmed and terrified by the thought that her cousin still was on the station, less than a few miles from her away. She knew he was dead or at least frozen – the young journalist still didn't know if it was the same or if there was a difference in both conditions – but knowing she could at least have a look at him. Katie was very confused. She didn't really take her surroundings into account and was surprised when she reached the Zocalo. In her memory the way from the green sector to the Zocalo had been much longer.

She quickly glanced over the huge market area and looked for a café or restaurant where she wanted to relax for a while. Not daring to test something new she approached her usual little café and sat down. Playing with the recording device in her hands she got lost in her thoughts.

"What a surprise to see you here." An ironically joking voice appeared behind Katie. She turned around and faced Lt. Cmdr. Corwin. A smile spread on her face as she answered "I really needed my daily cup of coffee – or at least something similar to coffee."

Corwin smiled at her and said "You know whom you have to ask for the real stuff." Katie thought about it for a second and looked at the young man with a teasing grin.

"I don't know if I'm brave enough to step so close to illegality." She gestured him to sit down. "So, did you go looking for me or is this really a coincidence?"

"Not really. I wanted to see how your work is going and if you are well accustomed to the station." He answered, but Katie somehow knew that he didn't tell the whole truth.

"I'm fine with my research. I indeed found out more than I expected in first place. Even my editor is quite decent. He gave me more time on the station. He'll try to postpone the closing date for my manuscript." She told him and started to play with her recorder, again.

"Do you want to interview me again?" asked Corwin with a wink to the recorder.

"Oh, no, I guess I was just lost in my thoughts." She lied. She was really nervous. There was no reason and no pretext for her to see the First Officer of Babylon 5. She enjoyed his company, Katie felt as if the ice began to melt. Their paths had crossed quite some times since she has been living on B5. Nevertheless it made her nervous to just sit there with a handsome young man and not having any idea what to talk about with him. She had spend pretty much of her adult life working, without wasting her time and creativity on guys who wanted to take her out on dates. Now she was sitting in a café on the most famous space station (wasn't it the only space station worth mentioning?) and the first officer of said space station was trying to have a chat with her. Never in her life did Katie feel more insecure and shy than at this moment. Al her confidence was gone. Feverishly did she think about some intelligent things to tell Corwin.

"Did you know that Captain Ivanova will come to B5 in only a few weeks time?"

"Oh, last I heard about it was, that she didn't want to come back but the HQ made her change the flight plan. I would completely understand it if she doesn't want to set a foot on these so called grounds." Corwin played with the leaf of a synthetic plant on the table, a part of the decoration at the café.

"I hope to get an interview with her." Katie pondered. "Do you think it will be difficult to ask her?"

Corwin smiled at Katie. "You could always ask. That won't be a great deal for you. The only problem will be, if she accepts it. I have seen her around journalists."

Katie watched him nervously. "To put it decent, she's not a great supporter of your line of business. But I think a nice person like you can achieve a lot with just one smile." Corwin said with a cock of the eye.

"Did he just call me a nice person?" Katie thought. "This must be about the most discouraging description you can ever get from a man."

Instead she answered a little sharper than she intended "I don't think a smile brought me to Babylon 5. It has a lot to do with competence and hard work. With these qualities I will also have my interview with Captain Ivanova."

Katie grabbed her notebook and her recorder and wanted to leave. But Corwin touched her hand at the same moment. "What is wrong, Katie? Did I say something to upset you?" He asked her in a worried voice.

"What did you just call me?" Katie asked instead of an answer. He just had canted all formalities overboard and addressed her by her given name. When he met Katie's suspicious gaze, he tried to apology for his brisk behaviour. "I'm sorry, Miss Anderson. I simply didn't want you to leave. And if I have upset you, I'm also really sorry. Although I don't have the slightest idea what I have done wrong."

"It's okay. You may call me Katie if you want. And what I wanted to tell you: I'm not necessarily a nice person. Maybe I'm not as bitchy as a lot of journalists that came here before, but never underestimate a reporter. It could easily backfire at you."

"Katie, I didn't call the journalist a nice person. I thought of the person I saw in front of me. And you are nice, among other things." Corwin smiled at her. Only then did they both realize that he still held her hand. Quickly, in order not to upset Katie again, he removed his hand and continued to play nervously with the little leaf. He cleared his throat and looked shyly at Katie. With an unsure voice he finally asked "Would you like to have dinner with me?"

Katie stared back at Corwin surprised. "Having dinner with you as in going out on a date?" Corwin nodded.

"David, this is a real surprise to me." Katie fought an internal battle with herself. On the one hand she knew she wouldn't stay forever on B5, so why waste her time on a romantic interlude? On the other hand she felt attracted by the good mannered officer. So she finally answered "Pick me up at 8 pm?" with a nervous and insecure smile. She wanted to leave the café as quickly as possible as she felt herself blushing. Katie got up from her chair and left a grinning Earth Force Lt. Cmdr.

tbc

Thanks to all my reviewers and I'm so sorry for the delay! Hope you will forgive me. Stay tuned, another chapter is on the way :-)

LaDiNi: As much as I learned from the last episodes of Babylon 5, they more or less all left the station shortly after 2260, so in 2265 only few of the original crew lives there. Perhaps I'll include some Lochley (although I don't like her that much)

Noivilbo: Of course, Katie knew Delenn and Sheridan from photographs and TV. But it's always something completely different to see such people in real life - believe me, I experienced it on my own. You have a certain expectin about what it will be like to talk to them, but when it really happens it's totally different. That's why she reacted the way she actually did :-)

Owlx: Sorry to let you wait for such a long time. And I didn't only read LotR, but had a lot of other stuff going on. Hope the next chapter won't take so long.