Title: Shopping, Sheridan, and Secrets

Author: Third Charm

Fandom: Babylon 5

Pairings: Marcus/Neroon.

Story Type: Romantic Comedy, Drama

Rating: M

Disclaimer: Babylon 5 and all subsequent major characters, plots, and ideas are the property of J. Michael Straczynski, Babylonian Inc. and Warner Bros. The following story was written only for the purposes of entertainment. No income had been made.

Warnings: VERY, VERY AU (As in canon is just a guideline folks!) and AT, not beta read, ATL death of a canon character, profanity, slash and erotic episodes.

Spoilers: You name it; it's in there.

Summary: This is a sequel "Teas, Teasing, and Taisers". Has Neroon finally found an ally, and how the hell has he done that!?

Author's Note: One Earth year equals 0.74 Minbari cycles. The Minbari words and phrases were found at the "JumpNow" website in John Hightower's Minbari dictionary, though not all are direct translations. The Italian came from badly remembered high school lessons, please forgive any errors.

Shopping, Sheridan, and Secrets

Neroon had finally made it to Sheridan's office. The Shai Alyt groaned as he waited for a very nervous Lt. Corwin to announce him. By the Ancients! And the human's said that they didn't have complicated rituals! Fighting the Shadows was less strenuous than following the rituals of a Human courtship!

Because of these rituals, he had taken a trip to the Zocalo to order the claddagh. And that had entailed a detailed search for the correct type of claddagh ring. Which entailed a slight hack into someone's cultural database to find out exactly which branch of the Cole family Marcus was from, and then guessing at Marcus's ring size. Neroon had been profusely thanking Valen by that point that the jeweler owed the Chief. If it had been anyone else, he'd never have been able to explain why he didn't know all of this information already! Then the jeweler had given him a lecture as on to what hand, finger, and how to properly place the ring on Marcus's finger, so that it showed the correct status of the Ranger; that of someone who is betrothed. Neroon asked to have the ring delivered to his quarters as soon as it was ready.

Then, after nearly giving Neroon an aneurysm over the price of the ring, the jeweler asked him what kind of "boutonnière" he was giving Marcus tonight. At Neroon's puzzled look, the shopkeeper explained. And that led to a trip to a florist shop. Apparently, it was proper to present Marcus with a "boutonnière" when he arrived to escort him to the engagement dinner.

When the Warrior arrived at the florist's shop, he was greeted by such a story! The Warrior wondered at how could gossip and rumor spread that fast. Neroon had been completely confused by what the shop owner was talking about, but nodded and played along. Then, he casually asked if a proper boutonnière could be made for that evening. The florist asked if he still wished to use the "language of flowers". Neroon had no clue as to what the man was talking about, but decided that continuing to play along would best, and said yes. Neroon had made sure to ask his guard, in Lenn'ah of course, to have a crystal on the subject sent to his quarters when the florist was busy another customer. If everyone believed he knew this subject, it was best NOT to dissuade them of this notion.

Then, before the florist could drag him into a long, drawn out discussion of Earth flora, he said that the arrangements he had seen when coming in had impressed him, and that as a Warrior, he had no place to impose his opinions on a master of his craft. Neroon said that of course he would be happy with the type of boutonnière that the "Master Florist" believed appropriate. That had the florist beaming. Neroon then asked to have it delivered to his quarters as soon at it was ready. And after the gouging he had received at the jeweler's, the Warrior didn't even ask the cost. He simply signed off on the bill without looking. Neroon was sure it would be less painful that way.

One of his junior aides had then caught up with Neroon and his guards after that purchase. That had led him back to the Chief's office. After hearing the tale that Marcus had spun for the Entil'Zha, the greetings and questions he had received began to make sense. Then the Warrior had to go through and memorize that tale Marcus had told Delenn. Neroon smirked to himself the entire time he went about his task. By the Centauri's Great Maker, but his future mala was creative!

Neroon was pulled from his thoughts when "Please come in," came from the interior of the office.

Corwin ushered Neroon in and then promptly left. Neroon bowed to Sheridan. "Captain. I am grateful that you could find this time to meet with me."

"Neroon, please, come in and sit down," Sheridan said as he got up from his desk and gestured towards the small conference table in his office. He then walked of to a cabinet, and pulled out a bottle of some sort. "Since I have a feeling that this isn't in regards to the Shadows or other business topics, perhaps you would share a drink with me? Don't worry; this is sparkling water with citrus juice. There's no alcohol in it at all."

"I would be enjoy some refreshment. After this day, even I need a respite," Neroon said as he took a seat.

Sheridan chuckled. "Yes, I think I know how you feel. I went through something similar when I was getting together with my first wife," Sheridan said as he walked over to the table placed a full glass before Neroon and then sat down with his own.

Neroon inclined his head. "May Anna Sheridan's soul walk in that place where no shadows fall."

Sheridan nodded accepting the Minbari form of condolence. "I hope that she may as well. But, I spoke of my first wife, Elizabeth. May she rest in peace too."

Neroon was stunned. No one had told him that Sheriden had had another mala before Anna Sheridan! Neroon was curious as to the full identity of this Elizabeth, but would not press. To do such a thing would be both inconsiderate and dishonorable.

Sheridan took in the barely concealed curiosity of the Warrior before him, and decided to share a bit of himself with him. Hopefully, it would stop any more tension between them. The Captain took a drink, and then started talking.

"Elizabeth and I married young. We were still in the Academy when we met. We were the top students of our class. We competed against each other in everything. After our freshmen year, our respect for a competitor changed to friendship, and then to love. I won't say Liz was my first love, but she was my first passionate love. Ah, God! But she was beautiful! My Liz had as much fire as Ivanova, Michael's humor, and as much ability as Sinclair. And a pair of eyes a man could drown in. Let alone that long brown mane of hers. Anyway, we married right after graduation. I was assigned to the Lexington and she to the Rossoff. Then the War broke out..." Sheridan stopped talking then. He was staring into his glass, lost in memory.

Neroon paled. He knew the story of the Rossoff. It came out after the Earth-Minbari War had ended. The Rossoff had been practically dead in space, yet the Rossoff's Captain had placed her between a convoy of Human refugees and the oncoming Minbari Sharlins, one of which was the Drala'Fi, the Black Star in Standard. It was said that the already crippled Rossoff had held the Sharlins long enough for the convoy to enter hyperspace. Then the Black Star had destroyed her. As with all Minbari offensives in space, there had been no survivors. Neroon looked even more closely at Sheridan. Neroon saw that the human still keenly felt the pain of that first loss.

After noticing Neroon's look, the Captain picked his tale. "Liz was supposed to be on that convoy. You see, we had been able to get together at the Neptune substation for a weekend of R&R almost three months prior. Her medical officer had just run a physical on Liz a week before. She was with child. The Rossoff was meeting up with the convoy to set her off. We were bad off as a species, Neroon. Every life was becoming more and more precious. They weren't going to send a pregnant woman back into war."

Sheridan's voice cracked at that point. After swallowing hard, he went on in a voice thick with tears. "We had just come off an engagement and had been running silent for over three days. I hadn't been able to access any of my messages in that time. I got an enthusiastic message from Liz about the baby only a few hours before the notice that the Rossoff had been lost with all hands. She never made it off. The attack group showed up before they could get her shuttle off. The Captain had no choice. He had to put the Rossoff between the civilians and the Sharlins."

To say that the Warrior was uncomfortable when Sheridan finished his story would be an understatement. Neroon didn't know what to say to this. How could a man forgive the deaths of his mala and unborn child? How could he now work so well with the Minbari Warrior Caste? In Valens's name, how could he fall in love and court a Minbari – let alone the Minbari that ordered the war? Did Sheridan even know of Delenn's involvement in the Earth-Minbari War?

Sheridan picked up his story again. "I wanted to crawl into a bottle and never come out when I heard what happened. I couldn't though. We had just lost our Captain to injuries sustained in a firefight with one of your battle groups. I had been given a field promotion and the command of the Lexington. The fact that everyone's lives on that ship depended on me kept me semi-sane. I say semi-sane because I was getting lost in my fury, in my need for vengeance. Hell, Captain Ahab had nothing on me. I wanted my whale so bad I could taste it. I went to bed at night to dreams of my unborn child screaming out its death, and woke to even more hate filling my heart."

Neroon did not understand the literary analogy, but he understood Sheridan's pain and his need for vengeance. All of Minbar had felt it when Dukhat had died. A sudden thought came to Neroon, making him shiver in dread. He looked into the haunted eyes of the Human Captain and knew that he was right.

"The Drala'Fi. It was no chance engagement. You were hunting her," he said with certainty.

Sheridan looked at him, and for the first time, Neroon saw the face of "StarKiller". And it terrified him as no Shadow ever could. It terrified him because the Warrior knew that this was a monster his people had created. And may Valen and the Universe help them if he took the knowledge and technology they'd now given him and turned it against them!

"Yes," Sheridan answered in a cold voice. "When I'd reached the end of my rope, I forged orders from EarthDome, and told my people we were going hunting. I told them that we were ordered to run silent and that it was our job to get rid of the most dangerous ship in the Minbari fleet. I told those poor, deluded kids that HQ had ordered us to do it or die trying," Sheridan broke off his story then and laughed harshly, mirthlessly.

"If you want me to go on, I need something stronger than soda," he finally said after his laughter had died down and the tears had started again.

When Neroon said nothing, he got up to get another bottle from the cabinet behind his desk. Sheridan then poured himself a double shot of bourbon and slugged it back. He came back, sat down, and went on with the story.

"Those innocent kids under my command swallowed that set of lies hook, line, and sinker. They even pledged themselves to me and to the "mission". It took me weeks to find the Black Star and days to get her Alyt to swallow the bait I set out. But, finally, he did – it was he wasn't it?" Neroon nodded. "Well, I got the son of a bitch to do exactly what I wanted, and then I sent him and the rest of the bastards that took my family from me to HELL!" Sheridan stopped to collect himself again.

"And then, when the adrenaline and alcohol wore off, I came back to some of my senses. And I had to live with what I had done. I basically took my ship and my crew on a suicidal mission for personal vengeance. I had endangered hundreds of lives in my need for personal vengeance. I had also taken us all AWOL."

"And, and I had done the same thing that the Alyt of the Black Star did. I killed a ship that was dead in space. I had become a murderer. Not even a Sharlin could recoup from the detonation of a ten-megaton tactical warhead right in front of it. The shock wave alone would have destroyed a vessel of any of the other younger races. They were blind, no shields, no working live armor, and their weapons were dead. She was listing heavily. We knew that most of the crew was alive - the sensor blocking systems were down too - when I gave the order to open all systems on her. I had killed thousands of helpless beings."

There was another silence as Sheridan collected himself yet again. Neroon saw the Human glance at the cabinet with the alcohol. The Warrior would not have minded if he had gotten another drink at this point. Frankly, if there was a beverage around that would have the same effect on him as alcohol would on humans, he'd have taken some as well.

"When we came back and reported in, EarthDome only saw the victory, they developed a VERY convenient case of amnesia as to where those orders of mine came from. They gave us all commendations and official promotions. I was hailed a tactical genius and a hero of Humanity. And the crew that I had almost insanely killed off began to worship the ground I walked on." Sheridan laughed harshly again. "Now, and now, the people that I warred against are looking to that "tactical genius" to save the whole galaxy from the Shadows."

There was a long and rather uncomfortable pause before the Captain snorted and went on. "Now, I know that you didn't come in here to hear me tell old war stories, or to hear me bitch either. Sorry about that."

Neroon inclined his head. He was still stunned by the story. But, he was beginning to understand the Human now. "Do not concern yourself, Captain. In issues such as this, only another Warrior can even begin to listen or understand. I am honored that you chose to share your burden with me," Neroon paused, trying to find the right words. "Know that all you have said will be treated as if you were sharing a secret for the Na'fak Cha. No others will know of this conversation if you do not wish it."

Sheridan sighed, and inclined his head. "I thank you for that. I plan on telling Delenn if there comes a time when she needs to know about all of this. But, right now, if she were to find out about Liz and the baby, the guilt would kill her."

Neroon shot a very surprised look at the Captain at that statement.

Sheridan simply raised an eyebrow at his reaction. "Don't be surprised at that statement. I know Delenn, and I also know of her. Do you really believe that our intelligence operatives are that bad that they can't identify the Satai of the Minbari?" he asked a bit condescendingly.

When Neroon didn't respond, he went on. "Oh, yes, I know who ordered the War. I also know that the guilt she feels for those orders has been killing her inside. She's just now coming to terms with it. And I am NOT going to open that old can of worms again if I can help it," Sheridan finished.

Neroon was stunned again. If Sheridan knew about Delenn, then how was he able to forgive her? How had he fallen in love with the woman that had ordered the whole mess to begin with? He looked at Sheridan with a confused expression, unable to even form a coherent sentence in order to ask his question.

Sheridan picked up on it. "How can I forgive, is that what you want to know? How can I love her? Well, that is easy to answer. First off, if you really want to understand, read the New Testament of the Bible. It will tell you the principles that I was raised on. Second, she isn't the same person spiritually that she was at the start of the War, and, neither am I. We've both changed and grown, and have our burdens from that. Third, I'm a sinner too, Neroon. I did the same exact thing that she did, only on a smaller scale. And the blood is directly on my hands. She gave the order, but your Caste took it to the levels that the War went to. In the end, Delenn even tried to stop the War, but your Caste wouldn't let her and the rest of the Grey Council end it, at first anyway. Did you know that?" he asked.

Neroon shook his head no.

"Yeah, well, after we came back from the Black Star they sent me out with G'Kar to try and broker a peace with your people. They thought that a successful Warrior might get some respect." Both men snorted at that. "Yeah, that's what I thought too. Anyway, the person we were to meet with was Delenn. We were brought to the meeting place bound and blindfolded. No one muffled us though. What your people didn't know at the time was that we had already deciphered Lenn'ah, and EFI did a Psi-plant of it into my head before I left. Your Warrior Satais broke in and gave it all away to me. After Delenn had literally begged for the War to end and basically been told to take herself back to the temple and shut up…"

"That sounds exactly like something Shakiri and the others would have said," Neroon broke in.

"Don't we all know it! Anyway, after that, the three idiots - sorry, but to me they will always be blood thirsty idiots who wanted the genocide of a beaten race – the three idiots ordered my death and that of G'Kar. We only made it out alive because of Delenn. She had her people sneak us out before the orders were carried out. We came back to Earth and basically told them to prepare for the worst. Our people then had EFI sneak G'Kar out of our space, and we as a species began to fortify for the Line. And then I met Anna. The rest is well known history."

Neroon thought over what Sheridan had said. He added it to what he knew of Marcus and his past, and of the Chief and what he now knew of the man and of Human society through their talk earlier that day. And then Neroon began to finally form an understanding, dim though it was, of Humanity. Finally, he spoke.

"I take it that Delenn did not recognize you?" he said.

"No. And when and/or if the time comes for her to know, I will tell her," Sheridan smirked. Then his expression hardened and "StarKiller" came back. "Know this Neroon, I killed in cold blood before, and I did it in vengeance. To protect her, I'll do it again. I won't even quibble about it. I'll take that burden and live with the consequences. And, my friend, that is another trait of humanity you had better get used to if you truly want to marry one of us."

Sheridan came to the fore again. "Now, I want to get back to the topic I think you came to talk about. From the looks on everyone's faces this morning, I take it that the Chief had, um, how should I put this? That the Chief found you in a rather delicate position when you proposed, yes?"

Neroon groaned. He had hoped that Sheridan hadn't been able to pick up on that. Well, at least he could rely on some of Marcus's little tale here. He just had to make sure that he and Sheridan both stuck to the story that Marcus concocted for the public.

"Yes, you are correct. It's more of what Marcus had said though, than any unacceptable actions on either of our parts. Marcus accepted my suit with the words, "Vi'is ah' ma'fela na", meaning them in the future and current tense, meaning them both as future lover and current betrothed. But the Chief, well…"

Neroon left off the story when Sheridan started laughing. After he got his breath back, the Captain said, "Oh, that poor, innocent kid! He set you up for one hell of a beating without even knowing it! Now, I know that what Marcus said was bad, but you must have done something to give the Chief evidence of a seduction!"

Neroon flushed as he remembered his wake up call. "Well, the Chief had walked in on a rather, um, "passionate" kiss while Marcus was still in medlab. And before you ask, no one was there. And yes, I DO know that we should have been chaperoned, and that taking such liberties is my fault, I do know it. But, in Valen's name! I am an adult. I both love and respect Marcus. I would never dishonor him. I can control myself, and I am thoroughly SICK of hearing that Shadow-be-damned PPG of his charging! Could he at least say something before pulling it?!" The Warrior groused.

Sheridan began laughing again. He laughed until he cried. When he was done, he gave a shake of his head and said, "I think I know why you are here. You want me to run some interference between the Chief and the two of you, AND keep Delenn off your back?" Neroon nodded, and Sheridan went on. "O.K. I can do that. I know the Chief can be obsessive, and Delenn is like a hen with one chick when it comes to Marcus. Just do me a favor, and don't screw up and get caught with the hanky-panky any more!"

At Neroon's surprised and flushed look, Sheridan just knew that he was right! "Now, I'm damn sure that the kiss was more than just passionate, if the Chief was willing to scream "Promise Keeper" at the top of his lungs this morning. Well, at least he didn't walk in while you two were, um, "fully occupied" as Liz's dad did to us."

Neroon gasped and flushed again. Did Sheridan just say what he thought he said? He former heart-father had found him in bed with his Elizabeth, BEFORE their bonding? Oh, but that was just too ironic! Neroon laughed as well. At least he knew he wasn't alone in the "thinking with the wrong head" department as the Chief had said earlier. When he finished laughing, he decided to let Sheridan know something closer to the truth. Both men took a drink, and then Neroon spoke.

"You are correct in you assessment of the kiss, Captain, and let's just say that I can also completely relate to your mortification in that moment that you mentioned. Also, you are quite correct in the guesses I am sure you have made in regards to the Chief's views on my abilities to control myself around his adopted son."

Sheridan choked on his drink. "Did you just say what I thought you said?" he asked in a desperate need to hear something other than what he heard.

"Yes, Captain. You heard me correctly. Chief Garibaldi has adopted Marcus in the manor of his people," Neroon said.

"Oh, FUCK!" Sheridan blurted out. "Sorry, Neroon. Please forgive the profanity. Um, That was a bit of a surprise that's all. Oh, and please call me John when we aren't doing the political thing. After what we've just told each other, you've earned it," Sheridan said.

"Thank you, John. As to the profanity, I had my ears ringing with it this morning as the Chief pointed out some politically incorrect steps I had taken to me. One word won't insult me," Neroon said. Neroon conveniently forgot the rest from John's earlier story telling.

"And that would be something to do with Shakiri?" John asked shrewdly.

Neroon inclined his head. Sheridan was quick! "Yes, but it is of no concern, now. The Chief and my aide, Martag, have taken care of it."

"Well, that's good. But, with Marcus now being a part of "la famiglia Garibaldi", it changes things, a whole hell of a lot of things. Neroon, they are an old and very powerful family back on Earth, and everywhere else in our sections of known space, except maybe for the Minbari Federation. They just aren't what we call, um, "savory". I have to ask you, do you know what you are getting yourself into?" Sheridan asked in all seriousness.

Neroon nodded, serious as well. "Yes John, I know of what you speak of. Because of my stupidity, Mr. Garibaldi had to go to the lengths that he did. Also, the power that you speak of will help when it comes to any, shall we say, "unpleasant" rumors that Shakiri may start in order to unseat me. And I do know of what I am getting myself - and the Caste for that matter - into. It has been pointed out to me in great detail by Commander Ivanova, Mr. Garibaldi, Martag, and even the jeweler making Marcus's betrothal claddagh."

Neroon smirked. "I am fully aware that - now what is that saying that the jeweler used? - Oh, yes. I am fully aware that by courting and then being bonded to Marcus, that I will in essence also be "married to the mob".

Sheridan choked, and then laughed hysterically. Oh, God! But to hear a Minbari say that! A Minbari Shai Alyt and Satai no less! It was just too much! After a bit, Neroon joined in the laughter, appreciating the irony of what he had just said. When they finally calmed down, John went back to another tidbit that had come from Neroon.

"You said that you are having a ring made for Marcus?" He asked.

"Yes, it should be done by now. I will present him with it this evening. It is custom for the one who brings suit to give their intended a gift of some import at the start of their courtship. This custom you Humans have of presenting your intended with a ring fits nicely with ours," Neroon said.

"Hmm, I gave Delenn two dozen red roses, and took her to dinner at Fresh Aire. Would that count?" he asked.

"Yes, such a meal is very appropriate. All though, the meal would normally be given at the suitor's home, with chaperones from both sides present. Of course, such things are not possible for the two of you. Delenn's status as Entil'Zha and former Satai, as well as Ambassador puts her above the reproach of anyone here, and you are this Station's Commander. To gainsay either of you would be unheard of by any Minbari. To take your courtship public is your best option so that you are not impugned," Neroon said.

"Well, that's good. You know, I have been trying to find a ring for Delenn for weeks now. With no luck. Can I asked the name of the jeweler you used?" Sheridan asked.

Neroon gave him the flimsy that he still had with him for some unknown reason. When Sheridan saw it, he whistled. "Damn! I don't even want to know what a custom job from him would cost! Good God, you went to the great-great-great-grandson of A.C. Tiffany himself?"

"I was told that he was the best," Neroon said nonchalantly.

"Yeah, he is. He's probably best at the art in the entire Earth Alliance. I still don't know what he is doing on this barge. I know that even with promoting his work and the family name to the rest of the races can't be all the reason he's here," Sheridan said.

Neroon was silent. He had nothing to say on the matter. All though, a suspicion of why the jeweler was here, and the reach and power of the Garibaldi family was starting to form in his mind. He knew better than to voice it though. While Neroon thought, Sheridan had looked up at the time display, and gasped.

"Neroon, we'd better be going. I need to meet with Corwin before I go off shift, and then I need to get ready, get her flowers picked up, and pick up Delenn. And you need to get ready and then you need to pick up Marcus. And neither of us can to be late! Our fiancés will have our heads if we are!"

Neroon concurred, and then they both left the office. As they left the Captain's office, they groused about timetables, courtships on top of wars, demanding fiancés, and inconsiderate chaperones. This had Neroon's guards and the C&C staff who could hear them smirking. It was nice to know that the head honchos could be mortal, well at least sometimes!