Trying to keep it spoiler-free, tonight's episode was so insanely amazing I just had to post this... it's been written for a while but I had to play around with the lyrics for a bit, and I wanted to post it soon in case the next episode contradicts it or something, but judging by Marcus's behavior towards Anna tonight, it suddenly doesn't seem tooooo far off the mark. Is that a spoiler? Eeh.

Meh, Iunno how accurate it really is, or if it's even remotely believeable but I DID put a LOT of effort into it, and re-read it till I practically memorized it. Again, I'm not familliar with V medical technology so bear with me... ? :)

Lyrics are property of Mariana's Trench."Good To You". Has always made me think of M & A ... :)

enjoy!

Everyone's around, no words are coming out.
And I can't find my breath, can we just say the rest with no sound.
And I know this isn't enough, I still don't measure up.
And I'm not prepared, sorry is never there when you need it.

The consciousness came back before the pain did.

He felt like he was lying underneath a weight that was gradually lifting as he became more aware with every layer that vapourized.

For a longest while, he sensed nothing, knew nothing. No recollection of is life, his identity, never mind how the incident that had gotten him here. He simply existed in limbo, all but dead.

Slowly his mind began to stir, as though shaking off frost after hibernation, thawing after a long winter. So warm... so peaceful. Could stay like this forever.

Nothing ahead. Nothing behind. Just... bliss.

And I just want you know I hold you up above everyone.
And I do want you know I think you'd be good to me,
And I'd be so good to you.
I would.

Out of nowhere - suddenly he felt his own heartbeat. It triggered an avalanche of memory.

Planning Concordia, the gala, Anna's determination. Briefing security with the FBI, their promises, assurances. Preparing for this supremely important event, every detail. Walking through the crowd, observing, searching for a sign of suspicion. A message from Nichols. Danger. Apprehension.

I'll take your place. You were the target. Not me.

Taking center stage. Lights blinding. Anna safe. Talking, smiling. Presenting the Evans family. More smiling. Getting a little tired of all this fuss... Still apprehensive...seeing Anna looking on from her place in the crowd... Cold sense of foreboding... Erica pulling Tyler aside...

A crack of man-made thunder. Hearing the bullet before feeling it. Impact sending him lurching backwards. Falling. Stunned, unsure of what happened. Sudden pain, a horrible sting. Blood. Gazing numbly into the scattering crowd. Trying to get up - can't. Falling backwards again. Staring upwards into the stars. Afraid. Panic, footsteps, screaming, everywhere. Hurts so much. Fighting to stay conscious. Finally blacking out into merciful nothing.

Less than a second it took for the entire previous day to come crashing back to him. But he didn't have another second to grapple with it, because the pain was the next thing to catch up with him, and he remembered where he was as his senses flared to life.

Thought I saw a sign, somewhere between the lines.
Maybe it's me, maybe I only see,
What I want.

The sudden metallic scent of fresh blood. Crushing, stinging, ripping agony, focused on the right side of his chest. Breathing was difficult. Wrenching his body, trying to escape the pain. Lurching forward. Bright white light blinding him as his eyes shot open. Shoved back down onto a cold surface. Hands all over him, restraint. He fought it. Faces in hovering above him. Some dimly familliar, some strange. Voices chattering in his ear, he knew what they were saying but somehow couldn't absorb it, didn't understand. Heard his name spoken again and again but it was like hearing another language, nothing made sense. Someone was barking orders above the chaos, a voice he recognized as a friend...Joshua. but Joshua wasn't his his friend in this moment, he was a doctor. A doctor on duty. Sharp needle pricks here and there, his patient could immediately detect the alien presence of the injected drugs coursing through his veins. Feeling weaker now, drained. Hazy. Exhausted. Sedated. Slipping backwards into oblivion.

"Marcus."

Something finally hit home. Heard his name spoken by a new voice, one that stood apart from the others. Higher, clearer. Female. Dragging him upwards from impending unconsciousness. The voice didn't seem to be coming from any particular direction. He fought against the sedative and twisted, trying to locate the figure that went along with the voice, the motion caused him another flare of hurt. Clamping his teeth down on the extraterrestrial snarl of pain fighting to escape. Breathing was getting harder.

"Marcus..."

Again. Concise, pure, ethereal. Felt someone standing closer than the rest of the crowd. Hands caressing his shoulders, neck, forehead. Gentle, comforting rather than restraining.

A sharp jab in his upper arm, straight into the muscle. His body relaxed, tensed muscles became slack, followed closely by his mind going blank - involuntarily, as the new dose of sedative proved too powerful to fight. Finally, his view of the ceiling blurred until his eyelids dropped heavily and he felt nothing at all.

Or I still have your letter, just got caught between
Someone I just invented, and who I really am
and who I've become.

"I thought he was anesthetized." Anna huffed shakily as Joshua adjusted the silver monitoring devices on Marcus' forehead. She hadn't been prepared for him to awaken so suddenly, seeing him in such shock and pain was more difficult than witnessing the shooting. She desperately tried to suppress the uncomfortable feeling of empathy.

"He was." Joshua replied gruffly. "It wore off before I finished working. His body fought it, I should have given him more."

"Because he's strong." Anna murmured, staring at Right Hand's freshly sedated form.

Joshua nodded respectfully and entered an update into the medical console before exiting the room and leaving the High Commander alone with her closest comrade.

And I just want you know I hold you up above everyone.
And I do want you know I think you'd be good to me
And I'd be so good to you.
I can't be without you.
Yeah...
I would.

The second waking was easier. The pain had diminished -although it was far from gone, he felt like he'd been run over by a vehicle, a large one. But the smell of blood had thankfully vanished. He was warm, relatively comfortable, and no longer being jabbed with needles. No complaints there. He'd never been shot up with so many drugs in his life, he figured that must be accountable for the dull buzzed feeling in his head, accompanying a light ache. His thoughts came slowly and sluggishly, and his brain felt incredibly heavy, as did his entire body. He doubted he could have moved even if the ship was on the verge of exploding. But short of a comlete freak occurance, he didn't have any plans on mobilizing in the near future.

So this is what getting shot is like.

Not something he'd be eager to relive. At all. He belatedly realized, this was the third time he'd been on the wrong end of a gun. The first time, at the Ambassador center. He'd been severely shaken, and Anna had informed him after the fact that it had been a set-up. She apologized, claiming it wouldn't look convincing had he been prepared for it, but that didn't change the fact that he felt more than a little betrayed.

The second time, his meeting with Kyle Hobbes, he saw it coming. Why on earth wouldn't a hunted mercenary carry a loaded pistol? He knew very well that Hobbes had nothing to gain from firing the weapon but still, no one likes having a gun aimed at their face. It was a situation he didn't mind putting behind him.

And the third time...well, it didn't require a further explanation, nor any more contemplation. The whole experience had been awfully traumatic and he was eager to move past it and channel his energy into recovery.

He then felt something wrapped around his right hand - a bandage? He couldn't recall damaging his hand.

With great reluctance, he opened his eyes. The lights were no longer offensively bright, the room was comfortably dark, and the fluorescent ceiling lights were on their lowest setting. He blinked once, twice. Slowly tilted his head to the right... a detached prickle of shock and suprise travelled down his spine.

It wasn't a bandage on his hand. It was another hand. Anna's. She was sitting into a chair next to him, apparently asleep. He'd never seen her sleep. In fact he'd never seen her look so vulnerable -excepting the night of Red Sky. Their relationship was always the epitome of professional. So he couldn't fathom why she was staying by her Second-in-Command rather than off dealing with something important - everyone knew she had more than enough business to keep her fully occupied, especially now that he, Marcus, was... incapacitated.

He flashed back - Hours? Days? - to the first time he'd awoken since the shooting; drugged, confused, hurting, and panicking. He thought he'd felt her, could have sworn she'd been by his side but he'd dismissed it as a hallucinationon, a by-product of stress and trauma.

He looked again. She was really there. Shocking. Comforting. And a little flattering, she was actually beside him.

Then he shifted his arm slightly, partially to see if he was dreaming and partially to see if he could actually move. His motion apparently disrupted his dormant companion, because her eyes snapped open, she must have been in an incredibly light sleep. For a second she appeared disoriented, as though not sure why she was in this particular room. Then her gaze shifted downwards, and their eyes met. Her face softened.

"Marcus... you're awake."

Her voice sounded detaced and distant from his half-sedated perspective, but he definitley wasn't hallucinating. He attempted to reply with something intelligent, or at least a respectful 'Yes, my Queen.' but all he managed was a tired mumble that sounded vaguely like "Yuh."

"It's alright. You've been anesthetized. Joshua oversaw everything. He said you'll be...not yourself...until it wears off." she informed him quietly.

He nodded almost imperceptibly, trying to focus his hazy vision on her face, but his view of the room was spinning.

"How are you feeling?" she inquired softly.

"Fine." he croaked hopelessly.

"Don't you dare lie to me." she shot back with a hint of a sarcastic smile.

He exhaled slowly - pain flickered through his chest.

"Everything...hurts." he admitted tiredly.

"I know." She tightened her grip on his hand for a second. "But you're strong. The pain will pass."

He blinked skeptically in return.

"Do you remember anything from last night?" she asked hopefully. She desperately wished he might have some miniscule insight into whoever caused this, but no such luck.

"Got...shot?"

"Yes. You took my place, you spoke about Concordia in front of the crowd. I was supposed...to..." her voice trailed off and found herself unable to continue.

"I remember."

"Thomas has temporarily taken over your position until you are ready to return. You must know that the spot next to me will always be yours."

In one conscisive motion, she gently laid her right hand on his forehead. He slowly shifted his body to face her more clearly. Her bloodshot, sleep-deprived eyes met his half-open ones. They glittered with -there was no denying it- emotion.

"Marcus, I'm going to destroy the monsters who did this to you. When I get through with them, they'll be worse than dead. This I promise you."

He half-smiled up at her in a would-be supportive manner. To be honest, his attacker was the last thing on his mind. He just wanted to sleep.

"Why did you do this for me?" she gulped suddnly. The question had escaped her lips unbidden, she knew the answer, or thought she did; he'd simply been serving his Queen. But deep down, that didn't satisfy her.

"Couldn't...let you...get hurt."

He said it as if it was the simplest thing in the world. Then again, she figured, he was probably half-loopy on painkillers.

"Thank you." she whispered.

Her voice was barely audible, but Marcus knew better than anyone how difficult it was for her to say those words, and mean them.

He put what little strength he had into squeezing her hand. Hers were cold, clammy, and her fingernails poked him a little bit, but he could imagine the internal struggle she'd faced before gripping his hand in her own. And he admired the self-resolve he knew it had taken for her to show that molecular amount of affection.

It was all either of them needed.

So when she fell asleep with her head on his shoulder once again, the last thing he remembered before drifting off was feeling blissful as he'd been on the day they took a nap in the shade of Diana's shuttle. The one that later took her away to where she became the Anna that existed today, where she left behind the innocent girl who'd been his best friend so many years ago.

But it didn't matter anymore. Nothing did. Not the confusion of the past, not the pain of the present, nor the uncertainity of the future.

They both knew perfectly well that this would never happen again, that they'd both act as if it never happened once things returned to normal. Because for this one strange, painful, unexpected, off-the-records night, it was their combined weakness that gave them strength.

Whether or not they spoke of it, they'd remember this moment; his hand clamped around hers, and her fingers entwined in his hair.

But they'd always have tonight.

And I just want you know I hold you up above everyone.
And I do want you know I think you'd be good to me
And I'd be so good to you.

Review dammit?

Well I think that's it for this fic... seeing how it was supposed to be like half a oneshot... But I'm actually very happy with it, and the more I think about it, the more I love the idea of (please don't shoot me) Anna/Marcus. I'm a realistic person, I don't see it actually happening on the show, at least not for a LONG time, if ever... but I can dream, right?

If you're still with me, thanks for reading and please leave a note! I welcome constructive criticism as well as praise, I'll even settle for a "You don't totally suck."

Thanks again!

OH, MSD will be updated very soon!

I'm done. Goodnight!

RXP