"...And the Drazi are complaining about the trade deal with the Narns, they say they were tricked into signing an unfair deal."

"No surprise there."

"Well, there have been several fights about it already, and one standoff near the JumpGate. I'd appreciate something said in one of their IA meetings, Mr President. Preferably before my station gets trashed by a stray shot."

"I'll make a point of it in the next session, Captain. Is there anything else?"

"No, not really... except..."

"What? Something wrong?"

"Well, I saw Delenn on the transport tube this morning and, well, I think I may have inadvertently said something that upset her."

"Oh? What makes you think that? She hasn't said anything."

"Well, I don't know what it is that I said. We were talking about... well mostly random stuff, nothing serious, and then... OK, one moment we're both smiling and chatting about fairy tales- don't ask- and then she just went quiet."

"Real life fairy tales... Wait a minute. Did you use the phrase 'and they lived happily ever after'?"

"Yeah, I think I did. Why?"

*/*\*/*\*/*\*/*\*/*\*/*\*/*\*

"Oh."

"Yeah, I know."

"Twenty..."

"Well. Nineteen. Or... eighteen and half now. I guess. Time flies when you're... having fun."

"Delenn's having trouble, isn't she?"

"I don't know. We don't talk about it much. Or at all."

"Does your family know?"

"I told my Dad. He's going to tell the others."

"The crew... your friends here... they all know?"

"Well, they were all here around that time."

"How'd they deal with it?"

"Susan yelled and screamed at me. Garibaldi just ignored it... which, considering what was going on in his brain at the time, I understand now. Stephen took a sample of my blood to study... I don't think he'll accept this until it's over."

"...and you? How are you dealing?"

"I don't know. It's weird... I work. I eat. I sleep. I don't think about it, I don't dwell on it... But every once in a while, something happens and... For instance, last week, Zack made a joke at dinner about how he was gonna be here until he retired and I said everyone on B5 would be at his retirement party, even me... and we all just... went quiet. It's hard. It's just... hard."

"I'll bet."

"...What about you. How do you feel?"

"...John. After our... little mistake... I wanted you to disappear, I was so embarrassed. Even after we had that talk at Christmas, I was still embarrassed whenever I thought of you. But now... I consider you a friend. I want you to have a full and happy life. I want you to have kids and watch them grow up and have kids of their own. You're a good man... you deserve a good, long, life. This is just so..."

"Unfair?"

"Such is life, I know. It still sucks."

"..."

"..."

"So, how's the Centauri situation going?"