"Bull shit."

"Jack-"

"NO! Bullshit."

Jack paced John's living room, agitated. John sent up a brief prayer that the argument wouldn't wake his son up and tried again.

"Jack-"

"You are standing right here, healthy, breathing fine, strong and clear minded, you just helped to conceive a child- You CREATED LIFE- and now you're telling me that your life has an expiry date? Bull- Shit." He slammed his hand against the table to make a point.

A floor above them, a baby started to scream.

John rushed upstairs to comfort the screaming infant, followed by his glowering friend.

As John picked his sulky son up and cradled him back to sleep, Zack continued his rant, quieter but no less heartfelt.

"You are acting like it's nothing."

"What!"

"You stand there, cradling you son- your son- who is a baby and his Dad already has death looming over his head... and you're just... You act like you're OK with this!"

"I've come to terms with it, if that's what you mean." Said John, calmly. Jack shook his head, incredulous. "It's not like I have much of a choice. I can spend the next twenty odd years ignoring it or raging about it- or I can live eighty years in twenty, make every day count- and give my baby a reason to remember me."

"This is bull shit!" Roared Jack yet again, jolting David out of his daze. As the baby started crying again, Jack continued. "I'm going to outlive you, Johnny. I'm going to go to your funeral."

"Jack," Started John, trying to calm his son and friend at the same time.

"I can't, Johnny. I just can't."

And John watched, helpless, as his oldest friend left the room.

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

"He couldn't handle it. He said I was Ok with it, like I'd done something wrong by accepting it."

"He is hurt, and grieving. He will come around." Murmured Delenn. Sheets rustled as she shifted in bed, bringing her arms around him gently. "He is not really angry at you for this, John. He cares for you deeply- does not want to see you hurt. Neither do I."

John turned in the bed and took Delenn in his arms tightly, clutching her desperately. "I could never be hurt. Not as long as I have you and David."

They kissed long and deep into the night.

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

As John's eyes crossed over for the tenth time in a minute, decided that perhaps it was time to go home. He prepared his things and left- running straight into Jack Maynard.

"Whoa!" He stopped and stared at his friend of twenty years, who had tear tracks leading from puffy eyes. "Jack! What is it?"

Jack laughed, a small, humourless sound, and said, "What else?"

Not able to think of anything else to do, John put his arm around Jack's shoulders and guided him towards home.

"I couldn't sleep. Couldn't eat. Couldn't think of anything- except what you told me."

"Jack-"

"No John! Let me finish!" He stopped for a moment, breathing hard. "The first time, I met you; I thought you were just another jarhead. Just another soldier. I didn't give you another thought. Until that day you came running into my quarters when I'd just gotten out of the shower and hadn't found my towel yet. No jarhead could have spluttered like you did that day."

They both smiled at the shared memory.

"Then you got promoted, and we worked together more, and we socialised more, and then... you invited me to your sister's wedding. And I realised... we were friends."

John was silent, the weight of something emotionally momentous pressing down on him, making him short of breath. He and Jack had always been the guys- never talking about their feelings but they did have an incredible bond. Now, he was facing the true, deep feelings of brotherhood they had both acknowledged over the years but had never highlighted in any way, and, truth be told, he was afraid.

"You're like a brother to me, John. And, as a brother... I love you. And... I don't want to lose you. Not like this."

John felt a lump choke him in his throat. He'd never heard Jack talk like this, never thought he and Jack could be thought of by anyone else in such terms.

Truly ironic, that something as tragic as his 'expiry date' could possibly have a positive effect, yet here they were. Speaking words that, otherwise, would have gone to the grave with them.

"Jack. I never had a brother. I never thought I needed one- my sister and I were always close. But... Now I can't imagine my life without you."

As his eyes once again filled with tears, Jack grabbed John in a bear hug, and words became unnecessary.