CHAPTER FIVE

R&R was what they needed; it was what David had needed. The 10 or so days since their new year's celebration had passed in a flash. David had not been plagued by a single itch, ache or pain, in that time and hadn't felt the need for inebriation, the alcohol kind or the pain medication kind. He felt well, and Ryell had even been smiling in his direction once again.

He'd been given notice that his mother was attempting to get through on a variety of comms channels. David had been keeping both his mother and father up to date on his whereabouts and the status of his mission, carefully omitting certain motivational factors when daring his spacewalk, over the past few days and whilst it wasn't totally unexpected to hear from his mother now it was still a little out of the norm. Adding to this was the very late hour on Minbar.

"Hi Moth – " he started as he opened the channel. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the tears in his mother's eyes. For most people you would say outer strength had given way to an inner sadness, that toughness sometimes overwhelmed. But for Delenn you could see how strong she was because of how confident she was in letting her emotions show. Her joy, her bad jokes, her lust for life; all these things could lift the atmosphere in any room she entered. But those things were not at play right now. Tears ran down her cheeks. These were not old tears, dried on her cheek and without reinforcement, she was actively weeping; new tears forming and falling as she said patiently waiting for the call to connect.

When she finally heard David's voice she looked up and breathed in, trying desperately to find some sort of composure. She managed to hold this only for a moment, but only a brief share of eye contact with her son and fresh sobs broke this down like an incoming tide against a sandcastle.

"David," she finally managed to get out. David was crying now, he didn't know why, but between child and parent there is often an unspoken empathy; and between Delenn and David, with that splash of Minbari DNA, it was especially strong.

"David," she said again fighting to keep her voice steady. "Your father." A fresh bout of sobs fought back at the last moment.

"Your father has gone beyond."

"On an expedition? He's a little old to – " David began, deep down he knew this wasn't what his mother meant; but to his mind; desperately trying to defend itself against harm, stating something obviously wrong as fact like this would at least buy him another couple seconds of safety. Even if that safety was an illusion.

"No David," Delenn was finding her resolve once again. She could be formidable and commanding at times, but also soft and kind others. Delenn's gift was not just possessing such range, but being able to choose the right moments for each. "His time," she was searching the right words; "The borrowed time he was given at Z'ha'Dum… it had finally come due."

They had always been perfectly honest with their son about John's health predicament, stubbornly hoping it would just never come to pass; whilst making plans about what to do if it did.

David's eyes were waterfalls now, "I tried Mom…" he fought to get out.

"We knew," Delenn said, outstretching her hand toward the screen, wanting more than anything to take her son in her arms and cradle him as he had when he was an infant.

"We both knew you were out on the Rim searching for something. It is important that you know you did everything you could. Important for you that your father knew." Delenn was fronting a brave smile, a proud smile that coupled with her twinkling eyes conveyed the message more effectively than a million greetings cards.

"You both knew?"

"We knew David," Delenn confirmed, "We both agreed to send you."

"I…." the truth dawning on David now. Both parents had known of the "secret mission" the other had sent their son on.

"Do you really think?" Delenn started, her playfulness feeling a little forced but most definitely welcome, "That he or I would take an action without consulting the other first? We haven't so much as done surprise birthday presents for years!"

"But why…"

"So that when the time came, you would know. You would know David that you did as much as you could. You couldn't have done anymore."

"When… how…"

"We had a last meal. All of his old friends. We met on Babylon 5, where else David? But Babylon 5. And afterwards, he just… went beyond."

"And why…" David was fighting through the tears, the sadness starting to make way for grief.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've wanted – " David's mind was now racing to remember what his last conversation with his father was.

"Tell me," Delenn said, "What were the last words your father said to you?"

David was trying to think, he couldn't remember.

"Was it that he loved you?"

David nodded slowly, the recollection coming. They weren't a conservative family, they often shared their affections.

"And did you say you loved him to?" Delenn asked.

David nodded again.

"Then what more was there for you to say?"

The End.