Chapter Seven

A/N: I know it's been nearly a year since I've updated this, please don't kill me! Okay, I already know I'm going to catch flack for what happens in this chapter, and I admit it does come across as kind of Mary Sue-ish, but if you think about it, they always talked about how much of a good guy President Santiago was, and I personally think that he was the kind of person that would actually do what I had him do in this chapter. This chapter was a real bitch, I was hung up on it for ages! So please, be kind to me and remember to review! Oh, and no, I don't plan on Amy's new life to be nearly this picture perfect or happy all the time. She's gonna have a lot of problems too, but there's some sharp highs to compensate for the crushing lows.

As Amy settled herself on the couch in Ambassador Delenn's quarters, she felt extremely anxious. The fact she wasn't human barely registered in her mind; it was the fact that she was of such high status—that she had actually requested to have Amy stay with her—that made her nervous. While Lennier bustled about in the kitchen, Delenn sat beside the woman out of time and smiled reassuringly.

"You may relax, Amy," she said in a slightly teasing tone, making the human chuckle despite herself.

"I'm sorry, Ambassador…I just really don't know what I'm doing here."

"You are here because I wish for you to be here," Delenn stated simply, giving a small smile. "I am well aware of your situation, and I wish to help you in any way that I can."

"Do your people have the technology to send me back to my time?" Amy immediately asked, the words bursting forth without conscious thought. Delenn shook her head sadly, and Amy rested her head in her hands in defeat. "I thought not…still, it was worth a try, right?"

"There are other ways that Lennier and I can assist you as well," Delenn said softly as tears started silently rolling down the younger woman's face. "We can listen when you wish to speak…we can offer comfort when you wish it…we can distract you from your troubles if you want."

"Why?" Amy croaked, wincing at her voice breaking. "Why would you wanna help me? I'm not important."

"I do not believe that…I believe that you are much more important than you give yourself credit for. Even if you are, as you say, 'not important', one person's grief does not outweigh another…everyone's pain and grief is important, and must be addressed for the individual to be able to heal."

At that point, Lennier entered the living room bearing a tray with a teapot and three small cups. While Delenn poured the tea, Amy thought about her words…it was obvious that Delenn was sincere, and she wondered how someone obviously not human seemed to embody the best parts of humanity.

"I'd like to know more about you," Amy finally said as she accepted the cup from Delenn. At her questioning look, she clarified. "I mean, I'd like to know about your people, your beliefs, your home world…there's a human saying…ignorance is bliss. It's usually used in the context of knowing or learning about something that will hurt you emotionally…but in this case, ignorance is a problem that we have to address for us to understand each other."

"I see that you are wiser than most humans are at your age," Delenn noted. "You are correct, of course…understanding is crucial for us to effectively communicate with each other, and communication is crucial in helping you with your situation."

Before anything else could be said, however, the BabCom unit chimed, and Commander Sinclair's face appeared on the monitor.

"Ambassador Delenn, I'm sorry to disturb you, but is Amy with you?" he asked pleasantly. Both women stood up and turned to the screen.

"Yes, why?" Delenn asked before Amy could.

"I have President Santiago on the line, and he's requesting to speak with her. He didn't say exactly why, but he's been made aware of her situation. Would it be all right to patch him through?"

"Yes, that will be fine," Delenn smiled. Amy threw her a confused glance, then Commander Sinclair's face disappeared from the screen, only to be replaced a moment later by an unfamiliar man's face.

"Mr. President," Delenn addressed him, and he looked somewhat surprised.

"Ambassador Delenn," he nodded to her. "Would it be possible for me to speak to Miss Steelman privately?"

"Actually, would it be all right if she stayed?" Amy spoke up before Delenn could open her mouth. The request seemed to surprise everyone, but the man nodded.

"I suppose so…I wasn't going to say anything that can't be said in front of others," he agreed mildly. "Miss Steelman, as you may or may not know, I'm the President of EarthGov, and Babylon 5 is very important to me, so I like to keep close tabs on what happens there. I read in the reports about your ship, and Commander Sinclair has informed me of your situation, and I'd like to help you in any way that I can."

"Mr. President, that's a very generous offer, but I don't see how you could help me," Amy replied stiffly. She remembered from her own time that politicians were untrustworthy in general, and she figured that hadn't changed. Besides, it was the government that had gotten her into the situation in the first place, and she wasn't about to go on blind faith with whatever he was going to suggest.

"I know there's nothing I can do to change what happened to you," he continued, his tone turning gentle. "I've tried to imagine how I would feel in your shoes, and it…it's just too much. But what I can do is try to make your situation a little easier to bear in terms of finances. I'm taking ten million credits from my personal investments and allotting them to you. I know that no amount of money can make up for what you've lost, but it'll make things less stressful for you to not have to worry about how you'll pay for your needs."

"Mr. President, that's…extremely generous of you," Amy managed to choke out through her shock, "But I can't accept…it's just way too much." The man chuckled and shook his head in apparent bemusement, and the two women shared a look; it was unexpected to both of them, but Delenn seemed to be approving of the president's position on the situation.

"I'm afraid that's not negotiable," he informed her. "I may not know you personally, Miss Steelman, but considering the situation, it's the least I can do. I can understand why you wouldn't trust me, but hopefully time and action will change your opinion. The current system does have some elements that are the same as from your time, but there have been a lot of changes also. Your situation is a harsh reminder of things that former governments have done, and I sincerely hope to keep it from being repeated."

"Thank you, Mr. President," Delenn spoke before Amy could. "The Minbari government shares your feelings on the situation, and your generosity is very welcome." The transmission ended then, and Amy stared blankly at Delenn for a moment before finding her voice.

"Did that just happen?" she asked, bemused. The ambassador nodded, and Amy sank back down on the couch weakly, still stunned at the turn of events.

"I believe the President said it well," Lennier finally spoke. "While no amount of money can make up for what you have lost, it will certainly make things easier to not worry about paying for your needs. Certainly you need clothing and food, at the very least."

Amy looked down at the clothes she was wearing; they were borrowed from the Lieutenant Commander, and while she had a nice figure, Amy had a more slender build and didn't have the cleavage that she did. Also, Amy's style was so different that she felt ridiculous in the clothes she wore.

"That's definitely true," she admitted, pulling herself together mentally. "But ten million credits won't last forever…I need some sort of job, a source of income. Although…" She let the word hang in the air, a thoughtful expression on her face, while Delenn and Lennier waited patiently for her to finish. "With that sort of money, I could start my own business. I always wanted to open a bar…maybe I could open one on the station."

"That would probably be a lucrative business," Lennier chimed in, making her look at him in interest. "There are many casinos and night clubs on station, and they all have steady business."

"And I could make it a themed bar!" she jumped in, excited at the possibilities. "I mean, I'm from two and a half centuries ago, so I could make my bar to reflect what things were like back then…the drinks, the music, the décor…I bet this station doesn't have a place like that, does it?"

"It certainly doesn't," Delenn confirmed, smiling. "I could see the appeal of such a place…there would be many people curious to learn about Earth's cultural history. And if you wished, I would be able to assist you in procuring and remodeling an establishment to suit your needs."

"Thank you," Amy gushed, standing up and grabbing her crutch. "I haven't seen much of the station…do you think you guys could show me around?"

"Guys?" Lennier echoed, confused. Amy chuckled.

"It's an expression humans use when speaking to more than one person, regardless of gender…in spite of the inflection, it doesn't necessarily mean that all the members of that group are male," she explained, making both Minbari nod in understanding. A confused look crossed her face. "Or at least, that's how it was used back in my time…I don't know if it's still used in that way."

"Well, we can certainly find out," Delenn reassured her, and together, the three of them walked out the door for the Minbari to give the human out of time a tour of the station.