From julifolo@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu Tue Dec 24 23:34:55 1996 Date: Fri, 8 Nov 1996 11:10:05 -0600 (CST) From: watkins julia k To: b5-creative@lists.best.com Subject: "By Way of Proposal" (a Z'H'D reaction story) Hello all! I was talking with some friends about a few problematical scenes in "Z'Ha'Dum" and the following scenario was the result. This may go further, once I've seen a few more new episodes. Something to think about... Julie -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Standard disclaimers =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- "By Way of Proposal" an alternate Third Season scenario by Julie Watkins julifolo@ux1.cso.uiuc.edu "Something in the air?" Sheridan studied Delenn's face intently. It had been two days since Ivanova had interrupted the kiss. Sheridan had barely noticed his friend's chagrin during her belated apology. The whole situation with Londo and Vir and the Narn had been set as right as possible. Sheridan's mind was on more personal matters. Unfinished business. Delenn had not visited again. Sheridan had resisted the urge to go to her quarters, knowing the cultural walls that had hindered him would be most strong there. So he had held her back after the others had left, knowing they wouldn't be disturbed. "Yes." Her voice was friendly, but her head was lowered, looking at the floor. He stepped close. Gently he lifted her chin, intending to finish the kiss. Something in her eyes. It stopped him cold. She was not sure. What held her back? She had to make the next move; she didn't. What did he think he was doing? Why did he think attraction for Minbari worked the same as for humans? Married man, you're betraying your wife. Anna is dead. That doesn't stop the love. There isn't room here in this heart for two. His kept his hand as it was, the touch electric. Delenn didn't move. He shifted his hand to her shoulder. His other hand lay lightly on her back. She moved her head into the hollow of his neck; he could feel her breath. They held in that light embrace for a long moment; it was all that he could manage. Puzzled, grieving, his mind returned to the other task at hand: the station, the war. +++ The topic just concluded was Bester--strange ally. Franklin left with Marcus and the others, worry on his face. The task was impossible ... and what would Bester do if his Carolyn died, if there was no hope? As usual, Sheridan and Delenn stayed behind to talk in private. This time, however, Ivanova held back, and her hesitation held Garibaldi back as well. "Captain?" Ivanova asked. He seemed glad she had stayed. "When you look at her, what do you see?" He answered her with another question. "Carolyn." "Sir?" He was looking at her, turned away from Delenn. He had barely looked at her the whole meeting. "What the Shadows did to her, what they were going to do to her." "My feelings are all messed up about this, sir," she said honestly. "I still hate him, hate the Corps, but..." Her words trailed out, and the room hung in tense silence. There was a crisis coming: loud, painful, destructive. Garibaldi felt it, too. Delenn looked only puzzled. "John," Garibaldi prompted glad Sheridan was asking for help and not trying to solve this on his own, "What is it?" Sheridan's mood snapped. He turned to Delenn, voice angry. "How do you know? Where did those images come from?" Accusation added to the anger. "What haven't you told me?" Garibaldi and Ivanova stared at each other. "'Bout time," Garibaldi mouthed. Delenn's hands were clenched at her breast, but she forced her gaze to remain steady. "'How do I know' what?" "Are you going to answer this time?" Sheridan's voice was a parody of humor. Her answering voice was blunt. "That would depend on the question." "Thank you for your honesty." Sheridan's face was hard, but his voice had the sound of fear. He pushed through it. "How did Anna die?" Garibaldi's blood went cold. Oh, shit, Anna. What the hell are you going to be trying to do, John? Or is it that you are afraid of what you might try to do, and you need us to hold you back? Delenn turned away, unable to answer. Sheridan persisted. "How did Kosh get those images?" Images? Ivanova wondered. "I believe--" Delenn's voice was hesitant. "I believe he took the images from Morden's mind." "And Morden saw Anna killed." "He could only obtain fragments--" "What else did Kosh discover, or won't he tell you? What are the Shadows doing? What did they do to the _Icarus_?" She lowered her head. He saw tears forming, and he pushed back his own. "He won't tell you? He won't let you tell me?" "What--" Delenn swallowed, forced out the question. "What do you fear, John?" He needed to know this. Though the answer tear him apart, he needed to know. "The shadow ships need living beings in their cores, you told me." "Yes." "You told me the core had to be 'prepared'." "Yes." "Carolyn, those others--" his voice began to raise, "--They were 'prepared' against their will. They were going to be put into ships." There was a long silence. Everyone knew now, Ivanova and Garibaldi watching in horror. Sheridan had to tear the wound open for all to see. "The crew on the _Icarus_ were scientists, it was a survey ship. It wasn't a danger. The crew, they were resources." "John, please--" Delenn begged. "You're telling me the Shadows took the effort to kill the crew, that they would throw them away when they could be better used as 'weapons components'?" Delenn did not answer. "How could you tell me Anna was dead when you can't know if--" "Would she serve?" "No." "Then she is dead." Delenn's voice was ice. Their eyes locked, understanding certain. She had never lied to him. It _was_ death. "And her flesh?" Delenn's voice was a shattered whisper, "Enthralled." Sheridan stood, and Ivanova and Garibaldi scrambled out of their chairs also, ready to grab him, but he went to the wall, not the door. There was no where to run, no way to know where to look. Delenn stood and approached, but he knocked away her comforting hand, turning instead to Ivanova. "Oh, Gods, how can I find her?" "You can't." "How can I--" "Because you have to," Garibaldi said. "We have to go on. She's gone." "As good as dead," he said bitterly. "Worse than dead," Ivanova corrected. Sheridan stared at her. She continued grimly, "With any luck, we've already killed it--her body." She took his arm, then pulled him into an embrace when he didn't push her away, trying to force the anger away so he could grieve again. "I'm so sorry, John," her voice broke. "That's all we can do." "One more reason to kill those ships," Garibaldi said in agreement. "Every one down is another victim freed." +++ The next day. Sheridan was sitting at his desk. Ivanova and Garibaldi had checked in frequently over the link. Delenn came in person. He considered continuing to read the report, but looked up. He let her speak first. "I never lied to you. I will not lie to you. Ever." "You held back information from me I had every right to know." She stood, hands folded, opposite where he sat. "You ask yourself, 'Why did I not ask before?' You tell yourself, 'From the beginning, I knew enough to suspect.' Am I right?" "Yes." She breathed in, her stance relaxing slightly. Perhaps this would not be as difficult as she had feared. "You ask, now, because you are strong enough, now, to know the answer. This was not a thing I could force you to know. I could only confirm your fears once you were ready to see them." "What Kosh saw--" Sheridan had to ask. "Does he know for certain?" Delenn considered her words carefully. "There were ... wasted bodies. Those would have been guards, not scientists. Kosh is ... as certain as he can be." Sheridan nodded, looking at the mess of papers before him. He clasped his hands together, elbows on the edge of the desk, and pressed his forehead against his thumbs. "Wasted morning," he said. "I'm going to start crying again." He forced his hands down. "I'm sorry, John." He nodded. "Can you forgive me?" He nodded again, but did not look up. "Sorry," he said. "I still need to be alone." She resisted the urge to touch him before she withdrew, leaving him to his grief. +++ "Anna's in a shadow ship?" Franklin repeated. "What used to be 'Anna'," Garibaldi corrected. "That's what Delenn and Kosh think. And there's nothing to be done about it, except keep a close eye on the captain." "That's for sure." "That's what they're thinking. But I'm paranoid." Franklin turned to him with a questioning look. "They think it's over. I don't." "Michael--" "He's our leader. You don't think our enemies can't come up with something creative to do with his wife's empty shell?" That hung in the air for a while. "You're telling me this for a reason." "I want you to find medical records on Anna Sheridan. I want some kind of measure I can put into the customs scans that can pick out her body no matter what fake ID they give it. If they want to trap John I'm going to turn that trap back against them." ===end===