From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: "The Crimson Unicorn" part 1 Date: Sat, 13 Feb 1999 13:13:27 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Crimson Unicorn Adult Warnings: Sexual Situations "The Crimson Unicorn by Meredith D. Holt" Hello, This is a little Susan and Marcus thing that's been crawling around in my head for a while, and it won't go away. So, I just wrote it. If any body likes it, or even wants to put it down, email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. Love Always, Meredith Legal Discalimer: All people and places belong to JMS. All power and glory to him, all grief and lawsuites to my lawyer. Personal disclaimer: I am a hopless Irish romantic. You have been warned. The Crimson Unicorn by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Susan was so damned tired. That was all there was to it. Her full lips parted to yawn as she and Marcus entered the room they had rented on the Drosi home world. Susan could have killed Sheridan for this, but the last time she checked, you got spaced for things like that. It was a simple, elegant mission. Meet their ISN contact on the Drosi homeworld and pick up the footage they had of the atrocities Clark had committed, then head back to Babylon 5. Except Susan had to travel with Marcus. That in it's self took all the simplicity out of the plan because nothing about Marcus was ever simple, including, if Susan admitted it to herself, her own feelings for him. So, here she was in a plush, yet restrained Drosi hotel room with most every girl's dream guy, with only one place to sleep and a hell of a lot of confusion. This was not a good thing. Marcus' yawn brought her back to the land of the living. He must be as tired as she was, if not more, since he had just gotten back from Minbar. "Marcus, how long has it been since you slept?" she asked as she undid her uniform jacket leaving only the white shirt beneath. It was a good thing that she wasn't facing Marcus, since his eyes lit up at the sight of her bra beneath the shirt. Was she trying to drive him insane? Either way, it was a short drive. "Marcus, Drosi Homeworld to Marcus?" Susan said laughingly as she turned to face him. He masked his expression and replied. "Uh, no comment?" his voice sounded hopeful. "Not so fast, we can't work if you're dead tired. Now, get some sleep." Susan commanded him. He hesitated to obey and she raised one eyebrow at him as if trying to gage how hard it would be to kill him. With a sheepish smile, he admitted defeat and crawled onto the wide, circular couch. Damn these aliens and their odd sleeping habits. His head had barely hit the cushions before he was sound asleep. Susan smiled, she was right, as usual. Sleep slowly crawled to her as well, but unfortunately, she had just given Marcus the only sleep worthy piece of furniture in the room. Well, the couch was big enough that they could be at least a half a foot apart, so it really wouldn't do all that much harm to crawl in there as well. Could it? Susan must not have been thinking straight, but what ever the case was, she crawled onto the couch and let sleep win. The next thing she knew, there was something warm and heavy pressing down on her. It wasn't an uncomfortable weight, just..... different. She opened her eyes, and had to fight down her gasp. In her sleep, she must have migrated towards warmth, because, if she wasn't dreaming, then she was trapped firmly in-between Marcus' iron arms and his firm chest. Her first instinct was to hit the man and say; 'Marcus, you're crushing me, get off!', but she knew that would offend him and ultimately embarrass the guy to hell. How much did he weigh, anyhow? But, if she let him sleep, she have to stay here, since he was holding her so close, and that wasn't good. It didn't hurt, but she still couldn't move. Just great. She lay there, wide awake, growing more and more accustomed to his warmth, and gradually, sleep returned. Marcus had to be dreaming. He moved slightly so he could pinch himself and soon realized that it hurt. So much for dreaming. Okay, he was hallucinating. It was a damned good one too, complete with her scent, as arousing as it could possibly be. What if he was talking in his sleep? She'd kill him. She'd just kill him. The feel of her against him slowly began to convincing him that he wasn't dreaming, or hallucinating. She was warm, and soft in his arms and he'd be damned if he ever wanted to get up. In a generally shy motion, he slowly, but surely, lowered his lips on hers. Oh, but she tasted good. Her lips parted in a sleeping sigh and he gently pushed his tongue inside. He was in heaven, that's it, he'd died and was in heaven. Just then, her eyes opened, their indigo color starring into his gray ones, which were a bit clouded to say the least. When she managed to disconnect them, she didn't look angry, just confused. "Marcus, what were you doing?" Susan asked softly, still pressed against him. "Kissing you. Did it really need an explanation, I mean, after all, I'm the unicorn here." He tired to get away with a joke, but she wasn't buying it. "I see," she said. he thought frantically. "And what about the woman you're waiting for?" "I really don't know how to tell you this, but, um, she's you." he said softly. He was very surprised she hadn't pushed him away yet. Instead her brow was puckered in concentration. "I see," Susan said again, "So that means I've been jealous of myself the whole time." Her words suddenly registered on him their full meaning and his eyes widened. "Jealous?' he squeaked. "Ummhum." Susan said. He couldn't wait any longer, but brought his lips to hers again. And this time she was a willing participant in expression of passion, but, as she slowly began to let her hands roam up and down his back she realized she couldn't do this to him. With a sigh of hopelessness, Susan dislodged herself and ran towards the shower area as fast as her strong legs could carry her. Marcus heard the water turn on in the bathroom and let out a shuddering breath. He'd really screwed this up. Although he'd never had a serious soul crunching relationship like this, the closest comparison was so far out of the ball park that he was completely lost. At least with Hasina they had both known what to expect of each other. But Susan? Valen, she was a constant surprise to him. He swung his strong, muscular legs over the side of the oval couch and headed towards the bathroom......and stopped dead in his tracks. Drosi architecture varied greatly from that of humans, so even their showers were laid out oddly. Instead of a small, cubical stall with the glazed over glass humans had designed, the Drosi were less restrained. The whole bathroom was one big shower, with several stone seats and one giant waterfall that was easily turned on and off. No curtains, no glazed glass doors, no nothing. There Susan stood, completely naked, her milky skin gleaming out of the misty steam like a beacon, her long, dark hair modestly flowing so that it covered her bosom. From his vintage point, Marcus could make out the soft roundness of her hips, buttox and calves, and the white column of her neck as Susan relaxed under the hot water. She was so beautiful. He turned away from the glorious heavenly sight, not wishing to intrude or see anything more, but he heard the soft murmur of her voice sound out against the crashing of the water. "Marcus?" he thought. From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: "The Crimson Unicorn part 2" Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 11:05:01 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Crimson Unicorn: part 2 Warnings: NC-17 " The Crimson Unicorn" by Meredith D. Holt Hey! This is the next part of my little 'what if' Marcus and Susan story. Forgive a hopeless romantic? If you like it, email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. See ya! Love Always, Meredith D. Holt Legal Discalimer: All people and places belong to JMS. All power and glory to him, all grief and lawsuites to my lawyer. Personal disclaimer: I am a hopless Irish romantic. You have been warned. The Crimson Unicorn by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net As Marcus heard Susan's voice, he slipped into the shadows, hoping not to be noticed. He heard her approach, her wet feet on the wet tile. As she got closer, she slipped, and out of fear for her, Marcus ran to catch her before she hit the hard stone. His strong arms caught her bare body and cradled her against him. The feel of her was like a drug, clouding his mind and senses. She looked up at him, blushing and he quickly set her back on her feet and ran. They didn't speak of it as they got ready to meet their corespondent, and they acted as if nothing had happened, even though they both knew something had. They walked through the narrow streets of Davo City, searching out park 23. Marcus, being a head taller then Susan, stopped it first and steered her towards it. They crouched by the bushes and Susan took out a red Morse flasher and flashed it once, twice, then three more times. They waited a minute, standing up. Then, a young, dark man materialized from the bushes with a sheepish smile. "I'm Frank." he said. "Sally." Susan said. "Mark." Marcus retorted. They nodded, and Susan seemed about to speak, but then stopped as she felt a mind tug at hers. Her eyes widened in fear. "God! Marcus, its a set up!" she cried out, but it was too late. Twelve black suited hounds and five Psi Cops were surrounding them at gun point. Marcus' felt fear in his heart, not for himself, but for Susan. Then a smallish man in black appeared before them. "Bester." Susan spat. "Good to see you as well, Commander." he smiled, and Marcus felt sick to his stomach. "I'm so glad to see you. It's not every day that the Corps catches two renegade telepaths." "What? Two?" Marcus asked. He was VERY confused. "Yes, wow. You didn't even know it, did you?" Bester asked him, coming closer. Marcus looked on in fear, mutely shaking his head at the impossibility. "Leave him alone." Susan ordered the small man. "You, of all people are ordering me? My dear Commander, this is not the place. A P12 and a P10, quite a day. Now, you can come, or we can kill you, or we can drug you. Ether way, you will make your contribution to the gene pool." Bester informed them. Susan made a move, and Marcus tried to shield her from the sleeper dart. It him instead and he felt his mind shudder. With a moan, and cry because he couldn't help his Susan, he fell to the ground with a thud. Susan ran to him, screaming his name as she felt his mind run away. She tried to touch, nurse it like a flame, but a sleeper dart hit her as well and she fell onto him, her last thought was that she'd kill Bester for hurting him. Then only darkness. From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission; The Crimson Unicorn part 3 Date: Mon, 15 Feb 1999 20:45:13 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Crimson Unicorn: part 2 Warnings: NC-17 " The Crimson Unicorn" by Meredith D. Holt Hey! This is the next part of my little 'what if' Marcus and Susan story. Forgive a hopeless romantic? Anyway, thanks to Sharyn Stout for her encouragement and to others as well! I'll get more to you ASAP. If you like it, email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. See ya! Love Always, Meredith D. Holt Legal Discalimer: All people and places belong to JMS. All power and glory to him, all grief and lawsuites to my lawyer. Personal disclaimer: I am a hopless Irish romantic. You have been warned. The Crimson Unicorn by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Crimson Unicorn by Meredith D. Holt Susan's back hurt and was covered with blisters the size of buttons. The hot Maylasian sun poured down on her with unforgiving rays that pierced her skin. She was so sick, and so tired. Susan didn't even know where Marcus was, she'd woken up in this hell hole three days ago and had been told she was in a camp for rogues. She'd asked about Marcus and had only gotten beaten for it. So as she dug her shovel into the rice pattie again, she thought back to the night she'd fallen asleep in his arms. It felt like ages and ages since then, but she knew it wasn't. If only there was some way to escape! But Susan knew there wasn't, so she took a breath and got to work, maybe she'd actually be able to keep her food down tonight. Pewking it all over the ground was a problem. She looked at her left arm, on which was a tattoo; P12. A death sentence. Tear fell in the sand bar and lay there. she thought, Marcus sat in the darkness, chained to the wall, with dampness crawling over him like bugs. He felt so cold and alone, and the only thing he could do to keep himself sane, was to think of HER. Of Susan, and try to push back the darkness with her memory. The memory of her soft skin, damp with water, in his arms. And the sight of her long, damp hair covering her luminous breasts, and the feel of her curled up against him in sleep. All he could do was dream, and pray not to wake again. The days melded into one single hell for Susan. She watched other prisoners work the fields along side of her, and most of them seemed dead inside. The only thing to mark the passage of time was the rising and setting of the hot son. Susan had decided that she really didn't like Maylaysia. At night, as she lay on the dirty ground in the bunk house, she tried to think of ways to escape, but all were hopeless. Sheridan didn't even know where she was, and she didn't even know if Marcus was alive. On one such night, she lay and look at the illumination provided by the full yellow moon, when she heard gun fire. Curious, she raised her head, but dared not get up, since she'd been beaten at least fourteen times for that. The door to the bunk house burst open, and about ten people rushed in. They were heavily armed and wearing camouflage. Murmurs of confusion could be heard through out the bunk house, as the prisoners looked on. A young woman, about twenty, with tan skin, hair a shade darker and black eyes stepped forward. "Get up, you're leaving. I'm Cinnamon, the Underground is rescuing you." she said out loud. Susan leapt from the bed, along with the other prisoners and rushed towards the door. Cinnamon, however, pulled her aside. 'Are you Commander Susan Ivonava?' she asked. "Yeah. That's me." Susan responded. "We're here to rescue you, personally. When the Underground found out you were a teep, it really inspired us. Do you know where your companion is?" Cinnamon told Susan. "No. He didn't know he was a teep." Susan offered what information she could. "Then he'd been in isolation. It's that circular building on the edge of the work field." Cinnamon said. She nodded. "Jason, Sonny, Luke, Bobbie." the leader delegated three men and a muscular red headed woman to go with Susan to the isolation cell. "We meet at the gate in ten minutes, hurry." Susan ran as fast as she could, putting some distance between her and the men, who were behind her. Only Bobbie managed to keep up with her. Susan held the PPG she'd been given in her hand, and watched as the men broke down the door. She rushed inside..... Marcus was almost asleep when he heard a door open. There, in the moonlight the streamed in, was Susan. She looked so much like an angel that he thought he was dying. She bent beside him, undoing his restraints. "Marcus?" she whispered. He tried to find his voice for her, but only managed a moan. "Well, at least he's alive." Bobbie commented. "Why?" Susan asked. "Because, most teeps only last in here for about five or six weeks. You guy have been here about ten." Bobbie wiped unwelcome tears from her eyes. "You know a lot about this." Susan commented as she fumbled with leg restrains. "I should, my husband, Jerry, died in here." and then Bobbie was silent. Susan shook her head and finished getting Marcus out of the web. She supported him as she stood, and Bobbie moved to help her on the other side. "Come on kids, we've got about five minutes to get to the gate." Luke told them as they hurried down the hill. As they neared the gate, three guards holding PPG's came at them. "Let the good times roll." was Bobbie's only comment as she fired on a guard, blowing his arm away. The guard crumpled to the ground in pain. Susan hit another guard and Sonny managed to take out the third. "We've got to secure the perimeter, can you get them to the chopper?" Jason asked of Luke. He merely nodded. Finally, they got to the gate, and Susan saw a black chopper, waiting. She and Bobbie lifted Marcus in and then climbed up after him. Luke was about to climb in beside Cinnamon when shots began hitting the hull. "Shit." Luke said and he fired back. "We're going to have to lift off!" Cinnamon shouted. "Hold on!" Susan, who was sitting in the back, held a hand bar with one hand and held on to Marcus with another. Luke fired a few more shots and managed to get in the chopper just before it lifted off. "Do you know how to fly one of these things?" Luke asked as he climbed in beside Cinnamon. "Not this particular model, any suggestions?" she quipped. "Hold on for dear life?" They ditched the chopper in a ravine about six miles away from the camp. After climbing out and straggling to town, they stole a pick up truck from a used car lot. Luke and Bobbie, who Susan learned where brother and sister, took the cab, while she, Marcus, and Cinnamon climbed in the back. Marcus looked sick as he looked out on the dusty Indian rode. "Come here." Susan commanded him softly. When he complied, she took him in her arms and held him. He fell asleep almost immediately. But, by touching him, Susan could feel his mind. It was slow and..... "Sleepers, damn them to hell." she muttered softly. "What?" Cinnamon asked. "Sleepers. They put him on sleepers." Susan reiterated. "Don't worry." the other girl said, "We'll be to the safe house soon. We can get help for him there. What's his name anyway?" "Marcus, Marcus Cole." she said distractedly. "Are you guys married or something?' Cinnamon asked. "I don't know...." was Susan's only reply as she gazed out into the rising sun above the brown grasses they were passing. From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: The Crimson Unicorn part 4 Date: Wed, 17 Feb 1999 21:19:25 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Crimson Unicorn: part 2 Warnings: NC-17 " The Crimson Unicorn" by Meredith D. Holt Hey! This is the next part of my little 'what if' Marcus and Susan story. Forgive a hopeless romantic? Anyway, thanks to Sharyn Stout for her encouragement and to others as well! I'll get more to you ASAP. If you like it, email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. See ya! Love Always, Meredith D. Holt Legal Discalimer: All people and places belong to JMS. All power and glory to him, all grief and lawsuites to my lawyer. Personal disclaimer: I am a hopless Irish romantic. You have been warned. The Crimson Unicorn by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net It was dark by the time the rag tag band of escapee's made it to the safe house. Marcus was still sleeping, and Susan was loath to wake it him up. "You gett'n out, child?" an Indian woman asked of Susan when she came out to meet the truck. "Oh, yeah." Susan said distractedly. "Marcus?" she shook him gently, then with more force, "Marcus? Wake up!" Panic surged through her, what if he was dying? Much to her relief, Marcus opened his still glassy eyes. Bobbie and Susan managed to get him into the house and onto a bed before he fell asleep again. Susan just stood there, staring at his sleeping face. "Commander? This is Lilly, she's a nurse." Cinnamon was saying. Numbly, Susan nodded and stepped aside. Lilly bent beside Marcus and began her ministrations. "Why don't you go upstairs and take a shower? It'll get your mind off things." the old woman suggested. It sounded good to Susan, who felt like she'd been swallowed whole by a crazy Pakmara. Bobbie showed her where it was, and the room she'd be staying in. And despite the feeling of the hot water splashing on her bare shoulders, some how, Susan couldn't concentrate on how nice it was to be clean again. Her thoughts were on Marcus. If he died, she'd never forgive herself. Never. Bobbie was right about the shower, Susan thought as she slipped on a light linen dress that had been left for her in the bathroom. It had felt nice. She quickly braided her wet hair and went looking for Marcus. They'd put him in the same room she was in, at least he'd be close to her. Susan, for the first time in many years, didn't know how to handle the situation. If she loved him, Marcus would get hurt, and that was the last thing she wanted to happen. And yet...her lips ached for the return of his, though the kiss had been days ago. She absently pulled a chair up by his bed and took his hand. she sent. His mind was a mess of confusion, but she could tell that he was getting better. At least there was that. She'd almost dosed off sitting there, but he began to talk in his sleep. "Susan, Susan, where are you?" he was crying. Holding his hand to her cheek, Susan stroked it's back. "Shh...it's okay Marcus, I'm here." she told him, while with her free hand she smoothed his brow. He continued to call out to her, asking where she was, whispering things in Minbari. No matter what she did, his mind refused to register her presence. "Well, so much for keeping things simple." Susan said aloud. She pulled back the covers enough so she could crawl in beside him. The minute she did, his strong arms came around her, trapping her once more. She didn't really mind this time. It was nice. His cries ceased and he settled into sleep once more. As his breath played softly against her hair, Susan followed him into sleep. Marcus woke up to the sun streaming in through the window and casting its light on the speckled wood floor. The first thing he realized, however, was that Susan was in his arms again. He sighed in bliss, he had to be dreaming...again. However, he soon realized this wasn't the case, when his tummy growled. He gently moved around Susan to get out of the bed. As soon as Marcus stood up, he felt a bit wobbly, but he was a Ranger, and he could stand it. A delicious aroma greeted his nostrils and he noticed a tray of breakfast foods sitting on a table. He was beginning to wonder where exactly he was, when Susan began to stir. She sat up abruptly when she realized he wasn't laying next to her. "Marcus?!" there was panic in her voice, and it motivated Marcus to rush to her side. "It's okay, I'm here." he said. He watched in fascination as she put the walls up again. If he had a credit for every time she'd done that to him, he could buy her that four poster bed. "How are you feeling?" she asked, not quite able to keep the concern from her voice. "Better, actually. You?" Marcus was amused with her, this was a side he'd never seen before. "Pretty good, a little hungry. Did you leave any for me?" "My lady may eat at her desire." Marcus quipped. Susan merely rolled her eyes and swung her legs up over the side of the bed. As she moved towards the tray, Marcus got a chance to take in her attire. The dress was white, with a short, flowy skirt and a fitted bodice. It looked like she'd laced it a bit too tight, but Marcus didn't mind. She looked absolutely captivating. he asked himself. "Last through what?" Susan asked in between bites from an orange. "Uhh....this mission. I don't think the Psi Corps' rouge camp was on the tour itinerary." he tried for humor, and to his delight, she smiled. "Always with the damn jokes." she sounded annoyed, but he could tell he'd brightened her mood. He'd just have to keep his thoughts VERY clean. If she was going to traipse around in that thing, it was going to be pretty damn hard. Cinnamon dropped by later to inform Marcus and Susan that the Underground had a shuttle filled with rogues leaving for an outer colony, and if they wanted to get off Earth, they'd better be on it. So, two days later, Marcus and Susan left the safe house for the shuttle dock. And more trouble.... Marcus watched Susan, who was silhouetted against the starlight. Cinnamon was in the cab with Luke, driving them towards the shuttle dock, and he'd opted for the back with Susan. Actually, she hadn't given him a choice. That had to be a good sign, didn't it? "Almost there!" Cinnamon called out through the open back window. "So, where are we going anyway? The shuttle can't drop us at Babylon 5, can it?" Susan asked. "No. We're heading for Minbar, I've got a friend or two there who will probably let us stay until we can get to Babylon 5. " Marcus told her. Susan sighed. Part of her wanted to get back to Babylon 5, where she could avoid Marcus for ages, and the other part wanted to curl up with him and wish the world away. The whole battle between the two parts was giving her a massive head ache. Finally, the reached the shuttle dock, and piled out onto the street. Cinnamon lead them towards the east wing, where the guard had been bribed. Susan heard Luke send. The guard nodded and opened the door for them. In the shadowy dim lighting, Susan could make out about sixty people, presumably rogues, filing into a shuttle that had certainly seen better days. Marcus steered them towards the back of the line. As they got ready to board the shuttle, however, an alarm screeched. "SHIT!" Luke cried out. Dozens upon dozens of hounds swarmed in the building, and the frantic rogues made a mad dash for the safety of the shuttle. Shots were being fired, richashaying off the metal hull of the shuttle. Marcus was pushing Susan and Cinnamon towards the shuttle, and Luke was giving cover fire, when Susan sensed some one set there pistol on Marcus. "Marcus! Get down!" she screamed. She pushed him out of the way, effectively putting herself in the line of fire. The PPG blast hit her, and she screamed as she went down. Marcus caught her and Cinnamon made a quick inventory. "Will she be alright?" Marcus asked, even as they were running towards the lifting shuttle. "Yeah, it only hit her shoulder. You are really lucky, Susan." the tan woman said. "I don't feel lucky." Susan muttered. Finally, they reached the hatch way, and Marcus lifted Susan to one of the men inside, then climbed in himself. Cinnamon quickly followed, but paused. Luke stared into her black eyes with his blue ones. "Luke..." Cinnamon's voice was deep, and husky. All Luke did was grab her in a brief kiss. Cinnamon was still reaching down towards him as the shuttle lifted off. "Luke!" She was crying. It didn't do any good. It never did. The last thing Cinnamon saw of Luke was a Hound taking aim with his PPG. The last thing she felt of his mind, was his death scream. She howled like a wounded animal and sank to the deck. Lucky? Maybe. Safe? Hell no. From: Becki H Blumer Subject: The Crimson Unicorn part 5 Date: Fri, 19 Feb 1999 18:35:00 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Crimson Unicorn: part 2 Warnings: NC-17 " The Crimson Unicorn" by Meredith D. Holt Hey! This is the next part of my little 'what if' Marcus and Susan story. Forgive a hopeless romantic? Anyway, thanks to Sharyn Stout, Kris and Laura, for their encouragement and to others as well! I'll get more to you ASAP. If you like it, email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. See ya! Love Always, Meredith D. Holt Legal Discalimer: All people and places belong to JMS. All power and glory to him, all grief and lawsuites to my lawyer. Personal disclaimer: I am a hopless Irish romantic. You have been warned. The Crimson Unicorn by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The trip to Minbar was long and tedious, punctuated only by a cargo drop. It was at this stop Marcus sent a small message to his friend on Minbar, in hopes of having some one waiting for them when they got off. The rogues that surrounded them on this journey left them alone, respecting their privacy. Cinnamon, however, was a different case. As the leader of the underground, she was like a celebrity. Susan felt sorry for the younger woman, who didn't have time to grieve the loss of her lover. Suddenly, five days had passed, and Minbar was upon them. Funny how time didn't mean so much any more, Susan mused. Perhaps it was because Marcus was with her. Susan, Marcus, and Cinnamon disembarked the shuttle in the Minbari Political Capital of Yedor, trying to blend in with the departing passengers. Marcus, having shed his ranger uniform, led the way, constantly reminding Susan to watch her wounded shoulder. "Filep Otuk! Anla'shock Marcus!" some one called out to them in an urgent hiss. Susan turned to see a tall, pale Minbari with a stubble of a beard ushering them towards an alleyway. "Anla'shock Pierlik." Marcus greeted the ranger warmly. The Minbari smiled, but only briefly. He held out some clothes to Susan. "What are these for?" she asked, hoping that it wasn't another disguise. "A disguise," Pierlik realized Susan's fear. She shuddered inwardly, she was cold and tired, changing cloths wasn't going to help. "Certain members of the Warrior Caste wish to assassinate you and Ranger Marcus, they blame you for the shift in power. Once we get to Tuzenor, you should be fine, but until then...." the Minbari left the rest off, suggestively. Cinnamon merely nodded, she hadn't been speaking much these days. Susan rotted through the cloths, while Pierlik handed bundles to Marcus and Cinnamon. He directed the girl's behind a box where they could change. Susan undid the bundle to find a flowy, fitted silver robe and a soft red cloak with fur trim. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all, she thought. Susan changed quickly, tying the cloak and stuffing her long chestnut locks in the hood as she pulled it up over her head. Cinnamon revealed herself to be wearing a soft, yellow cloak of the same design as Susan's. It was Marcus' disguise that shocked Susan. She'd never seen him out of uniform, except for the blue shirt and slacks he'd worn when they'd escaped Earth. Now he wore a long, sleeveless robe of red fabric that fitted tightly on the upper chest, allowing Susan a glimpse at his powerful muscles. He gathered the black cloak around himself mysteriously and took Susan's arm as Pierlik led them to the waiting flyers. Her first reaction was to jerk her arm away, but he was holding the side with the wounded shoulder. It wasn't an offensive gesture, just friendly, Susan reminded herself. "We'll have to take two and to a flyer," Pierlik was telling them, 'Marcus, do you know the way?" he asked. Marcus nodded and the Minbari gestured for Cinnamon to join him in the first flyer. Marcus let Susan climb into the flyer first, then followed. As she strapped herself in, she wondered what he was thinking. Would it really be all that bad to love him? She told herself she didn't need anybody, but in truth she knew that she would have died in the camp if it hadn't been for Marcus. And the kiss, his admission that she was the one he'd been waiting for, what in the world was she going to do? She'd tried ignoring him, it didn't work. Her lips still ached for his, and if she though about his arms around her in sleep, she throbbed. Damn it! Why couldn't the man just leave her walls alone and find some one else. *But you don't want him to find some one else. You love him, Susan Lucretia Ivonava. You want him, his lips on yours, his arms around you while he....* a little voice in the back of her mind was saying. she told it. "I didn't say anything!" Marcus protested from the pilot's seat. She was going to have to watch this now that his Psi powers had been brought to full. "Are you cold?" Marcus asked with genuine concern, he could see her shaking. He was too busy putting the flyer on auto pilot to notice the tender look that came to her eyes. Always concerned for her, how could she deserve him? How could she love him and trust him not to leave? "Susan?" Marcus asked, his brow furrowing. "Yes, Marcus?" "I asked if you were cold." "Yeah, I am, I'll be fine." she assured him. But instead of letting it go, Marcus removed his cloak and laid over her legs, tucking it in around her. He smiled at her with that lopsided grin of his and she felt her heart melt. (God, what's happening to me!) her walls screamed, (Come on, Ice Princess, don't let him melt you!) *But you want him to melt you, don't you? You want him to touch you and...* Susan felt like her head was being torn apart at the seams. She smiled back at Marcus and yawned. "Tired?" again, concerned. "Yeah, I'll be fine until we get to Tuzenor." Susan told him. "Well, we're about three hours away, you might want to take a little nap." Marcus insisted. She thought about it, not a bad idea after all. Another yawn over took her and she curled up on one end of the cushioned bench they occupied. Marcus tenderly helped her ajust the cloaks so they served as blankets. Then, Susan felt him lay his hands on her back, gently rubbing little circles and patterns through the cloth. At first it was unwelcome, but then she realized her was only trying to take away her tension. She just hoped she could keep her dreams clean if he was going to touch her like this....... Marcus studied the sleeping face of Susan Ivonava and felt a sensation so sharp, yet tender, it was almost pain. The frustration was killing him! Would she ever see that he loved her, would never leave her? He thought back to Arisia, and the days he'd worked there. Marcus Cole had always been a romantic, but he'd always felt like the right woman was just beyond his reach, substantial, yet illusive. It drove him crazy. Then Hasiana came along, like a ray of sunshine on a cloudy day. Marcus realized now that he'd loved her like a true friend, but what he'd felt for her paled next to his love for Susan. It was like a fire fly hovering next to a super nova. Back then he'd figured that the true love he'd sought was felt only by poets and artists, a kind of madness no one like him ever felt. Thank Valen he'd been wrong, he was glad he hadn't missed this glorious insanity! Susan mumbled and shivered. Poor thing, she'd been through a rough time. As soon as they got to Tia's he was sure that Susan would get better. The bleeping of the auto pilot interrupted Marcus' reverie and he turned to attend to it. Time to land. He reached over and gently shook Susan. "Susan, we're almost there." he said, hating to wake her. "Huh? Oh, I'm awake." Susan said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. Then she saw it out the view port. Sure, Yedor had been pretty, but Tuzenor was a glorious heaven of crystal spires and the singing of the wind against their smooth surfaces. She'd never seen so many gardens. "Do you like it?" Marcus asked. "Oh, Marcus, it's so beautiful she breathed. The look in her eyes was of pure enchantment. He smiled, he knew she would like it. They spent the rest of the landing in silence, reflecting on the beauty of the terrain. Marcus pushed the hatch button and moved to climb out. Susan was right behind him, and to her surprise, he put an arm around her help her out. The momentary pressure of his strong arm around her waist was pleasant, tingling. He didn't remove it when they reached the ground, she didn't protest. Waiting for them at the bottom was a slight, short Minbari female with caring almond eyes. "Susan," Marcus said, 'This is Tia, Pierlik's sister." Susan mirrored Tia's bow as Pierlik and Cinnamon joined them. "Welcome to my home, Susan. It is a pleasure to serve a friend like Marcus." Tia said. Susan found that she genuinely liked this woman. As they made their way towards the house, a figure in the shadows laughed loudly. The crystal outcroppings swallowed the noise of his alien mirth. Stupid Tia, harboring traitors to the Warrior Caste. "We will see how safe they are, Tia, dear heart." the figure whispered, "we will see." From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: The Crimson Unicorn part 6 Date: Sun, 21 Feb 1999 15:51:42 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Crimson Unicorn: part 2 Warnings: NC-17 " The Crimson Unicorn" by Meredith D. Holt Hey! This is the next part of my little 'what if' Marcus and Susan story. Forgive a hopeless romantic? Anyway, thanks to Sharyn Stout, Kris and Laura, for their encouragement and to others as well! I'll get more to you ASAP. If you like it, email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. or visit my website at http://expage.com/page/meredithb5 . See ya! Love Always, Meredith D. Holt Legal Discalimer: All people and places belong to JMS. All power and glory to him, all grief and lawsuites to my lawyer. Personal disclaimer: I am a hopless Irish romantic. You have been warned. The Crimson Unicorn by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net "Would you do me the honor of seeing to your comfort?" Tia asked Susan. To her eternal surprise, Susan found she might actually enjoy the company. "Yes, that would be nice." she nodded. Tia quickly took her hand and led her down the maze of corridors, leaving her brother and Marcus to stare after them. "I think Susan's met her match." Marcus commented softly. "Yes, well, my sister is too much like the Entil 'Za for her own good." Pierlik pointed out. Marcus laughed. Yes, Tia was like Delenn in many ways, but Susan had always been a formidable match for the One. No, Tia would most certainly get the upper hand here. Marcus turned to see and doctor had come to see to his wound and sighed. He hated doctors, they just creeped him out. Tia led Susan into a large room, complete with a sunken tub, couch and chairs, a long table and..... "Oh, God." Susan said as she looked at the sleeping apparatus. "Do you not like it?" Tia asked, fearing she'd offended her guest. "Yes, its lovely." Susan replied, eyes still on the bed. There, in the blue decorated room, against the back wall, was none other then a four poster bed. "Where in the world did you get it and why is it here?" "My brother did not tell you, I would assume, but he was married at one time. The mistress of this manor was as lovely and dutiful a Minbari as to ever walk out of temple. They were quite happy together. Mer'iya had an interest in Earth furnishings she decorated three of the guest rooms in that style. Sadly, she died before any were used. Pierlik had this wing closed off for ages, or so it seemed. This one had never been used." Tia told her guest. So stunned by what she was seeing, Susan didn't realized that Tia was wandering around the room, gathering things. Finally, the Minbari woman took her by the hand and led her too the tub. "The water is fresh, and quite warm as I assumed you might like it. There are towels there for when you emerge, as well as clothes. I will take yours to be cleaned. " With that Tia pushed Susan towards the tub. Taking the hint, she stepped behind the lacy screen and removed the long silver robe, tossing it over the side to her hostess. "Your brother has excellent taste." Susan offered. "Yes, he does. I will go see to Cinnamon, now." Then the door closed, and Susan knew Tia was gone. Shaking her head, Susan slipped into the sunken tub, the hot water rushing over her body and invading her tired muscles. She sighed in relief. There were bottles sitting on the side of the tub, and as soon as Susan felt like moving again, she examined them. Most were soaps, some shampoo, which she guessed had been left for her connivance. She made good abuse of the facilities, then took the time to relax. She was almost asleep when she heard the door open. "Who's there?" she asked. "Tia. I have brought new clothes for you." the Minbari set them in between a set of screens and retreated once more. Susan got out, quickly dried herself off and took inventory of the clothes. There was only one gown, a dark, shiny cinnamon one made of some sort of chiffon like material. She quickly slipped it on and stepped out from behind the screen. Tia moved to help her tie it in back. "Thanks." Susan said softly. "Permit me to do your do your hair?" Tia asked. Blushing, Susan nodded and sat down. "Do you know Cinnamon well?" Tia asked as she began to work. "Not really, she came to Marcus and my rescue, but no." Susan said guiltily. "She requested only black for her robe." "Her lover, Luke died, she's probably mourning him." "Oh," Tia said softly, "Marcus requested that I extend a dinner invitation to you. We will be dinning with Pierlik and a few other rangers. Do you feel up to it?" Tia asked. "Why shouldn't I?" Susan snapped. Then instantly felt sorry, 'Sorry Tia." "I understand, I gather that you are not used to be taken care of." Tia said with kindness in her voice. They lapsed into silence. Marcus looked up from his discussion with a fellow ranger when he felt Susan enter the room. Valen, she was gorgeous. Her hair had been plaited into a crown, trailing into a ponytail braid in the back. It was her gown, however, that drew Marcus attention. She looked like an absolute goddess. He spent all of dinner watching her in an animated conversation with Pierlik and Franz. She kept looking worriedly in Cinnamon's direction, but it was obvious she was trying not to look at him. They had five days until the shuttle would be able to return them to Babylon 5, and Marcus had five days to convince her to love him. Five days. Susan tossed and turned. The bedding was wrapped around her body and she struggled to get free. Damn Marcus! Now she couldn't sleep with out his arms wrapped tightly around her. Damn, damn, damn. The lack of creativity in her swearing was made up for by the vemenance. She got out bed, wrapping the white gown tightly around her. She just wandered the hall, having no idea where she was going. Susan wasn't even paying attention because she plowed right into the object of her anger. *Marcus, damn.* He reached out his arms to steady her. "Susan, you alright?" he asked, concern in her voice. She started to cry. Why was she crying? There wasn't any reason. Of all the people to cry in front of, Marcus was the LAST person. With out a word, he took her into his arms and rocked her tightly against him. "Shh..its okay." he was saying, running his fingers through her long silky hair. Did I do this? he wondered. Why in the world was she crying, he hated to see her cry. He led her into a small sitting room and planted them both on the couch. She remained in his arms, crying her heart out, laying her head on his bare chest. Half of Marcus was screaming with joy because he was holding her again, the other half was crying with her. They both fell asleep there, and when Marcus woke up in the morning, she was gone. Quickly she ran down the stone path in the direction Tia had showed her. Apparently there was some great garden that she wanted Susan to see. The Minbari must have known how much Susan wanted to get out of the house, and for that she was very thankful. Susan still felt a bit guilty for leaving Marcus with out a word this morning, but she was so embarrassed about crying in front of him. At the end of the path, she stopped. There before her was a huge lake, and in the middle, an island of magnificent beauty. There was a tall white stone table in the middle with emerald meadows surrounding it. But there was no visible way to get out there. Then Susan saw the columns, like stepping stones, coming to an end just below the surface. Amused, she carefully began to cross. Strong, athletic legs were carrying Marcus in the direction Susan had gone. They needed to talk, and he wasn't going to let her hide from him any more. He was running like a mad from demons of his own imagination. He reached the end of the path, to see Susan making her way across to the island. "Susan!" he called out to her. So startled was Susan by the sound of his voice that she visibly jumped, loosing her footing and falling into the cold water. Panic surged through her body. *Oh, God! I can't swim!* her mind screamed. Flailing helplessly in the deep water, trying to hold her head up for air, and breath. With the last of her breath, she screamed; "MARCUS! HELP ME!" From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: The Crimson Unicorn part 7 Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 20:56:57 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Crimson Unicorn: part 2 Warnings: NC-17 " The Crimson Unicorn" by Meredith D. Holt Hey! This is the next part of my little 'what if' Marcus and Susan story. Forgive a hopeless romantic? Anyway, thanks to Sharyn Stout, Kris, Karin and Laura, for their encouragement and to others as well! I'll get more to you ASAP. If you like it, email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. or visit my website at http://expage.com/page/meredithb5 . See ya! Love Always, Meredith D. Holt Legal Discalimer: All people and places belong to JMS. All power and glory to him, all grief and lawsuites to my lawyer. Personal disclaimer: I am a hopless Irish romantic. You have been warned. The Crimson Unicorn by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Without hesitation, Marcus dove into the freezing cold water, his slim, muscular body easily reaching Susan. he gripped the edges of her red robe, hauling her into his strong arms. Desperately trying to keep them both from drowning, Marcus strived to reach the shore with what little might was left in his still recovering body. Finally he gripped the stone edge of the Minbari-made lake and lifted Susan over, quickly climbing out himself and collapsing on the springy grass. It hurt. Susan coughed a bit and managed to haul air into her lungs. They both just lay there for a moment, thanking what ever heavenly power that was in charge for their lives. After a while, Susan rolled on her side to look at Marcus. He mirrored her move and had to keep a mask over his expression when he saw her. Her hair was dripping wet and clinging to her shoulders in dark folds. But that wasn't want had captured his attention. Whatever material that robe of hers was made of, the water made it cling to her body so that all of her attributes were easily defined. Mentally, Marcus gasped. she was so beautiful. "Marcus, hello? Any one home?" Susan was saying. "Oh, I'm sorry." He apologized. She shrugged it off. "Marcus," Susan said, "Thanks." The look in her eyes fairly begged him to kiss her. But he knew he couldn't, he'd only scare her or something. He had to rise above the temptation, had to clam down. He had to kiss her. And kiss her Marcus did. One minute, he was laying there, dripping wet and barely moving, and the next he was cradling her in his arms and kissing her with passion and intensity that made her shudder. It felt so good, to finally have his lips on hers again. His strong body was pressing hers against the ground, trapping her, and she was melting under his touch. she wasn't sure what was hers and what wasn't any more. Part of her was trying to sort them out into two separate piles, and the other just wanted to melt into Marcus and let him kiss her to death.....She moaned under his caresses, and he pulled back, looking in horror at his handy work. Her lips were almost blood red, and her pale skin was flushed. he thought at himself. So ashamed, so ashamed. Susan knew that all she needed to do was touch him again, and he would know it was alright, but she didn't have an ounce of strength left in her body. So he got up, and ran. And she cried in his absence. When Marcus returned to the house, there was a note saying that Pierlik, Tia and Cinnamon had gone to the ranger training center and wouldn't return until at least dusk. Good, he didn't feel like being with any one right now. He was so wrapped up in his mental punishment, he didn't hear the dark figure creep up behind him. The next thing he knew there was a PPG pressed to his temple. "Move and die! Human." a hateful voice spoke. Marcus gulped, but remained still. he thought. Susan finally hulled herself off the ground, she was freezing as she made her way down the path. It had begun to snow on top of the already large drifts of the fluffy white stuff. God, so cold. She started to run, she wanted to get warm as soon as possible. As she got closer, she saw an unmarked shuttle parked out side. Before Susan had a chance to stop in her dismay, a hand gripped her arm hard. She whirled around to see the face of a warrior caste Minbari. He grinned evily at her. With a swift move, she kicked him in the groin, again and again. She didn't know Minbari anatomy, but she guessed that it was as good a place as any to start. A hand shot out to capture her leg, pulling at it and throwing her to the ground. She fought tooth and nail, but in the end, he was far too strong, and she fell into a snow drift, still managing to pull him down with him. From with in his dark robes, he withdrew a knife, slicing it into the tender flesh of her side. The red robe was darkened to a sickening maroon. Her head felt light and dizzy, but her first concern was Marcus, he was in the house! Susan fought back, calling on all her training, digging her nails into the forehead of the Minbari and biting his nose as hard as she could. He cried out and tried to shake her off. With him on the defensive, Susan managed to take her elbow and use it as a club, knocking the Minbari upside the head and into unconsciencness. The fiery strength that had aided her during the fight suddenly left Susan, and she collapsed in the snow bank. She could feel the blood oozing out of the wound in her side. Damn, it hurt so much. She gasped and fell into the darkness..... Hours, minutes, seconds passed before Susan opened her eyes again. Her side hurt even more then before, and she was tempted to fall back into the darkness, but then Marcus' face surfaced in her thoughts. If she failed him now, she'd never forgive herself, never! Damn, but it was so much pain. Susan managed to roll over and take the knife from the hand of her Minbari attacker. Was he dead? She couldn't tell. Gathering her strength, she rose from the bloody snow bank, trembling from the cold and the loss of blood. She told herself over and over again as she struggled down the path. It didn't hurt so bad once she got moving, at least, that's what she told her fevered brain. Had she been truly lucid, she would have realized she was going into shock, but as it was, she merely ran down the path as fast as she could, towards the house. Marcus had two Minbari guards holding PPG's to his head, while the other was setting some explosives under tables and other furniture. He was explaining in loving detail what would happen to any one who entered the house once they left. 'Why are you doing this?" Marcus managed. "Stupid human, the Warrior Caste has lost much power from Delenn, Pierlik's clan is very loyal to her, we will show the others what that loyalty will bring to them." the leader said. Finished, he turned to Marcus with an ugly grin on his face. "Now, human RANGER, we will kill you. Slowly." Marcus drew another breath, and a flash of red flashed by his eyes. He must of imagined it, he told himself. The leader drew a knife and seemed to advance towards Marcus, but then, his eyes rolled back into his head and he collapsed at the ranger's feet. She stood there, triumphant over the Minbari. Marcus took advantage of the moment to turn on both of the guards, knocking them to the ground. He extended his pike and held it in a threatening position in front of his once captors. Susan was tying the leader hands, then she moved to the guards. "Thanks." Marcus said, breathing hard. Susan looked up, fastening her indigo eyes on him. There was pain in their depths. "Yeah, well, you know me, never one to miss out on a good party." she said sarcastically. Marcus nodded and went to help her. Finally, they finished, and Marcus was about to go call the authorities. Susan stood beside him, looking pale and drawn. "Susan, what's wrong?" Marcus asked, concern in his eyes when he saw her begin shaking. She drew a sharp breath before answering. "Nothing, should there be?" she snapped. Marcus shook his head and turned. He heard a gaped and whirled around just in time to catch Susan as she fell. His arms went around her waist as he lay her gently on the floor. When he took his hands away, they were covering blood. "Oh...VALEN! NOOOOOOOOOO! NOT SUSAN TOO!" he cried out. But there was no one to hear him, only the silence of the encroaching Minbari night...... From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: The Crimson Unicorn part 8 Date: Wed, 24 Feb 1999 21:00:32 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Crimson Unicorn: part 2 Warnings: NC-17 " The Crimson Unicorn" by Meredith D. Holt Hey! This is the next part of my little 'what if' Marcus and Susan story. Forgive a hopeless romantic? Anyway, thanks to Sharyn Stout, Kris and Laura, for their encouragement and to others as well! I'll get more to you ASAP. If you like it, email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. or visit my website at http://expage.com/page/meredithb5 . See ya! Love Always, Meredith D. Holt Legal Discalimer: All people and places belong to JMS. All power and glory to him, all grief and lawsuites to my lawyer. Personal disclaimer: I am a hopless Irish romantic. You have been warned. The Crimson Unicorn by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Tia and the Minbari doctors arrived to find Marcus pacing by Susan's bed. The expression on his face was one of extreme worry and inner pain. He jumped as tia laid a gentle hand on his shoulder, her kind eyes spoke volumes. "Marcus, do not worry, Susan will be saved. Faith manages." she told him. He nodded, but the worry would not go away. He roamed the hallway out side her room, waiting for the doctors to finish, only leaving when Pierlik insisted he eat something. The passing hours only served to convince him that he'd gone insane if she didn't pull through this. Finally, Tia approuched him with news. "Friend Marcus?" she asked softly, the look in her deep brown eyes unreadable. "Is she going to make it?" Marcus felt acid rising in his throat. He held his breath. "Yes. Susan has a strong body, the doctors say that if we can keep her up for the next four standard hours, then she'll be out of the danger zone." Tia dutifully informed her friend. With brief thanks, Marcus dashed in to be by her side. Susan smiled weakly from her place in the bed and he eyed the furniture with a raised brow. She laughed, remembering the conversation they'd had about four poster beds and gardens. "Tia had no idea, it's rather funny, isn't it?" she asked in a weak voice. He pulled up a chair to sit beside her beofre answering. "A twist of fate, actually." he smiled back. Maybe she didn't hate him after all. He watched her eyes start to close and gently touched her arm. "I'm afraid you can't do that, you have to stay awake for the next four hours." "Ooohhh! They all hate me!" Susan groaned, rolling her eyes. "Oh, it's not that bad. I'll just stay here and keep you from your sleep, nothing new." he said softly. "Okay, so how are you going to keep me awake, all knowing one?" "Hmmmm....I know." he said with a triumphant grin, "I'll tell you about the time my brother, Will, and I got kicked out of school for this ingenius plan of his." Susan laughed softly. "I should have known. So what was this plan of Will's?" "A Chinesse fire-drill." "What in the hell is a Chinesse fire-drill?" Susan asked, trying to keep the smile from her eyes. "You organize a bunch of people, the whole class in our case, and you yell; 'fire!' and they all switch seats. It's really organized, even though it dosen't look like it." Marcus was laughing at the memory. "And you got kicked out for that?" "Well, our teacher was already pretty insane, Will never did give her a moment's peace. He was the mischievious one, he was. I think that's what drove her over the edge, she wasn't there when we came back." They were both laughing now. They spent the better part of the time trading stories from their childhood like that, each more hillarious then the last. Finally, Susan got around to asking something she'd been curious about for a while. "Marcus?" "Hmm?" he asked. "Can I ask you something?" "Depends on what it is," he replied with a smooth smile, the kind that always melted her insides. "Okay, you told me you were a unicorn, but I was wondering who told you the facts of life?" Susan asked. She'd expected him to be taken aback, but instead he just laughed. "It's rather funny, actually. My cousins, Diane and Dainair, well, they had a cat. Will and I were there when she had her kittens, and on the way back home Will asked where the babbies came from. Not knowning any better, I told him that the Mama cat had indigestion." Marcus had to stiffle a laugh. "You didn't?" Susan asked. "Of course I did! Diane was, oh, about ten years older then we were, and she knew all about it, comenced to give us the graphic 15 minute condenced version of the Kama Sutra." Susan laughed out loud, imagining his wide eyes. She stiffled a yawn, and for the first time in hours, Marcus checked the clock. He hadn't ment to, but he'd kept her up an hour later then need be. "You can sleep now." he told her softly. She smiled up at him, nestling into the covers. Her hand groped for his. marcus looked down, surprised, but let it pass. He was suddenly very tired too..... When telepaths touch and dream, they dream together. In a mingling of color and smell, Marcus and Susan were doing just that. *** She was laying on a beach, somewhere, the alien sunset in relaxing shades of deep blue. For the first time in ages, Susan felt truely at peace. She looked up to see Marcus standing over her. He reached out his hand, and helped her to her feet. His gray eyes searched her indigo ones with intensity and purpose, until she could stand it no longer, and placed her lips on his. Their kiss came in a burst of passion that asulted her senses, making every nerve ending in her body scream with the pleasure. Then they were laying there, Marcus on top, the waves lapping against their bodies as they explored each other with gentle hands and forceful need....*** From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: The Crimson Unicorn part 9 Date: Fri, 26 Feb 1999 18:52:18 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Crimson Unicorn: part 9 Warnings: NC-17: For sex, and adult nudity (Or is that redundant?) Hey! I finished it! Wonder of all eternal and unforgetable wonders, I finished it! This is the last part of "The Crimson Unicorn". Don't worry, I have two more stories in the works to clog your email adress with! Forgive a hopeless romantic? Anyway, thanks to Sharyn Stout, Kris and Laura, for their encouragement and to others as well! I'll get more to you ASAP. If you like it, email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. or visit my website at http://expage.com/page/meredithb5 . See ya! Love Always, Meredith D. Holt Legal Discalimer: All people and places belong to JMS. All power and glory to him, all grief and lawsuites to my lawyer. Personal disclaimer: I am a hopless Irish romantic. You have been warned. The Crimson Unicorn by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Susan's recovery was shorter then expected, her excellent physical condition helping her system recuperate. Marcus was by her side the two days she lay in her bed, recovering from the loss of blood. They finally managed to get through to Babylon 5, assuring a very worried Captain and Entil 'Za that they were more tired and worn then hurt. Susan spent the days in bed contemplating her situation with the universe, praying for guidance from her Lord, something she hadn't done since her mother died. She wanted to do right by Marcus. She just didn't know how. Laying awake in bed, Susan heard the haunting voices of all the ghosts of her past. They floated around her in the pale Minbari moonlight, forcing her to face the shadows she dreaded. Her mother; *Of course Suzotchka, but I want you to go over to cousin Magda's house for a while. I will come for you soon.* Her brother: *I thought big brothers were supposed to look out for little sisters, not the other way around.* Her father: *I haven't been the best of fathers to you, I'm sorry. And ashamed. Forgive me, Dushanka Mia.* Malchom: *You've changed, Susan. I don't know you any more.* Talia: *We all have secrets. But I have decided that if there is one person on this station I can trust implicitly, it's you.* Her own words to the alternate persona that had taken her friend's place; * You're right, the Talia I knew is dead.* Then Marcus. Marcus showing her that stupid chart about his place on Babylon 5, Marcus claiming he had a family of wild badgers in his pants, Marcus trying to teach her Minbari, Marcus telling her that he liked four poster beds and gardens as well, and Marcus' confession that he'd been waiting for some one his whole life. Waiting for *her*. *Nu san filarni, en alice mi drown. The words are inadequate to the burden of my heart.* A tingle of warm washed over her body. She loved him, there was no running from it, no way for her to hid here, here where the ghost roamed. Susan had known it all along, but she'd hidden it from herself. She wished she could tell him, show him, but the ghosts stood between her and her beloved..... *** Susan stood, mists and darkness swirling about her in a dizzying motion. She called out, to some one, to any one. Her mother appeared before her. "Mama!?" she cried, and Sofie Ivonav enveloped her daughter in a hug. "Mama, I missed you so much." "I know." her mother said, "You have to let me go. All I ever wanted was for you to be happy, for the Corps to leave you alone. You have to let us all go, if you want to be free to love him." Susan pulled back and looked into her mother's blue eyes, they didn't have the sadness any more, they merely begged for her to forgive herself. Sofie patted her daughter on the shoulder and moved away. Then Ganya appeared. "It is not your fault, Lil Sister, it is no ones fault." he consoled her. Now Talia stood before her, a bright smile on her face, unlike the last time Susan had seen her. She also gave Susan a hug, then looked into her eyes with her bright blue ones. "Forgive yourself, Susan. Please. I am free now, I want you to be as well." Talia said softly. Susan nodded mutely. Out in the distance, she could see a familiar form. he was waiting for her....*** *** Marcus looked around frantically, he didn't know where he was. Frightened, he called out. No answer. Then he saw Susan, amidst some others that he didn't recognize. He started to run to her, but some one intercepted him. She was dressed all in black, with short blonde hair and bright blue eyes that bore into him, as if judging his very soul. "Do not interfere." she spoke harshly. "You have to let me go to her!" Marcus protested. but the woman held up a hand. "No, she must face this alone, she must forgive herself." "For what?" "For finding love in all the wrong places. For being alive." The words the stranger spoke were ironically familiar. Delenn had put a hand on his shoulder, telling him that he must let go of the past, and forgive himself 'for being alive'. "Do you know who I am?" she asked. "No." he admitted. 'Who are you?" "Who are YOU?" and then Marcus was falling. He reached out for something, anything to hold onto...but there was only darkness, tearing him away from Susan....*** Jolting up from his nightmare, Marcus was covered in sweat, breathing hard, and screaming Susan's name. He instantly quieted himself, trying to still his rapid heart and assure his mind that Susan was alright. But it could not be done. he needed to see if she was alright. Grabbing his robe, Marcus hurried as fast as he could towards her rooms. Mustering his courage, he opened the door. Susan was standing by the window, clothed in a short gem blue night gown and transparent robe. She turned to see him standing in the door way, unconscious of his own male beauty. "Marcus, are you okay?" she asked softly. He could have sworn he heard more then friendly concern in her voice. "I had...a nightmare, I thought you were hurt." he said breathlessly, his eyes riveted on the vision of her curves through the transparent silk. She slowly moved towards him, and his brain screamed, half in fear for his life, and half that this goddess was almost close enough to touch. Susan stood close enough that Marcus could smell the remnants of her shampoo, and the roses/ashes scent that was Susan. Her hands played with the tie of his robe as his eyes widened in disbelief. "It's good that you're here anyway. I wanted to tell you something." she paused, as much to take a breath as to close the door. Then she looked him straight in the eye, her soul open and willing for him to look with in. She breath one more breath and dropped the bomb. "I love you." his thoughts ceased when her lips clamped over his, pressing him to closed door, her body intimately touching his. He began to respond, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her impossibly closer. She was so sweet, so incomprehensibly sweet. He felt her hands tugging at the tie of his robe, removing it with insistent hands. He pulled back. "I love you, Susan, I always have, and I'll never stop. Are you sure?" he said softly. She looked at him with deep, loving eyes. "I love you, Marcus. Let me show you how much." she said softly. She took his hands in hers, guiding them to the sash of her own robe. Letting them rest there, she looked back into his eyes. "Love me please." she begged him. "You don't have to ask." he said softly, his hands working the satin until the sliver of fabric fell to the floor, quickly followed by her chiffon robe. Susan stood before him, bathed in the moonlight, the small amount of fabric still on her body hiding very little from his eyes. "In Valen's name..." She placed her soft hands squarely on his shoulders, pushing the robe back so it fell to the floor. He hadn't been wearing anything under there. His gloriously nude body brought a rush of warmth to her. Susan waited for Marcus to take the next step, wanting him to set the pace, after all, it was his first time. Of their own accord, his fingers pushed away the thin straps of her gown, and it fell in a silky heap on the floor. His eyes widened at the sight of her. she was so perfect, so beautiful, so...Valen he needed her. His lips took hold of hers, with firm possessiveness, exploring and plundering her warmth, memorizing the contours of her mouth. Her tongue moved to capture his, stopping it's activities so she could suck on it gently. He'd never last that long this way.... With strong arms, Marcus picked Susan up and carried her over to the waiting bed. He was reverent as he laid her on the soft sheets, as if worshipping her. She sighed softly, his agonizing deliberation was unlike anything else. She sat up, wanting to give him pleasure and bring him over the edge. With out warning, she took him in her hands, running her fingers teasingly up and down his cock. "Susan..." he breathed. With a sly smile, she took him into her mouth. Marcus felt his blood go white hot, and struggled with every ounce of control in his body to keep himself from falling over the edge. "Susan, please..." She looked up, her eyes filled with need. She let go, and he lay down beside her, his eyes resting on her breasts. He looked into her eyes, as if asking permission. her mind called to his. His lips captured first one pink nipple, then the other, with equal attention. He laved each with his tongue, and she moaned, begging him for more. He reached a hand down to delve into her wet folds. His fingers made little circles around her sensitive nub of flesh. Susan arched forward, needing to get closer, needing him inside her. "Marcus please...now." she begged. "Not yet." he said with certainty. His eyes held hers as he moved down and replaced his hand with his tongue. She cried his name over and over, in between incoherent cries of joy. "Let go, Susan." he told her softly. Prompted by the liquid velvet tone of his voice, she did just that. His tongue was still darting in and out, teasing when she came. He looked up at her, and his eyes were met by the heavenly sight of her, hair spread out against the pillows, her eyes mere pools of desire. "Now, Marcus." it was an order. She lifted her hips to meet him as he entered her warmth. His eyes closed in rapture as he felt her muscles close around him, holding him in their grasp. "Are you just going to sit there?" she asked softly, not wanting to spoil the moment, but needing more. "Oh, no. You're mine." he said with soft assurance. He began to thrust into her, gently, afraid to hurt her. She matched him stroke for stroke, moaning in pleasure as they got as close as possible. She felt him come, and he took her with him. "Marcus....oh yes!" she cried out as she bucked against him. He was crying out her name as he came, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close to him, needing her, all of her. As he relaxed against her, she put her arms around him as well, willing him not to pull away from the cradle of warmth they'd made. "So beautiful. I love you so much." he whispered into her long hair. "I love you too Marcus." she told him, running her fingers through his hair. He began to whisper words of awe against her neck as he leisurely explored what he had plundered before. She sighed in ecstasy and kissed him hard. "But I believe you have lost your beloved unicorns." Susan joked. "Oh, I got something better." Marcus told her softly. "Oh?" "Yes, I trade my unicorns for an angel." Susan sighed softly and kissed him hard. "Again?" he asked. "Hmmm...." was her only answer. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 9 months later ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ " 'Just a quick trip to Minbar' she says, 'I haven't see Tia or Cinnamon in forever', she says, 'The baby's not due for weeks' she says." Marcus paced before the bed on which his very pregnant was laying. Susan gazed at him, sagging in the aftermath of another contraction. "Marcus, you are not helping." she said firmly. They were waiting for the Minbari doctors, and Marcus looked like he'd have a heart attack first. Then they'd need twice as many. Marcus looked at his life, telepathically, picking up on her pain, and wishing they'd stayed on Babylon 5. But Susan had been adamant, insisting that she wanted to come and visit Tia. Her contractions had started almost as soon as they'd stepped off the transport, and they'd rushed Susan to Tia's house. Now she lay in the four-poster bed where this had all started. She cried out as another contraction hit, they were getting closer together now. The doctors, quickly followed by Tia, hurried in soon after that one subsided. The young Minbari girl showed Marcus to a chair and he quickly took his wife's hand. He felt terrible that he had put her in any kind of pain, and reached out with his limited telepathic abilities, taking some of her pain upon himself and replacing it with assurances of his love for her. After a few hours and surprisingly smooth birth, the squealing child was placed in Susan's arms. "See, she already has her Mum's temper." Marcus commented. Susan laughed. The baby in her arms had bright indigo eyes and a tuff of black hair, the most beautiful baby either of her parents had ever seen. "What are we going to name her?" Susan seemed to think on this, unconsciously rocking the child until her cries subsided. "What was your mother's name, Marcus?" "Alexa, Alexa Cole." He replied softly, privately thanking Valen that his child had inherited her mother's unique shade of eyes. That was exactly what he had wanted. "Alexa Sofia Cole." Susan murmured as she maneuvered the baby so she could breast feed. "I like the sound of that." Marcus said. Susan looked up at him, and saw the same love she had for him reflected for her there. She patted the bed beside her and he crawled in. Marcus Cole cradled his wife and daughter in his arms, there was not a happier man in the universe. He looked down to see Alexa starring up him, and noticed that Susan had fallen asleep. "You are so very lucky to have her for Mum, little Alexa." He leaned down to kiss his baby girl on the forehead. The child giggled and settled into sleep along side her mother. One family, forever.