From: Alternate Universe Today Archivist Subject: A Dinner Situation by barigirl@geocities.com Date: Sun, 12 Apr 1998 11:09:04 -0700 name = Bari email = barigirl@geocities.com title = A Dinner Situation warnings = None story = A sudden inspiration. Not much of a plot or a literary masterpiece. But funny. Disclaimer: I am a piss poor student. I do not own these characters. Like I have money to own the rights to anything B5 related. So if anyone wants to sue me, you won't get much. A Dinner Situation Delenn Sharidan, diplomat from Minbar and wife to the President of the League of Worlds, was used to disaster. Hell, she'd spent nearly six years of her life in the middle of fire. But this situation was entirely different. When ever another diplomat needed to be straightned out or a favor was required, everyone went to her. And normally, she didn't have any problems. As Delenn looked around the topsy turvy kitchen, all she could do was cry. Sure, the doctor told her that pregnancy caused an imbalance of hormones, but this was a bit more than she expected. Then to top it all off, her normally good-natured husband whistled his way into the room. "Hi honey!" He replied, only faintly acknowledging the fact that faint wisps of smoke drafted through the room. When he found his wife crying helplessly on a stool in the kitchen. "Delenn? What's the matter?" Sharidan asked assuredly. His wife managed to push him aside for a moment in order to recover her senses. "I'm fine, John. It's just...well...I do not know. I was thinking about my day, and about all the meetings tomorrow, and when I looked down, every thing was ruined. All of it." Silence ruled the room for a few minutes before Sharidan accomplished the fete of pulling his wife into his arms for a reassuring hug. "Delenn, it's just dinner. I'm sure it's fine. Com'on, let's take a look." He led her to the stove and bravely lifted the cooling lids from their pans. The smell of burnt food permeated the surrounding air and caused John to think quickly. "Well," he stated "If you were thinking and cooking, I'd say you've been working too much lately." The humor in his voice defused the moment and allowed Delenn the few seconds she needed to pull her remaining nerves back together. "I wish that something could be salvaged out of this.." Delenn began as she started to look around the fridge for any edible leftovers. Sharidan stopped her search and rubbed her arms affectionately. "Let me deal with it. Why don't you clean up a bit and wear the new robe I got you?" His wife stared at him in a confused fashion. "New robe? What new.." "It's in a box on the bed. I left it during lunch time. Go see if you and junior here like it." She smiled faintly, and took her time getting to the bedroom. On the bed lay a maroon colored box tied stately with a white ribbon. With out further thinking, Delenn pulled off the ribbon and pulled out a silky pink robe with an intricate maroon chintz pattern. She stood in awe for a moment, and gently held the material to her face. John smiled as he heard the shower pounding in the background. His wife had been working a bit too hard lately. Then there was their baby. It didn't help that she was lugging around ten extra pounds. But all that would be over in about four months, then there'd be a few years of more sleepless nights, and after that, a wiggling, crawling, running member of their family. After carefully sorting through the contents of the fridge, Sharidan russled up some fresh looking noodles and a manageable meat gravy. Who said men couldn't fend a lone quest for dinner? Delenn slinked quietly to the kitchen table and was more than a bit surprised to see and smell an impromptu delicious dinner. Her husband stood like a rock, surveying his efforts with a commanding confidence. She tried to take a closer look at the table when she felt his loving stare warm her skin over. "It's beautiful." she stated shyly and gestured to the dress, "Thank you." John pulled her seat out and kissed her neck as she sat down gracefully. "I had a feeling you needed a little pick me up. Besides, I think you look absolutely beautiful." Dinner was mostly filled with gentle, lighthearted talk. A particular joke she had heard from Mr. Garibaldi that needed clarification and his reaction to walking into a Drazi celebration. No work, no fear, no universal concerns. They sat at a table with a meal that never ceased to span the gulf between them. An occasional hand touch or look helped their conversation along. John had to call the conversation finished at 20:00 hours. Both he and his wife needed some rest. "We'll leave the dishes for tomorrow, honey. I've got to get you to bed. We both have early meetings." Sharidan reminded. He helped his wife up from the table and led her to their room. When they were finally snuggled up together, John led his hands to the swell of his child. "Do you think he can hear us?" he asked his wife questioningly. She gave him her reassuring look and replied, "I'm pretty sure he can. Why? What would you ask him?" Sharidan thought for a moment, then stated, "I'd ask him to settle down for the night, because his mom needs her rest." That remark earned him a lingering kiss. "So while you're asking questions, why don't you ask for lights off?" Delenn countered as she snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. John obliged. "Lights Off." The End