From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: "Ice Princess" part 4 Date: Mon, 01 Mar 1999 21:10:52 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net "Ice Princess" Warnings: None, yet anyway Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt Hullo, This Part is a bit of a tear jerker, just to warn you. I hope you enjoy it. let me know if you like it. Comments are welcome. Email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. of visit my website at http://expage.com/page/meredithb5. Also, thanks to Karin, Emily and Morgana for their encouragement, and to Skyler, my loyal beta reader and phyciatrist. This one's for Shanon and Kristen! All the best! 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. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Emily jolted out of a tormented sleep. How she wished her mother was here. Moma had always rocked her back to sleep when nightmares came, but now there was no one. No one at all, except Elizabeth. Blind in the near darkness with out her sister's eyes, Emily fumbled for something to cling to, anything, anything. Her tiny, smooth hands roamed along the walls until she came to an open door. Susan must be in there. "Susan?" Emily asked softly. The older woman stirred and looked up to see Emily's outline standing in the door way. She was in tears. "What's wrong, Emily?" she asked, concerned. "I haded a bad dream. Can I get in with you?" The little girl clung to the doorway, awaiting Susan's answer. "Sure thing, baby." Susan said, using her telepathic abilities to lead to the blind girl to the edge of the bed, where the normally stern Commander reached out her arms and hugged Emily to her. Snuggling under the covers, the two of them lay there for a while until Emily's tears subsided. "What happened?" Susan asked. "I had a dream about Moma, she was on fire. It hurt her." the small child sniffled. "Do you remember the happy times?" "Yup." "Then tell me about it." Susan demanded softly, she knew it would help the child to talk about her feelings. "Can I show you, up here?" Emily tapped Susan's forehead. Part of her cringed at the idea, but she nodded mutely anyway. Emily slipped her smooth hands up to Susan's temples and thought about her mother..... *** Emily and Elizabeth stood on the side lines in a gym. The sun was shinning through the glass windows, casting a natural spot light on the dark skinned woman who was currently doing flips in the middle. She wore a hot pink jumpsuit that fitted her slim, muscular body. Her flips and leaps where nearly effortless as she finished her routine. As she paused, head held high, one hand exulting the sunlight streaming in, the twins started clapping. "Thank you little ones!" the woman exclaimed as she gathered them in a big hug. Her voice was warm and rich, like burning rose wood. "Would you like to dance with me, my little E's?" "Yes, Moma! Please." the twins chorused. Laughing, their mother took each of their hands and they began to dance in a circle around the gym. The woman took both of Emily's hands suddenly, throwing her up and then catching her.....*** The vision faded, and Susan felt Emily's little hands clutching at her robe, desperately. But the earlier tenseness was gone. an idea formed in Susan's mind, and she acted on it. "Would you like me to show you something about my mother?" Susan asked. The little child nodded. "Can you see in the mind too, Susan?" Emily asked. "Yes, yes I can." she replied, trusting the small angel that was currently holding onto her for dear life. "Do you promise not to tell?" "Yes. Can I see your Moma now?" *** They were in a warm and sunny garden, an older boy toddling after his father. On the grass near by, a tall, willowy woman with happy blue eyes was holding a small, puppy fat version of Susan. "Hello Suzotchka, did you have a nice nap?" the woman asked. The baby burbled and giggled, obviously happy to see her mother. The woman lay down on her back, lifting the baby up to the sun. Susan waved her little limbs, reaching down for a lock of her mother's russet hair. The woman lifted her down and then back up. The baby's laughter resounded through the garden. *** "Your Moma was very pretty. Like you." Emily said as she relaxed her hold on Susan's robe. The exercise had soothed the child, as Susan had known it would. "Can I call you that?" "Call me what?" Susan was perplexed. "Suzotchka. It's pretty, and your Moma called you that." the child tried to lift unseeing eyes to Susan's face, but only succeeded in looking lost. The more Susan began to think about it, the more she liked it. Smiling, she answered; "Yes, you may." Emily felt the older woman's smile in her heart and mind, the warmth soothing her earlier nightmares. She knew Marcus had told her not to, but.... "Suzotchka, will you be my Mommy?" From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess part 5 Date: Tue, 02 Mar 1999 20:35:17 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net "Ice Princess" Warnings: None, yet anyway Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt Hullo, This Part is a bit of a tear jerker, just to warn you. I hope you enjoy it. let me know if you like it. Comments are welcome. Email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. of visit my website at http://expage.com/page/meredithb5. Also, thanks to Karin, Emily and Morgana for their encouragement, and to Skyler, my loyal beta reader and phyciatrist. This one's for Shanon and Kristen! All the best! 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. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Susan looked at the blind girl in astonishment. Where had that question come from? "Why do you want me to be your Mommy?" she asked softly. "You're nice, and you take good care of us, and you do all the Mommy stuff that Mommies do." Emily said softly. Susan could feel the fear of rejection growing in the child's belly. The need to be accepted that she knew all too well. "Of course, I'll be your Mommy." She said impulsively, then regretted it. Of course, she'd love to be the children's mother, but what if Marcus wanted them to think of the woman he loved as their mother? Oh, what had she done? Still, what could it hurt, if it was a secret. "Can we keep it a secret?" she asked softly. Emily nodded, she was good at keeping secrets. Susan relaxed and pulled the covers up around them both. "Good night, Emily." "Good night, Suzotchka." The rest of the time passed pleasantly enough, the girl's were well behaved and obedient. Elizabeth was over-joyed when Emily informed her that Susan was going to be their new mother, and promptly decided she wanted to change her last name to Ivonava/Cole. Susan laughed, but quickly told her she had to keep her own last name. The trio went shopping on Susan's off hours, and the girl's stayed with Lennier while she was at work. Some how, the two little girl's had managed to whittle their way past Susan's long held defenses, all the way to her heart. Their innocence and sincerity assured Susan that they would never leave her as other had. Feeling very much the mother, Susan bought the girls new clothes out of her salary, as well as teddy bears to keep them company at night. Elizabeth named hers Boris, and Emily's was Annabelle. The cuddly toys didn't help to still the nightmares that plagued the girls, and eventually, they just pilled into her bed at night. The exercise that Susan had started with Emily suddenly became a game the girl's liked to play. The three would sit on the floor, hand in hand, and one would pick a category. It was then necessary for each person to show a favorite memory associated with that memory. Not only was Susan helping the girl's to heal, but they were helping her lick old wounds. ------- The beeping of Susan's link interrupted the trio's weekly grocery shopping, about three days before Marcus was due back. "Ivonava here." she said, letting go of Elizabeth's hand. "Commander," the voice of Ltd. Corwin came through the link. "Dr. Franklin wanted me to tell you that we got a ship full of wounded, Marcus is among them." Elizabeth's muffled cry sounded as she buried her face in Boris' belly. "Is it bad?" Susan asked. "I don't know. Their in med lab right now." Rushing, Susan picked up both girl's and ran for the lift. Her breathing was labored, and thoughts of Marcus dying were running through her mind. Fear was accelerating her heart beat and her eyes showed more emotion then they had in a long time. Finally, they reached med lab. As soon as he saw them, Stephen came over. "Is Marcus...." Susan trailed off to catch her breath, "alright?" she set the girl's down, both were wailing. "Susan, he's fine. Minor burns and a broken rib, other then that, he's fine." Stephen assured the harried station Commander. A look of relief passed over Ivonava's features, before she put the walls back up. She bent by the girls, hugging them close. 'Did you hear the doctor?" she asked them, "Marcus will be fine." Both turned tear filled eyes on her, but they smiled. "Can I take them to see Marcus now?" "Yeah, he just got out of surgery, so be careful with him, will you?" Stephen asked. All three nodded and followed him to Marcus' room. He looked up to see them standing in the door way. Wasting no time, the girls ran up to him. "Marcus, are you okay?" Elizabeth asked. "Yeah, we got so worried when we heard." Emily interjected, "See, Annabelle's all wet 'cause I cried on her." She showed Marcus the damp teddy. Taking it in his hand, Marcus looked at it skeptically. "It won't bite." Emily informed him, "Her name is Annabelle, Suzotchka got her for me." "Suzotchka?" Marcus asked. Emily pointed to Susan. Marcus thought, Susan looked like she had run all the way to med lab, and was currently leaning against the wall for support. "Mine's name is Boris. He's a boy." Elizabeth handed him her teddy. He looked back up to see Susan smiling at him. "How were they?" he asked. "Just fine. They really are good kids." she said softly, coming closer. "Did you get hurt here?" Emily asked, pointing to a bruise on his bare shoulder. "Yeah." Marcus said as he helped the child up onto the hospital bed. "Can we kiss it bedder?" Elizabeth asked. Susan smiled, that was just the way the twins were. "Sure." he smiled at Susan. To his surprise, as soon as the girls had planted a small kiss on the bruise, Susan moved forward as well to press her lips gently to his sensitive skin. It sent pleasant little shivers down his spine. She looked up and smiled at him, the stepped back. "So, Marcus, are you ready to let Susan and the girls take you home?" Stephen asked. He was trying not to laugh, for he'd seen the whole thing. "Umm..." "Well, you can't stay by yourself, not with that injured rib," Susan told him, her tone brooking no refusal, "So I told Stephen we'd shack you up at my place." Marcus looked incredulously at the object of his affection. This had to be some sort of bizarre dream. Didn't it? From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess part 6 Date: Sun, 07 Mar 1999 20:51:19 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net "Ice Princess" Warnings: None, yet anyway Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt Hullo, This Part is a bit of a tear jerker, just to warn you. I hope you enjoy it. let me know if you like it. Comments are welcome. Email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. of visit my website at http://expage.com/page/meredithb5. Also, thanks to Karin, Frances, Deb, Emily and Morgana for their encouragement, and to Skyler, my loyal beta reader and phyciatrist. This one's for Shanon and Kristen! All the best! 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. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt Marcus awoke to find himself in a strange bed. Then he remembered, the accident, and Susan's offer to take care of him. They had barely been able to get him home before he fell asleep again. He was...Marcus gulped. He was in Susan's bed. It smelled like her, roses and ashes, with just a touch of vanilla. He lay there of a while, eyes closed, just breathing in the scent. Then he heard a noise from the other room. Shrieks and giggles followed as the sound of small girl's playing tag reached Marcus ears. "Emily! Elizabeth! Marcus is still sleeping, you'll wake him." Susan told them, and the sounds stopped. "It's time for dinner, anyway." He could hear the girl's scrambling for the table, and quickly closed his eyes again when the door to the bed room opened. He could Susan walking around the bed, and the rustle of sheets and she climbed in beside him. "Marcus?" she whispered in his ear. Her closeness was driving him crazy, she was using her left elbow to prop herself up on the mattress while a hand played absently on his chest. "Marcus?" she whispered again, this time her cheek touching hers briefly. He pretended to stir, and she immediately jumped away as he opened his eyes. The absence of her presence so close to him left a void. "What?" he asked as he sat up. "It's time for dinner Mr. I'm-not-in-the-least-bit-tired." she laughed. "Did I say that?" he pretended innocence. "Come on, Ranger. Your food's getting cold." Susan said as she swiftly turned away, leaving Marcus to follow and wonder what he'd done. -------- Later that night, after the girl's had helped Susan scrub the dishes, the four of them sat in the living room. Marcus looked up from the reports he was reading when Emily piped up; "Suzotchka? Can we play the game?" her eyes begged. Elizabeth's head came up from where she was trying to put shoes on Boris. "Yeah, Suzotchka, can we. PLEASE!?" "Alright," Susan laughed. Marcus looked on intently, trying to figure out what the girls wanted to play. Susan moved the coffee table from the middle of the rug and sat down, followed by Elizabeth. Emily stood, though, somewhat undecided on something. "Can Marcus play too?" she asked. She looked from Susan, then to Marcus. "Emily, honey. Marcus can't play, remember? He isn't a telepath." Susan regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. How could she have been so stupid!? She looked at Marcus, waiting for the loathing and hatred to enter his eyes. But they only softened as they looked on her. "I'll help him, Suzotchka." Elizabeth offered. "I can help him see the pictures." "Please?" Emily added her two cents worth. "Well....." the older woman paused, "Alright. Marcus can play." She motioned for him to get down on the rug with them. He took his seat in-between Elizabeth and Emily, waiting instructions. Susan looked distinctly uncomfortable as she explained the rules. "Okay, Marcus," she said softly, "Some one, I think its Emily's turn to tonight..." "No, it's my turn." Elizabeth reminded Susan, "Remember, Emily picked flowers last night." "Oh, sorry. Anyway, some one picks a category, say, favorite flavor, and each of us shows a memory associated with that. You'll just think about it, Marcus and Elizabeth will send it to the rest of us." "Okay. I see now." Marcus nodded, wondering who had thought up the game. He watched as they all took hands, and followed the suit himself. The room began to darken before his eyes, and fear began to fill him. *It's okay, Marcus. We're all still here.* someone, Susan, said. The sound of her mind-voice was like a caress. *Go on, Elizabeth, pick something.* she urged. *Okay! Um....* the little wispy reed voice belonging to Elizabeth paused. *Favorite animal. I'm going first. I like dogs.* The darkness before Marcus eyes slowly disolved until he could see a room..... *** The living room was bathed in blue light, and in the corner a small cradle could be seen. There was a baby inside. On the floor, was another child, presumably Elizabeth. The chubby baby girl was learning to crawl. At first moving slowly, then gaining speed until she went to fast and fell. The sound of small white dog barking met their ears, and soon the little white powder puff was standing in front of Elizabeth, licking her nose and making the baby girl laugh.....*** The darkness returned to Marcus senses. And he felt Susan's mind gently touching his own, making sure he was okay. *Marcus?* she asked. *He's okay." that was Elizabeth. *It's your turn,Suzotchka. What's your favorite animal?* Emily asked. *Horses.* *** The wind was blowing a twelve year-old Susan's hair behind her as she urged her horse on, it's black fur gleaming in the Russian spring sunlight. "Susan! Wait up, you go to fast!" a young man, at least two years older then she, called out from behind her. "Never! I'm going to beat you Ganya!" she cried out. Then pulling the reins, she ordered the horse into a gallop. Up head she could see the lake. Just as she was about to reach it, she felt herself begin to slip off the horses bare back. She moved her legs, trying to re-secure herself. They reached the lake before Ganya, but Susan fell off the horse and into the mud. "You are very dirty for a winner, Susan." Ganya said as he reached down to pull her up onto his horse. "And for a big brother, you certainly sink at beating me, which you somehow think is your right." Susan threw back. "Ah, but you stole it from me." "Yeah, so sue me." "I will, when we get home." her brother promised her. *** *Did you REALLY ALWAYS beat Ganya, Suzotchka?" Emily asked. *Most of the time.* came Susan's reply. *It's Marcus turn now, Elizabeth.* *What's your favorite animal, Marcus?* Elizabeth asked. marcus though for the pet mouse he'd had in fourth grade. He heard Susan snicker at the sight of the little black critter. *** A ten year-old Marcus reached into his pocket for the fifteenth time to make sure Cookie was still in there. The little black mouse in his pocket licked his hand re-assuringly. By the time lunch was over, the teacher was so excused she told the class to have play period. Marcus sought out his brother, Will, and Hasiana. The black haired, coal-eyed girl was sitting next to Will on the heater, playing with dominos. "Hey Will." Marcus said as he sat down next to Hasiana. "Hey Marcus. Wana play?" Will asked, offering a domino. "Na." Marcus waved his hands away at the object. He accidentally hit the little game piece and it fell down into the heater. "Ohhh, Marcus. Now we're gonna get in trouble." that came from Hasiana. The little girl shook her pigtails in worry. "It's okay, I bet it can reach it." Will said. He put his hand down in. No luck. Marcus also tried, and failed as well. "I know. I put Cookie down in there,. She can get it, I know she can." Marcus said. 'You didn't bring Cookie to school, Marcus, did you?" Will asked. Marcus reached into his pocket to reveal the black mouse. "Ew. A rat!" Hasiana squealed. "Cookie's not a rat, she's a mouse." Marcus insisted. "She can't get it, Marcus. We'll have to tell Ms. West." Hasiana told him. "No. Just watch, Cookie can get it." Marcus put the little mouse down the hole. A few minutes passed, and the three could hear noise in the heater, before Cookie pushed out the domino. "See, told you." Marcus held the mouse out to Hasiana. "Ew. I don't want to touch it!" she exclaimed. "Oh, come on, she doesn't bite." "If she does, then I'll pull all your precious hair out." Hasiana said, as she fingered Marcus small ponytail. "Okay." marcus said with confidence. "And if she doesn't," Will piped up. "Then Hasiana has to kiss you." "Ew." Marcus said. He handed Cookie to the girl. The mouse sniffed her, then tried to climb out of her hand. Marcus took her back and put her in his pocket. "Marcus won, Hasi. You have to kiss him." Will declared. Hasiana turned beet red, and so did Marcus. She leaned over and kissed him on the nose. "Ew. Thanks a lot, Will. No offense, Hasi." Marcus whined as he wiped his nose off.*** He could hear Susan's laughter as the room returned to normal. A little dizzy, he stayed sitting until he was sure he could trust his legs. "Can we have a mouse?" Emily asked. "No." Susan said as she ushered them off to get ready for bed. When she returned, Marcus was standing by the counter, his eyes closed and fatigue on his features. "That didn't hurt, did it?" she asked in concern. "No. I'm fine. Just tired." Marcus said, opening his eyes to look at her. What he saw shocked him. Earlier she had only taken off her uniform jacket, now her hair was down, and resting in curls around her shoulders. She now only worn a blue cashmere sweater, nothing else. He looked her up and down, mesmerized. "Marcus? Babylon Control to Marcus? Any one home?" Susan asked impatiently. "Oh, sorry." he said, hoping she hadn't noticed that he was staring. He'd never seen her look quite as desirable as she did right now. "Let's take a look at that wound of yours. Doc's orders, remember?" she said as she went to get the sponge and towel. "Now sit down." she ordered. He took a seat on the couch as she ran some warm water over the sponge. Laying it in a bowl, she returned to the living room. Marcus was sitting on the couch, looking distinctly uncomfortable. *Oh, God.* Susan thought, *I forgot he was a virgin. He's scared. Damn you, Marcus. Why did you have to make me care. Curse you and your noble, virgin heart.* She took a seat beside him. "Don't worry, Marcus. I don't bite." she laughed. He laughed a little bit, but he still wasn't comfortable. She helped him off with his shirt, silently admiring his firm chest and broad shoulders. She saw the bloodied bandages on his ribs, as well as a few other scars. "How did you get this one," she asked, gesturing to one on his upper shoulder, as she unwrapped the ruined bandage. "Neroon." Marcus said softly. The feel of Susan's hands as they moved across his now bare chest was sending waves of warmth down to a certain throbbing erection in his britches. He hoped she wouldn't notice. "Does it still hurt?" Susan asked as she ran gentle, soft, soothing finger tips over the scar. "Not any more." Marcus breathed. She smiled up at him and got back to work. ------- Three days later, Susan and Marcus took the twins to the park for a picnic. Eventually the girls ran of to find some amusement, leaving the adults to talk. They discussed the mission Marcus had gone on, talked of getting him bigger quarters once he had recovered. An uncomfortable silence had passed over them when they heard a scream from the other side of the park. Their rapport had made them forget how late it was getting, and both noticed how deserted the park now was. Susan rounded the bend first. There was Emily, crying, and clinging to a high tree branch. Elizabeth was trying to coax her down, but she kept on wailing. "What happened?" Marcus asked as he caught up with Susan, breathless from the exertion. "I dared her to climb the tree. I'm sorry, Marcus, Suzotchka. I'm sorry." Elizabeth, near tears herself, said meekly. "It's okay, Elizabeth." Susan assured her. Then she looked at the height of the oak. It had grown taller and leaner then most would have on Earth, thanks to the lower gravity of Babylon 5. She looked back at Marcus. "Watch her. I'm going to climb up and get Emily." Susan said. She removed her jacket, then moved to her pants. She could never climb the tree in those. Looking up, she saw Marcus stunned face. It was a good thing there was no one else in the park. Not that anything was showing, her shirt tails covered to mid thigh. "Hold these." she said, handing the access clothing to one totally stunned Marcus. With that, she put her hands in a knot hole and began to climb. She reached the branch, and hysterical child with ease. "Emily?" the child wailed louder. "Emily." still the child wailed. *EMILY* *I'm sorry, Suzotchka. I thought I could climb the tree.* Emily's little mind moaned. *It's alright, you're not in any trouble. You made a mistake, everyone does. You're intitled. I've made a lot of them myself. Now come on, let me help you down.* Susan told the girl. Emily moved, and Susan handed her down to Marcus, before climbing down herself. Reaching the bottom, Susan put her clothes back on and took the girl home. She felt Marcus eyes on her the whole time, making her terribly nervous. Did he think she'd done it to get to him. In truth, she hoped it had, but he was a virgin, so it probably wouldn't. Sighing, she gathered the girl's up and tucked them into bed. This was going to be a LONG four weeks. -------- Quickly punching in the access code, Susan looked around for the book Marcus had asked her to pick up from his quarters. She knew he was terribly bored at her place, and since it was on her way back from work, she figured she should. There it was, on the desk. She felt bad for giving him such small quarters, now that she saw how cramped it was. It had looked bigger without the furniture. As she reached for Marcus' copy of 'A Midsummer's Night Dream', she knock a little black book off the desk. It fell on the floor, opening. She tucked the other book under her arm and picked it up. Susan was about to close it, when she noticed Marcus' familiar handwriting. It must be his diary. Feeling bad about snooping, but unable to resist, Susan sat down on the small bed and opened to the first page. It was dated two years ago. Something about his brother, Will, and the rangers. She flipped a few more, to find a date early in 2260. It read: ^^^Finally, I have met the woman I always knew was out there. She's perfect, if a little cranky. She's meant for me. I know it.^^^ *Well,* Susan thought, *Finally, the mystery woman's name is revealed.* She turned back to the passage. ^^^Her name is Susan Ivonava.^^^ From: Becki H Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess part 7 Date: Mon, 08 Mar 1999 21:19:57 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net "Ice Princess" Warnings: None, yet anyway Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt Hullo, Here's the next part. Comments are welcome. Email me at beckihblumer@fuse.net. of visit my web site at http://expage.com/page/meredithb5. Also, thanks to Karin, Frances, Deb, Emily and Morgana for their encouragement, Sue Phillips for her gentle criticism and to Skyler, my loyal beta reader and psychiatrist. This one's for Shanon and Kristen! All the best! Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: All people and places belong to JMS. All power and glory to him, all grief and lawsuits to my lawyer. Personal disclaimer: I am a hopeless Irish romantic. You have been warned. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The black note book fell to the floor in front of Susan. She sat there for a while, her mouth slightly open in shock, her mind whirling with the implications. She found herself replaying some of Marcus' earlier flirting, coupling it with the entry she had just read, and reading in between the lines. The person he'd said he was waiting for was.....her. In a sudden, violent motion, she struck herself upside the forehead and fell back on the bed. Doing so, the book that had been tucked under her arm fell to the ground as well. Looking at it, Susan realized that she had better get home, she didn't want Marcus to think she'd been snooping or anything, which she had been. Susan remembered her mother having once said, Well, she got it. What was it with her and odd, ironic occurrences? Climbing to her feet, she picked up the book and set the journal on the desk, leaving the cramped little room to its shadows and dust once more. Marcus wouldn't have noticed that Susan was running late. Actually, he wasn't noticing much of anything at the moment, since he'd fallen asleep on the couch. Emily and Elizabeth stood before his sleeping form, clutching their teddy bears and wondering what to do. "What's that funny noise he's making?" Emily asked. "It's called snoring, 'member, Mommy used to yell at Daddy, she said he'd wake up all MINBAR!" Elizabeth whispered loudly. "Now what do we do?" the younger twin questioned. "We go see somebody who can help us." Her sister stated firmly. "Who?" "Do you always have to ask about stuff. Think!" Elizabeth punctuated this statement by whacking Emily on the head with Boris. "Who's friends with Marcus AND Suzotchka?" "Delenn." Emily stated with assurance. She smiled mischievously at her counterpart as they slipped out of Susan's quarters and down the hall to the lift. Once inside, they were met the an obstacle. "I can't reach the buttons." Emily stated, failing her fingers upward. "That's 'cause there aren't none." With assurance, Elizabeth changed her tone to address the computer, "Computer, where is Ambassador Delenn?" "Green 12, suite 14." the monotone reply came. "Thank you. Take us there, please." Emily answered for her sister. They stood for a while, then burst out giggling. ------- "Marcus! Wake up!" Susan was shaking him harshly, trying to bring him back to reality. He yawned as she continued shouting at him. "What!? What?! I didn't do it!" he cried out. He looked at her, she looked angry as all get out and frightened out of her wits, all at the same time. "The twins are gone." she stated bluntly. "They must have slipped out while you where asleep!" Now Marcus was awake. "Where would they go?" he asked. "The gardens, the Zocolo? Exploring? I don't know!" Susan exclaimed, near tears. "It's okay, we'll find them." he told her with assurance. "You check the gardens and Med-lab, I'll take the Zocolo and Down Bellow." She nodded, fear in her heart clutching tighter and tighter. ------- Delenn looked at the two children at her door. Of course, Marcus had told her all about Elizabeth and Emily. In fact, once you got him started, he refused to shut up about them, he talked almost as much about the twins as he did Susan. They looked up at her with wide eyes. "Hello, I'm Elizabeth Matthews, and this is my sister Emily." the tallest said, her brown eyes drinking in all the foreign sights. "Are you Delenn?" she asked. "Yes, child, I am. How can I help you and your sister?" Delenn asked, adjusting David, who she held on one hip. He was reaching down, trying to grab for the teddy in Emily's hands. "You can play with Annabelle." Emily offered, handing it to the two year-old boy. He promptly took it and stuffed as much of it as possible in his mouth. His mother looked at the little girl, expecting her to be angry or upset, but she just smiled, shrugging. "She's all slobbery anyway." "We need to talk to you 'bout Marcus and Susan." Elizabeth said, all business. Delenn had to suppress a giggle at the serious look on the child's face. She sat them down on the couch and offered them some crackers. "What about, is something wrong?" "Well," Emily said in between bites, "We want Susan and Marcus to be our Moma and Daddy, but..." she trailed off. "But they can't be if they're not married and...." Elizabeth filled in. "We don know what to do. They love each oder like Mommy's and Daddy' are apposed to, but...." Neither girl could finish now. They looked at Delenn hopelessly. She could almost feel their fear of reprimand. Smiling, Delenn took each of their hands. "I think I can help you. I was going to ask them to attend a Cha'durra Ceremony, a Celebration of Light, that John and I are hosting. Would you like to help me out, be my aides?" she asked. Both nodded eagerly. "All right. Now, we have to keep this a secret, so that Marcus won't know...." a wicked smile crossed Delenn's face as she told them a certain detail involving red fruit..... From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess part 8 Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 09:54:52 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 8 Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, This part is a little bit jumpy, so hang in there. It's also a tear jerker, for those who have grown fond of Elizabeth. Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Morgana, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurpose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. This part is dedicated to Jenny. Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Ps. Lori, "Torch Carrying" is absolutely GREAT! Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional bagage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Delenn was in the middle of explaining just what the girls would do at the ceremony, when the BabCom bleeped. "Yes?" she asked. Marcus' face appeared on screen, full of worry. "Entil 'Za, I'm sorry to bother you, but Emily and Elizabeth....." he trailed off as the girls stood. "Did we scare you Marcus?" Elizabeth asked. "I'm sorry. We both are." "Oh, thank Valen. I was so worried." Marcus heaved a sigh of relief. "They came to visit David and I, Marcus. I didn't even think to inform you." Delenn added. "It's alright, Susan and I will be right down to get them." he said, then he terminated the link. A few minutes later, the door chime rang. As soon as it opened, Susan rushed in and gathered both girls up in her arms. Delenn noted, surprisingly, that the stern Commander was crying. She witnessed first hand how much the twins had changed Susan. "I was so worried. Don't do that to me again? Okay?" she asked the twins. They both nodded. Drying her tears, Susan looked up at Delenn. "I'm sorry, Susan. I didn't think to let you know when they showed up." Delenn spoke. Susan merely nodded. "Suzotchka, Aunt Delenn wants us to help in a big Ceremony! Can we?" Elizabeth asked. "What sort of ceremony?" "It is for the Winter Solstice, sort of a Christmas Celebration John and I had planned." the older woman explained. "Oh, wow, is it that late in the year already?" Marcus asked. "Yeah, sometimes I think I'm the only one who pays attention." Susan laughed. "I would be most honored if you two would also help in the Ceremony, and of course, attend the festivities after wards." Delenn offered. "Of course Delenn. We'd be happy to help." Marcus answered. --------- Susan couldn't believe how she'd gotten into this mess. Actually, she knew just whose fault it was. But for some reason, she couldn't work up a good mad at the man who was currently sitting on the couch, re-telling a certain adventure in Down Bellow to three small, adoring children. Of course, she knew why, she loved him. Could the day get any worse? Susan sighed, watching Marcus tickle David briefly before continuing the tale. Delenn had asked them to watch David while she prepared for the Ceremony, and since Emily was absolutely enchanted with the slobbery baby boy, Susan figured, why not? Turned out that Marcus' stories were very entertaining. She redirected her attention to the dress Lennier had delivered earlier. It was, by far, the single most beautiful gown Susan had ever seen. She touched the soft, silky material, it reminded her almost of water. The dress was gold, and cut in a rather medieval style, with light blue trim and short sleeves. Suspicion ran in her mind for a while that maybe there was more to this ceremony then Delenn was telling, but Susan managed to convince herself that the Human/Minbari woman wasn't THAT devious. She checked her chronometer. Three and half hours before the ceremony. She wanted to go shopping for some presents before then. Grabbing her uniform jacket, she stepped out into the main room. "Marcus, I'm going out to get a few things, would you mind watching the kids?" she asked. "No, no problem." he smiled his patented smile. "Suzotchka, can I go with you?" Emily asked. "Alright." Susan said. The two left the others to get back to their story. "Where were you, Marcus?" Elizabeth asked. "I was telling you about the time Dr. Franklin and I got captured by the Vandrizzi." "Oh, that's scary, will you tell us some more?" "Oh, yes. Well, I would seem that they wanted Dr. Franklin to help one of their operative that had gotten hurt. So, while he was in there I...." ---------- Marcus watched Susan from where she was holding the wind chime on the other side of the table. Delenn spoke some words in an older form of Minbari that he didn't understand, and motioned for Emily to bring her the bowl of red fruit. The small child nearly tripped over the long skirt of her white robe, but she managed to right herself and make it to Delenn. Marcus moved to the middle of the floor, and was met half way by Susan. Then, holding the bowl high, Delenn, handed each a small, round red fruit. Elizabeth and Emily passed out some smaller ones from other bowls to the crowd, and then Marcus and Susan were permitted to eat theirs. Something about the ceremony bothered Marcus though, something Entil 'Za Sinclair had once told him.... "Marcus! Hello," Susan was saying. "Oh, sorry." "Come on, we're all going to the reception on hall." she said, tugging on his arm. "Would you care to dance?" Marcus asked Susan, holding his breath. She'd been standing on the side lines for half an hour, watching the other couples dance. "Hmm? Oh, of course." she said softly. The band struck up on another tune, one Susan didn't recognize. "Do you know this song? It doesn't sound very Minbari." "I think Delenn picked it out from some old 17th century stuff. 'Daydreamers' is what it's called, I believe." Marcus told her. She nodded, smiling. The whole party was wonderful, she hadn't enjoyed herself this much in a very long time. She wound her arms around Marcus neck, and he rested his hands on the small of her back as the slow music began to fill the reception hall. They didn't notice that from the side lines, Delenn was watching, a very satisfied smile on her face. It was almost midnight by the time the four of them got home. Emily was smiling, hugging Annabelle, who wore a new dress, a gift from Delenn. Elizabeth didn't look so well though. Assuming it was just fatigue, Susan sent them both to bed straight away. ------ Emily lay, sleeping, comfortably cuddled with her sister, when she first felt it. It was just a little jolt, a flash of red pain. Then it came again. Jolting up from sleep, Emily looked at her sister, Elizabeth's eyes were wide and unseeing. "Elizabeth!?" Emily cried, shaking her sister hard. No answer, none at all. Then Emily felt Elizabeth's mind, and they were both tumbling down, and Elizabeth gave her something, something sharp that hurt. And it was cold. "Lizzy! Lizzy! Wake up! Elizabeth!!!!" Emily screamed. Marcus woke first, running from his place on the couch, then Susan rushed in from her room. "What's wrong Emily?" Susan asked as she turned on the lights. Then she saw Elizabeth's face. It was ghostly pale. "Elizabeth!! Elizabeth!!!! Wake up, Lizzy, come on!" Emily was crying. "Oh, god. Get Dr. Franklin, NOW!" Susan shouted and Marcus made a bee-line for the BabCom unit. The medics came, prying a hysterical Emily off her sister, and placing Elizabeth on the cart. ------- "Her heart stopped. It seems that Elizabeth has a heart condition, it's not in her medical files, though. Did you know, Marcus?" Stephen Franklin asked as he started at the small child laying in Iso Lab 1. "No, Derek never said anything about it. I know Airyka had one, but I just assumed...." Marcus trailed off helplessly. Susan felt hot tears rolling down her tears, and looked at the child in her arms. Emily was staring fixedly on her sister, nothing else in the world mattered to her now. "Dr. Franklin?" Emily asked in a small, lost voice, 'Please save my sister. I can't....she can't go away. My Mommy and Daddy are gone. Don't let my sister go, too." "We'll do the best we can." Stephen assured the child. He made a vow to bring Elizabeth back, for he knew that if she died, so would Emily. "Can we see her?" Susan asked. "Yes, she's stabilized now, I don't know how long we'll be able to keep her that way, though. So be careful, okay?" the doctor spoke. Susan nodded mutely. The girl on the bed looked nothing like the vibrant child she knew. Her face was drawn and pale, and her sweaty hair clung to her neck. Susan put Emily down on the floor, and watched as the little girl slipped her hand into her sister's. She took Elizabeth's other hand, and closed her eyes. ***** "Elizabeth?" Emily's little voice was calling out. They were in a swirling maelstrom, and in the middle of it, was a path. Elizabeth stood on that path, looking back at them. "Elizabeth, please come back!?" "It hurts." was all the child would say. "NO! Please don't go and leave me here, all alone! You're my flashlight, Lizzy. I can't BE with out you. We're twins. You can't leave me here! Please, please stay?" Emily begged her sister, holding out her hand in the swirl of light and color. "Please?" Further along on the path, Susan could see a man and a woman. She recognized the woman as the girls' mother. Elizabeth looked at them, then to her sister. Emily held out her hand as far as it would go. Looking back at her parents, Elizabeth blew a kiss, and jumped off the path, swinging through the thunderous light and color, striving to reach her sister's out stretched hand. The minute her translucent fingers touched Emily's, they were thrust back into the real world. ***** It took Susan a moment to steady herself. Then she heard the triumphant shouts of Dr. Franklin. "She's back!" he was crying to the nurses, "We've got heart, brain wave, and lung activity here people! She's going to be fine." Susan's legs buckled as relief flooded through her body. Marcus caught her just before she hit the ground. "Come on," he said, "We don't need you passing out on us too." She smiled slightly, looking at Elizabeth. She'd never felt so relieved to see a little girl breathing before. ------ The apartment was dark when Marcus got home. He'd only stayed in Medlab to keep an eye on Emily. The girl insisted on staying with her sister. Tears welled up as he remember how the child had crawled up on the bed, as close as she could get to Elizabeth with out touching her. As soon as Marcus was sure Lennier would watch her, he'd gone home to check on Susan. He looked around, she wasn't anywhere in sight. Then he spotted her, sitting on the cot the girl's shared, holding Boris in one hand and a glass of Vodka in another. And she was crying, crying so hard she shook with the force of it. "Susan?" he ventured. She looked down and away. "Susan, what's wrong?" "I thought I was going to loose her." She said so softly he almost didn't hear it. "But you didn't. We didn't." he pointed out as he sat down next to her. "And that's not all that's upsetting you. Come on, Susan. I know you. Don't act like I don't." "I saw, what I saw when my own mother died. When I took Elizabeth's hand, I saw the same place." she murmured. For a moment he thought she might be drunk, but the glass hadn't been touched, it was still full. "What happened to your mother, Susan?" Marcus asked. No answer, she just stared at him, "What happened?" he asked, with more force. "Do you really want to know?" she asked, her eyes filled with pain. "Yes." he told her earnestly. She took his hands in hers, and her whispered answer was as quiet as the soundless stir that passes on snowy winter day. "Then I will show you." From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan fiction Submission: Ice Princess Part 9 Date: Wed, 10 Mar 1999 09:55:26 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 9 Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, MAJOR KLEENEX WARNING! Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Morgana, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. This part is dedicated to Jenny. Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Ps. Lori, "Torch Carrying" is absolutely GREAT! Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional bagage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt *** It was raining. And if there was one thing that Susan Ivonav hated, it was rain. Not the soft, soothing kind she could fall asleep listening to, but a harsh and pounding rain accompanied by lightening and thunder. She sat on the couch and looked out the window, at the slickened streets of St. Petersburg glistening glistening in the house lights. She turned when she heard her mother coming up from the basement. It was near the end of the week, and the sleepers her mother had to take had nearly worn off. Of course, that also meant that the stern, sinister man in the black suit would come with the sleepers and his loathing hatred, to take her mother's mind away. Again. Susan hated the beginning of every week, for her mother would lie in bed, barely registering if she or Ganya came in. She smiled as her mother came up and closed the door behind her. She had a little black box in hand. Scrambling off the couch, Susan climbed up on the stool by the counter. "What's that Mama?" she asked. Sofie Ivonav looked down at her daughter with clear blue eyes, as her hands effortlessly found the catch on the box and opened the lid. Susan stared down at the object inside. It was a knife, with a golden handle, encrusted with beautiful gems of red, green, purple and bright blue. She'd never seen anything so gorgeous in her entire life. "It's beautiful, Mama. Where did you get it?" "It belonged to your great, great, many greats grandmother, Suzotchka. It was a very long time ago, and she was a very brave woman. You're named after her. It had been in the family all the way back to the times of Catherine the Great. When the communists took over Russia, she and her family fled, and Susan had to take her little brother in a small boat, all the way down a river to escape. She kept this knife to protect her. Luckily, she didn't have to use it. But she always kept it with her, even when she reached safety in France. And when the iron curtain fell, her daughter came back here, and settled down. She passed the knife on. It's mine now, and one day it will be yours." Sofie said as she gently lifted it out of the velvet case. She held it, stroking the smooth, silvery blade. Susan looked up and did the same. But she went too far down the tip, and cut herself. "OW!" she cried out, wiping the bloody finger on her white shirt. "It's a knife, Susan. You should be careful." Sofie laughed. "Here, I should go soak that, go upstairs and get another shirt." Susan took the bloodied garment off and handed it to her mother. As she turned away, her mother spoke. "The sleeper man is coming tomorrow, Susan." "I'm sorry Mother. One day, I'll beat him up, and he'll never come back and hurt us again!" Susan burst out impetuously. Sofie smiled a sad little smile. "He can't hurt us if you remember what I taught you." she said, "Do you remember what I said, Suzotchka?" "Yes, Mamatchka." Susan squared her shoulder, stood tall, and looked her mother in the eye as she recited, "Sleepers are prison, the Corps is prison. The Corps is judge, the Corps is jury, the Corps is the enemy, the Corps is the executioner." "Good, Susan. Remember that." Sofie instructed. "Now, go and change, love." Susan nodded and ran to do her mother's bidding. She came down before her mother finished putting the shirt in the wash, so she sat down and pulled out her dolls. One was always the Princess, and the other was always the Queen. And one, the one with blonde hair, was always the witch who PRETENDED to be a princess. She felt her mother approach, the old mind gently probing hers, giving her a hug without even touching her. Susan smiled and gave her one back. *You know I love you, Suzotchka? Don't you?* Sofie asked, as she filtered her own love into her daughter's mind. *Of course, Mama. I love you very much too.* Susan gave her mother her love as well. "Will you play with me, Mamatchka?" Susan asked aloud. "Of course, Suzotchka. But," Sofie paused, "why don't you go to Cousin Magda's house. I will come for you soon." " "Alright, Mama. Will you play with me as soon as I get back? I miss Ganya, but he'll be back tonight, won't he?" Susan asked as she gathered up her things. "Yes, Suzotchka, he will." Sofie said softly as she gathered her daughter up in a hug. "I love you. I always will." "I love you too, Mama. Good-bye." Susan said. She grabbed her coat and trotted out the door. -------- It was very, very dark out. Susan wondered why her mother hadn't come yet. "Magda? Where is Mama?" she asked of the woman by the stove. Magda turned her sharp, all knowing green eyes on the little girl. "I do not know, Susan." she said, and went back to stirring the soup. She had three young boys to feed when they got home from the park. The door bell rang, and she went to answer it. Susan peeked past the tall woman with graying hair to see a tall, black suit man standing in the doorway. He had a Psi Corps badge on. Fear leapt in her heart, but she forced it down as her mother had taught her. He spoke softly to Magda, who began to cry. Instantly, Susan knew something was wrong. She ran past Magda and the Psi Cop, she ran across the street, to her house. In front there was an ambulance, and some reporters. She pushed through them all, running through the rain, until she got to the door. There were some doctors bent over a cart. Tears fell from her eyes. She ran over to the cart, wailing like a banshee. It was her mother. As soon as the doctors saw her, they began to take her away. Out the door and into the driving rain. "Wait!" Susan cried, clinging to the edge of the moving cart. "Don't take her! Please!" One of the doctors pulled her away as they got to the waiting ambulance. Susan kicked against him, reaching towards her pale and unmoving mother. "You can not take her!" she screamed. "You can not take her! Take me with you! She is my mother! You can not take her from me!" But they didn't listen, they took her as Susan begged them not to. They would never know how much they took from her that cold night. As the doors to the ambulance closed, Susan's pleas changed. "Give her back! Please..." she wailed, and the ambulance drove off. The man restraining her dropped the squealing child, and she fell like an old rag doll to the wet concrete. She pounded her fists into the unyielding ground, her cries become whispers. "Please, please, give her back to me." Then some one, gentle hands lifted her up off the wet pavement. Ganya. "Susan." he said softly, and she buried herself in his wet jacket, clinging to him. "Why did she do it?! Why, dear GOD!" Ganya was crying too. He was clinging to his little sister as much as she was to him. They stood there, the thunderous rain all around them, wailing in each others arms. Behind Ganya, Susan could see her father, chest fallen, shoulders slumping in silent defeat. He turned and walked away from his heart-broken children, abandoning them to the rain. Ganya saw this as well, and his eyes hardened, as well as his grip on his sister. "It would seem it is just you and me, Ice Princess....." *** ------- The force of Susan's strong emotions caused Marcus to shudder as she took her hands from his. She bent her head and began to weep, shaking in grief and old lose that could never completely heal. Marcus looked at the woman in front of him, the one he didn't know. This wasn't Susan. This wasn't the tough as nails, chew-ass-when-I-need-to Commander. This was a lost soul. He slowly wrapped his arms around her, and pulled her close. Rocking her gently, he whispered small, unintelligible words of comfort, until she stopped shaking. Pulling back, she looked him straight in those gray eyes of his and said something. He didn't know what it was, she spoke in what he assumed to be Russian. {You can not love me. Everyone I love dies.} With that, Susan turned away and fled. "Susan!" Marcus said as he got up, trying to follow her. She slid the bedroom door shut in his face, flinging herself on the bed, letting out an almost animal moan. Marcus stood there for a while, until he finally slid to the floor. He slept that night against the closed door, outside her room. From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess part 10 Date: Sat, 13 Mar 1999 23:35:40 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 10 Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, This is a major doosy for the plot. Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Morgana, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. This part is dedicated to Jenny. Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Ps. Lori, "Torch Carrying" is absolutely GREAT! Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional bagage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net ~~~~~~ She was back there again, dreaming. Of course, she knew it was a dream, but it didn't stop it from happening again. But this time, Susan noted, she was remembering something *else*. Something before that night in 2259 that had changed... Well, everything. They sat on her couch, very close, but not touching. Each had a cup a in hand, Susan's filled with vodka, and Talia's with liquor, laughing and smiling, dressed for bed, but not quiet ready to turn in for the night and let the rare moment of sisterhood fade. "Do you remember your parents, Talia?" she heard herself ask. The blonde beside her turned sober, the expression on her face one of exquisite pain, almost like art work. "No, not really. My mother died, in a...camp." Talia uttered with disgust, "I was raised by my grandmother until I was five. She was very nice. Insisted I called her Jenny, said everyone else called her Ms. Winters. It used to drive her crazy." A look of fond remembrance passed over the blonde woman's china doll face, "When I turned five, something happened, between Jenny and....I believe a man in the underground. They took me away from her. I was very, very afraid. I do remember once, a friend of mine told me that every one who ever registered with the Corps had some reproductive tissue taken, for 'breeding' purposes, and that my mother and father had several children through that process. I used to imagine what my brothers and sisters where like." Susan nodded, letting the thought sink in. "Don't you think that's kind of sick?" she asked. "Yes, very. It's genetic manipulation, Susan. The biological parents of these children can be dead decades, not even knowing that they were continued that way." Talia pointed out.~~~ The dream quickly faded as Susan's internal wake up call sounded. She sat up in bed, her eyes filled with tears, remembering her best friend. Then memories of the night before came back to full. *Marcus*. She'd treated him terribly. How could she have been such an evil bitch? She climbed quickly out of bed, threw on her robe, opened the door and stopped. There Marcus lay, curled up outside her bedroom door like a child creeps to the fire side. Susan slowly knelt beside the man she loved, beside the man who some how loved her back, running her fingers gently through his silky black hair. He stirred and moved closer to her hand. His heart and soul, in that moment of sleep when all defenses are down, where so open to her, that she slipped inside with out even knowing it. He really *DID* love her. It was a love more pure then Susan could possibly have imagined. Marcus Cole was hopelessly, totally, head-over-heels, with-absolutely-NO-chance-of-redemption in love with Susan Lucretia Ivonava, battle scarred Russian bad luck charm. How could he possibly have managed to do that, she mused. She gently played with a lock of his hair, before nudging him awake. "Marcus?" she asked softly. "Marcus, wake up." "Damn Minbari,....stupid beds....don't believe in weekends or holidays..." he mumbled, snuggling closer to the source of warmth, which happened to be her. "Marcus. Wake up." she commanded. "Susan?" Marcus asked as he struggled to sit up. He went a bit too fast for his still healing injuries and tilted with wooziness. She reached her arms around to steady him. "Whoa. Don't go so fast there. You're still hurt, remember? What the hell did you think you were doing, sleeping out here?" she asked, the harshness of her words taken away by her tone. Marcus looked at her. Were his ears playing tricks on him, or did her voice actually sound....tender? he shook his head to clear the thought. "Why don't you go take a shower while I change? We should go check on Emily and Elizabeth." Susan asked. He nodded quickly and got up. She smiled as he nearly ran towards the bathroom. Typical virgin, even if he was a thirty-plus year-old ranger. When they entered Med-lab, Susan could plainly see Elizabeth and Emily through the window of Iso Lab 1. They were sitting up in bed, Emily illustrating a point by spreading her arms wide. And they were eating...ice cream!? "Hello, Marcus. Susan." Dr. Franklin said from behind. "Hey, Stephen, why do they get ice cream where we only get those prison rations of yours?" Marcus whined. "And you've been in here enough to know!" Stephen threw back. "Really, Stephen, why did they get special treatment?" Susan asked. "Oh...I don't know. They definitely have charm." the doctor commented. Susan nodded. Marcus followed her into the med-room, and the twins squealed as soon as they saw their 'parents'. Emily opted to stay with her sister when it was time for the adults to leave, saying that Elizabeth would need company, so Marcus and Susan were alone when they got into Main med-lab. Looking at the commotion around her, Susan noticed there was a lot more activity then usual. "Stephen!? What's going on?" she asked. "We got a shipment of refugees in from Beta Prime! They suffered a raider attack. White Star 34 brought then in a half an hour ago!" Stephen yelled as he rushed the doctors along. "Anything we can do to help?" Marcus asked. "Yes, actually, there are some kids in Med-hall 9, their parents are dead or in surgery right now. Could you go see if you can help down there?" Stephen asked. He was busy prepping for surgery and they knew that they shouldn't linger. The two hurried down the halls until they came to the long corridor, lined with cots. The children in the room all looked lost, sad, and homesick, their faces glum and clothing ripped. Susan's heart went out to them, their futures had died today. Marcus smiled at them all as he took a seat by a particularly glum little boy who was crying his eyes out. He looked up at Marcus as he took a breath. "Hullo. What's your name?" Marcus asked, smiling as he wiped away the boys tears with his cloak. "Duncan." the little boy sniffled. "Wow. I once knew a Duncan. He way very brave." the Ranger informed him in a seemingly secret fashion, but the whole room heard. "Really?" "Yes. He fought aliens and things like that." Marcus replied. "Will you tell me?" Duncan's curiosity got the better of his sorrow, and soon the whole room was engrossed in the tale of Marcus, Dr. Franklin, Duncan and the vandrizi. But, as Susan sat down to listen, she saw a young girl sitting on a cot at the end of the room. She was barely five, if that, with curly black hair. Her back was towards Susan as she walked over. "Hello." Susan said. startled, the little girl looked up. Susan found herself looking into the most brilliant blue eyes she'd ever seen. Curly black hair fell around the child's tiny shoulders, pulled back behind the slightly pointed ears that gave her an elfin appearance. The girl's face held a pout as she looked up, but a smile came to her lips when her eyes finally rested on the woman before her. There was something about that girl... //I used to imagine what my brothers and sisters where like.// "Do you have a name?" she asked as she knelt beside the child. The girl merely stared at Susan, reaching out a small, delicate hand to smooth the chestnut locks of the older woman. Then another hand came to her cheek, tracing around her face. Finally, both hands rested in Susan's curls. "Pretty." the girl murmured. //I used to imagine what my brothers and sisters where like. The parents could be dead for decades and never know they had been continued.// "Pretty." the girl said again. Susan reached her own hand up to small the ebony curl's that graced the child's head. "Pretty." Susan repeated. 'Hey, how's it going?" Stephen asked from behind her. Susan jumped, then turned around. "I see you made friend's with our mystery girl." "Mystery girl?" Susan asked. "Yes, no one knows her name. A teen boy found her in the ruins of a Psi Corp orphanage." the doctor explained. Of course, Susan knew what those were. If a child born to the Corps didn't have any telepathic ability, they were put in the orphanage to be adopted by normals. Most never were though, because of the normal's fear of the Psi Corps. She shook her head, she hated that. It was like throwing away a toy. "What about her? I mean, where will she go when this is all over?" "I honestly don't know Susan. She is kinda cute, in a fiery way. She reminds me of you, sort of." Stephen said as he bent to inspect a wound on the back of the girl's neck. //I used to imagine what my brothers and sisters where like. The parents could be dead for decades and never know they had been continued// "Susan!" the girl said, very suddenly. Her eyes were bright, like blue lightening. "Hey, I thought you said she wasn't a telepath?" Susan asked. "She isn't. She has the telepathic ability of a rock, Susan, I'm swearing to you. Neuro scan confirmed it." the doctor was equally alarmed. //The parents could be dead for decades and never know they had been continued// "I wonder...." Susan said softly. The girl looked her straight in the eye, almost like she knew as well. "Wonder what?" Marcus asked as he came up behind her. Susan looked at him, then back at the girl. "Wait here." she said as she got up and ran to the console at the other end of the hall. "Computer," she barked, "Access all files rescued from Beta Prime." The files scrolled up on screen. Fate or luck, was on Susan's side, and the records from the Psi Corps Orphanage where intact. She quickly accessed the DNA files. Most of the children where genetically matched test-tube babies. Susan scrolled down the list, looking for the name of a genetic mother. She was in the E's when she found it. < Elainn Rosenoff - Gertrude Rosenoff Elenora Price - Sara Michaels Eleene St. Peters - Idella Finchum Elfia Frost- Sofie Ivonav > Susan felt the world tip around her. Could it really, really be? //The parents could be dead for decades and never know they had been continued// "Susan, are you all right?" Marcus asked in concern. "I'm fine....." Marcus caught her just before she hit the ground. From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess part 11 Date: Mon, 15 Mar 1999 21:56:15 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 11 Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, I know this is small, and I haven't written in a while. But good things come in small, tiny packages. But then, so do time bombs. I'm starting to call this my 'bloody little demon', the story won't end! Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Morgana, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. This part is dedicated to Erica Lyn Jessup, and her stoory 'I'm So Afriad'. If you aren't already, the story will make you be. Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional bagage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The next thing Susan knew, there was a warm hand pressed against her cheek, and something cold against her forehead. There was someone...Marcus....speaking to her. "Susan....alright?" he asked. She groaned rather loudly and tried to get up. "Whoa, not so fast." he eased her back down on the med-table. "What?" she asked. Her vision was still clearing, but all memory flooded back as her eyes rested on a small, dark-haired form at the other end of the bed. Elfia. "Oh my God." Susan muttered. "Are you okay?" Marcus seemed very concerned. "Fine, fine." Susan brushed his concern away, preoccupied with the thought of having a sister.....could it really be? Did her mother have a legacy that had gone unknown? She studied the child harder. The resemblance was uncanny, the lift of the chin, the sculpted eyebrows, the way the curls lay on the child's shoulders. Yes, this definitely was her sister. "Come here, Elfia." Susan asked gently. The girl obeyed, at first moving slowly, as if afraid Susan would disappear, then running into the older woman's out stretched arms. The little child clung to Susan like the dying cling to life. Elfia lifted her bright blue eyes to Susan's looking into them, as if trying to read something printed back there. Then she hugged her all the more tightly, burying her face in the soft sweater Susan wore. "Marcus?" Susan ventured. The Ranger looked at her over the child's head. Would she ever have a child of her own like that? Would that child ever be *his*? "Yes?" he asked. "I....that is...we...Oh, to hell with it! I want to adopt Elfia, what do you think?" she asked. "You...AND me?" Marcus asked, incredulous. "Yes, don't you think that would look better. I mean..." Susan paused here. She needed to remember that he didn't know she knew that he loved her. "If you don't think your lady love will mind, I'd like to adopt Emily and Elizabeth too." "No, I really don't think she would, seeing as...um...I haven't told her yet." Marcus said cautiously. One mis-step and she'd know. Then she'd have to tell him she didn't love him back. Marcus could face Neroon, a fleet of Shadow ships, and Delenn when she was mad, but not a Susan that didn't love him. Now he had even more reason not to tell her, if he did, Emily and Elizabeth would never see her again, and he knew that they couldn't take that. "Well, that settles it. I'll have Stephen draw them up ASAP." She got up successfully, shifting Elfia to one hip. "Shall we go see him now?" "Sure." Marcus nodded. As they walked out of them room, he was totally surprised when she slipped her hand into his. ------- A few days later, Emily, Elizabeth were released from Med-lab. Having officially adopted the three girls, Marcus and Susan petitioned for bigger quarters. A little surprised, John gave them the biggest he had, a three bed room place with real water. The moving was long and torturous, but Susan and Marcus finally got all their things where they wanted them. Inside, Marcus was fighting an inner battle. The mask he wore in front of Susan was beginning to crack, having her around nearly all the time didn't help. He resolved to do something about it, as soon as he figured out what. Marcus punched in the lock code and made his way quietly to his room, not wishing to wake Susan or the girl's. He left the carnations on the table, he'd needed them for a cover job and now had no use for them, he knew Susan would like them. As he passed by her room, he noticed the door was opened. There, in Susan's queen sized bed, where the four females that made Marcus' world. The three little girl's where resting in Susan's arms, curled up around the book she held loosely in her hands. The covers where kicked down towards the end of the bed next to the teddy bears. Smiling, Marcus crept in and took the book from Susan's hands, placing it on the night stand. Then he gently pulled the covers up around them. Unable to resist, he placed a chaste kiss on Susan's cheek, barely brushing the soft skin. "You'll never know." he murmured, as tears pooling in his eyes. A single solitary drop slid down his cheek, landing on Susan's closed lips. Turning away, he quickly and quietly fled the room. As soon as he was gone, Susan opened her eyes and touched her free hand to her wet lips. From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess 12 Date: Tue, 16 Mar 1999 22:31:43 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 12 Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, I know this is small, and I haven't written in a while. But good things come in small, tiny packages. But then, so do time bombs. I'm starting to call this my 'bloody little demon', the story won't end! Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Morgana, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurpose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. This part is dedicated to Erica Lyn Jessup, and her story 'I'm So Afraid'. If you aren't already, the story will make you be. Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional baggage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt "Delenn, can I have a word with you?" Zak approached Delenn after a council meeting. Delenn looked up at him, not having heard what he said. She had been watching Marcus and Susan leave, talking and laughing, arm in arm. "Yes, Mr. Allen?" she asked, uncomfortable. She really should have remembered to take her morning sickness pills. Two babies in two years! "Um.." Zak escorted her away from the others for privacy, "I was wondering if you could do something for me. My sister, Sharyn, is coming from Orian 4. She was living there with Dad, and well, he died, and she wants to come here. But there's this problem..." Zak paused, uncomfortable discussing something so personal, "She has Lake's Syndrome, she's really weak and I need some one to look after her, just until I can find someone to do it full time. Would you mind assigning one of the Rangers?" The look in Delenn's eyes was kind, understanding how much Zak must care for his sister. Then a wicked little thought entered Delenn's head. She knew, both from the reports and depressed looks on the twin's faces, from the last time the girl's had come over for cookies that Susan and Marcus had still not acknowledged their feelings for one another. What if..... "Of course, Mr. Allen. I think I shall assign Marcus to the job, he will be very good to her, I assure you." the Minbari woman informed the Security Chief. "Thank you, very much, Delenn." Zak nodded, then started to turn away. But he faced her once more, flashing a grin as he said; "I think some one like Marcus will do Sharyn some good." He left Delenn staring after him, wondering what he meant. ------- Marcus stood in customs, searching out a young woman named Sharyn Allen from the departing crowds. Off to the side, a slight, deathly pale woman stood against the wall, clothed in a white dress and ratty red jacket, with long mousy brown hair and sad, nearly colorless eyes. She seemed searching too. "Ms. Allen?" Marcus asked as he neared. "Yes?" she looked up at him. Why, she was barely more then a girl, probably not even twenty. "I'm Marcus Cole, the Ranger assigned to your care." Marcus muttered slightly, giving a stiff bow. He was thinking about Susan. She was getting off work in two hours and wanted to take the girls out to dinner. He knew she would dress up, probably in that long blue.... "Mr. Cole?" Sharyn asked, sounded very sad and far away. "I'm sorry. This way to your quarters, Ma'am." And with that he ushered the way, moving slowly for Sharyn's sake. "How is my brother doing, Mr. Cole......" -------- A few days later, Susan was on her way to pick the girls up from Lennier's, and decided to walk through the garden on her way. It would do her good to get some fresh air, she'd been in a bad mood all day. Laughing, Susan remembered the collective sigh the crew had released on her departure. Yes, she may have softened for the girls but she could still chew ass. The rose garden path stood before her and humming, she let herself relax as she walked down it. As she rounded the corner, Susan saw something that shocked her. There on the small hill where they had once picnicked with the twins, sat Marcus and ANOTHER WOMAN! From the distance she stood at, Susan couldn't make out what she looked like, only that she and Marcus were bent intimately towards one another, sharing a secret. Susan's heart was breaking into a million pieces, jagged and small, so tiny she was sure she would never see any of them ever again. The world seemed to come to a halt around her, and she felt as if she'd been spaced. She couldn't move, or breath. Her mind was screaming inside, where no one could hear her pain, much less decipher her cries of despair. Turning quickly on her heel, Susan spun away and all but ran from the gardens. ------- Emily didn't know what was wrong. Elfia was looking around, confused as to the jumble of their things in the new apartment. Susan was riffling through their things, shoving things in suit cases, cursing in rapid Russian under her breath and intermittently taking sips of Vodka in between trips from room to room. Elizabeth had tried to get some answers, but was met only with; "We're going to Minbar, Honey. Won't that be fun?" All three children knew that the last thing Susan though it would be was fun. The older woman had only started packing an hour ago. When Suzotchka had come home, she'd thrown herself on the bed and wept so violently that it had almost filled up their minds. A vast flood of emotions had been released through the house, and like shadows during an atomic blast, they had burned into the wall, there forever. A thousand sharp diamond-like images, Susan and Marcus...fighting, laughing, embracing...dancing. They had been all over the place. Emily had tried to pick them up, but the pain attacked had hurt her, so the three of them had curled up on the couch, waiting for the storm to stop. Now they wished it hadn't, anything was better then the vodka induced madness Susan was in. The three turned hopeful eyes on the door as it slid open to reveal the man they reverred as 'Papa'. Marcus could fix this..... "Susan, what happened in here? A hurricane?" the Ranger asked as he surveyed the damage. "Yes, that's right, hurricane Susan." the commander said, in a voice laced and dripping with sarcasm. She had her back to him, so he wouldn't see the fresh, hot tears rolling down her cheeks. "Where are you going?: he asked when he noticed the bags. "Minbar. I'm taking the twins to see their parents' grave, it will do them good, give them closure. Don't you think?" she asked, wiping her tears on Emily's teddy. "Susan, I can't leave now I..." Marcus began, but she interrupted with; "Did I ever say you were coming with us? Of course you can't, you have work, and well, I'm just taking a whole bunch of leave I had coming. John said it was a good thing too, I was starting to boarder on psychopathic." Susan laughed nervously. Marcus looked sat the girls, who stood watching from their place in their bedroom doorway. "Um..well, if you think it's a good idea..." "Of course I do! Now, good night, Marcus. I've had a long day, and we're leaving early tomorrow morning." Susan stammered, then rushed it all out. Finally, she turned to face him, all signs of pain erased from her face. "Girls, do want me to read to you tonight?" "Yes! Please, Suzotchka." they chorused. Maybe she'd get better if things got normal a bit. "Okay, what do you want to hear tonight?" Susan asked as she led them into the bedroom, grabbing the Fairy Tale Book from it's place on top of a bag. " 'Cinderella'!" Elfia put in. "Yeah! Can we hear 'Sleeping Beauty' tomorrow?" Elizabeth asked. "All right." Susan said. Marcus was left to wonder what he'd done as he tried to administer SOME damage control to the ravaged apartment. Finally, sometime after midnight, he heard Susan click off the light's in her room, and flopped down on his own bed. It was a long time before either found sleep, only to be haunted by each other in their dreams...... To be continued......(Tell me what you think, good or bad!?) From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess part 13 Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 20:44:36 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 13 Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, I know I haven't writen in a while, but I finally got this part the way I wanted it. I'm figuring this will be only a few more parts, then again, it has a life of its own! Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Morgana, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurpose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. This part is dedicated to Erica Lyn Jessup, and her story 'I'm So Afraid'. If you aren't already, the story will make you be. Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Sharyn Allen, & Derek, Airyka, Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional baggage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt Silently, Susan worked the controls of the rented shuttle, bringing it into hyperspace for her journey to Minbar. She was trying desperately not to cry, but she knew that the twins could tell she was upset. The shuttle was modest, but comfortable for the three day trip to the alien world. A set of bunks was in the far back, along with a small bathroom that was walled off by a wool curtain. An inlayed couch that converted to a bed was on the right side, and an entertainment center that doubled as a com unit on the other. It had nearly cost Susan a small fortune, but what was that to getting away from Marcus? She could believe he was that two faced....he was just like all the others, Malchom, Talia... How could she have been so stupid!? Susan inwardly groaned when she heard Emily, Elizabeth and Elfia strike into another chorus of 'Joshua Fought the Battle of Jerico'. She was starting to regret sending them to Brother Theo for schooling. But they had to get it some where, didn't they? The three little girls where sitting indian style on the bottom bunk, singing, and singing, and singing, and singing.... "Joshua fought the battle of Jerico! Jerico, Jerico! Joshua fought the battle of Jerico, and the walls came a tumbling down!" they chorused. Walls. Oh yes, Susan could write a book on walls. Walls that were sky high, blotting out the sun so you couldn't see anything at all. "Girls please." Susan said softly, rubbing her temples. The three of them instantly quieted, not wanting to cause their 'mother' any more stress. But Elfia couldn't help adding; "Walls fall down?" Susan shook her head fiercely. "No, walls come UP." the older woman informed her sister as she set course and turned on auto pilot. Getting up from the seat, she sat back down on the sofa, relaxing on the surprisingly soft cushions. The girls instantly scrambled from the bed and into her lap. "Can we open Delenn's present?" Elizabeth asked. She walled off her thoughts from Susan's when she remembered the tears in her Minbari Aunt's eyes. Delenn considered the undefined mess all her fault. Susan sighed, and picked up the square object wrapped in brown paper. Emily happily untied the strings to reveal a book entitled 'Acorna.' Curling up together, the four became engrossed in a tale of a young half human, half unicorn girl. Time passed, unnoticed, until one of the instroments began to bleep. With a sigh, Susan put the book down. They had just been getting to the good part. But her deminor changed when she saw what was on screen. A text only destress call, coming from the sector of space they were passing in hyperspace. Susan checked the read out, they were near a jump gate. "Girls," she instructed, "get buckled in, we're jumping." The children scrambled to do her bidding. Space returned to normal around the tiny shuttle, Susan noticed there was something terribly wrong. Raiders! Elfia let out a strangled cry as the triangle shaped fighters advanced on their tiny, defenseless shuttle. "Damn." was all Susan could say as she tried desperatly to evade the fire launched at them. A blast sounded from the back, and the Comander knew that their engines had been hit. Emily began to wail, clutching Annabelle to her chest. A sense of vertigo came to Susan as the shuttle tipped and began to dive towards the ice planet below. At the rate they were going..... She frantically began to pray in Russian. The back up engine was still working, and if she could find a smooth spot to crash, they should be all right. Like a plumeting star they fell to the icy planet below, sending snow rippling outwards like waves on a sea. Susan held on for dear life and prayed as she felt them jerk heavily on impact and then..... darkness. From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess 14 Date: Sun, 21 Mar 1999 20:48:22 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 13 Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, I know I haven't writen in a while, but I finally got this part the way I wanted it. I'm figuring this will be only a few more parts, then again, it has a life of its own! Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Morgana, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurpose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. This part is dedicated to Erica Lyn Jessup, and her story 'I'm So Afraid'. If you aren't already, the story will make you be. Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Sharyn Allen, & Derek, Airyka, Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional baggage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net It was very very cold when Elfia's mind surfaced again. There was something howling... Her pert blue eyes opened to a world of snowy mayhem. Mama, where was Mama? Fighting the numbing cold that had seized her body, Elfia crawled along the snow filed interior of their once warm shuttle, searching for the older woman. A moan could be heard from the shadow strew back area. Mama? The light dusting for frost covering her black locks bounced painfully against her cheek as she dug in the snow. A small hand, bigger then her own, but childish still. Emily. The snow before her trembled and the girl rose from her icy grave and shivered. "Elfia?" she asked between chattering teeth. The smaller girl nodded absently. "The others?" A negative shake of the head this time. "Cold. Lost." Elfia murmured. Emily nodded. Together, they began digging in the snow drift. Frozen frizzy brown revealed Elizabeth, blue-fingered, but still breathing. Now they had to find Suzotchka. Frantically the dug in the cold white blanket, searching for a sign of their beloved Suzotchka. Finally, fingers. Clearing away the rest of the snow, the found her laying in an odd position, thrown back against the couch. Susan radiated pain and confusion. "Suzotchka, wake up!" Elizabeth cried out. They shook her, begging her mind to inch away from the darkness it was surrounded by..... There was pain, and ice, cold.....Susan cold hear tiny voices crying out her name in fright. Groaning, she managed to move into a sitting position, despite the pain in her left breast, and open her eyes. The girl's were before her, worry written on their innocent faces, framed by frost encrusted hair. "Are you all right?" she managed, her mind still attempting to make a grasp for reality. "Cold." Elfia said. "Fine." Susan nodded. Then her rational, survival instincts kicked in. They would need to conserve heat, who knew when any one would even think to look for them, or even where TO look. She'd need to check the systems, see if they could send a distress signal to Babylon 5. Then wait. It was all they would be able to do. Looking on the faces of her girls, Susan Ivonava vowed to get them out of this, even at the cost of her own life. "Okay." Susan took a breath, and felt an acute stab of pain, like someone was twisting a sharp and deadly knife in her breast. "Can you guys clean off the rest of this couch while I go check the systems?" Her troop nodded. Stumbling towards the controls, Susan saw that half the ceiling had collapsed, and along with it, the right wall and the front view port. A sickening knot of dread filled her stomach as she worked the ice covered instruments. Yes! The communications system had some energy. It wasn't enough to send a continuos beam, but it could muster one message. Quickly she typed it. hurrying to send it off before the system crashed; " HELP! SUSAN AND KIDS CRASHED ON PLANET YMIR 978. HURRY!" The message read. Susan let out the breath she had been holding, only to be met with more pain. She looked behind her, the girl's had cleared away the snow, and were now standing in a row, Elizabeth and Emily clutching their frost bitten teddies and looking lost. Elfia shed a small tear, which was now frozen mid cheek. Hunting out the threma blanket, Susan ushered them towards the couch, in its small cubby hole. Eflia lay down first, curling into a ball against the back, followed by Emily and Elizabeth. Tucking the blanket securely around them, Susan crawled in after, gathering them up in her arms. They lay there for a while, occasionally, mind-speaking, but silent for the most. Time passed and the bank of snow blown up against Susan's back got higher and higher, and the pain in her breast increased ten fold. As oblivion called to her numb mind once more, she found herself thinking of Marcus. No matter what he had done to her, She would always love him....no matter what. X-POP3-Rcpt: Nicola.Grzeschik@sirene.rz.uni-duesseldorf.de Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 08:10:02 -0800 (PST) From: b5-creative-errors@lists.best.com Subject: Digest b5-creative.v001.n902 BestServHost: lists.best.com Sender: b5-creative-errors@lists.best.com To: b5-creative@lists.best.com -------------- BEGIN b5-creative.v001.n902 -------------- 001 - "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess 15 Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 10:57:39 +0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 15 Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, I know I haven't writen in a while, but I finally got this part the way I wanted it. I'm figuring this will be only a few more parts, then again, it has a life of its own! Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurpose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. Also, thanks to morgana, my loyal, and wonderful beta reader! Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Sharyn Allen, & Derek, Airyka, Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional baggage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I am right beside you I've always been there When the millstone 'round your neck Becomes too much to bare I have seen the guilt, That you carry in your heart, And I have seen the knives with which, You tear your soul apart. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Darkness and oblivion howled around the tiny shuttle, now encrusted with snow and ice, nearly buried and hiding it's precious cargo. The four minds beneath the blanket of snow faded into the warm void of unconsciousness one by one, each into it's own private hell and delirium. Shivering from the cold against her back, Susan tightened her arms around the three angels and fell....... **** Everywhere she looked, destruction met her eyes. Fires roared in buildings that had once been homes filled with memories. The sky that had once been a periwinkle blue, was now a sickening brown, and Shadow ships, Susan thought she'd never see again, screamed in the heights of the polluted clouds. Where the hell was she? She was laying in the scorched dirt near the remains of a stone garden bench. Looking around, she saw a tall, lithe figure approaching. Behind the figure, the world seemed to bloom, returning to its former glory and abundance where it's feet touched the ground. Soon, Susan could tell it was a woman. Tall, with tan skin and raven black cut in a short, but attractive bob, over coal black eyes. Soon, the woman stood before her, as if expecting to be judged. There was something about her.... "Susan Ivonava, I presume?" the woman said in a rich, alto voice. The eyes twinkled, yet held a tint of sadness in them. At this close range, it was apparent the woman was an athlete, or maybe a dancer, for her body was slim and muscular, clothed in a long red silk skirt and sleeveless pink blouse. "Last time I checked." Susan said softly, swallowing her fear. She knew this woman from somewhere. Yet that was impossible, the woman was stunning enough that once met, she could never be forgotten. The woman gestured for Susan to take a seat on the now resurrected bench. Now flowers bloomed around them, roses and orchids and lilies, waving in the blue sun of an alien sky. Susan looked at the woman, to see her nervously twisting a lock of her sleek jet hair. That was it! Susan remembered; a girl in pigtails with coal-black eyes, afraid of a mouse named Cookie and a domino stuck in the class room heat vent. "Hasiana?" Susan ventured, unsure. "The one and only." Hasiana laughed. "How?" "The dead cherish the living, Susan. I'm dead, you're alive, but if some one doesn't find you soon, I'm afraid that status may change. I don't want that to happen." "If I have to give my life to get the girls through this, I will." the Commander stated with vemanance. "No, you shouldn't. Their survival has been assured. Link your minds Susan, it may be the only way to get through this." Hasiana counseled wisely. "What do I have to live for?" Susan burst out angrily. "Marcus betrayed me, the only thing I have left is the girls, and I'm afraid I won't do them much good. I spent my last ounce of trust loving Marcus. I just can't go on this way." "Now your starting to sound like him." the other woman shook her head. "I don't know what happened, but I do know that Marcus never betrays any one. NEVER." "Whatever happened to you?" Susan asked, wondering as to this woman's fate. She'd been curious ever since Marcus had shown her the memories of Cookie and the heat vent. "Dead. The colony was attacked. Marcus and I had a...date" she hesitated on the word, "that night, but he offered to cancel and give Will a tour of the facilities he'd updated. I was at home, practicing ballet, when it happened. It's funny, I died the way I had always wanted to, dancing." Hasiana laughed, a slight, mirthful laugh that came from a soul at peace. "Remember Susan, living isn't living unless you are free." The scene before Susan began to vanish and as the last remnants of color dissolved before her, Susan swore she saw a little black mouse crawl into Hasiana's lap....**** "Captain, there's a distress signal coming in from Ymir 987." Ltd. Corwin reported. Curious, John Sheridan walked over to see it as Corwin quickly had the computer decode the short transmission. It read: " HELP! SUSAN AND KIDS CRASHED ON PLANET YMIR 978. HURRY!" "My god." John breathed. He remembered going to that hell hole during his time at the academy. It had been part of the survival skills training, and John still shivered at the thought. Susan and the girls would never be able to last long there..... "Ltd., when did the message first send?" "Message dated," Corwin paused to check, "Two days ago." "Damn." John swore. "Get Marcus in here, and call in a White Star!" he barked, then added, "And get Dr. Franklin." As he stormed out, he felt a ripple of fear pas through C&C from his Ivonava impression. John ran towards the Ranger training level, he just hoped that they would get to Susan in time, if not..... to be continued..... --------------- MESSAGE b5-creative.v001.n902.2 --------------- From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess 16 Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 11:00:40 +0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 16 Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, I know I haven't writen in a while, but I finally got this part the way I wanted it. I'm figuring this will be only a few more parts, then again, it has a life of its own! Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurpose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. Also, thanks to morgana, my loyal, and wonderful beta reader! Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Sharyn Allen, & Derek, Airyka, Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional baggage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Swiftly speeding through the black and red mayhem of hyper space, a White Star could be seen, the frequent lightening of the dimension reflecting off it's silver hull. Marcus sat in the command chair, wringing his hands, tears rolling down his face unchecked. He didn't care, nothing mattered, nothing ever would matter, except getting Susan and the girls back in one piece. In his mind he replayed every failure, every mistake he had ever made, wielding the chains of guilt Delenn had pointed out, even stronger then before. "Approaching jump gate 17, Marcus." Lennier informed the sullen Ranger. "We should get to the planet in two hours." "Thank you, Lennier." Marcus' voice lacked emotion. Didn't the Minbari understand? That was two more hours his love had to stay in that freezing, icy hell. Two more hours that she would be punished unnecessarily. Two more hours. Just two more. Hearing the fierce mind that howled outside the icy cocoon they were encased in, Susan used the last of her strength to make a connection with the girls. Molecule by molecule, she built a bridge of energy and thought, atom by atom she made a circuit that run through them all unendingly. Particle by particle she linked their minds together. Then images began to filter in, like soft snow, or confetti. Nightmarish images that reflected the hell each of the four carried inside them. // "Momma! Momma!" Emily screamed as she ran through the burning house, flames licking around her. The door to her parent's bedroom was no more then cinders on the ground, and in the hall way one resounding noise could be heard. A woman screaming in agony. Emily ran towards the sound, using the terrible pain as a compass. The pain was her guide. And there in the remaining embers of her fiery home, was her mother. On fire, burning bright like a candle burns in the midnight sky, illuminating everything in a horrifingly beautiful light. "Momma, no...." Emily choked back a sob. Her mother tried to move away. "Don't touch, baby." she managed. Emily obeyed, but refused to leave, her eyes transfixed on the image of her sweet, talented mother burning, burning, burning...// //"The Talia you knew is gone. You don't know how many times I looked at you and laughed! I told her what to say. The things to get her closer to you." This creature in front of Susan couldn't possibly be Talia. This was all a terrible nightmare. All of it. But it wasn't, it was real and true as Susan's own hand. "You're right. The Talia I knew never existed." She spoke with venom.// //"Scan her!" the man in the terrible black suit yelled at Elfia. "But I can't! I can't!" the little girl cried back. "I don't know how!" The blow was swift and fast as lightening, and just as unexpected. The black leather glove that encased the hand of Elfia's tormentor came hard against her cheek, drawing blood. "What is she thinking!?" the man demanded once more, referring to the child in the crib. "I don't know, I don't know..." Elfia wept, sinking to the floor. Silence from her torturer, and the only sound in the room being the cries of the three year old girl who couldn't reach out and touch the simple thoughts of a newborn. Then she felt the cold leather fingers on her neck, pulling back her hair and unbuttoning the back of her gray smock. Peeling it away to reveal the already scarred back. Elfia squeezed her eyes shut as she heard the sound of the switch being removed from its sheath. "Scan her!" The switch came down. Fiery red pain blossomed on Elfia's back like a flower to the sun. "Do as I tell you!" The switch came back up. "I can't!" Switch came down. "Scan her!" Up. "I can't! I'm sorry!" Down. Up, Down, up, down,up down, updown updownupdownupdown. // //"Hold on sweetie! We're almost safe again." Derek Matthews whispered against his daughter's frizzy hair. Elizabeth heedlessly continued to wail at the top of her lungs, the bright, hot fire frightening her. A loud creaking noise was heard, and the wooden beam of the gym fell like a dark angel from its place in the ceiling. Derek shoved Elizabeth away, as the beam tumbled down upon him.....// Marcus was the first one out of the shuttle, followed by Stephen, John and Lyta. Pulling the parka close around him and checking to make sure he still had the therma blankets, Marcus stepped forward into the snowy desert. "Can you feel anything, Lyta?" John asked, hesitant to bother the powerful Vorlon telepath. Marcus looked back and could clearly see Lyta's pupil-swallowed eyes through her goggles. "Over that ridge!" Lyta shouted over the wind. Trudging long and hard the band hurried towards the icy grave. The hill stood out against the see of snow, and the top of the shuttle could still be seen. Stephen removed the torch and began to melt away the snow. Lyta's mind felt for the exact location of the four victims. "There!" she cried out. Instantly, John and Marcus ran and began digging in the rift. Marcus found Susan first, and then spooned up against her the others. He felt hot tears stinging his eyes, but he had to hold them back. Stephen got out his scanner and quickly activated it. "Neuro levels are unusually high, even for them!" he said, punching in a few more commands. "My god...." "What, Stephen, what it is?" Marcus asked, fear rising in his throat. "They must have telepathically linked, because from what I can see their all having the same nightmare. They're sharing minds. We need to keep them touching at all times, or it could damage them." the doctor looked about to cry himself. Once more, Marcus was hit with a wave of intense sickness. From what he knew about each of their pasts, it wasn't pretty, combining them would be sheer hell. Carefully, John and Marcus lifted two each into their arms, keeping the fingers linked together, hoping that was enough. As Marcus held Susan and Elizabeth close, her heard the Russian woman whisper; "The dead cherish us." And he remembered..... --------------- MESSAGE b5-creative.v001.n902.3 --------------- From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Whispers in a Distant Room part 3 Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 16:05:02 +0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Whispers in a Distant Room Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, This is my latest off the wall story idea. I hope you like it. If you do, drop me a line at: beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to skyler, Karin and Adam for their help and compliments. And a virtual Marcus to my beta reader, Peggy! Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! Aside from the story idea itself, it's all his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional baggage. Whispers in a Distant Room by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Silver creeps the whims of fate, Giving you chances when it's too late, When you think it's too late, you learn it's too soon, Hearing whispers in a distant room. - Femon Crusifix, 'Whims of Fate' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "What do you mean?" Marcus asked, searching her face for an answer. This new Susan was getting in the habit of astonishing him easily. She was so different then the headstrong, chew-ass Ivonava he knew, that it almost frightened him. But her gentle words and kind touch eased him into peace. For the first time in his life he felt like the thing he most wanted was finally in his gasp. "We are going to make her see how right you are for her." Susan told him earnestly. Fear leapt in Marcus' heart. "I don't think that's such a good idea, it'll make her very upset, not a sight I'd like to see." he stammered, forgetting for a moment who he was talking to. "Marcus, come on." she gave him a sly look, "How can we possibly fail? After all, I AM her. Older, a little wiser, but her none the less." "I don't know...." Marcus hesitated, and Susan cupped his chin in her hand, forcing him to look her in the eye. "You love her don't you?" she asked softly. "Of course, heart, mind, soul, body...." he trailed off, feeling a bit embarrassed. Standing up, Susan began to pace in the old, familiar way of hers. She turned to him quickly. "We have to do this soon, and NO MATTER WHAT, you have to keep her away from that bridge!" Marcus nodded mutely. Swallowing, Susan sat back down, cuddling up against him. She felt him stiffen momentarily, but then he relaxed. 'Just do me a favor, before we start.....?" she ventured. "Anything." he murmured against her hair, which he had buried his face in. "Kiss me." she looked up at him, "Just once mind you, but I've waited all these years and I really think that...." Thoughts ceased and the world tipped. Marcus was kissing her! Marcus was kissing HER! It was the most mind-blowing, amazing, heavenly kiss Susan had ever participated in. Pretty soon, they ran out of air, and came back up. "Wow." he said as he leaned against her. She wrapped her arms around him lovingly, pulling him closer. All those years of waiting, thinking she'd never get the tiny thing she wanted....and finally Marcus had kissed her. "You alright?" Susan asked against his ear. "Fine. Better then usual, actually." he smirked. Susan Ivonava had kissed him! Him, being the annoying Marcus Cole, who was ordered to 'get lost' most of time. Granted, this was a different Susan, yet, sort of the same..... Hell, any Susan Ivonava kissing him was perfectly exceptable, and this had been a down right heavenly experience. Relaxing, they sat back and merely enjoyed each other's company. They hadn't even realized they had fallen asleep. ---------- *I do not need Marcus Cole, I do not need Marcus Cole, I DO *NOT* NEED MARCUS COLE!* That had been Susan's mantra all day in C&C. Her thoughts were troubled, and she could see Ltd. Corwin's reflection trembling behind her. Yes, she was probably scaring the hell out of C&C, but another, older her, had shown up and taken Marcus off some where. She had every right to be upset about that, right? It was just friendly concern, mind you. After all, she had no romantic feelings towards the guy....right? a small voice in the back of Susan's mind yelled at the top of its invisible lungs. *Really?* she thought. He'd said he was waiting for some one.... Susan really hated it when she started having personal epiphanies in public places. It was too embarrassing to be talking to herself. *Can't this wait?* *I really hate it when my subconscious makes decisions with out consulting me.* Susan thought. But the undeniable fact now lay before her. She DID love him, everything about him, from that stupid accent to his heroic actions, to that velvet tone his voice had carried when he told he liked four poster beds too. Well, if she did love him. the little voice added it's two cents worth. *Shut up.* Susan ordered it. So she did love the guy, stupid, headstrong, perfect adorable... unicorn that he was. And how could she possibly let her steal him away from herself? *Some days, living here is like living in the crossroads for the Twilight Zone.* --------------- MESSAGE b5-creative.v001.n902.4 --------------- From: Jakhel@aol.com Subject: Infinite Regress !c: NexusPoint Pt. 3 of 10(?) Date: Sat, 27 Mar 1999 21:49:36 EST MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit * INFINITE REGRESS 1C: NexusPoint -- Part 3 of 10 As usual, no avoidable body parts onstage, just a certain amount of sick and depraved insinuendo. See Disclaimers in Part 1. Please e-mail any feedback to me, Anne E. Clements, at Jakhel@aol.com. ******** Part 3 ********** Z'ha'Dum, Time Undeterminable The dead man made his way through rocky tunnels, where flickering sconces (burning what forgotten fuel?) provided a dim, wavering light, concealing as much as they revealed. The tunnels seemed to be volcanic in origin, with rough, sharp-edged outcroppings alternating with flat sheets of black glass that cast eerie reflections in the uncertain light. Determination alone kept him going -- a stubbornness that reached beyond life itself, if the one who followed was to be believed. He hesitated, facing a branching of the ways. Down one treacherous obsidian throat, the shifting shadows of a hidden sconce beckoned. The other loomed inky and fathomless. The tall alien, in his rich, yet somehow tired-looking robes, glided up behind him. "There are those who say there is only one path -- one Road -- and there are those who say there are many," the alien observed, continuing the desultory, for the most part one-sided conversation that he never seemed to tire of. "Much the same as those who say there are one God, and those who say there are many. I have never been able to come to a conclusion on the precise number of Roads, myself. Or Gods, for that matter. But I can definitely say that if you continue in the same direction, you *will* end up where you started from." Sheridan turned and glared at the being -- Lorien, he called himself. Yet again he wondered if he was dreaming all this -- an alien named after a forest, no less. What forgotten cul-de-sac of his subconscious could *that* one have crawled out of? The creature peered back with that quizzical, head- tilted peer, as if he, John Sheridan, were some odd insect caught on a pin. Half a dozen comments and questions flew through his mind -- but by now he knew responding to Lorien's cryptic comments (marginally less obscure than Kosh's, and that, he suspected, only because they were couched in less abbreviated syntax) would only provoke another of those philosophical discussions -- 'who are you?', 'where are you going?' -- well, right now, dammit, he was going THIS way. Sheridan lurched off down the darker passageway. Sighing deeply, the alien followed. Eventually, after running the dead man into a few walls, the tunnel brightened again. A few turns later, he came out into another chamber, this one with four openings. One was lit relatively brightly, one was pitch-black, and the other two showed only a dim glow. Sheridan hesitated again, and, once again, the alien took his hesitation as an opportunity to lecture. "There is a theory that with every decision, the universe itself branches, so that all things that could come to pass, in some way DO come to pass..." "Yes, I know -- parallel timelines, alternate futures," Sheridan responded irritably. "If my crew and I hadn't been able to send Babylon 4 back in time, the Shadows would have destroyed Babylon 5 -- my feeling has always been that worrying about what MIGHT have been saps a person's ability to handle what IS." "Ah, but what if 'what might have been' *becomes* 'what is'? Some models indicate that certain timelines, or groups of timelines, can reconverge -- so are there many Roads, or only One, in the end? Or, perhaps, both. Most organic sentient minds, and several of the others, are quite capable of operating on a basis of mutually exclusive truths. But in the here-and-now, it always comes down to a choice. Tick....tock...." With a grunt of disgust, Sheridan heaved himself off the wall and headed down one of the dimly-lit corridors. In due time, this one also debouched into a chamber -- this time, however, there were eight exits, with only one lit. "Well, *that's* a no-brainer," the Captain muttered, finished with finesse. He hardly got ten paces down the lit corridor, however, when the sconce ahead guttered and went out, plunging the tunnel into darkness. Sheridan stopped -- turned, expecting to see the glow of the chamber he had left. But beyond the figure of Lorien, which seemed not to glow, exactly, but to be somehow oblivious of the presence of light or shadow, there was nothing. "You cannot go back," the alien said sadly. "The hell I can't!" Sheridan shot back, and pushed past the tall humanoid. One step, two, three -- and a painful encounter with an obsidian wall. "What the..." He reached out to either side, felt nothing, and tentatively stepped right. More tunnel, more dark...the alien followed silently as Sheridan continued his blind progress. On and on he went, until it seemed that darkness was all he had ever known...desperately, he called up memories of light. His childhood home, the blinding expanse of the Hindu Kush, falling through the center of Babylon 5 with an angel rising to meet him....Delenn's eyes in candlelight. Far ahead, the reflection from a sconce glowed. He hurried toward it, the alien ever at his back. As he passed through a smooth section of corridor, he paused. Sheets of black volcanic glass lined the passageway like dark, distorted mirrors -- to either side stretched Sheridan after Sheridan, receding into infinity. Oddly, some looked older, more careworn...and some looked slightly fresher than he felt. And there was something about the uniforms...the hairs on the back of his neck prickled as Lorien's words came back to him. How many of him WERE there down here? And where were they all going? Something suddenly struck him as *wrong* with the reflections -- he whirled, looking for the alien, and the light now behind him winked out. Lorien blinked solemnly in the darkness. "Tick.....or tock?" he asked. Sheridan turned back -- the reflections were gone, vanished into shadow. He stumbled ahead and when he got to the bend in the corridor, the light flickered on again. He rounded the corner, passed through one relatively well-lit chamber into another, and there on the floor... "This is the fire I set when I woke up down here! I've come full circle..." "Don't we all," the alien agreed. **************** Z'ha'dum, Z + 15 Days Lennier's foot slipped on a loose piece of scree, and if it were not for a strong arm that appeared seemingly out of nowhere to brace him, he might well have cracked his breather on the rough rock face. Although the air of Z'ha'dum possessed a fair percentage of free oxygen, it also contained a goodly dollop of carbon monoxide, that over time would be deadly to Humans and Minbari alike. "My thanks," he said to his rescuer when both had reached the top of the ridge. The Ranger, a Minbari somewhat younger, and much taller and heftier than the slight Lennier, bowed gracefully. "You are the Entil'zha's aide, are you not?" the young man ventured, and before long the two had struck up a conversation as they picked their way across the inhospitable landscape. Anla'shok Bediver was Worker Caste, of a small clan -- barely six nines all told -- based in a single compound in Yedor. Unlike many Worker clans, his family did not specialize in a single field of endeavour, but actually encouraged its members to branch out. They included artisans and gardeners, software engineers and construction workers. Bediver's nearest line-sister Sherann worked as a translator with the Trade Council, assisting businesspeople from alien worlds in dealing with the Minbari guilds. All this made quite a contrast with Lennier's populous and far-flung Fane, with its many nines of Temple holdings spread across the homeworld and beyond. Lennier himself had not seen his own line-kin since he was a small boy, having been transferred to a monastery across the continent after a groundquake had tragically killed many of the children there. What must it be like, Lennier wondered, to grow up alongside the same few people in the same small compound, knowing that whatever life might bring, they would be there for you -- and you for them? Bediver had apparently taken that mindset into the Anla'shok, as he spoke movingly of his comrades, several of whom had been killed in the crash. Lennier suspected that in talking to him, the young Worker was instinctively reaching out to a sympathetic soul, confidently expecting to be supported in his grief. Lennier knew that he had no such instincts, and no such expectations -- although he was certainly willing to be supportive. He had cultivated, quite consciously, an affable and approachable demeanor, and his irrepressible curiosity and thoughtful consideration of others made for easy superficial interactions. Below that open surface, though, Lennier was a person of deep reserve, thinking his own thoughts, relying on his own resources and prone to turning inward -- too much so, some had said. It was as though he had walked through his life in a tunnel of glass, never really connecting with another, until.... "Lennier?" He looked up, and there she was. Her dark Human hair hanging limp in the alien air, clad in ill-fitting, borrowed trousers and jerkin, she could never be other than beautiful to him. "Commander Ivanova says that we are running low on water," the Entil'zha began. "She has asked Miss Alexander to try to find some -- perhaps she will be able to sense small creatures, who might live near waterholes. But she should not go alone..." "I understand," Lennier replied. "I shall accompany her." "Wait, Lennier -- " Bediver said, then stopped and bowed to Delenn. "With respect, Entil'zha, if three of us go, we can watch each others' backs, and also, carry more water," he pointed out. "That is true....I am sorry, I have forgotten your name..." "Bediver, Entil'zha, propulsion technician, second level." Delenn flashed that smile, only slightly dimmed by the breather. "Go, then, Anla'Shok Bediver, but be sure not to get lost -- when we find a ship to take us from this place, we will need someone to make sure it flies for us!" They bowed to her, and left to join Lyta by the supply gravcots. ****************** Babylon 5, Z + 19 days. Garibaldi's link beeped. "Hey, Chief, sorry to bother you, but..." Zack's voice trailed off -- more than the reluctance to be expected from a call at 23:00 after his Chief had just returned from two weeks in Limbo. "Our old buddy Bester's here, and he wants to talk to you." "Good. I'll be right down," came the immediate reply. "Goo...?!?" Garibaldi hit the 'off' button and swung out of bed. He hadn't been asleep anyway -- to much to think about, too many details to keep track of....at least THIS interview should go well. He grinned mirthlessly, thinking about his associates' plans for Bester's precious Psi Corps -- before long, that little rat would be WAY too busy to interfere with his own agenda. But for now, they were *officially* allies.... Bester was waiting for him in one of the interrogation rooms in the Security complex. "Ah, Mr. Garibaldi. I hope I didn't disturb your...beauty sleep. I understand you've had an interesting couple of weeks." "Interesting enough," Garibaldi acknowledged, swinging a chair around and perching on it backwards. "I'd heard someone from Psi Corps was coming out, and I was *so* hoping it would be you." Bester flicked a glance at the camera in the upper corner of the room. "Oh, don't worry about the Securecams -- I've disabled this one for our little...chat." "I must confess I was surprised at the assignment," the dapper, deadly little Psi Cop admitted, "but there was also a certain amount of...personal curiosity involved. I tried to get you away from them, you know, but they refused to let you go -- even after their plans were so...rudely interrupted." "Oh yeah? And what would *you* have done with me?" "'Adjusted' you myself, of course, for my own purposes." Bester replied easily. Garibaldi snorted, running a hand across his newly-shaven head. "Yeah, well, no offense, but I'm just as glad you didn't get the chance. I don't like the idea of your telepaths messing around in my head..." "And would it really have been so much worse than what did happen?" Bester inquired, looking truly curious. The Security Chief glared at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" Garibaldi almost snarled, leaning forward over the back of the chair. "They didn't 'tamper' with me, they just showed me the TRUTH. That's all I've ever wanted, Mr. Bester -- to know what's going on. What's REALLY...going...on. And now I know." The big man shoved himself backward, rising to pace around the small room. "Not only that," he went on, " but I'M going to be a part of it -- a BIG part. And if you work with me, and play your cards right, YOU could be a big part of it, too." Bester sat back, folding his right hand over the useless left. "Well, Mr. Garibaldi, from what my superiors have told me, we *are* on the same side. For now." "So we are. And as it happens, I've got a job for you. Our associates want you to take your Black Omega squadron out to rendezvous with some of their our allies, start hitting outlying areas and give the League worlds an excuse *not* to send reinforcements to join the fleet I'm supposed to be building." Bester had looked startled at Garibaldi's mention of his pet project. "They told you about my Black Omegas?" Garibaldi laughed, propping a foot on his chair. "They didn't have to -- I knew about them for months before my little 'vacation'." He didn't see any overwhelming reason to mention that all he had known was vague, unfounded rumor. "Oh, by the way," he went on, "I've also been instructed to send the teepsicles along to their original destination." He looked narrowly at Bester. "You wouldn't have any problem with that, would you?" The older man's fathomless brown eyes met the younger man's cold grey ones for a long moment. "No," he said finally, "No...problem." "Good." Garibaldi heaved himself off the chair and started pacing again. "Glad to hear it. This certainly isn't the time to let personal feelings stand in the way of the mission, now is it? Besides, once things settle down, I'm sure you'll have no trouble finding a new girlfriend." He yawned widely. "Well, I guess I *am* a little tired, after all." The Psi Cop looked at him, hard. "Oh, don't even bother with that," the mundane said lightly. "It kinda buzzes in my head, but you won't learn anything." he looked over and smiled smugly at Bester's ill-concealed chagrin. "It's just a new thing some of our allies dreamed up -- based on the nanites that the Shadows use for direct communication with other life-forms. It gives them a sort of artificial telepathy, without the...inconvenient side-effects of the organic version. The ones I've got are the first they've tailored for humans, and they're still experimental -- they don't let me 'talk to' anyone, unfortunately, but they do protect me quite effectively from Vorlon-bred telepaths." Now the Psi Cop DID look startled. "*Vorlon-bred*?" he asked wonderingly. "Ah, come on, you didn't think telepathy was *natural* to humans, did you?" Garibaldi laughed again. "You guys are tools -- created by the Vorlons to fight our...associates. Sorry to burst your bubble, my friend," he went on, not sounding sorry at all, "but all your daydreams about 'homo superior' are just that -- daydreams. The higher-ups at Psi Corps were clued in a long time ago -- that's one of the reasons they've been working with us." Bester looked like he had eaten something a Pak'ma'ra had discarded for lunch and was only now realizing it. "Don't let it get you down, though," Garibaldi continued helpfully, " -- just stick with the program and it'll all work out." He yawned again, stretching widely for effect. He shook his head and made for the door. "Well, Alfie," he said by way of farewell, "if I don't see you again before you leave, have a nice trip." The door whined open to let the Security Chief out. "See you....next fall," Bester said slowly, considering. ********** TO BE CONTINUED *********** --------------- END b5-creative.v001.n902 --------------- X-POP3-Rcpt: Nicola.Grzeschik@sirene.rz.uni-duesseldorf.de Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1999 12:10:06 -0800 (PST) From: b5-creative-errors@lists.best.com Subject: Digest b5-creative.v001.n903 BestServHost: lists.best.com Sender: b5-creative-errors@lists.best.com To: b5-creative@lists.best.com X-Status: -------------- BEGIN b5-creative.v001.n903 -------------- 001 - Nick Subject: New: 'STRANGER WITH THIS FACE' Part five Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 20:22:00 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Well here we are again! Enjoy! STRANGER WITH THIS FACE PART FIVE * The air around her was stifling, thick with other people's sweat and this room was quite tiny. Vaguely aware of the shackles that slowed her movements, she shuffled in, led as she was by shadowy figures. There was someone waiting for her, his face obscured by the brightness of the room which grew more and more so as he lowered his head to her. There, it was gone and Marianne found herself lying in her cot on the Lumati homeworld, sheets tangled around her ankles as she sprawled for a few moments, regaining her bearings. * "You're awake then." Kathy hovered by the door to their bathroom, toothbrush jammed into her mouth before returning to the antechamber to spit and rinse. "You were making quite a bit of noise there- wasn't sure if it was a good idea to wake you though-" * "What time is it?" groggily she rubbed one hand over her face and propped herself up on still- sleepy elbows. * "Late. There's about half an hour 'til your shift starts. Here get in the shower now, I'll be done here in a second." Kathy moved aside to let her room mate into the tiny bathroom. "Wassup? Weird dream?" * "Um-yeah-" Marianne was trying very hard to get her hands to co-operate as she reached for a towel and moved to switch on the shower- real water, not a vibe shower like on the shuttles so she'd have to wait for her hair to dry as well... Tick, tick, tick... * "Probably just stress- Stanton says he dreamt he wandered into the hospice *naked* yesterday!" * "Ugh! Perish the thought!" Marianne managed to shout over the water and reassured that her acquaintance was 'okay really', Kathy finished dressing and left her to her musings. ************************* Lennier had already been on the ward for a full two hours when Marianne arrived furiously munching on a ration bar and tripping over her coat tails in her haste. * "Hi. Sorry, sorry, sorry- rough night." she called out to anyone who showed an interest as she stumbled into the office, discarding her open satchel on the desk, where it promptly fell open, littering the work surface with data chips and files. "Bugger!" Ignoring the mess that was quickly sliding to the floor she hurried over to the coffee maker and lifted up the jug to peer into it- empty. "Bugger." There were no clean filter bags-"Bugger". * "Here, let me." Hobbs materialised over her shoulder for long enough to swipe the sodden paper out of her hands and manoeuvre the younger woman into a chair. "Medlab One trick!" she smirked holding up the used bag the contents of which she promptly tipped into the rubbish bag and replaced it in the filter before spooning copious amounts of coffee into it. "Voila!" * "Thank you." The PA managed to mouth as she sank into her chair and focussed her mind on the reassuring plip-plip sounds made by the machine. * "What's wrong? I can get Stephen for you if you want.." Hobbs leant on the desk and eyed her new acquaintance with a concerned frown. * "It's nothing- I just had some funny dreams, that's all." Marianne rubbed frantically at one tired and sore eye with the palm of her hand and refocused on the coffee maker. * "Define funny." * "Odd. Really, it's nothing to worry about. I should get out to the ward..." Spotting an easy escape route, Marianne was at the door before the other woman could object. But as she watched the PA hurry over to a trolley and stuff her pockets with prophylactic gloves, swiping a stethoscope from around the neck of one of her colleagues as she began her morning's duties, Hobbs made a mental note to tell Stephen that something was amiss with his protégé. ****************** Watchful eyes darting from one end of the room to the other, Lennier stepped cautiously out onto the ward. Noting to himself that the object of his trepidation was at some distance, being as she was, at the other side of the hostel, he moved swiftly between the many beds until he reached one unattended by other volunteers. With a little less care than usual, he began the task of feeding and cleaning that bed's occupant. And so engrossed was he with the dual task of stripping bed-sheets and watching out for Marianne that he scarcely noticed Grare's approach until the Brakiri patted him on the shoulder. Without thinking, the minbari reached around to grab his assailant by the throat, lifting and then throwing the slighter being to a spot a few metres away where he sprawled, eyes and mouth wide with shock. * "Lennier-I'm sorry, I-" Grare was stammering as he stared up at the minbari. Around them, the whole room had come to a virtual standstill: patients and staff pausing in their hurried activities to stare at the two men. Realising his mistake Lennier quickly knelt to pull his friend to his feet. "Someone said you were a ranger but I thought it just idle gossip-" Grare murmured, awe-struck. The minbari sighed as he noticed the gaping expressions that greeted him from all angles of the room. His attempts at remaining unnoticed had backfired and under the pretence of helping his friend to a quiet spot, he retreated down a corridor, out of sight of the prying eyes. * "Grare, I apologise. It was not my intention to- Harm you." * "S'okay. I'm unharmed. You must be out of practice." Grare slumped into the seat that Lennier had found and guided him to, resting his weight against the wall behind him. * "Indeed." Lennier recovered a stool for himself and dragged it to a space beside his friend. It seemed that some explanations would be necessary now and lowering himself slowly into the seat, he conveyed this to Grare. * "Lennier, you are an intensely private man and I respect that. As do the others here. Although I know there to be something on your mind, it was never my wish to pry. However- there is often some wisdom in sharing a problem. What is that human saying? A problem shared-" * "Is a problem halved." Lennier smiled weakly at the typically human phrase. "If you do not wish to pry then I am grateful for that. Grare, if I confide in you in the future then I trust that you would tell no one?" * "Of course not." * "Good. Because I am unsure as to the wisdom of sharing this with you for the time being but I should like to be able to call on you in the future. For now, can I say that there is someone here I should rather avoid." * "Miss Charlton." Noting the minbari's start, he found himself chuckling, "It was not difficult to guess. Very well. Although I cannot understand anybody's wish to avoid that *particular* individual- I'm told that she is considered quite attractive, by human standards- I shall do what I can to help you." * "Thank you." * "Well," the Brakiri was standing now and brushing imaginary dirt from the seat of his trousers, "If that is settled then *my* fright is certainly over- I trust yours is also. We should return to the ward, it will be medication time soon." ***************** As Lennier helped his friend to his feet and dragged him from the ward, Doctors Franklin and Hobbs both noted the strangeness of the minbari's actions. Raising one eyebrow, Stephen wandered into the staff room, Hobbs at his heels. * "Is it just me or is there something a little odd going on there?" Franklin came to rest against one of the desks, a frowning smirk taking over his features. * "Mm. Marianne's been a bit funny today as well. Said she was having funny dreams. Maybe it's just the stress of this place- We're all a little below par and frayed around the edges." * "You might be right there doctor." Franklin launched himself away from his perch and moved to rummage in the fridge. "When I first met her- Ah damn, someone's taken my last protein drink- there're some sick people in this world..." * "You're telling me. Only the sickest of the sick and the strangest of the strange would voluntarily drink something called 'carbo-tonic'!" Hobbs grinned, fishing into the bin beside her and retrieving the empty carton to read the label. "A tasty combination of Soya and tropical fruits- ugh." * "I don't believe it!" Franklin straightened and snatched the carton from his friend's hand. "I hoped I was mistaken about someone stealing this. We should run a DNA scan- find out who took it..." * Hobbs felt her eyes roll heavenward at such pettiness and struggled to switch the direction of the conversation, "You were saying something about Marianne." She prompted. * "Wha? Oh yeah. When I first met her- she was a patient at the centre and she had nightmares all the time. She could never recall them when she woke up and after a while they seemed to dissipate but I think in times of stress they come back." * "Oh." * "Man, I'm hungry. You wanna play hooky for a while and get a bite to eat?" * "Sure. But let's take the rest of that paperwork with us, okay?" * "Deal. You're about the worst workaholic I know. You need to ease up." * "This I get from *you*? Oh boy!" * "Well, let's just say I learned the hard way!" ************************ That was interesting. Marianne noted to herself, pausing to scribble notes on the sheet of paper beside her before returning to her microscope. It was late afternoon and the ward was quiet again after the midday routine of feeding and medicating patients. Stephen and Dr Hobbs were still outside, seated on the low glass wall that ran the circumference of the temple's exterior that now served as a kind of picnic area for medical staff who couldn't bring themselves to eat in the stuffy office and ward. * So now, Marianne was left alone to work-, which was just how she liked it. She could not remember a time when she had *not* preferred her own company, particularly during times of stress. * The virus captured in her microscope slide happily buzzed around it's enclosure, munching on whatever it came across as Marianne watched on avidly and gradually the outside world receded to nothing. Every chemical, every drug, and every combination: all useless. * Franklin was growing tetchy and turning to all avenues in the hope of beating it and now that meant asking his assistants for their input. Marianne figured that asking for help was not something such a proud man was unused to and so over time she had learned to give it freely and quietly. Today though, she would be of little use. The movements of the tiny creature that swam by so close to her eyes were too fascinating for her to drag herself away in order to find ways to stop it from moving as it did. * Marianne often found herself wondering about the afflictions she worked to cure. How was it possible for something such as this virus to move and act with such conviction and yet remain unconscious, non-sentient? The creature must be carrying out some equivalent of sleepwalking. No reason behind it. No reasoning *with* it. In order for *it* to live and progress, it's host must die- No way to co-exist: no compromise. * The squeak of sneakered feet against a glass tiled floor signalled Franklin's return and Marianne glanced up from the microscope in greeting. * "How's it *going*?" Franklin seemed full of beans and he slapped two hands on her shoulders to peer into the microscope. * "Don't ask." Marianne leaned back to allow her mentor access to the machinery, turning her head to catch Dr Hobbs' eye. "I'm a physician's *assistant* with very good reason!" * "Nonsense!" Franklin adjusted the microscope as he continued to peer through the viewfinder * "Doctor, there's a very good reason why I work with *people* and not *viruses*. As far as I can see there are lots of pretty shapes that move about and remind me of a kid's kaleidoscope but that's all I can.. tell.. you..." Marianne trailed off, confusion forcing her face into a frown. * "Marianne?" The attention of both doctors was now fixed on her, Franklin swivelling her chair around to face him, "You okay?" * "Yeah. I just- I suppose you'd call it a flashback." Marianne rubbed frustratedly at her forehead as the image dulled and faded. * "What is it Marianne, what did you see?" Hobbs was crouching down now, one reassuring hand moving to rest on the younger woman's knee. * "A kaleidoscope. I was looking through one. When I took it away from my eye, I could see a big building- I knew it was my home- Christ, I've never remembered anything that clearly before... Mm-" Sighing she blinked a few times before letting her eyes focus on the concerned faces that bored into her own. "That's it. It's all gone." * "You should rest." Hobbs pulled the woman slowly to her feet and moved her toward a cot that had been crammed into one corner of the already overcrowded room. * "I'll be okay- I just need a moment-" * "Well, take two." Franklin added, backing up his colleague. ************************** End part five. Part six should follow soon(ish) Nick xxx --------------- MESSAGE b5-creative.v001.n903.2 --------------- From: Nick Subject: New: 'STRANGER WITH THIS FACE' Part 4 Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 20:22:43 +0100 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit Yes, yes, i know it's been awhile but my email system went down and i couldn't send or receive mail for a fair old while. Anyway, i'm back now. However, i can't for the life of me remember whether i posted this part or not- can't find it in my mailroom view thingy. So here it is again. *BUT* never fear- i'm sending part five as well- just in case. Disclaimer: Not mine, no profit, don't sue Note: any archiving or whatever, ask first. STRANGER WITH THIS FACE: PART FOUR * "Lennier, how are we getting on?" Marianne was peering at the computer screen before her as she casually threw the question into the awkwardly silent room. The two of them had worked untiringly for over six hours in the tiny makeshift office, barely speaking to one another, although she could not work out why the atmosphere was so tense. She guessed that the minbari was shy but although she knew how urgent their work had become, she also couldn't concentrate in this rigid and stilted environment. * "I have completed the inventory of our supplies." His reply was rigid, formal and he straightened stiffly the moment she cleared her throat to ask the question, although he barely looked at her when he answered. * "Okay..." time to try a different approach. "And are *you* alright? I'm sorry to have dragged you away from your friend, I know how worried you all are about her but I really *did* need help in here..." * "I understand. And I agree that the best way to help Palorr is to find a cure for this virus." * "That's right. Look, I know that the stuff I've had you doing today isn't quite in the same league as what you've been doing here in the past but it really *did* need seeing to. If it's any consolation, being stuck in front of a computer all day isn't why I started doing this job either..." * "There is no need to apologise-" * "I'm glad. I didn't want you to resent me- I mean, you volunteers worked so hard and did an excellent job- I feel awkward just coming in here changing things and shouting orders!" * "I do not... 'resent' you." * "Okay... well now we've got that cleared up, why don't we stop for a while. You said you were almost done and I'm getting tunnel vision! Time for a coffee. Mugs are in the box to your left- the one marked 'emergency rations'!" * Finding himself smiling lightly at the humour, Lennier did as he was bid and took the two cups over to where Marianne was swilling the coffee pot around in circles, eyeing it suspiciously. "I don't know when this was made0 It's gonna be pretty rank-" she poured the thick, black liquid into one cup but was stopped before she had a chance to fill the other. * "I do not drink coffee." * "Oh, of course. Wise man- this stuff should carry a government health warning!" Marianne winced as she forced her throat to stop retching and to swallow the tar-like substance. * "It does!" Franklin's slightly booming voice startled Lennier as he filled his own cup with water. "Marianne, you drink *far* too much of that stuff- I said so in your last med. examination." * "I- ugh- know- Is there any milk anywhere?" * "Lillian left some Soya stuff in the fridge next to those blood cultures... There's some sweetener in that petri dish." Franklin replied, fetching a protein shake from his own personal stash. "So, Lennier... Dr Hobbs mentioned that you were here... How are you?" Lennier felt himself shrinking under Franklin's gaze. The human was grinning over the top of his drink but there was no mistaking the slight edge in the man's voice. If Lennier's answer weren't convincing, the man would never let up. There was also the question of just how much Franklin knew about what happened between he and the Sheridans... * "Stephen," Marianne had fished the sweetener out of it's hiding place and took an experimental sip of her coffee- still awful but probably less likely to burn through the porcelain of her 'You don't have to be mad to work here, but it helps' mug. "I'm done with analysing those cultures and you were right about that antibiotic combination- I'm still worried about possible side effects though- Here, take a look at this-" She steered the doctor over to the microscope, winking at Lennier over her shoulder and motioning for him to leave, quickly. * As he discarded his cup and edged away, back onto the ward, Lennier could hear Franklin and Marianne discussing the samples she'd been working on and he heaved a sigh of relief. The ward was a little quieter than it had been earlier- the mass re-screening was over now and most patients simply lay flat out in their beds, unseeing eyes fixated on the high domed ceiling. * Palorr was dozing when he silently approached her bed and perched on the edge of a chair he found nearby. Minutes later her eyes forced themselves open and she blinked up at her surroundings before her gaze finally settled on her returning visitor. * "Why didn't you wake me Lennier?" Lightly stroking her arm with a crooked finger, he shook his head, "You need your rest." * "Are you here to tell me what's wrong with you?" Lennier groaned inwardly, this woman was nothing if not persistent. "I noticed before, you looked a little- 'awkward' when that other man mentioned the new PA... Does it have something to do with her? You ran out of here when she first arrived..." Palorr's body may have been weak and betraying her but there was obviously nothing wrong with her powers of observation or her mental faculties and Lennier found himself wondering if it would be easier to watch his friend slowly slip away if she were not sane... Maybe if she were so mad as to be no longer recognisable as Palorr, standing by helplessly as her once robust body withered and decayed before him would be less painful... ******************* "So, what was *that* all about?" Marianne snapped as soon as her Minbari assistant was out of the way. * "Sorry?" Franklin finished his drink in three short gulps before returning to the microscope. * "Scaring my assistant. I was just getting him to lighten up and you storm in here all guns blazing and put the fear of god into him!" Marianne had to fight to keep her voice from becoming shrill. * "What are you talking about? All I *did* was ask him where he'd been! It's been nearly *three years* for gods sake! Why are you so protective of him all of a sudden? There's no need- he used to be a ranger, from what I hear he's more than capable of looking after himself-Oh,I get it!" Realisation lit up his face and he grinned "Didn't take *you* long!" Knowing *exactly* how to get a rise out of his protégé, he tweaked his grin to just this side of a leer and waggled his eyebrows at her. * "Stephen!" her voice rose warningly and she lifted her cup as if threatening to tip its contents at him. * "Marianne! I didn't think you were *like* that! Here we are in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by the dead and dying- under-funded and overworked and you've got a *crush* on a volunteer support worker! I must say, I'm *shocked*" * Marianne took a deep breath- this was getting her nowhere. Knowing Dr Franklin as she did she was pretty sure that if she didn't shut him up now then he was going to tease her to within an inch of her life! * "Give it a rest, Stephen. It's been a long day" aiming for a passive offensive stance Marianne retreated back to her computer. * Realising that he'd gone a little too far, Stephen wheeled a seat over and seated himself beside her, tugging a packet of biscuits out of the emergency supplies box as he did so. * "Peace offering?" he waggled the open pack at her and relenting with a small smile, she took a biscuit. "I'm sorry- I sometimes forget how sensitive you can be." * "I *don't* have a 'crush' on him." She said firmly, nibbling the top off the two layered biscuit to scrape at the cream in the middle of it with tiny, razor sharp teeth. "I just- he feels familiar. You know? I get that lot- things and people that seem familiar but I don't know why! There's so much I don't know about myself, don't *remember* I tend to grab hold of anything familiar and hang on for dear life!" * "Yeah, I know... But you've never tried to trace any possible family connections- Go back to your old home and ask questions- I've never understood why..." * "I don't know..." she shrugged as she finished the middle of her biscuit and added it's bottom to the other half which had been abandoned temporarily on the desk beside her coffee. She reached for another. "I just can't bring myself to- I suppose if I remember what happened then I'll start to remember my family and I'll have to deal with having lost people I care about- I'll have to mourn... This way it's like someone *else* was in that crash and lost her whole family and *my* life started when I woke up in that hospital bed. I'm quite happy living in the here and now- most of the time..." * "But you still have difficulty relating to people- You're still encountering things for the first time- You don't even know if you've had a boyfriend before!" * "Exactly!" a glum expression on her face, she flipped the top off her second biscuit to add to the pile growing on the desk and demolished the cream insert, adding the biscuit's base to the pile. "In these 'enlightened times' of ours, I sometimes feel like the universe's oldest virgin!" * Franklin guffawed, spitting biscuit crumbs over the small room and seeing his expression, Marianne giggled inspite of herself. "Well, anyway," she added, pulling her defence mechanisms back into place with a firm tug, "I really don't have *time* for anything more than friendship. And if I did, I think I'd probably start with someone of the same race as myself, that way I'd know for sure that all the right bits were fitting into all the right pieces!" Enjoying the snigger her remark forced out of her mentor, Marianne picked up the biscuit half on the top of her pile and dunked it into her coffee. Holding it there she counted to five before removing it and holding it up, letting it wobble gently back and forwards, watching it bend and sway before popping it into her mouth moments before it disintegrated. * "I have *never* known *anyone* to eat a biscuit like that!" Franklin remarked, eyeing the young woman with obvious distaste "That is *the* most disgusting thing I've ever seen anyone do!" * "Oh be quiet, just because *you* have no vices!" ************************ "Lennier, one of the patients is asking for you.." Grare squatted down at his friend's side, placing on hand on the minbari's shoulder. "It's Gnitha- I don't think he has long-" Excusing himself politely, Lennier left Palorr's side and moved the short distance to the terminal wing. * "Greetings Gnitha." he spoke solemnly, trying his hardest to quell his shock at the Lumati's condition which had worsened over night to leave the man completely blind and paralysed with pain as his immune system won the fight against each of his internal organs. Gnitha could only gasp for breath and flail one hand about to seek out his own, which he offered almost instantly. He didn't have long left. ************************ It was dark when Lennier struggled to his feet, hands numbly pulling the sheet over the dead Lumati's face as he had done countless times before. Only a skeleton team remained in the hospice through the night and Gnitha's body would remain, for now where it was, undisturbed in his final rest. * "Lennier?" Marianne's pupils were wide in the dark of the office as he passed and her skin was almost luminous against the black backdrop. "I'm sorry about Gnitha..." * "It was... probably for the best." Avoiding her eyes, he concentrated on keeping his voice steady. "I have come to see each death here as a release, a blessing almost." * "I'm afraid I'm not so well-trained, nor do I want to be. I hope each death is as painful to me as the last. Have a drink with me Lennier?" Her whole manner beseeching him, he found himself agreeing and followed her into the office. "The others turned in a couple of hours ago. I wanted to stay and finish up. Also I didn't want you to be alone..." * Suddenly a little shy she busied herself with filling an antiquated kettle with water and searched out a tin of tea. Not wanting to appear rude, Lennier agreed to stay, if only for a short while. "The database of patient reports is completed by the way- Now we know what stage of the disease each person is facing and we can more easily observe the virus' progression." * "Indeed." Lennier perched himself on a chair and took the cup she offered him. "When we arrived here, our first concern was for making people as comfortable as possible. I confess it did not occur to us to take inventories or commence investigations-" * "Oh I *know*. And I don't want you to think that any of us is accusing you of harming the Lumati in any way- I'm sorry, what I said came out all wrong..." Turning to the supplies container she retrieved a tin of powdered milk, having used up all of Dr Hobbs' supply. * "Marianne," Lennier found himself getting to his feet and moving the tin from her fingers, standing in front of her. "You have not offended me. I understand that had these people received organised medical care straight away their chances would have been far greater. Although there is no dispute that myself and the other volunteers did our best it is now clear that our *best* was not good enough." Returning the milk tin to her hands, Lennier retreated back to his seat, leaving Marianne to stare momentarily at the object in her hands. As if waking up, she snapped her head around to face him before forcing her concentration back to the matter in hand- that of spooning the strange powdered milk into the two cups. * "Lennier, I don't know many Minbari- well actually you're the only one- I wondered if this... 'altruism' is a personality trait common to all your people?" * "We believe serving others to be a great honour." He affirmed and Marianne stiffened for a moment, midway through spooning milk into her mug, * "I remember someone once telling me that- It's strange but you remind me of things- I don't know if anyone told you this but I was involved in a shuttle accident about three years ago. My entire family was lost and I was left with almost total amnesia. All I was left with was my name- I suppose the amount of time I spent in hospital recovering meant that I was around members of the medical profession so much that they became pretty much my family and I decided to train as a medical technician. Dr Franklin thought I was wasted and sponsored me so that I could train as a physician's assistant... I've picked things up so quickly that I think I must have undergone similar training before the accident. I've never tried to find out more about myself because I suppose I'm happy with this life and I don't want to spoil it by forcing myself to remember and mourn my family... But every now and then something happens that- I don't know, 'rings a bell' I suppose. Arriving here and meeting you did that." * Lennier could feel panic rising in his gut and he sank back further into his seat in a vain effort at putting some distance between himself and her recollections. This could, he realised, be even more difficult, even more dangerous than he'd first convinced himself. In light of this, he forced himself to stand and make his excuses before retreating; leaving her looking hurt and confused. *********************** The air outside was humid, sticky even and offered no reprieve from the closeness of the temple. Lennier took a few deep breaths as he stood on the steps and stared into the blackness of the city at night. Maybe it was just because of the plague, but while most cities on most worlds still held some life in them after dark, the Lumati capital became as silent as a desert at night, wrapping every building and lonely traveller in a thick veil of heat and smog. * Safe now from Marianne's reminiscences and fleeting glances, Lennier suddenly felt very alone- even more than usual. He was trapped here now, on a dying planet with little more than a broken promise for company. So what now? Escape was impossible now; the quarantine had put pay to that idea and one question now remained- what now? *********************** End part four. You should have part five also. love, Nick --------------- MESSAGE b5-creative.v001.n903.3 --------------- From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess 17 Date: Sun, 28 Mar 1999 16:57:38 +0000 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; x-mac-type="54455854"; x-mac-creator="4D4F5353" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 17 Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, Almost done! TWO MORE PARTS! I can't get this little bloody demon to die! Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurpose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. Also, thanks to morgana, my loyal, and wonderful beta reader! Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Sharyn Allen, & Derek, Airyka, Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional baggage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net ----------- Flash back- 2248 A young man slipped into his flight suit, angrily zipping it up. He hated war, the abomination of man kind that it was. But more then that, he hated the Minbari for bringing him into Earth Force. "Marcus!" a young man spoke from the door he had just opened, "There's some one in room 3 waiting for you. Hurry, we have to lift off in a few minutes." "Just a sec, Phil." Marcus grumbled back. His hand went to his hair again. He'd had to get it cut, of course, it was longer then Earth Force regs allowed, but he missed it. Helmet in hand, he made his way down to room 3, wondering all the while who could be visiting. When he opened the door, the figure was facing away from him, looking out on the lights of Geneva, but he recognized the form, clothed in a long blue polka dot dress, that clung to her dancer's body. The helmet clattered to the floor. "Hasiana!" he cried out. Instantly, Marcus had her in his arms, hugging her so tight that for a moment, she feared she wouldn't be able to breathe. "How on Earth... you came so far!" he murmured in her long black hair. Laughing, she managed to put about a millimeter between them. "Marcus, I wanted to see you. They say that the Minbari are getting closer to Earth space every day. I will leave tomorrow, just to be safe, but..." Hasiana choked back a sob, her black eyes shimmering with unshed tears, "I wanted to see you before you left." "I'm so glad you did." Marcus said softly, "Oh, Hasi, I hate to say this, but I'm afraid. I'm afraid to die, afraid to live, just plain damn afraid!" "We are all, Marcus," she soothed, placing a warm hand on his chest, "But I KNOW that you will live. Spirits watch over you, Marcus, you're special." "I don't believe in God, or spirits." he responded. She looked away sadly, it was the only bone between them. Hasiana was very religious, always praying for the souls in purgatory, always believing that they would come through for her. "My grandmother was a fighter pilot." Hasiana began, "I know that you don't believe in purgatory, or much of anything, but I know that she will watch over you, and bring my very best friend back to me." She smiled, and led him over to the window, telling him of things on the colony, how his parents and brother were doing. But Marcus wasn't listening. He was thinking back to when he'd been eleven, and Hasiana, who he'd already known from school, had moved into the apartment building next to his. Often after school he'd hear music coming from her window. One day, she'd left the curtains opened, and Marcus had seen her practicing ballet, and stood for more then an hour watching, just enchanted. She had never known that, and she never would, because that was the day Marcus had fallen for her. It had been one long fall, too. "Marcus, Earth to Marcus?" Hasiana asked, noticing his far away gaze. "I'm sorry," he said blushing. He was about to say more when the com unit buzzed. "Mr. Cole, would you care to grace us with your presence?" his superior officer sounded very displeased. Surprising a groan with a pained look, Marcus whispered in Hasiana's ear; "Tell him I already left." "He already left, sir." Hasiana was trying not to giggle. "Sorry, miss." the older man sounded chagrined. The link terminated and they both started to laugh. When they finally calmed down, Hasiana stood. "You'd better go, Marc. Please be careful." she said as he stood as well. Kissing her hand, Marcus quickly bowed and turned to leave. "Good luck." she whispered. "I don't believe in that either." he said, only half serious. She smiled. "The dead cherish us, Marcus, they will bring you back to me." Then he was gone. ---------- Present Day- 2261 Numbly, Marcus held Susan's hand on the way back to the station, but try as he might, he could not feel the energy he knew pulsed from her and into the small children laying at her side. Marcus suddenly heard whimpers and sobs, then realized they were coming from him. Susan had to live, she just had too. He couldn't, wouldn't be able to live with out her. She was his light, the only thing in his black existence that made life worth living. The only thing that could make him forget all of his guilt. Mother, Father, Will, Hasiana... // The dead cherish us.// Susan had said. The same thing Hasiana had said! How had Susan known? She couldn't possibly have known that Hasiana had said that to him, all those years ago, and then again the last time Marcus had ever seen her. Making no attempt to dry his tears, Marcus tenderly brushed a lock of Susan's hair off her pale forehead. So beautiful, he thought. How could anyone like her deserve all the pain she carried? He certainly couldn't see how. Glancing up at the door of the bunk room, Marcus made sure no one was around before he bent to whisper: "You have to pull through this, Susan." he began stroking her long hair, "You have to." Marcus had to take a deep breath before he added; "I love you." --------------- END b5-creative.v001.n903 --------------- From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess 18 Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 14:24:58 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 18 Adult Warnings: None Hullo all, Almost done! *ONE*, count it, *ONE* MORE PART! I'm knifing the little demon right now! Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurpose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. Also, thanks to Morgana, my loyal, and wonderful beta reader! Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Ps. this part is dedicated to: Peggy- my loyal and wonderful beta reader. Adam- my eternal and unending inspiration. Stephanie- for the dirty jokes, silliness, therapy, and her wonderful chocolate &.... Robert- for joviality, support and a cameo. (I bribed him with Stephanie's chocolate.) Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Sharyn Allen, & Derek, Airyka, Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional baggage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net "I think I can unlink them without doing any permanent damage, but there is always that small chance." Lyta Alexander was saying as she followed Marcus gaze through the glass window of Iso Lab 1. Marcus looked up at the red headed telepath. He had to save Susan, and he trusted Lyta not to fail. "Do it." he said softly. She nodded with her usual efficiency, and Stephen cleared her to enter. Laying on four of the exam beds that had been pushed together, the three female's were spend side by side, hands linked, eyes tightly closed. Taking one deep breath, Lyta removed her gloves and held both hands in front of her as she approached them. The voices in their minds hit her full blast, and the force of it nearly threw her bodily. Slowly, she isolated each voice and the memory associated with it. Elfia was easiest to find. The memories of being whipped hit Lyta, reminding her of her own tenure in the Psi Corps. Slowly, and with great care, she searched the child's mind, looking for a memory to counter act it. // Elfia sat down on the bench in the play yard and sighed. Her back was almost on fire from the pain, and she knew she could not keep herself from broad casting. "Ely?" a rich voice asked behind her. She turned around to see a five year old boy, with bright blonde hair falling in his face and merry blue eyes. "Hi, Robert." she said softly. "How'd it go this time?" he asked concerned. She merely reached behind her and undid the three remaining buttons. She saw his eyes go wide at the sight of her bruised and bloodied back. Robert then bent down and pulled a pack of ice from his lunch box. Wrapping it in a slightly dirty towel, he gently applied it to her wounds. "I just can't do it." Elfia said sorrowfully. "Have you ever thought that maybe you're just a mundane?" Robert asked, not really wanted to believe that his best friend was one of the stupid sheep his instructors talked about. "Maybe. I'm not stupid like they say I am, right, Rob?" she asked, slightly embarrassed. "Of course not! You're very smart, even if you could be a mundane." Robert assured her.// Now molecule by molecule, Lyta removed the link between Elfia and Emily. The older girl came next, her thoughts a bit harder to isolate. Fire and death raged through her small mind, and Lyta could feel her hovering on the brink of insanity. // "Come on Emily, the water can't hurt you." the young woman said, splashing the water near by. The toddler standing on the shore stomped her foot and refused to budge. "No wawa." she pouted. "Em...." the mother cried out in frustration. The little girl dug her toe in the mud, then ran towards her mother and jumped in the lake. "Wawa good." Emily giggled.// Effortlessly, Lyta managed to disconnect Emily and Elizabeth, then counteracted Elizabeth's memories of her dying father with those of a day spent at the Ranger Training Center. Susan's were the hardest, memories of a woman Lyta also knew, Talia Winters. // "Nu'san filarni en alice mi druwn", Marcus smiled again. Damn that grin of his, it always made her smile back! "And what does that mean?" Susan asked. The look on his face... was he making some sort junvinile pass? "Just a greeting. It means" here Marcus paused, looking distinctly uncomfortable, "My words are inadequate to the burden of my heart." "That's an unusual greeting." She found herself smiling again, almost blushing even. "They're an unusual people." he smirked back.// At last, the final link was broken, and Lyta felt the minds before her return to normal. "Thank heavens." she sighed. That had been one of the most taxing ordeals. She heard Stephen come in behind her, using his scanner. Feeling the relief from his mind wash over her, Lyta walked out the door, pausing only long enough to tell Marcus; "Don't worry, they'll be fine." Fine being a relative term, of course. ------- Marcus was seriously considering locking himself in his room and getting drunk. It couldn't feel any worse then he felt right now. It had been almost two weeks since Susan and the girls had been rescued from Ymir, and in that time, Susan had been cold and distant at best. He had no idea what had gone wrong, or what he had done, but he knew that this had to stop soon. He remembered Will had once accused him of using his office to escape his home. Of course, Marcus had denied it, but it had been true for him then, and it was true for Susan now. She was working hours upon hours over her shift, bringing the kids to her office so she could do paper work and look after them at the same time. Now, whenever Marcus asked her if she'd like to take the kids out for dinner, she said that she was 'too tired' or, she had an 'early shift in the morning'. It was driving him mad, for her Arctic moods which had him checking himself for cold burns, to her refusal to put anything except that damn uniform on. She wouldn't dress up any more, even when she went to dinner with John and Delenn. Grabbing a bottle of vodka Susan hid in a high cabinet, Marcus pulled out a glass, poured some in and stared at the tasteless liquid. What was he going to do? It felt like his own heart was bleeding. Susan was hurting, and Marcus didn't know how to make it better. What was worse, was that HE was responsible for it, and he didn't even know what he'd done! With a sigh, Marcus dumped the vodka down the drain. The girls needed at least ONE parent who was thinking straight. ------- It could have been such a perfect moment. But it wasn't. Susan was sitting on the blue picnic blanket next to Delenn, watching David and Emily play. The two were sitting on the edge of the rock pond, swirling patterns in the sand with their stubby fingers, and David was trying to stuff as much of Annabelle as possible into his mouth. Meanwhile Elfia and Elizabeth sat beneath a tree, trying to figure out whether they were on the floor or the ceiling of the station. "Susan, are you alright?" Delenn asked, concerned. Susan looked at the heavily pregnant woman next to her and sighed. "Fine, just a little tired, that's all." she evaded. Delenn nodded, but she refused to let the matter rest in her own mind. She'd speak to John about this when she got home. Susan turned her gaze back to her daughters. It could have been such a perfect moment, but it wasn't. ------ The next day, John, Stephen, Zak, and Lennier assembled in Earhearts after their shifts were over. Grabbing some drinks, they made their way to their reserved table and waiting for the last members of their party to arrive. "Delenn!" Lyta called out as she saw her friend approaching with Elizabeth, Emily and Elfia. "Is it all ready?" John asked his wife, who was smiling deviously. "Yes, John." she answered, taking her seat and the offered glass of juice. "Everything is set. Now who would like to do the first dirty deed?" "Not me, I don't need to be on Ivonava's bad side." Stephen shook his head, 'How 'bout you, Lennier?" "Minbari do not lie." the young adishae's excuse. "But I am quite sure that Mr. Allen would accept the honor." "Hell no." the Security Chief shook his head, "Captain?" "Some one has to be here when the XO of the station declares war on a certain Ranger." John laughed. "Since all of you have no spine," Delenn piped up, "*I* will do it." Shaking her head, she grabbed her husband's link. "Ivonava, go." a voice came over the speaker. "Susan, Emily is hurt, she fell out of that tree in the garden." Delenn said in a worried tone. The others looked on, amazed with her acting abilities. "Where is she, is she alright?" Susan asked, the worried, motherly tone taking over. "I could only carry her as far as Red 10, suite 19. Dr. Franklin will be here soon, but...." "I'm on my way." Susan said as she terminated the link. As soon as the connection was broken, they all started laughing and Stephen ran off to call Marcus. If Susan and Ranger Boy couldn't solve their problems by themselves, their friends were going to give them a helpful shove. From: "Becki H. Blumer" Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: Ice Princess 19 Date: Tue, 30 Mar 1999 14:27:08 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess part 19 Adult Warnings: MAJOR SLUSH WARNINGS Hullo all, THIS IS *THE* LAST PART! Huray! Anyway, thanks to Karin, Sharyn, Emily, Laura and Kris. You guys are all great. By the way, I'm looking for a beta reader since mine is kinda busy lately, if interested, drop me an e-mail. It's beckihblumer@fuse.net. Thanks to Skyler Rose, my loyal therapist, beta reader, and multipurpose gal, who keeps me from lopping Adam's head off. Also, thanks to Morgana, my loyal, and wonderful beta reader! Anyway, enough gab, everyone this side of Sector 14 knows I talk too much. Love Always, Meredith Ps. this part is dedicated to: Peggy- my loyal and wonderful beta reader. Adam- my eternal and unending inspiration. Stephanie- for the dirty jokes, silliness, and therapy Karin, Stef, Frances and the ladies. You know who you are and you know what you did, or didn't, do. Legal Disclaimer: JMS knows all, sees all, made B5 up! I merely dreamed Sharyn Allen, & Derek, Airyka, Emily and Elizabeth Matthews in. The rest, aside from the story idea itself, is his. Personal Disclaimer: I am an agent of chaos, with a big mouth and LOTS of emotional baggage. Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Ice Princess by Meredith D. Holt Marcus ran down the corridor of Red 10 full tilt. Emily had fallen out of the tree and Delenn couldn't carry her all the way to Med Lab. His mind was in his 'parental worry' mode, so the Ranger didn't even stop to consider the fact the Red 10 was part of a hotel for tourists, or that it wasn't even close to the gardens, or even the fact that suite 19 was the highly renowned honeymoon suite. All he could think of was poor Emily. The door was already open when he got there, and Marcus unwittingly stepped in right behind Susan. "What the...." Susan began as she realized where she was. Whirling around, she collided with Marcus. The door slid shut behind him, and they ended up plowing into it. "What are you doing here?" she demanded. "Stephen called and said that Emily was hurt..." Marcus began. "That's funny, Delenn called and said the same thing..." She said contemplatively. "My dear Commander, I believe we have been set up." Marcus looked distinctly annoyed. But that was NOTHING compared to the look on Susan's face. Her expression went from shock, to surprise, embarrassment, and finally to anger. She began violently cursing in Russian, which was peppered with a few English expletives that Marcus could understand. The BabCom unit sprang to life, and both turned to see their friends looking out at them. "BOOM, ladies and gents, the minute I get my hands on you BOOM! I'm going to hang you from the Zocolo rafters, carve your bones into little flutes and animals and sell them to tourists! I'll take out your eye balls and teeth and put them on a necklace, I'll use your intestines for water balloons, and whatever is left of you, I'll use for a pinyuta!" Susan exploded, then had to take a deep lung full of air, since she'd said all that in one breath. "Are you quite finished, Susan?" Delenn asked. The angry commander nodded, and John spoke up. "Now, you two have been moody for the past two weeks, and your driving all of us nuts. Since you're not talking to each other, we thought you needed a shove in the right direction." The Captain was smiling, clearly enjoying this. "We're watching the girls, so don't worry," Stephen assured them. "And the door will remain locked for the next twelve hours, your security clearances won't work, so don't try it." Zak added. With that, they signed off, leaving Marcus and Susan alone again. "Guess this means my dinner plans are canceled?" Marcus spoke dryly. Susan turned angry eyes on him, and he was instantly sorry for drawing her attention. Stephen wouldn't have been stupid enough to leave any sharp implements in the room, would he? ----------- "Okay, opening bets start at twenty credits," Stephen was saying, with a big, bright smile on his face. "Who thinks Marcus is gonna come out of there with SOME sort of bruise?" "I'll bet you thirty credits he does!" John laughed. "Okay, thirty for John." "Twenty says he will." Zak joined in. The men were all thoroughly enjoying themselves. "Child's play." Lyta shook her head. "What?" Zak asked incredulously. "I said that this is child's play." Lyta reiterated, smiling, "Who will bet me a WHOLE weeks salary that the bruise Marcus gets will NOT be from domestic violence." At this, the whole table erupted into laughter. "Count me in!" Stephen said readily. "I won't put it past Ivonava." John added, through his lots. "What are they talking about?" Lennier leaned over and asked Delenn. Smiling, very much like a mother, Delenn merely said; 'I'll explain it to you when you're older." -------- Susan looked at Marcus, anger running through her veins like fire. Turning away, she stalked over to the sofa and plopped down. "Susan..." Marcus started. He still had no idea why she was so upset with him, but he had every intention of taking advantage of the situation and figuring out what it was. "Tell me something, why are you so angry with me?" "I'm not angry with you." she said coolly. "Susan, I'm not stupid. You avoid me at all costs. " Marcus said, sitting down next to her. Something broke loose inside of Susan, and she promptly jumped up from her seat and began yelling at him. "You want to know what's wrong!? I'll tell you what's wrong! What's wrong is that I saw you with another woman in the gardens, when thanks to your journal, it was quite clear you were in love with ME! What's wrong is that I was starting to fall in love with you, and then you went at pulled a stunt like that! THAT'S what's wrong." "What other woman!?" Marcus asked, standing as well, "Susan, there's never been any one but you!" "The woman I saw you with in the garden! You took her to the spot we took the girls to for the picnic!" "Sharyn?" Marcus asked incredulously, "Susan, I was assigned to look after her. She's Zak Allen's sister, she has Lake's Syndrome, so Delenn assigned me to look out for her until Zak could find a full time care-taker. I'm not in love with her!" Susan watched him speculatively. The look in his eyes told her he was telling the truth. Turning away from him, she wrapped her arms around her body and shivered. She suddenly felt like a shrew. "I'm sorry." she said softly. Her anger might have been gone, but Marcus' was now flowing full force. He stepped up behind Susan, and forced her to face him. "Susan! Have you even been listening to a single word I've said!" Marcus exploded, grabbing her arms and standing his full two inches above her. "I'm trying to tell you that I love you and only you. That there can never be any one else because I love you so completely that it hurts! I love for the stubborn, headstrong, chew ass, tough as nails," his tone slipped to something like liquid velvet, " Beautiful, strong, wonderful, perfect, loving woman that you are." Susan just stood there, looking up at him, her eyes full of hope that she dared not claim as her own. He watched the expressions on her face and knew he'd hit a nerve. There wasn't any backing down now, he had to follow through or he'd loose her forever. Moving around behind her, he sat down on the couch and pulled her into his lap. Susan's jaw dropped, she'd never seen Marcus so forceful or determined in her whole life. "I going to tell you a little secret." Marcus said as he turned her to face him. "If you are going to wear your hair up like that all the time, as a means of making yourself unattractive, then I am going to want to do this..." He reached into her bun and pulled out a single bobby pin. Her hair fell free and cascaded around her shoulders. "Marcus..." Susan started, but he put a finger to her lips. "Wait 'till I'm finished." he told her, then moved to arrange her curls just so. "And if you are going to wear nothing but that uniform all the time, then I am going to want to do this." his fingers found the hook that kept the high neckline of her uniform closed. He loosened it and planted a small kiss on her neck, "Have I made myself clear, Susan? I love you and I'll wait forever if I have to." "You don't." Susan said softly, winding her arms around his neck. "I love you too." -------- "So, do you think they're still alive in there?" John asked. "I don't know about Marcus, Susan may have lost her temper with him." Stephen put in. "Then imagine how they will both feel when they discover Delenn's secret." Lennier commented with a smile. "What secret?" Lyta inquired over her martini. "Susan and Marcus are married." Delenn stated as if she were giving a report on the weather. Lyta nearly spit out her drink, and Stephen did a double take. "WHAT?" Zak croaked. "According to Minbari custom, Susan and Marcus are married." Delenn re-iterated, then at the questioning looks, elaborated. "Do you remember the Ceremony before the party John and I had?" Nods from around the table. "Well, during the ceremony, Marcus and Susan were married." Suddenly, laughter erupted from around the table. No one had ever known Delenn to be so devious, but it was clear that Ranger One was not to be trifled with. ------ "Shall we do this right?" Susan asked softly, as they began to set out the dinner Delenn had left in a picnic basket. There was wine, bread, cheese, and some odd Minbari dish. At the very bottom, they found a note with a music crystal attached. The note was in Minbari, so Susan handed it to Marcus. His eyes went wide as he read it. "What is it?" "It's from Delenn. Do you remember the ceremony we attended right before Elizabeth had the heart attack?" he asked. "Yes." Susan nodded. "Well it would seem it was a marriage ceremony." "For who... Dear God, Delenn didn't!" Susan looked at the Ranger in disbelief. "Apparently, she did." Marcus laughed. "So, we're married?" Susan asked. "Uh huh." he nodded as he poured some wine into the glasses. "Is that a problem for you?" he asked, a bit afraid. "No, not at all." she smiled. "Hold on just a second, okay?" "Sure, I'll just count the bubbles in the wine." Marcus threw back as she scampered off into the bed room. ---------- "Come on Delenn, please be the hopeless romantic you are." Susan mumbled under her breath as she opened the closet, pointedly ignoring the four-poster bed that sat in the middle of the room. Yes! Delenn had put a change of clothes in the closet for her. Removing the dress, Susan took a good look at. It was a shimmering smoky blue satin, with a modest neckline that trailed down from the shoulders to expose most of her back, and framed with froths of creamy white satin. Smiling, Susan slipped out of her uniform and into the gown. --------- 7,389 bubbles later, Susan opened the door and stepped out. "Susan..." Marcus started, and then stopped suddenly, almost forgetting his name, let alone how to speak. His eyes traveled up and down her lean form a couple times before he found his voice. "You look.... stunning." To his amazement, she actually blushed. Reaching into his pocket, he handed her a small velvet box. "What's this?" she asked. "I had just bought it in the Zocolo when Stephen called. Go on, open it." he urged her. She did, and her eyes were met with an small, exquisite tiara. "The finishing touch." Marcus explained, "For the Ice Princess." He took it from her and gently pushed the combs into her hair, then stepped back to look at it. "Perfect." he murmured. Still smiling, Susan put the music crystal from Delenn into the reader. It was the same song they had danced to at the party! "Thank you very much, Marcus. It's beautiful," she told him as he took her in his arms and they began a slow dance in the middle of the room. "It's nothing compared to you." he whispered in her ear. They lapsed into silence for a moment before Marcus commented, "I think I know who's going to be wearing the pants in this relationship." "Who said anything about anyone wearing any pants at all?" Susan smiled, then silenced his answer with a kiss. ------------ Emily climbed out from under the booth, and crawled over to sit by her sister. Elizabeth was holding Boris, and looking at something. Emily turned her gaze to Elfia, who was looking at the same thing. "What are you two looking at?" she asked. "Them." Elfia pointed to Zak and Lyta, who were sharing a martini and laughing. "They like each other...a lot." Elizabeth added. "Are we going to get them together?" Emily asked, hugging Annabelle close. "Yeah." Elfia said. "Alright." Emily said to the both of them, "Just don't get us stuck on an ice planet this time?" {End.} What do you think?