From: Becki Blumer Subject: Fan Fiction Submission: The Sunrise of Za'ha'dum Date: Wed, 30 Dec 1998 22:24:12 +0000 Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net The Sunrise of Za'ha'dum Adult Warnings: Implied Sex "The Sunrise of Za'ha'dum" by Meredith D. Holt [MV] [SS] Summary: An alternate universe story. Susan Ivonava disapeared 6 months ago during the final attack on Za'ha'dum, and has been missing ever since. Presumed dead by almost everyone, her funeral was held and that seemed to be the end of it. But, unknown to everyone else, Marcus, unable to cope with the lose of the woman he loved, has sent a team to Za'ha'dum to find her..... Hello All, If this isn't a denile story, I don't know what is. But I thought it up when my younger cousin who watches B-5 asked me if Ivonava died on Za'ha'dum, (He hadn't gotten past the third season). Anyway, thanks to John, my cousin, for the inspiration, and to Adam and Stephy for putting up with me and reading my stories. This story is dedicated to Katie G. and Carrie M, the real Kath and Cay. Oh, and Kyri, I am going to come up with a sequel to 'No Hail Marys, No Regrets' that will probably be set some time during Crusade. Ain't life fun? Any and all comments, questions and pink poka-dotted chimps with lime disease to beckihblumer@fuse.net. Enjoy! Love Always, Meredith Legal Disclaimer: Tomatoes are red, Lawsuits are blue, JMS made all, (Except for Kath, Cay and Hesper) PLEASE DON'T SUE! Personal Disclaimer: This came from the twisted midnight mind of me! The Sunrise of Za'ha'dum by Meredith D. Holt beckihblumer@fuse.net Prologue- Shadow and Substance Marcus Cole sat in the command chair of White Star 13, holding his breath as Ivonava and the rest of the ground assault team dodged the missiles being hurled at them from the surface of Za'ha'dum. he thought, praying she make it through this day. Susan was strong. He knew that she would. "Marcus, Ivonava to Marcus." Ivonava's slightly annoyed voice came shakily through the speaker. "Marcus here." he said. "We're on the ground, moving into the Capital City." she reported. He held his breath. "Proceed." he said sorrowfully. He didn't want to send her into this. The battle raged on, for the better part of the day. The Shadows were becoming desperate as the Vorlons and the rest of the fleet pummeled the surface. An explosion rocked the planet. "Marcus to Sheridan." Marcus called out over the com. "Sheridan, go." "What the hell was that?" he asked. "Marcus," Delenn voice could be heard. "The Shadows bombed the capital city." "Oh, God no. Susan!" Marcus began to cry. "I'm Sorry Marcus. We all are." Marcus got off the shuttle to the station, his face still wet with tears. She was gone. Damn it! Why had he let her go! He could have stopped it, some how.....Maybe she was still alive. Maybe.... Part 1- Blood 6 months later Rocks crunched beneath the feet of the rangers combing the catacombs of Za'ha'dum. The blood red light of the tunnels made it an eerie spot, and Hesper felt a chill run down her spine. She was doing this only as a favor to Marcus, because she knew how much he had loved Commander Ivonava, though he hadn't had the strength to tell the woman of his feelings. "Over here!" some one called out. Hesper ran towards the sound of the Minbari accent. There was a young Minbari girl, bent over the form of a woman. She had been bleeding, and her hair was stained red from it. Her eyes were closed, and her skin bruised and torn in places. But she was still breathing. "Its her!" Hesper said in triumph. "Come on!" she motioned to some rangers, who picked up the woman's lithe form and carried it to the ship. Marcus would be overjoyed. "Come on, lets get outa this hell." Hesper said, glancing over her shoulders and into the shadows. A shiver ran down her spine once more. Just ghosts. Nothing more. Nothing More. Marcus came home from a meeting with the new Captains of the station. John and Delenn had both decided that since the station was to be in joint custody of Earth and the Rangers, then it should have two captains. Delenn had chosen the best ranger: a woman by the name of Cay Phillips. And John had chosen the finest officer he could find, and woman by the name of Kath Phillips. Turns out, they were twins, and it could get very confusing if it weren't for their uniforms. As usual, he was very depressed, and was only going to check his messages before he flopped down on the bed to dream as he always did, of Susan. The first two messages were from Dr. Franklin, reminding him to stop by and get his shoulder treated. Marcus had injured it in the battle for Za'ha'dum, and it still hadn't healed yet. The third was from Delenn, asking him if he could get a hold of a certain ranger for Lennier. He was fast getting bored with this. The fourth was from Michael, something about a surprise for Lise that he wanted Marcus to arrange. But the last message was from Hesper Bennet. A ray of hope leapt in Marcus as her face came on screen. "Marcus, I have good news. We found her." Marcus let out a wild 'whoop' of joy, his eyes over flowing with happy tears as he listened to the rest. "She was in a comma when we found her, and we placed her in Cryo as soon as we cleaned her up. If she comes out, and she should soon, then she'll be fine as soon as she fully heals. I know you'll be happy to hear the news, and I am happy for you. I'm going to accompany her on the next White Star that passes through, number 45, I'll be there in three days. Valen be with you Marcus, my friend." and the message ended. Now all Marcus had to do was tell the rest of the crew. "She's what!" John exclaimed as Marcus told the assemblage at the usual morning meeting in the President's office. "You heard me, Susan is alive." Marcus said, trying not to cry for joy. "What, wait, how?" Michael asked. "Simple,' Marcus said with uncommon patience, "I asked a personal Ranger friend of mine, Hesper Bennet, to take a small team and look for her. They found her, and she was in a coma, so they cleaned her up and put her in Cryo for the trip here. Hesper and Susan will be arriving on White Star 45 in two days. They say that once she's out of the coma, she'll be fine." "Oh, Marcus. What wonderful news." Delenn said from where she was sitting on the couch, heavily pregnant with Sheridan Twins. "Shall I get a guard to escort Ms. Bennet and the unit to Med-lab, Marcus?" That was from Kath. She always thought of such things. "No, I'll do it." Marcus told her, "But thank you any way." "You are quite welcome." "Now, of course Marcus, I will over see her treatment?" Stephen said, as though his pride and reputation had been affronted. "Well, now. Hesper wanted to send a Minbari doctor, but I told her you'd chew her up and spit her out. So, yes, you will." Marcus said with a straight face, but everyone in the room, except Kath and Stephen , burst out laughing. Two days later- Marcus shifted on one foot to the other as he waited for the shuttle from White Star 45 to dock. This was driving him CRAZY. Captain Cay Phillips giggled behind him. "Oh, and I suppose YOU think its funny!" Marcus said, only slightly annoyed. "Oh, Marcus. Its just I've never seen you like this before." Cay said. "Well get used to it. Marcus spent two years mooning over Susan like this." Stephen said from the door way. Cay giggled again. Both she and Kath were very young to be Captains. Finally, the shuttle docked and a young woman ranger with deep black hair and an Asian looking face exited, escorting a cryo unit. "Friend Marcus." she said with a smile in her eyes, "I am happy to return to you this lost item." "Hesper, you always did have a sick sense of humor." Marcus said as he gave her a hug. Then he turned to the rest of his party. "Hesper, may I introduce Captain Cay Phillips and Dr. Stephen Franklin." "It is a pleasure to meet you, I am sure." Hesper said as she shook Cay's hand. Then she turned to Stephen. Marcus had to say, the doctor looked quite enchanted with his cohort, but what she said next shocked all of them to no end. "So this is the doctor who, how did you put it Marcus? Oh, yes, 'chew me up and spit me out' if I brought a Minbari doctor?" Everyone but Stephen laughed. "Marcus, I'm going to kill you!" Stephen said. "Ah, aha." Hesper said innocently, "But that would do no good for your reputation." They all laughed again before turning to escort the Cryo unit to Med lab. There Marcus was informed he could come back in an hour or so and Susan would be out of Cryo. He did so, but it was the longest hour of his life. Susan lay there, perfectly still on the Med-lab bed. She hadn't changed much, just a little thinner maybe, and her hair was longer, but that was it. Marcus felt his heart over flow with love for this woman as he sat down and took her hand. "I missed you." he said, hoping she could hear him, "I missed you very very much. I was so worried, they thought you were dead, and I was beginning to believe so myself, but I knew that nothing could kill my Susan." he said, as he brushed a lock of hair away from her face. Then he bent and whispered in her ear; 'I love you." Marcus visited Susan every day for an hour for the next week and a half. Stephen said she was getting better. One day, he decided to come and hour early, since her didn't have any afternoon meetings. He sat down once more beside her, telling her of his day and how much he loved her and wanted her to wake up. Suddenly, he heard a moaning noise from the bed. She groaned again, and then opened those indigo eyes he loved so much and just stared up for a second. "Oh, Susan, you're awake!" he said as he helped her sit up, then gave her a hug, 'Oh, Valen has been good to me!" "Marcus," she said, her voice cracking a little. "Please, shut up!" "Well," he said, mock affronted, "Its not every day the woman I love comes back from the dead!" "Marcus, I wasn't dead, I...." she began to say, but then her mind traveled back a couple of sentences. "Oh, MY GOD. You just said that, you didn't day that, did you say that?" "Yes, Susan, you heard me." Marcus said, amused with how flustered she was getting, at least she wasn't going to kill him As much as he didn't want to admit that he was afraid that she would hang him from the Zocolo rafters as a lesson to the rest. He heard a soft crying sound as realized that she had her head in her hands and was weeping. "Hush...Its Okay.." he said as he took her into his arms and rocked her gently. "So! How's my famous patient!?" Stephen Franklin asked from the door. Susan looked up, wiped her eyes on her sleeve and gave Stephen the trademark, 'I WILL KILL YOU' look. 'You had better have a good explanation as to WHY I'm NOT dead!" Susan exclaimed. "Well, I don't have that for you, but I can tell you what has happened since you've been gone, but I think Marcus would rather do that." Stephen said the a twinkle in his eye. "Is there any thing wrong with me?" Susan asked, fear lacing her voice. "Well, other then your temper, nothing that won't heal. You will have to stay in bed for at least two weeks so your body can heal, but I think that you can leave Med-lab in a few days. Some one will have to take care of you for the remainder of the time and Marcus already volunteered." Stephen reported, not looking at either of them for fear that he would laugh. "Huh." Susan said, as if her pride was under consideration. "I guess. How soon can I leave?" "Susan, Susan," Marcus teased, "Aren't you anxious to enjoy the Med facilities!?" Susan couldn't help but laugh at that one. "Now stop making fun of my Med Lab, you two, or I'll confine Susan here her entire two weeks!" Stephen burst out and both fell silent. A knock sounded on the door. "Come." Stephen said. The door pulled aside to reveal John, Delenn, Michael, and Hesper. "Susan, its good to see you awake." John said as he came over and gave her a hug. "How do you feel?" "Like the entire Shadow Fleet chewed me up and spit me out!" Susan said, then more softly, "Did we win?" "Of course we won!" Michael said, "Was there every ANY doubt!" They all laughed, and Stephen noticed Hesper standing off in the corner, waiting for the others to finish. "Susan, it is good to see you well again." Delenn said as she gave Susan a hug, as best she could with the twins. "Ah, Delenn...What happened?" Susan asked with a twinkle in her eye. "Twins happened!" Delenn exclaimed. "Ahhhhhh." Susan said. They talked for the better part of an hour, then decided that Susan should rest, so John, Delenn and Michael left. Then Hesper came forward. "Marcus, I've never met her before." Susan said quietly. "No, but this is Hesper, she and her team found you on Za'ha'dum." Marcus told her. Hesper handed Susan a package. "Its Minbari tea, and some candles, they should help you relax." Hesper explained, "I hope that you recover fully." "Thank you, very much." Susan said as she shook the other woman's hand. Hesper bowed and then allowed Dr. Franklin to show her out. Susan was ready to be moved in two days, and Marcus made sure that the room he found her was absolutely PERFECT. She had to be sedated for the move, so when she woke up, she would be in the new room, since Cay and Kath were using her old quarters. Susan awoke to light streaming through a window. Surprised, she wondered if she was dreaming. She was laying on a cherry wood four poster bed, with a pink canopy and covers. She wasn't even wearing the hospital gown any more, but instead her old silk night gown and robe. "Hello there, glad to see you are awake." Marcus said as he entered her room from what looked like an adjoining area. "Morning." Susan said softly, pulling the robe a bit closer. "Actually, its afternoon." Marcus said as he took a seat on the bed beside her. "Marcus, this room, its amazing." Susan breathed as she gazed around. "Thanks, it looks out over the Gardens. There's even some stairs, so when you're better, we can take a walk." Marcus said. She could tell he was being deliberately casual. "Marcus." she said, and he looked down. "Marcus, look at me." he did. "Did you mean what you said earlier?" she asked, her throat tight. "Yes, every word of it!" Marcus exclaimed, "I love you, Susan Ivonava! When you died, I almost killed myself, I felt like it was all my fault. And then, when Hesper's team found you, I felt like yelling from one end of the station to the other that the woman I loved was alive!" Marcus told her truthfully. He had realized that if he held back, he might never say it, and then, it would be the biggest mistake of his life. He'd done it once, he wouldn't make the same mistake again. She began to cry again, and he took her once more into his arms and rocked her gently. "Marcus." she said, looking up at him with tear filled eyes, "I've wanted to hear you say that for so long. At first, I mean, I didn't want to love you, because, I have such a bad record, everyone I love dies or abandons me. Mama, Papa, Ganya, Jeff, Malchom, Talia...John almost did. But you got under my skin some how. But then, when I was dying, I knew I'd never see you again, and that was the only draw back. I love you too." She spoke it so softly, he had to strain to here it, but it was there. He felt like yelling and shouting for joy, or kissing her. But he didn't want to scare her away. So he just held her closer, and she fell asleep in his arms. "Mama! Mama! Where are you!? Mama, where are you!?" little Susan cried as ran through the hall of her house. "Susatchka?" a disembodied voice called out. "Mama?" she opened the bedroom door, and there her Mama lay, in a pool of her own blood. "Mama!!!" "Susan, I did it for you! Now they won't find you. You can be safe. I did it because I love you, Susatchka!" her mother told her softly, as her eyes began to close. Frantically she knelt next to her mother, oblivious to the blood, trying to wake her, trying to make her stay. The Shadows behind her began to move, they became spider like creatures, their tentacles reaching out for her. "NOOOOOOO!" Susan screamed. "What do you want? What do you want? What do you want? What do you want? WHAT DO YOU WANT?" They yelled at her. "Make it stop! Noooo! Mama, Mama!" Susan cried out in her sleep, thrashing terribly and waking Marcus. "Its okay Susan, you're safe!" Marcus told her desperately. Still she thrashed, and he pulled her close. She opened her eyes, still screaming and looked around. "Its okay...Its okay, Susan." Marcus told her, trying to comfort her. Gradually, her cries died and she relaxed into his arms once more. He let go and pulled the covers around her, laying her down and smoothing her hair. Marcus made a move to get up, but she grabbed his arm. "Stay, Marcus. Please?" she asked him. He'd never seen her like this, and he certainly wouldn't refuse her anything. So he took off his boots and crawled under the covers with her, taking her in his arms and holding her tight. Both of them soon feel asleep... Part 2- Heat Susan awoke to sensation of someone toying with her hair. Slowly, she opened she eyes to see Marcus staring at her. "Hello, beautiful." he said softly. She smiled and closed her eyes once more, content that she was safe. She lay there a while longer until she assured herself that she was ready to get up. "Marcus?" she asked. "Um?" "I'm little hungry." Susan said, as her tummy growled for effect. "Well, our aim is to please. Be right back!" Marcus said as he hoped out of bed and headed for the kitchenette. Susan propped herself up amongst the pillows and waited for him to return. She felt good about life again, but she supposed that coming back from the dead could do that for you. Falling asleep in Marcus' arms had been the most reassuring thing she'd felt in years, she could not recall any one who made her feel the way Marcus did. He was so special, so innocent, so... She had to stifle a giggle, she remembered his little admission to her a while back; he was a VIRGIN. "What, pray tell, does her highness find so funny?" Marcus asked as he came in the room with a tray. "Nothing..." Susan said, trying to act out SOME innocence. "Come, come! I know that YOU are lying." Marcus said as he took a seat on the bed and set the tray before her. "Well, I was wondering...if you could cook." She lied. "No, actually. Well, maybe a bit better then Sheridan.." "No body is worse then JOHN!" Susan burst out. "True. Anyway, dinner is served!" He exclaimed with flair. Susan looked upon what he had lovingly set out; many of the dishes were her favorite. Including the desert, chocolate chess pie, and it looked like the real thing! "Marcus, how did you..." Susan began, but he cut her off. "Simple. Same way as I got your breakfast two year ago." he told her. The each dug into their dinners, simply enjoying each others company. The first week seemed to fly by, even with Ivonava confined to the bed. Marcus had vids, and books, and diversions galore to keep her busy. John and Delenn stopped by three or four times, and Hesper seemed to be Stephen's shadow these days, always there when he came to make his daily check up. Even Kath and Cay There was only one dark cloud in Susan's other wise blue skies. Each night, she woke up screaming in terror from nightmares so real that she swore they actually happened. It scared her. Every time, Marcus was there to rock her back to sleep, even to the point where he just went to bed with her every night to try and keep the dreams away. It didn't help. Marcus would have been floating on cloud nine if it weren't for the fact that he knew his Susan was in pain. He wanted to help her, but he didn't know how. "Marcus?" Susan asked into the dark room, "Can I open my eyes now?" More rustling could be heard some where in the dark of the room. "In a second! Where is that...DAMN!" Marcus said. "It might help if you turned on the lights!?" Susan suggested, but he continued to search, finally, he lit some candles and held for a box. It was velvet, mall and deep blue...it was a ring box. Susan sucked in her breath as she opened it. Inside was a beautiful gold ring, with a large sapphire set in it, surrounded by garnets and diamonds. "Oh, Marcus! Its beautiful!" Susan breathed as he took it out of the box and slipped it on her finger. "Marry me then?" he asked her, his voice cracking a bit. "Oh, Marcus..." he held his breath as she paused, "Of course I'll marry you!" His eyes went wide and he picked her up and spun around the room. "WHOOPEE!" he shouted out as he set her back down. "Marcus, you're terrible, you'll wake up the entire station that way!" Susan told him with a smile. Her tummy growled. "I'll go get dinner, then." he said as he gave it a pat. He started to leave, but she pulled him back down on the bed. "Forget dinner." she said seductively as she pulled him down to kiss him. They came up for air moments later. "If you think that in your condition that you are..." he started, but she kissed him again, this time running her hands up and down his back. "Going to...convince me...to..." he said in between kisses. "Then.. .you...win." Whatever dinner Marcus had planned would be very cold when they finally got around to it, very cold indeed. Part 3- Tears The rest of Susan's confinement time seemed to fly by, but the nightmare persisted. It was three days before Susan would go back on duty, to the new position John and Delenn had agreed she deserved; Vice President of the Nation of Planets' Alliance. Everyone had seemed overjoyed that she would soon be Vice President Susan Ivonava-Cole, something was still bothering her, and Marcus knew it. He could tell this as he studied her one day as they took a walk in the Garden. "Susan, what is it?" Marcus asked her. "Marcus, I...that is.." she fumbled, then seemed to regain composer, "I need to go to Za'ha'dum. I need to see what the Shadows took from me." "If that's what you feel you need to do, then do it." Marcus told her sincerely, "Were you afraid I wouldn't want you to go?" he asked. "Yes, but I would have gone anyway." she told him frankly. White Star 27- Over Za'ha'dum Susan looked down at the destruction of Za'ha'dum. The planet itself was a memorial to the destructive power of war and aggression. And Chaos. She wondered what the Shadows had taken from her. How could she get it back? "Are you alright, love?" Marcus asked her as he came up and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Yes. I'm fine." she began, but she didn't finish. The ship that stood in the shadow of Za'ha'dum could now plainly see the point of growing light as the sun of the solar system cast its light over the abandoned planet. As Susan Lucretia soon-to-be-Ivonava/Cole watched the Sunrise over Za'ha'dum with her husband at her side, she knew that the only thing that the Shadows could really take from her, was her fear of love, and why would she want THAT back? [END]