A typical morning on Babylon 5:

Sheridan and Delenn are in the War Room, going over the latest information received regarding Clark’s activities with Lennier and holding hands under the table.

Franklin is Downbelow at his free clinic, doing what he can to help the indigent populace of the station.

Garibaldi and Allen are working out in the gym while discussing the merits of Bugs Bunny vs. Daffy Duck.

Susan is in C&C, supervising docking procedures, keeping an eagle eye on the junior officers, and generally having *fun* ruling her corner of the galaxy. She is reading a report on her desk, leans down to pick something off the floor and smells... what is that smell? She picks up the report and takes a deeper breath, it smells like...Marcus. Looking at the end of the report, she sees it is indeed from him but when did she start recognizing his scent? She feels warm (something must be wrong with the environmental controls), goes down to Lt. Corwin’s station.

Susan: “Lt., have you been playing with the temperature controls again?”

Corwin: “No, Commander. It’s been the same all morning,” steps aside so she can see C&C’s status monitor. “Maybe you should go see Dr...” and trails off as he feels the patented Ivanova stare upon him.

Susan doesn’t say anything, she doesn’t have to, she is supreme ruler of their junior officer lives. She returns to her desk and adds another stare for good measure, Lt. Corwin ducks his head and becomes very interested in the Starfury repair reports.

Marcus, well Marcus is meeting with a Ranger in an unnamed and almost unfindable den of thieves deep in the bowels of the station we call home. He is there to get a verbal report and data crystal with information on some of the Shadow allies’ activities, but his mind is elsewhere.

Marcus: “So you think that some of them might be on the N’Kilya colony?” (I wonder if I can “accidentally” run into Susan when she goes to lunch?).

Ranger: “Yes, I had left a probe in that system as you asked and it recorded the images of ships matching the description of those that left Z’ha’dum. They arrived in the system 3 days ago."

Marcus: “3 days ago, mmm....(I wonder where I could get a 4 poster bed?) I’ll meet with Entil-Zha and the Captain (and time it to be over around C&C’s lunchtime) and inform them of what you have found. That system has nearly 2 million inhabitants, wouldn’t want them to become something nasty’s lunch, would we?”

Marcus finishes his meeting with Delenn and Sheridan exactly when planned and just happens to be in the corridor that Susan has to go down to get some lunch.

Marcus: “Ah, Susan, I was wondering if you’d like to have lunch with me?”

Susan: “No.”

Marcus: “Supper?”

Susan: “No.”

Marcus: “ Breakfast, midnight snack, last meal? C’mon, you have to eat anyway, why not with me?”

Susan: “No, no, no, and no, I don’t, I think I’ll skip lunch.” She heads back to C&C.

Marcus looks after her with a woebegone look on his face, considering testing the wallpanel’s resistance to his skull or practicing with his fighting pike and accidentally knocking himself out. Lennier is walking down the corridor, notices Marcus’ disconsolate features and greets him, bowing in Minbari fashion.

Lennier: “What is wrong Marcus?”

Marcus: “I can’t get someone to eat with me.”

Lennier: “I have not partaken of my midday meal yet, would you like to eat with me?”

Marcus: (inner sigh) “Certainly Lennier, lead the way.”

As they walk toward the Zocalo in search of something to feed the inner man, Lennier and Marcus carry on small talk, each one lost in inner thoughts. They pass Garibaldi and Allen, who are also on their way to lunch.

Lennier: “So the warrior caste is following Neroon’s lead, at least for the present” (She was holding Sheridan’s hand under the table, did they think I would not notice).

Marcus: “And Harrison Ford played the lead in Witness, yes, I see...” (How am I ever going to tell Susan what she means to me if I can’t spend any time with her).

Garibaldi and Allen exchange looks. Garibaldi: "Maybe they’re playing some weird Minbari game, but I’m not gonna be the one to ask."

Allen: “Good idea, Chief. Hey, speaking of leads, did you see the cartoon where Bugs...” and the rest of their conversation is lost as we follow Marcus and Lennier. After starting in on their lunches, the conversation picks up again.

Marcus: “So, Lennier. Heard of any life-threatening missions I can be sent off on?”

Lennier: “No, but I am sure that if you wait a day or two, the Captain will think of something.” He says this with a sincere, deadpan expression on his face. Marcus isn’t sure if he is kidding or not and is about to ask. “And if he doesn’t think of something for you, he will think of some mission where he has to go off with Delenn.”

Marcus: “And that bothers you?”

Lennier: “Sometimes, when I am being selfish. But then I remember the prophecies and know she will never love me and I feel better.”

Marcus: “I wish I could have your positive outlook on life, Lennier. Sometimes I think my love-life won’t turn out that well.”

Lennier: “You’re in love with Delenn?”

Marcus is woolgathering, realizes what Lennier is saying: “Oh, no, not Delenn. Though she is quite lovely herself. No, my ambitions lie elsewhere my friend."

Lennier: “The person who would not ingest food with you.”

Marcus: “Yes, she’s being a little hard to get to know. Usually when we converse, we’re in imminent danger of dying. The non-lifethreatening situations where we could talk about something besides battle have been few and far between.”

Lennier: “And you would like to spend more time with her without fearing for your life.”

Marcus: “Precisely, though in her present disposition towards me, I might have reason to fear even if there was no war going on. Ah well, maybe something will come up where she’ll have to spend time with me. If you hear of any long-range, dangerous missions for two, let me know, okay?”

Lennier: “Of course, but the Captain and Delenn might insist on going themselves.”

Marcus: “They would be that selfish, wouldn’t they.”

- - - - - - - - - - -

That evening, as Susan’s shift is over, Marcus is hurrying down the same corridor he had utilized in his earlier attempt with her. Susan is also hurrying down the selfsame corridor, engrossed in studying a report and not paying attention to where she is going. Crash!

Susan: “Ow! Marcus! What do you think you were doing?” They both bend down to pick up the various objects she had dropped in the collision.

Marcus: “The Captain asked me to review the report from the S’Keyr and said that you had the information.” They both reach for a crystal at the same time and clasp hands. She looks up, their faces are inches apart (I never realized that his eyes are the color of the sea near St. Petersburg). She realizes that they are holding hands and jerks hers out of his warm grip.

Susan: “The report is on this crystal that I just dropped. If you haven’t damaged it.”

Marcus takes a cursory look at it: “No, I think it is fine. Are you okay?”

Susan stands up, he is still at her feet although all the objects have been recovered. “Fine, fine. Why are you still down there?”

Marcus: “Because you’re standing on my cape.”

Susan practically jumps back: “Sorry, Marcus. That cape kind of blends in with its surroundings.”

Marcus: “That’s the idea, Susan. Now, are you still not hungry or will you have supper with me?”

Susan: “No, I’ve made plans already.... for the next 50 years actually.”

Marcus: “And after then?”

Susan: “I might let you wheel me down to the Zocalo and feed me. Goodnight, Marcus.”

Marcus: “Goodnight, Susan.” (I’ve got to speed up her timetable a little. Maybe wheedle her down to 20 years).

- - - - - - - - - - -

The next day finds: A fight in Downbelow. Marcus is using his Minbari fighting pike with several opponents lying unconscious at his feet. Someone comes at him with a knife and he deflects it with his pike, but the blade scratches his arm. Marcus finishes off his adversary, then his vision starts to blur. He makes it to Medlab, using pike as support, says “Stephen, I think I’ve been poisoned...” and collapses at Stephen’s feet dropping knife as he faints. Stephen calls for help, they begin working on him.

Sheridan and Delenn come in: “What happened, Stephen?”

Stephen: “He was knifed in Downbelow. He managed to divert the blow, but the blade still broke the skin. I’ve analyzed the substance on the knife and it’s a Centauri poison called v’liron. Vir tells me it causes instantaneous death to his race, but since Marcus is human and received a very small dose, he might pull through.”

Sheridan: “Might?”

Stephen: “If his fever breaks, I think he’ll make it. There is no known cure, so I’m pumping him full of antibiotics and running tests.”

Delenn: “I will stay with him.”

Stephen: “Thank you Delenn, some of what he’s saying is in Minbari.”

Delenn: “Saying?”

Stephen: “He’s delirious, won’t stop talking. That would be normal, but here, listen for yourself.” They go into Marcus’ room.

Marcus is lying there, his eyes open but unseeing, tossing and turning. “Susan, Susan where are you?”

Delenn touches his arm: “Marcus.”

He doesn’t recognize her. “Susan, where’s Susan?”

Sheridan: “Do you think he’s talking about Ivanova?”

Delenn: “Who else?”

Sheridan: “I’ll go up to C&C and relieve her, have her come right down.”

In C&C, Sheridan calls Susan into his office.

Susan: “What’s up?”

Sheridan: “Marcus has been poisoned.”

Susan sits down: “What!”

Sheridan: “He’s alive, but Franklin doesn’t know if he’s going to make it. Susan, he keeps calling your name.”

Susan: “Why?”

Sheridan: “That’s something you’ll have to ask him ... if he makes it. Now go on down there, that’s an order.”

Susan: “Yes sir.”

Susan comes into Medlab. Marcus is the same as before, seems to focus on her, though. “Nuzen felanni, en eles madron." Delenn tries to hide a smile.

Susan: “What does that mean?”

Delenn: “You are the most beautiful woman I’ve ever met."

Susan “He said that before to me, on the Whitestar and told me that it meant ‘My words are inadequate to the burden of my heart.’ I’m gonna kill him if he gets over this.”

Delenn: “Has he never spoken to you of his feelings?”

Susan: “Of course not! When we were out searching for First Ones, he said that he was waiting...um, in love with someone special and he hadn’t told her yet. I never guessed....”

Delenn: “It is good to see that his heart is not as dead as he thought. What do you feel for him?”

Susan: “I don’t know, until today I thought he was in love with someone else, why didn’t he say something?”

Marcus begins to speak again, a mixture of Minbari/English. Delenn translates for Susan as needed: “the most beautiful, the most maddening woman in the universe and I have to love her... how can I tell her that she is my beloved...”

Delenn: “It seems he is trying to make up for lost time.”

Susan: “But he has to wait til he isn’t in his right mind, might die” . Delenn puts her hand on Susan’s shoulder.

Delenn: “He will recover Susan, he must.”

Susan nods, pulls a chair up beside Marcus’ bed and brushes a lock of hair out of his eyes, then takes his hand.

Hours pass and visitors come and go: Lennier, G’Kar, various Rangers, Sheridan, and Garibaldi. Delenn stays there for hours, then goes to her quarters to get some sleep, but Susan remains.

Later...

Marcus: “Cold, so cold”.... Susan looks around and doesn’t see any extra blankets or Medlab personnel.

Susan: “Guess I’ll have to do this the old fashioned way," gently gets into bed with him, hugs him and rocks back and forth. He is soothed, begins proclaiming her virtues and vices again, along with his love for her.

Later on he wakes from fever and finds her asleep in his arms. Marcus smiles and wakes her “Did I miss something?”

Susan tells him about the poisoned knife and the resulting fever.

Marcus: “Did I say anything?”

Susan: “Oh, boy, did you say something: “Nuzen felanni, en eles madron” and lots of other things in Minbari.

Marcus: “Did you understand anything that I said?”

Susan: “Not til Delenn translated for me." He falls back, embarrassed, blushing. “When were you going to get around to telling me?”

Marcus: “I was afraid”

Susan: “Afraid? Afraid of what?”

Marcus: “Of what you might say and what you might not say, of a hundred different things. Mainly I was afraid to open my heart again to someone.”

Susan: “I thought....”

Marcus: “I cared very much for a woman at my colony, we were planning to be married and she died because I didn’t listen to my brother."

Susan: “She died during the Shadow attack?"

Marcus: “Shortly afterwards, in my arms.”

Susan: “Marcus, you didn’t kill her, the Shadows did.”

Marcus: “But I should have believed my brother, should have been able to do something...”

Susan: “If you keep living in the past, this relationship is going to be even harder than I thought.”

Marcus: “Relationship?" he asked, a wistful note in his voice.

Susan: “I don’t know what else to call it right now. Before Lorien and the First Ones left, we had several conversations -- he talked almost as much as you do. He told me that I needed to start talking to my heart again.”

Marcus: “What else?”

Susan: “That love is the only thing that makes us feel like we can live forever. Well, in the endless hours that you’ve been lying here proclaiming your heart’s desires to anyone that cared to listen, I’ve been talking to my heart.”

Marcus: “What does it say?”

Susan: “That you’re unlike anyone I’ve ever known. you drive me crazy, yet...”

Marcus: “Well, if it’s any comfort, you drive me crazy, too.”

Susan: “Thanks a lot.”

Marcus: “But when I thought about why you were driving me crazy, that’s when I realized that maybe that part of my heart wasn’t as dead as I thought. Maybe I should have gotten poisoned a long time ago, it gave us the opportunity to ...”

Susan:”Sleep together?”

Marcus blushes again. “Actually, I was going to say open up to each other and admit our feelings.”

Susan: “Whoa... let’s not go too fast here. I’m not sure of what exactly my feelings are, it’s been awhile since I’ve had any. While you’re lying here recuperating (she gets up, he is reluctant to let her go, keeps hold of her hand) we can both be thinking about what’s been said.”

Marcus “You do realize that I’m a very quick healer?”

Susan: “That’s what I’m afraid of.”

Stephen comes in: “How’s my favorite bed partners doing?” This time Susan blushes and leaves. “Marcus, I do believe there’s hope for the two of you yet.”

Marcus: “It was just a matter of time before she fell victim to my natural charms.”

Stephen: “And heard you screaming ‘I love you Susan’ for hours.”

Marcus: “Did I scream that?”

Stephen: “Among other things.”

Marcus: “Stephen, we need to have a talk. What exactly did I say?”

Stephen: “Well, some of it was in Minbari, so you’ll have to ask Delenn, she was here almost as much as Susan.”

Marcus: “Does anyone not know what I said while I was out of my mind?”

Stephen: “It may not have reached the outer rim yet...”

Marcus: “Please continue, I suppose I’d better hear all the bad news at once. It’s a wonder Susan didn’t kill me where I lay.”

Stephen: “I think she thought about it, but there were too many witnesses ‘Now where shall I begin?’” Fade out to his talking, Marcus’ reactions “I said what!

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