RECONCILIATION

DISCLAIMER; THESE CHARACTERS ARE ALL PROPERTY OF JMS, NO COPYRIGHT

INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED. STORY; G

Prologue

The dark cell breathed an air of solitude. Its sole inhabitant sat on the cold stone floor, pondering his misery. He moaned and fought down the impulse to demolish the only piece of furniture in the lonely room. A bowl, containing some food, had been placed on the table. He forced back the shame that made its way through his mind. He was indignant over the misery he was in. He had attempted to escape, but his guards had captured him right away. Security was too tight, too well organized. His captor was playing a dangerous game. The clan of the Star Riders would never allow the clan of the Winds Swords to kill their Satai. The Star Riders were overwhelmingly powerful as Ratok, his captor and head of the Wind Swords was going to find out.

Neroon knew that he had to wait for his clan to break him free. His wrath would be terrible. Although Minbari law prohibited him from killing Ratok, he would make sure Ratok was going to suffer. Neroon ignored the fact that the

same law had kept him alive until now, but he considered imprisonment worse than death. A burden of shame was placed on his shoulders by allowing himself to be captured. He had become careless, too pleased with himself to

discover the betrayal taking place. In his relentless mind he was already dealing out punishment to Ratok and his followers.

Marcus yawned. He had just returned from a rather tiring mission. He’d managed to give a complete report to Delenn in less than an hour. ** A new record.** Delenn, sensing his exhausition, had been content with his account and

had dismissed him to get some necessary sleep.

Finally he was able to get to bed. For a moment he mused about the short span of time he spent in his own quarters. He closed his eyes, forcing back the memories of his failed mission. The man he was sent to rescue had not made it out alive and had died. During his mission, he barely had time to sleep so he had been awake for 4 days in a row. Prostration took over as he fell asleep.

"I hate doing this to him, Lennier. He was visibly fatigued."

"But he is the best we have." Lennier agreed with Delenn. Marcus needed some rest, but he had to be the voice of

reason. Marcus was the best man for the job. Sheridan shared Lennier's opinion. The three of them were sitting in Delenn's rooms waiting for Commander Susan Ivanova to arrive.

"This is not going to be easy on them. I do hope Marcus survives this mission." Sheridan attempted some humor to lift their spirits, but failed. The situation was too grave. The door chime rang.

"Enter."

Susan Ivanova entered the room. She was in uniform, although this was supposed to be her day off. She’d changed into uniform when she heard that she had been called back to partake in a mission. She noticed their serious expressions; this was bad.

"Commander, please sit down." Sheridan took control. Susan was his second in command and he hated to send her off on these potentially hopeless missions.

"Captain..." Susan waited. Sheridan would tell her all she needed to know.

"Two hours ago a message was dispatched from Minbar. It informed us that Neroon has been taken prisoner by Ratok, the most influential warrior of the Wind Swords. Apparently Ratok discovered that Neroon has been acting on Delenn's behalf within the Warrior Caste."

Susan frowned. "Neroon is on our side then? Are we talking about the same arrogant son of a bitch?"

"Yes. I realize it is hard to believe, but that encounter he had with Marcus changed his mind about some subjects. He has been soothing the other warrior clans, but his support is gone now. We have to act before Ratok gains enough power to control the Warrior Caste." Delenn observed Susan closely while explaining.

"I understand, but why me? I don't even speak Minbari! "

"You'll not be alone. You're an experienced warrior, great at improvising. That's why we chose you as one part of the pair to go on this mission." Sheridan licked his lips. He hoped she didn't see through his idiot flattery.

Susan growled, letting him know to quit the coaxing tone. "Who is the other one to go on this mission?" Susan knew Sheridan was keeping something from her. He was stalling, as if fearing her reaction.

"Well, we chose Marcus Cole." Delenn stated the fact calmly, monitoring Susan's reaction. She knew the Commander and the ranger made a good team even though Susan got irritated by Cole quite a bit.

"I knew there was going to be a catch." Actually Susan was pleased to find out Marcus was going to accompany her.

He was an excellent warrior and would be a great help, at least if he reduced the babbling and kept his ways of annoying her to a minimum. But she didn't think it necessary to let them know she didn't mind the company.

Marcus, feeling safe in his quarters, didn't want to wake up when the door chime announced a visitor, or in his thoughts, an intruder. "Go away!!!!!! I want to sleep!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Marcus desperately hoped that would do the trick.

"Marcus, open the door. Delenn has a mission for you."

"OH, NO!" Marcus sighed, still tired from his last assignment. He had slept for exactly 1 hour, great. "All right, keep your pants on, Lennier. Come inside if you have to." Marcus expected Lennier to enter, but in his foggy state of mind he hadn't paid much attention to the voice calling him.

"Marcus."

He nearly jumped out of his bed when his eyes caught sight of Susan Ivanova. She stood, a bit uncomfortable in his quarters. Realization dawned in his mind. He had undressed before going to bed, he was only wearing his knickers.

Susan cleared her throat. She never expected him to look this attractive awakening from deep sleep. ** What are you thinking off, Susan? Stop it !**

Marcus tried to save the awkward situation. "If I had known you would come, I would have dressed accordingly," he started the sentence not knowing where it would end.

"Just relax, Marcus. Delenn told me you had a rough time on your last mission. I am sorry to spoil your rest. There is work to be done."

Marcus watched confused as she blushed. She averted her eyes, giving him a chance to get dressed. He smelled the stench on his coat. He had not been able to clean it yet, but the last thing he wanted was to embarrass Susan even more by having to look at him in his undies. He prefered the smell to standing there in his underwear. "I'm decent now. So what is the problem?" Marcus still felt a bit weak from the sleep deprivation.

Susan eyed him. He looked weary, was he up to this mission? She shrugged off the idea. All he needed was some sleep. Delenn had been determined to tell her of Marcus latest mission. After hearing Marcus had not been able

to save the contact, she knew how bad he would feel. Delenn had called upon her feelings to be not too harsh on the ranger. "Neroon is a prisoner of Ratok. Our mission is to free him."

Marcus nodded. He would never refuse a mission. The Minbari taught him that the most important thing in life was to serve others. He owed Neroon a lot. The Minbari could have killed him when he’d stupidly evoked Denn’ Sha, but Neroon had allowed him to live on. "When are we leaving?"

"The White Star is ready to take us to Minbar. You can sleep during the trip."

He was surprised at her concern.

Susan shuddered, thinking of those horrible Minbari beds. She was going to get a mattress aboard.

Susan and Marcus checked in on the White Star, receiving last instructions from Delenn and the Captain. As soon as the starship had laid in course Marcus headed down to the sleeping area. Susan should already be there. She had decided to get as much rest as possible before the trouble would start. Both of them were not needed on the bridge. As the door opened, Marcus stood still, stunned. In the middle of the corridor, in between the tilted beds lay a mattress complete with cushions and blankets. Susan had made herself comfortable, still clad in uniform and she actually smiled when he came closer.

" Don't say a word!"

"No problem." Marcus lay down on the standard Minbari bed. In the beginning of his ranger training he had trouble sleeping on them, but as the training grew more brutal, he’d learned to sleep everywhere, anyhow.

"Now go to sleep." Susan disliked having to sleep in the same room. It was an invasion of her privacy, but there was no alternative. The next time she looked at Marcus he was sound asleep, his lip curled up in a bemused smile.

Susan, being an extremely light sleeper, woke to a raving, feverish voice talking in Minbari. She searched for its origin. It was Marcus, laying on that idiotly tilted bed. He was having a nightmare. She regretted her Minbari was so afwul. She had no clue what he was talking about. Apparently, he was reliving some distressing situation.

She was not certain how to proceed. Should she wake him or not? By wakening him he might feel embarrassed, but him going on like this was certainly not healthy. Susan wondered what could be upsetting him that much? Was it because of his failed mission? She had to make a choice as Marcus started to cry out even louder, mumbling at times.

Susan got up and walked over to him. She knew she had to wake him. "Marcus, wake up." No reaction. She gently took hold of his shoulders, speaking more forceful now. "Marcus, wake up, you are having a bad nightmare."

Why did she think it was impossible for him to attract some demons that were tormenting his soul? She had read his personal file when he came aboard Babylon 5. She knew he lost his family and friends by a shadow attack. By joining the rangers, he tried to live his brother's ideals. Marcus' reaction perplexed her utterly. She had let her guard down and had to pay the prize for that blunder.

His pike, hidden in his hand, extended, ready for attack. His instincts took over as he grabbed his supposed attacker and threw her to the floor. Susan hadn't expected this show of force. His eyes grew wide as he realized who it was that he had thrown to the floor.

She was actually amused to see his horror stricken expression. She tightly restrained the chuckle that was fighting

its way through. She was going to make him pay for this, if not now then later and he knew it.

"Susan, sorry... I didn't really know what I was doing."

Susan watched him fighting his panic. He jumped back to his feet again, standing there, awaiting his punishement.

She was still trying to figure out why his attack had not ticked her off. Normally she would be kicking her attacker's ass by now. She had to admit that she was rather impressed by his agility and speed. The warrior in her admired the warrior in him. " Well, the least you can do to make this up to me is helping me back to my feet again." Susan extended her right hand.

Marcus hesitated, was she setting him up for something painful? He didn't really have a choice He took her hand and pulled her back up. Susan immediately straightened out her uniform.

" Please forgive me... I..." He was at a loss for words.

Susan saw a possibility to get some payback that had been due for a long time. He felt miserable. She would not do anything to improve his mood. That was punishment enough. **Let him feel like that.** "So much for my rest." Susan checked the time. They would be reaching Minbar in a couple of minutes.

"Are you okay? I do hope I didn't hurt you, being so damned clumsy." Marcus felt terrible for knocking her down. This was the first time his nightmare had surfaced while being in the presence of another soul. As a rule he slept alone, even on his missions, to avoid these situations. He stupidly had assumed he could take the risk to sleep for a couple of hours, being exhausted as he was. He had to keep reminding himself that his nightmare would never leave. He had to stay alert, ensuring he slept alone in future.

"Stop this babbling, Marcus. All of us mortals have nightmares." Susan enjoyed his panic. He had no idea she wasn't mad at him. "Let's head for the bridge, no use going back to sleep now... I always suspected those Minbari beds could give a person nightmares. Better bring along your own mattress next time."

Marcus swore he detected a chuckle in her voice. When he helped her to her feet he expected a hell of a beating. She didn't seem to be so grumpy as she used to be on Babylon 5. She actually seemed to loosen up a bit. He followed her to the bridge, fully intended to keep to the background, not irritating her any further.

The shuttle dropped them off on the secured landing spot, not too close to where Neroon was imprisoned.

"How do we proceed from here?" Susan looked around. She only saw some bushes, meadow and in the distance

some buildings.

Marcus on the other hand was quite cheerfull. He felt at home on Minbar. "We will meet with a Minbari ranger named Zarin. He will provide us with a hiding place. Just follow me. I can't get lost around these parts."

Reluctantly, Susan followed him. "Why can't you get lost here?"

"The ranger training centre is quite close nearby. I came out here quite often to relax. Those Minbari fellows can be a nuisance with their obsession for rituals." Feeling familiar territory beneath his feet, he moved quickly.

Susan had to push herself to keep up the pace and Marcus started to focus on the task at hand. They had dressed in the black cloaks the Warrior Caste used to wear. He wanted to draw as little attention as possible. He knew two humans would cause commotion in these times, being so close to Neroon's prison. Susan managed to keep her thoughts to herself and he stopped talking. They moved in unitied silence. Two hunters...

They approached a small building. A tall Minbari was sitting in front of it, meditating. As he saw them move closer, he rose to his feet. Susan had to admit he looked quite impressive. There was a twinkle in his eyes she had never witnessed in the eyes of a Minbari before...

"Marcus, it has been too long!" Quite uncharacteristicly for a Minbari, he opened his arms and slapped Marcus on his back, friendly, but with force.

Marcus almost hit the ground, not expecting the show of affection and strength from the Minbari. " Have mercy, Zarin, there is still a mission to complete!"

"You've not changed a bit, Cole, always that irritating wit." Zarin spoke English, knowing his friend's companion would not be able to understand the language of the Warrior Caste.

"I like to say it is good to see you after all these years, but I thought it would be better for my health to stay out of your reach." In a demonstrative way Marcus rubbed his so called bruises.

Susan sighed. This could not be happening. Was there actually a Minbari with Marcus Cole's irritating humor? She saw the joy in Marcus' eyes. It appeared they were good friends. "You two know each other?"

"Well, we actually spent 2 years hitting each other on the head while learning to use the pike," Marcus explained.

Zarin rubbed his head. "And after all this time it still hurts."

"More injured pride," Marcus joked.

**Great. A second Marcus Cole. Please don't let it be true. What did I do to deserve this?**

"Let's go inside. Ratok has eyes and ears everywhere and introduce me to this lovely lady at your side..." Zarin took Susan's hand lovingly in his and kissed it, bowing slightly to her.

Susan had to restrain herself not to pull away. This was something Marcus Cole had pulled once and one time was enough, but she discovered that Zarin held her hand quite firmly. He released her hand on his terms, with a big smile. Susan looked at Marcus and was amazed to see an angry look in his eyes. She could have sworn it was jealousy. This Zarin had definitely had too much contact with Marcus and had adopted some of Marcus' ways.

"I have made sure there is something to eat for you. The rangers will start a diversion at the set time. I will come back and lead you to Neroon. Perhaps you should spend the remaining time discussing the mission once more so no mistakes will be made." Zarin bowed to Susan again, a smile hiding on his face.

Marcus was visibly getting frustated at the attention Zarin paid her. After Zarin left, he folded his cloak and sat on it on the floor.

Susan cursed when she discovered there were no chairs. Minbari generally lay down. With a growl she sat on the floor, joining Marcus. "About the mission. Correct me if I am wrong but the plan is that we slip into Neroon's prison during the distraction. We will disable the guards, break him free, hand him over to Zarin who will make sure Neroon gets home. We will retreat to the hidden cave and wait for the shuttle to pick us up again. I still don't see why we had to come down here. The rangers are quite capable of pulling this off on their own."

"Yes, Susan, but you are forgetting Neroon's pride. He'll not go with Zarin. He'll want to wait for his own clan to free him. We have to convince him to come along. Ratok will not waver to kill him. The clan of the Star Riders is divided now Neroon is gone and time is getting precious. Every minute Neroon is in captivity Ratok will use to gain power. We've got to stop Ratok as quickly as possible. Neroon has to return as head of the Star Riders, we need his support too much."

Susan couldn't deny how proud Neroon was and arrogant. She added that last part in thoughts only and drank some water. "How long until we move?"

"I guess about 1 hour." Marcus could tell she was getting bored and when that happened she was dangerous to be around. She would start to ask questions, wanting things from him, making him babble. He decided to feign some sleep.

"I’m going to take a little nap." Marcus lay down on the cloak. He wasn't planning on sleeping, remembering his nightmare too vividly. He would only pretend to be asleep.

Susan eyed him. There was a question burning her lips. "Are you having trouble sleeping lately, Cole?"

Marcus' pulse raced all of a sudden, there was that question, her wanting answers, now he would start to babble.

"Sometimes..." Perhaps she got the message that he didn't want to talk about this subject.

"You know, I'm no stranger to nightmares, had them my entire life. It helps to talk about stuff." She had made the offer before realizing it. Was she going soft after all these years in the military?

Marcus turned his ack on her. He couldn't tell her, never. "Don't know what you are talking about, Susan, just let me sleep." His tone was a bit cruel and he regretted that.

Susan recognized the reaction for what it was, fear. Fear had been her companion for so long... but Marcus' soul seemed a bit to brittle to take such pain. She was going to let it rest for now. She didn't want to put too much pressure on him before the fight. But she swore that she would unravel the mystery of his nightmares and... where did that Zarin fit in?

Marcus pretended to be asleep for the whole next hour. He disliked the question Susan was trying to get answered. He knew he could never tell her about his biggest shame. It was a burden he had to bear alone. Marcus heard the soft sounds of footsteps closing in on the dwelling. He had to check it out. He opened his eyes and searched for Susan. She sat, visibly bored and frustated in a corner, poking around in the ashes of the fire with a branch.

Marcus rose to his feet. She noticed it but kept silent, not interested. Marcus went outside. It was growing dark, this would be the perfect moment to strike at their enemies, sunset and sunrise. He knew it was Zarin before he saw him. The Minbari had changed clothing. He also wore the black cloak reserved for the Warrior Caste, so he would blend in with their opponents during the attack. They greeted each other in silence, there was no need for words. They knew...

"Are you two ready?" Zarin inquired seriously.

"Yes." Marcus wanted to call Susan, but Zarin's forceful hand stopped him in his tracks.

"There is a lot you have not yet told me, brother, about your ladyfriend for example. The way you act I can tell that you have not yet told her you're in love with her. Am I right?" Zarin's smile was warm.

"Yes, I have feelings for Susan. Back there, were you trying to make me feel jealous?"

Zarin's smile broadened. "Not really, but seeing your reaction WAS fun."

"Listen, we'll talk later if you insist on cross examining me, but first we have to free Neroon."

"Of course, you're right. You always think you are." Zarin realized there was a lot going on in Marcus' head. He had known Marcus for so many years now that he could easily read his feelings. Marcus had always had problems with expressing his emotions. Zarin had been a great help to Marcus when he joined the rangers. Zarin had always been there for Marcus when he’d drifted off in those dark, silent, depressieve spells that could last weeks.

"It's time to go." Marcus witnessed how Susan jumped to her feet at the sound of his voice. She was ready for some action. Marcus pulled the cloak closer to his body, hiding the ranger pin from sight.

"I am ready, let's move." Susan had to follow Zarin, unfamiliar with their destination. Marcus followed her like a little puppy, ignoring Zarin's shining smile.

"I will take you to the Rangers. You got your weapons?"

"Yes, stop talking and walk faster." Marcus was becoming swiftly aggravated. Zarin would not give up easily, he

would make him talk about his feelings. In a strange way Zarin irritated him, as he irritated Susan.

Zarin's and Marcus' verbal and physical brawls had been phenomenal during their training period. Marcus could feel a smile spreading on his face. Thankfully the hood ensured his privacy.

"We've reached our destination." On Zarin's signal several rangers revealed themselves, stepping forward from

the wood. Susan counted swiftly, about 20 rangers, clad in black cloaks to hide their uniforms, were waiting to assist them in liberating Neroon.

"Go to your assigned positions, rangers. We’ll start the distraction at my signal." Zarin beckoned them and they silently vanished. "Susan, Marcus, stay alert. When the first flashes of fire or explosion hit the sky, move." Zarin joined the rangers and left them behind.

Susan was a bit confused. "Where is our target?" she saw nothing, but the darkness of night.

"Do you see the outline of those 4 buildings?" Marcus tried to point her in the correct direction.

"Very faintly." Susan had trouble making out their objective.

"That is why the rangers will use fire, the houses will light up against the black sky." Marcus felt the cold metal pike in his hand, reassuring him. He extended the pike, growing accustomed to the feel of it as he did every time he used the

weapon. He saw how Susan took hold of her PPG. He hoped the operation would go smoothly, without complications. He treasured Susan too much to lose her while attempting to free Neroon. He promised himself he would keep an eye on her all the time.

Susan shuddered when the first violent explosion destroyed a piece of the first building. "Let's do it!" Susan headed down to the centre building where Neroon was kept prisoner according to their information. Marcus followed quickly, covering her back. They cunningly avoided the several Minbari prison guards. They managed to get to the centre house quite quickly.

Marcus took the lead from here and smashed the lock of the door with his pike. There was only very dim light in the corridors, barely enough to provide proper sight. Marcus was remembering the map of the house while sneaking up the stair case. Two Minbari guards blocked their path. Marcus knew he was getting close. Susan reacted immediately and fired her PPG. Marcus used his pike to disable the other guard. Susan was amazed at how perfect they worked together. It was a bit scary the way he seemed to know her reactions.

Now that all the guards were gone, Susan and Marcus moved to the next room. Marcus demolished another lock and kicked the door open.

Neroon heard the noise of fighting outside, PPG's, pikes clashing, hitting solid metal. He was surprised at the time of the attack. He had not expected the Star Riders to act this quickly, but then his mind berated him. His inner voice pointed out the use of PPG's. His clan would never use such weapons. So, who was attacking then?

With a loud thud the door fell to the floor. Two humans entered the room. He recognized them at once. Susan Ivanova was the acting Commander of Babylon 5. He had not yet had the opportunity to get to know her. The second human was Marcus Cole, the ranger he had once almost beaten to death. Marcus had tried to stop him from killing Delenn by challenging him to the Denn’sha, to the death. But it was his soul, not Marcus who had nearly died that day.

" Neroon, my humble apologies for crashing in like this but I have the distinct impression that we should get you out as quickly as possible." Marcus tried to use humor to make Neroon feel at ease. Mentally he had prepared quite a speech to persuade Neroon to make a run for it, instead of waiting for his own people to break him free. But he was genuinely surprised when Neroon rose from the floor.

Susan was now standing next to the Minbari and felt like a small child, Neroon reminded her a bit of a giant. She was truly glad Neroon was on their side.

"I am no fool, Cole. I will join you."

Marcus couldn't contain his relief and sighed. This was going much too smoothly. Marcus nodded. They moved swiftly to the back door of the building. Marcus was glad he had studied the map of the house before going on the White Star. He held the door open, Susan and Neroon passed him by. He closed the door, seeing Zarin and a few rangers close to him. "Neroon, please join Zarin and his men. They will take you home."

"Thank you for getting me out of that rat hole." Neroon looked Marcus and Susan right in the eyes and Marcus knew how hard it must be for Neroon to extend his thanks to humans. After a quick nodding of their heads, Neroon disappeared amidst of the rangers. All of them vanished into the woods once more. Susan watched the houses burn down.

Zarin still stood next to Marcus. "I'll see you on the White Star. I've some days off and I want to spend them on Babylon 5. Until then." Zarin's voice was a bit too playful.

Susan came to the conclusion that the baffled look on Marcus' face resembled her own after he pulled one of his stunts to annoy her.

"Oh, no!" Marcus moaned at the idea of having Zarin making life even more difficult for him. It brought a grin to Susan's face. Marcus was getting that payback.

"Now you will get a taste of your own medicine, Marcus. Now you'll know how irritating you can be. "

"I don't want to interrupt anything, but there is a fight going on!" Susan added in a funny tone. This was getting out of control.

"You're correct. Now go, Marcus. I'll see you on the White Star."

Susan pushed Marcus towards the forest where the cave was hidden. Zarin started to run to the rangers and Susan and Marcus decided to get moving as well. Susan was leading the way, firing her PPG at would be attackers. Marcus, wielding his pike, knocked several Minbari guards out cold. They had nearly reached the edge of the forest as Susan got hit by a pike, thrown at her head from afar. Marcus saw the blood dripping from her temple. She dropped the gun and fell to the wet ground.

Marcus didn't repress his cry of concern. He focused on her. She was the sole important thing in his life. He kneeled down next to her. He rolled her on to her back and examined the extent of her head injury. Knowing he couldn't treat her injury he waved at Zarin to get his attention, but Zarin was already gone. Marcus decided to carry Susan to the cave, but first he had to retrieve the gun. Ratok would certainly use it as evidence that humans were involved in the rescue of Neroon. As his eyes were searching for the weapon he found himself facing a grinning Minbari guard armed with Susan's PPG.

Marcus cursed, he had been sloppy. He was making mistakes, his fear for Susan had made him forget everything the Minbari had ever taught him. He reacted with pure instinct and used his pike to knock the gun from his hands. He was only half successful. While knocking the gun from his enemy's hand, it fired.

Marcus clenched his teeth when he doubled over from the impact of the shot. He had known something bad would happen to them, the attempt to free Neroon was going far to perfect. He forced himself to use his pike to knock the Minbari of his feet. The guard was far too surprised to act. Marcus grabbed the gun, attached it to Susan's belt. He could feel the blood flowing from a wound down his leg. The dark colours of the uniform would hide the bloodstains for the time being. He knew he had to take Susan to the cave if he wanted her to survive this ordeal. He thought of a Minbari meditation chant which he used to translate to English, making it easier to concentrate on it. The meditation would make it possible for him to push the pain from his mind. He actually said the words aloud, while he gathered Susan in his arms and carried her off into the forest.

"I WILL NOT FEEL MY PAIN

PAIN MEANS DEATH

PAIN KILLS THE MIND

I WILL ALLOW MY PAIN TO PASS THROUGH MY MIND

AFTER MY PAIN HAS GONE I FIND MY MIND FREED FROM PAIN."

He repeated the words over and over again till his mind started to believe his words. The pain lessened till his entire right side and leg felt numb. In this state of mind he almost ran through the forest. All his sense of time had gone. He reached the secret cave, pushed the bushes away so he could proceed into the cave. The soft rustling of water welcomed him, there was a little well inside. Extremely careful he laid Susan down on some leaves. He checked her pulse, normal. He thanked Valen for that and then realized he had to clean and dress Susan's wound. Finally he would have to wake her, to make sure there was no brain damage. He felt the pain in his side returning and started the meditation once more. He didn't know how long he could trick his own body.

Marcus ripped off a piece of his cloak and moistened it with some water from the spring. He gently supported Susan's head while he cleaned the wound. The blood came off easily. It didn't appear to be a deep injury. His fingers lingered a moment too long on her face. He had dreamt of touching her without expecting a reprimand. He caressed her face, realized he had to stop the bleeding and ripped off another piece of cloth from his cloak and dressed the wound as well as he could manage with these limited resources.

Marcus tried to avoid thinking or looking at his own injury. The blood was still running down his leg. He pushed his hand against the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding, but he soon realized it was in vain. He was aware of the gravity of his injuries. His only hope was that the shuttle would arrive on schedule. He estimated that the shuttle would land in about 20 minutes. He had to survive till then. Marcus had no idea how many time had passed since they made a run for it.

"What happened?"

Marcus felt an incredible joy when he heard Susan’s voice, a bit shaky, but coherent none the less. Susan's hands went to her head. The pain caused her to grimace. "What... that headache... did I really drink that much Vodka?"

"You didn't drink, you got hit by a pike some guard threw at your head." He felt relieved and thankful that she seemed all right. He leaned back against the wall of the cave and sat down. He knew once he sat, he wouldn't be able

to get back up on his own, but that didn't matter. Susan was alive and didn't seem badly injured. He carefully concealed his injury from her. There was nothing she could do to help him, so why worry her unnecessarily? He pushed his hand against the wound, trying to lessen the bleeding a bit. He knew that if he lost anymore blood he would go into shock and then Susan would find out he had been injured.

Susan pushed her body in an upright position. She felt the bruise on her temple. Except for a terrible headache, she felt fine. Slowly she took in her surroundings. It was evident they had made it to the cave. But she had no recollection of how she’d gotten here. "Did you... bring me here?" Susan watched him, sitting there. Her mind tried to tell her that something was wrong with him but in her state she didn't register it. The headache made it hard for her to concentrate.

"Yes, Neroon, Zarin... they got away. I saw how you were hit and fell to the ground. So I carried you to the cave. I checked on your injury. It does not look too serious, but you should let a physician have a look at it."

"So, you admit to not being a doctor? Could have fooled me," Susan joked. She was feeling better with every passing minute.

Marcus managed to smile weakly. " The shuttle will come for us in a few minutes. At least, I hope so. I lost track of time." Marcus sensed the pain returning, increased. His meditation chant wouldn't help him anymore. He desperately tried not to show his agony. He had become a superb actor being around her, hiding his true feelings.

"NO, I refuse to go. I want to be certain the humans are secure." Neroon had rejected Zarin's offer to take him back to the stronghold of the Star Riders clan. Neroon had sent a ranger instead, to carry the message home that he was free again.

Zarin realized that he was going to lose this verbal battle, had lost it already as a matter of fact. "You win. I'll take you the cave. I wanted to go there myself to pick them up now that the White Star has been driven away by the warships of the Wind Swords."

Neroon was satisfied. Zarin had given in.

Susan opened her eyes from a short nap. She couldn't have slumbered for more than a few minutes. She tried to stand, supporting herself by using the wall. The dizziness decreased rapidly. She carefully walked to the little spring and drank some water. Then she wondered about Marcus. He sat, huddled, on the same spot as before. Susan shrugged. It was no surprise he felt tired. She sat down again, touching the improvised bandage. She watched him sleep, he was pale...

He had carried her to the cave. He hadn't left her out there to die. She admonished herself, he would never fail her. She could always count on his strength to pull them away from trouble. She had fought side by side with many soldiers, but she had never felt as safe while fighting at Marcus' side. She suspected him of having feelings for her, stronger feelings than mere friendship. But he had not confided in her and she didn't ask. It was a silent understanding. She didn't have the courage to ask him if her suspicions were correct. She was relieved to see that he wasn't having any nightmares at this point. " Marcus, where is that damned shuttle?" Susan got worried as Marcus didn't react. Susan knew he could sleep everywhere and was sometimes hard to wake up. She decided to wait. She didn't have to wait for long. She heard two men talking in that awful Minbari language. She didn't understand a word they were saying. Her

headache seemed to have disappeared, now tension was growing. She felt the solid metal of her PPG when she pointed it at the cave's entrance. Marcus still slept. Susan wondered how a man could sleep through a possible threat.

"Susan, Marcus? Are you there?"

Susan let her breath escape when she identified Zarin's voice. "Yes," Susan lowered her gun.

Zarin entered the cave first, followed by Neroon. What was he doing here? Susan found it hard to believe that the warlord was concerned for them. So why?

Zarin astonished her again as he took her in his arms and hugged her. This was she strangest Minbari she had ever met. Even Delenn would never express her feelings this openly. It was no surprise he and Marcus got along just

great. **Marcus, I almost forgot about him!**

Zarin noticed the bandage and started to worry.

Susan quickly reassured him she was fine. "Marcus, get up. It's time to leave," Susan said absent-mindedly.

"OH... must have dozed off..." Marcus managed to open his eyes. He couldn't recognize any of the forms hovering around him, but he knew the voices. She had asked him to get up. He tried to do so, but discovered that his body was paralyzed. He couldn't move a single muscle. He did feel a trembling sensation in his wounded side. He knew he was laying in a pool of his own blood. But Susan was alive and that was all that mattered in his feverish mind.

"Marcus, I…”

Zarin's eyes asked her to be silent and stop talking. The Minbari ranger walked over to Marcus. Neroon and Susan right behind him. "Marcus, old buddy, are you all right?"

Marcus was mumbling, but he didn't realize it.

"Marcus, what's wrong?"

Zarin's hands were all over him before Marcus knew it, examining him. When Zarin looked at his hands they were stained with warm, fresh blood.

Susan groaned. She kneeled next to Zarin and threw back his cloak. She felt the weight of the cloak, it was soaked with blood. "Damn you, Marcus!" Susan's rage showed clearly.

"Let's get him to the shuttle and assess his wounds. You can scold at him later." Zarin got rid of the cloak and took Marcus in his arms. Zarin moved fast, wanting to move the now unconsiousness Marcus to the safety of the shuttle

so he didn't see...

But Susan and Neroon did see. When Zarin picked him up, a pool of blood reamained on the spot where Marcus had been sitting. Susan staggered on her feet, why had he not told her?

"Please, do me the honour of accepting my arm for support."

Susan barely recognized Neroon's voice. It sounded so kind and gentle. She accepted his arm and Neroon lead her to the shuttle. Neroon felt how she leaned on him.

Zarin carefully laid Marcus down on the passenger seat which was turned in to a small bed by adjusting the seat. Not tilted, but horizontal as he knew humans perferred.

Susan stood next to Marcus, thinking. She had seen the wound and realized the urgency with wich it should be treated. The loss of blood being the most grave. Any moment now, he could be going into shock. Damn him, why had he kept silent?

Neroon, who was piloting the shuttle, looked over his shoulder to see how Marcus was doing. He did not know too much about human anatomy, but even he could tell that Marcus was in a life-threatening situation. Neroon was used to being in charge, making decisions in the best interest of his crew. He was trained to be a leader among his men and he didn't intend to stop now. " I am taking us to my home. All of you will be safe there. No one would ever consider attacking my home." Neroon didn't get any protest. They were concerned about Marcus and even Susan realized that this was unknown territory to her and that Neroon knew best to how act under these circumstances. " Zarin, could you contact the Ranger Training Center? If I remember correctly, there should be a human doctor present to treat the human rangers wounds? It will take him only 20 minutes to get to my place. Inform him of Marcus' situation so he can bring along his medical equipment. During that time, I will send a message to Delenn, perhaps she can send Doctor Franklin. I assume he has treated Marcus Cole before and could be a great help."

Zarin nodded, not surprised Neroon took control of the situation. He thought back to grasp the doctor's name. O' Flanagan, that was the doctor's name. Zarin wouldn't forget the man easily, he had treated his own and Marcus' wounds regurlary during their training.

Both Minbari began transmitting their messages, quite absorped. They forgot about Susan, depending on her to care for the injured ranger. Susan wasn' t too happy about this. She made sure Marcus remained in the improvised bed. She recognized the symptoms Marcus was showing; shaking, mumbling, the paleness of his skin. He had definitely gone into shock. She took off her uniforn jacket and put it on Marcus' chest. She knew it would hardly make a diffirence, but at least she didn't stand there idly. " Whatever you are doing there, you better hurry up!" Susan spoke loudly, addressing the two Minbari. She hoped her voice wouldn't betray the pain she felt, seeing Marcus like this.

But Zarin did hear it. He left the navigator's seat and walked to the back of the shuttle, joining Susan. "Hold on, Susan. We will reach Neroon's house in a few minutes. I have already called in a doctor. He will come as quickly as possible." Zarin put his arm gently around Susan's shoulders. " Don't worry, lass, he will make it."

Susan couldn't help laughing. A Minbari calling her lass ! "You know you did spent too much time with Marcus Cole? You even sound like him."

" I know. You should have seen his face the first time I used the word bugger." Zarin took off his cloak and covered Marcus with it.

" I hate being so useless. We can't do anything to help him." Susan was mentally kicking herself for not noticing his injury back in the cave. She had seen his paleness, but hadn't followed up on that line of thinking. She took his hand in hers and held it. It was deadly cold. " I am afraid there isn't that much time left." Susan stared at Marcus' face. Only know she realized Marcus had carried her to the cave while being mortally injured himself. How had he pulled that off? Susan concluded she didn't want Marcus to die. Well, she had wished to kick him into an airlock for some time, but this...

" We are approching our destination. I am going to land. My wife has confirmed that your doctor O' Flanagan has arrived some minutes ago. He's setting up some kind of hospital in the guest rooms." Neroon started the landing procedure. The moment the shuttle touched the ground, Zarin picked Marcus up.The wound wasn't bleeding as heavely as before, but Susan knew that it could be a bad sign, perhaps Marcus had no more blood left in his body.

The shuttle door opened and Neroon stormed outside. Susan followed Zarin every step of the way. She noticed a rather small Minbari female awaiting them, looking very calm and friendly. The Minbari woman exchanged glances with Neroon and stepped aside, whispering something in Minbari. Neroon nodded and ran towards the impressive huilding. It reminded Susan of a picture of an ancient Greek temple.

They were greeted by an human male, about 35 years old, his hair however was grey, some of the previous black colour peeking through.

"I should have known this would involve you and Marcus Cole. You always were a nuisance."

Susan watched a smile enfolding on the man's face.

"Doctor. "

"I have prepared something of a little sick room." The doctor gestured and Zarin ran into the room.

Susan saw some sort of bed, monitors and some blood substitutes already hooked up to IV’s.

“It's a good thing I know Marcus' blood type, just put him on the improvised bed."

Zarin did as he was ordered.

"You better leave the room, so I can work properly." O' Flanagan sounded like a man used to being in charge.

"No way, I am not leaving him." If O’ Flanagan wanted to play it tough, she was happy to oblige. The doctor visible disliked the answer.

"I am afraid it will be diffecult to get her out." Zarin couldn't help smiling in spite of the situation. It appeared that Susan liked Marcus. Zarin hoped that Susan knew what she was getting in to. Marcus was difficult at best. Neroon and Zarin looked one more time at the seemingly lifeless body of the ranger. "You will let us know how he is doing?"
"Of course."

The 2 Minbari left, leaving behind Susan and O' Flanagan.

"How can I help?" Susan once more held onto Marcus' cold hand, hoping that some miracle would happen and cure him. But she didn't fool herself. She knew Marcus could die...

" I never expected to have to treat Marcus' wounds again. I was glad when he and Zarin took off."

Susan eyed the doctor. He handed her a pair of scissors. She looked up at him questionly.

" Use it to cut his clothes. We need to assess all damage."

O' Flanagan started to cut the turtle neck and Susan had no other choice then to do as she was told .As gently as she could, she cut the rest of his shirt. O' Flanagan threw the shirt on the floor and proceeded to cut Marcus' trousers into pieces. Susan stared at the body of the Ranger. Appearantly he had been in too many battles. She remembered the dimmed lights in his quarters when she had seen him in his knickers. Now in the bright light she saw the scars on his bony body. O' Flanagan got rid off his scissors and started to assess Marcus' wound.

" He got hit by a PPG?"

" Yes, mine." Susan reckognized the stunned look on O' Flanagan's face.

" I know he can be diffecult at times, but did you really find it necessary to shoot him?"

Susan smiled. " I didn't shoot him, a Minbari guard took it and shot him, though I must admit there were times I wished to kick his ass."

"I understand completely." O' Flanagan took a sterile towel and started to clean the wound to assess the damage. " You are sure you wanna stay? It won't be a pretty sight."

Susan considered her decision. " I will stay, I owe him that much."

O' Flanagan finished his examination. The wound had begun to bleed again during the probing.

" Will he make it?" Susan was not sure she wanted the answer to that question.

" I honestly don't know. He lost a tremendous amount of blood. I have to stop the bleeding before I can get him hooked on to the blood supplies."

Susan noticed the concerned look on the mans face. How she wished Stephen was here to take care off the Ranger.

" Now go and stand back, I will try to close the wound."

Susan, having had not too much medical training, could only watch. It seemed an eternity before the doc hooked him up to the infusion and got the blood running through transparant tubes. Susan watched it disappearing into Marcus' frail body.

" Can you fetch me those blankets over there?" O' Flangan swept some sweat from his brow. He had done everything he could to help Marcus. It was now up to the Ranger to pull trough. The presence of Susan surprised the doctor. He had seen no wedding rings on their fingers, yet she acted like one who cared a great deal about Marcus. Susan returned with the blankets. " Just cover him up, tuck him in." O' Flanagan wanted to see her response to his order. Susan gently put the blankets into place. Then she turned her eyes to O' Flanagan.

" I repeat, will he survive?"

" I must answer you again, I don't know.The injury is quite serious, It can be fixed, but I am more worried about his loss of blood. I don't know the amount of damage it has done. We were just in time, an hour later and he would be died."

" Anything I can do?" Susan wanted to help so badly. She had never imagined that Marcus getting mortally injured would trigger her feelings like this. She had always kept people at a distance afraid of gaining and then losing their love and affection again..

" You seem to care for him, stay, talk to him, hold his hand. It are the small things that matter. Give him the will to pull through. I will check on him regurlary. I have to go and inform Neroon about his condition. Don' t be worried something bad will happen. Should his condition rapidly decrease, my pager will go off, it's linked to the monitor's control." O' Flanagan friendly touched her arm, trying to give her some hope. " He has always been a fighter and pulled through everytime, don't give up on him yet."

The doctor left the room and Susan stayed behind. She was glad Marcus was breathing on his own. She really hated the sound of a respirator. She despaired at the lack of chairs to sit down. Finally, she sat down on the edge of Marcus' bed, careful not to touch him. It was a good thing that Marcus was unconsciousness, thus not having to experience the pain he surely had.

Now that his life was hanging in the balance she had to face him. He was a nuisance as

O' Flanagan put it but he made her laugh. It had been too long since she had considered starting a new relationship, afraid of the pain its ending would bring her. But wasn't it worse to deny love? She bitterly laughed at herself. She could admit to herself she liked Marcus a lot, perhaps even loved him, so what? Marcus was in love with another woman, he had told her.

She forced herself to stop thinking and to start talking. Talk to him, the doctor had said, make him come back. She was determined to try. Even if it meant he loved someone else than her.

" Marcus, I hope you can hear me."

She softly stroked the dark hair and froze when she discovered the dried blood had settled even there.

" Marcus, it was very sweet to carry me to that cave, but it was also very stupid not to tell me about your injury. You are so keen on helping me you forget about your own health."

Susan searched for the right words.

" You once asked me to go on a date with you and I laughed in your face.That's something I regret, you didn't deserve that. When you survive this ordeal, we will go on that date. That is if you still want to, being love with some other woman I would understand if you wanted to cancel it." Susan stopped, suddenly realizing something. "Bollocks, now you got me cursing and even babbling like you." Susan had to know something to be completely sure of her feelings. She leaned over him, bringing her lips to his and kissing him . It send a chill up her spin. She was certain now she had fallen in love with him, her body revealing to her mind what it tried to deny.

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