Sisters Under The Skin, part 12: The World Can Wait (NEW, B5, 12/14)
It is after midnight and thus posting is fair game. Tomorrow is the long drive home, and little time for such folderols. I have been watching the 2007 version of War and Peace and swooning. A bit. Okay, more than a bit. I've been collecting Google Image pictures of Clemence Poesy as Natasha Rostova and trying to assemble them into one of those lovely collage/picspam thingies. To no avail. Much family stuff to think on, a tough week ahead, and I've been having trouble sleeping again (sigh).
This is the only part of the new portions of Sisters that I solicited advice on. So thanks are due to
wendelah1 and
nenya_kanadka
for the attempt to make it better.
Sisters Under The Skin
Part Twelve: The World Can Wait
Standard disclaimer applies; not my characters or settings or backgrounds. But they are my words.
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10/24/2261
Anna never returned to Delenn's quarters that night. She went back to John's place, curled up in the bed that she'd never shared with him and cried. It was a long time before she slept.
At some point she woke, heart hammering, certain John was in the next room. She could smell his aftershave, hear his off-key whistling. The silence confirmed her heart-sore solitude and gradually she drifted back off to sleep.
In the morning she woke dry-eyed and head aching. Gathering up what clothes she could find that were moderately clean, she dressed, drug a comb through her hair and headed off to MedLab. Along the way she passed the chapel, at least the up station one, and turned in abruptly. Maybe a few minute's meditation would clear her head. She found an ironic sneer had crept onto her face at the thought. Meditation, that was Delenn's thing. She tried to picture Delenn getting John to sit cross-legged on the floor, eyes closed in contemplation of whatever. Contempt and contemplation; she'd never considered the two words being that alike. Contempt was what she felt for the both of them.
Or so she tried to convince herself. Part of her was aware of deep feelings of despair beneath the bravado of scorn and dislike, as well as even deeper feelings of betrayal and ever present fear. The betrayal she mainly blamed on Delenn. John had never completely broken the habit of protecting her, no matter the remonstrance she heaped on him for it. But Delenn had never lied to her since they'd met, and Anna found herself mourning the faith she had placed in their friendship.
The hard bench was cold beneath her thighs and she watched the votary flames dance in the chill wind of the air recirculation system. People were crazy to live in a place where every breath was someone else's, where everything was recycled and reused, where day and night were a matter of whim and the very force that kept their feet on the ground was artificially generated.
“Doctor?” came a voice from behind her.
Feet shuffled up the aisle and she let out a small puff of discontent.
“May I join you?” Theo took a seat next to her but said no more, bowing his head over his clasped hands.
Anna could feel the small movements and almost hear the sotto voce prayer of Brother Theo. Sighing, she asked, “What do you want?” A chill raised the hair on her head, then ran down her neck, focusing on the scar she could never quite forget. That phrase would never be a neutral one to her.
“What do you need?” replied the monk. His bright eyes fixed on hers, kindness in their depths but also an uncompromising glint.
“An ear,” replied Anna. “At least I think so. I thought I wanted to be alone, but that doesn't seem to be working for me.” She put one arm on the back of the pew. “How did you know something was wrong?”
“I saw Delenn this morning, looking almost as broken as she did when the Captain left for Z'ha'dum, then I saw you tearing down the corridor without a smile or greeting for anyone. When you turned into the chapel, well, you entered God's house. I had to see whether you wanted to talk with him or with me.”
“You'll do,” replied Anna abruptly. “Can you keep a secret?”
Theo chuckled. “It's a big part of the job description.” At the agony lurking in her eyes, he grew solemn and said gently, “Anything you tell me is private, between you, me, and God.” He took her hand in his and waited.
“Delenn and John,” Anna began, choking on the pairing of the names, “they kept something from me.”
“That they had begun a relationship?” returned Theo delicately.
“No, not that. That I understand. I love them both and...” she stopped for a moment as if struck by a realization. Then she went on, “No, it was something that happened.” She lowered her voice. “At Z'ha'dum.”
Theo nodded, but did not speak. His aura of calm acceptance spurred further confidences.
“Delenn told me that John died there. That he can back with only a portion of his life left.” Her voice rose and tightened. “And he may lose even that in Clark's prisons.” Almost child-life in her grief, she added, broken, “They didn't tell me. Either of them. Like I wasn't part of it. Like it didn't affect me.”
Theo didn't move although his face was etched with sadness. “The Captain told Delenn of this but not you. Was he sure of your actual identity at the time?”
“I suppose not,” replied Anna wearily. “And he probably swore Delenn to secrecy, so I don't know why I'm upset with her.”
“You trusted her. She has become your friend, in spite of all the odds against that friendship.” Theo shook his head. “It must have pained her to lie to you, even in omission.”
Anna nodded, her eyes blurred by a sudden return of tears. “She should have told me.”
“She did,” replied Theo. “Take comfort in that. There are still trials to come, for both of you, and it will be harder if you face them alone.”
Rising from her seat, Anna set her shoulders back and raised her chin. She declared, “I've got work to do today in MedLab. Thanks for listening.”
Theo watched her go, uncertain whether he'd been of any help.
10/25/2261
The next day it was all over the station. The White Star fleet had left, with Commander Ivanova leading the way. Many of the alien races seemed unaffected by the news, but every human Anna encountered had a tense expression and nodded to her in simple recognition of their shared humanity. A wild hope seemed to lay behind each worried face. It would all be over soon enough, whichever way it went.
Another night alone had left Anna feeling on edge. This was all wrong: John's captivity, Delenn's silence, her own obstinate anger. She clung to her anger, feeding it justification like twigs to a dried grass fire. It was as if she wanted to keep it alive; as if keeping the flames going kept something else at bay, something she didn't want to examine too closely.
After a long day in MedLab, she was heading back to John's quarters, hands deep in her pockets, head down and lost in thought. As she rounded the corner leading to the sadly quiet command staff quarters, she saw ahead in the corridor a figure at her door. It was Delenn, turning away, turning to leave, having obviously received no answer to her request for admission.
“Wait!” Anna called, heart thudding in her chest. She quickened her steps, almost running towards
the other woman, abruptly coming to a stop directly in front of her.
Delenn examined her with a curious expression of resignation and apprehension. “I was just coming to see you,” she said. “I wanted you to know that you have a place on the Minbari flagship when we finally leave for your home system. If you still wish to come, I will not leave you behind.”
“I know you wouldn't,” said Anna, almost surprised at her own certainty. She cast about for more to say and finally asked, “Would it be all right if I came by your place, later? I left some things there...” Her voice trailed off.
“Of course,” Delenn said. “I am heading back there now in fact. I will be in all evening. There is so much to do,” she pushed the hair away from her forehead as if trying to sweep away all her troubles.
Anna noticed a stiffness in the gesture and a tightening of the lines around the mouth that spoke of unacknowledged pain. “I can come right now,” she said.
They walked together, mostly in silence, with the occasional comment on the general situation or their own activities. Anna asked if there was news from Mars; Delenn said that she had heard nothing. When they reached Delenn's quarters, Anna entered first and went to the couch to absently gather up her belongings. Her hands moved slowly, reluctantly. She didn't really want to leave and go back to that haunted space. “Do you mind if I put on ISN?” she asked in desperation at the lack of conversation.
Delenn was in the kitchen area pouring herself a glass of water and nodded her assent. Anna sat down and called to the wall monitor, “ISN, volume low.”
The monitor flickered into life and a talking head appeared, an attractive black woman with a sly expression. Anna opened her carryall and began to organize the clothing inside, making room for her other possessions. She heard a muffled cry and looked up. Delenn was staring at the screen, which held a picture of John, young and smiling, in a crisp white shirt and pressed uniform jacket. Anna recognized the picture; it was from the day he'd taken command of the Agamemnon. She rose and crossed the room to stand by Delenn, wondering if her face was as pale as the other woman's.
It was a short set piece, a reminder of who John was, who he had been, full of lies and implications. Reading between the lines, Anna thought they must feel John was weakening. They were preparing the audience for John's public renunciation of his actions against Clark, from declaring the independence of Babylon 5 to the battle for Proxima. She crossed her arms tightly across her chest, trying to contain the pain of imagining what pressures had been brought to bear on him.
After it ended, Delenn walked slowly back towards the kitchen, moving slowly from one chair to the next in the dining area, holding onto them as if to a raft in a stormy sea. Anna's anger bled away between one heartbeat and the next. She'd lost three years of her life to the Shadows. She wasn't going to give the rest away to a senseless grudge. Her old life was gone and her attempts at building a new one had been stalled by doubt and indecision. Events had pushed her one way and then another, tangling her in a net of emotions old and new. She loved John, still and all. And Delenn loved John and John loved Delenn.
And she loved Delenn too. The revelation cut across her tormented mind like a released tripline, thoughts and feelings tumbling into new positions, revealing patterns she'd never suspected. She stood abruptly, staring at Delenn, wondering what to do with this sudden revelation.
Delenn, transporting a tall silver teapot to the table, regarded her with a wan smile. “Do you want some tea before you leave?”
It was time to decide what she wanted. “Yes, please,” was all she could muster. Taking a seat across from Delenn, she fought back the impulse to say something, anything. Everything. It was all so tenuous, the situation, the war, their relative positions, their link via the man they both loved. Anna leaned back in her chair and thrust her hands in her jacket pockets. Her restless fingers encountered the ring box she'd put there on impulse days ago. Suddenly, she pulled it out and placed it in the center of the table.
“Do you know what this is?” she asked, breath tightening in her lungs. This was crazy, it wasn't her place to reveal John's plans. Then again, she thought rebelliously, John hadn't included anyone in his plans. And plans could change.
Delenn shook her head. Anna hesitated, then reached out and opened the box. Inside was a plain silver circle, with a square-cut brilliant stone atop it.
“It is beautiful,” said Delenn, touching it gently with one finger. “Is it yours? A family heirloom, perhaps?”
“No,” said Anna slowly, suddenly apprehensive that she was making a mistake. “It's...it's yours. Or it was meant to be yours.” She took the ring out of the box and held it up to a tall candle on the table. The diamond fractured the light into a thousand colors. “I found it in John's quarters before I left.”
A look of pleasure crossed Delenn's face but her main expression remained polite interest. Anna sighed, of course the Minbari probably didn't exchange rings. “It's an engagement ring, the kind you give someone when you ask them to marry you.”
At that Delenn made a movement, shifting away from Anna, and looking down at her hands laying cradled one within the other.
“Do you want to try it on?” asked Anna, pushing for an answer she wasn't sure she wanted to hear.
“It has not been given to me,” replied Delenn softly. “It is not mine.”
Anna dropped the ring onto the table, where it rang silver against glass, and spun in the candlelight. “It's not fair. You deserve to be happy, and so does John.”
“And so do you,” said Delenn. She picked up the ring and started to place it back in the box.
Anna shook her head. She reached up under her hair, bronze-red in the flame, and unfastened one of several silver chains that hung around her neck. Taking the ring from Delenn, she threaded the chain through the metal circle, then stood and moved behind the other woman. She lowered the chain around Delenn's neck, carefully maneuvering it around the remnant of the bonecrest that topped the brown curls. Closing the clasp, she left the chain slide through her fingers and come to rest against Delenn's neck. An irresistible impulse led her to drop a kiss on Delenn's head. She whispered into the rich brown hair, “You deserve to have this symbol. Whatever happens, know that you are loved.”
Delenn closed one hand on the ring, and reached up to take Anna's hand. Pulling it down she pressed it against her lips, briefly, but Anna felt the sting of their warmth. She tore herself away and slid back into her chair. Her hands shook as she re-filled their cups. Shaking the pot gently, she went to the kitchen to refill it with water. On the counter she saw the tube of medication that had been left untouched. Picking it up in one hand and the teapot in the other, she returned to the table. Setting down the teapot, she stood for a moment, observing her friend. She moved behind Delenn, gently pushed aside the chestnut waves and began to slowly knead the knotted muscles of the neck and shoulders. Feeling the tension rise and then recede, she continued silently for a few minutes. Finally, she asked, “Would you like me to administer that lotion the doctor recommended?”
Delenn tensed again, then her head drooped in acquiescence. Anna picked up the tube and attempted to read the instructions in Minbari. After a few futile attempts, she sighed and turned the tube over and read in standard English, “Administer to wounds and scar tissue as needed for pain and to restore mobility.” Coming around to face Delenn, she leaned down and asked simply, “Where?”
Delenn rose and approached the bedroom, moving aside the sliding glass partition and entering the darkened chamber. She went to the table beside the bed and picked up a firelighter and lit a candle. Moving to the other side of the wide tilted surface, she lit a second, then three more on a long table along a wall. The flames danced in the slight breeze from the air purification unit set in the ceiling.
Anna watched, the tube held loosely in her hand. She watched as Delenn loosened the tabard she wore over her robes and removed it with a slight grimace. Hastening forward to help, she caught the heavy silken fabric and draped it over a chair that stood by the doorway. Delenn ran her hand down the front of a velvet-looking dress which opened under her touch. Anna watched in fascination, part of her mind cataloging the layers of clothing, their various fasteners and materials, wondering how much was personal choice and how much was tradition and rank. She stared at the shimmer of white that appeared under the dress, one more supportive layer clinging at breast and hip. Coming to herself, she closed the partition, looking at Delenn for approval. The Minbari woman sat, or rather leaned, against the tilted bedframe. She touched a control on the side and the bed slid down to a more horizontal angle. Anna sat next to her and whispered, “Show me.”
Delenn shrugged the white undertunic from one shoulder, then tugged it off the other. She held the fabric close against her chest and leaned forward, her hair spilling forward over her hands. Her back was exposed almost to the waist, a thin blue line running down her spine with azure flares below the shoulder blades and above the hips. Anna stifled a gasp at the pinkish wheals and circular reddened patches that marred the creamy skin. Opening the tube, she squeezed out the clear ointment onto her palm and began to gently rub it over the scars and inflamed tissues.
“Dr. Hobbs says the scars will fade and become almost invisible with time,” Delenn remarked faintly. Her voice was low and vibrated in her chest under Anna's questing fingers.
“These are the result of radiation exposure, aren't they?” said Anna. She continued massaging in the ointment, paying close if gentle attention to the slightly warm areas of receding infection. “From the StarFire Wheel? Senator Crosby got some basic reports from the embassy on Minbar.”
“Yes,” replied Delenn. “It was the Wheel. The light was so intense, so bright. Sometimes I still see it when I close my eyes.”
“Does it hurt?” asked Anna as she gently touched the center of the largest area of infection.
“Somewhat,” answered Delenn. “The medication is helping.” She hesitated, then added softly, “You are helping.”
Anna smoothed Delenn's hair away from her neck and impulsively dropped a kiss at the base. Her fingers wound through the strands of hair, separating and straightening them until they lay like silk against the other woman's skin. “Are there any more areas that need attention?” she asked, almost afraid to hear the answer.
Delenn turned towards Anna, eyes wide and black in the dim light. She opened her hands and the white silk slipped down to her waist. Anna felt her cheeks burning as her eyes slid down to an irregular red mark just above Delenn's left breast. She brought up her hand and traced the outline of the mark, letting her fingers, still slick with the ointment, trail over the soft curve to the nipple at the tip. It hardened under her feathery touch and she felt a quiver run through the body now pressing close to hers.
Delenn reached up and stroked Anna's cheek, ending up with two fingers pressed against the pulse point in her neck. Anna licked her lips, wondering at the surge of desire she felt, a tingle in her own breasts and a building pressure deep within her abdomen. She put both hands on either side of Delenn's face, and kissed her lips, gently at first, the merest whisper of a kiss, then stronger and harder, drinking in the scent and taste of the other woman. Her mind short-circuited at that, and she had to suppress a laugh. 'Other woman' indeed. Pulling back she looked into Delenn's eyes, bright with tears and candlelight. “Are you sure?” Anna asked. “I don't know what this all means, in the grand scheme of things, but right now, at this moment, what I want most in the world is to be with you. You were my first friend here, and then more than a friend. You've been both an anchor and a guide in this strange new world. I will always love John, but I think I love you too.”
“You are nothing like I imagined, and yet now I know you, I cannot imagine John with anyone else.” Delenn was crying now, a soft rain of tears. “I did not mean to come between you. I do not want to...”
“Shh...” replied Anna. “It's a mess and a tangle and we're both worried sick about the man we love. If we can find some comfort with each other, can it make the situation any worse?” At the skepticism in Delenn's expression, Anna laughed. “I suppose it could complicate things...it probably will. I have no idea what John would think of all this.” Her forehead wrinkled with sudden worry.
Delenn put her fingers against Anna's lips. “You are talking and thinking, when you should be feeling. The heart does what the heart does. And my heart, tonight, is with you.”
At that Anna finally did exactly what she wanted to do, and took Delenn in her arms, careful to avoid the reddened areas. She kissed her forehead, then ran her fingers along the tips of the remnants of Delenn's bonecrest. “Can you feel that?”
Delenn wriggled in Anna's embrace. “Actually, it tickles.” She kissed Anna, clumsily at first, but Anna responded with enthusiasm and soon the two fell back, entangled in the light fabric that covered the still slightly tilted bed. Delenn made a sudden motion and Anna found herself pinned to the bed, Delenn seated atop her. The Minbari woman started to unbutton Anna's blouse, muttering what sounded like endearments. Anna's brain strove to translate the words for a few moments, then she lost track of all coherent thought. Delenn was right, all they needed tonight was feeling. And what Anna felt was free.
It had been so long, Anna thought, five years, more, a lifetime. She and John had spent a great deal of time apart, both of their careers requiring travel to far-flung places. Every moment they had together was spent fully together, immersed in each other. There were days they never got out of bed. Now she lay in a strange bed, a tilted one at that, on a space station, captive to a Minbari's woman's questing lips and fingers. Her thoughts flickered back and forth between her two loves but as the sensations mounted she found her focus narrowed to the one present. She was falling, she was caught in a moment; here, now, always. “Delenn,” she cried, as her back arched in a spasm of release. Aftershocks echoed in her thudding heartbeat as her breathing slowed and her hands tangled in the hair spread over her chest. The crest of bone was nestled between her breasts and she smoothed the curls from Delenn's face, moist with sweat or tears Anna could not tell.
After a few moments, Anna gently urged Delenn onto her back, asking with concern, “Does that hurt?”
“No,” was the simple reply. Delenn's chemise lay in folds at her hips, exposing shoulder and breasts above and smooth white legs below. “The medication has a numbing effect. It should last for some hours.”
Anna shrugged off her blouse and swiftly discarded her bra, unfastened and somehow twisted into a satin rope under her arms. They joined her other garments, already in an untidy pile on the floor. Then she gathered the silken folds of Delenn's remaining clothing and pulled them out from under Delenn's raised hips, sliding them over the smooth white globes of her ass and down over her legs. She laid the tunic carefully on the chair on top of the tabard and dress and turned to examine her friend and now lover. Sitting on the side of the bed, she ran her hand along the length of Delenn's body, stretched along the gentle rise of the bedframe. The Minbari woman had shifted position, lying on her right side and pulled Anna down alongside her, claiming her mouth in a deep kiss. Anna responded with fervor, but after a brief and breathless interlude, broke the connection with a smile. “Your turn,” she said, and gently turned Delenn back over.
Anna took her time exploring every inch of Delenn's body, her mind occasionally noting small structural or decorative differences, filing them away for future consideration. As her ministrations brought alternate flushes of rosy arousal and sudden sharp intakes of breath, her analysis faltered and stuttered to a stop in her eagerness to give as much pleasure as she herself had received. Settling between Delenn's thighs she alternated long leisurely strokes with her tongue and short sweet suckling with her lips until shivers ran along the long leg muscles cradling her head and she could feel the bed shake as Delenn's head whipped back and forth and she whispered “Sonnor, sonnor,” which means both 'enough' and 'too much'.
As much as Anna wanted to find out which Delenn meant, she slowed and stopped, resting her head and one hand on Delenn's abdomen, feeling the quivering echoes of orgasm under her palm. She knew the thin margin between pleasure and pain and had no wish to cross the line. Shifting position, she edged up the slight incline of the bed to come face to face with her lover, easing her descent from the peak of passion to the warm torpor of imminent slumber with gentle kisses.
Delenn asked for her tunic back, apologizing and explaining at the same time that she slept better with at least one layer of clothing. The clinging slide of silk hid little and added a layer of texture that Anna found she enjoyed. She herself eschewed the offer of sleepwear, and relied on the lightweight sheet and the body pressed up against her back for warmth. Drifting off to the slight scent of burning left behind by the snuffed-out candles, Anna felt nothing but peace and a comfort that had eluded her since her return.
10/26/2261
The next day passed in a blur of happiness. Delenn left before what passed for dawn on the station. She was now working multiple jobs, filling in where she could for Ivanova with the command staff, preparing the Minbari ships for their imminent departure, cajoling the other ambassadors for their help. Lennier had gradually taken over most of the regular duties of the Minbari ambassador and was also instrumental in keeping all the various lines of communication open.
Anna unpacked her things again and dithered over whether to move them into the bedroom or not. Finally she left her clothing in a bag on the couch, and other items neatly piled on one end of the coffee table. She left for MedLab, where she told Dr. Hobbs in private that she would be leaving with the Minbari ships but would work up till the last minute. She also showed the doctor where she filed the notes on the various projects she had either completed or were in progress. Lillian took her out to lunch in appreciation. When the doctor asked Anna's opinion of whether Delenn was following the medical instructions laid out for her, and whether the ointment was helpful, Anna stammered out a yes, she had, and that Delenn was doing better now, there had been no more fever and the ointment seemed to be working. She stopped when she saw Lillian was observing her babble with a slightly puzzled smile. They finished their lunch without further mention of the Minbari ambassador.
Anna didn't have much to do that afternoon so she left MedLab early and headed back to Delenn's quarters. Delenn was in the bedroom with the partition closed. Anna noted her carryall was gone from the couch, although her personal items remained on the coffee table where she had left them that morning. She got a glass of water from the pitcher in the cooler and sat on the couch, picking up her tablet to read while she waited.
When Delenn emerged, a broad smile lit her face when she caught sight of Anna. “I moved your clothes into the bedroom.” Tilting her head to examine the effect of her words, she added, “If you do not mind?”
Anna shook her head, and Delenn came to sit next to her. She took one of Anna's hands in her own and said, “I did not expect this,” she gestured with her other hand, pointing at herself, then at Anna. “I have considered you a friend, which was unexpected enough...”
Squeezing her hand, Anna replied, “You accepted me, as me, almost from the first. Before John did, if he does even now,” she added uncertainly. Taking heart from the memory of his recent letters, and of hers, carefully preserved in his quarters, she added more firmly, “Even though I came between you and John, you never held that against me.”
“I could not resent your resumption of your rightful position in his life,” answered Delenn. “And I believed Lyta's assessment, and Dr. Franklin's, of your condition.” She sighed and looked down at their interlocked hands. “I am glad we found each other, but I do not know what John will say.”
“Nothing,” asserted Anna definitively. “At least at first. He'll be too shocked.” She couldn't help it, the mental picture brought on a sudden sharp fit of giggling. Sobering quickly, she added quietly, “I just hope we have the chance to talk it out, the three of us, together.”
Delenn was staring over Anna's shoulder, obviously miles away. Anna waved her free hand in front of Delenn's face, “Earth to Delenn, hello?”
“The Triad,” murmured Delenn. “That is a distinct possibility.”
“What or who is a Triad?” questioned Anna.
Delenn favored her with one of her best enigmatic smiles. “The answer to a question.”
They discussed the idea far into the night, skipping dinner to continue the discussion in bed. But not all night--it wasn't a night made for talking.
10/27/2261
The com was set to chime with every increasing volume until someone answered. It was Ivanova, hyper-linked from somewhere between Babylon 5 and Earth space. Delenn rose at the first low note and left the bedroom to take the call, hurrying to quiet the alarm before it became deafening. Anna was very glad they had turned the video off on the bedroom monitor. Listening to the indistinct voices, she spent a few moments trying the controls on the bed to see if she could stay in place on the thin mattress when it was set at the normal precarious angle favored by the Minbari.
Hunger drove her to get up and get dressed. While Delenn continued talking to Susan over the secure link in the living area, Anna decided to go to the kitchen and set out the dinner they had skipped last night. It took her a while to find everything but she laid the table with what seemed the proper settings and utensils. She wished she had time to take a shower but didn't want to keep Dr. Hobbs waiting. At this point every morning could be her last morning to help out in MedLab. Later, she decided, she'd shower when she got home. Her heart skipped at the thought. Home was not only where John was, it was where Delenn was as well.
After a little more conversation, there was a break, then Anna heard Lennier's voice over the com. Anna heard Delenn ask him to make the final preparations on her ship and Anna's heart leapt. Surely now, finally, they were going to go, to Earth, and possibly to Mars to rescue John.
“This is wonderful,” said Delenn as she caught sight of the table. She checked the teapot which was full and hot and poured out two cups, then collapsed into one of the chairs.
“How'd it go?” asked Anna, taking the seat opposite. She gestured at the covered plates. “This is Lennier's work. I don't know when he finds the time. You go first, I don't know what much of it is.”
Delenn removed the silver and glass covers and served both of them with soft cubes of flarn and a syrupy mix of what looked like preserved fruits. Then she replaced the covers and sighed deeply. “The Minbari cruisers are ready, but few of our allies have committed to the mission. They have much to do for their own people. The recovery from the Shadow war goes slowly in many areas.”
“The refugees are mostly gone,” replied Anna. “The Epsilon 3 base camp is empty, only a skeleton crew is there, closing everything down.” She said sadly, “Some of those poor people had no place to go back to. They're in large resettlement camps, awaiting new homes. It will takes decades to repair the damage on some planets. Those planet-killers,” She shook her head in dismay. “Some of the weaponry used, by both sides, was diabolic.”
They ate in companionable silence, and both looked up when Lennier entered. He approached with his usual practical humility, but Anna noticed his eye slide over the noticeably unoccupied couch. No bedclothes, no mess evidence of human habitation-again she felt the almost uncontrollable urge to giggle. “I just discovered the Ambassador Mollari has called a meeting of the Council,” he said in an urgent tone.
“They cannot do that!” declared Delenn. “The Council cannot meet without a representative of either Earth or Minbar in attendance.”
“I know,” replied Lennier.
Delenn retired to the bedroom and came out almost instantly, dressed and poised for confrontation. “Let us find out what this meeting is about, Lennier.” Turning to Anna, she said, “I will stop by MedLab if I can, after this is sorted out.”
“All right,” said Anna, continuing to eat. She was aware of Lennier's backwards glances at her, but didn't dare meet his eyes. She might laugh, and she felt that was one thing that Lennier would never forgive. In fact, she mused, they had discussed what to say to John several times already, but Delenn had never mentioned informing Lennier of their new relationship. Anna wondered if Delenn was aware of the depth of Lennier's feelings for his mentor. She sighed, that was what they needed, another angle to this already confused triangle.
Delenn didn't come to MedLab at lunchtime, or when Anna normally stopped work. That was disappointing, but she also wasn't in her quarters when Anna arrived with a few groceries. It was about time she started participating in the housework. Lennier couldn't be expected to do it all the time. She'd put on some water to boil for pasta and settled down to read when the door flew open and Delenn burst into the room.
“Anna! We're leaving, tomorrow perhaps, or the day after! And the whole League is going with us!” She collapsed on the chair at the end of the couch, facing Anna. Leaning forward, her hands moving as fast as the words that tumbled from her lips. “They want to help John, and your people in their fight, but mostly John, because of the Shadow war, and all his efforts on their behalf.” Her voice trembled and she interlaced her fingers and rocked slightly in her excitement and emotion. “This is the beginning. They are choosing to work together, and John has done it, he has brought them together.”
Anna jumped up and leaned over to hug her. “You both did it. And they would be total ingrates not to help you...us...whatever!” She pulled Delenn to her feet and hugged her again, hard. They clung to each other for a moment, then pulled back to stare at one another.
Delenn spoke first. “Kosh used to say....and so it begins. And now again it begins. We will follow John's plans, join the White Star fleet under Susan and the Earth ships who fight for your freedom at the meeting point. Then they will go ahead and we will provide support-humanitarian aid, help for injured ships, evacuation of the wounded. It is your fight, but our presence will show those on Earth that they are not alone.”
“So in this grand plan... is there any room in it for us to help John?” pleaded Anna. “We have to do something.”
“There are some of our people there. Perhaps an opportunity will arise, if they can find out where he is being held...” Delenn's voice trailed off.
Anna's eyes sparked. “Stephen is there, isn't he? I asked after him when I got back, but all Dr. Hobbs would say was that he had gone away, some sort of mission.”
“Yes, Dr. Franklin is on Mars, and Lyta is with him,” confided Delenn.
“Those two are pretty resourceful,” mused Anna. “But I wish we could go.”
“There is a possibility we will get to Mars,” answered Delenn. “And if I go there, you will come with me. As I promised. We will get him back, Anna.”
When Delenn spoke like that, Anna couldn't help but believe.
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