Title: The Mind's Abyss

By Morgana

Fandom: Babylon 5

Rating: NC-17

Pairing: Susan Ivanova and Marcus Cole

Summary: Guest staring Alfred Bester. Marcus saves Alfred's life and Susan finally admits she's attracted to him as well

Disclaimer: No stories or pieces of artwork archived here are meant to infringe upon the copyright held by J. Michael Straczynski, Babylonian Inc. or Time Warner Productions.

Marcus hated the haunting darkness that filled the corridors of this hellish prison. The rangers had carried out an attack to free one of their own, but had been too late; Rich had been mortally wounded and had died the moment they blasted the door. The guards had viciously tortured him to death to obtain the information they had been after. Only a bloody mess of intestines, once vital organs and ripped sinews remained of his former friend. They had trained together and Marcus had never thought it possible that a human being was capable of inflicting this much bodily damage.

The guards had proven him wrong. Their contorted faces haunted him long after the other rangers had left to pay their last respects to their deceased friend. Rich had died for the One as he had promised two years ago, but Marcus only felt an insane anger at that injustice. Rich had been two years younger than he was and left behind a grieving widow.

Why hadn’t Delenn listened to him? He had begged her to send a more experienced ranger to infiltrate this prison camp, but Delenn had told him that there were certain reasons why she had chosen Rich and now his friend was dead! It had been a suicide mission right from the start and no matter what he did, it couldn’t bring his friend back to life!

Furious at his helplessness he flung his fist into the rock he had been leaning against. Nauseous, he had run into the open field just to get away from the stench of blood. Rich had been a prisoner for over 3 weeks and Marcus shuddered with abhorrence when he thought of all the horrible things the guards had done to him.

"At least his soul is free now," Marcus whispered depressed. Little good it did Rich! If only it hadn’t taken them so long to locate the base, but they hadn’t had a single clue where to search! This camp had been designed to ‘interrogate’ prisoners whom they suspected possessed political or important data. The prisoners never survived the questioning in the end.

"Clark, you son of a bitch!" Marcus growled. "Damn you for working together with the Corps and co-operating with the Shadows! You’d do anything to help the Shadows find a way to deal with telepaths. You’re even prepared to sacrifice our own!" and he remembered Bester’s visit to Babylon to warn them about a cargo of weapon's components. They had turned out to be Blips from re-education camps. He hadn’t seen Bester’s face when he found out the truth, but could vividly imagine his rage.

Marcus had never before been interested in Earth policy, but now that it was costing human lives he began hating the man who had murdered Santiago. During these last weeks several rangers had been captured and vanished. It was obvious who was behind it and he had sworn to stop this countdown of death. Somehow he had to find a way to deflect Clark and the Corps attention from the rangers!

"If only the Corps wasn’t involved! This is a lethal pairing. Clark has the authority to issue arrests and the Corps the means to extract information from prisoners who were arrested at his order! And all this because the Shadows have no defence against telepaths! Clark is a traitor to his own people!"

Shaking his head wildly he tried stopping the tears that flowed freely from his watered eyes. It had been years since had cried openly. His fellow rangers were still busy freeing prisoners and briefly he considered helping them, but decided against it in the end. There was no way of telling what he would do seeing the guards who had killed his friend. //Better let the rest see to this. I’m not up to it right now,// he thought saddened and bit down his howling anger.

"Marcus!"

He recognized the voice at once; it was one of his fellow rangers called Kerona. Quickly rubbing his fingers over his face he wiped away the tears that had stained his features. The older ranger looked concerned, his grey hair was tousled and his blue eyes burned. Although Kerona was in charge of this mission, the ranger had frequently asked his advice.

"Yes?" Marcus said softly, wishing the man would leave him alone to deal with his rage.

"I know you’re grieving, but…" Kerona halted, glancing down to the black earth and noted the sad expression in Marcus’ eyes.

"But what?" Marcus asked, trying to compose himself again. Bloody hell, this reminded him of losing Willie and he still hadn’t recovered from that ordeal!

"They found a telepath and… the locals want revenge," Kerona told him concerned.

"This telepath…" Marcus said slowly, trying to think rationally, "is he one of the guards who…?"

"No, I’ve already secured those to make sure they’ll stand trial on Babylon 5 or Minbar for what they did to Richard, but… this telepath is a prisoner… The locals have formed one group, demanding justice. They no longer care about who pays that price. Apparently the guards weren’t picky in whom to torture. We’re trying to keep the locals back, but… they want the telepath. They =know= him and so did I."

Kerona gently placed a hand on Marcus’ shoulder. "We can’t allow for a lynching to take place, certainly not if this person is innocent of the crimes committed here… Even though he may be guilty of others."

Marcus shot him a confused look. "What are you trying to tell me?"

"The telepath we found is a Psi Cop… Alfred Bester. Didn’t you tell me that Captain Sheridan made a deal with him to fight the Shadows? I don’t know if they’re still allies…" Kerona explained and hoped Marcus understood his predicament.

"Bester?" Marcus repeated stunned. Yes, Delenn had told him about the psi cop, but what was he doing out here on this damned planet?

"He’s in a bad way, Marcus." Kerona added; somehow he had to convince his friend to help him. Some of his best friends had been commercial telepaths and he had learned a lot about them during their friendships. Their psi ability set them apart, but once he had gained their trust they had become close friends.

"Bad way?" Marcus gathered his energy and told himself to pay attention; it was apparent that Kerona needed him, was telling him this for a reason.

"Bester was their prisoner too, Marcus. I don’t know why his own kind would want to destroy him, but it looks like they tried their best to do just that." Kerona stopped briefly, uncertain whether to add the next comment or not. Eventually he decided that Marcus had to know this part as well.

"He was imprisoned in the same block Rich was. From the files we gathered that this section was reserved for prisoners who were scheduled to be terminated after questioning. Rich was unfortunate to be the one prior on the guards’ list."

"They were going to kill him next? Why? Bester is one of their own; a psi cop!" Marcus wondered aloud.

"I know and that’s why we have to find out what’s going on."

Studying the older ranger Marcus finally realized what it was the man wanted from him. "You want me to smuggle him out of the camp?"

"Yes, take him to Babylon 5, just in case Sheridan’s still allied with Bester. I don’t want to make any mistakes in this matter. There’s a shuttle waiting for you at the north side. We’ll keep the villagers back as long as we can. Don’t waste any time, Marcus. Bester can’t walk and you’ll need all the time you can get."

Kerona was about to gesture Marcus to follow him when he abruptly turned around. "We transferred his file onto a crystal and I suggest you study it thoroughly once you’re safely aboard."

"Understood," Marcus stated firmly and pushed back all the grief he felt for Rich; the dead could be mourned later. He had an assignment to complete first!

"One more thing," Kerona said, leading him through the corridors of the camp, "They put him on sleepers and I suggest you keep it that way. We obtained primed hypo guns for you to take with you. You don’t want to be near a berserk psi cop who lost control of his psi powers!"

Grimly nodding his head Marcus realized Kerona had a valid point there; psi cops were dangerous to begin with. Following the ranger through the damp corridors Marcus wondered why the Corps would resort to torturing one of their own kind. //Evil feeds on itself,// he thought.

The suffocating air of fear whispered though the empty rooms and made him shiver. Only hours ago prisoners had been locked in here.

"Anything else I need to know?" Marcus asked in a soft tone, not wanting to disturb the ghosts of the dead, which certainly still lingered here. This place gave him the creeps. He couldn’t imagine how it must feel to be incarcerated in here.

Kerona gave him a thoughtful look. "Are you prejudiced against telepaths?"

Marcus considered the question put to him. "No, I don’t think so."

"Good, for I can’t use men who are!" Kerona sighed relieved; maybe there was a chance to help the prisoner. "I’ll be honest with you, Marcus. When I read the name in the files all I could think about were the crimes they hold him responsible for, but when I stepped into his cell… I was totally unprepared for the shock of seeing him."

"What are you talking about?" Marcus didn’t like the tone to Kerona’s voice, like the man was trying to prepare him for something.

"You’ll see for yourself in a moment," Kerona whispered and stopped at a closed door which was being guarded by two rangers. They stepped aside when Kerona beckoned them to let them pass. Slowly opening the metal door he looked at Marcus, daring him to enter by using his eyes only.

Taken aback by the seriousness that Kerona’s eyes showed Marcus hesitantly entered the little cell. A stench of vomit, blood and urine welcomed him and he quickly covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve. Huddled in the corner of the befouled room a naked man was muttering softly. Marcus thought hard to remember Bester’s first name, trying to establish some kind of contact with the psi cop.

"Alfred?" he whispered. In spite of the shimmering, faint light he made out all the bruises on the man’s naked body. It was damned cold in here and before he realized what he was doing Marcus had slipped out of his cloak and intended to drape it over the psi cop’s shoulders.

Approaching Bester he fought the urge to throw up as the stench grew stronger. It originated from Alfred and Marcus slowly lowered himself to sit on his heels.

"Al?" he repeated, hoping for some kind of reaction. The fact that the psi cop wasn’t responding at all worried him. Susan had told him about Bester’s arrogance and he expected some kind of smug reply, but the man remained silent.

Concerned, Marcus locked eyes with Kerona and knew what the man had to be thinking. //Told you he was in a bad way.// Although he wasn’t a telepath Marcus knew the words. His instincts always came through.

"Get him to his feet, Marcus. We’re wasting time." Kerona looked behind him, hearing the people’s angry voices. The rangers were still keeping them back.

Nodding his head Marcus understood the need to hurry up. "Al? I’m going to pull you to your feet now." The ranger draped the cloak over the still form and wanted to place a hand around Bester’s shoulder when the psi cop released a single horrified scream. Immediately he backed down and tried catching the other man’s eyes.

"Oh, my God!" Marcus mumbled seeing Bester’s face for the first time. "What did they do to you?"

Bester’s dark eyes were tight shut and blood dripped down from his nose. His face had turned black and blue and his cheekbones were clearly visible. Marcus wondered if they had starved him.

"Can you hear me?" he asked and pulled the cloak closer to Bester’s motionless body. Quickly checking the psi cop’s pulse Marcus realized it was much too slow.

"Here," Kerona handed Marcus a bag filled with the hypo gun and data crystal. "Get him to the shuttle as quickly as possible. You might have to carry him."

Marcus had realized the same thing. Pulling the bag over his shoulder he resolutely grabbed Bester’s waist and pulled the man to his feet. //By Valen, he hardly weights a thing!// he thought shocked.

"He’s unconscious, better use that to your advantage. You’ll find a med kit in the shuttle. You’re on your own now." Kerona pulled off his own ranger cloak and also wrapped it around Bester. "Don’t ever forget he needs your help," the ranger told Marcus. "Whatever your feelings might be, you’re a ranger and he’s needs your help. Remember that and honor our code."

"I will," Marcus promised and recoiled slightly as something wet soaked the cloak. It might be blood, it might be urine. //What in Valen’s name did they subject him to? Rich looked like this when we found him!//

Making his way into the corridor one of the rangers opened a concealed door and wished him good luck. The moment he had dragged Bester inside the door closed behind him. The psi cop was a dead weight in his arms and he tried another way of holding him. Slipping one hand underneath Bester’s knees the ranger tried carrying him through the passageway. If Bester had been heavier he wouldn’t have made it. But his speed was increasing and he told himself to focus on his goal.

Light appeared at the end of the corridor and Marcus leaned against the wall, breathing in deeply the fresh and cold air, which shook him from his confusion. Glancing at Bester he noticed the raw, bloody welts around his wrists and throat; he had been tied up.

//I need to find that shuttle,// he reminded himself. Maybe the med kit contained a medical scanner so he could assess how badly the psi cop had been injured. He had been trained in first aid and knew a thing or two about meds. Stephen had never noticed him studying his treatment plans.

"Hold on," he told Bester who couldn’t hear him and began making his way over to the clearing where his sharp eyes had discovered the camouflaged shuttle. Crossing the distance in some minutes he gently placed Bester onto the grass and searched the bag for the crystal that contained the access codes. //Thankfully Kerona marked it!// and quickly slipped it into the opening. The doors reacted and after lifting the psi cop from the moist grass he carried him inside.

This shuttle was a new prototype and luckily it contained a separate living area. After laying Bester down on a couch he headed to the controls and quickly set their course. Boosting its engines the shuttle quickly gained in altitude and Marcus set the automatic pilot after laying in a course for Babylon 5. It would take him one week to get there at least!

Turning around he walked back to Bester who had rolled onto his left side. A whimper left his bruised lips and Marcus realized the psi cop was in pain. Kerona had mentioned a data crystal and he inserted it into the player. He gasped seeing the entries the guards had made.

*

Day 1- 2100 arrival of Alfred Bester; prisoner 2233 who was immediately put on sleepers. During the first interrogation prisoner complained about headaches and stomach aches. No medical assistance was permitted.

Day 2- 2400 prisoner number 2233 requests the light to be extinguished so he can sleep, request denied. He won’t be given food or water for a period of 24 hours to discipline him.

Day 3- 0200 prisoner has been brought in for second interrogation. Sleepers and a sedative were administered for a second time to gain his co-operation. Violence was necessary to ensure further questioning.

Day 4- 0600 prisoner 2233 shows signs of resistance and the guard on duty had to resort to violence to subdue him. Additional note; prisoner 2233 seems to be rather disorientated.

Day 5- 2000 prisoner 2233 has stopped yelling and is starting to answer the questions put to him. Note; 2100 hours; prisoner attacked guard and had to be tied down. Sleepers were administered for a third time. This dose will last one week.

Day 6- 0600 prisoner 2233 was administered some water. Dose of sleepers was increased and Mr. Jenkins, the resident psi cop, was contacted for advice.

Day 7- 2100 prisoner 2233 has been restrained all day and is showing signs of dehydration.

Day 8- 0900 Mr. Jenkins arrived and deep scanned the prisoner. Note; Mr. Jenkins proved successful as prisoner 2233 is no longer resisting questioning.

Day 10- 2330 Mr. Jenkins ran additional deep scans on prisoner 2233 and attained most of the needed data.

*

Marcus switched off the screen and took a deep breath. A psi cop had deep scanned Bester several times while Alfred had been on sleepers? //Would that count as a telepathic rape?// he wondered distressed.

Nervous, he searched for the med kit. //I hope there’s a scanner. I need to know how badly injured he really is… and Kerona might be right to keep him on sleepers for now. I don’t want Bester killing me in a fit of insanity!//

Kneeling down next to the psi cop Marcus took out some of the surgical clean bandages and wiped Bester’s face. The skin had been torn apart near the eyes and he applied some soothing cream. Marcus ran the scanner over Bester’s body and sucked in his breath; three bruised ribs, one broken wrist, one broken ankle and a minor concussion were the first things to show up.

"I’ve got to clean you up first," Marcus muttered and peeled off the now sticky cloak. Bester’s chest was covered in blood, but he couldn’t locate the source of it. There were some imprints on his stomach, which looked like marks left by military boots. Dropping the cloak onto the floor he fought for breath seeing the open and bleeding wounds on the psi cop’s back.

//The bastards!// he thought enraged and briefly sympathized with the locals who had tried lynching the guards. //Monsters!//

He decided to wipe away the blood first before bandaging the wounds and tenderness showed in his ministrations. //His entire body is black and blue!// Marcus thought in anger.

Moving to Bester’s neck he found scratch marks and realized they must originate from fingernails. Shivering, he cleaned the wounds. In a rare and soft tone he said, "You’re safe now."

Marcus never expected the psi cop to regain consciousness that quickly, but when a terrified howl left Bester’s lips he composed himself. "It’s alright, Alfred. We’re on our way to Babylon 5." Swiftly he got to his feet and walked to the other side so Bester could see him. Nothing could have prepared him for the terror in Al’s eyes.

*

Color, scent and noise savagely combined assaulted his numbed senses and all Al could do was struggle against them and wait for it to pass through him. The fierce light blinded him after spending several days in complete darkness. His eyes stung sharply and began to water. Foggy memories wrestled to reach the troubled surface of his mind, but were obstructed by something dark and heavy that threw him roughly back into a sea of pain.

Jenkins’ face flashed through his memories and he twitched, remembering the raw pleasure on the psi cop’s face as Jenkins had broken through all his blocks. The sleepers had made him an easy prey and he had crumbled within days. Oh, how he hated himself for being that weak!

"Kill… me," Al stammered slowly in a shaky tone. He had begged the guard countless times before to stop his misery, but they had only laughed at him and had mocked him. His body trembled with forgotten pain and spasms made him shake uncontrollably.

"Look at me," Marcus said in a soft tone, uncertain about Bester’s frame of mind. He wanted to establish a basic sense of safety after what the man had been through.

Distorted words finally reached his ears and Al desperately tried making sense of them. It wasn’t Jenkins’ harsh voice and the guards never spoke that softly. Scared, he clenched shut his eyes. //I’m not going to look at anyone… never… won’t…// In his mind he chanted the words like they could conjure up a magic wall where he could hide behind.

"Look at me, Al," Marcus repeated and gently took hold of the psi cop’s hands, careful not to add to the pain the broken wrist had to be causing. He had to find a way to get through to Bester.

"Won’t…" Al stuttered and tried freeing himself of the hold the other man had on him, but his strength had completely deserted him. Cringing at the touch Al expected to be hit by a deep scan any moment now, although he didn’t know why Jenkins would perform one. He had already told his nemesis everything he had wanted to know. An echo of the deep scans wrinkled through him and convulsions coursed through his weakened body.

Jenkins wouldn’t need a reason to violate his mind again… Al had long realized that the psi cop took pleasure in torturing his victims. He had deep scanned the people he had questioned too, but he had never scanned them just to delight in their terror.

"You’re safe," Marcus whispered and felt helpless as Al’s body racked with pain spasms. //Better sedate him before he loses all control,// Marcus thought alarmed. Searching the med kit he discovered a sedative which suited his purpose. It would also cause Bester to fall asleep; a welcome side effect.

Something cold was pressed against the skin of his arm and Al shuddered. "Don’t… Please, no more!" he breathed in anguish. The drugs they had given him had caused horrific hallucinations and had taken him back to all the dark corners of his past.

As fear began to dominate his actions he flashed open his eyes, trying to stop the guard from whatever he was going to inject him with. In his drugged state he didn’t recognize the ranger uniform. "Please," he pleaded again. If only he had the strength to crawl away, but his entire body ached.

"I’m here to help you," Marcus told him and realized that Bester had no idea that he had been rescued. Had Rich gone through the same ordeal just before he had died? //Thankfully we managed to get Bester away from them! I wonder what they were after!//

Marcus injected the liquid into the psi cop’s bloodstream and waited for it to take effect. "We raided the camp and got you out. We’re currently on our way to Babylon 5 where Doctor Franklin will treat your injuries," Marcus babbled on, hoping the sound of his voice would calm him down. Bester’s bewildered stare actually worried him; Rich’s unseeing eyes had possessed the same expression in death.

Al was still waiting for Jenkins to hit him with another deep scan, but when the pain failed to come he felt confident enough to take a deep breath. Rational thinking had deserted him a long time ago and flashes of Jenkins’ contorted face pierced his soul. //Pain… Cold, so cold… the silence is deafening… I told them… told them about Sheridan… they know… Jenkins knows, the Corps will come for me… the pain!//

"Everything is going to be alright, Al," Marcus said, trying to gauge Bester’s reaction to the sedative. It was a shame he didn’t know what the guards had used to drug him with. Tenderly, he stroked some damp and bloody hair out of the psi cop’s face and sucked in his breath seeing the glazed, dark eyes. Bloodshot, they stared at him without hiding anything.

"Try sleeping, Al. No one is going to hurt you." Marcus pulled the thermo blanket from beneath the med kit and covered the trembling man with it. His skin felt cold and yet Bester’s body was covered with sweat. Fear emanated from the psi cop and Marcus wished he knew of a way to take it away.

Pleasantly tired, Al tried to keep his eyes from dropping shut. Something warm was crawling up his spine and it made him relax his tense muscles. //Death… at last? Yes, I’m ready to go… can’t fight any longer… I want to leave,// his thoughts became transparent while drifting into sleep. //No more pain…// he sighed relieved. //But they’ll wake me again… come for me again… I can’t be that fortunate to die…// His head lolled briefly and then his eyes closed.

"Good," Marcus muttered, more taken aback than he wanted to admit to himself. Had Susan exaggerated Bester’s arrogance? This vulnerability was the last thing he had expected to find within the psi cop. //Imprisonment can change a man. I know; I have seen the faces of the men and women who lived through such a hell. It changed them forever and some of them regretted surviving the ordeal. I can’t help him! I don’t know anything about posttraumatic stress syndrome… I know its symptoms, but Bester needs a real doctor!//

Marcus cursed the fact that it would take them one week to get to Babylon 5 and he couldn’t stop anywhere else to get help. These were dangerous times and allies often changed into enemies within days!

Marcus forced himself to concentrate on his task at hand. Using the surgically clean bandages he cleaned up Bester and applied some balm where the skin had been brutally slit apart. These physical injuries would certainly heal within a couple of weeks, even the broken bones would mend, but what about the emotional damage done to the psi cop?

Come to think of it, why had they been questioning him in the first place? //Did they find out about the deal he made with Sheridan? How? It’s the only explanation that makes any sense! It would make Bester a traitor to the Corps and…// Marcus nodded his head and realized what this might imply; there had to be a spy onboard Babylon 5!

*

Al floated on waves of delicious pain and tried not to drown in the sensation. He had almost gotten used to the pain, but this time it felt different; like a protective cocoon was keeping the worst pain away from him so he could deal with it. For days he had wished, hoped for this peaceful oblivion, but the guards and Jenkins had jarred him back into reality every time he’d begun drifting away… but not this time.

Strangely detached from his body he had the distinct impression of hovering near the ceiling of a shuttle. Looking down he saw his body, battered and bruised and a man sitting next to it who was tending to his wounds.

He didn’t know the stranger; it certainly wasn’t one of the men who had interrogated him so brutally. His essence flinched, re-experiencing all the torment he had lived through. Why hadn’t they killed him once they had learned he had betrayed the Corps by making a pact with Sheridan? There could only be one reason; they wanted to set an example to other possible defectors.

Now that the pain was bearable he focused on the stranger dressing his wounds. The dark haired man’s touch had to be gentle; he could tell by merely looking at his ministrations. //Who is he? What am I doing here? What is happening to me?// Terrified, he gave in as he was pulled back into his shattered body. The brief illusion of security vanished and he surrendered to the nightmares his troubled brain supplied him with.

*

It took Marcus over an hour just to rid Al of all the blood and filth. Sighing, he began dressing the wounds. Bester’s chest clearly showed imprints of boots and the ranger slowly developed a deep burning hate for the ‘monsters’ who had done this to the psi cop, //and Rich.// They had been too late to save Rich, but he was going to make sure this man would survive!

Pulling Bester into a sitting position he removed the second cloak and wrapped the thermo blanket as tightly as possible around the sleeping form. The medical scanner told him that there was no cerebral hemorrhage and relieved he sat down onto the floor. He had done everything he could to limit the extent of the injuries inflicted on the psi cop. Wrist and ankle had been splinted and would heal within weeks.

Exhausted, Marcus observed the other man who was mumbling incoherently. //I wonder how it feels; being deep scanned by another psi cop while on sleepers.// The thought creeped him out. During his training they had taught him how to detect being scanned and the experience had left him shaken.

Marcus got to his feet, determined to establish contact with Babylon 5. He couldn’t do this on his own and needed Stephen’s advice. Perhaps the doctor could guide him, tell him what to do and what meds to supply Bester with. As he walked over to the controls he caught Al’s moan and turned around.

Still asleep, Bester reached out with a clenched fist and whimpered in pain.

Marcus didn’t hesitate and grabbed the offered hand, soothingly running his fingertips over its knuckles. the fist remained tightly clenched and the ranger slowly forced the fingers to unfold. The psi cop’s fingers suddenly snatched his and refused to release his hand. Sighing softly, Marcus resigned himself to sitting down again.

//I’ll have to contact Stephen later, once Bester decides to let go of me.// Marcus pulled the blanket, which had slipped down, into place and studied Al’s furrowed brow. Somehow he would have to find a way to get through to the psi cop the next time he awoke.

*

Three hours later sleep almost trapped Marcus too, but a pull at his hand told him Bester was waking up. Quickly, he kneeled down beside the couch and placed his other hand on Al’s brow.

"Look at me," he told the other man and almost bolted to his feet when the psi cop squeezed his hand hard. He fought down the urge to free himself; this contact might be useful at some point.

"Al, open your eyes and look at me," he repeated in a firm tone. Bester had to snap out of this stupor!

The voice finally penetrated his clouded mind and Al flashed open his eyes. "The light…"

Marcus realized the light was hurting his eyes and ordered the computer to reduce lights to 50%. "Is this better?" he asked concerned; at least Bester was showing signs of lucidity.

"Yes," Al groaned, tasting fresh blood on his tongue. Completely disorientated he clawed at the ranger uniform. "Who.. are.. you?" he managed to choke out. Had Jenkins found another way to play him by feeding him illusions of safety? It was impossible that he had escaped his cell. The guards would never let him out of their sight; the confession he had whispered ensured their promotion.

"I’m Marcus Cole, a ranger." Slowly, he managed to free his hand from Bester’s vice like grip. It was unbelievable that the man still possessed such strength!

"Ranger?" Al echoed in disbelief. "Are you... a... prisoner too?" His jaw hurt and small droplets of blood flowed down his chin.

"Let me get that," Marcus whispered and wiped away the blood. The sheer fear in Bester’s eyes told him not to make any sudden movements as he didn’t want to unnecessarily frighten Al.

The simple gesture of wiping his chin made Al cringe. Both his hands had turned into fists and he swallowed hard which made him realize how thirsty he was. "Water?" he stammered helplessly.

"I’ll get some for you," Marcus replied and got to his feet. Quickly he retrieved another kit, filled with water and food bars. After filling one of the glasses he returned to Bester and offered him the water.

Shocked, Al stared at both his hands; he couldn’t relax them! His bad hand felt like imploding and ashamed he hid them underneath the blanket. "I can’t…"

"I’ll help you drink it." Marcus slipped one hand underneath Bester’s neck and raised his head a little. Noticing the grin of pain the psi cop shot him, Marcus tried making him more comfortable. "Drink," he whispered and placed the glass at Al’s chapped lips.

Al greedily consumed the liquid and it burned his raw throat as it made its way down. He couldn’t remember the last time they had given him something to drink. "Thank you," he whispered after he had emptied the glass.

Marcus nodded once. "Anything else I can do?" he inquired.

"Kill me," Al said in a sudden firm tone.

Raising an eyebrow Marcus remembered the first time Bester had made this request. "Now why would I want to do that?"

"Can’t live… like this," Al muttered in agony. Depressed, he looked away from the ranger. Shudders racked his body as he thought back to what had happened these last days.

"Al," Marcus started and caught the psi cop flinching, "you need to rest and give your body a chance to start the healing process."

"Please…" Al begged beneath his breath. How could he explain his terror when he was too scared to even think about it? "Sleepers…" he mumbled exhausted.

"What are you trying to tell me?" Marcus asked and leaned in a little closer, but still kept his distance. Although he was no doctor he knew Bester had gone into the first stages of shock.

"Overdose… sleepers… will kill me," Al sighed. His will had been crushed and he had no reason left to fight.

"No suicide attempts," Marcus stated firmly. "You’re not thinking straight and that’s why I’m taking charge. Are you still on sleepers?"

"Dose will be active… for three more days." Tired, he shifted on the couch. It was unbelievable how warm and soft he was. The cell’s floor had been cold and moist. Rats and other vermin had frequently run over his body and he had been too weak to brush them off. Even lifting his hand had caused him pain.

"Good, don’t want your psi powers going haywire while I’m close." Marcus refilled the glass and offered it to Bester. "You need to get some fluids into your system."

"Will try," Al relished the fresh water and swallowed it quickly. It was hard to ignore the feel of warm fingers against his neck and he struggled to remain composed. Jenkins had touched his skin to deepen the contact and to extract his confession from his mind. Every time the ranger touched him he expected to be thrown into a deep scan.

"It’ll take us one week to reach Babylon 5 and in the meantime I’ll look after you as well as I can, but I am no doctor," Marcus said honestly.

"I want to die… not to be healed," Al moved his right hand -fist- over his chest and gingerly touched the bandages there.

Dismayed, Marcus shook his head. "You’ve got to fight; you can’t let them win!"

"I have no… strength, no reason… they know." Al’s eyes closed as his body and mind shut down from pure fear.

"Know what?" Marcus waited patiently for an answer.

"Know about… Sheridan… alliance… fighting the Shadows." His voice shook violently and tremors coursed through his body. Al dug his fingernails into the flesh of his leg, desperate for proof that this was really happening and no hallucination. The pain that shot through him convinced him eventually and the realization that he had been rescued shocked him even more. This ranger was speaking the truth; they had freed him. Tears slid down his face as the truth settled in. //I can’t live like this! I don’t want to return to Babylon 5. The Corps will come for me, scan me… NO!!//

"NOOOO," Al yelled uncontrollably. "No more scans!"

Uncertain what to make of Al’s fierce reaction Marcus stroked the dark and still bloody hair. "No one’s going to scan you, I promise." As Bester’s eyes focused on him Marcus smiled kindly. "And I keep my promises. Now get some more sleep."

"You promise?" Al sobbed, hating himself for feeling this weak, but the ranger’s firm expression comforted him.

"Yes and now… sleep!" Marcus ordered gently. "Close your eyes and let go. I’ll watch over you." Smiling, he watched Al drift off into slumber. Bester would certainly experience intense nightmares and all he could do was hope that it wouldn’t enhance the damage already done.

The abyss part 2

"Bloody interference!" Marcus cursed angrily. Now that Bester was asleep he was trying to contact Babylon 5 and had hoped to succeed in getting through to med lab. In this case he couldn’t do without Stephen’s advice.

//Think,// he told himself, //what do you remember about posttraumatic syndrome? They taught us during psychology class! Fear, anxiety, disorientation, vigilance, helplessness; the nightmares will even get worse!//

Angry, he slammed his fist onto the controls. It was obvious he couldn’t get through yet. Maybe in a day or two. //But that may prove too late for Bester. I need to find a way to handle this situation right now. He needs to start talking and allow me in!//

Marcus opened the food kit and retrieved a food bar. Although he hated their abominable taste he ate it anyway. Thankfully, Bester was soundly asleep and Marcus sat down on the chair opposite the sofa to study the man.

//Yes, the physical injuries will heal, but what about the emotional ones? The sleepers repress his psi ability and he’s now a ‘normal’ like the rest of us. I don’t think he ever experienced a deep scan; he only performed them on others. And Jenkins didn’t scan him just once; the files speak of several deep scans.//

Marcus wondered about his course of action and while checking the label on the sedative vial again, he realized that Bester would be asleep for a couple more hours. Maybe he should try and get some shuteye too. There was a possibility that he wouldn’t get another chance once Al was awake.

//It all depends on his accepting my help or not. If he continues to isolate himself I can’t help him. He paid the ultimate price by taking his victims’ place.//

Closing his eyes Marcus leaned his head against the comfort of the chair. Fatigued, he dozed off as well.

*

His eyelids trembled briefly before carefully opening them. Al experienced a panic attack, not recognizing his surroundings. //This isn’t my cell… There’s no stench… //

Al looked about and discovered the sleeping man opposite of him who looked faintly familiar. //I’ve seen him before… He was here the last time I woke…and he told me his name, but I forgot.//

Al tried flexing his hands, which had started to hurt because of the fists they had formed. His good hand responded slowly and he sighed as the tension slipped from the muscles. He attempted sitting up, but had to give in as his body burned with pain. There was hardly a nerve that didn’t ache. Reluctantly, he had to accept that he was incapable of movement right now.

His head suddenly reeled with pain and he used his good hand to slowly rub his temple. //Don’t think about the scans, don’t think about them!// he told himself, but failed. The moment he forbade himself to remember them, they slipped back into his thoughts.

Jenkins had read him like an open book while he had tried fighting him. But without his blocks and shields he had proven an easy target for the other psi cop. //They’re killing their own. The Corps is corrupt…//

A tortured moan escaped his lips as he rolled onto his right side. His chest and back hurt; hell, everything hurt! //I’m -not- going to cry! I won’t give them that satisfaction!// Feeling humiliated, he closed his eyes to prevent the tears from leaving his eyes.

Marcus woke as his instincts kicked in. He hadn’t consciously heard Bester moan, but being a light sleeper he had reacted to it nonetheless. His eyes immediately searched Bester’s face and he smiled sadly seeing the tears run down the man’s face. Biding his time he waited for Al to stop crying, not wanting to embarrass him by being found out.

Finally the rivulet of tears stopped flowing and Marcus softly said, "Do you want something to drink? We should keep an eye on your intake of fluids. You should probably eat something too."

The gentle voice startled Al and he didn’t know how to react. He had never been depended on anyone before and accepting the truth was hard for him. Without Marcus he would die. The simple action of fetching something to drink was impossible due to his broken limbs. Being weak was something he hated and he didn’t react to the ranger’s question. Underneath his eyelids he stared into the black void that was his mind. The sleepers even denied him the comfort of the soothing static, which would tell him his psi powers were active.

Marcus wanted to keep him on sleepers. //Can’t blame him. I don’t know what I’d do if I had full control. I would probably try to take my own life and pull him along in the effort.//

"Al? I asked you a question and I know you’re awake. Don’t ignore me." Marcus pulled the chair closer and studied the man. The fear and shame engulfing Bester were apparent and the ranger knew this was a battle of wills. "Answer me, Al."

Swallowing hard Al opened his eyes. Clouded memories told him that he’d asked the ranger to kill him twice already and Marcus had refused both times. But answering him meant admitting his weakness…and he had never been weak.

"Do you want something to drink?" Marcus repeated patiently, telling himself not to treat the man any different because he was a psi cop. Kerona had been right to point his responsibility out to him.

"Yes," Al admitted finally and flinched speaking the word.

"That wasn’t very hard now, was it?" Marcus quipped and filled the glass again. "Want something to eat too?"

"No," Al stammered; his jaw hurt and the thought alone almost made him throw up the little water he had managed to drink.

"Here," Marcus said and handed him the glass. Seeing Al’s hesitance he realized the man was afraid to spill it. "I’ll help you," he offered and assisted Bester in emptying another glass. "You flinch every time I touch you… Why?" Marcus closely observed Bester and caught the naked horror in his dark eyes.

Al couldn’t reply; an invisible hand clenched his throat shut and he blindly stared at the ceiling. He couldn’t talk about the things which Jenkins had done to him. A normal couldn’t understand the loss of power and control he had experienced.

"I’m no counselor, but talking about it might help you deal with it. No one can work through this on their own." Marcus placed the glass onto the floor and looked over at the bed in the back of the shuttle.

Al caught that look, but remained silent. Maybe if he ignored him, the ranger would leave him alone.

"What do you think, Al? Wouldn’t you be more comfortable in a real bed?"

His lips resembled a narrow line as Al tried ignoring the irritating ranger.

"Let’s get you to your feet. Lean on me, Al. Your right ankle is broken and I don’t want you to fall."

Biting down a sharp remark Al turned his head and now faced away from the ranger. //Why can’t you leave me alone? I don’t want your help!//

"You’ll have to tell me one day why they interrogated you, Al. Since when does the Corps feed on its own people?" Marcus hoped to provoke a reaction, but Al still refused to look at him. He’d tried being emphatic, had tried making Al angry, what else could he do?

"Leave me alone!" Al whispered in anguish.

"Sorry, can’t do that! It’s my responsibility to ensure your safe arrival at Babylon 5. The Captain would hate losing one of his allies to his enemies." Marcus felt relieved now Al had spoken at last.

"I’m useless to him! Don’t you understand? I told Jen…" His voice faltered; remembering his failure.

"I’m sure the Captain can deal with this new development. You better focus on your own needs," Marcus stated and wrapped his arms around the psi cop. "I’m going to walk you over to the bed. Try avoiding using your right foot."

"You’re stubborn," Al sighed resigned.

"So they tell me," Marcus chuckled and pulled him to his feet, careful not to let the thermo blanket slip down.

Al cringed with the touch and grinded his teeth not to call out from pain as the ranger dragged him over to the bed.

"Lie down carefully," Marcus advised him and placed Al on the bed. "Now, isn’t that more comfortable?"

Al couldn’t deny that truth and nodded once. "Why are you doing this? Why help me? I’m a psi cop, remember?" Curiosity made him ask that particular question as he was puzzled by the ranger’s genuine concern.

"Because you need my help. It’s as simple as that." Marcus smiled and pulled another blanket on top of Bester. Sitting down on the side of the bed he asked, "Care to tell my why they arrested you in the first place?"

Al licked his chapped lips and attempted to formulate his thoughts, but failed. Pain was rising in his head and he groaned his answer. "No."

"Why not? The Captain will want to know…" Marcus stopped short, noticing the agony in Al’s eyes. "What’s wrong, Al?"

"How do you… know my name?" Al said in a vain attempt to change the topic. He wasn’t up yet to discussing the recent past.

Marcus recognized the diversion and gave in. Bester wouldn’t address the matter until he felt up to it. "I read your file once… and remembered your name; Alfred Bester. I hope you don’t mind me calling you Al?"

"No, I don’t," Al whispered. "Do you always talk this much?" he said, trying to alleviate the tension a bit.

"I’ve been accused of babbling before," Marcus replied, but disliked seeing the fear in the psi cop’s eyes. //Maybe it’s the first time ever he felt this scared,// Marcus realized.

"I do think you should eat something," Marcus continued, remembering their supply of food bars.

"Can’t…" Al took a deep breath and stared straight ahead of him, totally avoiding the ranger’s compassionate eyes.

"I want to help you." Marcus slowly lifted his right hand and placed it on top of Al’s. A spasm moved through the psi cop’s fingers and he almost pulled back. Marcus didn’t allow it though and tightened his grip. "Are you still tired?" he inquired.

"Yes, but the silence is…" Al stopped himself just in time. It had been quiet in his cell, except for the screams released by his fellow prisoners and he expected hearing them now. He missed the telepathic static in his head.

"Let me check the computer files. Perhaps I can get it to play some music." Marcus got to his feet and walked over to the screen.

Al released a strangled sigh as Marcus moved out of sight. All he wanted was to crawl into a dark corner of his mind and to stay there forever. But something told him the ranger wouldn’t allow that; would drag him out of it again if necessary. At the moment he didn’t want to think, feel or speak. All he wanted was to lose himself into the dark streams of oblivion.

"Do you like classical music?"

The question made him shiver; he had almost succeeded in losing himself in the obscure darkness of his mind. "Yes," he muttered eventually.

"Excellent," Marcus whispered and accessed some musical files. Soft, relaxing music drifted into the living area and he quickly made his way back to the psi cop whose eyes were closing again. "You’re trying to shut me out," Marcus pointed out to him.

Not speaking a single word Al fixed his gaze on the lights until his eyes hurt. He needed proof that he was actually onboard the shuttle. His watering eyes convinced him in the end.

Marcus temporary resigned and left Bester to his own thoughts. Pushing Al would only do more damage. "Do me a favor and try eating a food bar? You need the nutrients."

"I’ll try." Al realized the ranger wouldn’t leave him alone before he had eaten something. Hopefully his stomach could handle food. How long ago was it that he had tasted real food? //I can’t remember.//

"Here," Marcus tore away the wrapping and pushed the food bar into Al’s hand.

Al made a half-hearted attempt to lift his arm and to take a bite out of it, but felt bereft of all strength. His hand didn’t move an inch. "I can’t," he sighed distressed.

"Then I’ll help you eat it! You aren’t going to get out of this one that easily," Marcus remarked and took hold of the food item again. Offering it to the psi cop he smiled reassuringly as Bester nibbled on it. "I could soak them in water, but something tells me they’d even taste worst then."

Marcus was rewarded with a shy smile and hoped that Bester had finally accepted that suicide was out of the question.

"Yes, soaking them would definitely make things worse," Al said in a soft tone, only acting this co-operatively. Secretly he was hoping to fool the ranger into relaxing. Taking another bite out of the bar he cringed at the movement his jaws had to perform in order to eat.

"Glad you see things my way." Marcus remained seated on the bed and continued to watch him, seeing through the sudden pretence. "So what are we going to do during the next seven days in which we’re stuck with each other? I’m a great singer."

"Somehow I doubt that," Al quipped and this time his smile was genuine. There was something about the ranger that made -him- relax unconsciously. "Your name is…?" Al asked in a strained tone. He didn’t want to get too close to another human being. That closeness brought emotional dangers and he couldn’t cope with that right now. All he wanted was to be left alone and that was the one thing the ranger was denying him!

"Marcus Cole," he said, once more introducing himself. "Now that we got all the formalities out of the way, I think you should keep the bed. I don’t mind taking the couch."

The ranger’s remark confused him momentarily and Al nodded briefly. "Seven days you say? Where are we going? I know you told me, but… " His mind was still a tad foggy.

"Babylon 5 of course. Doctor Franklin will have you back on your feet again within days!"

"Babylon 5?" Al repeated in a shivering tone. "I don’t want to go there."

"I know; you already told me. Too bad you aren’t in charge." Marcus’ tone was firm, telling him who was calling the shots.

Al closed his eyes; the ranger was right. He had absolutely no control over this situation. Sleep tugged at the borders of his thoughts and he murmured, "I’m tired."

"Then go back to sleep. I’ll try contacting Babylon 5 in the meantime." Marcus tugged Al in and tiptoed over to the controls. This was going to be a gruelling week!

*

Still only receiving static Marcus turned away from the panels. Thankfully Bester was soundly asleep and he wanted to have another look at the med kit. At some point he’d have to renew the bandages and check for infections. While digging through their supplies his eyes caught side of a third kit, partially hidden beneath the controls panels. //I wonder what that one contains!//

Slowly, he pulled it in front of him and opened the lid. //Great, a spare ranger uniform! Bester needs clothes…// Marcus placed the trousers and turtleneck onto the floor. Maybe he could convince Bester to slip into the garments. Being naked had to make feel the psi cop uncomfortable. //It would make me feel embarrassed,// he admitted to himself. Adding boots to the pile he wondered when Bester would wake up again.

//If only we had acted earlier! Then maybe Rich would still be alive too! I can’t shake the feeling that we failed him, even though we did the best we could.//

Marcus’s gaze shifted onto Al’s face as the psi cop whimpered piteously. His face became contorted and Bester trembled underneath the thermo blanket. //Should I wake him or not?// Marcus wondered. About to stride over to the bed he sucked in his breath as Al bolted upright in the bed. A smothered scream left his lips and draped eyes stared into empty space.

Al’s instincts had forced him to wake up the moment the memories became too brutal for him to deal with just yet. The echoes of the impact the deep scans had left behind took him aback. Up until now he had never realized the full extent of the damage done to normals when they were being deep scanned and the worst thing was that he had done the exact same thing to mundanes; never understanding the pain he caused. It had taken all this to make him aware of his arrogance.

//But I never deep scanned them several times! One time was enough to tell me what they were hiding from me, but Jenkins savored inflicting pain.// How many times had the man deep scanned him? Al remembered passing out after the fifth time. //The fifth time… and Jenkins scanned me again the moment I woke up. He ripped every bit of personal information from my mind.//

"Al? It was just a bad dream," Marcus whispered, keeping his distance, not wanting to invade Bester’s personal sphere.

"I know," Al replied nervously, "but it felt… real."

"Yes, nightmares can be truly upsetting," Marcus agreed and moved a little closer. "Feeling better now that you’re awake again?"

"I don’t know." Al averted his eyes and sighed deeply. Marcus’ presence made him feel uncomfortable. Only Alisha had seen him scream when the nightmares had captured the core of his mind. //Why did I do all those deathbed scans? Must have been truly suicidal, even back then!// he realized with a start.

"I found a spare ranger uniform and suggest you wear it. Can’t have you walking about naked!" Marcus quipped, trying to chase off the lingering terror in the air.

Al understood what the ranger was trying to do and grabbed the opportunity to hide his embarrassment. "Ranger uniform? Me? You certainly have an odd sense of humor!" The comment caused Al to smile as he pictured himself in the outfit.

"At least wear the trousers and shirt. You’ll be a lot warmer too," Marcus pointed out to him.

Nervous, Al focused his stare on his hands. The ranger hadn’t asked about his knotted hand yet. The scan however must have told him that there was no reason for it to be clenched like this. He would need help getting into the clothes and… Quickly, he pulled the thermo blanket closer. A rational part of him knew Marcus was right, but to be this dependent on someone frightened him.

"Let me get them for you," Marcus offered and carried the clothes back with him. Showing Al the garments he waited for permission to help get dressed.

//I don’t want to be this helpless! I can’t even dress myself.// Al wanted to shout at the ranger to leave him alone, but his lips never spoke those words. The expression in Marcus’ eyes was compassionate, but didn’t reveal any pity or smugness. Swallowing hard, Al finally accepted the help and nodded his head.

Pulling back the thermo blanket slightly Marcus took hold of the other man and helped him sit up.

Al flinched seeing the marks on his chest and arms. He had never truly realized the extent of his injuries. Watching Marcus closely Al co-operated to the best of his abilities. As the ranger lifted his arms to pull the shirt over his head Al cringed with pain, which emanated from his broken wrist. In an attempt to deflect his thoughts he focused on the bandages. Marcus had tried dressing his wounds, but it was obvious he wasn’t a doctor.

Marcus noticed Al’s downcast eyes and repressed a strangled sigh. It had to be hard on the psi cop to accept help. "That’s one," he muttered and reached for the trousers.

"Don’t," Al whispered and placed his knotted hand on the ranger’s. //I’m -not- a cripple!// he thought distressed. //Whom am I trying to fool?// he wondered the next moment and pulled back.

"This will be over and done with in a few seconds." Marcus pushed the thermo blanket to the side and regretted this ever happened to Bester. //And Rich!//

Relieved, Al laid down again after Marcus had zipped his trousers. The ranger had been right; he did feel less exposed. The clothes presented a physical barrier; now he only needed to find a mental one too.

Al resigned to Marcus’ actions and allowed him to put on the tunic as well. The uniform felt all wrong though. //But I would feel even more uncomfortable wearing a psi cop uniform right now,// he realized in shock.

Marcus had intensely watched him and now smiled pleased. "Better?" he inquired.

"I guess so," Al had to admit. "Are you sure you don’t mind me wearing this?"

"No," Marcus’ smile broadened. "All you’re missing now is a pike!"

"A what?"

"Minbari fighting pike," Marcus explained and showed him the cylinder, but didn’t extend it. The sudden movement might startle Bester.

Al grabbed the thermo blanket with his good hand and covered his aching body with it. The ranger was watching him and Al wondered what had aroused his interest. "What?" he questioned, growing uneasy underneath the gaze.

"What’s it like? Being on sleepers, being a telepath? I always wondered." Marcus grinned apologetically. "As a normal it’s hard to understand."

Confused by the ranger’s question Al tried thinking of an answer. "I’m not sure I can explain. I still have got to get used to this silence."

"Silence?" Marcus sat down on the bed, truly curious.

"I miss the background thoughts of people close to me. They provide static. If I were in possession of my…" Al’s tone dropped; reality had caught up with him once more. "I could sense your surface thoughts, nothing really personal though. But now… I hate this silence and yet… there were times when I longed for it. It’s draining to block minds all the time." Nervous, Al peeked at the ranger who was listening to every word he spoke.

"I can’t imagine what it must be like… to receive other people’s thoughts…what’s it like to scan someone?" Marcus ventured further, trying to push Bester into opening up to him. //Thankfully Kerona found those files, otherwise I might have never found out what they did to him.//

Realizing what Marcus was doing Al closed his eyes. //He’s trying to lure me into talking!// He knew because he’d used similar tactics when questioning mundanes. "I don’t want to discuss this any longer!"

"Come on, Al!" Marcus said reprovingly. "You can’t pretend nothing happened in that prison camp. I’ve got a fairly good idea of what they did to you in order to get the information they wanted. A good friend of mine died in there." Marcus composed himself again now that emotions were getting the better of him. "I couldn’t help Rich; he’s dead now. But you’re still alive and I want to help you!"

Marcus’ words caused a gut wrenching feeling and Al fought to remain calm. "I’m sorry," he whispered honestly. "I heard cries… am still hearing them… It might have been your friend…what was his name?"

"Rich, he also was a ranger." Marcus rubbed his brow; a headache was starting to build.

"Blond hair? Beard?" Al asked in a soft tone.

"Yes," Marcus replied, straightening out his shoulders. "How do you know what he looks… looked like?"

"Sometimes they forced us to watch someone else’s interrogation." Al vividly remembered witnessing the ranger’s turn to be ‘convinced’. "He never told them anything, unlike me!" he said in a self-reproaching tone.

"Anyone would have crumbled eventually," Marcus whispered crestfallen. //The bastards! It wasn’t enough they tortured their prisoners; they also forced them to watch!//

"I’m going to try reaching Babylon 5 again. Maybe I can get through now." Marcus rose to his feet and quickly retreated into the front of the shuttle. Bester’s revelation had hit him hard.

Sending an encrypted message he hailed Babylon 5 with little hope of getting through. Against all odds a weak reply showed on the screen. A distorted face appeared and Marcus hardly recognized Lt. Corwin.

"Marcus? What’s going on? You’re fading away!"

//Please let this line remain stable long enough to send a distress call! If they get my coordinates they can send in a team.// Marcus worked hard on stabilizing the connection, but before he’d had a chance to reply the link broke. "At least I managed to send them our co-ordinates," he muttered disappointed, then remembered leaving Al behind.

Al had used those moments to get a grip on his feelings…well, kind of. They still raged inside his head and were hard to subdue. As Marcus walked back into the living area he fought the urge to turn his back on the ranger; craving being alone with his pain.

"I succeeded in sending them our co-ordinates. Hopefully they’ll be worried and send in a rescue team which will include medical assistance." Marcus informed him. "You certainly look out of character in that outfit," the ranger quipped and sat down on the couch. "I take it you still don’t want to tell me why they arrested you?"

Al shook his head firmly; biting his lip.

"We can also discuss Jenkins," Marcus said, dropping a bombshell. Al’s head jerked up and sheer fear stared at him. A nervous twitch near Bester’s mouth told him to back down.

"No!" Al stated in a shaky tone. "I don’t want to talk at all!"

"Al," Marcus started, but stopped talking as one of the control panels showed a red warning sign. A moment later it also started to beep. "Be right back," Marcus said and hurried to check on the alarm.

Al closed his eyes, curled himself into a ball and ignored the pain movement caused him. Wrapping his arms around himself Al refused to acknowledge the alarm. //I’m not hearing this… I am not hearing this!// he repeated all over again. An insane fear that somehow Jenkins had found them clutched at his mind. //I’ll kill myself before Jenkins…//

Unable to end that thought he dove into the silence of his mind and found himself facing his terror again. There was no way he could run away from it and realized he had to make a choice; to give in and whither away or face the truth and fight back

"Bloody hell, someone’s following us!" Marcus ran a long distance scan and grunted angrily recognizing the Corps’ signature on the Starfuries. They had picked up a dangerous tail.

"It has to be Jenkins! Kerona never mentioned capturing him!" he whispered and immediately regretted speaking aloud. Casting a glance at Al he realized the psi cop couldn’t hear him; Bester had retreated into a self-chosen isolation.

//Damn!// he thought and changed their course; making it as hard as possible for the Corps to follow them. However, Marcus didn’t expect them to open fire this soon. //Should have realized Jenkins wants Bester dead. Al told him everything and there’s no need for Jenkins to capture him alive!//

Al bolted into lucidity when their shuttle was hit. Marcus was cursing softly, doing his utmost to keep them steady, but smoke had started to emanate from the control panels. Finally, Al realized that by giving up on himself he was finishing the job Jenkins had started. By burying himself in self-pity he was awarding victory to Jenkins and that realization made his heart beat frantically.

//He can’t win! I’ve never given up on myself before. I’m a fighter! Somehow I will survive this… somehow... // Forcing himself to uncoil he carefully swung his feet to the floor.

The shuttle rocked when another blast impacted. "Bugger!" Marcus exclaimed, using all his experience as a pilot to keep the shuttle flying. They were quickly losing altitude though and he had to land the flyer if they wanted to stay alive. The ranger scanned the closest planet and sighed relieved; it was capable of supporting human life. "We’re going down!" he stated in a firm tone.

Al used the wall to support himself and braced himself for a rocky ride to the planet’s surface. If only he could make it into the co-pilot’s seat to strap himself in! Careful not to place his full body weight on his fractured ankle he stumbled into the seat at last and caught Marcus’ surprised expression. Strapping himself in proved difficult; he only had the use of one hand. Luckily, the wrist that had been fractured belonged to his knotted hand.

The shuttle began its descend into the planet’s atmosphere and Al hesitantly looked at the screen which showed him their attackers. The psi corps insignia burned itself a way into his mind and suddenly he fully realized how much he hated it.

"Al, you should have stayed in the back. We’re going to crash," Marcus said in a firm tone, wondering why the psi cop had joined him. Peeking at Al’s face he saw a dark, unholy light in his eyes. "Al?"

"I refuse to go down without a fight! I can feel sorry for myself later… should we survive this!" The words echoed his newfound inner strength and amazed both of them.

Pleased, Marcus nodded his head. "Glad you choose to live. We’ll make it somehow!"

Al didn’t reply; studying the increasing distance between them and Jenkins’ Starfuries. "He didn’t even have the guts to come after me alone!" Bester mumbled, counting nine fighters.

Hearing that remark Marcus choose to ignore it and concentrated on landing the plane. This situation was quickly taking him back to Arisia where he had lost Willie in a similar disaster. //This time I won’t fail!// he promised himself.

The shuttle’s speed decreased and Marcus scanned for a suitable landing strip. All the scanners showed him was sand and a sissling sun… //My luck! It’s a desert planet!//

Al clutched his bruised ribs as the shuttle shook under the atmosphere’s pressure and wondered if he was going to die after all. Up until some moments ago he had yearned for that salvation, but suddenly staying alive became very important him.

A black, all-consuming rage had built inside his thoughts and he was determined to make Jenkins pay for what he had done. All fear, pain and shame had been transformed into a biting hate that was urging him to survive.

"Here we go!" Marcus exclaimed and held on for life as the shuttle made contact with the surface of the planet. Both of them were pushed forward during the moment of impact and only the straps kept them in their seats.

Al screamed as a wave of pain moved through his body. All broken or bruised bones fiercely protested against the sudden movement and he blacked out from pain.

Marcus heard that yell and managed to focus his eyes long enough to see that Bester had turned unconscious. //Can’t let him die… Willie died… This time I must succeed…//

His hand remained poised in claws, clutching the control panels, trying to keep conscious as long as possible. But the shock wave was coursing right through him and only due to an adrenaline rush he managed to hang on in there until the shuttle had come to a stop.

//I did it! We’re still alive!// he thought victoriously. //Hopefully the shuttle won’t explode while we’re still in it!//

With superhuman strength he unstrapped himself and moved over to Bester. It only took him a moment to free the telepath and haul him to the doors. Thankfully the mechanism still worked and the door opened.

Hot sand blew into his face and his lungs stung as he accidentally inhaled it. Drawing on his last reserves he lowered Bester onto the sand and went back to get the kits. //Meds, food, water… // he told himself and made sure everything was inside. Checking the state the shuttle was in Marcus couldn’t tell whether it would blow up or not and decided to activate the emergency beacon just in case that the repair system could extinguish the fire in time. Shoving the kit onto the sand he jumped out of the shuttle.

As he hit the sand he realized that Bester’s eyes had opened slightly. "Al, we need to get away from here. The shuttle can explode any moment now!"

Al faintly registered the words and struggled to his feet. Forgetting about his injuries he placed his weight onto his broken ankle and held back the whimper that managed to flee his lips. "Let’s get moving then!" he mumbled, but the words got lost in the wind, which caused the sand to twirl around them.

While carrying the kit in one hand Marcus resolutely wrapped the other one around Al’s shoulders.

"I saw a cave over there," Al pointed out to him. His instincts had made him check his surroundings the moment he had regained consciousness.

Marcus’ eyes searched and found the cave Al had mentioned. "Looks like a good place to take up shelter!" he shouted as another gust of wind tried taking his breath away. Long minutes passed while they made their way over to the cave. Finally, they stepped inside.

Al wanted to sit down, but Marcus dragged him deeper into the cave. They walked in silence and the ranger felt Al’s raging pulse underneath his fingertips as Al held onto him while lowering himself onto the sand.

"We’re safe for now," Marcus whispered and dropped the kit onto the sand. Beaten, he sat on his heels next to the psi cop.

Suddenly, Al laughed hysterically. The eerie sound was catapulted from the walls and crashed into their ears.

Marcus turned and looked at him, noticing the strain in his dark eyes. Briefly, he wanted to shake Al roughly, but instead he spoke in a consoling tone. "Stop it, Al. We’re not dead yet…"

"Yes, we are! You just haven’t realized it yet!" Al whispered.

The abyss part 3

Marcus stared at the sand and cursed the high temperature which made him break out in a sweat. The heat had made Al drowsy and the man’s head now rested on his left shoulder. Soundly asleep, Bester had crept closer to him for support and Marcus had reacted by wrapping a steadying arm around him.

Thus far the ranger hadn’t registered an explosion outside and that fed his hope that the shuttle might be salvageable. //What if Jenkins followed us down to make sure Bester’s dead? Will he try locating the shuttle and our corpses?//

Listening to Al’s regular breathing he felt reassured. They were still alive and he would make sure it stayed that way!

The fact that Al had come through during Jenkins’ attack amazed him. He never expected Bester to put aside his self-pity in the face of danger.

Careful not to wake Bester, Marcus pulled the med kit closer and opened it. Reaching for the water bottle he noticed that it was only half full and drank a little. They would have to ration their water supply and he had to reserve the largest amount of water for Bester. Marcus looked up as Al began to whisper in a tormented tone.

"Carolyn… I couldn’t stop them… I’m sorry… Shadows… living ship…"

Bester’s eyes darted wildly behind closed eyelids and Marcus pulled him closer. //Who’s Carolyn? I’ve never heard that name before…//

The psi cop settled down again and Marcus felt a hesitant hand reaching out for his. Resolved, he took hold of the trembling limb and didn’t like the cold feel to it. It was Al’s knotted hand and the ranger remembered running a scan on it to find out why it was clenched like that, but the scan had revealed nothing. The only explanation he’d been able to come up with was that it had to be something psychological.

Feeling comfortable and safe Al slowly opened his eyes. He’d dreamt about Carolyn and the images had awoken an old ache within his soul. //I must have fallen asleep again,// he realized. Marcus was sitting next to him and he sighed relieved. At least he wasn’t alone.

Suddenly he remembered balancing on the edge of hysteria after they had fled the shuttle and felt the need to apologize for his nervous behavior. //Normally I am not like that at all!//

"You saved our lives," Al said and was startled to discover that his bad hand was clasped between Marcus’. Instinctively he tried pulling back, but Marcus’ question stopped him.

"How did this happen?" Marcus asked while rubbing the knuckles of Bester’s hand. "If you tell me something personal I will do the same," he offered and caught Al’s curious expression.

Al didn’t particularly like the idea, but needed the contact, needed to hear a voice now that he was on sleepers. //Jenkins already knows everything and it won’t be long before the Corps knows as well. My secrets are secrets no longer.//

The ranger misinterpreted Al’s silence and said, "Or you can tell me about Carolyn…"

Hearing that name electrified Al who was completely taken aback. "What do you know about Carolyn?"

"You whispered her name in your sleep," Marcus explained patiently. The temperature inside the cave had started to drop and the shadows were growing longer. Marcus realized that at night this desert planet was transformed into a cold, freezing hell. He would have to head back to the shuttle to get the thermo blanket. Bester had to stay warm.

"Well? Who is she?" Marcus said, pushing the other man on.

"My lover… a Blip… the Corps," Al’s voice faltered and he was grateful when Marcus gave him time to compose himself. "They ‘adapted’ her by implanting Shadow technology into her body."

"I am sorry," Marcus replied honestly. Al’s tone revealed his love for this woman. "Where is she now?"

"Babylon 5, cryo tube… Franklin promised to try and find a way to help her," Al closed his eyes and oddly enough savored the feel of Marcus’ warm fingers on his cold skin.

"Now it’s your turn," Al suddenly stated vehemently and locked eyes with the ranger, trying to hide his pain and embarrassment.

Marcus racked his brain, trying to figure out what to tell Bester. //He lost everything in that prison camp… // and suddenly he knew what to say.

"Three years ago the Shadows attacked the mining colony I was in charge of. Arisia was destroyed and I was the sole survivor."

Al’s head jerked back in total surprise, but he remained silent.

"I lost a woman I was quite fond of, a brother I loved and all my friends that night." Marcus fought for control in his voice. The memories were still painful.

"Somehow we’re alike," Al muttered depressed. "We both lost what was dearest to us." Shivering from the growing cold Al asked, " How did you deal with it?"

Marcus heard the real question Al was too afraid to ask [did you want to kill yourself too?] and said, "The radiation had poisoned my body and for a while I wanted to die, to do penance for being the only survivor… But I had promised my brother to join the rangers and when I arrived on Minbar I was totally unprepared for Sinclair’s compassion. He took me in and the other trainees and teachers became my new family. It took me a long time to allow them in."

Marcus briefly closed his eyes. Only two other living beings knew about his past and they both were Entil’Zha. Now he had also told a psi cop his secret. Hate had showed in his voice and he’d never realized it was still there. But it was burning fiercely and it shocked him. A gentle squeeze brought him back to reality. Al’s eyes spoke of an uncanny understanding.

Al shivered when cold moved up his broken ankle and said, "The only family I have ever known is the Corps and they betrayed me."

"Give it time, Al. Your wounds are still fresh. Time heals most pain."

"But what if the wounds are too deep?" Al remarked.

Marcus nodded his head and said in a saddened voice, "Don’t give up, Al. You can survive this."

Taken aback by the true caring in those words Al mumbled, "Thank you."

Marcus released Bester’s hand and got to his feet. Seeing the psi cop’s startled look he said, "I better head back to the shuttle to get the thermo blanket and more supplies. This cold will only grow worse." Marcus had kept a close eye on the growing darkness. There was still sufficient light for him to make it back.

"But you will return, won’t you?" Al asked pleadingly. Being alone was a frightful perspective.

"I promise," Marcus said patiently. Draping his cloak over Bester’s trembling form he added, "Hang in there, Al. I’ll hurry."

"I know," Al replied and began to doze off due to exhaustion.

*

Inspecting the damage done to the shuttle Marcus knew it couldn’t be repaired. Carefully he avoided making contact with the wiring and managed to recover the thermo blanket, a flashlight and the ranger cloak Al hadn’t wanted to wear. He put it on in an effort to escape the biting cold.

Rubbing his hands for warmth he walked back to the cave, amazed at how quickly the temperature had dropped. The ranger used the flashlight to find his way and felt relieved when stepping inside the cave again.

Putting the flashlight away he realized the faint light of the stars was adequate enough to guide him the rest of the way. Finally, he walked up to Bester who was mumbling in his sleep. //He doesn’t look good,// Marcus thought and looked up in surprise as retreating clouds revealed the bright light of two full moons. Their beams made their way into the cave through cracks in the ceiling.

Marcus sat down next to the psi cop who immediately moved closer, eager to feel his body warmth. The thermo blanket was big enough to cover them both and Marcus enveloped Bester in his arms. If they wanted to survive this cold they had to share each other’s body warmth.

Unable to sleep Marcus kept observing Bester and wasn’t surprised when the man started talking in his sleep again. Moans were followed by whispered words and the ranger listened closely; trying to learn as much as he could about this puzzling man.

"Cadre Prime, Brett… The Corps is mother, the Corps is… I betrayed you, Brett… Stephen Walters… Get out of my head!! I will kill you!" Al hissed sharply.

Marcus quavered at hearing the hurt in the psi cop’s voice. In his nightmares Bester was reliving his past and Marcus realized that it was much like his own; filled with pain.

"Alisha! Why did I leave work early that day…? You betrayed me!" Al was moving about beside him and Marcus wished he knew more about the psi cop. //Who is Alisha and how did she betray you?// he wondered.

Thankfully Al’s skin no longer felt icy cold now that the thermo blanket was doing its job. //I can only hope Sheridan or Delenn will send in a rescue team… I dread to think of what will become of us if they don’t.//

"Carolyn? Where are you? I love you! Why did you leave me?"

Marcus deemed it best to wake the psi cop before Jenkins made an appearance in his nightmares.

Al’s eyes flashed open and he couldn’t hide the naked horror in them as he realized he had been talking in his sleep. "I… " he stammered embarrassed. The silence came crashing in on him and he clutched his head. "Please talk to me?" Al begged in a soft tone. "The silence…"

Marcus understood and decided not to talk about the things Al had revealed to him while he had been asleep. Respecting the psi cop’s privacy he said, "Luckily for you I can babble for hours. It usually drives everyone crazy, especially Mr. Garibaldi…"

*

As the first rays of light hit the cave, a myriad of beams seeped inside and woke Marcus from his sleep. Opening his eyes he stretched carefully. Bester was still asleep in his arms. //How many hours did it take for him to fall asleep again? I must have talked for two hours at least! I wonder how Susan will react when she finds out whom I am escorting back to Babylon 5. She hates Bester…//

The psi cop looked fragile to him and Marcus discovered that he felt fiercely protective of Bester. //Looks like it’s my duty to keep him safe from Jenkins… and other personal demons.//

"Al? Wake up. I need to check your bandages."

Bester slowly cracked open his eyes, unwilling to leave the soothing illusion of safety sleep had offered him. Momentarily confused he finally remembered the ranger’s name. "Marcus?" he whispered and remembered the tender tone the man’s voice had possessed as he had told him about the space station and its inhabitants. Eventually it had lulled him back into sleep. The temperature was rising again and Al pushed down the thermo blanket as the heat became suffocating.

"But we’ll have breakfast first. No bacon and eggs, I am afraid though," the ranger quipped. "Only a food bar and some water, but it should keep us alive until the rescue team arrives."

"I feel hot." Al mumbled. Dizzy, he fought for breath. Pain stabbed the back of his head and he doubled over in agony.

Placing a cool hand on the psi Cop’s brow Marcus realized that Al had developed a fever overnight. "An infection might be causing this fever," Marcus stated and searched the med kit. "Take these," he said and placed two pills into the palm of Al’s good hand.

Al couldn’t repress the trembling that shook his body and swallowed the meds. Greedily, he drank the water Marcus had poured him. "No," he said, objecting weakly as Marcus pulled the thermo blanket back into place. "So hot!"

" I know you’re hot," Marcus said soothingly. //I feel so damn useless! There’s nothing I can do to help him!//

About to protest again Al leaned back against the rocks and realized Marcus was worried for him. "Tired," he mumbled.

"Then go back to sleep. I need to return to the shuttle anyway." Marcus watched him fall asleep again. //I’ve got to make sure Jenkins didn’t follow us down. The emergency beacon could lead him here.//

Looking at Al he hesitated briefly; the psi cop was in no condition to be left alone. "But I don’t really have a choice," Marcus muttered and hurried to the exit.

The sun blinded him momentarily, but his eyes quickly adapted to the brightness. It took him 30 minutes to make his way to the shuttle. All fire had been extinguished and Marcus headed for the control panels. The emergency beacon was still on, sending its message into space. Marcus managed to get the short-range scanners working again and scanned for life forms. It was like he had feared.

The scanner was picking up three life forms moving towards them. It was too early for a rescue team to arrive, so this could only be Jenkins with his men. They must have picked up the crashed shuttle and were now heading in their direction. Marcus decided to search the shuttle once more for weapons. Maybe he would be lucky and find a PPG. A Minbari fighting pike wouldn’t do much good against three heavily armed psi cops.

Several minutes later he had to stop searching. There were no weapons onboard and he still had to get back to Al. //Or I can move in the opposite direction, creating a false trail that would lead them away from Bester.// But he quickly realized that however tempting the idea was he couldn’t follow up on it. Al was helpless and would surely die now that he was feverish too.

"Bugger, we’re trapped!" Marcus realized in anger. Jumping out of the shuttle he ran back to the cave. Perhaps Jenkins wouldn’t notice the entrance. //Damn!// Marcus thought, //Jenkins will be homing in on Bester telepathically. It doesn’t matter where we hide. The psi cop can pick up his trail any time!//

*

Moving about in discomfort Al tried to ignore the fact that the ranger hadn’t returned yet. He had no way of telling time and wondered how long he had been asleep in the first place. Marcus was the only reason why he was trying to survive.

At times he wished the rangers hadn’t found him alive in that prison camp. The humiliation was killing him. Not so long ago he had been one of the most powerful psi cops around and now he had been reduced to a helpless wreck. The hate that had kept him going was hard to nourish now that listlessness was taking over. Maybe he could end his life himself, without Marcus’ help.

Al attempted to get to his feet, but realized it was a futile effort. He didn’t even have the strength to push himself up from the floor. //What if something happened to Marcus and he isn’t coming back?// he thought frightened. Stretching his arm he succeeded in pulling the kit closer. He cringed, noticing how little water was left and placed the bottle back inside, leaving it untouched.

Feeling paranoid he monitored the moving shadows on the rocks. The fever was starting to affect his perception and Al threw off the thermo blanket. His body was covered in sweat and his back stung. Maybe it was one of those wounds, which was causing the infection.

Al cursed the sleepers, which enhanced his feeling of helplessness. Alert, he observed the entrance, waiting for something to happen. //Jenkins will come after us… will find me. He can’t leave any evidence behind… The Corps trained us well and now we have resorted to killing our own,// he thought saddened. //I only hope Jenkins doesn’t know about Marcus. That way the ranger might be able to escape. I’m already dead…//

"Al?"

The voice shook his from his stupor and he twitched seeing the ranger approach him. A combination of relief and apprehension moved through him. Marcus hadn’t abandoned him! "You should make a run for it," he told the other man sharply after reading the vigilance in Marcus’ eyes, which could only mean one thing; Jenkins had to be closing in on them.

"No," Marcus replied in a firm tone. "I’m not leaving you behind." Looking about he realized that there were several ways to penetrate deeper into the cave. Al would never survive in the open field; his system couldn’t take much more. //But I don’t want to move deeper either. Then we would be stuck in a mousetrap!//

"Jenkins only wants me," Al pointed out to him. "There’s no need for you to die too."

‘There are only three of them." Marcus picked up the kit and moved it over to the wall. //Don’t want to stumble over it when fighting them.//

"You can’t defeat a trained psi cop and certainly not three of them." Al’s voice shook violently as he tried pushing himself up against the wall.

"We’ll see," Marcus muttered between clenched teeth, "And stay down!"

Al gave in and rested his body once more against the rocks. His breath was coming in short gasps and the cave was spinning all around him. "Just leave me!" he sneered, trying to talk the ranger into leaving.

"Forget about it, Al. I’m staying," Marcus repeated resolved and then focused on the footfalls which were hardly audible due to the sand. Long shadows were cast into the entrance of the cave and Marcus opened his pike, ready to defend their lives until the bitter end.

*

"We’re picking up two life signs, sir."

"Excellent, let’s move ahead then."

*

Marcus heard the words and prepared himself for battle. "We live for the One, we die for the One," he whispered proudly.

"Marcus? Is that you? Don’t you dare attack me with that pike of yours!"

Stupefied, Marcus stared at Al whose eyes reflected similar bafflement. Lowering his pike Marcus watched the three men enter their part of the cave. "Stephen? But that can’t be!" he stated confused.

As the leader moved into a beam of sunlight, Marcus realized he had been right after all. "It -is- you!" he exclaimed relieved. It was Franklin all right, accompanied by two security officers.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Marcus collapsed his pike and realized the mistake he had made. It wasn’t Jenkins after all who had followed them down!

"We’re on our way back from Menus 3 where we picked up new medical equipment. When we received your distress call we changed course. What are you doing here, Marcus?" Stephen was shocked to find his friend here. The last thing he had heard about Marcus was that he had been called on to participate in a ranger mission. A sharp hiss made him look into the corner of the cave and his eyes grew big as he discovered Bester.

"It’s a long story, Stephen. I suggest you have a look at Al first." Marcus sat on his heels and gently took hold of the psi cop’s shoulders, trying to haul him to his feet. "We need to get him off this accursed planet."

Al avoided looking into Franklin’s eyes by closing his. Now that the adrenaline was wearing off he felt tired and exhausted. His throat ached for water, but forming the words to ask for some was too difficult.

"You better start filling me in, Marcus." Stephen had noticed Bester’s shy behavior, something that didn’t go well with the smug psi cop he had come to know.

"We raided a prison camp and found him there. Considering the fact that we’re allies I deemed it best to take him to Babylon 5, but we were shot down." Together they had pulled Bester to his feet.

Al cringed at the movement and leaned heavily on Marcus and Franklin.

"I’ll have to run some thorough scans on him once we’re onboard the Narn ship." Franklin felt the burning flesh beneath his fingertips and knew Bester was in need of medical assistance. Turning to the two security officers he said, "Tell the crew to prep sickbay."

"Narn ship?" Marcus asked amused. "No White Star?"

"No, wanted to keep this low profile. We recovered an alien healing device and the last thing I want is for our enemies to get their hands on it," Stephen explained. Bester wasn’t participating in their conversation and the moment they stepped outside Franklin got a good look at the battered psi cop. "That doesn’t look good," he muttered worried.

"I already dressed most of his wounds, but somehow he contracted an infection. He developed a fever last night." Marcus tightened his grip as they pulled him inside the shuttle. "I still can’t believe you turned up like this!" Marcus stated in disbelief.

Franklin nodded once then helped Bester to sit down in one of the seats. The security officers piloted the shuttle and that gave him the opportunity to run a first check on the psi cop.

"His pulse is weak and much too slow. Breathing’s shallow and you’re right about the fever, Marcus." Mentally taking notes, Stephen continued examining Bester. "You do realize it will take us some days to get to Babylon 5?"

"Yes, Stephen, but can you help him?" Marcus eyed Al concerned.

"I think so. Once we get him to sickbay I can start working on him. We should get him to med lab though as quickly as possible."

Al heard their comments but didn’t react to them. He wanted them to think that he was asleep or unconscious so he could postpone the confrontation with the doctor a little longer.

Franklin’s arrival had upset his inner balance. The doctor would have a lot of questions and Al wasn’t sure he could answer them yet. Peeking though closed eyelids he noticed Marcus’ relieved facial expression. Why the ranger was so determined to pull him through mystified him.

After the shuttle docked they took Bester to sickbay and Al allowed for it to happen. Still pretending to be asleep he realized how futile fighting them would be. As they placed him on an exam bed Al let go of his control and surrendered to the sleep which he had managed to keep out.

"Marcus, I need your assistance. The security guards aren’t qualified and you absorbed a crash course in first aid," Stephen said while running a first scan on his new patient.

"I wasn’t planning on going anywhere," Marcus remarked and smiled sadly. Bester’s real test of strength and will power had only just begun.

*

Several hours later Al awoke from a deep and peaceful sleep. //What?// he wondered, feeling something sharp bite into the back of his hand. They had hooked him up to an IV and a monitor. His clothes had been removed and he was now wearing one of those dreaded med gowns.

"Feeling any better?"

Concentrating on the voice Al recognized it at once. "Marcus?" Locking eyes with the ranger he caught the amused smile.

"Yes, I thought you might want to see a familiar face upon awakening. Stephen is checking your last readings, but he’s confident that you’ll be on your feet soon. There’s only one problem…"

Al slowly nodded his head. "What problem?" Drawing a deep breath he braced himself for whatever bad news Marcus had to deliver.

"Your ankle. Stephen will have to operate on it once we get back home. It’s a compound fracture."

Al sighed relieved; he had expected much worse. "How long have I been asleep?" Al wanted to know.

"48 hours."

Al’s eyes grew big hearing that answer. "Two days?"

"Yeah," Franklin said, joining in their conversation. "Your body couldn’t take much more. You had to rest and I had to tend to your injuries. Had you been conscious that would have been rather painful. How are you feeling now?" Stephen studied the psi cop and saw the fear in his dark eyes. Marcus had told him what had occurred and he wasn’t surprised by Bester’s hesitant behavior. The fear Bester had emanated had been one reason why he had chosen to keep him under.

"Better," Al whispered, then realized something else. "This is the third day…"

Stephen didn’t understand the cryptic remark. "What’s wrong?"

"The sleepers," Marcus understood at once. "They will lose their affect today." Turning to Stephen he said, "I’ve got a primed hypo gun in the bag I took with me when we left the cave."

"You want to keep him on sleepers?" Stephen asked, not sure what to think of it. Marcus might have a point here.

"I want the sleepers," Al said, startling both of them.

"Why?" Stephen couldn’t imagine Bester ever taking them voluntarily.

"I can’t control my psi powers at the moment… " The admission was hard to make. Al yearned for the return of the static and the surface thoughts, but he wasn’t mentally stable enough to take the risk.

"A good reason," Stephen had to agree, but still disliked the idea. Bester was running away from facing the consequences of what had happened to him. "But only for the time being. We’ll re-evaluate this situation once we get you to med lab. I’ll get the bag," Stephen told them, then walked into the back.

"I want to sit up," Al remarked and pushed himself upright, biting down the pain.

"Let me help you." Marcus pushed a pillow beneath Bester’s back and stared into lucid eyes. "Stephen was right. You needed that enforced rest."

"Perhaps I did," Al whispered and watched Franklin return with the primed hypo gun. "Just do it," he groaned and closed his eyes as the doctor applied the drug.

"We need to talk, Al. I informed the Captain and Delenn and they want answers." Marcus hoped Bester was going to co-operate this time. Sheridan had ordered him to take the psi cop to the station. "Why did they take you to that camp?"

Staring at his hands Al swallowed hard. The moment of truth had arrived. His voice shook as he tried answering Marcus. "Can I have something to drink first?" he said as his courage failed him.

"Of course." Stephen pressed the glass into Bester’s good hand. It was hard not to notice the trembling moving through the psi cop’s body.

After emptying the glass he handed it back to the doctor. Marcus was still awaiting an explanation and Franklin wasn’t leaving, so Al had to face them both. "I don’t know that much," he started hesitantly, "I only know that they showed up at my house and arrested me. I still wonder why. "

"But that doesn’t make sense! Why would they interrogate you?" Marcus wondered aloud.

Al flinched, hearing that word and pushed himself into the pillows. "They kept asking me questions about my biological parents. But I know nothing about them! I couldn’t tell them anything!"

"Your parents?" Stephen said baffled.

"Yes," Al tried to remember the little he had managed to overhear. "The new director…"

"What else did they want to know?" Marcus asked, seeing the pain in Bester’s eyes.

"They knew about my relationship with Carolyn and because she’s a Blip they… " Al let out a strangled sigh. "And then they started to ask questions about my trips to Babylon 5."

"And you told them about your alliance with the Captain," Marcus finished for him.

"What?" Stephen whispered. "You told them?"

"I couldn’t help it!" Al defended himself. "Jenkins…" His throat was clenched shut when he spoke that name and he turned onto his left side so he faced away from them, burying his head in the pillow.

"Jenkins deep scanned him," Marcus told Franklin whose facial expression darkened at once.

"And the sleepers left him without defences?" the doctor asked.

"Exactly," Marcus moved to the other side of the bed to study Bester’s pale face. "I’ll inform the Captain, Al. He told me to escort you to Babylon 5." Leaning in closer he smiled weakly. "Just try to get some rest. We’ll talk later."

Al ignored the words and retreated into his mind, no longer paying them attention. //I failed them! I failed each and every one of them; Carolyn, Sheridan, the Blips onboard that ship.// Unable to cry any longer he willed himself into nothingness.

The abyss part 4

Hours later Al awoke from a deep, yet dreamless sleep and opened his eyes to search his surroundings. At first he thought they had left him alone, but then noticed Marcus who was asleep on an exam bed. Franklin was nowhere in sight and Al relaxed. The ranger's presence no longer made him feel uncomfortable and slowly he pushed himself into a sitting position.

His broken wrist and ankle had both been placed in a cast and no longer hurt. Looking down at his arms and legs he realized that the bandages had been renewed. But the IV was still attached to the back of his good hand and he resigned to its irritating presence.

Feeling a bit more at ease he recalled everything that had happened lately and felt quite the fool for the way he had acted. But at that moment he hadn't been able to cope with everything. In the pit of his stomach a stark hatred had accumulated which he'd begun to cherish and nourish.

The Corps had done this to him and he had to find out why they had betrayed him. He had spent his life serving them loyally, doing their bidding. Only when they had sold out to the enemy had he decided that the traitors who were working from the inside had to be stopped. Somehow he would have shown the Corps that Clark and the Shadows were using them and they would have understood eventually. An alliance with the Shadows was something he couldn't tolerate.

But the Corps had made its decision to punish him for his betrayal and he had lost his battle. They possessed the power to arrest and interrogate him and that was what they had done.

Al's furrowed brow revealed his frustration as he remembered the meaningless questions they had asked him. He understood why they'd want to know about his trips to Babylon 5, even realized that they might be concerned about him spending time with a Blip, but why were they interested in his biological parents? They were strangers to him. //I don't even know their names!//

An image of Stephen Walters dying at his feet returned to him and his first reaction was to push it away. The resistance leader had bombarded him with images of Fiona and Matthew Dexter, claiming he was their lost son. //Walters was lying of course. Maybe he saw something in my mind that made him believe that he had a chance manipulating me like that. I never wondered about my parents before. The Corps is mother... No, no longer. They betrayed me!//

Angry, he stared at the wall as if to tear it down with the force of his thoughts alone. His fury was growing and he needed a way to channel it. If he kept holding onto the hate it might backfire on him. Maybe the ranger...

"Marcus?" Al whispered; realizing the younger man had been tired as well. //I shouldn't wake him, but... he's the only one around and I feel like I can trust him...//

"Yes?"

Surprised, Al observed the ranger more closely; Marcus was awake, although his eyes were still closed. "Why are you still here?" he wondered, but knew the answer before Marcus replied. //You're here because you know that I need you...//

"I was sleepy and the exam bed looked comfortable," Marcus said and locked eyes with him. A gentle smile graced his features and he stretched his body like a cat.

"What are Captain Sheridan's plans? Why did he order you to take me to Babylon 5?" Al asked curiously.

"He didn't tell me that much," Marcus replied and yawned. "I'm sure you'll find out once we arrive." The ranger studied him and decided to be completely honest. Bester had to face the ultimate truth and that shouldn't be postponed.

"Where else could you go? Earth? Mars? Clark and the Corps will be looking for you."

"I realize that too," Al sighed, "I just didn't expect Sheridan to 'welcome' me on his station." But Sheridan was a tactician and wouldn't throw away a trump in his fight against Clark and his allies. //A trump?// Al wondered bitter, //A trained P 12 who wants to be kept on sleepers?//

Marcus got up from the bed and rubbed the remnants of his nap from his eyes. "Looks to me like you're starting to feel better."

"I am," Al admitted, "how much longer before we arrive at Babylon 5?" He needed more time to mentally prepare himself for the confrontation with Sheridan.

"24 hours," Marcus told him and crooked his head. "What are you going to do once we arrive at the station?"

"Wait for Sheridan to make up his mind." Al shifted in the bed to lessen the pressure on a particular sore spot. "I honestly don't know. I feel like..."

"Like what?"

Al cautiously shrugged his shoulders. "Like I don't belong anywhere any longer." His tone dropped and he noticed Marcus' patient expression, which urged him on. "I don't consider myself a psi cop any longer. The Corps spat me out after all these years of loyal service."

Marcus chuckled, "Come on, Al! You're not the type to simply obey your superiors. You always had a hidden agenda!"

"Maybe you're right," Al whispered, "But I only did it for my telepaths."

"Your telepaths?" Marcus replied smugly. "Perhaps it's time to reconsider your priorities then."

"My priorities," Bester echoed while shaking his head. "There's only one thing I want to do. To drive a mind sword through Jenkins' brain and kill him."

"Only Jenkins?" Marcus sat down on the side of the bed. "Jenkins acted on orders he got from the Corps," the ranger reminded him.

"The Corps is corrupt," Al stated vehemently, "They're sacrificing their own people to the Shadows. They... killed the Carolyn I knew by implanting their technology into her head. I want to make them pay for handing over those Blips, and the Shadows for turning them into the living dead they are now. I want to crush, destroy, utterly annihilate them!"

Startled by the tone of his voice Al fell quiet and realized that this hate must have been building for some time. When had it started? Was it possible that he'd been feeding and concealing this hatred in his subconscious for years without knowing it?

"You hate them, don't you?" Marcus considered the man in front of him. Bester's dark eyes were blazing with fury and something obscure was trying to surface. Marcus shivered slightly at the intensity of Al's confession.

"I never realized I did until now... " Al stared at his knotted hand, trying to get to the core of that hatred. "I don't remember when it started... I never allowed it in, I guess. Can something this strong hide in my mind for that long without me knowing about it?"

Marcus raised an eyebrow. "Only you can answer that question." Pulling up his legs he sat cross-legged at the foot end of the bed. //He needs to talk this out right now and maybe, just maybe, I can help him. //

Shaking his head in stunned disbelief Al searched his memories and tried pinpointing the moment when this hatred had started to take shape within him. "How I can hate the Corps? They raised me! Taught me everything I know."

"Somewhere along the line they must have hurt you," Marcus said and hoped that Bester was prepared to face his inner demons. //When a man locks them away for so long...it's hard to lure them into showing themselves. I know... I'm still running from the guilt of surviving that hell that was Arisia. Bester is now facing his personal demons and someday I will have to do the same thing.//

"Well, I do remember... the Grins..." Al muttered softly.

"Grins?" Marcus asked, not familiar with that term.

"When growing up we were monitored all the time. I didn't know it then, but our teachers used to dress up as Grins, emotionless beings that came to punish or to reward us. Even when their masks showed a smile it looked like a malicious grin. They once punished me for betraying another child in my Cadre, Brett. We were playing Cops and Blips and they always made me play the Blip's part. I had to win... and cheated."

"A Blip?" Marcus laughed softly. "You've turned into one now."

"Maybe I have," Al admitted and pushed his back into the pillows. Now that the wounds were properly dressed they had stopped burning. This little discomfort was something he could easily deal with.

"You never answered my question about your injured hand," Marcus said in a soft tone. Now that Bester was in a talkative mood he had to take advantage of it.

Al remained quiet, seeing the incident that had caused this disability in a different light. Perhaps if he talked about it things might become clearer and Marcus didn't strike him as the kind of man who would betray his trust. He had never trusted a normal before, seeing them as his true enemies, but that perspective was changing.

"The scan didn't show any physical cause for it to be knotted like that. Stephen ran another scan on it and agreed." Marcus waited patiently for Bester to answer him.

"A telepath once invaded my mind, telling me... lies or the truth... I still need to figure that one out. I killed him. I kept firing the PPG and in the end... my hand never relaxed."

Marcus nodded his head. //It's psychological after all.// The ranger noticed the indecisiveness in Bester's dark eyes and asked, "What are you going to do with that hate? That anger? Don't let it consume you... That road only leads to self-hatred."

Suddenly Al understood something very important about the ranger. Marcus had already been there; had already experienced this hate; the anger and it had almost burned up his soul. Marcus' words returned to him, //I wanted to do penance for being the sole survivor.//

"Marcus," Al started, shoving his own problems aside, "Have you forgiven yourself for making it out alive?" Seeing the shocked expression on the ranger's face Al knew he had said something truly upsetting. Marcus hadn't dealt with that night yet, even though he tried hard to make that impression.

Bester's words took him back to the conversation he'd had with Delenn before Nightwatch had grabbed her. She had told him the same thing; to forgive himself for being alive... that he had let go of the names and places, but had not let go of the pain.

Worried, Al observed the far away expression in Marcus' eyes and knew the answer to his own question. "You haven't."

Marcus' first reaction was to get up and leave sickbay, but somehow his body felt paralysed. He had told Bester not to run away and face the hatred and anger...if he walked away now he would admit defeat to the Shadows again.

"You're right... I'm still working up the courage to do that," Marcus whispered.

"Don't take too long," Al replied in a soft tone. //I was right; we are alike.//

Smiling weakly Marcus accepted the gentle rebuke. "But you still didn't tell me what you're going to do with that hatred and anger. You've got to find a way to focus it on something constructive and shouldn't let it go to waste. We =need= telepaths in the Shadow war."

"Are you recruiting me for your cause?" Al quipped amused. He hadn't had such a relaxed conversation for years, even though the subject was deadly serious.

"Would you consider joining it?" Marcus replied in the same teasing tone. Now that Bester was starting to recover from his ordeal the man was proving to be entertaining company.

Al raised an eyebrow and said, "Well, you already made me wear a ranger uniform if memory serves me right... maybe. I have to talk to Sheridan first."

There was one more thing Marcus wanted to discuss in detail before they arrived at Babylon 5. He had already mentioned Jenkins to him but Al had been quick to change the subject. "What about Jenkins? We were discussing him and then lost track," he said eventually.

Al fought hard to suppress his reaction to that name. It once more triggered the fear boiling underneath the hatred. "What about him?" he replied between clenched teeth and remembered telling Marcus he wanted to kill the man.

"You avoid talking about him." Marcus said and studied Bester's eyes. //Fear and hate are fighting for the upper hand. I wonder which one will win.//

"I hate him. Is that what you want to hear?" Al sneered, trying to find a way out of this conversation that had taken an ugly turn. Cornered, Al cursed the fact that he was confined to the exam bed.

"He might show up on Babylon 5 in search of you now that you're a Blip," Marcus reminded him.

"I know," Al sighed, remembering a time when he had blown his own horn to Sheridan about always catching his Blip. Now the roles had been reversed. //But do I really mind?//

"Talk to me, Al," Marcus said in a firm tone. He wanted to know what was going in Bester's mind.

"The Corps is corrupt. Maybe this isn't such a bad time to be forced into the resistance." A grin moved over Bester's face saying that last word as he remembered that Stephen Walters had been a resistance leader himself. "In a certain way there's irony to be found in this... development."

Marcus knew something eluded him and he wanted to follow up on it, but Stephen entered sickbay and the sense of trust that had made them open up to each other vanished into thin air. "We'll talk about this later," he stated determined and then turned to Franklin. "So tell me, Stephen, how is our patient doing?"

"Don't exaggerate, Marcus. You're just happy that it isn't you in that exam bed!" Stephen replied smugly and concentrated on Bester who looked a lot better since he had come onboard. The injuries hadn't been difficult to treat, except for one, and he was also worried about the emotional damage the imprisonment had done to Bester.

//I always wondered whether Bester had any emotions at all. I guess my question got answered; he's human after all,// and the thought comforted Franklin in an odd way. //Even a trained P12 can be hurt. He's not so different from us as he likes to pretend!//

Al read some of the doctor's feelings in his eyes and averted his gaze. He hated being weak...

"You'll make a complete recovery in a couple of days. I need to perform surgery on that fractured ankle once we're in med lab, but I don't expect any complications." Stephen checked Bester's readings and felt satisfied when they showed a steady improvement.

"How long will he have to stay in med lab?" Marcus asked, catching Al's surprise at the concern in his tone.

"A few days," Stephen repeated, also wondering about his friend's apparent interest in this matter. //They never met before,// Stephen realized. //Marcus never saw the evil side to Bester. Should I tell him what the psi cop is capable of? No, at the moment Bester is my patient and even though I can't stand him I have to keep in mind what's best for my patient. Right now he needs support and Marcus seems willing to supply it.//

"I just got word from the Captain," Franklin continued, "He wants a word with you," he told Bester.

Al nodded once; no surprises this far.

"I told him that you're going to med lab the moment we arrive. He agreed to talking to you after you had surgery." Stephen grinned, noting Bester's slightly stunned expression. "I'm still the doctor and even the Captain has to obey medical orders."

"And he's terribly protective of his patients too!" Marcus quipped, "And trust me... I know from first-hand experience." The ranger got to his feet and a delighted smile flashed across his face. It was hard to believe that only a few days ago Al had begged him to end his life!

*

"Do we really have to allow him onto the station? Can't we send him somewhere else?" Ivanova suggested, not thrilled by the idea of Bester staying on Babylon 5 for a longer period of time. She would never trust the psi cop.

Sheridan shook his head. He had called in Garibaldi and Ivanova to brief them concerning the newly risen situation. Thus far he had only told them that Marcus was escorting Bester to the station. He yet had to tell them why. "Commander," he said and locked eyes with her, "Bester =will= come aboard."

"But why?" Susan noticed similar dislike on Garibaldi's face.

The Captain moved in his chair and said, "Delenn told you that Marcus was called in to partake in a mission?"

"Yes," Susan confirmed.

"They attacked a prison camp in which mostly political prisoners were being interrogated. Maybe you can imagine Marcus' surprise when he discovered Bester being there too."

"Why would he be surprised?" Susan asked, "It's common knowledge that he likes to be present during an interrogation."

"Susan," Sheridan said in a congenial tone, "Bester wasn't one of the guards or interrogators. He was one of the prisoners."

What?" the Chief muttered beneath his breath. "A prisoner? That doesn't make sense. Why would they arrest him?"

"Marcus told me that they had grown suspicious after his trips to Babylon 5. Probably they suspected Bester offered us assistance in defeating the Shadows." Sheridan saw the surprise in Ivanova's eyes when she suddenly seemed to understand.

"That would make him a traitor in their eyes," she stated emotionlessly.

"Exactly," John said and tapped his fingertips on the table as he tried thinking of his next move. "We can't let the Corps have him; Bester knows too much about us."

"So you're allowing him to stay here?" Garibaldi asked, "In return for... certain services I guess?"

"Maybe," Sheridan admitted and focused on his second in command. "Susan, stay away from him for now. I want to talk to him first."

"Yes, sir," Susan replied dismayed. The thought of having Bester onboard made her feel uncomfortable. The psi cop had tried provoking her on a couple of occasions and she still feared him finding out about her latent psi ability. //But he won't be turning me into the Corps any more, now that they don't want him any longer.//

"Captain?" she ventured; there was one more thing she had to say, "What if this is just an elaborate scheme on part of the Corps?"

"But what would they gain from it? We don't trust Bester any way," Garibaldi pointed out to her.

"True." Sheridan sighed softly. "Right now I'm inclined to listen to his story before drawing any conclusions. Marcus pleaded for him and that ranger is a hard man to deceive."

Garibaldi leaned back in the chair and was determined to install some extra security measures to ensure Bester wouldn't pull any of his tricks.

*

"I don't want to sit in a wheel chair," Al complained fiercely. The Narn ship had finally docked and he was now growing apprehensive. Franklin had assured him that he would be going to med lab straight away and that Sheridan would wait until after the surgery to confront him, but that thought didn't comfort him. He =knew= people didn't want to him on the station. It had never mattered to him before, but now... it did.

Marcus grinned, hearing the vehemence in Bester's voice and wondered how long Stephen would be able to keep the former psi cop in bed. //Hopefully long enough for his wounds to heal!// he thought amused. //Stephen might not fully realize it yet, but Al will be a bigger nag than I ever was. Bester will be climbing those walls within days!//

"Come on, Al, you can't walk with that fractured ankle and crutches are out of the question as well. You can't support yourself with that broken wrist," Marcus reminded him, thus earning a dark look from Bester.

"I can walk!" Al replied determined.

"You can't," Stephen said in a similar resolved tone. "You're still my patient and you =will= do as I say!" Annoyed with Bester he stared the man in the eyes. "I'm the doctor!"

Marcus decided to cut in and said, "He's serious, Al."

Resigned, Al had to give in. //Can't get up and simply walk away from them.// The fact that he needed help made his blood boil. //Garibaldi will love this and won't let this opportunity pass to get back at me.//

Al wasn't looking forward to face the Chief again. Ever since they had been forced to work together to retrieve some Dust, Garibaldi had shown his apparent dislike of telepaths and him in particular. //And as Chief of security he's entitled to question me too!//

Marcus helped him to his feet and Al accepted his touch. The ranger had never displayed any sense of pity or dislike and Al was surprised at how willingly he'd accepted Marcus as a friend...//A friend? Did I ever have friends? No, I hadn't. Not even Brett was a friend. //

The docking bay doors opened to release them and Stephen was the first to enter the main waiting area. Lillian Hobbes was already waiting for him. An orderly, whose hands rested on a wheel chair, was standing behind her.

Al repressed a moan as the ranger lowered him into the wheel chair. Fatigued, his injuries had started to hurt again. A smothered ache was burning his muscles and he wondered how much longer he would remain this sore.

"Stephen! It's good to know you're back!" Doctor Hobbes said in greeting after taking in their new patient. "Marcus, are you going to accompany us to med lab? Delenn asked me to tell you that she's expecting you for debriefing in one hour at her quarters."

"Thanks," Marcus said in a friendly tone. //An hour? That leaves me enough time to see that Al settles in comfortably at med lab. // Without giving it a second thought he took the orderly's place and began pushing the wheel chair towards the exit.

Thankfully the Captain had followed his advice to keep Bester's arrival low profile. //I don't think he can handle Garibaldi or the Captain at the moment.// As he had made the request he hadn't been sure if Sheridan would honor it.

"When do you want to operate on his ankle?" Doctor Hobbes asked Franklin as they fell into step behind the ranger.

Stephen gestured her to slow down her speed and whispered, "I'm not that concerned about his ankle... But I do want to run additional neural scans. When I scanned him onboard the Narn ship something turned up on the screen that I want to examine more closely."

"What was it?" Lillian asked.

"I've got no clue. I've never seen an anomaly like that before," Stephen had to admit. "It might have to do something with the fact that he's a telepath," he suggested, "but I've never studied them before. The Corps doesn't like nosy doctors."

Lillian nodded her head in understanding. "Then I will schedule surgery for tomorrow morning. In the meantime we can run those scans on him." Lillian then turned to him and her tone grew even softer. "Mr. Garibaldi asked for a detailed report on Mr. Bester's current state."

"His medical condition?" Stephen said confused. "Michael has to know that we can't do that. That type of information is confidential. Leave him to me, Lillian. I will deal with our Chief."

*

"You're sure you'll be alright?" Marcus asked concerned. The haunted expression in Bester's eyes was still there, reminding him of the state the psi cop had been in when he had found him.

"Yes, Marcus," Al replied in a polite tone, but couldn't help feeling insecure. The ranger had been the one constant factor since he had escaped the prison camp.

"Stephen knows where to find me should you want to talk," Marcus offered in a soft tone. "You're safe here. Stephen will take good care of you."

Al didn't reply; now that he was lying in an exam bed in med lab he had started to realize that they had actually arrived at Babylon 5. For some time it had seemed like he'd lived inside a nightmare; like he hadn't really been alive, only vegetating.

"I've got to go now. Let me know should Stephen get annoying and I will try my best to get him off your back," Marcus offered amused.

Al pulled the thermo blanket on top of his body and closed his eyes. Franklin had informed him about the scans he was determined to subject him to and Al had been tempted to object. But he had quickly realized that the doctor was resolved to examine him in whatever way Franklin deemed necessary.

Seeing the closed eyes and peaceful breathing Marcus assumed that Bester had fallen asleep again and silently left the room. The ranger bumped into Franklin and pulled him into a quiet corner. "You'll take care of him, won't you?" He wanted to know for sure Bester would be taken properly care of.

"He's my patient, Marcus." Stephen said and smiled reassuringly. "You better make sure Delenn isn't kept waiting."

"Right!" Marcus replied and quickly left med lab. "I'll be back later today!" he shouted as he left.

"I know you will," Stephen quipped and headed towards his office to order all necessary scans on Bester.

*

//I hate these scans!// Al thought annoyed. Franklin had hooked him up to a medical scanner and all he could do was co-operate and wait. "How much longer will this take?" he asked firmly.

"A couple of hours. Tell me, did you have any severe headaches lately? Are you still having them? Blurry sight? Anything?" Stephen studied the readings, which still showed a complex anomaly in one of Bester's brain lobes. It was the first time ever he'd encountered this phenomenon and he was determined to find out what effects it might be having on Bester.

"Of course I had headaches!" Al chided him. "You would have them too after being deep scanned!" Immediately, he regretted the venomous tone to his statement. The words had slipped from his tongue unintended.

"But are they any worse than other headaches you experienced? Does something feel different?" Stephen continued to ask. There had to be some clue to what was going on!

"How should I know? I'm on sleepers and feel numbed any way," Al reminded him and felt apprehensive. Why was Franklin asking him these questions? "What's wrong, doctor? Did I develop a malignant tumour?" he asked, not sure whether to use a joking tone or not. Franklin's face was grave so this had to be a serious issue.

"No tumour," Stephen replied and realized that Bester had every right to be told what he had found, even though he didn't have a clue yet to what it was. Turning the screen so his patient could view it he said, "I can't make any sense of this anomaly. Have you ever seen it before? It turns up on every scan we run on you."

Curiously, Al leaned in closer to have a better look at it. "No," he replied while crooking his head. "I have never seen this before either."

"Great!" Stephen exclaimed and adjusted the device so it would perform another detailed scan. "This means we'll have to do more research. I'm keeping you hooked up to the monitor, Mr. Bester until I know if it's malignant or not... and I'll schedule more scans for tomorrow evening after you recovered from surgery."

Still staring at the screen Al wondered what this anomaly could be about. The Corps ran regular exams on all his members and something like this had never shown. Somehow it had to be tied into the deep scans Jenkins had performed, but he had never heard of something like this occurring before and why was it happening to him? //At least it's no tumour!//

"The scanner will continue to examine you. Try to get some rest while I'll try making sense of these readings." Stephen didn't like upsetting his patient; especially now he had no answers to Bester's questions.

"I understand," Al said and made himself more comfortable in the bed. "I expected Mr. Garibaldi to drop by and question me," he added in a curious tone.

"At this point I'm not letting anyone in to question you. Marcus can come down here and talk to you, but no one else. Not as long as I don't know what that is!" Stephen said while studying the anomaly.

Relieved, Al closed his eyes and listened to the doctor's retrieving footfalls. A moment later silence came crashing in on him again. //I hate this! How can normals stand it? It makes me feel like I'm the only one on the station!//

"Hello there, who are you?"

The unexpected voice made his eyes flash open. A small boy was standing beside his bed and Al wondered if he was human or alien... there was something to his features that looked out of context. Al noticed a shining substance in the child's hand who was clutching it like it was his only lifeline. An air of loneliness clung to the boy. Al sensed it at once and didn't need his psi ability to tell him that the child wanted company.

"I'm Al... but when I was a child like you, they sometimes called me Alfie," he revealed and wondered why he had told the kid something private like that.

"Alfie?" the boy echoed amused and squeezed the substance in his hand. The glow brightened and so did the child's smile. "I like that name."

"And what is your name?" Al asked. It wasn't like him to engage in conversation with children, but something was pushing him to act kindly towards the boy who had to be a patient here too; the kid was wearing med lab clothes.

"I'm Shon."

The abyss part 5

Marcus was surprised to find the Captain and Garibaldi already present in Delenn's quarters when he entered it. A worried expression lay on Sheridan's face and the ranger knew why they had decided to attend his debriefing; they wanted to know what had happened to Bester.

"Marcus, I am glad that you have safely returned to us," Delenn started and gestured him to take a seat opposite her.

Politely, Marcus refused. The ranger preferred to remain standing opposite the two members of staff. He'd promised himself to plead on Al's behalf and he was determined to do so.

"I'm glad to be back, Entil'Zha," Marcus replied, "Though it grieves me to inform you that Richard died before we managed to get to him."

"Yes, and I am certain his death will be mourned by many," Delenn said in a soft tone, lowering her eyes for one moment in respect for the ranger who had died while serving her.

"But you did bring Bester to the station," Sheridan interjected; he didn't have much time and wanted to get down to the heart of the matter.

"Yes, I did." Marcus studied Sheridan and knew it would take a lot to convince the Captain to give Bester a second chance.

"Care to tell us why you didn't leave him there?" Garibaldi asked in a cold tone.

"Because I can't stand by and watch a man die," Marcus whispered and fought back his anger.

"Michael, Marcus," Sheridan admonished them both, not wanting an escalation of the rising conflict.

"Sorry," Garibaldi muttered and then clenched his mouth shut.

"Marcus, can this be a hoax? An attempt on Bester's part to gain our confidence? Or is it the Corps trying to manipulate us somehow? You must have read his record and I need to consider the station's safety first." The Captain exchanged a glance with Garibaldi, warning him not to lose his cool.

"No, Captain. Bester's name was second on the list of prisoners scheduled for termination... If you had seen the state he was in, you wouldn't doubt his sincerity." Marcus paused, cautiously choosing his next words. "A psi cop called Jenkins deep scanned Bester while he was on sleepers. In the end he told Jenkins everything. The Corps =knows= about his involvement with Babylon 5 and our war against Clark and the Shadows."

"That's just great!" Garibaldi exclaimed and started to pace the room.

Delenn who had been quiet up until this point, rose to her feet and walked up to Marcus. An encouraging smile appeared on her face and she stated, "Then you made the right choice, Marcus. If he was in need of help it was your duty to bring him here where Doctor Franklin can take care of him." Delenn crooked her head and focused on John. "After all... you forged an alliance with him."

"Don't remind me of that!" Sheridan sighed, "Bester only wanted to ensure Franklin continued his research so one day his lover is freed of the implants."

"Perhaps," Delenn said and nodded her head, "But it appears the situation has changed and needs to be re-evaluated. I suggest you do just that. Telepaths are the only weapon we have against the Shadows. We can not afford to lose even one."

Marcus privately applauded her remark. He never thought she would support his cause.

"You're right of course," the Captain had to admit. "Bester can stay onboard for now, but as soon as Franklin allows me into med lab I'm going to have a serious talk with Bester. I can't put the station into jeopardy for one psi cop's sake."

"I'm heading down to med lab again in an hour... Stephen told me he scheduled Bester's surgery for tomorrow morning," Marcus informed him.

"Then I'll talk to Bester tomorrow evening," Sheridan decided and caught the Chief's worried look. //I know, Michael. I don't like this too, but... I can't refuse Bester medical attention.//

Relieved, Marcus watched the two men depart and was surprised when Delenn gently placed a hand on his sleeve.

"Sit with me, Marcus and tell me about Richard... about the mission. I can read the hurt and grief in your eyes."

"Entil'Zha," Marcus stuttered and allowed her to steer him to the couch. She didn't have to touch him to pull him along; he would follow her wherever she wanted him to go.

*

Al had woken due to some irritating beeps which were emanating from the scanner. //I wonder if there's a way to silence it!// he thought annoyed. It had started some moments ago and he had no idea what was causing it. His breathing was regular, his pulse steady and he was starting to feel rested. So what had set off the alarm?

Confused, Al watched as Franklin dashed into his room. The doctor looked like he expected to find him on the brink of death. "Can't you kill that sound? Or at least turn it down?" Al asked and rubbed his temple. "It's giving me a headache!"

Stephen studied the readings and dumbfounded, stared at the man in the bed. "These readings don't make any sense!"

"Why not?" Al inquired in a tired tone and sighed when Franklin tuned down the volume.

"According to these readings you should be thrashing in bed due to... " Franklin grew silent as he realized that he had no idea what the scanner had picked up. "I might as well turn it off," he complained.

"The first brilliant thought you had since I got here!" Al quipped, hoping the doctor would free him of the device. "At least that way I might be able to sleep."

"You're just as irritating as Marcus is!" Stephen said in a joking tone, realizing he was stuck with another nag.

"Did anyone here say my name?"

Al smiled hearing that now familiar voice.

The ranger peeked inside and was relieved to see that Bester was doing well. "He'll be climbing these walls within days!" he warned Franklin.

Indecisive, Stephen stared at the monitor. There really was no use in keeping it switched on. "I'll have to come up with a better way of finding out what's causing this activity in your brain."

Marcus heard that remark and noticed the concern in the doctor's words. Something wasn't going according to plan and the ranger was resolved to talk to Franklin later.

Al didn't react to Franklin's comment. If it was a telepathic complication he would have to deal with it himself once he was off sleepers.

Now that his presence wasn't required any longer Stephen excused himself after unplugging the scanner.

"Feeling at home already?" Marcus said jokingly while pulling up a chair.

"No!" Al grunted, "Did you talk to Sheridan?" How had the Captain reacted to his arrival and what were his immediate plans? That was something Al really wanted to know. The fact that Sheridan allowed him to stay onboard gave him hope.

The ranger had been right earlier; there was nowhere he could go. The Corps, and more importantly Jenkins, wouldn't rest before they had his corpse ready for dissection in the morgue. //I can't stay here forever though. My presence would only put Babylon 5 more in the spotlight and Sheridan can't afford the exposure. Someone might decide to have a closer look at what he's doing here.//

"Yes, I talked to Sheridan. He wants to have a word with you tomorrow evening." Marcus sat down and placed his feet against the side of the bed, studying Bester. "What are you going to tell him?"

"Marcus... Can you do something for me?" Al didn't want to talk about Sheridan and strategy right now.

"What is it?" the ranger saw the hesitant expression in Bester's eyes and waited for him to make his request.

"There's a kid staying here in med lab. His name is Shon and he ran off when I wanted to talk to him. Can you try and find him for me?" Al had given his request a lot of thought, but it irritated him that the boy had left before he'd had a chance to say something.

"Shon?" Marcus repeated, "Sure, I'll have a look about before I leave." His eyes narrowed and he added, "You haven't been out of your bed, have you?"

"No, the boy showed up here in my room," Al assured him and grinned. //I still don't understand where this concern is coming from!//

He never considered the fact that Marcus felt somehow responsible for him after hauling him out of the prison camp. It had created a bond and although Marcus had long realized that, it still remained a mystery to Al, eluding him.

"So what was the problem with that scanner?" Marcus asked worried.

"I guess it picked something up our good doctor can't explain." Al didn't want to make a big deal out of it, but Marcus was determined to follow up on it.

"Something Stephen can't explain? I can't remember that ever happening before!" Marcus now knew for sure that he had to talk to the doctor in depth.

"It looked like abnormal brain activity," Al explained. "I can't help him solve it. Being on sleepers isn't helpful at the moment."

"You might decide not to take another dose once this one has worn off. You don't appear out of control to me." Marcus observed him carefully and wasn't surprised to see the self-doubt in Al's eyes. "What are you afraid of?"

Al thought hard about the answer, but couldn't come up with one. "I'm not sure," he said eventually. Lost in thought he forgot about the ranger's presence.

Marcus realized Al had to figure this out by himself and quietly left the room in search for the boy. //I should ask Stephen first. He'll know where to find Shon.//

*

Stephen stared at the readings which had set off the alarm. The activity in Bester's brain showed an abnormal rise in intensity that he couldn't explain. //He was just sleeping!// Stephen thought and wished he had some indication of what was going on. If he couldn't solve this riddle Bester would have to stay in med lab for a longer period of time.

//Telepaths!// he cursed softly. //Why does the Corps have to be so secretive? If they would share their information with Earthforce I could access it and possibly interpret this anomaly! //

"Stephen? Can I talk to you or am I interrupting things?" Marcus inquired as he entered the doctor's office.

"No, Marcus, that's alright. Come inside and sit down." Stephen turned off the monitors and looked at this friend. Marcus' dedication to help Bester recover wasn't something that surprised him. The ranger had shown an admirable interest in the lurkers in Down Below and occasionally helped him out in the free clinic. //He would have made a good doctor, had he decided on taking that route.//

"It's Al. I'm concerned for him. What's this about an anomaly showing up on his neural scans?" Marcus asked while seating himself opposite his friend. He knew Stephen would do anything he could to help Bester, regardless what his personal feelings might be for the former psi cop.

"I wish I knew, Marcus. But I've never seen anything like this before and what baffles me most is that he's in no way effected by it." Stephen sighed distressed. "Believe me, Marcus I want to find out what this is as much as you do. It looks like Bester will have to stay longer than we assumed."

"If that's the best thing for him I'm sure he will stay and co-operate. Is there anything I can do to help?" Marcus offered.

"Not really. I need to adjust the medical scanner and that will take some time."

"Stephen," the ranger started as he rose to his feet, "Al asked me to make some inquires concerning a little boy called Shon?"

The impact the name had on him still surprised Stephen and he swallowed hard. Even after all these years he was still reminded of his failure. "Shon? Why?"

"Where can I find the child?" Marcus suddenly realized that Franklin's face had grown the palest he had ever seen underneath his dark skin. The shock in Franklin's eyes took him aback. "What's wrong, Stephen? You look like you've seen a ghost," he said in a friendly manner, trying to reassure his friend, not knowing that he had hit bull's eye making that remark.

"Bester can't know about Shon!" Stephen remarked in a high-pitched tone. A moment later he had regained his composure. "What did he say... exactly?"

"Only that the child had visited him and had left the room before he had a chance to react." Marcus moved a little closer to his friend. "Are you alright, Stephen? You look like you're going to keel over any moment now."

"Shon died years ago. Bester couldn’t have spoken to him!" Stephen declared in a firm tone. //I wonder what that psi cop is up to! Does he have a hidden agenda after all?//

"Died? Are you telling me that this Shon is... "

"Dead..." Stephen finished the sentence for him.

"What happened?" Marcus forced the doctor to sit down again, worried by the feverish look in Franklin's eyes.

"His parents denied me permission to perform an operation to save his life. They believed that it would kill the child's soul. I reasoned with them, but they remained stubborn. Shon was dying and I operated even though I couldn't get Sinclair to okay the surgery."

Stephen was talking in an emotionless tone, recalling that tragic day like it had only happened yesterday. "After surgery the child was no longer critical and the parents decided to take him with them. I thought everything had come to a happy end, but later on I discovered that they had killed their son because they felt his soul had been corrupted by the operation. I killed Shon."

"I never knew," Marcus admitted and had to sit down again. There were tears shimmering in Stephen's eyes and he couldn't remember Franklin ever crying. But the emotional scars were still there and Marcus placed a consoling hand on Stephen's cold one.

"I cried after I found his corpse. His own parents killed him!" Franklin repeated and tried controlling his feelings. "I didn't expect you to begin talking about him."

"How can Al know about this? Why address it?" Marcus wondered aloud.

"Perhaps he accessed some files?"

"Why would he choose Shon?" Marcus asked in a soft tone. "Al is in no state to play games or to manipulate any one and why would he want to upset you? You're going to perform surgery on him tomorrow."

"Maybe we should ask =him= those questions," Stephen stated in a firm tone.

"I think you've got a point there. We definitely need to talk to him," Marcus agreed and nodded his head. He wanted those answers as much as Stephen did.

Al had turned onto his left side and was now facing away from the door. He'd hoped to get a little more sleep, but suddenly a voice cut through the silence, killing his beginning slumber.

"You're still here."

Slowly, Al moved back into his former position to study Shon. //I didn't think Marcus would find him that quickly.// The boy walked up to the bed and Al noticed that Shon was still holding onto the fluorescent fabric in his hand.

"I'll have to stay a few more days," Al told the kid and gestured him to come closer. "Why did you bolt out of the room the first time we talked?"

"I thought you were here to keep me company, but I was wrong," Shon said and his smile faded again. "It's not your time yet."

"My time?" Al echoed, suddenly wondering what the boy was really talking about.

"The people in here never talk to me. Perhaps they are too busy," Shon continued and by squeezing the ball in his hand he made it light up again.

"How long have you been here?" Al asked. By now he had become convinced that something out of the ordinary was going on here.

"Years, I lost track of time. I do miss my parents though."

"Aren't they on the station any longer?" Al propped himself into a sitting position.

"No, they left. I like Doctor Franklin though; he gave me this. I know it's only an artificial substance, but he told me it was alive and that it needed me to take care of it. I tried to do just that, but..." Shon halted, looked at the door and said apologetically, "You've got visitors."

Al was about to reply when the boy started to move toward the wall, making himself as small as possible. A moment later Franklin appeared, accompanied by Marcus. A horrified expression filled the doctor's eyes and Al wondered why they ignored Shon who was staring at them. //It's like they can't see him!// Al realized in shock.

"Al? We need to talk about Shon," Marcus said softly. Judging by Al's stunned expression the former psi cop hadn't expected them to show up and question him.

"Yes?" Al said patiently while keeping his eyes on the boy who was smiling at him. Sadness lay in Shon's eyes and Al felt his mouth go dry. //What is going on here? Why would they ignore him? And... What if they can't see him? But I =can= see him!// Flabbergasted, Al shifted his glance to Marcus and read compassion and curiosity in his eyes.

"A few years ago Shon died here on the station. There's no way he could have shown up at your bed," Marcus told him.

"But Shon's standing behind you," Al whispered at a loss.

Franklin spun around and an angry glare appeared on his face seeing only the wall in front of him. "Stop playing games, Bester!" Stephen snarled. "Shon's dead! Leave it in the past where it belongs!"

"But..." Al started and then fell silent as he realized that he was the only one who could see the little boy. //They'll never believe me!// he realized, but decided to give it one more shot.

"You, Doctor Franklin, gave him an artificial substance, telling him it was a life form that needed to be looked after. Shon's still holding onto it," Al hardly recognized his own trembling voice as he spoke.

Franklin's face contorted. "I don't have to put up with your games." He turned and marched out of the room.

"Al, why are you doing this to him?" Marcus asked in an annoyed tone. Franklin was one of his closest friends and he hated seeing him hurting like this.

"I'm not lying," Al stated and watched Shon move closer to his bed. The boy placed the fluorescent ball on the blanket, inviting him to touch it too. Al refrained from doing that and focused on the ranger instead. This would destroy their beginning friendship and then he would be alone again. //No,// Al thoughts determined, //I can't allow that to happen!//

"I don't understand, Al," Marcus admitted. "Stephen blames himself for the boy's death. Why cut open old wounds?"

"I..." Al took a deep breath as he realized why no one could see Shon. //You're a ghost, aren't you? But why can I see you?//

"Because you have seen the other side too many times," Shon explained. "You have seen the portal, touched it... and left a part of you there. I can only talk to you because part of you is already dead." A melancholy expression appeared on the child's face. "You should have stayed away from the door..."

"The deathbed scans," Al said aloud. Suddenly everything began making sense.

"Al? Talk to me! You're spacing out on me!" Marcus forcefully took hold of Bester's hands and squeezed them, forcing Al to acknowledge his presence.

Al looked away from Shon who was once more playing with his fluorescent little ball. Maybe if he explained things to the ranger, Marcus would believe him. "Marcus," he started and then realized that the ranger was rubbing his knuckles in an almost hypnotizing way.

"Just tell me the truth, Al," Marcus said pleadingly. //I'd hate to see the trust I placed in you abused,// he thought saddened.

"Have you ever heard of telepaths doing deathbed scans?" Al asked and temporary paid no more attention to Shon. It would be hard enough to explain this to Marcus without seeing the boy's ghost.

Marcus searched his memory. "I think I have."

"Sometimes when people are dying telepaths are called in to make contact with them before they die. These people are usually victims of murder or carry important information that is badly needed." Al looked into Marcus' eyes and realized that the ranger had heard these things before.

"Lyta once told me she had done one deathbed scan and that she would never voluntarily do it again." Marcus closed his eyes, trying to force the words from his memory. "She was still in this person's mind when he died and she said it felt like she left a piece of herself behind when death descended on them. Her eyes were cold..." Marcus recalled the tone of her voice and shivered.

"I did eight of them," Al admitted in a guilty tone.

"Eight? Why? Lyta told me that telepaths will only perform such a scan once or twice!" Dumbfounded, he stared into Bester's dark eyes.

"Looking back I think I was suicidal. There was so much going on in my life at that time and these deathbed scans... somehow they became addictive. Each time I saw a blue print of what was awaiting us after death and I tried to follow the normals into death, but when they stepped into the portal, when they crossed that road I got thrown back." Al sighed and raised his face to lock eyes with the ranger. "It's true, you know. Every time I performed a deathbed scan I lost part of my soul and it was definitely the better part that vanished bit by bit."

"Al... " Lost for words Marcus swallowed hard.

"Shon is here with us, Marcus. He's here in this room," Al stated in a firm voice and glanced at the boy who was now sitting on the floor, looking up at him. "I'm no liar."

"Al, I don't know what to believe. Maybe it's a result from the trauma you went through and it is now causing you to make up these things. You can't be in contact with the dead!"

Al shook his head. "You don't believe me."

"I want to, but I can't, Al. You need counselling; you have to deal with what Jenkins did to you." Marcus truly wanted to help him, but this raving was too much. //I thought he was coping with Jenkins' deep scans, but...//

"Just forget I ever mentioned it to you, Marcus," Al whispered in defeat, "And now leave me alone."

"I'll ask Stephen to give you something to relax. You're working yourself into a frenzy, Al," Marcus said concerned and released Bester's trembling hands. "I'm sure there is a counsellor onboard you can work with."

Al remained silent and ignored the ranger. His attention was drawn to Shon and the question which burned his eyes. "Go away, Marcus," Al said determined.

Saddened, Marcus nodded his head. "We'll get you the help you need," he promised and left the room to discuss this matter with Franklin.

Al lunged forward and cringed as his ribs objected to that movement. Panting hard he ignored the waves of shallow ache washing through him and said, "What do you want from me, Shon? Why are you here?"

"You're the only one who can see me," Shon replied and jumped to his feet. Moving closer to the bed his smile grew brighter. "I've been waiting for you, Alfie," he said, adding the name in genuine affection. "When I died I wasn't ready yet to jump into the portal and I stayed behind. I like med lab and the doctors, but lately the light has been re-appearing to me. The door however remains closed; I can't pass over."

"I am sorry," Al whispered and leaned back into the pillows now that Shon was sitting on the side of his bed. "But why were you waiting for me? I can't help you."

"Yes, you can," Shon objected and carefully placed the fluorescent ball into Bester's knotted hand. "A part of you already passed over... it's already there."

Al stared at him in bewilderment. "What do you want me to do?"

"You'll open the doorway for me so I can join my family. My grandparents are waiting for me." Shon said pleadingly.

"But I have no control over it! I would have to perform a deathbed scan to get close to it again." Al felt the warm substance in his hand and it flared up momentarily. //This isn't happening,// he told himself.

"No, you don't have to go through one again. Just take me there," Shon insisted.

"But I don't know how." Tiny fingers curled themselves around his. Shon was looking at him with absolute trust. "I'm on sleepers, Shon. I can't use my talent."

"You don't need to."

*

"Is he hallucinating?" Marcus asked Franklin who had started to pace his office minutes ago.

"I wanted to strangle him," Stephen said hurt.

"Stephen!" Marcus was startled; that remark sounded so much out of character. "I don't think he's doing this on purpose."

"To maintain that Shon was with us in that room is absurd!" Stephen exclaimed in an agitated tone.

"Stephen, sit down and listen to me." Marcus wrapped an arm around his friend and made him take a seat. "Al told me that he did eight deathbed scans. Can that be an explanation for this situation?"

"What are you saying, Marcus? That he really established contact with the dead? Come on, you can't be serious!" Stephen vehemently shook his head. "If those scans have anything to do with this situation it has to be about suppressed memories!"

"What about that anomaly? Could that be causing this behavior?" Marcus suggested, desperately hoping Bester wasn't losing it. The telepath had been through a gruelling experience and this might be his way to postpone dealing with it.

"Hell, I don't know anything for sure! The guy is a P 12 and I have no idea what kind of neural pattern to expect." Stephen was once more calming down and only now remembered the seriousness on Bester's face as he had insisted that Shon was indeed present. "And how did he know about the artificial substance I gave Shon, telling him he had to take care of it? Only I and his parents knew..."

"What if Al told us the truth?" Marcus' voice shook speaking those words.

"Then I might start believing in God," Stephen whispered in a similar baffled tone. He was about to add something to his remark when a nurse dashed into his office. "What is it, Lucy?" Stephen asked while getting to his feet. Her face revealed true shock.

"Doctor, it's the telepath... He's flat lining."

"Damn!" Stephen cursed. "Get the trauma team into his room!"

"Stephen?" Marcus asked concerned.

"He's gone into cardiac arrest, but there's no reason for this to happen!" Franklin explained while running through the corridor to get to Bester's room. "Wait outside, Marcus! We'll need all the space we can get!" Calmly and in control Stephen directed his team's actions.

"No pulse, no heartbeat," one of the assistants informed him and Franklin ordered to charge the paddles. "You still owe me too many answers, Bester. No way are you getting out of this one!" Stephen said resolutely and placed the paddles on Bester's chest. "Everyone clear!" he shouted and delivered the first impact of electricity into the man's body to jump-start his heart.

The abyss part 6

Al experienced the strangest feeling as he looked down from the ceiling at his own lifeless body and realized that this was his second out of body experience in less than a week. But at least now he knew what was causing them, the deathbed scans. Although Shon was pulling at him to get going, Al took a moment to study the men's faces.

Franklin appeared almost frantic to find a way to lure his heart into beating again. Marcus however had turned deathly pale and was watching everything from the doorway. Concern was written all over the ranger's face and Al averted his eyes. Deep down he knew he didn't deserve this compassion.

Shon's pull suddenly felt more urgent and Al forced himself to focus on the boy. An enthralled expression shone from the child's face now that he was closer to passing over than ever before.

"Open the portal? Please?" Shon said pleadingly.

Al wanted to say that he didn't know how when he suddenly sensed something faintly familiar reaching out for him. Puzzled, he reached out himself. Nothing could have prepared him for facing the white spiral again; the doorway he had come so close to before. It felt familiar to him and he followed Shon inside, never wondering about how to return. //I already made the decision not to return. The people on Babylon 5 will be glad to be rid off me. Except Marcus perhaps... He really made an effort to understand and help me.//

"You did it!" Shon whispered ecstatic and moved over to the other side.

Fingers released his knotted hand and Al had to watch idly as Shon shot away, leaving him behind. He was now alone, trapped in the white spiral and tried moving forward as well, but something kept him back. //Let me in! I don't want to live! I always wanted to know if there's an afterlife. Even if this is just an illusion, a projection my mind created, I welcome it, I want to find out!//

"It's not your time yet. Shon already told you."

Startled, Al turned around. The voice came from all around him and suddenly he realized that his physical body had gone. He only existed here in a transparent, ghost-like form. "Show yourself!" he demanded.

The portal's structure began to change and a million bits of radiant light made him close his spectral eyes. He was sucked into a dark tunnel and the falling sensation began to scare him. It was true; he had no idea what to expect and he realized that this might have been the wrong thing to do. Maybe he should have returned while he still had the chance.

Unexpectedly he seemed to hit the bottom and as he opened his eyes he noticed the pitch darkness in to which he had been thrown. //This doesn't look good, // he thought, distressed.

"You wanted to talk to me..."

Hearing the same voice again Al watched closely and saw a form take shape in front of him. Panic seized the rational part of his mind when he recognized the man now standing in front of him. "I killed you," he whispered in shock.

"Yes, you did," the essence replied softly. "It took me a long time to realize that at the time you didn't have a choice. But eternity comes easy when you're dead."

"Stephen Walters," Al said and knew that the words echoed his still apparent shock. The man's appearance hadn't changed and Al felt catapulted back to the day when he had pulled the trigger countless times to kill the resistance leader. As a result his hand had remained poised in that fashion. "Why does it have to be you?" Al asked bewildered. "Why do I have to meet you here?"

"Because we have unfinished business, son."

"Don't call me son!" Al sneered and was reminded of the images Walters had sent him, depicting Fiona and Matthew Dexter.

"They weren't lies," Walters continued. Seeing Al's stunned expression he added," Here everyone can see each other's thoughts, feel his feelings. Here we're all telepaths. I know why you're here. I'm grateful you helped Shon cross over. He's been trying to do so for years now, but we couldn't help him."

Al looked down and suddenly realized that he was no longer dressed in that appalling med gown, but instead was wearing a psi cop's uniform. The feel of the fabric on his skin made him shiver as Jenkins' face returned to him.

"I failed you, son," Walters said, ignoring Al's earlier request. "Your parents asked me to guard your life and I failed them too."

"You're just an illusion my mind conjured to offer me some closure," Al stated vehemently.

"Sorry to disappoint you, son, but I'm real and you're dead." Walters took a step closer and studied his expression. "Vacit made the gravest mistake of his life when he ordered your parents arrested."

"Vacit? Kevin Vacit?" Al repeated as his interest was roused.

"You met him once, didn't you? He tried to scan you, but you felt it happening. Vacit was a telepath too."

Al blinked his eyes, not sure what to think of Walter's words. //Hell, I don't even know what to make of my own life at the moment! And here I'm talking to a man I killed and he doesn't appear angry about it in the least!//

"Vacit was your grandfather," Walters continued, grabbing this chance he had received to set things straight between them. He had wanted to tell the other man all these things but had never expected him to fire so soon. This time Alfred Bester couldn't push him away and he was determined to take advantage of that.

"You're raving mad!" Al replied and wondered how to escape Walters' presence, which suffocated him. "I don't need to hear your lies!"

"Vacit was a telepath, but no one was allowed to know that. Imagine the senators finding out that the director of Psi Corps wasn't a normal after all! So when his daughter was born he didn't acknowledge her, but asked a resistance leader to take care of her. That was what Monkey did, till the Cops killed him. I was sent in when Fiona was taken to a re-education camp."

Walters noticed the taunt disbelief in the other man's eyes, but continued anyway. "There she fell in love with Matthew Dexter and I managed to get them both out. At first I was jealous of Matthew... I had fallen in love with your mother and wanted him out of the way. But she didn't love me and I realized that just in time."

"Stop telling me lies!" Al exclaimed and tried walking away from Walters, but the man followed him.

"This time you're going to listen, damnit!" Walters hissed and grabbed his shoulders. "You are Stephen Dexter, their son! You were their greatest hope to one day defeat the Corps and free all telepaths!"

"I am Alfred Bester!" Al snarled and tried to shake of Walter's hands, but the man held on instead.

"That's the name Vacit gave you! It's not your birth name! Damn, you're just as stubborn as Fiona!" Walters sighed eventually.

A bright flash pierced the darkness and made Al double over. A shattering pain crept through his chest and he looked up at Walters, demanding an explanation, but the man had vanished into nothingness. "Damn!" he exclaimed and dropped to his knees as another bolt coursed through him.

"It's time to go back."

"Great, another visitor from hell!" Al snarled, hearing a soft voice coming from above him. Looking up he froze in dread. Standing bent over him was his mirror image. "What?"

"I'm here to guide you back, Al."

"Who, what are you?" Al managed to choke out the words while his chest felt aflame.

"I'm the part of your soul you left behind," the man explained and knelt beside him. "I was stupid to do those eight deathbed scans, but I never listened to reason."

"You can't be me!" Al exclaimed. //I've never felt this lost before! Is this real or just imagination?"

"It is real alright," the other Al replied. "A pity I never believed in myself. It could have prevented me from losing part of myself."

"You're talking gibberish," Al whispered and shook as something began to pull him into the tunnel again.

"As Walters said, this is the truth and yes, this is really happening," the lost half admonished him. "I felt so incomplete over the years, though I must admit I like it here. You, on the other hand, have had a tougher existence."

Frantically, Al clutched his chest as the pain took up residence there. It felt like someone was driving a knife through his heart.

"They're trying to bring you back," the other man explained. "For the first time in your life you made a real friend and you were prepared to run again."

"Marcus?" Al asked in a trembling tone and finally locked eyes with himself. Eyes that were alive with emotion, feelings he had never again found within himself after he had done those deathbed scans.

"Yes, Marcus."

The tunnel grew shapeless and as Al looked about he found himself back again in med lab. Franklin was telling his assistant to charge the paddles and to move away from the bed. The doctor's face spoke of resolve and concentration, but when Al looked away, he stared right into Marcus' big eyes. "You're right," he told his other half and another pull told him that he was running out of time.

//But I don't want to live the way I am now...// and he focused his stare on his mirror image, whose gentle smile seemed grossly out of place. //I never felt anything real these last years; at least not with the intensity I used to feel things.// Al made his decision in a split second and grabbed the part of his soul he had left behind on the other side. It didn't feel real to him, like his hands were moving through vacant air, but at the same time something did change inside him. It was so hard to label!

"You're coming with me!" he said and held on as tight as possible. The other form never struggled and Al could only hope that his plan would succeed. He wasn't going back as empty, as he'd been for the past years.

Something warm and bright flowed into his body and mind and settled back into the vacant places where it used to be. Al was jarred into reality again as a delicious pain shot through him; evidence that he was alive again.

An oxygen mask had been placed over his mouth and he started to thrash uncontrollably the moment his body and mind re-connected. Flashing his eyes open he looked into Franklin's whose relief was obvious. He wanted to speak, but the mask prevented him from forming audible words.

"We've got him back!" Stephen shouted at his assistants and quickly exchanged a glance with Marcus. "Bester's back!" he told the ranger and then nodded his head.

"Doctor?" One of the assistants addressed Franklin wondering what to do next.

"Start a morphine drip. Looks like he just had a heart attack, though I can't figure out what caused it!" Stephen ordered and checked Bester's pulse. Amazed, he realized that his patient was conscious and looking at him. "You were clinically dead for a few minutes. I was just in time to revive you." Franklin caught the weak nod and added, "I'm going to put you to sleep again and check the readings. The surgery will have to be cancelled. Are you in any pain?" Franklin placed his fingers around Bester's and said, "Squeeze once for yes, twice for no."

Al squeezed twice and closed his eyes. //A heart attack? I remember Shon asking me to open the portal and then I was floating above my body...//

"Stephen? Can I...?" Marcus' tone dropped as Franklin gestured him to come closer. He had never lost hope Stephen could save Al, but while seeing Bester trash on the exam bed he had almost given up.

"Don't upset him, Marcus. He needs rest," Franklin instructed the ranger and then joined his assistants who had hooked their patient up the required drips and monitors.

Marcus nodded his head and then slowly walked up to the bed. Al's eyes were half closed, but he noticed the changed expression in them. Stephen's words returned to him; Bester had been dead for some moments and the topic they had discussed earlier on now carried a sinister taste. They had discussed the dead...

"Al, you scared us!" Marcus chided the other man who simply stared back at him.

//I had to do it, Marcus,// Al thought, wishing he could use telepathy to tell the ranger now that the mask covered his mouth, but that had to wait. //I had to help Shon. The boy needed someone to help him cross over and by doing so... I learned a lot about myself... I found a part of me again in the darkness, but I doubt that anyone will ever believe this tale.//

"What are you trying to tell me?" Marcus asked, correctly reading the look on Bester's face. "Whatever it is, it'll have to wait, Al. You need to rest first."

Closing his eyes Al realized something felt different. Intense emotions were running through him; relief at being alive, but there was also doubt. Had Walters told him the truth? What if it =is= was the truth? What kind of effect would it have on his future?

Sensing Marcus' hand on his Al realized that the ranger had offered him his friendship a long time ago. But he had been cut off from his feelings and had never recognized it.

//What have I done? // he wondered in shock as his past came crashing in on him; all the Blips he had hunted down, the lives he had destroyed, the people he had hurt...

"Al?" Marcus whispered, seeing a single tear slip down Bester's face. Not getting any reaction he turned to Stephen.

Franklin immediately focused on his patient again and said, "It's probably the morphine, Marcus. Are you going to inform the Captain or do you want me to do that?"

Marcus hardly registered the question. Al's eyes had now completely closed and the ranger sighed. "I believe him, Stephen. I believe his story about seeing Shon."

Stephen shook his head in disapproval. "Why? Because he had a heart attack?"

"No, I thought about it while you were working on him. There was no dishonesty in his voice." Marcus smiled weakly. "He didn't try to convince us, Stephen. In fact he told me to forget he ever mentioned it."

Franklin took hold of the thermo blanket a nurse handed him and covered his patient's body with it. " Do you really think he can communicate with the dead?"

"Why not?" Marcus moved away from the bed, not wanting to disturb Bester's fragile sleep. "Think about it; we've seen Shadows, soul hunters, we have traveled in time... then why should this be impossible? Perhaps because we're afraid to find out that there's an afterlife and that we might not like what it's about?"

"I don't know, Marcus. All I know is that Bester suffered a heart attack and that we revived him." Franklin had a hard time going along with Marcus' line of thought. He was a scientist and needed proof in order for something to have a right to exist. "But I do want to talk to him once he regains consciousness."

"And so do I!"

Both men turned towards the doorway, hearing that determined voice.

"Michael," Stephen said and walked towards the Chief to grab his arm. "You have no business being here!"

"Bester is my business!" Garibaldi stated.

Franklin sighed in frustration and said, "Marcus? Stay with Bester until I get back. I need to talk to our Chief first."

"I'll stay," Marcus assured him and pulled up a chair. All assistants had left and only a nurse had stayed behind to make some last arrangements to ensure Bester could sleep peacefully.

"We'll have a =long= talk once you wake up," Marcus whispered in a barely audible tone and sat with Al during the rest of the day.

*

"What the hell are you doing here, Michael!" Stephen asked agitated. "I was working on a patient!"

"Bester," Garibaldi replied unimpressed.

"Yes!" Stephen walked up to the Chief and looked him in the eyes. "I don't want you poking around here while I'm trying to save his life!"

"So what happened?" Michael was taken aback by the vicious tone Franklin was displaying.

"Cardiac arrest." Franklin said and fatigued, lowered himself into the chair behind his desk. Rubbing his eyes he added, "And I have no idea what caused it."

"I take it questioning Bester..."

Franklin interrupted him. "I don't want you near him, Michael."

"Understood," the Chief acknowledged and then noticed the bafflement in his friend's eyes. "There's something else going on here and I will find out what that is, Stephen. It's my job."

"Just stay away from my patient," Stephen said wary.

*

Ivanova looked over the reports again and leaned back in her chair. Sheridan had asked her to keep an eye on Bester and she had accessed the files Stephen had sent her after she had requested more information. There was no detailed data however and she knew Franklin was trying to keep certain facts confidential.

Garibaldi had told her about Stephen's reaction when he had shown up in med lab. //Maybe it was his timing that pissed Stephen off.// Susan got to her feet, straightened out her uniform and realized she would have to talk to Franklin in person. Perhaps if she handled this tactfully the doctor would be inclined to open up to her.

She was surprised that Psi Corps hadn't sent them a request concerning Bester's extradition yet. The Corps had spies everywhere and she was sure they were also onboard the station. They had to know about Bester's present location.

Stepping into the core tube she searched her own feelings. She hated Bester with a vengeance, but couldn't deny that he was no longer the enemy now that he had become a Blip. Determined to take a neutral stand she left the tube and headed for med lab.

The nurse, who saw her step inside nodded politely, then went about her business. Casting a glance at the monitor she walked to exam room 5 where Bester was resting. Ivanova took a deep breath before venturing inside.

Surprised, she looked at Marcus who had fallen asleep in a chair next to Bester's bed. The fact that the ranger's fingers were lying on top of Bester's confused her. //Marcus defended Bester when he was bringing him onboard. I've never known Marcus to be fooled by anyone. No matter how irritating he might be, he's got excellent instincts.//

"Marcus?" she said in a soft tone and then shifted her glance to study Bester who was still hooked up to several IV's. The telepath's eyes were closed and his breathing regular. "Marcus?" she repeated in a somewhat firmer tone.

"What?" Marcus whispered as he woke up. Searching his surroundings he looked into the Commander's eyes and swallowed hard. His heart missed a beat seeing her blue orbs. Never before had he loved someone so deeply. Susan Ivanova was everything he had ever wanted in a woman. Yet, she would never accept him... "Commander?"

"I didn't expect to find you here," she said and quickly avoided his eyes. //Damn! Why are his eyes that expressive!// The depth of his longing was hard to ignore, but she wasn't prepared to dive into another heartache again.

"Someone has to sit with him," Marcus replied and tried hard to control his voice. She always had this effect on him, reducing him to a babbling idiot whenever his feelings got the better of him. He would never find the courage to tell Ivanova that he loved her, he realized.

"You don't know his true nature," Susan whispered.

"Perhaps not, but I'm willing to give him a chance." Apprehensive, he rose to his feet and faced her head on. "Not many people are willing to try again after being hurt. Maybe I'm the exception, Commander. I lost friends, but I welcome the chance to form new relationships."

Years later Marcus still wondered what had possessed him to speak to her in that way. Her eyes changed into ice and he shivered; //She really is the ice queen of Babylon 5!//

"Unlike me? Is that what you want to say? Damnit, Marcus! I don't need you to tell me how to live my life!" Susan barely held her anger in check. Marcus' comment had hit her unprepared. What was it about the ranger that made her react this viciously? //He knows me, perhaps even better than I know myself and until now he has avoided a confrontation... // Susan realized.

"Commander! I never meant to insult you! I was only talking about people in general!" Marcus said, desperately trying to salvage the situation. //I never thought she would take it personally!//

Susan forced herself to resume the role of Commander and to banish all private commotion caused by the ranger's words. "I want an update on his situation."

"Please, Susan, I..."

"Ranger Cole, I asked you a question!"

Marcus' eyes grew dangerously dark. Never before had there been a greater emotional distance between them and his remarks had caused it. //Idiot!// he chided himself, //When will I learn to keep my big mouth shut? Now I've blown the little chance I had with her!//

"He suffered a heart attack two hours ago, but Stephen thinks he's no longer critical."

"What caused the heart failure?" Susan asked in an emotionless tone.

"Stephen doesn't know, Commander." Depressed, Marcus sat down again. If he only knew of a way to show her how much he cared for her, but her walls were too high for him to tear down.

"I take it he's still on sleepers?" Susan had managed to compose herself again and now slowly approached her fiend's bed. //He doesn't look that intimidating right now!// she thought pleased.

"Yes, at his own request," Marcus replied and disliked seeing the smug expression on her face now that Al was helpless. "Why do you hate him so much?" he whispered, wishing he could take back those words as she fixed her cold eyes on him.

"I hate the Corps and he's a part of it," she admitted reluctantly. The last thing she wanted was to open up to Marcus in Bester's presence. //Maybe he's faking being unconscious.//

"What did they do to you?" Marcus kept his distance, realizing that Susan needed her personal space. She wouldn't answer him, should she feel pushed or intimidated.

"My mother was a telepath. The Corps gave her a choice; join them or take sleepers for the rest of her life. Sophie chose the sleepers, but they killed her slowly. In the end she took her own life. It's his fault!" Susan said vehemently and pointed at Bester.

"I'm sorry for your loss." Marcus slowly got to his feet and hesitantly approached her. //I never knew about this tragedy.//

"If it hadn't been for men like him my mother would still be alive!" Susan stated and turned her back on Bester, but then realized that she was now face to face with the ranger. His eyes reflected true remorse and affection and it made her nervous.

"Your mother made her own decision when she took her life. You can't blame anyone else for that. People often make decisions we don't understand, but we have to live with them." Marcus flinched seeing anger burn in her eyes; these weren't the words she had wanted to hear. She had hoped he would also blame the Corps, blame Bester for her mother's death.

"Bester begged me twice to kill him after we got him out. Would you have done that, had it been you instead of me who had found him there? Would that have satisfied your anger?" Marcus knew he was treading on dangerous ground, but Susan had to deal with this if she wanted to leave the past behind her. //I can only hope she isn't going to kick me out of an airlock...//

Susan stared at him; her eyes distant, aflame and frozen at the same time. Marcus' question infuriated her. "I gave the order to have his Starfury destroyed when he came to the station some time ago! Only the fact that Sheridan stopped me saved Bester's ass!"

"Are you telling me you would have killed him?" Marcus said in disbelief. //Please, Susan you can't be this cold! Tell me you can't kill him in cold blood!// he pleaded privately.

Suddenly the insanity of the moment struck Susan and she realized what they were discussing. Placing her hands on her hips Marcus' question returned to her and she forced herself to seriously think about it. //Why is he doing this? Why drag these old demons from the past into the present?// It wasn't like Marcus to be cruel and yet this felt like diving into the deep, not knowing if she had enough air left to make it back to the surface.

"Look at him, Susan. Does he look like the embodiment of evil? The =Corps= did this to =you=, =your mother= and =him=. The Corps formed bester; he never had a chance to understand why what he was doing was wrong. =They= programmed =him= and only now he’s discovering his own humanity!"

Marcus backed away from her, seeing comprehension dawn in her eyes. She didn’t like him defending the man she thought of as evil incarnate, but he had seen a different side to Bester and had to speak up. "Be angry at the Corps, be angry at your mother! But understand that there are more victims out there than just you and your family! The =Corps= destroyed all these lives, not a single man called Alfred Bester!"

Exhausted, Marcus held her glare and hoped he'd live to see another day. There was no way of knowing how Susan would react and her hand still hovered near her PPG.

"What's going on here?" Stephen said and stepped inside. "Get outside, both of you! What do you think you're doing, fighting in here?"

Ashamed, Marcus left the room and waited for Susan in the corridor. Her face had taken on that mask-like appearance he had come to know so well. Only time would tell if she had truly understood what he had tried to explain to her and whether she would ever forgive him for confronting her demons.

"It won't happen again," Ivanova said through clenched teeth.

"It was my fault, Stephen," Marcus said next and stared into the Commander's eyes. The Susan he had glimpsed at moments earlier had changed into the hard-nosed officer again. Her vulnerability had completely surprised him and he had almost taken her into his arms to console her. //I wonder if she would have allowed that,// he thought.

Susan took a deep breath and left med lab. Marcus had said things which forced her to face the past once and for all. Her shift had ended an hour ago so she headed for her quarters. After the door had closed behind her, she flung the first object she could get her hands on against the wall. The glass broke and countless pieces dropped onto the floor.

A lonely wolf prowled her rooms and she lunged forward to grab the vodka. She couldn't face the truth sober...

*

Al opened his eyes the moment Marcus and Ivanova had left his room. It had taken him a tremendous effort not to react while they were verbally fighting. Marcus was all wrong of course.

Ivanova had every right to be mad at him; after all he had been part of the Corps for all his life. It came as no surprise that the ranger had defended him. Marcus was one of the few people who believed that good lurked inside everyone. //He must have been disappointed many times,// Al realized.

Trying to move his body drained him and he gave up. There were a great many things he had to think about like the conversation he'd had with Walters... and he knew his life would never be the same again.

The abyss part 7

Depressed, Susan stared at the almost empty vodka bottle. She was in a foul mood now that Marcus’ words kept haunting her. The worst thing about it was that the ranger had been right. Her entire life she had blamed everyone except her mother for her suicide. Although Sophie hadn’t been the perfect mother she had loved her like a child was supposed to.

When Bester had showed up for the first time he had seemed the perfect personification of the Corps and she had transferred most of her hate onto him. It was easier not to blame her mother and now Marcus had somehow found the courage to stand up to her and tell her the truth. Shattered memories sneaked up on her.

She tried to convince herself that he had wanted to hurt her with his remarks, but she couldn’t pull it off. Although she pretended ignorance she had seen the love in his eyes and had run away from him as quickly as she could. But she could only run for so long and finally the truth had caught up with her.

All this time he had been giving her hints, but had never told her face to face about his feelings. She couldn’t blame him; she had worked hard to earn her ice queen reputation.

The empty bottle dropped onto the floor and she forced herself to get to her feet. Disorientated, she headed for the kitchen area to brew some nice hot coffee. //Why did I have to drink that much? It never kills the pain.//

Clinging to the kitchen counter she deeply breathed in the scent of real coffee. Impatiently, she filled a mug and returned to the sofa. //Why does he always have to be right?// she wondered dismayed.

All these years she had avoided facing the truth. It had been Sophie’s choice to commit suicide. The sleepers might have triggered it, but =she= had taken her own life. Oh, yes, she was going to extract revenge on the Corps all right and now that Bester wasn’t a psi cop any longer she had to find someone else to settle the score with.

"Thanks a lot for nothing, Marcus," she whispered and realized that there was another issue she had to face; his feelings for her. She had purposely avoided him, making sure he couldn’t get close enough to hurt her. Talia and Malcolm’s betrayal still stung deeply.

//But what if Marcus is different? What the hell am I saying? He =is= different! I never met anyone like him. First he tells me he only speaks when he has something to say and then he never stops babbling!// That thought brought a hesitant smile to her face and she sighed tasting the first sip of coffee.

"Marcus will never make the first step," she knew that much. "I’m sure he’s done his research and knows about Talia and Malcolm. Can I deal with another possible disappointment? What if we don’t work out? We are such an unlikely match!"

Emptying her mug she relished the coffee, which had cooled down considerably, and thought about the synthetic roses which she had flung at him. Normally, she would have spaced anyone who’d have the guts to place them at her doorstep, but… even then her response had been out of character.

"Maybe I should try one more time… a last time…" she tried convincing herself. After disposing of the mug she walked into the bathroom and opened a vial Stephen had given her. It was one of Franklin’s magic potions to get rid of any intoxication or hangovers. Swallowing two pills she stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"I look like hell," she realized and decided to take a quick shower which would help her sober up. "Computer," she said while slipping out of her clothes, "Locate Marcus Cole."

"Ranger Cole is in his quarters."

"Fine," she whispered, " And you better stay there!"

*

Marcus dropped into his well-padded chair and closed his eyes. The confrontation he’d had with Susan had definitely drained him. Her emotional outburst had taken him by surprise and he had done the best he could to limit the damage done to their… //What should I call it? Friendship? No, we aren’t even friends... She tolerates me at best!//

Marcus kicked his boots into the corner of his room. Stephen had chased him out of med lab, telling him there was nothing he could do for Bester anyway. Reluctantly, he had given in, but only because he needed to sleep. //But I’m going back in the morning!//

Tired, he headed for the kitchenette and made himself some sandwiches. Susan’s reaction returned to him. Would she ever forgive him for the tone he had used during their discussion? //Not very likely,// he realized.

Plunging back into his chair he ate one of the sandwiches, but his thoughts revolved either around Susan or around Bester. He felt protective of the former psi cop as he had been the one to get him out, but he wanted to comfort Susan at the same time. The difference was that Al was beginning to accept their friendship and that Susan had moved farther away from him than ever before.

Rubbing his eyes he realized that he had been neglecting his own needs lately. He’d missed ranger practice and hadn’t called in to inform Delenn of Bester’s condition. //I’m going to contact Delenn first thing in the morning!//

His bunk looked tempting and in the end he surrendered to his fatigue. Too tired to properly lift his feet he dragged his exhausted body over to the bed and sank down while a moan left his lips.

//First Rich dies, then I have to deal with Bester surviving that hell and now I’m in the middle of a fight between Susan and Al… Life doesn’t get any better than this!// he thought embittered.

The door chime disturbed the restless slumber he had worked himself into and irritated he shouted, "Yes?" Pulling a blanket over his head he tried postponing the inevitable. "Who ever you are… go away!" he murmured, not bothering to look up from beneath the blanket.

"Somehow I pictured my welcome a bit differently," Susan remarked in a neutral tone, but had to do her best not to grin at the sight of the hiding ranger.

"Commander?" Marcus stuttered and flung the blanket from his body. What was Ivanova doing here? Had she thought up a way to get even with him? //Better proceed with extreme caution,// Marcus decided. Looking at her beautiful face he had to remind himself to keep breathing. Her hair was loose and damp. Although she was still in uniform she looked breath taking… she always did.

Slowly she prowled his quarters, noticed his small collection of books and data crystals and smiled seeing the pile of dirty clothes that had accumulated over time on the floor. "Your quarters are a mess," she stated and turned around to search his eyes. He looked absolutely flabbergasted and suspicion had formed in his green eyes. //He fears it’s payback time!// she thought amused.

"I didn’t have much time lately to clean up," Marcus replied and struggled to his feet; the blanket almost tripped him.

Taking in his dishevelled appearance she compared him to her other lovers. Marcus was chivalrous, attentive and always a gentlemen. Malcolm had never been like that, not even when they had started to date… and Talia…

Talia was a lie and Susan still blamed herself for falling in love with the telepath. An old anger directed at the Corps sneaked in and she forcefully pushed it back. "I thought about the discussion we had earlier in med lab," she started and remained standing near the doorway. Marcus had positioned himself across the room, carefully holding his distance.

"You did?" Marcus whispered, uncertain what to make of Susan’s mood this far. At least her hand wasn’t anywhere near her PPG, he noticed relieved.

"Yes… It’s been awhile since anyone had the guts to tell me that I’m running away from my past." Susan didn’t move an inch but kept studying him. Sweat had appeared on his knitted brow and she swore she heard a sigh flow from his lips. "No," she added teasingly, "I’m not going to kick your butt off the station."

Marcus held his tongue, embarrassed to show any relief at hearing her words. He couldn’t repress his next question though. "So why =are= you here, Commander?"

"I’ve got this theory you see and now I need to do some research," Susan replied and walked towards him. Amused, she noticed him taking several steps back until his back hit the wall. //Where has your courage gone now, Cole?// she thought.

As she approached, Marcus forced his brain cells into action. He didn’t know what she had in store for him and he didn’t plan on being there to find out. //Think, man! Think!// he told himself, but when he inhaled her perfume his knees went wobbly. //I’ll probably end up in med lab, keeping Al company!//

Susan raised a hand and slid it underneath the back of his neck, leaned in closer and stared into his shocked eyes. "I need one more piece of information," she whispered and smiled wickedly.

All Marcus could do was return the stare and try to ignore the electricity running over his skin where her fingers touched him. Quivering under her touch he felt paralysed as her lips teasingly brushed his. Fighting for breath he clenched his hands into fists, trying hard not to touch her. Her tongue traced the inside of his lips and he leaned back against the wall for support. The last thing he had expected to happen was for her to kiss him like this!

Catching his quick breathing Susan pushed her own body against his. //Damn! I should have kissed you a long time ago!// The truth hit her as his right hand suddenly tangled in her long hair. //I’m been fooling myself for so long, damnit!//

The chemistry between them was perfect and suddenly growing scared of this intimacy she abruptly released him. "I’ve got my answer," she stated, grinned mischievously and retreated to the door. "Maybe later on we can do some more research, ranger Cole," she quipped delighted and disappeared into the corridor, leaving Marcus behind in a state of shock.

Relieved, she leaned against the wall of the elevator and said, "C&C." She was going to make Marcus suffer before returning to his quarters. All of a sudden she felt like the carefree schoolgirl she had never been, in love for the very first time. Her stomach was doing somersaults and her brain felt like candy… And all of this because of just one kiss!

//Get your act together, Ivanova!// she told herself, and as she stepped into C&C her facial expression revealed nothing of her true feelings at all.

*

Slowly, he slid down the wall until he ended up on the floor. //What the hell was that all about? Doing research?// Perplexed, he stared at the now closed door. Had he imagined everything? Had he fallen asleep and had he dreamt it all? But no, her scent still lingered in here.

"What possessed her to act like that?" Marcus murmured, feeling very awake all of a sudden, "and what about that invitation to continue research? Methinks I spent too much time in med lad and one of the germs floating in the air there finally affected my brain," he raved incoherently. "Maybe I should ask Stephen to run some tests on me too… I can’t believe she actually kissed me!"

Pushing himself up from the floor he managed to control his breathing again. Marcus grabbed his boots, sat down again and put them on. No way in hell he was going to get some sleep tonight! He had to tell someone and the first person that came to mind was Al. Now that he had chosen to believe the former psi cop about Shon he wanted to demonstrate his trust and faith in their friendship and while he was in med lab he could bug Stephen too.

*

Al was staring at the ceiling as he noticed the footfalls coming closer. Automatically he assumed it to be Franklin who had come by to check on him every hour. The confrontation with Walters had made him more pensive and he had tried to remember everything he could about the faces he had seen as a child when he had stared at the sky. They had faded over the years and after the Grins had gotten hold of him, he had been scared to think of them at all.

But he remembered that the woman had possessed long red hair and that her eyes had sparkled. The image of the man had faded even more and he found it impossible to concentrate on it.

"Al? Are you awake?"

Marcus’ soft voice didn’t startle him and he replied, "I’m awake, Marcus. Please come inside." The ranger’s company would keep him from brooding. Almost ashamed Al had to admit that he had missed Marcus being around. Finally, he had realized that the ranger truly wanted to be his friend. Looking at Marcus he noticed the disbelief on his face. "Marcus? What are you doing here?" Al remembered Stephen had sent him off to get some rest in his own quarters.

"Can you keep a secret?" Marcus asked and sat on the side of the bed. He hadn’t been able to locate Stephen and had turned to Al instead.

"Yes," Al replied honestly. He’d spent these last hours thinking about his past life and about the direction his future would take. It had made him realize that he definitely needed friends if he wanted to make a new start and Marcus was willing to let him in.

"She… kissed… me!" Marcus whispered in a shaky tone.

Amused, Al couldn’t help but smile. The shock in the ranger’s eyes was genuine. Now that he had been reunited with the lost part of his soul it was much easier to relate to other people and he was determined to make the best of this friendship. "Who kissed you?"

Seeing the smirk on Al’s face Marcus wondered why the man was this giddy. //Maybe the morphine drip has something to do with it!// But staring into Bester’s eyes he once more noted the change in them. They were alive now, no longer as dead as they had been when they had met.

"Ivanova," Marcus said and grinned stupidly.

"The Russian iceberg?" Al remarked and wondered where that remark had come from.

Marcus raised an eyebrow and then burst out laughing. "You’ve got a more wicked sense of humor than I thought!" he quipped delighted. Then, on a more serious note he added, "I’m sorry, Al. I’m draining you."

"That’s quite alright," Al replied in a soft tone. "I haven’t felt this great in over twenty years."

Marcus gently placed his hand on Al’s and said, "Something about you changed… and that heart attack… Stephen still maintains that there’s no reason for you to suffer one."

Al briefly closed his eyes and took a deep breath, but couldn’t tell Marcus the truth yet. The ranger would never believe him.

"Do you want me to leave you alone?" Marcus asked concerned, afraid he had upset the other man. Stephen would get mad at him should the doctor find him here. Franklin had told him to stop harassing Bester.

"No, you can stay… So, she kissed you?" Al repeated and locked eyes with him. "What’s going to be your next move?"

"I haven’t thought about that one yet," Marcus had to admit, "I’m still not sure it really happened."

"You’re in love with her then," Al whispered. The morphine drip was certainly making him sleepy and react more slowly than usually.

"It was love at first sight! She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve seen, but until a few hours ago she never seemed interested in me!" Marcus studied the older man and tried to name that change that kept bugging him. A sense of serenity had descended onto Bester that hadn’t been there before.

"Maybe your little discussion had something to do with it," Al suggested and fought his drowsiness. The drug was catching up with him and he smiled lazily.

"You overheard our conversation? Al, I…"

"Don’t worry about it," Al assured him and awkwardly patted his hand. "I’m falling asleep though…" he mumbled apologetically.

"I’m going to let you get some rest now." Marcus softly tiptoed back to the doorway. "I’ll be back."

Hearing that promise Al’s smile brightened.

*

"Commander? We’re being hailed by Shuttle Hades," Lt. Corwin told Ivanova and nervously added, "It’s Psi Corps."

"I’ve been expecting them," Susan growled and nodded her head in firm determination, "Put them through," she ordered. //I wonder if it’s Jenkins.// There was a possibility the psi cop would want to take care of business personally. //I would love to get my hands on a psi cop!// Susan smiled mischievously.

Her pleasurable visions of tormenting Jenkins were brutally extinguished the moment the Captain arrived at C&C. His face was menacing and she could tell he was up to something.

"Good! You didn’t blast his shuttle yet!" Sheridan wisecracked.

"Wished I could do that, sir!" Ivanova admitted and kept an eye on the screen. Corwin was working on establishing a connection. "What are we going to do, sir? Technically we have to hand over Bester to them."

Ivanova realized Marcus wouldn’t give in without a fight would the Corps try taking Bester and would do his best to protect the former psi cop. Being honest with herself at last Susan had to admit she didn’t like turning Bester in. Now that he had become a Blip the Corps would eventually terminate his existence… and her conscious acted up against that thought.

"We’ll see," Sheridan said in a determined tone. "I suggest you let me do the talking."

"Affirmative, sir," Susan knew when to rely on his diplomatic talents. She would only infuriate the psi cop.

"Patching him through now," Corwin said and pressed a button.

Susan closely studied the man’s face which had now appeared on screen. //He’s older than I thought… 60, perhaps even older.// The bald psi cop’s eyes were grey and bereft of any emotion. //Bester’s eyes are like that.//

"Captain Sheridan? My name’s Jenkins and I’m here to demand Mr. Bester’s extradition. I will dock and then you’ll hand him over to me."

"He’s even more arrogant than Bester," Susan whispered astonished. //How do they breed and program them?// she asked herself. //Marcus was right,// she realized, //The Corps does program their own. That’s why psi cops are so damned effective; they have no feelings!//

Sheridan caught the comment, but hoped Jenkins hadn’t. "Mr. Jenkins, I am sorry to inform you that you can’t dock right now. We’re experiencing technical difficulties in docking bay and we can’t endanger any lives. You’ll have to hold your position for several hours at least."

Corwin and Ivanova exchanged a confused glance. //I wasn’t informed!// Susan thought annoyed. Looking at Sheridan she saw the twinkling to his eyes. //There are no malfunctions! He made that up…// and she admired his creativity. //Unfortunately it won’t get us anywhere! John’s stalling tactic will only buy us some time and nothing more!//

"Several hours?" Jenkins echoed irritated.

"I’m afraid so," Sheridan smiled apologetically; he needed time to find a solution to his problem. //No way in hell I’m going to hand Bester over to you!// Although Bester had confessed to telling Jenkins about their alliance John realized that he needed to protect the former psi cop. Jenkins getting his hands on Bester was a risk he couldn’t take.

Signalling Corwin, Sheridan told him to terminate the connection and then he turned to his second in command. "We’ve got a lot of thinking to do, Commander. I bought us some time and we better use it!"

Sheridan crossed his arms in front of his chest. "We’re going to hit the Earthforce regulation files. There has to be something we can use to keep Bester here on the station."

"Yes, sir," Ivanova said; her thoughts had been drifting along similar lines.

*

"Can you hear me?" Stephen asked and had a close look at Bester’s readings. His patient was recovering nicely and Franklin hoped to talk to the telepath. There were certain questions he wanted answered.

"Yes, doctor," Al sighed and opened his eyes. Marcus had left two hours ago and he had been able to get some sleep. //It’s amazing,// he wondered, //Every time I wake up there’s someone checking on me.//

"Excellent," Stephen commented and studied Bester’s face. "I need to ask you some questions."

"Ask them," Al said, encouraging him.

"How do you feel?"

"Tired," Al replied and smiled weakly, "What else would you expect?"

Franklin pulled up a chair and sat down. "I had to cancel the surgery on your ankle. You’re in no condition to take an operation."

"Fair enough."

"I always wanted to ask you something," Stephen started hesitantly, "about the underground railroad."

Al listened closely and realized what Franklin’s question might be. "Yes?"

"How do you feel about the resistance now?" Stephen had always wondered whether Bester knew about their trickery. Talia and the others had made Bester believe he had killed the rogues.

"The underground railroad? I thought it no longer existed," Al commented diplomatically.

Franklin bit his lip, wondering what to say. In the end he decided to take a risk and replied, "It still exists, but we changed our methods."

"I thought so," Al admitted. "I picked up on Ms. Winter’s thoughts when I left the station. She fooled me in Down Below. Never knew she had that in her."

"You know about…"

"Manipulating my mind? I’m a P 12, doctor," Al quipped fatigued, no longer finding any pleasure in his past ‘achievements’. "I let her believe she was successful."

"Why?" Franklin felt flabbergasted. "Why didn’t you act once you learned the truth?"

Al cautiously shrugged his shoulders. "I had my reasons at the time, reasons which are no longer important."

"Would you be interested in helping me getting them to the outer regions of space? They’re fleeing from the Corps…Blips… like you are," Franklin added in a firm tone. The telepath no longer made any sense to him and he had to rely on his instincts to carry him through.

"Me? Aiding rogues?" Al laughed out loud, but had to cough violently as his tortured lungs kicked in.

"Why not? What do you have to lose? That way I could get you off station…" Franklin was hesitant to tell Bester about Jenkins’ arrival. //Hopefully John finds a solution in time, but…//

"Doctor Franklin," Al started and shifted in the bed, "We both know that at the present I’m in no condition to aid you… So why are you asking these questions?" Concentrating on the man’s facial expression Al realized something unaccounted for had occurred.

"I’m asking you a question, Bester. Would you join the resistance? Marcus told me you want to get back at the Corps… this might be your only chance to achieve that." Stephen noticed the hesitance in Bester’s eyes. //He’s seriously considering my proposal… I have to wait for his answer.//

"Maybe," Al replied eventually. //There’s only one thing I know for sure and that’s that I need to find out whether Walters was telling the truth or not. I need to know my true identity before I can move on.//

"Yes or no," Franklin said firmly. "I can’t take the risk of you turning on us." //I must be mad to trust Bester to answer me honestly!//

"Before I’ll give you my answer I want access to a computer console," Al said and briefly closed his eyes…He had to find out if the Dexters’ had had a child.

Stephen considered the request and found it reasonable. "Alright, I’ll take you to my office, but you better realize that whatever it is that you want to do, you’ll have to do it quickly."

Al nodded his head in understanding. "Jenkins is here, isn’t he?"

"Yes, he’s waiting for permission to dock."

Suppressing the shudder that was about to rack his body Al took a deep breath. "I will need some assistance in making it over to your office."

"I’ll get you a wheel chair. You’re not going to try and walk!" Franklin said in an authoritative tone.

Al no longer paid the doctor any attention. He hadn’t expected being forced into making a decision this soon. //The Corps wants me dead. The only logical step for me is to retaliate and by joining the resistance I could attain the means to get back at them for what they did to my telepaths and me!//

*

"Time’s up!" Garibaldi said and watched the Captain get up from behind his desk. "I can’t stall Jenkins any longer."

"You did a fine job, Michael," Sheridan replied and put on his jacket. They had spent the last 3 hours searching Earthforce regulations and hadn’t found anything they could use against Jenkins.

"Susan, keep searching," Sheridan told her and mentally prepared himself for the upcoming confrontation.

"I will," Ivanova promised and quickly scanned the screen.

Sheridan gestured the Chief to accompany him into the corridor. "Let’s greet our ‘guest’," he spat the word in disgust.

"I don’t like Bester," Garibaldi admitted, "but this Jenkins seems to be even worse."

"I know, Michael. We’ve got to find a way to keep Bester out of the Corps’ hands." Sheridan was frantically trying to find some loophole in Earthforce legislation.

"What if Jenkins calls our bluff?" Garibaldi asked worried.

"Then we’ll have to change the rules of the game," Sheridan replied uncomfortably. Stepping out of the core tube they headed towards docking bay. "Maybe he’ll try scanning us," Sheridan thought aloud, "then we could charge him and kick him off the station."

"Maybe," Garibaldi echoed unconvinced.

*

"What are you looking for?" Stephen looked over Bester’s shoulder as the man hacked through the Corps’ computer system. "I never knew you could do that!"

Al ignored him. This was taking a lot out of him and he had to ration the energy he had left. //I always told Central they had to improve security, but they never listened. Now it’s working to my advantage.//

"Bester?" Stephen said and leaned in a bit closer. //Classified files?// he thought and read the names on top of the file. //Why is he allowing me to read them?//

"The Dexters? Weren’t they some kind of resistance leaders?" Stephen inquired curiously.

"That’s correct," Al whispered softly, "The Corps killed them decades ago."

"What are they to you?" Stephen asked inquisitively. Bester’s awkward typing certainly slowed down his quest. "Can I help?" he offered eventually.

"No," Al sighed and scrolled down to the bottom of the file. His eyes moved over the writing and his heart missed a beat reading the last sentences of the report. "The baby was taken to Geneva to be raised by the Corps. His psi ability was already active at birth and we therefore recommended to raise him as part of Cadre Prime." Al’s voice shook tremendously and he fought down the dry heaves, which were tormenting his stomach.

"Bester?" Franklin tried again seeing the horrified expression in his patient’s eyes.

"Why didn’t I check on this earlier?" Al whispered and typed in another access code. "They’re getting sloppy, The Corps should have erased my codes by now… they didn’t."

"What are you doing? What is this all about?" Franklin had caught the disbelief on Bester’s face as he had read the end of the file aloud. "Why are you so interested in the Dexters’ child?"

"Just one more moment," Al hissed and his eyes grew big as he managed to access that one file that had been locked away. //They always underestimated me!// he thought pleased.

Stephen looked at the popped up file and sucked in his breath. Was he really reading this? "The Dexters’ child was given a new name, Alfred Bester," Franklin whispered baffled.

"It’s true then!" Al growled angrily. "Walters told me the truth!" His eyes narrowed dangerously as he stared into Franklin’s dark ones. "You asked me a question earlier on, Doctor Franklin. I’m ready to give you my answer now. I’ll join the resistance," Al whispered through clenched teeth. He was astonished at the feelings running through him. //I hate the Corps! They killed my parents and turned me into…this programmed machine.//

Franklin forced himself to remain composed as he finally realized what this revealed about Bester. "You are Stephen Dexter?"

"No…I am Alfred Bester," he hissed viciously, "The Corps killed Stephen Dexter…"

"That’s why they asked you questions about your biological parents," Franklin said, nodding his head. "The Corps must have been concerned about you finding out the truth."

"It all makes sense now," Al acknowledged and leaned back as the words faded from the screen. The Corps had discovered his presence and had finally taken counter measures.

"Too late," Al muttered determined, "I’m going to get back at them," he added and held Franklin’s stare. "I want revenge and you, Doctor Franklin are going to help me."

The abyss part 8

"This delay was intentional and I consider it a provocation on your part!" Jenkins snarled, enraged at the sight of Sheridan and Garibaldi who were approaching him. These normals had kept him waiting for four hours and his mood had definitely grown worse.

Outraged, he stared into the Captain's eyes and considered scanning the man to find out what was going on, but he held himself in check at the last moment. He couldn't make any mistakes, otherwise they were entitled to remove him from the station and he couldn't leave here before he had captured his man. There was no way he could return home without Bester. His career might depend on it!

Sheridan studied the psi cop and fought hard not to show his dislike of the man too openly. Jenkins' eyes were cold and distant as they burned into his mind. "Mr. Jenkins, I assure you that we did the best we could to ensure..."

Jenkins raised a hand to cut him short. "That's not important, Bester however is. You'll now take me to med lab. My sources told me he's a patient there."

Garibaldi glared at the psi cop. Even Bester had pretended courtesy. This Jenkins however seemed even more power crazy and self-absorbed and he instantly hated the man.

Sheridan crooked his head, wondering whether he had misunderstood Jenkins' words. "Are you ordering me to...?"

"You're obliged to help me; check rule number 439, subsection 4d of Earthforce regulations." Jenkins smiled smugly. "Now take me to med lab and you'd better make sure that there are no more delays!" Not waiting for the mundanes to respond he marched towards the door.

"The smug bas..." Garibaldi didn't finish that last word as the psi cop turned around to give him an icy glare.

Sheridan forced himself to smile. "Of course we'll help you, Mr. Jenkins." Trying hard to keep his face straight he thought, //Ivanova can blow him into a thousands pieces. This time I wouldn't mind looking the other way. //

It was hard for Sheridan not to think of Franklin and what the doctor might be doing right now to get Bester into safety. He'd sent Stephen a message earlier when it became obvious that there was no legal action they could take against the extradition order Jenkins carried with him.

Observing the arrogant psi cop Garibaldi wondered what programs and ways the Corps used to turn human beings into these emotionless machines. Sheridan had once told them that maybe 'normals' themselves were responsible for creating the Corps, because of their fear and that these psi cops in their ominous black uniforms were of their own making.

Something Bester once said now returned to him. The two of them had been forced to work together in order to retrieve Dust and Bester had told him that no matter how much they hated each other, they did share the same blood. He had never given that comment proper thought; had dismissed it as nonsense. Telepaths were people who could never be trusted because of their psi ability. //But what about Lyta? I trust her... to some extent.//

Sheridan saw the pondering expression in the Chief's eyes and told himself to pay attention to the situation at hand. Somehow he had to prevent Jenkins getting his hands on Bester.

*

"Commander?"

The sound of Franklin's voice made her look up from the files she had been studying. It took her a moment to realize that the doctor was using his hand communicator to contact to her. "Ivanova, go," she said, a bit annoyed at the inconvenient interruption. Jenkins had just come onboard and she still had no clue how to prevent the psi cop from taking Bester with him.

"Susan, I need you in med lab ASAP," Stephen told her calmly while keeping a close eye on his patient who was still sitting in the wheelchair. Bester looked fatigued, but his eyes burned with a frightening intensity.

"I'm on my way, Ivanova out." Susan closed the files and grabbed her jacket. If Franklin needed her this badly she'd better hurry. //What happened?// she wondered as she walked down the corridor. // Jenkins is still in the docking bay.//

Stephen moved over to the com panel and requested a connection to Marcus' quarters. It was imperative he spoke to his friend. //Maybe we should give him a link too! Contacting him would be a lot easier that way!// he mused and hoped the ranger was in. If not, a change of plans was in order.

"Yes?"

Relieved, Stephen exchanged a look with Bester who had fallen silent after spending all his energy on finding out the truth after so many decades. Franklin shivered slightly seeing the unholy flames consuming those dark eyes and was glad he wasn't the enemy. "I need you in med lab, Marcus... =now=!" Stephen added softly.

"Will be there in five," Marcus promised and dashed out of his room, grateful he had managed to sleep for two hours. //I hope Al is all right. Stephen sounded worried.// His hand found his trusted pike and just to be on the safe side he tightly curled his fingers around the metal cylinder; ready to extend it in a possible battle.

"What are your plans, Doctor Franklin?" Al inquired thoughtful, "If Jenkins is on his way over here we don't have much time."

"First I'm going to get you out of med lab. The Captain has no other choice but to lead Jenkins here and although I'm sure he's trying to stall the psi cop, eventually Jenkins will come for you."

Franklin quickly collected some meds from the supply room and packed them into a bag. "At the moment you're pretty stable and although I would never allow you to leave med lab under normal circumstances, I have no choice than to do just that."

Marcus was the first to arrive at med lab and he headed straight for Franklin's office after discovering that Bester's room was empty. Concerned, he hoped no emergency surgery had been performed. He wasn't sure Bester's system could take another drawback

"Stephen? Are you in here?" Marcus asked and felt relieved seeing Al seated in the wheelchair. However, the angry expression in the older man's eyes baffled him. Besides the anger, pain, hurt and disappointment stared back at him.

"Al? Why aren't you in bed?" Marcus whispered, still trying to label the emotions flashing in Bester's dark eyes.

"Jenkins is here," Franklin told the ranger and then pushed the supply bag into his friend's hands, not giving Bester a chance to answer Marcus's question. This wasn't the time to discuss their recent discovery and besides, Bester might need more time to deal with it himself.

"I want you to take him to your quarters," Stephen instructed the ranger, "Ivanova is also on her way over to med lab. From this moment on the two of you are responsible for my patient's health. I'm putting you in charge of this little operation, Marcus. Keep Bester hidden until Jenkins has left the station!" Stephen ignored Marcus who was staring at him in confused surprise.

"Jenkins is here?" Marcus repeated and forced himself into action.

"Yes," Stephen confirmed and turned about hearing swift footfalls approach. "Susan," he sighed and gestured her to come closer. "Take Bester to Marcus' quarters and hide him there. Marcus will join you in a moment and tell you what else to do. Listen to him for just this once!"

Ivanova wanted to object to the doctor's orders, but realized that this wasn't the right time to start a discussion.

Stephen read the doubt in her eyes and said, "Or do you have a better plan?"

"No," she admitted and locked eyes with Bester who had been studying her. Shivers ran up her spine as she answered his gaze. "I always knew you would get us into trouble one day!"

Noticing Marcus' hurt expression she remembered the fight they'd had earlier in med lab. //Damn you, Marcus! Damn you for making me face my past. Now I have to acknowledge the fact that Bester is just another victim of the Corps!//

There was little else she could do as to give in to Stephen's demand and took hold of the wheel chair. "Don't take too long, Marcus," she told the ranger, "Jenkins, the Captain and Garibaldi are on their way to med lab."

Marcus nodded his head. "You better go now if you want a head start, Commander," he whispered and thought back to the violent kiss she had pressed on his lips.

Al's consternation was mounting. Why would they go to such lengths to keep him out of Jenkins' hands? // Because they care about what happens to me... Perhaps one day I can repay them,// he thought saddened, //and get my revenge on Jenkins and the Corps.//

Suddenly, he remembered that Franklin now also knew his secret and he realized that the doctor had an obligation to inform Sheridan. //And there's nothing I can do to prevent it.// As Ivanova pushed his wheelchair out of the office he looked once more at Franklin, hoping the doctor understood his silent plea for secrecy.

Stephen watched them leave. There was something else that needed to be done and he needed Marcus' assistance to accomplish it. "Shoot me," Stephen said resolved and pressed a PPG into the ranger's hand.

"What?" Marcus stumbled confused, not realizing what it was the doctor wanted him to do. "I can't shoot you, Stephen!"

"It's on stun... No one will believe that Bester escaped if I'm not injured, "Franklin pointed out to his friend, "That way I can tell Lillian to inform Jenkins and even if he tries to read her mind he won't discover my involvement. Lillian will be telling the truth; she knows nothing about my little scheme. I would hate to pull the trigger myself." Amused, Franklin watched Marcus' terrified expression.

"I can't do it, Stephen..." Marcus objected. //I can't shoot him! What if something goes wrong and I injure him accidentally?// But the ranger couldn't dismiss Stephen's concern at being found out by Jenkins. "Are you sure you want me to do this?"

"Yes, Marcus," Stephen replied with a truly obnoxious grin on his face, "Although I always hoped it would be me doing the shooting. Your jokes and singing abilities are awful and I thought about hurting you just to shut you up."

In spite of their serious situation Marcus enjoyed their banter. But a moment later he aimed his PPG at the doctor. "Now you've pushed the envelope, Stephen... criticizing my taste," he quipped mischievously, but then grew pensive, "I'm sorry, Stephen."

"Do it, Marcus!" Franklin urged him on; they were running out of time. Stephen however had to admit that he was moved by the hesitance in the ranger's eyes. Marcus was really afraid to hurt him.

"I take it that's an order," Marcus whispered and pulled the trigger. A moment later Franklin dropped to the floor and the ranger hurried over to his side to check on his friend. A relieved sigh left his lips as his fingers found a steady pulse.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Stephen!" he muttered and quickly glanced around. It was time for him to get moving. Hopefully Susan and Al hadn't met any problems while getting to his quarters.

Smiling fondly at the doctor he admired Stephen's cunning and courage. Jenkins might actually fall for their scheme. Getting to his feet he tucked the PPG away into one of his pockets and started to run; he had to catch up to Susan as quickly as possible.

*

"What's going on here?" Sheridan asked a nurse who looked at him in blatant confusion.

"Someone shot Doctor Franklin," was all she muttered before hurrying off.

Several assistants were trying to establish order in med lab and the Captain exchanged an approving glance with Garibaldi. It certainly looked like Bester had managed to escape in time; everything had gone according to plan.

"I demand an explanation!" Jenkins howled in utter frustration as he realized what probably had happened prior to his arrival. These normals were playing him, but he wouldn't allow it to happen much longer. //I'll show them all what it means to have a psi cop for an enemy!//

"I want one too!" Garibaldi said and tried looking serious; not feeling bothered at all by Jenkins' irritation. If they wanted this scheme to succeed they had to convince the psi cop that they were on the same side after all.

It was Lillian Hobbes who eventually stepped in front of them to invite them into Stephen's office.

Sheridan began pacing the room, pretending annoyance while keeping one eye on Lillian and his other on Jenkins. The psi cop already felt suspicious and they had to take his doubts away. Jenkins however, didn't give him a chance to continue the charade.

"I'm going to conduct this investigation in my own way, Captain. I suggest you stay in your office while I'm onboard. This show of incompetence will be noted in my report to your superiors!" Jenkins growled and then marched out of the room.

"You pissed him off, Captain," Garibaldi remarked, grinning broadly.

"That wasn't my intention. I wanted him to think that we were helping him, damnit! Call in a security team and have Jenkins closely monitored. I want to know where he is and what's doing at all times!" Sheridan tapped his fingers on the desk in front of him. "Lillian? I need to talk to Stephen!"

"Of course, Captain, follow me," Lillian replied.

Michael tapped his hand communicator. "Station house? I need a team, STAT."

*

"It never crossed my mind that one day I would help save your ass, Bester!" Susan hissed annoyed.

"Well, my 'ass' is grateful for the effort you're making," Al quipped, deciding humor might work best, but Ivanova didn't react, so he kept quiet. Quickly they moved through the corridors, ducking possible crashes and head on collisions till they were eventually abruptly stopped.

"Bloodhounds," Susan whispered as they came to a standstill. "Three of them. How did they get onboard?"

Al refrained from answering her question. A trained P 12 was capable of fooling the guards' minds so it would look like only one psi cop had come onboard. The three telepaths were staring at them, teeth bared.

"Any suggestions of how to get out of this one, Commander?" Al asked, while racking his brain to find a solution that would ensure their safe escape.

"I can shoot them," Susan said softly. As she moved her hand to her PPG the bloodhounds growled and stalked closer.

"Somehow I doubt that will work," Al replied and tried moving about in the wheelchair. Maybe he could distract them long enough for Ivanova to make a run for it. //If these bloodhounds are here, Jenkins has to be close too.// Al knew from personal experience that a psi cop never left his bloodhounds in the heat of a hunt.

"Alfred."

Al's fingers dug into the fabric of the arm rests at hearing that awfully familiar voice. //Jenkins! And I'm still on sleepers!// he realized in dread.

Susan noticed the reaction on Bester's part and recognized Jenkins as the man stepped away from the shadows that had been hiding him. The first thing that caught her attention was the sadistic grin disfiguring the psi cop's face. The wheelchair moved underneath her hands and she realized that Bester's body was racked by shudders.

"Commander," Jenkins said delighted, "Thank you for bringing him to me," and nodded in mock politeness. "I was rather disappointed when I discovered that you had left med lab recently, Al," he said addressing his prey. Gesturing to these bloodhounds he told them to make way for him. Slowly he prowled towards his prisoner and smiled as fear stared back at him from the depths of Bester's eyes.

"You can't have him," Susan stated in a firm tone, "Bester..."

"Is my prisoner," Jenkins finished the sentence for her. Mocking Bester he dropped to his knees and raised his hands in acted despair. "You don't look that well, Al..."

"I told you to..." Susan never got a chance to end her sentence. Her head snapped back as Jenkins hit her with a violent scan. Her breath rattled in her lungs and the alien presence in her thoughts was driving her towards an insane fury. "Get out of my head!" she screamed in agony.

Jenkins laughed aloud. "There's nothing as refreshing as a new mind to ravage, don't you agree, Al?" Rising to his feet he delighted in his victim's pain. "And an interesting mind it is!"

"Get out of her head!" Al demanded in a shaky tone and grabbed one of Ivanova's hands as she struggled to remain on her feet. He knew what Jenkins planned on doing to her and he had to prevent it from happening. After all, she was a telepath...

"You never displayed any scruples before, Al... How fascinating." Jenkins's booming laughter carried through the corridor.

Marcus heard the mocking snickering and increased his pace. His hands found the PPG and pike and armed like this he mentally prepared himself for an upcoming fight.

Susan couldn't take much more. She was fighting him to the best of her ability, but Jenkins proved too strong and too well trained. As the psi cop's disgracing presence sought entry to her memories she bared her teeth and made one last effort to block him.

"I told you to leave her alone!" Al sneered and propped himself onto his feet while supporting himself by placing his hands against the wall.

Jenkins stared into Bester's eyes, infuriated now that his line of sight was blocked. "You're going to pay for defying me!"

Susan leaned heavily against the wall and couldn't believe that Jenkins had actually let go of his hold on her mind. Looking up she saw that the psi cop was now focusing on Bester who suddenly flinched uncontrollably. Her hands had already moved to her PPG when she realized that she couldn't shoot Jenkins because Bester was in direct line of fire. She had a hard time acknowledging the fact that Bester had tried helping her... and now the former psi cop was paying the price for his meddling.

"This time I need no information, Al..."Jenkins said in an arrogant tone, "this time I'm going to snap several blood vessels in your brain... I =will= kill you and our pretty witness."

"No," Al replied in a sudden calm tone. Something inside him had found a way to its surface and now lay there, like a shimmering power just waiting for him to use. After pulling Ivanova behind him he concentrated on Jenkins. Never before in his entire life had he experienced such resolve, such serenity and its presence inside his mind left him baffled.

Looking at his knotted hand his fingers slowly began to relax. "No more," he whispered in a dangerous tone and released all the unconscious anger he had held onto for so long. As his fingers unfolded something inside his mind lashed out, knocking Jenkins off his feet. Staring at his nemesis Al wondered what had happened. //I'm still on sleepers so how could I do that?// he thought shocked and sank down into the wheelchair. Exhausted, he stared into Ivanova’s eyes which reflected his own bafflement. A soothing sense of safety rushed through him seeing his no longer clenched left hand.

"Duck!" Marcus shouted and immediately opened fire as the bloodhounds charged forward.

Susan shook off her amazement and pushed the wheelchair out of the line of fire. Still wobbly herself from being scanned she tried to take aim and help Marcus to dispose of the bloodhounds. Jenkins still lay on the floor, not moving at all. Whatever Bester had done had rendered him unconsciousness and she relished the agony she had briefly seen on Jenkins' face.

Still staring at his relaxed left hand Al tried to figure out what had happened some seconds ago. After all these years something had been released from deep inside him, he realized that much, //but what about the sleepers? They should have suppressed such an action!//

"Susan?" Marcus hurried to her side, growing worried seeing the expression in her eyes. //The bastard scanned her! If only I had run faster!// he thought, blaming himself for her pain.

"I'll be fine," Susan replied and smiled weakly. "Just give me a moment to compose myself." Shifting her gaze she saw the now lifeless forms of the bloodhounds. "Jenkins... is he still alive?"

"Yes," Marcus nodded his head and looked up into Bester's eyes. "What about you? Are you hurt?"

"No," Al breathed the word, trying to gather his thoughts.

"Let's get moving then! All hell will break lose once Jenkins regains consciousness and I want the two of you in safety by that time." Wrapping an arm around Susan's waist he steadied her. Together they slowly made their way through the bowels of the station.

"I can walk on my own," Susan told him and brushed off his arm.

"I just wanted to help you," Marcus replied softly.

"I know that, Marcus." Susan smiled weakly at him and briefly placed her hand on his to squeeze it.

That little gesture took his breath away. //Maybe she's starting to let me in.//

Finally they arrived at his quarters and Marcus pushed the wheelchair inside. "I'm afraid you'll have to stay here too, Susan now that Jenkins scanned you."

"No way! I'm not going to hide in here!" she exclaimed agitated, "I've got to report back for duty!"

"Susan, you can't take the risk," Marcus said, trying to reason with her.

"He's right, you know," Al suddenly said unexpected.

Susan flipped back her loose hair and said defiantly, "I can take care of myself, thank you," and left the ranger's quarters.

"She's stubborn," Al remarked faintly amused, "Carolyn was like that, always defying me, telling me to leave the Corps."

Marcus' shoulders dropped in defeat. "I really don't understand her! She should keep a low profile and..."

"Stay out of Jenkins' reach," Al added and thought, //Did Jenkins discover that she's a telepath? If so, Ivanova might be in danger... Let's hope he didn't realize she was blocking him.//

"Al? You look tired. Stephen handed me some meds before..." Marcus' voice trembled as he recalled his friend's face as he had pulled the trigger.

"I feel... strange," Al said eventually. Moving his now uncoiled fingers, he clenched and opened his hand time after time.

Finally Marcus noticed the odd movement and realized it was the knotted hand Al was exercising.

"I have no idea what happened," Al explained, noting the questioning look on the ranger's face. "Jenkins wanted to pop some blood vessels in my brain and all my anger came to a boil and somehow I... lashed out at him."

"But the sleepers," Marcus started.

"Should have repressed it, I know," Al shivered and leaned back his head. "I'm tired."

"That's understandable." Marcus walked over to his bed and pulled back the covers.

"No, Marcus, that's your bed," Al objected, realizing what Marcus' plans for him were.

"I'll get another one while you're asleep," the ranger promised and pulled him to his feet. "You're still recovering from a heart attack, Al. You need to take care of yourself."

Remaining quiet Al carefully stretched his fatigued body upon lying down. "Marcus, do you know when the sleepers will wear off? Franklin never mentioned it."

"No, I'm afraid not. But I'll ask him when I contact med lab," Marcus whispered, seeing the other man's eyes close. "Why do you want to know?"

"I need to find out what happened in that corridor. How could I reach out like that?"

"You were acting in self defense; after Jenkins scanned the Commander he turned to you. Maybe something inside you snapped." Short of an explanation Marcus shrugged his shoulders. "Has anything like this ever happened to you before?"

"Normally I'm not on sleepers, Marcus," Al pointed out to him, "so I wouldn't know the answer to your question." Hesitating briefly Al locked eyes with the ranger. "I trust you," he said solemnly.

Marcus waited patiently for Al to continue and smiled reassuringly.

"This felt different. It was a telepathic transference of energy... I wanted to hurt him, but it wasn't a scan..." At a loss Al rubbed his brow with his right hand, afraid that his left would return to its knotted position any moment now.

"Al, I promise you that we'll find out what happened, but first you need to take these pills." Marcus searched the bag and found the vial he had been looking for. "You have to bite them into pieces. I'll get you some water in the meantime."

Al absent-mindedly chewed on them and tried remembering how he had reached out to grasp Jenkins' mind.

"Here," Marcus said, handing Al a glass of water.

Al emptied it and allowed Marcus to pull the blanket on top of his body. "I won't be able to stay awake much longer," he admitted softly.

"There's no need to stay awake," Marcus admonished him tenderly and watched him fall asleep. "Good, you get some sleep now and I'm going to check on Susan and Stephen..."

*

Susan dropped into the chair behind her workstation. Her hands shook and she was painfully aware of the concerned look Corwin had given her as she had entered C&C, but here, amongst her co-workers she felt safe. Jenkins scanning her that unexpectedly had shaken up her feelings immensely. All these years she had worked hard to keep her psi ability a secret and now it was on the brink of becoming public.

//Jenkins knows that I'm a telepath now that he has scanned me.// There was nothing she could do to escape the inevitable. Running from the Corps wasn't an option at this point. All she could do was place her trust in Sheridan; the Captain wouldn't let the Corps take her like that.

"Commander? There's an incoming message from med lab, addressed to you," Corwin said in a soft tone and noticed the darting pupils. Something had upset the Commander.

Taking a deep breath she nodded her head. "Patch it through."

The Captain appeared on screen and she felt reassured seeing his smile. Sheridan didn't look particularly worried.

"Commander? I'm in med lab and need you here too."

"Yes, sir," Ivanova replied and got to her feet. 'Lt. Corwin? You're in charge." Ignoring his panicked expression she left C&C wondering what news the Captain had in store for her.

*

Marcus sneaked into Stephen's office where the doctor had retreated to recover. The ranger had seen Sheridan and Garibaldi in the corridor, but had decided that he needed to check on his friend first. Then he was going to find out in what state Jenkins was.

"Marcus? Is that you?" Stephen said, still feeling a bit groggy. His eyes opened and he grinned seeing the guilty expression in the ranger's eyes.

"Just wanted to make sure you were still alive," Marcus quipped relieved. "But you look fine to me."

"Could do with more rest, but no harm was done," Stephen gestured him to sit down. "Did you get Bester into safety?"

"Yes, but..." Marcus hesitated to tell the doctor what had happened along the way.

"But what?" Sheridan asked as he stepped inside, followed by Garibaldi who was annoyed because he hadn't caught the ranger slipping through to Franklin.

"Jenkins brought 3 bloodhounds onboard the station." Marcus rose to his feet to stand next to Sheridan.

"We know. Security found their bodies and took Jenkins to med lab 2. What the hell happened, Marcus?" Garibaldi disliked unsolved mysteries.

"When I arrived Jenkins was in the process of scanning the Commander and..."

"What!" Sheridan exclaimed infuriated, "He was scanning her? I'll kick his butt off the station!"

"But Al stopped him and somehow incapacitated Jenkins." Marcus turned to Stephen who was paying close attention to his explanation. "Are the sleepers still active?"

"Yes, for one more day at least. He couldn't have used his psi ability," Stephen opened a drawer, took out a vial and swallowed two pills. This headache was killing him!

Silent, Marcus paced the small office. "Then what =did= he do? It made Jenkins release Commander Ivanova's mind."

Pondering this question Stephen realized that there was only one possible explanation. "I'll have to wait till the sleepers wear off, but then I'll run another neural scan on him. I think I know what that anomaly might be about."

"Yes?" Sheridan said, impatiently awaiting an answer.

"Telekinetic manifestation." Stephen nodded his head.

"Are you saying he might be a teek too?" Garibaldi leaned against the wall.

"He might be," Stephen said, "I can only say so for certain after I run that scan on him. It never crossed my mind before."

Marcus had listened with growing interest, but then realized that they hadn't addressed Jenkins yet. "What about the psi cop?"

Stephen shifted in his chair. "That's another enigma," he whispered. "Jenkins is in a deep coma; apparently Bester's attack disrupted important neural pathways in his brain. I'm not sure he'll ever regain consciousness."

Marcus tried not to show his relief. If Jenkins would remain in a coma most of their problems were solved.

"I already contacted the Corps," Stephen continued, "They want to transport him back to Earth to check him into one of their facilities. I told them that in my opinion Jenkins wouldn't survive the transport, but that didn't impress them."

"So, at the moment Bester's safe," Sheridan concluded pleased.

Remembering the pain on Ivanova's face Marcus excused himself and left med lab and headed for C&C.

*

Susan sighed softly as the core tube came to a halt. Stepping inside she thought, //I wonder why the Captain wants me in med lab.// Lost in thought she bumped into someone. Not about to apologize she wanted to tell the other person to get out of her way, but instead she sucked in her breath recognizing the familiar scent.

"Commander?" Marcus whispered and took advantage of the fact that they were the only two people using the core tube at the moment. Quickly, he pulled her inside. "I was worried about you," he admitted.

Susan's first impulse was to brush him off and to move away from him, but eventually she decided against it. The kiss she had given him in his quarters had held a promise of deeper intimacy and she wasn't about to run away from his feelings again.

"I know you were, but I'm fine, Marcus. I really am," she stated, but couldn't repress the tremors rocking her voice.

"No, you're not," Marcus said firmly and wrapped an arm around her waist. "You're not going to space me now, are you?" he asked teasingly.

"I should have done that a long time ago," Susan replied and leaned into the embrace. "It's too late now."

Marcus smiled, delighted as she sat down next to him. "Where are you headed?"

"Med lab." Susan watched his fingers intertwine with hers and returned the smile.

"You don't have to worry about Jenkins any longer," Marcus told her, "He's in a coma and Stephen is fairly sure he won't wake up again."

Susan's eyes grew angry again. "The bastard scanned me!"

"I know... " Marcus wanted to continue, but when Susan placed her hands on the sides of his head he grew silent.

"Why do I feel like I can trust you, Marcus?" Susan asked flabbergasted, reading the unconditional love in his eyes.

"Because you can, Susan," Marcus smiled, amazed at this woman in his arms. Ever since she had kissed him her attitude towards him had greatly changed.

"I'm starting to believe you," Susan admitted and pulled him closer. //One day I'll tell you my secret, Marcus, but not yet,// she promised herself and brushed his lips. His eager response no longer surprised her and before she realized what was happening she was touching the edge of his mind. Quickly, she retreated, hoping he hadn't noticed her trespassing.

"Susan?" Marcus asked after letting go of her sweet and soft lips. At first he had thought he had imagined the mild touch, but his inner alarms had told him that someone was trying to brush his thoughts. "Is there something you need to tell me?"

Swallowing hard Susan realized that she was trapped. No matter how much she wanted to postpone this, she couldn't do it. She had given herself away. "Yes," she whispered nervously.

"You're a telepath," Marcus stated with firm belief.

Susan nodded her head. "Yes, I am.

"Good, now that we got that secret out of the way... " Marcus smiled tenderly and allowed one of his hands to tangle in her loose hair, "we can continue our kiss," he said in a soft tone. Her admission had surprised him, but he was prepared to accept everything about her, including her psi ability.

Baffled, Susan felt his lips claim hers again. Raising a hand she covered his mouth with it, effectively stopping him from kissing her any longer. "Aren't you upset?"

"No, why should I? I always knew you carried a secret with you, Susan." Marcus gently took her hand into his, pulling it down to his chest. "I feel honored now that you've shared your secret with me."

"I still can't believe I told you!" Susan whispered and no longer fought the kiss.

Marcus stroked some locks out of her face and looked in to her blue eyes, which were cold, no longer. "I love you, Susan..." he confessed and pulled her closer. "I hope that one day you will feel the same way about me."

"I already do," she mumbled flabbergasted as she discovered the intensity of her own feelings for him. Staring into each other's eyes they sat there till the core tube came to a halt now that they had reached med lab.

Susan freed herself from Marcus' embrace, straightened out her uniform and took some deep breaths.

Marcus watched the incredible transformation from a passionate woman into the hard-nosed Commander. //She's truly amazing,// he thought as she disembarked.

"Tonight, 2100 hours, my quarters," Susan told him, "And you better be there!"

"I will," Marcus whispered as the door closed behind her. Leaning back he grinned broadly.

The abyss part 9

"Commander, we've been waiting for you," Sheridan said and beckoned her inside.

Ivanova felt relaxed now that she knew that Jenkins was locked away in a coma and couldn't expose her as a telepath. "Captain," she said and took the seat Franklin offered her.

"Now that everyone's here we can begin." Sheridan looked as his members of staff and felt grateful for having such capable and loyal officers. "I suggest you start, Michael."

Garibaldi nodded his head and said, "We removed the corpses of the three bloodhounds and they will be shipped off as quickly as possible." Casting an approving look at Ivanova he added, "You and Marcus weren't fooling around there. You took them out with amazing ease."

Ivanova forced herself to grin and wondered when Sheridan would bring up the fact that Jenkins had scanned her. The Captain would have to address it now that several people knew what had happened.

"Jenkins is in a deep coma." Stephen took over and settled down behind his desk. "A psi cop will collect him tomorrow. In the state Jenkins is in now, he won't survive the transport."

"Does the Corps know why he was here?" Susan asked suddenly.

"That's the big question," the Chief said and shrugged his shoulders."There's a distinct possibility that Jenkins was working on his own, trying to catch Bester to further his own career. Jenkins was carrying an extradition order with him, but if we play this right we could convince the Corps that Bester was never here in the first place and that Jenkins' information was incorrect."

"That would be the perfect solution," Stephen remarked thoughtfully.

"But what about the spies Jenkins mentioned upon coming onboard?" Sheridan asked his Chief. They couldn't afford any loose ends.

"My guess is that they'll keep quiet now that they have seen what Bester can do." Garibaldi focused his attention on Ivanova and said, "Jenkins scanned you... did he get any information out of you?"

Ivanova raised her head and locked eyes with Garibaldi. "No, I don't think he did. The bastard didn't get enough time to perform a complete scan and now that he's in a coma...."

"Is it true that Bester stopped Jenkins when he was scanning you?" Stephen suddenly asked. He'd heard rumors, but didn't know any details.

"Yes," Susan finally admitted, "he told Jenkins to stop and then... the next thing I knew was that Jenkins dropped to his knees unconscious."

"Bester is the unknown factor in this game," Sheridan walked over to Stephen's desk and added, "I thought the sleepers repressed his psi ability? They did the last time he visited the station," he reminded the doctor.

"Something changed in the meantime," Franklin said softly, "If he's really a telekinetic the sleepers might not suppress that part of his talent," the doctor remarked. "I really need to run that additional scan on him."

"Where is he now?" Garibaldi asked curiously. His security officers had lost track of the former psi cop and that frustrated him immensely.

"In Marcus' quarters," Susan informed them. Relieved, she leaned back into the comfort of the chair. At the moment the Corps had no reason to take her in. //My secret is still safe.//

"Good. I'll tell Marcus to keep him there till the Corps collects Jenkins. Does Bester still need medical attention, Stephen?"

"Yeah, but Marcus can look after him for now. As long as there are no complications Bester should be just fine." Franklin clasped his fingers and wondered whether he should tell them about Bester's true identity. Making this particular decision was hard on him, but he couldn't keep this from his Captain. "John, can I have a word with you in private?"

"Of course," John said and watched Ivanova and Garibaldi leave the office. He had seen the relief on Susan's face as she had heard about Jenkins being in a coma. Sheridan did however realize that one day her secret would come in the open, one way or another. But until then he would respect her decision to keep her talent a secret.

"Stephen?" John looked up and noted the grave expression on the doctor's face.

"Before Jenkins arrived I asked Bester if he wanted to join the resistance and he said yes."

"Are you sure this isn't just a farce?" Sheridan asked.

"Quite sure, John," Stephen hesitated briefly, but continued in the end,"and I also know the reason why he wants to join our cause."

Sheridan gestured him to carry on. Bester would be a valuable ally, =if= the former psi cop were sincere in his motives.

"I granted him access to a com unit and he retrieved classified Psi Corps files about the Dexters, ever heard of them?" Stephen moistened his lips, not sure whether to continue or not.

"Yes, I have. They were killed by the Corps." Sheridan recalled everything he had heard about Fiona and Matthew Dexter, which wasn't that much. "They led the resistance and fought the Corps."

"Exactly," Stephen muttered, "But few people know that they had just become parents before the Corps took them out. Fiona Dexter had given birth to a boy and they named the child Stephen."

"Let me guess, the Corps killed him too?" Sheridan ventured, puzzled by the expression on Franklin's face.

"In a way." Stephen took a deep breath and said, "The Corps got hold of the baby and took him in to one of their training centers. They also changed his name to Alfred Bester."

The silence was almost deafening in the office, as Sheridan's eyes grew big. "You can't be serious, Stephen. Are you telling me that 'our' Bester is Stephen Dexter?"

"Yes, John. Maybe now you understand why he wants to get back at the Corps. He suspected the truth for some time, I think, but only hours ago he found explicit confirmation of that fact." The doctor waited for Sheridan's response and remembered being similarly bemused when he'd found out that truth.

"This is valuable information," John realized, "Bester being the Dexters' son... I can't believe it. But yes, it would explain certain matters, like his arrest and interrogation."

Sheridan found himself thinking strategy all of a sudden. They could use this development to their advantage. A lot of rogue telepaths would follow Stephen Dexter, but the problem was that he and Alfred Bester were one and the same person. Bester's name was synonymous with the Corps and no one would trust the former psi cop.

"What are you thinking of?" Franklin asked.

"We need telepaths to aid our fight against the Shadows. The name Dexter is still revered by many rogues..." Sheridan started.

"But they would never trust Alfred Bester," Stephen pointed out to him.

"I know and that's our problem." Sheridan moved over to the door and cocked his head. "You realize that I've got to talk to Bester now?"

"Yes," Franklin said and stared at the screen. // Bester knew I couldn't keep his secret and shared it with me nonetheless... I feel like I betrayed his trust.//

*

Al opened his eyes two hours later. Something had woken him from this peaceful sleep and as he looked about he realized that Marcus was busy in the kitchen. The fragrances he inhaled told him that the ranger was cooking dinner. Studying Marcus' quarters he concluded that the ranger didn't spend much time here as they looked deserted. Carefully stretching his drained body he wondered about Jenkins. Maybe Marcus could answer his questions. "Marcus?" he whispered softly.

"Ah, you're awake!" Marcus turned around and smiled seeing Al trying to sit up in the bed. "I hope you're hungry. I'm not a great chef, but I think I managed to produce something edible."

"Tell me about Jenkins," Bester said in a firm tone. The last thing he remembered about his nemesis was knocking him off his feet with a lash of his mind.

"Yes, we need to talk about Jenkins," Marcus replied and returned to the kitchen. "But I want you to eat some soup first." Carrying a bowl filled with soup with him he sat down on the side of the bed and handed Al a spoon. Watching the other man eat Marcus smiled approvingly. It was obvious that Al's appetite was returning quickly. "I take it you're feeling better?"

"Yes," Al sighed and returned the now empty bowl to Marcus. "You were going to tell me about Jenkins."

"Jenkins," Marcus repeated and looked into Bester's eyes, "is in a coma right now. Whatever you did fried his brain."

"I did what?" Al moaned distressed. "I couldn't have done that!"

"You did, Al," Marcus placed the bowl onto the floor and observed him closely. He hated being forced into asking Bester the next question, but he owed Stephen a favor and the doctor had asked him to do this.

Al recognized the wavering expression in the ranger's eyes. Marcus felt uncomfortable for some reason. "Yes?" he said, waiting for the ranger to continue.

"While you were with the Corps... did they test you for telekinetic abilities?" Marcus asked apprehensively.

Al chuckled; he'd expected much more personal questions. "Yes, the last time I was tested was when I graduated from the academy... I turned out negative," he answered Marcus' unspoken question. "Now why would you want to know about that?" Truly mystified he caught Marcus avoiding meeting his glance.

"Stephen thinks that your telekinetic ability kicked in when you took out Jenkins. It also explains the anomaly and why the sleepers didn't stop you from attacking Jenkins." Marcus heard Al's sharp intake of breath.

"That can't be it!" Al said resolutely, "If I'd displayed any talent for telekinesis the Corps would have picked up on it."

"Maybe it was dormant?" Marcus offered as explanation. "Why not try it now?"

"Try what?" Al replied, baffled by Franklin's conclusion.

"Lift the spoon?" Marcus suggested and placed the utensil next to him on the bed.

Al laughed hoarsely. "You must be joking!"

"Try it," Marcus repeated his request, "if you fail we know that our conclusion was wrong."

"This is absurd," Al said dismayed, but just to please Marcus he'd give it a try. Focusing on the spoon he imagined it floating higher and higher. Al shook his head and said, "You see? I can't do it!"

"Al?" Marcus whispered and realized that the other man hadn't realized he had actually managed to make the spoon hover in the air.

Staring at the spoon, which was now afloat in the air Al moaned in disbelief. "No, this can't be," he muttered distressed. The spoon immediately dropped on to the bed as his concentration lessened.

"Looks like Stephen was right after all," Marcus said in a firm tone and smiled reassuringly. "He also told me that the sleepers will wear off tomorrow and that your telepathic ability will have returned by tomorrow evening." Seeing Al's upset expression he added, "And no more sleepers for you, Al. You better find a way to control this new talent."

Truly shocked at this discovery, Al leaned back into the pillows. "What's happening to me, Marcus? First Shon appears to me and now... When will it end?" Suddenly his thoughts traveled into the past, remembering the first time he had come aboard the station. He had been hunting Jason Ironheart at the time, who after several experiments had started to change into a being with incomprehensible talents. Was something similar happening to him? Had Jenkins conducted an experiment on him? It was possible; he didn't remember too much about his imprisonment.

"The Captain wants to talk to you. He'll be here at 2100." Marcus picked up the bowl and granted Al some privacy. //He really didn't know he had this ability,// the ranger realized.

Marcus considered canceling his date with Ivanova now that Al needed his support, but this might be his only chance to make any progress with the Commander. "Al, would you mind me leaving you alone for a couple of hours?" he asked hesitantly.

Al heard the underlying plea and forced himself away from his pondering. Searching the ranger's eyes he discovered a familiar emotion. "Commander Ivanova requested your presence then?" he quipped.

"Yes, but I can cancel the date."

"No, not on my account," Al chuckled, "I'll be fine... You'll be the one finding yourself in big trouble."

"I know... she's a hard woman to please," Marcus admitted gingerly.

Al briefly wondered whether the ranger knew of Ivanova's secret, but decided not to address the subject. Instead he said, "Can I have more of that soup?"

Marcus grinned and filled the bowl again. "Good thing you like tomato soup. I've got 10 more cans of the stuff."

"Ten? You should definitely expand your food supply then!" Al quipped and relaxed a little. //2100 hours,// he thought, //I better prepare myself for Sheridan's visit.//

*

"I'll wait for Sheridan to get here before I leave," Marcus mumbled absent-mindedly. He had taken a quick vibe shower before changing into a clean uniform.

The nervousness in the ranger's voice made Al smile. "Why are you so... insecure?" he asked after trying to label the expression on Marcus' face. "And stop pacing the room!" For an hour now Marcus had been walking about, checking his reflection in the mirror and combing his hair countless times.

Marcus looked at him and saw the amusement in Al's eyes. //Should I tell him? Can I tell him?// Then he remembered he had also told Bester about the kiss they had shared. "This is my first real date," he said eventually.

"With Ivanova, you mean?" Al said and raised an eyebrow. Surely he was reading the ranger incorrectly.

"My first real date ever!" Marcus exclaimed in an agitated tone. //This is embarrassing!//

"Your =first= date ever? Are you telling me that you never had a girlfriend before?" Al choked down the grin that was trying to surface on his face. Marcus was flustered and he realized that the ranger was being honest with him. Shaking his head in surprise Al smiled. "I'm sure you'll do everything right once you're inside her quarters," he said, trying to build Marcus' confidence just a little.

"No, I won't! I'll stutter, babble like a fool, make stupid comments and ruin everything!" Marcus stated helplessly.

"Marcus, from what you told me I gather that she likes you too and I bet that she's just as nervous as you are." Al yawned fatigued; the day's events had exhausted him and he still had to face Sheridan.

"You think so?" Marcus asked and began to calm down. He'd never thought of it in that way before. "Yes, maybe she's nervous too underneath her pretence..."

"Good, and now go to her. It's 2050 and you shouldn't keep her waiting. And yes," he said, as Marcus tried to address him, "I'll be fine. Now go, Marcus!"

"Alright," Marcus mumbled and walked over to the sink to collect the real rose he had bought for her. "I hope she likes roses."

"All women love roses... Except for Carolyn of course..." Al whispered and thought back to that last night they had shared. The next day he had discovered she had been relocated and had been furious when no one had wanted to tell him where he could find her.

"What were... are her favorite flowers?" he said correcting his past tense. As long as she was alive there was hope that someday Franklin would find a way to remove the Shadow technology inside her brain.

"Orchids," Al replied melancholy.

"Perhaps one day..."

"Don't let her wait, Marcus." Al gestured him to get going and forced himself to leave Carolyn behind in his past. She was lost to him for all eternity.

Marcus nodded his head, acknowledging Al's grief and then left his quarters, wondering what kind of mood he was going to find Ivanova in.

*

"Are you sure you don't want me to tag along?" Garibaldi didn't like the Captain facing off with Bester one on one. It was his job to protect Sheridan.

"I'm sure, Michael," Sheridan stated and patted his Chief on the shoulder. "You'll never trust him, will you?"

"Never," Garibaldi replied truthfully.

"You're paranoid; didn't someone tell you that before?"

Garibaldi laughed warmly. "I'll die paranoid!"

"Let's hope not," Sheridan called out as he left the core tube, "I'm sure you've got enough unsolved crimes to attend to, so don't follow me!"

Growling his frustration Garibaldi told the computer to take him to Brown 32 where his officers had reported a brawl taking place.

*

As the door chime sounded Al used his elbows to prop himself up into a sitting position. Right after Marcus had left he had attempted getting to his feet, but had given in as his equilibrium seemed impaired. "Yes," he said and braced himself for Sheridan's appearance.

Sheridan marched inside, immediately taking in Bester's tired expression. The change, which had taken place inside Bester's eyes, took him aback. //There's not much left of the smug psi cop he used to be,// the Captain thought and realized that he was dealing with a different person.

"Mr. Bester?" he said politely. For a split second he had been tempted to address him as Stephen Dexter, but then considered that inappropriate.

"Captain Sheridan. I expected you much sooner," Al admitted and studied the officer. They'd had their differences in the past and there was no friendship between them, but maybe he could establish a professional relationship.

"Franklin guards his patients well," Sheridan said and met Bester's eyes. "We need to discuss these recent developments," he started.

"I agree," Al replied and took over, "I want to work for you and with the resistance to defeat the Shadows and to dismantle the Corps... These traitors have to be stopped."

"I see," Sheridan whispered and cocked his head, "And what role would you like to play in this scheme?"

"Whatever role you want to assign me."

Pleased with Bester's answer Sheridan pulled up a chair and straddled it. "You'll obey my commands then and not operate on your own?"

"I =will= follow your orders," Al replied, wondering why Sheridan was willing to believe him.

"Will you also tell me the truth?"

Puzzled by Sheridan's cryptic remark Al searched for a clue on the Captain's face. "About what?"

"About your true identity?"

"Franklin told you," Al sighed and locked eyes with the other man. "I didn't know the truth until I read their files."

"You must be raging mad at them," Sheridan said.

"I am," Al paused and wondered what it was Sheridan wanted him to say. "What are your conditions?" he whispered eventually.

"You want to work for me?" Sheridan asked and noticed Bester's nod, "Then we can't have any secrets standing between us. I demand honesty and loyalty and that includes telling the war council who you really are."

"You ask too much!" Al shook his head vehemently, "Stephen Dexter died decades ago, why dig up his corpse?"

"Because we need you!" Sheridan now realized the importance of Bester acknowledging his true identity. "The rogues will follow you once they're convinced you switched sides."

"It would be a mistake," Al warned him.

"You wanted to know my conditions, now you have them." Sheridan got up from the chair and said, "You know where to find me once you've made your decision."

After the Captain had left Al found himself staring at the ceiling. Sheridan was making a tactical mistake in believing that the rogues would accept him as their leader, just because he was Fiona's son. The past would always stay with him, haunt him.

A soft, almost hypnotic voice drifted into his consciousness and made him shiver at the intrusion. It felt alien and he was certain that someone, something was touching his mind at the moment.

//My lost friend, remember that the mind forgets, but that the stain remains with the soul for all eternity.//

*

Nervous as hell Marcus forced himself to press Ivanova's door chime. Clutching the single rose in his hands he told himself that Susan was probably just as nervous as he was. As the door opened he cautiously peeked inside first.

Susan caught his hesitant expression and smiled warmly. "It's safe for you to enter, Marcus... no airlock in sight," she said in a soft tone. She felt uneasy herself and wished she hadn't changed her clothing. The low-necked dress she was wearing was way too revealing for a first date.

Staring at this vision in blue Marcus cleared his throat. "That's one hell of a dress you're wearing, Commander," he said while taking one step back. The fabric clung tightly to her body and accentuated all her female curves. //Don't start to babble!// Marcus told himself in rising despair. Her loose hair framed her beautiful face and he hesitantly extended his hand to offer her the rose.

"Do you like it?" Susan said and accepted the single rose. As she caught the scent she realized it was real. "Thank you," she whispered and smiled weakly. "Why don't you sit down? I was hoping you would join me for dinner."

Marcus looked about and noticed all the little things that told him that a woman resided here. Slowly, he lowered himself onto the couch and swallowed hard seeing the set table. //Maybe if I make a run for it now I can reach the door. She's still in the kitchen...//

"Open the bottle of wine for me?" Susan called out from the kitchen area.

Marcus now knew he was trapped. "Of course," he replied and moved cautiously to the table. //At least I won't be eating tomato soup tonight,// he sighed mentally and placed the now open wine bottle back on to the table. Shuffling his feet he tried to come up with something to say. Thankfully Susan reappeared and addressed him.

She had cut off the largest piece of the rose's stem, removed the thorns and had pushed the flower behind her ear to see what kind of effect it might have on him. "Roses are my favorite flowers," she told him and gestured him to sit down. "I hope you like white wine."

"Yes, I do, of course I do... why wouldn't I?" Marcus babbled on as his face became flushed.

Susan smiled and placed her hand on the ranger's. "Relax, Marcus..."

"I can't help it," Marcus stuttered embarrassed. "I'm glad you like the rose. Al said..." his voice trailed off, hoping he hadn't committed a terrible mistake in mentioning Bester.

"So Bester has been offering you advice?" Susan chuckled, seeing his confusion.

"Well-meant advice," Marcus replied and was about to make a run for the door when Susan's hand squeezed his.

"I like you, Marcus, otherwise I would never have kissed you or invited you over, but you have got to relax." Pouring some wine she offered him the glass.

"I'm not sure I should drink alcohol," he said apologetically.

Susan placed the glass at his lips. "Just one sip," she said seductively, "It will make you relax."

Marcus couldn't resist any longer and took that sip. Positioning his hand over hers he forced her to put down the glass and then caressed her fingertips one by one. "Susan... I may call you Susan that is?"

"Yes, Marcus," she said in a soft tone and felt relieved that she had invited him over. She had postponed making this decision for so long... and now she realized she had made the right choice. The ranger loved her and she was quickly falling in love with him too.

"I was wondering about your admission that you're a telepath," he started and saw the sudden alert expression in her blue eyes "Jenkins must have hurt you when running that scan..."

Susan snapped back her hand and stared at him in anger. "Why do you have to bring this up right now?" she asked annoyed.

"Because you've avoided the issue," Marcus got to his feet, moved to the other side of the table and sank down on his knees while reclaiming her hands. "You can confide in me. I won't let you down. You can show your feelings when I'm around, I love you, Susan."

Raising her eyes she met his and realized that he was speaking the truth. "I... don't want to think about it," she whispered and suddenly her voice snapped, "It hurt, Marcus," she admitted and rested her head on his shoulder as he pulled her close to his chest. "I want to kill him, to tear him apart! A pity Bester already did that!"

Holding her Marcus refrained from talking. He simply wrapped his arms tightly around her and lifted her up from the chair.

"What are you..." Susan started, then was lowered onto the couch. Marcus sat down beside her and tucked her head underneath his. The simple gesture made her eyes tear with emotion, but she closed them before a tear managed to slide down her face. The feeling of safety he gave her by merely holding her amazed Susan.

"You're a mystery," she said eventually and raised her head. Genuine and unconditional love stared back at her and she rubbed her eyes to drive away the tears.

"As long as you like mysteries I don't mind being one," he said teasingly.

"Our food is getting cold," Susan stated suddenly.

"Then we'll warm it again." Marcus pressed a kiss onto her lips and watched her reaction. "Anything else you want to tell me before we have dinner?"

"Are you certain you're comfortable with me being a telepath?" she asked and interlaced her fingers with his as another image of Jenkins flashed through her mind.

"How could I not like that aspect of your personality? I'm only wondering how it will manifest... in the future," he said and allowed her to leave the warm embrace. Following her into the kitchen he appreciatively sniffed the fragrances roaming the little compartment.

Susan's smile turned wicked as she replied, "When we make love, you mean?"

His blush returned at once and he focused his attention on the dishes when she told him to carry them to the table.

Susan grinned as she remembered that he was still a virgin. Marcus had placed the food items on the table and was now waiting for her to sit down first. "You were talking about me on that White Star when we searching for First Ones, weren't you?"

"Yes," Marcus admitted and wished she would change the topic.

"A special first time..." she quipped, enjoying the play of emotions running over his expressive face. "Maybe I can arrange for that... one day."

Marcus' head snapped back. //Is she telling me that she would make love to me?//

"Yes," Susan said as that thought drifted into her mind, making her realize how easy it was to pull his mind closer to hers. //I need to be careful!// she thought alarmed. Ever since Jenkins had scanned her the static had grown louder... Something felt different and she wasn't sure she wanted to find out what it was.

"I can wait a little longer, Susan..." Marcus was cut short when she placed a finger on his lips.

"You want me to deflower you?" Susan smiled; he was so easy to read, even without her touching his mind. "Why don't we just enjoy dinner for now?" she whispered and noticed the tiny tremors running through his body.

"Yes, of course, dinner," he said and realized he was babbling again. She had given him hope though and Marcus returned her smile.

Susan felt the sensual charge flowing around them and remembered Marcus' remark. //How will it feel to make love to him? Will my psi ability kick in and how?//

The abyss part 10

On his way back to his quarters Marcus decided to pay a short visit to the gardens. It had been a while since he had been there last and he had a lot of thinking to do about Ivanova’s behavior. The woman mystified him and he found himself hoping that she was seriously considering giving him a chance to prove his love. It was all he ever wanted.

As the door opened and he stepped inside, Marcus realized that a man was already sitting on the bench and turned to leave again, not wanting to invade his privacy.

"Marcus?"

"Captain?" The ranger raised an inquisitive eyebrow. "I didn’t know you liked to come and sit here."

"Sometimes, when I need to think I find the silence here stimulating. Sinclair once told me he loved the Japanese stone garden, but I like this scenery of flowers." Sheridan studied the ranger and noticed his flustered face. Corwin and Zack had been whispering earlier in C&C and he had heard a couple of remarks the two men had exchanged. "You’re persistent, I have to hand you that," he said and gestured Marcus to come closer. "I never thought you had a chance with our Commander."

"Does the entire station know about…?" Marcus grew silent and sat down on the bench beside the Captain.

"News, and especially good news, travels fast," Sheridan chuckled at Marcus’ display of unease and returned to fumbling the little glass object in his hands.

"Captain," Marcus started, noticing it as well, "That looks like a Starfury."

"A… friend made it for me, but he never got the chance to finish it." Sheridan sighed depressed and said, "You were away on a mission when Brother Edward was murdered."

"Yes," Marcus nodded his head, "I remember the incident. One of my contacts informed me when I got back. I met Brother Edward once when he was trying to help the lurkers in Down Below. When I heard that he was the Black Rose Killer… I couldn’t believe it! He was such a kind man!"

"I know," Sheridan replied and stared into the distance. The fragrance of real flowers floated through the air and made him feel melancholy. "Forgiveness."

"Forgiveness?" Marcus asked confused; he had never before witnessed the Captain being this pensive.

"Edward, and Theo as well, taught me a valuable lesson, Marcus." The Captain shifted his glance and locked eyes with the ranger while placing the glass shape into Marcus’ hands. "Forgiveness is a hard thing, but something to strive for… every day and over and over again I was reminded of that lesson when I talked to Bester earlier."

Marcus mentally kicked himself; he had completely forgotten about their meeting. "That’s right, you talked to Al. What did you decide?"

Sheridan clasped his hands and bent down to throw a pebble into the small pond. "Bester will have to forgive himself before he can be of any use to our cause, Marcus. Edward realized the importance of forgiveness and penance, but I still think he choose the wrong way to achieve his goal."

Awed, Marcus traced the lines of the glass figurine with his fingertips. He’d never realized that Sheridan was such a profound thinker. "Forgiveness," the ranger whispered, "is hard!" //I still haven’t forgiven myself for being alive!//

"Maybe you can help him find his way, Marcus," Sheridan slowly rose to his feet and smiled as Marcus handed him Edward’s last gift. "We =need= Bester on our side."

"Yes, Captain, I’ll try my best," Marcus promised and watched Sheridan leave. With a newfound respect for the Earthforce Captain he repeated his promise, but changed its context a little. "Maybe we can help forgive each other for being alive."

*

Al was struggling in his restless sleep. The blanket had wrapped itself around his body and cold sweat had formed all over his skin. His dreams took him back to that fateful day when he had shot Stephen Walters. Panting hard, his face contorted and a soft scream left his lips.

Exactly at that moment Marcus stepped inside his quarters. Seeing the tormented expression on Al’s face he walked over to the bed and gently took hold of Bester’s shoulders. "Wake up, Al, you’re having a nightmare."

His eyes flashed open and shocked, Al stared at the ranger’s face hovering above him. "A nightmare, yes, that’s all it is," he reminded himself and slowed down his ragged breathing.

"Hopefully the Corps will quickly send someone to pick up Jenkins. You should be in med lab, not here!" Marcus stated and walked over to the kitchenette to prepare some tea.

Trying to cover up his embarrassment Al rearranged the blanket and by doing so noticed his relaxed left hand. The nightmare hadn’t caused it to clench shut again. //I’m no longer holding onto it; the anger has gone and has been replaced by a feeling of intense guilt.// Now that he realized what he had done in the past he felt shaken and guilty. //The deaths and pain I caused… I can never make up for them.//

Marcus carried two mugs back with him and placed one on the small table next to the bed which contained Bester’s meds. "Here, drink this," he said and smiled kindly.

Accepting the mug Al stared into the steam, which vaporized eventually. Al looked up and asked, "How did your date go?"

"Quite well," Marcus replied smugly and grinned mischievously. "I might have a chance with her after all."

Al returned the grin and noticed the far away expression in the ranger’s eyes. "You worry too much, Marcus."

"Perhaps," Marcus chuckled and shook his head, remembering how she had melted into his arms. "If we’re fated for each other… we’ll see. Al, how did your talk with the Captain go? Sheridan was rather cryptic about it."

Warming his clammy hands on the hot mug Al leaned back into the pillows and thought of a reply. //I owe him the truth,// he realized and said, "Sheridan wants me to reveal my true identity to the war council… That’s his sole condition. If I don’t comply…"

"And you’re not ready to tell the universe who you really are yet?" Marcus smiled and sipped his tea. "I know this is hard on you, Al, but…" and suddenly Sheridan’s words washed through his mind, "But you have to start forgiving yourself for what happened. The Corps conditioned you. Had you been raised by your parents in a loving environment you would have been a completely different man."

Al knew the ranger was right, but accepting that truth was beyond his ability at this moment. There was something else bothering him, but he felt uncomfortable discussing it. He wasn’t even sure he had really heard that unfamiliar voice, maybe he had been slumbering and his mind had played a trick on him.

But Marcus caught the hesitance in Al’s eyes. "Tell me what’s bothering you."

Cornered, Al took the easy way out and pushed back the fear that he was losing his sanity. //Maybe if I don’t pay the voice any attention it will go away by itself,// he thought, but knew he wouldn’t be that lucky.

"What about you?" Al said, turning the situation around, "Have you begun dealing with surviving the attack on Arisia?"

Marcus recognized the diversion for what it was, but didn’t berate the other man. He knew from personal experience that wounds needed time to heal. "I think I have," he said and nodded his head, "You’re the only one I can talk to about Arisia. Delenn knows what happened, but she can’t relate to the pain, you can. You’ve been there."

Al emptied his mug and sensed the sincerity to Marcus’ admission. "You can talk to me whenever you need to," Al promised; amazed at the bond that had formed between them. "You’re the first normal I ever trusted," he revealed with an apologetic smile.

"There’s a first for everything," Marcus quipped, "I don’t know about you, but =I= am tired. =You= didn’t do anything but sleep!"

"Give me some credit here!" Al exclaimed in mock hurt. "I’m recovering from injuries, you aren’t! So where are you going to sleep tonight?"

"I got myself another bed while you were asleep." Marcus pulled a collapsed camp bed from behind the sofa and after adjusting it, tossed a pillow and blanket onto it.

"Good, now I feel less guilty for occupying yours," Al stated.

Marcus removed his cloak and boots and disappeared into the bathroom. "Do you snore?" he asked Al in jest, realizing that Al did feel guilty for taking up his bed.

Not expecting that question Al considered his answer. "I honestly don’t know. Do you?" Amused laughter emanated from the bathroom and Al knew the ranger was only playing him. The thought comforted him in an odd way. For the first time in his life he could be himself; there was no need to act indifferently and now that his soul had been reunited with its lost part he wondered how he had survived without it for so long.

"No one ever complained," Marcus quipped as he strode back into the living area, now wearing some dark sweats. "Mind you, I've always slept alone until now! I wonder if we’ll start any rumors!"

"Ivanova might get jealous, better be careful!" Al advised him teasingly and it suddenly struck him that he was enjoying himself. This simple bantering was something he had never before experienced, not even as a child. Back then he had always been the outsider.

Marcus yawned, pleasantly tired. "I’ll space you if you snore!" he threatened in jest.

Al simply shook his head. "You would have to carry me to an airlock first and I doubt you have that much stamina!"

"Bugger! Maybe I should ask Stephen to hook you up to that morphine drip again! You were much less annoying on drugs!" Marcus locked eyes with Al and approved of the sparkle in them. //Maybe Sheridan was right and I can help Al forgive himself.//

Pulling the blanket on top of his body Marcus said, "Do you want me to kill the lights or…?" not sure whether Bester was comfortable in darkness.

"I would prefer them at 10%," Al admitted gingerly.

Computer, lights 10%," he ordered and turned onto his side so he could keep an eye on Al. "Or do you want them at 20?"

"No, this will do," Al said and sighed while closing his eyes. It had been years since he had shared a room and it felt odd to hear Marcus’ breathing.

"Try to get some sleep then. The computer will wake us at 0900 hours. Hopefully by then you can return to med lab… Although I enjoy your company you need medical supervision," Marcus added after a moment’s thought. When he received no answer he propped himself onto his elbows and looked more closely at Al whose eyes were now closed..

"It didn’t take him long to fall asleep!" Marcus whispered relieved and made himself comfortable in the bed. At least this way Al wouldn’t be alone should another nightmare torment him.

Marcus also closed his eyes and thought of Ivanova and imagined her lying in his arms. In his mind he recalled her scent and slowly he slid into a sensual dream.

*

Al, however, experienced a less pleasant dream. Voices of the Blips he had hunted down roared in his ears and their faces contorted constantly. Vaguely, he was aware of the fact that it was only a dream, but he was unable to break its vicious circle and eventually surrendered to the torment. A voice he had heard once before drifted into his thoughts and Al shivered slightly.

<Do you have the courage to ask for forgiveness for the things you have done in your past? It’s the hardest thing you’ll ever do, but trust me when I say that you need to repent your crimes before you can move on. If only one of your victims can forgive you, a new beginning can be made.>

Startled, Al opened his eyes and searched the half dark for a possible intruder. But there was no one, except for the ranger who was peacefully asleep and whose face bore a smug grin. //Not again!// Al thought in despair, remembering the voice addressing him earlier.

<You can’t run from the past, my friend. It will be part of you forever. Come, descend into the garden of Gethsemane and face the man you were and will never be again.>

The determined tone to the alien voice made Al cringe and he knew the presence wouldn’t go away before he had obeyed its order. Shon had done the same thing; gently forcing him into taking the next step to help him.

< Are you another ghost?> Al asked the bodiless entity that had to be close to him. <Didn’t I close that portal behind me when I returned after I helped Shon?>

<Once the portal has been opened it can’t be closed again. Do not waste any more time, my friend. We’re waiting for you…>

The answer sent shivers up his spine. Al looked at Marcus and realized that the ranger was still soundly asleep. Briefly, he considered waking the other man, but then shook his head. Marcus couldn’t help him; no one could. This was something he had to deal with on his own. <At least tell me your name,> Al asked in a pleading tone.

<Don’t you recognize my voice then? Well, it has been a long time since we met.>

<Are you telling me that I know you?> Al suddenly realized that he was somehow communicating with this being in a way the sleepers should be suppressing. <I don’t understand any of this.>

<You will, soon. All will be revealed to you when you’ve reached Brown 42.>

<Your name!> Al demanded and pulled the wheelchair closer with his right hand. A soft chuckle invaded his mind and Al bit his lip.

<Don’t you remember your ultimate masterpiece? You were proud of the way you wiped and rebuilt my mind. I must admit that you tried your best to help me find true enlightenment.>

The words awakened a half buried, almost forgotten, memory. He hadn’t done that many mind wipes in his time and only one had left him with a satisfied feeling. "Charles Dexter?" he muttered, suddenly taken aback by the name. At that time he hadn’t wondered whether the reoccurring name was coincidence or fate.

<You changed a homicidal maniac into a deeply religious monk who spent his last years helping others less fortunate. I am grateful for the second chance you gave me. But I couldn’t deal with the truth when I discovered my real identity. I surrendered my life because I deeply believe in penance. But my way isn’t yours. You are needed in this time and won’t be asked to make that ultimate sacrifice. You will be judged in life, not in death.>

"The black rose killer," Al mumbled, "I remember you now."

<Of course you do. I reminded you of yourself during the mind wipe. For one moment I managed to see the echoes of your thoughts. I found redemption in death and want to guide you. Now come and face your past. Don’t keep us waiting…>

The essence removed itself and Al stared at the wheelchair. He didn’t even know whether he had the physical strength to make it to Down Below on his own. //But my personal demons will haunt me until I have confronted them.//

And so he heaved himself into the wheelchair while ignoring the pain it caused him. A sad grin showed on his face as he glanced at Marcus. Hopefully the ranger wouldn’t be too worried when finding him gone. //Can’t write him a note, telling him I’m following a dead man’s orders! He might have believed me when I told him about Shon, but this would definitely be too much. Don’t want to end up on tranquilizers!//

Silently, he covered the distance to the door, which automatically opened and was amazed at the strength left in his arms. His left wrist stung, but he bit down the discomfort as he pushed the wheelchair towards the elevator, which halted a moment later. Slowly, he entered it.

"Brown 42," he said and closed his eyes. This descent into Down Below felt like voluntarily stepping into purgatory.

*

<He’s coming,> Edward sighed. He had been biding his time, waiting for the moment in which the border between the world of the living and the dead was so fragile that he could slip over to the other side. A golden cord still bound him to that place where he had found some measure of comfort and it would pull him back once his time had come.

Edward sensed the sudden endless amount of focused spiritual energy and welcomed the arrival of another soul, which had requested to be present. This essence might be the one to set free the man who had been locked up in the Corps’ shadow for so long. "Stephen, I welcome you."

The essence that was Stephen Walters radiated calmness. "I told you he would stand up and fight."

"Let’s pray he will," Edward replied hopefully.

*

Al cautiously moved out of the elevator and followed the alien energy guiding him. His mouth had gone dry and his hands were shaking. Turning back was no longer an option and he wondered what was awaiting him in this dark and sinister part of Down Below. No lurkers roamed this section and an eerie silence thundered all around him.

Coming to a halt in the center of the room he looked up at the cross hanging at the wall. He had never been interested in religion, never had the time to search his soul for such needs. The Corps had been his mother and his father…

<We meet again, son,> Stephen Walters cast and allowed a shadowy form of his former physical body to manifest in time.

The now familiar voice took him back in time and Al swallowed hard. "I never expected you to be here too," he whispered.

<One soul is willing to forgive you, Alfred Bester,> Edward said and smiled ruefully.

Now seeing two shadows hover beside each other Al moved back in reflex. "What do you want from me? If you want to kill me get it over with!" he challenged them.

<You still don’t understand, do you?> Stephen asked saddened. <We’re here to help you.>

"I’m beyond redemption," Al stated and shook his head. "And I’m growing tired of this charade."

<Why do you think this is a charade?> Walters wanted to know. <You might not believe this, but I care about what happens to you!> Floating closer to the man he had failed decades ago he placed a ghostly hand on Al’s shoulder.

Somehow contact was established and Al experienced the true concern Walters bore him. "I never..." he started, then stopped to compose himself.

<I forgive you for pulling that trigger, for killing me, son. God knows you paid a horrible price for my failure. If someone is to blame for what happened to you, it has to be me. I should never have let you out of my sight.>

Trying to read the expression on the ghost-like face, Al realized Edward had retreated from the scene. This was between him and Stephen Walters and suddenly he knew that the dead man’s soul wanted something from him as well.

"Forgiveness," he murmured and caught Edward’s pleased sigh. "There’s no reason to blame yourself for the Corps getting their hands on me. I doubt that you stood a chance against their well-planned attack."

<You can forgive me for deserting you then?> A tremor shook Walters’ transparent form, hearing those whispered words.

"You forgave me for killing you… How could I do any less?" Al asked calmly. Firmly nodding his head he understood why Sheridan had stated that one condition. "I won’t be of any use to them as Alfred Bester," he realized.

<There’s no reason for you to renounce your true heritage. You should be proud of it instead,> Walters cast and his shadowy face revealed a contented smile. <You’re no longer Alfred Bester… you should know that now.>

"Hell, I don’t know who I am any longer," Al admitted honestly. As the two shapes hovering in front of him darkened, Al sensed that they were about to leave. Part of him grew sad and he tried reaching out to Walters. "Tell me what to do!"

<You know what to do… Stephen Dexter. You don’t need me any longer.>

<Our work here is done.> Edward agreed and opened the portal a little further so they could leave the world of the living.

Sudden silence covered him and Al leaned back in his wheelchair. "Well, Captain, looks like I’ll have to accept your condition after all." Drained by all the emotional events which had happened to him lately, he lacked the strength to make it back to the elevator. //Great! Now I’m stuck here!// he thought fatigued.

*

"Chief? You wanted me to contact you when Bester left his room?"

Garibaldi had been monitoring some brawls in Down Below earlier and was now writing his report. "Yes, that’s right," he replied and waited for the guard to tell him more.

"We followed him to Down Below. At the moment he’s just sitting there."

"Acknowledged," Garibaldi said and pushed the paperwork away from him. "Where can I find Bester?"

"Brown 42," the guard said, "do you want us to move in now?"

"Negative, I’m going to take charge of this one personally. I’m leaving Stationhouse in a sec and will be with you in a few minutes. Don’t let him out of your sight, but =don’t= approach him." //Don’t want my men ending up with fried brains!// he thought grimly. Even on sleepers Bester had proven to be dangerous and he considered himself warned.

*

"I’ll take it from here," Michael told the two guards and waited for them to step into the elevator. Straightening his shoulders he walked down the corridor and suddenly remembered what had happened here not so long ago.

"I didn’t realize it until now," he muttered uncomfortably, "but this is the exact spot where that bastard killed Brother Edward! Now what might Bester be doing here?" Garibaldi considered warning Sheridan, but decided to talk to Bester first. He had heard Stephen’s tale about Bester being in contact with Shon and the Chief thought of that claim as absolute bullshit.

But the fact that Bester had taken out Jenkins that easily had made him think more closely about the former psi cop. There was more going on than met the eye and maybe talking to Bester might clarify things, at least he hoped so.

Peeking inside the first thing he noticed was the wheelchair. Bester’s eyes were closed, but his instincts told him that the man wasn’t asleep.

"Mr. Garibaldi, " Al murmured, relieved that someone had located him so quickly. He should have realized that the Chief would keep an eye on him. "Would you be so kind as to help me get back to Marcus’ quarters?" he asked in a calm tone. Opening his eyes he noticed Garibaldi’s annoyed expression. It was obvious that the Chief felt suspicious of him. //Can’t blame him,// Al realized and grinned.

Garibaldi stepped inside and studied Bester. The man somehow looked different. The smug attitude was gone and a resigned look lay on Bester’s face. "What are you doing here?" Michael asked. Stephen would be mad at him should the doctor discover that Bester had managed to sneak out of Marcus’ quarters. Although he didn’t know every detail about Bester’s condition, Garibaldi realized that the man belonged in med lab and not in Down Below.

"Exchanging memories with the dead," Al replied in a soft tone. Tired, he hoped the Chief wouldn’t try cross examining him. All he wanted was to return to his bed and start planning his revenge on the Corps.

"Are your victims disturbing your sleep?" Garibaldi cocked his head. "I vividly remember you telling me that you slept peacefully and contently."

"That, Mr. Garibaldi, was a life time ago." Al pulled up the blanket, which did little to ward off the creeping cold.

Michael walked up to Bester and made up his mind. "Okay, I’m going to make sure you get back to Marcus’ quarters, but I’ll keep a close eye on you. I don’t trust you, Bester."

"Fair enough," Al admitted; Garibaldi had every reason to mistrust him. "Is there any news about Jenkins?" he asked, realizing that the Chief would keep on top of this situation.

"Still in a coma," Garibaldi murmured, trying hard to cover up the pleased tone that threatened to sneak into his voice. "I would have liked to kick his butt back to Earth after what he did to the Commander." Slowly, he pushed the wheelchair towards the elevator.

"You don’t want to know what he had planned for her, trust me," Al said and shivered slightly. He sighed as the elevator doors closed behind them. "Back in the land of the living," he whispered privately.

Garibaldi realized Bester was speaking from personal experience and decided not to react to his statement concerning Jenkins. Instead he asked, "Is it true that you’re considering joining the War Council?" Michael had been wondering about Sheridan’s cryptic remarks earlier when the Captain had told him that Bester might join their cause. Sheridan had muttered something about a condition, but hadn’t told him what that condition might be. Not knowing what it was, irritated the hell out of him.

"Yes," Al replied and slid his hands underneath the blanket to warm them a little.

Garibaldi choked down his next remark. He had wanted to say that he thought Sheridan was crazy to even consider that possibility.

"You don’t like that idea, do you, Mr. Garibaldi?" Al realized instinctively.

"You have no right to be part of the War Council," he replied in a raw tone.

"Maybe I have more right to be part of it than you have," Al remarked and caught the puzzled expression on Garibaldi’s face. Luckily they had reached their destination and the doors opened to release them again. "And perhaps… soon… you’ll find out why," Al added mysteriously and mentally prepared himself for Marcus’ reaction. The ranger would certainly be upset and concerned.

Pressing the door chime Garibaldi ignored Bester’s last remark. //What possible reason can justify you taking a place on the Council? I can’t think of a single one!//

*

The door chime woke Marcus from his pleasant dream and when his first look told him Al was gone he immediately got to his feet. "Al?" he whispered, but a quick inspection of his rooms told him he was alone. "Yes?" he said and watched the door open.

"Al!" he exclaimed in a tone that carried both concern and annoyance. "What are you doing out of bed?"

"I found him in Down Below. You should keep a close eye on your… ‘guest’," Garibaldi said eventually before turning to leave.

Marcus quickly walked over to the door and pushed the wheelchair inside. "Mr. Garibaldi?" he said.

"Yeah?" Michael turned around to look him in the eyes.

"Thanks for escorting him back." Marcus smiled apologetically. "I know you consider me a pain in the butt, but Al’s even worse."

Garibaldi nodded once and then walked down the corridor. He had been tempted to crack a horrible joke, but kept silent in the end. As he headed back to Stationhouse he tried making sense of his conversation with Bester, but failed in doing so. The man was a complete riddle to him; one he intended to solve soon.

"Al!" Marcus stated distressed and helped Bester getting back in bed when seeing the man’s awkward movements. "I didn’t even notice you were gone!"

Smiling weakly Al felt touched by the ranger’s apparent concern. "There’s no need to worry about me, Marcus. I just had to talk to someone."

"Whom?" Marcus asked in a demanding tone.

"Stephen Walters."

"The man you shot?" Marcus still remembered that name. "Are you telling me that you’re still in contact with the dead?"

"I know it sounds unbelievable, but it’s the truth, Marcus. Take it or leave it." Al rested his body and saw the trust in the ranger’s eyes.

"I believe you, Al. You must know that." Marcus told him, aware of the fact Al badly needed that trust.

"I’m beginning to forgive myself, Marcus and I now also know my answer to Sheridan’s condition."

Marcus read the answer on Al’s face. "You’re going to do it, tell them, I mean."

"Yes," Al replied relieved. "It’s time to face the truth and show the Corps that Stephen Dexter isn’t as dead as they thought," Al’s tone darkened as he proceeded, "On the contrary, Stephen Dexter is going to get his revenge."

The abyss part 11

"Captain? You’ve got an incoming call from Marcus’ quarters," Ivanova told him on screen. She had been surprised to find out that it was Bester, requesting a connection to the Captain’s office.

Sheridan raised his head and noticed the apprehension in her eyes, which told him something about the identity of the caller. "Patch Mr. Bester through, Commander."

"Yes, sir," she said and wished there was a way to eavesdrop on their conversation, but this was a secure line. Leaning back in her chair she wondered whether Marcus had already listened to =his= calls. She had left him a message; inviting him over for some coffee after her shift had ended.

Totally unexpectedly she had found herself daydreaming about the dark haired ranger; a sure sign that she was quickly falling in love with him. Susan refused to think of what might have happened hadn’t she given him a fair chance. Something told her she might have regretted that missed opportunity for the rest of her natural life.

Sheridan had been expecting Bester’s call and was eager to learn about the telepath’s decision. Accepting his condition would be a major step for Bester and there would be no turning back for the former psi cop.

"Mr. Bester," he started, seeing the telepath seated in his wheelchair. Marcus was nowhere in sight and John concluded that Bester was alone in the ranger’s quarters, using his absence to make this call.

"Captain Sheridan," Al replied and fought to keep his voice steady. A desperate need to stay in control grasped him. He was about to give up his former life and exchange it for a new identity, goals and ideals. "I’m ready to give you my answer."

"Excellent," John said pleased, "So what will it be?"

"I’ve decided to accept your condition, though I’m convinced it’s a bad move to reveal my identity to your members of staff. You =must= realize that they won’t believe me." Al cocked his head and shifted a little in his wheelchair, hoping that Marcus wouldn’t return early. The ranger had left one hour ago to inform Delenn of all recent developments and would shortly return to escort him back to med lab.

"Let me worry about that, Mr… Dexter?" Sheridan said defiantly, curious for Bester’s response.

"Don’t call me that!" Al exclaimed irritated, "Not yet anyway!" To be addressed as Stephen Dexter confused him. //I never thought I would be going through an identity crisis one day!// he thought alarmed, //but here I am having one nonetheless!//

Marcus had also given him odd looks after he had told the ranger his decision and Al had sworn that Marcus had wanted to address him as Stephen before he had left. //I will have to make a decision soon, very soon. Do I want people to keep calling me Al or not?// and he realized that he had no idea what he preferred.

"Okay," Sheridan said in a determined tone, "The War Council will meet at 1300 hours tomorrow in the war room. Let Marcus take you there; he’s part of the Council as well."

Relieved, Al tried hiding the sigh that escaped him. //At least Marcus will be there too. It won’t be me against the rest of them!//

Sheridan read certain emotions in Bester’s eyes. Their presence surprised him and he said, "Doctor Franklin will be present too."

Al nodded once, embarrassed that his feelings had been that obvious. He had to remind himself to keep his guard up. "I’ll be there," he promised and remembered Garibaldi’s annoyance when he had mentioned joining the Council.

"Welcome aboard then," Sheridan said and grinned; now that Bester was a reliable ally he felt much more at ease. "I’m sure you’ll be a great help in our struggle against the Shadows."

"And the Corps," Al added vehemently.

"And the Corps," Sheridan repeated, noting the venomous expression in Bester’s eyes. //He’ll do everything necessary to get back at them,// he realized and shivered slightly. //To have such a man as your enemy… I’m glad he’s an ally!// and reminded himself to check on Jenkins, hoping the Corps had already picked up the man so Bester could return to med lab.

*

"I’m honored, Entil’Zha, but surely there are far more suitable candidates for this particular position," Marcus objected fiercely.

"Marcus, I can not force you to accept this position, but I =need= you on Minbar. Master Durhann is incapacitated for several weeks and can not carry out the training programs, but the new recruits need to learn how to use the Denn-bok," she pointed out to him.

"I can’t leave now!" Marcus whispered upset. //Not now I’m finally getting through to Susan!// Although he realized the honor which she bestowed on him, he was determined to decline politely. "There are much better pike fighters, Entil’Zha. Why not ask Neroon?"

"Neroon lacks patience," she replied smugly, "I need your answer tomorrow afternoon."

"Respectfully Delenn," Marcus started, but fell silent when she raised her hand.

"I do not want you to make a decision in haste, Marcus," Slowly, she rose to her feet and gestured Lennier to join them. Marcus was hiding his confusion poorly and Delenn hoped for his sake that the ranger would reach the right decision.

The incident involving Neroon had opened her eyes. Marcus was much too eager to die for her and she had been waiting for a chance to send him back to Tuzanor for some time now. //Marcus has to face his past or he will die because of these chains dragging behind him. He has to accept the past and embrace the present; but most importantly, he has to forgive himself for being alive. Only then will a relationship with the Commander be successful.//

Sheridan had told her about their date and Delenn hoped that maybe now Marcus was ready to choose life over the death he secretly craved.

*

//I can’t believe that this is happening now!// Marcus thought upset. //I can’t leave the station! Al needs me. And there's also Susan, who… I don’t want to leave her behind. Weeks! I would be gone for weeks! So many things can happen in that time.// Punching in his access code he hoped Al was ready to leave for med lab.

"You’re late," Al quipped and was about to add another smug remark when the serious expression on Marcus’ face told him not to. "What happened? You look upset."

Marcus failed to smile and cursed himself for showing his concern so openly. //Al won’t give in till he knows!// he realized. "We need to get going now," he said and began pushing the wheelchair.

Al studied the ranger and sensed the inner turmoil Marcus was in. Something had greatly upset the younger man’s inner balance. "Marcus, tell me now or I’ll find another way to…"

"Alright!" Marcus cut him short, eager to get this conversation over and done with. Thankfully the corridors were rather empty and once they had entered the core tube they were alone. "Delenn asked me to take over the training of the new recruits in Tuzanor... temporary."

"An honor?" Al inquired softly, not sure what to make of Marcus’ tone.

"Yes, it’s an honor, " Marcus admitted, "but I can’t just walk away from you and…"

"Ivanova," Al finished for him and understood the ranger’s dilemma. "Marcus?" he said and waited for the man to look him in the eyes. "Forget about the people whom you think need you. What if this were your decision only?"

"But it isn’t!" Marcus objected, "I want to spend more time with Susan and you…"

"I can take care of myself," Al assured him, "And if the Commander really loves you she will wait a little longer. There’s only one question you need to ask yourself," Al leaned forward and smiled at the ranger, "What do =you= want, need? Forget about all the others for a moment and consider your own needs."

"You’re annoying," Marcus growled in an attempt to sidetrack Bester, "Have you always been this way?"

"You haven’t answered my question yet," Al berated him softly. "Have you considered your own needs lately? You’re always there to help others, but what about you? What about =your= need to do away with the past? You need time to deal with what happened on Arisia. You’re finally willing to confront it and this might be the perfect opportunity to do just that!"

"I can do that on Babylon 5 too!" Marcus protested and averted his eyes. "Going back to Tuzanor means that I have to talk to people who knew William, my brother," he explained to Al.

"So you’re still running away then?" Al challenged the ranger to deny it.

Marcus now stared into determined dark eyes. "Garibaldi once called me a pain in the arse," he said and had to pause as Al took over.

"And I agree with him."

"Al!" Marcus exclaimed, "You’re much worse than me!"

"Maybe I am," Al admitted and watched the doors open now that they had arrived at med lab. "Talk to Ivanova about this, Marcus. You need to burn these bridges behind you before you can move on… Perhaps that’s why your precious Entil’Zha choose =you= to go to Minbar."

Irritated, Al’s words kept dancing in his mind and Marcus had to admit that the telepath had made a valid point.

*

"This confirms our suspicions," Franklin said; pleased that he had been able to run this particular test on Bester.

Two grimly looking two psi cops had collected Jenkins several hours ago and only now had the doctor judged it safe enough for Bester to return to med lab, realizing he had to prevent the Corps from finding out that Bester was still onboard the station.

Bester had also told him in a resolved tone that he preferred to stay at Marcus’ quarters. Franklin had tried convincing him to stay in med lab, but after running a first medical scan on Bester, the doctor had to admit that his patient was stable. Then Marcus had cut in, promising that he would look after Bester and reluctantly, Franklin had given in.

"Doctor Franklin?" Al said, wondering why Franklin wasn’t continuing his explanation..

"You’re a telekinetic; the test returned positive," Franklin told him after a moment’s thought.

"Never knew that," Al whispered and shook his head. "The sleepers will wear off today?" Al asked the doctor.

"Yes, they’re already losing their effect. You should be in full control of your psi ability in a few hours." Franklin made an entry into Bester’s file and raised an eyebrow. "Marcus told me that you’re still talking to dead people?"

"Marcus definitely talks too much," Al remarked and shot the ranger a menacing look. "Don’t pay it any attention, Doctor Franklin."

Tempted, Stephen almost asked Bester whom he had been talking to this time, but something, which stared back at him from the depths of the telepath’s eyes, warned him not to pursue the matter. He should let it rest instead. "Marcus should get you some decent clothes," he remarked casually, pointing at the med gown Bester was still wearing.

"Civilian clothes," Marcus murmured while making a mental note to head to the Zocalo after he had talked to Ivanova. //I never expected her to invite me over for coffee! I don’t even like that brew, maybe I should take some teabags along,// he mused.

"Yes," Franklin agreed, "You can’t show up in a med gown at the War Council meeting."

"Which will take place tomorrow," Marcus added.

"Sheridan mentioned something about a condition you accepted?" Franklin asked Bester.

"Yes, everyone will know my true identity by tomorrow." Searching Franklin’s eyes Al said teasingly, "How do you think Mr. Garibaldi will react to me being Stephen Dexter?"

Franklin shrugged his shoulders. "I’m more curious to find out how the rogue telepaths in Down Below will react."

"True," Al had to admit, "I wonder if any of them still remembers my parents’ name. Sheridan thinks they will follow me because I’m their son, but I doubt it."

"We’ll see," Franklin replied and looked up at Marcus. "Why don’t you get Al some clothes now? I need to examine him more thoroughly anyway."

"Now?" Marcus stuttered and checked the time. If he hurried he could run this errand and get back in time for his appointment with Ivanova. "Sure, can do," he said and quickly left.

"And now we’re going to have a doctor-patient talk," Stephen stated calmly.

Suddenly alarmed, Al stared into worried eyes. "What’s worrying you?"

"First of, we need to take care of that ankle. I still have to operate on it," Franklin informed him, "Or else you will limp for the rest of your life."

"Anything else?"

"Yes," Franklin said and took a deep breath before addressing Bester again. "Yes, there is."

*

30 minutes later Marcus returned to med lab with several bags that contained clothes and shoes he had bought for Bester. It had been his intention to step into Franklin’s office, but when he arrived there it was empty. "Now where have they gone?" he wondered aloud.

Casting a quick look at Franklin’s screen he realized the doctor must have taken Al to exam room one. "But why?"

"Marcus? You better wait outside," Lillian said, calling him back.

Alerted by her sharp tone, Marcus halted in his tracks and dropped the bags into a corner.

"You know… doctor-patient confidentiality," Lillian said apologetically.

"Why does Stephen need to check on Al? Has he discovered something unsettling?" Marcus asked in a tense tone.

"Nothing’s wrong with Mr. Bester," Lillian assured him, "Just a routine check up before surgery."

"Surgery? What for?"

"His ankle, remember?"

"Yes, I remember," Marcus replied; relieved nothing unexpected had happened, "Stephen had to postpone that surgery because of Al’s heart attack." Looking about he realized they were alone and he walked up to her. She was studying some readings and Marcus knew this was the perfect moment to ask her something which kept bugging him. "Do you know anything about Carolyn? Al told me his lover is in cryo because of certain Shadow implants?"

"Yes, I remember her," Lillian whispered and closed the file to look at the ranger. "She disrupted every device in med lab and Stephen had to put her back into cryo. I do know he’s still doing research to understand the mechanisms which make the implants work, but it’s hard to decipher something you’ve never seen before."

"Is Stephen making any progress? Is there a chance that the implants can be removed someday in the near future?" Marcus vividly remembered the stricken expression on Al’s face as he had mentioned the condition of his lover.

"Why don’t you ask Stephen those questions, Marcus? I don’t know that much," she suggested while moving away from him.

"I will," Marcus smiled weakly. //That doesn’t sound too good,// he realized. //What would I do were Susan confined to cryogenic suspension? Could I live without her?// He shivered as an ominous feeling moved through him.

Impatiently, he walked back to the corridor and began pacing. If Stephen kept this up much longer he would be too late for his date. After all, he still had to get Al back to his quarters.

"Marcus! For God’s sake sit down! Your pacing is driving me crazy!" Lillian said, trying to hang onto her composure.

"Sorry," Marcus whispered and leaned against the wall. The truth was that he kept thinking about Delenn’s proposal. He would love to return to Tuzanor for a short while. The year he had spent there had been one of recovery. The teachers had known William and had done their best to help him deal with the Shadow attack. //Al’s right,// he thought, //I have a lot of soul searching to do.//

"Get enough rest, Al and I will see you tomorrow evening at 2000 hours for surgery, provided you survive the War Council meeting." Franklin quipped and pushed Bester’s wheelchair into the corridor. He grinned upon seeing Marcus. "Your nurse has already arrived," he told his patient in a teasing tone.

"Al, I got you some new clothes," Marcus said and picked up his bags. "Want to change into them before leaving med lab?"

"Good idea," Al replied, looking forward to getting out of the med gown. "Doctor, just push my chair back into the room again?" he asked politely.

Franklin sighed and did as asked. "Marcus? Keep an eye on him all the time. I don’t know what he’s been up to, but I bet he has been up and about and I =not= happy about him staying with you! He should remain in med lab, but he’s just as headstrong as a certain ranger I know!"

Amused, Marcus nodded once. //No more trips to Brown 42,// he decided and followed Al into the exam room.

Stephen made sure the door closed behind him after returning to his office. "Computer, access medical file of Carolyn Saunderson."

*

"Blue suits you!" Marcus quipped amused. It had taken him 15 minutes to get Al into the civilian outfit, but the result pleased him.

Al decided to ignore the comment. The clothes felt alien on his skin. The material differed greatly from the fabric psi cop uniforms were made of and it added to his sense of discomfort. "Did you also buy gloves?" he asked.

"No," Marcus admitted honestly. "I forgot about them. Do you really need them?"

Al growled something intelligible and stared at the ranger. "If you don’t want me to touch your skin accidentally and read your mind you better get me a pair."

"Then you better behave!" Marcus wisecracked, not in the least startled by Bester’s answer.

On their way back to his quarters he avoided discussing Delenn’s proposal with Al, knowing the older man’s answers wouldn’t please him. //Al can be brutally honest at times!//

"Aren’t you already late for your date with Ivanova?" Al wondered aloud as Marcus pushed his wheelchair out of the elevator.

"No, still got 30 minutes left, why?" Marcus asked amused.

"I was wondering…" Al didn’t finish the sentence. Two of Garibaldi’s security guards had just turned around the corner and were observing him closely. In their eyes Al read loathing, mixed in with fear.

"About what?" Marcus had noticed their expression and realized they were the reason why Al had fallen silent.

Al shook his head, telling the ranger that he didn’t want to discuss anything while the guards were close. //This loathing, fear and hate will stare back at me from all eyes and I deserve it.//

Lost in thought, he didn’t notice that they had reached Marcus’ quarters and the ranger’s voice caught him by surprise.

"Want me to help you get back into bed? Stephen told you to rest, remember?" Marcus offered while pushing back the blanket.

"I can do that on my own," Al told him and managed to get to his feet without help, but as he attempted to take the first step towards the bed he cringed with pain that emanated from his ankle. "Damn!" he cursed.

Marcus remained silent seeing such stubbornness, but did help the other man to get into the bed. "Now lie down and rest."

"Marcus," Al grabbed the ranger’s wrist and trembled briefly when alien thoughts drifted into his mind. Immediately he released the hold he had on the other man. //The sleepers have worn off!// he realized. Slowly, he eased himself back into the pillows.

Marcus had a fairly good idea what had caused Al to let go off him and said, "Your psi ability is returning?"

"Yes," Al sighed; the thoughts he had seen had contained painful memories. "You've still got 20 minutes before you have to leave. Tell me about Arisia and William."

"Why now?" Marcus wanted to know and realized what it was that Al had seen in his mind. Sitting down on a chair he looked at Al for a long time. "William died in my arms."

"I know… I saw it happen in your mind." Al’s voice was soft and inviting. "What would have happened differently had you listened to your brother’s warning?" he wanted to know.

"The workers would have survived, Hasina would still be alive… William would still be a ranger and I…"

"Marcus," his fingers hovered over the ranger’s hand, not touching it tough. "They would have died any way. The Shadows would have attacked as planned and you =know= that the workers couldn’t be evacuated in time."

Marcus blinked back a tear, realizing Al was telling the truth. "He made me promise to join the rangers…"

"That was a mistake," Al stated in a determined tone. "By doing that he placed a terrible amount of guilt on your shoulders. Your need to atone for your supposed arrogance was born that moment."

"I owe him…" Marcus said hesitantly, but could no longer deny the truth in Al’s words.

"You owe him nothing besides brotherly love. You owe it to William to remember him, to remember the good and the bad things he did. He was merely human and so are we, and humans make mistakes…"

Al noticed that Marcus wasn’t pulling his hand away so he placed his left hand on top of the ranger’s. //He’s letting the truth in at last,// he thought relieved. "What would have happened hadn’t William forced you to make that promise?"

"I honestly don’t know!" Marcus said, amazed at the emotions Al managed to cut loose in him time and time again. What was it about the former psi cop that made him so emotional?

"=That’s= what you have to figure out, Marcus. Perhaps you would have joined the rangers anyway, but would your motives have been the same, had you not been forced into doing so?" Awed, Al sensed the measure of guilt Marcus was carrying around him. "You have to let go of that," he told the ranger. "I think you should return to Minbar and re-evaluate your reasons for being a ranger."

"I know," Marcus locked eyes with him, "But how to tell Ivanova? She’ll think I’m deserting her!"

"Marcus, you’ve got to get your priorities straight now. You once told me the same thing when I was delirious. This time =you= have to reconsider =your= needs." His mouth had gone dry and Al craved something to drink, but first he had to share something else with the ranger. He hadn’t known the insight was there to start with, but… "You can only love someone if you love yourself, Marcus."

Swallowing hard, Marcus curled his fingers around Al’s. "You’re right. I know you are, but…"

"Go and tell her. If she really loves you, she’ll understand," Al advised him, "But before you go - make me some tea?"

Marcus laughed, breaking the tension that had existed between them. "You’re a wiser man than I thought."

"I know, I’m surprised myself," Al returned the smile and shivered when another delighted chuckle rolled into his thoughts.

<I’m proud of you, son!>

*

Susan was surprised at how nervous she was all of a sudden. //It’s only Marcus!// she kept telling herself, but the mere mention of his name made her feel jumpy. //And he wants me to deflower him!// The knowledge that he was still a virgin made her grin. //I want our first time to be special too,// she realized as she switched on the coffee machine.

The door chime announced her guest and she quickly looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was still in uniform but had undone the braid and now her hair was curling towards the ends.

"Yes," she said in anticipation. The moment he entered she sensed his discomfort and immediately realized that she had touched his mind accidentally. //Damn! This never happened before! I feel out of control! Something happened when Jenkins tried scanning me and I should find out what it is. But Lyta is off station and the only telepath around I can ask these questions is Bester and I’ll be damned before confiding in him!//

"Susan?" Marcus produced a weak smile, wondering how quickly she would throw him out of her rooms after telling her that he had to go to Tuzanor for a few weeks.

"Sit down, Marcus. I’ll get us some coffee," Susan gestured him to take a seat on the sofa and carried two mugs with her as she walked over to him.

"Caff?" Marcus said hesitantly, too embarrassed to uncover his teabags.

"No, real coffee, Marcus," Susan replied and handed him a mug. "Caff tastes awful, but real coffee… try it!" she dared him and grinned at his apprehensive expression.

Sipping from the dark brew Marcus had to admit defeat. "Yes, this tastes a lot better than caff."

Noticing his furrowed brow and hooded eyes Susan said, "You want to tell me something?"

Briefly, Marcus wondered what had given him away, but then he remembered she was a telepath. "I have to leave the station for a few weeks."

Susan studied him and caught the underlying fear of disappointing her. "Where will you be going or is that classified?"

"No," Marcus smiled tenderly, "I’m going to Minbar to help out at the training facility."

Running her fingers alongside the mug she contemplated this news. "Timing couldn’t have been worse," she said eventually, openly admitting she would miss having him around.

Relieved at her mild reaction Marcus released a strangled sigh and his smile brightened hearing her confession. Why had he been this apprehensive about telling her? "I’ll only be gone for a couple of weeks."

"You better not fall in love with one of the trainees then! I might get jealous!" Susan quipped and loved his startled reaction.

"I love only you!"

"I know," Susan chuckled, but didn’t feel guilty about upsetting him. "When will you be leaving?"

"Tomorrow evening after Al has had surgery."

Susan’s gaze darkened as Marcus mentioned Bester’s name. "You’re spending an awful lot of time with him," she said displeased.

"We understand each other, Susan," Marcus took a deep breath, "He’s been through a lot and so have I… and he needs someone he can talk to."

"He’s playing you," Susan stated determined.

"No, he isn’t and you know it too. Jenkins…"

Susan cringed hearing that name. "Don’t remind me of that bastard," she whispered and felt an apology in his mind. "I guess you’re right though. I don’t want to admit it, but Bester did help me."

"Why don’t you give him another chance? He has changed greatly," Marcus pleaded.

"We’ll see," she said, indicating she didn’t want to talk about the former psi cop any longer. Slowly and a bit hesitantly she leaned in closer and brushed his lips. "A virgin…" she whispered and heard his strangled sigh.

"I should never have told you!" Marcus quipped and answered the kiss. His hand slipped to the back of her neck and while staring into her eyes, the ranger realized there was love reflected in them. "I love you, Susan."

His admission caused her to chuckle. "I figured that one out a long time ago."

"And you kept me in fear, wondering whether I would survive telling you!" Marcus chided her.

Susan laughed delighted. "I’ve got a reputation to uphold!"

Marcus pulled her closer and inhaled the sweet fragrance of her perfume. "You aren’t mad at me for deserting you like this?"

"Deserting me?" Susan repeated and mentally reran their conversation in her mind. "Because you have to go to Minbar? No, Marcus, it’ll give me more time to plan something special for our first time." Chuckling, she watched him become flustered. "And trust me, I’ve already got some wicked ideas."

"Bugger," was all Marcus managed to say as something inviting touched his mind. His mouth went dry as he realized that her being a telepath might add an extra dimension to their lovemaking.

The abyss part 12

"Judging by the smug look on your face your talk with Ivanova went rather well," Al said and poured himself another cup of tea.

Marcus crashed on to one of the chairs and grinned. "Yes, there was no need for me to be worried after all."

"Have you already informed Delenn of your decision?" Al wanted to know and studied the ranger’s eyes. They were sparkling, alive with a fire he hadn’t seen there before. //Marcus has made a new start and hopefully his stay on Minbar will give him the strength and determination to pursue his goals.//

"I still have to tell her. Do you mind me leaving you alone again?"

Al smiled lazily. "I’ve got everything I need; tea, access to the media screen and the computer system. I can manage." Pleased, he watched Marcus dash out of the room again. //It’s amazing,// he mused, //the way we helped each other accept the inevitable and our past. I don’t believe in fate, but there have been some eerie coincidences lately.//

Staring at the wheelchair next to his bed he wondered if he could convince Franklin to give him some crutches instead. His left wrist no longer hurt and he hoped the fracture was healing nicely. His hands trembled though as he picked up the teacup and he tried to shut out the disturbing news Franklin had shared with him.

*

"Delenn?" Marcus said in a soft tone. Lennier had told him she could see him now, but he wanted to be sure that he wasn’t interrupting anything.

"Marcus? I was not expecting you to return so quickly, but please come closer and sit down." Delenn smiled gently seeing the somewhat confused expression on the ranger’s face. //Reaching a decision must have been hard on him,// she realized.

"I’m honored to be chosen as Master Durhann’s assistant for a couple of weeks and I gladly accept this temporary position," Marcus said hesitantly, "Or have you already found someone else in the meantime?" Marcus realized he was babbling again. Sitting down he stared at his hands.

"I welcome your decision, Marcus. You will not regret making it, but," she paused to catch his gaze, "What made you change your mind?"

"I talked to Al," Marcus said softly.

"Perhaps I misjudged your friend then. After all, he guards your steps wisely." Delenn’s smile was reflected in her eyes when she gestured Lennier to bring them some herbal tea. "You will leave tomorrow evening at 2300 hours. A Minbari war cruiser is scheduled to rendez vous with the station before they return home to Minbar. I arranged for you to travel with them."

"A Minbari war cruiser? It’s been ages since I saw one," Marcus said puzzled.

"They carry news from the rim," Delenn said diplomatically and decided the ranger didn’t need to know anything about their mission. "I advise you to remain calm and polite at all times. Minbari warriors generally dislike the idea of having a human aboard."

"Great," Marcus whispered softly, "Wish I could reconsider my answer." He tried to figure out how long the trip would take. //Three days at least!// he realized and cringed at the thought.

"I will inform Master Durhann and Sech Turval of your decision." She inclined her head, telling him that their conversation had come to an end.

"We live to serve," Marcus muttered quickly and bowed respectfully.

Delenn watched him leave and wondered what had happened to Marcus to make him change his mind. If Bester had been instrumental in him accepting this temporary position, she had to reconsider her opinion of the former psi cop. //John doesn’t trust Bester, neither do Ivanova or Garibaldi, yet he has saved the Commander from Jenkins’ hold. Maybe there is more to the telepath that meets the eye.//

Curious, she wondered what Sheridan was up to. John had been rather cryptic about this upcoming meeting of the War Council, but had informed her that Bester would be there as well. She had been even more puzzled when John had handed her a file concerning two human resistance fighters; Fiona and Matthew Dexter. She had read the reports, but had found no answer as to why Sheridan thought it so important that she knew about these people who had been killed by the Corps decades ago.

//Humans are so hard to understand,// she mused, // take Psi Corps for example. Why are they so afraid of their telepaths?//

"Delenn?" Lennier asked concerned.

"I am fine, Lennier," she said reassuringly, "Establish a connection with the training facility at Tuzanor. We need to inform them of Marcus’ decision so they can make all necessary arrangements."

*

When Marcus returned to his quarters he found Bester peacefully asleep and silently he changed into his sweats. Going to bed early seemed the best thing to do and as he pulled the blanket over his body he realized that he had to find someone who would watch over Bester while he was gone.

The problem was that, except for Franklin, he couldn’t come up with a likely candidate. He had hoped to ask Susan, but her chilly response to the former psi cop had told him not to make his request. It was a pity though.

//It’s obvious that she’s still trying to deal with Jenkins’ violent scan. The two of them have something in common and I know Al can show her ways to cope with it. After all, he bounced back pretty well. I wonder if he knows she is a telepath.//

Al turned onto his other side to look at the ranger’s eyes, which were still open. "Yes, I know," he whispered softly. Catching Marcus’ surprised expression he added, "It’s hard to shut out your mind when you’re so close now that the sleepers have lost all effect." Relishing the background static in his mind he elbowed himself into a sitting position. "Have you talked to her about Jenkins yet?"

Marcus pushed back the blanket and pulled up his legs till he sat cross-legged. "I did, but she… She’s rather sensitive when it comes down to telepathic issues."

"Understandable," Al said, "she has been running from the Corps all her life."

"I’m surprised you know she’s a telepath," Marcus wondered aloud.

"The telepathy gene is passed on by the mother to the child. Her mother was P 5, but Sophie Ivanova decided to take the sleepers because she didn’t want to join the Corps." Al’s voice carried a melancholy tone and he briefly closed his eyes.

"You knew Susan’s mother?" Marcus said alarmed and ordered the lights back to normal so he could see Bester’s expression.

But Al calmly answered his gaze. "I had to tell her that the tests results were positive. She was absolutely horrified, though she must have known the truth for a long time. "

"Does Susan know this?"

Al shook his head in denial. "I provoked her once by telling her that she had her mother’s eyes. When she slapped me I knew for sure she was a telepath. You see, physical contact makes it easier to read one’s mind."

"Susan slapped you?" Only know Marcus began to realize how greatly Bester must have changed after his imprisonment. "I don’t think I would have liked you had we met back then."

"You would have hated me," Al agreed and pushed back the self-loathing he felt. What he had done was in the past and he could only help his telepaths if he was strong enough to face and accept what he had done. "I would like to offer her my help, but she would never accept it and I can’t blame her, but I can’t help wondering…"

"What?" Marcus had swung his feet to the ground and realized that he wouldn’t be able to sleep now.

"I felt something snap inside her mind when Jenkins scanned her. It’s possible that her psi ability became fully active at that moment. It certainly set off my telekinetic ability. She might want to ask…" Al briefly searched for a proper candidate and then continued, "Lyta Alexander for some basic training. I don’t know how strong Ivanova is, but her talent might backfire on her."

"Why didn’t you tell me earlier?" Marcus exclaimed, "I would never have accepted Delenn’s offer had I known Susan was in danger!"

"You can’t help her," Al replied calmly, "You aren’t a telepath."

"But I can support her!" Marcus got to his feet and retreated into the bathroom.

Listening to the sounds Al asked, "What are you doing?"

Marcus returned to the living area after splashing some water onto his face. "I have to talk to her," he said and was about to change into his ranger uniform when a soft mind voice floated through his thoughts.

<Can you do this? Can you talk to her like this? Guide her?> Al knew he was being cruel, but he had to convince the ranger that this was the one thing he couldn’t help Ivanova with.

"No," Marcus whispered beaten and sank back onto his bed, his hands still tangled in his turtleneck shirt. "But you can help her!" he suddenly remarked and stared pleadingly at Bester.

<Only if she’s willing to accept my help,> Al reminded him.

"But you =will= keep a close eye on her while I’m gone?" Marcus’ big eyes looked at him hopefully.

"Of course I will," Al promised, "Maybe you should bring this up after the War Council session has ended? She might be less inclined to reject our offer once she knows I’ve truly broken away from the Corps."

"Our offer?" Marcus smiled weakly.

"Talk to her, Marcus and should she accept the offer, I’ll be here to help her. I hope you don’t mind me using your quarters during your absence?" Al shot him an amused glance.

"You already figured everything out, didn’t you, Al?"

"Bad habit," Al chuckled, "I like to stay one step ahead of things."

Stroking back some elusive locks Marcus couldn’t repress his smile. "I won’t be able to sleep now," he admitted and searched his quarters with his eyes.

"Neither can I," Al replied, "I have been asleep all day. I’m not tired at all."

Suddenly, Marcus headed over to a cupboard and uncovered a small item. No matter how much he strained to make out the object Al had to admit defeat.

"Do you play chess?" Marcus asked and presented the wooden board to him.

"I haven’t played chess in years," Al said, "But I’m willing to try."

Marcus placed the board on the table next to Bester’s bed and sat down. "It’s been a while since I played too. Willie was the only one I managed to defeat occasionally." Melancholy and lost in the past Marcus stared at the chess pieces.

Al pushed the pillows behind his back and made himself more comfortable. "Well, let’s find out who's the worst player of the two of us!" Al quipped and forced back Franklin’s words, which kept haunting him. //I wish he hadn’t told me!//

*

"Are you nervous?" Marcus asked in a soft tone. They were on their way to the War Room and Bester had been uncharacteristically quiet during the last hour.

"Of course I am!" Al chided him and flinched while moving his crutches. It had taken him most of the morning to convince Franklin that he could do without the wheelchair. ‘Stubborn pride,’ Franklin had called it and Al had to agree. He didn’t want to enter the War Room in a wheelchair like a cripple. //I want to be able to stand in front of them.//

"Susan might throw a tantrum when she learns the truth about you," Marcus quipped and shrugged his shoulders apologetically. "She has one hell of a temper."

"I already noticed that," Al replied and concentrated on walking. The mere action of placing one foot in front of the other was exhausting, as he threatened to stumble over his own feet all the time. //Hopefully surgery will take care of my fractured ankle.// The idea of limping his way through life didn’t appeal to him.

Marcus noticed Al’s awkward moves and slowly wrapped an arm around the older man’s waist, giving him enough time to shrug of the offered assistance. But Bester accepted the help and Marcus made sure he had a firm hold on the telepath.

Touched by the ranger’s concern Al told himself that he could go through with this. //I have to tell them!// he realized, but nervousness crept into his mind. How were they going to react? He was especially worried about Ivanova’s reaction. The Commander might not have realized it yet, but her telepathic abilities could cause serious problems if they weren’t dealt with. //If only she would trust me! Or Lyta, but she’s off station, damn!//

Mentally preparing himself for the upcoming confrontation Al reminded himself why he was doing this; for the benefit of =his= telepaths, including Ivanova.

*

Inside the War Room Ivanova was trying her best to shut out all the distorted thoughts that battered against her mind. Somewhat frightened she wondered how to stop the static from seeping through, but because she lacked the proper training she was defenseless against it. Focusing all her energy on blocking them she didn’t notice Bester and Marcus’ arrival

Al immediately looked at Ivanova, sensing her discomfort and knew what was wrong. Her surface thoughts were all over the place. //We need to try harder and convince her to accept my help. She can’t keep this up for long.//

As his glance moved to Garibaldi Al felt the man’s hostility and wondered if revealing his true identity would change a thing. He was still convinced that Sheridan was making a mistake in judgement. //I would be more useful behind the scenes, working in the dark, not in the spotlight!//

Susan watched them sit down, noting the care Marcus paid Bester and forced down some dark emotion which had started to rise from her throat.

Al sensed Ivanova’s loathing and hesitated as to what to do. Eventually, he stared straight into her eyes, hiding nothing. Her shield was terribly fragile and did little to hold back the fearsome hate circling in her mind.

"I still don’t understand what Bester’s doing here," Garibaldi muttered beneath his breath and crossed his arms. Franklin who was sitting to his right had been quiet, but was now giving him smug looks. The only one who seemed similarly mystified was Ivanova. Even Delenn appeared like she knew what was going on.

"We’ll get to that in a second," Sheridan said and nodded once. The group was complete at last. "Marcus, take a seat so we can start."

The ranger sat down opposite Delenn and tried gauging Susan’s mood. Her blue eyes possessed a startling expression, which heightened his apprehension.

"We gather here to exchange information about the Shadows," Sheridan started and locked eyes with Bester, "So each of us knows the whole picture and can contribute to a possible solution. This exchange has proven very valuable in the past."

"So why hand over classified information to the enemy?" Ivanova said in a tense tone; her eyes never leaving Bester’s face.

Sheridan sighed; he still hoped they would accept Bester in the end. //No, not Bester,// he corrected himself, //Stephen Dexter.//

"Susan, Michael, give the Captain a chance to explain things," Franklin stated and smiled reassuringly at Bester. The doctor realized how hard this had to be on the former psi cop.

Ivanova leaned back, now staring into Marcus’ eyes, which expressed his concern for the way they were treating Bester. //After all this time he still makes no sense to me,// Susan thought, //I =know= he loves me… I still sense his love and yet he continues to defend Bester.//

"We are all allies here; fighting for the same cause," Sheridan said in a determined tone.

Garibaldi growled something intelligible, but shut up after Sheridan gave him an angry look.

"I take it you want to know why Mr. Bester has joined us. I plan on making him a permanent member of this Council." Sheridan watched them and realized he had dropped a bombshell.

"A permanent member?" Garibaldi exclaimed, then settled down, seeing Franklin’s annoyed expression. It was obvious that the doctor’s annoyance was aimed at him and that fact surprised him. //Why would he give Bester the benefit of the doubt? Why trust a psi cop?//

"Mr. Bester will tell you why he wants to join the War Council," Sheridan said and smiled at Delenn whom he had informed of his plans an hour ago.

"This better be good!" Susan stated and fought the growing headache pounding against her temples. //Jenkins’ scan set this off, damnit! I never sensed thoughts this way!// Although she couldn’t read anyone’s surface thoughts she managed to get a general feel of their emotional state. Bester’s was most interesting. //He’s nervous as hell. Why?//

//I guess this is it then,// Al thought and took a deep breath. Calm, soothing thoughts emanated from Marcus and he used them to anchor his mind. The ranger’s obvious confidence and trust in him still baffled Al. //What would have happened hadn’t Marcus found me in that camp? I doubt it very much that another ranger would have accepted me unconditionally like he did.//

"Come on, Al, tell them," Marcus encouraged him softly, earning a puzzled look by Garibaldi.

"Yes, I will," Al raised his head and looked into the Chief’s eyes before shifting his gaze to Ivanova. "The reason the Corps arrested and interrogated me was," Al halted as his memories made him shudder.

Susan caught Bester’s mental discomfort and managed to shut it out. She remembered seeing him in med lab just after he had arrived at the station. //The Corps must have been determined to make him open up to them!// she realized and was surprised to feel enraged at that thought. Marcus was right; Bester no longer represented the enemy.

"That they had grown suspicious of me. My trips to the station were sometimes hard to explain and my… liaison with Carolyn was a relationship they also rejected," Al was now whispering, preparing himself to make his final statement. "But there were other reasons as well."

"Carry on," Sheridan said, growing impatient.

"My birth parents." Al swallowed hard and for some reason locked eyes with Ivanova. It was important to him to convince her, a fellow telepath, of his sincerity.

"Your birth parents?" Garibaldi repeated; never expecting that turn in Bester’s explanation.

"Yes, you might have heard of them." Al braced himself for all possible reactions and reached out to Marcus for mental support.

Marcus recognized Al’s mental touch and nodded his head. //You can do this, Al. You have to!// he thought and hoped Al heard him.

Susan realized that something had happened between the two men and grew worried. If Bester was trying to manipulate Marcus somehow… //No, this feels… // Unable to label the sensation she waited for Bester to continue. There was no threat emanating from the telepath.

"My parents died decades ago," Al whispered and saw Garibaldi’s sudden interest. "Their names were Fiona and Matthew Dexter."

"The fabled resistance leaders?" Susan asked baffled. She had heard about the courageous couple that had fought the Corps and had died in the effort. "I heard they had a son, but…"

"They asked Stephen Walters to look after their son, but the Corps outsmarted him. That’s how I ended up in Cadre Prime." Al released the breath he had been holding onto and awaited their reactions. Garibaldi’s face displayed a general disbelief, but slowly the truth was sinking in. "I found out the truth after Marcus freed me," he added softly.

"So you’re Stephen Dexter? I can’t believe it!" Garibaldi exclaimed. "Captain, have you considered that he might be making this up?"

"I have, Michael, but… I know he’s telling the truth," Sheridan replied and exchanged a glance with Marcus who nodded his agreement.

Susan had been quiet during Bester’s revelation and only now realized what she was doing. //I’m trying to tap into his thoughts! That can only mean he knows I’m a telepath and that he’s letting me in!//

<Yes, I know, Commander,> Al cast and smiled apologetically, <You can search my mind as much as you want to. I’ve got nothing to hide.>

Trembling, she realized that he was telling the truth. There was no trace of deceit in his mind. Quickly she withdrew, hoping no one had noticed anything.

But Marcus had. The far away look in Susan’s eyes told him what had happened. The calm expression on Al’s face however assured him everything was all right.

Garibaldi’s eyes never left Bester’s. The Chief realized why Sheridan wanted to enlist the former psi cop. Telepaths were their only weapon against the Shadows. "But, Captain, do you really think telling the rogue telepaths he’s Stephen Dexter will change their mind about helping us?"

"Yes, I do," Sheridan said, "Not at once though, first they need to be convinced that the Alfred Bester they knew no longer exists."

"And how do you plan to achieve that, Captain?" Al asked, relieved they seemed to accept his revelation.

"=I= am not going to do that," Sheridan berated the telepath, "That’s something you have to do. I’m sure you’ll find a way."

"You’re giving me far too much credit," Al said and shook his head in dismay. "I know you plan on letting the news leak to Down Below, but they will never trust me. I’ve hunted them, killed them!" Al objected.

Garibaldi growled his agreement. "Never thought I would ever say it, but he’s right, Captain. I wouldn’t trust him."

Delenn suddenly cleared her throat and smiled gently. "We must set the example then and by allowing him to take a seat in the War Council we will send a message to these telepaths, namely that =we= trust him, Mr. Garibaldi," Delenn stated, "I am willing to take that first step," she said; remembering that Bester was the reason why Marcus had accepted his temporary position. "But we have to act as one. There can not be any distrust or suspicion between us."

"True words," Sheridan said pleased and hoped that the rest of his team would come through too. "What do you say, Michael?" he addressed his Chief.

Garibaldi tapped his fingers on the desk. "You’re asking a lot of me =and= Susan," he pointed out to Sheridan.

Ivanova didn’t react to the statement though; she was way too focused on Bester, probing his intentions, utterly amazed that he was allowing this.

"I need you, Michael. Delenn’s right. This can only succeed if we back Bester up all the way." Sheridan suddenly noticed the way Bester and Ivanova were staring at each other. //Susan is a telepath,// he reminded himself and wondered what they were doing.

Marcus refrained from interfering and simply waited for the Chief to reach a conclusion. Seeing Susan’s concentration he realized what she was doing… with Al’s consent.

"At the first sign of betrayal… " Michael started, then looked at Ivanova. "What do you say, Susan?"

Hearing his voice she had to tear herself away from Bester’s thoughts. "I say we…" Her words froze as she realized what they were about to decide. <You want to form a new resistance, don’t you?>

<I’ll follow in my father’s footsteps, yes,> Al cast melancholy, <I may get killed too, but I need to make a stand for all telepaths oppressed by the Corps.>

"I say we give him his chance," she whispered in a shaky tone. The telepathic contact had slightly upset her, had made her wonder why she was capable of doing this.

<Jenkins triggered it,> Al told her and added, <like he set off my telekinetic ability.>

She had wondered about the way he had helped her. <You’re a teek then too?>

<Yes,> Al cast apologetically.

"All right then," Garibaldi said aloud, startling the two telepaths. "If Susan’s willing to give it a shot so will I."

"Thank you, Michael, Susan." Sheridan said relieved. "I suggest we return to business now." Studying his now complete Council Sheridan hoped he had a new, powerful weapon in his struggle against the Shadows.

*

"Marcus?" Susan called him back as he threatened to disappear into the elevator.

"Yes?" Marcus immediately replied and gestured her to join them. Al needed his support and he couldn’t leave the older man alone.

Susan hesitated briefly, then slipped into the lift before its doors closed. Defiantly lifting her chin she asked, "Did you tell Bester that I’m a telepath?"

The ranger gulped for breath, wondering how to get himself out of this one.

"No, he didn’t, Commander," Al replied instead, holding her gaze. "I already knew. You should know he would never betray your trust!" he chided her in a soft tone while leaning against the wall. Eager to get back to Marcus’ quarters he had hoped to avoid another confrontation with Ivanova. He had planned on sending Marcus in to talk to her.

"You knew?" Susan echoed distressed.

Al tightened his hold on the crutches and said, "You’ve grown stronger though since Jenkins meddled with your mind and now you feel out of control."

Marcus placed a hesitant hand on Susan’s shoulder. "Please listen to him, Susan. Al only wants to help you."

Susan didn’t shrug off the hand, but her expression hardened. "Why didn’t you tell me he knew, Marcus?"

"I wanted to respect both your wishes, Susan." Marcus nervously moistened his lips and looked at her pleadingly.

"I’m no longer the enemy, Commander," Al reminded her once more. "And you =know= that you need help in order to deal with your talent. I offer you mine. You know where to find me should you choose to accept it,"

Al closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He had overestimated his strength and did his best to hide it. Maybe he should have listened to Franklin when the doctor had told him to stay a little longer in med lab. // There's no need to worry about it now. I have to return to med lab in a couple of hours any way.//

"Accept your help?" Susan repeated stunned.

"Just think about it, Commander. The offer stands." Al called upon his last energy reserves and said, "Marcus, why don’t you escort our Commander back to her quarters? I’m sure you want to say good-bye to her before leaving for Minbar."

Caught between a rock and a hard place Marcus wondered what to do. Al was about to have surgery and required his help, but Susan needed him too.

Susan shook her head. "No, I’m still on duty for 7 more hours and we said good-bye yesterday." Her gaze softened seeing Marcus’ weak smile. "But thanks for the offer… Bester."

Al inclined his head, acknowledging the apparent truce between them. "At least you aren’t calling me Stephen or Mr. Dexter like your Captain did!" he quipped amused, trying to smooth away all lingering irritation.

"Mr. Dexter?" Susan laughed aloud. "Now there’s an idea!"

"Don’t!" Al said calmly, assured by her surface thoughts that her hostility was lessening.

"Or Stephen!" Marcus interrupted them and grinned mischievously.

Clutching his head in mock despair Al stated, "Traitor!"

Susan joined in the soft laughter and exchanged a glance with Marcus. Something inexplicable had happened between the three of them just now. They had made a new beginning. Stroking back some elusive locks Marcus laughed warmly.

The abyss part 13

"Alit Neroon?"

The warrior turned around as his aide addressed him. "Yes?" he inquired, hoping to quickly depart again and already regretting honoring Delenn’s request to escort Marcus Cole to Minbar.

The space station brought forth painful memories and he felt ashamed for his former actions. He was only assisting her now because he didn’t want to be indebted to Delenn. She could have pressed charges at the Minbari High Court after he had so foolishly tried to keep her from becoming Entil’Zha, but she had refrained from doing so.

Now, months later, he realized his mistakes. //I could have provoked a civil war, dragging thousands of my fellow Minbari into insanity. I'm indebted to her!//

"We are approaching the jump gate," the Minbari told his Alit and lowered his eyes in respect.

"Understood," Neroon replied and perfected the mask-like expression of his face. "Prepare for a shuttle to take me onboard," he instructed and slipped into his long black cloak.

Wrapping his fingers around his fighting pike he wondered about the human ranger who had stopped him in Down Below. Delenn had informed him that Marcus Cole was to assist Master Durhann and he felt strangely pleased about her decision. The human’s ability had surprised him even back then and Marcus Cole certainly was worthy of his honor.

Neroon had been briefly puzzled as to why they had chosen Marcus as Master’s Durhann replacement, wondering if he himself wouldn’t be a more suitable candidate. But although he had been trained by the fabled master he wasn’t a ranger and he certainly lacked all basic teaching skills.

"But hopefully now I will receive the opportunity to talk to the human ranger in depth. Last time we spoke he was unconscious most of the time," Neroon mused and allowed for a grin to break though. The warrior yearned for a change of company. This mission had taken him to the rim and he had been forced to stay there for a few months. But this enforced retreat had given him enough time to ponder his past and he had come to certain insights.

"Of the same heart," he repeated softly and remembered the joke Marcus Cole had cracked to break the ice between them. "The Anla’shok will make excellent company," Neroon said pleased.

"Alit Neroon? The shuttle is ready for departure."

Neroon nodded once and left the command center of the war cruiser. First, he had to report to Delenn, then he would collect the human ranger and finally he would set course for Minbar.

"And then I will be home at last," he whispered, looking forward to seeing his mate again after such a long time of separation.

*

"Now behave yourself while you’re in med lab!" Marcus told Al who reacted by shooting him a wicked smile.

"Tell me, Marcus," Al started and ignored Franklin who was preparing the pre-med injection, "What kind of trouble could I possible get into here?"

"I don’t even want to know!" Marcus exclaimed nervously. He regretted accepting Delenn’s offer to help out Master Durhann, but it was too late to reconsider and disappoint her by backing out. "I can’t help worrying about you," Marcus admitted guiltily.

Al shook his head. "You worry too much. I told you that before." Studying the ranger Al noticed the slight blush coloring his face. It probably had something to do with Ivanova promising Marcus to escort him to the docking bay and Al realized their good-bye would be rather emotional.

Quickly, he looked over at Franklin who was deeply absorbed in studying the readings, which were now starting to appear on the monitor the doctor had hooked him up to. "I’ll look after her, Marcus."

"I know you will," Marcus whispered in return, "At least she’s talking to you now. Maybe she will even accept your advice." The fact that Susan’s psi ability was causing her discomfort made him feel apprehensive. "I would never forgive myself should something happen to her during my absence," he admitted to Al.

"It may take her some time to come and see me, but she’s smart enough to recognize a potentially dangerous situation," Al assured him.

"Why does she have to be this stubborn?" Marcus remarked and sighed while packing some of Al’s new clothes into the cupboard.

"You’re talking about Ivanova, right?" Stephen quipped and placed a med bracelet around his patient’s wrist. Acknowledging Al’s raised eyebrow he said, "Should you sneak off I will be able to track you down all over the station!"

"Why would I sneak off?" Al asked and sighed. "I always listen to your instructions, Doctor Franklin."

The comment made Marcus chuckle.

"What?" Al exclaimed and shivered slightly as Franklin approached him with the pre-med injection. "I hate needles," Al murmured, but presented his arm to the doctor nonetheless.

"You’ll fall asleep in a few minutes, Al," Franklin said and gestured Marcus to come closer. "You better leave now so we can prepare him for surgery, Marcus."

"Right," Marcus whispered and smiled weakly. "I’ll be back in a couple of weeks and I expect to find you here, running a well-organized operation. Forming a new resistance will take a lot of work… let me know if I can be of assistance," he offered.

"Thank you, Marcus." Al fought the sudden fatigue, but realized that the drug would overwhelm him shortly. "Take care while you’re away."

"I will," Marcus promised and backed away from the bed as the telepath’s eyes closed.

"You should leave now, Marcus. He’s asleep and can’t hear you anyway," Franklin softly admonished his friend, "And yes, I will take good care of him."

Marcus placed a pair of sweats onto the chair and said apologetically, "Those med gowns are awful!"

"They’re designed to keep patients from running off," Stephen wisecracked and shoed the ranger out of Al’s room.

Marcus left voluntarily after casting one more look at Al.

"Marcus?" Susan asked, seeing the absent minded expression on the ranger’s face. "I can’t stay too long. Lt. Corwin is covering for me, but…"

"Susan, love," Marcus whispered and placed a hesitant kiss on her lips, which opened immediately and tempted him to deepen the contact. Remembering that he had to leave in a couple of minutes he resisted that temptation. "Walk me to the docking bay?" he said breathlessly, touched by her warm and genuine reaction.

Susan took hold of his right arm and positioned it around her waist, ignoring all curious looks they attracted. She no longer cared if they knew about her new love, as a matter of fact she felt proud of their relationship. "I’ll miss you," she admitted.

"I’ll miss you too, love," Marcus whispered and interlaced his fingers with hers. "I wish I could stay."

"You have got to do this, Marcus. You’re a ranger. We were just damn lucky to have you here on the station for this long." Susan rested her head on his shoulder. "I’ll still be here when you get back, you know."

"I certainly hope so!" Marcus said and pulled her closer to his body. "I asked Al to keep an eye on you. I hope you don’t mind, love. I’m so worried your ability will backfire on you now that…"

Susan quickly placed a finger against his lips, knowing what he was about to say. She no longer denied her own unease now that her psi ability had manifested in such a strong way. "I promise to talk to… Bester should I need his advice."

"Thank you," Marcus whispered and suddenly realized that they had arrived at their destination. "Perhaps you can…"

"I’ll make sure Bester doesn’t do any stupid things," she said and felt guilty for having seen this concern in his mind.

"So this is good-bye… for now," Marcus mumbled and inhaled her scent once more, trying to catch the fragrance in his memory.

"For now, yes." Susan placed her hand at the back of his neck, pulled him closer and kissed him passionately. "And I was serious when I warned you =not= to fall in love with a trainee!"

Chuckling, Marcus replied, "No woman alive compares to you, love."

Resolutely, Susan released the ranger from her hold and smiled. "You better remember that once you get there. I’ll be here to welcome you back to the station when you return," she promised and started walking away from him.

Marcus watched her departure and fought the sense of abandonment sneaking up on him. Composing himself again he proceeded to walk towards the shuttle.

"Anla’shok."

"Yes?" Marcus quickly turned about to see who had addressed him. //That voice sounds awfully familiar,// he thought and realized whom the voice belonged to. Suppressing the shivers running down his spine he locked eyes with the Minbari warrior who had emerged from behind the shuttle.

"Neroon," he whispered and swallowed hard. Sometimes at night when he felt restless, the memories of their fight haunted him in his dreams.

Measuring up the Minbari Marcus noticed the bulky muscles underneath the uniform and he wondered what had possessed him to challenge Neroon to the death. //Even while issuing the challenge I knew I couldn’t win. But back then it didn’t matter to me.//

Neroon studied the human in return. "I trust you have recovered from the injuries I unfortunately inflicted on you?" Neroon inquired and circled the ranger. //I never realized how skinny he is,// Neroon thought and was even more impressed by the human’s accomplishment in stopping him. Although Marcus’ victory had been philosophical he had begun to respect the human.

"Yes," Marcus replied; stunned to encounter the warrior here. Then realization dawned on him. "You’re in command of the war cruiser?"

"Delenn asked me to escort you home, yes." Neroon replied amused, apparently she hadn’t told Marcus whom to expect. Clasping his hands behind his back he advanced on the ranger who obviously had to force himself not to back up. //Is he afraid of me?// Neroon wondered in disbelief, //No, he faced me in the darkness while we were enemies and now… Maybe the bout made a more brutal impact on him than I assumed.//

"I wish Entil’Zha wasn’t so secretive," Marcus said and held his ground. Dark, distorted images floated into his mind as he remembered Neroon’s proud stance, threatening to deal that fatal blow. Trying to distract Neroon’s penetrating glare he said, "I didn’t know you took orders from Delenn."

"Things are not always what they appear to be," Neroon replied cryptically and inclined his head to observe the human further. "We should go aboard the shuttle now. It will take us one hour to meet up with the war cruiser."

"Yes, of course." Marcus shook off the spooky apprehension and watched Neroon open the shuttle doors. //I’m in dire straits now,// he realized as he followed the warrior inside.

Neroon took his seat and moved his hands over the crystals. "Are you ready for departure?"

"No, but something tells me that you won’t take that into consideration," Marcus quipped a bit nervously and felt amazingly relieved as the shuttle starting launching procedures. There was no need to strap himself in and he sat down next to Neroon. These Minbari flyers were incredible feats of technology.

"I will pilot the shuttle," Neroon stated and adjusted their course as Babylon 5 released them into the infinity of space. Noting the tension between them the warrior wondered why it was there. "It is an honor to replace Master Durhann," he said eventually.

"Yes, it is." Marcus peeked at the Minbari. "Weren’t you disappointed when they didn’t choose you?" and wished he could take back that impertinent question.

Neroon laughed though. "No, I am a warrior, not a teacher!" he exclaimed and heard the sigh of relief that escaped his passenger. "You will perform that duty better than I can."

"I’m not so sure about that," Marcus admitted and shrugged his shoulders, " Most trainees are Minbari and I doubt it very much that they will accept me, a human, as their teacher."

Neroon was amazed to learn about the human’s self-doubt. In the heat of their fight the ranger had appeared extremely confidant. "There is no reason to doubt your talent," Neroon said and caught Marcus’ gaze, "I can vouch for your mastery of the pike."

Now Marcus had to laugh as well. "Mastery? Something tells me this trip to Minbar might be filled with surprises."

"Pleasant ones, I hope," Neroon said and grinned. "Minbari do have a sense of humor, you know."

*

"Delenn? I hope you do not mind me saying this, but you look upset," Lennier said concerned. Neroon’s surprise visit had taken him aback and he disliked seeing the warrior this close to the woman he secretly loved.

"Neroon’s report was… distressing," Delenn whispered, "There has been an increase in sightings of Shadow vessels and they appear to be heading our way, Lennier. I fear Babylon 5 might be in imminent danger."

"Perhaps you should discuss this with the Captain or the War Council," Lennier suggested in a soft tone.

"I will." Delenn sipped from the ceremonial tea and tried to concentrate on the problem at hand. "If Neroon’s calculations are correct -and I do not doubt his accuracy- the Shadows might attack the station shortly."

"Do you want me to establish a connection with the Captain’s office?" Lennier asked and poured tea in to her now empty cup.

"Yes, Lennier." Delenn nodded once and stared into the candle’s flame.

*

"Stephen!" John said pleased, "How did Bester’s surgery go?"

"Very well, he should be back on his feet by tomorrow." Franklin placed the files he had been reading onto his desk and looked at his Captain. "Have you heard anything from Psi Corps?"

"Why would I?" Sheridan asked puzzled.

"Just in case Jenkins regained consciousness," Franklin explained, "It just occurred to me that they could resort to scanning him and acquire his memories in that way."

"That thought crossed my mind as well," John replied worried, "Let’s hope Bester fried all Jenkins’ synapses and that his memories are gone too."

"I take it Marcus already left?" The doctor made one more entry into the computer system to record Bester’s current condition.

"The shuttle left 30 minutes ago," Sheridan informed him, "Did I already tell you that Susan has been a bit distracted lately?" he quipped amused.

"Looks like they finally allowed their feelings to come into the open," Franklin reasoned and nodded towards one of his assistants, as the nurse gestured him that they needed to talk.

"This might get interesting," Sheridan ran a hand through his hair, "Care to wager a bet?

"Sure, why not, but we’ll have discuss this later, John, I’ve got to see a patient now." Franklin wanted some time to think this over. //I’m not going to lose credits over this one!// he thought resolved.

Walking out into the corridor he addressed the nurse. "What is it?"

"You wanted to be informed the moment Mr. Bester regained consciousness. He just woke up and is already rather lucid."

"Excellent, I’m going to see him in a moment. I just need to finish my report first." Franklin dismissed her and decided to be careful when waging that bet.

*

Slowly, Al opened his eyes and tried to focus on the ceiling, relieved at the speed with which Franklin had performed the surgery. Unexpectedly, he caught himself searching the room for ghosts of the dead. They had kept silent lately and he hoped it would stay that way. There was something profoundly distressing in being admonished by a man he had killed years ago.

Flexing his left hand he wondered about the amount of time it had taken him to start searching for the truth. //If the Corps hadn’t arrested me I would still be ignorant of my true identity,// he realized in dread.

"How are you feeling?"

Distorted, the voice drifted into his consciousness and he had to tighten his hold on his mind in order not to scan his surroundings to find out who was close to him.

"It’s me, Franklin," the doctor said and realized the anaesthetic hadn’t completely worn off yet.

"The doctor," Al said in a soft tone as he identified the voice.

"Yes, and I want you to tell me where you are." Checking all vital functions Franklin felt reassured Bester was doing all right.

"My favorite place… in the universe… Babylon 5," Al wisecracked sleepily.

Franklin barely suppressed his amusement at hearing that statement. "I knew there was a reason why you kept coming back!"

"Can I… sleep now?" Al managed to ask while his eyes slipped shut.

"Yes," Franklin said and pulled up the thermo blanket. "I’ll be back to check on you in a few hours. Just push the button if you need assistance," and placed the small device into Al’s right hand.

"Will do," Al sighed and dozed off.

*

Susan returned to her quarters after her shift had ended. She had noticed the looks Sheridan had given her after she had resumed her work in C&C. Something told her that they were waging bets concerning her and Marcus.

After slipping into her nightgown she stretched on the sofa and watched an ISN broadcast, but her thoughts strayed back to Marcus all the time. She had tried hard not so show her true feelings. //I wish he had stayed or had taken me with him, but that’s wishful thinking. There’s a war going on and we both have our duties, but eventually he will return to me.//

Holding onto that reassuring thought she dragged herself over to the bed. Until now she hadn’t realized how tired she was… and that pounding headache still refused to go away! She knew what was causing it; her psi ability. Her shield and blocks were poorly constructed and she realized she had to accept Bester’s offer shortly.

"I’ll contact him tomorrow. He’s in med lab anyway and knowing Stephen he hit Bester with sleeping meds without telling his patient."

Wrapping the blanket tightly around her body she distracted her worries with thinking about possible ways of deflowering Marcus Cole.

*

"Doctor Franklin?"

Looking up from his paperwork Stephen gestured the lurker to enter his office. "I thought you had left the station with the others!"

"I remained behind as their contact," the older man said apologetically.

"What are you doing here, Martin?" Franklin asked and wondered if other rogue telepaths were still hiding in Down Below. "The Underground Railroad no longer runs through Babylon 5."

"I know, we moved the operation to one of the planets near the rim, but… I had to come here." Martin looked ill at ease and constantly searched his surroundings. After being on the run from the Corps for most of his life he was suspicious of anyone.

"Why?" Franklin closed the file and rose to his feet. "You’re not safe here."

"Is it true, Doctor Franklin?" Martin said hesitantly.

"What are you talking about?"

"Is Alfred Bester onboard the station?" The older man’s eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Why do you want to know that?" Franklin decided to wait a little longer before answering Martin.

"There are rumors circulating in Down Below."

"This is getting a bit tiresome." Franklin pointed out to him.

"They are saying that…" Martin paused and locked eyes with the doctor. "Is it true that he’s Stephen Dexter?"

Franklin nodded once. "Yes, it’s true."

"How can you be sure?" Martin paced the office impatiently. The weakened resistance had ordered him to find out the truth because he had history with the doctor.

"I saw the files Psi Corps had been hiding from him for all his life." Franklin smiled weakly, "It’s important to you to know the truth, isn’t it?"

"Yes, but… I can’t believe Alfred Bester and Stephen Dexter are one and the same person." Martin quickly scanned the corridor with his eyes, afraid of being found out.

"He’s willing to fight the Corps, you know," Franklin informed him, "If I were you I would take advantage of it. Captain Sheridan already made him a member of the War Council."

"But can we trust him?" Martin said helplessly, "We can’t trust Bester."

"He has changed, Martin. He is no longer is the man you knew. We almost jokingly addressed him as Stephen Dexter and the hurt in his eyes was clearly visible." Franklin hadn’t thought the crumbled resistance would move this fast. News traveled more quickly than he had assumed.

"Can I talk to him?" Martin asked, uncertain whether he should face Bester or not. He trusted Franklin; the doctor had helped them enormously and was still their liaison onboard Babylon 5, but trusting Bester?

"He’s unconsciousness right now due to the surgery he had and will be out of it for at least 4 more hours. Why don’t you come back then?" Franklin suggested.

"And you saw these files?" Martin asked; desperately needing confirmation that their hope was justified.

"Yes, Al had hacked through the Corps’ computer system. The Corps took the baby and ensured he grew up in Cadre Prime." Franklin sat down again, wondering how much it would take to convince the resistance.

"I’ll return in five hours," Martin decided, "Thank you for your continued assistance, Doctor Franklin."

"I’ll inform Al that you want to talk to him," Franklin said and accessed Bester’s medical file again as Martin left his office. //I hope the resistance is going to use this opportunity!//

*

Closely, Marcus followed Neroon as they left the shuttle. Several Minbari warriors had been awaiting their arrival and the ranger felt uncomfortable seeing their dark and gloomy looks. They disliked having him onboard, that much was certain. Listening to the young Minbari who addressed Neroon respectfully, Marcus remembered that Neroon carried the title of Alit. He had almost forgotten about that.

Neroon accepted the ritual welcome and gestured Marcus to stay close him. "I will escort you to your quarters," he said and noticed the ranger’s alert expression. He waited for Marcus to fall into step beside him and then dismissed the crewmembers, who had welcomed him.

"They don’t like me being here," Marcus mumbled.

"Most of them fought in the Earth-Minbari war," Neroon explained and smiled saddened. "Old wounds only heal slowly, Anla’shok."

"Please call me Marcus?"

"I suggest you stay in your rooms," Neroon continued, "Although there is only a small chance that they will act against you, I can not dismiss that concern."

The ranger remained silent, trying to take in most of his surroundings. He had only been onboard a war cruiser once before. "You appear to have accepted humans though," Marcus stated a bit confused.

"You forced me to accept our equivalence, Marcus," the name rolled off his tongue easily, "You left me no choice."

"I respect you too," Marcus quipped; feeling a bit more at ease now.

"And I like your kind of humor," Neroon admitted and stopped when he had reached the quarters he had set aside for the ranger. "I hope you will join me for dinner later?"

"I would be delighted to," Marcus smiled and peeked inside his rooms. They were large for guest rooms and well equipped. //I hope I can still sleep on a Minbari platform!// Marcus thought, noticing the tilted bed in the back of the room.

Neroon marched inside and showed the human how to work the com system, "In case you need to contact me," he explained. "I will return in two hours. My cook has already started preparations for dinner."

//Hopefully he isn’t preparing Flarn!// Marcus thought and bowed slightly. Neroon had done his best to make him feel welcome and his quarters were more comfortable than his room onboard Babylon 5. "Thank you, Alit Neroon."

"Maybe you will honor me later by sparring with me?" Neroon inquired, "It has been a while since I fought a worthy adversary."

Marcus gulped; remembering the beating he had received from Neroon some months ago. Speechless, he simply nodded his head.

Neroon grinned pleased and realized that their trip back to Minbar wouldn’t be so boring this time and left the guest quarters.

Marcus however sat down on the couch. Neroon’s warm welcome had surprised him and he wondered what their bout in Down Below had done to the warrior. Although Neroon still possessed that smug and arrogant appearance his words had carried a different tone, one of respect and curiosity.

//Three days at least!// Marcus reminded himself and wondered how Al was doing. He was probably regaining consciousness right now. //And Susan!// he thought. Feeling lonely he wished she were here with him.

The abyss part 14

After extensively studying his readings, Franklin decided that it was time for his patient to wake up. The results worried him though. Apparently Bester was in a worse shape than he had assumed. //I’ll have to convince him to stay here so I can keep an eye on him.//

"Al? You’ve got to wake up now," he said in a stern voice, realizing Martin would return to med lab any moment now. Considering Bester’s current state of mind he wanted to prepare his patient for that upcoming confrontation. Al needed rest and that was the one thing he wasn’t getting at the moment. It complicated the healing process immensely. //And why did the resistance act this quickly? It’s like they’re planning something big and the Corps already reacted to that threat by seeking out possible traitors. Why else would they have arrested one of their own? As far as I know Bester was always loyal to them!//

"Al?" Franklin repeated in a louder tone and wished Marcus was here. The ranger’s presence would greatly add to his patient’s sense of safety. Now, it was up to him to ensure Bester was taken care of. Relieved, he noticed that Al opened his eyes at last.

"I take it… surgery… was successful?" Al mumbled sleepily. It was hard to leave the sanctuary of sleep and oblivion, only to be confronted by bitter reality.

"Yes," Franklin assured him, "Everything went fine. How do you feel? Dizzy? Nauseous?"

"Tired," Al replied and made an effort to focus his eyes on the doctor. It took him a moment to shake off the effects of the drugs Franklin had used to put him out. "Something is wrong, though," Al realized, seeing Franklin’s furrowed brow, "What happened?" Impatiently he waited for an answer and used the time to clear his head from all lingering fog.

Franklin knew that beating around the bush wouldn’t get him anywhere and said, "The resistance contacted me to verify if you’re really Stephen Dexter." Closely monitoring Al’s readings he was relieved when his patient remained calm.

"And?" Al raised an eyebrow, trying to determine what Franklin was trying to tell him. He couldn’t dismiss the eerie sensation of apprehension that flowed through him, hearing the resistance had already acted.

"One of their contacts is here. Martin wants to talk to you to find out if you’re for real. This might be the chance you were hoping for." Franklin pointed out to him in a concerned tone.

//Martin,// the name made Al cringe. //Could it be they sent =him=?// He had know a man with that name…//Martin has every reason to hate me!// Al forced himself to calm down. The beeps the monitor was transmitting had increased in speed and betrayed his nervousness. //I made the choice to face my past, better see it through now!//

"Show him in," Al said eventually and nodded towards the doctor, whose worried expression was apparent.

"Are you sure?" Franklin wanted to know, judging it too soon for his patient to confront Martin. "You should rest a little longer before…"

"I know what I’m doing," Al cut Franklin short. Deep down he felt damn insecure about facing Martin.

"In that case I’ll stay close," Franklin replied and shook his head in dismay. "I know you want to do this, but your health… Damn, you’re stubborn! I’m not going to leave the two of you alone!"

Al smiled weakly, relishing the determination on Franklin’s face. He wanted to tell the doctor how much it meant to him to hear those words, but remained silent, too embarrassed to actually admit his needs.

It was impossible to tell who was more nervous; Al for facing his past or Martin, walking up to Bester’s bed. Franklin watched them both, resolved to keep a close eye on his patient.

As Martin had entered the room Al had managed to remain composed. It was obvious that Martin still expected psi cops to show up and arrest him. Their eyes met and Al swallowed hard. //It’s Martin all right!// he realized and sensed the rogue’s dislike of him. Shutting the emotion out he tried hard to appear calm.

Franklin’s concern deepened; both telepaths were measuring each other up and daring the other to speak first. Eventually, Franklin decided to step in there. "Al, this is Martin," he said and tore apart the awful silence in the room.

"We know each other," Al admitted honestly and propped himself into a sitting position. //I should have known they would sent Martin… he’s a P 12 too and that way we’re equally matched.//

"You do?" Franklin asked confused; Martin had never told him that.

"Before I turned rogue," Martin said and moved closer towards the bed, "I was Al’s roommate at the Academy. We were both training to become psi cops."

"We were friends," Al mumbled, "At least I thought so till you ran away." Seeing his former friend had a bigger impact than he had expected and Al realized the importance of convincing Martin of his sincerity.

"But thankfully I realized in time what they were doing to me, us," Martin continued and locked eyes with Franklin, "The Corps developed a fool proof way of brainwashing telepaths, to make them believe that they can only survive by joining the Corps. I think their methods are most effective on telepaths like Alfred over here, who was taken in when he was only one month old. Indoctrination is the name of their game, doctor," Martin added without any sense of humor.

"What do you want from me?" Al stared into Martin’s eyes, wanting to get this over with.

"Find out if you’re really Stephen Dexter." Martin replied and his eyes narrowed as he took in Bester’s pale complexion. "The resistance has been weakened by several attacks carried out by the Corps… not to mention that we need a leader. Monkey knew what he was doing, so did Fiona… But at the moment the resistance is divided."

"You want to scan me," Al realized and fought sudden panic, "It’s the only way to be sure I’m telling the truth." The thought scared him. Jenkins had done enough damage for a lifetime.

"Stop, hold on!" Franklin interrupted and moved in between his patient and Martin. "I’m not going to allow you to scan Al in his current state."

"Step aside, doctor," Al whispered, "There’s too much at stake here."

"No!" Franklin objected and turned around to face his patient. "You can’t cope with another scan!"

"Another?" Martin asked and looked at Bester, wondering what the doctor was referring to.

"I want to speak to you in the corridor, now!" Franklin told Martin and gestured him to walk in front of him.

Martin gave in, curious for answers and waited for the doctor to join him. He noticed that Franklin carefully closed the door behind him to ensure Bester couldn’t hear them. "Al’s right, doctor, the stakes are too high."

"Now you’re going to listen to me for a change," Franklin started, "Al was deep scanned by another psi cop when he was imprisoned and he still hasn’t recovered from that experience. I don’t want you to add to the trauma!"

"I never realized how protective you are, doctor," Martin smiled amused, but then grew serious again, "I didn’t know about the deep scans… I ensure you I’ll be as careful as possible. Being scanned only hurts when he fights me."

Troubled, Franklin considered his dilemma. "I want to help you, but he’s my patient and I’m responsible for him."

"Let him make the decision," Martin suggested, willing to be lenient, "I don’t have to perform a deep scan to find out if he’s lying. It will only take a moment."

"I still don’t like it!" Franklin announced defiantly, "Why can’t you take my word for it?"

Martin’s expression darkened. "I told the truth when I said that the resistance is divided. If we really want to stand a chance fighting the Corps we need a leader and although I dislike the idea of Bester taking that position, I have to admit that he owns all the necessary qualities. If he really is Stephen Dexter and has sworn to destroy the Corps a large number of telepaths will follow him. I have to make sure he really is Fiona’s son."

"All right," Franklin reluctantly gave in, "But I’ll stay too and you’ll end the scan at my call should I find that necessary. Do you understand?"

"Yes, doctor," Martin accepted the offer, knowing Franklin was dedicated to their cause. He had risked his life during the time he had supported the Underground Railroad.

*

Al centered himself in an attempt to regain his inner balance. //I should have known that they would insist on a scan.// But the thought caused him even more discomfort. How deep would Martin go? The rogue had absorbed most of the training at the Academy and even back then he had displayed a talent for interrogation scans. Shivering, Al took some deep breaths. How many more times would he be asked to submit to a scan to prove the truth? //I’m only going to allow it this once!// he thought determined.

The moment Martin and Franklin re-entered Al’s hands clawed themselves a way into the fabric of the blanket. All he could think about was Jenkins deep scanning him.

Martin caught that fear and realized Franklin had a valid reason to be concerned. "You know the procedure, Al. As long as you don’t fight me you shouldn’t feel that much discomfort. Just let me in," Martin said reassuringly and pulled up a chair.

Al nodded once. He knew Martin was right, but… "I’ll try," and didn’t pull back as Martin touched his head to intensify the contact.

Martin’s gaze grew glazed as he focused on his subject, carefully diving into Bester’s mind.

Al closed his eyes as Martin entered his mind and forced himself to open his thoughts to him, but his instinct was telling him differently.

//Relax, Al, I’m not going to hurt you,// Martin cast and moved deeper into the past and sucked in his breath as he encountered Stephen Walters' mental touch. //I forgot you did 8 death bed scans, but I never expected this to be the result of that.// Deeply awed he left Brother Edward and Shon behind him.

"Do you want to stop this?" Franklin asked Al who had started to tremble violently.

"No," Al whispered and thought about his reason for doing this. //I want revenge for what they did to me!//

//I hear you,// Martin cast and finally reached his destination. //It’s true then… You are Stephen Dexter!// As he touched that final truth they locked eyes.

//I told you so,// Al cast exhausted and hoped the ordeal was over. //Are you satisfied now?//

//Yes, I’ll withdraw from your mind now.// Martin sought himself a way out of Bester’s mindscape and halted one last time as he encountered memories concerning Jenkins. //The Corps has to be stopped; you realize that now, don’t you?//

//Yes, I do,// Al admitted and sighed the moment his mind was his own again, relishing being free of the intrusion.

"I’ll send a message to the resistance," Martin said in a shaky tone and got to his feet.

Franklin walked up to Al and studied the latest readings. "You have got to get rest now," he told his patient in a stern tone.

"It’s hard to believe…" Martin mumbled in disbelief, "I shared a room with Stephen Dexter and never knew about it!"

Al had been quiet this far, but now spoke up. "I told Sheridan and now I’ll tell you," he paused to regulate his breathing, "Stephen Dexter was killed decades ago."

"Then maybe it’s time to resurrect him," Martin said after pondering the remark. "You know we need you!"

Self-doubt played across Al’s face as he crooked his head. "I want to help the resistance fight the Corps, but…"

"They robbed you of your life, Al," Martin said in a sharp tone.

"Martin, you should go now," Franklin placed a firm hand on the rogue’s shoulder. "He needs rest."

Martin walked over to the door, but then turned around. "I’ll inform the resistance that you’re Stephen Dexter, that you want to get back at the Corps… And why are you still using the name they gave you; Alfred Bester?" he suddenly wondered. "Why not go by the name your parents gave you?"

Al shook his head. "I asked myself that question… Maybe one day I will, but at the moment I still am Al Bester… The Corps made me into this person I am today and they will find out I can do massive damage if I want to. They taught me too well, Martin."

"In a weird way I understand you, Al." Martin hesitantly nodded his head. "I’ll contact you once I have received an answer from head quarters, but… you better recover quickly. The Corps is planning something big."

"I was afraid of that," Al admitted and leaned back into the pillows as Franklin gently pushed him onto the bed.

"You can worry about that later." Franklin injected a small amount of sleeping meds into his patient’s IV and waited for Martin to leave the room. "I’m putting you to sleep now."

Al had seen the dark substance disperse itself through the transparent tube and resigned himself to the doctor’s care. "Do you think I managed to convince him?" Al asked drowsy.

"Yes." Franklin watched Al’s eyes close and made another entry into his patient’s file. "I wouldn’t be surprised if the resistance wants you to lead them," he added, but realized that Bester no longer heard him as he had dozed off.

*

Marcus couldn’t stop pacing the guest quarters. //Stay inside… don’t roam the ship… bugger, I feel confined!// Neroon surely meant well, warning him about possible threats, but he could take care of himself!

"I shouldn’t," the ranger whispered as he approached the door. Maybe if he stayed near his quarters he wouldn’t encounter too many Minbari warriors. Neroon had a valid reason to be concerned though, Marcus knew that. A large number of Minbari warriors bore humans a grudge and having one onboard might trigger their aggressiveness. "Just a few steps," he mumbled and opened the door.

Peeking into the corridor he realized he was alone. //Good, no Minbari warrior in sight!// His confidence increased and he left his quarters. His hand remained near his pike though, just in case Neroon had been right.

"Where to go?" he wondered. He had only been aboard a war cruiser once before and didn’t remember too much from that occasion.

A Minbari warrior turned around the corner and almost bumped into the ranger.

"Sorry," Marcus whispered in Minbari but had no idea whether the warrior understood the tongue of the religious caste. The Minbari shot him an indignant glare before resuming his walk. "Maybe I should have remained inside my quarters," Marcus admitted and started his way back.

"Bugger, I can’t be lost! I must have taken a wrong turn somewhere!" Marcus tried retracing his steps, but every corridor looked the same to him. By now he no longer knew how to get back to his rooms. "There must be a way to contact Neroon," he whispered and tried to find something that resembled a com system, but without any success.

The echo of several voices attracted his attention. Unable to understand the meaning of their words he decided to retreat into an empty corridor. //Bugger, I’m a guest on this ship, so why am I hiding?//

The voices closed in on him and Marcus wondered whether they were searching for him, but why? He was about to turn and enter another corridor when four Minbari warriors appeared in front of him. The ranger recognized the one warrior who had bumped into him. Smiling awkwardly Marcus tried to recall the little words he knew in the warrior caste’s dialect.

One of the warriors slipped his hand underneath his jacket and uncovered a pike.

//This doesn’t look good!// Marcus thought alarmed and curled his fingers around the small cylinder. //If they want to fight, I’m outnumbered!//

Three Minbari warriors moved back to give them some space and watched approvingly as a pike was opened.

Realizing the potential danger Marcus extended his fighting pike as well and measured up the warrior who was grinning at him with bared teeth. The ranger didn’t know what to make of this. The Minbari hadn’t uttered a threat, no words at all actually, so what was going on? Had he somehow been challenged to a duel, similar to Denn’Sha?

The Minbari bowed slightly, then launched a classic attack, which Marcus blocked easily. //Why do they have to be so damned strong?// he wondered. If it hadn’t been for the difference in physical strength they would have been equally matched. Finding himself now involved in a fight Marcus had no other choice as to launch a counter attack.

Cursing beneath his breath he jumped out of the Minbari’s way, but then realized that he had been backed into a corner. Using his agility he ducked to block the next blow and moved to the right, trying to get away from the warrior. His breathing had become ragged and Marcus knew he had to end the fight quickly if he wanted to survive this one.

"Stop this!"

A roaring voice catapulted through the corridor and Marcus allowed himself to sigh relieved, identifying Neroon’s voice.

"I demand an explanation!" Neroon’s angry expression told his men that he was being serious and with one practiced move Neroon disarmed the attacker.

Marcus immediately collapsed his pike and tried regaining his breath. "I don’t know why…" he started.

Neroon nodded politely towards the ranger, then grabbed the attacking crewmember by the collar and dragged him into a corner. The other three Minbari warriors looked ashamed as they cast down their eyes. Addressing the attacker in Minbari Neroon adopted an authoritative pose as he waited for an explanation.

Marcus leaned against the wall and felt relieved Neroon had intervened before things had gotten out of hand. //Why did they attack me?// he wondered and tried listening in on Neroon’s conversation, but had to admit defeat, not understanding a single word.

Neroon’s anger lessened though as he listened to the Minbari’s explanation. "You acted foolishly," he said in Minbari and dismissed the four of them. He would discipline them later, after he’d had time to think up a suitable punishment. "I have to apologize for their behavior," Neroon said and gestured the ranger to come closer.

Driven by curiosity Marcus walked up to Neroon. "Why? What did I do wrong?"

"It is a misunderstanding," Neroon said apologetically and began to walk. "They had heard that you are to replace Master Durhann and were curious why a human had been chosen to fulfil that duty."

"They decided to test me?" Marcus whispered, suddenly understanding the situation.

"Yes, but because they do not speak Standard they did not know how to tell you, so they acted instead." Neroon felt relieved that they hadn’t tried killing the ranger just because he was human. That had been his first concern when he had heard about the fight. He had rushed down here, hoping he was in time to prevent worse.

"Perhaps I should advise Delenn to have the trainees taught the warrior caste tongue as well. They didn’t understand the Minbari I spoke." Marcus suddenly recognized his surroundings and knew where to find his quarters.

"A good idea," Neroon agreed and recalled the moves the ranger had used to defend himself. "I look forward to sparring with you."

//I don’t,// Marcus thought, but smiled nonetheless. They had reached his quarters and stood opposite each other. The silence became uncomfortable and Marcus wished he knew what to say to do away with the silence. "What do you think, Neroon? Is there any hope we might overcome our past and stop fighting each other?"

"I like to think so," Neroon replied and smiled warmly. "This time I suggest you contact me first before exploring the rest of the ship."

"That would be the best thing to do."

Neroon took a moment to study the human and then said, "A meal will be served in one standard hour and I hope to share it with you."

"And the sparring match?"

"Later today." Neroon bowed politely and acted like he hadn’t noticed the apprehensive expression in Marcus’ eyes. The truth was that the ranger had impressed him earlier while holding his own against the warrior. "Your fighting skill has improved since we fought."

"I stole some of your moves," Marcus admitted guilty.

"I am flattered," Neroon quipped and opened the door. "I will return in one hour."

Marcus went inside and felt like climbing the walls again. //One hour!// he moaned mentally and retrieved his pike and opened it… closed it… opened it… closed it…

*

Susan Ivanova was pacing the corridor. Her instincts told her to go inside and talk to Bester, but her heart kept warning her. Once she had asked the former psi cop to help her there was no more turning back.

//But this headache has to stop!// she thought in pain. For the first time since she had come to the station Sheridan had sent her back to her quarters, telling her to solve her problems first before returning to duty. She’d had no choice but to tell him about her psi ability causing her headaches.

Out of uniform she felt vulnerable and the medics were already giving her odd looks. //Come on, Ivanova, you can do this!// she told herself and stepped inside and asked one of the nurses where to find Franklin.

"That’s easy," the young nurse said, "he’s in Mr. Bester’s room."

Susan thanked her for the information and slowly walked on. //I’ll have to tell Stephen I’m a telepath sooner or later,// she realized in dread.

"Why won’t you discharge me? I can take care of myself!"

She immediately identified Bester’s voice and drew a deep breath before entering the exam room. "I hope I’m not interrupting anything." Her eyes searched the room and she noticed Bester’s shaken expression. //He’s not as tough as he wants us to believe,// she thought amused.

//And you, Commander, should learn to shield your thoughts better,// Al cast and caught her startled gaze. //Couldn’t resist temptation,// he added apologetically.

"Susan," Franklin said, oblivious of their secret conversation, "What brings you here?"

"I want to talk to Bester," she said in a determined tone.

"I have got to check on something anyway," Franklin replied and exchanged a look with his patient. //I sure hope I’m right about Carolyn’s implants,// he thought uncomfortably and left the room to give them some privacy.

"This damn headache is killing me!" Susan exclaimed and sat down, hating herself for showing this weakness.

"We’ve got something in common then," Al quipped and rubbed his temples. Martin’s light scan had also given him a headache.

"Why do you have one?" Susan asked and clenched her hands into fists. "How can you stand the static anyway?"

Al considered both questions and decided to ignore the first one. "The stronger the telepath the louder the static, " he explained.

"Then I don’t want to experience yours!" Susan said and wondered about the request she was going to make. //He’s no longer the enemy, damnit!// she reminded herself.

"I can deal with it," Al whispered, "Will you allow me to scan you? It’s the only way to find out what’s causing your problems."

"Scan me?" Susan echoed, "No way in hell I’m going to allow you to…"

//I can’t help you otherwise,// he cast and waited for her reaction. She had chosen a bad moment to come and ask his advice. His own headache kept throbbing through his mind.

"All right, do it then!" Susan said angrily.

//You won’t notice me doing it,// Al assured her and reached out, //You’ve never been tested…//

"That’s right," Susan admitted and waited for Bester to start scanning her.

//My guess is that you’re a P 5, maybe P 6. You should get that test done,// he kept her occupied on purpose while examining her blocks and improving them at times.

"That high?" Susan was surprised, never realizing his scan was almost done.

//Yes,// Al cast and finished scanning her. // Do you still have a headache?//

Confused, Susan realized that the pain was gone. "I still feel something though… Whispered words…"

//That’s the static. You’ll grow used to it,// he cast and closed his eyes. Helping her had drained him of the little energy reserves he had.

"Thank you," Susan said; amazed that Bester had kept his word. "Maybe Marcus wasn’t wrong about you after all."

"As you said yourself, I’m not the enemy any longer." Al pulled up the thermo blanket and peeked through half-closed eyelids at her. "Whom are you going to ask for some basic training? Lyta?"

"She’s off station," Susan mused and wondered about him. "I never thought I would ask you this, but…"

"I will help you," Al sighed, "Once Franklin lets me go…"

"How much longer do you have to stay?"

"I have no idea." Cautiously stretching his body he wondered why she was still here. "I strengthened your shields. It will keep the headache away, but you should explore your talent and get used to being a telepath."

"I don’t think I’ll ever grow used to being one," Susan replied and got back to her feet, sensing his fatigue. Something told her that he should have been a lot better by now, not this exhausted. "Can I come back later? Maybe you can teach me more about these shields you mentioned."

"I suggest you check with me first, Susan," Franklin said, while pondering the content of the conversation he had partly heard. Closing the door behind him he studied the both of them "I had my suspicions for some time now," he started, "Certain parts of your medical files were tampered with, Susan."

Al shrugged his shoulders as she stared at him. //You can’t keep this a secret your entire life.//

"You’re a telepath, Susan, aren’t you?" Franklin knew he had uncovered the truth when her eyes froze, "And I guess that Jenkins’ scan caused your ability to become active."

"Why do you always have to be so annoyingly right?" Susan growled.

"So it’s true then? Does Marcus know?" Franklin tried not to look too smug, pleased that he had been right all along.

"Marcus knows and so does the Captain, but Stephen don’t tell anyone else! The Corps…"

"Don’t worry, Susan, " Franklin said in a soft tone and briefly looked at Al, "I won’t tell them. After all, I ran the Underground Railroad for some time."

Susan smiled relieved. "Thanks, Stephen, I owe you."

In the meantime Al had lost the fight to stay awake and had drifted off into sleep.

"We better go now and let him rest," Franklin suggested, pointing at Al.

Susan followed him out of the room and realized a lot of things were about to change.

Part 15

"John? We need to talk." Delenn had waited for the other officers to leave because she wanted to talk to him in private first. All day she had waited for a quiet moment to address this issue and now the perfect opportunity had finally arrived. This couldn’t be postponed any longer.

"Of course." Sheridan gestured her to sit down and smiled fondly at the Minbari woman who had claimed his heart in such a short time. "Is this formal business or…?

"I am afraid so," Delenn replied and wondered how to start this conversation. She hated being the bringer of bad news. "I recently received distressing information. The Shadows are gathering in hyperspace. Several scout ships have been sighted near the jump gates, surprising our vessels which hardly managed to escape in time."

John’s eyes had narrowed taking in this news. "That’s a bad sign and I don’t like it! Do you think they’re planning an attack?"

"One would think so," Delenn said softly and leaned in closer, "There is more though. For the first time we have seen Psi Corps’ ships among the Shadow vessels. I think that they have tightened their alliance."

Slamming his fist in to the desk John uttered an infuriated growl. "We knew they had some kind of agreement, but to co-operate this openly? They must know this will come out in the open!" Enraged, he rose from behind the desk and ordered the computer to play images from the most recent Shadows’ sightings.

"Weapon’s components," he whispered in a hoarse tone and remembered Bester’s shock when he had found out what they had done to Carolyn and the other telepaths. "You know, Delenn, I don’t particularly like telepaths, but nobody deserves a fate like this! To be buried inside a living ship!"

"The Shadows must have found another way to perfect their weapons," Delenn said and moved to stand next to him. "I can not imagine what it must be like to be inside a Shadow vessel, but we have to help these humans. Telepathy is a treasured gift, John. I still do not understand why humans are afraid of their telepaths."

"When it came out in the open that they existed," John said and turned to look out her, "it unleashed a witch-hunt. People were afraid and you must admit that it’s a startling thing to know that someone can read your thoughts."

Delenn inclined her head. "Because we fear that which we can not understand. It appears to me that human telepaths have paid a high price for a genetic disposition they have no control over. Is Earth history going to repeat itself?" she asked and nodded towards the Shadow vessels.

"No, this time we’ll help them," Sheridan muttered and returned to his desk. "I don’t know how to help them though, Delenn. If there are really telepaths inside those Shadow vessels then our one weapon has become useless! In that case it would come down to pitching one teep against the other… Hardly any of them would survive such an encounter."

Slowly, Delenn returned to her seat and a sad expression crossed her features. "We have to prevent that." She disliked seeing his furrowed brow, which told her that their problems had grown worse.

"I must talk to Bester first. Maybe he knows of a way…" Sheridan said and was thankful he had enlisted the former psi cop. "He’ll do whatever's necessary to save =his= telepaths and now that the resistance is looking into his claim of being Stephen Dexter, we might be stronger than we originally thought."

*

The spoon dropped from Al’s hand with a loud thud. Although he detested the foul taste of Franklin’s food plans he had agreed to eating them, but the headache…

//Concentrate!// he told himself and made another effort to suppress the headache which had been tormenting him for hours now. A nagging pain emanated from behind his left ear and quickly increased in intensity. Martin’s scan had unleashed this headache and it would stay with him a lot longer. It had triggered a deeper ache he had been ignoring ever since his escape. Jenkins’ deep scans were responsible for the lingering discomfort and the pain was finally wearing him down. If only there was a way to forget about Jenkins’ interrogation for a short while, then his mind could recuperate from the ordeal.

"Al?"

He looked up hearing Franklin’s voice and closed his eyes as another wave of pain washed through his mind.

The monitor’s readings had alarmed Franklin and he had decided to look in on his patient personally.//Good thing I kept him hooked up!//

"You’re in pain," Franklin stated, not awaiting Bester’s confirmation. Running a medical scanner over his patient’s body he realized that a severe headache had caused the alarm. "Your headache got worse, didn’t it?"

"Yes," Al whispered, aware of the fact that he couldn’t fool the doctor, " and would you please not yell at me like that? I am not deaf… yet."

Franklin disposed of the still half-full bowl of soup and adjusted the scanner. "You should try to eat more," he admonished Al and realized that the man was feeling nauseous. "I’ll make sure you eat dinner." The doctor checked Al’s file and noted that he had only slept 6 hours after he had been given the sleeping medication. That should have been 12 at least. //He’s balancing on the edge and can’t let go. Al needs to relax and rest, but keeping him out is no solution either,// Franklin reasoned mentally.

"I’m going to give you something to help you relax, Al. My guess is that stress is causing that headache," he said and briefly left the room to get the drug he wanted to administer to his patient.

Al didn’t object this time. His energy reserves were gone and he needed to recharge, but he kept seeing Jenkins’ face. He hadn’t thought about his nemesis during these last days, but Martin’s scan had brought it all back.

"Close your eyes and try to get some rest," Franklin instructed and adjusted the IV, "The Valium won’t cause you to fall asleep, but will help you relax," the doctor explained and smiled as he injected a high concentration of the meds.

"You’re planning on keeping me here for a while, aren’t you?" Al asked and peeked through half closed eyelids. A warm, comforting sensation flowed through his body, starting at his feet and was now loosening his tense muscles as it sneaked up to his head.

"Yes, at least for a few more days. Your slow recovery worries me. It’s like I’m missing a piece of the puzzle." Frustrated, Franklin studied the file once more while keeping an eye on his patient. A smile had appeared on Al’s face and the doctor realized that the meds were starting to kick in. "As far as I can tell you’re suffering from severe exhaustion and only rest can cure that."

Feeling cosy and light-headed, Al lazily opened his now draped eyes. The headache had greatly diminished in strength and somehow he almost felt giddy. As he looked at Franklin he wondered why the doctor was moving in slow motion.

Franklin grinned, noticing the peculiar expression on Al’s face and said, "You’re entitled to a little break and the Valium will ensure you relax."

Al found it extremely hard to organize his words in order to formulate a coherent sentence. This warmth was luring him into letting go. "Do you really want… a ‘relaxed’ teep… this close to you?" he chuckled and shook his head slightly. "What if I … lose control and why… are you smiling… no, grinning… like that?"

"Telepaths don’t scare me," Franklin admitted and briefly sat down on the side of Bester’s bed. "People tend to overreact. I’m too rationally minded to be afraid of something that can easily be explained by studying your genetic make up."

"Most normals disagree with you," Al quipped and pushed himself deeper into the comfort of the bed. A yawn escaped his lips and he felt comfortably tired.

"I know," Franklin said saddened and crooked his head to study Al’s reactions. "Don’t fight it. Indulge yourself and only think happy thoughts.":

Al’s grin broadened. "Happy thoughts?"

"Yeah, reality will still be here once the Valium wears off. You need to let go for a while so your body and mind can heal." Franklin was about to leave his patient as Al’s question pulled him back.

"What about Carolyn, doctor? You told me… " Confused, Al tried to end his question, but stopped short. If it hadn't been for the drugs he would never have addressed Franklin in such a pleading tone.

"I found a way to rid her off the implants, but there are risks involved, I already told you," Franklin said in a soft tone, "Maybe she’ll return to you shortly. You’ve got to hope for the best."

"Hope," Al echoed and wasn’t sure of any of his feelings at the moment. "Hope is dangerous."

"But what’s life without hope?"

"I thought you only believed in rational matters," Al quipped and thought back to the moment when Carolyn had told him that she was pregnant.

"Don’t play word games with me!" Franklin chided him softly, "Did you already decide on a name for your daughter?"

"Daughter?"

Hearing Al’s stunned tone Franklin realized that Al hadn’t known the baby’s gender yet.

"No… We didn’t have the time to… " Al closed his eyes and continued to grin "A name?"

Silently, the doctor stepped outside the room. //That will keep you busy for some time!// he thought pleased and was determined to have another look at the stored data about Carolyn.

*

"Please sit down," Neroon said and pointed at the low square table.

Marcus nodded and accepted the invitation. Not sure what to do he followed Neroon’s example as he kneeled on the floor and tried to find a comfortable position opposite of the warrior.

Looking about he tried not to appear nosy, but Neroon intrigued him and he wanted to know more about the Minbari warrior. Next, he noticed the third, place setting.

"That place is set aside for Valen," Neroon explained, seeing Marcus’ curious expression. "You know much about our ways, but certain matters must be unknown to you. Feel free to ask questions."

"Thanks," Marcus replied and stared at the three bowls filled with vegetables on the table.

"No Flarn, as you requested." Neroon studied his guest. This was his chance to learn more about the human. "The cook prepared a light meal, mostly vegetables at your request."

"Let me guess," Marcus started, "There are certain ceremonies we have to observe before we can eat."

"Yes," Neroon replied and placed a bowl in front of them. "First we have to exchange these bowls."

"You want mine? Afraid someone’s trying to poison you?" Marcus quipped and remembered he hated taking part in ceremonies. It was beyond him why Minbari clung to them so furiously.

"It is the custom, Marcus." Neroon offered the human his bowl.

"Too late to reconsider having dinner with you now."

During the exchange a silence descended onto Neroon’s quarters.

"Now what?" Marcus asked as Neroon placed the third bowl in front of him.

"You have to offer it to Valen." Neroon was trying hard not to burst out laughing; the human’s reactions were rather amusing.

"But," Marcus leaned in closer and whispered in a conspiring tone, "he isn’t here."

This time Neroon laughed loudly. "Did you object this much during training when Sech Turval asked you to do something?"

"Yes?" Marcus sighed and shoved the bowl across the table.

"Good. We can eat now."

"Don’t tell me we have to meditate later," the ranger whispered in despair.

"Only if you belong to the religious caste," Neroon said jokingly.

A relieved sigh flowed through the air and made them both grin. Hesitantly, Marcus stuck his fork into a brown vegetable and tried it. "You didn’t have to trouble the cook because of me," he said and was relieved when the dish turned out all right.

"It is his duty, to carry to out my wishes and I do not have guests that often… hardly ever," Neroon continued while slowly eating his portion. "Do you eat meat? The religious caste does not and I did not know your preferences."

"Seldom," Marcus admitted, "At Tuzanor, all we got during training was fruit and Flarn. Do you eat meat?"

Neroon chuckled as the human reversed the question. "Not lately. After you… defeated me I decided to fast."

Feeling a bit more at ease Marcus asked, "Have you ever been drunk with human alcohol? During training Mashir tried Scotch and… he devastated one of the sleeping quarters before we could restrain him."

"No, I stay away from that brew," Neroon chuckled, enjoying the human’s company. Now that Marcus was loosening up their conversation had become interesting. "Have you?"

Marcus laughed warmly. "Many years ago before I joined the rangers I did."

"What effect did it have on you?" Neroon questioned and shoved the bowl away from him. He hadn’t been hungry to start with.

"At heart I’m a romantic fool, Neroon. I sang old-fashioned love songs and recited poetry to Hasina, a young lady who lived at the same colony as me. I woke up with a splitting headache the next day." Marcus suddenly realized that the things he was telling Neroon were very personal and grew silent.

Neroon’s aide entered and served tea. As if on clue they both stopped talking.

"How long will it take us to reach Minbar?" Marcus asked, uncomfortable with the sudden silence.

"50 hours, when traveling at maximum speed," Neroon reckoned and leaned forward to support his chin with his hand, resting his elbow on the table. He felt calm and focused tonight and looked forward to sparring with the human. "You seem eager to get to Minbar."

"I love Tuzanor. It brings back fond memories of the time I trained there and…"

"Yes?" Neroon encouraged him to continue his explanation.

"And I enjoyed the bantering between Master Durhann and Sech Turval."

"I agree." Neroon considered his options, "Maybe I will stay a short while at Tuzanor before returning home." Not revealing his real reason for making this decision.

"I don’t want to appear impertinent, but… " Marcus apologetically shrugged his shoulders.

"I have a residence at Yedor." Neroon rose to his feet and waited for the human to do the same. "I lived there with my mate," he said teasingly, having recognized Marcus’ curiosity from the start.

"Mate?" Marcus peeked at the warrior and wondered why he had never considered that fact that Neroon might have a spouse or family. It didn’t seem to fit a warrior who was always away from home, fighting deadly battles in space. Then he noticed the past tense and sudden ominous expression in Neroon’s eyes. But Marcus couldn’t stop his information gathering now. "Lived?"

"I just learned that Eliet decided to join the Anla’Shok and has left the compound without even consulting me!" Neroon fought hard to remain composed. He had never intended to tell the human, but the words had slipped from his tongue.

"And that’s bad?" Embarrassed, Marcus averted his eyes. It was obvious that Neroon was upset about his lover’s decision.

"Eliet just concluded his warrior training!"

The answer told Marcus that Eliet was a rather young, male Minbari and he wondered about Neroon’s choice. "And now you’re mad at him?"

"Mad?" Neroon repeated and took a deep breath in an effort to restore the masked expression on his face. "He should have consulted me! This affects both our lives and why choose the Anla’Shok?"

They had arrived at the training facility, which resembled those at Tuzanor, and Marcus realized they had come here to spar. //Great and he’s pissed off at his lover! Guess who’s going to be punched instead!// Alert, Marcus watched Neroon extend his pike.

"Show me the moves you used to fool my crewmember," Neroon instructed in an authoritative tone and reminded himself not to turn his wrath loose on the human.

"How old is Eliet?" Marcus asked, realizing there was no way out.

Neroon took a moment to think about the answer. "In human years he just entered his 30th circle."

"30 years?" Marcus said thoughtfully, "That would make him younger than I am."

"You should concentrate on the training session instead of worrying about my domestic difficulties," the warrior advised him and managed to smile. //I will talk to Eliet once we arrived at Tuzanor and will make him realize the error he made. Then we will return to Yedor together.//

*

"Stephen?" Sheridan walked into Franklin’s office and closed the door behind him.

"Captain?"

"Can I talk to Bester?" The Captain asked and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"I suggest you come back in 4 hours then," Franklin chuckled and tried hard to appear serious.

"I can’t wait that long." Sheridan’s tone hardened as he was growing irritated by the doctor’s smile.

"You’ll have to." Franklin approached him and realized something was amiss. "I administered him a high dose of Valium. You won’t get a single coherent sentence out of him."

"Damn!" After exclaiming that word Sheridan shook his head. "I received new information about the Shadows, Stephen. They =and the Corps= are planning something big and I really need to discuss this with Bester. Has the resistance already tried contacting him?"

"Yes, "Stephen replied and fumbled the notepad in his hands. "They scanned him to make sure he’s telling the truth. Martin promised to contact me once the resistance has reached a decision."

"Do you think they’ll accept him?" Sheridan pondered this new bit of information. //They acted fast! I wonder if they know what the Corps is up to!//

"I think so." Franklin poured himself caff and offered some to the Captain who promptly declined.

"Contact me the moment the resistance sends word," he ordered the doctor.

"Will do." Sipping from the hot liquid Franklin wondered if this was a good moment to address Ivanova’s psi ability. They had to discuss this! "I know that Susan is a telepath."

That remark caught Sheridan’s attention. "What?" he muttered in confusion.

"Her now active psi ability caused her headaches," Franklin continued, "Luckily, she decided to trust Al and he helped her to subdue them. Why didn’t you tell me? I would have kept quiet!" Slowly, hurt surfaced in his voice now that he felt excluded, "Didn’t you trust me?"

"It was Susan’s choice, Stephen," Sheridan said and decided he needed that caff now. Filling a mug he looked the doctor in the eyes. "We =trust= you, Stephen. It wasn’t anything personal."

Softly muttering to himself Franklin accepted the explanation. "You can talk to Al in four hours, no earlier!"

"I’ll be back." After finishing his caff Sheridan left the office. //A lot of secrets are coming out in the open,// he thought alarmed and wondered if there would be more surprises.

*

Susan Ivanova ruled supremely over C&C and corrected every little mistake made. Lt. Corwin’s terrified gaze told her that she hadn’t lost her touch yet. //If only the irritating static would go away!// she thought and remembered that Bester had told her to get used to it.

"Commander? We have a problem…"

Before Corwin had been to finish his sentence she had walked over to him to take in the situation on his monitor. "Narn and Centauri of course!" she cursed silently and ordered the Narn freighter to move out of the way so the Centauri ship could pass. "One day I’m going to make my point clear once and for all. I’m getting tired of these games they keep playing!"

"Ambassador G’Kar…" Corwin told her and pointed at another screen.

"Commander! Why do we have to move and…"

"G’Kar, I’m not in the mood for your games," she warned the Narn, "If you don’t want your freighter to go BOOM, you should clear the frequency =now=! I’ve got work to do!" After giving the Narn one of her patented icy glares he backed down and she terminated the connection. "This is going to be one of =those= days," Susan mumbled privately and undid her braid.

Corwin’s jaw almost dropped to the floor, seeing her shake loose her hair and cursed the fact that he had no chance with her.

Susan sensed his aroused thoughts and turned towards him. //I never realized,// she thought shocked and immediately blocked his thoughts. //Why did my talent have to kick in now?// she wondered distressed and returned to her station. There were several officers present in C&C and their thoughts were a mix of static and voices. //How can Bester stand it? If it’s true that a strong telepath picks up even more static he must sometimes fail in blocking it!//

Since she had left med lab yesterday she had been free of headaches and had taken the time to think over Bester’s offer to give her some basic training. She had fought her first impulse to decline. After all, she had no idea when Lyta would return and she needed someone to show her the ropes. Closing her eyes she centered herself and was relieved when the static returned to a more acceptable level. This was going to be a long day indeed!

*

Four hours later Sheridan returned to med lab. Stephen had sent him a message; telling him Bester was lucid again and he had left his office at once.

"John? Before you go inside… Can I have a word with you?" Franklin hurried to catch up with him.

"Yes?" John said, seeing the expression in the doctor’s eyes. //He’s excited about something…//

"I want your permission to take Carolyn Saunderson out of cryo. I’ve found a way to remove the implants without doing damage in the progress."

"She’s Bester’s lover if I remember correctly." Sheridan considered the request. "Are you sure you can do this?"

"I think so. I explained the possible risks to Al and he gave me his okay. Cryogenic suspension was like being dead, he told me and that was something Carolyn won’t never want." Privately, he hoped Sheridan would sanction the procedure. "She might be able to give you more information about the Shadows?" the doctor suggested, unsure what to make of Sheridan’s silence.

"What if you fail and she dies?" he asked Franklin, "I don’t want Bester even more traumatized. We need him in this upcoming confrontation."

Finally the doctor understood why Sheridan was this hesitant. "You’re concerned about him!" he quipped.

"No, I am =not=!" Sheridan said, but knew Franklin had hit on the truth, "I’m only worried about his =contribution= to the cause."

"You can deny it as many times as you want, but I see through your pretence," the doctor chuckled, "So I take it that’s a yes?"

"Do it then. Can’t stop you any way when your mind is set." Smiling weakly John hoped Franklin’s attempt would be successful. "Can I go inside now and talk to him, =doctor=?"

Pleased, Franklin nodded his head. "Just take it slow, John. I don’t want you to upset him."

"Can’t make that promise," Sheridan said; thinking about the bad news he had to tell the telepath.

The abyss part 16

Al wondered why Sheridan had insisted on talking to him as quickly as possible. Franklin had informed him of the Captain’s concerned expression and it had sobered him up pretty quickly. Though he still hadn’t forgiven the doctor for giving him such a high dose of Valium he had to admit that he still felt awfully relaxed.

The idea that Franklin planned on taking Carolyn out of cryo made him nervous. Her fate would be decided later today and he now faced the possibility of losing her forever, but keeping her in cryogenic suspension wasn’t a solution either. He knew Carolyn well enough to realize that she hated the idea of being in a suspended state to beat death.

"We have to talk," Sheridan said in a determined tone as he stepped inside. He had promised Franklin to try being considerate of the state Bester was in, but feared that he had to be brutally honest with the telepath.

"Doctor Franklin told me," Al replied and took in Sheridan’s worried appearance. "What happened?"

"The rangers have sighted Psi Corps ships flying alongside Shadow vessels and we have reasons to believe that they’re heading for the station."

"I always knew that was going to happen one day, but…" Al nodded his head, "You’ll need all the help you can get."

"I need to know if you have any inside information. Have the Shadows found a way to integrate telepaths into their ships? If so we would be defenseless." Sheridan remained standing near the doorway, amazed that Bester was still hooked up to scanners and an IV and made a mental note to question Franklin about the man’s condition.

"The implants," Al whispered, remembering Carolyn turning on him when she had seen his badge. "A large number of my telepaths won’t survive such a confrontation."

"Yes, that’s my fear exactly and I want to prevent just that," Sheridan admitted, "Can you help me?"

"Franklin will take Carolyn out of cryo to free her of the implants," Al thought saddened, "No matter if that surgery fails or succeeds, you have to study that technology. Maybe after they have been adjusted and modified by Doctor Franklin you can use the implants against the Shadows… A P 12 might be able to disturb the Shadows long enough to send a message to the telepaths inside the ships... to give them a wake up call, so to speak."

"That’s a dangerous solution. What if it fails?" Sheridan had read between the lines and knew Bester would insist on being the guinea pig.

"If I fail? Then God better have mercy on all of us!" Al sighed deeply and closed his eyes. "They don’t care about the Blips, Captain."

"Who doesn’t?" Sheridan moved a little closer. Although he wasn’t a medic he was curious to find what the content of the IV was.

"The Corps," Al explained hurt, "I made a terrible mistake… " Lifting his eyes he looked at Sheridan, making sure the Captain knew for certain he meant every word he said. "The Corps is dedicated to one thing: control. Control over telepaths, the economy, the courts, over matter, over thought itself. A psi cop isn’t allowed to think for himself, Captain, just to obey. Psi Corps is well-tuned machinery, created for one sole purpose, to control normals as well as telepaths. It has become emotionless and cruel. They will do whatever necessary to maintain that position."

"Are you sure the implants won’t effect your thinking?" Sheridan didn’t like the idea of Bester being under the Shadows’ influence.

"Doctor Franklin is an expert and I’m confident he can adjust them. It won’t take him long to connect them to my brain. We both know that =I= have to do this. They’re my telepaths and I will find a way to save them."

Al’s resolved tone set Sheridan’s mind at ease. "I’m glad you’re on our side right now!" he said relieved.

*

"Start raising the temperature inside her tube, but carefully! I don’t want her to go in to shock!" Franklin ordered his assistants. While rubbing his brow he looked at Carolyn’s closed eyes. Her face still reflected some of the shock she had suffered after she had tried to merge with the station.

//I don’t like this plan,// he thought, but knew Sheridan and Al were determined to try and rescue the telepaths aboard the Shadow vessels. The moment he had freed Carolyn from the implants he had to start his research if he wanted to find out how to adjust them to =their= needs. Shaking his head he realized that the two telepaths wouldn’t have much time together. If Sheridan and Delenn were right the Shadows would attack the station within days. That left Al and Carolyn only a few hours to talk and reassure the other that everything was fine.

"What about the embryo?" he asked and hoped nothing would go wrong. He had seen Al’s eyes light up when he had realized he was going to be a father in a couple of months.

"Life signs are satisfactory," the nurse said and smiled, "Looks she’ll be a mother in… 7 months."

"Excellent," Stephen remarked and placed his hands on the tube to slowly open the door. He had to get her out of there and immediately sedate her so he could operate on her and remove the implants. "Hypo gun?"

"Doctor? the nurse replied and handed him the primed hypo gun.

Slowly, he opened the door and pressed it against her arm to inject the substance. "Carolyn, you’re going to sleep…"

She didn’t react though and concerned Franklin checked the latest readings. The sedative was already deploying its effect. "Is everything prepped?"

"Yes, doctor."

"Good, get a gurney in here and transfer all data concerning the implants to the computer in the operating theatre." Franklin supported Carolyn and lay her down on the gurney, curious to find out what kind of woman she was. After all she had stood up to Al and had refused to take sleepers or join the Corps after she had found out she was pregnant. //Stubborn, Al called her…// he thought and watched her being wheeled into the prepped room.

*

No longer able to remain in his bed Al swung his feet to the floor and noticed that this time he was dressed in med pants and shirt and not the appalling med gown. Franklin had told him that Carolyn had been taken out of cryo and a nurse had informed him a moment ago that surgery had started.

Never before in his life had he prayed, but now he found himself pleading for her life. She was all he had got left and their unborn daughter… he wanted to hold her in his arms and feel her mind signature, certain of the fact that she would be a telepath too.

"You wanted me to contact you once the resistance had reached a decision?" Martin said as he stepped into the room.

Al spun around and almost lost his balance. He had been so lost in thought that he hadn’t sensed Martin’s presence. "What did they decide?" he said nervously. The resistance had to help him free his telepaths who had been enslaved by the Corps.

"They had a hard time accepting the truth," Martin admitted and pulled up a chair and straddled it. "They want you to know that you’re welcome to join the resistance, but they won’t accept the fact that you continue to use Alfred Bester as a name."

Wondering if he had misunderstood Martin, Al looked at him questioningly. "They want me to do what?"

"To go by the name of Stephen Dexter in public."

"I’ll become an easy target by doing that!" Al objected, but knew why the resistance had made this decision. It meant publicly severing all ties with the Corps.

"That’s the price you’ll have to pay to lead the resistance. They won’t follow Alfred Bester," Martin pointed out to him and grinned.

"Lead? Follow?" Al had hoped that the resistance would accept him, but…

"Yes, take it or leave it."

"Of course I’ll accept," Al growled, knowing very well that Sheridan and he would need all the support they could get when going against the Corps and Shadows.

"That’s settled then, Stephen?" Martin added with a sly grin on his face.

"Like you gave me a choice!" Al snarled, uncertain whether he had succeeded in attaining his goal or not. "You can call me Stephen Dexter and tell everyone who wants to know that I’m Fiona’s son, but that won’t change the way I feel about that name." //I’ll always be Al Bester…//

Pleased, Martin returned the chair to its original position and moved closer to Al who was now sitting on the bed. "If I had known back then who you were… what they did to you, I would have taken you with me when I fled, even if you had resisted."

Saddened, Al nodded his head. //The worst thing is that I did know the truth, but refused to accept it!//

*

Sweat had formed on Franklin’s brow as surgery took longer than expected. Alien technology had penetrated brain tissue and removing it and undoing the damage took all his cunning. Eight hours later he finally stepped into his office to drink some caff before telling Al that surgery had been successful. Carolyn would make a full recovery and several of his best men were already researching the implants and the alien technology behind them.

If Sheridan had been sincere and Al wanted to use them to disrupt the greater organisms to free the telepaths imprisoned inside he would have to perform surgery once more to implant the technology in to Al’s brain.

As a doctor, who had sworn to protect life, this prospect troubled him. Al was still weak and the outcome of this surgery was uncertain. What if Al couldn’t handle the implants and it ended up controlling him instead? There had to be another way to destroy the Shadows without doing harm to the telepaths, but he didn’t know one!

As he walked into the corridor he was surprised to hear Susan’s voice coming from Bester’s room. He knew she had spent time with Al because she needed some basic training to develop her telepathic skills.

"Susan, Al," he said while stepping into the room. Both telepaths looked up, seemingly irritated by his sudden presence.

Ivanova quickly stared at the floor, still uncomfortable with the fact that Franklin knew her secret as well.

"Surgery was successful," Franklin told an itchy looking Al.

"Thank you," Al sighed the words and felt like a horrible load had been lifted from his shoulders. "What about our… daughter? Is she all right?"

"She’ll be just fine. You worry about the name and let me handle the medical issues? You can see Carolyn if you want to. She’s still unconscious though," he warned his patient.

Susan felt like an intruder. By looking at Bester she clearly saw the relief and happiness in his eyes and Franklin seemed equally pleased. "I should leave now so you can go and see Carolyn," she said and went to stand next to the doctor.

"You’re welcome to come along," Al said and a sparkling smile illuminated his dark eyes. "You’re just as stubborn as Carolyn is. You might actually like her!" he continued teasingly.

Franklin stepped aside to let Ivanova pass and then helped his patient getting to his feet. He noticed the faint color, which had appeared on Al’s face and felt pleased. The Valium had given his body and mind the time it had needed to start the healing process. "Let me help you," he offered.

Al accepted the assistance and said, "Martin paid me a visit while you were in surgery."

Susan looked up, having heard that name before. Franklin had been working together with a rogue called Martin when he had supported the Underground Railroad.

"They’re willing to accept me as their leader, but I have to stop referring to myself as Al Bester in public. They want the Corps to know Stephen Dexter survived."

"That’s good news!" Franklin said happily, but then noticed Al’s concerned look.

"The Corps will send in their bloodhounds," Al informed the two of them.

"We dealt with those before!" Susan said frustrated. //So the resistance believes him? Looks like the Corps might be facing their worst nightmare pretty soon!// John had told her about the strengthened alliance between the Shadows and the Corps and she had been infuriated to learn that Psi Corps had betrayed their own like that.

Franklin gestured Susan to stay with him in the corridor. They could watch through the window if they wanted. Ivanova understood at once and watched Bester slowly walk into the room.

Carolyn was still asleep in one of the exam beds, hooked up to several monitors and Al momentarily cringed seeing her helpless like this. The Corps had done this to her and he would make them pay for it!

"Carolyn," he whispered in a tender tone and sat down next to the bed. His legs had gone wobbly all of a sudden and a tear crept down his cheek. Finally he allowed the truth to sink in; Carolyn was free of all Shadow technology and their child was unharmed.

Gently he ran his fingers over her brow, carefully avoiding the punctures the implants had left behind. As he touched her, a soothing feeling overwhelmed him. Asleep, Carolyn felt perfectly safe and… // She’s dreaming of our last time together!// he realized in bafflement, sensing the weak erotic underlying current of thoughts.

"I’ll never let you out of my sight again, Carolyn. I promise to protect you and our daughter. I’ll be a father for her and care for you to my best ability… if you still want me." He would have loved to tell her telepathically, but while unconscious she was out of his reach.

In the corridor Susan and Franklin exchanged a glance. "I never believed him when he said he loved her, but now…" she confessed.

"That might have something to do with the fact that you allowed yourself to love again, Susan," Franklin told her and grinned. "You miss Marcus, don’t you?"

"Yes," Susan sighed, "I miss his rambling and all the little annoying things he does. I only now realize that he constantly tries to make me laugh…" Susan’s voice trembled as she raised her eyes to look at her friend. "He wants to brighten my every day, but I know deep down he’s hurting as well."

"He lost his home and family and all that in one single day," Franklin confirmed and noticed her interest. "I asked Delenn for his medical file."

"And she gave it to you?" Surprise colored Susan’s voice.

"Hey! I’m his doctor too, remember!" Franklin reminded her.

"When will she wake up?" Susan wanted to know and closely observed the tears that dripped down Bester’s face.

"In a couple of hours, I hope. Surgery took a lot out of her and she was weak to begin with after having been in cryo all those months." Franklin groaned as his hand communicator commanded his attention. "Sorry, Susan , have to leave you now. I’m needed in Research…"

"John told me about Bester’s mad plan… You aren’t seriously considering putting Shadow technology into his brain?" Susan’s face briefly reflected her loathing.

"Maybe. Susan," Franklin started, trying to convince her he was on her side, "I’ll only perform the surgery if I’m certain the plan will work. If I only have the tiniest doubt that Al can’t cope with the implants I won’t do it, but… there are so many lives are at stake here… lives of human telepaths, Susan…"

"I know, damnit!" Susan sneered, "but there has to be a different way to destroy them!"

"Let me know when you find another solution!" Franklin said in a comforting tone and headed down the corridor.

Susan turned to peek at Bester once more and knew that he would refuse to leave her room until Carolyn had regained consciousness.

*

Two hours later a scream echoed through med lab and made Al jump up from his chair where he had fallen asleep. Flashing open his eyes his hands involuntarily clenched into fists, seeing the empty expression in her eyes. "Carolyn, you’re safe…" he said in a firm voice and placed his hand on her chest. //Listen to me… you’re =safe=.// He cast into her mind and could only hope that she recognized his mind voice.

Carolyn shuddered as a once familiar mind voice moved over her wrinkled mind surface. She knew that voice, but… "The darkness! Al? Please help me?" she cried out in pain and opened her eyes, expecting to see shadows dance in front of her mind and those awful creatures, their servants, who had done this to her and her unborn child!

//I’m here, darling. Don’t be scared. The doctor removed the implants. They can’t hurt you any more,// he whispered into her mind and used his own energy to restore the distorted surface of her mind. Sliding across her thoughts he evened out the surface and smiled when she reached out to make sure he was real and not a memory.

//Al? Oh, my God, is that really you?// she cast and finally recognized his eyes. "It =is= you," she whispered stunned. "I never thought you would come for me!"

//I love you. How could I possibly desert you?// Al asked teasingly and relished the feel of her fingers interlacing with his. //I don’t deserve you, Carolyn, but a life without you…//

//Hush now,// Carolyn cast and as he opened his mind to her she flew on wings of thought through his mindscape. //You've changed!// she concluded in surprise.

Closing his mind for her Al judged it better not to give her too much information at once. //I made a deal with these people. I help them and they… brought you back.//

//I never knew I meant that much to you, Al.// Carolyn cast and couldn’t hold back her tears any longer. //I thought I’d never see you again and… our baby is…?//

//She’s just fine,// Al reassured her and leaned in closer to place a hesitant kiss on her lips. //You’ll be a mother in 7 months.//

//I can’t believe…// The realization that she had been rescued from those awful dark creatures finally got through to her mind and she slowly raised her head to have a better look at him, surprised at how weak she felt. //I tried to hurt you when…//

Flashes of being one with the machines in med lab washed through her mind and she flinched uncontrollably. //I tried to kill you!//

//No,// Al replied and send her all assurance he could muster, //You aimed at my badge.//

//Which you aren’t wearing?// Carolyn only now realized that he wasn’t wearing his uniform. //I take it you have a lot to tell me, Alfred!//

Al shivered slightly. She always called him Alfred when she was mad at him. //I will,// he promised, //but first you have to rest. I’ll stay here at your side…//

Carolyn had studied him and suddenly realized why he wasn’t wearing a uniform. //You’re hurt! That’s why… // A sudden thang of pain and old regret emanated from him and she grabbed his left hand. //Explain this to me?// She had only seen his left hand knotted, never relaxed.

"I don’t know what you’re doing," Franklin chuckled as he briefly stepped inside to check on both his patients, "But I suggest that you return to your bed, Al so Carolyn can get some sleep." =This= was why he had chosen his profession. He wanted to heal people, bring them back together again.

"I know you," Carolyn muttered confused. Trust radiated from this man and she tried to remember what else had happened while she had been entangled with the machinery.

"I’m Doctor Franklin," he introduced himself, noting Al’s protectiveness. "I was here when you hooked yourself up to the computer."

"I remember now," she whispered, "You made the pain go away… the voices…"

Franklin shot Al a look of understanding. "You can stay here a little longer, but when I return in one hour I want to find you in your room. You shouldn’t be on your feet yet!"

"Why? What’s wrong with Alfie?" Upset and worried, Carolyn struggled to sit upright, but Al pushed her back. "Al! Don’t baby me!"

Franklin was actually enjoying the entire scene. "Alfie?" he quipped wickedly.

"You never heard that!" Al whispered in a strangled tone and looked embarrassed. "And you, behave yourself! You’ve been in cryo for months!"

Concern and love emanated from Al and Carolyn swallowed hard. "If the doctor wants you to rest, then rest damnit!"

"Somehow you remind me of a certain woman I know," Franklin said in an amused tone. "I guess I now know who wears the pants in your relationship!" Al glared at him, but Carolyn’s giggling echoed through the room.

"I need to rest to, Al… I promise I will still be here… where ever that is… when you get back… Where are we anyway?" she asked confused. "This isn’t the re-education camp."

"No, it isn’t…" Al said and composed himself. The idea of explaining everything to Carolyn made him shudder. "We’re on Babylon 5," he said and sensed her amazement.

As Franklin left them alone, he said, "I’ve got so much to tell you and such little time left," and grew sad as he realized that maybe soon he had to leave her alone again to free his telepaths.

The abyss part 17

No stories or pieces of artwork are meant to infringe upon the copyright held by J. Michael Straczynski, Babylonian Inc. or Time Warner Productions.

"It’s been a while since I was here last!" Marcus stated to no one in particular. Awed, he stared at the impressive architectural structures and felt relieved to be back in Tuzanor. Neroon had excused himself the moment the shuttle had landed to find and talk to Eliet. The rest of their trip had been uneventful and he had enjoyed the rest.

Quickly, Marcus moved through the hallways and smiled as he spotted Master Durhann in the distance who was apparently waiting for him. The ranger was surprised to see that the older Minbari was leaning heavily on a wooden staff. Delenn had told him that the teacher was incapacitated, but she had given him no details.

"Marcus, it is good that you came so quickly!" Durhann said welcoming his former student, "Your future students are eager to start practice!"

"Master Durhann," Marcus replied and bowed respectfully, "I didn’t know you were so seriously injured."

"I do not want to discuss my injury," the Minbari stated and hid his embarrassment, hoping no one would tell Marcus what had caused the injury in the first place. " I will take you to the training facility and introduce you to the trainees," he remarked, and then peeked at the ranger, "Is it true that Alit Neroon accompanied you here?"

"Yes," Marcus replied, "And Neroon is rather eager to speak to Eliet."

"The young warrior who joined us recently. I chided Eliet for doing so without Neroon’s approval."

"Does he need Neroon’s permission then?" Marcus wondered.

Durhann could only walk slowly as they moved through the corridors and was grateful Marcus adopted his pace. "Eliet should have. They have spoken the holy vows and need to consider the other’s need. Eliet acted selfishly in ignoring Neroon’s wishes."

"True," Marcus had to admit. As they turned around the corner they suddenly faced several Minbari and human trainees, who were working hard to gain a feel for the wooden Denn’boks used for practice.

"I look forward to assisting you," he told the older Minbari and studied the young men and women who were going through grueling training sequences.

//If only Susan were here,// he thought saddened, //Then it would have been perfect.//

"Eliet!" Neroon exclaimed in frustration as he finally discovered his lover in the gardens.

Eliet immediately turned around and took in Neroon’s annoyed expression. He realized he should have handled joining the Anla’Shok differently, but Neroon would never have agreed to it.

Neroon was momentarily taken aback seeing the vigor in Eliet’s eyes. They reflected determination and true passion.

"I knew you would come for me," Eliet whispered miserably. This confrontation was making him nervous.

"Why not ask for my advice?" Neroon wanted to know as he circled his lover. He disliked seeing Eliet in this training outfit. His lover should be proudly wearing a warrior uniform instead!

"You would never have agreed to this!" Eliet replied in a calm tone.

"So you decide to use my absence to come here behind my back?" Neroon thundered, doing his utmost to stay in control of his anger.

"Neroon, we shouldn’t quarrel over this. I accepted my calling as you did yours many cycles ago," he said in a soft tone.

"But why the Anla’Shok?" Neroon shook his head. "You are a splendid warrior!" Staring into Eliet’s dark eyes he discovered a new fire burning there, burning with a startling intensity. Eliet’s mind was set and nothing he did would change that… "You won’t return to Yedor with me," Neroon knew.

Eliet smiled instead and wrapped a hesitant arm around Neroon’s shoulders. "You will accept this if you really love me."

"You =know= I love you!" Neroon chided him.

"Yes, I do," Eliet admitted and realized he had won this fight. "And because of that love you will respect my decision, " he added hopefully.

Annoyed, Neroon growled his answer. "I always knew you were stubborn, but…"

"I only have to stay here for one cycle, Neroon and then we will find a way to be together again… Maybe you will need a liaison onboard your war cruiser? The Anla’Shok are good at what they do…" Eliet said seductively.

"One cycle?" Neroon repeated, knowing further resistance was useless. "Then I will agree to this absurd undertaking of yours, but… reluctantly." Answering Eliet’s eager embrace he pulled the younger Minbari close to his chest and grinned.

A startling silence had descended onto Carolyn’s room after Al had told her about Jenkins, the ghost-like apparition of Stephen Walters and Martin’s message. Stunned, she simply sat there, staring at a lover who had turned into a stranger. She trembled as she eventually addressed him.

"Al," she sighed depressed, "And now you’re the new resistance leader? You? For some reason I can only picture you in a psi cop uniform and not like this…" She had never seen him out of uniform and he looked different now he had accepted his past. A gentle smile graced her features as his fingers interlaced with hers. The physical contact strengthened the telepathic exchange and she became aware of his doubts.

"I had no other choice," Al remarked, still trying to accept that Carolyn had returned to him. Her eyes radiated a familiar love and it still baffled Al that it was aimed at him. "I’ve been so lonely without your company," he admitted, "I never realized how much I loved you till I found you onboard that ship. I couldn’t accept the fact that the Shadows had taken over your mind forever…"

Carolyn shifted in her bed and wondered about the man sitting in front of her. "At least we can be together this way. Psi Corps can no longer keep us apart!"

"I still don’t understand why you love me," Al whispered, sensing the depth of her affection for him, "Why did you fall in love with a psi cop? You, a Blip?" Now that he was no longer hooked up to an IV he had sneaked out of his room to be with her.

Carolyn grinned hearing his question and ignored it. There was something more urgent on her mind. "But this plan of yours is absurd, Al. You don’t know what’s like to have those implants in your mind… It was dark in my mind…" she remembered and shivered violently. "It will end up controlling you! You can’t go through with this!" Her eyes darted wildly and she tightened her hold on his hand. "You’ll be a father soon. Our daughter needs a father! I need you!" she pleaded with him.

"Carolyn, darling," he whispered saddened, "=You= off all people know how it feels to be part of… this technology. Out there are hundreds, maybe even thousands telepaths who will go through the same ordeal if we don’t stop them. They will all die... "

"But why does it have to be you?" Carolyn fought the tears which had formed in her eyes. "I don’t want to lose you again!"

"I know, darling," Al replied, "But I can’t look the other way and let them die. You and the baby are alive and I have to protect the two of you =and= all the others." He suddenly noticed her watered eyes and hated himself for doing this to her. She deserved happiness and rest and not to worry about him getting out of this one alive.

"You have to rest, Carolyn, think of our daughter… There are many people here who want to help you. Doctor Franklin will support you during your pregnancy in case… "

//In case you don’t return,// she finished for him and let go of her tears. Tenderly she reached out telepathically to search his worries and finally soothe them. //I love you too much to risk losing you, Alfie.//

//They will take good care of you and you might even like the station Commander,// he cast, trying to ignore the hurt in her eyes. Her presence inside his mind was something he relished after having been deprived of it for so long.

//Have you already decided on a name for our daughter?// Carolyn cast and twined her hungry thoughts around his, determined to cherish every moment they could share together.

//I want you to name her,// Al cast, but felt her probe his thoughts.

Carolyn read a name in his mind he didn’t want to impose on her and she smiled, touched by his consideration. //You want to call her Fiona after your mother?//

//Only if you agree to that name…// Al cast reluctantly.

//It’s been decided then… Fiona… and what about her last name?//

//What about yours? Bester doesn’t sound right, neither does Dexter,// Al cast and trembled feeling her approval.

//Fiona Saunderson-Dexter!// she decided and caressed his relaxed left hand which she still had to grow used to. //How much time do we have before the doctor completes his research?// she cast nervously, afraid to hear the answer.

"They planned a meeting of the war council tomorrow to discuss my plan," he told her aloud.

"That leaves us only one day and I’m confined to med lad!"

Leaning in closer Al said in a soft tone, "So am I, but the doctor is too busy to check on me… us… Do you want me to arrange something? Some quarters where we can be alone?"

Delighted, Carolyn accepted the invitation to the intimacy his mind extended to her. "How long will that take?"

"Not long," Al replied teasingly, "I will find a way." Sensing her hidden fear and feeling of abandonment he cast, //I’m sorry to do this to you, Carolyn, but you know me well enough to realize that I have no choice. I have to do whatever I can to save my telepaths.//

Carolyn placed a hand at the back of his head and pulled his face close to hers. //Stop talking and kiss me…//

"Doctor Franklin? We have a problem in med lab one."

"What!" Franklin exclaimed irritated as his assistant interrupted him over the com system. He had reached the final stages of his research and couldn’t take any interruptions. Carefully, he took his time to end the test he had run on the implants and only then looked up, worried by the nervous tone in the assistant’s voice. "What is it? Tell me, man!"

"The two telepaths are gone…"

"Al and Carolyn? Damnit!" he cursed and removed his gloves and mask before leaving the sterile room to join his assistant in the corridor. //Thankfully Carolyn is stable and in no immediate danger. This has to be Al’s doing!// he thought annoyed.

It was his guess that they wanted some privacy before the implants were put into Al’s brain and Franklin understood that desire only too well. But they shouldn’t have left med lab without telling him where they were going! After dismissing the young man he established connection with Garibaldi’s office.

"What’s up, doc?" Michael quipped, receiving the call from med lab. Franklin’s desperate moan made him grin.

"I lost Al and Carolyn."

"You =lost= them?" Garibaldi repeated amused, "Or did Bester take Marcus lessons on how to sneak out of med lab?"

"Damnit, Michael! Carolyn was still in cryo yesterday and needs supervision. This is no moment to act this immature! I want you to locate them ASAP!" Franklin couldn’t help but being concerned.

"Take them back to med lab too?" Garibaldi inquired, looking forward to harassing Bester and adopted a more serious tone.

"No, just get a fix on their location. I want to know where they are should they need medical attention. They’ll eventually return to med lab, but they’ll want to spend some time together before…" Franklin stopped. Garibaldi hadn’t been briefed yet on Al and Sheridan’s plan.

"Before what?" Garibaldi realized he was missing something here and didn’t like being kept in the dark.

"Just find them!"

"You’re the doctor," Garibaldi said and shrugged his shoulders. He would carry out this assignment as Franklin had ordered him to. He terminated the connection and lazily leaned back in his chair.

//Locate Bester,// he thought, // How hard can it be to find two telepaths?//

//Al?//

Soft, sensual thoughts had wrapped themselves around his and he instinctively answered the passion in her mind voice. //Yes, darling?// he cast and stared into her hooded eyes. Her long blond hair partly covered his bare chest and he loved the friction it created on his skin.

//Do you think Fiona is already aware of our thoughts? Of our existence?// Running her hands over his naked body she relished the tremors in his mind surface whenever she touched him. At peace with herself and the universe she snuggled up to him for body heat and moved her fingers through his short hair.

//No, we…you,// he corrected, //will be the first to sense her mind signature, that certain level of awareness.// Taking in her nakedness he smiled. //You’re so damn passionate when we make love!// and caught a lingering throbbing of longing for the return of the ecstasy they had shared moments ago. //I missed making love to you,// he admitted.

No spoken words could ever describe the sensation of two minds melting into one, sharing the same soul for a brief instance. They had let go of all control, realizing this might be the last time they had the chance to express their love in this way and the experience left them empty and unfulfilled. Rapture had passed too quickly and now they clung to each other, desperately trying to radiate a basic sense of reassurance.

//Maybe now you’re finally ready to sign the divorce papers, Alfred? You already made so many changes in your life, what’s one more? Set Alisha free… You don’t love her.//

Sudden apprehension appeared in his eyes as she mentioned his wife’s name and he seriously considered her question. Until now he had denied Alisha a divorce and maybe it was a way of punishing her, but now his behavior appeared foolish and childish.

//You’re right, darling… like you always are. I’ll sign the divorce papers before the meeting. I’ll set us both free,// he cast calmly.

Smiling, Carolyn propped herself up on her elbows. //I’m proud of you, Alfie. You know I don’t need to be married to you to know you love me.//

//I know,// Al admitted, //but I would like to have a wife who loves me…//

//Is that a marriage proposal?// Carolyn grinned and traced the outline of his lips with her fingers.

//Would you accept it?// Al watched fascinated as she crept towards him on all fours.

//Perhaps… perhaps not,// she replied and placed his hand against her belly, proud of the new life they had created weeks ago. //When do we have to return to med lab?//

//Soon, the good doctor will be worried and mad at us!// he quipped delighted seeing the long fair hair dance on her shoulders. //You’re so beautiful!//

//Thank you,// she cast and suddenly straddled his hips. //I want you one last time before… //

The dark fear inside her mind made him shiver. //Don’t worry about me, darling,// he cast and caressed her skin.

Carolyn pushed back the fear and loved feeling him helpless beneath him.

//You’ll have to give me a moment to recharge though… I’m not as young as you are!// he cast teasingly, but realized he was growing aroused again as she channeled her desire into his mind.

//I can take care of that,// she quipped amused.

The abyss part 18

No stories or pieces of artwork are meant to infringe upon the copyright held by J. Michael Straczynski, Babylonian Inc. or Time Warner Productions.

"It can’t be this hard to locate two people, even if they’re teeps!" Garibaldi growled as another search team called in unsuccessfully, "They =are= somewhere on the station!" Irritated as hell Garibaldi realized Bester had left behind no traces at all. //I’m in charge of security! I’ll be the laughing stock if Bester wins this one!//

Impatiently pacing his office he once more contacted one of his officers in Down Below.//Bester has to pay for the quarters where he is staying. Maybe… // It was a long shot, but he told the guard to check the diplomatic section. The rest of the station had already been searched and this was the only hiding place left.

"Alfie?" Carolyn opened her eyes and purred contently.

"Yes?" Al peeked through sleepy eyelids and noticed the look of satisfaction on her face. //You exhausted me!// he cast accusingly and shook his head in mock annoyance when she proceeded to kiss him.

//It might be my last chance,// she told him and released his lips. //We have to return to med lab,// she realized saddened.

//Yes, our time is up.// Al agreed and played with some locks of her long, soft hair. //But I’m grateful we had these last hours.//

//Please don’t go ahead with your plan, Al… Something will go wrong. The Shadows,// Carolyn cast pleadingly, but the determined expression in his dark eyes quickly took away all her hope.

//Carolyn,// he whispered into her mind and pulled her close. //We have to go now.//

Resigned she rose from the bed, sensing admiration and love in his transparent mind. He had never been able to hide anything from her and she recognized his self-doubt, finally truly understanding why he had to do this. //You want to make up for the things you did to them.//

//Yes, why are you surprised? You of all people should know me best!// Al got to his feet as well and while taking in her appearance one last time, started to dress.

He had expected to hear Franklin or Garibaldi’s angry voice by now, trying to drag them back to med lab and was surprised the Chief hadn’t bothered them yet. //Maybe I managed to outsmart him!//

//I still have to get used to the changed you,// Carolyn confessed as she slipped into the green tunic Al had had delivered to their guest quarters before they had arrived. //I am so used to seeing you in a psi cop uniform, seeing that pin on your jacket and now… // Somewhat amazed she studied his civilian clothes. //But I like this change in you. I hoped for it for so long that I had almost given up on it.//

Pulling her into his arms he inhaled her sensual scent and wondered if he would ever hold her like this again. She was right though. There was no way of telling if and how the implants would affect him. //You have got to be strong… for Fiona…//

Carolyn smiled. //I count on you being there to help me raise her, Alfie.//

//I will do my best,// he promised, touched by the emotional intensity of her mind voice.

The door chime suddenly interrupted their intimate moment and cautiously Al reached out to see who was standing in the corridor. "I should have known… " he whispered, recognizing Garibaldi’s thoughts. The Chief felt pleased with himself for finding their hiding place.

Carolyn choked back the comment she was about to make. It wasn’t fair to ask him to forget about the Blips trapped inside the Shadow vessels, but she had never been a fighter, had never considered resisting the Corps and now Al was the new resistance leader…

"I will help you fight them," she told him in a shaky tone.

"All you have to do," Al said and caressed her face, "is take care of yourself and our daughter."

"Bester! I know you’re in there!"

Hearing the snarl Al sighed and nodded his head. "We’re on our way, Mr. Garibaldi." Quickly checking the time he suddenly realized they had stayed much longer than planned. The War council meeting would start in 30 minutes.

Garibaldi shot Bester a smug look and studied Carolyn. He had never met the woman before and regarded her cautiously. She was a telepath after all!

Sheridan’s gaze was directed inward, pondering Al’s plan one more time. The War council had been off to a bumpy start as Garibaldi had escorted the two telepaths here while radiating an almost palpable annoyance. The fact that it had taken him that long to locate them nagged at the Chief’s ego.

Susan looked a bit depressed; missing Marcus she found it hard to carry on with daily routine. She had never realized how important the ranger had become to her... until now.

Tonight she would try and contact him on Minbar to make sure he had arrived safely. As Delenn had told her about Neroon escorting him to Minbar she had turned pale, remembering vividly how close Marcus had come to dying after their fight in Down Below.

"Stephen, are you certain this will work?" The Captain focused his attention on Franklin who had brought along the implants. The cold metal and shapeless wires rested on the table as the doctor explained their functions.

Quietly Al maintained psi contact with Carolyn who was shaking badly, seeing the implants in front of her. Maybe it hadn’t been such a good idea to allow her to tag along. She had insisted though and he had never been able to deny her anything.

"Yes, I adjusted the implants so Al will be in control the entire time." Franklin wasn’t sure how he felt about this recent development. He was still hesitant when it came down to putting the implants into Al’s brain.

"How long will surgery take?" Delenn inquired and seeing the expression on Carolyn’s face she continued, "I received reports today which are truly unsettling. The Shadows are advancing quickly. They will reach Babylon 5 tomorrow if they continue at current speed."

"Two, maybe three hours," Stephen replied and caught the shivers racking Carolyn’s body, realizing he had to closely monitor the pregnant woman. This amount of stress could affect the pregnancy.

"What are we waiting for?" Al asked and got to his feet. His ankle hardly troubled him any longer and he was eager to get this over and done with so he could be with Carolyn.

Susan sensed Al’s lowered shields and got a general impression of his thoughts. Concern for Carolyn dominated his mind and she studied Carolyn more closely. For some reason, which eluded her, she felt inclined to offer Carolyn her support. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that Marcus was away. She =knew= how deserted Carolyn properly felt.

//Thank you. Carolyn will need all the support she can get,// Al’s mind voice drifted into her thoughts and Susan quickly stared at the man.

//You need to work on your shields,// Al told her, but felt relieved now that Ivanova had decided to help his lover.

Susan refrained from sending him a reply and focused on Sheridan instead. The Captain wasn’t thrilled to be forced to go along with this option. Concern showed in his thoughts and Susan liked him even more for worrying about a telepath. Never before had she understood Al’s point of view so clearly.

Telepaths differed from normals, yes and it would always be that way, but there had to be a way for them to live together peacefully. All it took was setting aside fear and paranoia and this could be the first step on a road of new understanding. //We’re all humans, telepaths or not.//

//Yes,// Al reacted, //in the end we all share the same blood.//

Carolyn had listened to their conversation and wondered about Ivanova. Al had told her that the Commander was a telepath too and that she had run from the Corps her entire life. Feeling only sympathy for Susan, Carolyn hoped they might become friends one day… She would need them, especially if Al didn’t return from this assignment.

"I still don’t like this," Sheridan muttered and locked eyes with Franklin, "I will okay the surgery, but this better work!"

"I’ll start preparations at once and will schedule surgery for 0800 hours," he told Al, trying to muster all the reassurance he could.

"I’ll be there," Al promised, then looked at Carolyn. "I will take you back to med lab. You need to rest."

Tired, Carolyn nodded her head and placed her hand on his. Together they left the War room.

"I hate to admit it," Susan started, "but it does look like I misjudged him."

Garibaldi leaned back and considered her statement. "I still don’t like him, but yeah, you’re right, Susan. The old Bester is gone… I’m not that sure what to make of this guy."

"Carolyn will need our support," Susan whispered hesitantly. So much had changed lately and expressing her feelings was something she was still uncomfortable with… Marcus might have shown her how to talk to her heart again, but voicing her concern felt awkward.

"I’m surprised about Bester’s choice… "Garibaldi admitted, remembering the way she had looked at Bester during their walk back. "I’m sure she’s the one wearing the pants in their relationship!"

Confused, Delenn looked at Sheridan. "Wearing the pants?"

Her remark made him smile. "I’ll explain it to you…"

Hesitantly, Susan remained poised in the corridor. It had been her intention to talk to Carolyn, but was now reconsidering her idea. Why try trusting a telepath? //But Carolyn is a Blip, she refused to join the Corps or to go on sleepers… In a certain way… I’m a Blip too,// she realized startled.

"Please come inside."

Hearing Carolyn’s voice Susan knew she had been discovered and slowly entered the room. Carolyn was lying in the bed and there was no sign of Bester. Susan had no idea what to say and simply continued to observe the other woman.

"We never met before," Carolyn started, feeling Susan’s discomfort.

"No, we didn’t. I’m Commander Susan Ivanova," she said and maintained her distance.

"Al told me about you." Insecurity showed in her voice and Carolyn wondered why Ivanova had come here.

Susan quickly looked about, making sure they were alone. //I’m a telepath too,// she cast nervously.

//I realized that when I sensed your mind signature… I wished I had been able to fail their test or remain undiscovered too,// Carolyn admitted, //the relocation camps are dreadful. If it hadn’t been for Al… //

"He told us after we found you onboard that ship," Susan revealed and switched back to talking aloud. It was unnerving to hear another voice in her head.

"I wish Al would call off this absurd plan. It will never work," Carolyn said, "I know… I felt their presence in my mind… I don’t ever want to feel it again!" A tear slid down her face, remembering the isolation as the machine had taken over.

"Speaking of Bester…" Susan looked about and added, "Where is he?"

"Doctor Franklin wanted to run some tests before starting surgery." Carolyn closed her eyes, tired and restless. "I will lose him for a second time."

A sudden twitch of pain shot through Susan’s heart hearing those words. Not so long ago she had felt the same way. All hope had deserted her. "He knows what he’s doing… Carolyn," she added the name hesitantly, uncertain she wanted to befriend the woman. She wasn’t sure she could handle another commitment. Trusting Marcus and letting him in had already been a major step for her to take.

"But this time it’s different." Carolyn locked eyes with Ivanova and sensed the dilemma in her mind. "I have never seen him this driven before. Finding out he’s Stephen Dexter caused something to snap inside him."

Susan didn’t know what to say so she simply nodded her head, knowing Carolyn’s pain like her own… she worried for Marcus too.

Marcus sat back after working out with the trainees for most of the day. Neroon had left the training facility after reluctantly accepting that Eliet’s mind couldn’t be changed.

Looking over at Master Durhann the ranger caught the pleased look on the Minbari’s face. The teacher had given him instructions prior to starting the training and he’d had no problems carrying them out. The trainees were panting, sweat covered their brow as he pushed them to the edge and a little further.

"You did well," Durhann complimented him and took a seat next to his new assistant.

"Thank you," Marcus replied and smiled warmly. After all the trainees had left he felt comfortable enough to address the Minbari again. "I wasn’t sure coming here was such a good idea."

"Why?" Durhann suspected the answer, but wanted to hear Marcus say it.

"Memories of Willie," Marcus admitted and closed his eyes, "Some weeks ago I rescued a telepath. His name is Al and he made me face my past."

"What are you trying to tell me?" Durhann studied the human and noticed the soft gleam in those eyes as Marcus looked at him.

"I blame myself for his death…that’s why I joined the rangers."

"I have known that for a long time," Durhann confessed and grinned seeing Marcus’ confusion.

"You did?" Marcus shook his head in disbelief. "Delenn told me I was clinging to the pain and I knew she was right, but I couldn’t let go."

"What changed?"

"Al telling me to clean up my act, I guess," Marcus whispered and then grinned, "And discovering that Susan loves me too."

"Ah," Durhann whispered, "Love… is for the young. Come with me, Marcus. There’s something I want to show you." Slowly he got to his feet and leaned heavily on his staff.

"I heard some rumors concerning your injury," Marcus said teasingly and noticed the unease on the Minbari’s face. "You should be careful in future. It’s so easy to trip over a Gok." Marcus remembered seeing the catlike creatures once while paying a visit to Tuzanor.

"You will not talk to anyone about that incident!" Durhann said embarrassed. The Gok had turned up unexpected and had wrapped itself around his feet, tripping him in the process.

"The great Durhann… defeated by a Gok!" Marcus laughed warmly, wondering how much longer the Minbari would put up with him.

But Durhann ignored him and opened the door to his private quarters instead. "Please, come inside," he whispered and walked over to his desk and opened one of the drawers.

"William asked me to keep this till the day came that you were ready to face the truth, your past. That time has now come and you should read it." Durhann uncovered an ancient looking book with a red cover.

Marcus’ heart missed a beat seeing it. "Is that Willie’s diary?" His tone wavered and involuntarily he took a step back. Almost bolting out of the room apprehension flowed through him. William had always carried the diary around with him, confiding a lot of secrets to it, but he had always assumed it had been destroyed during the crash. Seeing it now confused him immensely.

"Take it, Marcus." Durhann extended his hand and offered it to the human.

"I… " Nervous, Marcus swallowed hard.

"Take it," Durhann repeated firmly.

Eventually Marcus raised his arm to take it from the Minbari’s hand. His first thought had been to burn it, throw it away as far as possible, or make it sink into the lake… but never to touch it, let alone accept or read it. The book burned his fingers and suddenly feeling nauseous, he tried to think up a reason to excuse himself so he could get rid off it.

"William told me that he wanted you to read it should he die. If you hadn’t joined us I would have sent someone to deliver it to you." Durhann sighed and observed Marcus who looked terrified. "But when you arrived here hate burned your soul and I knew you were not ready yet to read it."

Quickly, Marcus tugged it away and stared at the Minbari, pleading with his eyes to be excused.

"You can go now," Durhann said, dismissing the human, "but accept my advice and read it!"

//How can I? I don’t want to read about Willie accusing me of deserting him! I never believed him when he told me about this ancient threat. I withheld him my support…// Miserable, Marcus closed the door behind him and fled to his quarters.

The abyss part 19

No stories or pieces of artwork are meant to infringe upon the copyright held by J. Michael Straczynski, Babylonian Inc. or Time Warner Productions.

Staring at his brother’s diary Marcus leaped to his feet and started pacing his guest quarters. Torn apart by apprehension he refused to look at the book any longer. He didn’t want to know Willie’s intimate thoughts!

//But maybe it will help me deal with what happened. Or it will feed my guilt by reading his accusations!// he thought in despair. Unsure how to proceed he remembered why he had come here in the first place. Even Susan had agreed this was the best course of action for him at the moment. The name woke a sweet ache in the pit of stomach. He missed her greatly and realized, //I need her!//

The diary kept calling out to him, luring him closer all the time. As he reached out to take it into his hand he dropped it back onto the table as if his fingers had been burned. //I can’t do this!//

Unexpectedly, he remembered Al finally facing his past and knew the telepath would chide him for acting like this.

"I have to do this… for Susan, for all the people who care about me. " Marcus reverently took the diary into his hands and opened it in the middle. It was William’s elegant handwriting all right and he took a deep breath before reading the first lines. This could be his salvation or his undoing; finally learning his brother’s most private thoughts.

#Today Entil’Zha Sinclair ordered me to return to Arisia to talk to Marcus. Sinclair is very keen on him joining the rangers, but why I don’t know. I’m sure Sinclair has some hidden agenda concerning Marcus. #

Marcus looked up, baffled to read this. It was obvious Sinclair’s interest in him had taken Willie by surprise and Marcus understood why. How could Sinclair have known about him? Curious he decided to continue reading.

#I felt hesitant to ask him why he wanted Marcus to join us that badly, but decided to ask him before leaving for Arisia. The answer Sinclair gave me was logical after all. I had completely forgotten that Marcus had been drafted into Earthforce during the war. Apparently Sinclair had noticed Marcus’ qualities back then. Yet, something still doesn’t make sense!#

Taking a moment to let the words sink in Marcus knew for certain he had never met Sinclair during the Earth-Minbari war. That was one meeting he would never forget! He had to agree with Willie, something didn’t make sense. Marcus turned the page and resumed reading.

#Today I arrived at Arisia and I still hate the god forsaken place. Marcus looks even worse than when I left and I wonder if I’m to blame for that. Maybe I should have stayed to help him run the mining company. I tried to explain to him what the ranger’s goals were, but he’s determined not to listen to me.

Hasina, however is doing fine and assured me she was keeping an eye on Marcus. If only I could convince him to join the rangers! He’s so bloody unhappy here! I wish he sold the bloody place! Marcus isn’t a businessman and I can only guess what happened during his time in Earthforce to cause him to live as a hermit.#

His hands trembled reading those words. //Willie, maybe I should have told you about the horrors I witnessed while with Earthforce Intelligence. You have no idea how dirty that war was fought!// That had been his main reason for staying on Arisia, trying to keep away from fights and wars which only demanded innocent victims

Willie’s concern for his well being surprised him though. //And how did this diary end up back on Minbar any way?// he wondered.

#I spent today convincing Marcus that he had to join the rangers, but all he did was take me on a tour of this blasted planet. It did make me realize one thing. I hurt him when I left for Minbar.

Maybe I acted selfishly by leaving him behind. I don’t know any more. But I doubt Sinclair will get his wish. Marcus won’t accompany me back to Minbar. I’m going to send this diary to Tuzanor. I already found a courier. I’ve got this ominous feeling something bad is going to happen. Shadow sightings increased and I am worried they may attack Arisia because of the Quantium 40 that we mine here.

Should the Shadows attack while I’m still here I want Sinclair to know I did my best to claim Marcus for our cause.#

Tears dripped from his face. Willie’s concern moved him as he never expected it. About to close the book he noted one last entry on the last page.

#I wish I could tell Marcus how much I love him, but the years created a crevice between us and it is keeping us apart. Why does he think he has to hide his worries or pain from me?

Marcus, should you ever read this, though I know that chance is very small, remember I love you, big brother and all I want to tell you is to follow your heart.#

No longer able to stop the flow of tears he read those last words a second time until he finally realized that Willie had never been angry with him. To actually read this after so many years set his mind at ease.

//Now I know why you made me promise to join the rangers. You wanted me to start all over, far away from Arisia, a place I hated just as much as you did! Willie, I think I would have joined the rangers anyway, even without making that promise. After Arisia was destroyed I had to face reality and Minbar was the only place I could go.

Yes, I love being a ranger. You knew me so well! I promised you to finish what you started and I will walk that road which has now become mine because I believe in its cause.

I will stop blaming myself for the Shadow attack. I realize now that if you have been convinced they would attack you would have given the order to evacuate yourself. I couldn’t have stopped you and the workers would have left at once. I will make the Shadows pay for what they did to us, but I can’t do that here…//

Marcus’ eyes were determined as he slipped the book into his duffel and pulled it over his shoulder. Walking over to the computer console he established a connection to Neroon’s War Cruiser, which had been holding its position till Neroon would make up his mind whether to stay with Eliet or leave.

"Marcus?" Neroon said surprised. He was in a rather foul mood now that Eliet had insisted on staying in Tuzanor.

"Neroon, I need a favor," Marcus started and had never seen his path more clearly now that he knew what to do.

"A favor?"

"Yes, I want =you= to assist Master Durhann. I have to return to Babylon 5 as quickly as possible." Marcus hoped Neroon would accept his proposal. "Think about it, that way you can be close to Eliet and… you’re a better pike fighter than I am!"

Neroon considered the idea. "Why do you have to return to Babylon 5?"

"I can’t explain this to you now, Neroon. I just have to…" Marcus said pleadingly. His place wasn’t here. Willie’s dairy had made him realize that.

"Agreed," Neroon finally muttered, only giving in to be close to Eliet. "My shuttle will arrive in 30 minutes. I suggest you return to the war cruiser. My second in command will see to it that the ship takes you to Babylon 5 and I assure you there won’t be any incidents on your way back."

"Thank you, Neroon," Marcus sighed relieved. Maybe if he used some short cuts he could make it back to Babylon 5 in one or two days.

Al stared into the mirror and studied his reflection. Franklin would operate on him in one hour. The implants would then become a part of him and he shivered slightly, worried for Carolyn’s response should she ever see him like that.

"Al?" Martin entered the room, not thrilled by the idea that their new leader had decided to handle this situation personally. "Is there anything the resistance can do to help?"

"I’m afraid not," Al replied, "Maybe look after Carolyn should this go wrong."

"When are the Shadows supposed to arrive?" Martin asked concerned.

"The rangers suspect within 48 hours. We don’t have a lot of time to get organized and it will take me some time to get used to the implants and learning how to use them." Al walked back to the bed and sat down. Franklin had finished his tests and would return shortly to give him the pre-med injection.

"The resistance thinks you should let someone else take your place. As Stephen Dexter you’re too valuable to do this yourself!"

"As Stephen Dexter I have to do this, Martin. I don’t want to endanger any one else!" Al said determined and sensed Martin’s confusion. //Don’t try to understand me,// he cast.

Doctor Franklin entered the room and asked Martin to leave. "I’ve got to prep him for surgery," he explained.

Martin sighed depressed. "I will stay close just in case you need help," he assured Al.

"That’s fine with me." Should the implants end up controlling him they were in trouble and would need all the help they could get to subdue him. He had insisted that Franklin would be present the entire time, ready to sedate him should that be necessary.

Doctor Hobbes would keep an eye on Carolyn and try to keep her away. Al didn’t want to endanger the baby, not knowing how she would react. The implants might cause her to go into shock.

Martin left with a concerned expression on his face. How to explain to the resistance that their new leader was so damned headstrong?

"Are you ready?" Franklin inquired as Al rolled up his sleeve.

"Ready as I’ll ever be," Al whispered and watched Franklin inject the substance.

"Don’t worry too much about Carolyn. She’s in capable hands," he assured his patient.

Al lay down as the meds hit his system. Upon awakening the implants would be a part of his brain. Nervous, he peeked through half closed eyelids at the doctor who looked confident and in control. "Let’s get started then," he whispered and released the breath he had been holding onto as he drifted into a drug-controlled sleep.

Uncomfortably he looked about the nerve center of the war cruiser.

Several Minbari were working the controls, carrying out Neroon’s orders to take the Anla’Shok back to Babylon as quickly as possible. They treated him respectfully, something that surprised the ranger. Apparently Neroon had told them to behave and treat him as an equal.

Staring at the crystals, which operated the war cruiser, Marcus counted the hours left until his arrival at the space station. He had tried contacting Susan, but an accident had happened in the cargo bay and she hadn’t been in. Bugger, he had looked forward to telling her that he would arrive in 30 hours!

The crewmembers of the war cruiser had looked baffled as he had shown them some short cuts and although the language presented a barrier they had quickly realized what he wanted them to do.

//30 more hours,// he thought somewhat depressed and wondered what had happened during his sort absence from the station. Had Al made a complete recovery? Had Susan listened to him and asked for Al’s advice? He hoped she had.

Fumbling his collapsed pike he recognized the young Minbari who had challenged him during their trip to Minbar. The warrior now respectfully lowered his eyes. Apparently the crew had accepted the fact that a human Anla’Shok was onboard and they didn’t try to defy him.

Assured that everything was all right he continued to watch them. Maybe he could try and contact Susan later.

Commander Ivanova’s glare revealed more than words ever could. The incident in the cargo bay had taken up too much of her time and she hadn’t been able to return to her quarters to change her uniform. Babylon 5 resembled a mad house these days and she wished Marcus were here with her. Now she had to face everything on her own.

//But I made some friends because he isn’t here! I feel a lot closer to Michael, Stephen and Carolyn… I have to admit I actually like her!// Marcus’ absence had forced her to turn to different people instead.

Entering med lab she wondered if Franklin was already performing surgery on Al. She didn’t envy the doctor’s responsibility and sighed as she sensed Carolyn’s distress. Susan turned around the corner and noticed Carolyn pacing the hallway. "Shouldn’t you be in bed?" she asked and concern colored her tone.

Carolyn looked up at her, agony written all over her face. //They’re putting the implants in right now! I’m so scared, Susan,// she cast.

Hearing her mind voice took Susan momentarily aback, but realized that Carolyn was nervous and afraid. //Franklin is an excellent surgeon. He will look after Al.// It still felt odd to refer to her old nemesis as Al. Placing a gentle hand on Carolyn’s arm to guide the telepath to her room. "You have to rest. Think about the baby."

"Yes, Fiona," Carolyn whispered aloud as she lay down again. Clinging to Susan’s hands she said, "Please, I want you to be the child’s godmother."

"Me?" Susan replied stunned, "Why me?"

"I don’t know anyone here except for you and Al. Please?"

Susan was speechless. "I’m not sure I’m the right person for that job, Carolyn."

"Is it because you and Al were enemies once? He’s changed, you know," Carolyn said pleadingly.

"Give me some time to think it over," Susan replied, but knew she couldn’t deny this request. It was true, Carolyn didn’t know anyone else.

"What if things go wrong?" she whispered upset, "What if Al tries to meld with the computer? What if the Shadows find a way to control his mind?"

Susan had considered the same questions, but realized they had no other choice at present. The Shadows were too strong and someone had to try and free the telepaths inside those Shadow vessels. "Do you want me to sit with you until the surgery is done?"

"Yes, please," Carolyn sighed and fought her tears.

Pulling up a chair Susan sat down and wondered what to say to break the horrible silence.

But Carolyn spoke first. "Al told me a ranger rescued him?"

"Yes, Marcus," she said in a soft tone.

Carolyn immediately picked up on the underlying current of feelings in Susan’s mind. "You love him?"

"I fought my feelings for a long time till I finally accepted that truth." Susan shifted in the chair and realized she wanted to tell Carolyn about Marcus. It would take their minds off of the ongoing surgery.

Franklin released a strangled sigh as he left the operating theatre. Everything had gone according to plan and the implants were now connected to Al’s brain. It would take the telepath one hour at least to regain consciousness. Now he had to tell Carolyn that the implants were working and that Al had survived surgery… he didn’t look forward to it.

As he reached her room he identified Susan’s voice, telling Carolyn about the time when she had flung some roses into Marcus’ face. A smile crossed his features, remembering that incident.

"Carolyn? Susan?" he said stepping inside. The two women immediately grew silent and he noticed the anguish in Carolyn’s eyes. "Everything went fine and Al will wake up in one hour."

"What about the implants?" Carolyn asked in a trembling tone.

"Working," Franklin replied and caught the shivers racking her body. //Al was right to insist Carolyn wouldn’t see him like that,// and he was determined to keep her away from her lover.

"When will we know if he’s in control of them?" Susan wanted to know and allowed Carolyn to grab her hand for support.

Franklin smiled as he realized that Susan had decided to befriend Carolyn. //It’s amazing the way Marcus pushed through her defenses,// he thought pleased. "When he wakes up, Susan."

His hand communicator beeped and he quickly tapped it. "Franklin go."

Sheridan’s voice sounded concerned as he spoke. "Is Susan there with you?"

"Yes, and Carolyn as well," Franklin informed the Captain.

"Good, I want to see you, Susan… and Carolyn if she feels up to it in the war room in 20 minutes. Delenn has news concerning the progress the Shadows are making."

"We’ll be there," Franklin said and looked at Carolyn. "I advise you to stay in bed and rest."

"No," she objected, "I will go mad lying here, worrying about Alfie!"

"I will accompany her to the war room," Susan offered, somewhat surprised she wanted to ease Carolyn’s agony.

"I have to check on Al one more time and then I will join you," Franklin said and headed back to the recovery room to give Lillian some last minute instructions.

The abyss part 20

No stories or pieces of artwork are meant to infringe upon the copyright held by J. Michael Straczynski, Babylonian Inc. or Time Warner Productions.

Being as it was the Rangers who had supplied them with this latest intelligence, Sheridan looked to Delenn to begin the meeting.

Susan felt Carolyn’s concern wash through her. The telepath had seated herself next to her, in need of some support and a friendly face.

Carolyn peeked at Garibaldi whose underlying loathing was palpable in his mind and she swallowed hard, realizing he hated telepaths and Al in general. No matter what Al would do to make up for past mistakes it would never appease the Chief of Security.

Delenn caught Carolyn’s gaze and sighed. It had been an illusion to hope Garibaldi would ever learn to trust a telepath. She composed herself and addressed the council.

"I received a report from White Star 5 one hour ago. The Shadows increased their speed and will reach Babylon 5 in 35 hours. The psi corps ships however are unable to keep up with them and will probably be too late to make the rendez-vous in time. That leaves us with only the Shadows to battle."

"Only," Sheridan muttered and shrugged his shoulders as Delenn looked at him. "The rangers have counted about 100 vessels," he explained to the others.

"A hundred?" Susan repeated stunned, "We can never defeat them!"

"We do have a trump," the Captain reminded her, "If Al can get into their system and disrupt it…"

A soft moan escaped Carolyn’s lips as she remembered being one with the station’s computer.

Garibaldi studied her closely. He was still trying to digest the fact that Bester had a lover at all! And now this woman appeared to be just as human as they were. For some reason he had assumed Carolyn would be like the Bester he had always known; cold and heartless. //But she’s a Blip, isn’t she?// he mused and decided to remain silent.

"That would leave Al plenty of time to get used to the implants," Franklin remarked, "Al should wake up any moment now and I want to be there when he does."

"You’re excused," Sheridan said, understanding Franklin’s real request.

Franklin nodded once and quickly left the war room.

Carolyn wanted to follow him, but Susan’s hand pulled her back. //Don’t!// Susan warned her.

//You don’t understand! Al might need me!// Carolyn objected.

Realizing they were attracting odd looks from Garibaldi Ivanova released Carolyn’s hand. "Anything else, Captain?" she asked, trying to divert the Chief’s attention. It was bad enough that a number of people already knew about her being a telepath. Garibaldi would never forgive her for lying to him all those years and she didn’t want to lose his friendship. If Garibaldi ever learned the truth…

"Actually, yes," Delenn replied instead, "I also received a message from Marcus."

Startled, Susan focused on Delenn. "Why didn’t he contact =me=?"

"Actually he tried, but could not get hold of you so he left a message instead, asking me to deliver it to you." Delenn enjoyed seeing the hunger on Susan’s face. Not so long ago Ivanova would have denied she loved Marcus.

"Tell me, Delenn," Susan demanded, eager to hear any news at all from the ranger.

"He is on his way back and will arrive before the Shadows will attack."

Susan sighed and couldn’t repress a contented smile. "Somehow he knows exactly when and where the action will be," she chuckled amused.

Carolyn suddenly squeezed her hand and Susan was startled seeing the paleness to her face. "Franklin was right. You should be in med lab. I’ll walk you there," she offered, cutting off Carolyn who wanted to protest.

"Susan," Sheridan started and shook his head, "I need to talk to you in private first." Making his decision John looked at Garibaldi. "Our charming Chief will escort Carolyn back to med lab."

Carolyn gasped hearing that order. "I can get there on my own," she whispered in denial. The unease Garibaldi radiated made her feel nauseous.

Michael was surprised to recognize fear in Carolyn’s eyes. He disliked carrying out Sheridan’s order, but knew why the Captain had chosen him. John wanted the council to act as one, to trust each other.

"I’ll walk you," he said resolved, "Franklin would be mad at me for not looking after his patients," he quipped, trying to break the ice.

Susan was thankful for the effort the Chief made and while looking at Carolyn she cast;// You can trust him.//

Slowly, Carolyn rose to her feet, still apprehensive about trusting Garibaldi. //I don’t have a choice, do I?// she asked Ivanova, already aware of the answer and followed Garibaldi into the corridor.

"Captain?" Susan asked, now that the three of them were alone. Sheridan looked worried.

"I’ve got special orders for you," he started hesitantly.

"What orders?" Susan couldn’t help focusing on his thoughts and felt discomfort coursing through him… and Delenn as well.

"Before Al had surgery we talked in private…"

"I didn’t know about that," Susan admitted, suddenly alert. He wanted something from her, but felt uneasy asking her.

"We decided that Al should leave the station moments before the Shadows appear. Al told me that hyperspace will amplify his telepathic powers and we need any advantage we can get!" Sheridan paused briefly. He hated giving her this order. "I can’t send him out there on his own. In case he loses control someone has to be there to sedate him."

"And I am that person?" Susan shook her head in disbelief. Why hadn’t Sheridan told her before?

"I need a telepath out there! Originally I thought about sending Carolyn, but she is no condition to go ahead with this. Stephen will accompany you to supply medical assistance if necessary. It will be only the three of you." Sheridan exchanged a glance with Delenn who had suggested Susan in the first place.

"John, I don’t know if I can do this!" Susan exclaimed, "I’m not that strong!"

"I know, but… You’re the only one I can think of with Lyta off station," Sheridan added apologetically.

Susan got up from her chair and started to pace the room. //Damn! Why does he have to be right all the time? Carolyn isn’t up to this for sure,// she realized. Getting her involved would only resort in even more mayhem. //But I want to see Marcus before I have to leave…I still have to deflower him!// and she grinned wickedly.

Sheridan was taken aback by that grin and reached the wrong conclusion. "No, Commander, you’re not going to space Al! He’s an alley now!"

Hearing that comment Susan’s grin broadened. "Okay, I’ll do it," she said determined. "Let’s kick their sorry ass back to Z’ha’dum!"

Carolyn tried to maintain some distance between her and the Chief. Since they had left the War room Garibaldi’s thoughts had become less paranoid and she was intensely grateful for that. She couldn’t take much more. The thought of Al having those implants in his brain was enough to send shivers down her spine.

Slowly putting her feet in front of the other she wished Susan had accompanied her back instead. She felt tired and weak and vertigo was claiming her quickly. Putting her hands against the wall for support she felt relieved to see the core tube was empty as they entered.

Garibaldi knew she was about to collapse when the core tube started moving and reached out with an arm to catch her. He forgot about not wanting to touch her as he realized she was also pregnant and in need of his help. At that moment it didn’t matter to him that Bester was the child’s father. "I’ve got you," he said and grinned, feeling her shiver underneath his fingertips.

"I can take care of myself," Carolyn whispered and leaned against the wall.

Garibaldi looked her in the eyes and realized she was just as uncomfortable with his presence as he was with hers… //No,// he thought, //she looks scared, not just uncomfortable.//

Carolyn was blocking his thoughts to the best of her ability, not keen on receiving his loathing. "They all hate us," she mumbled lost, suddenly realizing she had spoken out loud.

After considering her comment Garibaldi said, "I don’t like teeps."

"I know," Carolyn laughed bitterly.

"But…you don’t have to be afraid of me. I won’t hurt you." Michael wasn’t sure he had read her facial expression correctly, but the way she flinched told him enough. "Normals scare you."

"They’ve hurt me too many times," Carolyn bit back.

Michael hated to admit it, but she was probably just being honest. "How?" he asked.

"You don’t know how it feels to receive their loathing without trying to read their minds. The thoughts suddenly pop up in your mind and it hurts! We aren’t that different… we can be hurt too!" she choked out the words, avoiding all eye contact. Suddenly she realized he was still supporting her.

"I never looked at it that way," Garibaldi admitted, "I never…"

"Considered telepaths human beings too? That’s what most normals think, you know. I just don’t know what we did to deserve that amount of hate and…" Carolyn placed a hand against her belly as if to protect her unborn child.

Ashamed, Garibaldi tightened his hold on her as Carolyn swayed on her feet.

"I don’t know why I should be glad to give birth, knowing what her life will be like. Our child will be marked at birth and the life set aside for her is one of pain and hate. Look at the other option," Carolyn stared into his eyes and was determined to speak her mind, "Hand her over to psi corps so they can brainwash her like they did to Al? Make her hunt down her own kind?"

Speaking exhausted her and she closed her eyes. "You don’t know what it's like to be a telepath…" she mumbled and fought the tears escaping her eyes.

Michael had grown quiet during her reprimand and realized the truth in her words. "I’m sorry," he whispered, taken aback by the pain on her face. "I will try to act differently in future…" he had wanted to add something to that sentence but stopped as a sudden warm and cosy feeling invaded his mind.

There were no thoughts attached to the sensation, only the awareness of warmth and safety. "What?" he asked and stared at Carolyn whose big eyes startled him.

"It’s Fiona," she murmured, realizing her unborn daughter had made her presence known. "I wished Al were here too." She tried blocking Fiona’s emotions but they were too strong. Garibaldi’s face told her he was experiencing Fiona’s emotions too. "I’m sorry, but I can’t stop her casting…I have to find out how first," she said apologetically.

"I don’t mind," Michael replied honestly, "I never felt anything like this."

"Fiona isn’t doing it on purpose," Carolyn repeated, not sure what to make of the man’s reaction. Once she had invaded a normal’s mind accidentally and he had been furious. No one had helped her when he had backhanded her.

Michael flinched as he received that particular image as well and felt even more ashamed for his words and actions earlier.

"I’m so sorry," Carolyn whispered, "sorry, so sorry," and her voice drowned in emotion.

Composing himself again Michael smiled reassuringly. "It’s okay," he said firmly, seeing the apprehension in Carolyn’s eyes as she wasn’t sure how he would react.

"I never thought I would ever say this, but… I’m starting to understand where you’re coming from." Slowly, Fiona’s presence faded away and seeing the feverish expression in Carolyn’s eyes he realized it took all her strength to keep Fiona from casting.

"Computer, override all instructions and direct this tube directly to med lab. Authorization Michael Garibaldi, security code 0A01."

No longer sensing any animosity coming from Garibaldi, Carolyn relaxed and leaned heavily on him. //Oh, Alfie… will they ever accept us?//

Al hesitantly opened his eyes and wondered about the strange sensation in his mind. Something dark slithered through his thoughts and he immediately activated his primary shields.

//The implants,// he realized and was relieved when the shields proved strong enough to keep the dark outside. Whispers flew though his mind, using alien words, but he sensed their meaning. The implants were trying to lure him into melding with Babylon 5. Thankful for the training he had received in his youth Al managed to control the urge and finally fought it down.

The other thing he never expected to experience was the implants reaching out into space to try and find the others… the telepaths inside the Shadow vessels and Al cut off the energy seeping off into space.

"Al? Talk to me," Franklin said concerned as the telepath spaced out on him. Keeping a close eye on all readings the doctor didn’t know what else to do. Their future might depend on Al being able to control the implants.

"I’m fine," Al whispered, involuntarily adjusting his tone to the mumbling in his mind. Locking eyes with the doctor Al was startled to receive an image from Franklin’s mind, seeing himself with the implants in his head. Wires emerged from his temples and disappeared beneath the hair. Shocked, Al shut out that image.

"How does it feel?" Franklin inquired, making notes and studying Al.

"Surreal," Al replied and raised a hand to hesitantly touch the implants, "I always received static from the people close to me, but these implants are reaching out the other telepaths inside the Shadow vessels. I almost revealed my presence to them… that would be much too soon."

"So can you deal with the implants?" Franklin asked concerned. Although the readings were normal he didn’t like the far away look in Al’s eyes.

" I will end up with a splitting headache though," Al attempted some humor, but failed.

"I will remove them if necessary," Franklin said in a determined tone.

"Don’t," Al whispered, "How many hours before we have to leave the station?"

"28," Franklin informed him, "You might be pleased to know that our Commander has accepted the invitation to accompany us into hyperspace."

Al nodded fatigued. "What about Carolyn?"

"She’s hanging in there, but she’s very worried. I want to keep her in med lab till this is over."

"Wise decision," Al commented and closed his eyes as the mumbling grew louder and shocked he realized something else. "Are there still telepaths in cryo, carrying implants?"

"Yes," Franklin looked up as Al’s heartbeat quickened.

"I can feel them," Al sighed depressed, "You have to remove their implants too."

"I will," Franklin promised and suppressed a shiver, "Is there anything I can do to help you adjust to the implants?" His mind was still trying to deal with the fact that Al was able to sense the telepaths’ minds in the cryo tubes.

"No, I’ve got to this on my own." Al closed his eyes completely and fought down his sudden fear as the scream of a Shadow pierced his thoughts. //They are trying to locate me!// he realized and strengthened his blocks. //They can’t find me yet!//

Franklin shook his head in distress, realizing he had to monitor Al very closely.

The next 23 hours crept by and everyone tried killing time in their own way. Franklin kept a vigil at Al’s bed while Susan and Carolyn stayed in med lab. Ivanova did her best to sooth Carolyn’s fear, but felt nervous now Marcus was about to return. His shuttle could dock any moment now and as she finally received confirmation that he had come onboard she excused herself, hoping Carolyn would stay asleep. Doctor Hobbes had given the telepath something to relax.

As she headed for her quarters goose flesh appeared on her skin. In a couple of hours they would face the Shadows and there was a chance not everyone would survive that fight. Susan had reached a decision. //I’m going to deflower Marcus now! No matter what will happen in battle I’m not going to let him die a virgin!//

NC-17 warning

The abyss part 21

No stories or pieces of artwork are meant to infringe upon the copyright held by J. Michael Straczynski, Babylonian Inc. or Time Warner Productions.

Marcus immediately left the docking bay and headed for Ivanova’s quarters. Basically he had to check in with Delenn first, but decided that 5 minutes wouldn’t make that great a difference. First he had to reassure Susan that he was all right and then he would see Delenn to get his instructions.

Lt. Corwin had informed him on a secured channel about the upcoming fight. Marcus had smiled when he had heard that Stephen had found a way to return Carolyn to Al. //It must mean a lot to Al to hold her in his arms again.//

But some of the news had also disturbed him, like hearing about the implants in Al’s brain and their insane plan to beat the Shadows. //I know Al wants to free those telepaths inside the Shadow vessels, but this might backfire on him!//

Before he knew it, he was standing in front of Ivanova’s quarters. Pressing the door chime he hoped she was in. He didn’t look forward to hauling her out of C&C when she was in Commander mode!

The door opened and carefully peeking around the corner he realized she was lying on the sofa. Her brow was knitted in worry and her eyes fatigued. "Hello, love, just wanted to let you know…"

She didn’t give him a chance to end his sentence. "Marcus!" she exclaimed and jumped to her feet. "I hoped you would arrive before the fighting started!" Quickly, she covered the distance separating them and smiled brightly. "I missed you, damnit!"

"I missed you too, darling," Marcus quipped; delighted to see her eyes light up.

Susan took the initiative and folded her arms around him, pulling him into her quarters. Something in his demeanor had changed and Susan took a step back to study him. //Your eyes look different!// she realized and stopped herself just in time from probing his mind.

"I was only gone for 6 days!" Marcus reminded her and followed her to the couch.

"But now you’re back!" she sighed and sat down.

Marcus seated himself next to her and stroked her long hair as she rested her head against his chest. Her body pressed into his and his fingers itched to explore all those seductive feminine curves. "You’re not wearing your uniform?" he wondered, feeling the soft fabric of her blue tunic underneath his fingertips.

"John gave me some hours off…" Susan explained. Sheridan had ordered her to get some rest before leaving the station. She would be piloting the shuttle and he wanted her in prime shape.

"I heard about the Corps and Shadows working together…" he whispered and wondered why she was looking at him in this peculiar way. //Her look spells trouble!//

"Marcus? We still got two hours before we have to report in," she said in a soft tone and teasingly moved her hands through his hair.

"What are you suggesting?" Marcus asked in a shaky tone, finally recognizing desire in her eyes.

"Can’t let you go into battle a virgin," she hinted and brushed his lips lightly. A soft moan, which escaped his lips filled the air and she grinned wickedly. "Tell me, how far did you go with the girls you dated? You may be a virgin, but hardly a saint!"

Slightly flushed Marcus lowered his eyes to look at her hands, tracing each finger slowly. "Kissing, awkward fumbling in the dark…"

"Yes?" she said and peeked at his clouded eyes. He was not telling her the entire truth.

"Once I got assigned to protect this woman… had to take her safely to Verdana 4," he whispered and leaned back as Susan pushed him down. Her face hovered above his and she slowly covered his body with hers.

"Tell me," she challenged him, enjoying his embarrassment.

"We shared small quarters and she…" Marcus trembled feeling her hands slip underneath his shirt. She had unclasped his belt and was now trying to unzip his trousers too and he forgot what he’d wanted to say.

"I think I can guess," Susan quipped amused, "She gave you a blowjob?"

"Uh, yes?" Marcus stuttered as she raised her arms to pull the tunic over her head to free herself of the restrictive garment.

//She is wearing nothing underneath it!// he realized, gulped and then hungrily licked his lips. Her nipples had already hardened and he rubbed a thumb over those hard nubs of flesh. //She planned this!// he thought and didn’t know how to feel about that.

He wanted to say something and she quickly placed her fingers on top of his lips. "Don’t speak, Marcus…"

Obediently he nodded once and decided to let her have her way with him. //I wonder what her plans are...// His intention of reporting to Delenn had disappeared and he caught the subtle shift in her eyes as they softened.

"Let’s get you out of all those clothes!" she said and got rid of his tunic and turtleneck. She quickly realized he was erect and slid her hand underneath the fabric of his trousers. "I’m sorry we don’t have the time to…"

"Shsst." Marcus placed his hand at the back of her neck and pulled her close to kiss her. "I waited over 30 years for this… Whatever you’re willing to give me… I want it…"

His firm tone made her quaver. "I want you too!" she whispered and broke away from the embrace. Getting to her feet she removed her trousers and watched his reaction. No longer able to block his surface thoughts she sensed his admiration and love. "Come here…" she whispered and lay down on the floor. Extending her hands she waited for him to join her.

Marcus wished for the return of her warm body and rose to his feet as well. Slowly he removed his boots, socks, trousers and underwear. A soft groan made him smile.

"You’re big," she quipped, seeing him aroused and ran her eyes all over his body. A few scars told of the fights he had been in, but his body was lean and agile. Teasingly she moved her tongue over her lips, taking a bit longer than strictly necessary.

Marcus closed his eyes briefly as unrivaled desire ran through his body and gathered in his groin. Kneeling beside her he leaned in closer to continue the kiss she had started. Her teeth opened and he slowly explored the inside of her mouth. Her tongue challenged his and he gladly gave in to the duel.

Susan sighed as Marcus placed his body on top of hers and she nudged her knees apart, eager to feel his manhood against her already moist core.

"Susan?" Marcus whispered as she released his lips to draw a deep breath. "I love you, Susan Ivanova."

Smiling contently she arched her back as his fingers rubbed her clitoris. His action surprised her… // I wonder how much research you did to prepare for this special first time,// she mused and was surprised to hear him chuckle.

"Ah, Susan…" Marcus started, amazed at hearing her mind voice and knew she hadn’t cast it into his mind on purpose. "Lots of theory, love…"

"I did what?" Susan suddenly realized what had happened and smiled weakly. "Al told me to work on my blocks…"

"I once heard," Marcus whispered and suckled her nipple momentarily while one of his fingers entered her, "that an orgasm is the hardest thing to block for a telepath… Does that mean I’m going to come twice?"

"You…!" Lost for words she wondered about his eagerness to take the initiative. For some reason she had assumed he would be timid and passive. //No matter how shy he sometimes acts he’s still a man who knows what he wants,// she sighed mentally and made sure he didn’t receive that remark.

Reaching down she curled her fingers around his manhood and guided him inside her, as a deep, primal urge surfaced. Malcolm had always been passive while making love to her, but Marcus’ reaction had been a pleasant surprise.

"Impatient?" Marcus mumbled, staring into her eyes, which had turned turquoise. Sensing her hands on him he tensed. "Oh, my God," he stuttered as he slid inside her. Her tightness clenched him and she invitingly arched her back. He pressed his body into hers, trying to change the angle and depth of the penetration to please them both.

Feeling him shift position she released a sigh and clawed his back as he started to thrust in a slow, tormenting rhythm, almost pulling out completely to only deepen the next penetration. "You’re… good at this!" she gasped in surprise as his fingers sought and found her clitoris again.

Rubbing her in a similar rhythm he realized he wouldn’t last long. This was all new to him and although he tried to postpone the inevitable a shattering fire started in his scrotum and spread through his groin. "I don’t want to leave you behind," he whispered and tried to stop thrusting.

But Susan sensed the fear in his mind and smiled. //You won’t,// she told him and this time she cast the words into his mind on purpose. Delight illuminated his face hearing her words.

"Susan!" he sighed and frantically claimed her lips. Orgasm was building in his mind and his lips trailed down her throat, suckling the flesh there.

//I’m going to come with you,// Susan moaned and opened her mind for his sensations. Awed, she sensed the love inside his mind, and for one moment she saw herself through his eyes.

//I =want= to come with you,// she cast a second time and wrapped her legs around his waist, quickening the pace of his thrusts. Throwing back her head she gave him easier access to the sensitive skin his lips fondled and used one hand to pinch his nipple.

Softly biting her Marcus was surprised by his own behavior. "I never knew I wanted you this much, love…" he revealed apologetically as an orgasmic explosion overwhelmed him. Quickly claiming her lips he hoped she felt his pleasure through their telepathic contact.

Susan did and while searing on his feelings found release too. An intense throbbing washed through her body and she felt his surprise as her muscles started to milk him dry.

"Susan!" he yelped and wrapped his arms around her. "I can feel you in my thoughts!"

//I know,// Susan sighed and sent him her sensations. Clinging to each other they hoped ecstasy would never end, but it did.

Covered in sweat Marcus looked up at her. "We should have done this a long time ago!"

Susan laughed warmly. "Not so long ago I flung roses at you!"

"I kept them you know… They’re in my quarters, underneath my bunk."

Remembering the stunned expression on his face as he had caught those roses she grinned. Quickly she checked the time and grew sad. Rolling him underneath her, she straddled his hips and felt abandoned as he slipped out of her. "You surprised me," she admitted and rested her body on his.

"I know," Marcus replied, "You were right, you know… I’m no saint…"

"And no longer a virgin!" she wisecracked while tracing circles around his still rock hard nipples. "You’re ticklish!" she realized as he moved restlessly beneath her.

"Stop doing that," Marcus asked pleadingly, but Ivanova reacted by stroking his sides, "You wicked woman!" he cursed softly.

"You love my wickedness," she countered and wondered why it had taken her so long to lower her walls and allow him in. //I love you, Marcus,// she cast and seeing his smug smile she knew he had heard that admission.

"Come here, you little tease," Marcus whispered and sat upright, pulling her into his lap.

She calmed down and melded into his arms. //Marcus, there’s so little time left…// and she knew she had to tell him Sheridan had picked her to accompany Al. //Just hold me…//

Marcus tightened his embrace and soothingly stroked her back. "Don’t worry love, I’m here for you…"

The Abyss part 22

The end

No stories or pieces of artwork are meant to infringe upon the copyright held by J. Michael Straczynski, Babylonian Inc. or Time Warner Productions.

Marcus stared at Delenn and tried to focus on the subject at hand. After Susan had told him about her mission he had grown quiet, wishing there was a way to accompany her, but Delenn had already told him she wanted him onboard of the command ship of the White Star fleet.

"Marcus, are you listening to me?" Delenn asked in a soft tone, seeing the distant look in his eyes and swore it was a hickey she saw on his throat. Mentally chuckling she realized what must have happened after his arrival.

"Yes, of course, Entil’Zha," Marcus replied quickly, "You want me onboard White Star one. Will you or the Captain assume command?"

"I will. The Captain will monitor all operations from C&C." Delenn studied his disheveled appearance and smiled. "Has the Commander already left the station?"

"No," Marcus whispered and blushed, "but she will in 30 minutes. She should be checking the shuttle now."

"And did you have the time to talk to Al?"

"Not yet, but Stephen asked me to meet him in med lab in 10 minutes to escort them to the shuttle." Marcus didn’t know how he felt about seeing Al again. Susan had told him that the resistance had accepted him as their new leader and he had been relieved to hear Al had finally revealed his true identity to them. He did want to meet Carolyn as quickly as possible, eager to find out what kind of person she was. It was the implants that worried him!

"You are dismissed, Marcus. Go to med lab and after escorting them check in with White Star one. I will join you shortly."

"As you wish, Entil’Zha," Marcus said and bowed respectfully, realizing this upcoming battle could decide their fate.

Watching his patient closely Stephen packed all the necessities for their trip. So far Al had been able to remain in control of the implants, but the doctor didn’t like the paleness of his complexion, or the anxious expression in Al’s eyes. //It takes all his discipline to control them!// Stephen thought and packed another cartridge filled with a fast working sedative. "Al? Are you sure you want to go through with this?"

"Yes," Al hissed and clenched his fist as another Shadow telepath tried to reach out to him. The constant battering against his shield was draining him.

"Marcus should be here any moment now. The corridors have been cleared and we will be in hyperspace in 35 minutes," Stephen told him. From talking to Al he had realized that his patient was losing all concept of time. //And maybe of reality shortly! I should never have agreed to this!// he berated himself sharply.

"Don’t touch me!" Al hissed as Franklin tried taking hold of his arm to support him.

Franklin backed away from him. "What?"

"I don’t want your thoughts in my mind as well," Al explained in a much softer tone, "Touch enhances telepathic contact."

"Didn’t know that," Franklin muttered apologetically and wondered about Carolyn who was asleep in med lab two. Al had watched her on screen for long moments, afraid to come too close and startle her.

"Stephen? Al?" Marcus said and halted in his tracks seeing the implants disappearing into the telepath’s skull. "Al…" he mumbled pained and locked eyes with him, "I’m worried about you… seeing you like this."

"Marcus," Al whispered and smiled; genuinely pleased to see the ranger who had saved his sanity weeks ago. "There’s no need to worry. I can deal with this."

"Well, it’s a good thing Susan will be keeping an eye on you!" Marcus remarked and walked up to the telepath. "Thanks for helping her come to terms with being a telepath… she told me you showed her how to use her powers."

"It was the least I could do," Al replied and carefully shrugged his shoulders. The darkness inside the universe was calling out to him and he fought down the urge to meld with the spiders in his mind. "Can we go now?"

"Yes," Marcus whispered and exchanged a concerned look with Franklin.

The doctor nodded his head, but couldn’t take away his friend’s worries.

Al started walking and the two men had to follow. Concentrating on not stumbling over his feet Al sensed their concern. //I’m scared too,// he admitted privately, //But I don’t have a choice! I’ve got to do this or we might all die!//

Susan sat back in the pilot's seat and ran one more systems check. Al and Franklin would arrive in a few moments and hopefully Marcus had found a way to say good-bye to her before leaving station. He had been angry when he had learned that Delenn wanted him on the White Star and not on the shuttle. Marcus had hoped to stay close to her in the heat of the battle.

"Susan? We’re here."

Recognizing Marcus’ voice she left her seat and walked into the back of the shuttle. Al was the first to enter and she gasped seeing the implants. His hooded expression scared her and she sensed the anxiety in his mind. Yes, he was in control, but only barely. //God help us if he loses control!//

Al caught that thought and couldn’t deny the truth of her words. Silently he moved into the front and strapped himself in to the chair. Distraction might cause the Shadows to move into his mind and he forced himself to ignore her thoughts.

Susan shook her head, trying to ignore the shivers running down her spine. As she had touched his mind she had felt the dark presence of the Shadows there.

Marcus placed a gentle hand on her shoulder and said; "Keep a close eye on him. Al looks… fragile."

"I agree," she whispered and locked eyes with him. The glow to his eyes reminded her of the way he had made love to her.

"I’m sorry to disturb you two lovebirds," Franklin said as he joined them, "But I’ve got a patient to look after."

"Stephen," Susan stopped him, "Don’t hesitate to sedate him when things get out of control."

"I will, Susan. I know what’s at stake," the doctor reassured her and crooked his head to examine the inflamed spot on her throat. Grinning, he refrained from making any comment and seated himself next to Al.

"I’ve got to go now. Delenn…" Marcus started and pressed his lips one last time onto Susan’s. "Be careful," he whispered.

"We’ll kick their ass, Marcus and once we’re back…" Susan couldn’t resist and added, //we’ll get you some more practice!//

"I’ll keep you to that promise!" Marcus quipped and slowly left the shuttle, hanging on to her presence a little longer. Finally he stepped outside and headed towards the exit. Delenn wanted to leave in a few minutes and he had to catch the shuttle that would take him onboard White Star one.

"Everything is going according to plan," Lt. Corwin told the Captain, who was monitoring the departure of Susan’s shuttle.

John disliked the fact that so much depended on Al’s part in this plan. "Keep in contact with the shuttle. I want updates every five minutes!"

"Yes, sir," Lt. Corwin acknowledged, "And I’ve got White Star one for you on a secured channel, sir."

"Put her through," John said and leaned forward in his chair. He had tried talking Delenn into abandoning her plan but she had been determined to lead the rangers into battle herself.

The screen suddenly showed the bridge of the White Star and he felt worried seeing Delenn’s smile.

"John," Delenn started and smiled reassuringly, "The White Star fleet is ready to engage in battle."

Marcus, seated to her left, shared the Captain's feelings and wished Delenn had stayed onboard the space station too. Running his fingers over the controls he immediately registered the alarm. "Entil'Zha, Captain, you better tell Susan to make that jump into hyperspace… I’m picking up scout ships… Shadows!"

"Tell her to jump now," Sheridan barked at Corwin as adrenaline rushed through his veins. This was it!

" I heard that," Susan confirmed and fed the ship’s computer all necessary data, "Making the jump… now!"

Marcus watched the ship disappear into the jump gate and suppressed his fear. She was out of his reach now and if anything happened she was on her own.

Al inhaled deeply. Entering hyperspace was a truly horrific experience this time. The implants tore at his mind, telling him to unite with the other Shadow vessels and he bit his lip, drawing blood, focusing on it.

//Answer us… join us… become one with us… we are the same… we are you!//

//Get out of my head!// Al screamed and stared at the controls, trying to find a way to battle the slithering voices into submission.

"Al?" Susan asked in a shaky tone. Al was seated close to her and she picked up his anxiety without probing his mind. As he didn’t answer her, she hailed Sheridan again.

"Yes, Commander?" John said and jumped up from his chair. Her expression told him something was amiss.

"Al can’t keep this up much longer. We have to try and disrupt the Shadows now, while he’s still control!" Susan almost placed her hand on Al’s to lend him her some of her strength, but realized she couldn’t pilot a shuttle at the same time.

"Stephen?" Sheridan said, addressing the doctor.

"I agree. The readings I’m getting show he’s balancing on the edge!" Franklin studied the newest readings and grabbed the hypo gun filled with a sedative, just in case Al had to give in.

"Marcus," John said, "How much longer till the Shadows arrive?"

"Jump points are forming now, Captain… They =are= here," Marcus replied and looked at Delenn for further instructions.

"John, we cannot wait any longer." Delenn told her crew to prepare for battle and set a course that would lead the White Stars into the center of the Shadow fleet.

"Okay, Susan. Tell Al to go ahead." Sheridan’s voice was firm and controlled, giving that order. "Tell the squadrons to follow the White Stars in… and tell them to hold off the attack as long as possible. I want to give Al a chance to get through to the telepaths."

"Yes, sir," Corwin confirmed and relayed all orders to the squadron leaders. The fight had begun and couldn’t be stopped any more.

"You’ve got clearance," Susan told Al and noticed the pain in his mind.

//At last,// Al thought and looked at the screen, seeing hundreds of Shadow vessels. Inside them were his telepaths and he had to try and save their lives. //Listen to me,// he cast, finally giving into the urge to reach out and link with them, //Brothers, sisters, remember who you are… who did this to you! The Shadows are your enemies! Remember your family, your loved ones… you can control the Shadow vessel you’re confined to. Tell it to land on Epsilon 3, make it release you. The Shadows are afraid of us, they can’t deal with telepaths… =remember!=// he cried into their minds and doubled over as the Shadows tried to use the link to strike back at him. A terrifying scream left his lips as hundreds of minds reached out to link with his to discover if he was speaking the truth.

"Stephen?" Susan looked at the doctor whose choked expression resembled Al’s.

"He can’t take much more," Franklin said worried.

"Captain? Are the Shadows still attacking?" Susan asked and did her best to maintain her mental shields, as the minds of the Shadow telepaths tried to lock onto her too.

Sheridan quickly checked with the White Stars. "Marcus? Delenn?"

The ranger looked up from his controls. "I’m only getting static!" Reading the results from a long-range scan his expression changed. "Almost 90% of all Shadow vessels have changed course and are now heading for Epsilon 3."

"The will be destroyed by the planet’s defenses!" Sheridan exclaimed and wondered how to establish a connection with Draal.

"They will not," Delenn interrupted them, "I told Al to direct the telepaths to Epsilon 3. Draal will let them land and after the telepaths have been released he will grant them shelter."

"Why didn’t you tell me?" John wondered and gestured Corwin to open a channel to Susan’s shuttle.

"Captain?" Susan said nervously, as Al collapsed in the chair, struggling for breath.

"He got through to them. The Shadow vessels are heading for Epsilon 3."

"Thank God," Susan whispered and laid in a course that would take them back to the space station. Casting a look at Al she caught the tortured moan leaving his lips.

Al’s mind was afloat on hundreds of thoughts, which still fought the darkness and all he could do was urge them to stand up for their individuality, for their right to live as humans, not weapons’ components. //Remember your family, the ones you loved…//

//WE REMEMBER!// came the sudden overwhelming answer as hundreds of minds cried out in anger and pain. //WE HEAR YOU… WE KNOW YOU…//

//I can’t keep this up much longer,// Al told them as his head slumped forward. Hundreds of alien minds had focused on his and the immense presence ripped him apart. //Remember!// he cast one last time before he lost control.

Franklin realized Al couldn’t control the link any longer and leaned forward to press the needle into the telepath’s arm. "You succeeded, Al. Now let me take care of you."

Al was in no condition to object and drifted into unconsciousness as a Shadow’s scream pierced his mind in two.

"We did it!" John exclaimed and laughed relieved.

"Yes, sir we did," Corwin replied and removed the sweat from his brow. This had been the scariest moment of his life so far.

"Delenn?" Sheridan said and felt exultant seeing her unharmed. They had hardly lost a ship in this encounter.

"The remaining Shadow vessels are retreating. They seemed unresponsive to Al’s manipulation… we can’t help those telepaths."

"In time we might find a way," Marcus offered hopefully.

"Maybe," Delenn replied and ordered the ranger to set a course for home, Babylon 5.

Marcus gladly obeyed, eager to wrap his arms around his lover again.

"Acknowledged, Captain, I’ll tell her," Garibaldi promised and terminated the contact. During these last hours he had been in med lab, constantly keeping an eye on Carolyn, who was now slowly waking up. He had volunteered when Sheridan had told him he wanted someone close to Carolyn while Al was off station.

Carolyn hesitantly opened her eyes and reached out for Al’s mind. Startled, she sat upright. "Al?"

"He’s fine," Michael said in a soft tone and straddled a chair, "The telepaths listened to him and the Shadows had no other choice than to leave them behind on Epsilon 3. The Shadows lost this battle… but the war will go on."

"Can I see him? Talk to him?" Carolyn suppressed Fiona’s casting and searched the Chief’s eyes, afraid to discover lies.

"The shuttle is docking at the moment. Give Franklin the time to remove the implants first," he advised her.

"Yes, of course, the implants," she murmured, "Please let him be all right… I want him to feel Fiona’s mind."

Wondering about his urge to protect her Michael said reassuringly, "He will, trust me."

"Status report!" Franklin said in a determined voice. He had just finished removing the implants and realized there were hundreds of telepaths waiting for him to rid them of the diabolical devices too. Thankfully Draal and the Great Machine were looking after them now. //And then there are the telepaths in the cryo tubes!// Franklin was determined to teach the technique to a large of number of surgeons who could then help the telepaths. Most of that would eventually happen off station. //Maybe the Minbari are willing to help too!//

"Patient is regaining consciousness slowly…" the assistant said and then stopped short.

"What?" Franklin walked up to the monitors and studied the readings. "No! This can’t be! Why would he be in a coma?"

"Sensory overload?" the assistant suggested.

"Move him to recovery, get Carolyn in there and watch them closely!" Franklin leaned against the wall. //After this is over I’m going to demand a vacation off station!// he promised himself privately.

"Carolyn? You can see Al now." Garibaldi tried hiding his discomfort. Franklin had told him by com link that Al was in a coma and his only hope was that Carolyn might find a way to pull him back.

"Something went wrong!" she stated, sensing his troubled surface thoughts and almost dove into his mindscape to find out what it was. //Stop!// she told herself and rose from the bed and wished Susan were here to help her cope. But the Commander was still being debriefed.

"Hello?"

Hearing the unknown voice Carolyn tensed.

"Marcus!" Michael said and shook the ranger’s hand, relieved he didn’t have to tell Carolyn on his own.

Amused, Marcus laughed at the Chief and then smiled at Carolyn. "Marcus Cole, at your service."

"You’re the ranger who rescued Alfie?" Carolyn realized and felt a bit more at ease.

"Yes, I am." Marcus noticed the apprehension in her eyes and knew Garibaldi hadn’t told her yet about the coma. "Carolyn, Al…" and he looked to Garibaldi, uncertain who should tell her. But the Chief remained silent.

"What?" Carolyn exclaimed and without giving it a second thought grabbed his hand. "A coma?" she whispered and released the hold she had on him. "I’m sorry, I…"

"It’s all right," Marcus assured her. She had only seen his surface thoughts. He had learned how to block a scan if necessary and he hadn’t detected one.

Carolyn walked as if in a trance and didn’t notice that Marcus supported her. He had wrapped an arm around her and Garibaldi was also alert in case she might stumble. As they reached Al’s room Marcus lead her inside and then retreated to the doorway.

"I hope she can help him." Franklin mumbled as he joined the Chief and Marcus. "Susan is on her way over here, Marcus."

"Yes, she wants to be sure that Carolyn is fine." Marcus watched the two telepaths and knew what it felt like to connect on a deeper level from his experience with Susan. //But it must be even more intense when both are telepaths,// he knew instinctively.

"Alfie?" Carolyn whispered and covered his left hand with hers. Probing his mind she recoiled as hundreds of mind voices echoed in her thoughts. "I won’t desert you, Alfie," she promised and tightened her grip on his mind.

Susan entered the room at that moment and swallowed hard hearing that promise. Curling an arm around Marcus’ waist she read concern in his mind. There was nothing they could do and she felt helpless.

Marcus pulled her close, seeing the anguish in her eyes and remembered bringing Al on board that first time. He had felt their loathing back then. //You gained their trust, Al, like I said you would.//

Susan nodded her head and couldn’t help sending him a reply. //I hated him back then, but not any more.//

"I know," Marcus mumbled into her ear and focused on Carolyn and Al again. "Can you sense his thoughts?"

"Barely, they’re… cloaked," she replied.

Carolyn had overheard their conversation and felt strengthened by their concern. //It’s the chaos you can’t deal with,// she realized as she touched his mind again. Slowly she started to separate the mind voices, then deleting them from his mind.

They watched the couple and an hour passed by without any apparent result. Franklin grew worried for Carolyn, seeing the fatigue in her eyes. "She should rest for a little while," he whispered to Susan.

"She won’t leave him," Susan explained, "Al and Carolyn are linked at the moment."

"I never knew he would go into a coma!" Franklin said and blamed himself for being this careless.

//Alfie?// Carolyn cast and only her voice echoed in his mind. His response was weak, hardly a thought, but she managed to home in on it. //Talk to me, Al. I know you’re tired, but you’ve got to wake up!//

//Can’t…//

The reply seeped through the link and Carolyn opened her eyes. "He’s waking up," she told Franklin and was stunned to see the assembled group was still there, looking at her. "You’ve been here the entire time…" she whispered touched.

Susan let go of Marcus and walked over to the bed. "Sit down, Carolyn," she said gently and pulled up a chair.

Al trembled briefly and Franklin immediately charged forward to run another scan on his patient. "She’s right, Susan. Al is waking up!" he stated relieved.

"May I?" Susan asked and refrained from touching Al before Carolyn had given her permission. She wanted to know for sure Al was going to be fine.

"Yes," Carolyn said and smiled tenderly.

Susan gingerly placed her hand on Al’s and suddenly realized that Carolyn had added hers on top of theirs.

//Follow me,// Carolyn cast and guided Susan through the myriad of thoughts and memories inside Al’s mind until they finally encountered a radiant presence which was struggling to get to the surface.

//Alfie? Hold on to us,// Carolyn cast and together, the three of them made the journey back to his mind’s surface.

Susan took a step away from the bed, breaking the contact and smiled shaken. "Marcus?" she said and immediately his arms wrapped themselves around her waist.

"I’m here, love," he assured her and watched closely as Al finally opened his eyes. "Welcome back," he quipped.

"Marcus?" Al whispered hoarsely and then realized it had been Susan and Carolyn who had guided him back. "Thank you," he mumbled and locked eyes with Susan, "Thank you."

Susan simply nodded her head, leaned into Marcus’ embrace and together they left the exam room. Garibaldi followed them, wondering what had just happened in there.

Franklin adjusted the drips, rechecked the readings and captured Al’s gaze who had been staring at Carolyn. "You’re over the worst, Al, but you’ll have to spend some time in med lab."

"That’s fine with me," Al whispered, "The telepaths…" and almost shied away from Franklin’s eyes, afraid to learn the answer.

"Epsilon 3. Their implants will be removed shortly and I know Draal will look after them until then. The Great Machine will aid him." Realizing their need for privacy, Franklin smiled once more and then retreated to his office to contact the Captain.

//Al? I want to introduce you to Fiona,// Carolyn cast and allowed Fiona’s feelings to wash into Al’s mind.

His eyes brightened, feeling his daughter’s mind for the first time. Awed he tasted her signature and claimed Carolyn’s hand. //I will keep my promise,// he cast, //I’ll be there for you… I’ll be a father to her… The Corps will never get their hands on her!//

//Alfie,// Carolyn sighed and rested her head on his chest, savoring his closeness, //we’re both tired… we need to rest.//

// The =three= of us are tired,// Al softly corrected her and caressed her fingers. //I’ll always love you…// he thought and followed Carolyn into sleep.

The end