From: shinkai@mlode.com (Susan Shinkai) Date: Tue, 5 May 1998 20:41:55 -0700 Subject: New Story: "The Babylon File (1/2) TITLE : THE BABYLON FILE (1/2) AUTHOR: Shinkai E-MAIL ADDRESS: shinkai@mlode.com RATING: PG CLASSIFICATION: CR KEYWORDS: Scully/Mulder romance; other/other (Susan/Marcus) SPOILERS: None SUMMARY: Babylon 5 Crossover; A sequel to "Ranger X". Commander Susan Ivanova risks everything to bring Mulder and Scully to B5 to save the life of Marcus Cole. Once there, Sheridan recurits the Agents to help solve a series of mysterious murders but they discover they are more a part of B5 then they realize. DISCLAIMER: Some of the characters and situations in this story are not the legal property of the author or her agents. Their use is not intended to be an infringement to the rights of the legal owners. Use and distribution of this story is for non-commercial entertainment purposes only. AUTHOR'S NOTE: To understand this story, you must have read "Ranger X" and be familiar with the world of Babylon 5 to know the characters on aboard the station that our hero meet. This is an alternative time line story, taking place sometime post-Gethsemane, where the CSM is still working for the Consortium and hasn't shown off Samantha; and Mulder still believes in extra-terrestrials.... THE BABYLON FILE PRELUDE -MARS COLONY - 2262 The bomb explosion ripped through the old hotel. As the survivors walked away in a daze, no one noticed the one person who remained . His glowing yellow eyes focused on the one room that was unaffected by the blast - the manager's office. It's reinforced walls were designed to protect from these terrorist attacks. Fearful that the terrorist would want to finish the job, the manager locked himself within his office waiting for the military police to arrive. When the police arrived moments later, they opened the office by force and found the manager's body ripped open, his guts spilled onto the floor. Assuming he was placed there by the terrorists after the bomb exploded, they piled his body with the others killed in the attack. No one noticed the faint rustle coming from the tiny ventilation shaft in the office although they all recognized the smell of death it carried. No one stopped to wonder if the smell came from the carnage outside or the evil within the shaft itself..... EARTH - 1998 Special Agents Fox Mulder and Dana Scully were on a well deserved vacation "assignment" in Paris. Much had happened during their conflict with the Shadow Allies but the most lingering effect was that of their new friend, Marcus Cole, a Ranger from the 23rd Century who had come to help in the battle against the darkness. His kind words and open heart help them discover the close relationship they had denied themselves over the years of working together. Despite Marcus' s obvious affection for Scully, he encouraged Mulder to let her "know his heart:" While in Paris, he did just that, and she did the same. They spent nearly a day and a half in a daze wondering what to do about these feelings. They resolved their dilemma their final night in Paris as they slept together for the first time. They spent the night together not to have sex but to share the warmth and intimacy without the guilt or shame they had come to associate with such an act. It was actually Mulder's idea to postpone the final joining because of something Marcus had said about his love for Susan Ivanova - he waited because he wanted it to go right. Scully couldn' t think of anything more right then a moment in Paris but she understood the need to move ahead slowly in this new relationship. After a night of passionate kisses, loving touches and warm embraces in the four posted bed with a view of the garden, Scully awoke to the sight of her partner's gentle eyes staring deeply into hers. She saw a mixture of desire and contentment. She brushed his cheek with his finger tips and asked "Are you sorry we decided not to become lovers?" He took her hand and placed a soft kiss in her palm. "Don't you understand? We are lovers. We shared every bit of love we have for each other and I wake up this morning to find I have even more to share. We don't need anything so crude as sex to express that feeling." Then he smiled mischievously "Well not for now anyway." She smiled back and said "OK Lover, get up. We have to catch a plane and go back to being FBI agents." Their working relationship continued basically unchanged. Neither one ever imaged than becoming lovers would change thing so little. The changes that they did notice were definite improvements. They were both more patient under stress and more insistent when the other got off track. Neither walked away from an argument or left words unsaid. No one at work seemed to notice any change either, except Skinner who realized their reports had gotten less vague and easier to read. After all, he was the one who sent them to Paris as a thank you for their service against the Shadow Allies. He mused that he would have sent them off to together years ago if he knew it would produce these results. Scully often wore the replica of the Ranger pin Marcus had given her . She had fond memories of "her Ranger" but Mulder was no longer jealous, secure in his place in her heart. He occasionally gave thought to the realization that he was a latent telepath but took Marcus's advise to not pursue that end. One day, a series of reports flooded the X-Files office. Multiple confirmed UFO sightings came from a previous `dead' area along the Appalachian Trail in Virginia, practically in their backyard. Scully had taken a renewed interest in UFO's since their encounter with the Shadow Allies and was just as anxious as Mulder to check it out. They had to requisition a 4 wheel drive vehicle to gain access to the hot spot, which delayed them by a day, but they scrambled to the sight as soon they had the vehicle. Appropriately enough, it was a Ford Ranger. _________ There was a flurry of activity in the area. There seemed to a three way power struggle to control the access to the site. The Military, Park Service and a media contingent argued openly although the Special Force unit had established a parameter and wasn't letting anyone in. Mulder and Scully were turned away hastily, told that jurisdiction in this case did not include the FBI. Mulder's claim that the MO fit the description of a 25 year old abduction case didn't impress anyone, including Scully. The agents returned to the truck and immediately began to formulate a plan to `investigate' the area in an `unofficial' capacity. In other words, they were going to sneak in. Mulder reviewed the reports "There's no evidence of a crash or other catastrophic event. Indications are that it just set down over there." He pointed at the guarded enclosure. "Mulder, is there any chance this could be a hoax? It seems untypical blatant." his skeptical partner inquired. "So now you think extra-terrestrial visitors exist but know better than to act like `ugly American's' on holiday?" Mulder replied sarcastically "If it is a hoax wouldn't it be designed to fit the typical profile of an alien encounter..." He was interrupted by a sharp rapping on the window. He looked out to see a tall, dark haired woman with piercing brown eyes, wearing a military uniform signaling him to get out of the vehicle. He turned to Scully and sighed "I must be getting old. They can catch me before I even figure out how I'm going to break in." The two agents got out of the truck and realized her uniform wasn' t familiar to them. Mulder wondered if it was some type of special UFO recovery team since it looked a lot like a two piece flight suit. "Are you Agents Mulder and Scully?" she asked curtly. "Yes, who are you?" Mulder asked in return. "It's about damn time!" The women sounded irritated and not inclined to answer his questions." You know how many nut cases something like this attracts. Not to mention military intelligence and government spies." That wasn't the response he expected. "Actually, we know exactly what types this attracts. But who are you? Did you arrive in the craft that was spotted in this area two days ago?" he ventured to guess. "What are you crazy? That thing isn't space worthy. It's just a decoy. My ship is still hidden. Come on, I've already wasted two days waiting for you." she said hastily. This strange women was answering questions but not the ones they were asking. So now it was Scully's turn to try to figure out what was going on. "But who are you and what to do want?" "You're sure you Mulder and Scully? You match the description but..." Ivanova stopped short when she noticed Scully's replica of the Ranger pin. She extended her hand respectfully and said "Commander Susan Ivanova, Babylon 5. I need your help to save Marcus's life." _________________________ The shocked agents tried to get more information from her as she led them to where she had the rest if her supplies. Ivanova was signaled them to stay quiet. Her campsite was well hidden and only took her moments to gather everything. She shouldered a small tactical pack and finally spoke. "OK, let's clear out of here." "Where are we going?" Mulder asked, still breathless from the trek. "Just take me some place we can talk." she replied curtly. They decided to go Scully's apartment since she and Mulder had been practically living together for the last month. Once in the car, Ivanova was the one asking questions. "How long ago did Marcus leave here?" "It's been about 2 months. You said he was dying...." Scully started but was interrupted by Ivanova. "Was he ever ill while he was here?" Ivanova pressed on. Mulder tried jumping in. "No. What the hell..." "Was he ever exposed to the retro-virus that infected Agent Mulder?" the Commander asked directly. They had their answer. Marcus was dying from a the same alien pathogen that nearly killed Mulder. Scully saw the hard look on Ivanova's face waiting for an answer. "He was never exposed as far as we know, but we were fighting the people who were known to use it as a weapon." she said with a clinical tone in her voice. "Damn!" Ivanova slammed her hand into the door in frustration. "Commander Ivanova, maybe you'd better calm down and tell us what you're doing here." Scully said sympathetically. "I'm sorry" she responded sharply "It's hard to be calm when your the second in command of a huge fleet on the eve of battle and you just went AWOL." "What?!" She huffed in resignation and told the whole story. "In my time, Marcus returned only a week ago. Captain Sheridan was on the verge of launching the fleet towards Earth for a final confrontation with Clark 's forces. Suddenly Marcus became ill. Dr. Franklin and the med teams couldn't identify the cause. Then Brother Theo who did the background research for Marcus's mission here remembered reading about the retro virus in Mulder's book." "What book?" Mulder asked. "The one you'll write the future, after you leave the FBI." She paused for a moment realizing she'd committed another breech in protocol, then mumbled "Aw, to hell with the time line." She continued to tell her story. "Well, we tried the cryo chamber to kill the virus but either it's a new strain or it mutated. All that did was put it in stasis. Once he as he was revived, the disease made up for lost time. They don't dare put him in cryo again without some treatment at hand. He'd die instantly once his body temperature rose. So now, he's lying on a slab in Med Lab and he'll be dead in just a few days if I you can't help me find a cure." Her voice was steady but anger seethed within it. she thought to herself. "You said you were AWOL. Does that mean you're not suppose to be here?" Mulder asked cautiously. "The Captain and the others agreed it was too dangerous to engage in time travel just to save one man's life, even if that man was Marcus Cole. I disagreed." Her anger was gone replaced by determination and a just the hint of compassion. Mulder sensed something more than compassion. "You must really care for Marcus to risk your life and command..." "Hey, I've already broken away from Earth, fired on Earth force ships, and publicly denounce the President. What's a little thing like desertion?" she said flippantly. "You disobeyed your Captain and temporarily deserted them for what you felt was a just cause. Isn't that what your fight is about?" Mulder reassured her. "Yeah, that's what I told myself. But how much of it is for selfish reasons? Like your search for the your sister veiled behind finding `The Truth'." She stopped abruptly. It wasn't fair to use passages from his book. A book he had written yet. "Sorry, I'm not at my diplomatic best here. I've only got 4 days here before I have to return to my time and I wasted 2 of them waiting for you." "We'll do everything we can to save Marcus's life." Scully finally offered. "That's what I figured. That's why I came to you. Because Marcus trusted you." She became stoically silent as they drove through the darkness. ___________________________ On Babylon 5, Captain Sheridan was making the final preparations to advance the fleet towards Earth, dreading the thought of battling former comrades and friends but knowing he had no alternative. Delenn and Lennier were involved with the civil war on Minbar. Marcus Cole lay dying of a mysterious infection in Med Lab while Dr. Stephen Franklin divided his time between trying to treat Marcus and handling the influx of refugees from the colonies cut off from Earth by Clark' s forces. Commander Susan Ivanova had just signed off from "The Voice of the Resistance" and left via a shuttle for Epsilon 3. Meanwhile in Red Sector, in one of the executive suite reserved for those who could afford it, a prominent visiting businessman, Mr. Hutchison prepared to a take a shower. Most quarters were equipped with just a vibe-shower but he had the luxury of a real water shower. He checked in with his bodyguard in the living room then retired to the shower room. Out of habit, he locked the door and turned on the intake fan to dissipate the steam. Suddenly, it stopped. He hit the button several times. Still nothing. Irritated, he called out to the bodyguard "Max! Notify Station Resources. The steam intake shorted out." He mumbled to himself "For what I'm paying, they should send Commander Ivanova herself to fix it." He peered into the 6 inch by 9 inch grate over the intake on the ceiling. Suddenly it dropped off and hit him in the face. "What the hell..." An impossibly long arm reached out and grabbed his throat before he could cry out. Ten minutes later, Max and a maintenance man knocked on the door of the shower room. " Boss, they're here to fix the intake." Silence. "Mr. Hutchison?" Fearing the worst, Max directed the maintenance man to unlock the door. They recoiled in horror as they saw Mr. Hutchison laying dead on the floor, his abdomen torn open, as if by bare hands. _________________________________ Scully reviewed the medical data Ivanova gave her. Ivanova explained that no records of the retro virus could be found in any medical databases. Only Mulder's book and few non-medical reports of a "mysterious infection" bore out its existence. Mulder told her about the Consortium and how they must have destroyed all evidence of its development and usage. Then he added darkly "I believe the retro virus had alien origins." Aliens being a way of life for her, Ivanova was unimpressed. "You don't happen to know which alien race?" "One that visited this planet in the 20th Century." he goaded her hoping she knew more than Marcus about the history of extra-terrestrials on Earth. "Great! That only narrows it down to 30 of 40 species and 2 or 3 First Ones." she replied in frustration. Mulder's jaw drop wide open. "30 or 40? Did you say 30 or 40 ....." Ivanova casually replied "Yeah, well, if you believe the propaganda their governments put out. Earth in the early 23rd Century was a lot like the US is now. Last to enter the game, now sitting in first place. Everyone was trying to stake a claim here." Scully was remarkably calm at the news. "You win, Mulder. We have been visited. Frankly, right now I'm trying to find a way to save the life of a friend who hasn't been born yet. `Extreme possibilities' are rapidly losing their extremeness. " her thoughts added. Mulder thought of the files and files of alien encounter reports that were nothing compared to the real truth. "30 or 40..." he repeated. Ivanova turned to Scully "Is he always this useless?" Scully shrugged "Only when he goes into shock." "Shock ?" Ivanova questioned. "He just found out he really was right all along. It's the most shocking thing to happen to him since the first time he found out he could be wrong." Scully teased. Mulder remained sitting on the couch "30 or 40?" ________________________ "I don't understand why your doctors can't treat this virus. It does appear to have mutated but even our primitive methods found a cure for its precursor." Scully observed. "It a matter of resources and time. We're at war." Ivanova explained. " Advanced medical treatment for humans is limited off Earth and most of what is available is still controlled by Earth. The Minbari would help but they are involved in their own civil war." "I think if I had a decent lab I could find a treatment but it could take weeks...." Scully speculated. "Marcus doesn't have weeks." Ivonava replied gravely. Scully question her curiously "But you can travel in time. Can't you...." "No." she answered flatly. "Time travel isn't that simple. It's like trying to get from Moscow, Russia to Moscow, Idaho in a hurry. You can't. I've got one window of opportunity that works and this is it. I've got 2 days here then I have to go back. I'll arrive in my time 1 hours before I left." "How..." Scully started but was cut off again. "Don't ask me. That's what Zathras said." Ivanova shrugged. "Whose Zathras?" the Agent asked. "He's the guy I bribed to get me here in the first place." She winced at the promise to visit him once a week for a month when she returned from the war. She furrowed her brow and added "Or maybe it was the other Zathras? Never mind. The point is, whatever happens has to happen in the next two days." Scully glanced at her partner still stunned by the revelation that we are less alone than he ever imagined. "Mulder, are you with us on this?" He bolted up right, his mind shifting gears "Let's approach this like an X-File." Ivanova frowned at his cryptic answer "An X-File? What does that..." "Shhh, this is what he does when he'd not useless." Scully reassured her. _________________________ Mulder reviewed the "case history" of his latest X-File. "Marcus was only here 2 weeks. During that time he was with us or the strike teams nearly all the time. Yet none of us got sick. So when was he alone, out side the safe house?" Scully thought hard and remembered "The night of our last raid. He stayed behind to watch for the enemies response. He could have been exposed then. We should check on..." "...the family that lived there." Mulder finished " They may have been exposed in an effort to cover-up the whole incident." Mulder stationed himself at her desk and started making phone calls. Ivanova watched Scully formulate a outline for testing treatments. "If we can find the key to why the retro-virus mutated I may be able to formulate a treatment regimen in 4 days, 2 if we're lucky." "Let's get lucky, Agent Scully." the Commander encouraged. Scully was able to convince Skinner to give her free reign over their bio lab. She just mentioned their recent acquaintance with a propensity for arcane dress and he signed the orders. Being of little use in the lab, Ivanova went with Mulder to the place where Marcus was most likely infected. Her dark uniform shirt and leather vest passed as normal clothes although it had a distinct military accent. Mulder briefed Ivanova on his findings so far. "Apparently, this family did become infected with some kind of mysterious infection. They were treated in an Army hospital under isolation., then released a week later with an excellent prognosis. Let's do our own check up shall we?" Mulder proposed. "If you make any jokes about playing doctor, you're a dead man." she responded crossly. Marcus had told her about Mulder's sense of humor and she wasn't in the mood. She was worried about her deadline. Mulder knew her remark wasn't aimed at him but at the feeling of helpless she had over the whole situation. He gently touched her hand and said "Don't worry. Scully won't let Marcus die. If she has to, she'll find the cure and sit there waiting 300 years for him to be born. She won't let him die." Mulder's head suddenly filled with an image of Scully in a lab with high tech machines and.....aliens. He slammed on the brakes. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT ?!" he shouted. "Are you crazy ! Oh, yeah now I remember - YOU ARE CRAZY! Why'd you stop like that?" Ivanova demanded trying to pull the safety restraint away from her neck. Mulder looked darkly at the Commander. "If Scully can't find the cure by tomorrow night, you're going to take her back with you, to Babylon 5. I'm I right ?" he shouted. "NO !" Ivanova shouted back. Unfortunately she was a terrible liar. "OK yes, but only if she agrees to it. I don't want to add kidnapping to my list of court-martial offenses." "You mean abduction." Mulder remarked with a growl. "Hey, back off! We're talking about Marcus's life. I don't have any more options." "You're not even sure you can get her back here." he added unsure of how he knew all of this. Ivanova eyed Mulder suspiciously when a light came on in her dark eyes. "That's right, you're a latent telepath." Mulder suddenly understood. "And so are you." he said softly, remembering out loud. Feeling violated by his mental intrusion, Ivanova grew angry again "You scanned me, you bastard!" "Wait, I..." He was shut up in mid-sentence, unable to avoid the right cross to his jaw. An enraged Ivanova got out of the car and kicked the tires several times then got back in. In a steady controlled voice, she said "Let's go. We still have to see that family." Her face was totally expressionless. Mulder rubbed his sore jaw and started the car. "Uh Commander...." "What is it Agent Mulder?" she responded stiffly "I'm sorry. This whole telepath thing is still new to me. I wouldn't know a scan from right cross." He tried to smile but it hurt his face and he winced instead. Aware that Mulder was right, she appreciated his honesty and sincerity. She was a little ashamed of her reaction but she was touchy on the subject of telepaths. She broke into a smile "Don't worry, Mulder you'll know the difference. The right cross is the one that hurts." "I'll remember that." he replied, checking the range of motion in his jaw. _____________________ The interview with the family gave them little information. They couldn't recall most of the evening. The doctor's said it was because of their fevers. Mulder was sure they had been subjected to some type of mind wipe. But their treatments were essential the same as his for the retro virus. This strain seem slower to incubate but there was no evidence of the mutation that infected Marcus. He and Ivanova sat in the car brooding. She spoke first "What now, Mulder? Dead end?" "I think I know whose responsible for infecting him." Mulder replied. "Why didn't you say something before." "They are the ones who conspired with the Shadow Allies. They've been very quiet since that incident. I didn't want to stir them up." "I was born to stir things up." she replied resolutely. " How can we find them?" "I know where one of them lives. What are you going to do?" Mulder asked. "I going to ask what happened to Marcus." "You expect an answer?" "I'll insist on one." she replied seriously. "Can I borrow your weapon?" "Uh, are you sure you can handle this type of fire arm?" remembering Marcus's preference for his pike. "Mulder, I'm not Marcus. I wasn't trained by the Rangers. I was trained at the height of the Earth-Minbari war by good old fashion blood and guts drill sergeants who knew I had to fight with what ever weapons I could find. Stop the car." Mulder pulled over to the side of the road. She held out her hand and he cautiously handed her his 9 mm. She studied it for a few seconds, ejected the magazine, checked the chamber, then replaced the magazine with a resounding thump. She pulled back the slide, released the safety, and pointed the gun downwards. "Target?" Mulder pointed to a mileage marker on the road. In a flash she raised the weapon and squeezed off 3 rounds, placing 3 neat hole in the center of the marker. Mulder squinted at the wounded sign and smiled "I think you're better than me. What your secret?" She reset the safety and said casually "You really have to want to kill that sign." Mulder hand her his extra magazine and thought Mulder cell phone rang as they drove. "Mulder." Scully replied with her their usual greeting. "Mulder, it's me. I think I found something. I've been testing these samples Ivanova brought in stasis. This virus mutates rapidly when exposed to radiation. I think it mutated when Marcus time traveled. But I think the stable membrane of the original strain would cause it to remain dominate. Unfortunately, I need a source for the original strain to verify that theory." Mulder threw a look at Ivanova and she nodded in response. He spoke in the phone "I just placed an order to go. Would you like that on ice?" They arrived outside the home of the Cigarette Smoking Man. Ivanova got out and warned Mulder "You don't have your weapon so keep moving. Circle around and pick me up in 10 minutes." He was about to say be careful but he knew that wasn't her nature. He thought about `good luck' but she was the type who made her own luck. He settled for "I'll be here." and drove off. The Cigarette Smoking Man sat at his desk typing and, of course, smoking. Things had been quiet since a temporary stand down of the Operation had been called following the Dark Force incident and it's consequence. It gave him time to write, to find the inspiration for a new novel. If not for arts sake, at least for his own catharsis. Without warning, his front door flew open, and was thrown shut again in a single movement. A dark deadly woman stood before him, a pistol level at his chest, a very familiar pistol. He thought but remained calm as always. "May I help you?" A smug smile followed. Ivanova knew instantly that this man wasn't easily intimidated but she didn't have time to play games. she thought and kicked his chair over throwing him to the floor She pressed the gun against his abdomen and demanded "Why did you infect those people with the retro-virus? Was it a new strain? Where can I get a sample of it?" Still stunned from the fall but trying to gain the upper hand he replied "Are you going to kill me if I don't tell you? Go ahead you'll be doings us both a favor." "I can't kill you until I know those answers." she roared back. He started to move to stand up. "Then I suggest you..." BLAM. She fired the weapon into his thigh missing the bone and major arteries but rending the flesh. He dropped back to the floor "You... you shot me!" he said in astonishment. "Yes and I have another dozen rounds of persuasion. ANSWER ME !" He gripped his leg in pain. "You won't get away with this ! I've watch Presidents die!" Her mind replayed the scene of President Santiago's death, betrayed by Clark. "So have I." she said coldly "and it really made me mad as hell." She place the gun against his calf and fired again. This time he cried out in pain. She suspected he hadn't felt real pain in a long time, that his mask of indifference scared everyone away or that he had back up to protect him. Not this time. "ANSWERS !" she demanded. "All right" he gasped applying pressure to his wounds. "WE didn't do it. THEY did. THEY found out we were in a scheme with another alien race and retaliated. There is no new strain. All the mutations failed to survive in the presence of the original. The retro-virus is stored at the University of Maryland...." he started to fade into shock from the wound. "Damn." She rolled him over recovered the slugs embedded in the floor then pulled a throw rug over the holes. She found two large towels and wrapped his wounds tightly then threw him over her shoulder and head out the window to the balcony. Mulder's car pulled up under her. He half whispered "Just heard on the scanner. Some one heard the shots and called the police. Let's go!" "There. Catch." She pushed the CSM man over the edge but held on to his hands as she anchored her feet and lowered the body to a shocked Mulder. "Be careful. We need him alive." "What the hell are you doing ?!" He whispered sliding the moaning mass into the back seat. "I lied about the kidnapping." she answered and jumped in the back seat on top of the Leg is Bleeding Man. Mulder stayed silent, following Ivanova's orders to the letter. They obtained the sample of the retro-virus with the CSM's help.. She checked his wounds and the bleeding had stopped. The CSM was convinced that this was not Mulder's doing, that this crazed woman had Agent Scully locked away under the threat of death if he didn't cooperate. Who was she, where did she come from, what was her stake in all of this? Then he remember the tall dark stranger who had help Mulder and Scully during the failed Dark Alliance. Pleased that he had piece together the puzzle, he finally spoke to her with his usual arrogance. "How is your tall friend? Is the retro-virus killing him?" Ivanova refused to play that game. She punched his wounded thigh and enjoyed the sound of his wail. With a gasping breath he asked "Where are you taking me?" Mulder finally spoke "To the hospital. We're not assassins." His voice was almost empathic. Now the CSM was sure Mulder had not been a willing party to this. Ivanova confirmed his suspicion. "This was my idea, not his. If you even think about retaliating against him, I'll find you again. Agent Mulder is right. I'm not an assassin but I always open to new career options." Her voice was frighteningly cheerful. Realizing she had some interest in Mulder, he decided on a show of good faith. The CSM made a offer "If you and your friend stay away from our Operation for one year, I'll give Mulder the information he needs to find his sister. She's alive, you know." Mulder stopped the car suddenly and reached back and grabbed the CSM hands. No shouts, no threats. Mulder just stared intensely at the man. Ivanova realized he was trying to scan him for any image of Samantha. "No, Mulder ! Don't ! It will take control of your life !" She pleaded with him. Mulder looked deep into Ivanova's eyes saw the hurt she remembered but rarely showed. Being a latent telepath was her own private hell she never wanted anyone else to suffer through. Mulder released the CSM without a word and returned to driving. Badly shaken by this strange course of events, he restated his offer. "I may be many things but I am not a liar. If you stay away as requested, Mulder will get the information." "Deal" Ivanova responded knowing her part of the bargain would be easy to keep. At the hospital, Mulder helped the CSM out of the car. "Terrible thing. These accidental firearm discharges." the wounded man commented. "Thank you for your assistance. There will no further investigation into this matter, I assure you." With a hint of concern in his voice he finished by saying to Mulder "Give my regards to Agent Scully. I wish her the best." Mulder felt a surge of compassion for man he'd grown to hate. He knew that the black lunged bastard meant everything he said about Sam, the shooting and Scully. "Wait!" Mulder said softly and handed the wounded man a twenty dollar bill. "For the cab ride home." The CSM stared at the bill and spoke with an unaccustomed sincerity "Thank you Agent Mulder. I won't forget this." Ivanova and Mulder rushed the sample back to Scully at the lab. She stayed up all night performing test after test. By day break she had reached 3 conclusions. ONE: The original strain could eradicate the mutant strains and if the victim was still alive he could be treated by the usual therapy. TWO: The mutant strains could be further mutated into an unstable form totally, removing the infection, provided the victim could with stand the radiation treatments and THREE: The original strain sample would not likely survive the time travel without mutating again unless protected in deep cryo, and even then, it was not certain if enough of the organisms would be usable as an innoculum. Mulder listen with grave doubts "That's a lot of `coulds', `buts' and `if'." An exhausted Scully shook her head "It's the best I can do in the amount of time we have. How long?" Ivanova check her pocket watch, a present from her Dad that blended well into the time frame. She sighed heavily "12 hours. Mulder, what do you think? Should I tell her my option?" Scully bolted to attention. "What option? Is there a way to buy us more time?" Mulder shook his head "No. Not even for Marcus. Not after all we 've been through..." "Mulder, what are you taking about?" Scully insisted. "Agent Scully, my ship is equipped with a special cryo-unit designed for transporting the wounded. You could return to Babylon 5 with me and finish your work there. You wouldn't require the time stabilizer that Marcus and I had to wear because you will be moving through real time, just in cryo. There's only one problem..." she voice trailed in hesitation. Mulder erupted "YOU DON'T KNOW IF IT WILL WORK ! This is part of the desperate scheme she came up with Zathras. And worst yet, you don 't even know how you'll get her back." Ivanova shrugged "OK there are two problems but ..." "NO!" Mulder shouted, tears forming in his eyes "Dana stays here where she belongs." Scully felt like telling Mulder it wasn't his decision but in light of their new relationship, she understood that all her personal choices affected him as well. She reached out and held the man she loved so deeply ,trying to find the words to say she was going to Babylon 5. "Mulder, I never want to leave you. Now more than ever I want to know you'll be with me. But..." "...but Marcus is our friend and he needs our help. Ivanova can't perform the miracles only Dr. Scully." he responded sadly. He embraced Scully even tighter and kissed her forehead. He turned to Ivanova and said "I don't suppose there's room in that unit for two people?" She opened her mouth to say no then saw the look of total devotion in the couple's eyes. "Well actually because of Agents Scully's and your size you would both fit but we could only monitor one of your life signs in transport. If the other one became unstable, the unit couldn't compensate." Mulder gazed at the worried look in Scully's face and he said wistfully "It would be worth it to sleep with Dana for three hundred years." Ivanova tapped him on the shoulder to break them up "Nice thought. But the magic wears off with you wake up to the desiccated remains of your dead lover." Scully stepped away from Mulder and tried to be the practical one "Nice shot of reality, Commander." She nodded in response and Mulder sat down, coming to the conclusion that he was the romantic in the room. Ivanova spoke frankly again "There's another problem. The retro virus sample won't survival the trip unmutated. It requires much colder temperatures and the portable unit I brought my samples in has a drained energy cell." Scully looked uncertain. "We have to try. Maybe enough will be unchanged to compound the vaccine." Mulder's face flashed an inspired thought. "The virus you're transporting is in a dormant state, right? That's why it requires such low temperature for stasis. What if you transported an active retro-virus?" Scully logical brain argued "No, the only time it's active is when it's in an infected person ...." She froze knowing exactly what Mulder had in mind. "Mulder, NO." Mulder let a half smile cross his face "It didn't kill me before. Besides, it's the only way I can earn my place in your cryo-unit." Ivanova got lost the partners exchange "Hello? What did I miss?" Scully explained the wild plan to the sensible Commander "Mulder wants to be infected with the virus then put in cryo with me so we can harvest the virus when we arrive at Babylon 5. I could start treatment on Marcus immediately." "What if it mutates anyway?" she asked still confused by the agents choice. Mulder wrapped himself around Scully again and answered "Then she can experiment on me to find the right mutagen before exposing Marcus." Ivanova shook her head. "What about dying in transit?" Mulder pondered for a moment then replied "Would it be possible to make a telepathic link just as we went into cryo so that her brain and body would respond to my changes as well as hers?" "It's possible but you're not that strong of a telepath." the Commander concluded. Scully spoke softly as she returned Mulder loving expression. "But we already have a connection. When we work together our movements stay coordinated, when we sleep together we breath in synch and when we..." "OK. I get the picture" Ivanova interrupted before she heard more than she wanted to know. "It will take a few hours to rig the unit. Can you meet at my campsite at 2 PM?" Mulder was actually smiling at the prospect of being infected again. " Sure no problem. We'll get everything together and meet you there." "Give me your phone. Show me how to call you if anything else goes wrong." Suddenly she realized all the risks and deranged actions she'd taken to try to save Marcus. In that l light, Mulder seemed just a little less crazy. At 2 PM the Agents arrived at the meeting place. Mulder already looked pale from the infection and Scully looked just plain worried. Ivanova led them to her modified Thunderbolt Star Fury. A visual projection system kept it hidden for the 4 days it sat unattended. The cryo unit was large enough for both of them as expected. Ivanova recommended they have as much body contact as possible to maintain the telepathic bond. Mulder just smiled and said "That's definitely not a problem." They removed their clothes and Ivanova couldn't help admiring Scully's bedfellow for the next three hundred years. Scully was hooked up to the monitoring inputs, then she laid on top of Mulder in the unit. As she sealed the unit Ivanova whispered "Pleasant dreams." Mulder looks at her questioningly "Do you dream while your in cryo?" She returned a smile "No but in your case they may make an exception." Ivanova took the pilot's seat and fired the engines, roaring immediately away from the confused crowd of curiosity seekers who gawked at the "alien" ship. ____________________________ Security Chief Zach Allen was called to the site of the bizarre crime. A brutal murder in a locked room. The oldest crime puzzle in the book. Unfortunately, Zach never read the book. The only point of entry was the intake vent but there weren't any life forms on the Station that could fit in there and be powerful enough to inflict such damage. As evidence was gathered and reports taken, Dr. Franklin joined Zach and did a cursory inspection of the body. "There is really something weird going on here." was the doctor's conclusion. "No kidding." was Zach's sarcastic reply "Come on, Doc. What gives?" "It appears he was ripped open, by a hand, not a claw or an instrument and whoever did it, took his liver." "I hate liver." was Zach's initial reaction as he grimaced. "But I don't suppose I'd rip my own out just to get rid of it. Organ black market?" "Not the way it was ripped out. I need to get the body to Med lab for a full autopsy." "See what you can find out, Doc. This one gives me the creeps." Zach replied, shaking like he was trying to get something off his hands. Suddenly the steam intake fan came back on. ___________________________________ The time stabilizer performed perfectly and according to her instruments so did the cryo unit. Settling into the Docking Bay at Epsilon 3 , Ivanova was greeted by Zathras. Or was it Zathras? "Welcome, welcome. See, Zathras was right. Zathras knows how to make things happen. Zathras good partner, no?" the strange being announced to Ivanova. "Yes, Zathras make excellent partner." Ivanova climbed out of the cockpit and checked the cryo unit. There were slight signs of the passage of time, Mulder light beard, Scully's long nails but changes indicative of days passing not centuries. Mulder also had early signs of the infection. She hoped to God it hadn't mutated. "Zathras, I need to get a shuttle back to Babylon 5 as soon as possible." She spoke slowly and deliberately , not because he didn't understand but to compensate for his erratic speech pattern. "No, no. No shuttle. You haven't arrived yet so you can't leave. When you arrive, Zathras will help you go. Until you arrive, Zathras can't help you. Zathras is patient. Zathras will wait." "I really hate time travel." Ivanova mumbled under her breath while punching the buttons to revive the Agents. They slowly woke up as if from a deep sleep. Scully's eye fluttered open, starting into Mulder's chest. At first she sighed then she noticed the mottled marking of the infection and remembered where she was. She arched up to see Ivanova standing by at the controls. Mulder moved lethargically but was clearly revived so Ivanova removed the monitor as Scully sat up and stepped from the unit. Her first unfamiliar sight was Zathras peering over Ivanova's shoulder, viewing her naked body. It spoke. "Yes, Zathras patient. Zathras wait right here." Scully was too shocked to be embarrassed, offended or otherwise affected. Ivanova pushed back the eager-to-help Zathras. "How can I understand what he's saying? Surely it's not English?" Scully finally said, the logically part of her brain kicking in before anything else. "There's a universal translator in your ears. In fact it's all your wearing right now." Ivanova responded and handed her some clothes. Scully looked at the smiling alien and quickly got dressed. This alien encounter stuff never crossed her mind when making a decision about coming to cure Marcus. "Dana Scully meet Zathras." She extended her hand for the lack of any other greeting. He grabbed it with both hands and shook it vigorously. "Zathras good partner for Danascully. Zathras will wait." Scully tapped her ear. "I don't think this translator is working." "No" sighed Ivanova " that's the way he talks." "Oh" Scully responded unsure of what the alien meant by partner. "Zathras, you're not my partner." Zathras looked at her strangely. "Did you come in this ship? Travel through time?" Scully nodded hesitantly. "Then Zathras is partner to Danascully. Zathras get ship. Zathras get stabilizer. Zathras is partner." Unable to argue with such logic Scully just mumbled "Sure, fine, whatever." Mulder finally sat up and groaned "Here we there yet, Mommy?", his lopsided grin shining through the sickness in his body. Ivanova handed Scully his clothes and told her to let him rest a bit longer since the shuttle wasn't arriving for another hour. Scully turned to Zathras and said "Zathras, this is MY partner, Fox Mulder." Zathras peered at the naked sickly man in the open cryo-unit. "What Foxmulder do for Danascully?" Scully watched the confused Mulder tried to put on his pants and answered "Fox Mulder loves Dana Scully." Zathras nodded in exaggerated movements "Oh PARTNERS, Zathras understand. Zathras is patient. Zathras wait over there." and he scuttled off to corner and smiled back at the time travelers. "THAT'S the first alien I get to meet?" Mulder finally said incredulously. "Beats the hell out of Lord Kimbote." Scully replied. ___________________________________ When the shuttle finally arrived, Ivanova was on it. Just for an instant. Then she was back with Mulder and Scully. "I hate time travel" she mumbled again. She had already changed back into uniform so she ushered the two agents on the shuttle. The pilot eyed Ivanova. "Did you forget something?' "No I'm going back. Just came down to escort these two to Babylon 5." She replied without flinching. "OK, whatever." the pilot replied. " What names should I enter on the manifest?" Ivanova had wondered what she would say to the Captain and Franklin and any one else who asked. "Doctor X and Agent X." she replied with confidence. The pilot stared. "Commander, you're kidding right?" A snarl appeared on her lips "Do I look like I'm kidding?" He snapped to attention. "NO, Sir! Doctor X and Agent X." He couldn't help but add " Any relation?" "Yeah, they're married." Ivanova replied. The pair looked at her with surprise. She whispered back "You just sleep together for three hundred years. I think that surpasses all common law marriage statues." Mulder smiled as he rested against Scully and thought ______________________________________ Ivanova knew this Doctor X stuff wouldn't go over the Captain but it was fine for now. Only 6 other people knew about Marcus's mission and the identity of the Agents. Zach wouldn't care, Marcus was in no condition to argue, Brother Theo and his assistant were sworn to secrecy and would pass judgment in silence, and Dr. "the-ends-justifies the-means" Franklin would be happy for the medical help. Captain Sheridan was the problem. After all, it as his orders she disobeyed. For a moment she though she could sneak them into med lab and keep them there without ever telling the Captain. But that wouldn't be appropriate. Still the did need to get them to med lab as fast as possible and she just could tell Franklin before she told the Captain. She tapped her link. "Med Lab" "Susan!" came the cheerful reply from Stephen Franklin "So what' d you bring me from Epsilon 3?" "A big surprise and it's a good one. I've got a doctor with a patient infected with an illness similar to Marcus's condition. She has a radical idea for a treatment." "How'd they end up on Epsilon 3?" asked Franklin suspiciously. She paused for a second then replied "They're part of the resistance and they didn't want to be tracked so they arranged special transport..." Franklin accepted he story with hesitation. "That must have been that special Thunderbolt we tracked. C and C alerted us because it was equipped with a causality cryo-unit. It must have been pretty cozy in there with the pilot, the doctor and the cryo-unit." "Oh yeah, the doc says it was really cozy, as right. Until we get clearance from the Captain, they'll go by their code names. The Doctor is `Starbuck', the patient is `Spooky'." "Starbuck and Spooky ?" Franklin questioned. "Did I ever tell you what Garibaldi's password was?" Ivanvona quipped. "Save it for another time, Susan. I think Starbuck and Spooky is about all I can stand for now." "Can you send someone over to the docking port to escort them from the gate? I need to meet with Sheridan." she asked. "No problem. Do you need a gurney for the patient?" Ivanova looked at Mulder who was shaking his head `no'. She smiled and told Franklin "Yeah, he needs it but I'll be damned if you can make him lie down on it." "He really is similar to Marcus." joked the Doctor. "I'll get them settled and check with you later." "Thanks, Stephen." she replied gratefully. __________________________ Upon arriving in Med Lab, Scully was in awe, and this was just a remote under-staff space station. She suddenly worried that her skills would look like a witch doctor's compared to the modern wizards. Ivanova had given them a good cover, so she tried not to blow it. "You must be Dr. Starbuck. Dr. Stephen Franklin, Chief Medical Officer." He decided the autopsy could wait. Mr. Hutchison wasn't going anywhere. "Glad to meet you." Scully smiled. "Sorry about the code names. Orders are orders." "No problem. Heck, some of the non-human doctor have names I can't even pronounce. How's Mr. Spooky doing?" Franklin continued as he regarded the impatient patient. "Better if you didn't let them haul me around like garbage." He groaned as the techs help him off the gurney. "Get in the bed, big boy." Scully said with no sympathy "Gee, you always say the sexist things." he replied in a slurred voice as he leaned into her, good sense lost to his sickness. "Uh, he's a little delirious, the illness and all the traveling ." Worried he might babble on about inappropriate things she suggested he be given a light sleeper. "Do you want an inducer or a hypnotic dose?" Franklin asked Having no idea what an inducer was she said yes to it. Franklin nodded to a nurse who applied a small device to his forehead. Within minutes, he snored blissfully. Scully shifted him in a way she had learned over the last 2 months if she ever wanted to sleep in peace. The snoring stopped. "We need a blood sample and viral ID to see how much the infection has spread since we left. Dr. Franklin, I hope you don't mind but I work in a primitive outpost. I'm not up to speed on these machines." "No problem. I can spare a tech to help you. I'm really glad Ivanova found you. We were running out of options for our patient. The anti-viral slowed it a bit but he was getting neuro toxic so we had to stop them." "Where is he?" she asked with concern, "Over here. As you probably know, there no need to isolate him." "Marcus." She gasped, seeing just a shell of the man she had grown so close to so quickly. His body was consumed by the retro-virus, comatose and barely responsive. "You know him?" Franklin asked seeing her reaction. "Uh, Commander Ivanova always referred to him by that name." At least it wasn't a lie He saw no reason to press her any further, but he was sure she knew Marcus. "Here's his chart. The test result should take about a half hour. Is there anything you need." "Do you have a drug data base of what you have available on the station." she asked professionally. He punched up a display on the terminal "Not much I'm afraid. You may need to bone up on some of the alien pharmaceuticals we carry. It 's all we can get some time." "Thanks I'm sure it's more than I usually have to work with," Franklin looked at the petite redhead and her Spooky patient. They didn't look like any resistance fighters he'd ever seen. Then again neither did he. ____________________ "Captain, it's Zach. Ivanova's planet side so I thought I should let you know. There's been a murder." Captain Sheridan gritted his teeth. "Great, that's all we need." "It's a really spooky one. Locked door, no point of entry. Liver torn out by bare hands." "Sounds like a ceremonial killing." the Captain mumbled. " Check the data base for similar rituals." "Good idea, Sir. Shall I keep this under wraps?" All they needed was a rumor panic. "No but limit the details. People need to be informed not scared out of their wits." he thought. "Captain Sheridan, This is C AND C. Commander Ivanova is back and needs to meet with you." _______________________ "YOU DID WHAT !??!!" Captain Sheridan was livid. "Susan, what were you thinking? We discussed this. We came to a decision. And this wasn't it. Who knows what kind of damage to the time line you've caused." Ivanova stood her ground. "Sir, I did what I had to do. I had minimum contact with humans in their time and camouflage my activities." "Oh and soaring a Thunderbolt over the countryside didn't raise a few eye brows?" Sheridan barked. Ivanova shrugged. "You'd be surprised, sir. Agent Mulder told me...." "Where are they now?" he asked impatiently. "In Med-lab. Taking care of Marcus." "Does Franklin know?" "No, he doesn't know who they are." Sheridan resigned himself to the situation "Well the damage is done. Let them do what they can to help Marcus. How were you planning on getting them back?" "I wanted to talk to you about that...." "You weren't planning on keeping them here?" Sheridan growled. "No but I have an idea of how to get them back without endangering the time line. Do you want to hear it?" she replied hopefully. The Captain sighed and said "I know I'm going to regret this, but go ahead...." _______________________________________ Scully showed Franklin the results of Mulder's tests and they conferred just like colleagues, unconcerned that a one of them didn't belong there. "These are the results I was hoping for." Scully said with relief. " My patient is in the early stages of the infection but the retro-virus hasn't mutated. He can be treated with cryo-therapy to arrest the virus then a short course of anti-virals and steroids." "What good does that do for my patient? We've tried initiating a gene resequencing to revert the virus but haven't had any luck." Franklin replied. "With a high enough titer, the original virus in its active state will wipe out the mutations. The mutation process generally only occurs in vitro, in the lab. Ivanova explained that Marcus had been subject to unusually high levels of broad spectrum radiation bombardment. Everything mutated at once in his body. That's why my patient was in cryo in transport. The rapid freezing arrests the growth of the active virus without killing it." "I'm impressed, Doctor. How do you know so much about this virus?" "Experience." She smiled, proud that she didn't come off like a primitive barbarian. She decided that Dr. Franklin was the best kind of doctor you could have. The kind that was concerned for his patients, open minded about new treatments and ideas, and not too tied up in protocol. She frowned when she realized had she become a practicing physician, she most likely would have been just the opposite. Franklin wondered just who this `Dr. Starbuck' really was. She seemed totally out of place yet fit in to this perfect niche. He had no idea Ivanova was that clever. But then this was Marcus's life. He had noticed that she always got just a little more manic around Marcus. In fact, during their trip to Mars, he noticed that Marcus always got just a little more manic when he mention Ivanova. Of course, Franklin tried to ignore Marcus 3 days into the trip but he had the distinct feeling that there was something between his Ranger friend and the Commander. Scully made a recommendation to isolate the retro-virus from Mulder's blood and inoculate Marcus then wait for the mutation to die off, then start the prescribed treatment. Franklin was doubtful Marcus would last that long, since neither doctor knew how long the process would take. He did have another idea. "Since they're both infected anyway, we could do a blood link, if we can cross match them." Scully was now officially out of her league. "Like a transfusion?" "No, a blood link will actually exchange blood activity between the patients. Sort of a system wide inoculation . I know it's a radical treatment and not without risk but it's the fastest way to introduce the virus in Spooky's blood into Marcus's system." "How long will they need to stay connected?" "Until we see signs that the infection in Marcus has converted to the original virus. We can't start the rest of the treatment until we' re sure the mutated virus is wiped out of his system." "Start the cross matching." Scully ordered immediately. "Should you wake him up and ask his permission?" Franklin asked, pointing at Mulder Scully shook her head. "This is why we came here. To treat Marcus. At all cost." Franklin was taken back by the steadfast resolve of this doctor to save Marcus. He ordered the tech to start the crossmatch and watched the unknown doctor brush back the hair on her patient's forehead and lightly kiss him. Even in his sleep, the patient reached up and pulled her closer, nuzzling her cheek. She left him as the tech took the blood sample. Franklin then watched the lady doctor apply the same bedside manner to Marcus although the Ranger responded by shifting his position and mumbling a name - Dana. Franklin stepped up beside Scully.. "He's been calling out that name off and on.. He's also been calling out names of other people he knows -Susan, Delenn, his brother. Apparently `Dana' was name of one of his contacts on his last mission. If I remember correctly she was a doctor too. If fact she had a partner with a weird nickname, what was it?" Franklin's face flashed surprise as he turned to look at Mulder. Scully just shrugged. "Well I'll be damned. Marcus, you have no idea what Ivanova just did for you." The feverish Marcus cried out "Susan" and grabbed for Scully's hand. She took it and looked guiltily at Franklin. He responded with a compassionate tone "Why don't you stay with him a while, Dr. Scully. I'll start preparing for the link with Mr. Mulder." _____________________________________ Captain Sheridan and Ivanova walked briskly towards Med-Lab. He called Zach on the link. "What's up what, Sir? Another problem?" Zach replied. "Not yet. But there's `a situation' you need to be aware of. Meet us in Med-lab. Just you. We don't need security guards." The Captain ordered sternly. "Yes, Sir. I'll be there in 10." Ivanova who had been quiet since leaving the office, finally spoke "Thank you, Sir." "For what?" the irritated Captain responded. "For letting them stay. To help Marcus." she replied sincerely. "Well, don't start assigning quarters until I get a handle on what you've got us into." His anger was dissipating as he realized just how important saving Marcus was her. He couldn't help but remember when he and Delenn faced the Inquisitor. When asked if they were willing to sacrifice everything, even the great cause, just to save the other, they answered `Yes'. At that moment, they learned that willingness to die for the love of another was the greatest strength of all. He had never thought of Ivanova as weak but suddenly she seemed even stronger in his eyes. She was always willing to risk it all for the cause but never for just one man, until now. ______________________________________ "Franklin, I believe you have two `guests' in your Med Lab?" Sheridan said as he entered, Ivanova and Zach in tow. The doctor smiled at the decidedly unfamiliar look of embarrassment on Ivanova's face and responded "Yes. In fact one is an excellent doctor but I can't seem to verify her license since she hasn 't renewed it in quite a while." "Well I think it's safe to say he knows." Sheridan said smartly to Ivanova "Knows what?" a confused Zach inquired. "Let's go back here to talk." Franklin directed them to the room where Mulder and Marcus were blood linked. Scully sat between them, monitoring the exchange. Mulder had woken up and since they were secluded from the rest of the Med Lab she didn't see any reason to put him out again, even if he was a bit delirious. Ivanova lead Zach in first "Mr. Allen, meet Dr. Dana Scully and Special Agent Fox Mulder." Shock flew across his face "Marcus's contact from the 20th century. Wow!" "Well articulated, Mr. Allen." she observed sarcastically. Turning to the Agents she said seriously "And this is Captain John Sheridan." He walked in looking as stern a possible. Scully stood up and extended her hand to him. Her weary smile was a testament to how hard she had worked to save Marcus. Sheridan couldn't help but break into a smile despite himself. "It's an honor to meet you, Dr. Scully." She blushed slightly "The honor is all mine, Captain. Marcus didn 't tell us much about you but from what he did, I think you must be the man of the millennium." "If flattery can get you any where, I think you just bought a ticket." he responded his smiled broadening. Ivanova smiled as well seeing that the Captain had warmed up to their guest without even realizing it. A dry voice came from one of the beds. "Hey, is he trying to make a pass at my woman?" Scully turned bright red "Uh, this is Agent Mulder. He's still a little delirious from the illness." She shook him to get his attention "Mulder, this is Captain Sheridan." His eyes focused slowly as his brain unclouded slightly. Sheridan turned to Mulder and nodded his in approval. "Agent Mulder, thank you for coming here to help Marcus. I know Ivanova can be very persuasive but I heard you volunteered to carry the virus as an infection. You're a very brave man." "No I'm just possessive. I wasn't about to let Dana be alone with Marcus, after what happen between them on Earth." No one was sure if he was kidding or if it was the delirium again, but they all looked very suspiciously at Scully. Mulder grinned at Scully telling her he was indeed just kidding. She lightly smacked his head and said "Don't make these people think we came 3 hundred years and several light years just to tell bad jokes." He shook hands with the Captain and looked seriously towards Marcus. "We had to come. Marcus saved our lives and the lives of hundreds of others. It was our fault he was exposed to the virus. It our responsibility to cure him. We just hope we haven't screwed up the time line." Sheridan nodded in understanding. "We're working on a plan to get you home the same time you left it." He turned to Franklin. "How is the treatment going?" "So far, so good. Marcus and Agent Mulder crossmatched well and the link is stable. Initial results are promising. If the reaction continues at the same rate, we can break the link in 24 hours and start Agent Mulder's treatment and Marcus's in another day or two." Ivanova had moved over to Marcus's bed and gently stroked his beard with the back of her hand. What ever possessed her to do such a thing in front of Sheridan and the others she couldn't fathom but by her memory it had been six days since she last saw him even though only 1 day had passed on Babylon 5. She just needed to know he was still alive. His lips moved in response but no audible sound came forth. "You think he'll last that long?" she asked dispassionately of the doctor, but she didn't turn away from Marcus. "He's a hard man to keep down. He'll make it." Franklin replied. Sheridan turned to Zach who was still standing there going "Wow." in quiet whispers. "Dr. Scully and Agent Mulder will be our guests until we can get them home. Since no one but us and Brother Theo know their names they don't need aliases. Take care of the good brothers so they don't get excited if they see them. Our guests have free run of the Station but I don't want them Down Below without security. I won't restrict any databases but I recommend monitoring what they do access. Ivanova!" "Yes, Sir?" She stepped away from Marcus who blindly grabbed for her hand. Standing awkwardly with Marcus holding her left hand she awaited her orders. Sheridan suppressed a smile and said "Arrange quarters and meals for our guests." Scully interrupted "Sir, if it's all right with you, I'll just stay in Med Lab." Ivanova spoke in an uncharacteristic softness "You won't get any rest here. Why don't you at least stay in my quarters until Agent Mulder is up and around and I'll find place for you both." "Thank you. I guess I could use some rest." Scully replied. Sheridan said "It's settled then. Is there anything else we can do for you?" Mulder spoke again "I would really like to meet an alien. Something besides that Zathras person." Sheridan laughed and looked at Ivanova "Zathras! Is that how you pulled this off? Susan, keep working with him to figure out how we' re going to get these good people home without causing more trouble. And Agent Mulder, once you're well enough, you're free to wander the station. 40% of the people here are non-human. I'm sure Ivanova will be glad to show you around." "Yes Sir" she replied prying loose from Marcus's tight grip. _______________________________________ Sheridan sat in his office and punched up the literature library and looked up M. F. Luder's "My Life on Planet Earth" the novel written by Fox Mulder, under his pen name, in the year 2010. It was still there, apparently unchanged. Sheridan didn't know what happened if a time line did change. Would his awareness change with it, remembering things in the new time line only. Or where thing so tightly woven together that nothing ever really changed. He wished Delenn was with him instead of on Minbar. She always had answers to such esoteric question. Or if not answers, at least a good quote to reflect upon. He idly scrolled through the text looking for signs 23rd century technology or future visions. What caught is eye instead was a passage written to describe his love for Dana Scully. "Our years together as agents and partners created a bond that we both held precious in our hearts. A bond we weren't willing to sacrifice for anything, even the chance to find happiness and love in an even stronger bond. After her abduction, my "death" in New Mexico, her cancer and my "suicide", we still remained terrified of the thing that loomed over us each time we were together - the chance we might fall in love and worst yet, the possibility we would act on it. So what did it take to unite us? Nothing less than the end of the world as we knew it. The world collapsed in seconds with just a small sound. We simply told each other `I love you.' "Everything that had occurred up to that point in time faded into another life. I was reborn as a part of her. Our life pursuits merged and our desires found fulfillment in each other. Whatever I had to face from that moment forward, I never faced alone. She was with me always, in spirit if not in body. Some tasks I faced in the years ahead required that I abandoned the encumbrance of emotion and regret. She granted me that leave and allowed me to keep her strength and faith to shield my heart from growing cold in the wake of the events that followed. Allowing me to come back to her warm loving embrace when my task was done, my heart so full of love I could scarcely breath. All this for simply saying `I love you'." Sheridan sat back and thought of his moment of truth, the moment of rebirth, confessing his love for Delenn. Mulder's words reflected so much of what he felt for Delenn and the nature of their relationship. Sheridan knew she was indeed there with him, in his heart. Always. He decided that at all cost he would get the two Agents back were they belong, together. His mind shifted to thoughts of Marcus and Ivanova, what she had gone through to save his life, how she touched him in the Med Lab. She had been formally `reborn' once. Was it about to happen again? ___________________ A maintenance worker in Gray 12 welded a new top panel to the inside of the lift. The lift was shut down until he was finished so several work crews waited impatiently for the work to be done. He radioed his supervisor that he was done and would do a quick test run to Gray 18. The lift lurched to a halt between levels 15 and 16. The welder didn't respond to the radio calls asking what happened. After several attempted power starts, the lift resumed it's journey and stopped at Gray 18. The door opened to reveal another dead body with his liver removed. The new panel on the roof sealed off any entry point but the door. Meanwhile on Gray 16, the lift doors were pried open from the inside by long flexing fingers. A young man stepped through from the empty shaft, his eyes glowing yellow. __________________________ Scully had gone to Ivanova's quarters to rest. Ivanova knew she needed to sleep so she left her alone and returned to Med Lab. Ivanova watched the two men connected by a blood link, wondering what drove her to this insanity. Granted, everything seemed to be working out but disaster could be just around the corner. What did Marcus mean to her? How would she have felt if he died? She stepped closer to his bed and saw he was resting comfortably. For some reason she felt compelled to touch him. She held her thoughts for a second. She considered exploring the feeling and without thinking, kissed Marcus. Not on the forehead as Scully had, but full on the lips. Her name formed his lips and she sudden knew she had made a big mistake. Stepping backwards away from Marcus, she bumped into Mulder's bed. A lighter sleeper than Marcus, he stirred and made a sound that sounded like he was in pain. His hand reached out and she knew he was looking for Scully. Out of sympathy, she took hold of his hand to comfort him. He calmed down immediately. Slowly an image formed in her mind. Panic stricken, she realized that she had formed a telepathic bond with Mulder. A voice, Mulder's voice told her it was all right. Then as the image became clear, it wasn't all right. Pulling away from Mulder 's bond was almost painful. He convulsed as they separated but became still again quickly. Ivanova resisted the urge to run. But who was the enemy? She huffed in frustration when she realized the enemy as herself. She left to surrender to a neutral party. The image that disturbed her so was Mulder's first person view of making love to her. "Lyta, It's Commander Ivanova. Can I speak with you?" "Of course. What can I do for you?" answered the telepath from within her quarters. Ivanova stepped in reluctantly and said "Actually this is a personal matter. If you would rather not..." "No it's all right. I'm flattered that you'd consider asking for my help." Lyta replied sincerely. Ivanova asked nervously "I need to know more about latent telepaths. Can they accidentally scan people?" "Happens all the time. That's why Psi Corps tracks them. It's not predictable and it usually only occurs between certain individuals. It's often just an image or an emotion." "Is it more likely between 2 latent telepaths?" Lyta nodded knowingly. "Definitely especially if image or emotion involves the other person." "What forms the images?" "Memories and imagination. It takes some experience to tell the difference." Hoping for some escape, Ivanova asked "Can there be random thoughts, confused or mismatched images." "Sometimes, but generally the clearer the image the more concrete the thought." Ivanova nodded her head in silence "Commander, did you have a telepathic encounter?" Lyta asked with concern and curiosity. She deserved a straight answer "Yes" "Would you like to talk about?" Lyta offered, concerned Ivanova had no one to confide in. "No but thank you. For all your help" she responded sincerely and left the room. After all that had happened with Talia Winter, Ivanova didn't dare allow herself to be befriended by another telepath. _______________________________________ Zach intercepted Ivanova in the hallway. "Commander, here's your link." She stopped and realized she had indeed lost it. Zach handed it to her, concerned that something was really eating at her to not notice her link was gone. "It was in Med Lab. In Marcus's hand." She recalled his tight grip and her hurry to break the hold. "Thanks, Zach. Sorry about that. Was there something you needed to tell me?" "There's been another murder." he said nervously. Ivanova face flashed with shock. "Another murder? When was the first one?" "When you were at Epsilon 3. I guess you didn't check your messages yet." Zach shrugged. Ivanova scolded herself for sloppy thinking. "Zach, give me everything you have so far." (Continued)