by The Space Witches
Jack Gideon - Matthew's alter ego from a parallel universe.
by The Space Witches
Jack Gideon - Matthew's alter ego from a parallel universe.
Chapter 2
4th May 2273 - early hours of the morning
The sound of sirens and the computer's voice brought Demon bolt upright in bed, roused from a deep sleep.
"Battle stations. Battle stations. All hands to battle stations." The voice repeated the warning over and over again.
"Shit! What now? Computer off!" Demon turned to watch her husband hopping on one foot, as he pulled on his pants. He didn't bother with socks, just pushed his bare feet into shoes and grabbed a sweater from the wardrobe as he said, "Follow the usual drill. Stay here and monitor the situation. If things start going badly, I'll try to call you and tell you to get to the life-pods." His words became muffled as he pulled the sweater over his head. "Don't wait for me. If you think things are looking dangerous, get out."
Demon nodded and pushed the covers back, kneeling on the bed to grab Matthew quickly before he left. She gave him a quick but passionate kiss, then said, "Be careful!" as he grinned at her and ran from the room. Demon sat back on her heels, taking a deep breath to calm herself, before climbing out of bed and finding her own clothes. She quickly checked her link with her son and found that he was still fast asleep. They had disabled the alarm in his room, after the last midnight battle drill had brought the child screaming from a deep sleep into terrified consciousness.
As soon as she was dressed, Demon moved through into the living area, and called for a computer battle summary on the viewscreen. What she saw there wasn't reassuring. It appeared that the rift between the universes had opened again, and five alien ships had surged through, before the rift had snapped closed behind them. Each was the size of an Earthforce Destroyer, but they seemed to have weapons that were much stronger than those of the equivalent Earthforce ship. A sudden bang, and the rocking of the Excalibur, testified to the power of those weapons. [Shit! Marcus won't have slept through that!]
Demon rushed through to her son's bedroom and found him sitting up in bed, rubbing his eyes. He looked up as his mother came through the door, and whimpered, "Mummy? What was that?"
The tall blonde sat on the bed and took her son into her arms, pulling him onto her lap and cuddling him. "Nothing for you to worry about. The ship is just bouncing around a little. Remember when we played bouncy ships before? She'll be fine soon, Daddy has gone to take care of it." Demon knew that her son was convinced that his father could do anything. Telling him that Daddy was on the case was the greatest reassurance that Marcus could be given.
Marcus tucked his head into his mother's shoulder and muttered, "Want it to stop. Want Half-Ted." Marcus wasn't happy. The ship lurched again, and there was another loud bang. Demon felt her son's arms tightening around her, and she could feel his fear. She sent soothing waves of calm and reassurance through their link, as she reached for Half-Ted. The teddy bear had fallen to the floor with the movement of the ship, so Demon made a point of kissing the battered toy, before passing it to her son.
"See? Half-Ted is fine. Now hang on to him, while we go into the living room." At four years old, Marcus was getting a little heavy to carry for long periods, but Demon hoisted her son and his bear into her arms, cradling them both against her shoulder, as she carried them through to the connecting quarters she shared with her husband. She settled herself and the child into the corner of the sofa, holding Marcus in her lap, as she continued to send calming feelings.
When Demon and Marcus had first come to live with Matthew on the Excalibur, they had practiced battle drills with everyone else. In those drills, Demon had always taken Marcus to Medbay, where they would be safe, in the best protected part of the ship and close to the life-pods. Unfortunately, when they had encountered their first real battle, those plans had fallen apart. Marcus had inherited enough of his mother's empathic ability to become seriously upset at the feelings flying around Medbay.
Even though they had screened the crèche area of Medbay since then, to get there Demon would have been forced to carry her son through corridors crowded with crew, all feeling the fear and apprehension that a real battle produced. She and Matthew had decided that if they were in their shielded quarters at the start of a battle, she and Marcus should stay there, safe from the emotional turmoil, unless and until the ship seemed in imminent danger of destruction.
Another time the Excalibur had gone into battle, Demon had been able to distract Marcus by getting him to bounce on her bed in time with the ship rocking. This time wasn't going to be that simple. It seemed that being woken up in the middle of the night was rather different to being allowed to bounce on his mother's bed in the afternoon.
As she settled on the sofa, the picture Demon could see on the viewscreen had not improved. She had to control herself, to prevent any of her anxieties escaping and being detected by her son. While she watched the progress of the battle, Demon sang softly to Marcus, rocking him gently, trying to use that motion to cover up some of the movement of the ship. It seemed to be working, as she could feel Marcus drifting off to sleep in her arms, although he still clutched Half-Ted and sucked on the bear's ear, something he only did now when he was unhappy or scared.
Continuing to hold her dozing child, Demon watched the progress of the battle, becoming increasingly anxious. It wasn't going well. The Excalibur had deployed all of her fighters, and had managed to destroy two of the other ships, but the three remaining enemies were still fighting strongly. Although she still sent soothing feelings to her son, Demon was silently berating herself for her selfishness.
Some months before, Demon had discovered that she carried part of a Vorlon inside her. She had been unable to bear the knowledge that she held within her a part of one of the things that had kidnapped and tortured her and her sisters. That knowledge had driven Demon to the edge of suicide, and it was only her husband's love and care that had brought her back from the brink. Matthew had somehow communicated with the Vorlon inside her, and convinced it to sleep, to go into hibernation, so that Demon could carry on living with it. But the price that had been paid for that concession was the loss of much of the sisters' strength. They could no longer merge to become the weapon that the Vorlon had created them to be.
Once before, when the Excalibur had been attacked, Demon and her sisters had merged to defend the ship. They had succeeded in destroying the main attacker, leaving the Excalibur to cope with the lesser enemies, and they had thereby won the battle. This was something the sisters could no longer do. Demon blamed her own weakness, her own inability to live with the knowledge of the Vorlon inside her, for the vulnerability of the ship, and all the people she loved, to this new threat. If only she had been stronger, if only she could have ignored the alien consciousness inside her, if only...Demon watched the viewscreen with growing concern for the safety of the ship, her husband, her son and all her family and friends.
Her self-recrimination was interrupted by the sound of Angel's voice coming through their link. That link had been weakened by the hibernation of the Vorlon, but it was still strong enough to operate within the boundaries of the ship. [[Demon? Are you and Marcus OK? I'm on my way over.]]
[[Angel, no! You should be with Lily and her children in Medbay. You'll be closer to the life-pods there. I'll join you there if I have to.]] Demon's mental voice was stern.
The sound that came back was suspiciously close to a raspberry. Demon hadn't known it was possible to make that noise over the mental link. Angel must have been practicing. [[You can't stop me, and I'm on my way. If you do have to leave, I'll help you with Marcus.]] The mental connection was severed, and Demon knew it was no use trying to argue. Angel would do exactly what she wanted.
Demon's anxieties rose during the next few minutes, as the Excalibur rocked harder with the impact of the weapons being used against her. At one point, the motion was sufficiently violent to rouse Marcus, and he started to cry softly into his mother's shoulder. Demon could feel his fear and did everything she could to reassure and calm her son, but it was becoming increasingly difficult, as the bangs and thuds of impacts against the hull shook the ship ever more violently. Her own fear for her husband's safety was becoming hard to handle. Could she leave him this time? Twice before, Demon had refused to leave Matthew when faced with the possibility of losing him. She didn't think she'd be able to do so now, any more than she had before. Life without Matthew was unthinkable.
She had just decided that she could wait no longer, she would have to take Marcus to the life-pods, when Angel's voice sounded in Demon's head. [[Open the door! Now!]]
Demon called for the door to open, and a split second later, her sister rushed through. Angel screamed at the door to close behind her, just as a rush of air sent every loose object in the room flying toward the opening. Demon hung onto her son, fighting the pull of the escaping air. The doors slammed shut, sealing the remaining air inside the room. Demon could hear the pumps whining into overdrive to replace the missing atmosphere, as she stared up at Angel. Demon's face was a mask as she tried to conceal her terror. Marcus was screaming now, and Demon could do little to calm him. She yelled over the sound of his wails of dismay, "What happened? What was that?"
Angel leaned her back against the door, her face white with fear. "We've been holed and boarded. They're coming through into the corridor."
Jack watched the progress of the battle on the viewscreen in his room, trying to decide what action to take, if any. He'd been pacing the floor of his side room off Medbay when the battle stations warning had sounded. It was muted within Medbay, intended to alert the crew there, without unnecessarily disturbing any patients. If Jack had been asleep, he might never have known about the battle, at least until the ship started shaking.
As soon as the alarm sounded, Jack had turned to the computer and tried to access the battle summary data he wanted. Not surprisingly, the Medbay computer wasn't authorized to allow patients access to that material. Jack had been forced to use voice authorization, and a back door into the computer system that he'd set up when given command of the Excalibur. [It's a good thing Gideon hadn't changed that access!] he thought.
As the battle developed, Jack had been torn. He knew this enemy, having fought them several times. He knew their tactics, their strengths and their weaknesses. Jack could have provided valuable information to Gideon on how to fight these attackers, but he also knew that by the time he made it up to the bridge, the situation might have changed so much that his advice would be worthless. And he did not intend to interrupt the Captain with unasked for advice in the middle of a battle. Jack had gritted his teeth and told himself to accept that this ship already had one Captain, and it wasn't him. Well, not quite.
One of the attacking ships exploded into a ball of fire, and a malicious smile spread across Jack's face. It was good to see those bastards destroyed. They'd killed enough of his crew in their time. He was surprised that they'd sent so many ships through the rift. The enemy would only have expected to find Jack's own battle weary ship waiting for them, yet they had still felt it was dangerous enough to require five destroyers to take her out. Jack felt flattered. They couldn't have known that they'd done so much damage to his Excalibur that she'd self-destructed.
Jack watched with malevolent pleasure as another of the enemy ships exploded. His respect for the Captain and crew of this Excalibur rose another notch, as he saw how the battle was turning in their favor. For novices with these aliens, they were doing a damned good job.
A flare of light on the right of the screen caught Jack's eye, and he inhaled sharply. It was a breaching pod, and it was headed directly for the central section of the Excalibur. Jack exhaled in relief when he saw one of the fighters dive in to intercept the pod, blowing it out of the sky. The last thing the Excalibur needed was to allow these bastards in too close. Their breaching pods could drill through even the Excalibur's ten meter thick plasteel hull in minutes, and once on board, the enemy aliens were vicious fighters at close quarters.
Jack was dismayed when he saw dozens more of the breaching pods heading for the Excalibur. Could the fighters stop them all? The Excalibur's gun crews were too busy fighting the remaining three destroyers to be able to divert their attention to the smaller ships. It was the fighters or nothing. Jack watched, as one by one, the pods were destroyed. Only two of the evil little bastards eventually got through. One of them attached itself to the landing bay cowling, where it could be dislodged easily, but the other managed to get through to the central section of the Excalibur, only a few tens of meters from the bridge. Jack watched in horror as it latched on and started to drill. The fighters tried to get to it, to blow it off the main hull, but a swarm of enemy fighters dived in to protect it.
Switching to internal view, Jack flicked from camera to camera, corridor to corridor, trying to zero in on where the pod had attached itself. An alarm, warning of a hull breach, drew him to the right place. He watched as the breaching pod's drill bit through the corridor wall in a flare of sparks, showing where cables and electrical power supplies were cut. Jack's memory of the ship's systems at least assured him that no serious damage had been done. Flicking to another camera, he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw a squad of Narn Marines heading for the breached corridor. The boarding party might be vicious fighters, but Jack would put money on the Narns any day.
Jack did a quick check on exactly where the breach had occurred, and he suddenly felt uneasy. The pod had drilled through into the corridor that ran from the Captain's quarters to the bridge. While the Captain would be on the bridge, where would his wife and son be? On their way to the life-pods, Jack hoped, but how could he be sure? He smiled to himself, as he realized that he had developed a certain affection for that tall, cool, blonde. She had been kind to him, as had the Captain of this ship. Jack wouldn't want anything bad to happen to her or her son. He needed to know where Demon was. If she was safe in a life-pod with her son, there was no need for him to worry.
Glancing up from the viewscreen, Jack could see that Luke Raven was outside in the main Medbay, with his team, waiting for casualties. It was still early enough in the battle for the main Medbay to be quiet, although Jack knew that injured crew members would soon start to arrive.
Jack slipped out of his side-room and over to where Luke Raven was preparing some medical instruments. Tapping Raven on the shoulder, Jack asked, "Is the Captain's wife in the life-pods?"
Raven looked up quickly, frowning with annoyance at the interruption, "No. She and Marcus stay in their shielded quarters as long as they can. The emotions flying around in a battle are difficult for them to cope with. As empaths, they're both..." Raven paused in mid-sentence, staring at Jack. "Why do you want to know? Why have you left your room? The Captain wanted you to stay put."
Jack nodded, holding up his hands. "It's OK, I'm going back. Don't worry." He turned and headed back to his room, but paused in the doorway, looking back over his shoulder. Raven had gone back to prepping his instruments, and the other Medbay staff were all occupied with their own tasks. A sudden yell was followed by a team of medics rushing a stretcher through the door, and the Medbay team leaped into action. They were now all too occupied to pay attention to Jack.
Suppressing the qualms he felt about breaking his promise to Gideon, Jack slipped out of the door of Medbay, quickly stepping aside to let another stretcher team enter. It was getting messy now, and he knew that everyone in Medbay was going to be too busy to notice his absence for some time to come. Jack hoped that Raven wouldn't get into too much trouble for having let him get out. Again.
As he ran along the corridors separating Medbay from the bridge, Jack thought about Raven's words--"The emotions flying around in a battle are difficult for them to cope with. As empaths, they're both..." Empaths? Gideon's wife and son were empaths? That certainly explained a few things that had happened during the time Jack had spent with Demon. If she'd been able to read his feelings, it was no wonder she'd come close to tears a few times. She would have felt as bad as he had. Jack wondered whether Demon could project as well as receive emotions. Had she forced him to trust her?
Jack wondered just how much Gideon's wife had manipulated him, and pushed down a surge of resentment. It didn't matter. She had still been kind to him. She had fed him, clothed him, listened to him and told him what he needed to know. And if Demon was still in her quarters, then she and her son were in more danger than anyone on the Excalibur realized.
By the time he reached the corner of the corridor where the Gideons had their quarters, Jack was gasping for air. He was more out of condition than he'd thought. He was appalled to see three dead crew members, lying in a heap at the end of the corridor. They had burn holes punched through their chests, in a pattern that was horribly familiar. Jack grabbed the PPG rifle that was lying next to one of the dead men, and slid to the corner, quickly poking his head around, then just as quickly withdrawing it.
The aliens all had their backs to him in the corridor beyond. Twenty or more of them were engaged in a battle with a group of Narn Marines who held the far end of the passageway. The two groups were pretty evenly matched, as far as Jack's quick glimpse could tell, but what concerned him more were the two aliens who weren't fighting.
It was evident that the invaders had sealed their entry point behind them with a force-field, then recompressed the corridor. They'd then progressed toward the bridge, forcing open every set of doors to side rooms they'd come across, checking that they weren't leaving anyone behind them to attack them from the rear. They must have killed the men at this end of the corridor, then been drawn into a fight with the Narns at the far end, as they headed toward the bridge.
The two aliens who were forcing doors had just arrived at the Gideons' quarters. In the next few minutes, they were going to get those doors open, and get to the woman and child inside. Jack did not intend to allow that to happen. Taking advantage of the invaders distraction with the Narn Marines, Jack slid around the corner, using one of the dead bodies as a shield. He fired at one of the aliens who had got the doors to Demon's quarters half open, and felt malicious satisfaction as the invader screamed and fell forward, a hole punched right through its back.
What happened next came as a complete surprise. The second alien was picked up by some unseen force and flew backwards down the corridor toward Jack, arms and legs spread wide. Jack had no idea what had caused it, but he wasn't going to miss an opportunity. It felt a little like clay pigeon shooting, but he caught the alien in mid-flight with his next shot, almost severing it in two.
The remaining invaders realized that they were now being attacked on two fronts, and two of them turned, firing toward Jack where he lay behind the dead body. One of them had started to run toward him, when it too was lifted into the air and slammed into the wall. [What the fuck?!]
Jack still hadn't a clue what was happening, but he wasn't arguing. He shot the alien as it was pinned to the wall, then turned his aim and took out the other one, still charging toward him. Then all hell broke loose, with alien bodies flying in all directions, jerked around like puppets on strings. Jack had never seen anything like it, but he kept firing, taking down every target that presented itself.
When there were only five invaders left standing, all fully occupied with the Narn Marines at the far end of the corridor, Jack broke cover and ran for the half open doors of the Gideons' quarters. The sight that met him there knocked the wind right out of him. Jack stood for a moment, gasping for air, like a fish out of water. The woman who stood in the doorway was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.
Her skin was dead white, although there was a scattering of freckles across her nose that only enhanced her pallor. Her shoulder length, black hair half covered her beautiful face, as she whipped her head back and forth, glaring out into the corridor, obviously looking for new enemies. She was of medium height, slender almost to the point of thinness, but her breasts stretched the tight red sweater she wore, showing that she was generously proportioned in that respect. Her waist and hips were slim, but curvaceous, and Jack was sure that the rear view would be spectacular.
But what drew his attention away from her stunning body were her eyes. They were a clear, crystal blue, piercing and full of fire. Jack found himself staring into those eyes, suddenly unaware of the fight at the far end of the corridor, deaf to the sound of the battle still raging outside the ship, blind to everything other than those startling blue eyes, which were now glaring at him.
"Well, it took you long enough! What the hell kept you?" For some reason, this gorgeous creature was furious with him. What had he done?
"Sorry. If I'd known you were waiting, I'd have busted out of Medbay and fought my way here sooner." Jack couldn't keep the sarcasm from his voice.
The woman blinked and looked at him more closely, her mouth forming a silent, "Oh." Jack realized that he'd never wanted to kiss a mouth quite as much as he did hers.
A shot from the far end of the corridor cannoned off the wall next to Jack, and he was suddenly dragged inside the door. What made it interesting was that no one had touched him. He half fell into the room, and found that he was now only centimeters away from the bluest eyes he'd ever seen. A quick glance down revealed that his chest and the woman's breasts were separated by the width of a coat of paint. If he took a deep breath...
Jack resisted the temptation, and tried to drag his eyes away from the figure in front of him, hard as it was. [And that ain't the only thing around here that's getting hard!] He shook away the thought.
"Where's Demon? Is she all right?" Jack tried to look beyond the woman, who for some reason seemed to fill his view.
A calm voice broke the spell the raven haired woman had cast. "I'm here and we're fine. Angel saved us."
Jack turned slightly, to see Demon standing by the kitchen area, holding a small child. The boy was hanging onto his mother, gripping her neck so tightly that Jack was surprised she could breathe, never mind speak. The tall blonde was nearly as pale as the other woman, but her face was impassive, showing none of the fear that Jack was sure she must have been feeling.
Before he could speak, a large, spotted hand descended onto Jack's shoulder and yanked him backwards. He looked up into a pair of very angry red eyes and swallowed hastily. The Narn holding him looked seriously pissed. Jack had always been careful to stay on the good side of any Narns he'd encountered in his own universe, before they'd been wiped out. Narns were dangerous enough when happy. When they were mad, they were lethal. This one wasn't so much angry as absolutely and completely furious, and for some reason the Narn was infuriated with him.
The spotted hand lifted Jack off his feet and shook him gently. "You are not supposed to be here. You were ordered to stay in Medbay." Jack thought fast. Somehow, he didn't think a glib answer was going to get him out of this one.
"I came to help Demon." As a statement, it had the virtue of being both truthful and short, as Jack found that his position, dangling a couple of centimeters above the floor, didn't make speaking very easy. He just hoped that the huge Narn Marine's other spotted hand wasn't about to be clamped around his windpipe.
"G'Tan, put him down." The words were spoken quietly, but with authority. Jack wondered where Demon had learned that tone. It took Earthforce years to train its officers in that command voice. "I'll take responsibility for him. I'm sure you and your people are needed elsewhere. We'll be fine now. Thank you, for all you and your team have done."
Jack found himself dropped abruptly, landing on his heels with a loud thud. The Narn might have followed Demon's orders, but that didn't mean he liked them. G'Tan saluted Demon, saying, "I'll leave one of my people in the corridor. No one will get past him." Then he spun on his heel and walked out, leaving the doors gaping open. Jack had absolutely no doubt that G'Tan was correct. If that Narn said no one would get past his people, you'd better believe it. The three remaining occupants of the room looked at each other in silence, gradually becoming aware that the battle was over. The ship had stopped rocking and silence had fallen all around.
Rubbing his sore shoulder, Jack turned to Demon and smiled. "Thanks." He was desperately trying to ignore the other woman, although her scent was assaulting his nostrils, begging for his immediate attention. He suddenly had a vision of himself burying his head in that raven black hair, kissing that soft, white neck, moving his lips...[Stop!]
Before he could say anything more, the little boy in Demon's arms lifted his head and whimpered, "Daddy! I want my Daddy!" Tears streaked the child's face and all the fear that Demon was hiding so well was written clearly on her son's face. The boy started to struggle in the tall blonde's arms, reaching out for Jack, saying over and over that he wanted his Daddy.
Demon's face flickered and Jack saw, just for a moment, how distressed she was. A wave of fear, anguish and panic washed over him, and Jack realized that the little boy was somehow projecting his emotions. Demon must have been suppressing those feelings before, but now she had lost control. As the boy's cries became more urgent, Jack stepped forward and held out his arms. Demon whispered, "I'm sorry," then let him take the child from her.
Jack held the boy tightly, and rocked him gently, whispering that he was safe now, the bad men had gone and everything was going to be all right. He watched as the dark haired beauty went to Demon and hugged her. After a few moments, the waves of panic that the boy was projecting started to calm, and he wriggled in Jack's arms. Jack looked down into a pair of large, golden brown eyes, looking up at him from a face that showed his parentage clearly. The blond curls came from his mother, but the shape of the mouth and eyes were obviously inherited from his father. Jack wondered if his own son would have looked like that, if he'd ever had one.
"You're not my Daddy." The boy's tone was accusatory.
Jack smiled. "Didn't say I was. But I bet I can hug as well as he can."
A half flicker of a smile crossed the child's face as he nodded, then he turned his head to look over at his mother. "Where's Half-Ted?"
Demon laughed and stooped to pick up the battered bear from the floor where it had fallen, passing it to her son, and gently tousling his curls. Jack could tell that she was still controlling herself carefully, but she held out her arms, saying, "Can Mummy have a cuddle now?"
Jack passed the little boy back to his mother, constantly aware of the intense scrutiny of the dark haired woman. She was watching him as a cat might watch a mouse hole. Jack pushed aside a wish that she'd pounce on him, like a cat jumping on a mouse. He patted the little boy on the head, then smiled at Demon and gestured at the other woman. "Are you going to introduce us?"
Demon hugged her son tightly to her, but managed a small smile back. "This is my sister, Angelique Denier."
Jack turned to the woman and nodded his head, murmuring, "Angelique," as he did so. Even her name entranced him.
Angelique smiled at him and his heart did a double black flip, with twist. "Everyone calls me Angel."
Jack thought, [I bet they do!] then realized that he'd whispered it aloud. He shook his head and smiled softly. "Not me. I'm going to call you Angelique."
He ran his eyes over her, looking at her from her neat, sandal clad feet, up her long, slim legs to the gentle swell of her hips, all enclosed in tight fitting black jeans. He forced his gaze up from her waist, beyond the generous breasts that threatened to snag his attention permanently, to the slender neck, firm jaw and stunning face. Angelique's mouth was wide and generous, her lips red and moist from where her tongue flicked out to lick them. Then Jack met those crystal blue eyes. Very angry blue eyes.
"When you've quite finished enjoying the view, you can call me Angel like everyone else. I'll decide who gets to use my full name!"
Jack gave her his very best whipped puppy dog smile. "Sorry. I just haven't seen anything as beautiful as you in...well, ever."
Angelique fought to suppress a smile, but didn't quite manage it, and her face flushed at his compliment. The color made her even more beautiful. She tilted her head to one side, and said, "You have the advantage of me. Are you going to tell me your name?"
Jack didn't even want to think about how many ways he'd like to take advantage of her, but he held out his hand, saying, "Jack Gideon. At your service." He then wished he hadn't said that. When he thought of servicing her, the ache in his groin got stronger and Jack began to regret the snug fit of the jeans Demon had given him.
"Jack, you're hurt." Demon's voice dragged his attention away from Angelique, and he glanced down at his right arm, as she pointed. Sure enough, there was a hole in the sleeve of his shirt and the skin beneath was burned. Jack hadn't even noticed it until that moment, but now he knew it was there, it started to sting like hell.
Angelique sucked in her breath and moved to take his hand, examining the burned area closely. She turned to her sister, who still held her son in her arms. "Demon, do you have a regenerator to hand? I can fix this."
Demon smiled over at Jack. "My sister works in Medbay. No, Angel, I can't lay my hands on one right now. Maybe the best thing would be for you to take Jack back to your quarters. I know you have a regenerator there, and you could use it to treat him. Medbay will be in total chaos."
Angelique protested that she ought to get to Medbay herself, that they would need her help there. Demon disagreed. "Not in the state you're in. Angel, you're exhausted. Tossing those intruders around like that was hard work. You need to rest, and Jack needs treatment. Be logical for once."
Jack looked closely at the dark haired woman and realized that her sister was right. The dark shadows underneath her eyes showed her fatigue, but did nothing to diminish her beauty. The implications of that statement about tossing intruders around were something he'd get to later. Right now...
He reached out with his uninjured left arm and grasped Angelique's hand gently. "Please? I don't want to have to trouble the medics if I don't have to. And it really does hurt." He tried the puppy dog smile again. It seemed to have worked the first time.
Angelique sighed theatrically. "Oh, I can't say 'no' to both of you! Come on, Jack, let's fix that arm up." She held on to his hand, pulling him toward the door, which was still wide open.
Pausing in the doorway, Jack glanced back over his shoulder, and saw Demon and her son both watching, with amused smiles on their faces. For just one moment, Jack thought he saw Demon wink, then he dismissed it as his imagination, and followed the most beautiful woman he'd ever met to her rooms.
Demon smiled as the couple disappeared out of the door, then looked down, as her son tugged on her hair to attract her attention. She was still holding him in her arms, and Marcus frowned up at her as he asked, "Who was that man, Mummy? He looked like Daddy, but he didn't feel right."
"You can call him Uncle Jack. He's a sort of relative of your Daddy. What did you think of him? Did you like him?" Marcus could be remarkably perceptive for a four year old. The combination of his empathic abilities, with a child's uncomplicated view of the universe, often gave him a clarity of vision that an adult could never match.
The little boy frowned for a moment, staring at the empty doorway, then nodded slowly. "He's nice." If Demon had any doubts about another version of Lucas Buck hiding behind the Jack personality, they vanished at that moment. Marcus would have seen straight through the façade. After a brief pause, Marcus looked up at his mother again and said, "But he feels funny when he looks at Auntie Angel."
"Funny peculiar or funny ha ha?" Demon asked, smiling down at her son.
"Both." Marcus lowered his head, sucking on Half-Ted's only ear in concentration, before saying. "He felt like hot fizzy soda." He grinned up at his mother. "He was all warm and bubbly inside. Daddy feels like that sometimes, when he looks at you. Why did Uncle Jack feel like that, Mummy?"
Demon laughed. "It's a grown-up thing, darling, and you know it's really not polite to pick up people's feelings like that. Now, let's go see if your Daddy is coming, shall we?" She carried the little boy out into the corridor, smiling at the Narn Marine who still stood on duty outside.
The Marine saluted and nodded to the engineers, who were working on the hole in the corridor wall. "They'll come and fix your door as soon as they're finished here, ma'am. G'Tan told me stay here until I'm relieved. I think he wants a guard here permanently, until we leave this sector of space."
Demon smiled her thanks up at the large Narn, telling him that there was no hurry for the door, then asking if he needed anything. The Marine shook his head, so Demon turned to look toward the bridge, wondering how long it would be before her husband came home. Marcus' head rested on her shoulder, and Demon could feel him drifting off to sleep again, all his fears forgotten now the ship was stable again. She kissed the top of his head and whispered, "Let's send Daddy a hug, so he knows we're OK."
Marcus looked up sleepily and smiled. They closed their eyes and linked, then sent a wave of love and contentment toward the bridge. Demon heard the Narn behind her give a happy sigh, then she turned and went back into her quarters, carrying her son through to his bedroom and tucking him up in bed. She returned to her living room, and having tidied the room of the things that had been thrown around during the battle, Demon curled up on the sofa, waiting for Matthew to come home.
Gideon was busy on the bridge, receiving damage reports, organizing the clean up, and making sure that all his fighters got home safely. The damage could have been a lot worse. Only one breaching pod had managed to attach itself, and while the enemies' weapons had packed a lot of clout, they hadn't managed to punch through the Excalibur's hull. His ship was battered and bruised, but intact.
Much the same could be said for the crew. Gideon had taken a casualty report from Medbay and sighed in relief when he was told that, although they had five seriously injured, all should survive. The only deaths were the three crewmen killed in the corridor where the breaching pod had drilled through.
Gideon shuddered when he remembered the moment when he saw that happening. His instinct had been to leap from his chair and run to save his wife and son, but he had held fast. The only action he'd taken was to dispatch G'Tan and his toughest Marines to deal with the intruders. Anything more would have been a dereliction of duty, and could have cost many more lives. A Captain didn't run out in the middle of a battle, no matter how worried he was about his wife and child.
Gideon leaned back in his chair and took a deep breath, giving himself a few seconds of calm, before he continued the million and one tasks that needed to be done after the battle. In those few seconds of contemplation, he asked himself whether a battle ship was the right place to bring up a child. Was it fair to Marcus to keep him on this ship? It hadn't mattered so much when he was a baby, but now? The confinement and the dangers were hardly fair on a bright, perceptive four year old.
The wave of love and contentment that washed over him just then left Gideon in no doubt that Deborah and Marcus were safe and well. He opened his eyes and looked around the bridge, only to find that most of the crew were looking back at him, trying to hide their smiles.
"What? You never heard of a man's wife calling him at the office?" Gideon grinned.
Angel sat in the bullet car, all too aware of the man sitting next to her. He hadn't released her hand after she'd taken his to lead him from Demon's rooms, and he still held it now. The heat from that hand seemed to run through Angel's body, raising her temperature, making her feel hot and shaky. And one part of her was getting very warm and wet indeed.
She tried to tell herself to calm down, but from the moment she'd seen that this man wasn't Matt, her hormones had taken over. Angel was in a lather of lust and could do nothing to stop it. She was powerless to remove her hand from the cause of her emotions.
Angel thought back to the moment when the doors of Demon's quarters had opened, and she had seen the man standing outside. For a moment, she had thought it was Matt, but as soon as he had spoken, she had realized her mistake. The voice was the same, but the tone was completely different. Angel had looked more closely and had seen the longer hair, with the gray strands running through it. The gray strands that in no way detracted from the silky softness that begged her to run her fingers...[Stop it!]
The gentle squeezing of her hand drew Angel's attention to the man sitting next to her. She looked around and his gentle smile nearly turned her to Jell-O. Hot, wet Jell-O. Angel looked at him and saw the ways in which he was familiar and how he was different from Matt. He reminded her of the Captain she had first met, when he came to Eriadne. That memory made Angel flush, all too aware of how badly she had behaved then. The man sitting next to her smiled, obviously attributing her heightened color to the pressure of his hand. Little did he know.
In many ways, Angel found it hard to believe that she had been that girl who had taken Gideon captive, who had used him for her own pleasure, even while satisfying him. She had learned so much and changed so much since then that she almost felt like a different person. But she was very much the same person she'd been a few months earlier on Centauri Prime. After her experiences there, she had told Gideon that it would be a long time before she trusted another man. Everything in Angel wanted to trust this man sitting beside her, but no matter what her eyes told her, this man wasn't Matt. Not quite. Could she trust him?
She turned to look at the man. On closer inspection, Angel could see that although there were similarities between the Captain she had met all those years before and the man she sat next to now, there were differences, too. His build was much as Gideon's had been, slim to the point of being too thin, but like Gideon's, his muscles were well defined, as Angel had seen through the hole in the upper arm of his right shirt sleeve. But this man looked sad and tired, in a way Matt hadn't looked even then, when he'd been weary to the point of exhaustion.
The man sitting next to Angel had endured much more than the Captain she had met on Eriadne. Angel found herself wanting both to trust this man and to comfort him. Physically. Very physically. [Down girl!] That annoying little voice inside her spoke and Angel told it, firmly, to shut the hell up. The warmth of the hand clasping hers was sending little shivers of excitement and pleasure up and down Angel's spine, and she wondered if the man, [Jack, he said to call him Jack,] could feel her trembling.
Thinking of names reminded Angel of what he had called her. Angelique. Jack had used her full name. Only one man had done that in a long while. Angel's mind was irresistibly drawn back to the time she'd spent in another universe, with another starship Captain. Dylan Hunt had called her Angelique. Dylan, who had helped her believe that one day she would find a man to truly love her. Was this the man? This other man who called her Angelique? Angel found herself almost daring to hope he might be the one.
When the bullet car finally arrived at their destination, Angel found that she was almost reluctant to stand, for fear of leaving a damp patch on the seat beneath her. It must be obvious to Jack how strongly she was attracted to him, but Angel preferred him not to know that she couldn't keep her panties dry.
Angel's only consolation came when she realized that Jack was nearly as reluctant to stand as she was. Glancing down, she could see the reason why. The pants Demon had given him fitted snugly, and the bulge in his groin, while not obvious, was evident. Angel bit her lip, trying not to smile. It seemed that Jack was as worked up as she was.
When she tried to stand, Angel found herself wobbling, and it didn't help at all when Jack slid his injured right arm around her waist, looking at her with concern, whispering, "Are you all right?" Then Angel saw his gaze drift downwards, and she blushed. Her nipples were standing out so far that she could have hung a clothesline from them. They all but stood up and waved at Jack, whistling and shouting, 'Over here! Slut ready for action!'
Angel cleared her throat and tried to bring herself under control, pushing herself back from Jack's loose embrace. She stammered, but managed to say, "Come with me," her brain went into overdrive, [Brilliant! You can't even get three words out without making it a come-on!] "and I'll fix you up," [Oh for god's sake woman! Get a grip!] "but then I must get on." Angel could hardly believe the words coming out of her mouth. A glance at Jack's face showed that he was struggling to keep himself from laughing.
Angel pulled hard on the hand still holding hers, and yanked Jack off the bullet car, towing him toward her rooms, clamping her lips firmly shut. [God alone knows what I'll say next!]
When they arrived in her quarters, Angel tried to pull away from Jack, moving to the bedroom where she kept her regenerator, but he wouldn't let go of her hand. Suddenly, Angel found herself standing in her bedroom, her bed only inches away, with a man she lusted after more than she had any man since...[Don't!]
Taking a very deep breath, in a completely futile attempt to calm herself, Angel smiled up at Jack saying, "You're going to have to let go of my hand. I need both hands to work on you."
Jack let go and gave Angel a smile that sent her hormones rocketing again. This wasn't a sad smile, or even the apologetic puppy dog grin he'd given her earlier. This smile was pure wickedness, and his golden eyes twinkled as he said, softly, "Oh, by all means. Please use both hands to work on me."
This time the blush started from Angel's feet and worked its way up her body, pausing briefly to stiffen her nipples a little more, and then spread all the way up her neck and face. She could hardly bring herself to look at Jack, but when she did, she realized that he'd probably never even seen her blush. His eyes were fixed so firmly on her breasts that Angel was concerned she could take his eye out if her nipples popped out any further. That thought was enough to make her giggle. Jack dragged his eyes from her breasts and looked quizzical.
"Never mind. Just a random thought. Let me see your arm." Angel had retrieved the regenerator, and tried to focus on tending Jack's injury. He turned slightly away from her, and hissed as she tried to pull his shirtsleeve away from the burned area. "I'm sorry. I just need to get the material away from the wound." As gently as she knew how, Angel cut the shirtsleeve away.
After a few moments, she looked up at Jack, seeing that he had his eyes closed and his lips firmly pressed together. Despite her best efforts, Angel knew she was hurting him. She knew what she had to do next, but just hoped that she'd survive the result. "Jack, you're going to have to take your shirt off. I can't treat this properly through the hole in the sleeve."
Jack nodded and raised his left hand to start unfastening the buttons. Angel realized that he was struggling, being naturally right handed, and moved to help him. He dropped his hand and watched as she undid the buttons, her hands trembling with the effort not to run her fingers over his chest. As she opened Jack's shirt, Angel's temperature rose. By the time she had pulled the shirt out from the waistband of his jeans, and he stood bare-chested in front of her, Angel thought she might spontaneously combust.
His chest was just like Matt's, like Lucas', with a fine covering of soft hair that she longed to touch. The soft pink of Jack's nipples, half hidden by the hair, just begged to be sucked and licked, to be fondled until he groaned with pleasure. Angel's eyes were drawn irresistibly downwards, following that line of fine hair down his belly to where his navel showed above his jeans, then on and down to...[Get a grip, girl! And not on that!]
Angel dragged her gaze upwards and looked into two golden brown eyes, twinkling with amusement. There was no doubt that Jack knew exactly where her thoughts had wandered. [Just keep your hands from wandering there, too!] Angel told herself.
Jack's voice was deep and low as he asked, "Will you help me strip?" Angel's eyes widened, and she was convinced that her nipples were now hard enough to drill diamonds, as he continued, "My shirt. Will you help me get my shirt off? My shoulder is a little sore."
With a shiver of anticipation, Angel reached up to push the shirt off Jack's shoulders, the movements bringing her closer to him, until her breasts touched his chest. She felt as if someone had applied a jolt of electricity directly to her sensitive nipples, and she jerked back, quickly glancing up, to see if Jack had noticed her reaction. The amused smile playing on his lips made it pretty damned obvious that he hadn't missed a thing, and was enjoying Angel's predicament.
Taking a deep breath to steady herself, Angel moved forward again, lowering the shirt from Jack's shoulders gently, taking great care to keep the material away from the wound on his upper arm. Lifting each of his hands in turn, she unfastened the buttons at the cuffs, until the shirt fell to the floor. Angel moved to Jack's side and inspected the burned area. It wasn't too serious, but it looked sore and sensitive. She brought the regenerator to rest over the wound and turned it on, moving it slowly over the affected area, very much aware that Jack was watching her closely.
Gradually, the burn mark faded, and a new layer of skin grew over the sore area, closing the wound until every trace was gone, leaving the new, pink skin glowing. When Angel had finished, she looked up at Jack and smiled. She was surprised to see that the smile had faded from his lips, the twinkle had disappeared from his eyes, and he was now frowning at her.
"What's the matter?"
Jack used his chin to gesture at the instrument she held. "Is that one of the things you brought from Eriadne?" Angel nodded. "I thought as much. Something we didn't have in my universe, something that might have made a difference." His voice trailed off, and Angel watched as his expression darkened, reflecting his withdrawal into brooding silence.
Angel didn't know what to say. Nothing she could say would change the awful things that had happened to him. She told herself not to expect thanks; that Jack had greater concerns and deeper worries than any slight hurt to her feelings he might have caused, by failing to acknowledge the treatment she had given him. Angel turned to put away the regenerator. Keeping her back to Jack, she said quietly, "I ought to get to Medbay. There are other patients there who need my help."
His hand on her shoulder pulled Angel around to face Jack. His expression was still troubled but he tried to smile, as he lifted his hand to stroke her cheek. "You still have a patient here. An ungrateful one, who doesn't say 'thank you', but a patient, nevertheless. Stay with me a while? I don't want to go back to Medbay and I don't have anywhere else to go."
Angel swallowed hard and nodded. "Of course. You can stay here as long as you want. Here..." she reached for his shirt and gave it to him. She knew she had to get him covered, for as long as he stood there in front of her, half naked, her desire for him threatened to overwhelm her sympathy. [Oh god, I want him!]
Jack took the shirt from her, but just stood staring down at it, his face falling back into an expression of bitterness and gloom.
"Jack? Is something wrong?" Angel was concerned.
He looked up at her and held out the shirt. "When I woke up yesterday morning, I had nothing in this universe, not a shirt or pants, not even a pair of shoes. Then your sister was kind enough to give me clothes. So by evening, I at least had a shirt to put on my back. Now I don't even have that." Jack flung the damaged shirt into the corner of the room and turned away from Angel, starting to move toward the bedroom door. "There's nothing for me here. I should take up the Captain's offer. I'll go back where I belong."
Angel grabbed Jack's arm, pulling him back to face her, using her telekinesis to give her the strength she needed to stop him. "No! You can't go back there! If you go back you'll..." She couldn't bring herself to say the word.
"Die? That's what I'd planned on doing anyway. It's going to happen sooner or later, why not sooner? I can't stay here, there's nothing for me here." The look of despair on Jack's face made Angel want to weep. The thought of this man leaving now was intolerable. She wanted him in a way that she hadn't wanted any man since Lucas. Jack was everything she wanted and needed. He was gentler and kinder than Lucas, but he had a darkness to him, a darkness that appealed to Angel. His bitterness and anger at what had happened in his universe excited her, made her want to help and heal him. The prospect of losing Jack so soon after she'd found him was unbearable.
Angel clung to his arm, whispering, "That's not true. You can make something for yourself here. You can make a new life. We'll help you." She pulled him toward her bed, pushing him down until he was sitting on the edge, then she sat next to him, gripping his hand firmly. Looking down at where their hands were clasped, Angel couldn't help but think of how different this was to being with Lucas. Jack needed her comfort and support, while she had never felt that Lucas needed her. Wanted her, yes, lusted for her, yes, but needed her? Lucas had never really needed anyone.
Looking into Jack's sad eyes, Angel could see that this man might not only want her, but he might need her in the way that she was so desperate to be needed. She looked down at their clasped hands again and started to speak, slowly and softly.
"I know how you feel. I know what it's like to lose everything, to even lose hope. To be alone, with nothing and no one." Angel went on to tell him what had happened to her years before. About her time with Lucas, and how she had escaped with Nikarran. About how she had ended up on Mars, alone, with no home or credits, and how she'd had to steal to survive.
Jack listened to her in silence, staring at the floor. When she finally finished her story, Angel squeezed his hand, getting him to look up at her. His eyes were still full of pain and sorrow, but this time Angel could see that he was feeling those emotions for her. Jack lifted his free hand and ran his thumb along her cheekbone, whispering, "I'm sorry."
Angel smiled sadly, "Don't be. In many ways I brought it on myself, but the point is that I survived long enough for my friends and family to find me and help me. You just have to do the same."
Jack smiled sadly at her and then stood. He tried to let go of Angel's hand but she clung on to him, refusing to let him go. Jack lifted her hand to his mouth and kissed it gently, then said, "I'm glad they found you and helped you, but I don't have any friends or family, not in this universe or my own. No one is going to help me, Angelique."
"Don't say that!" Angel gripped his hand fiercely and pounded his chest with her other fist. She was trying not to let the way he'd said her name overwhelm her as she pushed on. "You're just like Matt. In many ways, you are Matt. There are people here who love him and care for him, and they'll love and care for you too, if you'll only let them." Tears started trickling down Angel's face, as she tried to persuade Jack to stay.
Suddenly, Angel found herself grabbed and pulled hard against Jack's bare chest. Her heart was beating so hard and fast, she knew Jack must be able to feel it, as she looked up into a pair of angry hazel eyes.
"Them? Who is that, Angelique? Who are these people who will love and care for me? I don't give a damn about them. But what about you? Will you love me? Will you care for me?"
Angel knew what he wanted. If she promised him that she'd care for him, that she'd love him, then he'd stay. He wouldn't go back to that awful place where only death awaited him. Angel could only say one word. "Yes."
Before she could say anything more, Angel's mouth was taken with a brutal ferocity she hadn't experienced since Lucas. Hands roamed her body, ripping her clothes, stripping her bare in a way no man had done since Lucas. In seconds, Angel found herself naked. Jack lifted her into his arms, and lowered her to the bed, before straightening to look at her, letting his eyes roam every centimeter of her body. Angel felt herself melting as he stared at her, getting hotter and wetter with every moment that passed, unable to take her eyes away from the prominent bulge in Jack's pants.
Eventually, Jack broke the silence as he whispered, "I haven't done this for a very long time. I hope I remember how." The sad smile he gave Angel nearly broke her heart. She sat up on the bed and ran her hands over his chest, up to his shoulders, pulling him down onto the bed with her.
When Jack lay alongside her, Angel put her hands either side of his face and looked deep into his amber eyes, whispering, "It's like riding a bike, you never forget." She smiled mischievously to cover her emotions, saying, "Let's go for a ride"
Demon was roused from her doze by a presence above her. She opened her eyes to see her husband standing next to the sofa, smiling down at her.
"Hello, sleepy," Matthew smiled as he asked, "Why aren't you in bed?"
Demon sat up, rubbing her eyes and yawning, seeing from the clock on the wall that it was after 05:00 ship's time. She smiled up at her husband, saying, "You know I can't sleep properly when you're not beside me."
Matthew laughed. "Then that was a damn good imitation you were just doing. You were snoring." Beneath his laughter, Demon could feel how weary and sad her husband felt.
Demon shook her head. "I never snore."
Matthew laughed again, and held out his hand to help her stand. "Then I'd better call Security. I think we must have another of those breaching pods trying to drill its way in."
Demon punched his arm lightly, but leaned into Matthew's chest as he pulled her tight against him, burying his face in her hair. She could feel his sadness, his exhaustion and his guilt about the death of members of his crew, and she knew that all she could do to help her husband was to hold him and to love him. They stood in silence for a moment, before Matthew whispered, "Are you OK? Is Marcus OK?"
Demon pushed him back gently, until she could see his face. "We're both fine. Marcus was upset during the battle but he soon calmed down afterwards. Jack helped."
In answer to the quizzical look Matthew gave her, Demon told him how Jack had comforted Marcus after the battle. "I told you he was a good guy." Demon ran her fingers through her husband's hair, glad that it didn't have the strands of gray that showed so clearly in Jack's hair.
Matthew looked at her seriously, and Demon could feel his pain, regret and guilt as he said quietly, "Jack did what I wanted to do and couldn't. He came to take care of you. I suppose I should be grateful, but it just makes me feel bad that I couldn't be here, couldn't protect you..."
Demon placed her fingers on his mouth to stop him. "You had a job to do, I know that. You were protecting everyone on this ship, including Marcus and me. And I didn't really need protecting anyway. I didn't let Angel or Jack know, but I had your PPG and I was just hiding Marcus in the kitchen when Jack arrived. Those invaders would have had to get past me, before they got to Marcus."
Matthew pulled her into his arms, holding her close, and Demon could feel his relief that she and Marcus were all right. After a few moments, Matthew pushed her away and asked, "So where is Jack? G'Tan reported that he left him here in your custody. You know, at some point Jack and I are going to have a discussion about his promise to stay in Medbay."
Demon smiled and started to lead Matthew to the bedroom. "He's enough like you to want to help, if he thinks someone is in trouble, and he thought I was. And he's with Angel now."
Matthew halted suddenly, and pulled Demon to a stop in the doorway to their bedroom. "With Angel? Is that wise?" Demon could see that he was struggling with a wide range of emotions, and did her best not to examine those feelings too closely. She knew how her husband and sister felt about each other, but had always been careful to keep that knowledge to herself. She decided that it was time to let her husband know some of what she knew.
Leading Matthew into the bedroom, Demon pushed him down until he sat on the edge of the bed, then she knelt in front of him. She began to undress him as he sat, starting with his shoes. Keeping her eyes on what she was doing, and trying hard not to pry into Matthew's feelings, Demon spoke softly.
"Matthew, Angel loves you and has done for a long time. She's always been very attracted to you physically, too. And I know how you feel about her, but I also know how much you love me."
Demon took Matthew's shoes and socks off, then glanced up quickly, seeing the love and pain in her husband's face, as he whispered, "I would never..."
She interrupted him quickly, saying, "I know. I know exactly how you feel, and that means Angel ends up alone. I hate that, Matthew. I hate my sister not being able to have the man she loves, but I love you too much to let you go." Tears filled Demon's eyes as she gazed up at Matthew, and he reached out to wipe her cheek. She leaned her head into his hand, closing her eyes as she continued. "So, this is the perfect solution. Jack is enough like you for Angel to love him, and I think he may just fall for Angel. He was certainly bowled over by her when they met." Demon allowed herself an impish smile, as she remembered sensing Jack's feelings, when he first saw Angel. Bowled over hardly covered it.
Demon looked up into Matthew's face and saw his sad smile. She whispered, "Can you let her go, Matthew? Can you be happy for Angel, if she finds someone to love?"
Matthew stood abruptly, pulling Demon to her feet, then quickly removing the rest of his clothes. Demon undressed hurriedly, and within seconds, they were naked in bed together. He pulled her into his arms, and she rested her head on his shoulder, again closing her mind to the turmoil of emotions that her husband was experiencing. After some time, he eventually let out a deep sigh and said, "I have to, don't I? I just hope that Jack can love her as much as I love you."
Demon lifted her mouth to be kissed, then snuggled down to sleep in the only place in the universe where she felt truly safe.
4th May 2273 – early afternoon
Angel pulled herself off the bed without disturbing Jack, who lay beside her, snoring softly. It wasn't easy to do, as her body was heavy and awkward after the intense, exhausting lovemaking session she and Jack had shared. Angel stood, slipped into an oversized red T-shirt, then watched Jack sleeping, while she thought about the night before.
Both she and Jack had recently experienced a great deal of pain and suffering, Jack more so than Angel. All those experiences had been blended into a night of overwhelming passion that had shifted from rough to tender, holding onto each other, letting each other know, at a purely physical level, that they weren't alone.
Angel sighed softly, and watched her new lover. In sleep, the harsh lines of pain and bitterness still etched the handsome planes of his face. Knowing what terrible things had caused those lines tore at Angel's heart. She wished there were some way she could snap her fingers and make it better, but she knew from experience that only time could heal that kind of emotional and psychological damage. [And someone's love], added Angel's inner voice.
Jack stirred in his sleep, bringing Angel back to the present. His brow had creased into a frown and he mumbled something incoherently. Angel moved to his side of the bed and lifted her hand, with the intention of running it soothingly over his forehead, but she stopped herself, knowing that if she touched him, she would wake him. After all Jack had been through, including last night's activities, he should be allowed to sleep for a little longer.
Besides that, Angel knew that once he was awake, neither of them would be able to keep their hands off each other, and she needed to take a shower and run a regenerator over herself first. Angel dropped her hand to her side and closed her eyes, whispering the spell she had learned many years before, a spell that soothed troubled sleep. Almost the instant she completed it, Jack settled into a more restful sleep. Smiling, Angel turned and silently left the bedroom, closing the door behind her.
First, she would take a vibe shower and then she needed to contact Demon. It had been nearly twelve hours since she had brought Jack back to her quarters, and although she knew Demon wouldn't be worried, Angel was aware that Gideon would be concerned. She knew Gideon didn't trust Jack, and she wanted to stop the Captain barging in with a dozen Narn Marines, to save her from the big bad alternative him.
Angel wanted to let Demon know that everything was fine, to reassure Matthew. Once she had done that, she would go and wake Jack up. As Angel headed for the bathroom, she smiled mischievously, thinking about just how she would do that.
Jack awoke with a start, staring at the ceiling, his mind clouded with the memories of a nightmare. It had changed from a pleasant dream about Angelique to a nightmare world, where everything he ever knew and cared for was ripped away from him. Holding onto thoughts of Angelique, Jack reached out for the one thing that he knew hadn't been taken from him. When his hand felt empty space, he sat upright, feeling an irrational anger that she had left his side.
Pushing off the covers, Jack leaped out of bed, not bothering to pull his pants on, intent only on finding the woman who had deserted him. The sound of muffled voices coming through the closed door to the living room stopped him. Jack moved soundlessly to the door and listened. He could just make out Angelique and Demon's voices, but they were too quiet for him to make out words. Jack's gut twisted with the suspicion that they were talking about him.
Instantly, his mood darkened, as he began to doubt Angelique's reasons for bringing him to her bed. Was she reporting to Demon, telling her sister that she had succeeded in using sex to control him? That they had succeeded in getting him to trust them, to believe they were his friends and not his enemies.
The rational part of Jack tried to tell himself that he wasn't being manipulated and misled. But the dark and bitter side overruled the rational man. He had just found something...someone he felt he could trust, who he could hold onto, and who could chase away the darkness, maybe even make him happy. The thought that Angelique might not be everything he had thought her to be, made the rage at the injustice of it all grow almost uncontrollably. Jack clamped down on his anger, for the moment. He would let Angelique finish talking with her sister, then when she came back into the bedroom, he would confront her and demand the truth.
[Even if I have throttle it out of her.]
As Angel walked into her bedroom, she was grabbed painfully by her shoulders and spun around, to face a furious looking Jack. He tossed her onto the bed, straddling her hips, as he grasped her wrists with bruising force and pinned them above her head. Ignoring Angel's cries of pain, Jack glared down at her.
"Jack, please, you're hurting me!" Angel's eyes widened in surprise, as Jack ignored her.
Laughing coldly, he hissed at her. "You're lucky I want some answers or I'd do more than just hurt you!"
Despite her fear, Angel managed to focus her power, and with one concerted effort, she loosened Jack's hold and threw him off. As he landed against the wall with a thud, Angel sprang off the bed.
Jack recovered quickly and jumped up, grabbing Angel before she reached the bedroom door. She struggled violently against him, begging him to let her go and to explain why he was so angry. Jack only tightened his hold and snarled at her, as once again he threw her onto the bed, holding her down. "I want to know what you and your friends want from me."
Angel tried to move Jack off her, but now fear and confusion had taken over completely, rendering her telekinesis inactive, as always happened when her emotions were out of control. She considered linking to her sisters to call for help, but she didn't want to risk their safety if Jack was really dangerous. Angel decided to try and deal with this herself.
She felt Jack move his hold on her wrists to one hand, while he reached out with the other, to grab the two Minbari silk scarves Angel kept draped over the headboard for decoration. She knew immediately what Jack intended to do, and she cursed herself for leaving potential restraints so accessible. [Don't you ever learn, stupid girl?]
Angel again attempted to get free, but Jack was too strong for her. He tied the scarves around her already bruised wrists, and then tied them above her head to the headboard. "You aren't going anywhere, until I've got some answers out of you. Understand?"
Angel knew she didn't have a choice, so she nodded. Then, as Jack settled astride her, she noticed for the first time that he was aroused. [He's turned on by this!] Her mind was dragged to thoughts of Lucas, and the times she had been tied up by him during sex, both of them highly aroused by the roughness. Because of those memories, and the sight of Jack's arousal, [So like Lucas,] Angel could feel her own excitement growing. [Stop it!] Thought Angel, disgusted with herself. She cleared her throat and asked Jack as calmly as possible, "What do you want to know?"
She felt as if she'd been plunged into a nightmare, as Jack bombarded her with question after question, demanding that she tell him the truth about this universe and what they really wanted from him. Angel tried to convince him that they were not his enemies, that it wasn't an elaborate scheme to get to him, but Jack didn't believe her. He grabbed her by the shoulders and shook her, until her head ached and her arms felt if they were about to tear from the rest of her body.
When he asked her why she had been talking to Demon, and she told him, he yelled at her not to lie to him, asking Angel what kind of whore she was that she would use her body to deceive him. Those words hurt Angel deeply, and she begged him not to say that. Finally, exhausted and now angry herself, Angel snapped and screamed at him, "To hell with you, you bastard, if you don't believe me!"
For an instant, Angel regretted her outburst, as it seemed that Jack was going to strike her. Instead, he went dead still. She let out the breath she had been holding, and made one last attempt to appeal to him.
Her voice was weak and shaky as she spoke. "Please, Jack. You have to know in your heart that I'm telling you the truth?" Jack remained silent and Angel continued, "Last night wasn't a lie or a means to mislead you. It was just what it seemed. It was me showing you love, and letting you know you had found someone to love you, to give you the hope and happiness you have been missing for so long. You have to know that, Jack?"
Jack shook his head. "I don't know anything, except that in this universe Matthew Gideon has the life I wanted. He found the cure, became the savior of humanity and found love. He has a wife and son, friends and family, and I have nothing. I don't even have my own name! I have to be 'Jack' and pretend I don't mind giving up 'Matthew'. Why does he have all that, when all I got was pain and damnation? Why is he the hero, when my name was a curse on every remaining human's lips?" He glared down at Angel, letting her see the full burden of pain and anguish that he suffered. "The only mistake I made was to trust a friend. Does that mistake deserve so much punishment?"
Angel watched nervously as Jack remained still and unmoving, then suddenly his head came down to claim her mouth in the most intense, bruising kiss she had ever received in her life.
Jack's mouth remained fastened to Angel's, as his tongue dueled with hers. It was as if with that one kiss he was trying to possess her. When he broke the kiss she could see the anger still reflected in the depths of his eyes, but there was also something else...pain. It stole Angel's heart and made her want to reach out to him. Swallowing a lump in her throat, she spoke his name softly. "Jack."
"No!" Jack's outburst caused her to jump. Then, before Angel could question his reaction, he kissed her again, his lips crushing hers in a brief but thorough kiss. As he pulled back, he cupped her face between his hands and said roughly, "Don't be kind to me, because right now, I can't return that feeling. There's still too much anger inside me for that." Angel didn't know how to respond to that. Jack's eyes raked down her body before returning to her face. "I have to work this off."
The tone of his voice made Angel tremble. His meaning was clear. "If it helps you, then do it," she said, softly.
Jack paused, as he moved to lie beside her. "I don't think I can be gentle. Can you understand that?" She understood. He needed to work out his feelings in a physical way. Again, Angel was assaulted by thoughts of the similarities between Jack and Lucas. [Jack is not Lucas!] she told herself, vehemently. She nodded.
Jack's eyes darkened and he reached out, grabbing her T-shirt at the front and ripping it apart roughly, exposing her naked body. Angel felt his hand move down, between her legs, and without hesitation he found her entrance, then slid two fingers inside her. Although Angel's arousal had lubricated her, his forceful penetration stretched the walls of her vagina painfully. Her gasp of pain was cut off, as Jack's mouth descended on hers again.
For nearly an hour, Jack took Angel's body and inflicted both pain and pleasure, as he worked his way through his feelings, culminating in him driving his cock deep inside her and riding her hard until he climaxed, filling her with his hot seed. Jack's needs had been satisfied, but it left Angel still yearning for release.
Jack knelt between Angel's legs, now intent on her pleasure, as he moved a finger in and out of her wet center, while his tongue and mouth worked on her sensitive, swollen clit. Angel moaned, as he flicked his tongue around her clit before sucking it gently. Any pain that she had been feeling, especially from her still bound hands and arms, disappeared as pleasure took over her body. She gasped softly, as Jack inserted another finger and pushed deeper into her, driving her closer to release. Just as Angel was about to reach that peak of pleasure, Jack withdrew his fingers and mouth.
A small sob of disappointment and frustration broke from Angel's throat, but then, as Jack straightened up to kneel in front of her, she noticed his cock. Despite his recent release, his cock was once again hard and engorged. Angel looked up hungrily and as their eyes met, she could no longer see anger in the hazel depths, but something gentler. As Jack moved forward to lie on top of her, positioning his hard shaft at the entrance of her vagina, Angel couldn't take her eyes off his face. His mouth lowered to hers and he began to kiss her tenderly, entering her in one slow, gentle stroke.
Angel could feel her head spinning, as he brought her closer to climax. Their mouths remained locked, as they moved in unison. Angel raised her hips to meet Jack's thrusts, taking him deeper. She moaned loudly, as Jack's thrusts got harder and faster. He released her mouth and buried his face against her neck, his mouth sucking on the soft flesh at the base of her throat. Finally, with one hard thrust deep inside her, Angel came, screaming as an overpowering series of orgasms tore loose from her center and crashed over her entire body. As her body spasmed with intense pleasure, she could feel her walls tighten around Jack's cock, bringing him to climax, as one last orgasm hit her, milking him of his essence until he was drained completely.
Jack collapsed against her, their bodies flushed and wet, shaking with release, inhaling deeply to catch their breath. For a long time, they remained motionless, getting their bodies back under control. Finally, he managed to pull himself off Angel and settled beside her.
Jack looked down at Angelique as he lay beside her, then without speaking, he reached to release her arms, which were still tied above her head. As he carefully untied the knots that bound her, he could see where the scarves had cut into Angelique's wrists, leaving them red and raw. The sense of shame he felt when he saw the injuries almost overwhelmed him. This was his fault, he'd done this. He'd hurt her, this woman who had been kind and gentle, loving and giving. Jack despised himself for his anger and his actions. He could hardly bring himself to look into Angelique's eyes as she lowered her arms, gasping gently with pain, her stiff muscles protesting the movement.
Angelique lifted her hands above her as she lay, examining the damage to her wrists. Jack reached out very slowly and took her right hand, gently pulling it toward him, then kissing her wrist where it was rubbed raw. He heard her gasp, as his lips touched the tender area, and his shame grew.
Swallowing hard, Jack forced himself to face the woman he'd just hurt. [Tell it how it is, you bastard. You just raped her. You tied her up and raped her, just to release your own anger. You're despicable.] Whatever words he used would be totally inadequate to express his shame and sorrow at what he'd done, but he had to try.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I can't tell you how ashamed I am and I don't expect you to forgive me, but I'm sorry. If you'll show me how to use that instrument you used on me earlier, I'll try to make it better. Then I'll leave. I'm probably the last person you want around right now. I'll call your sister and leave. I'll go back to my own universe. I don't belong here. This place is too good for someone like me. You're too good for what I am now. So I'll go back and..."
The words had flooded out of him but the torrent was dammed by Angelique's fingers, laid gently against his lips.
"Stop. This isn't necessary. You think you've hurt me and you're sorry, but you'd hurt me a lot more if you left me now. Stay. Please." The words were whispered softly, and to Jack's amazement, all he could see in her face was love and kindness that he knew he didn't deserve
Jack didn't know what to say. He just looked at Angelique as she lay beside him, letting him hold onto her right hand, while her left hand still rested against his mouth. He moved his lips to kiss her fingers gently, whispering, "I'm sorry," again, then smiling sadly. "If you want me to stay, I can't say no to you. But can you forgive me?"
Angelique smiled as she whispered, "Of course." Then her smile turned mischievous, and her brilliant blue eyes sparkled with naughtiness, as she said, "On one condition."
Jack tilted his head to one side in query, as he kissed her hand again. "What condition? Whatever you want, it's yours if I can give it."
Angelique laughed softly. "Oh, this one is easy. You just have to promise me..." She paused and lifted her head so her lips just touched Jack's ear as she whispered, "Will you tie me up again, sometime? Please?"
Jack started to laugh as he pulled her into his arms. He couldn't even begin to understand his luck in meeting someone so right for him in this universe.
5th May 2273 – late at night
"Captain's Personal journal – May 5th, 23:00 hours. We've been sitting looking at the anomaly for more than two days now. Every few hours, it flicks open and then shuts again. Sometimes nothing happens, but more often than not, something comes through. We've destroyed three shuttles, four fighters and two probes during the last thirty-six hours. So far, nothing has got back through the rift, to tell whoever is on the other side about us."
The Captain ran through the events of the last two days in his mind. The ship had been on a constant state of alert, every crew member tense and ready for battle. Short and frantic bursts of action had interspersed long periods of inactivity. Gideon had been on duty for most of this time, coming back to his quarters only briefly, to sleep when he had to, and to dictate the letters he had to send to the families of his dead crew members. It had been a tough couple of days.
"I spent a few hours today debriefing 'Jack' and getting as much data as I can on these life forms. If he's to be believed, they have absolutely no redeeming features. They're close allies of the Drakh, and they're vicious, deadly and unremitting in their desire to kill every human they come across. Not the sort of neighbors we want in our universe. I guess we have their equivalent around somewhere, but fortunately, we haven't come across them yet and forewarned is forearmed. I've put everything I've got from Jack into a report to Sheridan, for circulation to the White Star fleet, who can then keep an eye out for these characters."
"In the meantime, my orders are to stay put, and play cat at the mouse-hole. Sheridan says he thinks he can get help for us, but he won't say from where."
Gideon paused in his recording, smiling to himself as he recalled how irritated he'd been at Sheridan's reticence. Maybe Deborah was right when she said her husband was nosy. The Captain resumed his record.
"Every time one of those damned things comes through the rift, I wonder what they might throw at us this time. Jack tells me they have ships big enough to take on the Excalibur, and on a couple of occasions only his ship's superior speed kept them in one piece. He had to run to keep his ship and crew alive."
Gideon leaned back, remembering his discussions with his counterpart from the other universe. He hoped that he never had to make the choices the other Gideon had been forced to make. Everything Jack told him about that other place made Gideon shudder. He would do anything he had to in his efforts to prevent his own universe becoming like that. Much as he disliked having his counterpart in this universe, Gideon hoped that Jack would decide to stay. They hadn't discussed whether Jack would stay or go, and they certainly hadn't discussed Jack's relationship with Angel, but Gideon was sure that no one deserved to live or die in that other place. Thinking of Angel led his thoughts inevitably to Deborah. Gideon continued.
"And every time one of those ships comes through and attacks us, I know how much fear my son is feeling. Deborah keeps her own fears to herself, and she's handled everything that's happened in the last couple of days, but I can't help worrying about her and Marcus. I keep asking myself if it's fair to keep them on board, when we risk being attacked at any time, but I know that Deborah would refuse to leave. I know that Marcus would be miserable if I sent them away. So maybe the time has come to consider my options. In two months, I'll complete twenty-five years service in Earthforce and I can retire on a full pension. Maybe it's time..."
The Captain stopped speaking, unwilling to verbalize his next thoughts. He wasn't yet ready to put his vague feelings into words. Gideon instructed the computer to erase everything after '...ship and crew alive.' Then he resumed his journal entry.
"I still have some more questions I want to ask Jack, but I'll cover those tomorrow. If I can drag him out of Angel's bed."
Falling back into silence, Gideon brooded for a while. He'd tried to tell himself that he wasn't jealous, and he'd then had to admit that he was. Although he was ashamed of those feelings, he couldn't deny them. The thought of another man, especially one identical to himself, making love to Angel, was difficult for him to accept. Gideon had thought he'd gotten over that, when she'd been with Luke, then Ursa, and finally Fillion, but it seemed that his brief affair with Angel the previous year had brought back all those possessive feelings. He told himself to get over it and move on.
Easier said than done.
The Captain leaned back in his chair, closed his eyes and sighed. "Personal journal, end recording." It was late and he was tired. Time for bed. And maybe he wasn't too tired for... Gideon smiled and stood, looking forward to what he knew was waiting for him.
Gideon paused as he pulled off his sweater, and looked over to the bed, where his wife was sitting up, reading, with her back to the wall. The Captain smiled to himself. He knew Deborah had read that book several times before, but for her, reading was an addiction. She'd read anything and everything she could get her hands on, and once she'd got her nose in a book, only two things could distract her. The first was her son, and the second was her husband--not necessarily in that order. Gideon intended providing her with a great deal of distraction in the very near future. Deborah had the quilt pulled up under her arms, covering her breasts, but that was something else Gideon planned on changing soon.
He finished undressing and slid into bed, leaning across and taking the book from Deborah's hands. She protested as he placed it on the bedside table, saying, "Hey! I was just getting to the good bit!"
Gideon grinned and pulled her into his arms. "I have a good bit waiting for you over here. And it requires your undivided attention."
Just as he'd anticipated, Deborah chuckled and snuggled closer. "Well, if you mean what I think you do, it's certainly good, but it's a bit too big to be called a 'bit'. More like a gigabyte," she paused and gave Gideon a wicked smile, "and I might just have to give it a bit of a bite soon!"
Gideon laughed and rolled Deborah onto her back, pinning her to the bed by her shoulders, and pulling the quilt down to her waist, as he whispered, "No biting! Or I'll put a bit between your teeth." He lowered his head and started to kiss her, before she could come back with any smart mouthed response. He only wanted her to do one thing with her smart mouth just then.
"Hello, Captain. I do hope I'm not inconveniencing you, but I think we should talk."
The sonorous tone of the words jerked Gideon back from his preoccupation with his wife's body. Glancing over his shoulder, he was stunned and infuriated to see an elderly looking Minbari standing in the corner of the room.
"Who the fuck are you and what are you doing in my bedroom?!" Gideon grabbed the quilt, and pulled it up to cover Deborah's breasts. "Don't tell me. You're another fucking Technomage. You all seem to think that you can waltz into my bedroom at any time you like and..."
The Minbari interrupted the Captain's tirade with a booming and apparently outraged denial. "I am NOT a Technomage, and I am not in the habit of waltzing anywhere. Minbari do not waltz. Only humans indulge themselves in such undignified pursuits, and my current position would make waltzing quite impossible, even if I wished to pander to such base instincts, which I do not."
Gideon had opened his mouth to interrupt several times during this speech, but the volume and resonance of the voice delivering it, made all such attempts futile. [This bastard is worse than Alwyn!] When the Minbari finally stopped speaking, Gideon hissed, "I don't give a flying fuck whether you waltz, polka or jive your way out of here, although my personal preference would be for a quick step. Just get the hell out of my bedroom! NOW!"
The Minbari drew himself up, looking as offended and affronted as only a Minbari could. "If you feel so strongly about it, I will move next door and speak to you there. Do NOT keep me waiting!" He then disappeared, instantly and completely.
Gideon's jaw hung open, and he turned to stare at Deborah, who was trying to disguise her laughter as a coughing fit. "It's not funny! I'm going to get a complex, and I'll start looking over my shoulder every time I want to make love to you. You'll be the first to complain if these damned interruptions make me impotent!"
Deborah pulled his head down and kissed him quickly, whispering, "It'll never happen." Then she pushed Gideon away, saying, "You'd better go see your visitor. If he can pop in and out like that, he certainly merits some investigation. Can I come, too?"
Gideon grinned back at her. "I'd planned on making damned sure that you came. Get some clothes on and let's see what our visitor wants."
Demon followed her husband into the living area of their quarters, pulling the belt of her robe tightly around her waist. Matthew strode ahead of her--well, as much as someone in bare feet and a bathrobe could be said to stride--talking before he was fully out of the bedroom.
"So, do I get an answer to my questions? Who the hell are you? And just what were you doing in my bedroom?"
The Minbari was bent over, examining the books along the far wall. He straightened and turned, looking as supercilious as ever, as he said, "If you will phrase your question more politely, I will consider responding in kind. I was advised that President Sheridan and Delenn both hold you in high regard, but I must say that based on your recent behavior, I find that quite surprising. I don't like surprises."
Demon found it hard to suppress a smile. Very few people could stand up to her husband when he was in a rage, but this Minbari seemed completely unperturbed by Matthew's ranting. The almost Shakespearean delivery of his words added weight to the impressive manner of the visitor. Demon lowered herself to the couch and prepared herself for an interesting time. She had absolutely no doubt in Matthew's ability to subdue even a Minbari as haughty as this one.
"If you know Sheridan and Delenn so well, maybe I should call them and ask them who the hell you are. I doubt if they'd mind. After all, it's daytime in Tuzanor right now. At least, we won't be getting them out of bed!" Matthew's smile resembled that of a shark. Demon started to feel sorry for the Minbari and hoped that he was good at that vanishing act. He just might need it.
The Minbari drew himself up to his full height and boomed, "I am Draal!"
There was a long silence, which Matthew eventually broke. "And? Is that supposed to impress me? I still haven't heard a good reason for why you thought it appropriate to materialize in my bedroom. And you might like to tell me just how you do that."
Draal shook his head. "I did not 'materialize' as you put it. I have projected a holographic image of myself from where I reside on Epsilon III. And I do so at the request of President Sheridan, although I am beginning to believe that he was mistaken in his desire for me to offer my help. Perhaps I should return and ask him if he is sure you require assistance. Or should I just leave you here, and let the next wave of invaders from beyond the rift destroy you, your ship and your family, in whatever horribly painful way would be appropriate for such impertinence?"
The Minbari had placed his hands on his hips and leaned forward, mirroring Matthew's aggressive stance. Demon was irresistibly reminded of two stags going head to head, locking horns, neither willing to back down. She sent a wave of calm and serenity flowing through the room, and stood to move between the combatants.
"Gentlemen, please. If President Sheridan and Entil'zha Delenn thought you could help each other, then I'm sure you can." She turned to face Draal, leaning back against her husband's chest, drawing his arms around her waist, and she smiled. "Please, Draal, will you tell us how you can help us?" Demon could feel Matthew's hot breath against her neck, but could also feel that he was calming a little under the onslaught of her projections.
The Minbari bowed slightly. "You must be this..." He paused, obviously searching for a suitably insulting epithet, before finally deciding on, "human's wife. Delenn told me about you. You are an empath, are you not?"
Demon nodded and elbowed her husband into silence, when she felt him start to respond to the Minbari's rude tone.
"Very well. I am Draal, and I inhabit the Great Machine on Epsilon III, living with it and in it. I can use its powers to open and close holes in space and time. I can close this rift and keep it closed. You may go about your affairs and leave this to me. For you, it is a tedious and onerous chore, for me, it will be fun!"
The arrogance with which the message was delivered left both Gideon and Deborah speechless for a moment. Gently moving his wife to one side, Gideon glared at the intruder. "Epsilon III is the planet that Babylon 5 orbits. How come I've never heard of you before, if you're so goddamned omnipotent?"
He ignored Deborah's tugging on his sleeve and tried to disregard the waves of calm she was sending. Gideon had had enough of smart-mouthed, superior, senior citizens thinking they had free access to his bedroom.
The Minbari drew himself up again and looked down his nose at the Captain. "You are not privy to every secret of the President and Entil'zha, you know. Some things are best known to as few people as possible. The power of the Great Machine is one of those things. You would not know now, if you had not been required to."
That was the first thing Draal had said that Gideon could accept. He was quite familiar with the concept of 'need to know'. He applied it often enough himself, when it suited him. But before he was prepared to accept this Minbari's word, the Captain had a few more questions to ask and have answered.
"If you can open and close these holes, where the hell have you been these last few days, when we've had invaders dropping in whenever they feel like it? Why didn't you close this hole before?"
Draal did his best to cover, but even Gideon could tell he was slightly embarrassed. "I have been otherwise occupied. I did not appreciate your inability to handle this invasion, until President Sheridan drew your inadequacies to my attention." The embarrassment had faded as the Minbari spoke, to be replaced by his previous arrogance.
"Well, excuse me for being so inadequate, but it seems to me that we've done a pretty good job in keeping these bastards at bay, while you were 'distracted'. And I think I'll check with the President, before I just pull out and leave this area unprotected."
The Minbari gave Gideon a supercilious sneer and snapped, "If you must. I have other things to do, anyway. Dusting for one," then blinked out.
"Dusting? Goddamn it, that 'projecting' is really annoying!" Gideon glared at the empty space previously occupied by Draal. Then he turned to his wife and pulled her into his arms. "You know, somewhere, I think there's a large blinking neon sign that says, 'If you want to piss off Matthew Gideon, pop into his bedroom while he's making love to his wife.' I'd better call Sheridan and check this out. Go on to bed, and turn the lights out. At least that way, if he comes back, he won't be able to see what we're up to."
Deborah grinned, kissed him quickly and said, "Don't keep me waiting too long, or I may go looking for action elsewhere."
Gideon slapped Deborah's butt as she left the living area, shaking his head as he walked through to his desk. A man couldn't even climb into bed with his wife in peace and privacy these days.
Gideon sat back in his chair, waiting for his call to the President's office to go through. Even though he'd used his direct access, top priority channel, the Captain still expected to get stalled, delayed and entangled in the inevitable bureaucracy that attached itself to the office of any high ranking official.
He wondered for a moment whether he should take the time allowed by the delay to put some clothes on. Maybe the President wouldn't find the sight of a Starship Captain in his bathrobe particularly edifying. Then again, if Gideon bothered to get dressed, he could be sure that either a) the call would go through just as he had one leg in his pants and one leg out, or b) they would wait until he was fully dressed, then tell him that the President would call him back, at a time that was utterly inconvenient.
[Stuff it. Sheridan's a soldier. He's seen worse things than me in my bathrobe. It's a nice bathrobe, anyway. Nice and simple.] Gideon looked down at his robe and smiled. Being a gift from his wife, it was--inevitably--black.
The screen cleared, and to Gideon's surprise, the face he saw there was President Sheridan's. The Captain moved to stand and salute, but the President waved him back down, with a smile. "Nice robe, Captain. I assume you didn't call to show it to me?"
Gideon grinned and explained the reason for his call. Sheridan started to laugh, saying, "Can I assume from your attire that Draal got you out of bed? I hope he didn't interrupt anything important. If it's any consolation, he did the same to me the first time we met. Well, he bounced in when I'd just gotten out of the shower. I was a single man in those days so..."
Gideon interrupted before Sheridan could complete his sentence. "Let's just say it's a good thing Draal dropped in when he did. Another few minutes, and it could have been much more embarrassing." The Captain couldn't quite suppress the smile that played on his lips.
When Sheridan stopped laughing he said, "Draal contacted you at my request, Captain. He'll take over watching the mouse hole, and prevent any intruders getting through. You can leave that job to him now."
Gideon looked skeptical. "Excuse me for asking, but is that quite safe? I mean, he got distracted enough to let this happen in the first place, how do we know he won't get distracted again? From what Jack tells us, there are some mean bastards on his side of that rift. We really don't need them over here."
Sheridan nodded. "I agree, but don't worry about Draal. Even if he gets distracted, he'll put one of the Zathrases onto the job, and they'll take care of it. Zathras is reliable. I'll tell you about Zathras another time, but for now, you can leave the rift, and proceed to B5 for re-supply." The President looked troubled, then went on, "And your mention of 'Jack' reminds me. I have new orders for you. After you leave Babylon 5, I want you to come here to Minbar."
Gideon looked surprised. They had previously intended to go straight out to a planet on the Rim that had been discovered by the Rangers, and identified by them as having good potential for joining the ISA. Sheridan explained the Excalibur's new orders.
After ordering the Excalibur to move from their current station and proceed to Babylon 5, Gideon climbed into bed, took his wife in his arms and held her silently for a while. Deborah snuggled up to him, resting her head on his shoulder and her arm across his chest, while twining her leg through his. Gideon half-smiled, enjoying the warm softness of his wife's body against his. After a few moments of lying in silence, Deborah moved her head a little and kissed his shoulder. Then she looked up at him and smiled sadly. "I do try to block, but when we're this close, it's difficult. Is there anything I can do?"
Gideon looked down into the warm hazel eyes gazing up at him and smiled. She'd picked up on his worried feelings. He kissed his wife's forehead gently, saying, "Not really. I'm just concerned."
Deborah looked puzzled, but didn't speak, waiting for him to decide if he wanted to talk to her about whatever was troubling him. On this occasion, he did.
"It's Angel I'm worried about. Well, Angel and Jack. They've hardly come out of her rooms for the past two days, except when Jack was needed for questioning. Even then, he turned up about thirty seconds before the time we arranged, answered every question we asked, then left, moving like a bat out of hell, headed straight back to Angel's quarters."
Deborah smiled. "What do you expect? Do you remember what we were like, when we first met? We couldn't keep our hands off each other. Well, Angel and Jack are just the same. They're like bunnies on aphrodisiacs. Hot and heavy sex, whenever and wherever they can get it. Is Jack walking straight? Because when Angel came around here earlier, while you were interviewing Jack, she was definitely limping." She kissed Gideon's shoulder again and ran her hand down his flat belly, her intentions obvious. "Leave them alone, Matthew. They make each other happy, and they both need that. I'm hoping that at last Angel has found someone to love, someone who can give her the love she needs."
Gideon moved his hand to intercept Deborah's. "Don't try to distract me. It's Angel loving Jack that has me worried." He paused for a moment, thinking it through, telling himself that his anxiety didn't arise from jealousy, but from a genuine concern for Angel's well being. [Oh yeah, sure it does. No jealousy at all.] The Captain suppressed the nagging voice of his conscience and sighed heavily, aware that his wife was waiting for him to continue.
"I know you think Jack is a good man, but he worries me." Gideon went on to explain what had happened when he'd first met Jack. "The first thing he wanted to know about was that damned Box." He felt Deborah stiffen in his arms, and squeezed her gently. He explained his concerns.
"Jack kept his Box right until the end. He was under Lucas' influence a lot longer than I was. You say you'd know if Lucas had taken him over, but would you pick up on Lucas' influence? Would you sense the corruption and darkness that such an influence would bring? It's there you know. It was there in me, although I didn't realize it at the time. With hindsight, I can see how that damned thing was dragging me down, eating away at my sense of right and wrong. Jack was being manipulated by Lucas right up until a couple of days ago. He's not me, Deborah, no matter how much you and Angel want to think he is, and it worries me if Angel is getting too..." he searched f