Heart of the Anla'shok

Many people would say that Delenn and John Sheridan are the great romance of Babylon 5. I'm not going to argue the point, although I guess I could, because I happen to like them, even if at times they're so cute I could almost puke. I don't want to make this about Delenn and Sheridan, though; they have their own page. What I'm getting at in my roundabout way here is that when most people think B5 and romance, what comes first to mind is Sheridan and Delenn.

But me, well, I've always been a little bit different, and when I think B5 and romance, I may think Sheridan and Delenn, but I also think Susan Ivanova and Marcus Cole, and I usually think the latter two names first. Theirs is one of those tragic love stories that never quite gets off the ground the way we'd like it to, but I've gotten to where I see the potential in these things, am inspired by them, and take what's there and run with it, spawning fanfic epics, strange poetry, and even stranger dreams. The really amazing part about it all is that I'm not the only one who sees it this way. A lot of us see what could have been, or what still might be.

Even J. Michael Straczynski, JMS or the Great Maker to fans, brought them together in the end. It took a bit of work, still more suffering on the part of dear Marcus, and some creative cryogenic oddness that puts fanfic to shame to get it done, but he did it. And, say what you will about "Space, Time, & the Incruable Romantic", I'm glad he did it, am glad that those two get a chance at last to finally get things right. No, the story isn't perfect, but neither is life, and what it comes down to really is that it's a second chance, and a break for two people who really deserve it and haven't gotten one before.

Maybe it's not how I'd have written the story, and in fact I've done things that are a lot different, but why gripe over the small stuff? If any characters ever deserved a little happiness in their lives, however it came about, it is these two, and if it's not the way I'd have ended things, it is a way, it works pretty well, and I'm rather glad to have gotten to read the thing. It grows on you, by the way- it really does.

There was nothing truly epic about Susan and Marcus's love story that wasn't quite, excepting the magic that is a part of every such tale. There was no grand destiny or prophecy that brought them together, nothing that even came close to doing that. They were only human, good people with good hearts who most of the time were content to skate from disaster to disaster and imerge with life, limb, and of course sanity more or less intact. Forget fighting legends, saving the galaxy, road trips to Z'ha'dum, or hanging with the Vorlons. While other characters were being swept up by destiny and doing grand and noble things, Marcus and Susan got by on a combination of wits, courage, and strength.

Everybody knows the story of the character, or the person, who's been hurt one too many times and is wary of being hurt again. But you can forget that people, real people can suffer that kind of pain. To me, the character of Susan Ivanova brought that all back. Because I've been there, and I know that pain. I know it's hard to fight your way past it- and that sometimes no matter how much you want to, you can't do it. All of which goes to show, I think, that she must have had some feelings for Marcus, or she wouldn't have cared one way or the other how things ended up. And so she held back, from that fear of being hurt, and opportunity passed her by. It was gone almost before she knew it on some level. But on others...

I think that Susan loved Marcus, and that it doesn't quite sink in for her how much she loves him until after his death. I think that she loved him, and the defences she'd built up over the years kept her from doing or saying anything about it- and that she didn't want to admit it.

And I'm right, you know.

"You know, the ones that I loved...always ended up hurting me... or leaving me. And the ones who stayed, they had nothing inside, no depth. After a while I just decided to forget about it. Then... here was Marcus. I knew he'd never hurt me... and I knew he'd never leave me. And I knew he loved me. I knew it. I just didn't want to admit it. And he gave so much and he wanted so little in return. He just wanted a kind word or- or a smile, and all I ever gave him in two years was grief. And it's because... I think I saw what I wanted... and I was afraid."

- Susan Ivanova, Rising Star.

I'd like to think that if Marcus hadn't died, they would have wised up eventually. Certainly the depth of her feelings seems pretty clear to Susan after he dies.

And as for Marcus, well, it's always been almost painfully obvious to everybody that he's smitten, to put it lightly. He adores Susan, admires her- and gives her the occasional verbal kick in the ass when she needs it.

I think that's why these two are so much fun, really. There's none of that "Oh, John" stuff that makes you wonder if the star-eyed Delenn is really the same one who said "No mercy!" and meant it- because both of them have this sense of humor that's wit and attitude and just a little arrogance. Star systems ought to tremble, not to mention evil dictators, when these two work together, and when those two rapier-sharp wits clash, well- the universe had probably better run for cover if it knows what's good for it. Because either way they're, as the saying goes, kicking ass and taking names.

There's passion there, and I think that with these two, there always would be. Sure, Marcus is a romantic, and so is Susan, whether she admits it or not, but I could never see the star-eyed mushy stuff ("Oh, Marcus"? Yeah...I think not), or at least I couldn't see it playing a very big part in things. You can have romance without going all google-eyed about it, and not only have I never written Marcus and Susan any other way, but I don't think I could even see them any other way.

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