disclaimer: same as chapter one's. vodka. nudity. Russian profanity. Hebrew swearing (sort of). beta-read by calliope 2000. :) enjoy!

Chapter Two: Ms. Winters

Bester's glittering orbs flicked back and forth between the two women, watching as the cool, tall blonde moved ever so casually to stand just a few feet from the object of her frank perusal, that of a wide-eyed and frozen Ivanova.

Two and a half years ago, Bester had gone over the debriefing of the artificial personality now inhabiting the body of Ms. Winters. From that debriefing, the Psi-Cop had learned that the blonde telepath and the then commander of Babylon 5, Susan Ivanova, had been lovers. Talia Winters had come to the space station as its assigned, commercial telepath in residence, and, as a member of the Commercial Corps, her duties had been to sit in and telepathically monitor business negotiations--a job the young woman had done quite well, as evidenced by her service record. But things in this universe were never as they seemed, not if the Corps could play a hand. Unbeknownst to the young woman who had gone about her duties on the space station and doggedly, romantically pursued a wary, and often hostile, station commander, she had been an unwitting pawn in a much bigger, and more conspiratorial game.

On Mars at Syria Planum, the Corps had psychically implanted an artificially created personality within Talia Winters' mind; a construct whose consciousness existed covertly along side its host's consciousness to spy on the command staff of Babylon 5 and obtain damning information that could destroy them. The AP was supposed to encourage Ms. Winters to seduce Jeffrey Sinclair, the former head of the space station before Sheridan took over. Instead, the young blonde apparently chose to pursue Sinclair's then second-in-command, Susan Ivanova, over the subliminal suggestions of her secret 'sister'.

Bester, whenever recalling these events, had often shook his head privately at the thought. That Talia Winters had actually succeeded against what should have been insurmountable odds; gaining the affection, and most importantly, the trust, of a mundane whose hatred of Psi-Corps bordered on the psychotic. It had truly been unfortunate when the rogue telepath Lyta Alexander had appeared, and revealed the 'betrayer' within Ms. Winters before the Corps could learn anything of use. Ms. Alexander had gone to Babylon 5 to warn its command staff. Armed with the password that would activate and reveal the artificial personality, she had telepathically sent it into Talia Winters, unmasking her 'dark sister'. Of course, by telepathically activating the Corp's created personality, the original personality of the host was completely destroyed. The personality, Bester reminded himself, that Susan Ivanova had loved.

The elder Psi-Cop smiled pleasantly, as he stepped forward slowly to join Ms. Winters. He raised a polite, black gloved hand in the tall blonde's direction.

"Captain Ivanova, I'm sure you remember Ms. Winters," his accented tones smoothly commented. He gestured politely in the rigid captain's direction. "Ms. Winters, the Captain."

Ivanova made no sound or movement. Her intensely wide and stark gaze flickered all about Talia's features and eyes as if seeing ghosts, or a monster, or the rare, blinding visage of a revealed Vorlon. The captain's face was ominously dark and frighteningly pale all at once. She felt that she could order the destruction of a fleet of war cruisers or the massacre of an entire planetary system at any moment.

"As you've heard from both Intel and your superior, Admiral Fayek, a Psi-Corps member has been assigned to be your bodyguard," Bester congenially continued. "We are very pleased to present to you one of our most capable operatives."

Bester watched Ivanova convulsively swallow as her sharp brows, previously, darkly set in that incredulous, hard stare, now furrowed painfully.

"Why her?" came the low, nearly guttural tones, forcibly ripped from Ivanova's tight throat.

Bester decided to dismiss the philosophical route the pain in Ivanova's voice nearly inspired him to take. As much as he liked to muse aloud on ironies and the outwardly baffling turns a universe can spring, he wisely chose this time to merely be obtrusively accommodating.

"Ms. Winters," his accented tones graciously requested, as he took a deliberate step back. "If you will please show the Captain why you were chosen to protect her."

Ms. Winters' cool blue-gray eyes now left Ivanova's, sliding smoothly to one side to scrutinize something to the captain's right. Ivanova watched as the blonde's eyes widened, then softened to that familiar, defocused concentration the dark haired woman knew was the expressed evidence of Talia using her psionic powers--

A guest chair rattled slightly on its metal legs and then launched off the med room floor into the air, turning a graceful cartwheel as it did so. It rotated thus, making its suspended way across the room to pass between the two women, its frame slowly and evenly turning end upon end. Ivanova watched as the chair's progress paused slightly to her left, hearing its subtle rhythmic break of the air. It then accelerated, whirling with a whoosh back past her to suddenly embed its legs with a stark, loud crack in the med room wall.

"EarthGov was impressed that we could provide a successfully stable telekinetic for the job, as such psionic talent is so rare...in a sane person," Bester commented. "But then you already knew of Ms. Winter's unique capability, didn't you, Captain?"

Ivanova didn't bother to answer, sickened and reluctant to deal further with this little man as her piercing regard met strangely distant blue ones again. Yes, she had known that Talia was telekinetic; Jason Ironheart, Talia's former lover and a man whose psionic ability had begun to evolve rapidly from Psi-Corps experiments, had bestowed that gift upon her before leaving Babylon 5 and evolving physically beyond their comprehension. Had the Corps known what Jason had given her, they would have taken her away. The telepath had only confided the secret to Susan. Talia had never even bothered to train the ability, preferring to ignore it. The best she could do then was embed a penny in the wall.

But now, Susan thought in private horror, Talia was trained, and well enough to be a killer.

She wanted to tell them both to get the hell out of her med room now. She would honor no ridiculous deal and she would tolerate not another second of their Psi-Corps presence. She would leave the room herself. But there, blocking her path--her escape--was the woman she had lost two and a half years ago... and Ivanova was too paralyzed to act.

Not my Talia, she told herself fiercely and desperately, willing her mouth to curse Bester back into the hole he had crawled from. Not my Talia.

But as she stared helplessly at the woman she had, once upon a time, come to love and deeply cherish more than anyone in the universe... the words would not come.

Even if this were not her Talia.... what looked and subtly smelled and possibly felt like her was here, and the clamoring of a heart's long unfulfilled longing easily told her increasingly alarmed, reasoning mind to shut the hell up.

And Bester did not have to be a telepath to clearly see this in Ivanova's eyes.

"The Corps understands that you would have some.... 'trust' issues concerning Ms. Winters," he pleasantly interjected. Therefore, for your benefit, certain psychic parameters have been placed in Ms. Winter's mind to make your...." and here, he nodded rather indulgently. "Working relationship easier."

He turned to the tall blonde.

"Ms. Winters, you understand that Captain Susan Ivanova is who commands you now?" Bester asked.

"Yes sir. I understand," came the husky, deep tones that sent an inadvertent thrill up Susan's spine. Her heart hurt suddenly, realizing how much she had missed that wonderful, warm voice.

"Captain, do you understand that Talia Winters is to obey you from now on?" Bester asked.

Ivanova's bright eyes finally left Talia's face to pin Bester sharply. Before she could express her incredulous and angry reaction, the Psi-Cop smoothly volunteered an explanation.

"This is part of the 'obedience' conditioning, Captain. Once we've affirmed the formalities outloud, Ms. Winters will obey your orders. You've merely to make your request, utilizing her name, 'Talia', and she will execute the order."

"Like some....puppet??" Susan spat out in fury and righteous disbelief. Her eyes snapped back to her former lover's face, only to see that the blonde seemed entirely unaffected by the subject of their talk, as if they had been discussing the weather. Her beautiful pale features, in turn, merely watched Susan with a keen, fascinated interest.

"We prefer the term, 'cooperative operative'," Bester replied mildly. He looked from the captain to the blonde, obviously enjoying himself.

"Now," Bester continued, straightening a bit formally as his gloved hands clasped before him. He regarded Ivanova, who had returned to staring at the fair-haired woman. "Captain, you do understand that Talia Winters is to obey you?"

Don't play this game, her mind screamed at her. Don't do this to yourself and most of all, don't do this to her.

Talia suddenly smirked and gave a subtle, almost playful toss of her head--the kind she would give when frustrated...or happily amused. The smile that touched her full mouth had a cold kind of eagerness that exhibited exactly how much the blonde knew Susan's inner turmoil was making her suffer. The cool blue-gray eyes actually sparkled.

"Yes, I understand," Ivanova heard her own voice say.

Bester stepped back, obviously very pleased, and gave a formal wave in Talia's direction.

"Captain, I now introduce you to your bodyguard."

Susan's heart thundered like an entire battalion of groundpounders at the horrifying audacity of what she had done.

"If you would like to test the operative's parameters, please give her an order," she heard Bester's infuriatingly congenial voice say.

Enough. The Russian would now solve the situation as she has always done. Effective immediately. Ivanova turned to the smaller man with every furious intention of tossing the little Psi-Cop out the window. To her amazement, Talia stepped in front of her, the cool blonde easily cutting off her angry advance.

Bester stood his ground, and made absolutely no move. He was only slightly miffed with himself; unlike most Psi-Corps members, he felt no inclination to obey the EA laws that prohibited telepaths from freely scanning mundanes. He was P-12 and therefore at a strength level where he could not help but pick up stray thoughts--and as a Psi-Cop, it was to his advantage to anticipate a subject's next thought or action. However, a report by a Psi-Corps military advisor who had interacted with Ivanova had noted that she was highly cognizant of scans--most mundanes would not even be aware of a telepath's 'touch', but then the captain did have a telepathic mother, which would explain her unique sensitivity. Had Bester been able to 'monitor' her he could have anticipated this sudden, alarming approach of the irate captain. He did not even have her surface thoughts to alert his awareness; somehow, once Ivanova had become aware of the Psi-Cop's entrance into the room, she had been able to keep her thoughts hidden--as if she knew how to shield them.

The older man scoffed at such an unlikely possibility. Mundanes did not know how to shield; the captain was merely a highly disciplined individual who understood telepaths better than other 'normals'. At least this time, Bester had been quick enough to telepathically order Ms. Winters to intercede between he and the surprisingly speedy, volatile, captain.

"Talia, get out of the way," he heard Ivanova's furious voice growl.

"Yes Susan," Talia acquiesced smoothly, now stepping easily out of the captain's path. Ivanova gaped at her former lover.

"Captain, that request was too easy," Bester dared to reproach. "The Corps wishes to assure you that Talia Winters is completely trustworthy and loyal to you--"

"Corps members are only loyal to the Corps!" Ivanova exclaimed in anger. "How dare you try to--"

"Is there anything you wish Ms. Winters not to do?" Bester interrupted. "Something that would otherwise... advantage the Corps?"

Ivanova could not believe her ears, and she certainly would not, ever, in regard to this blatantly evil little man who stood before her. Yet, since she was now neck deep in their game, she had to see it through, somehow.

"She is not to scan me. Ever," Ivanova stated.

"Then please let her know," Bester gently smiled.

Ivanova glanced at her former lover, who now, apparently bored by the continued conversation between the captain and the Psi-Cop, had begun wandering her eyes idly up and down the captain's athletic and attractive, uniformed figure.

"Talia," Ivanova spoke quietly. "Don't scan me."

"Yes Susan," came the blonde's husky, easy reply, her blue-gray eyes now trailing up to capture the captain's own wide blues again.

"Ms. Winters, scan the captain," Bester pleasantly ordered.

Ivanova's heart jumped into her throat as she watched Talia's beautiful eyes narrow and defocus in concentration--suddenly the blonde flinched, her lids blinking rapidly. She flinched again. Then again.

"Talia--stop," Ivanova ordered quickly, deep concern coloring her voice as she brought up hands intended to--the telepath moved back, not wishing to be touched. The pain that had etched her pale brow now dissipated as the blonde's cool mask reasserted itself.

"As you can see Captain, she is loyal only to you," Bester noted with a kind of smug, 'told you so' quality. "I'm sure you will find your work relationship most... satisfactory."

The older man discreetly checked a chronometer beneath the cuff of his black glove.

"I've a shuttle to catch--headed for your old stomping grounds, captain. Epsilon sector, Babylon 5. Would you like me to convey your regards to anyone in particular?"

Ivanova no longer acknowledged his presence, much to the Psi-Cop's amusement.

"By the way," he added casually. "You mentioned in your report that you had met one of our agents......"

"What of it," Ivanova harshly commented, not looking at the annoying little man.

Alfred Bester shrugged innocently.

"You did not go into the details of your encounter, but I do believe this means that the Corps had," and here, the older man paused reflectively, smiling softly at his own realization. "Helped save your life....doesn't it, Captain Ivanova?" He raised a hand to his forehead.

"Be seeing you, Captain," he slowly bade, giving his peculiar salute; a black-gloved forefinger and thumb forming an 'eye' as he touched his forehead politely. His glittering, dark eyes regarded the two--the tall, intense brunette, and the cool-mannered, relaxed blonde--one last, bemused time, as he finally made his leave.

With she and Talia now alone, Ivanova felt as if the very air was charged with a kind of scary expectancy--that a hope she had never allowed herself to have was hanging precariously, waiting for her to acknowledge it, and before she could allow it to manifest and be recognized by her brain, her heart was taking the vestiges of that hope and dashing it over and over again upon whatever emotional rocks she could find.

Here she was, Susan Ivanova, a once small child whose mother had sung beautiful songs in her mind; a young woman who had flown among space cruisers and stars; a warrior who had faced First Ones, Shadows, and such remarkable visions of the universe noone could claim in a lifetime of having seen or experienced. She had even come back from the dead. But none of these experiences could compare to what was happening right now; here she was, facing what she believed was the most significant miracle of her life. Unfortunately, as testament to her Russian pessimism, the miracle had manifested as a huge cosmic joke.

I'll not think on it now, Ivanova decided. The horrible, ethical complications of this situation...the frightening reality that this was a manufactured, 100 percent loyal Psi-Corps member, and not her beloved Talia...she would just have to come to terms with all of it later. Now, a question came to her lips that her still reasonable brain found utterly lame and inane under the circumstances, but Ivanova's pounding heart truly and sincerely wanted to know.

"How've you been?" Her hesitant voice broke upon the tense air, its fear in the asking, causing her tones to sound....vulnerable.

Talia smiled rather brightly, the curve of the full, sensual mouth containing no warmth at all.

"Oh, quite well," she responded, the husky voice light and perhaps even mocking in its sentiment. "And you?"

Quite miserable, Ivanova answered silently, her eyes searching and searching in the dismally futile attempt to find some hint, some sign of someone else in those cool and frank eyes. A part of me died with you, and I have never been the same.

Talia waited, amused that the beautiful woman before her had come to a loss of words. The memories she owned from that other one were quite clear on how quick to the witty retort Susan Ivanova was, even in the most dire of times, but here......she avidly watched the myriad of emotions playing painfully on Ivanova's pale face. Here, it was simply the presence of herself who has struck the mighty captain dumb, and it was quite funny.

"Talia--" Ivanova attempted.

"You know," the telepath interrupted, smiling easily. "We'll have plenty of time to chitchat later. Why don't I give you some time to collect yourself?"

And with that, the blonde turned on her heel, no longer acknowledging the captain's presence, and left the room.

Reeling as if struck, Susan's hand came up to her chest; she was gasping. She wanted to scream and just destroy everything in sight all at once.

"Captain--" came Chen's voice, as he hurried into the med room. Unlike his usually tidy Earthforce appearance, he looked a bit flustered; a lock of his black hair falling out of place.

"Where the hell have you been??" Ivanova shouted. A weary hand rose to her anguished face as she turned away, proud shoulders finally slumping.

"Ma'am--" her surprised XO addressed in deep concern. They had not worked together for very long, but he could recognize that since leaving the captain with the admiral, something personally drastic must have happened to bring such a defeated attitude to the strong and self-assured woman. "I was with the admiral to be debriefed as well, and then I had to make some last minute arrangements--" His eyes widened suddenly, as he noticed the chair stuck in the wall. He audibly gulped.

"I didn't do that, Chen," Ivanova muttered over her shoulder.

Her XO decided not to speculate on who had then, since he could not even conjure up an image of the admiral himself putting a chair into the wall.

Chen wiped at the lock of hair that had fallen, a slight weariness evident in his own gesture.

"I'm shipping out tonight, ma'am," he said quietly. "Back to Io."

Ivanova glanced back. Whatever her troubles, she wasn't about to add them to her second in command's. It was possible she might not even be his superior officer by the end of the two weeks.

"Commander Chen, I know you will do an excellent job, whether your trouble making CO is present or not," she managed to joke. She finally turned and gazed upon her loyal second. "The ship has been left in very capable hands, and I know you will take good care of her. And take care of yourself, XO."

"Ma'am!! Thank you, Ma'am!" Cm. Chen responded, wishing he could say more....but unfortunately, it wasn't his place to do so, especially not with a captain like Susan Ivanova. He could only hope in his heart that this admirable woman would be able to ride out the political chess game currently intent on all sides to keep her from what she did best; command among the stars.

"See you in two weeks, Commander," Ivanova said, her wide mouth mustering a smile.

"Yes Sir!" He acknowledged in return. "Aye aye, Sir!" And in his most crisp form, the commander saluted his CO. As Ivanova returned the salute, Chen turned smartly on his heel, and left his commanding officer.

Ivanova picked up her overnight satchel from the bed, then her suit bag, containing what remained of her gray dress uniform. She stepped out into the busy hospital hall, spotting Talia casually leaning her curvaceous form upon the reception counter and idly watching the activity about her. As their eyes made contact, Ivanova squared her shoulders and walked for the exit, the telepath joining the captain as she passed. She fell easily in step beside Susan like she had always done back on Babylon 5.

As if nothing had changed.

The air was icy and smelled of rain; already a few scattered drops were falling rather disheartedly, as if they couldn't muster the numbers to create a decent shower. Ivanova looked up and the black night sky was a foreboding overcast of blanketing clouds. No stars tonight.

She felt, more than heard, the pop of a distant flash aimed at her.

"Mat' yevo v tri kresta!!!" Ivanova swore hotly, spotting the ISN vehicle and freelance paparazzi aiming their holo and vid cams beyond the military medcompound's guarded gate. The telepath laughed outloud beside her.

"That was a good one for their sound dishes," Talia enthused. Her throaty mockery brought a self-conscious color to Susan's cheeks. The captain hurried to the other side of the hospital's entrance, away from the cams.

"I'll go call a cab," Talia suggested, uncannily anticipating Ivanova's own thought. As the blonde casually swung around to reenter the hospital--the captain's eyes now caught and fixated to a lovely hip motion--Talia glanced back.

"Don't move," she ordered, disappearing through the sliding doors.

"Yes ma'am," Ivanova muttered under her breath.

"'Nova!!" She heard shouted behind her. With a surprised grin, Ivanova turned to watch her old friend Bassa run up from the entrance gate, which quickly closed behind him.

"Jaguar, you bastard!! So you've finally slept off your hangover from the admiral's party?" The captain ribbed, clapping her pal cheerfully on the back. She moved them a little further behind the building--away from those infuriating cams.

"'Nova, I'm hurt," Fidel Bassa replied, successfully taking on a puppy dog expression. "When I heard that you nearly got killed by some crazies, I rushed right over--they just weren't allowing anybody to see you. I've been at Earthdome since then--" and Ivanova spared the great, domed, architectural marvel that loomed in the direction Bassa's thumb indicated, a quick glance. "--getting my orders. I'm shipping out ASAP for Wolf V's shipyards."

He grinned broadly. "You're looking at the Alpha squadron leader of the main fighter unit of the E.A.S. Zeus."

"Congratulations, Jaguar," Ivanova beamed back and gave her friend a warm, hard hug. Flying star furies full-time was the next best thing to heaven for a pilot. It was like being in the heavens themselves, actually. A brief cloud passed over Ivanova's features, as she realized, for not the first time, that if she hadn't moved up the ranks so quickly, perhaps she could be where Bassa was now. And not grounded.

"Scuttlebutt has it you got your wings clipped, 'Nova," she heard Bassa's more serious tones quietly comment. That was one thing she liked about Fidel; he didn't beat around the bush where she was concerned. And he was letting her know that probably everyone in EF and their grandmother had heard what EarthGov had done to her by now, confidential orders from an admiral apparently not withstanding.

"Two weeks," she acknowledged grimly, taking a breath. "Then we'll see."

Bassa nodded. He always liked the Ivanovs; they had a sharp eye about them, a strength of character evident in their strong jawlines...and they were darn good-looking to boot. No matter what, Susan and his old buddy Ganya had a practical, Russian-sensible nature that could handle any disaster or misfortune. They were strong stock that just marched on. But tonight, his old flight buddy's sister was looking pretty shook up under all the bravado. Ever since seeing her again back in Geneva, he had instinctively known that something very important was missing from Susan's spirit, and he had wondered if it had to do with her supposedly dying at the turning point of the civil war, at Mars.

Because she would not talk about it.

He pulled out something from his jacket, and offered them to Ivanova. One sharp eyebrow crept up, as the captain accepted the thick, and obviously expensive cigars. She actually knew someone who would like these very much...if that someone were still the person she had known.

"Damn it, Jaguar, you know I don't smoke," she grumbled at her old friend, terribly pleased at the gesture. "And why two of them?"

"One, for when you reboard the E.A.S. Orpheus," Fidel instructed with a grin, holding up a forefinger. "And the second one....for when you launch her into the stars."

The broad, brilliant smile the words brought to Ivanova's mouth was happiness enough for Bassa. He smiled widely as well, glad to see his friend finally cheered up. When a leggy, cool blonde stepped out of the hospital's hissing doors, he was the first to spot her.

Heeeello, his mind whistled, as the beautifully featured blonde frowned slightly in their direction, then approached, the gorgeous outlines of her curvaceous figure swaying a beat that nearly made his jaw drop--if it hadn't been busy supporting the admiring grin that had spread to each of his ears. He hastily straightened his EF collar, realizing the bombshell was heading directly his way--

Until she stopped right at 'Nova's side, her light-colored eyebrows rising as she made a small sound at seeing the cigars in the captain's hands.

Then, with a leather-clad hand, she plucked them neatly from Ivanova's fingers.

"Mmmmm," thrummed a husky, happy sound in the blonde's white, delectable throat, as she ran one of the cigars under her nose, enjoying its scent. "Havanas," she murmured in delight.

She immediately tucked the fortunate smokes into her Psi-Corps uniform front--right between her generous breasts.

What a set of knockers, Fidel exclaimed to himself in utter admiration.

"I had thought so myself," Ivanova's wry voice chimed in.

Fidel managed to tear his eyes away from the gorgeous vision--who now regarded him quite curiously--to Ivanova's sarcastic visage. He couldn't believe that he had accidentally said that outloud.

"Fidel Bassa--Ms. Winters, of Psi-Corps," Ivanova introduced dryly, still pinning Fidel with a humorously raised eyebrow. "Talia....my old friend, Fidel."

Talia smiled, offering a gloved hand which the eager lt. commander accepted graciously. The telepath was thoroughly enjoying the rakish thoughts radiating from this man's mind--they were positively lewd.

"Ms. Winters," Bassa acknowledged charmingly, kissing her hand.

"Lt. Commander Bassa," Talia replied in her deep, husky tone. Her blonde head cocked a bit to the side, as she regarded the fighter pilot with a playful kind of curiosity. "I'm going home with Susan."

Fidel blushed, realizing the telepath had answered his unspoken question. Calling the captain by her first name also showed how intimately the blonde knew Ivanova. What amazed him, was that Ivanova should even be interested in a Psi-Corps member. He knew quite well how the Ivanovs passionately despised the organization responsible for their mother's death.

Things must have really changed for her since the civil war, he observed privately.

Susan's own face had turned an interesting shade of red as well, at the telepath's frank admission.

"Yes, well, there's our cab," she hastily commented, watching the vehicle slowly enter the med compound's gate. "Need a ride, Jaguar?"

Fidel shook his head, as the car pulled up and he and Ivanova both moved to pop the door for Ms. Winters. As the blonde slid into the backseat, Bassa regarded his old friend slyly with a mischievous punch in the arm.

"'Nova, ya stud, you," he kidded in conspiratorial tones, making Ivanova blush even further. "That's worth being grounded for, 'ey??" And he laughed as he unsuccessfully tried to avoid the embarrassed captain's swift punch in return.

"Take care of yourself, Jaguar," Ivanova finally bade warmly, sliding into the cab. "See you out there."

Fidel gave his old friend an easy-going salute.

"Out there, 'Nova," he acknowledged, and pointed to the black cloudy swirls of the sky.

Body now crinkling heavily into the upholstery of the cab seat, Ivanova let out a deep sigh, keenly aware of the other, attractive body sitting with her. She hadn't bothered to correct Fidel when he had made his conclusions; if this had been another circumstance, instead of the reality it was, she and Ms. Winters would definitely be together more than as an arrangement made by outside forces. In another reality, they would have been the couple they were meant to be.

She frowned suddenly as the cab approached the guard gate.

"Driver, stop and pull over," she ordered into the com. Beyond the gate, she could discern paparazzi types now deserting locations about the med compound's fences for cars and motorbikes placed at the ready to pursue the captain's cab.

"Maybe there's another exit gate," Ivanova tried, thinking how she would really love an all-terrain assault tank right now--just to mow those damn gossip news hounds' bikes and vehicles over.

"Humph," came the husky snort and then Talia popped her side of the cab open, sliding her long legs out.

"Where're you going??" Ivanova exclaimed, immediately sliding forward.

"To take care of them," the telepath called back over her shoulder. "Pick me up outside when I'm done." With that, Ms. Winters sauntered casually away from the cab and through the guard gate.

Ivanova watched nervously as the blonde walked to where a group of cam people stood on the curb, blatantly taking vids and shots of the attractive woman. Talia stood for a moment, and perhaps it was only apparent to Ivanova--who understood the nuances of psionic power utilized....of the changes, nearly indistinct, that came to a person's demeanor and aura--but the very air seemed to become charged with expectancy around the telepath. Suddenly, vid and holo cams twisted from people's hands, falling violently to the sidewalk and street--smashing loudly. Portable lights inexplicably exploded into noisy, glassy fragments, literally snuffed out, as people screamed in fright.

Talia took a couple of nonchalant steps out into the street, as some folks picked up broken equipment or stood dazed. Hands innocently clasped behind her back, she paused again, regarding the vehicles and paparazzi readied on their bikes, engines primed. One rider's bike suddenly accelerated, turning and smashing into another. The unfathomable action was repeated again, and again, until even the ISN van could not make a move, fallen bikes, hit vehicles, and hurt riders littering the street's surface.

"Driver, proceed ahead," Ivanova instructed into the com. "And pick up my companion outside." She leaned back, regarding the spectacle before her. As the cab neared the relaxed, sedate figure of Ms. Winters, standing beneath the street's hazy, cool lights, the captain felt an inner chill at seeing the cold, ecstatic pleasure in Talia's serenely beautiful features.....

* * *

The cab wound its way smoothly through one of the suburb districts of Geneva, the patter of a now constant rain hitting the cab's metal surface. Ivanova sat and stared out onto the surface of glass streaked like tears, her eyes unseeing. She heard Talia shift her weight upon the cab seat.

"Penny for your thoughts," came the husky, achingly familiar words from a mouth that once belonged to the soul Ivanova had loved. Susan turned to gaze at the construct behind Talia's eyes, her own wide and bright blues questioning.......

Let me show you something, her voice had said, gently interrupting Susan's misery.

The commander of Babylon 5 had looked up then, fatigued from weeping. She had confessed everything this night, in her quarters, to the resident commercial telepath, and it was a secret she knew would cost her everything were she wrong about trusting this woman she could not help having come to love....

Talia had taken a coin--an antique copper penny, and had placed it on Ivanova's coffee table. She had then concentrated upon it, eyes defocused in psionic intensity.....the coin had flung itself off the table to strike the wall--sticking itself into the surface with the sudden force.

Now, she had heard Talia softly say. You know something about me...and this makes our secrets even.

"I am thinking," Ivanova spoke softly, watching the face of the woman who now sat before her. "Of that last time you left......and what you had said to me. Why are you here now?"

The construct snorted, rather incredulously.

"You are a romantic, aren't you?" she commented in a low, derisive tone. She searched her memories back to their last conversation; it was when she had first fully awakened and come in control of this body. She had idled some time in that other one's quarters on Babylon 5, waiting for Psi-Corps to come pick her up. Then her lover, the commander, had walked in, wanting to speak to her one last time. Yes, she had been harsh, but such was the truth. The commander had been a pawn, the AP herself, a subliminal, whispered influence who had guided the dominant personality of Talia Winters to woo the EF officer--not that it took much effort on the construct's part to persuade Talia to do so. She remembered the devastation upon the commander's beautiful features, and how she had enjoyed the pain of it.

Then.

Now, two and a half years had passed; this Talia had been through events which, had she not had the other one's memories to--to entertain her, the construct clarified to herself--she wouldn't have had much to sustain her. She had been given no personal choice in accepting this assignment, and yet, she was not adverse to it either. Susan....and here, recalled moments came to the fore of her consciousness and brought a slow, sensual smile to the full lips....Susan Ivanova had become quite a fond interest to the artificial personality. She had plenty of time to think about the dark-haired Russian and had....become more and more intrigued by her interest, as time went on.

Ivanova watched in fascination, as Talia's features softened from a kind of disgust, to a reflective, sensual regard....the intensity deepening as blue-gray eyes dilated to black and a leather-clad hand came up impulsively to touch Susan's face fleetingly....

"You're interesting, for a mundane," Talia murmured, allowing the captain that much.

Ivanova swallowed convulsively, a sudden, intense emotion entering her bright, wide eyes which Talia could not discern exactly. The captain turned away from the telepath, leaving the construct suitably perplexed at Susan's reaction.

Ivanova stared wildly out of the cab's rain streaked window, her heart thundering in her ears as she willed her breath to a normal level. Talia's last statement had revealed it then--Susan's secret was still a secret, even though her own Talia had known. Certainly if the Corps had known all along, they would have come for her long ago? And now this proves that whatever game was going on now, it did not include her secret.

And Ivanova thanked God above, and whatever her own Talia had done, to make the secret remain so.

The cab came to a stop; her building. As Ivanova emerged from the vehicle, intent on helping Talia out, the telepath had already exited on her side, oblivious to the rainfall, and was slowly walking to the building's entrance.

They stood in the hall to Ivanova's apartment unit, the captain now sliding her identicard into the door's reader. She was struck by a disturbing deja vu, and immediately realized why. The clothes and environment were not the same, but the situation was. Talia stood beside her, calm and impassive, a black carry bag in her gloved hand, just as she had waited with Ivanova to enter the commander's quarters on Babylon 5....

The apartment door hissed open and Talia strolled in.

Ivanova helped the telepath out of her Psi-Corps issued black overcoat as the blonde gazed with interest around her. The unit was quaint and simple, but elegantly furnished. Antique, overstuffed furniture; real, varnished wood pieces; heavy, fabric curtains and attractively papered walls. Even the light fixtures were finely crafted. Talia immediately slipped her shoes off, luxuriating in the feel of a thick carpet.

"Do captains really make this much?" She couldn't help asking, rather enjoying this discovered perk of a military hero's.

"EF captains? No, but IPX scientists do," Ivanova mysteriously remarked, as she hung her and Talia's coats. She further clarified. "This was the Sheridans' apartment....John never took the time to get rid of it even after Anna disappeared on her last expedition to Zha' ha dum. He still had it even through the civil war, so when he knew I was returning to Earthforce, he gave it to me."

She heard a delighted, throaty murmur from the bathroom suite, and poked her dark head into the room to catch the telepath running a slender gloved hand over the cool porcelain edge of the antique bath tub, complete with shiny brass fixtures and metal clawed feet planted in the ceramic tiled floor. Susan turned away, finding herself smiling and yet feeling disconcerted all at once.

"Is this the sort of place you envisioned bringing me to... if we had gotten married, of course," the light, husky tones asked.

Susan turned abruptly around, feeling--the smoky tones had sounded so familiarly colored--so like--

Her bright eyes fell upon the telepath's dispassionate blues, searching its depths....

Talia approached slowly, coming close enough that the warmth of her body could be felt on Susan's own...

"Every time you look into my eyes," she whispered softly, her breath touching Susan's own parted lips. "You are looking for her. And I told you already......" her smoky voice now rising in tone to a normal level. "There's...just...me."

And the construct stepped back, regarding the captain derisively.

"So stop being so pathetic," she added coldly.

Ivanova took a rigid step back, then another, her face pale as she stiffly turned away.

"Right...." her tight voice managed to say distantly. She added in a barely heard, sad whisper. "I'll remember that." And fled for the glass door that opened upon the balcony.

As the glass hissed shut behind her, Ivanova gripped the icy, wet metal railing and felt the cold, freezing rain strike her face, mingling with her burning tears. The rain's wind whipped her long dark hair into a fitting state of desolate disarray--uncontrollable, unmanageable, just like the pain engulfing her. She was in her shirt sleeves--the white fabric now clinging damply to her heaving torso--if she caught her death in cold now she hardly cared....

"Not....working....this is....not working....." she whispered frantically between the anguished breaths that now tore from her lips. What had she hoped for?? To uncover Psi-Corps' plans? To find out why she had been manipulated out of a ship? Most irrationally of all, to discover if there was still a hope--an impossible chance--

Ivanova sobbed out loud, unable to bottle her pain--that longtime grievous hurt. She had allowed only a short mourning for her lost love and then had locked that hurt up inside herself, easily falling into work, into alcohol, to keep that pain at bay. Now, it was happening all over again; the woman within that room was not the Talia she had known and it was tearing her raw heart up anew.

She wiped angrily at her burning eyes, hating what she had come to and the very state she was in--it was then that the small, hover cam-bot, silently floating beside her balcony, came in for a close up...

Susan froze, unable to even utter a bone fide, seven-tiered, Russian oath. The cam-bot was not marked 'ISN'--it was a freelancer's. She lashed out with a furious hand, the cam-bot maneuvering gracefully out of reach and still recording her. That anyone had the audacity to film her during a private, emotional moment, while she was in grief!!--

The glass door suddenly hissed open, the icy, night wind lifting golden hair as Talia stepped through, immediately fixing the cam-bot with an intense, merciless stare--

Susan's eyes whipped back to the cam-bot as she heard it suddenly whisk away from the balcony--traveling at a blurring speed across the wet street, striking the far building wall and shattering into a puff of black smoke and irretrievable fragments. As her eyes followed the crash of the remains to the sidewalk below, she saw the van where the cam-bot's data had to have been downloaded to--saw other individuals standing in the street with long-range cams. She wished she had a PPG rifle with a scope--

Then she saw Talia upon the street, the telepath walking determinedly from the apartment building, oblivious to the cold falling rain. She was baffled by how fast the blonde had gotten to the surface streets--must have immediately left the unit as soon as she had taken care of the 'bot. Susan thought no further on it, her heart racing as she watched the van try to drive away--

The van driver immediately tumbled from his door, as if he had been shoved out. The vehicle's side panel popped open, revealing the cam-bot operator, who immediately fell violently into the street as well. Talia positioned herself before the vehicle's opening, staring into it, and even from Susan's position several stories above, she could hear the agonized twist of metal and wire.

Smoke now rising from the van's opening, Talia turned her attention to the other persistent paparazzi, none of whom had decided to leave the scene, but who were all intent on photographing the beautiful, deadly blonde. Ivanova almost had to laugh at their greedy stupidity. Cams now tore from surprised hands to smash to the hard, black street, and accompanying them were the howling bodies of the baffled owners, hitting the street surface themselves as they clutched at a leg--

Ivanova's eyes widened, as she leaned, gripping the railing for support. Talia had dislocated their kneecaps...

One intelligent photographer finally got the hint; he ran, taking his handheld cam with him, disappearing down a side street. Calmly, the tall blonde followed him in, disappearing from Ivanova's sight.

Susan's heart thumped frantically--what if the man had a weapon? What if Talia got hurt and could not make her way back? Susan wanted to rush to the street surface as well--a surface now quickly becoming deserted as the freelancers wisely hobbled back to their transports and got the hell out of the area. She chose to wait, eyes fixed upon the telepath's last location--counting up to ten seconds--

Talia reappeared, strolling nonchalantly, appearing to all the world like she had been out for a lovely, midnight constitutional. The blonde could have pulled off the look except that she was soaked wet by the cold rain--she had exited the building without her overcoat. Ivanova's eyes followed the telepath until she disappeared into the building, then hurried from the balcony to her unit's entrance. She gazed down the hall anxiously, waiting for the lift's doors to hiss open.

The thin, dark green cloth of the Psi-Corps uniform was drenched, and clung wetly to the telepath's curvaceous body. Obviously, this uniform was not made to withstand the elements like a Psi-Cop's heavy, black fabric attire--or an Earthforce-issued blue wool and leather uniform. Talia entered the apartment without a word, only sparing Ivanova a cool glance as she passed her in the doorway. She headed straight for the bathroom.

The telepath began stripping off her wet gloves, placing them at the sink. She quickly unpinned her Psi-Corps badge to lay it safely beside the gloves. She could no longer surpress her shivers, as her cold, stiff fingers began to work at the buttons of her wet uniform. She could feel the captain's eyes upon her.

"The cam-bot's recording stayed within the van--it was transmitted no where else," Talia spoke, without turning around. She began to hurriedly peel the clammy cloth from her wet skin. Her husky voice, despite being mater-of-fact in tone, shook with cold.

"Thank you," she heard the captain's rich and quiet voice say. As she successfully worked the wet skirt off her hips, the telepath sensed Ivanova leaving the suite's doorway--finally giving her time alone.

When the captain reentered the suite, placing fresh, thick towels out for the telepath, she could see the steady, warm steam rise from the shower unit. Ivanova exited once again, and went to the fireplace, activating it.

She watched the flames burst into action, keying it for an ample, roaring size. One very nice attribute of this building was that the units had real working fires--not holographic ones. She had to remember to thank John again for the place, leaving her with only the taxes to deal with. Of course, if she ended up disgraced and out of Earthforce, the apartment would make for a tidy sale...

Ivanova went to her kitchen, and got a bottle of vodka from the fridge unit.

Now that Susan had her cry, the AP had certainly done her a favor by straightening her fool head out. Completely distracted by who she had wanted this Talia to be, she had not been thinking clearly about her situation, and perhaps that had been the purpose of having her former lover assigned to her...perhaps. Now the day's events since being put in the hospital were becoming apparent. Things said and those things which had happened were not quite falling into place, but were certainly suggesting patterns... and possibilities.

Reflectively, she downed an icy, fiery shot of vodka, feeling it slide down her throat and burst into that familiar fire in her chest. She poured herself another, setting the bottle by her com unit. She sat down at the elegant, wood desk and leaned into the stuffed leather of the chair.

"Computer," her low, rich tone requested. "Earth Intel. Access public program, 'Suspect Profile Compositor'."

An hour later, Talia finally shut off the hot water, sighing with relief as she felt herself warm at last. The captain had survived twenty minutes in the frigid waters of Lake Geneva and here Talia could barely keep off the cold of being five minutes in the rain. She hated when her body betrayed her like this. She dried herself off with a generous, thick towel. Nice....she acknowledged, feeling its softness on her flushed skin. All of this was very nice. Even the other one had not had the opportunity to enjoy unlimited hot water. The other Talia had served rich clients while in the Commercial Corps, but the Corps takes a large percentage of what its telepaths bring in, so it did not mean that she had expense allowances where she could enjoy luxuries like these. And on Mars, the construct's own personal experiences had certainly been far less....comforting. She slipped on the thick, white terry cloth robe she found hanging, and stepped outside the steamy suite.

Susan was seated at her desk, working at her com unit. The captain glanced back briefly, one slender hand idly gathering her thick, dark mane at the back of her neck, then releasing it as she turned back to the com screen again.

"Do you like hot chocolate?" The telepath heard Ivanova say.

Talia's eyes widened. She had asked, 'do you like', not, 'do you still like'... obviously, the captain was now learning. The memory of what chocolate tasted like made the AP's mouth moisten. Yes, she might like hot chocolate.

"There's a cup for you in the kitchen," she heard the captain add.

Talia got her cup, the aroma of the warm, sweet drink pleasuring her nostrils as she found the bright, hot fire and sat down before it. After a while, she was lapping the last traces of the drink with her tongue, looking bemused into the empty mug. She set it aside and stretched out upon the carpet before the roaring fire, cozy in the soft robe and quite content.

Ivanova shut down her com unit, toying reflectively with her shot glass. None of her inquiries had panned out, but she had the last idea to try. She had decided that it could wait for the morning. Her bottle had already lost its chill, anyway.

She turned to look at the telepath.

Talia lay before the fire, watching its dancing flames. The soft warm light cast a rosy flicker on her pale skin, and pleasing shadows where the robe parted at the rise and fall of her chest, and along the long, bare legs. The blonde lay, unself-conscious and in an attitude of complete relaxation. An arm lay by her golden head as the other hand rested on her belly, right where the long robe had fallen open to reveal the soft, light-haired area between her legs....

Beautiful, Ivanova admired silently, and raised the bottle to her shot glass again.

At the clink of glass upon glass, Talia turned her head on the soft carpet, her smoky blue eyes lit by the fire, and watched the captain throw back a drink. Ivanova's tall frame rested heavily back in the chair, strong legs spread and planted in a rakish manner. The once immaculately pressed EF dress shirt was creased and wrinkled from having been in the rain; the sleeves were messily rolled up, revealing the lines of beautifully formed forearms. The shirt was already partially unbuttoned at the throat. The telepath watched, quite fascinated, as Susan's lidded gaze now fell upon hers, the once bright blues now dark and enigmatic. Dark strands of unruly, long hair fell about Ivanova's shoulders and partially into her unreadable face. Talia wondered if the captain was drunk.

"Take the bed, Talia," Ivanova spoke, getting up from the chair. "Good night."

"Yes Susan," came the telepath's husky, automatic reply, but the captain had already reached the balcony's glass door. Talia rose on an elbow and watched as the glass hissed shut behind the dark-haired woman.

....Was she dreaming? Susan's mind managed wearily as the sensual sensation of a mouth pressed against hers and a body's warm, heavy weight on top of her own, stirred long dormant physical responses... Yes, this was a dream, because... the scent, and the touch--and that low sound--had not been smelled, felt, heard by Ivanova in so very, very long.... This had to be a dream. The only sensation needed to complete this beautifully erotic moment would be her throaty voice, echoing lovingly in her mind......

Susan came alarmingly awake to a room faintly illuminated by streetlight, unable to breath from the effect of a mouth pinning hers with a soul-absorbing kiss. She managed to tear her face away from the firm hands that cradled it, gasping. She wasn't in her quarters in Babylon 5, she was in Geneva, in Sheridan's apartment, and the woman of her dreams was now exquisitely straddling her hips with her own determined weight. Susan put up her hands quickly to still the insistent, roaming fingers making her pleasurably giddy from their intimate touch--only to accidentally grab a handful of an incredibly soft, bare breast.

Riboynoy-Shel Oylom!!! Susan mind babbled helplessly. Her frightened hands slipped up to the telepath's naked shoulders, firmly holding them still. She willed her body completely rigid to stop the eager response of her pelvis against the rhythmic motion of the deliciously warm blonde's own.

"Talia," she finally managed to rasp aloud, her breath ragged as her chest rose and fell. She squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, ordering her raging blood's pounding to shut up.

"Go back to the bed," she finally requested, her voice sounding calmer--more gentle, she hoped.

The woman hovering so tantalizingly above her in the darkness seemed to pause for an eternity....

"Yes Susan," she heard softly murmured, and felt the soft, warm flesh slide off her prone body. As she felt the telepath move away in the darkness, the cool air making a blunt statement on her now bereft, heated skin--Susan clutched the couch's fabric beneath her and silently howled.....

* * *

Geneva, Earth

February 7, 2262

The steady, repeated chime of her building's door com broke upon a bleary-brained Ivanova's dulled consciousness. Pained, blue eyes cracked a peek to see the blindingly warm rays of a happy morning sun from the parted curtains. Ivanova groaned roughly, her mouth feeling like old carpet and her tongue, a well used door mat, as she hefted herself slowly from the couch. She could hear the shower's water beating a steady rhythm from the suite.

"I--I got it!" Ivanova called out hoarsely, unsure if the telepath would really leave her shower to answer the com. "Com--answer!!" She barked in the direction of the unit.

"Hello!" Came the tinny voice--the sound of street activity in the background. "Uni-Ex delivery!"

Ivanova gingerly touched her pounding temple with a palm.

"I'm not expecting anything!" She snapped.

"Urgent delivery from--"and there was a pause as the young male voice seemed to be reading off something. "--Earth Intelligence Headquarters, Geneva, ma'am!"

"All right!! Come up!" Ivanova ordered. She moved to gingerly stand up, took a step for the door, and promptly fell forward.

*THUMP*

Susan moaned, now intimately aquainted with her apartment's carpeting. Her belt had somehow come undone in the night--that, and her zipper--allowing her Earthforce trousers to fall to her ankles and trip her up.

"Susan?" Called the telepath's voice from the suite.

"Fine! I'm fine!!" Susan assured, pulling herself and her pants up as the unit's personal entrance chime sounded.

"Ma'am--" came the upbeat voice of the delivery boy as Ivanova keyed the entrance open. His mouth immediately dropped to the floor at the sight of the captain's wrinkled dress shirt, now hanging unbuttoned to her waist, revealing the breasts snugly garbed in a black lace bra. "Sign--this-here, please--"

Squinting, Ivanova muttered to herself, grabbing the ledger and scribbling in the designated spot. Behind her, blithely nude, wandered the blonde telepath from the bathroom into the captain's bedroom. The boy's eyes bulged from his sockets.

"Here!!" Ivanova grabbed the large envelope from his inert hands and tossed the ledger down the length of the hall. "Go!!" And promptly keyed the door shut in the gaping delivery boy's face.

As Ivanova turned, she tore the document packet open, finding two credit chits within, and a handwritten note:

Don't spend it all in one place.

-Dillon

Ivanova inserted one of the chits into her com unit. A dark sharp brow quirked in surprise when the screen blipped an expense account to her. The other chit turned out to be credits toward any travel arrangements made through Universal Travel. Apparently, the 'powers that be' wanted to make certain Ivanova got herself lost during her two weeks leave.

Snorting, Susan tossed the items on to her desk. She headed for the suite.

"The Corps is Mother, the Corps is Father," recited the husky tones dutifully.

Ivanova came to a stop at the entrance of the bathroom, her blood run cold at the words. Talia stood before the mirrors, fully dressed in a fresh Psi-Corps uniform--this one, with slacks--pinning her bronze Psi-Corps badge to her lapel. Her hands were already gloved. The psi-dampening gloves worn by the psionically-gifted were required by law so that telepaths would not inadvertently scan 'normals' via skin contact. Talia turned her golden head in the captain's direction, a self-assured smile on her face. She looked the perfect Psi-Corps picture.

"You need to brush your teeth," she commented lightly, passing breezily by the captain. "Your mouth tasted terrible last night."

Her face burning, Ivanova hurried into the bathroom. She resolved to no longer get drunk in the near future--especially with a telepath in the proximity who liked to ambush at night. She stripped and turned on the shower--only to yelp as the cold water hit her. Talia had used up all the hot water.

The telepath regarded the two chilled bottles of vodka--the sole occupants of the fridge unit--with raised eyebrows. The cupboards were equally bare.

Susan poked a wet head out of the suite, toweling her damp hair.

"I'll take you to eat in the city," she assured the telepath standing perplexed in the kitchen. Susan then crossed the living room to the com unit. "Come here and do something for me."

Now curious, Talia obediently took the seat Ivanova indicated. The captain brought up a program--E.I.'s Suspect Profile Compositor. On screen was the simulated image of a young male, mildly handsome, with pale eyes and dark hair that curled about a prominent, wide forehead.

"Who's he?" Talia asked, realizing this must be what Ivanova had worked on last night.

"The Psi-Cop operative who warned me of the attempt on my life. Can you access the Corps database and make a match?"

"Sure," the telepath agreed, taking out her identicard and inserting it into the com unit. The imposing Greek letter that symbolized the Corps filled the screen.

Ivanova touched the blonde briefly on the back in gratitude, then entered her bedroom.

Ivanova had already searched EF's military police reports to see if the Psi-Cop's arrest had shown up; of course it hadn't. A P-12 level telepath could easily do a selective mind wipe on individuals, erasing incidences of his or her own presence from memories, and therefore disappear from sight. Earth Intel of course still knew nothing.

What had nagged at Ivanova, last night, was how Bester had mentioned this agent....as if this Psi-Cop's actions had not been premeditated by the Corps. She could very well be reading too much into Bester's rather bland, non-committal reference, yet her gut instinct told her that what she was speculating had a good chance of being true; that the young man who had tried to warn her had been acting on his own, and most of all, had possibly been sincere about it.

"I have him," Talia called from the living room.

Ivanova stopped her search in her closet to hurry to the telepath's side. The operative she had met was now on screen.

"He has no name," Susan noted, frowning at the lack of information in the man's file. A gloved finger rose to indicate a number and letter combination. Susan balked. "That's his designation?"

The blonde nodded. "He would have a codename. That's because he's undercover and active right now."

"Can you find out what his current assignment is?" Susan queried.

Talia leaned back in the chair. "I'm only a Psi-Cop's aide. For that you need a Corps director's level of clearance, and it has to be done from that person's com unit at HQ."

"Can you obtain that access?" Ivanova asked.

Talia glanced up, seeing in the intent and blue eyes, that Ivanova was quite serious--and actually quite excited. A gleam sparkled in the intelligent, bright depths, and it made the captain's demeanor vibrant.

"You're asking me to break into a director's office at HQ......and yes, I can do it," Talia replied slowly, her husky tone containing an almost......mischievous note.

"After breakfast, then," Ivanova stated with a conspiratorial grin, and returned tothe bedroom.

* * *

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