Late January, 2267
[Thoughts]
*Emphasis*
(Almost two months later. . . )
"Keep pushing, mommy! Keep going!" Angel cried out, holding Lyta's foot in her hands, against her chest, pressing back as Lyta tried to keep the pressure up for just a little longer this time, before losing the energy and letting her leg rest. Angel sighed from her place at the end of the mat, still holding Lyta's foot up as she knelt. "That's not much better than yesterday. The doctors keep saying you have to keep trying even if it does hurt."
[I know, Angel, but it's harder from this side.] Lyta replied, staring up at the ceiling. For about the millionth time, she again was grateful for having been kept on mars . . . she didn't want to even consider how hard it would have been to built her body back in full gravity. She was barely walking as it was. The therapists said another month of hard work and she'd be able to return home to B5. Her reconditioning would continue there, using the different gravity levels to gradually return to full strength. Lyta wanted to return to familiar territory very much, and to return to Zack. He'd been able to stay just over a month before he got word to 'get back here, we need you!', but Angel, sweet namesake that she was, had wanted to stay to help.
Lyta wouldn't have even wanted to bother with the pains of physiotherapy if it wasn't for her daughter. [Daughter! I'm a mother . . . I still can't believe it. My own beautiful child.] She resumed the exercises, letting her little doppelganger call out the time she kept up the pressure. The therapists let Angel take part most of the time, either helping physically or just verbally. Lyta was sure Garibaldi had pulled some strings to allow this, his own parental urges had been woken up when young Deborah had finally been able to come live with her mother. 'Mr. Micheal' had been treated with wary caution, her birth mother with outright suspicion, but over time she'd started to like then love them. Deborah's fondness had been clinched when she found out there was a baby brother or sister on the way.
Lyta went with them on a day trip, a week ago. The two little girls were in full 'strut' mode, bragging that 'this is my mommy!' to anyone who would listen. Between Lise being very, very pregnant, and Lyta being in a wheelchair, the strangers were friendly, but the sales clerks were only semi-polite until Lise let them see the amount listed on her credit chit. Lyta was as nervous as could be around strangers, she still could not grasp the concept of being free. Not having to wear Psi Corps insignia or gloves she liked, but it was strange to learn no one had to wear them anymore! Not that she minded wearing normal clothes again, it was nice to be able to pick and choose outfits. Lise was happy to help financially, she understood the wish to get things she couldn't have, from the many years she spent being poor. That, and Angel's presence had helped convince her husband to have at least one more kid.
"Mommy, you're not paying attention!" Angel admonished her daydreaming parent. "Push!"
[Yes, boss,] she joked back.
They both glanced over as the doors to the room flew open with a bang, and a dark-haired eight-year old burst in at a full run, screeching to a stop just beside them. "Momma's water just broke! Come on, Angel!"
The two girls bolted off for the maternity ward, leaving Lyta on her back on the floor, struggling to sit up and reach her chair. A therapist came over to help her climb up. "Nice to know where you stand, isn't it, Mrs. Allan?," he joked.
Lyta sighed, thinking to herself that [If I could stand, I'd run right along with them. Mrs. Garibaldi saved my life when she brought me here. If I'd been outside during the telepath war . . .] She let the idea dangle as she gave herself a push to the doorway.
~~~~
[Was it like that for me?]
"Hell, no. *You* were in a coma! You didn't even grimace! I had it much worse. I still ache. To say nothing of what *these* two things have done since yesterday!"
[Oh. I hadn't gotten around to asking Zack that yet. I'm still working through his messages and the news archives. Well . . . at least you *can* remember.] Lyta sighed. [Look on the bright side, you get to bond with your girl right away, and don't have to spend money on formula. Are you going to go with Michael's suggestion for a name?]
"I think so . . . Mary is a pretty name."
[I think she's waking up again.]
"Again? Doesn't she ever sleep? Angel did, so did Deb. Yup, she's awake. Come on, big girl, up you go. There. Let mommy hold you. Ugh. I had almost forgotten the 3 am changing. Well, time to get back in practice, right, Lyta?"
[Be my guest. I'll get out a new diaper.]
"Three in the morning . . . good thing I love you, little baby."
[Don't let Lise get to you, Mary. We are already up and gazing in admiration at you before you came to. So there.] Lyta gave her best, if slightly lopsided, grin as she let Lise have a 'verbal' jab.
~~~~
"Are you going to be ok on the trip? You've remembered your medications, Angel's toys and coloring book, the -"
[Yes, Micheal! For the tenth time, yes!] Lyta rolled her eyes and looked at him levelly. [I just want to get back to Zack again. Angel's homesickness is getting worse every day, and since I can walk normally again -]
"In mars gravity, not carrying anything, for only a few hundred meters! Come on, I'm planning on making another string of gourmet meals as soon as the delivery comes. Just a few more days?"
[Micheal, you know that I am very grateful for all you've done, and your cooking, but I can't live off charity. I have to try to start working again, but I need to complete my rehab for that, which I can't do here, however much I may love the friendship your family provides. I can't keep Angel from her father, you know that.] She hugged him. [The nanny you hired will help take care of Mary, hers will certainly be better than my own help was. Please don't draw this out any more, I'm on the verge of crying as it is. We will come visit.]
"Ok, ok, just so you don't start getting all soggy-eyed. . . any chance I could get one last change from you so I don't have to?"
Lyta laughed, then sighed wistfully. [How can a grown man be so scared of a little dirty diaper?]
"They're not that little! Mary eats like nothing, and she's barely a month old!"
[She's related to you, maybe.]
"Hey, I have not put on that much weight. . . I've just . . . distributed it more." He grinned innocently as he walked her to the shuttle's docking pad, where Angel was pacing around, telling the pilot for what had to be the millionth time that she was going home to daddy!
"Hi mommy! Everything's inside, and your chair is strapped in right next to my seat. The liner's gonna have half gravity and Aunty Lise said to make sure you didn't try to walk in the higher G's yet, so we made sure it was ready."
Lyta turned back to Micheal and gave him her strongest attempt at a bear hug. [Pass this on to your family. I'm going to miss them.]
He returned the hug, being very gentle as so not to break any of her still-fragile bones. "Promise you'll keep at your vocal exercises. You can't keep teeping thoughts to people, after a while you'll find a bigot that survived the war and get hurt! You have to practice talking out loud!"
She gave a nervous grin, and managed to softly pronounce the slurred words, "I'll see you soon, old friend."
"And you." He smiled at her, waving until the shuttle was out of sight of the window.
~~~~
(Three days later. . . )
"This is taking for-ever, mommy! Why won't you let me go 'round the line?"
[No. We have to do this right, Zack said so.]
"Okaaaaayyyy . . ." Angel sighed, and pushed Lyta's chair forward a few more inches.
Several minutes later, they were up to be carded. The guard recognized Angel instantly, but took a second to realise the frail-looking woman was her mother. He welcomed her with great sincerity, and asked, "Why didn't you go around, avoid the line?"
"Told ya so!" Angel said pointedly to Lyta, who just rolled her eyes and shrugged at the guard. "Mommy said we had to do it properly, like Daddy said to - is daddy here yet?"
"Chief's on his way." He glanced at Lyta for a second, about to ask why she didn't say anything, but Angel replied before he said it.
"Mommy's voice isn't all the way back yet. Her words come up stuck together instead of by themselves, so she's letting me do the talking." At his stern look, she added, "Everyone is asking that. I didn't scan."
The guard smiled and said, "Please continue, the Chief will likely be waiting. Your bags will be delivered, so don't worry about carrying them."
Angel gave Lyta a nudge to start the chair, but Lyta could push it herself once she had the momentum started. They went into the busy Arrivals area and started to look around for Zack.
They didn't see him for almost a minute, since he was trying to get down the corridors as fast as he could without actually running. He'd been pacing around their quarters, double-checking what he'd already double-checked to ensure Lyta would be able to reach and use the things he had, killing time until they arrived, then had gone overtime and had to hurry.
[I still don't know how we're going to do this,] he thought to himself as he weaved through the crowds. [I know I promised Angel that Lyta could stay with us, hell, I wouldn't make her stay elsewhere anyway! She said she's ok with it when I asked during the daily calls. But until larger quarters open up and we can move, there's still the sleeping arrangement to worry about. Would she want to? She can't fit with Angel any more than I would.]
His dilemma arose from the usual lack of space B5 had. Their quarters were two rooms, a main room and a bedroom, but both were quite small, and the bedroom only had room for two beds: Angel's little bunkbed which she often shared with Shawn on sleepovers, and his single-size bed. It could fit two in it, but they'd have to be close, really close. The narrow passage between the beds was the passage to the restroom, and there just wasn't room for a double bed to replace his single. He and Lyta would have to sleep together. Very closely together. Not that he minded, but Lyta was still weak, what if he rolled over by accident and hurt her? What if she didn't want to sleep with him? She'd been sleeping alone in a hospital bed during his stay on mars. They've never been together like that before, the closest was the few hours they'd spent before her departure, when Angel was conceived. [Oh, God, Lyta had been *good* that night. So very desperate for love, both emotional and physical. Maybe now Angel and I can provide the emotional. If she wants it. I sure love Angel, and I care for Lyta, I'm sure I'll end up loving her, too, soon. Physical . . . will have to wait. Possibly forever. Lyta is still so fragile, and I'm not about to do anything with Angel within earshot!]
He rounded the last corner into Arrivals, and was knocked halfway to the floor a few seconds later when Angel gave him a running hug.
"DADDY!" She shrieked gleefully, hugging him. He scooped her up in his arms, carrying her to where Lyta was wheeling up to meet them, and he knelt down and kissed her on the cheek. "Welcome home, Lyta."
She smiled up at him, holding one of his hands in her own. [Hi, Zack. . . I've missed you.] Her grin grew as she watched his heart melt, and he gave her hand a second kiss.
Angel, her voice muffled by Zack's shoulder, mumbled something to the effect of never going to stop hugging Daddy. He hoisted her up a little higher to look into her eyes. "What has uncle mike been feeding you? You've put on a least 10 pounds since I saw you last!"
"It's 12, I was told, and lots of pasta and stuff he brought in from wherever he could get it from. We was trying to get mommy fat again."
"Hey," Lyta slurred softly at them.
Zack put Angel down, and started to push Lyta's chair for her. "I've got supper waiting. I'm not as good a cook as Micheal is, but I can hold my own. Expect more decent meals, my loves, because one of you is still *far* too thin. I trust you've been taking all the supplements the doctors kept stuffing at you?"
"Yep," Angel said. "The vitamin ones taste ok, she says, the protein stuff is gross, and the calcium tabs are just plain bland. Mommy keeps saying she's tired of pills, but she still takes them like she's suppost to. I help check." From there, Angel's running commentary ran on to include some details (many of which Zack had already been told) about the past couple of months - her longest time ever away from him " . . . but Garibaldi has put enough dirty stories about daddy to fill my head but I'm not supposed to mention those because little girls aren't supposed to know such things - why'd you stop walking daddy? Hey mom, you're finally laughing again! YEAH!" Angel hugged her and resumed walking/strutting down the corridor.
"I'll have to have a little chat with Micheal later. . . " Zack muttered, watching Lyta giggling silently, smiling up at him.
She placed her hand on his. [Nothing too bad, Zack, I was told them too. One question?]
"Go ahead," he asked carefully as he started her rolling again, careful of Angel who was now tearing around them in circles, making starfury sounds as she ran.
[The night of June 14th, 61?]
"Uh -" Zack took a moment to remember, then started to panic as he began to recall the event.
[Sounds like fun. If you do it again, invite me?]
"What?!"
[Just wait until I can stand up long enough to actually dance with you . . . unless you'd rather spend time with the 'professional' dancers again? You're blushing.]
"Uh - yeah." He cleared his throat nervously. "Supper's - uh - waiting."
She chuckled into his mind and let her hand back into her lap.
"Oh! Daddy! Didya get it like I asked?"
"Get what, love?"
"The ice cream! Were you able to get ice cream imported for today?"
"Well, love, you know how hard is it to get even a single carton of it these days - "
Angel's face fell.
" . . . so you'll be very glad to know I managed two. Strawberry AND chocolate."
She shrieked with joy and raced ahead towards home.
~~~~
After dinner, they helped a by-then very tired Lyta change into a nightgown. It had been a long day. Zack helped support her to step into his/their bed (cursing silently the lack of room, he could barely even fit her chair in between the beds), and tucked her in sitting up. Angel put on her own PJ's and climbed in beside Lyta, eager for some of the bedtime stories Zack always reads to her. Lyta dozed off halfway through the first, Angel sitting almost in her lap, being hugged. They laid her down at the end and tucked her in again, then finished two more stories sitting on Angel's bed.
"Auntie Tess is gonna bring Shawn by tomorrow, right, daddy? He will wanna meet mommy." Angel giggled. "She hasn't been told who Auntie is, she didn't know her name before. This will be a good surprise." Her mumbling was interrupted by a big yawn. "But I did tell her Shawn’s daddy is Doctor Franklin, so I think she might have guessed. G'Night, daddy. I like being home again."
"G'night, love. Sweet dreams."
Zack hesitated before taking off his uniform. He'd always slept in a t-shirt and shorts . . . but it had been a long time since he's slept with a grown woman. He finally decided he wouldn't fit on the short little couch anyway, and pulled off his jacket and pants before getting in beside her. He could feel her ribs through her satin gown. [Way, way too thin still . . .] Her breasts were almost gone, a far cry from the ample pair he remembered from long ago, but an improvement from the lack she'd had when she woke up, the tissue gone from long years of low nutrition, even with the IV solutions she'd been on during her coma. She was gaining the weight back, slowly, as muscle was rebuilt. He stared at Lyta in the dim light as she slept, one hand running lightly along her hair. Even after her hair was trimmed back, it still reached to her waist. He loved her long hair, and was sure the long fiery braid would get more than a few jealous looks. It hadn't been damaged by sun or chemicals during her extended nap, and was in good condition.
He reached over and clicked off the lamp, then let himself off his elbow to lay down stiffly. The only light still on was from the dim glow from the bathroom's night light, put there when he'd begun the long and often difficult process of potty-training Angel. [Terrible two's! Accurate.] He decided to try to make the best of an uneasy situation and snuggled up beside her, being careful not to cover her in any way. His weight might cut off her circulation, or something.
~~~~
He woke up to the alarm talking to him, and the warm tender feeling that comes with spooning. She'd turned to her side during the night, and he was cuddled up behind her comfortably. He took a moment to bury his face in her neck and decide he liked sleeping with someone better than alone. Warmer. He liked Lyta's scent, too.
"Audio off," He ordered the computer before it could wake anyone else. Then he carefully got up, taking the time to cuddle the quilts around Lyta again so she'd stay warm.
********
Lyta spends more months doing rehabilitation, until she can walk easily in full gravity and is back in the normal mass range. Spends much of her time looking after Angel/Angel looking after her. By June of 2267, she is able to carry Angel piggyback as long as the gravity is 1/2 earth's or less. Shawn's regular nanny returns to Proxima with her family, and Lyta asks to look after him, since the kids get along so well, and she feels she owes Steven something for saving her life. Takes the kids for walks in the gardens (lots of public playgrounds), tutors them in other languages, math, reading, writing, etiquette (Zack wasn't much for culture but he wants Angel to learn), and other things. She tries very hard to keep busy, to try to keep away the restlessness she feels. She's felt useless ever since waking up. She doesn't want Zack's charity, but can't bear to leave. She knows he likes, even cares about her, and she loves/is loved by Angel, who also looks just like her. Zack's friendship was a reason to not leave to try starting out someplace else, but the main reason was Angel.
Her daughter had the same telepathic enhancements Lyta did. Final, bitter proof that the Vorlons had played with her genes to create the alterations. Lyta was spending a lot of time and mental energy to teach Angel - and herself - how to safely use and control the enhancements. It both scared and reassured her, that there was another one like her in the universe . . . she wasn't alone anymore.