Author: Lynda (rangerbaldwin@y...)
Title: Leaving John Alone
Summary/Warning: Relax. Delenn temporarily runs away. 10 years post marriage.
Slight A/U for reasons I can't explain here.
Feedback: Yes. Lots.
The door to President Sheridan's office was closed, the blinds drawn. Delenn and John had been secluded in there all morning. Still, every assistant nearby heard the yelling part of the argument, which had been raging for who knew how
long.
"Delenn! Don't! Don't do this!" came John 's voice
And then hers, "I'm going, John! You can't make me stay!"
"When did you get this idea? What's come over you?" he asked.
"Oh, sure, a male can have a midlife crisis, or cheat on his spouse and it's just the way men are, but a woman gets the nerve to change her life and it's 'What's wrong with you?' I'm going!" she hollered.
"But…I don't WANT you to!"
"This isn't about what you want, John . I've changed, but you don't seem to accept that. I don't want to be with you…or anyone! I'm going torejoin my clan and get out of the spotlight…don't touch me!"
"Please, Delenn, please, don't go…what did I do wrong?" John’s
voice had lowered, but a group of their assistants cowered by the office door and could easily hear his voice.
"It's what you haven't done…you don't cook, don't clean, and--"
Delenn opened the door to leave, startling the Minbari outside, who dispersed in a flurry of robes. Delenn finished, "--you're a bore in bed!"
The door slammed behind her as Delenn left. She carried with her a briefcase and that was all. John didn't follow Delenn out the door, much to the assistants' surprise. After all, the Sheridans had been a dream team for the last ten years, running the Alliance more smoothly than anyone imagined they would. Now it appeared they were splitting up and after Delenn's last comment it could be for good.
John couldn't believe Delenn was leaving him just like that. She'd been stewing for the last two days and he'd tried to get her to open up to him, but she wouldn't. He'd tried seduction, but that was a no-go, also. Now she was leaving him alone.
Well, not totally alone. There was David, 9, and the quintuplets.
Eight-year-old girls with brown hair and their father's hazel eyes. His daughters were different from each other, even though they were identical. Hannen was the family musician. Charlenn liked sports. Victoria was serious about art. Suzanne watched action movies and read a lot in her free time. Timorra took her gok everywhere, and played piano along with Hannen.
Delenn had told him in quieter conversation that she would be by to visit them, but she didn't know when. She'd composed a sneak attack in the last two days, packing up a few personal things and leasing an apartment of her own. Kindly, she hadn't cleaned out their bank account. Taking care of the children would be up to John; that was very clear.
Two Weeks Later:
John pinched himself, trying to wake up from this nightmare. This couldn't be happening in the waking world. But he just said, "ow," and flopped in the chair in his office. No dream was this, but real life.
John sat at his desk, plotting how to get David and the girls to their many after school activities. He had to attend a parent-teacher conference for Charlenn and Suzanne, who were in the same class. Then it was getting Charlenn to soccer practice, Hannen and Timorra to piano and Victoria to art class. Suzanne needed to get home and do her homework and take care of the gok, since Timorra couldn't. Well, David could help her with that.
John 's head was swimming. He had been leaving work every day at two-thirty and finally had three days off next week, when embassy parties weren't one a night anymore. He hated having vacation time and being limited in its use, but that came with the territory of being President.
He hadn't had time to find a daycare provider. It seemed his and Delenn's old stand-ins had sided with her and somehow disliked him, but he couldn’t fathom how. His parents and siblings were not on Minbar, so they couldn't help out and he wouldn't make the Rangers do it.
John sighed and came to the conclusion that the girls would just have to be late for practice. Then his phone rang and he got one piece of good news…he could go in at lunch for the parent-teacher conference. That would ease his after school stress greatly.
Delenn had stopped by each Saturday to spend time with David and the girls. She had driven them to see where she was staying now, taken them for a trip to the park, and dropped them off promptly for dinner. They were allowed to call her for anything. John was not. She seemed to be a totally different woman.
Although John had a couple of Rangers watching her, they couldn't tell him much. She wasn't seeing a man. Work was done from home, apparently. No unusual packages were delivered. No calls out of the ordinary.
When John saw Delenn the second time, he tried to tell her how much Suzanne missed her, but she seemed oblivious. He asked her to talk with their child anyway. Since then, their daughter's mood hadn't changed very much so John was keeping a closer eye on her.
He had assigned the children chores like picking out school clothes the night before and cleaning up their quarters, just to help him out. Every few nights, he had them round up their clothes to be washed, so anything not in the laundry bin at the appropriate time wouldn't get cleaned. The kid who did the best job on their chores got a treat, like picking the movie of the week, dinner, or staying up for an extra half-hour on Friday night.
John got up and locked the door to his office. He double-checked that the blinds were closed. Tightly. He sat at his desk, put his head down on his arms and cried. He missed Delenn, needed her, and wanted her back worse than ever.
A key jiggled in the lock, but he didn't care. Whoever it was could go ahead and come in. Then the thought came to him that only a few people had the key to his office. Must be important if they wanted in so much.
"John, stop that," Delenn ordered him. "What on Minbar are you crying for?"
"Well, you're gone, and…" John sniffled, having raised his head to answer her.
"Come on, John, we don't get written this way." Delenn comforted
him, hugging her to him.
"Written?" John asked.
"No, of course not. This story only has one purpose." Delenn
promised.
"Uh, what's that?" John was clueless.
.
.
.
.
"APRIL FOOL'S!!!"
The End