My thoughts on a missing scene from Season 1, Episode 9: Family Time. This is what I think really happened between Kiera and Kellog on his boat, and no, it's not what everyone seemed to assume.
Author's note: This is my first story for Continuum, so I hope I did the series and the characters justice! Quotes from the show appear in italics.
Disclaimer: I don't own Continuum.
Two Lost Souls
"I'm married."
"There you're married. Here you're alone. Like me. Tomorrow's not promised, Kiera. Maybe it's best to stop living for a future that might not even happen."
He was touching her hair, caressing her cheek. She knew she should tell him to stop, but for some reason she didn't. She found herself staring into his eyes, and saw the longing there. The same longing she felt. Then he was kissing her, and she was kissing him back. She allowed herself to get lost in the moment. When his lips left hers, and found their way down to her neck, she suddenly snapped back to reality. She grabbed his shoulders with both hands and pushed him away from her.
"I can't," she gasped. "I'm still married."
Then, inexplicably, she felt tears welling in her eyes, and before she could stop them, they were streaming down her face. He pulled her to him, wrapping his arms around her and holding her against him, while she buried her face on his shoulder and sobbed. When she had finally cried herself out, she pulled back as far as his arms would allow, keeping her head down, avoiding his eyes. She was too embarrassed to look at him. She felt his fingers cupping her chin. Then he was slowly raising her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. His thumb gently wiped the tears off one cheek. His eyes were serious, as serious as she'd ever seen them.
"Whenever you decide you're ready to let him go, come and find me."
She nodded, unable to speak, and he dropped his hand and released her.
He walked past her to where the bottle of Scotch still sat on the counter. She watched as he poured two glasses. He took a sip from one before turning to face her, his expression still serious.
"Will you stay and have another drink with me?" He had a glass in each hand, and was holding one of them out to her. When she didn't respond, a playful grin crept onto his face. "I promise I won't make another pass at you tonight."
She could tell that the playful tone was an act, the smile a mask he had pulled on. She realized in that moment that he was lonely, desperately lonely, just like she was, and he didn't relish the thought of spending another night alone on his boat any more than she wanted to return to her empty apartment.
"Alright," she found herself replying. She took the offered drink, then added hastily, "But only as friends."
His eyes lit up in amusement. "I assure you, one rejection a night is enough."
She knew that his smile was real now, even without her CMR to tell her. Despite everything that had just happened, she couldn't help but smile back.
He strolled over to the couch and sat down, then gestured to the seat beside him. "If you're going to stay, you might as well get comfortable."
He was right, of course. She made her way over and sat next him, but was careful to leave some room between them.
They sipped their drinks in a comfortable silence. The water gently lapped at the sides of the boat. The Scotch slowly spread a relaxing warmth throughout her body. After a while, she casually remarked, "You know, I see what you were saying about the Scotches from this time. They really are amazing."
"They certainly are," he replied in a satisfied voice, taking another sip from his glass.
The silence enveloped them once again.
She was startled when he broke the silence to ask, "Do you want to talk about it?"
She looked at him warily. "About what?"
"About why you came here tonight." He paused to smile jokingly at her. "Because obviously my earlier assumption was wrong."
She hesitated, unsure of what to say. Her gaze fell to the glass in her hand. "I – I had a really bad day. I guess I just didn't feel like being alone tonight."
When she looked up, his smile had vanished, and he was staring at her with sympathetic eyes. He nodded. "I understand."
She took the last swallow of her drink.
He nodded toward her empty glass. "You want another?"
She contemplated her empty glass for a moment, then shrugged. "Sure."
He took her glass and went to the counter, where he poured a refill for each of them. She watched him return with their drinks, and gratefully took the glass he offered her.
"Thanks," she murmured, as he took his seat beside her.
He smiled gently at her, and held his glass up in a toast. "Here's to good Scotch, and better days."
She forced a smile of her own, clinked her glass against his, and drank.