They'd grown up together and we're close at some point of their youth, best friends even. She doesn't really know how they ended up where they are now. At least that's what she tells herself because the idea that she'd hurt him into becoming the cold and calculated person he is today is something she not sure she can live with. They'd gone from late night star gazing and sharing meals to a cold distance in mere seconds with the utterance of one declaration "I'm Pregnant. Jake and I are getting Married tomorrow." It was done. She'd made her choice and she was going to have to live with it. She tried her damnedest to step into the role of a good wife and mother. What else could she do she loved her daughter and that's what mattered, right?

Now some 16 years later they sit across from each other in a council meeting engaged in the all too familiar bitter dance they found themselves in, debating what she doesn't even really care. She wonders if she only fights him on everything because any interaction with him is better then none.

"Abby we can't afford to waste resources on an experiment" he yells across the council table

"There is plenty of evidence to suggest that this could work. It could save lives Kane. Don't we have an obligation to our people to try?" It was a long shot and she knew it. It wasn't so much evidence as an educated speculation but she was going to fight him tooth and nail anyway. That's what they did.

"Those resources are needed in the agricultural lab. Don't we have an obligation to feed our people?" His statement was delivered with an icy stare and a slight smirk that gave her a shiver.

"How certain are you that if we allocate these resources that you would be able to develop the vaccine?" Councilor Collins asks breaking their unwavering eye contact.

"I have a lot of hope that…" Abby starts.

"Oh here we go again. Hope! That's what you want to hang the future of our people on? Your Hope?" Marcus cuts her off.

"Yes Kane hope! Some of us have a heart to still hope for our people!" She counters as a dark chuckle escapes his lips.

"Damn your hope Abby"

"That's enough!" Thelonious interjects "let's try and keep this from spiraling out of control like the last meeting. We'll take it to a vote. All in favor of the reallocation of resources from agricultural to medical say aye."

Abby's voice was the only one to speak up. He smirked and mouthed "checkmate". God how she hated his arrogance.

"Then this concludes our meeting we'll reconvene on Monday. I'll have the itinerary sent your data pads" Announced Thelonious.

She stands up to leave but he catches her elbow standing unnecessarily close "You know Jake invited Jaha and I over to watch the soccer match tonight. Should I bring anything?" He stares at her as if the only joy he found in life was watching her squirm and god he could do it better then anyone she knew. He had stayed friends with Jake after their falling out for what reason she's not entirely sure. They weren't that close to begin with. It was almost part of her punishment, his regular presence in their home.

"He didn't mention it. I'm sure we're ok though. I have a shift in medical tonight too bad I'll miss you guys." She smiled as his smirk fell. Checkmate.

She'd spent more time then necessary in medical that night. Busying herself with inventory that she told herself had to be handled tonight. When she finally ran out of things to do she made her way back to the quarter she shared with her husband and daughter. As she grabbed the handle to their front door she was shocked to hear raised voices on the other side. 'No there was no way they were still there' she thought it was just past one in the morning. She steeled herself and opened the door 'of course they're still here he wouldn't let her win that easy'

"Hey guys a little late isn't it?" She tried to ask casually.

"Hey babe. Sorry Marcus talked us into watching the next match in the season. Clarke's staying at a friends tonight so I thought why not? Hope that's ok?" Jake greeted her.

"Yeah sure" she responds. She can feel Marcus's eyes on her during the interaction. She almost feels bad as she crosses their living room and snakes her arm over husbands shoulders and places a kiss on his cheek. Marcus looks away then. "I don't want to interrupt I'm just gonna grab some dinner and head to bed. You boys enjoy."

She lets out a relieved sigh as the door to their kitchen closes behind her and gives her a break from Kane's presence. She'd been too distracted today to remember to eat. She took out what food she had in their fridge to make a sandwich. They'd had a good harvest recently and was lucky enough to get ahold of a few vegetables including a tomato and she'd been looking forward to enjoying it. She'd started slicing the tomato when the kitchen door swung open. Damn him.

He just stared at her a moment before she asked "Did you need something Kane!"

"Just grabbing a few beers Abby don't let me disturb you" he put his hands up glancing down at the knife in her hands. She can tell he's had a few already. She try's to ignore him as she turns back to the task at hand. Easier said then done as he moved towards her. Without saying a word he reached out a hand and softly brushed her hair to one side exposing the back of her neck. Her breath hitched as she felt his warm breath from behind her his fingers continued tracing her neck.

"Fuck!" She'd let her hand slip and blood now dripped from her freshly sliced index finger. His hand moved quickly away.

"Shit Abby! I'm sorry. Are you ok?" He searched frantically for a towel or something to wrap her hand in. He quickly found one and wrapped it around her hand. He looked scared and for the first time in years she saw Marcus not Kane. Their eyes meet for what seemed like forever before there was a call from the other room.

"Hey you guys ok in there?" Jake yelled breaking them from their trance.

"Yeah hon just accidentally cut my finger. It's fine doesn't seem too bad" Abby replied. She lowered her voice to Marcus "I think you should leave Kane." Pulling them back into their respective nodded his head as Jake came into the room.

"Are you sure? let me see." Jake stated with concern.

"Yeah I'm sure who's the doctor here anyway." She joked.

"Alright alright. Hey where'd Marcus run off to." She hadn't hear him slip out of the kitchen and apparently their quarters all together.

"I guess he decided to call it a night. He said something about training tomorrow morning" she covered.

"You know you really have to stop scaring him off Abs dude's too serious as it is. He needs to unwind from time to time or he's going to exploded." Jake chuckled.

"I didn't scare him off. Look I'm apparently too tired to eat I'm gonna head to bed, you finish watching your game and I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay I'll clean up here. love you" he said as he kissed her forehead.

" love you too" she whispered as she retreated to their bed room. She wasn't going to get any sleep tonight as her thoughts swirled from Jake to Marcus and back to Jake again. She sometimes wondered if Jake was too good for her.