Apology
By Ginamr
Summary: As obvious from the title, Eli apologizes to Chloe.
Rating: K+
Companion to "Pain".
He watched her staring out from the observation deck and a niggling feeling of guilt churned in his stomach. He'd broken his promise to her and she didn't even know why. He sighed softly, shaking his head. The things that he did for her amazed even him.
The worst part was that he didn't even know if she cared for him the way he did for her. It's why her teaming up with Rush had stung so severely. He wanted so much to believe that she was strong, but the truth was she was just as scared and vulnerable as everyone else.
"I'm sorry." It had come out feebler than he'd anticipated, but he had her attention. She turned to face him that hurt look in her eyes. He sighed and strode toward her. He took her hands in his and repeated it. "I'm sorry. Not that I told him, but that I had to break a promise to do it."
Chloe glanced away, moisture gathering in the corners of her eyes. "I just wanted a little more time with him," she whispered. "There was so much I never got to tell him."
"For all we knew, that thing could have killed you."
She sighed. "I know, but…" A thick silence pervaded the air for several long moments.
He swallowed roughly. "At least your Dad cared." He ran a shaking hand through his hair. "When I was a kid, my mom was trying to restrain a junkie when she got poked with the needle she'd used to inject the sedative. Not too long after, she was diagnosed with HIV."
She stared at him, her mouth open in shock. "Oh my God. What happened?"
He shook his head. "Needless to say, my mom couldn't get good enough insurance to cover the treatments and the medicines. My dad left when pretty soon after that when I was 14 because he couldn't handle the stress. He just abandoned my mom and me."
His revelation stunned her. In all the time they'd known one another, he'd never talked about this aspect of his life back on Earth.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
A half smile slid across his lips. "It's not your fault. He never was much of a father anyway. He cared more about himself than he did about my mother and I."
She laid a hand on his cheek. "That doesn't make what he did any less hurtful."
He chuckled ironically. "No. No, it doesn't."
Leaning forward, she brushed her lips against his. "I know you did what you thought was best, Eli. And I may not mean it now, but…thank you."
He sighed. "If you died because I didn't tell them something that could have saved you, I'd never forgive myself."
She smiled. "So…do you want to get some dinner? I heard we're having dehydrated fish and some of the fruit we picked up a dozen planets back."
"I'll take the fish, but I think I'll pass on the fruit."