5 years ago
Delphine turns around as she flips her hair out of her coat, "So, I'll see you tonight?"
"Definitely, just text me the name of the restaurant." Cosima smiles warmly at her, leaning against the support beam in Felix's loft. She doesn't bother to finish tying off the sash to her favorite robe.
"D'accord." Smiling, Delphine fixes her coat before walking over to her, placing a hand on Cosima's cheek as she leans in for a passionate kiss much like the ones she's stolen from her yesterday and this morning, "I'll see you then."
"Yeah, you too." Cosima offers her another bright, charming smile when Delphine leaves.
. . .
By the time Delphine reaches Leekie's car, she finds her good mood slowly waning, replaced by a dull lack-luster for her current position, "I told you to wait a block down the road, I don't want her to see you."
"You're not changing the plans, are you, Delphine? Need I remind you that this is a once in a lifetime oppor-"
"-Please. Just drive, Aldous. The plan hasn't changed."
Cosima wanted to scream.
She wanted to throw her glass of wine in Leekie's face and stomp out of the restaurant and never see either of them again.
"Cosima, I'm not sure if either of you have met, but this is my fiancee, Delphine Cormier. We're going to get married as soon as we reach New Earth." Leekie gives her a smug smile, arm wound tightly around Delphine's waist should she get any ideas.
This can't be happening.
Kissing Leekie's cheek, Delphine avoids Cosima's eyes and keeps a fake smile lovingly plastered on her face for the sake of surviving. She wouldn't be able to leave her if she were to see Cosima's eyes, knowing full well that she probably looks like a kicked puppy thrown out in the rain to fend for itself.
Cosima fights not to shake as she gulps to keep bile down. How could she do this to me after everything.. "-We've met.. I was just leaving." She murmurs, barely managing to restrain herself enough to set down the glass of wine on the table that probably cost as much as her car, "Excuse me."
Darting past Delphine, she barely manages to walk down the stairs and leave the restaurant before letting out a strangled sob. Too frustrated to fumble with her coat, Cosima walks towards where she parked her car and barely manages not to fall down onto the snow that lined the sidewalk.
How could she?
Inside The Sadler Household - the following morning
"-has declared martial law. Everyone is to stay inside unless absolutely necessary. Avoid all contact with the-"
"I can't stand any more of this." Siobhan grabs the remote and turns the television off before tossing it down on the table with more vehemence than required.
Alison waits in silence as the group processes the sudden information. They had to get out .. "Wait, where's Felix and Cosima? Did they make it back?"
"They came home at about twelve. Cos' was pretty worked up because that French bitch decided she wanted to get hitched with some old professor."
So they're not on a first-name basis anymore, I see..
"Cosima might be a night owl, but she's usually up before noon.." Alison, ever the worry-wort of the family, chews on her lip anxiously, reverting to the old habit despite breaking it years ago.
"Who's up before noon?" Cosima grumbles just loud enough for the others to hear as she clings onto the railing once she reaches the bottom of the stairs, rubbing an eye with the back of her hand, "Damn.. I feel like shit."
Alison glances over at Cosima only to stop and grab Sarah's arm with a vice grip, "Oh my lord.."
"Ow! Ali what the bloody hell is-" Sarah stops in her tracks, eyes landing on the conjunctival hemorrhages that are just beginning to take over both of Cosima's eyes, "Oh, shite.."
"What's going on?" Cosima grumbles again in confusion, swollen eyes still struggling to adjust to the lighting, "God, I know I look like horrible from freaking out last night, but it shouldn't be that bad."
Siobhan stops nursing her cup of tea, setting it down and standing to watch the clone mournfully.
This wasn't supposed to happen to them..
"Cosima, chicken.." Siobhan walks over to her, careful not to get too close, "Is your chest aching?"
"You're too late," Alison leans against the front door of Siobhan's house, having been the only one out of all ten current occupants (besides Rachel, of all people) willing to answer the door to Delphine, "PHAC took her away this afternoon."
"Her phone-" Delphine blinks in astonishment when she speaks to a closed door. Huffing in annoyance (and worry), she turns around and retreats to the warmth of her car. She could only hope Cosima was okay, wherever she was. Delphine expected at least a few angry ranting texts from the American clone... but the silence she received instead was unnerving.
She could save Cosima if she'd only let her. She had intended to. One of the stipulations of agreeing to follow Aldous into their 'new world' was that Cosima would be safe. By marrying Aldous, she freed up a ticket for Cosima to come with her. The future was no longer on Earth.. leaving Cosima here with the other unfortunate casualties felt akin to slaughtering the person she'd sworn to protect. The only thing she could do now was twist Leekie's arm until she was granted access to find Cosima.
She'd drag her onto the Voyager if she had to.
Inside, Cosima sits on the floor, notably separated from her sisters while Alison finds a room for her to stay in as she taps her fingers along her arm, "What are we gonna do? If she double checks it, we're all screwed." Glancing at her phone and shutting it off, she rests her chin against her knees, completely exhausted.
"We'll figure something out, Cos." Disinfecting the stairway railing for the third time at Siobhan's behest, Sarah takes a break at the base of the stairs to walk over to her and sit down in front of the American clone, "Right now, you need to focus on resting and getting over this, yeah?"
"Yeah.."
"Come on," Sarah stands, spotting Alison coming downstairs with a final nod of approval, "let's get you settled."
"Niehaus, Coh-see-mah." Delphine repeats into the phone, rubbing her forehead in agitation, "N-I-E-H-A-U-S. ... C-O-S-I-M-A." Getting up from the couch in Rachel's office, she paces across the room as the man on the other end of the line continues to give her rambling excuses, "Yes, I am very well aware that your department is in over its head with the infected-Well tell them to look faster! The sooner you get her off of your list, the sooner you have the time to look for someone else!"
"I'm sorry, ma'am, she's not here!" Delphine can hear the man on the other end of the line as he panics over the idea of losing his job, "M-maybe she just hasn't been logged yet. I'm sure if you call back in-" Returning to the couch, Delphine ends the call before letting out a tired curse, biting her nail nervously.
The last boat leaves in an hour, if she can't find Cosima by then, she simply has no choice.
She couldn't bear the idea of leaving Cosima behind, but she also couldn't stand for throwing her life away just so she can die in order to try finding someone who may be..-
"Delphine." Leekie is leaning against the glass door, "Are you coming? The car is waiting out front."
"I'll leave in a few minutes, Aldous. Go ahead without me."
...
Siobhan opens her eyes, furrowing her brows in confusion when she realizes Cosima is no longer in bed. She remembers taking a risk in holding Cosima when the clone broke down in tears, having let her cry it out while assuring her that they'd find a way to keep her alive.. She also remembers falling asleep in the same bed out of exhaustion from being up for two days straight, prolonging her exposure to the virus Cosima was carrying.
"Chicken?" Getting out of bed and checking the bathroom attached to her bedroom, Siobhan heads downstairs, running a hand through her hair long enough to brush out any stray tangles. Catching sight of Cal, Sarah, and Kira asleep on the pull out couch before spotting Felix, she carefully maneuvers her way around the couch to gently shake his shoulder, "Felix, have you seen Cosima?"
Stoned and sleepy, by the time Felix points to the news reporting the ship's departure, he's fast asleep.
Siobhan leaves a note for the others on the fridge, taking the car to go find the clone before she ends up getting herself into more trouble than she can handle.
She's hardly known most of the house's new occupants for long; but, they'd quickly become an unconventional family of sorts.
...
Delphine's heart twists painfully as she walks the steps up onto the boat that would lead everyone on it to safety.. and to the Voyager. She was one of the last people to board the ship, waiting for as long as she possibly could. Glancing back at the mass of protesters in search of a familiar face, her stomach drops as she boards. She quickly heads to the side of the ship to find Aldous.
It's hard to make out what most of the protesters are demanding, for some its knowing what the governments have been hiding from them, for others, it's wailing over the fact that most political and scientific lives are being saved over that of the every-day citizens. When the boat's horn blows, several protesters begin to become more violent, people jumping into the sea in order to stand a chance of catching on to the boat.
The waves seal their fates.
Behind a madman chucking rocks at the boat's security crew, Delphine can just spot a familiar red coat and cat-eye glasses. Cosima is pushing her way through the crowd, almost to the edge of the dock by the time the boat departs.
Delphine can just make out red eyes, the first sign of infection.
Sighing in relief when she realizes one of Sarah's relatives is all but dragging Cosima to safety once the older woman catches up, Delphine fights not to demand to be let off the ship.
It's too late now.
Both of their fates are sealed.