This is my first time writing for OB, and I recently just binge-watched the show, so my characterization will probably be shitty. I haven't written in a while, so I'm pretty rusty, but I'm trying to get the hang of things right now. This first chapter is kind of slow, but it'll pick up next chapter for sure! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own Orphan Black
"We have to make a reservation for our wedding soon."
Delphine Cormier nods convincingly as she takes a sip of her third—or is it her fourth?—glass of wine. She wants to be interested, she really does, but she's so tired of this wedding talk; considering she's just gotten engaged last week, the fact should be pretty worrying. But, she muses after another sip, no one has ever had such a strange engagement.
"I found just the place for our venue," continues Aldous, looking as strangely serious as usual.
He was like that when he proposed, Delphine thinks to herself, and then internally questions, was it a proposal? Because she remembers very well that he'd just handed her the ring box, and without waiting for an answer, had slipped the ring on her finger as soon as she'd opened the box.
"You will marry me, won't you?" he'd asked afterwards, like he'd just remembered he had to ask.
Delphine almost giggles into her wine at the memory. She remembers how bewildered she must have looked, and how slowly her yes had come, and even more how very much it felt like she was making a business deal she couldn't get out of. The curt nod and thin smile Aldous had given after she had said yes had only worsened that feeling; Delphine almost wishes she could take it back.
"It's spacious," Aldous continues now (not noticing her almost-lapse), "so you may invite anyone you wish. It is quite beautiful, too; I didn't take any pictures, but I'm sure you'll like it. You trust my judgment, don't you?"
"Mmm, of course," Delphine hums as she empties her glass, only half-truthful.
Aldous notices she's finished her glass and waves the waiter over, and it's sad how it's the one thing he's noticed all night. Delphine wishes she could call it a night and just go home, but as the waiter—a skinny young man whose name tag says Felix—comes back, she allows her glass to be refilled, muttering a quiet thank-you.
"Good, I'm glad you do," Aldous says. "I'll take you to see the venue tomorrow morning, and we'll sign the paperwork to reserve it as soon as possible. They want a down payment, but don't worry, I'll take care of it..."
Delphine nods, listening halfheartedly, but her head is swimming. Doesn't he realize she could care less about this big, gorgeous venue? Her family is small, and her circle of friends even smaller. She doesn't need a big venue. She doesn't even need a big wedding. She doesn't want a big wedding, really.
The waiter comes by, giving Delphine a sympathetic look. Delphine had suspected she looked half-asleep, and the waiter's pity confirms it. She quickly sits up and pushes her glass away, trying to blink awake. This is her wedding. She ought to be happy. She ought to be excited. She ought to be...anything than bored. Which isn't working out.
"Excuse me, Aldous, I think I'll go wash up," Delphine says quickly.
Aldous accepts that with a nod. "Should I order something in the meantime? Dessert?"
"Non, I will be quick." Delphine grabs her purse and heads to the washroom, but at the last minute, veers away and heads through an exit nearby. The cold night air greets her, and she welcomes it greedily; she had not realized how stuffy it was inside.
Delphine decides to light up and wait a few minutes to clear her head. She wishes she could tell herself that it isn't Aldous stifling her, and that her life is fine as it is, but she is completely lost. She isn't sure why she is so lost over this; her life is exactly how she'd imagined for herself. She's successful. She is to be wed. Everything is going in the right direction and she should be loving it.
"My life is wonderful," Delphine whispers as she exhales a puff of cigarette smoke, trying to convince herself.
"Ya don't sound so sure," comes an unknown voice to her right.
Delphine starts, almost dropping her cigarette as she whips her head to stare. Standing next to her is a shorter woman, hands stuffed into an oversized jacket's pockets, the hood thrown over her face. As Delphine stares, the woman turns to meet her eyes.
"Can I steal one of those?" the woman asks, gesturing to Delphine's cigarette.
Delphine only hands one over silently, watching as the woman takes gloved hands out of her pockets to take it. Delphine lights it once it is in the stranger's mouth, then resolves to stare. She isn't sure what to do when strange women with heavy eye makeup talk to her. She isn't even sure if she should speak back.
"Thanks," the woman mutters around the cigarette in her mouth before taking a drag. She blows out a puff of smoke in an unexperienced manner, as if she's about to cough any second, but she shakes it off and looks at Delphine more clearly. "You really think your life is wonderful?"
Delphine doesn't realize her mouth is open until she feels how dry it is. "Um," she manages, swallowing quickly, "I...oui. I mean, yes. Yes, my life is fine." She quickly takes another drag of her cigarette to avoid continuing.
The woman shakes her head, taking her cigarette out of her mouth and flicking it at the floor in disgust. "You keep sayin' that, and you might make me hurl," she says. "I'm calling bullshit. You aren't happy."
Delphine blinks, confused. "I'm sorry...you..."
"I know what's going on with you, Cormier," the woman says bluntly. "Your life i'nt that great. But lucky for you, I'm here to call you out on your shit."
Delphine slowly moves to head towards the exit. "You must have me confused for someone else," she says, fumbling to pull her bag to her chest in a panic. "I do not—I am not—"
The woman snorts. "Bloody hell," she says, "you think I'm tryin' to murder you. Well, trust me, if I wanted you dead, you'd be dead. Magic wielders have rules, though, so sorry to burst your bubble."
Delphine looks around the street frantically, as if trying to find where this crazy, (hopefully) drunk women could have come from. Oddly, though, everything looks deserted; there are no more cars, every storefront is unlit, and no people are in sight. Delphine's fingers close on the restaurant door handle, fully intending to go back in, but then the woman steps closer, dark eyes earnestly focused on Delphine's face, and Delphine finds herself unable to move.
"I guess I'm scaring you," the woman says. "This shite just...it don't come easy, yeah?" She shakes her head slightly. "I'm Sarah," she introduces herself, "if that helps any."
"It is nice to meet you, eh, Sarah, but I must get going," Delphine says awkwardly.
"O'course. Gotta get back to your dotting fiancé, am I right?" Sarah says dryly. "Look, I'm not going to lecture ya or somethin'. That don't come with the job description. I'm really just supposed to cryptically ask you if anything's missing in your life, and then mysteriously leave, but I don't like that—I figure I should at least give you a hint."
"A hint?" Delphine echoes, letting go of the door handle curiously. "What—"
"You're missing something in your life," Sarah states. "So mule your life over, yeah? Remember something you really messed up in your life. Someone, even. I'm guessing I'm right about the someone." Sarah sticks her hands back in her pockets. "Check your phone. Think about it." She offers a small smile, turning to leave, but throws a final phrase over her shoulder: "Oh, and merry Christmas."
Delphine watches her leave until she is out of sight, and then she lingers by the door, deep in thought. This Sarah clearly is delusional—Delphine's life is wonderful—but at the same time, Sarah's words have struck something within her, because she does remember someone.
Someone who had mattered very much, before.
.
.
.
"You weren't supposed to see that!" Hands quickly yanked the box out of Delphine's still hands. Glasses were pushed up, and a mouth opened, beginning to babble about the box's contents. "I swear, this doesn't mean anything! I was just—keeping this, for, uh, a friend—I didn't mean to..."
Delphine exhaled shakily. "You want to marry me."
.
.
.
Delphine reenters the restaurant, quietly slipping into her seat.
Aldous looks up from his phone. "Ah, Delphine, I was worried you would never come back," he says airily, meant as a joke, but badly said. "Now that you're here, we should discuss flower arrangements. Rachel told me that calla lilies are quite the rage this year."
Delphine tries to focus, but the strange encounter with Sarah and a brief lapse into old memories has shaken her too much; it's Christmas Eve, she's tired, and she just wants to go home.
"That sounds lovely," Delphine lies, debating finishing her glass of wine, "but..."
"Rachel also recommended a few churches for us to visit," Aldous adds, definitely on a roll tonight; he's so concerned for this wedding to be planned, that for a second, Delphine imagines he's excited (which is hard to do, considering how stern-faced he still looks).
"Of course—Rachel," Delphine echoes, recalling Aldous's niece. Rachel Duncan has always been rather intimidating to Delphine, though Delphine reckons that is just because Rachel is protective of the man who raised her. "Aldous—"
"I know, the church should've been the first place to book—" he begins.
"No, Aldous, can we...discuss this later?" Delphine finally blurts out. "Je suis désolée, but I am just so tired."
Aldous looks slightly deterred, but after a few seconds, he smiles apologetically. "I suppose so," he says. "It is Christmas Eve, hmm? You must want to wake up early for tomorrow."
"Yes...that is exactly it," Delphine only mumbles, not at all looking forward to tomorrow.
"I'll come by your house at nine," Aldous says, calmly getting up and handing Delphine her coat.
"I will be ready," Delphine replies, defeated, standing to take her coat.
They exit the restaurant together after Aldous pays ("My treat," he'd insisted as Delphine had reached for her purse). Outside it's cold, as it always is around this time, and Delphine hugs her body to keep warm as she walks to Aldous's car. As she places her hands in her pockets, she nearly jumps as her cell phone buzzes, alerting her that someone has texted.
From: Unknown
To: You
You must have erased my number by now, so, hey...it's Cosima.
Delphine almost drops her phone in shock, her eyes darting to Aldous's face as she gingerly gets into the car. He hasn't noticed her distress, so Delphine quickly composes herself and tucks her phone away, pretending her heart isn't racing a mile a minute.
"Check your phone," Sarah had said, and also, remember something you really messed up in your life. Someone, even. Delphine gazes out of the window, hoping the sight of newly-falling snow might distract her, but it's no use—all she can think about now is Cosima.
.
.
.
"You—you want to marry me," Delphine repeated in a daze.
There was a nervous laugh. "Er—well, um, obvs. I kinda love you? Wait, that came out wrong," there was a pause, "but I'm basically just so, so in love with you, and—I want to make crazy science with you. As your wife. And I know this is such a stupid time to ask you, but—Delphine Cormier, will you...marry me?"
.
.
.
Aldous turns on the radio, instantly beginning to hum along to the Christmas song playing on the radio. Delphine vaguely recognizes it, but her mind is reeling; could it be the wine she drank that is making her feel so lost? Could it be something else? She gets a faint feeling as though she's panicking. But there would be no reason to, after all...
Have yourself a merry little Christmas...
"You should sing," Aldous tells Delphine in his cool manner. "I love your voice."
Let your heart be light...
Delphine tells herself it's the strange visit from this...Sarah. How dare anyone tell her that her life is not making her happy? Delphine has everything she wants. She should have everything she wants. She...she is...moving past anything that happened in the past.
Next year all our troubles will be out of sight...
"Delphine," Aldous says, to get her attention.
.
.
.
Delphine stared for so long. Longer than necessary, for sure. But, after such a pregnant pause, she strode forward and captured her lover's lips with her own. "Yes," Delphine gasped between kisses, "yes, yes, yes."
And Cosima, Delphine's lover, pulled away and gave a wide smile. "Yeah?" she echoed, her grin even wider.
"Oui," Delphine whispered, her own smile so wide it was almost hurting her cheeks.
Cosima's eyes softened. "I love you."
"Moi aussi, je t'aime," Delphine echoed, her hands placed on Cosima's cheeks.
.
.
.
"Delphine," Aldous repeats, placing a hand on her shoulder.
Delphine starts, quickly looking at Aldous, who gestures out the window. Delphine's flat building looms over the car, causing Delphine to blush. "Oh, I am sorry, I didn't realize," she says, hurrying to open the car door.
"I'll be by at nine," Aldous reminds her, giving her a curt smile.
"Yes. Goodbye," Delphine says, and she quietly takes her leave.
So have yourself a merry little Christmas now...
Once inside her apartment, Delphine takes out her phone again. There's another text waiting, one from the unknown number that Delphine knows is Cosima's, but she doesn't check what it says. Instead, she heads into her kitchen and grabs a bottle of wine, heading to her bed and throwing herself on it without bothering to take off her tight dress (or even her heels).
She falls asleep only aided by the wine, and with nothing but Cosima running through her mind.