Everyone wants something from him. Kellogg wants his ideas, his tech, all of it for profit. Kiera wants his help. Emily wants more of his time. All Alec wants is sleep, but that's not going to happen tonight. His mind is spinning, his new ideas about reverse engineering the piece that allowed them to travel back in time, and Emily.
He's been working for 17 hours straight on the master key to the internet, and that's after being the mysterious section six and helping Kiera with one of her cases. His eyes are starting to itch and his jacket isn't keeping him warm anymore. It's cold and he is tired, but he can't sleep. Oh sure, he's tried laying down, he's even fantasized that his mind was a computer and all he had to do was click the sleep function, but none of it is working. It appears he can't lie to himself just as he couldn't lie like his Mom did on the stand.
He sighs to himself and rubs his eyes again. Muttering about sleep deprivation he gets up to make himself a cup of caffeine when he nearly jumps out of his skin at the sound of Kiera's voice.
"Alec." He hears her quietly say. He's already moving back towards his computer in preparation so he can be ready to look up something for her.
"Yeah, Kiera? What do you need?"
"I don't need anything, but you've been muttering about sleep and its effects on the brain for 10 minutes. You should be sleeping."
"I would if I could."
He blinks sluggishly, fingers lingering over the earpiece he must have forgotten to mute.
"Sometimes when I was coming in late from work, Sam he would be up and waiting for me." Kiera speaks softly and then goes quiet as she usually does when she mentions her son. He's about to think he imagined this conversation when she finally speaks again. "I used to tuck him in except occasionally he would be too wired to sleep. I tried to read to him, but when that didn't work I-I used to hum to him."
Alec moves over to his bed, bluetooth still in his ear, and fumbles until he is under the covers. He's breathing a little slower except it's doing nothing to relax his mind. When she starts to hum, he startles for the second time tonight, heart accelerating and blood rushing to his face. She continues as if she didn't hear his soft gasp even though it's Kiera and of course she noticed. He matches his breathing to hers and he feels a bit warmer, more comfortable, tension finally draining out.
Kiera hears his breathing even out and finishes the last few bars of her song.
"Good night, Alec." She whispers, before listening to his soft breath and falling asleep.
