A/N: Here's chapter 2! I just want to say that I know nothing about the Canadian school system or academic ranks, but I did my best to figure it out :) Please remember that English isn't my first language and that you'll come across a few mistakes while you're reading. Enjoy!

She was staring at me with a blank expression on her face, not blinking once. I wanted to say her name again, or reach out to take her hand and tell her everything was okay, that I was alive and healthy, but nothing came out. My body was frozen in its seat, and my vocal cords had lost all their ability to speak, while my brain was screaming at me to do something. I just sat there, unable to do anything but watch her as she hastily slipped her arms into the sleeves of her white wool coat. Her trembling hands unsuccessfully tried to button it, before she swung her purse over her shoulder and left the area without saying a word.

"You two know each other?" Veronica asked, her eyes full of curiosity as a smug smile formed on her face.

"I…" I whispered, staring into the direction in which Cosima took off, as I slowly stood up from my bar stool. "I don't know."

It's been almost seven years. She still looks the same, but her personality could have changed drastically. It's possible and maybe… maybe I don't know her anymore. The only thing I do know, is that I need to go after her as quickly as possible, so I grabbed my coat and practically ran towards the exit of the central hall.

The icy wind knocked all the oxygen out of my lungs and cooled the hot skin of my face, while my eyes scanned the main square of the campus, the heart of the univeristy. My own heart began to beat faster and faster, and my hands grew sweaty when I spotted her. She was sitting on one of the wooden benches, her back turned towards me, while a sniffling sound filled the air. It took me a few seconds to realize she was crying. I took a deep breath, gathered all the courage I could find, and kept walking until I reached the bench she was sitting on. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, while her fingers fumbled with the little silver 'G' that hang from her necklace.

"Cosima," I whispered anxiously, trying my best not to startle her. She shot her head up, gasping for breath as her hands flew to her forehead.

Her eyes studied my face for a few seconds before she averted them, focusing on the snow below her feet. The silent treatment, the tears, the shock in her eyes… I had not anticipated the effect it had on me, cutting through my heart and stabbing me in the gut.

"Cosima," I said a little more loudly, hoping she would at least acknowledge my presence. She didn't move a muscle and kept staring at the ground. "Please don't cry."

"Delphine?"

"Yes?" I sighed, a feeling of hope rising in my belly when the sound of my name rolled from her lips.

"Why are you here?"

Seriously? Out of all the things she could ask me, this is what she wanted to know the most?

"I work here."

"Oh," she huffed. "So you're the new professor they're talking about? Awesome."

"The rumors aren't true. I never…" I felt the need to defend myself, explain how Dan offered me a job without expecting things in return, but was cut off when her voice filled my ears once again.

"I know," she said, shrugging her shoulders. "Those girls love spreading lies and rumors about other women."

"So they're not your friends?"

"Nope."

"Oh."

Merde. This is awkward. Maybe running after her wasn't such a good idea. I reached inside my pocket and pulled out a cigarette and lighter.

"Can I sit?" I asked quietly, lighting the cigarette.

"Sure," she whispered, shrugging her shoulders again.

I inhaled deeply and slowly puffed out a cloud of smoke, until I felt relaxed enough to continue the stiff conversation between us.

"Do you work here too?" I asked awkwardly, not sure if she appreciated the fact that I was showing a little interest in her personal life.

"Yes."

"Oh."

Did she even want to talk to me? She surely would have been more talkative if she were actually happy to see me again.

"Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology."

A small smile curled at the corners of my mouth, I don't know why, but a feeling of immense pride unfolded in my chest.

"I finished my PhD after…" she continued, but stopped talking abruptly. I watched her as she screwed her eyes shut and licked her lips as she took a deep breath. The memory is probably still too painful to her. I instantly felt the overwhelming urge to take her in my arms and hold her until all those cruel events were erased from her memory.

"I finished my PhD a few years ago and started working here. I'm a senior lecturer now and I really enjoy teaching all the new biology students."

A wave of emotion rushed through me. Cosima completed her PhD after everything she went through, and now she's passing her knowlegde onto the new kids. I've always hoped that Cosima would finish her studies, and the fact that she did makes me feel so proud.

"That's great Cosima. I'm so happy for you," I said, my voice cracking with emotion.

She opened her mouth again, but didn't get the chance to say anything, because the sound of laughter cut through the bubble we had created around us. A group of people was running around the campus, laughing as they started a snowball fight and interrupted our conversation. Cosima stood up from the bench, and I almost reached out to pull her back down, but managed to keep my hands in my pockets while she buttoned her coat.

"I'm going back inside," she announced. "I guess I'll see you around this semester."

"Or we can take a walk around the campus?" I suggested boldy. I wasn't ready to let her go.

She let out a heavy breath and looked up at the sky. I followed her gaze and was amazed by the amount of stars lighting up the sky. A million tiny lights sparkled above us, reminding me of a night I shared with her years ago.

-"Do you ever feel like a balloon?" I asked, looking into her dilated pupils.

"What?" she laughed, raising her eyebrows. Her giggle sounded like one from an anitmated kids cartoon. "You're so funny."

"No Cosima, I'm serious."

"No, I never feel like a balloon. Do you?"

"I feel a little lightheaded right now, but I wish I were a balloon sometimes. One filled with helium so I can fly towards the clouds and just go with the flow of the wind. Let it take me wherever it leads me. It would be so liberating."

"Holy watershed Delphine," she giggled. "This stuff is quite good eh?"

"Look! I'm a balloon," I said, climbing onto the couch before I jumped in the air, moving my arms up and down like a bird.

Cosima burst out laughing, jumping up and down as she clapped her hands together in excitement, which made her look like a young child.

"Yes! Yes! You're a balloon."

"Yes, and I am going to fly to the sky, gather all the stars in my arms and give them to you. Millions of golden stars, just for you, because that's what you deserve and nothing less."

"That's oddly romantic Delphine," she whispered, filling another purple balloon with helium before she took another drag from her freshly rolled joint. Helium and pot… the perfect ingredients for a fun night Cosima had told me, and she was definitely right. I can't remember the last time I laughed so much.

"And what are you Cosima? Are you a balloon also?"

"I am, uh, helium and I'm way funnier than polonium," she laughed, inhaling the gas and squealing with laughter.

We danced, laughed, joked around and kissed, before we collapsed on the couch afterwards. That was the first time I told her I loved her, and I still remember how good it felt to say it out loud. We made love on the Persian rug that night, because I finally felt brave enough to go down on her, something I had never done before and was extremely anxious about. She was so unbelievably sweet, incredibly caring, patient and encouraging, stroking my hair, whispering directions and telling me she loved me too.

"Cosima?" I whispered, bringing us back to the present. "Please walk with me."

"I don't know Delphine. It's dark and snowing."

"Ten minutes?"

She focused her attention on the group and let out a shaky breath, obviously conflicted with herself.

"Okay, ten minutes."

I jumped to my feet and we began our stroll around the campus. The snow was falling from the sky, landing on Cosima's dark dreads and eyelashes, making her look like an angel in that white coat of hers. It was a pretty romantic scene, us walking together in the snow and Cosima looking like an angel. I wanted to tell her, tell her that she still looked absolutely stunning, but wisely kept my mouth shut. She's walking next to me, talking and answering my questions without sounding too hurt or furious, and that's more than I could have hoped for. I couldn't ruin this.

"Did I scare you with my presence?" I asked softly, keeping my eyes on the ground below my heels.

"Yes. I mean, I knew you survived that gunshot wound at the DYAD, but I never expected to see you here tonight. I always thought you moved back to France."

Relief washed over me the second those words left her mouth. She knew I was still alive and healthy. There has always been a slight chance that no one ever told her about my recovery.

"You knew?"

"Yes, Krystal saw you get shot, but she told us you were still alive when they took you to Revival."

"Krystal?" I was stunned. What in the world was Krystal doing there?

"Yes, you know Krystal? Another member of Cloneclub."

"Oui, I know who Krystal is," I chuckled sheepishly, remembering a particular interesting manicure appointment. "This is a little surreal don't you think?"

"Yes, absolutely," she laughed, warming my heart, my face, my whole body.

The tension between us seemed to fade bit by bit as we kept walking and talked about work. Neither of us was feeling brave enough to change the subject into a more serious one. I wanted to ask her about her sisters, about Kira, about Siobhan and Felix, but I couldn't. I didn't want to pry into her personal life, because I didn't know if she would tolerate that.

"Are you new colleagues nice to you?"

"I think so," I nodded. "I haven't really spoken to them, but they seem allright."

"That's good. Jackie Murray is in your department right? She's really nice. I bet you two could be friends."

"Oui, Dan just introduced me to her."

"I guess you don't know a lot of people here yet?"

I shook my head and wanted to ask her about her friends, her social circle, her hobbies, her recent research, if she was seeing someone. Oh mon Dieu, maybe she's married. I quickly scanned her fingers for any evidence of a lifetime commitment and felt my heart skip a beat when I didn't spot a wedding ring. Maybe she's still single. Merde, Delphine! Why do you care so much? Girlfriend or no girlfriend, it shouldn't matter to you... maybe she's still with Shay. I felt my body slipping into a state of panic at the thought, which was actually quite hypocrite, because I was the one who encouraged Shay to be good to Cosima.

"Delphine?" Her breathy voice pulled me out of my thoughts and that's when I noticed that she was struggling to keep up with my pace.

"Oui?"

"Let's g.. go back," she suggested, pointing to the main building with her eyes closed, her breath coming in short gasps.

"Cosima," I whispered, placing my hands on her shoulders to look her in the eye. "Are you allright?"

"Yeah, yeah," she said as her body tensed under my touch. She took a few steps back and I instinctively released her shoulders, feeling a little hurt by her obvious rejection.

"It's j.. just," she flushed, while her hands began to gesture wildly. She looked extremely nervous all of a sudden. "I… I had a lobectomy right after I was cured, because the growths didn't reduce in size, kept bleeding and leaking pus. We tried everything, but nothing worked, so my doctors decided to remove that part of my right lung and that's…"

"Merde, Cosima," I gasped, cutting her off. "You should have told me. I would have never asked you to take a walk with me if I knew."

"I'm f.. fine Delphine. I'm not even aware of it most of the t…time. It's just been a very long day and the weather conditions make it a little more challenging for me to breathe normally."

"Okay," I nodded, quickly avoiding an argument. I didn't want to get accused of mothering her. "Let's go back."

As we strolled back to the main building, I noticed that Cosima was actually exhausted, because her pace began to slow down.

"Are you tired?" I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

"A little."

"You can hold onto my arm if you need to," I suggested bravely, preparing myself for another rejection. I turned my head to the side to look at her, but she kept her eyes focused on her feet as if she were having trouble to put one in front of the other.

"No thank you. I'm fine."

I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her roughly. Her stubbornness is still there and I hadn't missed it for a second. We walked in silence and it took us at least ten minutes to reach the main square, which immediately proved my suspicions about her being exhausted. Ten minutes… I would normally do it in five. I was about to ask her if she needed a break when I saw the bench coming into view, but quickly swallowed my words when I suddenly felt her hand curl around my upper arm for support. A swarm of butterflies erupted in my stomach at her touch. God I've missed that.

"I think I'm going home," she whispered, tilting her head up to lock her eyes on mine.

"That's a really wise decision," I smiled, leading her towards the building. "Do you need a ride? I can ask Dan to drop you off too."

"No, that won't be necessary. I'm not an invalid."

"Sorry," I whispered, a little taken aback by her harsh words. "Do you want to go back to the reception or…?"

"Yes. I came here with Gavin. I can't really leave without him. He has the car keys," she chuckled.

She took another step and tugged my arm, silently asking me to walk her into the centrall hall. My heart began to race, my mouth went dry and my palms grew sweaty when I realized that she was leaving in less than three minutes. I didn't even get the chance to ask her about the things that really mattered. The DYAD, Revival, the cure, her health… or who Gavin was. Gavin? Maybe the silver 'G' pendant from her necklace refers to him? Hanging someone's initial around your neck is something you would only do when that person is special to you. Like a boyfriend or a child. A boyfriend…? Cosima? Non, non, non… c'est impossible. I really need to know more about her life.

"Cosima?"

"Yes?"

I felt my face heat up, and my stomach constricted with anxiety as I tried to form words in my brain. Words that didn't sound too eager or too straightforward, because I only have one chance.

"Eh," I started awkwardly, a furious flush creeping up my neck. "We haven't really talked about the past seven years right?"

"That's… correct," she confirmed, analyzing my expression intently.

"And I'm kind of feeling the need to discuss it over a glass of red wine."

Her eyebrows shot up to her hairline, a small smile forming on her face.

"I don't drink anymore."

"Okay then," I sighed, not ready to give up so easily. "Let me take you out to dinner tomorrow."

"Delphine," she whispered, leaning towards me. "I'm not interested in a date."

"Mon Dieu, non! I'm not asking you on a date. Just dinner, to talk things over."

"I don't know Delphine. There's not much to talk about."

"You think?" I managed to suppress a sarcastic laugh. "What about what happened to you after I was shot and what you've been up to those past seven years?"

She screwed her eyes shut and began to nibble on her bottom lip as she breathed a deep sigh.

"Okay fine. One dinner, one serious conversation in which we discuss the past, and that's it, because after that, we're nothing more than colleagues working at the same university. Deal?"

"Wow," I said as my eyes grew wide. Her words sliced through me like knives, cutting my arteries, my tendons, my muscles, my entire being. I don't like how much effect she still has on me. I don't like it one bit.

"Sorry," she chuckled sheepishly. "It's just that I've built a whole life for myself. Everything is quite perfect right now and seeing you here, it brings back painful memories. It's nothing personal, I… I just don't want to relive the past."

"I understand Cosima," I smiled. "But I hope that my presence also brings a few good memories?"

"Yes, yes, of course. I loved you Delphine. You were the love of my life and I seriously thought that we were meant to be, that we would build a life together. Just us, and maybe a dog, living a quiet life full of research trips."

I don't know how she does it, but she manages to crush my heart, stomp on it, and mend it in a time span of only ten seconds.

"Me too Cosima."

"Yeah, but it didn't turn out that way and I've accepted that. I moved on and I'm very, very happy with the way things are right now."

"I'm so glad to hear that. You deserve all the happiness in the world," I said, swallowing my tears and trying to remain calm. She moved on and has built a life for herself, it's everything that I had hoped for, but I'm not in it and it hurts like hell.

"Why don't you give me your phone number?" she suggested, smiling at me. "I'm not sure if tomorrow fits my agenda. I need to make a few arrangements first."

"Yeah sure." I gave her my number and took the opportunity to scan her body again. God, she looks so beautiful.

"How's your breathing?" I asked, noticing that she was breating a little more easily.

"Better. I really need listen to my body."

"You should."

She gave me a sweet smile and looked into my eyes before she leaned forward, I was sure she was going to hug me goodbye, when suddenly, a low voice filled our ears.

"Cosima!" a tall man said, making her turn around. I inwardly cursed him for interrupting such an intimate moment. I had never seen him before. A brown-eyed man with messy brown hair and a stubble on his jaw.

"Hey," she greeted him enthusiastically, pushing her glasses further up her nose.

"Where were you Cos? I was worried."

"We were outside, nothing to worry about. This is Delphine by the way," she said, placing her hand on my shoulder. I automatically turned my head to the side to press my lips against her hand, but quickly focused my eyes on the man standing in front of me, preventing myself from doing it.

"Oh. Eh… Hi Delphine," he nodded, giving Cosima a knowing smile. He has certainly heard my name before and it pleased me immensely. "I'm Gavin."

Ah! So, that's Gavin. I politely shook his hand and tried to figure out the connection between them. Research parters? Friends? Lovers?

"I'm bored Cos, let's go home."

"I was actually going to suggest that," she said as he took the car keys from the back pocket of his pants.

"Great! It was nice meeting you Delphine. See ya later," he said, curling the fingers of his right hand around Cosima's neck, squeezing gently. "Come on. I need sleep."

"Bye Delphine," Cosima waved before she flashed me her beautiful smile. "Thanks for walking me back. I'll text you tomorrow."

"No problem" I whispered and watched them as they walked towards the exit. Gavin marching like a soldier with Cosima on his heels, elegantly swaying her hips, her feet gliding across the floor, and I watched her… I watched her until she was nothing more than a tiny dot in the distance, just like a balloon filled with helium, floating towards the stars.