Author's Notes: It's aliiiiiiiiive! So it's been forever since I've updated this fic, but I definitely haven't forgotten about it. The truth is, I had it pretty much finished and then I somehow lost the file, which was extremely frustrating. I'm kind of a perfectionist and I was pretty happy with how it originally turned out, so I tried my best to replicate it, but I couldn't quite capture what I did the first time, so I kept delaying working on this piece. I feel like I've finally found the groove again, so here it is! Keep in mind, I conceptualized/originally finished this piece long before season two came to a close, so obviously it isn't exactly canon. Anyway, I'm super sorry for not updating for a few months, but I do plan on finishing this, so thanks for sticking with me :)


She stood at the very bottom of a series of stone steps, glancing back and forth periodically to search for any familiar faces. There seemed to be nothing but local traffic, as well as a few runners and dog walkers. The blonde checked her watch, making sure the time was right; she was a little early, but then it was always better to be early than late, contrary to what Cosima believed.

After speaking with a furious Sarah on the phone, they agreed to meet at Casa Loma, a neutral and public space where Sarah didn't feel threatened. Delphine waited nervously, chewing on her bottom lip. There was still no sign of Sarah. Even though she'd never met the punk herself, she was well acquainted with her face so she knew she would have spotted her by now if she were in the area. She folded her arms over her chest and expelled a long sigh, deciding to wait a little longer.

She checked her watch again. Sarah was supposed to meet her thirty minutes ago. She wondered if lateness was a genetic predisposition, or if the clone really had no intention of showing up. She reached into her bag, retrieving her phone, preparing to call Cosima with the news. That's when she felt a hand grab her roughly around the waist and something dig into her back.

"Walk. Now. Up the stairs."

She swallowed hard, putting her phone back in her bag. She didn't have to turn around to know who it was, for the rough British accent gave her away. She followed Sarah's instructions, walking up the steps as quickly as she could without tripping. When she finally reached the top, Sarah forced her into the parking lot of the mansion, where there was more cover and no bystanders.

"Sarah," she said, finally turning around to face her when they came to a stop.

Delphine was met by a backhand to the face, stunning her and causing her to stumble backwards a few steps. When she regained her footing, she brought her hand to her cheek, resting it on the flesh that would most likely scream light greens and dark purples in a few hours. Her eyes were wide, taking in every detail of the frenzied brunette; she looked as though she had been living in the woods, with wild hair and disheveled clothes, not to mention a look of fear and anger in her eyes.

"I... deserved that," Delphine admitted.

"You're bloody right you did! You deserve a lot more than just a smack, but since Cosima and I both need you, I'm giving you a get out of jail free card, you hear me?" Sarah snapped.

Delphine nodded in understanding.

"Where the hell is my daughter?"

"Rachel has her," the blonde confessed.

"Where?"

"I'm not sure. She didn't tell me. I don't have access to that kind of information."

Sarah sighed angrily.

"Then what the bloody hell are you good for?"

Delphine was silent, eyes falling to her feet. Sarah stepped in closer, pushing herself into the doctor's space and despite her great height disadvantage, she still managed to intimidate the willowy European.

"If those psychopaths have touched one hair on my daughter's head, I'm holding you personally responsible."

"I'm sorry!" Delphine replied. "I never wanted Kira to get wrapped up in this! I didn't know what else to do!"

"How about telling the truth?" Sarah retorted without missing a beat. "That would be a good start."

"Rachel told me that if I said anything, she would stop Cosima's treatment. I couldn't risk Cosima's life. I know Kira's just a child, but I knew they wouldn't hurt her. She's much too valuable. I figured Cosima was in more immediate danger, so I made a decision."

Sarah scoffed.

"I want to help you, Sarah."

"And how are you going to do that? You don't know shit about where they're keeping Kira."

"Yes, but there may be a way to find out."

Sarah ran her eyes over the blonde suspiciously, giving her a once over.

"Keep talking."

The corners of Delphine's mouth upturned slightly into a small smile and she nodded.

"Like I said, I don't have access to that kind of information. However, perhaps someone within Rachel's entourage might be able to gain access to her files."

"Rachel's entourage?" Sarah asked, confused.

"Cosima told me that your monitor is now working with Rachel," Delphine clarified.

"Paul? You really think Paul's gonna help me?"

"It's our best chance," Delphine said. "Cosima also told me that you two were... close."

"Yeah, well, not anymore. He's working for that bitch now and as far as I'm concerned, she can keep him," she spat.

"Sarah, Rachel hasn't been able to find you yet. She has an entire DYAD team at her disposal, led by Paul, and she still hasn't been able to find you. Doesn't that seem a little strange to you?"

Sarah shuffled back and forth uncomfortably.

"He must still care for you," Delphine added. "That's why he hasn't captured you yet. With all of DYAD's resources, he should have easily been able to find you by now. He must be purposely interfering."

"Are you honestly suggesting that I call Paul?" Sarah replied, as if Delphine was speaking madness.

"I am."

Delphine watched as the gears began spinning in Sarah's head. She was desperate, a woman on the edge. She had exhausted nearly every other option and was finally coming to realize that Delphine's suggestion may have been her only remaining hope if she ever wanted to see her daughter again.

"How does this play out in your mind, Doc?" Sarah pressed.

"Rachel is very calculated. She's most likely watching Paul closely, so meeting him in person will be too difficult. He does have access to her office though. Perhaps if he can get her away from her computer, he can download her files."

"Yeah, and then what? Paul doesn't know what he's looking for and, like you said, he can't as well just come and meet me."

"Tell him to pass the data onto me. Rachel won't suspect it," Delphine answered. "The last thing she suspects is you and I working together. In fact, she expects me to capture you."

"Is that right? Why does she expect that?"

"Because I told her I would."

Sarah glared at her, a lioness ready to pounce.

"Cosima...," Delphine began. "The treatments aren't working. Cosima won't last much longer and Rachel knows this. She also knows that Kira has incredible healing capabilities. She promised me that if I brought you in, should would use Kira to find a cure for Cosima's illness."

"You lying twat!" she shouted.

"I'm not going to do that!" Delphine retorted. "I won't lie, Sarah. I thought about it. Kira may be Cosima's last hope, but then when I went to Cosima with this, she refused to take part in it."

The more she talked about Cosima and her deteriorating health, the more her spirits began to fall. There was a somber tone to her now, one that Sarah very easily picked up on. She felt nothing but contempt for the woman standing before her, but it was clear that Cosima's wellbeing was her primary concern.

"Do you really think that Kira could help cure Cosima?" Sarah asked, changing gears.

Delphine shrugged, biting on her lower lip.

"I don't know. It's possible. Kira is an anomaly. She could be the answer to all of this, but it would require further testing."

Sarah became quiet, considering Delphine's words. She hated the idea of subjecting her child to any sort of testing, but if it was Cosima's only chance at survival, was there really an option? She knew only two things; first, she couldn't let Cosima die and second, she had to get her daughter back. It all came back to Kira and finding her as quickly as possible.

"I'll call Paul," Sarah finally spoke, breaking the silence. "If he decides to help, I'll let Cosima know. Then he can pass whatever he finds onto you."

Delphine nodded.

And as quickly as she appeared, like a ravenous north wind blowing through the land with fury, Sarah vanished again. Delphine let her leave, watching as her shape slowly shrunk and eventually faded from her field of vision.

She had to get back to Cosima and fill her in on the plan.


When she arrived back at their apartment, she was met by coldness. She was certain Cosima had heard the door open and close upon her entering, there was even a break in whatever conversation she was having with Alison, who was watching her today. After the momentary pause to acknowledge Delphine's presence, Cosima went back to speaking with her counterpart as if they were completely alone.

"Cosima?" Delphine called out.

There was another brief respite upon hearing her name being called, but once again, Cosima went back to speaking with Alison. Delphine expelled a muted sigh of frustration and headed into the bedroom where the two were.

"Oh. Hello, Delphine. We didn't hear you-"

"Yes we did," Cosima said. "We're just ignoring you."

"Cosima!" Alison scolded. "Don't you think you're being a little-"

"No."

Alison sighed, then tried her best to offer Delphine a smile.

"I'll leave you two alone."

"That's not necessary," Cosima replied, mustering her best cut eye.

Delphine shook her head.

"Cosima, I-"

"I don't want to be alone with you. I have nothing to say to you," she said firmly.

Ignoring her dreadlocked counterpart's protests, Alison quickly scurried out of the room to escape the icy tension that was making it nearly impossible to breathe. Cosima crossed her arms over her chest, tilting her head to stare at the wall, refusing to give Delphine even a glance.

"Cosima, please. We need to talk," Delphine begged.

"I told you, I have nothing to say to you."

"Well, I have a lot to say."

"Nothing I want to hear."

She ran a hand through her hair, trying to maintain her patience. She knew Cosima's anger was warranted, but things were happening so fast, they couldn't afford to be at odds with one another. They both needed each other now more than ever.

"I met with Sarah."

"Oh. Did you rat her out to Leekie? Or was it Rachel?"

"I didn't do anything like that," Delphine answered.

"That would be a first."

"Please!" Delphine finally exploded. "We have a plan, but I need you to stop being angry and work with me, Cosima!"

Cosima finally relented, turning to make eye contact. Her gaze was deep and penetrating, with a death-like seriousness. Delphine shifted uncomfortably under it, attempting to shoulder its full weight.

"We're going to get Kira back," Delphine said, the tone of her voice matching Cosima's gaze.

"How?"

"There may be a way to find out where Kira's being held. We just need to wait for Sarah to come through. She said she would call you if she was successful. Hopefully you'll hear from her very soon."

"I really hope so, too. For your sake."

Delphine bowed her head, finally breaking under the weight of Cosima's malice towards her. By some act of God, Alison miraculously appeared in the bedroom once again to try and diffuse the situation.

"I made some tea. Would you like some, Cosima?" she asked.

"Sure. Sounds great," the scientist replied through gritted teeth.

"How about you, Delphine?"

Delphine forced a smile, nodding at the gesture of kindness. She followed Alison back into the kitchen, where the housewife proceeded to pour three mugs full of chamomile tea. As the bags steeped, Delphine tried to think of something to say to Alison; Cosima had certainly filled her in on the situation so she didn't expect any sympathy.

"Thank you for taking care of Cosima," she said softly.

"You really hurt Cosima, you know."

Delphine's lower lip trembled. Once again, she bowed her head like a puppy being scolded.

"I know why you did it. I know you care about Cosima and everything, but... how can she ever trust you again?" Alison asked.

"I... I hope she'll give me a chance to prove myself," Delphine replied.

"Rescuing Kira and Siobhan is a good way to start."

Delphine nodded in response. Then, suddenly, gears began turning in her head, as if she realized something she hadn't really noticed before.

"Siobhan is Sarah's foster mother, right?" she asked.

Alison nodded, adding a squirt of honey to Cosima's tea.

"And she's being held with Kira?"

"Well, we all kind of assumed. She disappeared with Kira and Sarah or Felix haven't heard from her."

"Rachel mentioned something about Siobhan, but she didn't say whether or not Siobhan was with Kira."

"That seems kind of odd," Alison remarked.

"Rachel... she spoke about Sarah's foster mother like she knew her."

"Does she?"

"I'm not sure. Perhaps?"

"I don't think Siobhan Sadler is the kind of person who would associate with someone like Rachel."

"Sadler?" Delphine asked.

"Yes, that's right."

The blonde grew quiet, thoughtful. She was certain she had heard that name before, although she couldn't remember where. As she raked her mind for a potential answer, Alison headed back into the bedroom to bring Cosima her tea. Delphine eventually followed, still lost in thought.

"What's wrong, Delphine?" Alison asked, sipping on her tea.

Cosima tried to feign disinterest, but she couldn't hide her curious expression.

"I'm sure I've heard that name before," Delphine explained.

"Siobhan?"

"No, Sadler. I know I've heard it before."

Before anyone had a chance to speak another word, the blonde retreated back into the living room, grabbing her laptop bag off the hanger. She retrieved her laptop, taking a seat on the couch as she waited for it to start up.

"What are you doing?" Cosima called from the bedroom.

Alison was lingering in the doorway, curiously watching the blonde as she typed away. She was sure she had come across that name a few times, before she had met Cosima. It had something to do with DYAD, she was certain.

"What does Siobhan have to do with all of this?" Alison asked.

"I'm not sure, but I know-"

She stopped, having finally found what she was looking for.

"Alastair Sadler," she read.

"Who's that?" she could hear Cosima ask.

She picked up the laptop, hurrying back into the bedroom.

"Alastair Sadler. He was one of the founding members of DYAD," Delphine explained.

"That can't be a coincidence, can it?" Alison asked.

Delphine perched on the side of the bed next to Cosima so the clone could see the screen. Her eyes scanned it thoroughly and she sat up a little straighter.

"He died in the early 90s," Cosima read aloud. "Doesn't say how."

Cosima grabbed the laptop from Delphine, now completely invested in the doctor's discovery. She was quiet for several minutes while she searched for more information, Delphine sitting by silently, waiting for permission to speak.

"It says here he had a child. A daughter," Cosima said.

"Siobhan," Delphine mumbled.

"Does Sarah know about this?" Alison asked, setting her tea down.

"I doubt it. Why would she?" Cosima answered.

"So, if Siobhan is this man's daughter, do you think that has something to do with why she was taken with Kira?" Alison asked.

"I remember," Delphine began. "When I first found out about Rachel's involvement in Kira's abduction, I remember she was speaking about someone. She wanted to begin testing on Kira, but she said that a woman was impeding her progress."

"Siobhan," Cosima said.

"But how does Siobhan have any sway over Rachel?" Alison continued.

"Not over Rachel, exactly," Delphine said. "The board. DYAD is run by a board, Rachel and even Leekie are still accountable to them. She must have some influence."

"Well, if her dad was one of the founders of the entire company, that might have something to do with it," Cosima suggested.

As they pondered over Delphine's discovery, the familiar ringtone of Cosima's clone phone fill the room. Alison retrieved it for her and held it out to Cosima, Sarah's name on the screen. Cosima accepted it, bringing it to her ear.

"Hey, Sarah."

"How are you doing, Cos?" she heard her sister ask, genuinely concerned.

Cosima smiled.

"Meh. I've been better, but I'm still alive. Can't complain too much, huh?"

She could hear Sarah chuckle on the other side.

"Look, I know this is a weird question, but is Delphine there?"

Cosima's eyes rose, meeting the blonde.

"Yeah. She's sitting right here," Cosima confirmed.

"Tell her the plan's on. Paul's in."

"Alright. I will."

"I gotta go, Cos. Trying to lay low and all that shite. I'll talk to you soon, okay?"

"Yeah, sure. Stay safe, Sarah."

"You, too."

With that, the line went silent. Cosima placed the phone on the bed, then met Delphine's gaze.

"She says that the plan is ready to go, that Paul's in on it, whatever that means."

Delphine smiled.

"What, exactly, is this plan?" Cosima finally conceded.

Alison nodded along, curious. With Cosima finally willing to hear her out, Delphine went about explaining her conversation with Sarah earlier, how they were going to try to find where Rachel was keeping Kira and how Paul was going to help them. While the ailing scientist was skeptical of the idea, she really didn't have a better one to offer, so she accepted it and with Cosima and Delphine finally speaking again, Alison took her leave and left the estranged lovers to their own devices.

It was a fairly quiet night; even though Cosima was acknowledging her presence, her pain and agitation were still very obvious, encapsulated in the stern, single word answers she would give her monitor when asked a question. Delphine gave up on trying to make conversation, instead deciding to be grateful that Cosima was speaking to her at all. She watched discreetly from overtop her laptop screen in the chair in the corner of their bedroom as Cosima flipped through the pages of her worn down copy of the Origin of Species, eventually becoming too tired to continue. The blonde smiled to herself as she watched the brunette struggle to keep her eyes open, to keep reading and learning and interacting with the world around her, but her illness was taking its tole and she lost her battle against sleep. When she was certain Cosima was sleeping soundly, she got up, walking over to her lover and removing her glasses for her face, folding them and resting them on the nightstand, along with her book. She pulled the blankets up a little higher, covering her small frame completely. She then made her way to the closet, shuffling around and searching for the spare set of sheets she knew were hidden somewhere in the back.

"What are you doing?" the clone mumbled through her haze of sleep.

"Go back to sleep," Delphine instructed.

Cosima sat up, squinting, trying to make sense of the blonde's actions.

"What are you looking for?" she tried again.

"The spare set of sheets. I know they're back here somewhere," the doctor explained.

"Why?" Cosima asked.

"For the couch," Delphine replied. "I'll... I'll sleep there tonight."

The room became painfully silent. Delphine paused, abandoning her search momentarily to meet Cosima's gaze, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. Cosima narrowed her eyes in her direction, considering her. Sighing, Delphine returned to the task at hand.

"Don't be an idiot," Cosima told her.

"Pardon?" Delphine asked.

"You're not sleeping on the couch."

"It's fine," the French woman replied. "You want your space, I'll be just outside if you need me."

"Stop it," Cosima warned. "Stop being such a lost little puppy and just get in the damn bed."

Delphine finally stopped and smiled to herself. She nodded, sliding in next to the clone. She was careful not to touch her, as Cosima repositioning herself so that her back was to the doctor was sign enough that she wasn't quite ready to let her monitor touch her in such a way again. They lay like that, back to back, until Cosima eventually drifted back into sleep without another word and Delphine lay quietly, listening, counting each and every shallow breath she took.


It was Felix's turn to watch Cosima that morning and he was strangely on time for once. Delphine had received an e-mail from Rachel demanding a meeting, the topic of which she knew would be Cosima. As she rode the elevator up to Rachel's office, she tried to hide her nervousness. The plan had been set in motion and she had a role to play; if Rachel suspected anything, their only chance at getting Kira back was gone.

She waited until Rachel's secretary gave her permission to enter and when she did, the elite clone was sitting behind her desk, Paul standing behind her. Delphine immediately locked eyes with the finely-chiseled man. He wore a stoic, slightly intimidating expression and the blonde did her best to disregard him for the time being.

"Where is Cosima?" Rachel asked.

"At home."

"And why is she there?"

The British clone stood, stalking around to the front of her desk to get closer to the doctor. Paul remained planted firmly in place, watching, calculating.

"I thought I gave you specific instructions to bring her in," Rachel reiterated.

"I tried. She wouldn't listen. Cosima is very stubborn," Delphine explained.

"If that's the case, then I'll send a team to retrieve her."

Rachel reached for her phone, but before she could grab it, Delphine piped up.

"No! Please just give me more time!"

Rachel stopped, standing up a little straighter. She adjusted her dress and took a few steps even closer, until she was uncomfortably close to the scientist.

"You're out of time, Doctor Cormier. You both are," she said, her voice low and dangerous.

"I know," Delphine agreed. "But... but I can bring you Sarah."

Her offer immediately piqued the clone's interest. She cocked her head and waited for Delphine for continue. Paul did the same.

"You were right. Cosima has been in contact with her. They're supposed to meet tonight," she lied.

"Where?"

Delphine sighed.

"Promise me you won't force Cosima to come in."

"Fine. Done," Rachel agreed dismissively. "Now, where are they meeting?"

"At Sarah's foster brother's house," she said, throwing another lie out there. "Sarah feels safe there and Cosima is too ill to travel far."

Rachel nodded, smiling, pleased. She directed her attention over to Paul.

"I'll have Paul here collect Sarah," she explained.

Paul nodded.

Delphine bit down even harder on her lip.

"That will be all. Paul, please escort Doctor Cormier out of my office."

Paul stepped forward from his steady position, walking towards the French woman. He placed a hand gently on the small of her back as he walked her to the door and proceeded to guide her down the hallway. Once they reached the elevators, she felt him slip a flash drive into her hand.

"Good luck," he whispered, his voice low and gruff.

He retreated back to his master while Delphine entered the elevator and discreetly slipped the drive into her pocket. As the doors closed and she rode the contraption down, she found herself unable to contain her grin.