Lorca, Burnham and Tate boarded the Shenzhou later that afternoon and Lorca was taken straight to the agonizers while Burnham left for the bridge.

"Officer Tate, please stay down here and ensure no one messes with my prisoner," Michael ordered before leaving.

Skylar nodded and swallowed as she realized she was going to be forced to watch Gabriel be tortured, indefinitely.

She stood next to the control desk as Lorca screamed in agony and she felt her nausea begin to return. After first, Skylar believed it was because of the scene in front of her but she learned after some time had passed, she knew it was because her patch didn't work properly in this universe.

She grasped the control grid next to her as she felt herself succumbing to the dizziness she'd experienced before. She took a deep breath as she sat down on the ground, closing her eyes unable to see that through his own agony, Gabriel was extremely concerned with her condition.

Skylar tried to take deep breaths but nothing was stopping the sickness she felt so she did the only thing she could think of. She stood, shakily, and stunned the other guard with her phaser before freeing Lorca from his agonizer and then she sunk back to the floor.

Lorca moved from the brutal chamber he was in and sat down next to her, "What's going on?" he asked, his voice shaky from the torture he had been undergoing.

Skylar tried to take a deep breath as she answered, "I guess I wasn't over the virus yet but I've jeopardized our entire mission to have you close," she admitted.

Gabriel shook his head, "No, you haven't, but I have," he replied, shivering as he spoke causing her to reach out and run her hands up and down his arms, "I have something to tell you and it's not going to make you like me."

"I already love you," she corrected him but was sad to see she received a frown and a shaking head from him, "What are you going to tell me?"

"I'm not the Lorca of your universe," he began his confession, "I did kill the Burnham here and then I escaped to your world where I appeared to be the lone survivor of my ship and I worked my way to the Discovery," he continued though he saw her face growing horrified, "I used the spore drive to come back here and I wanted to get us to the Emperor so that I could kill her once and for all," he clarified all his truths causing Skylar's nausea to increase with each word.

She tried to sound strong as she asked, "Why are you telling me now and what point to being with me serve in your plan?" before she looked down, unable to meet his eyes with her own.

Lorca inhaled deeply before replying to her questions, "You were never apart of my plan and now that I have you, my plan means nothing anymore. I'm telling you because I want you to get Burnham and get back to the Discovery. I know how to explain to you to get back and I will stay here and pay for what I've done. I don't deserve you."

"I don't know what to say to all of this, Gabriel," she began, "Your crimes aren't known to me and in my world you've been an honorable Starfleet captain. You can't stay here and die because I need you," she admitted, her weakness showing through.

Gabriel reached out his hands, though they were cuffed, and grasped her face in them, "How can you say that when I've told you what I've done? You wanted more from me and now, I've given you everything but you have to let me go. I don't deserve to come back as if nothing I've done has ever occured."

"I'm the only one who knows," she replied, looking into his eyes again, "And, I told you if you opened up to me, I would be here for you no matter what. You've never hurt me or anyone in our world so we will go back like none of this ever happened," she protested.

"You can not forgive me so easily," he countered, "Maybe it's the virus obscuring your ability to truly hear what I am saying."

Skylar shook her head, "I'm not sick, Gabriel."

"You're not?" his voice finally stabilizing, "Then what has been happening to you?"

"Since we're all being honest," she started, "It's only fair I do you the same justice. I'm pregnant," Skylar declared, fully acknowledging what she'd been going through, "I didn't want to tell you because you had just begun to open up and I didn't want to risk anything ruining that."

"Sky, we're having a baby?" he asked in disbelief causing her to nod, "I can't leave your side now not when my true life plan is unfolding before me but I don't want you to lie for me," he added his joy overshadowed by what he'd done.

"No one ever has to know and it's not a lie if I never have to mention any of it," she replied, holding his face now, her eyes tear filled, "In my world, you are a good man and we are going back right now to continue where we left off. Don't challenge me because you know I always get my way."

Gabriel shook his head before kissing her with every bit of himself before finally pulling back and looking into her eyes, wishing he was handcuffed so he could embrace her, "Let's go home."

The End