XXV.
Cora reaches over the edge of one of the trunks that have been delivered and stacked carelessly in the middle of the room and by the shelves that divide it in half, letting her fingers come into contact with the spines of some books. She sighs as she lifts them out, one by one and places them onto the chair beside her until she is sure that she has them all. She carefully lowers each one on to the shelf, lining it up perfectly to the one beside it until all of Alec's favourite books are in their place. She lets her fingers run over the tough leather spines, closing her eyes for a moment when she remembers that he will never see them again.
She lets her eyes move to the table and notices that she hasn't put his clothes away yet in the bottom of the cupboard, even though she knew how much he hated having creases in his clothes if they aren't put away and would be upset to see them so uncaringly left. Cora steps towards the bed and lowers herself to sit, feeling the cold material beneath her and glancing at the white covers and remembering when this was a place that had given her and Alec so much pleasure. He'd snuck her onto the Hyperion late at night, long before they'd even left the Milky Way and they'd spent several of their nights together in this room. But she'd slept alone in it for the last three nights since Habitat 7, and it felt strange without him and even stranger without Scott. She looks at her wrist when she hears her Omni ping and sees that Scott is trying to reach her and get her to tell him where she is. She sends her location and sees he is close by, and almost outside the door.
"Cora?" She hears Scott's voice, the other side of the door and looks up from her spot on the bed when she hears him knocking gently against the metal surface. "Are you in there?" Scott continues making her sigh, she hated hearing the hurt in his voice and having to tell him about Alec's death three days ago had been almost broken her in two.
Cora lowers her head for a moment, hearing him knock again and then his sigh. She was hiding in Alec's room because she couldn't bear to hear how sorry people were for her anymore, and hear their whispering. She was now known to everyone that would listen as the woman who had been in a secret relationship with Alec Ryder, had been there when he died. Oh, and that she was also sleeping with his Son. In just a few days her life had become quite the scandal.
Cora had never meant to hide from Scott today, and she'd not meant to leave him hurting and on his own after Alec's death, but he'd been raced away with his new responsibilities. As soon as they'd managed to get him healed and hooked up to SAM, it had been revealed to them all that Alec had made him Pathfinder instead of Cora. Scott had been dragged into a world he had never asked for, and they'd hardly seen each other apart from in passing since. Cora had been hurt at first; after all, it was supposed to have been her role, but Alec had made that decision and she loved him enough to accept that was the choice he'd made.
Cora pushes herself up off of the bed and moves to the door, pressing her palm against the door control and unlocking it. Cora watches as it slides open and she sees Scott, his eyes immediately on her and she can see he looks worried about her. She sees him falter in the doorway, looking like he desperately wants to wrap her up in his arms.
"Do you want to come in?" Cora asks, feeling silly for asking the question as soon as she does. This wasn't her room to decide who was allowed in, but she sees him nod in response and step inside.
"Cora." Scott begins and she watches the door close behind him. "I've been so worried about you." He whispers and she feels him move closer to her and reach for her hands, feeling how soothing and reassuring it feels to have them wrapped around hers. "If I'd known you were in here on your own." He adds and she knows his upset is all for her, and not at all for Alec.
"I just needed some space today," Cora whispers and she hears him sigh. "Not from you, Scott," Cora adds and she sees him nod, but doesn't think she's convinced him. "I just needed to come to terms with what's happened in my own time." Cora sighs lightly and feels him squeeze her hands. "Can I have a hug?" Cora whispers and sees him nod.
"Of course you can." Scott smiles and Cora feels him let go of her hands and wrap his arms around her, letting his hands come to rest on her back as he pulls her into a hug.
She sighs and rests her head against his neck, letting her arms slip around his waist. She closes her eyes for a moment, just listening to the gentle and comforting sound of his breathing, remembering how many days its been since they've been able to be on their own like this. She knew Scott was going to be so angry when he knew the truth; so maybe this would be the last time they'd be together like this.
"Do you want to sit?" Scott asks and she sees him look around and notice that she has been unpacking onto most surfaces in the room, and his eyes finally settle on the bed. "I see you've been unpacking." Scott smiles and she watches him glance at the bed again and it's one of the only places not covered.
"Yes." Cora nods, following his eyes when she realises that he has seen Alec's belongings spread around the room. "Just a few things." Cora smiles as she lets go of Scott's and moves back to the bed, backing herself onto it and drawing her legs up and crossing them beneath her. She pats the space in front of her and sees him smile.
"Probably makes it feel one step closer to home." Scott smiles and she watches him sit on the bed beside her, noticing that he lowers his eyes to his knees. They were on schedule to be reaching the Nexus in the next day or so, so it was nice to use the few moments of peace to unpack.
"Apart from the fact that I've been unpacking things that belonged to Alec," Cora whispers and she feels his eyes on her and that he doesn't know what to say. "Which is a bit ridiculous when I say it out loud." Cora continues, smiling lightly. "Because this is your room now, Scott." She adds and sees him smile, but then shake his head.
"It's not my room." Scott begins and she feels his eyes searching her face. "This was always supposed to be yours, Cora." He adds and she sees him give her a sympathetic smile, but unlike the ones she'd seen from others she knew he was genuine and his was from a place of love.
"You're my Pathfinder now." Cora nods and lifts her hand to his face, smiling when she watches him lean closer to her touch realising he's been missing having the time and space to be close to each other, too. "Alec wanted that for you," Cora whispers and she hears him sigh. "I'm your second now if you'll have me." She adds.
"He wanted this for you." Scott sighs and she sees he fixes his eyes on her. "But I need you by my side." Scott smiles. "I can't do this without you and I'm going to need a lot of help." He adds giving her a small grin and she feels him lift his own hand to her cheek. "But my first job as your Pathfinder, I gift you this room." He smiles lightly making her smile.
"Thank you," Cora whispers and lifts her other hand to his cheek, letting her fingers stroke against the stubble she feels. "I've missed you," Cora adds and she sees him nod and lean his head to rest against hers. "I've missed this." She sighs and sees him smile and that he looks like he agrees.
"We better not waste it then." Scott smiles and she watches him lean back onto the bed, leaning up on his arms and looking at her. She sees him smile and roll onto his side, holding his arm out to her and then patting the covers. "Come give me a cuddle." Scott smiles when she lowers herself down onto the bed next to him, feeling him wrap his arms around her and drawing her close to his body. Making her feel safe for the first time in days.
"When I thought I'd lost you," Cora whispers and she feels him rest his hand on her back, stroking her to give her some comfort. "When I saw your stats. I never thought I'd see you again." Cora adds and she wraps her arm around him and rests it on his shoulder blade.
"You'll never lose me," Scott whispers and she feels him wrap his arm around her waist and drawing her against him. "I just wish you'd have talked to me. That's what we do." He whispers and Cora feels him cuddling her close and tangles her legs with his. Cora smiles lightly when he lifts his hand to her face. "This isn't just for you to deal with on your own." He adds and she nods lightly.
"I know." Cora nods. "But you've been busy. I do understand why." Cora adds. "It's a demanding job being a Pathfinder." Cora adds, she'd had the training and Scott hadn't. He was definitely going to need her. She feels him hold her tighter and rest his forehead against hers.
"You are more important," Scott whispers making her shake her head lightly; humanity was depending on him now. "Cora, you know you can talk to me about anything don't you?" He sighs and she can tell he's feeling guilty, and so was she. She'd still not told him about what had happened between her and Alec, and despite the only other person who knew being gone, she knew she had to and can't put it off any longer.
"There are some things I can't talk about." She adds and feels his eyes on her face. "Even with you." She whispers and hears him sigh. How could she talk to him about Alec? How could she tell him how much her heart is broken without him?
"You can." He whispers. "There's nothing you can say I don't want to hear," Scott adds and she shakes her head again, feeling him moving his hand to her waist and squeezing her gently beneath his palm. She feels his eyes on her and knows he knows what she can't say to him. How was she ever going to tell him about her betrayal? "Come on, Cora." Scott sighs when he sees she is silent.
"I haven't even asked you how you are." Cora begins, feeling bad that she'd not even checked on him and trying to draw the conversation away. "How are you feeling today?" Cora asks and she watches him lower his eyes and sigh.
"I'm alright." Scott nods and she notices his attention returns to her, and he places his hand on her back again. "As good as I can be expected." He adds and she nods. "I'm not looking forward to telling Sara." He sighs and she watches him bite the inside of his cheek and a flash of grief appears behind his eyes.
"We can tell her together," Cora whispers and she sees him smile lightly when she lifts her fingers and brushes his hair back. "It is a lot for you to be dealing with," Cora adds hearing him sigh. "I'm sorry I haven't been here for you." She whispers, feeling how warm his body is against hers.
"Don't be sorry." Scott begins and she feels his hand on her cheek again, his eyes lower to her mouth and then back to her eyes. "You're going through it a lot more than me." He whispers. "I know he was important to you." Scott adds and she feels him press a kiss against her forehead.
"He was." Cora sighs and she feels his lips linger against her skin, and his hands slowly caressing her back, making her cuddle closer to him and wish she didn't ever have to let him go.
"I know he was my dad.." Scott sighs making Cora fix her eyes on him. "We were never going to be close, and as much as it hurts he's gone.." He adds. "I can't ignore all of the bad that he did because he's dead." Scott sighs and she feels her skin prickle at his words.
"He saved you." Cora huffs quietly and fixes her eyes on him. "He made the choice and it cost him his life," Cora mumbles and she hears Scott sigh, she can see that he looks worried about saying anything else and upsetting her, so he closes his mouth tight. "You should be grateful." Cora whispers.
"I didn't ask him to make that choice." Scott begins, and she can hear from his voice that he is hurt, overwhelmed and that she's the one that has upset him. "I never asked him to give me the job." Scott adds and she feels him lift his hand to her cheek and direct her face towards him, fixing his eyes into hers. "I'm sorry if you're upset that I'm Pathfinder." Scott continues making her scoff that he didn't understand why she was so lost without Alec.
"I told you I don't care about that," Cora replies, she hears him let out a sigh and feels him lower his arms from around her and lift his hands in defence; she knew Scott wasn't the arguing kind. Not like Alec, who would fight with her like crazy. "None of that matters to me anymore." Cora adds, shaking her head to try and stop herself from getting angry with him, none of this was his fault.
"Okay, okay." Scott mumbles and she sees him shaking his head lightly. Cora didn't understand why he thought this was about him being Pathfinder. Did he really think she wanted the role more than Alec alive?
"Why can't you understand that?" Cora whispers and she watches him lift his hand to rub his fingers between his eyes, seeing how uncomfortable he is feeling.
"Because he hurt you, Cora." He whispers and she feels his hand on her cheek briefly. "I don't understand how you can ignore what he did to you." Scott whispers and lowers his hand, sighing a frustrated sigh when he sees her shake her head at him.
"All I want is Alec back." Cora sighs and she feels his eyes settle on hers and notices the pain on his face as soon as she says it, immediately regretting it.
"Well, now you've got me instead." Scott begins and she watches him roll away and move to stand up from the bed, seeing how hurt he looks because of her and knows he doesn't deserve it.
"Scott, come back." Cora whispers. "It's not that simple, and it's not about having you instead of him." She adds, trying to keep her voice calm, they were both dealing with his death very differently.
"I'm sorry that I'm not your perfect Alec Ryder." Scott shakes his head, looking at her dejectedly. She watches him looking like he doesn't know what to do with himself. "You might be able to forget the way he treated you but I can't." Scott adds and she watches him force his hands into his pockets and glance at the door. Was he really going to leave her just like his father had done?
"He loved me, Scott.." Cora whispers, feeling tears form in her eyes as she lowers her eyes from Scott and fixes them on the bed so she doesn't have to look at him hurting anymore.
"He didn't love you, Cora." Scott huffs and she shakes her head trying to block out what he is saying. "He manipulated you, I'm sorry but it's true and you told me that yourself." Scott continues and she glances at him when she hears him moving, thinking he is leaving. "I'm the one that loves you." He sighs and she watches him crouch down next to the bed and reach his hand towards her. "Please I don't want to argue." Scott whispers.
"We aren't arguing." Cora sniffs and she hears his laugh quietly. "I miss him, Scott." Cora sniffs shaking her head to try and stop from crying when she feels his hand on her leg, stroking her beneath his palms and trying to soothe her. He wasn't leaving her as Alec had. "He was my whole world until I met you." Cora whispers and she sees him nod, he knew that all too well.
"I know," Scott whispers and she feels him kneel and then move back onto the bed next to her. "I know, Cora." She sighs when he reaches for her, wrapping his arms tightly around her and letting her head rest into his shoulder. "We'll get through this, together." Scott sighs and she feels him rubbing her back and that he presses a kiss against her cheek. Cora holds him tighter when he strokes her hair gently.
Cora sighs when she feels him unwrap his arms from around her and his eyes on her face. She feels him place his arm around her waist and lift the other to her face, using his thumb to brush away her tears and she feels his eyes meet hers. Cora rests her hand against the back of his head and draws him towards her, pressing her lips against his in a gentle kiss that she notices makes him smile. She hadn't felt his mouth on hers for days, and she immediately remembers how good it is to be kissing him. She feels his hand on her back, trying to get her body closer to his when she wraps her arms around him and her legs around his. Cora hears herself sigh when he deepens the kiss, his tongue finding hers and their mouths moving together like they'd been doing it forever. She moans quietly when he lowers his mouth to her neck, taking hold of his t-shirt in her hands and when she feels him wrapping her legs around his waist.
"I want you." Cora sighs as she slides her hands beneath his t-shirt, feeling the muscles in his back shiver when she touches him, feeling him pull her tighter around his waist.
Cora smiles when she feels him remove his mouth from her neck and fix his eyes on her, seeing how flushed his face already is and that he wants her too. She feels him roll her onto her back, placing his hand either side of her head and covering her body with his. She quickly leans up towards him; drawing him down into another kiss as she lets her fingers move to the bottom of his t-shirt and helping him remove it and throw it to the floor. Cora hears his sigh when her hands trail slowly over the expanse of his chest, her fingertips running through the light sprinkling of hair and down to his stomach. She slides her hands onto his waist and tucks her fingers beneath his waistband as she wraps her legs around his again and pulls him tight against her.
"Are you sure? We don't have to do this now." Scott whispers when he breaks their kiss and she feels his eyes on her. "I love you so much, Cora." He adds and she feels him nuzzle his mouth against her cheek and she feels him kiss her softly making her sigh. She couldn't do this to him anymore, she knew she had to end this and tell him the truth before he broke up with her.
"Scott.." Cora whispers and she feels him lean back and his blue eyes on her. "I don't think we should do this anymore." She whispers, seeing him nod when he hears what she has said and she feels him kiss her again.
"I understand." Scott smiles and she feels him stroke her cheek gently. "It's been a crazy few days.." He adds and she sighs realising he is talking about something different to her. "It's nice just to get some time together." He smiles but she sees him frown when she shakes her head.
"I mean us." Cora whispers and sees his eyes widen.
"Us?" Scott begins and she hears the shake in his voice. "You're breaking up with me?" He asks and she can tell by his face that he knows she isn't joking. "Cora.." Scott begins and she feels him try and lift his hand to her face but she pushes it away.
"I can't do this," Cora adds and places her hands on his shoulders to push him back, she moves out of his hold and moves to the edge so that she can stand. "It's better that we end it now." She adds and she knows she's left him speechless, but hears that he climbs off of the bed and that he stands too. "Before we hurt each other." Cora adds and feels him move around the bed to stand in front of her.
"Got to admit I'm feeling pretty hurt and confused." Scott whispers and she feels his eyes on her face. "What did I do?" Scott adds and she watches him rub the back of his neck. "Please, tell me what's wrong." He whispers and she can see the hurt on his face.
"Just go, Scott." Cora whispers but she sees him shake his head.
"No, I'm not leaving." Scott adds and she feels him place his hands on her shoulders, trying to get her to look at him. "I love you." Scott sighs. "All we wanted was to be here together." He adds and Cora watches him lower his eyes. "Please, Cora." Scott whispers.
Cora closes her eyes tight when she remembers the night Alec had broken up with her, and she'd heard the same things from him. She'd asked him the same questions that Scott was too, but Scott had done nothing wrong and it was all on her. He'd been the perfect boyfriend, but she'd lied to him and betrayed him.
"Scott." Cora sighs and she feels his eyes on her, looking like he is hoping for her to change her mind. "You haven't done anything wrong." She adds and sees he looks slightly relieved. "You've been the best thing that ever happened to me." Cora sighs and sees him smile lightly at her words.
"Then why are you doing this? I thought we were happy?" Scott asks and she watches him pick up his t-shirt, pulling it over his head and onto his body. "You're the best thing that has happened to me too." Scott sighs and she notices he is looking at her like she might disappear if he doesn't.
"I slept with someone else." She whispers and sees his face fall and his shoulders lower at her words, she can see that part of him doesn't believe what he's heard. "I'm sorry." Cora adds and she notices that he looks like he is lost for words.
"When?" Scott whispers and she sees the sadness in his eyes again and watches him lift his arms and place his hands on top of his head. "We've been together the whole time for weeks?" He mumbles and she can tell he is trying to pretend she hasn't told him what she has. "So when we'd just met?" He adds but she shakes her head.
"No." Cora sighs lightly. "It was here on the Hyperion." She whispers and she is sure she sees his face pale.
"On the Hyperion." He replies and she sees him nod slowly. "Okay." He begins, lowering his arms and placing them on his hips. "Well, they say grief can make us do crazy things and you've been through a lot.." He huffs. "If it was what you needed.." He whispers and she can see he doesn't mean that at all. "I should have been here to take care of you, so it's my fault." He nods and she can see he is trying to make excuses for her infidelity, almost like he wants to ignore it completely.
"It was Alec." Cora whispers and feels his eyes on her again, and any understanding of why she might need a one-night-stand leaves his face. "Before the mission," Cora adds lowering her eyes from his, unable to keep looking at him. "I'm sorry Scott." Cora mumbles and she hears him clearing his throat, she glances at him and sees what she thinks is him blinking back tears.
"Alec?" Scott mumbles and she sees him lower his head. "I knew I couldn't trust him." He sighs. "But, I thought you wanted to be with me." Scott adds and she glances into his face. "Aren't I enough for you?" Scott asks and she hears the pain in his voice, watching him rub his eyes with the back of his hand.
"I do want to be with you, Scott." Cora begins but she sees him shake his head, knowing he had no reason to believe her anymore. "You are more than enough." She adds and lifts her hand to place it on him, but sees him dodge her touch. "But I wanted him and he wanted me.." She sighs. "It just happened." Cora whispers and sees him exhale.
"Then maybe it is a good job he's gone." Scott begins making Cora shake her head. "This is the only way you'd ever be free of him and he'd stop hurting you." Scott continues. "He was never going to let you move on with me. He would never have let you go." Scott mumbles.
"Why would you say that?" Cora asks and she hears him let out an unhappy sigh. "How can it ever be good that he's gone?" Cora mumbles and she feels his eyes on her.
"Because he didn't want you to be happy." Scott whispers. "You need to come to terms with what a bad person he really was, Cora." Scott adds. "I just hope you remember who it is that loves you, and that I'm stood right here." Scott adds and it reminds her of what Alec had told her.
"Do we really love each other Scott?" Cora asks and she hears him hesitate at her question. "Alec asked me that." Cora adds and she sees him frown. "Is this love? Is it just about fucking? Is this just physical attraction? Do we even know each other? Did him hurting us just force us together?" Cora mumbles and she sees he looks upset by her questioning.
"Why let him in your head like that?" Scott sighs and she sees him shake his head. "I know how I feel. I know you love me too." He adds and feels him close the gap between them, surprised that he's still so willing to be close to her. "This has never just been about sex for me." He adds and lifts his hand to her cheek.
"I know." Cora whispers and places her hand over his, wondering why he wasn't yelling and screaming and breaking things because she'd hurt him, like Alec would have done. "I'm sorry." Cora whispers and can see the hurt in his eyes and that he shakes his head lightly.
"I know this is love," Scott whispers and she feels him stroking his fingers against her cheeks, his eyes fixed on hers. "Because this wouldn't hurt so much if it wasn't." He sighs and she feels him lower his hands from her cheeks. "I think I should go." Scott nods and she watches him lift his hand to his eye again.
"You don't have to go." Cora sighs and she feels his eyes on her and watches him shake his head lightly. "I don't want you to go." Cora whispers and she sees him lower his eyes. "Are you ever going to be able to forgive me?" She asks and feels him look at her again and sigh. Scott was too forgiving, and she knew she didn't deserve it, but she knew she'd made a mistake.
"I'm going to need some time." Scott mumbles. "But, maybe you are right though." Scott sighs and she watches him place his hands on his hips. "We do need some time apart." He whispers and she sees how much he doesn't want that from his face. "I think you need some time to figure things out." He adds and she sees him try to smile at her, but doesn't manage it.
"So we're really going to break up?" Cora whispers and she sees him shrug lightly and his eyes meet hers. "I never meant to hurt you, Scott." Cora sighs and she sees him shake his head.
"Well, you did." Scott nods and she sees his mouth turning downwards as he looks at the floor again. "At least you told me before we started picking furniture for our home, right?" He nods and she can hear the sarcasm in his voice trying to cover the pain she's caused him.
"Scott.." Cora sighs and she hears him huff.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." Scott begins and she feels his eyes on her face. "You just need to decide what you want." He adds and she nods lightly. "I know what I want, and until the day ever comes that we want the same thing.." He sighs. "I think we should give each other some space and cool off. Slow this down a bit?"
"Okay." Cora nods lightly, seeing a look of disappointment on his face when she doesn't argue with him. But she knew he was right, maybe they did need some time apart and she did need to decide what she wanted.
"Okay." Scott whispers and she sees him shake his head before moving away from her and stepping towards the door.
"Scott." Cora sighs and she watches him place his hand on the door controls, glancing over his shoulder when he hears his name. "I do love you." Cora adds and sees him nod, and that he looks like he wants to say it back but doesn't.
"I know.." Scott nods sadly, lowering his eyes from her as he walks towards the door.
She watches as he looks back at her once more before he leaves the room and the door slides closed behind him. Cora lets out a sigh when she hears the door close, looking around her at Alec's former room knowing Scott was right, she had let Alec get into her head and he was the only reason why she'd questioned how she felt about him. She'd felt so happy with Scott, and had once again chased after Alec on the hope of him loving her and being in her life. Did Alec even really love her or was she just another part of the game he liked to play with people, someone to control and use? She'd come so close to moving on, and she'd let him straight back in like he even deserved her love and time.
Cora moves towards his desk, taking hold of his chair beneath her hand and carefully lowers herself onto it, tucking her legs up beneath her. She looks up at all of his screens, watching the diagrams and plans for armour, images of their new worlds, and information about their mission fill them. Alec always liked to be surrounded by his work, even in this place that should have been his sanctuary from all of that. She glances over to the table, and towards the chairs that are covered in his clothes and belongings, wondering why she was letting herself turn this into Alec's room when it should be hers and Scott's.
"Oh, Alec." Cora whispers when she turns her attention back to his screens, and to his N7 helmet that she has left on his desk. "Why didn't you teach me how to be without you?" Cora sighs and places her hand on the visor, feeling how cold it is beneath her fingers. "Was anything between us real?" She whispers lowering her eyes.
"Cora, you have a new voice message from Scott Ryder." SAM announces, making Cora raise her eyes when she hears it, wondering what else there was left to say.
Cora can't help but smile to herself lightly when she realises giving each other space hadn't lasted very long, and he'd only been gone a matter of minutes. She lifts her wrist to activate her Omni, tapping her fingers against the screen to access her messages.
"I love you too, Cora." She hears Scott's voice, and then that he sighs. "Nothing is going to change that. Just promise you'll take care of yourself, and don't worry about me." He adds and then she hears the line cut out.
Cora closes down her screen with a flick of her finger and lowers her arm, sitting back into the chair. She was glad that Scott was still wanting to talk to her, but couldn't help but feel guilty that he was still so worried about her when he has his own things to deal with. She carefully stands out of the chair, tucking it beneath the desk and stepping back towards the trunks that she had been halfway through unpacking. Cora lets herself look inside, letting her eyes settle on Alec's N7 armour.
"Scott would have liked to have had this, Alec." Cora whispers as she begins lifting it out, piece by piece until the trunk is now empty. She places it on the desk behind her. "I'll never be able to let you go if you are all around me." She adds, reaching for the first pile of clothing on the table and lowering it into the trunk.
Cora continues to pack his clothes back from where it came from until they are all settled and folded neatly at the bottom. She steps around the trunk and to the shelves, lifting the books and carefully carrying them in her arms. Cora lets them come to rest on top of Alec's clothes, put picks up his very favourite book that she knows also has the photos tucked inside.
"Sara would love this photo of you all, Alec." Cora nods and places the book down on the desk next to them before pulling the envelope out and placing it on top. "Your favourite book should be hers too." Cora whispers, nodding. Alec left his children nothing, so why should she have it all when he'd been theirs too.
Cora looks around her carefully, noticing that she has now packed away most of Alec's belongings, apart from the coffee machine that she knew they could use, the N7 armour and helmet for Scott, the favourite book and photo for Sara. She spots his favourite jumper on the back of one of the chairs and moves closer to it, letting her hands come into contact with it and feeling how soft but warn it is beneath her palms. She lifts it and walks back towards the desk; she reaches for the photo of her and Alec that she knows he has tucked inside his book and lifts it to look at it again.
"I'll keep these to remind me that even though you were a bad person.." Cora whispers as she lets her eyes travel over the photo, seeing again how happy they had once been together, wondering how that couldn't have been real. "We were happy once." Cora smiles as she places the photo on top of the jumper and wraps them together and leaves them beside the other things to keep.
Cora glances around, noticing that the room looks much emptier, but now the shelves are empty and ready for her and Scott's belongings, and not Alec's. If they managed to get past this. She lowers the lid on the trunk, letting it lock closed beneath her fingers. Cora sighs and nods lightly, she knew she was doing the right thing and taking this room back for them and putting his things into storage. As much as she'd been trying to surround herself with the familiar, and where she'd lived on Theia with Alec, she knew she couldn't move on if she did that. Cora moves to the desk and turns the screens off, stopping the constant stream of work reach her.
"I've been so stupid.." Cora sighs and lowers herself to sit on the edge of the bed, wondering why she had ever let Scott leave when she should have begged him to say and that being without him was the last thing she wanted. She begins tapping her fingers on her screen.
"If this is your idea of us giving each other space Cora.." Scott begins and she hears the slight smile in his voice. "It's going to blow your mind when we aren't." Scott laughs quietly, making her smile and her chest tighten when she already misses him.
"You messaged me first." Cora smiles and hears another quiet laugh from him. "Scott.." Cora sighs and she can hear him go quiet as if waiting for her to say something.
"Cora?" He sighs, making her close her eyes for a moment when she realises how good it makes her feel to hear him saying her name.
"Would it be okay if we still talked?" She whispers and hears him sigh again. "I know we need some time apart.." She adds. "But you're my best friend." Cora whispers, noticing how quiet he is.
Cora hears him sigh, realising she's said too much and he probably didn't want to hear it after everything that she's done to hurt. She knew she didn't deserve his forgiveness, and they'd decide that they needed to have some time apart, but he was her best friend and the one person she could talk to. She didn't want them to break up, and she didn't want to lose him from her life completely.
"You're my best friend too." Cora hears his reply and is sure she can hear a small smile. "But I'm not sure if that's a good idea right now." Scott adds making her nod lightly.
"No, you're right." Cora whispers, nodding and trying to not let him hear her disappointment.
"I'm sorry, Cora." Scott whispers. "I'm just hurting, and as much as I want to still be there for you.." He adds and she hears a huff. "I just need some time." Scott sighs.
"I understand." Cora nods, hating the quiet that she can hear from him when he was always so vocal. "I'll see you on the Nexus." Cora whispers and he exhales.
"Okay," Scott replies. "Bye.." He sighs and she hears him disconnect.
Cora sighs and lifts her hands to her face, letting them rub against her skin for a moment trying to decide what she was going to do without him. She knew she wasn't blameless, and she'd wanted Alec just as much as he'd wanted her, but she was now alone to pick up the pieces.
Cora glances over at Alec's trunk that is packed up and ready to go into storage, so she stands from the bed and steps towards it. She lets her fingers trail over the lid knowing that if she was ever going to be able to convince Scott to trust her again, she would need to start letting go of Alec Ryder.