"You're right, she should have acted long ago, but better late than never, for everyone's sake. How long do you expect she could go on leading the army like this?" Annalise shot back at Marion who just huffed.

Sarah had had enough of this. "Stop it. Stop. Both of you."

"Yes ma'am." They all answered internally.

There really was nothing to consider. Taking any action on their suggestion seemed impossible. The consequences were too great should it go poorly. Even if it somehow did not at first go badly, it soon would as there would be no way to keep it from the Imperative. The strife she would potentially be inflicting on Tally and on Flora was not something she wanted to risk.

"Wouldn't it be better to try?" Annalise spoke again. "If Tally says no, that is one thing and you are no worse tomorrow than you are today. But if she says yes, think of how your life could be. We all know you've thought about it before." She spoke directly to Alder.

"You are being irrational, Anna. For the last time, let this go. If Tally says yes, there are so many issues. You have the binding contract with the Imperative, you have Tally's binding contract with Shelbark, and that doesn't even take into consideration how jarring it would be for the child." Marion argued pointedly.

Sarah couldn't say she hadn't thought about it before. How could she not have. Everyday she wished things could have been different, but to act on it was something she had thus far been able to hold herself back from. Both sides of the argument were familiar to her. The pros and cons of going back on her word constantly fought a raging battle within her from the moment Tally marched into her office with the signed agreement.

"Oh please Marion. The child would not remember anything different, she is still so young." Devon added.

"And what of when she grows older? Being recognized as the General's daughter could have damaging effects on her as well." Marion hissed. "Let us not forget how the pressures got to her previous child when she came of age."

"Who's side are you on? What happened with Nicte's daughter was not Sarah's fault. The Imperative is being unreasonable at this point for holding it over her. Nurture can only go so far, especially when one parent is so obviously not suited for it. Sarah was nothing if not the attentive parent in that instance." Devon snapped bitterly. "Just as a child should not be liable for the crimes of their parents, when children are grown, parents should not be liable for their crimes either."

Sarah leaned forward against the desk, head in her hands. The mere thought of the tragedy that was her youngest biological daughter, made her chest ache. "Let this matter rest, I beg you all." Sarah spoke aloud in a strained mumble. It had all been resolved 50 years ago when her daughter had been tried and convicted for treason and terrorism. The girl had only been 25 and was already capable of so much evil.

They all fell silent, but still Sarah knew they weren't done. After barely a moment, Annalise's voice ended the thoughtful pause. "Moral of the story is that Sarah isn't a bad parent. The other children raised openly by her turned out fine, letting the imperative get away with this isn't right. Why not do something if she is this upset about it?! It isn't too late!"

"It is too late! They already got away with it and Sarah stood by and let them!" Marion yelled. "She didn't move a muscle when Tally signed the contract. She didn't lift a finger at the wedding, and she didn't bat an eye when Tally came in here begging and crying for her. She encouraged her to go through with all of this over and over again and for what?!" Marion wasn't wrong. That was just another opportunity that came and went with no action on her part to change.

Spiralling back into the memory, she didn't even register the next cruelly honest words from her biddy, but she felt the cold emotion they carried nonetheless.

10 months earlier…

"General, Mrs Shelbark is here to see you," Her admin assistant poked her head through the door.

"Send her in." By the way all the biddies stopped their tasks and were paying attention, she should have known better than to answer without thinking, a mistake. A grave grave mistake on her part. In her denial and sharp refusal to accept their marriage, she had never associated her with that name. Seeing it on her schedule, she didn't think twice about it. She should have.

The realization didn't snap into her mind until she saw the woman before her. Red hair still framed her face, slightly flushed cheeks, and now with the new addition of the unmistakable swell of her belly.

It took all of her strength not to stare, not to imagine the life they could have had, not to imagine how she would have cared for her through this and after. This had to be a short meeting, otherwise the dam containing all of her feelings on the matter would break and the cadet did not deserve that.

"I'm sorry, I really did ask her to use my first name but she said it was unprofessional," Tally shrugged and walked unevenly over to the desk. "Mmm," the girl winced, pausing briefly in her step.

Sarah felt her heart pounding in her chest.

"Sorry, someone is restless and has quite the kick, mmm,"

Seeing the grimace of apparent pain or at least discomfort on the woman's face kicked her into high gear and she sprang up rather abruptly. "Allow me to assist you." She stepped around the desk and offered Tally her hand.

"No don't touc-" It was too late. Whatever the cadet was going to say turned into a mumbled gasp the instant Sarah wrapped an arm around her and grabbed her bare hand to support her down into the chair.

The redhead froze. Her brown eyes glazed over with a ghostly white hue for just a moment.

Like she was burned, Sarah released her and Tally's eyes reverted back to normal immediately. Though they quickly welled with unshed tears.

Sarah watched on helplessly, not sure if she should stay beside her or give her more space.

"Sarah?"

The General had never heard her first name uttered from those lips. It vibrated in a shiver across her whole body, over every nerve, and she could feel the goosebumps rise on her skin. "I am here, Tally." She knelt down in front of her, careful not to touch her again. "Are you alright?"

Tally swallowed thickly and shook her head, inadvertently freeing some of those tears from her eyes. "No." Tally sobbed into her hands.

"What just happened? What can I do?" She was at a loss.

"I saw- I saw-," Tally slowly brought her eyes up from her hands, they were puffy and red. The longer Sarah looked into them the more lost she became, and she noticed the smaller things. How the sunlight almost gave her irises a golden hue, the depth of the black pools in the center, the dark rings of exhaustion that bordered them in their entirety. "Nevermind," Tally cleared her throat and took a breath. "That's not what I came here for," Sarah leaned back, bewildered, and still concerned for what she'd just witnessed. "ow. That was a strong one. Do you-" Sarah's stomach did a flip, but she would not dare assume. "Do you want to feel?"

"Craven, I don't- well I don't want to trigger another event." She said quietly, but yes more than everything she wanted it, despite the very real possibility that it would be the end of her resolve.

Tally shook her head with a small sad smile. "The clothes are enough to prevent it, don't worry."

Carefully, not quite trusting Tally's word on it, she slowly inched her hand closer but she didn't dare touch her. "Here." Tally placed her own hand on Sarah's forearm, over her jacket, and guided her hand over the place where her baby had kicked her most recently. "There - mhmm. You had to feel that."

She had. The small thump against her hand had nearly startled her, but she didn't flinch. She was too focused on trying to keep herself composed. "Life is a precious thing, Craven, you should be very proud."

Tally scoffed. "I haven't done anything yet, I'll be proud when I have my body back, and this little creature gets out of me."

"A common sentiment, or so I've heard." Sarah stood again about to return to her own chair, to allow the distance to be firmly placed between them again where it belonged, but Tally's grip on her arm stopped her.

"No, sit here, by me. Please."

Sarah paused, but those eyes held her in her place. Silently she obliged with a nod.

"So tell me, what can I do for you?"

Tally looked down at her hands that rested on her stomach. "I don't know."

"You must have a reason, afterall you scheduled this meeting almost a week ago." As she said it, she hadn't realized it had been looming on her schedule for that long.

The girl had a blank expression. "I don't know. General, I'm sorry, I just- I don't know what to say? I thought I would know when I got here, but I've been feeling so many things. Maybe it's just the pregnancy itself, the power of the child making me think and feel things I know I shouldn't. Maybe I just needed to see you? Maybe I wanted to give you one last chance to be part of this child's life? Maybe I wanted to look you in the eyes again and ask if you are sure you didn't make a mistake in choosing me? Over the months there has been a lot on my mind, but most of all- I think I'm not ready for this and I don't know what I was thinking agreeing to this!" She sounded near hysterical by the end and if Sarah could have soothed her in any way she would have, but she was bound by the contract she signed and by the promise she made when they began this.

"Your thoughts are valid, Tally." She started in a formal tone. "But you could not be further from the truth. You are strong enough for this on your own, you are capable, and I know you have the support of your friends and that of your - husband. You do not need me for this. You are afraid now that you have come so far and gotten so close. Everything is about to change for you once again, but I know you are ready for it."

The girl's eyes were wet. "But what if I don't want to do it without you. I thought I could, but everyday closer I get to meeting this little angel, the more I feel sorry for them, that they will never know you like I have."

"Then they will be blessed." On that issue Sarah felt strongly and had no problem letting her know it.

"You're wrong."

Sarah stood and rounded her desk. This is the way it had to be. She needed the physical barrier, the tangible distance. She felt desperate to tell the imperative to screw off, to tell them they had no right to keep her from her child, but she was not that strong. The weight of the past pressed on her and told her she could not give in. She could not afford to be so selfish. Tally's child did not deserve her influence, no matter what the girl herself said or thought. "I am sorry I cannot give you what you seek."

"And what if something were to happen to me and my husband and our child was left an orphan. Would you step in then?"

Sarah was silent. That was an eventuality she would not allow herself to fathom. "No." she said reflexively in denial that it was a possibility rather than that she would take no action but the answer served her the same.

Tally nodded shortly. "I see."

"The chances are so low, I do not see why my promise of potential involvement is necessary."

"It isn't necessary, but then again, the chances aren't so low are they?" Tally eyed her intently. "Afterall, witches die everyday. Old, young, on the field of battle, or here at home in tragic accidents. It doesn't hurt to have a back up plan, but I understand your position. I felt the need to clarify considering that eventuality was not clearly defined in the documentation."

"I'm glad I was able to assist in clearing that up. We will have that verbiage added to the contract for the future of this initiative." Sarah said through gritted teeth. No part of her wanted to endure this torment again. Why did it have to be so difficult? "I did not make a mistake choosing you. You're going to be fine."

"You're unbelievable. I don't know what I was thinking coming here." Tally rolled her eyes.

A sigh escaped her. "You are always welcome here."

Tally stood. "Save it."

Should she bother reminding her she was still in charge? That felt like it would only drive Tally further away, not that there was much further away she could get at this point.

The door closed behind Tally before she could think to say anything else.