When Everything Falls Apart

[Aurora Blake]

Marcus Kane

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Aurora sat on the floor in the dark bedroom. She was hugging her knees to her chest, as she cried. Time was nothing to her in the moment, time was completely pointless. She had just kicked out her son after he told her he was about to kill himself. And then there was Marcus. This culling thing, that was the idea of the council, their idea. And it was in their power to stop it. They didn’t need this. They should stand as a unit and find a solution for everyone, not sacrifice people, who thought, misguidedly, that this was the solution for this. There was o solution. This couldn’t be the solution, they couldn’t take her boy. How could Marcus let that happen? How could he not stop this? He was stopping this, right?

What if he wasn’t? Her boy was dying. Aurora wondered if she should go through with what she initially thought, but she couldn’t bear the thought of the family falling apart further. It was bad enough that they lost their son, their future. They might as well join the culling, too. Their family was over anyway. Maybe that was it. Maybe she should volunteer herself. Really, Marcus was the one they needed, not her. Maybe that was what it took. Aurora pulled off her wedding ring. She looked at it, pondering over the thought, over the pros and cons of that possibility.

[Marcus Kane]

Marcus had just come from his mother's where Bellamy had told him how the conversations with Aurora had gone. She had told Bellamy to tell Marcus that he shouldn't expect her here when he got home. She had kicked her son out. Marcus had never seen her like that, for one of the things he loved about her was how strong she was. Pausing outside the dor before entering her took a moment alone to make sure he was still being strong. In truth he wanted to be weak, and find a drink wash away the pain he was feeling. He wasn't sure he could be the same man he was before the culling.

He had pushed for the population reduction, and now that he was here he feared it. So many people would be dying because he had not helped find a cure for the Ark. He took each death personally--but non more personal then his own son volunteering. Marcus wished he could make a tea and give it to Bellamy so he would sleep and miss the culling. He wished he could stop him. Choking back the emotion, be took a few deep breaths--breaking down would do no one any good. He had to be strong--if only for Bellamy. With that thought he pushed into his home and looked around. The light was off in the bedroom so he didn't go back there. "Aurora?" He called out, wondering if she was even here.

[Aurora Blake]

In many ways she had not expected to hear the door open. In many ways she expected Bellamy to deliver the message and for the Kanes to honor it at least for a while, to give her space to think about things and she had implied she would leave. She had toyed with the idea, but couldn’t. Initially she just wanted out. She felt like she could not get through this, like there was no way she could pick up the pieces after. No matter how she thought things through, there was no way to fix things for her. She couldn’t do this. She didn’t know how she was supposed to hold this family together if Bellamy was no more, if his death would be on all of them, some more than others. It looked like Marcus was here. He called out for her, but didn’t go into the bedroom. Of course, the lights were off, how was he to guess that’s where she would be? 

Aurora got up. She walked to the door. Her arms were still around her, tears were still streaming down her face, as she whispered his name. “Marcus.” The woman debated whether or not she should go up to him and hug him or not, but as she debated it, she knew she would not move forward. She didn’t know how he was, how he would react. She didn’t want to overwhelm him, while she craved his strong arms around her. She wanted to be strong for the family, but she didn’t know how right then. She feared losing the two men she loved and she felt so helpless being unable to stop it. It was that which made her so incapable of dealing right then.

Marcus Kane

[Marcus Kane]

Marcus was taking off his coat when he heard a voice speak his name. Looking up he saw that she had come from the darken bedroom. He had thought she might not be here, but for the moment she was. Looking over her, he could see she was upset, though for one of the first time in their relationship he didn't move to comfort her. He wasn't sure of his welcome, and he was hurt that she'd not only pushed their son away, but had given Bellamy the unwanted thoughts that he was hurting his parents by trying to do what he believed was right.

It left him unsure at how he was feeling. Too wary to be angry, too hurt to be her support, and in need of her too much to stay away. He wasn't sure if she was leaving him, or what she was planning. "I wasn't sure if you'd be here." He told her honestly, not sure what to expect from her, and thus dictate this own actions.

[Aurora Blake]

“Neither was I.” Aurora admitted. She hadn't known if she would have the strength to stay. She couldn’t imagine it just moments earlier with her son killing himself and nobody stopping it. Then again who was to do so? The council couldn’t go back on it, no matter how pointless it was. But there was something else keeping Aurora here, something that weighed way more heavily on her than anything else, even more heavily than she expected. Aurora felt the tension between them. While it bothered her, she knew neither of them was to blame. This was a situation neither of them had faced before. They acted on impulse on feelings, she had to deal with it and might have to deal with much more, but she knew she’d try, anything, to be there for him. She’d do anything to keep this family together even after breaking apart.

“I couldn’t leave you. I made a vow once. Through the good days and the bad. I can’t possibly imagine worse days. I’m not leaving. I’m afraid for you.” If he wanted her to leave, she would, but she would fight for him. She knew him. She knew he’d try to stay strong, but she wanted to be there for him, to carry part of the weight he’d place on him, because there was no doubt he would. He cared, he did what he had to do, but he was human. She was scared of what this would do to him and Vera. And to her, but she might not get to mourn. Even though she felt like the pain might rip her apart, she had a task, one to focus on and keep her mind occupied with.

Marcus Kane