Author's Note: So, this is it. The final chapter. I just want to thank you all for sticking with this fic for so long. Your support has been overwhelming and it really means a lot to me. I had so much fun writing this and I hope you found half as much enjoyment in reading. As always, feel free to share your thoughts, opinions, criticisms, whatever. I'm always working on new things and hoping to improve. Much love :)

She lifted her heavy lids and was met by a piercing brightness, a white light that seemed to stretch on for miles and envelop her completely. Despite the apparent heaviness of her body, her mind was floating, soaring high above the fleeting world, as weightless as the glimmering light all around her.

"Am I dead?"

She could hardly make sense of what was going on.

She tried to focus her eyes on something, anything, but there didn't appear to anything nearby for her to latch onto. If this was her afterlife, it was a pretty shitty one; where were the angels with their harps and her dearly departed loved ones of the past to greet her as she crossed through the pearly gates? As she began to ponder whether or not she would be alone, floating aimlessly for all eternity, a figure finally appeared before her.

The blinding light kept their identity concealed, but she found herself attempting to reach out towards the person, only her arm was far too heavy for her to find success. The silhouettes of a few others gathered behind the prominent figure, all of them hovering over her. She could hear a muted buzzing coming from them.

"They must be speaking..."

She couldn't make any sense of the words.

Perhaps ethereal beings spoke a language entirely of their own.

She tried her best to call out to them, but they didn't seem to hear her. Eventually, the airiness became too much and she found her world dimming once again. It was like she was standing atop a mountain, the high altitude finally getting to her, oxygen becoming increasingly sparse.

She must have been really high up.

"Co-si-ma."

The voice rang out through the void.

It was soft and familiar, warm and soothing. It continued to ricochet off the invisible boundaries of her surroundings, ringing in her ears. She wanted to respond to it, she even managed to open her mouth ever-so-slightly in an attempt to, but she couldn't manage more than a few smothered groans in response.

"Co-si-ma."

The voice continued to call out to her.

She held onto it as she slipped into the blackness.

When she opened her eyes for the second time, she was met by the same light as before. She blinked a couple of times, trying yet again to make sense of her surroundings. She didn't hear the voice anymore, nor did she see any figures surrounding her.

She was alone again.

The fog slowly lifted and the brightness became less severe.

She found herself staring at ceiling tiles, beckoned back to consciousness by the sound of beeping machines working fastidiously. She now recognized the brightness as the unmistakeable light of a hospital room. A moment later, Delphine was hovering over her with glossy doe eyes and a smile that Cosima thought she'd never see again.

"Delphine?" she asked through the haze.

Delphine's lower lip trembled.

As she wondered what the source of all the emotion was, the blonde leaned down, planting a gentle kiss upon her dry lips, one she was too weak to really reciprocate, but she closed her eyes anyway as her monitor's lips ghosted over her own.

"How do you feel, mon amour?"

"Like I got hit by a truck," Cosima grumbled, her voice coarse.

The blonde chuckled lightly as Cosima offered her a weak smile.

"Water?"

"Yes, of course."

She brought a plastic cup with a straw to Cosima's mouth and the clone sipped greedily for a few seconds. When she finished, Delphine placed the cup on the side table, a look of amazement and pure joy still plastered on her face as she took in the petite brunette. Cosima couldn't remember ever seeing the blonde so happy before.

"What's going on?" Cosima finally asked.

"You're okay, Cosima," Delphine replied, smiling wide. "You're going to live."

She suddenly remembered the events leading up to that very moment.

She had had a seizure at their apartment that had landed her in the hospital. She remembered her stubbornly naive girlfriend begging her not to give up, even though she knew that her fight was futile. Not long after that, her lungs had given out, she knew that much for sure. She could feel them as they went. Everything after that felt like a blur. She faintly remembered drifting in and out of consciousness and she thought she remembered a ventilator.

"How?" she wondered aloud.

How was she there, breathing, speaking, not dying? Sure, her head still felt fuzzy and her body still felt heavy, but it was distinctly different from the heaviness of death that she had felt before. She looked around at the equipment she was attached to, trying to make sense of things. She took a deep breathe and oxygen came easier then it had in months. Her chest didn't rattle or threaten to erupt. She finally looked back up at Delphine. The doctor's expression had changed and she knew that face well; it was the face she made when she was withholding something, when she felt guilting for doing so.

"Delphine, what happened?" she pressed.

The blonde paused, racking her brain for the proper response.

How much to tell her?

"Rachel is dead," she settled on.

"Holy shit," Cosima mumbled in disbelief. "But... how?"

"One of your sisters," Delphine clarified.

It couldn't have been Alison.

It had to be...

"Sarah?"

She knew that the Brit had more than enough motive to take Rachel out, but she really didn't think that Sarah was capable of something like that. Sure, Sarah had killed in self-defense before, but that was a world apart from murder.

"No," Delphine replied. "The Ukrainian one, I believe."

"Helena?"

Last she'd heard, Helena was dead; killed by Sarah's hand while the two were locked in a death-match, as Sarah had explained. She had no reason to doubt the punk and she could tell by the tone of Sarah's voice over the phone that Sarah was trying to hide her guilt and contempt over such an act. Sarah couldn't have faked such a response, it didn't seem possible. So, if Sarah wasn't lying and she really did kill Helena, then how the hell was the angry angel herself still wandering around?

"Sarah said Helena was dead."

Delphine shook her head.

"Apparently she survived."

Cosima hummed in response, pondering how such a thing was possible.

"There was a confrontation between Sarah and Rachel. Sarah was almost killed, but Helena intervened just in time. By the time we got there, she had disappeared again."

"And Sarah?"

Delphine smiled.

"Sarah is fine. She's just outside, actually. I'll send her in once we're finished."

Cosima nodded.

Despite such an interesting turn of events, Delphine still hadn't answered her question. What had happened? Why was she still alive and breathing just fine on her own? As if she could sense Cosima's torment, Delphine prepared to continue on with her tale. She inhaled deeply, chewing nervously on her bottom lip. She was unsure of how Cosima would handle the next bit of news, but she knew there was no way to avoid the reveal.

"They... collected Rachel's body and brought it back here," she began, her voice shaky. "She had perfectly healthy lungs, so..."

Perfectly healthy lungs.

And, being a clone, a perfect compatibility.

Her breath caught for the first time with her new lungs and her eyes became damp, lip quivering. She brought her hands to her face in an attempt to both subdue and conceal her expression. She may not have liked Rachel at all, but she never wanted this. She never wanted someone else to die so she could live.

"This isn't your fault, Cosima. Nothing could be done," Delphine quickly tried to reassure her, stroking Cosima's hand gently. "Rachel would have killed Sarah. She had to be dealt with. It seemed foolish to let her lungs go to waste."

"Yeah, yeah. I know."

Delphine was right, Cosima knew. Still, it didn't change the fact that she was here because Rachel was not.

"Your body seems to have accepted the new lungs. We'll have to run some more tests, but it looks like you're going to be fine, ma cherie."

"Fine for now," Cosima corrected.

Yes, she had a new set of lungs, but they still hadn't been able to locate the cause of the disease and they still hadn't been able to discover a cure. If the ailment was encoded in her DNA, which she suspected, then it was only a matter of time before her new lungs gave out, as well.

"You have time now, Cosima. We have time. And we're closer to a cure than we've ever been."

"Yeah? And how's that?"

Delphine's smile returned as she walked over to the door, opening it. She poked her head outside, whispering a few words to whoever was on the other side of the door. A moment later, Sarah entered along with Kira.

Cosima couldn't contain her own drowsy smile.

"Hey, Cos. How are you feeling?" Sarah greeted.

"Not dead, so that's nice," Cosima shrugged.

Delphine quietly slipped out of the room, giving the strange family some privacy.

"I drew you a picture," a tiny voice said, holding up a piece of paper.

Cosima reached as far as she could, meeting Kira halfway to retrieve the picture. The girl had drawn a picture of Cosima with Sarah standing at her side and other people she could only assume were meant to be doctors, the words "get well" scribbled messily in blue crayon at the very top.

"Wow, that's so awesome!" Cosima exclaimed. "But I don't look nearly that pretty, Kira."

Kira giggled.

Sarah crouched down, addressing her daughter.

"How about you run outside and go find Delphine while I talk with Auntie Cosima? Maybe you can find Uncle Felix, too."

"She has nice hair," Kira remarked.

Both Sarah and Cosima burst into laughter until the pain of Cosima's prior surgery prevented her from doing so any more.

"Yeah, I think so, too," Cosima said.

With that, Kira obediently dashed out of the room, leaving the two women alone.

"So, Helena's alive?" Cosima asked, shifting the tone of the conversation to a much more serious one.

"Yeah," was all Sarah could muster.

"Kind of a mind fuck, huh?"

Sarah shook her head, blinking back tears.

"She saved me, Cos. I shot her in the chest but she saved me anyway."

Had she been well know to stand and move around, she would have pulled her sister into a tight embrace. All she could think to do instead was offer Sarah a sympathetic smile.

"She's clearly got her demons, but I think she really loves you, Sarah. I mean, you're her only family. You and Kira are probably the closest thing to comfort that she's ever had."

Sarah nodded.

"I just... I wasn't expecting that."

Silence befell the room as they both gathered their thoughts, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Well, if she shows up again, you'll have to give her my thanks, too," Cosima said, breaking their momentary silence. "Looks like she saved two lives."

"Yeah, you're right," Sarah agreed with a teary smile. "You're okay. That's all that matters."

"For now, at least."

"Hopefully for good, now that Kira's here."

Cosima's eyes widened at the mention of her niece's name. She knew exactly what Sarah was implying. Delphine had brought it up, as well. She was well aware of the fact that Kira was most likely her last hope at developing an actual cure, but she wasn't willing to put her niece in that position. What kind of person would she be if she was willing to exploit a child in such a way? So long as the risk to Kira was present, she couldn't bring herself to consider it.

"Sarah, I can't ask you to... you can't trust DYAD. Especially with Kira," Cosima protested.

"I know, I know. Things are going to get a little easier now, though."

Cosima's brow furrowed in confusion.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

Sarah leaned back against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Well, turns out the board was pretty pissed with Rachel and her bloody warpath. And one of S's friends was able to pull some strings."

"Your foster mom has friends in DYAD?"

"Yeah. Some Miriam chick," Sarah explained. "Her and S have been working together for a while. With the whole Rachel fiasco, they realized that they really need to try a different tactic, one that doesn't involve hunting down people like bloody dogs."

"Gee, you think?" Cosima asked sarcastically.

Sarah smirked.

"With a little persuading, she managed to get them to call off the hunt. So, Kira and I are in the clear for now."

"Persuading? What kind of persuading?"

"Miriam and S helped me set up a meeting."

"You met with the board?" Cosima asked, surprised.

"Yeah. Bunch of stiffs with bad hair and nice suits."

"Go figure."

"Anyway," Sarah continued, pushing away from the wall and walking towards Cosima's bed. "I offered them some of Kira's samples as a peace offering. The samples'll go to you, once you're well enough to jump back into it and all that shit, but Delphine's got them for now. She's gonna use them to work out some sort of cure for you."

Cosima's eyes welled with tears.

"I know we can't fully trust DYAD, but I know I can trust you. I know you'll do the right thing with them, Cos. That's why I need you to live. I need you to live and stick with these freaks, to keep an eye on them. For all of us."

Cosima swallowed back her emotions and nodded.

"Of course. You know I've got your back."

"Good," Sarah smiled. "Cause it looks like you're gonna be the ambassador between us and DYAD. They said it was crucial to open a real line of communication between us, and since I trust you with my life and they trust you with the science, looks like you're that line. Better rest up while you still can, yeah? You're gonna be pretty fucking busy."

Delphine watched behind a quiet smile as Kira climbed all over her uncle, grabbing at his arms and swinging from them like a monkey from a branch, all the while Felix growled like a mock-monster, attempting to subdue her. Watching Kira play and laugh like the carefree child she should have been, the one she truly was at heart, brought an air of lightness back into her life that she hadn't felt in a long time, probably since she first met Cosima and their relationship was comprised of playful banter and innocent acts of theft.

Out of the corner of the eye she caught Sarah stalking down the long hallway from Cosima's room towards them. She stood from the waiting room chair and waited until Sarah reached them, ducking down to plant a kiss atop Kira's head.

"How is Cosima?" Delphine asked.

"She's okay," Sarah replied. "Looked kinda tired, though. Figured I'd let her rest."

Delphine nodded in understanding.

Sarah gestured with her head, tilting it towards the vacant corner of the room, an invitation for Delphine to join her for a private moment. Delphine quickly caught on, following the brunette as she led them away from Felix and Kira.

"So, this is gonna work, yeah?" she asked. "Kira's samples. They'll definitely cure Cosima, right?"

"I have a couple of lab techs looking into it right now, but I'll know more for certain once I get back to DYAD," she answered. "I want to spend a little more time with Cosima before I head back. She shouldn't be alone."

"No, yeah. Of course."

Delphine could tell that Sarah was still on edge, still worried about the possibility of failure.

"Kira's samples are very promising. I'm sure we'll be able to manufacture a cure from them. It's going to take some time, but thanks to you and Helena, Cosima finally has that time."

"I... I hesitated," Sarah admits with a pang of guilt. "I know I said I wouldn't, but I did."

Delphine frowns.

"I... I wanted to. I wanted to want to, you know? But I had that gun pointed at her and I just..."

Delphine stepped forward, placing a hand gently on Sarah's shoulder.

"It's fine," she said softly. "It all worked out. That's what matters."

"Yeah," Sarah agreed. "I guess. I'm just... not really sure if the ends justify the means, you know?"

"I am."

Sarah stared down at her feet, considering the doctor's words. For better or worse, it had all worked out. Cosima was still alive and so was Helena, she had Rachel off her back and it looked like they were on the path to actually working out some sort of treaty with DYAD. When she really thought about it, she realized that things couldn't have been better.

"Cosima's still here," Delphine added. "And so are you and Kira."

That was worth any sacrifice, any casualty.

Sarah smirked.

"I gotta say, Doc. I'm impressed."

Delphine cocked her head in confusion.

"I definitely didn't give you enough credit before," she confessed. "I didn't think you had the balls to come up with something like that. It's a pretty fucked up thing, premeditated murder."

Delphine's face remained stoic, unreadable.

"Rachel said that I wouldn't shoot her, that I didn't have the stomach for it. I thought I could, but when I was actually standing in front of her with that gun... I mean, I hesitated, but you? You never did. Not even for a second."

It was a crazy plan, the blonde knew, but she had been desperate; Cosima needed new lungs and Sarah needed Rachel to be gone. It seemed like a logical decision, a quick solution to both of their problems.

"You would have done it, wouldn't you?" Sarah finally asked her. "If you had been the one with the gun... you would have shot her in a heartbeat."

She wasn't wrong.

"It's Cosima," was all Delphine managed to say in a whispered breath.

There wasn't anything she wouldn't do.

Sarah smiled.

"Yeah. It's Cosima," she agreed.

An awkward silence descended as Delphine attempted to shake off her hesitation, finding the nerve to say what was about to follow. Her features hardened as she cloaked herself in armor once again.

"Cosima... she can't know about this," Delphine finally mustered, her voice not quite a plea but not quite a warning either.

The doctor wasn't necessarily afraid of the blame befalling herself. She could handle it if she had to; she had endured Cosima's wrath many times over by now. It was because she knew that as angry as Cosima would be with her, she'd be even angrier at herself. She'd blame herself for putting both Delphine and Sarah in positions that required such drastic measures. She'd shut the doctor out and carry it with her for the rest of her life.

She wasn't about to let that happen.

"Yeah. Okay."

Silence, again.

It was more comfortable this time, wrapped in forgiveness and a newfound understanding of each other.

"I'm going to go and sit with her for a while."

Sarah nodded.

The doctor turned away, slowly beginning her journey back to her waiting lover. She'd fall asleep at her bedside tonight, yet again. Only this time, she didn't have to worry if Cosima's smile would be there to greet her in the morning.

"You'll take care of her?" Sarah called out as she watched Delphine walk away.

Delphine paused mid-stride and stared down at the ground, smiling. She cocked her head slightly to the side so that Sarah would be able to hear her answer.

"Toujours."