''Interstellar Destiny''

Please Stay

A few minutes later and Lara is standing in the hallway outside of Evan's apartment, taking a deep breath before knocking. Evan opens the door and is surprised to see her there.

-"Lara? Is everything alright? Is Ava okay?"

-"Everything's okay, Ava is safe back home, but I need to talk to you."

Evan steps aside and signals her inside, closing the door behind her as she enters his apartment. Lara takes a look around the room and sees that he has already begun packing.

-"Jack told you, didn't he?" - He stands behind her.

-"He did. I'm guessing he wasn't supposed to?"

Evan walks past her and picks up a t-shirt from the back of the couch, throwing it in a nearby box.

-"You were going to find out any way."

-"You don't have to go."

-"Yeah, I do. You were right. If I hadn't come back into your life, Ava would've been safe. It's better if I go, that way the two of you will always be safe."

-"Do you really think that's what I want? What Ava wants? Evan, I was a mess when I said those things. I know you would never do something like this, but I was so scared that I was gonna lose Ava that I took it out on you. I'm sorry I did, truly. This was not on you, you have to know that. You have to know that I'm so sorry for accusing you and for making you believe that I didn't want you in our lives."

-"When I came back, all I wanted was to see you, nothing else. I knew it had been too long and that you most likely had moved on, so I was happy with just seeing you. But then I found out about Ava and all I wanted was to be a father to her. To love her and protect her, to be there for every major and minor milestone in her life."

"Not in a million years did I ever think that my presence in your lives would lead to this. Lara, I'm not gonna lie and say that seeing you with Henry didn't hurt, it did, more than you know, but what hurt the most was seeing how easily you believed I would do something like this to you and Ava. I love the two of you too much to hurt you in any way."

-"You still love me? After all this time?" - Lara is taken aback by his confession, her voice coming out soft and low.

-"I've never stopped loving you, Lara. And my love for you only grew when I saw you with Ava. Seeing you being such an amazing mother to our daughter, made me love you even more, even if I couldn't be with you."

-"Please stay. Stay, and we'll talk and try and figure things out. Please." - Lara holds back tears, as he walks up to her and places a hand on her cheek.

-"I don't think that's a good idea. Me staying might put the two of you in danger, if the NID is so interested in having someone close to you. It's better if I leave." - He feels her leaning on his hand.

-"Stay. If not for me, for Ava. We just got you back in our lives. Please, Evan, stay. Give me a chance to make things right between us."

He steps away from her, turning his back on her, not saying anything.

-"I know I was awful to you, I know that, and I'm sorry. But I can't lose you again. Please don't make me lose you again. I spend years trying to move on from you, but when it comes down to it, the truth is I never let go. I still love you, I still want to be with you, I still want to grow old with you. I want Ava to have her dad with her until we're both old and gray, and I want to see what the future might bring us. Please, Evan, stay."

Lara sees him rub a hand over his face, but he still doesn't turn back to her or say anything. She lets out a low sigh before turning and leaving, thinking that she just lost Evan all over again and this time it hurts even more that the first one.