Part Thirteen
Pairing/Characters: Sarah Manning, Cosima Niehaus, Scott Smith, Cal Morrison
Summary: An unexpected early morning delivery sparks a discussion.
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Word Count: 1,446

The knock on the door comes very early in the morning and immediately puts Sarah on edge. Anyone at the door at seven in the morning isn't bringing good news. Sarah knows it's not Scott because he shows up at eight every day like clockwork. She opens the door cautiously to find a delivery guy there.

"Uh, hi."

"Morning," he says. "I have some packages for Sarah Manning."

"That's me," she replies.

"All right," he says. "Sign here." He hands her a clipboard and points to a large X in the middle of the sheet.

Sarah signs.

"And here," he adds, pointing to another large X at the bottom.

Sarah does.

"Thanks," he says. "So, uh, where to you want it all?"

"All?"

"Yeah," he replies. "It's like ten packages, at least."

"Uh, just in here, I guess."

He nods and she watches him walk back to the truck, parked next to the camper.

Even using a dolly, it takes six trips total for him to leave sixteen boxes of various sizes.

"Thanks," she says as he sets down what he announces as the last one.

"Have a nice day," he smiles.

"Uh, you too," she replies as she closes the door.

The first box he brought in has an envelope with her name on it. It took every bit of control she had to wait until the delivery guy left. She knows that whatever it says shouldn't be read in front of a stranger.

She rips it open and pulls out a very formal looking card. The front is blank, but she flips it over to find a scrawling handwritten note.

Cosima,

Congratulations on figuring out Duncan's code and the cure. This should be everything you need to create it. Please let me know if there's anything else you require.

Sincerely,
Marion Bowles

Sarah is seeing red by the time she finishes reading. She should have known better than to trust anyone involved with DYAD. The problem is, that now Sarah really doesn't know who to trust. Was it Scott? Delphine? Did Marion trick her again? Was it the phone Cosima's been using? Or maybe Delphine's? Or is there an even more sinister way that they're being monitored?

Judging by the card, the boxes are filled with expensive scientific equipment that they desperately need and it does answer the unspoken question that they've all had since Cosima announced that she had figured out the cure yesterday. But her relief is being overshadowed by wondering why. Not knowing why Marion keeps helping them is keeping Sarah on edge. Not knowing what else to do, Sarah climbs the stairs to show Cosima the note.

"Did I hear someone at the door?" Cosima asks as Sarah enters the bedroom.

Sarah nods and hands Cosima the card. Sarah wonders what she's telegraphing because Cosima accepts the card and sets it on the bed, unread. Instead, she tugs Sarah towards her. Sarah tries to resist, but Cosima's pout easily wins her over. And so she lets herself tumble onto the bed. Only once they're curled up together, does Cosima read the card.

"They need us to figure the cure out," Cosima says once she's read it twice. "Our goals are still the same."

"I've already checked the house," Sarah replies, relieved that it's one less things to worry about. "If they've bugged us, they did a damn good job of hiding it."

"When did you do that?" Cosima asks lifting her head to stare in surprise.

"While you nerds have been working," Sarah says.

"Oh."

"It's too big of a coincidence," Sarah continues. "I probably walked right into their trap, asking about Delphine."

"Sarah..."

"Why else would she change her mind so easily?" Sarah questions.

"But Cal looked over the phone," Cosima points out. "He said it seemed clean."

"What about Delpine's?" Sarah counters.

"What do you want to do?" Cosima asks.

"We should probably look at all the stuff, yeah?" Sarah replies. "I'll get Cal to help me move it out of the way. We'll get Kira off to school and then we can go through it. Scott should be here by then."

Cosima agrees, so Sarah goes to get Kira up and ready. They have a routine down, so by the time Scott arrives, she and Cal have moved the boxes, Kira is on her way to school and Cosima is happily searching through them. Sarah is pacing at this point because everything that has been sent is apparently exactly what is needed.

"Whoa," Scott says, seeing it all. "Did I miss something?"

"Dr. Bowles sent some things over," Cosima answers.

"Um, okay," he replies. He looks hesitantly at Sarah. "That's good, right? We can start working on the cure."

"It's hella good," Cosima agrees.

"Except how did she know," Sarah points out. She stares hard at Scott. "Are you sure you're not being monitored?"

"Uh, well, no, but I haven't been talking to anyone about... all this, so..." he shrugs.

Scott joins Cosima in examining everything and figuring out where to put things. Sarah assists as needed and Cal joins in when he returns.

By the time everything is unpacked and set up, there is no denying that they're still being monitored because according to Cosima, they seem to have everything they need. It sets Sarah on edge and she lets out a growl of frustration. She hates feeling like a puppet.

"What are you going to do?" Cosima asks Sarah who is leaning against the wall.

"I don't know," Sarah replies. "But it's obvious that we're being played again."

"You don't know that, Sarah," Cosima says.

"Don't I?"

"Dr. Bowles wants us to find a cure," Scott offers from his spot on the couch.

"Yeah?" Sarah retorts. "And do you know why?"

Scott shakes his head.

"Do you really not know, dude?" Cosima asks. "Or is it like a confidentiality thing?"

"I really don't know, Cosima," he replies. "I swear."

Sarah scowls.

"Delphine says we can trust her for a little longer," Cosima reminds them.

"I know."

"Are you sure that you can trust Delphine?" Cal asks.

"Yeah," Sarah snaps. "We are."

"You said it yourself," Cal replies, obviously defensive. "She works for DYAD. She's Cosima's monitor. And she's betrayed you before."

"If this is about Rachel taking Kira," Cosima interjects "Delphine was tricked. Just like Mrs. S and Felix thought Rachel was Sarah."

"So she says," Cal retorts.

"It's not up for discussion," Sarah says. "We can trust her."

"You know that for sure?" Cal questions.

Not wanting to explain to him, or in front of Scott, that what she trusts is that Delphine loves Cosima, Sarah just nods. "I do. The problem is that we can't necessarily trust what they've told her."

"And that's why you're worried," Cosima concludes.

"Delphine hasn't said why, has she?" Sarah asks. "If we know why Bowles cares, then maybe we could look into it."

Cosima shakes her head. "Too risky."

"You two should start working," Sarah says, waving distractedly at the equipment. "Talk to Delphine. We'll get you cured and then I can..."

"We'll figure it out," Cosima assures her as she and Scott get started.

Sarah motions Cal to join her outside.

"Before you start," Cal says before the door even finishes closing. "I'm just trying to look out for you and Kira."

"I get that, yeah," Sarah replies. "But I've been dealing with this clone thing for a while now and—"

"And I'm trying to help you deal," Cal reminds her.

"I know," Sarah says. "Thank you."

"And are you really sure about Delphine? Or are you just saying that because of Cosima?" he questions.

"I wouldn't do that," Sarah replies. "Just like she wouldn't. There are no feelings that need to be spared."

"Right, cause you're sisters."

Sarah kind of hates how he's trying to summarize her relationship with Cosima in just one word, that one word. "Yeah..."

"So you're absolutely positive about Delphine?" Cal asks. "I mean even if there cure is close, Cosima could still—"

"Do not finish that thought," Sarah warns.

"I just mean, are you really sure? Or are you just indulging your ailing sister?" he presses. "And maybe haven't even realized it?"

"We're done talking about this," she tells him because she really can't handle the interrogation coming from him right now; she already has enough to worry about.

"Sarah," he tries.

She shakes her head and stomps back inside the house. Cosima is on the phone with Delphine. Hearing Cosima chuckle at something being said, Sarah tries to ignore the tightness in her chest as she goes through the boxes one more time looking for clues.