"Augur, where is he?"
The hacker extraordinaire looked at Renee as though she were crazy. She had the common decency to flinch at the accusation in his eyes - she had screwed up so badly. She hadn't meant the things she said - really, she hadn't - they had just slipped out, and once she had started she hadn't seemed to be able to stop.
Augur glared at her and said, "You've hurt him enough for one day, don't you think?"
"Augur, please! I need to tell him how sorry I am!"
The hacker looked at her - really looked at her - and Renee shivered. For all the times that Augur seemed to be superficial, even brash, he had a way of looking at people and sizing up their true motivations. He murmured, "You really do care, don't you?" Renee stood there, biting her lower lip, fighting the urge to cry and nodded silently.
Augur, with compassion in his eyes, motioned for her to take a seat. He got her a drink of water and sat down opposite her as he thought how to word what so desperately needed to be said. Liam and Renee together were a very good team; the dynamic between them was instinctive for all that they denied it even existed. The Resistance needed them 'in sync', hell; they needed to be 'in sync'. Renee had screwed all that up today and he honestly wasn't sure it could be fixed.
"Renee, you attacked his heart today; I know you didn't know any better but you hurt him so much. He loved her..."
Renee flinched at his words and lowered her gaze to her trembling hands that were clenched round the glass that she was holding.
"Are you ready to listen to me now? You have to know everything... you have to know why what you said hurt him so much."
In a dull tone, Renee said, "What's to know? He loved her and I insulted her because I was jealous.
"She's dead and he still loves her. I don't understand, Augur. How could he have ever loved that Irish bi--"
Augur's raised hand stopped her in his tracks as he said, "Renee, stop! Beckett wasn't his lover, Beckett was his mother!"
The glass dropped from her suddenly senseless fingers as she gasped out, "What?!"
Augur glared at her and growled under his breath. "Renee, shut up and listen!
"If you hadn't freaked out when we told you about Sandoval being his father then he would have told you before. He's been dying to tell you but he's scared that you'll back away from your friendship and that scares him more than anything else in the world.
"Are you ready to listen? No, better than that, are you ready to see what I need to show you..."
He got up from his seat and went to his computer and punched in a command. Renee looked up to the big screen against the wall and watched archive security footage from within the lair.
Finally - she saw everything. From the moment Dr. Park announced the fact that Beckett was pregnant through to the delivery and naming of the baby. Then she - with her own eyes - witnessed Liam's rapid growth, his first words and the speed at which he matured to full adulthood. By the time the security record was done there were tears streaming down her cheeks.
Softly, Augur said, "He'll be at the Observatory sitting out on the hill looking up at the stars. There are reasons for that but that explanation will have to come from Liam.
Renee rose to her feet, still wiping the tears from her eyes. She walked up to Augur, kissed his cheek and murmured, "Thank you," before she headed to the elevator and away.
As the doors closed behind her, Augur rubbed an agitated hand over his scalp. "The rest is up to you, Renee."
Renee found Liam exactly where Augur had said. She walked up quietly but even so, she saw Liam tense. "Do you want me here?"
For a long moment Liam didn't say anything and her heart froze in her chest but then he moved to the side a little; a silent invitation to come sit beside him on the blanket he had brought.
"I am so sorry, Liam. I never meant to hurt you like that."
Liam's wounded eyes seared her as he said, "Then why did you say those things about her?"
Renee lowered her gaze to her tightly clenched hands. Almost too faint for him to hear, she murmured, "I was jealous."
That wasn't the answer he had been expecting. "What?!"
Renee blushed. "I didn't know Beckett was your mother, Liam. I found that out less than an hour ago when Augur told me."
"Then why would you be jealous... you thought she was my lover?!" The stunned look on Liam's face would have been funny under other circumstances. It changed though to one of strange intensity. He said, "You thought she was my lover and that was what made you jealous." The implication in his tone was clear and Renee refused to look up; terrified of the rejection she would see in his face.
A gentle hand cupped her chin and raised her gaze to meet his own. The wounded look was gone from Liam's gaze and in its place was fond exasperation. Gently he said, "Palmer, you're an idiot."
Then he pulled her closer and lowered his lips to hers. When they finally came up for air, she snuggled herself closer into his arms and lowered her head to his shoulder. Quietly, she said, "You're right, I'm an idiot."
Liam just laughed and cradled her closer.