When Gemma woke up early in the morning she couldn't help but feel a little disoriented. Not only was she not sleeping in her bed but there was an arm draped around her naked body. For a moment it just felt too easy to just ignore any doubts that she had and just lay in bed with Jaime. 

Because it just felt so good to be in his arms. All she wanted was to just close her eyes again and pretend that things were like before when they were together and everything was okay. Only it wasn't okay even then, if it had been Jaime would have never broken up with her. Things were broken back then and they were still broken now. Nothing had changed and she couldn't just close her eyes and pretend that they were. 

Jaime tended to be a heavy sleep so it was easy to slip out of his arm before Gemma quickly grabbed her bag and ran into the bathroom. She didn't waste anytime before stepping into the shower, she needed to get out of the hotel room as soon as possible. Gemma naturally had a terrible tendency to overthink everything, it had never bothered her much before but it was killing her now. 

As much as she wished she could just stay locked away in the bathroom to not have to face Jaime, but she also didn't want to be a coward. The moment she finished her shower she quickly changed into her clothes and hesitated as she reached for the door knob. She had no idea how to approach any of it. 

She had thought Jaime had been a coward for just leaving the way he had. In many ways he was because he decided to take the easy way out. But now she understood why he had done it the way he had. It felt impossible to face the person who you wanted to distance yourself from. But did she really want to distance herself from Jaime? 

Gemma knew that she loved him. But that didn't feel like it was enough anymore. Not when he had been so dishonest, not after he had hurt her the way he did. 

When Gemma finally gathered the courage to open the door, that courage seemed to immediately disappear the moment that she saw Jaime sitting at the edge of the bed. She completely froze at the sight of him. It looked like he had woken up not too long ago, it was still early, but he quickly got up and crossed the room to her. 

"Gemma." Jaime said with a bright smile and Gemma couldn't help but feel a little guilty cause he clearly had no idea the storm that was her thoughts. "You should have woken me up. We could have showered together." 

He attempted to reach forward and what she assumed was touch her still wet hair, but she couldn't help but move her head back to avoid his touch. The last thing that she needed was to be more confused than she already was. Not to mention that if he did touch her, she might be tempted to just fall back into the ignorant bliss that was just so easy. 

Gemma took a small step back not exactly sure what to say or do really. Because how could she tell him that after last night she was a lot more conflicted and confused. Not that she regretted what happened, but she had hoped that she would get some more clarity on what to do. "I thought you could use some more sleep."

"Is everything okay?" He asked immediately because of course he could sense that there was something wrong. She wasn't exactly acting normal, the worst part was that he seemed hurt by the way that she was acting. 

"Yeah, it's just that we should probably get going soon."

"Right." Jaime said with a slight nod as he stepped around her and entered the bathroom. In that moment Gemma felt like the worst person to walk on Earth, considering who her father was maybe it was in her blood. 

She was aware of just how awful she was when Jaime finally stepped out of the bathroom and the gathered all of their things in silence. The checked-out of the room in silence. The walked to the car in silence. They drove the last remaining hours in silence. It was an agonizing silence that neither one of them were brave enough to break. 

Maybe he was also afraid to address the issue. Maybe he also felt that if they attempted to talk about it that would officially be the end of them. Gemma couldn't explain it but that was what it felt like. A dread that just kept building knowing that everything they had would result in nothing. So, it was easier to just sit in silence and ignore it. To try to hold on to whatever it was that they still had left. 

Because the truth was that she so desperately wished that things could be different. After everything that she had lost Jaime felt like one of the things that she just couldn't accept losing completely. Even after Jaime had left there was some part of her that felt like their story wasn't over. 

"Do you still love me?" Jaime suddenly asked causing her to completely freeze. She was really hoping that they could push the conversation that they needed to have until the resolved everything else. 

"What?" Gemma asked softly even though she had heard him clearly. 

"Gemma just answer the question." He replied because like he had declared earlier, he knew her. Knew that she had heard what he said, that she only wanted time to think about her answer. "Do you still love me?"

There was a heavy weight in Gemma's chest, one that almost made it difficult to breath. There was too much hanging on her answer. An answer that was clear in her mind, but it was an answer that really didn't change much. She could be honest but that didn't matter at all if he wasn't. 

"Jaime I've loved and I've missed you. I've hated you. And I've regretted you. And even though I tried I was never able to forget you because I thought about you everyday. But that doesn't mean that I've been able to forgive you, even if I love you."

Jaime looked around the parking lot desperately as if he expected the answer to his next question to magically appear. "Well, tell me what I have to do."

"The thing is that you made me hate myself. I thought there was something wrong with me."

Maybe that had been the worst thing that he did. Jaime leaving the way that he did made her feel so small. For the longest time she had blamed herself for the break-up. She had felt like she was not enough or that she had not done enough. 

"I thought you deserved something better." Jaime said softly and although it was something that she had suspected, she didn't know what he expected her to do. She couldn't change the way that he felt. 

"Something better than you?" She countered not sure if there was anything she could say to assure him that he was completely wrong.  Especially when he had given her everything that she had ever wanted. With the Reyes she had finally felt like she was part of a real family. She had felt wanted and less alone.  "You were everything Jaime. Then you left and took everything with you ."

"Gemma you're literally perfect. How could I even compare?" He said and she knew that this conversation was killing him just as much as it was killing her. "You would never understand how difficult it was to be with knowing that everyone around you thought I wasn't good enough. How embarrassing it was to not be able to take you to the restaurants you like because I couldn't afford them? Or how I couldn't but you things because you have much nicer things already."

Gemma shook her head feeling the tear build up in her eyes. She didn't want to cry, but she was completely heartbroken. "Those things never mattered to me. I just wanted to be with you."

"It's easy for you to say those things don't matter but they do." "I was afraid that one day you would realize that you were dating Edge Keys trash."

Gemma felt completely speechless, because what was she to say? She could spend the entire day telling him that it wasn't true, that he was so much more than someone from the Edge Keys.

"Have those feelings changed at all?"

"What?"

"Do you still feel that way?" She attempted to clarify knowing that if they had any chance it would all rely on the answer to her question. "Like you aren't good enough?"

Jaime opened his mouth slightly before closing it. He looked away from her then, the shame he was feeling was clear. His inability to answer was his answer. 

Gemma wanted nothing more in that moment than for him to have lied. For him to have just lied to her face and told her that things had changed, that he no longer felt that way. She would have like to have been blissfully ignorant for just a little longer. But that was unfair for both of them. She wanted Jaime to be honest and he was being honest. 

"That's exactly the problem. Nothing has changed so why get back together when you still have those insecurities?" Gemma questioned, because in the end it all came down to that single issue. She didn't want to waste anymore time with a relationship that didn't have a future. She didn't deserve that. "How is that fair to me if you leave again?"

"Gemma..."

"I think that once this is all over we shouldn't see each other anymore." She found herself saying and for a moment she couldn't help but be surprised that she had said it. But she was very aware of why she did, it was because it was the best for both of them. They were just torturing each other, and the last thing that she wanted was for them to end up resenting each other for it. She would rather just remember all the good moments that they had together then the fights. "If we're as incompatible as you think then it's for the best. That way we can just move on."

But she was a coward because after the words left her mouth she couldn't even look at him. Instead she looked away and attempted to walk around him to get inside the building. But before she could move away Jaime grabbed her hand.

"Please don't do this." He whispered softly as he stepped closer trying to close the space between them. There was almost a desperation in his eyes, like he felt just a miserable as he did. Gemma didn't doubt that he did want to fix things between them, he had said as much since the night of the gala. For the first time she did sense that he was being honest with his feelings, but it also felt to last. She didn't want to continue to push him to tell her what he was feeling. "I love you."

Gemma didn't know what to say. Felling divided by what she wanted and what she needed. She wanted nothing more than to be with Jaime, but the reality was that she was asking for something that he couldn't give. He was right she was busy, and successful in what she did. She did have a lot of resources, but that was something that she wouldn't change. She couldn't change who she was to ease his insecurities. 

"Jaime!" An unfamiliar voice called out causing the two of them to step away from each other. Looking at the other end of the parking lot Gemma was surprised to see a face that she hadn't seen in a very long time. It was Paco Testas, and although she hadn't seen him in a long time she had heard a lot about him from Brenda. "Shit I interrupted something didn't I?"

Jaime seemed completely stunned to see his friend as he looked at Gemma to check her reaction, but she really didn't have one. "Paco what are you doing here?"

Paco shrugged the smile on his lips was wide, either he didn't notice that Jaime wasn't exactly happy to see him or he didn't care.  "You called me yesterday and told me you were coming here."  

"Yeah, well that wasn't an invitation to meet me here."

 "Too late." He said with a smile before he turned his attention to Gemma who still felt very confused. She didn't know that Jaime had reconnected with Paco, she was more confused about that fact that he was here. Did that mean that Paco knew that Jaime was Blue Beetle? That seemed to be the case. "Paco Testas."

"Gemma Ivo." She replied as she took his extended hand. 

"Yeah I know we went to high school together."

Gemma forced a slight smile, desperate to head inside but also not wanting to be rude. "I remember."

"You do?" Paco said as he looked over at Jaime like he had proven Jaime wrong about something. True when they were in high school Gemma had never really interacted with Paco, in fact she was sure they had never spoken before. But she definitely knew of Paco, though a lot of what she heard wasn't necessarily the best. Brenda very much still resented Paco after their break-up. That was one of the reason why she wanted to end things with Jaime before they got to the point where they didn't have good things to say about each other. "That's awesome."

"Well, I'll leave you two." Gemma said not waiting for either of them to reply before quickly heading inside the building. 

The Ivo Tech building was empty, and Gemma couldn't help but be relieved that at least one thing was going right. She had asked Jenny and Brenda to make sure that no other employees were present, the last thing that she wanted was more people getting hurt. Taking the elevator up to her office she couldn't help but be relieved to finally see Jenny and Brenda after what felt like the longest day to exist. They were both sitting in the couch busy on their laptops. 

"So how was the drive?" Jenny asked the smile slipping from her face the moment she took in the look on Gemma's face. Wincing Jenny put down the binder and walked across the room to where Gemma was standing. "Never mind."

"What happened?" Brenda questioned as she entered the room and although she was grateful that she wanted to listen, Gemma really didn't want to talk. 

"Jaime and had a fight." Gemma said wanting to sound dismissive, but failing miserably. Of course it was destroying her that things with Jaime were officially over and she would just have to push those feelings down. There were other things that required her attention, only after they discovered who was responsible for the attacks towards her and her employees would she allow herself to mourn what she lost. 

"Oh no."  Jenny muttered as she leaned against the counter, and Gemma appreciated that Jenny was acting so casual about it all. "You had sex didn't you?"

Gemma felt her face instantly become flushed, annoyed with how transparent her situation was. But of course Jenny had figured it out immediately, before they had left she had warned her of exactly that. It was like Jenny knew that Gemma was weak and not over Jaime. "Yeah."

"Yikes."  

"Don't worry you aren't the first girl to sleep with her ex, and you defiantly won't be the last." Brenda said attempting to make Gemma feel a little better, though it also seemed like she was talking from personal experience. And if she was referring to Paco that did nothing to make Gemma feel better, considering how badly things had ended between the two of them. "So?"

"I told him that after all of this is over we shouldn't see each other again." Gemma replied and watched as Jenny and Brenda's eyes both went wide in surprise. 

"Where's Jaime now?"

"Outside with Paco."

"I'm sorry what?" Brenda practically yelled causing both Gemma and Jenny to jump a little. 

Gemma had been so caught up on what had happened with Jaime that it had slipped her mind to tell Brenda about Paco. If they were lucky Paco wouldn't even be an issue and Jaime would just send him home. "I totally forgot. I'm sorry."

Brenda immediately seemed to panic at the idea of him even being anywhere walking distance from her. Not that Gemma blamed her, at the moment she felt like she wanted a whole ocean between her and Jaime. "I don't understand."

"I don't either." Gemma replied just as confused and Brenda's panic was almost infectious as she felt herself panic. Jaime had to have recently reconnected with Paco considering that he had never mentioned it when they were together. Though Jaime hadn't told her a lot of things while they were together, so maybe she couldn't be surprised. "Even Jaime seemed surprised to see him. He'll probably just send Paco away."

"Yeah, you're right." Brenda said as she nodded, though it looked like she was mostly talking to herself. 

Jenny and Gemma shared a brief look silently agreeing that it was better to just wait and see what Brenda wanted to do. They both knew how rough her break up with Paco had been and if she wanted to vent some more about him they would listen. 

"Anyway Jenny and I actually found something while trying to go through Ivo Tech's in development projects." Brenda said instead clearly just wanting to change subjects all together and talk about work. It was another things that Gemma understood well, working to get your mind off all the horrible things happening always helped. Even if it was just a temporary solution. "Just to try to figure out if there might have been something they were after. And it looks like..."

Suddenly Brenda trailed off as she looked straight ahead with what could only be described as horror in her eyes. Gemma and Jenny both turned around to find Jaime and Paco standing at the doorway. The smile Paco had in the parking lot had completely vanished and instead was replaced with a look of shame. 

"Hey." Jaime said slowly as he entered the office with Paco slowly following behind. The room seemed to go ice cold  no one in the room really knowing how to even approach each other. Gemma couldn't help but feel frustrated that Jaime would even think it was a good idea to involve Paco in this mess. Especially when he had to know how mad the things between Brenda and Paco where. "Ummm....Jenny this is Paco."

"Nice to meet you." Paco said slowly but Jenny didn't say anything, she only offered him a small smile that was obviously forced. But Paco didn't even notice because his eyes were on Brenda who wasn't even looking his direction. "Brenda."

"Like I was saying when looking through the budget we found something weird." Brenda said completely focused on Gemma and ignoring the fact that Paco was even in the room. Maybe it was best to act like there was nothing wrong even though it felt like everything was terrible. "Over a million dollars were approved for a project that's no where in the project or research catalogs." 

For a moment Gemma went completely silence finding the fact unbelievable. For that amount to go missing and unnoticed felt impossible. Had someone used Ivo Tech funds to create that android? It was possible considering that there weren't many placed advanced enough for the kind of Tech used for that robot. But all upcoming projects were placed on her desk for approval. 

"That's impossible Tom is in charge of overseeing all in development projects." Gemma said knowing that although he had recently overstepped many boundaries there was no denying that he was incredibly dedicated to his work. His work was everything and he never accepted anything that was less than perfect. It was one of the things that they had in common, it was the reason why they worked so well together. "He would have noticed if..."

The words died on her tongue as the realization hit her like a slap in thee face. She couldn't understand how she could have been so blind because it all suddenly made so much sense. But she just couldn't wrap her mind around why he would be doing this to her. She thought that they had been friends, after what her father had done he was the person that was by her side helping her navigate her new reality. 

It was a betrayal that she would have never expected. Even after forcefully kissed her the way he did, she could feel her heart break a little realizing that he had attempted to kill her twice. She couldn't understand what she had done to deserve that from him. 

"Gemma?" Jaime questioned softly as he attempted to reach out to her.

Gemma stepped back not wanting him not touch her. It wasn't necessarily the fact that it was Jaime, she didn't want anyone to touch her. She didn't even want anyone to see her. It felt embarrassing that she had been so naive, that he had been doing everything right under her nose. And she hadn't suspected a thing. 

"I just... I need a minute." Gemma muttered before stepping out of her office needing some time to accept the truth, because foolishly there was a part of her that wanted to be wrong. She also wasn't sure if she wanted to cry or not. If she did she didn't want the other to see, it felt like such a pathetic thing to cry over. 

Walking through the hallway she quickly stepped into one of the staff break rooms. Sitting down at the closest chair she couldn't help but go through every interaction and moment she had with Thomas, trying to find a moment where he might have given himself away. Trying desperately to find some kind of explanation on why he would turn on her the way he had. Apparently Thomas had shown Jaime his true colors all while Gemma had been too blind to see any of it. 

Although Gemma wanted time alone with her thoughts that was a luxury that she wasn't granted because suddenly there was a loud crash and a red blur that suddenly sent her across the room. Everything happened so quickly that she didn't have a second to react to what happened before everything went black.