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Cora had arrived perhaps a little too early for the party that Connor and his girlfriend were hosting, an event she had been invited last minute to by Kendall several hours earlier.

The invite had been a peace offering of sorts, or at least that was what Cora suspected, given that it had followed an unproductive meeting with the Roy family patriarch, Logan, which Kendall had facilitated. The meeting had unfortunately began on the back of a particularly fraught family viewing of the interview Stewy Hosseini had held, though Cora wasn't exactly sure if there was any universe where the meeting would have resulted in getting what she wanted.

Over her first week at Waystar, Cora had managed to gather up snippets of what had happened before Frank's hospitalisation, slowly filling in the blanks through passing comments made by Shiv, Kendall and Gerri. At first Stewy's name didn't register with Cora, but upon peering through the glass screen, an act that had felt distinctly less humiliating to do in tandem with Tom, she had instantly recognised his face.

"Is that ... Kendall's friend?" Cora found herself muttering under her breath.

Tom, who was attempting to crane his neck as inconspicuously as possible, retracted himself for a moment to look at her, a slightly dazed expression settling on his features, mouth hanging ajar.

"You're familiar with Stewy, are you?" He replied, cocking an eyebrow. Cora nodded slowly, unsure if she should have let that information slip. Tom had turned back to Logan's office, chewing the inside of his cheek pensively. "Shiv did say you were quite familiar with Kendall, I suppose."

She had kept her mouth mostly shut after that, but still her mind churned. Back then, Cora had had the distinct impression that while Kendall wanted to work with Stewy in some capacity, the two had had separate career paths. What had Stewy's job been again? Cora wracked her brain for a moment before giving up. What she had remembered about Stewy was his air; cosmopolitan, clever, calculated. On the few occasions she had spent time with both men, she had always felt a slight envy radiating from Kendall, but Cora had never quite known just why.

Clearly the years had not faired the relationship well.

The office had cleared not long after the interview had finished, though not without a few audibly harsh words from Logan.

While Shiv and Kendall approached the pair of eavesdroppers, Roman had strode past them in contrast, a quick wave before he disappeared. This had been a regular occurrence since Cora had started attending the Waystar offices regularly; Roman dipping in and out of rooms with little more than a passing word to her conversation partner before hurriedly excusing himself. Shiv shot her brother's back a look as he rounded a corner, her gaze flitting to Cora for a brief moment before she turned to Tom.

"My dad can talk to you but we have to make it quick." Kendall murmured, and Cora nodded, trying not to think too much into it yet knowing in her gut that she would analyse the entire scene over lunch. Silently, she followed after him, hands clasped behind her back.

Logan Roy's hands had clasped atop his desk as he stared Cora down from behind it, his glare as weighty as it had been when Cora was a teenager.

"I've been told you, ah, you want ... A job? Is that right? A job?"

Logan had always made Cora nervous, and for the most part she had managed to avoid one on one conversations with the Roy patriarch throughout the years. This had been a considerable feat, Logan had a habit of being overbearing on the occasions that he did notice any of his children or their friends, but Cora had managed it through strategically timed bathroom visits. He'd once asked her, on one of the rare occasions he'd managed to catch her, if she'd been checked for IBS.

But Cora wasn't a teenager anymore, and while granted she wasn't alone, Cora wasn't so naive to believe that she had any allies in the room.

"Yes, a job." Cora repeated back, trying not to sound too robotic. She had a bad habit of letting her nervousness manifest as a colder, stilted version of herself. She'd been accused of coming across as bitchy on more than one occasion. "I'm interested in ... Well, anything really. I'd just like some, I guess, job secur-"

"How did you do at Yale?" He said as he cocked one of his white bushy eyebrows, shooting her a pointed look.

"I-I ..." Cora stuttered, opening her mouth to speak further. She tried not to jump out of her skin when she felt a hand clasp her shoulder, Kendall's voice ringing out above her.

"Dad, she could be great in PR. Cora used to do a ton of promo-"

"We don't need people in PR, we need a bloody vice-chairman!" Logan roared suddenly, his eyes fixed on his son, and it had taken Cora every bit of strength to not jump out of her skin. Kendall's fingers pressed firmly against her shoulder, and the sensation had been oddly calming.

The man behind the desk cleared his throat, shifting in his high backed leather chair. His gaze had moved squarely to Cora again, jaw clenching as he appraised her. Then, with a sigh, he waved a hand. "I'm not making any decisions right now with all this Stewy bullshit. Show me that you're capable of something other than stumbling out of a nightclub and we'll see."

Logan's words had felt like a slap to the face, but outside of the office, Kendall seemed positive. "It's good that he didn't just dismiss you out of hand."

"Had you expected that reaction?" Cora muttered. Kendall didn't respond. Instead he glanced past Cora, giving a wave to Roman, waiting nearby. Cora glanced at him over her shoulder, trying to not let her gaze linger. "So, what next?"

"I- Now's not a good time to get into it. We've got something we have to do." Kendall said with a slight sigh. "Are you doing anything later? Connor's back in town, he's having a party. Some big announcement. Around 7."

"Is that an invite?"

Clearly it had been, since she was now standing on the fringe of a guest list entirely unfamiliar to her, nursing a glass of non-alcoholic cider and regretting her decision.

Connor had greeted her warmly enough, though confusion had crossed his features upon her entrance. He'd hurriedly introduced her to his girlfriend, Willa, who was markedly younger than him, before ushering her to the bar.

"I remember how you like your whiskey!"

"I'm sober now." Cora said, trying not to sound too sheepish. Connor's expression crumpled, opening his mouth before catching himself.

"You don't say. Kendall didn't mention that when he let me know you were coming. You know you really were the life of the party whenever you and Shiv would steal all those wine coolers. A regular Courtney Love." He smiled tightly. "I think we have some ... Some juice or ... Or water?"

"Do you have, uh, just some cider?" Cora offered.

"With no alcohol?"

"Yes."

"You know what, I'll go to the kitchen and check." He nodded his head towards her, a pleasant smile holding on his lips, though Cora had the distinct impression she'd managed to annoy him. Indeed, after he'd returned with her drink, he'd paid her little mind, running off to have a very loud conversation about his ranch with a group of older men.

Just as Cora was considering leaving, Greg suddenly appeared. He looked as though he'd come from work, his white shirt noticeably crumpled beneath a dark blazer, and Cora was surprised he wasn't still wearing his work pass around his neck. He nodded towards her as he passed by, greeting Connor and grabbing one of the flutes of champagne from a passing waiter.

"Gee, this place has some nice ambiance, huh?" Greg said as he joined her side, raising his glass towards her before taking a quick sip. Cora lifted her gaze to meet his, straining her neck upwards. "What're you drinking?"

"Something boring." The cider was almost painfully sweet, but Cora supposed she should be grateful that she wasn't stuck with the orange juice meant for making screwdrivers. She nodded towards his glass. "Is that good?"

"Uh ye-" Greg stopped short, squinting at her, tilting his head slightly. "Actually it's, like, maybe a bit too bubbly. It's terrible actually. You'd probably hate it."

For added measure, he held out the glass away from him, contorting his lips as a sign of vague disgust.

"True." Cora replied, letting a half-smile light her lips. "It's ok though, I'm hardly squirming in my sobriety because I can't have a glass of champagne."

She did have to admit that the thought of it on her tongue wasn't an unwelcome one. Greg nodded, bringing the glass back to his lips. He spoke again as he lowered it, glancing around the room. "So, do you know what the big announcement is?"

"Nope. I only got my invite as a consolation prize." She replied, shrugging her shoulders. "From the conversations I keep overhearing, though, my running theory is it's cow or horse related."

"Ah, yeah, the ranch."

"Uh huh." Cora replied.

"I assumed it was about the presidency." Greg said, nonchalant. Cora frowned, unsure if he was joking.

"Pre-" She started, jumping slightly as a hand clamped down on her shoulder. She turned to see Kendall, holding a drink of his own. Instantly she felt as though something was off about him, though she couldn't quite place what. He seemed slightly energised, yet a heaviness pulled at his voice when he spoke.

" ... trouble in finding your way here?" Cora blinked as she realised he was addressing her.

"Uh, yeah, kinda hard to miss this place, being a hotel and all." She replied with a light shrug, her eyes still locked on him. "Are you alright?"

"Better than ever." It was obvious he'd been drinking before he'd arrived at the very least, and maybe that was all it was. Cora's gut told her otherwise. She leaned a little closer to him, and Kendall's eyebrows flew upwards, taking a step backwards. "Uh, are you good, Cordelia?"

"Are you?" She muttered.

"Cordelia." Greg muttered. "Have you ever considered going by that? I've been thinking a lot about maybe going by Grego-"

"I agree, Greg, Cordelia you should consider a name change." Kendall said quickly, cutting the other male off. He quickly raised his glass to his lips, swallowing down the alcohol that was left in his glass. "I'm going to get another drink. Because I'm good."

He gave Cora a pointed look before moving towards the bar. Cora opened her mouth, turning to Greg.

"Did he give you a vibe?"

Greg swallowed. "Uh, like ... Like a good vibe or ... ?"

"Just ... You know, like a weird ... "

Cora trailed off as Greg moved his head from her to the entrance, giving a nod of greeting to the newly arrived guests. She followed his eye line, feeling the muscles in her body instantly tense at the sight of Shiv, Tom and Roman.

But it wasn't just the trio. Standing tall and dressed in a little black dress was a woman with curled blonde hair, a foxlike grin spread against coral lips. Roman's arm was wrapped around her waist, the two exchanging a few words as they moved into the room. Cora realised moments later that they were moving towards her, straightening her posture as the group stopped in front of them.

"Hello you two." Shiv chirped, her eyes firmly affixed to Cora.

"You're fashionably late." Cora replied, trying not to chew on the inside of her cheek and failing.

"That was always your thing." The other woman replied, chuckling softly. "What're you drinking?"

"It's cider." Greg answered for her before she could reply. "With no alcohol."

"It's not moonshine?" Roman joked, an expression of faux surprise crossing his features. Cora met his eye, quickly shifting her gaze to the floor. "Well would you look at that Shiv, seems like Cor can hold it together for one of Connor's shindigs. Doing better than the rest of us."

"Yeah, crazy that." Cora replied. "I actually don't drink anymore. Insane."

"Don't take it personally, it's more of a Connor thing than a you thing." Roman paused, nodding towards the woman beside him. "Oh, by the way, Tabitha this is Cordelia. Cordelia, Tabitha."

Cora nodded towards the blonde, moving to extend her free hand. She was taken off guard as Tabitha moved from Roman's side to pull her into a short yet firm hug.

"Hi! Sorry, I'm a hugger." Tabitha said, her voice almost melodic as she moved away. Cora nodded, clearing her throat.

"That's ok."

"I've just heard so much about you in the past few hours and wow! You've been through a lot, huh? Good on you for doing the rehab thing!"

"So everyone knows, huh." Cora muttered, half to herself and half to the others.

"C'mon, we better say hi to Connor." Roman said suddenly, beginning to steer Tabitha away from the group with a curt nod. His eyes scanned everyone, skipping over Cora, before the pair broke away from them. Tabitha glanced over her shoulder, shooting Cora a grin.

"Lovely meeting you!" She chirped before turning to Roman to say something inaudible.

"She's nice, isn't she?" Shiv said to no one in particular when they had moved properly from earshot. "I might go say hi to Connor as well."

Cora spent much of the next hour half-listening to Greg and Tom's conversation, which mainly revolved around how many people Tom could fire from ATN, as she shot furtive glances across the room towards Roman and Tabitha. She couldn't help thinking about the abruptness that Roman had broken away from the group.

Eventually she found herself drifting outside onto the expansive balcony, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the low light outside. The air was bitter but bearable, Cora had always liked the cold, and it licked against her bare arms, ruffling the material of her dark green dress as she strode towards Kendall.

He was sitting on a cement bench, cigarette in hand, looking out at the city and swaying ever so slightly. Cora silently took a seat beside him, her hands folding in her lap as she took a deep breath.

"Haven't seen you much in there." She commented after a few minutes had passed. Beside her, Kendall took a swig of beer, followed by a drag of his cigarette. He shrugged, coughing a little, smoke billowing from his nose as he exhaled.

"Haven't been in the mood."

"You're drunk."

"Yeah, I am. I'm drunk. You got me."

Cora laughed, the sound bitter in the cold night's air. "How long were you even in rehab for?"

Kendall took another swig before answering. "Long enough."

"Clearly not." She replied, sharply.

"So you get clean one time and you think it's cool to get all, all judgy?" He turned to her, raising an eyebrow. "Because you really don't know the half of it, Cora. You have no idea what has happened in my life."

"You're right, I don't." Cora replied, biting down on her bottom lip. "I'm realising that." She was realising that with all of them, but she didn't voice this sentiment, letting it die in her throat.

Silence fell. Cora pulled her arms to her chest, crisscrossing against her front as her hands rested on the crooks of her elbows. Her flesh was coarse with goosebumps, though whether they were from the temperature of the air or the tension that wrestled under the surface, Cora was none the wiser.

"Can I have some?" Cora murmured. Kendall glanced at her with surprise, cocking his head to the side. "The cigarette, not the beer."

"Are you sure?"

"It's a cigarette, not a crack pipe, Kendall. I'll manage."

With a shrug, he passed her the cigarette. She pressed it to her lips, taking a drag, before letting out a spluttered cough. She grasped at her chest as she passed it back to him, Kendall watching with a vague amusement.

"Just a cigarette." He murmured, not unkindly, as he took a drag himself. Cora rolled her eyes, trying to ignore the burning sensation that now stung at the bottom of her throat. She'd never liked smoking anything, weed included, but if she was being honest with herself, the pain of it felt good.

"Yeah, yeah." She sighed, straightening up again. "So why are you hanging out here and not in there?"

Kendall was silent for a moment before replying. "Just some stuff with my dad and this ... This thing I worked on."

"Oh yeah?" Cora murmured, trying to not sound too interested. "What about it?"

He paused to take a long gulp of beer before noisily setting the empty bottle on the group. His lids were beginning to droop low, eyes closing as he considered the question. "It's called Vaulter. Just ... something I acquired for the company. Dad's making me ... gut it tomorrow."

"Gut it?" Cora's eyebrows descended, tilting her head to the side. "Like ... "

"Like fucking," he raised an arm, gesticulating wildly. "Y'know, fucking fuck it up. We're going to shut it down. Fire everyone."

"We?"

Kendall fell silent then, his body crumpling slightly, shoulders folding forwards. Cora opened her mouth, stopping herself short, staring at him. She reached at his shoulder, giving him a harsh little shake, and he roused with a start.

"Kendall?"

"Wha-" He blinked, staring bleary eyed. Suddenly he stood, dropping his cigarette to the ground and messily stamping the toe of his shoe on top of it. The sparks flared for a moment before dissipating into the darkness.

"Gotta get another drink." He muttered, walking away before Cora could speak again. She remained stationary on the bench, fixed with shock at the whiplash she had experienced, before she slowly stood upwards to follow after him.

She found him inside at the bar, swaying slightly on his feet. Though the party had begun to thin out, she could feel eyes on them as she joined him, trying to catch a glimpse at his face.

"I think you're ... I think you should go home." She muttered, swallowing. "What's, uh, what's your address?"

"I dunno, it's this place ... " He shrugged, his eyes closing as he propped his forehead against the bar. Cora opened her mouth to probe him for more information, stopping short when she realised he had started to snore. She gave him a quick shake and Kendall jerked upwards with a start, blinking hard. "Sorry, power nap."

"Your address Kendall," Cora muttered, rolling her eyes. Kendall looked at her with blank eyes. Huffing, Cora shook her head. "Look, don't worry, sleep on my couch."

Kendall didn't seem to comprehend, but Cora was done trying to get through to him. Instead, she hailed Greg down, the two of them helping Kendall stumble into his driver's car before piling in behind him.

Cora watched the night whisk by, her cheek pressed against the cold glass of the car window. She was nursing the beginning of a headache, the kind that presses against the backs of your eyes, the ones she remembered having in her early days at rehab. Sometimes she felt the shadow of detox at the corners of her mind, the memory of the pain her body had experienced dancing at the edges like shadows on her peripherals.

And despite herself, every time she felt the ghosts of tremors and aches so ferocious she thought they would break her body in two, a thirst would grip her tongue and she would yearn for just a drop, just a shot, just a glassful.

Her eyes closed, mind whirring through the scene of the party until it found the image of Shiv appearing, then Tom, and finally Roman and the blonde girl. She had been beautiful, statuesque and high-cheek boned, pretty but not generic, dripping with charm. And Roman, beside her, unable to meet her eye, looking past her as though she was barely there.

A pang rang out in her chest, and she pulled away from the memory, unable to stomach it. She didn't know quite why, but it felt like playing with an open sore. Well, she knew exactly why, but that wasn't the problem, the problem was that she shouldn't have felt that way anymore. They'd all grown up, grown their separate ways. Time was meant to heal all wounds, so why did hers seem to break apart at the skin whenever she was presented with even the smallest hint of disapproval?

Cora and Greg managed to get Kendall into the elevator without too much trouble, the doorman on duty giving Cora a knowing look. She mouthed a silent apology as the doors closed before them, hoping her own sobriety was apparent as she pressed the button for the apartment's level.

The elevator gave a soft lurch as it pulled upwards, ticking softly as it passed by each floor. Between them, Kendall gave a low groan.

The elevator opened onto a private landing, and Cora used her free hand to dig around in her purse for her keys. Unlocking the door, the three stumbled into the foyer. Cora flicked on the light switch, illuminating the white walls and the framed paintings that decorated them.

When Cora had bought the apartment, it had been mostly on the advice of her accountant. Fresh from her dorm rooms in college and accustomed mostly to sleeping in shared quarters, the sheer amount of space the condo had boasted had thrown her. Cora didn't have a creative bone in her body, a fact that made decorating a mammoth task.

For the first few weeks, all the furniture that had existed in her apartment was a bed, a television and a bean bag. When Shiv had come over to visit, she'd been less than impressed. Under her guidance, Cora had hired an interior decorator and given her little instruction on the creative direction. "Whatever you think is best." The end result was that on first glance, her apartment was certainly tasteful, but upon repeat visits it's lack of personality became quickly apparent.

The vast open plan living space was decorated with neutrals layered on neutrals, staged as though Cora had copied directly from an interior design magazine, down to the scattered magazines on the glass coffee table. A little away from the couch, facing towards the glass table, was an ivory grand piano grown dusty with misuse. Even after the designer had been through the apartment, it still felt distinctly empty, easily mistaken for a showroom rather than someone's home. Cora supposed that was partially true. In the ensuing years, she'd spent more time outside of her home than in it. It felt too quiet, too still. Ever since leaving rehab, she had meant to meant re-do it, but the thought had been too overwhelming.

The one difference she had made was the art, courtesy of a dealer she'd met at a gallery opening a few years ago. Oil portraits in a style reminiscent of Francisco Goya, scenes of violence rendered in dark colours. She'd met the artist at the same gallery opening and they'd dated briefly, though Cora had come to the conclusion that his art had been decidedly more interesting than the man himself.

"Oh, nice." Greg commented as they passed the framed pieces, though he'd turned a shade paler. They direct Kendall towards the sofa and he eagerly fell against it, sagging into the plush cushions with a sound of approval.

"Before you nod off," Cora began, raising her voice slightly to best get his attention and leaning down to hover over the couch. Kendall rolled over, his eyes closed, nodding in Cora's direction. "As a thanks for letting you sleep here, I'm coming with you to Vaulter tomorrow, ok?"

Kendall nodded, the movement painstakingly slow. Happy with his answer, she straightened up, clearing her throat.

"I'll go get him a blanket." Cora muttered, leaving Greg in the living area. The linen closet sat in a second hallway that led off to one of the spare bedrooms, which Cora had repurposed into home gym, and the master bedroom. She was picking out a spare duvet when she heard Kendall's snores filtering through the apartment, rolling her eyes.

She returned with the blanket tossed over her shoulder, spreading it on top of Kendall and sighing to herself. Greg had moved over to the kitchen on the far side of the room, gazing out of the floor length windows at the buildings around them.

"This place is pretty nice." Greg commented, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Thanks." Cora nodded. "I probably don't appreciate the view enough."

"If I lived somewhere like this, I'd honestly glued to the windows." He confessed. "I love a good view."

Cora laughed softly. "Yeah? Wanna see the roof?"

He didn't need any convincing. A few minutes later and they were at the top, the elevator pinging softly before the doors spilled open onto the top of the building. The air was cold, and Cora found herself regretting not grabbing a coat before they had left, hugging her arms against her body. Greg didn't seem bothered in the least, making a noise of approval and moving towards the concrete barrier that wrapped around the rim of the building.

"You can see Madison Square Park." He commented, the wind ruffling his hair.

"I can see it from my room." She admitted, instantly regretting her words. It sounded like she was bragging. Greg didn't seem to mind though, his arms propped against the top of the barrier as he gazed out at the expanse of city below.

"No kidding."

"You can stay, by the way. If you want. I have a guest room." Cora said, realising it was best if he did stay. At least then if anyone heard that Kendall had crashed on her couch, she could point out that he hadn't been the only guest.

"O-oh, are you sure?" He said, turning to her, his brows raised.

"Yeah, seriously. Saves you a cab ride."

"Thanks. My roommate yells at me if I get home past 9." Greg replied, readjusting his gaze to the skyline once more. There was a pause, before he straightened up, palms flat to the barrier. "So, uh, what's your deal? Like, with the Roys."

Cora let out a nervous chuckle. She moved closer to the barrier, leaning against it, her eyes traveling down one of the nearby buildings, pretending as though the drop in her stomach was the byproduct of vertigo and not his line of questioning.

"I'm not sure, what's yours?" She countered, keeping her eyes focused forwards, away from him. Greg shifted slightly in her peripherals.

"My grandad's Logan's brother. They don't get along but ... When I was in a pickle, Logan gave me a job." He gave a small nod.

"Is it a just a job though?" Cora murmured. She knew how things were with the Roys, that the line between job and the family was entirely mutable on Logan's whims. There had been times when she was younger where she had found herself wondering if Logan indeed didn't just control her step-father's job but also his life. Things with the Roys were never simple, and Cora could only imagine how that worked for extended family.

"Sometimes I don't know." He replied. "But it's the best opportunity I've ever had. So I, uh, don't look horses in the mouths or ... "

"Gift horse." Cora corrected.

"Yeah, that. I just, y'know, do whatever and hope it works out for me." He shrugged. "So, uh, yeah. You. Tom said something about being friends with Shiv as kids."

"Probably the easiest way to describe it." Cora replied, a little too quickly. She exhaled audibly, air pushing through her nose. "I ... Let's just say I have a long and storied history and now I'm ... Also just trying to do my job."

"Yeah, yeah I getcha." He nodded. "I guess that's why you're right, though. If it was just a job, then why's Kendall on your couch?"

They both laughed at that.

Soon after they returned to the sound of snores filling the apartment. After she showed Greg to the guest bedroom, she made her way quietly through the living room, pausing to gaze upon Kendall's sleeping form. He looked oddly at peace, his guard stripped down, sleep easing the tension from his brow. A feathery wave whispered against her skin, the image of when he'd last stepped foot in her apartment, crossed the threshold of her collarbones and alighted somewhere dark in her chest.

Was she crossing a line by inserting herself into the Vaulter thing? It wouldn't have been the first time that she'd committed such an indiscretion in his company. Old habits nipped at her heels.

With a sigh, Cora retreated into the welcoming dark of the hallway, leaving watchful possibilities to conspire among the symphony of snores.