Hushed Willows shakespeare in the park

A few choice words weren't going to calm her down. She had a fleeting thought about that though, something that shot through her mind even though the situation was totally out of her control now, and she was sobbing, and the thought really had no place at all within her brain: but there it was. A tiny sliver of doubt. How can he say these things, she thinks, has this worked for him before? But she cannot know that. Stark has not shared much about his life pre-Keep with her. Nothing except his sisters, and vaguaries, but that's what she likes about him. His anonymity has always been appealing. As he says her name though, she recoils — the reaction is visceral, like her sobs, but as she pulls away from him her breath catches in her throat and she nearly chokes. Octavia sputters for a few seconds as she recoils, refusing his proximity, but cannot avoid the sound of his voice.

Stark is right, of course. He's level-headed while she recounts her experience, and he is smart enough to know this is only half of the story. Octavia doesn't know everything. Her perception has been clouded by a mess of things — stress, hormones, trauma from losing her first-born, and the powers-that-be know what else. He doesn't know of the shadow in her brain that is spreading so slowly, and taking hold of her. Then again, Octavia isn't aware of that either. She feels his chest, notices something amiss there, but is too wrapped up in herself to do anything about it.

This all makes sense to her until he speaks her name, tries to sooth her with promises she cannot trust, and then there is a physical gap between their bodies that she fills with her many suspicions and fears. 

It all boils down to one thought though. Just one. Can I trust him? Not just for herself, but for the life of her baby boy. A part of her doesn't, and that dark part in her brain reinforces the tiny misgiving, and she ducks to avoid his gaze. Something has already happened, she murmurs childishly, only to raise that shrewd gaze to match his own, challenging him even though she did not need to. Talk to her if you want. I know what's best for my son. And with that, Octavia turns her back on her Beta and retreats towards the last place she saw her son. She'd give Stark the time he requests, but there is no telling how long he has.