TEA AND COFFEE

my requests are now open. If there's something you would like me to wright whether it be head cannons, one shots, drabbles, etc, feel free to ask or direct message me.

the Eridians figure out how to extend Grace's life, cut to the future and Earth is making frequent contact, how does Grace deal with it, how they see him as a self sacrificing legend, but he knows the truth that he was a coward

possibly throw in Star Trek too since Vulcan is also within the Eridani star sytem

I don't know much about Star Trek so I'll have to watch that and revisit this but I think Grace would go through a bit of imposter syndrome because of how he got on the hail Mary to begin with -even though he did save Erid and Earth- I do also think the guilt of letting his bestie and the other Eridians think of him as this hero figure would eat him up inside because I just know the poor man has a good bit of self hatred. (sorry if anything isn't 100% correct, I'm still working through the book but I have watched the movie)

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The papers on Grace's desk sit abandoned, the cup of coffee next to them went cold a while ago. he doesn't know how long he had been sitting at his desk staring at the ceiling but it must have been a while considering the stiffness that began to settle into the muscles in his neck.

Lately his mind has been all over the place, the pit of dread in his stomach is more apparent now as his brain keeps asking "what if". Ever since the Eridians figured out interstellar communication 6 months ago he hasn't been able to shake the feeling that some how they would find out that his being on the Hail Mary wasn't the heroic story they thought it was.

He was a coward, he knew that, Stratt knew that, hell anyone who had intimate knowledge of the Hail Mary project knew that. But if they were still around would they tell Rocky? Would they tell the other Eridians? Stratt maybe, but only if it served a purpose, she wouldn't do that unless there was a good reason for it. Everyone else however? that was an unknown variable.

Eventually the stiffness in his neck becomes unbearable and the urge to walk around has him on his feet, his hand instinctively grabbing the cane by his desk. He doesn't need it as much anymore thanks to Erid's scientists but it helps to have something solid to hold onto.

Soon he's out the door and making his way to the shore. The sand is soft under his feet. Usually being out by the water helps him clear his mind but today he can't seem to escape the one question that's been plaguing him.

What would Rocky think?

The guilt gnaws at him as the pit in his stomach twists, for a moment he feels like he's going to be sick. What would he think? Would he hate him? Would Rocky resent him for letting him believe in this false narrative? He doesn't know and it's almost worse than actually knowing, the guilt eats away at him a little more as he settles into his usual spot.

He could run. it's the first idea to his situation his brain could come up with and of course it's a spineless one. The guilt hits him a little harder that time, it's not like he'd actually entertain the idea anyway, he'd be leaving his best friend just like he left his kids. Now the circumstances are different this time but the critical little voice in his head doesn't care, besides, where the hell would he go?.

Ultimately that train of thought leads him nowhere and he sits there on the beach, contemplating and stewing on his options until the early morning sun in his little bio-dome crests over the artificial horizon.

Even though he's spent his night thinking, the only logical solution he can come up with is a rather simple one, even if it changes how the Eridian sees him, he needs to come clean to Rocky.

It's not going to be a very pleasant conversation, he knows that, but as Grace is forced to return to his home he knows it's better than living with the constant cloud of dread that's been hanging over his head.

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