Due To Popular Demand (all Of 3 Comments Mentioning One Of These) I Made Two Extra Gifs To The Last Set:

Margo x Sergei Mini Fic: "Whatever It Takes"

... Well, I seem to have stayed up late writing this possibly rather devastating little thing. Um, sorry I guess?

Set during a version of 3x10 in which Margo never got the call letting her know that Sergei and his family made it out safely, and she had to make her decision to defect without knowing.

As he entered the elevator in the lobby of JSC, Sergei felt as though his heart was pounding out of his chest with anticipation. He hoped he was making the right decision, coming to see her unexpectedly like this, but as soon as he was on the ground in Houston, the pull towards Margo was irresistible. Once he was granted permission to make this visit to JSC, no other choice had been possible. He simply had to be here as quickly as he could.

He had wanted to let her know as soon as he and his family were safely out of the Soviet Union. He had hoped to be able to call her when they reached the base in Germany, to tell her the good news, tell her he couldn’t begin to thank her enough, tell her they would see each other again very soon. For some reason that was not explained to him, he had not been permitted to make such a call.

Sergei had hated the thought that Margo might worry for him a day or an hour longer than she needed to. And at the same time, the idea that she would be worried for him – that she cared for him – warmed his heart.

The memory of her at their last parting had scarcely left his mind. It had all happened so suddenly; a shock to both of them. Allowed a brief time to say his goodbye, then, he had gone to her office with some hope, but little expectation. He knew her well enough to know how unlikely she would be to let him close to her, the shock making it all the less likely.

He had longed for nothing more than to hold her tightly, even if only for a moment, and tell her how much he loved her. This he had longed to do for so many years. And as he expected, this Margo had not allowed, either part of it. And yet, while she made the impossible promise that they would see each other again, he had been able to read in her eyes that she knew what he felt for her. Even, he now almost dared to believe, that she felt the same. And as he’d walked away from her office then, he could almost swear that he had heard her let out a muffled sob.

And now, against all the odds, here he was again. He could not wait to tell her that she had been right, after all. Somehow, she had made the impossible happen, for him and his family. She had told him she would do whatever it took; he should never have doubted this. He was here, safe, in the United States to stay – they all were – and he was going to see Margo again in just a few moments.

Sergei exited the elevator and started down the hallway toward Margo’s office. And there she was, heading down the hallway towards him, a look on her face of determination that was familiar to him, tinged with something – was it resignation? – that was unfamiliar.

She saw him then. She stopped dead in her tracks, her face growing pale.

Sergei hurried toward her.

“Margo. I’m sorry to surprise you like this. I wanted to call to tell you as soon as we were out, but I was not allowed. It is done, Margo. My family and I, we are all out, we are safe. We landed here just a little while ago.”

Margo continued to simply stare at him. He wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her so much at a loss for words.

Then, visibly collecting herself for a moment, Margo looked up and down the hallway, and moved to open a door near them. She gestured for Sergei to follow her into an empty conference room and shut the door behind them.

They stood very close to each other now. At last, she spoke.

“You’re here.”

“I am, Margo. I am here. And I can stay. Thank you so much for—”

Sergei cut off, utterly shocked, as Margo let out an anguished sob and half collapsed, half threw herself, into his arms. She clung to him. He had never seen her overwhelmed, overcome like this. Never even close.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly. He stroked her back, her hair, wanting nothing but to comfort her, however he could. His mind could scarcely process the fact that Margo Madison, the strongest, bravest woman he had ever known, was weeping in his arms. He made his voice soft, barely more than a murmur.

“Margo, I’m here. It’s all right. It’s over. I’m safe now.”

Perhaps it was the wrong moment to say it, perhaps it was a mistake. But he could not help himself.

“I love you, Margo. I love you so much.”

At that, she only sobbed harder.

Growing more and more concerned, Sergei continued trying to reassure her.

“I don’t know what’s wrong, Margo, but I’m here. I am here and I don’t have to leave. I don’t have to leave ever again.”

At last, she pulled back from him a little, looking up at him through her tears.

“You don’t, Sergei, but I do. I have to leave. I was on my way to meet my contact now, and – I don’t – I can’t –”

This didn’t make any sense. What contact? What did she mean? He asked her.

“They know. The FBI, they know about the engine design. It’s either this or prison and I can’t see any other choice I have.”

She rested her head on his shoulder again, tears still flowing, but quiet for a moment. Sergei still didn’t understand. What or prison? What was she planning to do? Not understanding, he nonetheless made her a promise, meaning every word. She had done whatever it took for him. He would do the same for her.

“We will find another way, Margo. We will solve it, whatever it takes. I’m here and I will help you. You don’t have to go anywhere. Not without me.”

He kissed the top of her head.

At that moment, the explosion tore through the building. The world went dark around them.

beautiful work, op. My favorite Goya. 😍

Greg-ified classic paintings vol. 3:

“Taskmaster Smooching His Assistant”

Margo Madison vs the longest day of her life

FOR ALL MANKIND | 2.06 "Best Laid Plans"

sleep tight, everybody.

Modern Margo & Sergei

For All Mankind - 3x05 and 4x04

Remote in my darkened exile, the days dragged by so slowly, without grace, without inspiration, without life, without tears, without love. Then my spirit woke and you, you appeared again, like a transient vision, like pure beauty’s spirit.

Laura Roslin in 2x09 Flight of the Phoenix

“You cannot go back there, Margo.”

Margo shifted on her feet. The life raft she had built to survive eight long years in the Soviet Union was quickly revealing itself to be not quite seaworthy.

Each revelation surged a wave that threatened to overwhelm her raft–the disdain of the people at NASA, the reveal of Irina’s mechanizations throughout both their lives, Sergei’s presence in Houston, and damn him, the care he offered her in his steadfast gaze.

This raft she built of necessity was based only on the work–her love of space and engineering. Now in Houston with Sergei standing in front of her it was laughable to think she could survive based only upon it. But then, back in the Soviet Union, that’s all she had. For eight years she subsisted on dreams of space alone, and finally, things began to change and she got to realize her dream only for it to all crash– Margo began to waver on her feet as she made new calculations about her life.

“Margo,” Sergei exhaled as he started forward, his hands outstretched to grasp her arms and steady her. Disheartened, she let him comfort her. She felt distinct and utterly unsalvageable ruptures form in her raft.

Margo wanted to break eye contact with him, to look anywhere else but she was as starved for him as she was for the rest of it. She tried to steady her breathing and recenter herself to work her newest and thorniest of problems.

She was as yet torn between wanting to cry, puke or laugh at what she had misunderstood yet again. Breaking through her racing thoughts were Sergei’s warm hands rubbing reassuringly on her forearms. She sighed and he released some breath of his own. She nodded and his hands drifted down to hold her hands. His eyes darkened from concern to a deeper longing.

“Please, Margo, come sit with me.” Sergei gestured with a jut of his head toward his car.

She nodded quickly and briefly tightened her own hold on him as he ushered her to the passenger seat. When he shut the car door to round the car and slide into the driver’s seat, Margo let her head drop into her hands.

“What now, Sergei?” Margo asked despondently.

“Now we find our way out,” Sergei responded firmly.

He looked her over closely; observed her gray hair, her wrist bandage, and her firmly buttoned-up presentation. He wanted nothing more than to pull her into his arms and never let her go again. God, he had missed her. He had mourned her and now here she was in his car inches away, as beautiful as ever.

Margo released another sigh and straightened, offering an exhausted default,“Sure, let’s work the problem.”

She turned slightly towards him to take a closer look at the man she had desperately tried to save. The last eight years had agreed with him and he looked as handsome as ever. Her scrutiny did not go unnoticed and he smiled warmly at her. Margo extended a hand to brush his cheek and touch his smile.

"I missed that smile,” she whispered as he turned in her grasp and kissed her palm.

Her heart thudded in her chest as he brought her hand down to intertwine with his over the console between them.

“And I missed you. Margo…” Sergei broke off, and what further he wanted to say died in his throat as they simply stared at each other.

Margo broke eye contact and pulled her hands away, trying to reign in her emotions and run-away thoughts. Without her raft, she was in danger of saying and doing things she knew she couldn't afford to embrace.

“I'm here to help capture an asteroid and usher in a new age for life on Earth,” she said with growing determination. “We will succeed. Nothing can jeopardize that.”

Sergei turned in his seat to face her straight on. Nonplussed, he replied, “And when you have achieved this, what do you think will happen then?”

Margo opened her mouth to argue that Irina had promised her the outer solar system–hell, the deeper cosmos–but nothing came out.

“Your usefulness is only ever an illusion, Margo, as brilliant as you are,” Sergei continued more gently. “A trick, and a brutal one.”

Margo closed her eyes, squeezing them shut lest a tear escape. “Take me back to the hotel, please,” she asked softly.

Sergei broached contact once more, reaching forward to caress and gently turn her face to his. Margo relented and opened her eyes to be met with a face full of concern for her.

“We can navigate this, Margo, it will be treacherous but we will find a way. For both of us.” Sergei squeezed her hand before turning on his car.

Soft jazz filled the car as he pulled out of Franks and headed towards her hotel. Sensing how overwhelmed she was, he kept silent as he drove across Houston. It wasn't to be a long trip, so he took her hand with his and held it until he parked a discrete distance away from her hotel.

Silence returned to the car when he shut it off. The air was heavy, like the rains were shortly returning. A handy cover for her to sneak into the hotel, but a heavier portent for the future.

Margo couldn't as yet see any way forward other than work the asteroid. Her track record on manoeuvring escapes was dreadful and left only wreckage behind.

“I will be here for you, Margo, and I have a plan to get us out,” Sergei began, interrupting her thoughts.

Margo cut him off with a sharp look and a quick exhale.

“Thank you, Sergei, for… coming to see me. It is good to see you,” the words painfully exited her chest, “we can work together on the asteroid; I know I will need your help, but…” Margo wasn't quite sure how to tell him that there was no possible future for them, that his optimism and hope were a brutal illusion of their own.

Sergei interrupted her ramble and cradled her head with both hands. Pulling her gently towards him, he rested his head against hers. “You appeared. Out of nowhere. A dream so impossible. Let me-let us-dream the impossible. My grief for you left me with an empty heart, and yet it disappears with the reality of you. I am no longer numb or in wonder at my desolation. I have outlasted the storm and so have you.”

Margo exhaled slowly and closed the last distance between them. Pressing her lips to his, she kissed him softly. Breaking the kiss she rested her head gently against his.

“They called me Margaret Reynolds,” she whispered with a strained mirth.

“Sergei Bezuko,” he whispered back encouragingly.

At that shared absurdity the car was briefly filled with giggles. Sobriety returned along with the rain as it splattered the car. They both moved to embrace the other tightly.

“We can do both, Margo,” Sergei tried to reassure her.

“We will talk more about that,” Margo said, forestalling further talk of the future beyond the asteroid capture, “But, I need to get back. I'll message you through Aleida.”

Margo loosened her hold on Sergei, and he resisted the end of their embrace only briefly. He held her hands as he gazed at her, trying to memorize her in this moment.

“I will be here for you,” he said and pressed a kiss to her hands.

Margo nodded and with one last squeeze of his hands, she opened her car door and disappeared into the rain.

--

Notes! Mwhaha. I just want them to touch more. 😉 Also, I bastardized Pushkin there at the end there.

FOR ALL MANKIND | 3.03 ALL IN