ULTIMATUM

Summary: Henry and Eliza's unresolved romantic tension (HEURT) has led them to a turning point. Eliza simply has had enough, and barges into Henry's office demanding satisfaction and resolution. Little does she know he arrived at the same conclusion over the weekend. Eliza is no longer with Freddy, and Henry has been running solo for months after ending his relationship with Julia.

This story starts after "Interception", but takes place in a post-canon universe independent of my other "Selfie" stories. References to 1x01 (pilot), 1x04 (Nugget of Wisdom), 1x05 (Even Hell Has Two Bars), 1x09 (Follow Through), 1x10 (Imperfect Harmony). One line in this story is from a quote by 'coffeepeople.' And yes, I created a new Heliza acronym, HEURT; for example, "I gotta work that HEURT out."

One year ago on 2014 September 30, "Selfie" made its broadcast debut on the American ABC television network; the network released the full pilot episode to the Internet on Twitter a month earlier. I present "Ultimatum" to mark the important anniversary of the sit-com's debut, groundbreaking for the color-blind casting of the wonderfully talented group of actors, and for the delectable temptation of an AMWF pairing on broadcast television.

Chapter 1 of 4: Escalation

Ultimatum: a noun, from Latin meaning "last possible" or "final". Synonyms include final notice, final terms, final word, last chance.

Looking at the definitions on her smartphone, Eliza Dooley sat at her desk, contemplating a momentary crisis combined with a 'feel-induced' wave of reason.

Her desk and partition dividers used to be covered with brightly colored Post-it notes containing reminders to shopping, shoes, clothes, 'malls and more!' It was a way of telling herself all the good things surrounding the finer aspects of consumerific therapy.

But over time, something happened. Something innocent yet sneaky had changed the appearance of her work environment. The Post-its were replaced by photographic prints surrounded her on both sides. Prints included selfies she'd taken over the past year. Frequent stops at CVS and Walgreen's meant producing the best possible square-format prints at the best possible prices.

She glanced from one selfie to the next: it was like a highlight reel of some of the best moments over this past year. Some of the best moments of her life, many including her best friend.

Like the selfies with Henry Higgs at the Saperstein ranch in Santa Barbara. One taken upon arrival, when she was firmly convinced she was nobody's plus-one; the second selfie taken a few nights later. After he pissed her off (again), she looked for signal bars, and he galloped to her on that majestic horse bathed in moonlight, to tell her he valued her on the same level as his job, that she was a 'tie'. She hadn't believed it for a second. Truth: no one would ever believe it was a 'tie'. She was sure Henry didn't believe it either, even if he was a 'liar liar pants on fire'. She secretly loved the selfie celebrating that magical moment. The picture remained in her Camera Roll, even though she deleted the picture from Instagram at Freddy's minor urging.

There were other pictures she made of herself and Henry, and some only of Henry. Early pictures had him in that silent stunned look, like last year when she gave him birthday tickets to Blues Traveler. Recent pictures had him looking back at her with an amused glint in his eyes. What a year it'd been: from disapproving glare to affectionate gaze. She could tell by looking over the progression he'd turned up the heat in his 'smize' whenever she pointed her phone at him.

One year of getting to know him, pushing his buttons, pushing him beyond his comfort zone. One year on, rediscovering herself, being pushed by Henry in different ways, and learning and accepting she had never been "butt". If things hadn't changed, who knows where she'd be? Bouncing from club to club, from one fling to another, her nose permanently fixed to the tiny glowing screen. Without Henry, Charmonique, Bryn and others, she'd be friendless. She shuddered at the cold shard of loneliness, a physical memory of ice shooting up from her belly.

She sat back and looked across the bullpen. She caught sight of Henry in conversation with a small group of people. Henry turned his head and saw her watching him. His secret smile shot out across the space, reaching her in places she once thought were long buried. Her mind immediately went to the memory of last week's conversation between him and Miller. They had no idea she'd been present for their exchange.

Remembering how passionately he defended her, Eliza swam into the rush of the feels, but instead of tamping them down or shuffling them aside for future inspection, she wanted to hold onto them, and embrace them like warm memories, like they deserved a special place in her mind and in her heart.

To feel them, through and through.

That Henry was and would always be the cause of her feels.

But that was it, wasn't it.

He would be the one at the center of her feels. No one else.

This new sitch was different to all the ones before.

He was different to all the others before.

Looking back to "The Rejection", she realized how rushing back into Freddy's arms might've given Henry the impression that Henry had been right all along about how her feelings for him weren't real. She understood he was afraid he wouldn't be enough for her, when she feared she couldn't measure up to his exacting standards. He might've thought she was still 'looking around' for candidates, but he didn't and couldn't possibly know she stopped looking the moment she broke up with Freddy. Because at that point, her eyes were only for Henry. She craved the interaction of how she and Henry functioned at work as colleagues, and she longed for the time they spent as friends. What beautiful magic might come, if they both took that next step together. A piece of her and something from him to make happy sparkly treasure.

It didn't matter in the end. They were both eventually proved wrong, as demonstrated weeks later by her final breakup with Freddy. She hadn't been surprised, and tellingly, she'd been relieved. Big probs though? Her feelings for Henry had slowly ballooned, and after what happened this past weekend, they bore down on her like a tidal wave ...

Resisting the urge to smother her feels with Candy Crush, she remembered advice about taking a moment to slow down, breathe, remain calm, and be still. Even as she tried to avoid this 'thing' about Henry, his voice was the only one she would listen. She trusted him, even in his absence.

Sunuvabetch ... I'm trying not to think about him, and I can't help myself and I'm totally thinking about him ...

In her mind, she took the step forward, confident in knowing this was the right decision. Time there was a showdown, because she'd had enough.

I am nobody's plus-one, and I am V.I.P.! That's never gonna change, but all I want right now? I wanna be with Henry, to be his plus-one, for him to be my plus-one, as quickly as possible ...

She stormed out of the bullpen, down the hall to his office.