Fairy Tale
As far as cages go, the one assigned to Suresh and his little patchwork family of misfits ain't bad. Nicer than the craphole they were living in before.
Elle figures it's not asking much to trade in freedom and privacy for a dishwasher, reliable heating and air, and a nice shiny panic button in case trouble of the power stealing cuckoo for cocoa puffs variety shows up.
This logic doesn't stop Parkman from bitching something fierce anyway, yelling and throwing up his arms even as Company employees pack their junk while Elle barks orders in the background. It goes on long after she's lost interest. Maybe she would have found it amusing if the little domestic drama wasn't her responsibility but at present, she doesn't have the time or the patience for any of them.
Thankfully, Parkman folds like a tent the second Mohinder busts out the puppy eyes and the 'think of Molly's best interest' card.
God, the man is so totally whipped. It's disgusting, really it is. This is why people shouldn't date out of their league. They end up losing all self respect.
Given Parkman's epic shit fit, it's a good thing he doesn't know about the cameras.
Hundreds of 'em. All wired for sound, discreetly placed in every room. The whole place has more bugs than--than, well, than their disgusting roach trap of an old apartment. If a mouse even sneezes, they'll hear it.
The only sucky part is that Elle has the enviable task of watching for sneezing mice. When she's first given the assignment she can't understand why. Sylar scared Suresh so much the idea of leaving the security of the Company would never be considered. Anymore awkward fumbling newborn baby deer attempts at independence have been well and truly nipped in the bud.
As for Parkman, he could bitch and moan all he wanted, but at the end of the day, he wasn't going anywhere. As long as Suresh stayed, so would he. Even if he did find the balls to actually plan a jailbreak, even if he could talk the professor into going along with it, even if he were willing to risk the safety of their precious little moppet, he was a telepath for fucks's sake. What good would surveillance do? Elle was relatively certain he wouldn't be dumb enough to say it out loud.
And then it comes to her. It's busy work. She's gone from her father's supposed right hand, the only one he trusted, to less than useless. Shoved into the background where she can do the absolute least amount of damage. She's probably outranked by the guy who makes coffee.
Apparently Daddy dear's all is forgiven had been so much empty words. She's still being punished for Sylar, for the whole Bennet debacle, for not being better, faster, smarter, the model employee. She's going to be riding the pine pony for however long her father deems necessary. Until she learns her place, learns that even she isn't indispensible.
If that's the way he wants it, fine. She doesn't argue, swallows her humiliation and watches the three newest members of the big happy Company family live their boring, wholesome, multi-cultural Norman Rockwell existence. As normal as prisoners (because no need to hide behind euphemisms, that's what they are) of an extra-governmental origination could get.
They talk about Suresh's research. Speculate on the upcoming election. Help the kid study for her spelling tests. Watch Disney movies and play board games. Suresh cooks dinner while Molly colors and Parkman hovers over both of them so much Elle is annoyed on their behalf.
At night they tuck her into bed together. Twin kisses on the forehead, a lullaby from Suresh and a bedtime story from Parkman. The Adventures of Princess Polly, a kiddie soap opera he seems to make up as he goes along.
It's pretty much the same day in and day out.
The possibility of watching this Real World: Cure for Insomnia Edition makes Elle want to weep. Prolonged exposure is sure to induce a diabetic coma.
At least there's the sex. That helps keep things interesting. Although as far as hot man on man action goes, it's not what she'd consider the best.
You'd think the way a sicko like Sylar fixated on him, Suresh would be a total freak in the bedroom.
But no, like everything else about this assignment, even the fucking is lame.
Sure, Suresh is pretty to look at and her jaw had dropped when she got a look at the freaking trouser snake on Parkman, but there isn't any naughty kinky bad fun.
Just lots of gazing into each other's eyes and I love you's and kisses and sighs.
What a wasted opportunity. Finally in a place big enough where the kid can't possibly see or hear anything she shouldn't and not even any light bondage?
They even cuddle afterwards.
Elle is not a cuddler by any stretch of the imagination. Her pillow talk usually runs something along the lines of, "Oh. You're still here."
Still beggars can't be choosers. Free porn is free porn. She gets to watch them without anyone being the wiser and that's kind of hot.
Just like with any reality show, things start to pick up when the tiny little cracks show up in the shiny happy façade.
The kid is having nightmares almost every night. Wakes up screaming her head off, Parkman rushing to comfort her, smoothing her hair, saying it'll all be okay, that he'll protect her, that she's his princess, his baby girl and he loves her, loves her more than the moon.
And maybe it's the interrupted sleep, or guilt about the fucked up mess he's brought his loved ones into, or maybe just his time of the month, but Suresh begins to fray around the edges faster than Elle would have expected. Starts picking fights with Parkman, locking himself away with his laptop, sighing and brooding like an emo kid without a date on prom night. Parkman lets him rage, doesn't even blink when a disagreement over putting the cap on the dish soap dissolves into a knock down drag out argument about how the other man doesn't respect him. When the storm clouds clear, he comforts Suresh the same as the little girl. Curling around him at night and assuring him the only thing that matters is they're all together and safe.
It's all bullshit, of course. Parkman can't protect any of them and he knows it. He's a nobody, a lab rat in a cage and instead of lying to them he needs to tell them the truth: Shitty things happen. Sometimes to good people for no reason. And the sooner you accept it and move on, the better.
Elle still thinks he's whipped and a total sap to boot, but she has a grudging respect for him being the only one not losing his mind. The words must help because the nightmares eventually trickle off and Suresh eventually gets his panties out of a knot.
And then Elle starts having nightmares of her own.
Pain. Pain ripping through her, tearing her apart, can't breathe, can't think, can't cry out, it hurts, it hurts, sparks, acrid smell of burning hair filling her nose, making her gag, voices, beeps of machines, cold room, hands, blackness, 'Daddy, Daddy, save me!'
She doesn't know for sure if it's just a dream or actually a memory and that scares her the most.
On the worst nights, she doesn't go back to bed. Instead she stays up and watches the video feeds. The bedtime story is getting really cool now, more and more elaborate. Princess Polly is currently trapped in a castle by an evil wizard, her only companions a magician and the court fool.
Sitting by herself in the dark, she can't suppress an eye roll at that plot development.
Besides being about as subtle as a fart, it seems Parkman's inadequacy issues are so great he's doomed himself to being the sidekick in his own fairy tale.
She's been watching for about three months when two things happen.
The nightmares stop, but she's having dreams every night. Dreams of some unseen person wrapping her in a quilt and rocking her back to sleep. Not a memory since no one ever did that for her. Dreams of waking up to the smell of pancakes and laughing voices downstairs. A warm steady hand on her shoulder and a hum of approval. Colorful band-aids on scraped knees. Chicken noodle soup and someone smoothing back her hair when she's sick.
'That's my girl. It's alright. I'm here. I've got you.'
On the whole, she thinks she prefers the nightmares. Sitting up screaming is about a million times better than the dull hollowed out feeling in the pit of her stomach.
One day she watches her three subjects engage in an epic tickle war. Suresh lets out a crow of victory as he corners his victim and tosses her on the couch. Molly squirms away from his fingers and shrieks with laughter, Parkman quickly swooping in to save the princess from the evil Appa-beast. Throws her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes and carries her to safety.
Molly calls him daddy.
"Save me, Daddy!"
Appa and Daddy, a new enough development that they're both still slightly goofy over it, smiles so bright they hurt, don't look, don't look, don't look. But Elle can't help but look, even goes so far as to pause the tape and stare intently at the happy picture they all make as if it were a magic eye puzzle and she just can't make the dolphins appear.
To her horror, Parkman's fat smiling face begins to blur around the edges and Elle suddenly realizes she's crying and can't explain why. What is happening to her? This stupid family has turned her into a mush hearted idiot. She's disgusted with herself. Clearly, her father had been more than right in not trusting her with anything important. How useless is she that a simple surveillance assignment can break her so easily?
She wants out. She composes and deletes a dozen e-mails. What is there to say? 'Daddy, I demand you make them stop being so happy all the time.' 'Interoffice Memo: Transfer request to department that won't make me wish for things I never knew I wanted.'
Forget about her father being disappointed in her, she'll be lucky she doesn't end up with a jacket that buttons in the back and someone watching her 24/7 if she drops that little bombshell.
And then her opportunity out practically falls into her lap.
In the story, Princess Polly, the magician, and the fool have seen their plans for escape foiled after learning the faces in the clocks are just that—faces, and that the wizard can watch them at all times.
Elle realizes Parkman is showing his cards. He knows about the cameras. For how long she can't be sure, but the knowledge has her almost falling out of her chair. Reaching for the phone so quickly she drops it. Stops. And slowly places it back on the hook.
Why now? Is Parkman testing whoever is on the other side? Does he know they know? Does he even really know or is this just a hunch on his part? Maybe he wants her to react. Maybe he thinks they'll blink first, that he can goad them into making a mistake and use the confusion to his advantage. Or maybe he's just a stupid cop telling his brat a bedtime story and she's being paranoid.
No, better to wait and see where this goes. If she can bring something concrete, something really big to her father's attention, perhaps catch them in the act of an escape attempt, it might be the thing she needs to get back into his good graces.
Waiting and watching. Nothing worth mentioning for so long she convinces herself it was all a momentary loss of sanity, is relieved she didn't sound the alarm and risk looking like an idiot. The bedtime story seems to be just that, a bedtime story. The kid hasn't had a nightmare in weeks, and Elle slowly realizes when she's not yelling her lungs out, Molly actually has a lot of personality, is even kind of charming. With that little crisis averted, the grown ups aren't fighting either. In fact, Parkman and Suresh seem more in love than ever. The good doctor is smiling more often and he hasn't locked himself away in the study in ages.
Elle finds she's changing too. Instead of being scared of her dreams, now she looks forward to them, desperately clings tight to the scraps for as long as she can after waking. It's all so nice and cozy among her little family (and they are hers after all this time, she can call them that if she wants to, nothing wrong with it if it's her little secret) she can't even be disappointed there's no secret plot. They're all so shiny and clean they make her feel cleaner just by watching.
Besides, the story is really good.
And then Parkman announces Princess Polly and her companions have a new ally. The heart of the wizard's daughter has been melted by the love of the three prisoners. The magician has enlisted her aid, visiting her in her dreams which are the only place she can speak the truth due to a terrible spell placed on her, and gotten her to help them plot an escape.
Elle stares at the bank of monitors unable to breathe. It's as clear of a confession as she could ever hope for. She needs to call her father right away. She needs to show him the tape, take her medicine like a big girl. Yes, she got too emotionally involved. Yes, she was stupid to let herself get hoodwinked. Yes, she should have said something sooner. Yes, he has every right to be disappointed in her. Yes, she can see now why he didn't trust her in the field. But that doesn't matter, he can yell at her later, because they need to act quickly, move them all to a new facility, and separate them immediately. Drastic measures need to be taken. Tough luck for Molly. Looks like she's not going to have anyone telling her bedtime stories for a long, long time.
Elle knows what she should do.
Instead she goes to bed.
She has a meeting with a magician.
He's waiting for her at the kitchen table of their dingy old apartment in Brooklyn. She doesn't know exactly what she intends to do, but any half formed ideas of hearing him out instantly evaporate when he has the balls to greet her with a sheepish little wave.
"Uh, surprise? Look, I'm sorry for all the cloak and dagger stuff, but I needed—"
With a snarl, Elle immediately advances on him, flinging sparks everywhere.
"You son-of-a-bitch! Did you enjoy yourself? Did you get your jollies poking around in my head, you piece of shit? Answer me, Parkman! Who the fuck do you think you are?"
"Elle, listen, I-"
"Shut up!"
A jolt of blue light and the table cloth starts to smoke.
"You lied to me!" Her voice cracks slightly and she aims right for his head, unsure if she's angry at him or herself for believing it all.
"There is no happy ending! You made me think…you made me want it all and it was just a trick!"
Instead of ducking for cover, he actually moves closer. When he grabs her arms, she shrieks, jerking free, and singing an eyebrow.
"Will you stop and let me explain!"
Elle instantly freezes, fingers still sparking.
"Sit down."
She does.
Her host nervously runs a hand through his hair.
"I-can I get you anything? Is there anything you'd like?"
"For you to go fuck yourself." She spits out.
"Uh, how about some cocoa? Or maybe tea?"
"How about I stop your heart and bring you back until I get bored?"
He doesn't react at all, merely waits out her temper tantrum and finally Elle gives in with a sigh.
"Cocoa, then. With tiny marshmallows. And chocolate shavings."
And there it is in front of her. No puff of smoke, no wiggling of his nose, just a warm mug between her hands as if it's always been there. She takes a tentative sip. Christ, she can even taste a hint of cinnamon.
Oh, now you're just showing off, Parkman.
He sits across from her and watches for several minutes, his face etched in sympathy.
"Man, he really did a number on you, didn't he?"
If I'd known…how could I have known…who does that to their own kid? Could never…would never…Molly.
"Watch it, fat man. I'm pretty sure if you die in here it's permanent."
Besides, who was he to cluck his tongue about a less than ideal childhood? He hadn't hesitated to turn her dreams into his own personal Playland.
"I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I just needed-"
"To melt the icy heart of the wizard's daughter? God, what a crock. So, how long?"
How long have you been planning? How long did you know we'd be watching? How long have you been rooting around in my head?
"Since the beginning. You think really loudly."
He gestures over her shoulder and when Elle turns she's observing a scene she's already lived through. Parkman and Suresh arguing as she yells at the movers. Only this time, Elle hears what Parkman hears, like a director's commentary on a DVD.
…new assignment…fucking surveillance…rather watch paint dry…ooh, hope they weren't too attached to that lamp…for fuck's sake, Parkman. Quite whining already. Not like this is actually voluntary.
It's only because she knows what to look for this time that she notices the sudden tightening around Parkman's mouth and the narrowing of his eyes as he throws up his arms and concedes defeat. She'd thought it a surrender. Now she sees it for what it really was: a tactical retreat.
She holds up her mug in mock salute.
"You really are nobody's fool, are you?"
Had she actually thought him just a big dumb slob? A sap? He'd played her like a violin. How could she have been so unbelievably stupid? How could she have forgotten all her training and let herself go as gooey as a candy bar in the microwave? Pathetic, pathetic, pathetic.
Parkman taps his fingers on the table, bringing her back to the present.
"Hey, now. None of that. Don't get so down on yourself. A magician has to be skilled in the art of misdirection and I did all I could to keep you in the dark."
"Why? Why not just mind whammy me on the first day and stroll on out?"
"What would be the fun in that?"
Elle bristles like a drowned cat at the implication and he holds out a hand.
"Not that. Hurting you was not fun for me. But I needed to think long term. They'd have found us eventually. We'd spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulder. Molly deserves better than that. Nathan deserved better than that." His voice softens. "You deserve better than that. You're a good kid, Elle. A little mixed up, but decent. I knew it the moment I met you, I just had to be sure. That's the only reason I did what I did. I never meant it to be painful for you and I hope you can forgive me for it. I just had to make sure you would be ready. And you were so brave throughout it! You could have taken the easy way out and turned us in, but you didn't. I'm very proud of you for doing the right thing. "
She thaws the tiniest fraction under the compliment, but concedes nothing. Crosses her arms and stares at him, expression blank.
His tone takes on a pleading edge.
"Look, I could have done this by myself, but I wanted to bring you in because I trust you and I want to make things right for you."
Her. He wants her to help him. Wants her to hand over the keys to the kingdom, to help him defeat the wizard. He wants her to turn her back on the only world she's ever known.
"These are bad people, Elle. They've ruined a lot of lives. And they're never going to stop until someone makes them. I know you're scared and confused. But it's only doing what needs to be done."
She takes a moment to mull this reasoning over. Her father loved to trot out the greater good argument all the time. But his greater good was some hazy abstract and it hadn't always included her. She's seen Parkman's greater good. Why shouldn't he be able to promise his kid he'll take care of her and mean it? Is that really too much to ask for?
"Does Suresh know you've been embracing the morally grey?"
It's a stall for time, but her interest is most definitely piqued when the barest flicker of hesitation darts across Parkman's face.
"Mohinder's been under a lot of stress lately. Besides, he's much more black and white about these sorts of things. It would only upset him."
Translation: he doesn't know and Parkman has made damn sure he never has the urge to ask. She raises an eyebrow.
"Why Parkman, here I thought you were such an unrepentant do-gooder. A hopeless white-hatter. What happened?"
"You and I are both smart enough to know those only exist in fairy tales. This is real life, Elle. Mohinder made a mistake trusting the Company. Now it's my job to fix it."
Suddenly the last puzzle piece clicks into place for her. The court fool. She almost laughs out loud. It seems there had been more misdirection going on than she'd previously thought. Man, she really had gotten it all backwards.
"Is your man aware of the fact you resent the hell out of him? That you don't trust him to find his own ass with two hands and a road map? You know, honesty and open communication are the foundation of a healthy relationship."
Her amusement does not amuse him.
"It's not like that!" He snaps.
"Sure it isn't. Whatever gets you through the night. No need to justify it to me. I'm not your marriage counselor."
She reaches down to pat his hand and he suddenly grabs her wrist.
"It isn't like that. Yes, I was upset when Mohinder decided to stay with the Company, especially after Texas. But I understand that Sylar shook him up and I forgave him, was able to look beyond his weakness. And it's not that I don't trust him, it's just that this is a need to know basis and all Mohinder needs to know is that I love him and Molly and would do anything I could to keep them safe. Haven't I done that? Haven't I always looked out for their best interest? Haven't we all been so much happier?"
His smile is the first clue she's not dealing with a nobody lab rat, but Maury Parkman's son. Maury Parkman, who played Ten Little Indians with all of Daddy's friends. Maury Parkman who is now tucked away in a private hospital ward because of what this man can do. Was that something else that simply needed doing, or had he enjoyed it? How did something like that even work? Was it applying force? Crawl inside and push and push until something breaks? Or was it the absence of force? Like when you stop putting pressure to a wound and the patient bleeds out?
Did it hurt? Feel like just going to sleep? Were you aware the entire time? Elle imagines spending the rest of your life lying their peacefully while in your mind you scream for someone to let you out. Despite herself, a trickle of fear travels down her spine.
When she pulls away from his grip, her hands are trembling. She places them palms down on the table. The table that isn't actually really here. In the apartment that isn't really here. He made all of this. None of it's real. How can she be sure any of the promises he makes are real either?
If she tells him no, will he keep her here? Was that the scam all along? She's still Company affiliated. She's the one who's been watching him for months. Why wouldn't he want to punish her as well? He claims to trust her, but how does he know she's not going to snitch on him the second she wakes up?
"Because you already told me. I broke the spell, remember? I've seen the truth and the truth is you want out as much as I do. I can make it happen. I can give you everything you dreamed about. A home, a family, people who appreciate you, people who love you and will never ever hurt you."
His voice is so gentle. So soothing, chasing away any doubts or fears. Just like he is with Molly when she wakes up crying from a bad dream. Elle finds herself wavering. This time when he takes her hands in his larger ones, she lets him.
"Where do we start?"
"Well, first of all, I was kind of hoping you'd call me Matt…"
It's almost too easy, really. Matt does his whole these aren't the droids you're looking for spiel and no one notices them strolling right in.
"Come on, there's a stairwell that leads to the file room, much less cameras to avoid."
To Elle's horror, he doesn't seem to hear her. In fact, he seems to be purposefully working to be noticed.
"What the hell are you doing, you idiot?" She grabs his arm and attempts to lead him towards the door. "Has all that time in your fishbowl turned you into an attention whore, or do you just suck at covert ops?"
He flashes a goofy grin.
"Trust me. We want to be seen…Hey, what does this do?"
Before Elle can stop him, he pushes what she refers to as the 'oh shit button.' An alarm instantly begins to sound. She lets out a panicked little shriek and tries even harder to get him to move. They have less than a minute before the hall will be crawling with guards.
Shrill wail of the alarm, pounding of feet, voices getting closer.
"Shoot to kill! Orders are shoot to kill!"
Matt's voice in her head.
Might as well give 'em what they want.
A wave of his hand and they open fire.
A trap. It's a trap. Lure me here and then kill me, gonna die, don't want to die, please, no.
She squeezes her eyes shut as the sound of gunshots rings in her ears.
In the seconds after, she doesn't know for sure if the blood soaking her is her own. Only after she becomes aware of her pounding heart and gasping breath is she sure she's not dead. She cracks an eye open to find all the guards sprawled in a messy tangle of limbs, guns still in some of their hands, a bullet neatly placed between the eyes.
Matt wraps a comforting arm around her shoulders when her knees suddenly buckle.
"You alright? Sorry if I scared you there, kiddo."
"I—I'm fine." A bubble of half hysterical laughter spills out. "I just...I-wow, that's some rabbit you pulled out of your hat, magic man."
There's almost a dozen of them. A dozen men and he took them all out as if it were nothing.
"I—you—you killed all of them? Holy…holy shit."
Matt looks at her as if he can't understand why she could ever doubt that he would.
"They wanted to hurt you. Of course I did. We're in this together, Elle."
After all, aren't we family?
The mission is momentarily put on hold as Matt looks her over.
"Do you need a second? You're as white as a sheet. Are you sure you're okay?"
She stares in shock unable to believe that he can comfort her, be worried about her, and still be capable of this. For her. He did it to protect her.
She pulls him into an impulsive hug.
"Thanks, but I'm copacetic now. Freak out over and game face on."
He reaches down for a gun and tosses one her way.
"Well, now that we've greeted the welcome wagon. Shall we continue?"
Matt moves with long purposeful strides down the hall and she scurries to keep up.
It quickly becomes apparent that Matt isn't kidding about doing what needs to be done. Torching the files, smashing the lab, destroying the tapes, efficiently dispatching anyone who gets in their way. He's intent on tearing the castle down brick by brick. Elle more than holds her own in all the chaos, Matt beaming like a proud parent when she herds a group of Company higher-ups into a cell with one of the more…unstable specials and melts the lock on the door.
The screams echo from every corner of the building for what seems like forever.
Hours later, Matt kisses her on the forehead like a good little girl and sends her to take care of the last part all on her own. Because he trusts her.
She marches forward, head high and spine straight. She's not going to let him down.
Elle corners her father in his office. He's shouting into the phone, his face almost purple with rage.
"Find them! No, I don't care what you have to do. I want both of them taken care of!"
"Hi, daddy."
At her voice, he drops the phone and spins around. His hand clenches the corner of the table and he can't take his eyes off the blood spattering her clothes.
"Oh, it's not mine. Not that you'd care. What exactly would you have done to me once you had me? More experiments? A nice cell with a two way mirror where you can watch me? Or would you just have them kill me? Would you do it yourself?"
"Elle. Let's talk about this."
"I'm turning in my resignation, daddy. Sorry for the short notice, but greener pastures and all that."
He steps towards her, his hands held out in a surrender gesture, voice pitched soft and pleading.
"Elle, pumpkin, you don't want to do this. I know I've…I've made some mistakes, but you can't destroy everything we've worked for. Everything we've believed in. I'm your father, Elle. I love you!"
She stares at him for a long moment.
Her father. Her father who kept her prisoner, even though it was a nice cage. Her father who used her, her father who hurt her, her father who would get rid of her the second she outlived her usefulness. Her father who never appreciated her. Her father who did his best to break her. But that's okay because Matt found her and he fixed her better than new.
She's seen what a real family is, what real devotion is. Matt showed her, he's the only one who cares what happens to her. He told her so.
"You love me?"
She takes a step toward him and he sags in relief at the hopeful tilt of her voice.
"Yes! You know I do, sweetheart. Please, don't do this. You made a mistake, honey, but we can still make this right. A clean slate. Forgive me?"
He pulls her into a hug. She stands motionless, impatiently waiting for it to end as he rubs her back and offers up profuse apologies. Elle wonders if he'd beg if she made him. She bets he would. He's scared of her now, she can feel it. He's not a wizard. He's a nobody. He's the pathetic one. A useless sniveling coward. He doesn't deserve her.
"Daddy?"
"Yes, sweetie?"
"Do you love me more than the moon?"
A flash of confusion across his features and then a gunshot and he crumples against her. She takes a step back and lets him fall. Moves behind his desk and sits in the high back leather chair to wait.
Matt finds her not long after. He lets out an appreciative whistle when he sees her handiwork.
"That's my girl."
Couldn't have done it without you.
Elle beams at the praise and steps over the lump on the floor, her feet squelching slightly in the carpet.
"Now what?"
"Now we go home. If you still want us, that is. How would you feel about that? "
Home. A new family, a new life. It sounds perfect.
Despite her happiness, she's suddenly overcome by a wave of nerves.
"Are you sure they'll like me?"
Matt gives her a fond smile and teasingly pokes her in the side.
"Of course they will! They'll love you, I'm sure of it. I think Princess Polly could use a big sister. Princess Elle. It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"
She takes his hands in her hers and almost jumps up and down she's so giddy. Her smile threatens to split her face in half.
It was everything she'd dreamed of. Everything she could have ever wanted and Matt made it all happen for her.
Sigh.
She loved a happy ending.
Voyeurism