Title: The End of the World as We Know It
Author: BirchWriter
Rating: PG-13/K
Fandom: Breaking Bad
Word Count: 911
Spoilers/Warnings: SPOILERS for S04E11 'Crawlspace'.
Characters/Pairings: Skyler/Walt.
Summary: Skyler's actions immediately post episode.
Beta: MSCSIFANGSR
A/N: S04E12 has yet to air, so all of this is my imagination. I don't own anything other than my computer and Breaking Bad is owned by AMC, Vince Gillian and many others. Written for the GirlSavesBoy Ficathon on LiveJournal.
Skyler White stood over the body of her former boss/lover as it lay sprawled across his living room floor with a brownish Berber throw rug rumpled between his feet. She quickly accessed the situation, staring at the blood pool underneath his head. There was a bit of blood on the corner of one of the cabinet doors of the mahogany bureau and there were several oranges scattered around Ted's prone body. The bowl containing the rest of the oranges appeared undisturbed on the top of the fine furniture piece.
She had come over to ask Ted for the money back and her plans had now gone awry because he was dead. Her plan had included having sex with him again if that's what it took. If he wasn't going to use the money she'd given him to pay off the IRS, then she needed it back. Her mind bristled over their last encounter and wished she had taken his check then. Ted had seriously pissed her off. Her little act with the IRS had bought him some time, but why couldn't he understand she had to protect herself and her family from scrutiny of the authorities.
She wished she hadn't torn the check up that he'd written her. She wished she had cashed it and went on her merry way. Because the situation had changed dramatically since their last meeting.
Skyler thought about her...she wasn't sure what Walt was to her anymore. Legally he was still her husband and the father of her children. However their relationship was merely make believe, a sham to cover Walt's illicit drug manufacturing skills from their immediate family and friends.
Nevertheless, she was seriously worried about Walt and if he had finally flipped his lid, as evidenced by his breakdown in the crawlspace of the house, then the situation must have reached a critical level where he feared for the whole family's lives.
She would do anything to save her family.
The death of Ted Beneke almost solved the White family's problems. She just hoped that Saul Goodman's people hadn't already put the muscle on Ted to make him send the six hundred seventeen thousand dollars to reimburse the government for his fraud.
Being the accountant for Beneke Fabricators allowed Skyler the benefit of knowing the company and the man's financials. She quickly recalled his banking information and grabbed her cell phone quickly out of her purse. She dialed the bank's number and quickly typed in Ted's account number and breathed a sigh of relief when the balance was six hundred and seventeen thousand and forty nine cents.
God, if only I'd taken the money back when Ted offered it, she thought as she quickly forged his hand-writing on another check. She made it out to the car wash and if there were any questions, then she could lie and say Ted had become a partner in the business.
Wait, I won't say have to say anything, if Walt's plan works. Her smile was nearly evil as she finished signing Ted's signature with a flourish. Skyler White then wiped her fingerprints off any surface she may or may not have touched then she looked at Ted's body one last time as she made her way out the front door.
She then made her way to her old Jeep Wagoneer, got in, checked her lip stick in the mirror and drove away without looking back.
BB*BB*BB
Amelia Black stood dressed in a simple black slip outlined against the large bay window as she looked across the great expanse that was Lake Mead and the beautiful sunrise glistening over the water and sighed.
She knew her husband of over twenty years was awake and watching her from the king sized bed. With her back to the bed, she could feel the heat of his gaze. She didn't need to look over her shoulder to know he was laying on his side, with his head balanced on his hand with his elbow supported by the bed, his hair a morning mess of epic portions.
She took another deep breath as she thought back to the time when they had abandoned their former life.
She remembered how they'd left New Mexico in a rush and how they'd arrived in Nevada on the run from her husband's former employers, they were exhausted and relieved at the same time. Their son, Flynn was turning nineteen and was a sophomore at UNLV and their almost four year old daughter, Elizabeth was shaping up to be quite the beautiful little girl.
Amelia's husband Gilbert Black was a retired stock broker but still played the market via the internet while she studied photography at her own leisure. Her specialty was still-life flowers and fruit.
Their life was good, but somewhere deep in the dark recesses of her mind, she still feared the idea of the cartel finding them and she could imagine each of their bodies twisted in blood and death.
She tried to shake the image and smiled as Gilbert called to her, "Sky, honey, come back to bed."
Amelia turned around and faced the bed and her husband. She slowly slipped the slip over her head and climbed onto him. They kissed passionately and their bodies soon were overcome with bliss.
When she awoke later, with the sun nearly to its highest peak in the heavy heat, she knew she'd done the right thing when she saved their world.
THE END