Chapter 3: Thanks for Nothing

A/N: I won't lie to y'all, I have NOT read the comics and only know little tidbits of info from it. Most of my knowledge comes from the show itself and I'm not ashamed to admit that. This chapter is basically setting the groundwork for the steamy mess that's coming next chapter. This chapter takes place a little over a week as Parker is trying to heal.

No one day at the vet was the same, as a matter of a fact, each day was vastly different. Parker still felt little twinges of pain when she walked so she tried to keep movement at a minimum.

She was happy to have chosen a career that didn't overwhelm her soul. At least here she could work on putting forth enough effort to escape the existential dread bombarding her life. If she did nothing, she would be stuck and that wasn't an option. She needed a mental refresher. Because she deserves nice things and there wasn't a safety net for her to fall into just in case something went wrong. Without a shadow of doubt, she considers its normal dealing with the mess that was her personal life.

Time goes by a lot faster if a person can keep themselves busy. Parker could handle a slow day if she was busy enough to distract her from the slow time going by. The workload for her is usually manageable and didn't allow for many pressures.

Her co-worker, Tamina was chattering away on the vet's office phone, knowing that it wasn't allowed and she'd be reprimanded if caught. Like the nosey person she was, Parker listens to tidbits of the conversation and apparently Tamina's boyfriend, Adrian might be seeing another woman behind her back. She met him once before when he'd dropped off a bouquet of flowers as an apology for something else he'd done. Frankly, Parker did not think he was cute enough for her to be stressing over. And the fact that he had the audacity to cheat on someone as beautiful as Tamina was astonishing. He gave off the impression of a slimy person who had questionable tendencies so it wasn't hard to imagine him cheating or taking advantage of someone. That's just the type of guy he is. At the end of the day - Tamina could do better.

"That's pretty prophetic."

One of the vet's regular clients brought in their huge shepherd dog and the staff always went bonkers over him. The dog's name was Joey and was essentially a big teddy bear that loved to be petted. The pooch behaved fairly well during the grooming and check-up process. His owner, Dan was a fifty-six year old chemistry teacher, with a sweet soul. The man explained that after his wife died, Joey was the one to pull him out of a deep depression and his life would have been much different without the canine by his side. It was a joy to have him and his owner stop by.

She lived for moments like this. Animals are precious and humans don't deserve them.

Parker was surprised when Cassidy strolled in with a cage entirely too big for her to carry. The cage was bought for the sole purpose of being extra because her vicious cat was not that big. The feline, who by her own account, already seemed agitated as it realized that its owner had brought it to the vet.

"I thought you said you'd bring the cat here sometimes later in the week."

Parker started to jot down a few notes on a clipboard stacked with information sheets.

Cassidy laughed. "Well it was either this or going to work so…"

Parker totally understood where her friend was coming from. In fact, she only planned to work five hours today. There was important business to handle later in the day.

She didn't have a thing against cats, it was just Cassidy's cat that seemed like it worked for the devil himself and she wouldn't be surprised to find out if it actually did. He seemed like a minion of evil. The cat needed to be watched at all times and if not, someone might end up seriously hurt. Honestly, her friend just booked an appointment to watch her pet attempt to attack the staff for trying to care for it.

Parker muttered as she checked the pair in.

"Your cat's a little psycho, get him some help."

Cassidy cackled loudly. "Oh don't be so negative."

"Take your hissing, satanic cat in the backroom please." Parker playfully jokes.

"No, he's just sensitive sometimes."

"All the time." Parker corrected.

"...Just when he feels uncomfortable."

"Is that denial I hear?"

As her cat-loving friend disappeared into the door going towards the examination rooms, a delivery man walked through the entrance arms filled with a huge bouquet. It wasn't just any old bouquet of flowers, Parker recognized it as a set of LED Luminous Roses, the kind she'd only seen being advertised and gifted to girlfriends on Instagram. If Adrian sent these flowers that meant one of two things, he fucked up bigtime and he had some good taste.

"Is there a Parker Patterson?" The delivery man inquired.

Parker's face contorted in confusion. Why the fuck was someone sending her flowers in the middle of the day like this? She'd expressed more than a few times that she wanted someone to give her the extravagant flowers. One thing that didn't she didn't understand was who had sent them here.

She raised a hand. "Um..I'm Parker."

She watched, eyes wider than two baseballs as she carefully sat the flowers on the front desk then left without another word. Of course, she'd been sent gifts from subscribers before but this was something different.

Tamina came from the back room, noticing Parker looking over the gorgeous bouquet.

"Who's the special guy?" She teased, mouth pulled back to reveal rows of pearly whites.

"There is no special guy." Parker confusingly replied.

Her brows drew down, hands coming to her hips. "You don't know who sent em?"

"No."

"Well, they want your attention. And I think they got it."

Boy, was that the understatement of the year. She didn't think she could stomach any sort of romantic relationship at the present time and it was highly likely that her recent sexual experiences would interfere with her desire to have sex in the first place.

The real issue was how this shit was supposed to fit inside her car?

Maeve simply couldn't quell the feeling of irritation watching the overly excited man pitch the concept for 'Dawn of The Seven' in the meeting room that overlooked the city. The movie would be the latest big piece of garbage that Vought had cooked up to add to the ever-growing list of cinema history and people will still pay money to see it like the gullible, mindless sheep they were. Everyone except the public knew what Vought's intentions were. The corporation was scrambling to save face and resume normality in spite of the compound-v scandal. The movie was just another marketing strategy that would be used to distract the public.

If Corporate America taught her one thing in all the years of working - it was that these people were incompetent and corrupt. Everything centered around money. Every. Single. Thing. Disaster or not, they didn't care as long a check was cut to clear the resulting damage.

It was too early for this bullshit.

Ashley, with her new role of Senior Vice President of Hero Management appointed by Homelander himself, had grown increasingly more annoying for everyone that was forced to be around her. Every shoot, every gathering, every meeting. She was unbearable - the nervous wreck of a woman she was.

She was supposed to be going to see Elena today but it might have to wait until another time. A time where it was safe. She couldn't take the risk of anyone finding out. Bad enough that she had to sneak around and conceal their relationship in the first place. Now with Homelander looming on the horizon, it made things way more dangerous and complicated. It put her on edge. It was a matter of waiting for the right opportunity.

Things had never been this bad. He was slowly losing his grip on reality and the man was already a jealous, sociopath long before then. Possessive even. Gradually becoming more unhinged as days went by - becoming more comfortable being the psychopathic man-child he was. She could take no chances with him.

Maeve could not afford to lose another person in her life. And for the first time in a long time, the woman was willing to fight - willing to find herself again. Maeve understood that a person had to fight through some bad days to earn the good ones. All of the years spent being Vought's puppet, wallowing in shame and the knowledge of being bitter alcoholic. There wasn't any peace or satisfaction in being lost. The only question she had was why hadn't she come to her senses sooner?

After the Flight 37 incident, so much had been brought to the forefront of her jaded mind. Thinking of it made her die inside a little every day. The image of the little girl pleading to be saved was burned into her brain. Truthfully, she would never get over it. Never. And the worst part of it - she didn't know if it was right to want to forget. She'd ended up relapsing hard. The woman was tasked with unpacking the emotional and mental scars it left on her psyche and she would not keep living like she was. Not anymore. Something had to give. She had to protect the ones she loved and hold them close. If anything happened to Elena, she would never forgive herself. The woman meant too much. Things were just so uncertain now.

Maeve didn't know what spawned the change in her but suspected the line of thinking appeared the moment Starlight became an addition to the team. Being Homelander's accomplice through so many atrocities that it was mind-numbing and she'd finally reached her breaking point. Now she was ready to leave the world of superheroes alone forever. At least until she could find a way out that didn't involve getting lasered or dismembered. It was the best she could do at this point in time. Every movement had to be strategic.

The new girl sarcastically interjected. Turns out that she'd been doing a lot of that since the first day without a care in the world. Being obnoxious seemed to work for her and she reveled in it. Maeve thought that she'd gotten used to it but that didn't make it any less exasperating.

Next to her, A-Train looked deathly ill and exhausted. She knew it had to do with the complications surrounding his heart. Shooting up on the blue substance had in no certain terms wreaked havoc on his body inside and out.

Starlight sat quietly with that stupid naïve look on her face. Ashley stood behind the chair at the head of the v-shaped table, doing the usual ass-kissing that she was known for.

A quick glance at Black Noir affirmed one of his usual characteristics - he was slumped over in his chair, obviously asleep by the looks of it. The supe was known for sleeping halfway through tedious meetings like these. He was quite the night owl. Maeve had not forgotten about that picture in his possession. Her curiosity hadn't left entirely. The woman could be a potential target but there was no sure way of finding out since everything he did remained lowkey.

The skyscraper looked endless as it ascended high towards the clouds. It looked more daunting the longer she stared at it. The building itself painted a picture of gloom over her that was not easy to shake. Strange that of all times in the city, she never noticed it before - with the stylized '7' design and glass conic section, it definitely stood out among the other high-rise buildings. Though that didn't make standing in front of the tower any less nerve-wracking. Most of the pedestrian traffic surrounding the headquarters consisted of well-dressed business men and women so she stood out in her jeans, sneakers, and light sweater.

Parker clutched the strap of her purse, taking a deep breath to push down the overwhelming hesitancy. The nervousness wasn't like her at all. There was no other way around it. She already spent twelve dollars to park her car a few blocks away and she planned to get her money's worth. The woman spent hours searching on her computer before she built up the courage to actually go through with it - she put too much thought into it not to make it happen. Her mind was made up. She saw this as her chance, possibly her only chance at being free. A sliver of adrenaline zipped through her at the concept. She couldn't handle another instance of fingers pressing down unto her trachea.

For something to be done, she had to go directly to the source.

Parker took another uncertain step towards the building's entrance. This was dangerous territory. The place housed the World's most powerful - most noticeable superheroes.

Parker took a deep breath before she casually walked through the revolving doors straight into the well-lit lobby area. Not surprisingly, there weren't many people lingering around the lobby aside from the occasional arriving and departing occupants. A curved reception desk that sat on the far end caught her attention. Lobby employees were sitting behind laptops typing away, occasionally taking a call from the ringing phones. In all honesty, she expected to be turned away before she even walked through the doors but this was a nice development.

"Hello, I'm-" She was silenced by a finger being held up. The gesture was rude as hell in her opinion. The male even took his sweet time looking away from the screen to gauge her with disinterest. The receptionist fixed a condescending look on her as if she was not worthy of his time.

"Yes?"

"I'm here to see Stan Edgar."

"Do you have an appointment?"

"Well, no but…"

"Sorry but without an appointment booked I'm afraid I can't let you through."

No, Parker wouldn't accept that.

"Please this is really important. This can't wait."

"I'm sure it is."

"I'm serious, he'll want to hear what I have to say."

"That may be the case…"

"When is his next opening? I want to make an appointment." The woman insisted.

"Let's see...the next opening is around December 19th."

"December?!"

"It's not that far away."

"How?! It's April!"

"Look lady I'm sorry but it's the best we can do. And even then it's not a guarantee."

Parker narrowed her eyes at the man, mild anger started to simmer just below the surface. "Listen I just need to speak with him for a few minutes."

"He's not in at the moment."

She didn't not just go through that whole pointless exchange just for him to tell her that. Parker was just about ready to reach across the desk and pop him in the mouth. He's like he was being purposely obtuse and unsympathetic to her situation. Not making the slightest effort to comprehend where she was coming from. As if he didn't care what she had to say because he already made his mind up not to and it infuriated her. She hated stuffy business people with a passion because of things like this. Working in a corporation often left people harsh and insensitive so this type of behavior was not surprising.

"You mean to tell me you knew that this whole time and didn't say anything?"

"I'm just doing my job alright. Don't make me call security and have you removed. I really don't want to but I will." He pressed the phone to his ear, opposite finger hovering over a red button.

Honestly, she should've known that things wouldn't be that simple.

"Why does he get to go in and I don't?" She accused, pointing over his shoulder at a clueless man who was just minding his business.

The stupid 'Look over there' scheme had the desire effect though since the receptionist turned quickly and she was given the opportunity to make a break for the elevator.

"Hey! Don't!"

Parker acted as if she didn't hear him yelling and moving to run after her. Luck would be on her side when the heavy elevator doors shut before anyone could stop them.

Breathing a sigh of relief and leaned against the back wall. She didn't expect it to be so easy to bypass the front desk. He fell for one of the oldest tricks in the book and now it was going to cost him. That's what he gets for being an asshole. Parker turned her attention towards the button panel. Frankly, she had no idea what floor to go to. Technically, this was trespassing but what other choice did she have? She'd been placed in a corner with no way out and her time space was limited. Now she had to act fast and go about this the right way.

With the added pressure of cameras watching her everywhere. The quietness within the lift made her moderately nervous. There's a slight possibility that she could get arrested for this. She essentially just broke into the headquarters of a billion-dollar company. There wasn't any doubt in her mind that Vought took security breaches very seriously. It was only a matter of time before they sounded the alarm and she had to find a way to haul ass out of the enormous building altogether. Or worse - she could end up running into a member of The Seven. She would rather not risk the heart attack of seeing the dark cloak of mystery in the tower. The rational part of her brain was screaming. What the fuck was she doing? This could turn out to be extremely bad. On the other hand, things could end up working out in her favor.

The lift doors dinged as she reached a random floor, 54th to be exact. Parker slowly ventured out but not before looking in both directions. As she continued walking through the place, Parker realized that this skyscraper wasn't like any other skyscraper. Tall glass, sleek surfaces, oak decorations with concrete structural columns. Hues of gray and black immediately stood out and the floor gleamed as if it was polished everyday. Wood panels above with natural lighting. It was a gorgeous workspace actually.

The sigh of security guards sweeping the hallways made her pause. They looked like a fucking swat team. From a technical point of view, it wasn't like she was expecting Paul Bart levels of security - this was a little much for one petite woman. She slid into a room quietly without being seen. Parker nearly exhaled as consolation until she realized that she was now in a room full of other people. Rows upon rows of people were seated at computers and it didn't take long for her to determine that this was the computer tech section of the building. Not a single person seemed to notice that she's entered the room just yet and though she'd like to keep it that way, the woman knew it wasn't possible. This was supposed to be a get-in get-out type of thing and that couldn't happen if she lingered for too long.

It would be a challenge to find the CEO in the chromed fortress and she needed to ask someone for help. Parker scanned the room looking for someone she could speak to without raising the alarm.

Everyone else looked too serious to approach. The woman's name tag read 'Anika' and Parker thought it was pretty. She wore glasses and a colored sweater while munching on a candy bar.

"Um excuse me...do you know where I can find Stan Edgar?"

There's recognition in her gaze as she meets Parker's eyes. "Sure. He's on the 82nd floor. You new around here Did someone invite you to the tower?"

That was a weird question. "Uh...yeah." she answers.

"Cool. And just so you know, there's a Dunkin donuts on the 22nd floor. I usually prefer Starbucks though."

"I'll keep that in mind." Parker nods.

She leaves the room with a destination in mind this time - her walking pace has turned into a brisk power walk. The woman had already made the decision to leg it without looking back if she came across any security guards. The stakes were too high and her shoes were loud on the floor. Already, she'd been wandering for ten minutes and was on edge for the entire ten. By now there had to be various guards scattered across different floors searching for her and she couldn't stay on one floor for too long.

Around every corner sat sculpted busts and statues while huge posters were hung on nearly every wall she passed. There were portraits of The Seven everywhere. She stopped in front of one in particular - it was a picture of Homelander smiling brightly. With his piercing blue eyes, charming smile, and suit that bore the colors of the American flag. Oftentimes, she wondered about him. Was he cut from the same cloth as Black Noir? Was he really as morally upright as the public believed he was? Was there any humanity inside him? America's shining light they called him. Suddenly, she found that hard to believe.

They would storm this floor soon, she had to act fast. Parker didn't even have a proper escape plan other than to somehow get out undetected. The sound of a heavy door opening startles her for a second then a slim woman in a pants suit barked orders at the group as they all filed out of a room with gigantic double doors, the inside of which she was unable to make out from her vantage eyes widened as she watched the team of supes exit from the room altogether - first Starlight, A-Train, then Maeve. Followed by a new woman then her heart prompt drops as Black Noir comes into view. Parker swiftly dipped behind the corner to avoid being seen.

Parker's body reacted well before her mind did, the result being an overwhelming cluster fuck of confusion. Her entire demeanor changed. The confident, determined air around her dissipated, leaving nothing but a fight or flight response. She felt like she was suffocating.

Everything has slowed down, Parker could hear nothing aside from her loudly beating heart and deafening white noise in her ears. Her knees buckled and her vision started to fail as if she was going to faint. The paralyzing fear that shook her to her core even after she thought she'd gotten past it. The was a clear reminder that it was always lurking around the corner, just waiting to prove her wrong. She needed to get out of here. Right now. She could not risk fainting out in the open.

Parker reached out for balance on a nearby wall and moved back towards the ways he came. Her original plan was not being abandoned in favor of escaping the threat of being discovered. If Black Noir caught unto what she planned to do, she stood an immense chance of being murdered.

The wave of panic had subsided for now. In the end, she'd accomplished nothing. All of this was a massive failure but she wasn't deterred. Although Parker couldn't afford to freeze up like that in the future, it might end up being detrimental to her. In situations like this time was crucial.

God had to be on her side.

Parker pulled into the parking space of the building that was programmed into her phone's GPS. The structure looked somewhat dilapidated. She accidentally stepped on some broken glass as she made the trek up to the decrepit place. It was a wonder that it was still standing. The brickwork looked like it would tumble it if the wind was strong enough. The night sky was filled with clouds and the moon glowed up ahead brightly.

This was about taking a step towards recovery from the sexual trauma, stress, and the mental collapse brought on by it. For her, it was extremely hard to regulate the irregular emotions that manifested on a near daily basis and she was left unsure on how to proceed with life sometimes. It has been two days since that episode happened at Vought. Connecting with others who've gone through the same trauma might alleviate the pain and help him to move forward. At least, that's what the hope was. Right now, she had to make a commitment to these meetings for at least two days out of the week. That wasn't that hard - some would say easily achievable.

The moment she stepped through the door the first thing she noticed was that there was a dank smell lingering in the place that she quickly determined had to be caused by water damage. The second more alarming thing was that all eyes had centered on her, the sight of which made her want to turn around and go right back out the door. The poor lighting in the room casted a dim shine over the occupants. The group consisted of about 7-8 other women sitting in a circle, not including the facilitator that resembled a free-spirited art teacher that everyone had at some point in middle school. Parker straightened her spine, putting on a brave, tough face in front of the other women, not wanting to show any fear or vulnerability in a setting that was specifically designed to bring those out.

She couldn't stand the numerous pairs of eye gawking at her so openly. Uneasiness blossomed inside her chest at being the newcomer though she knew that she was not the first to feel this way. They all had probably undergone the same experience at some point.

She feared being judged and she genuinely could do without it. The coldness from the plastic chair seeped into the fabric of her pants. She generally avoided everyone's gaze as she sat down in the last cold, empty seat.

"Thank you all for joining me here tonight."

"Here everyone can cope with their emotions. Whether that consists of depression, anxiety, anger, or guilt. We are all here to support each other. This is a safe space free of judgment and everyone's input is important."

"I understand that certain discussion topics might be triggering but for the sake of the group, I recommend remaining calm and resolute. Everything you reveal here will remain confidential, all thoughts, and feelings associated with your own experiences."

"We women have to stick together. We're all we have." One woman positively chimed in.

Parker could tell that woman was dealing with some kind of drug use. Her hair was thinning and she looked a bit malnourished. She was fidgeting in her seat, unable to stay still for even a second. Sadly, not everyone was capable of keeping their mental stability intact while the world around them fell apart. It was hard for people to battle their inner demons sometimes and Parker wished that the woman had gotten the help she needed well before the drugs took a hold on her life.

Parker sat quietly as various individuals took turns introducing themselves and talking about their own experiences. A few were abused as children, others during their teenage and adult years. She listened to one woman talking about her background.

"Hi I'm Tonya. I'm thirty-two years old and I was raped by my commanding officer when I was twenty-two."

Parker tried not to but her lip curled. That seriously shocked her to hear. Over ten years and she was still suffering the drawbacks. The realization crushed her spirit a little before she ultimately decided to push it down.

Was that the fate that awaited her? It couldn't be. She held unto the hope. It was all she had at the moment.

Theoretically, there is no 'correct' way to heal from trauma but in the meantime, it's important to have some support.

When it was her turn to share, Parker deliberated for a few moments until she couldn't stand the agonizing silence anymore. Parker drew her limbs closer to her body, seemingly retreating into herself. She just had to come out and say it. "It took alot for me to come here."

Translation: She really didn't want to be here.

This was supposed to be therapeutic.

"No one knows. Not even my close friends." She explained, eyes never leaving the shiny, tiled floor. She didn't want to see their reactions.

"Most of you have probably escaped or left your attacker. My assault is still ongoing...and I don't know when it's gonna stop. It's broken me." Her voice broke against her will, filled with enough raw emotion that she had to fight against it. That was all she cared to share.

How is confessing to strangers easier than confessing to her own friends and family? Speaking of which, Parker wasn't so sure if she ever wanted to disclose the secret to her friends. It was the issue of not wanting to affect their lives. Not everyone needed to know what was going on in her life.

Her problem was that she had trouble processing her emotions in regards to being assaulted on top of still grieving and never fully accepting her deaths being gone even after all these years. But that's what she was - a woman seeking support from other women who went through the same experience. Though in retrospect, she always thought that no one could tell her how to feel towards anything. Everyone on this rotating planet lived different lives.

The facilitator took over once more. "Sometimes, it's easier to forgive than hold things in. What happened should not have to weigh on your conscience, it should weigh on the person that committed the atrocity."

Parker's fingers curled into a tight fist, her posture grew stiff, shoulders squared. The woman made it hard to swallow the bitter anger on her tongue. Each time she visualized every instance it set her soul aglow. Her jaw had grown sore from clenching it and grinding her teeth together agitation. She willed herself to be calm and level-headed despite the emotions churning on the inside. She needed to repress the all-consuming fire burning through her frame.

In another headspace, would she be capable of being all forgiving? She didn't have a suitable answer at this time. Even if the supe flat out explained his intentions to her, she could never truly understand why he chose to go about it the way he did. His actions were inexcusable no matter how one tried to spin it. For her to already have emotional triggers, he'd done nothing but add unnecessary baggage on top of that. Parker was tired of having to look over her shoulder everywhere she went. Shame clung to her like a second layer of skin. None of the women held an attraction to their attacker either. That's how her situation differed from the other women. She was too young to be this conflicted and worn out and she'd had enough. She was taking back control of her life.

Parker stood up from her chair and headed towards the exit. She had to step outside for some fresh air to calm her nerves. The chilly wind hit her face hard and she closed her eyes for a few seconds to take it in. The door behind her opened and one of the women from the circle joined her outside. The women stood next to her, almost jostling her shoulder as she wrapped a scarf around her neck.

"Hi, I'm Lalia." She says, extending her hand out for a handshake. Her face was round and her eyes were shaped like almonds. The woman has a cheery disposition and there was a jovial air around her. It was enough to put Parker's anxiety on the backburner for the time being.

Parker gave the woman a tight-lipped smile as she reluctantly took it. "Parker."

"My daughter watches your YouTube channel."

The younger woman's eyebrows rose. "Oh."

"Yeah, she's a big fan of yours." She continued explaining.

Being recognized on the street had only happened a few times before but she didn't expect to be noticed at something like this. In any instance it was still peculiar. "I'm flattered."

"I'm originally from Rhode Island but I moved here about a year ago. Needed to start all over."

"That must've been rough."

She let out a noise of affirmation, pulling out a pack of cigarettes from her pocket and lighting one. "Very...but I had a few friends that helped me."

A beat of silence passed between them.

"Why didn't you tell them?" She asked, eyes filled with seriousness and concern. "Your friends...your family."

Parker took in a deep breath and weighed her answer carefully. "They don't need to know."

"Why?"

"Because he's not...there isn't anything they can do to help me. Except to never find out. It's better that way. Better for everyone."

Smoke surrounded them both.

"It's never good to suffer in silence you know. There's nothing wrong with asking for help."

Parker nodded absently. "I know."

There was something that was eating at her though - she didn't really know if she wanted to vocalize it so bit the inside of her cheek.

"How do you know if you're doing the right thing?" She asked hesitantly.

There's a flicker of surprise in the woman's eyes then she responds, "You'll know."

Lalia drops her cigarette to the ground and steps on it to put it out. She then moves to go back inside with the rest of the people.

Parker folded the last article of clothing before she set about pulling them in their designated drawers. She'd been in an enthused mood for the past few days and she didn't want the frame of mind to disappear anytime soon. The first few group sessions were different but by the fifth, Parker was feeling pretty comfortable. Miss Hopper had suggested some healthy coping mechanisms and so far they'd all been working. Today, she felt more refreshed and energized than she felt in a long while. She was finally able to get a full night's rest as well.

The doorbell seized her attention, pulling her from her innermost thoughts. Once she reaches the front door, the package is placed neatly on the doorstep, whoever put it there was long gone. Not that it was shocking, UPS drivers were notorious for dropping a package off and running back to their drivers to speed off in a blaze of glory. She assumed it was either a game to them or a time thing.

With each day, a different gift had arrived on her doorstep. She was grateful and flattered by the gifts but she wasn't really feeling this, not by a long-shot. This was weird, stalker-like behavior and she was highly concerned. After all, things were getting sent straight to her doorstep now and that was alarming in itself. That meant that they knew where she lived and of course that wasn't comforting to know. In particular, a new gaming console was left on her doorstep the other day that was even supposed to be released until mid-September.

Who the fuck could afford Ivy Park merch two weeks after everything had sold out? Beyonce's Ivy Park merchandise was known for selling out in minutes and she'd been like many other unfortunate fans who weren't able to get their hands on it in time. As much as she'd like to, she didn't have the time to linger on the website and snatch it up as soon as it became available. She rummaged through the box filled with clothes and shoes. Everything looked like it was in her size as well. Right down to the shoe size. Whoever was sending this had some pull and access that normal people dream of having. That eluded a waiter from the equation entirely.

It took a lot to come to the conclusion that she was being entirely too hard on herself and she decided to stop being so unkind to herself as a result. She'd stopped spending nights curled up on the sofa with an electric blanket eating up everything in the kitchen. While that was appealing it was the wrong thing to do for someone in her unique position. People wouldn't understand the work she did emotionally and mentally to get in the headspace she was now. So far Parker had been rock steady about holding it together, No emotional breakdowns no depression episodes. It all was very reassuring. No more hyperventilating in front of the bathroom mirror. She was slowly starting to beat all of the uncharacteristic feelings down and it only fueled the penance to return to her old life before everything happened. The life she maintained before him.

She was slightly tired but she knew that she'd probably be awake until three in the morning again. Parker had made the decision to film herself cutting her bangs and the ends of her hair after a wash. Aside from gaming, Parker showcased content ranging from cooking and natural hair tutorials since those were the main pastimes that she enjoyed. From those three only, she developed a pretty loyal, dedicated following. The majority didn't fret over her taking long absences or not uploading for a while. The people were patient and understanding that she had a life outside of Youtube and that content won't be uploaded on a regular basis. At least until she established a bit of stability and got a better handle on time management first.

Parker would release content on her own time, when she felt like it and no amount of spamming the comment section would change that. People were too entitled these days.

One thing she was proud about was not having to use any makeup to cover up any dark circles around her eyes. Her skin had begun clearing up, not that ever had a problem with ache. The life had returned to it, giving it a natural glow. For the first time in a while, she didn't maintain a mangy appearance. She was back putting in the effort to look good in public and in the safety of her own home. It meant she was making progress.

Parker looked at the basket in her bedroom and sighed. Every time she blinked her laundry basket was full and she was sick of it. Earlier she had a conversation over the phone with her grandmother and the older woman took no time complaining about her not visiting often. At the admission, Parker felt bad and assured her that she'd take some time off to come visit for a few days. When she was a child, Parker loved to stay over with her grandmother. Her mother always complained that she got away with murder when in the vicinity of the matriarch and looking back now as an adult - she was completely right. It didn't matter what she did, her grandmother would shield her from any and all. She wasn't allowed to be spanked at grandma's house ever.

It wasn't lost on her that the old woman was getting lonely since she lived alone in a small house out in the country away from the city. Unfortunately, Parker's grandfather had died when she was two years old and she didn't much remember him. His wife always spoke fondly of him and never remarried out of love and devotion for him. Parker found it sweet but wholly sad at the same time.

Parker reset the timer on the dryer for it to do another spin cycle for the last time. Parker then made her way into the bedroom, crawled back into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin, inhaling the scent of fresh linen. It was almost six o'clock in the evening and she could use a small nap after doing household chores for the better part of the day. Sleep was clawing at her determinedly and she was too exhausted to resist.

Stan leaned back into his chair, one hand tapping a pen along the desk to a tune only he could hear, while the other hand held an IPad. The device was showing several different areas where the cameras captured footage of a young woman aimlessly wandering the tower. He'd been informed of a possible security breach days ago, but he was just now reviewing the footage. Whatever she was searching for, she couldn't quite seem to find. His eyes lingered on a paused image for a long while. Whatever that was - he'd say it had to be of great importance.