Morgan's Four

[Eden Morgan]

“Hey Livy,” Eden says with a bright smile as she drops her purse down onto a chair in Gabriel's common room. The younger woman's dark blonde head rises a little in acknowledgment before dropping back onto the arm of the couch, her eyes glued to the television before her. Eden looks back to her shadow, Caleb following behind her.

“I think I'll be okay in Gabriel's apartment. Stay here. Talk to Liv,” she says, trailing her fingers over his arm as she looks back to the other woman. “Where is Gabriel? He said he was here--”

Olivia points off down the hall.

“In the office, 'im and Saul been locked up for ages,” she says.

“Thanks,” Eden moves off down the hallway.

“Oi! Don't think 'e wants to be disturbed,” Olivia shouts loudly enough to wake the dead.

Eden rolls her eyes.

“When has that stopped me before?” she murmurs, carrying on and pushing right into the office. Her sudden entrance causes a domino effect to the two men standing before the desk, looking down at something.

“What-- haven't you ever heard of knocking?!” Gabriel asks in exasperation, recovering from his startle, Solomon frowning as he pulls his hand from inside his jacket and the gun she knew was holstered there. Eden arches an eyebrow and bends, picking up the papers that had scattered to the floor, Gabriel bending at the same time and snatching at them before she can see them.

“Well I figured Liv's shouting was knock enough, what are you two so into that you didn't hear that-- Gabriel stop it, let me see,” she says, pulling one of the larger papers away and moving quickly away from him when he tries to snatch it back.

“Eden! That's not for you to worry about--” Gabriel begins, throwing his hands up when she ignores him and continues to look it over with a frown.

“Why do you have the layouts of some building?” she asks, Gabriel rounding the desk and reaching for the papers only to have her pull them behind her back. She gives him a serious look.

“Tell me, or I swear they'll go in the paper shredder,” she threatens, backing to where she knew his was located.

Gabriel raises an eyebrow.

“As if I couldn't take those off you before you made a move in that direction, love.”

He seems to realize the mistake immediately, recognizing the challenge he'd just issued. Eden wasn't known to back down from challenges, and for a moment, he feared she might take him up on it...

“Tell. Me.” She says instead, but her tone implied her next step would be to take the challenge he'd set forth.

Gabriel sighs, looking to Solomon. His longtime friend and head of security shrugs.

“She could be useful,” he says simply.

“Fucking hell. Alright, fine,” he says, raking a hand through his hair and making it stand up wildly. “It's come to my attention that Uriel has been... effected... mentally by his time at Demonsacre,” Gabriel smirks as he says this, clearly relishing the idea of his brother's killer experiencing mental anguish. “He's been going to therapy sessions here,” he touches fingers to what was obviously a surveillance photograph of a building.

Eden picks up the photo, studying the building.

“Okay, so what does that mean?”

Gabriel looks to Solomon, Solomon shrugging once more, Gabriel making a face as if to say “you're not help at all”.

“Gabriel--” Eden begins, Gabriel holding a hand up to forestall her.

“I don't believe that building is at all what it seems. Suffice to say, it's Order related,” he says meaningfully.

Eden stills, her eyes narrowing.

“And you weren't going to tell me.” It wasn't a question, it was a statement, said levelly and with a layer of threat to it.

“I didn't want-- look, Solomon and I have been going over everything we've been able to acquire on that building. We need to get access to it, and for that, we need an iron-clad reason to be there and likely a distraction or two. The devil's in the details,” he says, mussing his hair even more.

Eden smiles. He looked tired, the stubble on his jaw longer than usual, his normally pristine attire a little rumpled, his tie loose. An idea occurs to her and her smile grows as she approaches him, Gabriel watching her warily as she slides the knot of his tie up, smoothing it and then tidying his hair.

“You know, what with Prison Break coming up and all, I've been thinking that maybe there are ways we could grow as partners, that we really need to know each other far better than we already do. What better way to do that than through couples' therapy?” she asks, giving him a look of wide-eyed innocence.

Gabriel blinks at her.

“Couples... Eden you can't be... hold on, are you actually serious? I'm not taking therapy--” he stops when Eden places a hand over his mouth to stop his speech. He could have pulled away at anytime, but instead he watched the look she exchanged with Solomon, Saul already grinning with anticipation.

“Told you she could be useful, Gabriel. I think she's just given us an in,” he says.

“Two birds, one stone. You get your 'in' to the building... and we become the ultimate partnership. We're already formidable, but imagine what we might be,” she says, removing her hand from Gabriel's mouth and smoothing imaginary and real wrinkles from the black suit jacket he wears.

Gabriel sighs and closes his eyes.

“You're not going to let this go, are you?” he asks, already knowing the answer.

“Nope,” she says cheerfully.

“It's as good a plan as any,” Solomon ventures.

“It's damned foolhardy, is what it is. Fucking hell,” Gabriel utters, Eden smiling. She knew she'd won.

“Now we just need to--” Solomon begins, cutting off as the door opens once more, admitting Caleb.

Gabriel fumes, finally seeing an outlet upon which he could vent his intense agitation.

“Why does no one fucking knock?! Caleb, get the fuck out, you're not needed,” he begins, Eden slapping his arm.

“Stop it. Be nice--”

“I will not be fucking 'nice', he's an employee, he's not a fucking friend, you're far too lenient--” Gabriel starts to work himself into a fine rage, Caleb clearing his throat.

“So, is this a good time to tell you that I couldn't help but overhear and I'm offering my services?” he looks to Solomon who narrows his eyes and considers. “We've worked together several times in the past, Saul, and with something like this, you'll need another at your side. Two work more quickly and efficiently.”

“Yes, and two also increase the chances of getting caught, particularly if one is inept,” Gabriel bites out.

Caleb looks directly at him.

“Would I really be Eden's security if I were... inept?”

Gabriel's jaw clenches, but he says nothing.

“And to that end,” Caleb continues, “you're involving her, which you know places her in danger. I would be a poor guard if I allowed that while I sat back.”

Gabriel looks as though he wants to refute the logic, but is unable. In frustration, he looks to Solomon, Solomon giving a sharp nod.

“He's right, Gabe,” Solomon says simply, leaving Gabriel with the look that he'd swallowed something not to his liking.

“We may as well invite the whole fucking apartment full, Jenny and Olivia too,” Gabriel grumbles, jumping when Eden pokes him in the ribs.

“If you're going to give in, at least do it with grace,” she teases.

“What, like you do?” he retorts, earning a glower from her.

“Yeah. You two are going to need all the help you can get. I feel sorry for the therapist,” Solomon jokes. “Now. We have plans to solidify,” he says, everyone turning their attention to the once again orderly paperwork laid out on the desk.

“One moment.”

Gabriel walks away from them, aware of the three sets of eyes watching him curiously.

He locks the door.

Next

[Eden Morgan]

9 am

Eden looks down at her phone, frowning as she checks the screen. She knew she appeared incredibly lost which was exactly as she wanted. She scans her surroundings, as if she weren't at all sure she were even in the correct building. She peered down at her phone screen again, her thumb moving as though she were cycling through something, but she never made contact with the screen. No, instead she was watching, waiting for Caleb and Solomon to move into position. Only a few seconds more...

Gabriel was already in his session with their shared doctor. Doctor Harrison. There had been quite the selection to choose from, Eden pointing to his name and saying 'there' in satisfaction.

“Why him?” Gabriel had wondered aloud.

Eden had stared at him as though he were daft.

“Duh, Harrison Ford. Everyone knows Han Solo's the tits,” she'd said with a wink, Gabriel blinking as though she'd just grown two heads. She hadn't been sure then and most certainly wasn't sure now as to whether it was because of her reasoning or the fact that he was still learning that she was a closet geek.

“You realize it will depend on whether he has an opening,” Gabriel had finally responded.

She'd tossed his concerns aside with the wave of a hand, as if once she'd decreed it, it would be so.

When he'd called to make the appointment, he'd reeked of smug satisfaction when the secretary said she wasn't certain whether she could fit them in. His gloating was borderline obscene until the secretary mentioned that she'd had a cancellation and Dr. Harrison could certainly see them.

It had been Eden's turn to gloat, and there had been no borderline to it.

Gabriel had muttered something about Americans being terrible winners, but that was par for the course between them...

The tiny hairs on the back of Eden's neck stood up, Eden tensing and then forcing herself to relax, rubbing a hand over her neck as though she had a random ache. Someone was watching her, she could feel it, she just wasn't sure if it was because she'd already given herself away, if it was her already overactive imagination going into hyperdrive because she was on her first heist (she'd insisted on calling it that despite Gabriel's eye-rolling and objections), or if Solomon and Cal were finally in position.

A glance at her phone confirmed the latter. Of course, it could still be the first two options as well, she wasn't dead certain they could visualize her, but-- she'd talked her way into this, she was going to do her part. Still looking around as though a little lost, she makes a slow but steady path to the elevator, making a show of trying to decide which button to press once she steps on.

She selects the fourth floor, the doors closing on her.

The elevator moved up through the building smoothly and swiftly. There were no creaks and groans, no jerking stops. In fact, it was as though she were in the lobby one instant and then the doors were magically opening to the fourth floor the next. You could always tell the state of a business and a building by how smoothly the elevators ran.

Eden steps off, looking around and wincing when she notices the large sign that says “Records and Receiving” right off. There was absolutely no way anyone would be oblivious and/or stupid enough to believe that they were on a floor for patients, not with the big glaring sign...

Eden sighs as she notices the security guard watching her curiously. She glances at her phone, watching as the Caleb and Solomon draw slowly nearer. They wouldn't make a move until she sent them the text. She draws her bottom lip into her mouth, even white teeth nibbling at it. She knew the picture she presented, confused and lost, while she cycled through her options.

Right. Ditsy tease it was.

She holds her phone in her palm and shoulders her purse, striding forward confidently as though she were exactly where she were meant to be. Her steps were bouncy, and she knew from the slight widening at the corner's of the guard's eyes he wasn't watching her face at all.

Eden smirks. As she'd told the men when they'd asked what her strategy was, the right bra and dress made miracles happen. She had worried she'd run across someone who her attire or jiggling body parts would have no effect on... but thankfully that was a bridge she'd not had to cross.

She comes even with the guard desk sat before a walk-through metal detector, smiling broadly at the man sat behind it.

“Hey, how are you?” she asks not stopping as she prepares to walk right through the metal detector. The guard gets quickly to his feet, hitching his pants up, the slight beer gut he sported pushing them down once more. He seemed embarrassed.

“Uhh... ma'am... I'm sorry, but you can't go back there. You have to have,” he clears his throat, “clearance.”

Eden frowns and then backs up, looking at the large sign he indicated that explained what floor she was on. Her eyes widen in realization.

“Oh my god,” she says, shaking her head and closing her eyes, well aware the guard took the opportunity to peer down her dress. She opens her eyes and looks at him fully. “You must think I'm a complete idiot,” she says mournfully.

He immediately attempted to assuage her concerns.

“No ma'am! Not at all. Happens all the time, in fact,” he says, adjusting his belt and hitching his pants up again. By the chuckle at the end of that statement, it was a complete lie.

Eden pulls a worried face.

“I just knew this was where I was supposed to be,” she says, her words coming faster as she takes a deep breath, her chest rising and falling. Her dress was cut low enough she had to be mindful not to try that trick often, or she'd really give him something to stare at. She felt her phone vibrate.

They were getting impatient, she needed to move fast.

Eden stands a little closer to the guard, smiling as though she'd just had the best idea.

“I know! I bet you're just the guy to help me out,” she says, straightening the guard's tie in an act that was similar to what she often did to Gabriel when she was manipulating him, only, she was about 95% positive Gabriel was aware what she was up to when she did it, he just had the good grace to allow it. In an act that was equally dissimilar, she brushes crumbs from the the white button-down shirt the guard wore, making a moue with her mouth when some of the crumbs leave behind orange streaks.

Oops.

He looks down to see what she was staring at, and she quickly placed her hands against his chest, smiling up at him.

“So. Can you?”

“Can I.... what?” he asks. “You know, you have the most beautiful eyes..” he says, trailing off, Eden fighting the urge to snicker. She lowers her hands carefully, the movement drawing his eyes lower. He didn't bother to pretend he wasn't looking, not with her so close...

“I was hoping you could help me find where I'm supposed to be,” she says in a low voice he had to lean in to hear. His movement caused their bodies to brush against each other, and he caught a whiff of her perfume..

“Oh I can show you where you're supposed to be, alright... I mean... no, I can't leave the desk. I'm sorry, ma'am, but I can call someone up who can,” he says, reaching behind him for the desk phone. Eden quickly places her hand on his, slipping between him and the desk. She was so close she had to bend backward a little, but he did as she wanted and turned, the movement pinning her between him and the desk.

She did the only thing she knew to do. She pouted at him.

“Would you really just... hand me off to someone else? I'm a little embarrassed that I've gotten lost like I have, surely you can be spared for a minute or two... or maybe more... so you can help me... personally...” she casts her eyes away from his face, down and then back up, quickly glancing at his name badge as she completes the flirtatious maneuver, “... Glenn.”

A noise that sounds like a strangled cry, a cross between a groan and a whine is heard from Glenn's throat, Eden struggling not to let the look of disgust cross her face when she feels something pressing against her. It would remain as a 'something' in her mind, she did NOT want confirmation as to what it was, and as far as she was concerned, it was his gun in its holster in a particularly unconventional location...

What had she gotten herself into?

While Glenn glances around, obviously hoping an answer would appear out of thin air and save him, Eden quickly types the “xx” to Solomon and Caleb in their group text with Gabriel.

It was put up or shut up time.

Eden places her hands on either side of Glenn's face, drawing his attention back to her. He was warm, incredibly so.

“I asked you a question, Glenn. Will you help me... or will you send me away with someone else?” she asked the last with an overtly obvious pout, casting her eyes up. She'd never have tried something so blatant with any of the other males of her acquaintance, but she instinctively knew with this guy... it would work.

It had to work.

She saw movement over his shoulder, knew it was Caleb and Solomon stepping off the elevator even if she couldn't see them to confirm it. If it wasn't, she was in deep shit, and so was Glenn.

Whoever it was didn't make a sound. Definitely them.

As if sensing something, Glenn frowns, moving as if to turn away from her, to look back at the metal detector. Eden's eyes widen, her pulse jumping into her throat...

She quickly pushes back onto the desk, seating herself there. She could feel Glenn's notebook digging into her ass, the glossy covers of the magazines he'd been looking through sticking to her thighs where the skirt failed to cover. She drew him closer, his tie winding around her hand, his eyes huge and watching her with surprise.

Eden grins, careful not to let her gaze wander to the metal detector even though she could see out of the corner of her eye black bags being tossed over it, expertly and quietly caught as each man walked through without even a beep.

“I like you, Glenn,” she says softly, groaning inwardly when his thick fingers close over her hips and he leans in. She really, really didn't want to do this, was about to blow the whole thing when he opened his mouth and a cloud of chip breath assaulted her-- when suddenly her phone vibrates.

They were in.

Eden releases his tie quickly and pushes him back, hopping off the desk and wiggling her hips back and forth as she adjusts her skirt. She breathes a heavy sigh and shakes her head as if she were pulling herself back together.

“I don't know what came over me. I guess it's just your... raw... animal, magnetism,” she somehow manages to say convincingly, remembering what Gabriel said about himself often enough, proud of herself when she manages to keep from doubling over in laughter. “I'm so sorry I've made your... job... harder than it should be. I'll go and find my way on my own, but I'll never forget our connection,” she says with a wink.

“Wait... do you know where you need to be?” Glenn asks, torn between following her and staying at his desk.

Eden smiles when she steps onto the elevator and looks at her phone, checking the time.

“I know exactly where I need to be.”

Next

[Eden Morgan]

Alan Wallace and Jessica Mathis, the most ragtag of the teams that will stand together atop a cage and attempt to take what neither Gabriel or myself have decided to relinquish. Until we do, do you really think anyone stands a chance of taking the Cooperative championships, Prison Break or no?

You know better than that, Alan. You know what it's like to hold those titles with a partner you know like the back of your own hand, to have ultimate trust and knowledge that you'll go to hell for each other and no matter what happens, you'll stand beside each other.

I mean, before Killian blasted your face into a grate at WrestleStock last years. Before that.

Now please, tell me a joke and say Jessica is exactly that for you.

Jessica Mathis. You have a win against me in the record books, aided by Alan and Jason Ingalls, but a win regardless, I'll give you that accolade. Someone has to give you accolades, you sure as hell can't earn them on your own. Is that why you hitched your cart to Alan, in the hopes that he could drag your dead ass to gold? I understand the logic, but Jessica-- have some self-respect. Realize that this 'revolution' you keep promising may be televised, but it's also the part of the program where people take a piss break. If your revolution were actually a televised program, it would have been canceled 15 minutes into the first episode. No one is tuning in, honey. Well, at least not for the reasons you'd like.

If anyone is still tuning in, it's to see exactly when Alan Wallace gets tired of carrying you and in a reversal of roles, cuts the dead weight.

It's coming, Jessica. I know Alan. But take comfort, you're probably the only one of the roster he could do that to.

Hi, Alan. I hope you're looking forward to this as much as I am. Of anyone, I'm looking forward to seeing you the most. I remember what it was like to face you in your prime, and you fell to me then. Tell me, other than a series of cheap shots and sneak attacks, do you really think you're a match for me now? Have you realized yet that you've bitten off far more than you can chew in your quest for vengeance?

I won't go into the topic of the fire that devastated your home, Alan, there's no need to waste my breath on it when we both know you made your mind up about me the moment Killian's boot connected with the back of your head.

Even then, when you were swearing vengeance against him, it was me you were really after, wasn't it? It was always me. You liken me to some chaotic death goddess of old, and somehow think you're the one to end her reign.

Excuse me while I laugh.

You've never forgiven me for ending your time in the spotlight, for being the first one to take you down in your prime. I was the last standing between the two of us, and how that memory must eat at you. I hope it does. I hope it keeps you awake at night. I hope you're remembering every part of that match as I do, and you're remembering exactly what I can do in that ring.

Did it come crashing down on you last week, when you felt that chain bite into your back? Were you disappointed when Gabriel and I didn't make our way down to the ring? I know you expected us, Alan, you and Rogan both. I hope you got what you wanted.

Because I'm about to get what I want.

This goes beyond titles, Alan. This goes beyond the petty feuds like what Roxy Cotton tries to instigate and get trending, anything to give her sad little existence just that much more shelf-life. This goes beyond the jealous rivalries, the Court spawning the dollar store brand of chaos in 'The Killing Joke'.

This goes above and beyond all that, Alan. This goes beyond Gabriel's thirst to destroy you for what you did to me a few weeks ago. This goes beyond Jessica's desire to finally prove herself in heroic underdog attempt number 5,643.

This comes down to you and me.

Oh make no mistake about it, Gabriel and I will still be champions at the end of the night. It will take far more than the likes of Jessica Mathis, Alan Wallace, Roxy Cotton, Angelica Vaughn, Rogan MacLean, and Jason Ingalls to dethrone us. Far more than any of you in any number of combinations could ever put forth.

No, the matter of the championships is already settled, Alan. This comes down to you and me. So once Gabriel and I have our hands raised in victory, once everyone believes we've done everything we absolutely can to each other-- let's show them they're wrong.

You and I remain in the ring and finish what we started. The two who were the real power behind the Syndicate battling it out one final time. What do you say, Alan? Will you join me one last time in the ring and stand across from me? I know you think you'll add my name to your list of those you've retired, but in the end, it's yours that will sit on mine.

You're welcome.

Next

[Eden Morgan]

9:30 am

“So, Ms. Morgan... judging from our pre-appointment over the phone, this was your decision?”

Eden settles herself into her chair, wondering not for the first time why she'd pretended this was a good idea. She hated therapists, her heart was hammering in her chest from her near molestation, and she swore she could still smell Cheetos...

He'd said something. She was already zoning out.

“Hmm?”

Hmm? Was that all she could muster? Really?

Dr. Harrison seemed to share the same viewpoint.

“Ms. Morgan, as I'm sure you're aware, this will require your cooperation as well as Mr. Baal's. I can only assist you as you allow me to. Having said that, I would like to assist you both, separately as well as together. Again, if you'll allow me the satisfaction.”

Eden watches as Harrison crosses one leg over the other, a gesture she'd seen Gabriel employ countless times. Oh, he'd definitely put up a fuss about coming here and engaging in this, right up to the point where he'd left her and gone on in to his individual appointment. She wondered how it had gone.

Eden glances down, tracing patterns in the wood on the arm of the chair.

“Sooooo...” she begins, “how did things go with Gabriel?” she asks, looking up at the end of her question and not addressing anything Harrison had previously said.

The doctor smiles.

“You know how these things go, Eden, if I may call you by your given name. I am not at liberty to disclose what occurs during my private sessions with Gabriel. Just as I wouldn't disclose the contents of our private sessions,” he says good-naturedly.

She'd expected as much, but asked anyway. It was better to know than to simply assume.

“You know, I find it strange that you are the one who wanted to do this.”

“Why is that?” she asks carefully, evenly.

“Because usually the one who seeks out help is the one who is more forthcoming. You may appear to be forthcoming, but only when it's related to others. I had far more of an idea where to begin with Gabriel than I do with you,” Harrison says, watching her curiously.

Eden smiles, feeling the Ice Queen mask that had become her go to slipping into place.

“Is that right? So Gabriel opened up? Good. Great, even,” she says and gives a little nod.

Harrison remains quiet for a moment.

“I understand you've recently had a loss,” he begins, Eden looking at him sharply.

“Several,” she says, the single word clipped. “How long have you been practicing?” Eden asks. She knew the change in topic was obvious, but just then she didn't care. She was regretting her decision.

Doctor Harrison smiles, as if something amused him.

Eden's eyes narrow.

“What's so funny?” she asks.

“Similarities. Striking similarities, is all, Eden, nothing more. The capricious nature of fate,” he finishes with a flourish.

Eden snorts.

“You're a therapist who believes in fate?”

“To a degree. Some things simply have no other explanation,” he says mildly, spreading his hands, his pen clutched between the index and middle finger of his right hand.

“So because you can't explain something, you ascribe it to... what... whimsy?” Eden asks, her tone clearly mocking. She shakes her head.

Doctor Harrison chuckles.

“You can mock me and say what you like in that derisive tone of yours, Eden, but I know better. You are a believer still. Beneath that act you put on of realism and cynicism, you're still a believer in magic... and fate. Above all else, you're a student of fate.”

Eden crosses her arms over her chest, the doctor smiling at her body language.

“Wow, you got me. And in just a few short minutes too, no wonder Gabriel didn't last long, he didn't stand a chance with a mind like yours,” she says, her tone just a little too overawed.

Doctor Harrison inclines his head, clearly appreciating the back and forth between them.

“Now then, back to these losses--”

Eden rolls her eyes.

“I've dealt with the death of my father, I don't think I need a therapist's help there. I'm fine. I have a support system. All is well, we sing kum-bi-yah regularly,” Eden retorts, wanting to leap out of the chair. The whole thing was reminding her strongly of her former therapist and her time in River Oaks. This was a mistake....

“I actually meant the losses of the living, Eden. They're just as difficult as the dead,” Harrison says quietly. “The loss of your brother, and your mother...” he trails off, Eden looking to him in surprise. She recovers quickly.

“We weren't exactly what you would call close. I'm not sure that qualifies as a loss.”

“No one ever said a loss had to register at a certain severity for it to apply as a loss,” Harrison counters.

“Yeah, okay,” Eden agrees, not mentioning anything else.

“This support system you have... who are they?” Harrison asks.

Eden contemplates her answer, looking for the trap. She couldn't see one.

“Gabriel. A friend of ours, like a brother to me, Jet. Caleb, another friend,” she silences after saying the name, wondering if she'd said too much, as if just speaking his name would cause Harrison to press a button on his phone and call for security. It was an irrational fear, but such was her state of mind in that current moment.

“Jet. He's part of your brother's....” Harrison flips through his notes, “motorcycle club, is that correct?”

Eden nods.

“Yeah, but we were friends before that. His sister is married to my brother... it's complicated. Look, Jet and I have a colorful past, not quite as colorful as Gabriel and I, but fairly close. We're fine,” she says with a smile.

“Is that a theme with you? A colorful past with those of your... support group?”

Eden swallows hard, considering. Jet. Gabriel. Caleb. Not so much Caleb, he was new. It was a short list. She didn't have many. Oh, she could count Jenny, and likely Solomon if she needed to, but they were extensions of Gabriel. Sherry was there, but she'd gotten the feeling lately that that avenue was rapidly closing itself off...

“Ms. Morgan?”

Eden jerks, looking back at Harrison.

“What?” she asks.

“What were you thinking about?” he asks curiously.

“Just that umm...” she considers and jerks her chin defiantly. “Things aren't quite what they used to be.”

“You're referring to the fact that your brother may well blame you for the death of your father, and that it may eventually create a rift in your relationship with Jet Somers, as it has the rest of your family.”

Eden bolts out of her chair, the suddenness of her movement overturning it.

“I don't know who you are or how you've gotten your information, but you don't know me, and you don't know us,” she says through gritted teeth.

Maxwell Harrison was smiling now, and she didn't like it.

“Are you certain of that, Eden?” he asks, indicating her seat.

Eden closes her eyes, feeling the trap close around her. She could do nothing more than to right her chair and return to her seat.

Silence reigns in the room for a moment.

“I could help you, Eden, but I don't believe you'll actually allow it. I think... you've decided that the only ones who can help you are those whom you've named. And as long as you're actually seeking help, I can't fault you for that. But if there is ever a time that you wish to speak, know that you can contact my office. I won't ever turn you away, and I think that's an assurance you're sorely in need of.”

Eden watches him closely, barely giving a perceptible nod to his words.

Doctor Harrison smiles, closing his notebook and bringing his leg down.

“Well then. I think it's time we bring Gabriel back in here and start the couple's session, wouldn't you agree?” he asks.

As he moved past her, Eden quickly ran fingers through her hair and crossed one leg over the other, giving off the appearance of being entirely unruffled.

While he was at the door, Eden surreptitiously checks her phone lying in her purse, seeing Cal and Solomon exactly where they were meant to be. Gabriel had been successful as well. Hearing footsteps approach, she closes her purse, holding it in her lap in case of notifications.

Things were going as intended. So far.

Next

[Eden Morgan]

10 am

Eden closes the door to Harrison's office behind her, glancing around. Spying the bathroom adjoining the waiting room, she quickly raps her knuckles on the door. When no one responds, she pushes inside, locking the door before she'd even turned the lights on. With trembling hands, she pulls her phone from her purse, reading the message from Caleb again.

We have a problem. Need assistance.

She texts back, waiting for the response which took seconds but seemed like minutes.

Custodial staff crawling the floor. We need them gone ASAP.

Eden read the two brief sentences again, her forehead furrowing. Custodial staff, what exactly did he expect her to do?

She looks at herself in the mirror, knowing with every second that passed, she was being missed by Harrison. It wouldn't be long before he came looking or sent someone himself.

Think, think, think, think, think...

She hadn't even decided on a plan before she threw open the door to the bathroom and rushed over to the elevator, slapping her hand against the paneling hurriedly, as if that would make it move faster. She watches the display above, the elevator lowering toward her, each floor lighting up as it does so. She glances at her phone once more, seeing Caleb and Solomon stationary.

“Come on, come on... stall Gabriel,” she says to herself as the doors finally open. She waits, allowing people to file out and then steps on, taking the elevator down to the lobby where she'd first entered, a crazy plan forming in her head.

It was desperate, it was risky, Gabriel would certainly shout about it later, but if it worked...

The doors to the elevator open, Eden pushing her way through a group of businesswomen.

“Excuse me, excuse me...” she pushes her way toward the side of the lobby, where she'd seen the bathrooms that anyone would see when they first entered.

Realizing her plan could easily dissolve if she didn't move quickly, Eden steps into the women's restroom, a line of stalls greeting her.

Destruction of property. What was one more crime on top of what they were already doing?

Eden looks around, shaking her hands, trying to decide what to do. She'd hoped something would come to her, knew that doing something to the guest bathrooms in the lobby would bring every custodian they had, but it had to be right. Something that would effect the lobby....

Eden looks to the line of sinks and the stacks of paper towels, as her phone vibrates.

EDEN. NOW!

The text from Cal said all she needed to spur her forward. Eden snatches up stacks of paper towels, praying no one would walk in as she hurriedly stuffs them into toilets, one stall to the next, flushing each time.

There were no cameras in bathrooms, invasion of privacy and all that. She was fine, no one would know...

It wasn't until she was at her fifth stall, the clogged toilets running furiously, did she hear the muttered curses from the very last one. Someone was in there. Wide-eyed, Eden hurriedly stuffs the remaining towels down the sinks, rushing down the line and turning the faucets on high.

Even as she rushed out of the bathroom, water began to overflow, coursing out over the floor.

When she rounded the corner she stopped a guard, not having to fake her distress.

“Sir? Excuse me, sir? I was just in the women's bathroom, and some... hooligan... has started a flood! Everything's pouring everywhere, it's terrible,” she says, grinning as the guard starts off directly to the bathroom.

Seconds later, standing at the elevator, an overhead announcement:

ALL CUSTODIAL STAFF NEEDED TO THE GUEST BATHROOMS IN THE LOBBY. ALL CUSTODIAL STAFF NEEDED TO THE GUEST BATHROOMS IN THE LOBBY.

Eden's grin grows even wider and she sighs with relief, slapping her hand on the button to take her back up. She checks her phone. Eight minutes gone. She needed to get back.

A text comes through, from Caleb.

Well done. Not a second too soon.

Eden steps onto the elevator, a smug look on her face as she returns to the floor Harrison's office was on. The look fades quickly when she realizes she should look as though she'd actually done something, swiftly pulling her hair back and into a ponytail. But surely he'd notice her makeup...

Eden sighs and looks down at the dress she'd pulled up some after it had done its job on Glenn.

“Alright girls... let's see if we can get another one,” she mutters, gripping the front of her dress and pulling it down almost obscenely low before stepping off the elevator.

She rushes past the bathroom she'd previously been in and then opens the door to Harrison's office, closing it behind her.

Next

[Eden Morgan]

Since last year, UGWC has been infected with a sickness. No, I don't mean the 'Sickness' that Ichabod continually referred to and insisted was within myself, within Gabriel, within anyone who caught his eye and created enough chaos. Sickness may, in fact, be the wrong word for it.

Rot.

That is the exact word I would ascribe to the HASHTAG CoolKids. Feel free to say that with as much derision as you can muster. I do.

We owe this rot to first Lieberjosch, although I suppose technically he was just following the path laid before him by Travis Pierce, the originator of the WrestleStock Open. Because of that, we were plagued by Sarah Selena Lacklan, and because her kidnapper couldn't actually do the job correctly, she's still scooting around here in her wheelchair. At least, until I catch her at the top of a flight of stairs and her battery suddenly mysteriously runs low.

Favorite auntie, indeed.

Sarah was the first of the infestation in UGWC, the rest lying dormant until our esteemed idiot in charge, Donovan, opened the doors and welcomed every bit of filth from the corners of the globe.

Enter Roxy Cotton.

Oh, and she has Angelica Vaughn with her.

Now, Angelica has placed herself among our roster and counts as a success the ability to pin Jason Ingalls-- sorry, Angie, that's not much of an accomplishment when literally the entire roster has, including Dave Rydell. Ask around.

But Roxy has shown herself to be nothing more than an opportunistic, bottom-feeding creature, as full of excuses as she is Botox, someone who crawled out of the gutters in order to attempt to lay claim to what was never rightfully hers but put up for grabs by Donovan Hastings. And then, when her team lost, another member of the CoolKids and the duo of Roxy Cotton and Angelica Vaughn already proving before the UGWC world, what did she do? Did she suck it up, admit to losing to her betters and go crawling back to the company she came from? No. She whined and cried on social media, shouting excuses for any and all to see.

I was POISONED!

I'm not used to fighting MEN!

It wasn't FAIR!

The Court CHEATED!

Nevermind that she had her Frankenstein monster at ringside. Roxy Cotton is a study of 'it's everyone's fault but mine'.

Honestly, Roxy... it's called dignity. Have some, it's free.

Roxy has had a lot to say about us... particularly me... on social media. Angelica, well, if it doesn't meow she doesn't seem at all interested. But Roxy, you don't have that problem, do you?

You know, I really, really hope you're able to make good on at least one of the many threats you've levied against me in the past few weeks, Roxy. I sincerely hope you've meant every word you've uttered, every snide remark, including the things you've lain awake and said to yourself in the dead of night when your Valiums you needed to take because of me have worn off.

You're going to need that fire to walk through what Gabriel and I have waiting. Because you see, while you and Angie have only recently made amends, you're still not quite on the same page, are you?

You're not partners.

You're not opposite sides of the same coin.

We are.

You protect her, you worry about her, she's your weakness.

And we're going to exploit it.

I want you to know that you are the reason for everything that she's going to go through once Gabriel and I are both released and stand atop that cage. I hope she's the one that's free and you're locked away, because you're going to have a front row seat for everything done to her and you're going to understand that you really should have left this company after Trios, as you were supposed to do. You're going to understand that you never should have called me out, that you should have tucked whatever tail is attached to your butt plug this week and run far, far away, back to your failing company and your webcam business.

You'll sneer and say you've gotten to me, but that couldn't be farther from the case, Roxy. You're a meaningless toy, and you'll be gone in a few months time, if not right after we show to the world once again what a farce the HASHTAG COOLKIDS are. But don't think we'll send you off empty handed... Gabriel and I would like to educate you and little Angie. You seem to be laboring under the delusion that you're someone we should fear, someone who does bad things and causes bad things to happen to good people.

Darling. That's adorable.

You have absolutely no fucking clue what you're about to walk into.

This is the part where Gabriel says “Please allow me to introduce myself.”

HASHTAG FaceTheCourt

Totes trending.

Next

[Eden Morgan]

10:20 am

Eden retakes her seat, feeling entirely too exposed, but knowing if she pulled her dress up it would indicate she'd noticed Dr. Harrison's eyes on her. She had, but she didn't want him to know that. Then it would seem deliberate.

She was thinking too much.

“So, what did I miss?” she asks, looking from Harrison to Gabriel. Gabriel raises an eyebrow, looking at her, Eden barely shaking her head in a “don't ask” manner.

Gabriel suppresses a laugh, taking her response to mean all was well.

Dr. Harrison visibly forces himself to tear his gaze from the healthy display of cleavage in front of him, looking at her and smiling.

“Are you well, Eden?”

“Yes, much better, thank you doctor,” Eden says, Gabriel reaching over and touching her arm as though he had been worried, and in a way he had been, just for other reasons entirely.

“Shall we discuss what upset you, Eden? It's likely best to have it out in the open now that you've dealt with it yourself,” Harrison says, looking from her to Gabriel.

Eden falters for a moment, her mind racing. What had they been discussing? She couldn't remember. She smiles at Gabriel, telegraphing her uncertainty and hoping he picked up on it.

Thankfully, he did.

“I think the topic of our origins is a might played out, wouldn't you agree, my dear? I mean, everyone knows that I developed an intense interest in Eden and then underwent a process of pre-friendship research while she was locked away at River Oaks,” Gabriel says almost conversationally, his words triggering Eden's memory.

Understanding that she'd just spent ten minutes supposedly upset in a bathroom because of the current topic, Eden frowns.

“You stalked me, drugged me, and fucked with my head,” she corrects.

“Now you're just being judgmental and labeling. She does this a lot, do you think it has something to do with all the concussions she's received over the years?” Gabriel asks, musing, one physician to another.

Eden snorts and rolls her eyes, the two of them freezing when their phones vibrate once more.

Doctor Harrison was flipping through his notes and talking, not noticing their distraction. Eden quickly glances at her phone in her purse. The text was from Solomon.

Need interference. NOW.

Eden's look to Gabriel says it all, Gabriel wasting no time. He takes out his own phone and appears to be checking it when Harrison looks up.

“Is there something the matter, Gabriel, or am I boring you?” he asks stiffly.

Gabriel shakes his head, clearly agitated.

“No, Maxwell, it's not you, it's... well you see the facility I operate at is having an issue and requires my assistance. It won't take long, just a quick ring and I'll be back before you've realized I've been gone. Oh, a survey, I do love surveys. I'll fill that out just as soon as I return,” Gabriel says, taking the paper and pen from Harrison and laying them in his chair before walking to the other side of the room and stepping out the door, closing it behind him.

Dr. Harrison looks to Eden who clears her throat, her reaction apologetic.

“He does this a lot. He's dedicated to his work, really,” Eden lies smoothly before looking down to the paper before her. She reads the first question, blinking, and then holds the paper up to Harrison.

“Exactly why do we need to answer this? What does this help?” she asks.

“You and Gabriel are two sides to the same coin, or that's what the intention is, am I correct, Eden?”

She nods in agreement.

“Well then. We're going to see how well you two know each other. Simply answer the questions you have there as you believe Gabriel would, and then on the reverse side, answer the questions as you would. He'll do the same and then we'll compare answers. We'll get an estimate as to how well the two of you truly know each other.”

Eden reads down the row of questions, smiling as she does so.

“I think we'll be just fine, Dr. Harrison,” she says, focusing on the task at hand and answering each question, her amusement in the beginning giving way to trepidation as she continues on through the survey, all the while wondering what mischief the three men had gotten up to now.

Several minutes later, as she's nearing the end, the door opens, Gabriel re-entering the office, looking fresh and unworried.

She could relax.

Next

[Eden Morgan]

10:40 am

Solomon peers out of the blinds of the small office the codes Gabriel's credentials had granted them access to.

Caleb was behind, going through boxes and filing cabinets in an orderly manner. The stack of files they'd pulled had grown at a steady pace. Knowing the Order as he had, Solomon had made an educated guess as to where any relevant information might have been hidden, and somehow, he'd lucked out.

The entire thing had been an experiment in luck. A lot of almosts and nearlys.

He and Caleb had taken turns, one of them watching, crouched near the closed blinds, the other searching. File after file after file, but their time was running out. Solomon checks his phone and peers out the window once more.

“We gotta wrap it up, Anders. I've been watching the guard, he takes a break every 45 minutes on the dot. We're nearing our window.”

Caleb drops another two files down onto the piles they had before them triumphantly.

“That fat fuck who had his hands on Eden?” Caleb asks with a grimace.

Solomon eyes him quizzically as the two split and gather the files.

“What's with you and her? Something going on?” Solomon asks, Caleb keeping his eyes lowered.

“Just business is all. She's a job,” he says, looking up, straight-faced and giving a shrug.

“Uh huh,” Solomon responds, not at all believing a word the younger man had said. He returns to his place at the window.

“Right. We've got to move carefully through here. We've done our job and got the files, but we still have to get out of here with them, and this place is further in the Order's arsehole than I thought. Fuckin' Christ, get off your arse your lazy cunt,” he mutters, watching Glenn the guard.

Caleb stands beside him, peering out.

“Listen to me, Anders... if we end up getting caught, you don't want to end up as a captive within the Order. Trust me on that,” he says meaningfully.

Caleb gives him a studying look and then nods curtly, both men's attention drawn as Glenn finally gets to his feet, jerking up on the waist of his pants and looking around before shuffling off to a small room. No sooner had the door closed than the one Solomon and Gabriel were behind opened. The two of them rush out, doing the same toss with their bags over the metal detectors as they'd done when they'd passed behind Glenn's back while he fumbled with Eden.

Caleb knew he'd feel better when his guns were on him, one in the shoulder hoster he'd used for years now, the leather worn and fitted to his body. It was a comfort and he felt exposed without it, not to mention the one he kept tucked at the small of his back, or the combat knife that normally resided just above his right boot...

“Not yet. Steady, lad, we'll be out of this devil's pit soon,” Solomon says, glancing around him. He was starting to sweat, and Caleb knew neither of them would consider themselves free until they were with Gabriel and Eden, walking out.

They bypassed the elevator going straight to the stairwell, familiar with the location after an intense study of the blueprints Gabriel had in his office.

Their boots should have made echoing thuds as they raced down the concrete stairs but they didn't, the two men trained well, cushioning their steps on the balls of their feet. Both check their watches as they go, seeing their time tick down to less than a minute.

Finally, they were at the entryway to the lobby, just feet away from freedom. They exhale, neither of them breathing too hard, but still. They needed to calm.

“I'm glad you volunteered to come along, Caleb,” Solomon said, watching through the small window in the door, his eyes constantly scanning the lobby. “I probably could have done this without you, but it would have been fuck of a lot more difficult.”

It was as close as Caleb would get to a thank you and an appreciation of his skills, some of which Solomon had taught him.

“You're welcome, you old bastard,” Caleb mutters under his breath, he and Solomon sharing a quiet laugh and a smile of camaraderie.

“There they are,” Solomon says, nodding his head toward Gabriel and Eden as they made their way toward the door of the building. “Let's get the fuck out of here,” he says, opening the door, he and Caleb slipping out of the stairwell and into the lobby.

Next

[Eden Morgan]

They’d arrived back at the apartment in great spirits – even the scowl on Jenny’s face didn’t dampen their spirits. The plan had gone perfectly – Gabriel and Eden had played their parts. They’d drawn the eyes of The Order upon them while Solomon and Caleb worked their way into the records room.

The building had been a front – owned by the Order to run their shadier operation via a legitimate means. They owned real estate, and this was one of their largest buildings. It also had the added bonus of a secure records room. This had been their target, this had been the plan. Gabriel had checked and double checked – Maxwell Harrison was not a member of the Order of the Inferno – he was a good man, and a good therapist. He merely rented space from these

Their ill-gotten gains lay on the table untouched – now had been a time for celebration. Jet and Sherry had arrived not long after they’d gotten back and celebrations were in full flow. Jenny and Solomon had reconciled, given the new information. Jet and Sherry talked to Gabriel and Eden about their upcoming matches at No Holds Barred, while Caleb and Olivia shared a dark corner and many, many laughs.

Gabriel tried to watch them, but every time he caught their eye, either Olivia or Caleb cranked things up. They’d pull closer, become more tactile. Both trying to get under his skin. He smiled, raised his glass and turned back to Eden. Their disappointment was almost tangible. Eden was beaming – she’d struck a blow against the men who had killed her friends and her father. She lit up the room with her joy.

Gabriel wondered if this was the first time she’d been truly happy since her father died.

He moved to the kitchen to get more drinks, and Eden slid in next to him.

"That was fun." She said, nudging his hip.

"Stressful." Gabriel corrected, looking down at her. She pouted. "But fun…"

"So when do we look at what we won?" She asked, looking at the files.

"Once the party dies down – Jet and Sherry will leave soon, as will Jenny and Solomon." Gabriel said.

"What about them?" Eden said, looking at Caleb and Liv. Gabriel couldn’t help but notice a tinge of jealousy in her voice.

"I don’t think either of them are concerned with the content of those files." Gabriel said.

"I think Caleb is interested in the contents of her…" Eden began, but Gabriel stopped her.

"Don’t… Even… Say it." He replied. Eden giggled at his discomfort. Gabriel shook his head as he picked up the tray and carried the drinks back into the lounge.

The party broke up about an hour later. Caleb suggested he get Eden home, but she shooed him away as she dropped next to Gabriel on his couch. He spread the files out on the table – he’d even managed to find an order that he wanted to look at.

The top file was the one they were all interested in – Trios Assassinations, the file said, mocking their profession and their position. Gabriel took a deep breath as Eden rested her head on his shoulder.

"Do we really want to know?" She asked. "I mean, do we really want to see how deep this went?"

"I don’t think we have much choice, love." Gabriel said, rolling his neck. "Know thine enemy."

"Maybe. But sometimes… Sometimes I think we should all just get everyone on your plane and fly far, far away." Eden said, staring over at the wall.

"Where would you like to go?" Gabriel said, playing along, knowing that she could never leave everything behind.

"The Maldives." She said with a smile. "Buy a few islands over there… All have our own. Just lie in the sun all day in paradise."

"Sounds horrible." Said Gabriel.

"In a bikini…" She added, glancing up at him.

"Oh no, love. I wouldn’t suit a bikini…" He added. She grinned as she nudged his arm with her head. And then she let out a sigh of her own.

"Alright… Let’s get this over with." She said, looking down at the file.

Gabriel flicked it open and started to read… But as he read, he began to stiffen.

"What… What is it?" Eden asked.

"No… No, it can’t be…" Gabriel said, dropping the file on the ground. He picked up a second and began flicking through it. And another. And another… With every file, he became more and more angry until he let out a scream of fury and swept the files off the table. He picked up his glass and threw it against the wall and it smashed into a thousand pieces.

Caleb and Olivia weren’t cosy in the corner now, they were stood up, stood over the pile of papers that lay strewn across the ground.

"Gabriel! Will you calm down and tell me what’s wrong?" Eden asked again.

"Look." He said, his hands on his hips. He turns around slowly to face her. "Look, Eden! At the files!"

She picked up the file about the assassinations that had fallen at her feet. She opened the file and her breath caught in her throat. She saw Gabriel’s name… She saw her own name… She saw Jet’s name… Her father, Nate and Quentin… And then… She realised what made Gabriel so angry. Every other name was blackened and hidden – the document had been redacted. Every single piece of information about the names behind the Order had been blacked out.

"They knew. They fucking knew!" Gabriel said as he paced the room. "How the fuck did they know?!"

"Gabriel… Wait… We have information… Just… Just not…"

"Names Eden! The people who are doing this. The names of the fucking cunts who killed the people we love. I want to find them and hurt them. Over and over until they think it can’t get any worse, and then what happens next will make them long for the days where they just thought it couldn’t get any worse. " Gabriel shouted, turning on the spot.

Eden’s eyes filled with tears, not because of the files, but seeing Gabriel so broken. She knew… He’d hung everything on this. The end of this entire charade. And now all they had were the details of what had happened, every last one in minute detail… But no idea who gave the orders.

Gabriel dropped to his knees amid all of the paper and his head hung low. Eden stood up and knelt by his side, she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into an embrace. His shoulders began to rise and fall in time with his sobs. And he broke her heart, all over again.

[Deleted]

This was my favorite CD of the week.

I get it was largely a joint effort, but I give the Eden half a slight nudge over the Gabe half, though the whole thing was a great cooperative performance.

I can only imagine the challenge of offering groundbreaking character development to people that have been ingrained in the UGWC vernacular for years like you have but you did it, so congratulations to you for that.

[Gabriel Baal]

I can't tell you how much I enjoy working with you. For two years we essentially worked against one another. In Gabriel and Eden we created a rivalry that most could only ever see ending with one of them being gone forever.

Gabriel always told Eden... They'd be the worst of enemies, or the best of friends.

I told you early on, I had this idea that we could take Gabriel and Eden to the very rock bottom of where a relationship could go and then somehow turn everything around. I'm not sure you believed me - in fact, you didn't. "Eden will never trust Gabriel. Ever." I remember that quote, because it pissed all over my bonfire.

Drugging, manipulation, stalking, attempted murder... A hatred so real, that at times I wondered if you actually laboured some urges to actually kill me.

I'm not one to say I told you so... But... I told you so. We've managed to create a story that saw them hit that rock bottom that I've talked about, and turned them into two people who are a perminant fixture in one anothers lives. It's amused me for the last nine months, with everyone waiting for one of us to turn on the other. We've just sat back, smiled and known that we're kinda bored with all the hate - they work better as friends than they ever did enemies.

Most people would assume a piece like this would be hard work... And maybe, not worth the hassle. But for me, it was a joy - because you're so easy to work with and so fluid with your ideas. I'd change things on the fly and you'd work with it - you'd embrace some of my nonsense and make it legit.

Not to mention, you're basically a UGWC encyclopedia.

Writing this week has been a lot of fun - let's do it again sometime.

[Jet Somers]

If you look at this cynically, it was really just one simple scene, a quick heist of sorts. In both of your hands it came out as something epic, almost as if, without meaning to, a simple heist became a complex story filled with drama and emotions, and a powerful downer ending that puts the entire caper's point into question. Excellent work.

[Harvey the Grim]

This. Just...wow. Just...wow. I'm honestly at a loss for words on this. You and Gabe took what on paper sounds like a very small simple story of a small heist, and the two of you managed to turn it into something epic, intense, dramatic, suspenseful, and ultimately, a downer of an ending, leaving the whole thing up in the air as to how they were out maneuvered and outplayed. And you still found time to build a story of further developing the bond between your two characters, and still laying out some smack talk to your opponents. You could and should be giving lectures, I know I'd sign up to attend one. And on top of that, you pulled double duty this week, in the same match! You're not human, are you?