I Missed You

Participants:

maury2_icon.gif molly_icon.gif

Scene Title I Missed You
Synopsis Matt returns home early to spend some quality time with Molly…
Date March 4, 2009

Dorchester Towers, Matt Parkman's Apartment

Of all of the spacious apartments of Dorchester Towers which more than likely still cost an arm and a leg each month in rent, apartment number 404 is likely to be the least furnished of them all. The high-ceilinged space still sports the drab white paint it had when its current resident first moved in. Whereas the Towers are home to various members of New York's high-end white collar bread-winners, this one appears to be lived in by college student.

The kitchen table is cluttered with newspapers and the occasional pizza box or empty beer bottle, and the same decor theme is repeated on the coffee table that separates a second-hand couch from a television that is somewhere between top of the line and rabbit-ears worthy. The same style is echoed throughout the sparsely furnished rooms, including a bedroom which holds only a cardboard box nightstand, a lamp, and a mattress on the floor.


When confronted by our worst nightmares, the choices are few: fight, or flight.

The bathroom light clicks off, faucet gone silent, toothbrush returned to where it should be. It's the same routine every night; she takes a shower, washes her face, brushes her teeth and is put to bed. Sometimes Kaydence is here to be the one to tuck her in, sometimes it's the Nanny that Matt hired to help out when they're both working. Tonight, it's the latter.

We hope to find the strength to stand against our fears but sometimes, despite ourselves, we run.

Stepping out of the bathroom and closing the door, slippered feet brush softly over the hardwood floor of Matthew Parkman's apartment. Here in Dorchester Towers, with a view of the Manhattan skyline at night, there is so much safety and security — between the building being under the umbrella of protection afforded by Daniel Linderman, to the federal agents watching the door to the apartment. Nothing, when Molly Walker is concerned, is left to chance. Everything is planned, considered, contemplated and carefully watched.

What if the nightmare gives chase?

But there are some things, unaccountable for. The things in life which can never truly be considered a possibility. There is no one in the apartment to greet Molly when she emerges from the bathroom, lights in the empty living-room gone dark, no sign of the Nanny who should be waiting to escort her to bed — no matter how old she gets, Matt always tries to baby her. But now, when presented with a silent and dark apartment, the lights of adjacent skyscrapers the only thing to guide her way, Molly would give anything to have that sense of security back.

Where can we hide then?

Most girls Molly's age would be screaming for the Nanny or crying in fear. Molly isn't one of the those girls. Molly looks around the hall and begins to walk slowly down it.

She runs a hand through her hair and she peeks around the corner. She doesn't see anything, wasn't the Nanny just here? The young teen wasn't even in the bathroom for very long.

Matt?

It's reflex to call out to her surrogate father with her thoughts, he always answers if he is around. She looks around the dark apartment, not finding anyone yet.

I'm right here, baby.

Matt's voice, warm and welcoming as always rings in Molly's mind. As the girl emerges fromt he mouth of the hall to the living room, she finds Matt standing there by the window, just as she remembers him. His suit fits snugly to his broad-shouldered frame, eyes gazing out over the jagged New York skyline. When he turns, there's a stiffness to him, tension that has been with him for over two years now since he started his new job. "Hey there…" His eyes squit, and as he more fully turns from the large windows, his arms spread out as he drops down to one knee. "I'm back," he says with that warmth of a smile that says come give your daddy a hug.

Molly didn't expect Matt to /really/ be here. Not at all. Molly looks at Matt and shakes her head, "I thought you were going to be gone for longer.. where's Michelle?" the Nanny of course.

Molly also doesn't come running to be hug Matt as some other girls would do. She just stares at him as she inches forward.

"I sent her home," Matt says with a warm smile, head tilting to the side as he awkwardly laughs, "Come on, I thought you'd be happier to see me. Yeah, I know I said I'd be gone a while," he stands to stand up, still holding out a hand for his little girl, "But you know— things happen. I'm just that good at my job." His smile grows some, taking a step towards the young girl.

"It's just the two of us now, like always." His brows furrow together slightly, hand still outstretched, "come on, let me tuck you in. At least— give me that, I've been looking forward to seeing you for so long."

"It won't be the two of us for long…" she mutters and then after a moment's pondering Molly takes her father's hand. Molly's tightens her grip on his hand. Missed you.

Oh… I missed you too, Molly.

The grip on the young girl's hand tightens like a vice when she squeezes it, yanking her forward before another hand clamps down on her shoulder. Matt stares down at her, head tilting to one side as his lips creep up into a crooked smile, "It's been a long time since I last got to see your smiling face."

There is a distortion in the room, like smoke peeling away from the walls as the lights come back on. Furniture shifts subtly in position, more familiar to the way Molly remembers it being arranged. As the veil of illusion laid over her eyes peels back, she sees Michelle sprawled out on the floor, face down on the wood with her hair in loose blonde curls stained a dark red color, broken glass nearby to where she lays.

When her eyes flick back to the man holding her, it isn't Matt, but it's a man she instinctively recognizes holding her by the shoulder. His eyes, those eyes she's been drawing for years now. The tone of his voice is so soft, so gentle, and yet the words he speaks are like needles in her skin, "Did you miss me?"

When a child is put face to face with one of her biggest nightmares, she does one of two things. Screams.. and fights back. After Molly's eyes grow wide and she shakes as she says, "Nightmare man." Her gaze flicks up at the man that haunts her.

The latter of the two are chosen as Molly struggles to get free of the man, tears forming in her eyes. "Let.. me go!" she yells and kicks out her feet at the man. "Stop it!" Molly screams and tries to beat him in the arm.

The firm hand that grasps Molly's squeezes tighter and he yanks the girl close, slapping a hand over her mouth as he tugs her back towards him. "Shhh…" he whispers, shaking his head from side to side before bringing his lips down to plant a kiss to the top of her head, "Shhh," and the rest of Maury's words echo hollow and commanding in the back of the young girl's mind.

Sleep, Molly There's some grim satisfaction taken in the command, Sleep.

"The girl's eyes flutter, legs weakening as Maury's hand moves to support her cheek, fat fingers pressed against pale skin as he holds her slightly frame up from falling over. He turns, glancing to the pool of blood slowly growing beneath the Nanny, then up to the closed door to the apartment before leaning down to whisper something into the girl's tangled hair.

"Arthur can't wait to meet you."


l-arrow.png
March 4th: If I Could Turn Back Time

Previously in this storyline…
Not Without My Husband


Next in this storyline…
Only a Bad Girl Lies

r-arrow.png
March 4th: Coliseum Diplomacy
Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License