Other Side Of The Story

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kaylee2_icon.gif meredith_icon.gif

Scene Title Other Side Of The Story
Synopsis Kaylee finally tracks down Meredith to ask her about her issues with Doyle…. Kaylee doesn't make a friend here, but she comes away with the story.
Date November 22, 2009

Gordon Safehouse


The Gordon Safehouse has been one of the longest established hiding places of the Ferrymen. A second story apartment above the a bustling Vietnamese Restaurant, the scent of ginger and cilantro wafts up the winding staircase that ends in a red painted door. The paint has seen better days, but it's held up remarkably well considering what the city has gone through. Obviously locked and bolted as much of New York is now, there's a peep hole and light spilling out underneath the crack of the door into the darker hallway. One of the lights about half way up has blown out and no one has yet to replace it. Mixing with the smell of Vietnamese food is something more earthy, tomato and cayenne pepper. It makes for a strange clash of both cultures and odors.

Having procrastinated long enough, Kaylee asked around for where to find the object of her friends affection. She promised Eileen she'd find out the truth and besides her curiosity is killing her on the subject. She had one side… sorta.. so it's Meredith's turn.

So here she is on the steps of the safehouse, bundled up against the biting morning cold. Kaylee gives a little sigh, the white fog blooming out through the scarf across her face. She's not expecting a warm welcome as she reaches out and knocks on the door. The hand then moves to tug the scarf off her face so the owner will know who is calling on her.

There's a bit of shuffling on the other side of the door. At least someone's at home and Kaylee didn't make the trip in the cold for nothing. After that, there's a long, long pause before the sound of the bolt is unlocked and the door slowly opens just a crack. The chain is still engaged, it's metallic presence making itself known across Meredith's nose, just letting the other woman know that she's not planning on opening this door unless there's a very good reason for it. Though the two women had been at least on friendly terms before, the look that the older blonde gives the other woman is not warm and certainly not inviting. Instead, she's suspicious.

"You didn't bring your little friend along with you?" It may be a joke, as Eric Doyle is certainly not little, but she doesn't want to take any chances.

"Not by far.. In fact, Eric doesn't even know I came here. He's busy telling what kids, we have left, a story. So he won't probably realize I'm gone. Kaylee offers the woman on the other side of the door an amused smile. "Otherwise he'd be trying to follow me here wanting to talk to you…. and I'm trying to respect the fact you don't seem to want anything to do with him."

Her head tilts a bit as she studies the other blonde. "I'd really like to hear what your side of all this is. Eric is my friend, I admit… But I still want to hear what you have to say."

"If you're friends with Doyle, then you're not about to care what I've got to say." Meredith rolls her eyes. She can't imagine what Doyle's done in the past in order to get this poor kid suckered into liking him. Reading to kids, helping the sick, either the Company really did a number on his attitude, or he's playing them all for suckers. The thought of him knowing where she lives, well, that's terrifying to her. He could come at any time, make her do whatever he wanted, drag her out of here. This place is her safehouse - not just in name and job title, but in feeling as well. "Look, and let's keep it that way, okay? I don't know what he's done to get you to trust him, but he's nothin' good. I don't want him comin' over here. I want to go back to thinkin' I'll never have to worry about that man ever again. You hear?"

Kaylee can't help but chuckle. "Yes.. well.. I thought of a man named Adam Monroe like a father figure.. and here I am, instead of still playing his little mind fucker." The words have a bit of an edge to them, but the smile remains. "So obviously I have an open mind. Will hearing your side of things change my thoughts on Eric? I have no idea, but I do believe in second chances. I got a second chance and it saved my ass." She studies the woman through the crack in the door and glances behind her. "But I mean.. if you don't want to even try to tell me your side and let me tell you what he said on the matter." Her hands lift to pull the scarf back up on her face, preparing for the journey back to the island.

Second chances. Meredith bites back the groan when Kaylee says that. Some people? Sure, they can have second chances, but Doyle isn't one of them. There are some things people do to each other that just trump any sort of change they may make. She has no idea who 'Adam Monroe' is, but she'll leave that out of it for now. Lord, if this kid thinks that Eric Doyle can be reformed into a 'good person', she certainly needs some guidance. Or at least a warning. She has no idea where she's headed to and it's nowhere good. With a exasperated sigh at action of Kaylee putting the scarf up over her face again, she steps back from the doorway. "Look, you wanna hear my side of the story? Fine, but I don't want to hear anything about him. I already know just about everything he can say on the matter and I'm not interested." With that, she shuts the door in Kaylee's face, only to open it again once the chain is unengaged. She doesn't tell her to come in or anything, but she assumes that if the girl wants to be here, she'll come in herself.

The apartment inside is contrastingly different from the dim hallway. Light filters in through the windows, giving the space a warm and friendly look. It's furnished comfortably, if secondhand, and has a welcome feeling that the woman who owns it herself doesn't have at the moment. In the kitchen nearby, the smell of spicy cooking emanates. That'd be breakfast burritos cooling on a plate.

Behind the scarf, Kaylee holds back a sigh of relief which puffs out her cheeks for a moment before she finally lets it escape fogging the air again. "Thank you." She murmurs as she steps into the house, pulling the scarf off her face again and taking the beanie off her head leaving her hair a touch messy. "That's fine… I just figured you'd like to hear what they did to him in Level 5." Hoping to appeal to the woman's sense for revenge. "But as you wish." Kaylee says those words brightly as she follows the woman in.

Meredith firmly shuts the door behind Kaylee once the young woman is in, locking it again. Just in case. This woman is friends with Doyle, who knows who else she may bring with her - accidentally or on purpose. "I'm fine with leavin' that to imagination." Her eyes narrow just slightly at the offer, though, and she adds, "I thought he was your friend. Why'd you want to talk about somethin' like that?" Her short time on Level 5 isn't anything she wants to revisit, that's for sure.

Moving toward the kitchen, she's not about to forgo her food for this little discussion. Instead, she grabs another plate and drops it on the table where she assumes the other woman will sit. "It's nothin' fancy, but you're welcome to one." The plate of burritos filled with egg and sausage and certainly some spicy sauce is put down in the center. "So, what exactly did you want to know?"

Kaylee moves to sit where indicated and gives her head a little shake. "Cause… I figured you'd want a little closure on that." She gives a small shrug of her shoulder. "Either way.. that doesn't need to be discussed." She waves her hand as if shutting that topic, before leveling Meredith with a serious look, tapping a finger in her direction, "I want to know what he did to you that was so bad that you look about ready to blow the safe house to kingdom come. Doyle has a good thing going right now… He's for the most part being left alone like he wants, he's helping the kids like he wants. I'd hate to see that go away, but I gotta understand whats going on. I've already told him to stay away from you. I could push that into his brain… but I don't like using my ability on friends. You lose trust that way."She then motions to the older woman, to encourage her.

Sitting down at the table, Meredith leaves the discussion about Level 5 where it belongs, undiscussed. Instead, she just stares at Kaylee and shakes her head. Great, Doyle's getting what he wants. That's a load off of her mind, really it is. Digging into her pocket, she pulls out a pack of cigarettes and shakes one out. If she's going to be forced to drag up all these bad images of her past, well, then she's going to need some nicotine in order to do it. Lighting it up with a flicker of fire from her finger, she takes a deep inhale. Then, she drops the package in the middle of the table, there for Kayley to take one if she wants.

"First off, I ain't about to blow any safehouse on account of Doyle. I'm a Ferryman first and foremost." This place gave her meaning and hope when nothing else before did and she's not about to risk that all on account of some creepy puppeteer. "He stays alone, that's fine by me. It's better for all around. He's a menace. I tried to be polite with him at first. I was flattered, to be honest. He thought I was beautiful, a perfect woman, who doesn't wanna hear that, you know?" She takes another drag and ashes in the tray conveniently placed on the table. "I tried to tell him that I wasn't interested, but I was nice about it." As nice as Meredith gets, that is. "That wasn't good enough for Doyle."

There isn't much that Kaylee indulges in, her ability is touchy thing about certain things so she avoids a lot of stuff. So when the cigarettes are tossed in the center she smiles, but give a little shake of her head. Then she nods as she listens to what Meredith says, of course… everyone likes to hear a guy say she's looks great… course, Kaylee can't remember the last time she's heard that.. and normally it's by men three sheets to the wind. "He did mention thinking you guys were perfect for each other." Something in her tone says she doesn't believe that at all.

When Kaylee turns down a cigarette, Meredith shrugs. More for her to smoke. She leaves them where she is and rolls her eyes at what she tells her. "Yeah, I'm sure he did. He told me the same thing. Many times." Lately, the blonde hasn't heard anything of the like in years, either, but she'd rather not hear it all than from someone like Doyle. "Anyway, I got to hear it a whole lot more after I turned him down for the third or fourth time, more firmly. He kidnapped me and used his power to turn me into his own private little doll." The mere thought turns the pyro's hands read again, burning up the cigarette into ash in seconds. With a sigh, she brushes off her used cigarette and waits for herself to calm down before reaching for another.

"I ain't gonna talk about what he tried to make me do, but he's not a good person. The only reason I got outta there alive is 'cause he could pinched by the Company. There ain't much good I could talk about that organization, but that's one thing." Meredith shivers and just picks up her burrito in her bare hands. At least she doesn't have to heat it up. "You'll see, Kaylee, you like 'im 'cause I'm sure you've never denied him somethin' he really wants. He doesn't give one goddamn about anyone else to get it."

Her head slowly nods as she listens, but Kaylee doesn't really comment as she watches the woman's hands glow. "I've heard a lot of bad about the Company too, from the man who started it.. and from one of the other founders. So I can imagine it is a bad thing." Leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms the young telepath studies her. "Well… I will do what I can to keep him away from you, no promises.. I also don't plan to tell him where you are. You can believe me.. or not. I'm use to that."

Though Meredith wasn't expecting Kaylee to swing one way or the other about her story, the complete lack of comment on it is surprising. And a little infuriating. "That's all you gotta say about it?" It's a good thing she didn't have another cigarette, otherwise it'd be down to ash again. The woman just shakes her head, giving a bit of a sorry laugh. "I thought you'd at least give it all a second thought. But all I get is a 'I'll keep him away from you'? He made it so that I had to do everything he told me to do. I had no power over my own body. I was trapped. He can't make you say anything you don't wanna say, so fine, you won't tell him where I am. But you're still gonna go back to bein' his friend and protectin' him."

Brows lift slightly on her head and she looks amused. "What do you want me to do Meredith? Run for the hills screaming? Do you want me to say I'm sorry? Can I do feel that way, but…" Kaylee climbs to her feet, knowing her welcome there is growing short. "… that was also years ago. And I'm far from a good person Meredith. I can make people do, remember and say what I want. I've done it.. When I my ability reared it's ugly head.. I made a guy kill himself. That was years ago, I've worked hard to take that back." She pulls the beanie on her head again."I've succeeded some.. but the power in that ability.. it's a heady thing."

"Am I saying he's a good guy? No. Was what he did horrible? Oh yes, god yes.. but how many of the Ferrymen have done horrible things in their past.. and still do? One day I'll end up with a knife in my back, it's a hazard of living." She shrugs and spreads her hands out before her helplessly. "I really don't know what to tell you." Does that sound like the words of a woman who should be enjoying frat parties and college guys?

Meredith herself isn't exactly a good person. "I can burn down buildings," the woman says. "It may not be screwin' with people's heads, but it sure as hell can hurt. And it kills people." She's killed her father, innocent people in buildings, nobody on purpose, though. "What I'm sayin' is that he's not any different. I saw him." She saw his first instinct on seeing her again. "Fine, you're real big on second chances. Just, keep your eye out. There's a difference between not knowin' any better and not carin'. You'd take it back. He wouldn't." How in the hell did she get involved with such a big group of goody-goodies she'll never know. But, she still feels like she belongs here and that's not something to give up too easily. Even if they all will drive her crazy with their giving people back when they could get rid of them and keeping people around who are no good for them. "I don't want your apologies."

"I don't plan it any other way, my eyes are always open." Kaylee states as she pushes the chair in, and leans there for a moment. "Before I ended up here.. I was used and most of the people would have been happy to sell their own grandmother out. I'm not that stupid. I've been controlled by him before. I know what he could do with that. So I'm wary." She gives a small lop sided smile as she straightens. "When I see Eileen I'll also tell her… if she ever gets away from Homeland." Kaylee frowns a bit form that."I promised her I'd find out as well… She can make her own judgment as well. But.. I won't bother you any longer, I have a couple things to do before heading back to make lunch for the kids."

Stepping around the table, intent on leaving she adds, "I do appreciate you talking to me, even if it drags back up the past."

Wary. Right. Wary by being roommates with him and trusting him. That's not wary in Meredith's book. "Tell Eileen that if she wants the story, she can come talk to me about it, too." She doesn't like the idea of people coming to fetch stories for other people. "If she ever gets away from Homeland," she adds in a quieter tone. It may be that the message will never get passed along. "Sure." It's not that Meredith doesn't believe Kaylee so much as she doesn't think that she's taking the threat seriously. "People've got blind spots for people they think are friends. Doesn't matter who you are, that's the way it is. You know they way out, I've got breakfast to finish myself." It's not exactly a dismissal, but Meredith has a lot to think over now. The thanks is received with a shrug. "Lotta good it'll do anyone. Take care." She's not optimistic that Kaylee will take her story seriously.

Kaylee is use to people underestimating her, but she doesn't say too much more. A polite nod is given to Meredith and a soft, "Have a good day, Meredith." Before she does show herself out. Once out the door, Kaylee falls into thought as she starts on her way.


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