Jossverse Big Bang - Memories of the Soul Chapter 5
Title:Memories of the Soul
Author:Penikitty
Artists:scarletshimmer&lunaspec_gimmy
Fandom: Dollhouse
Genres: Het, romance, angst, drama
Word Count:16000
Rating: PG13
Characters/Pairings: Paul/Madeline, some Adelle, Topher and Boyd
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers for season 1, AU for season two bar the mention of a couple of events in the first four episodes. Minor violence and language, character death(s)brief mention of non consensual BDSM (very minor!)
Author's Note: Lots of people to thank! Firstly my two wonderful artists scarletshimmer&lunaspec_gimmy. Thank you both so much for all your hard work! Also, thanks to cynicalshadows for being a fabulous Beta. This was written before the conclusion of season 2 but since watching it I have decided this is how I choose to believe it ACTUALLY ended :D
Summary:Madeline is trying to get on with her life since leaving the Dollhouse and Paul is trying to forget the woman he loved. Will they find each other again or will the Dollhouse keep them apart?
“They will not force us,
They will stop degrading us,
They will not control us,
We will be victorious.”
Muse - Uprising
Madeline still couldn’t quite believe the situation she was currently in. She was lying in her bed, covered by nothing but the sheets and Paul’s arm around her shoulders. She snuggled in closer to him, tipping her head up and kissing him quickly on his chin. He laughed and looked down at her, pulling her closer to him. It had all worked out just so perfectly. As she’d been telling him everything she had thought she would faint. She had been so nervous, waiting for the rejection she had felt sure was coming.
She wasn’t Mellie after all, she was Madeline, and it was something they had discussed at length on her sofa the night before. Paul had told her that it didn’t matter whether she was Madeline or Mellie, that her soul hadn’t changed, that her sweetness and kindness were the same and that he would love her whoever she was. She was terrified that she would have a trait that he disliked. She had told him her fears and he had just laughed, saying that he probably had some traits she wouldn’t like either! Then he’d asked the question she had been dreading.
He’d asked her why.
~~~~~~~~
“Madeline, I need to know why you joined the Dollhouse. What happened to you?”
“Paul I...I don’t know if I can talk about this. It’s very painful.”
He took her hand in his, gently rubbing his thumb in soothing circles, “You can trust me Madeline. I won’t judge you and I won’t hurt you, but I do need to understand.”
She looked at him, there was nothing but sincerity on his face and suddenly she knew she could do this.
“I had a baby, Katie, and a boyfriend, Owen. We were very happy together. I loved them both with all my heart, they were my world, and I destroyed it.”
“Madeline, I’m sure that’s not...” Paul started before she cut him off.
“It’s true Paul. It was all my fault. I killed them. If I’d just decided to stay at home instead, if I’d listened to Owen and not persuaded him going out was a good idea, then they’d still be alive. My little girl would be almost three years old.” She broke down, the sobs shaking her whole body as she let all the pain and frustration out at once. “I wanted to go shopping. Owen wanted to stay at home with Katie, but I wanted company,” she managed to gasp. “I made them come with me and then I got distracted arguing with Owen and I crashed Paul! I crashed and I killed them both and the last thing I told Owen was to shut up. He died and the last thing I’d done was shout at him.” The rest of her words were lost as the grief overtook everything and she just sat with his arms around her as she cried. He didn’t say anything, just held her tight as she cried for her loss, her guilt and for the time she had lost. She cried and cried until she felt weak with exhaustion and he whispered to her, saying he loved her and that she needed to forgive herself, that is was a mistake, that she hadn’t done it on purpose and that they wouldn’t want her living like this.
Then the strangest thing had happened. As she cried and listened to his words she felt the weight of her grief and guilt lift from her shoulders. Her heart became lighter than it had been in years and she knew, in that moment, that she was going to be okay.
It hadn’t been long before they had been clawing at each other’s clothes, both desperate to feel the skin underneath and forget all the pain they’d both been through. There was no one else in the world that night, just the two of them together, as it should be.
~~~~~~~~
“Madeline, we need to figure out what we do now,” Paul said, suddenly sounding very serious. She sat up in the bed on her elbows and looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for starters, Adelle will not be happy about this. In fact I think for both our sakes she can’t find out. She’ll either try and break us apart or she’ll find a way to make it so we’re not a problem anymore.”
“You mean she’d...?” She saw the acknowledgment in his eyes and nodded in understanding. Nothing got between Adelle and her House running smoothly, not even two people in love. How had she ever fallen for her act?
“Well,” she said hesitantly. “I have money. I have a lot of money. Being a Doll does have some rewards. We could leave. We could go somewhere no one will find us.”
He snorted a laugh, quickly explaining when he saw the hurt in her eyes.
“Madeline, it’s not that I don’t want to leave with you, but nowhere we go will be far enough away from them. They have connections all over the world, they would find us. We know too much, they won’t just let us leave.”
“But there has to be some way,” she said, exasperated.
“There is, I just need to think of it, but enough of that, I’m going to make you breakfast. Pancakes or waffles?”
~~~~~~~~
Paul held his head high as he walked back into the Dollhouse. He’d been out all night, which was very unusual for him. In fact, he hadn’t spent a night away from the Dollhouse since he’d come here, other than when he was on assignment with Echo. Other handlers left on their down days, went out for meals, socialised, but not him. Luckily Echo was being given a week off so he hadn’t been needed this morning.
He was walking confidently down the corridor towards his room when Adelle appeared from around the corner.
“Ah, Mr. Ballard, so nice of you to join us,” she said with raised eyebrows.
He tried to keep his cool, to act as if nothing was wrong, to pretend that something amazing hadn’t happened last night.
“Well, you know what it’s like Adelle. We all need to let off some steam occasionally.”
“Quite,” she replied. “I gather you owe Mr. Langton an apology. He never did get his food.”
Paul cringed inwardly. After Madeline had found, him he’d completely forgotten about the food order he had just placed. He forgotten everything and just left with her. Boyd must have known something had happened
“I’m sure he’ll get it over it,” he said jokingly, trying to lift some of the tension that had begun to seep into the conversation.
She gave him a hard stare and he knew that she didn’t trust him, that she could sense the lies. He met her gaze and gave her his best innocent face, shrugging his shoulders.
“I met a girl ok? It’s been a long time, and I needed a break. He’ll understand.”
She nodded, seeming to accept his excuse. “If you have any more late night encounters be sure to let us know.” She lowered her voice, her eyes hard before saying, “We wouldn’t want to have to activate the GPS tracking signal in your cell phone,” before turning and walking away from him.
The threat was clear. Did she know about Madeline or not? If she did, why hadn’t she told him to leave her alone? If there was anything he had learnt in his months here it was that Adelle always had a motive to everything she did and everything she said. No breath was wasted, no gesture meaningless, everything had a purpose. If she did know then he had even less time than he’d guessed to get Madeline to somewhere safe.
He walked into his room to get away from any prying eyes and began to pace back and forth, trying to think of a way out of this mess. As he was sat on his bed, his head in his hands, he heard his door open. Looking up he saw Boyd standing in the middle of the room, looking at him.
“What happened Ballard?” he said, closing the door behind him.
Paul looked at him and decided to trust this man with everything. “She found me Boyd...she remembers me and she loves me. She’s forgiven me for the things I did to her when she was Mellie and she wants to be with me.” He looked up at Boyd, pleading him for help with his eyes. “I need to get her safe, I will not have anyone else hurt her ever again, but I don’t know how. You said you’d help me if I ever needed it, well I need it now. I don’t care what it takes, I’ll do anything to be with her.”
“It’s not going to be easy Paul,” said Boyd, sitting on the bed next to him. “Adelle will never let it go if you just disappear. We need to make it appear to be more permanent than that.”
Paul stared at him in disbelief. “What, how would we...”
“There are ways Paul and I know how to do this. We’ll need Tophers help though.”
“What? No! He hates me and he’s Adelle’s lap dog, why would he help us?”
“Thing’s between them are complicated Ballard. It’s like a mother’s relationship with her son, a constant power struggle to see who’s in charge. I can get Topher to help us, he owes me. Trust me Paul, I’ll get you out of this”
~~~~~~~~
“Well done Mr. Langton, he trusts you completely. Now, how are we going to deal with this little problem?” said Adelle, a satisfied smile on her face.
“I suggest imprinting two or three Actives as FBI agents and tell them that Paul and Madeline pose a terrorist threat. It will have to take place somewhere public, but we can minimise civilian exposure to the event. I will deal with them myself with the Actives as backup. We need to make sure this job is done properly. I’ll make sure not to move in until we are somewhere with security cameras and we’ll make sure to control the feed. No one will see it but you. So,” said Boyd. “What do you think?”
“Well Mr. Langton,” said Adelle, unfolding herself from her chair gracefully and stalking over to him. “It seems you have every eventuality covered. You came very highly recommended to me and I can see why. I thought maybe you would have developed an unhealthy attachment to Ballard. After all, you spend quite a lot of time together socially.”
“You know why I did that Adelle. You wanted to keep an eye on him and I acted as your eyes and ears. It was excellent forethought on your part. You knew he hadn’t let go of Madeline and you knew we would end up here eventually,” Boyd said, while accepting the drink she had poured and handed to him.
“Yes, it is unfortunate; I had such high hopes for Ballard. He is an excellent handler, especially due to his feelings for Echo. I believe he cares for her the same way a brother cares for a sibling. Things could have been so different if only he had let go of the past and embraced his life here.” She sat down on her soft leather sofa and sighed deeply. “I do truly wish things didn’t have to end like this Mr. Langton, I really do.”
“The House always comes first,” replied Boyd. “Always.”
~~~~~~~~
Boyd sat in the back of the van that was following Paul and Madeline through LA. Across from him sat Victor, Sierra and Mike, all wearing FBI bullet proof vests and serious expressions. Topher had programmed them to his exact specifications without question. As he thought about what he was about to do, he felt the van turn right and watched as they pulled into a gas station. This would be the perfect place, there were security cameras dotted about everywhere. He saw Paul pull his car round to the back of the station and felt the van stop moving. He nodded at the Actives with him and jumped out of the van, running towards Paul and Madeline.
Paul turned quickly when he heard their approach, putting his arm out in front of Madeline in a protective gesture.
Boyd waved the FBI agents behind him back slightly then raised his gun and pointed it directly at Paul.
“We can’t allow this Ballard. You can’t leave, you can never leave. You’re either with the House or you’re against it. I can’t believe you deluded yourself into believing you could get away. You must have known it would come to this?”
“Boyd, what the...what’s going on?” Paul said, his eyes widening in fear. Behind him Madeline looked around like a rabbit in the headlights.
“You know what’s going on Paul. You two are a liability. I’m doing my job. I’m protecting the House.”
Paul reached his hands out towards him while tears started to streak down Madeline’s face. “Please Boyd, please think about this. We’re not going to expose the Dollhouse. We just want to be together. I swear to you, we just want to be left alone.”
“You know it doesn’t work like that. We can’t trust you, you know too much.”
“Please Boyd,” begged Paul, his eyes filling with unshed tears. “Please, take me, but leave Madeline out of it. She’s done nothing wrong, this was my fault. Please, don’t hurt her.”
“I’m sorry Paul, there’s no room for bargaining. It has to be both of you. We can’t take the risk.”
“You won’t get away with it! There are witnesses, how will you explain it to them?” Paul pointed behind Boyd frantically and he turned just enough to be able to see a small crowd forming behind the Active FBI agents who were keeping them at bay.
“Yes, and they will know that we took down two dangerous terrorists who were a threat to national security. They will know that we did the right thing to protect this country. No one will care Paul; no one will even know your names. Neither of you have family or close friends. You’re both alone in life, apart from each other, so at least you won’t die alone.”
Madeline started to cry out loud, pulling on Paul’s arm, trying to get him back in the car while Boyd stepped closer to them.
“Boyd..please,” tried Paul vainly.
“I really am sorry,” Boyd said before firing the gun into Paul’s chest. He watched as his eyes went wide, red liquid blossoming on his shirt before he slumped to the ground, lifeless.
Madeline let out an ear piercing scream and tried to pull open the driver’s door in a vain attempt to get away. She turned round to face him, her eyes terrified but defiant.
“Do it then you coward. Life isn’t worth living without him.”
“I am truly sorry Madeline,” he said, and fired the gun once. Her body jerked slightly but she made no noise, then she fell to the ground, landing next to Paul’s still body.
~~~~~~~~
Adelle watched the security feed footage, a grim expression on her face. When Madeline’s body fell to the ground she switched it off, shaking her head and drinking the whiskey she had prepared herself in advance of the show.
“And the bodies?” she asked.
“Disposed of. I told the witnesses’ the cover story and as far as the press are concerned, two unnamed terrorists have been dealt with.”
“Very good Mr. Langton, very good. It was a nasty business but it helps to know I have people like you that I can turn to in times of crisis. I think the future of this House is secure now.”
“Yes, Ms. Dewitt, I’m sure you’re right,” said Boyd, a small, knowing smile on his face.
Epilogue
6 Months Later
She woke up but didn’t open her eyes, instead savouring everything she could hear and feel. Over her skin she felt the thick duvet which was pleasantly heavy over her body, creating a cocoon of warmth. Her head was nestled against a firm, warm body and she could feel gentle breaths gliding over her face. She could hear no other sounds, nothing from the world outside. The faint smell of cinnamon hung in the air, a leftover from her baking yesterday and the lump at the end of the bed told her that Harvey was sleeping there.
She felt lips brushing her forehead and opened her eyes to see Paul looking down at her.
“Morning beautiful,” he said quietly.
“Good morning,” she said, pushing herself up to him and planting a kiss on his lips.
Thanks to Boyd they had finally gotten the peace they had both craved for so long. The whole thing had been his idea, from getting Topher to programme the Actives not to shoot to the bullet proof vests complete with blood pellets that they had worn. He had given them new identities and helped them leave the country. The only reason they were here now was because of him. He was alone now, working from within the Dollhouse to do what he could to protect Echo and the rest of the Actives whilst trying to destroy the organisation. They spoke occasionally but he didn’t know where they were, just in case Adelle ever found out what he had done.
Madeline got up and made her way to the window, looking out over the snow covered forest that they were living in the middle of. It was the perfect place for them, secluded and private, ten miles away from the nearest town.
Paul walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She turned to him and his eyes filled with concern as he saw tears glistening on her cheeks.
He gently pushed a stray hair behind her ear and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong. I just have something to tell you, and I’m nervous.”
“Madeline, don’t ever be afraid to tell me anything, you know it won’t change how I feel about you. Now what is it?”
She looked up at him, unable to suppress the smile on her face any longer. “Paul I’m…I’m pregnant.”
He looked at her in surprise, a brilliant grin gradually plastering itself across his face.
“You sure?”
“Uh-huh,” she replied.
“Madeline, that’s….that’s brilliant news!” he exclaimed before wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly.
She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, smiling at the joy she saw there, and knew, that finally, she was home.
Author:Penikitty
Artists:scarletshimmer&lunaspec_gimmy
Fandom: Dollhouse
Genres: Het, romance, angst, drama
Word Count:16000
Rating: PG13
Characters/Pairings: Paul/Madeline, some Adelle, Topher and Boyd
Warnings/Spoilers: Spoilers for season 1, AU for season two bar the mention of a couple of events in the first four episodes. Minor violence and language, character death(s)brief mention of non consensual BDSM (very minor!)
Author's Note: Lots of people to thank! Firstly my two wonderful artists scarletshimmer&lunaspec_gimmy. Thank you both so much for all your hard work! Also, thanks to cynicalshadows for being a fabulous Beta. This was written before the conclusion of season 2 but since watching it I have decided this is how I choose to believe it ACTUALLY ended :D
Summary:Madeline is trying to get on with her life since leaving the Dollhouse and Paul is trying to forget the woman he loved. Will they find each other again or will the Dollhouse keep them apart?
“They will not force us,
They will stop degrading us,
They will not control us,
We will be victorious.”
Muse - Uprising
Madeline still couldn’t quite believe the situation she was currently in. She was lying in her bed, covered by nothing but the sheets and Paul’s arm around her shoulders. She snuggled in closer to him, tipping her head up and kissing him quickly on his chin. He laughed and looked down at her, pulling her closer to him. It had all worked out just so perfectly. As she’d been telling him everything she had thought she would faint. She had been so nervous, waiting for the rejection she had felt sure was coming.
She wasn’t Mellie after all, she was Madeline, and it was something they had discussed at length on her sofa the night before. Paul had told her that it didn’t matter whether she was Madeline or Mellie, that her soul hadn’t changed, that her sweetness and kindness were the same and that he would love her whoever she was. She was terrified that she would have a trait that he disliked. She had told him her fears and he had just laughed, saying that he probably had some traits she wouldn’t like either! Then he’d asked the question she had been dreading.
He’d asked her why.
~~~~~~~~
“Madeline, I need to know why you joined the Dollhouse. What happened to you?”
“Paul I...I don’t know if I can talk about this. It’s very painful.”
He took her hand in his, gently rubbing his thumb in soothing circles, “You can trust me Madeline. I won’t judge you and I won’t hurt you, but I do need to understand.”
She looked at him, there was nothing but sincerity on his face and suddenly she knew she could do this.
“I had a baby, Katie, and a boyfriend, Owen. We were very happy together. I loved them both with all my heart, they were my world, and I destroyed it.”
“Madeline, I’m sure that’s not...” Paul started before she cut him off.
“It’s true Paul. It was all my fault. I killed them. If I’d just decided to stay at home instead, if I’d listened to Owen and not persuaded him going out was a good idea, then they’d still be alive. My little girl would be almost three years old.” She broke down, the sobs shaking her whole body as she let all the pain and frustration out at once. “I wanted to go shopping. Owen wanted to stay at home with Katie, but I wanted company,” she managed to gasp. “I made them come with me and then I got distracted arguing with Owen and I crashed Paul! I crashed and I killed them both and the last thing I told Owen was to shut up. He died and the last thing I’d done was shout at him.” The rest of her words were lost as the grief overtook everything and she just sat with his arms around her as she cried. He didn’t say anything, just held her tight as she cried for her loss, her guilt and for the time she had lost. She cried and cried until she felt weak with exhaustion and he whispered to her, saying he loved her and that she needed to forgive herself, that is was a mistake, that she hadn’t done it on purpose and that they wouldn’t want her living like this.
Then the strangest thing had happened. As she cried and listened to his words she felt the weight of her grief and guilt lift from her shoulders. Her heart became lighter than it had been in years and she knew, in that moment, that she was going to be okay.
It hadn’t been long before they had been clawing at each other’s clothes, both desperate to feel the skin underneath and forget all the pain they’d both been through. There was no one else in the world that night, just the two of them together, as it should be.
~~~~~~~~
“Madeline, we need to figure out what we do now,” Paul said, suddenly sounding very serious. She sat up in the bed on her elbows and looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, for starters, Adelle will not be happy about this. In fact I think for both our sakes she can’t find out. She’ll either try and break us apart or she’ll find a way to make it so we’re not a problem anymore.”
“You mean she’d...?” She saw the acknowledgment in his eyes and nodded in understanding. Nothing got between Adelle and her House running smoothly, not even two people in love. How had she ever fallen for her act?
“Well,” she said hesitantly. “I have money. I have a lot of money. Being a Doll does have some rewards. We could leave. We could go somewhere no one will find us.”
He snorted a laugh, quickly explaining when he saw the hurt in her eyes.
“Madeline, it’s not that I don’t want to leave with you, but nowhere we go will be far enough away from them. They have connections all over the world, they would find us. We know too much, they won’t just let us leave.”
“But there has to be some way,” she said, exasperated.
“There is, I just need to think of it, but enough of that, I’m going to make you breakfast. Pancakes or waffles?”
~~~~~~~~
Paul held his head high as he walked back into the Dollhouse. He’d been out all night, which was very unusual for him. In fact, he hadn’t spent a night away from the Dollhouse since he’d come here, other than when he was on assignment with Echo. Other handlers left on their down days, went out for meals, socialised, but not him. Luckily Echo was being given a week off so he hadn’t been needed this morning.
He was walking confidently down the corridor towards his room when Adelle appeared from around the corner.
“Ah, Mr. Ballard, so nice of you to join us,” she said with raised eyebrows.
He tried to keep his cool, to act as if nothing was wrong, to pretend that something amazing hadn’t happened last night.
“Well, you know what it’s like Adelle. We all need to let off some steam occasionally.”
“Quite,” she replied. “I gather you owe Mr. Langton an apology. He never did get his food.”
Paul cringed inwardly. After Madeline had found, him he’d completely forgotten about the food order he had just placed. He forgotten everything and just left with her. Boyd must have known something had happened
“I’m sure he’ll get it over it,” he said jokingly, trying to lift some of the tension that had begun to seep into the conversation.
She gave him a hard stare and he knew that she didn’t trust him, that she could sense the lies. He met her gaze and gave her his best innocent face, shrugging his shoulders.
“I met a girl ok? It’s been a long time, and I needed a break. He’ll understand.”
She nodded, seeming to accept his excuse. “If you have any more late night encounters be sure to let us know.” She lowered her voice, her eyes hard before saying, “We wouldn’t want to have to activate the GPS tracking signal in your cell phone,” before turning and walking away from him.
The threat was clear. Did she know about Madeline or not? If she did, why hadn’t she told him to leave her alone? If there was anything he had learnt in his months here it was that Adelle always had a motive to everything she did and everything she said. No breath was wasted, no gesture meaningless, everything had a purpose. If she did know then he had even less time than he’d guessed to get Madeline to somewhere safe.
He walked into his room to get away from any prying eyes and began to pace back and forth, trying to think of a way out of this mess. As he was sat on his bed, his head in his hands, he heard his door open. Looking up he saw Boyd standing in the middle of the room, looking at him.
“What happened Ballard?” he said, closing the door behind him.
Paul looked at him and decided to trust this man with everything. “She found me Boyd...she remembers me and she loves me. She’s forgiven me for the things I did to her when she was Mellie and she wants to be with me.” He looked up at Boyd, pleading him for help with his eyes. “I need to get her safe, I will not have anyone else hurt her ever again, but I don’t know how. You said you’d help me if I ever needed it, well I need it now. I don’t care what it takes, I’ll do anything to be with her.”
“It’s not going to be easy Paul,” said Boyd, sitting on the bed next to him. “Adelle will never let it go if you just disappear. We need to make it appear to be more permanent than that.”
Paul stared at him in disbelief. “What, how would we...”
“There are ways Paul and I know how to do this. We’ll need Tophers help though.”
“What? No! He hates me and he’s Adelle’s lap dog, why would he help us?”
“Thing’s between them are complicated Ballard. It’s like a mother’s relationship with her son, a constant power struggle to see who’s in charge. I can get Topher to help us, he owes me. Trust me Paul, I’ll get you out of this”
~~~~~~~~
“Well done Mr. Langton, he trusts you completely. Now, how are we going to deal with this little problem?” said Adelle, a satisfied smile on her face.
“I suggest imprinting two or three Actives as FBI agents and tell them that Paul and Madeline pose a terrorist threat. It will have to take place somewhere public, but we can minimise civilian exposure to the event. I will deal with them myself with the Actives as backup. We need to make sure this job is done properly. I’ll make sure not to move in until we are somewhere with security cameras and we’ll make sure to control the feed. No one will see it but you. So,” said Boyd. “What do you think?”
“Well Mr. Langton,” said Adelle, unfolding herself from her chair gracefully and stalking over to him. “It seems you have every eventuality covered. You came very highly recommended to me and I can see why. I thought maybe you would have developed an unhealthy attachment to Ballard. After all, you spend quite a lot of time together socially.”
“You know why I did that Adelle. You wanted to keep an eye on him and I acted as your eyes and ears. It was excellent forethought on your part. You knew he hadn’t let go of Madeline and you knew we would end up here eventually,” Boyd said, while accepting the drink she had poured and handed to him.
“Yes, it is unfortunate; I had such high hopes for Ballard. He is an excellent handler, especially due to his feelings for Echo. I believe he cares for her the same way a brother cares for a sibling. Things could have been so different if only he had let go of the past and embraced his life here.” She sat down on her soft leather sofa and sighed deeply. “I do truly wish things didn’t have to end like this Mr. Langton, I really do.”
“The House always comes first,” replied Boyd. “Always.”
~~~~~~~~
Boyd sat in the back of the van that was following Paul and Madeline through LA. Across from him sat Victor, Sierra and Mike, all wearing FBI bullet proof vests and serious expressions. Topher had programmed them to his exact specifications without question. As he thought about what he was about to do, he felt the van turn right and watched as they pulled into a gas station. This would be the perfect place, there were security cameras dotted about everywhere. He saw Paul pull his car round to the back of the station and felt the van stop moving. He nodded at the Actives with him and jumped out of the van, running towards Paul and Madeline.
Paul turned quickly when he heard their approach, putting his arm out in front of Madeline in a protective gesture.
Boyd waved the FBI agents behind him back slightly then raised his gun and pointed it directly at Paul.
“We can’t allow this Ballard. You can’t leave, you can never leave. You’re either with the House or you’re against it. I can’t believe you deluded yourself into believing you could get away. You must have known it would come to this?”
“Boyd, what the...what’s going on?” Paul said, his eyes widening in fear. Behind him Madeline looked around like a rabbit in the headlights.
“You know what’s going on Paul. You two are a liability. I’m doing my job. I’m protecting the House.”
Paul reached his hands out towards him while tears started to streak down Madeline’s face. “Please Boyd, please think about this. We’re not going to expose the Dollhouse. We just want to be together. I swear to you, we just want to be left alone.”
“You know it doesn’t work like that. We can’t trust you, you know too much.”
“Please Boyd,” begged Paul, his eyes filling with unshed tears. “Please, take me, but leave Madeline out of it. She’s done nothing wrong, this was my fault. Please, don’t hurt her.”
“I’m sorry Paul, there’s no room for bargaining. It has to be both of you. We can’t take the risk.”
“You won’t get away with it! There are witnesses, how will you explain it to them?” Paul pointed behind Boyd frantically and he turned just enough to be able to see a small crowd forming behind the Active FBI agents who were keeping them at bay.
“Yes, and they will know that we took down two dangerous terrorists who were a threat to national security. They will know that we did the right thing to protect this country. No one will care Paul; no one will even know your names. Neither of you have family or close friends. You’re both alone in life, apart from each other, so at least you won’t die alone.”
Madeline started to cry out loud, pulling on Paul’s arm, trying to get him back in the car while Boyd stepped closer to them.
“Boyd..please,” tried Paul vainly.
“I really am sorry,” Boyd said before firing the gun into Paul’s chest. He watched as his eyes went wide, red liquid blossoming on his shirt before he slumped to the ground, lifeless.
Madeline let out an ear piercing scream and tried to pull open the driver’s door in a vain attempt to get away. She turned round to face him, her eyes terrified but defiant.
“Do it then you coward. Life isn’t worth living without him.”
“I am truly sorry Madeline,” he said, and fired the gun once. Her body jerked slightly but she made no noise, then she fell to the ground, landing next to Paul’s still body.
~~~~~~~~
Adelle watched the security feed footage, a grim expression on her face. When Madeline’s body fell to the ground she switched it off, shaking her head and drinking the whiskey she had prepared herself in advance of the show.
“And the bodies?” she asked.
“Disposed of. I told the witnesses’ the cover story and as far as the press are concerned, two unnamed terrorists have been dealt with.”
“Very good Mr. Langton, very good. It was a nasty business but it helps to know I have people like you that I can turn to in times of crisis. I think the future of this House is secure now.”
“Yes, Ms. Dewitt, I’m sure you’re right,” said Boyd, a small, knowing smile on his face.
Epilogue
6 Months Later
She woke up but didn’t open her eyes, instead savouring everything she could hear and feel. Over her skin she felt the thick duvet which was pleasantly heavy over her body, creating a cocoon of warmth. Her head was nestled against a firm, warm body and she could feel gentle breaths gliding over her face. She could hear no other sounds, nothing from the world outside. The faint smell of cinnamon hung in the air, a leftover from her baking yesterday and the lump at the end of the bed told her that Harvey was sleeping there.
She felt lips brushing her forehead and opened her eyes to see Paul looking down at her.
“Morning beautiful,” he said quietly.
“Good morning,” she said, pushing herself up to him and planting a kiss on his lips.
Thanks to Boyd they had finally gotten the peace they had both craved for so long. The whole thing had been his idea, from getting Topher to programme the Actives not to shoot to the bullet proof vests complete with blood pellets that they had worn. He had given them new identities and helped them leave the country. The only reason they were here now was because of him. He was alone now, working from within the Dollhouse to do what he could to protect Echo and the rest of the Actives whilst trying to destroy the organisation. They spoke occasionally but he didn’t know where they were, just in case Adelle ever found out what he had done.
Madeline got up and made her way to the window, looking out over the snow covered forest that they were living in the middle of. It was the perfect place for them, secluded and private, ten miles away from the nearest town.
Paul walked behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She turned to him and his eyes filled with concern as he saw tears glistening on her cheeks.
He gently pushed a stray hair behind her ear and asked softly, “What’s wrong?”
She shook her head, “Nothing. Nothing’s wrong. I just have something to tell you, and I’m nervous.”
“Madeline, don’t ever be afraid to tell me anything, you know it won’t change how I feel about you. Now what is it?”
She looked up at him, unable to suppress the smile on her face any longer. “Paul I’m…I’m pregnant.”
He looked at her in surprise, a brilliant grin gradually plastering itself across his face.
“You sure?”
“Uh-huh,” she replied.
“Madeline, that’s….that’s brilliant news!” he exclaimed before wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly.
She pulled away from him and looked into his eyes, smiling at the joy she saw there, and knew, that finally, she was home.