there should be no hesitation when the coast is clear

[wishesandsmoke]

On an island of some three hundred people, give or take, news spread fast. There was gossip and rumor to contend with, but there was hard fact, too, and that was hard to hide in a population that size, especially when Eden knew those involved

Comments

[thecompanyman]

He knew the news, of course, because he had been careful of the clone, never trusting. And it seemed that they did have something of a problem under their noses all this time. He made a mental note to thank Petrelli for his good work, something Bennet himself would have done.

When he saw Eden, he paused and stood tall against the other doorframe. "I'm glad you're safe, Eden," he began the conversation with gently.

[wishesandsmoke]

Eden's head tilted higher with a kind of fierce pride. True, if she thought about it, she knew she had accomplished nothing - had, perhaps, even impeded progress by not telling Bennet sooner - but now wasn't the time for that truth. She was relishing the relief of knowing that more good had been accomplished than most of the island residents could possibly know. Everything else could wait.

"This time, anyway," she said, smiling. "I'm glad you are, too."

[thecompanyman]

"I was removed from the situation," he promised with a slow nod. In his fervor to watch over Claire and keep her safe, he had fully neglected to make Sylar a number one priority. "From what I gather, there were witnesses of the ...disposing?"

Murder was a terrible word, really. If only that it brought the memories that Bennet himself was a murderer.

[wishesandsmoke]

'Disposing' suited Eden perfectly anyway. She didn't consider it murder when the task at hand was composed of dispatching a serial killer, especially in self-defense. She'd meant to do it herself once; there was nothing with Petrelli having done it. "Peter and Gwen Petrelli. Claude was there, as well." She hesitated, then smiled at Bennet, bright and clear, her pleasure at the death unequivocal. "It's over."

[anewwaive]

The mistletoe thing was not lost on Gideon. And while he knew Eden was fucking hands off and all, he really couldn't help himself as he easily slid into the doorframe to lean against the other side, an innocent-but-not-really grin on his face.

"Wow, what a fucking coincidence," he said, pointing upwards, as if he had just noticed the thing hanging over their head.

[wishesandsmoke]

"It is a fucking coincidence, isn't it?" Eden said dramatically, tilting her head back to look upward, then laughed. In all the time she'd known Gideon, he'd never made a move, and that hadn't been lost on her. For whatever reason, she was off-limits, but it was impossible to know if that was for a good reason or if Gideon was just letting his imagination run away with him. Mistletoe, though, was completely harmless either way. Slouching back a little more, she lounged against the frame and arched an eyebrow at him, mockingly expectant.

[anewwaive]

It was just way too fucking easy. And despite the fact he had a free fucking ticket to get a real kiss, he was good (for once) and when he leaned in, he only kissed her cheek. Gideon didn't usually do chaste, so it was actually a little awkward for him.

Desmond better fucking appreciate it.

"Best invention of this holiday," he mused as he went back to leaning against the door, crossing his arms over his chest.

[wishesandsmoke]

It was strangely touching, despite its being awkward - maybe even because it was. That was almost endearing actually. Eden laughed softly, smiling. "I like it," she agreed, looking up.

"Never really had any before, actually. Mistletoe's not really something they use to decorate clubs in California." Maybe they'd had it in the Ellis home, once a long, long time ago, but if so, she'd forgotten. It didn't matter anyway. She was starting clean here - this time in earnest.

[all_happening]

Penny was the sort of person who generally managed to stay uninformed when it came to big events, even on an island of three hundred, so when she saw Eden at the doorway, she had only one thought. Approaching about as stealthily as she was capable of, she came up beside the other girl, and rolling to the balls of her feet, pressed a quick, playful kiss to Eden's cheek. She settled against the opposite side of the door with a broad grin. "Hi."

[wishesandsmoke]

Laughing, Eden put her hands behind her, holding onto the frame as she leaned forward to kiss Penny's cheek. It slipped and she nearly stumbled, hitting a little higher than she intended, which just made her laugh again. "Hello," she said, pulling herself back against the doorway once more. "Well, now we've got a party in the making."

[all_happening]

"It's all happening," Penny said emphatically, a clear, nearly serious agreement to Eden's statement, even if she had laughed at the returned kiss. "So, is this a strategic attempt to get some action, or is the mistletoe accidental?" she asked, raising one eyebrow. She was teasing, mostly, though it was admittedly something she wouldn't have been above doing had the need arisen.

[wishesandsmoke]

"I feel festive," Eden said, a slow smile spreading across her face. "And a little action wouldn't, y'know, go amiss, but... but it's all happening." For all that she tried to mimic Penny's tone, clearly teasing, there was a hint of wonder in there at all that had happened. It was over. The nightmare was finally done. Over there, in a spot she could see clearly from the doorway, she had first confronted Sylar on the island, and now, so many months later, her first instincts had been vindicated.

[iwakeup]

I don't think she's lookin' at me. I'm sitting on the couch with one leg drawn up underneath me, and I'm lookin' at her. And there's something hanging over her head and there's something about it, and I don't remember what.

I remember her name, though.

"Hey, Eden."

[wishesandsmoke]

Drawn out of her thoughts, Eden stood a little straighter against the doorframe and smiled. "Chris, hi." She couldn't recall him ever remembering her name before. There was something touching about that, another encouraging thing about the day. "How's it going?"

[iwakeup]

"It's going good, I guess. It's goin' okay." I get up, in my socks and walk over to her, giving her a crooked sort of grin.

"Did you have a nice...thing. Christmas?"

[wishesandsmoke]

She nodded. "Yeah," she said. "Quiet, but I kind of like it that way. You?" Christmas at home had never been much of an event, and in L.A., it hadn't been one at all. Spending Christmas with the Bennets had been a nice change.

[hnb_hustler]

Hunter came in from outside, cheeks pink from the cold weather. He paused behind the girl in the doorway to tug off his gloves, mumbling around a wet leather finger, "Scuse me..."

[wishesandsmoke]

"Sorry." Eden stepped out of the way, smiling apologetically. "I should probably try not to stand in everyone's way, huh?" The boy looked familiar, but with all the time she spent in the compound, that was hardly unusual.

[hnb_hustler]

"It's cool." Hunter gave the woman a nod and stepped through the door. She was pretty--not Claire pretty, but pretty. She was also familiar, but then a lot of people were in this place.

He nodded toward the top of the door and smirked faintly. "You might wanna be careful, though." The mistletoe was still in place, and some people might take advantage of that. Hell, he was half-tempted to. It was tradition, right?

[wishesandsmoke]

Tilting her head back, Eden followed his gaze until she spotted the plant overhead. "Ah, that," she said. "You might have a point there." Smiling, she rocked back on her heel and offered a hand, head tilting to the side. "I'm Eden, by the way."

She didn't step back, though, out of the way of the mistletoe. It was hardly the first thing on her mind, and it wasn't as if she particularly cared anyway. At that moment, simmering in quiet triumph, taking advantage of holiday traditions didn't look like all that bad a way to celebrate.