#hadleyjensen

[laurensnews]

Him?

She was nauseous. From the tip of her toes to the frizzy hair on her head, hair she desperately brushed at with her fingers in attempt to keep her hands busy doing anything other than shaking. Lauren couldn't breathe, the intense pain in her chest spread to her abdomen and she braced herself against anything she could, teeth biting down on lip as she keeled over and tried to take deep breaths, waiting outside the coffee shop.

She could have tried and ignored the persistent calls forever but Lauren just had to go and listen to the messages, the ones that said they were ready to bring her in, have her ID a face. When she finally got up enough courage to talk to them on the phone the man had told her she'd find closure, that it was almost over; Lauren did everything she could not to scoff over the phone. The scars on her face were gone, little scabs easily covered by makeup, the gash on her arm left a swollen raw scar that she'd gotten stitches replaced in a week ago, it too was easy to cover up with a long sleeve, sweater or jacket. The pain between her legs had grew dull and she no longer wept at every noise around her, but when she closed her eyes...every night as she lay in bed, covers wrapped under her feet and blankets pulled to her chin she saw the face and so she stared, she stared at the ceiling keeping eyes open as long as she could. Some nights she stared without drifting off, others she found herself soundly asleep only to wake screaming in the middle of the night. 

Closure, he'd said. Putting this man behind bars would give her closure--and yes, maybe it would, but that pep in her step...that drive that had gotten her to the EP seat of ACN Morning...that was gone and Lauren wasn't sure she'd ever get that back--and with that she agreed to come in, but she caved and admitted that she couldn't do it alone. She didn't want to. So breathless and uncomfortable, she waited for Hadley.

[laurensnews]

Text: Hadley

Lauren: Coffee sounds great.

Lauren: 3?

[laurensnews]

Voicemail: Hadley

Lauren: Hey Hadley, it's me. They, uh, the police. I talked to them today. Just now. They want me to come in and identify *long pause* and see if I recognize any of the...Anyway I was just calling because you told me I coul...because I wanted to know if you would, maybe, I don't know, come with me. Anyway. Call me back. It's Lauren, by the way. Bye.

[laurensnews]

Hadley & Lauren // A Key

Watching Hadley watch Eddie was one of the most painful things she'd ever witnessed. More than anything she'd wanted to help her someway but she knew the only thing that would help Eddie was time, doctor care, and his brothers weren't willing to do that. She may not have been able to help Eddie but Lauren would do what she could to help Hadley help Eddie. The only contact she'd had with his brothers was when she hid behind a nurses desk and snooped in on one of their phone conversations, talk of bringing in a helicopter to take him to DC, talk of rights and lawyers. She cringed at each word and was tempted to staple gun their heads.

Right now, what she could do was go get some things from Hadley's apartment to make her more comfortable at the hospital. She'd talked to the nurses and they even said they'd allow J. Edgar to pop by for a visit. She'd be a good aunty to their puppy and give him a bath and bring him in with a change of clothes for Hadley, some blankets and other trinkets from their home.

While she was there, she felt a chill, thinking for a moment that he may never be back in these homey four walls, but that wouldn't happen.

It couldn't.

As she held Jed in one hand, him licking at her face, she scavenged through their room--feeling slightly invasive as she found a key that said Manhattan Lock Box #303. She put it back and started out the door with a suitcase when she realizes that this key could be the answer to everything. Maybe there was something in this lock box that would keep his brothers from taking him away, some papers that said that extraordinary measures should be taken. She grabbed it and tucked it away, grabbing a cab and heading back toward the hospital.

[eddiebove]

Goodbye // Hadley & Eddie

Batman, having witnessed the murder of his parents as a child, swore revenge on criminals, an oath tempered with the greater ideal of justice, he dons a bat-themed costume in order to fight crime and unlike most superheroes, he does not possess any superpowers; he makes use of his many other skills and is still one of the coolest and best superheroes. Eddie, who had connected with Batman since he was but yay high is not strong or powerful or wealthy. He doesn't train and go out and fight crime. He's an ordinary guy who has lived an ordinary life and tried to get by as best he could. He lived life day to day. That was until he met Hadley. With Hadley in the picture, life because about the future. Their future. So right now, seeing a man with a gun walking in to the place Eddie knew the love of his life was in? It really made him wish he was Batman, because Batman, without fear would go in and kick ass. He would rescue the girl and come out victorious. But he wasn't Batman. He was Eddie. So as he walked upstairs he tried to think of what a superhero would do in this situation. He tried to think of any fighting skills he may have had...none...He tried to think like someone other than a guy who goes through film and papers, making notes and corrections for a living, because really, what was special about a guy like that? Nothing. 

Eddie freezes, and he sees the man with the gun. He see's Hadley. Eddie freezes and tried to summon up the courage of all the superheroes he's read about in comic books, the ones that always won in the end. He walks closer, and thanks to stupid glass walls, sees that not only is Hadley in the room with the gunman, but he has the gun pointed at her. And then being a superhero goes out the window and Eddie realizes the only way he can even attempt to get Hadley out of this is by being Eddie. 

So he walks in the room. No hesitation. 

[bookerwalsh]

Ben had to think outside of the pie tin for this one. So, this time, Parker standing by with his impeccable wrapping skills, Ben ventured out for more customized gifts. He got three monkey ornaments, with Hadley and Eddie and J. Edgar's names on them. A couple of pencils, with Hadley's name on them, and stars named after the three of them. Parker wraps it all in blue snowflake wrapping paper and Ben scowls at the fact that a teenager is better at wrapping than he is. While shopping for the monkey ornaments, he comes across a monkey named Kodak, and for some reason it seems fitting. So, in her name, Ben adopts Kodak and has his son wrap up the plush toy and kit with pictures of Kodak.

A very Merry Christmas to the hardest working gal I know. I hope you and Eddie feast on some pies and stay warm.

Best wishes

Ben (Your Secret Santa)

[eddiebove]

Text: {Hadley}

Eddie: Jed says. Hi. He misses you.

Eddie: I'm sorry if I came off..we should talk about this, though.

[laurensnews]

Text {Hadley}

Lauren: Everything went swimmingly at the office today. Hope you're doing okay.