Last woman at Melrose Place

[Black Widow]

Clandestine Intelligence -- Haleigh's Office

Morgan: I'm sorry....I'm just...a little distraught right now. I honestly didn't know WHAT would happen when I returned. I didn't assume that I would just "pick up where I left off..." but now I understand how YOU felt when YOU returned from your Avengers assignment.

"Lost because so much shit happened without you and the new dynamic was confusing as hell?"

Haleigh replied, only half joking.

Morgan: One other thing...All those years ago...when YOU returned, the FIRST time. I didn't understand then, what kind of strength, courage and HEART a person would have to have to want to do that after...after the INFERNO, and what I did to you. I just want to say THANK YOU for being so much BETTER to me than Alison or I were to YOU back then.

Haleigh raised an eyebrow of mild surprise. This was the first time Morgan had EVER brought something like this up on her own, and the first time Morgan had acknowledged herself being unfair. Her time in Limbo MUST have given her time to reassess herself. Haleigh couldn't help but wonder if Morgan was going to be so mature about Haleigh's ticking time bomb of horrible news.

"Morgan..... I appreciate you saying that, but I've had MY OWN awful moments too. There were MANY reasons you and I didn't get along. One of the most heinous was my stubborn determination to knock you off your pedestal and prove you were as BAD as I was, as bad as you made Cameron and me out to be. We brought on the Inferno, just to prove a point. We got a lot of people killed. When I came back, I wanted to try to MAKE UP for that... I wanted to be better than I was. I didn't realize how difficult that objective would be."

Or how FUTILE.....

She thought with a pause, then waved her hand and offered a weak smile.

"Anyway, it's water under the bridge now, don't worry about it."

They moved on, and Haleigh nodded as Morgan spoke. Then, some news she wasn't expecting: Morgan had sold Melrose to Sally.

Morgan: Sally wants to keep the defense and security enhancements of CI in place, and she's quite pleased with the personal surveilance and protection services that you set up for her after....the attack on her by the Purifiers. << Morgan said that with a twinge of guilt in her voice. >> Thank the goddess you all were able to SAVE her.

"Yes, that was fortunate. Of course we can keep the protection services in place. I'll have Derek adjust the contracts that are already in place, and if Alycia is helping Sally with the legal stuff, then He can get in touch with her once the documents are ready."

Haleigh said, as she began to review the new designs and notes Morgan was giving her on this project. Her mind buzzed with ideas to incorporate, and she made mental notes that would automatically download into the file for the Sanctorum designs.

Morgan: He'll be handling the new express jet design in the tunnel. I had INTENDED to have it connect my Sanctorum to the Parthenon's Underground facilities allowing people or cargo to travel back and forth in mere MINUTES, it could be an escape route...but now... << She puts her hands to her temples again, and shuts her eyes, shaking her head>> ....I may have him change that. I'll know for sure by tonight.

Haleigh looked up with concern. She wanted badly to ask for more details here, but it wasn't her business really. Morgan was a big girl and if she wasn't going to share, Haleigh might hear it from Cameron anyway. Or she might not.... depending on what happened in the immediate future.

"Morgan..... I can tell you're upset with Cameron. Whatever HAPPENED..... whatever was said.... in the long run it won't matter. For as long as you both choose to be apart of this team, you will have to deal with each other. Believe it or NOT, you'll eventually kiss and make up. Disasters don't wait. Build the tunnel. Have it operational. A day will come when you need it desperately. The majority of the team stays at the Parthenon, and they will benefit from this addition, it may even make the difference between life and death some day. It would be irresponsible to cancel these plans over an argument."

They discussed the team Nicolas recruited and vetted to work on the project. Haleigh reviewed the files, and listened as Morgan expressed excitement about the project, and working with her family to accomplish her vision. Haleigh wished she could be as excited about it as Morgan was, but the primary issue on her mind was still her parentage and her responsibility to come clean about it. She gave another tempered smile.

"Well I'll be happy to help you create a place you can call home."

 

[MorningStar]

The Parthenon – Delilah’s Suite

"Oh...I did learn my lesson, Delilah. That's why I came to see you. I came to you in truth and sincerity. I spoke from the heart."

“Bullshit, Blaze. You came here to make yourself feel better about what you’d done and appease Karen, make things less ‘awkward’. But just as always, you made it about YOU and YOUR LOSS, YOUR TRAUMA. But your ‘poor little me’ act doesn’t work on me.”

She crossed her arms. Blaze was selfish and spoiled, used to everyone thinking she was so young and cute, and all that “heart of the team” bullshit. She had shown Delilah her true colors, and it was clear that Delilah had been too accepting of Firebird as the Foxfire she had known. She wasn’t.

"I hoped for a different outcome, and yes, your reaction was disappointing, but not surprising…So now that I've said my peace, I'm moving on. I really am sorry for how things happened, all of it, and how I behaved and treated you. I messed up big time. But I'm not going to lay on the floor for you to step on. I do hope that in time, you'll see that I was being truthful in my apology.

“And I’M not going to just tell you everything’s fine now because you said some words. You made your feelings about me quite clear – not in the heat of anger. You knew exactly what you were saying to me. And that doesn’t just get erased because you want it to be.”

Goodbye, Delilah."

Delilah slammed the door.