Work Text
Somewhere in Los Angeles.
An ambulance siren can be heard in the distance, but it doesn't disturb the neighborhood, as the place is deserted and abandoned. Only a few trees here and there provide a small hint of beauty. The rest looks crumbling and unkempt for a long time, barely attracting the attention of the occasional walkers passing through. Not even the sound of a machine gun has disturbed anyone, except perhaps Riley who lies there in a pool of blood.
Mac tries desperately to stop the bleeding but it doesn't work, there are too many wounds to deal with. For years, she barely had a scratch. Once but it didn't count she'd inflicted it on herself to simulate a gunshot wound in that mob hotel. But this time, it was real bullets that hit her. Mac has never been as shaken as he is now, too many injuries. His brain tried to find a solution, but it is impossible.
He stood by helplessly, unable to relieve his friend's pain. So the only thing he could think of was to scream for help
-Is it true Mac that you can see your life flashing before your eyes, she asked breathing heavily? Because I can’t see it, which is maybe a good sign you know… Dammit it, it hurts like hell… A bulletproof vest… would have been nice today… but it's so heavy and…ugly… Still, it would have been so nice not to feel my life draining out of my body like this….Mac, does it always hurt that much or is it just me?
She hears him calling her name, telling her to stay awake, but she's so tired, her eyes can hardly stay open. And this numbness inviting her to sleep is stronger than anything.
-It's really funny you know, as someone who has trouble sleeping at night, a few… bullets works better than all the sleeping pills in the world. You really must try but without the pain… and the blood...and…
-Please Riles stop talking save your strength, Mac says extremely worried.
-Stop talking…yes of course… I’m getting emotional… If I go on like this I'm going to tell him that I love him... Would it be so bad actually? .... In the state I'm in, I might not survive much longer... He'd known then… it's him, it's always been him….Nobody has ever made me feel this way… I would say, I love you…No, there's no need to … I'll probably tell him one day…. if I'm feeling better… maybe… Damn I'm so tired… and it hurts so much… Shit…did I say that out loud?... Well, it's too late now to take it back . At least he'll know before I die...
That's when Riley lost consciousness.
-Riles….Riles…. Riley! Don’t leave me, not like this!
Later at the Phoenix Foundation.
-What happened there, asked Matty furiously?
Roy, a young man who had started at the Phoenix as a new IT and who was following Riley on this mission because it was supposed to be safe, answers nervously.
-Everything was fine, the mission was a success we even found the files we were looking for. just before we left I heard riley screaming at mac to watch out. It all happened so fast, men started shooting at us. Then I saw Riley falling to the ground and mac shouting that she'd been hit.
-I thought the place was empty!
-We thought so too, but it turned out it wasn't. We were lucky if Russ hadn't been there, we'd all have been killed.
-Lucky! You call it luck, my best agent is in a hospital bed struggling between life and death and you call it luck!
-I...I didn't mean like that. I meant...
-Get out of my sight. Parker, any news on Riley?
- She’s still in surgery in critical condition. If I have any better news, I'll let you know right away.Later that evening in the hospital waiting room.
Mac, Wilt and Russ were walking back and forth like relentless men.
-How is she, asked Matty?
-We don't know. They've been operating on her for hours now, replied Bozer.
- I'm sure she's gonna be all right, she's a fighter. Says Russ.
-Mac are you okay? Asked Matty
- No, I'm not. She jumped between the bullets to protect me and now she’s ... it's all my fault, I should have seen those men.
- No one saw those men Mac. Says Russ.
-Riley did, and that's why we're still alive… That I'm still alive, says Mac with bitterness in his voice.
- Stop torturing yourself, what happened happened, you can't take it back. Besides, the house was supposed to be empty, no heat signatures showed up on the scanner.
-I don't understand how Riley ended up in the line of fire.
-We had finished, me and Roy were leaving the house, Mac was following and Riley was picking up her gear before joining us. Before I had time to do anything, I heard Riley screaming and pushing Mac out of the house just as those men started shooting. I immediately returned fire and shot them down, but Riley was already lying on the ground and Mac was trying to put pressure on her wounds.
- You left Riley alone in the house?
-The house was supposed to be empty, at least that's what we thought and I take full responsibility. I should have been more careful, I let my guard down too quickly.
-No, it's my fault. I should have stayed with her. Mac shouted back, his hands trembling and still covered in Riley's blood.
-Guys stop it, it's nobody's fault, I followed you on the scanner and those men didn't show up until the last second, says Bozer.
They were interrupted by the surgeon operating on Riley. From the look on his face, it wasn't good news.
-She's out of danger for the moment but her condition is still critical. She has lost a lot of blood and is still very weak. We managed to remove three bullets without too much trouble, the fourth was more difficult as it was lodged close to her spine. We hope she will be able to walk again..... but it will take time.... if she hadn't had her backpack on her, she'd probably have died instantly. She was very lucky this time!
The longer the surgeon talked, the more Mac turned livid. A multitude of memories were running through his head. Little by little, Mac and Riley had grown apart. While Mac was still on his dangerous missions, Riley remained at the Phoenix to look after the security and her hacker team, The Brink. It had been almost two years since they'd been on a mission together, and this was taking its toll on Mac as he missed his friend. Of course, they still saw each other almost every day but after their nanobots misadventures and his break-up with Desi, nothing had ever been the same.
-Please come with us, he begs, it's a really safe and easy job and I don't trust this new guy.
-Roy may be young and have a lot to learn but he's very capable of executing this mission and I've still got a lot of work to do.
-Come on Riles, just you and me against the world. We'll get Russ to cover us and baby-sit Roy at the same time, he said with his irresistible smile and charming eyes.
After Mac's long lamentations, she finally gave in.
-Alright, but this is the last time!
- We're gonna have so much fun, you'll see, just like the old times.
-Fun my ass!
- What did you say? Asked Matty.
-Nothing, nothing important. Mac replied, lowering his head. When can we see her?
-Not for a day or two, they put her in a drug-induced coma for the pain. She still has to undergo scans and tests. Then, if she's strong enough they'll wake her up and we'll be able to see her but she's not out of the woods yet. If she has feeling in her legs, she will need rehabilitation and physiotherapy to be able to walk again and it's going to take time, months or even years. Otherwise, she'll be in a wheelchair for the rest of her life… Like I said, she's not out of the woods yet.
- Is there anything I can do?
- No just wait and pray until she wakes up…… If she wakes up, thinking with a sad look on her face. Take a shower and try to get some sleep, you look terrible.
-How can I sleep knowing she's here fighting for her life?
- Try anyway, it won't help her if you can't stay on your feet either.
A few days later.
The doctors considered Riley's condition acceptable and finally agreed to bring her out of her induced coma. The whole team couldn't be happier to see her finally awake. But like all stars, she made her fans wait and it was only after several hours that she finally opened her eyes, to everyone's relief.
At first she looked tired and disoriented then she saw a nurse and a doctor looking at her.
- How do you feel, any pain? Can you move your legs and toes?
- I'm fine, just my toes, not my legs, they're too heavy… Am I paralyzed, she asks, frightened? What's happening to me?
- You've been shot. Two bullets were in your legs, one went through your shoulder, some in your backpack that your laptop stopped but the last one was harder to remove. It was lodged a few millimeters from your spine, and we had trouble getting it out without touching your nerves. You were lucky if you hadn't had your backpack you would have died instantly but since you can move your toes , which is a good sign, we can help you with physiotherapy and our exoskeleton. With time and a lot of exercise, you should be able to walk again.
-How long will it take?
- It can take months or even years before you can walk again without help.
- Years! She says, devastated.
- This is, of course, in the worst-case scenario, and I'm convinced it'll go faster with our new dermoskeletons for movement but you'll have to work very hard to get there.
-Work hard, that I can do! An dermo…skeletons for movement, what is it exactly?
-Dermoskeletons is a portable robotic exoskeleton that allows people with spinal cord injury to stand, walk, turn, climb and descend stairs. While typical exoskeletons control the user's motion dermoskeletons follow the user's body, providing strength and support, augmenting their natural motion. He says, reciting the machine brochure by heart.
Suddenly, she thinks she hears Mac talking about the wonders of a miraculous machine. He has almost the same gestures as Mac, and the way he talks about it almost makes her believe that her walking problem has been solved. She's so amused by the doctor that she simply interrupts him by saying.
- So it's a robot to help me walk then!
- Uh.. yes.. taken aback by this simplified version of the dermoskeletons. When they were finally allowed into the room, she saw that Mac, Bozer, Russ and even Matty were there. She smiled at them and suddenly exclaimed.
- Holy crap, you all look so tired, did I miss something? Was there a party and I wasn't invited?
They looked at her quizzically then after a minute's of silence they all burst out laughing, even Mac.
- Damn Riley, you scared the hell out of us! Said Wilt, grinning from ear to ear.
- What have I done now?
- Being you, as always, answered Russ proudly.
-Next time you pull a stunt like that I'll kill you myself, Matty adds with a softened look.
- There won't be a next time, I think, she replied, suddenly sad.
After a dead silence, Mac said.
-I'll help you, anything you need I'll be there and thank you for saving my life, I owe you a big one.
- Don't thank me, you would have done it for me too.
- Still, whatever you need, I'm your man.
- Be careful or I will use it against you and make you my slave, she said laughing.
- Whatever you want.
When Mac and Riley finally found themselves alone in the room, she asked him the question that had been running through her mind since she woke up.
- Did I say ….or do anything embarrassing during my delirium on the field?
- Like what, looking pensive?
- I don't know, cry like a little girl for example.
- No, nothing like that, you've been strong until you lose consciousness. Why do you ask?
- I had this strange dream where I was talking about sleeping pills and other stuff too.
- You brought up the fact that bullets work better than sleeping pills and also that a bulletproof vest would have been nice but it's was to heavy and ugly.
- Yes, that's definitely me, nothing else?
- That you were very exhausted and that it hurt like hell, the other things were quite hard to understand.
Of course, he remembered every think she'd said to him before she passed out. It was engraved in his memory for eternity but how could he tell her that he too had loved her for a long time. That her company alone gave him wings and that seeing her lying on the floor in agony had broken his heart in pieces. He was so happy to know that his feelings were reciprocated but at the same time he'd reached an impasse with her. How could he confess his feelings without her assuming he felt pity for her? No, he had to find a way, but how?
-Really? I'm glad I didn't make a fool of myself while I was dying.
-Please don't say that. You really scared me and I really thought I was losing you.
- You'll never lose me...and if I die before you, I'll haunt you for eternity…Woooohh she says, imitating a ghost under her sheet with her arms straight out.
-Ouch! She said, grimacing in pain.
- Are you okay? Do you want me to call a doctor?
- No it's alright, it's just my shoulder that's still sore. It's still too early for me to be messing around with my arm I guess, she said winking and smiling.
-Are you sure?
-Yes, but I'm a little tired now.
-Of course I'll come back later to check on you.
After Mac left, Riley couldn't hold back the tears any longer. She'd tried to keep her head high in front of her friends, but in front of Mac, who could read her like a book, it was harder. Especially in the state she's in now. Inside, she was broken into a thousand pieces and worried about the future. Would she ever walk again and what would happen between her and Mac? Had he really not heard her confession of love or was she imagining it? Would he treat her like a toy scared of breaking her again? Or remain his slave forever for saving his life. What will happen between them? Will he ever love her? That evening she decided not to be a victim but to fight to the bitter end to regain what she had lost.
One week earlier.
The two men were hiding in the cellar of this abandoned house.
-Are you sure they're coming today?
-Yes, I'm sure, the boss gave us very specific instructions.
-Do we really have to wear these uniforms and these hoods? -It's really hot in here!
-Yes, they're specially designed to prevent them from seeing us with their thermal scanners.
-How does the boss know
- Dude, didn't you listen during the meeting? He's got someone on the inside of the Phoenix feeding him intel. That's how he pulled off this ambush as soon as they're in, we sneak up and shoot the blond guy first.
- How are we going to hear them, we're all the way down and the walls are thick enough… and why the blond first?
- I already told you, the guy argued with the boss.
- All this trouble for one man, we could have shot him in the street?
-The boss wants his team to see him die.
When his partner finally stopped talking, they waited another hour before hearing some noise.
-It's a good thing this jerk made so much noise otherwise we'd have missed them.
Silently they climbed the stairs and began firing at the blond in the doorway. Suddenly, out of nowhere, Riley screamed and jumped on Mac, receiving a whole bunch of bullets in her back and legs. Seeing that they'd missed the blond, they ran together to the door to finish the job. Unfortunately for them Russ's bullets were waiting outside.
A little later, an ambulance took away the extremely wounded Riley, closely followed by the rest of the team. Only when they had all disappeared did a man emerge from his hiding place dressed all in black and walk over to where Riley had been shot. Dipping his fingers in her blood, he took a closer look.-Hmm, still warm! Riley, what were you doing here, you weren't supposed to be? With everything you've lost, it's unlikely you'll survive. It's a shame I'll miss you. I guess you have to do everything yourself these days. Next time I'll get you Macgyver.
The man then left, whistling.
Three months after Riley’s accident.
Riley had, after Mac had begged her for hours, moved in with him. It was easier than her apartment on the third floor, where the elevator often broke down. She felt good to be in this house with him again, even if she'd never admit it, it reminded her somehow of that pandemic together. Putting that nasty virus and the lack of toilet paper aside, it was just like the good old days. She was making enormous progress with the robot therapy. So much that doctors were even talking about miracles. She simply told them that when you really want something, you have to work for it and she did, every day a little bit more.
She could almost move around without her dermoskeletons. She'd been working like crazy with the robot for three months now and the results were amazing. But the first few weeks had been the most difficult, going from happy to sad in a heartbeat. Her friends had helped her as much as they could, Mac had even built a ramp in his house to help her with her wheelchair. But despite all their good intentions, she was the one who had to do the work, agonizing with every step she made. Some days, exhausted and suffering like a martyr, she wanted to stop everything. Just lying in bed and doing nothing. That's when Mac helped her a lot, telling her that if she stayed in bed like that for long, she'd never be able to beat him at Skee Ball. With that, she told him that even lying in bed, blindfolded and with one arm behind her back, he didn't stand a chance. At least thanks to him, she was still getting up to prove him wrong.
Everything was going well between them. Mac did what she wanted and Riley let him, even if it did get a bit stifling at times. She would have liked it to be different, and sometimes in the evenings she felt alone, not that Mac was abandoning her, far from it, but she would have liked to be able to talk to him about anything and everything. Just for him to take her in his arms and tell her everything was going to be all right. Instead, they barely spoke and when he looked at her, he had this guilt in his eyes that broke her heart to pieces. This wasn't what she'd imagined when she'd moved in with him, and this way of following her every move for fear she'd break like delicate porcelain was starting to irritate her a little. Playing mistress and servant was fine for a while but it couldn't go on like that. She wanted more and what had to happen happened, they had their first fight in three months.
-Leave it to me, I can do it myself!
-No, I'll help you, that's what I'm here for!
- Let me do it or I swear I'll leave.
-There's no problem, I'm telling you, I'm the one responsible.
-Responsible for what?
-For what's happened to you. Immediately regretting what he had said.
-I see…she said, fighting back her tears…You don't have to stay with me, I'm not …like that because you made a mistake, I just did this, to keep you alive, you would have done the same for me. And I don't want this stupid accident destroying what little friendship we have left. I wouldn't let it, I… the rest of her words faded from her mouth and she went off to her room, in tears.
-I love you too much for that. She said to herself back in her room.
Mac tried again to talk to her and to apologize but Riley, stubborn as she was, had locked her door and was no longer listening. He could hear her crying softly through the door and it broke his heart. It's true he felt guilty, every night he remembered that fateful day, watching her fall to the machine-gun fire. Every day he wanted to hug her and tell her he loved her but he was afraid to do it. Each day seeing her in that wheelchair reminded him that it was his fault she was like that, if he hadn't asked her to come with them, none of this would have happened. He'd rather have died that day than see her like that.
The next morning Mac tried to wake Riley, but she had already got up and left the house. He blamed himself even more for not staying behind the door to watch over her all night long. But lately he'd been sleeping badly and fell asleep in the sofa which could explain the huge blunder he'd made the night before. He took a shower to wake up and got ready to meet Riley at work. But when he opened the door to leave, he saw the paper note pinned with a knife on his door.
If you ever want to see Riley alive, go to the address
And don’t tell anybody. Your dearest friend.
This address! This is the abandoned house where everything started," he exclaimed.
A few hours earlier.
The man dressed in black opened the front door without any trouble. They really should learn to lock their doors, he thought.
Riley heard a slight noise coming from the hallway and, thinking Mac was still awake, got up as best she could and went to open the door to his bedroom. From the corridor, she could see Mac sleeping on the sofa and the man in black pointing his gun at her, warning her to be quiet. She wanted to scream and warn Mac but the man was too quick and knocked her unconscious with the butt of his gun, catching her so that she didn't fall and make a noise. Once unconscious, he slung her over his shoulder and left the house, planting his message on the front door.--------------------------------
The morning
Mac got into his car and, without even thinking of alerting the Phoenix, sped off in the direction of the house. Once there, he discovered Riley unconscious, her arms bound and her mouth gagged. Before he could free her, he too was knocked unconscious by the mysterious man. When he regained consciousness, he saw Riley looking at him with concern in her eyes. Then he saw his attacker actively preparing his equipment.
-I should have thought it was you.
-The one and only at your service, my friend.
-What do you want from us, Murdoc?
-Me! Just play with my friends, it's been so long since we've seen each other.
-let Riley go, she had nothing to do with it.
-On the contrary my friend, she is now the center of my little game. I call it truth or dare between friends. You’ll see, the three of us will have so much fun.
While talking, he walked over to Riley and ripped open her blouse. Once her torso was exposed, except for her breasts, he started sticking electrodes all over her, as well as on her temples. He removed her gag and moved towards Mac. He did the same to him, then turned back to Riley and asked.
-Does it still hurt, pointing his finger at the scar on her shoulder?
- It's okay, it doesn't hurt so much anymore.
-What about the others?
-What others?
-The one you got in your back three months ago.
-How did you know about that?
-My dear, I always keep an eye on my friends. Besides, I was outside when they shot you down.
-You were what?
-Who did you think it was to orchestrate this assault on Mac. Naturally, as always, you had to play the hero and thwart my plans. What were you doing here anyway, you weren't on the agenda?
-It's all my fault! I asked her to come and I still regret it to this day! Replied Mac bitterly.
-It wasn't your fault! If I hadn't wanted to go I would have said no. She said, exasperated.
-I pushed you until you finally gave in.
- Did it ever occur to you that I also wanted to be with you and that I missed you all the time in the office?
-This is getting very interesting, reply Murdoc, and my game hasn't even started yet.
- Oh shut up Murdoc! Says Mac.
- Yes, zip it, it's actually all your fault! Added Riley furious.
- Guilty as charged, added Murdoc, a sadistic smile on his lips. But enough about that little misunderstanding, it's time to play my game. It's simple, you tell me the truth and nothing will happen or you lie to me and I'll electrocute you. If you don't want to answer, I'll electrocute you too.
-How can you tell if we're lying or not? Asked Riley.
-I'd see it on my screens, thanks to these little sensors. and to reassure Mac and his scientific side, it's low voltage, so you won't die from it, but it hurts like hell. Everybody understood? after both nodded yes, we can begin then.
- Mac, what happened between you and Desi after Mexico City?
- we broke up.
- Give me more details.
- It hadn't been going well for a while, and after the nanobots, we decided to go our separate ways.
- Is this the real reason or was there something else?
- No, that's the real reason.
Suddenly Riley received a powerful electrical shock that sent her convulsing in all directions.
-What are you doing, stop it! It was the truth!
-Not according to my machine, that's not the real reason. Think again, I'm going to interrogate Riley and then I'll come back to you.
- So Riley, it hurts, isn't it?
-Is that your question, or are you just curious to know if your machine works, you bastard?
- No, it's not. Why did you stop going on mission with Mac?
-I was tired and wanted to work in the office.
This time it was Mac who got electrocuted.
- Damn it, it's true! Stop it.
Riley realized that every one of their lies was seen by Murdoc's device. So she answered correctly this time.
- Okay, okay… I didn't know how to stay with him anymore, especially after those missions in Mexico City and Banja Luka. I was afraid he'd go out with me as if I were a surrogate for Desi and I didn't want to be second best.
- Finally an honest answer! Mac, did you have time to think about the question I asked you?
- Yes, there was another reason. Before I came out of the hyperbaric chamber, my life flashed before me. It opened my eyes to what I really wanted and it wasn't Desi.
Riley looked at him with tears in her eyes, afraid of what he'd say but at the same time anxious to know the answer.
- Who was it?
And now, having been too scared to ask the question or too afraid to know the answer, Murdoc in a matter of seconds had just done that for her.
- It's you, he said looking at Riley, it's always been you. Ever since I got you out of prison, you've been the one person I trust and love. But there's always been this huge and invisible wall between us and over the years the idea of losing you has scared me incredibly and I'd rather have you as a friend than lose you forever.
-And you, Riley, anything to add to this wonderful declaration of love? Murdoc asked sarcastically.
She stared at Mac and for the first time, tells him the truth about everything she's wanted to tell him for ages. She started answering crying and nothing was going to stop her this time, all the burdens she'd kept inside her for a decade were going to come out like a liberation of her soul.
-You're my superhero, you've always been and like all heroes I thought you were unreachable. I've admired and loved you since the day one. You've always been the perfect man for me and over the years it's only gotten stronger. After the Phoenix fell and we were separated for so long, I almost succeeded in forgetting you. But when I saw you again in that electronics store, my feelings for you came rushing back and after Germany I knew I needed you in my life. When Desi left I didn't know how to tell you that I loved you, I was also afraid of losing you as my friend and these last few months, it was so nice to have you all to myself but in the long run I was suffocating from your guilt. It wasn't what I had imagined in my wildest dreams. I wanted us to be together, not out of regret that I'd become an invalid by saving you but because you loved me too. I’m so scared of being only a casualty in your eyes for you to take care of, I want more. She said sobbing.
- You mean so much more to me and I love you with all my heart. replied Mac.
- Yada-yada-yada, it's so beautiful, I almost want to cry, says Murdoc mocking the two of them. You've lost, how many years already?... But who's counting?... It's like listening to a William Shakespeare drama, it's almost a shame to have to end it all!
- What do you mean, end it all, asked Riley worried?
- Like all good tragedies, the heroes of the story never end up together. I can already see the headlines " Two lovers murdered without ever having kissed each other" he says, gesturing with his arms as if to draw attention to the idea. Even if you're going to die, you both know that you love each other, and… I was part of that! It’s awesome he says almost emotional.
Murdoc had finished speaking, and was already preparing his weapon to shoot them.
-Wait, before you kill us, tell me who your informant is?
-What's that supposed to mean? he asked.
-Someone must have informed you that we'd be here that day and also about the thermal scanners.
Murdoc looked at her with admiration in his eyes.
- I knew you were as smart as Mac, if not smarter, but how did you find out?
-Few people knew about this mission and it was well prepared, so we must have been betrayed.
-You're right and since you weren't supposed to be there it would have been a success for me. I had prepared everything well and even told my mole to make enough noise to warn my men that you were there. Unfortunately, you had to play the hero and screw up my plans. After that, that little bastard Roy didn't want to work for me anymore. So I had to come up with a new plan to kill Mac but when I learned that you had miraculously survived, I decided to take my revenge on you both. Thinking back, you were always the one who thwarted my plans. In fact, you're the reason my contract to kill Mac failed the first time, you were always there to save him. But not this time! he says, fitting a silencer to his gun.-Wait I have another question?
-what now, getting annoyed?
It was at this precise moment that the front door exploded into a thousand pieces and the Phoenix Strike Team burst into the room, overpowering Murdoc with a look of surprise on his face.
-Guys, what took you so long, exclaimed Riley, I was losing my mind here?
Mac looks at her in admiration and disbelief.
-How did you know they were coming?
-This ring on my finger is actually a back-up transmitter and I activated it as soon as I woke up, she replies.
-How come I didn't know about it, Mac asks confusedly?
-After my accident, not being able to run like I used to, I had it made just in case. I didn't tell you because I didn't want to worry you any more than you already were.
-Yes, says Russ, we followed the transmitter up to a certain point, but almost immediately afterwards it disappeared.
- It must have burned out when Murdoc electrocuted us, Riley supposed.
-Parker then tried to track your phone but it was still at Mac's house, so she tracked his and here we are.
-Is that why you were asking Murdoc so many questions, to buy us more time?
- Yes, but I didn't know when they were coming and Murdoc was probably going to shoot you first so I could watch.
-So you've saved me once again.
-Yes, and don't make a habit of it, she said, laughing!
-Murdoc was right!
-About what?
-You're smarter than me, he said, full of admiration for her.
-You're the king of improvisation and me… I'm the queen of preparation.
-Yes, the perfect couple.
-So we're a couple now.
- Only if you want me, he says, taking her in his arms.
-I've been waiting for this for so long, she says.
-Me too, kissing her tenderly.
-It's about time, lovebirds, retorted an authoritative voice behind them, it took you long enough!
-Matty, what are you doing here?
-I wasn't going to miss that declaration of love for the world and Riley, good job getting him to expose his mole, Roy is already behind the bars.
-How do you know all this, asked Riley in shock?
-You see those cameras here and there, she said, pointing to the corners of the room, Murdoc must have activated them when he plugged in his machine, so we were able to follow you and intervene at the right moment and since you asked him so many questions that he let his guard down and that's when we got into action. I'm sorry it took us so long but we had to be sure to free you and catch him at the same time… Riley," she said when she saw her standing up, "you can walk again!" she said in amazement.
-I was going to tell you all, but I was waiting for the right moment to surprise you.
-This is the best moment ever, exclaimed Mac taking her in his arms!
-Please, don't let me fall.
-Never!
-Yes, but I mean…
-I know what you mean, he said with a wink, I won't let you fall and I won't let you go either, Kissing her passionately.
The End