10A/N: UPDATE: I've decided to write an epilogue. Stay tuned for more.
A/N: I do not own Intelligence.
Gabriel and Riley walk into USCC together as they normally do.
"Worst sequels? That's a long list," Riley tells Gabriel.
"Yeah, but I'm talking about the really bad ones. Like, 'who thought this would be a decent movie' sequel," her partner explains.
Gabriel and Riley walk to the elevator, and latter pushes the button.
"Back to the Future," she says.
"Which one? Second or third?" Gabriel asks.
"Both."
Ding! The elevator doors open. They both step in, and Gabriel pushes the floor button. The doors close and they begin to make their way up.
"Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull," he adds.
"Ooh," Riley grimaces. She thinks for a moment. "The Next Karate Kid."
"That was just trying way too hard... the Star Wars prequels."
"The sad part is that now, kids are watching Episodes I through III before IV through VI," Riley comments.
The elevator doors open, and the two step out.
"Now what kind of parents allow this to even happen?"
They both let out a short chuckle as they walk into the room. Nelson and Jameson are stationed at their desks as the former attempts to make balls of paper into the recycle bin. Lillian enters, and they all turn.
"I guess you never played? Because your form is terrible," she tells Nelson.
"Oh no, he played, alright," Gabriel informs her while getting intel from the chip. "Yikes."
"Well we set a record," Nelson says, trying to defend himself.
"Not the kind anybody puts on a plaque..." Gabriel responds.
Jameson asks, "What's the record for?"
"Most consecutive games lost," Gabriel tells him.
They all smile.
"Riley, could I have a word?" Lillian motions towards a conference room.
Riley first grabs one of Nelson's paper balls, backs up, and shoots.
"Show off," Nelson mutters.
Riley follows Lillian to the room. Before they get to the door, Lillian stops.
"I want to thank you. For your advice on my daughter. For 'speaking freely,' as you put it."
Riley nods, "Of course."
"So it's my turn to speak freely. If I can solve my problems with my daughter, you can solve your problems with your mother."
Riley's face drops, and she begins to shake her head. She opens her mouth to object, but her superior stops her. Lillian opens the door to the conference room. Riley's 'inner voice' is screaming. What has Lillian done? Riley reluctantly steps into the room and closes the door behind her. She takes a breath and looks up.
"Hi Mom."
"Riley?"
Riley gives her mother a polite smile. After Riley's parents divorced, her mother took her maiden name again, Ory. [A/N I'm creative, I know.]
"Wow," Ms. Ory continues. "It doesn't look like you've changed very much."
But the truth is she has changed... quite a lot actually, since Riley left home. Still, Riley says nothing in reply. She hasn't had a real conversation with her mother in fourteen years. She thought she never would. So the inevitable tears came to her eyes, but Riley still struggles to hold them back.
"Oh, Riley," her mother says, holding her arms open for a hug.
She hesitantly walks into the arms of her mother, the arms that have pushed her away so many times before. And in that moment, Riley is sure that they never will. But that moment comes to an end when those arms feel Riley's holster. And once again, the arms of her mother push away, giving a feeling all too familiar to Riley.
But why does this one hurt so much more? Her mother received a look of confusion.
"Is that a gun?" Riley sighs.
Oh no. "Yes."
"Is it loaded?"
"Yes."
"Do you... shoot people?"
"Mom, it's-"
"Do. You. Shoot. People?"
"...when necessary. It's part of the job."
"Has anyone else died from the shots you fired?"
The "else" was emphasized and stabbed at Riley's heart. Her juvenile record keeps coming back to haunt her.
"..."
"Answer me!"
"Yes. All when necessary."
"When necessary?!" Ms. Ory repeats in disgust. "So tell me, Riley, was it necessary to kill Greg?"
"Your life was at risk. OUR lives were at risk!"
"Greg loved me! And you just couldn't stand to see me with another man other than your father!"
"Oh my gosh... You still think he really loved you. Let me tell you, Mom, that I've seen love. True love. And it looks nothing like you and Greg. I'm not saying that you and Dad were perfect, but love is not expressed through the bruises and broken bones. That doesn't show love, Mom. That only shows scars. And you didn't deserve that."
"He loved me, Riley. Yes, we fought, but he didn't know how to express himself."
"Oh, he expressed himself alright. But he was sure not expressing love! And that's messed up, Mom. That you still think he really loved you. Because if he did, he wouldn't do those things to you or me. He. Didn't. Love. You."
The mother's once-hugging arm raises up and slaps the daughter on the face. Riley gasps as she is hit, and she looks into the eyes of her mother. It takes all of Riley's might to get through her next two sentences to her mother.
"Maybe I was wrong, that you didn't deserve Greg. Because apparently, you're just like him."
At that, a daughter turns away from her mother, straight towards the door. The tears are impossible to hold back now, as she tries to speed walk past her colleagues to the nearest bathroom. Gabriel, Nelson, Chris, and Lillian all watch her wipe away the tears with her lips pursed and aggressively push the bathroom door open. Gabriel begins to walk towards her, but he is stopped Lillian's hand. Lillian walks into the conference room.
"Karen, I think it's time you leave."
"You made a mistake with her," Ms. Ory told her.
"On the contrary, choosing your daughter for this job has been one of the few things I will never regret. She has saved countless lives and put herself in danger for others. She is a smart, strong, and brave agent, and I hope to have her around for a long time. Now, Ms. Ory, you will be escorted out."
Lillian motioned for a security guard and left the room, and she slowly follows Riley into the restroom. She finds the stalls empty, except for one with Riley, from whom she hears quiet sobs. Lillian locks the restroom door to prevent anyone interrupting.
"Riley?"
Riley slowly opens her stall to reveal red eyes and a red cheek. Lillian sighs. These were not her intentions when she called Ms. Ory.
"I'm sorry," Lillian starts.
Riley looks down. "No, don't be. It all makes sense now, why she wouldn't look at me when he was dying, why she didn't come to the trial, why we never keep in touch," Riley looks up. "She still thinks he really loved her. She wanted to marry that guy more than anything. But why, I still don't understand."
"We accept the love we think we deserve, Riley. But nobody deserves that. What you did that night was not selfish. Even at that age, you acted for the greater good."
A small smile shows up on Riley's face as she wipes away the last tear.
"Thanks, Lillian."
"C'mon, before the boys start a war with those crumpled paper balls."
They both let out a small laugh as a mother and a daughter walk out together.
A/N: Let me know what you guys think. I'm really excited for the next episode! Tell your friends to watch because I really want the show to be renewed!