*Sign* WRITERS’ OFFICE 1F: WG PRODUCTIONS STUDIO 2

Thwack!

Never had such a chiseled jaw, (so perfectly manicured and massaged), felt such a violent tap until it was struck by the hands of that woman.

“Tell me why I slapped you just now, Lloyd…” Rebecca vocalized sadly as her amber eyes flickered irate.

“Hey, now, where do you get the right…!” Lloyd quickly puffed up, ready to engage in the argument. That was at least until Rebecca took out her damning evidence; the bottle of Thorazine.

A silence fell over the cramped and disorganized, yet empty office room Lloyd chose for the conversation.

“Well...Beck…I,” Turning his cheek the other way while stroking the stress out of his neck, Lloyd fell back into the chair behind him.

“Well, Beck, I…Well Beck I, what?” She slams the prescription bottle on the office table next to him.

“Well, did you ever think to wonder-,” and with that Lloyd pulled out an item from his pocket; an item that caused Rebecca to raise her eyes in shock. Carefully, he placed it next to the Prescription bottle on the table.

It was another prescription bottle; almost empty.

“Ever think to wonder...That I know I need to be on these things; hmm? Have a little faith.” Lloyd’s expression turned from that of concern slowly into a gratified grin.

“That doesn’t prove a thing…” Rebecca softly combated while she gathered her thoughts. “w-what about what Powers told me; that you could even tell him but not your. Own. Wife. It speaks volumes…!” She continued as her voice started to lose its volume.

“That you’re still believing it’s your fault what happened to Claire…, That a killer is chasing you…!” Throwing up her hands, she felt a sense of relief after letting out the frustration. It was quite the pensive topic to approach; at least now there was reason to address her concerns.

“Wait just a moment, don’t start with this now…changing goalposts, telling me what I believe and what I think of my own self in my own head. I’ve had it with that!” Lloyd adamantly argued as he slowly rose from his seat, almost now towering over Rebecca as her once upright stance began to falter to a more vulnerable position.

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“I just wanna know you’re ok, but you don’t speak to me; you, you won’t let me listen…” Her face now in the pillow of her hands, Rebecca slowly began sniffling.

Lloyd was a man who liked to stay on point when he was accused, as any man would. Clearly, though, the matter was deeper.

Sure, he was aware of the problem, but he had always averted his gaze; always trying to push the matter to another day. He was forced to confront it now.

“When…, when Angela was…taken from us, I was terribly grief stricken.” With a pause, Lloyd began clearing his throat so as to more clearly relate his feelings. All it did was make it easier for the pain to register.

“My daughter, though…when I found out Claire was gone forever too…, it was like time stood still; just for me to relive that moment at every waking hour. The world was over.” Lloyd's eyes fell low while he tried to open up the sore wound of a memory.

Rebecca rose up again, listening intently to every word Lloyd uttered.

“My work with this show was the only thing that kept me going. So I took to it more, and more-and then more; bleedin’ away.” Turning away from Rebecca, the man started stroking his neck again out of anxious habit.

“It…made me sick.” Lloyd, holding on those words, began to feel weak.

Rebecca’s eyes became wide as she saw the weight fall over Lloyd’s shoulders.

“And then, One day on set…I saw this beautiful, intelligent-just drop dead gorgeous gal…you know the rest…” Turning slowly to face Rebecca again, he tried his best to maintain his eyes focused on her face, lifting his head.

Slowly, a smile crept onto her face just at the right time to overcome her unstable emotions.

“What I’m trying to say is, Beck you’ve changed things for me in ways you can’t possibly imagine; you and Barry.” Lloyd said with a bit more power and joy.

Lloyd, coming to center, took hold of Rebecca’s hand, rubbing his cheek along her knuckle. “There is no one else whom I’d rather have alongside me; share a new life with. Why’d you think I quit the show?”

“You…, you mean you quit?” Rebecca asked.

“I gave up the world...” He responded happily.

“Oh, Lloyd…” Rebecca said with elation; drawing closer.

“D-oh, Lloyd” Bartell quietly added under his breath; falling inward.

The two embraced each other in the sort of way where trust had taken over; each with their face sitting over the shoulder of the other, unable to see the other’s expression. All they knew was that they were fully enveloped in the other.

“Of course, I blame myself for what happened, but I can’t just let go of it…it’s only natural…” Lloyd continued.

“But, you really must forget…at least forgive yourself… ” Rebecca tenderly tried to reason.

“Ah, but….I can't forget...” Lloyd stated matter-of-factly.

“Please try…” Rebecca cried, endearing him.

CRASH!

In seconds, Lloyd released himself from their embrace and slammed his fist on the table, dropping the two bottles that sat upon it to the floor.

“I. Said. I Will NOT. Forget…!” The large burst of energy reverberated through his body; the heat seeping through his face. He took on a bewildering countenance.

Silence befell the room again. Each of them now had no courage to continue on; even to look the other in the face.

“Don’t you see…The man, he must die., Before I can rest…before the weight on my soul evaporates-” Quickly Lloyd turned around, gesturing rapidly to the tune of his lament so as to input meaning into any of the words he spoke, which, to Beck, were but pure madness.

She did not turn back; as if it did not even register that he had spoken a word after his outburst.

“You go prepare for your shoot; Falco…You can’t perform with stress like that…though I think you're thoroughly warmed up now…” Swiftly, Rebecca opened the door to the office room, and after pausing for a bit, took courage and walked through.

Standing at the front door was the young boy. Lloyd turned to face Barry.

“Leonard..what did you do…?” Barry said angrily in a strange, sing-song like cadence.

“Smart-arse.” Lloyd thought in response.