The Waitress

Epilogue

"Drop the gun. This isn't funny anymore, Eliot. Someone's going to get hurt."

Eliot narrowed his eyes but his arms didn't waver, as though the warning had gone straight through one ear and out the other. Kaely watched him carefully, her hands up beside her head as she struggled not to move. She was getting tired, though, and he could tell.

"Sorry, Mrs. Dalton," he announced, a wicked look playing in the sapphires that were his eyes. "My orders were to keep you from going inside the house. They didn't say anything about not hurting you..."

And then he pulled the trigger.

"Eliot!" Kaely squealed as Eliot made quick work of drenching her clothes, ducking out of the way as she ran for cover behind the deck for cover. "This is a new sweater!"

"Well, that was dumb of you to wear it, then, wasn't it?" Eliot teased from the front door as he held the water gun beside his head, trying to look cool while doing it. "Just do as you're told and stay outside, okay? Or do you want me to ruin your favourite brown boots, as well?"

"No, no," Kaely said quickly, eyes wide as she stepped out from behind her cover. "No need to involve the boots, okay? I'll stay outside."

"Then we don't have a problem!" he beamed. "It's only for an hour, anyway. I'll text Dex; we can go shopping while we wait, if you want?"

Kaely let out a heavy sigh and shook her head in amusement. She couldn't stay mad at Eliot for more than a minute at a time; his bubbly energy always made her smile.

"Fine," she scowled, eyes narrowed. "But I'm driving. And you can only get one thing between the two of you this time, because you got my sweater wet."

"Deal."

"Alright, let's go," she announced, and Eliot moved to walk past her. She grabbed the gun from his hands before he could protest, and chucked it on the doormat before turning to follow a now-sullen Eliot to her car. Only when they were both buckled in and on the road did Eliot decide to start talking again.

"You're gonna love it, Kaely, you really are," he was rambling on happily, clapping his hands on his knees with a big grin spreading from cheek to cheek. "It's so nice; it's literally the best surprise anyone could ever think of. He put-"

"Eliot, spoilers!" Kaely exclaimed, shooting him a look. "It's not going to be much of a surprise if you tell me what it is, now, is it?"

Eliot bit his lip. "Yeah," he sighed finally, "I suppose you're right. Still. It's wicked."

"I'm sure it is," she laughed, glancing out the window as she pulled up outside the house that Eliot shared with Leo and Dex. It was cute; sure, it was small, but it was practical. "Do you want to run in and get him, or is he-"

"Nope, here he comes," Eliot interrupted, and Kaely turned to find Dex closing the door before running down the path to the car. He climbed in the back, leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Kaely's shoulders with a big grin plastered on his face.

"Happy birthday, Mrs. Dalton," he cooed, and Kaely fought back a blush as he settled back down in his seat. She would never get used to hearing that; it was strange to think that she was now Kaely Dalton, and not Monsford. Still, this name meant more to her than any other ever would.

"Thanks, Smithy," she replied with a grin of her own. "Alright, are we ready to go?"

"Where to?" Dex asked as he pulled his seatbelt on. Kaely glanced at Eliot, a small smirk playing on her lips.