The Perfect Fan

Norman and Paige worked well together, taking out the nails and bring down the boards from the front of the store. They were piling up the boards up against the brick of the building. They were talking together and laughing. The boards were heavier than Paige had thought they were going to be so when she almost dropped her side, she started to laugh, making him smile. She kept saying she was sorry but he hadn't minded. The last board had just come down when a black car pulled up in front of the shop and a sharply dressed, tall man stepped out.

" Hello. Are you Paige Winters?" He asked. Norman made sure he came to stand directly beside her.

" Yeah." Paige said. The man smiled.

" I'm Detective Veck." He stuck out his hand as he came forward. He shook Paige's hand first, then Norman's. " I have been assigned to your case. I received a call from the FBI and told to make this top priority. You have some friends in high places that are very concerned with you." Norman's eyebrows went up as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked at Paige. She swallowed hard and nodded. " I think we should talk. Would you like to do this in private?"

" Is there a reason I need to be concerned?" She asked.

" We don't know yet but I think it's something we need to consider." Veck said with a serious look on his face. " Would you like to continue this is private?" Paige exhaled and nodded.

" My office is in the back." She said softly. She blinked slowly then looked up Norman. " You don't have to stick around."

" It's okay." He said. " I can help Hailey." He said. She nodded with a pained look on her face then walked through the open front of the store. Veck followed her to the back of the store. Norman was frowning as he walked back into the store. " Do you know what this is about?"

" No but they both seemed pretty serious." Hailey said.

Twenty minutes went by before Leo's car speed up and parked in front of Veck's. He got out of his car and hurried into the store, making both Hailey and Norman look at him in surprise. He looked upset and was breathing hard. He had his hands in his hair and his eyes were wide. Leo was swallowing repeated a few times before he started to speak.

" Is Paige in the back?" He asked, dropping his hands.

" She's in her office." Hailey said. Leo looked towards the back then at them again.

" Did she look pissed?" He asked.

" She didn't look happy. Is everything okay?" Hailey asked.

" I don't know." Leo muttered before he hurried to the back.

" Is it just me or is something happening? Something big and bad." Hailey said. Norman was frowning.

" Something is going on." He said.

The glass company came and insulted the glass but still no one came out of the office. Norman and Hailey kept looking to the back but weren't talking as they went through the books together. He was nervous and wanted to know what was going on and if she was okay. About an hour after the glass windows and doors were up, the door to her office opened, freezing Hailey and Norman in their spots. Veck came out of the hallway first with Leo and Paige following behind him.

Paige's eyes were red rimmed and it looked like she had been crying. Leo looked sick to his stomach and pale. Veck was talking casually to them but they were barely knowledging him. He commented on the glass, said his goodbyes to Hailey and Norman then the three stepped outside. Veck shook hands with Leo and Paige, smiled then went to his car and left. Leo started talking right away while Paige crossed her arms over her chest and seemed to be refusing to turn towards him. Both Hailey and Norman moved closer to the windows to hear Leo yell,

" What was I supposed to do, Paige?!" She turned towards him then.

" Tell me! I asked you what you thought and you lied to me!" She yelled.

" That's not fucking fair!" He yelled, stepping closer to her.

" You blind sided me! I can't believe you lied about this! This of all things!" Paige yelled, dropping her hands to her hips.

" Holy shit! What the hell! I didn't want you to get upset!"

" Well that worked out well, didn't it!" Paige yelled as they got into each other's personal space. Hailey and Norman exchanged a look but continued to listen in.

" We worked really hard to get you to this place, didn't we! Then I get a fucking phone call telling me the store has been destroyed. I show up here and see all our hard-work draining from your face. What did you want me to do! You needed something, you needed me to protect you! And that's what I did! I protected you just like I promised I would do! But I got scared, I got worried! I'm allowed too! I love you! I called them just to give them a heads up. I didn't know they would freak and call NYPD! I'm sorry!" Leo yelled. Paige shook her head and said something quietly that they couldn't hear. Then she moved past him and came to the door. Norman and Hailey dropped their eyes to the box they had between them. Paige opened the door and stormed in with Leo hot on her heels. She was busting through the store. " Where the hell are you going?"

" I need a break, Leo. I don't want to see you right now." She said.

" You are not supposed to be alone! You heard what he said!" He yelled.

" I'm not a fucking child!" Paige yelled from the back. Leo sighed and looked at Norman and Hailey.

" Can one of you please go with her?" Leo asked softly. Norman dropped the books from his hands.

" I'm on it." He said, hurrying to the back when he heard the back door shut. Norman found Paige leaning against her car with her head in her hands. He shut the back door quietly, pulled a smoke out of his pack and light it up before he strolled over to her. " Are you okay?" He asked, coming to stand beside her and leaning against her car. Paige dropped her arms and turned her face away from him as she wiped her cheeks.

" Yeah." She said. He shifted his position, brushing his arm against hers. Her voice was laced with tears. He inhaled his smoke and blew the smoke out away from her.

" You want to go and get some coffee?" He asked.

" I left my keys and shit in the office." She said. Norman took another hit from his smoke then slipped his arm around hers.

" It's okay. I got it. We'll take my truck. Come on." He said, tugging on her as he started to walk. " It's lunch time, you should eat."

" I'm not hungry." Paige said, letting him lead her around his truck to the passenger side.

" Well you should be so we are eating." Norman said. He opened the door and waited. Paige looked up at him.

" You're going to make me, aren't you?" She asked.

" I'm not going to make you but I am going to ask you nicely to please get something to eat when we get to the cafe." He said. They stared at each other for a few seconds before he hitched his head to the side and smile. " Come on. I'm starving. Get in." Paige managed a small smile but slipped into his truck. After he made sure she was in, he shut the door. He patted the frame then pulled away to walk around to the driver's side. He wanted to ask her what was going on but was going to let her tell him what she wanted when she wanted. She was looking out of her window when he slipped into his seat. He shut the door and started the truck up before speaking. " I'm not going to ask what is going on. You can tell me, I'll listen and I won't judge me. But I do want to know that you aren't in legal trouble."

" I'm not in legal trouble." She said.

" So no swat team is going to come bursting into the store?" Norman asked. Paige looked at him and shook her head. " You aren't going to be arrested?"

" No." She said. Norman nodded.

" Good. I kind of like hanging out with you and I'd hate to see you in jail." She smiled and laughed as she looked away from him. Norman smiled and started backing out of his parking space.