TAGS INCLUDED/ADDED: (Whump! Crying!)

Merritt Mckinney could tell that his fellow Horsemen were getting antsy. They'd heard nothing from the Eye in over a year, prompting them to possibly believe that the Eye no longer needed them, or wanted them. It didn't take a Mentalist to work any of that out. Jack was more than happy to brush up on his card skills and mentor Merritt in the process while they waited. Atlas was secluding himself in his room more and more, and Henley was steadily getting angrier.

The only one who didn't seem bothered was Jack.

The FBI had eased off of them a little in the last few months. A new Drug lord was in New York, meaning they were working on him now.

It was a rainy day when Merritt heard the news. Jack was, once again, practising his card tricks in the small kitchen they shared in the apartment just about big enough for the 4 of them. Daniel was in his room reading stuff Merritt didn't bother finding out (it was probably the dictionary or something like that) and Henley was sat next to him on the sofa, watching the tv. Merritt was reading an old book that his old man had given him years ago, something about ancient mythology. Henley let out a large sigh, followed by: "I'm leaving, Merritt."

Merritt's thoughts took 5 seconds too long to screech to a halt. "What?" He asked, not sure if he heard her right. "I'm sick of waiting and hiding, I want to live my own life. I'm leaving the Eye," Merritt let out a puff of air and scooted further up the sofa. "Hen, we're all sick of waiting and hiding. You don't see any of us quitting," he gently spoke to her. Henley turned and looked at him with pleading eyes. "All my life, something or someone has held me down. First, my peers, then my parents, then my boyfriend, and just as my career was about to take off, the Eye held me down again. It's not fair, Merritt." Merritt sighed, "Well, ultimately, I can't stop you. If you want to go, do it. Good luck telling the Eye," He went to try back to his book when Henley spoke again, "I already have." Merritt whipped his head around, "You got into contact with the Eye?" He asked, incredulous. Henley nodded and looked down into her lap. "They've given me an out. New name, new location. I'm no longer apart of the Horsemen once I leave." Merritt slowly nodded and exhaled deeply. "Well, good luck kid. Thats all I can say,"

3 days later, Henley left. No goodbye, no nothing. Just a note addressed to each of them, individually. Typed up and printed so they could't trace her if they so chose to. The first person to discover the note was Merritt. Jack was buying groceries and Daniel was out visiting his sick mother in Chicago. Merritt picked up his note and tore open the envelope and began to read it.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear Merritt.

         Words cannot express how grateful I am for you. You have helped me in ways I never knew you could. You have helped me see that I am not just a puppet for people to manipulate around and bully into doing what they want. Because of you, I feel more confident in the tasks I do now, and I thank you. Look after Jack and Danny for me? Jack may seem like he's ready to be an adult, but he grew up too quickly. He needs to still be a kid sometimes. And Danny? He never knows when to stop. Hell, he'll keep going even if he's bleeding out on the ground. Make sure he gets enough food, water and rest, would you?

         I hope you and the others become the most famous group of magicians known to man, even up there with Houdini. I hope you have a good life, Merritt.

         Goodbye. Henley. xxx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Merritt wasn't aware of any tears falling down his face until they hit his note. He quickly swiped them away, for fear of ruining one of his best friends last things for him. Merritt sniffed loudly and grabbed a glass and a bottle of whiskey.

Alcohol cleanse, be fucked. He needed it today.

When Jack walked in from getting the groceries, he wasn't expecting the strong stench of whiskey to hit his senses. "Jesus Christ, Merritt. Did you drink enough?" He called as he walked through the small kitchenette. He dumped the bags on the counter top and saw two envelopes. One said "To Jack," and the other was addressed to Daniel. Jack picked up his letter and Daniels. He opened Daniel's bedroom door and threw the letter on the bed. He shut the door and made his way back to the living room. He pushed Merritt's feet off of the sofa, much to the elder man's displeasure, and sat down. Jack tore the envelope open and began to read the letter.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear Jack.

         I'm sorry I'm too much of a coward to face to and tell you face-to-face. I guess I just didn't want to see how sad you'd get if I did. Don't let people push you around, and don't forget that you're only 21, you still have time to be a kid. I wasted my teenage years running and hiding from people who wanted to use me. Don't force yourself to grow up because you feel like you have to. Merritt has already lived through his teens and 20's, let him be the grown up. Don't work yourself too hard either, that's Danny's job. Please don't think I'm leaving because I wanted to. I didn't.

         I hope you have a good life, Jack. I hope you find someone to make you happier than you've ever been. Please don't try to find me, if you need me, you will know where I am without even thinking it.

         Love, Henley. xxx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Jack felt numb. His best friend just left? Without saying anything? At some point in the last few minutes, Merritt had woken up. He placed a firm hand on Jack's shoulder. "I know, kid. Sometimes, family leaves. All you can do is be happy that they're off doing what they want to do." Jack just nodded, not hearing anything except a mumble. His ears were ringing with the sudden realisation that Henley wasn't coming back. Jack clenched his jaw and threw the letter on the ground. He stomped off to the kitchenette, where he finished putting the groceries away. 

Merritt was dreading Daniel's reaction to Henley's departure. Sure, they were close, but Merritt knew Daniel and Henley were closer than he and Jack were to her. So when the door slammed open and Daniel stormed in, throwing his coat on the bar stool chair 2 days earlier than he was due to come back, Merritt knew the tantrum that was going to ensue was going to be one to behold. Daniel's bedroom door slammed shut hard enough to make the lamp in the hall shake a little bit. Whatever had happened in Chicago was definately bad. Sure, Atlas had small, frequent tantrums, but he scarcely had large ones. When he did, 90% of the time, they weren't unjustified. Merritt picked himself up out of his hangover cocoon and gently picked up Daniel's coat. He hung it up on the wall and began to make himself a drink. Non-alcoholic, this time. When no noises surfaced from Daniel's room after 30 minutes, Merritt decided to go in and check on him. Make sure he wasn't doing anything stupid.

"Daniel?" He asked, gently knocking on the door. He waited for 10 seconds, then opened it. Daniel was passed out on his bed, shoes still on, envelope still unopened. Merritt moved the letter to his bedside table along with his glasses (which had haphazardly fallen on the bed) and his watch. He undid his shoes and threw a blanket over the top, not bothering to tuck him in like a child. Merritt drew the curtains closed and left without doing anything else.

It was around 1 the next day when Daniel surfaced from his room. Jack and Merritt were eating a late lunch at the small breakfast bar, not saying anything. Jack was still clearly hurt and pissed about the letter, which was understandable. From what Merritt had gathered, Henley hadn't spoken to anyone about her leaving except from Merritt and the Eye. Merritt was pulled out of his thoughts when Daniel walked into the kitchenette with the letter in his hand. His hair was disheveled, and his shirt wasn't tucked in. He had a t-shirt carelessly thrown on and some loose fitting jogging bottom type trousers on. Merritt noticed his hands were shaking slightly. Here we go, he thought.

"Who's brilliant idea was this?" Daniel asked, addressing the two at the bar. Jack glanced up at Merritt, looking confused, before going back to pushing his eggs around his plate. "What brilliant idea?" Jack mumbled. Daniel waved the letter around, the paper making a crinkling sound. "This letter about Henley leaving. Very funny, by the way." Daniel dropped the letter on the counter, just in front of Merritt and walked over to the fridge. He poured himself some apple-juice and put some bread in the toaster. Daniel leant against the counter and drank his drink while he waited. "Daniel, we didn't write this. We got one to," Merritt calmly explained, puling out his own letter and putting down. "Jack's is still in the room by the couch, I presume, unless he's moved it." Jack mumbled something, which Merritt presumed to be no. He then proceeded to dump the plate in the sink. "Not hungry anymore," He said and walked to his room, where Merritt could hear the lock click shut. Just him and Daniel now. Merritt noticed that Daniel wasn't looking at him anymore, but the floor. "Daniel?" He tried. Daniel didn't move his gaze, but he did speak. "She's really gone then?" Merritt couldn't tell if Daniel was asking a question or not, so all he did was nod. "Yeah," he whispered. Daniel didn't move or speak. He was so still, Merritt was sure he froze completely. But then he slammed his glass down and stormed out of the room. The bang made from the glass made Merritt jump slightly. His door slammed shut even harder than the night before. The toaster popped, but Merritt ignored it. He picked up Daniel's letter and read it for himself.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Dear Danny.

         I can't even begin to write where I'm thankful for you. Without you taking me on as your assistant, I never would have gotten my gigs. I never would have been able to pursue a solo career, you helped give me something to fight for. I stopped running and hiding because of you. Even if we fought more than twice a day, there is no-one on Earth I would rather have been my first boss. Not even Dylan. I want you to know, that I didn't leave because of you. I left because I wanted needed to start a new life for myself. One day, I want to settle down and have children with a white picket fence. You don't. You want to keep dong magic, and that's fine. We never spoke about kids, but I could tell because of what happened to you, you weren't ready yet, you needed to heal. I can't wait until then, Danny. Who knows how long we're talking? And this is after the whole Eye and FBI business.

         I want you to focus on you, for a change. Don't work too hard, the acts you put on are flawless and perfect, everytime. I want you to start caring for yourself again. Don't fall into the same abyss you did all those years ago.

         I hope you take care of yourself. Like I said to Merritt, make sure Jack doesn't grow up too quickly and don't work too hard.

         I hope you have a good life.

         Love you forever, Henley. xxx

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Merritt put the letter down with a heavy sigh; Henley sure has made her mark on the others. He quietly walked to Daniel's room to make sure he was ok. He paused and pressed his ear against the closed door. Merritt's heart crumbled when the sound of heartbroken sobbing hit his ears. Merritt grimaced but didn't open the door. ​​​​​​​He'll check on him tomorrow. He deserved time to recover.

Merritt opened up his messenger and sent a message to Daniel and Jack. They'd get it when they were ready to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Just remember, Henley's departure hurt us all. If you ever need me, you know where I am.