You Don't Have To Atone,I Am Fine

Chapter Seven -- you don't have to atone, I am fine.

Poppy walked to the backyard and stared at the stupid little garden Lily insisted she keep a while ago, the flowers were dead and she was not even sorry. If she was home alone, she would have taken the pack of cigarette she hid in her drawer, but she was not home alone and David hated it, so she hid her smoking from him.

"Poppy." She heard as the door opened and she turned to him. "Hi, David. When were you going to tell me that your mother expected me to pop out some kids in less than a year, or that we were supposedly getting married in three months?" She glared at him and he exhaled.

"You know my mother, she is always that way, and who can blame her for wanting grand kids?" He shrugged and she looked away, she was not interested in continuing this conversation, he was such an asshole and she would like to bash his head against the wall repeatedly till his skull shattered. She frowned at the violent thought and pushed it down.

"You are not really serious about the name though?" David asked and she frowned at him "I am serious, we had this conversation years ago, when I was submitting my Masters thesis, why would I change my mind?"

"Well, I am a Grayson, and any woman I marry must carry the Grayson name, this is nonnegotiable, Poppy, I thought you were joking." David said, his voice hard as steel and Poppy's heart sank, she said nothing and he shifted on his feet "You should not have been so rude with Harriet, she is going through a really tough time and no one asked you for such graphic explanation of your work. We talked about this, keep your job separate from the family life."

With that, he walked away and Poppy tilted her head, and stared at the wilted flower, and she had a sudden urge to set fire to the entire house, with David inside, but that was just a joke. She had gone through twelve years of this routine with David and his family, and in the last ten years, she had built her career, but they expected her to discard everything and be the perfect Socialite wife? Perhaps being a Socialite wife won't be so bad, after all.

__

Poppy walked back in with a big smile, back in her docile energy and she walked to Harriet.

"Harriet, you are right, your father got me my job, and because of that, I am supposed to answer whatever questions you ask even if it goes against the Nondisclosure agreement I sighed, you are about to be my sister-in-law, after all." She grinned and Harriet frowned at her, rolled her eyes "Whatever."

Poppy kept a smile on her face and walked to where Lily was sat. 

"I am sorry for whatever heartache I caused you, and I am eager to be your daughter-in-law, Lily. You are right, I should put aside the last ten years of hard work and study, to be David's Socialite wife, and starting from tonight, I will discard of my IUD, it is better to start earlier on." She beamed, assertive and Lily laughed "Oh, you are a doll, Poppy, and I can't wait for the kids you and David will have, I'm thinking five children, we need a full house."

"Perhaps, six kids, then. Three boys and three girls." Poppy suggested and Lily clapped in joy "Yes, six children. Oh, you make me so happy, Poppy, and I'm sure you have put aside this nonsense about keeping your last name." "Of course. Being a Grayson has been my dream for the past twelve years." She nodded and Lily clapped.

"Poppy?" Her father called and she looked at him, he had a frown on his face, and he seemed worried. "Are you okay, Poppy?"

"She is fantastic, she has come to her senses. Oh, we will be a family now." Her mom gushed, and said the last part to Lily and Poppy nodded, they will be a family.

"Since this is an FBI business, perhaps we can stick to the original date, you have six months to round off this project." Richard Grayson ordered and she nodded, docile, complacent "Of, course."

"Get me a drink, Poppy." Harriet said and Poppy stared at her, Harriet was less than two years older than her and yet, she spoke this way, but Poppy got up, smiled and walked to the kitchen. She stood there and leaned against the counter, she stared at the sets of knives she got few weeks ago, and she tilted her head, staring at the knife, an image of Harriet dead on the floor, by multiple stab wounds flashed through her --

"Poppy?" She heard and jolted out of her thoughts, she glanced to see Liam, Patrick and William standing there, they were looking at her, worried.

"You are not becoming a brainless socialite wife, you will not become a Bimbo." William ordered and she stared at him, eyes wide.

"You are Dr. Poppy Ellis, you will not throw away your life and your career for David, but I am sure you can hyphenate." Patrick suggested and she frowned.

"Why are you docile, why are you letting them steer you like a car? Are you happy, Poppy?" Liam asked her and she exhaled, then grinned "I am happy, I have never been happier, and I believe that being Mrs. Grayson will be the best decision for my life, I can't wait. In six months, I will be married."

"You can ask for help." William reminded her and she chuckled "I do need any help, my life is perfect. I have always been your baby sisters, and you took care of me, but you don't have to take care of me anymore, you don't have to atone, I am fine."

Her brothers stiffened at her words, because they really had been spending the last couple of years, trying to atone.

"Poppy, the drink!" Harriet called in a shrill tone and she called back "Coming, Harriet!"