Original subtitles

.

- In the criminal justice system,

sexually based offenses

are considered especially heinous.

In New York City, the dedicated detectives

who investigate these vicious felonies

are members of an elite squad

known as the Special Victims Unit.

These are their stories.

I brushed my teeth.

You flossed?

Yeah.

[scoffs] That's a lie.

Mom, what are you doing?

- I'm just getting rid of a bunch of these old books.

We really need to give them away.

- I don't want to. I like 'em.

You like 'em?

Well, you want me to read you...

"Little Red Riding Hood"?

Because I'll do it right now.

Nah, that's okay.

Yeah, I didn't think so.

Okay. All right, honey.

So we'll go through the rest of this stuff tomorrow, okay?

All right, sweetie.

Go to sleep. Good night.

- Love you. - Mom?

Yeah?

- Whatever happened to that girl?

What girl?

The one that got kidnapped

the day of little Nicky's baptism,

Maddie.

How did you hear about her?

I googled you.

Wow, you googled me.

Yeah.

Well, what'd you find?

Is Maddie gonna be all right?

- Well, honey, she's home with her family.

And they're taking good care of her.

- But I mean, that guy who kidnapped her,

he's going to prison, right?

Yes, Noah, that's the plan.

Honey, you need to go to sleep.

You don't need to be thinking about those things.

Go to sleep.

Mom?

Yeah, sweetie?

- Why are there so many bad guys in the world?

[soft dramatic music]

* *

So...

You found some other articles about me?

- Only what was on the first page.

And what'd you find?

- An article about William Lewis...

[laughing airily]

[groans]

And Johnny D.

Ugh!

[people screaming]

- He has a gun! - Stay back!

Drop the gun. Let her go.

[gunshot]

He's a bad guy, right?

Um...yes.

I mean, he was, Noah.

He's--

He's dead now.

- I saw on the paperwork he's listed as my father.

- Well, you know, um--

you know, um, biologically...yes.

But...you know--

I--how--how did you even find these?

Did you--did you go searching

into my private boxes in the closet?

Are you mad?

- Well, you know, it's an invasion of privacy.

And I really wish you would have asked me.

- I'm sorry. - I understand

that you have big questions.

I mean, these are big, important questions.

And I want to have all these conversations with you.

You know, honey, there's a time and a place to have them.

And my job as your mom is to decide

when we should have those conversations, right?

And this is-- this is not how we do it.

* *

Is it really that scary?

You know, Noah, it's not.

It's just complicated.

Come here, honey.

- I think I would like you to read me that story.

Oh, I can do that.

Why don't you scoot over and turn the light on, honey.

Okay.

So once upon a time, there lived a country girl,

the prettiest creature who was ever seen.

And her mother was fond of her,

but her grandmother doted on her even more.

Her grandmother made a little red hood for her.

And she wore it so well and so much

that everyone called her Little Red Riding Hood.

That movie sucked.

- Yeah, it was boring, but I'd watch anything

with Jacob Elordi in it.

- Okay, Rosie, I told you not to spray that crap around me.

- Because your mom's a sommelier?

- Yeah, and she can't be around strong scents.

It messes with your palate.

She's gonna be pissed enough that I'm late.

- I thought you told her you were staying over tonight.

I did.

Well, then I can do this.

Okay, you're evil.

- [laughter] - Hey, give it back.

Back! Give it back!

Hey, girls.

How's it going?

Wanna smoke a joint with us?

[sinister music]

Yo!

You think you can just ignore us?

Hey, girls.

Got something for you.

- Hope you brought a microscope.

You're gonna regret that.

- Hey, I didn't give you permission to leave.

Hey!

- Hey. - Hey, what are you doing?

- What are you two gonna do about it?

- [screams] - No!

Rosie!

From that moment forward,

Little Red Riding Hood never left the path

or went into the woods again.

[soft dramatic music]

Was that a happy ending?

- You know, Noah, sometimes I'm not so sure.

I'm never, ever gonna

go through the box in the closet again.

We'll talk tomorrow.

Good night. Love you.

I love you too.

* *

[screaming]

Rosie!

* *

[sighs]

[dramatic music]

* *

.

- So Noah googled you and then read about

a few of your past cases?

Uh, yeah.

- That's it, I'm getting rid of the girls' computers--

- There's nothing we can do to stop this, Carisi.

- At least he was honest about it, you know?

It's not like--not like you got an OnlyFans account.

- That would have been easier to explain.

What?

- He asked me about William Lewis.

And then he asked about Johnny D.

What'd you say?

After I stopped stuttering,

I told him that it was complicated.

- That's a woeful understatement.

- He just wants to know that Maddie's kidnapper

is going to prison.

So that's why you met me

for mediocre coffee in the rain, huh?

- He's a kid. He still believes

that bad guys get what they deserve.

[sighs]

We're still working on that plea deal.

But?

But we lost our main witness.

The tree guy, the dendrophile, he--

he got beat to death at Rikers.

Well, it doesn't matter.

Maddie is our best witness.

Maybe, but she's 15.

She was snatched from her parents.

She was forced to ingest fentanyl

the entire time she was in captivity.

- So you're worried that George Brouchard's lawyer

is gonna paint her as an unreliable witness.

- Why else would they want this to go to trial?

So put me on the stand.

I'll rip 'em apart.

[tense music]

Okay.

[cell phone buzzes]

Bruno, what do you got?

She still alive?

Okay. I'm on my way.

Doesn't sound good.

- A teenage girl was found unconscious

in Fort Tryon Park,

stripped naked with a belt around her neck.

- I'm not due in court till later this afternoon.

- Well, I could use an ADA riding shotgun.

Widen the grid!

We're looking for her wallet, phone, jewelry.

On it, Detective.

- Who found her? - Two local moms.

They covered the vic with their coats until the bus arrived.

- It's pretty deserted up here. - Yeah.

- Few more hours, she would have died of exposure.

Anyone know who the vic is?

- No, we didn't find any ID on her.

We're checking Missing Persons.

And what about the perp?

- TARU's pulling camera footage,

but it looks like multiple assailants based on

the injuries I saw before the ambo hauled her away.

Multiple assailants.

So what, this some kind of wolf pack thing?

It's pretty violent.

Ripped the clothes right off of her.

Drag marks from her boots.

They go all the way down to the playground.

Vic was found here.

- Those are pretty deep gouge marks.

- Too deep for just a few kids playing.

Guys.

Guys.

Check this out, lip gloss.

Hey. Hey!

I'm gonna need a photograph of this.

- Someone was pressed face down against it.

- Was our vic wearing lip gloss?

Not that I noticed.

- We might be looking for a second girl.

- I'll get the dog, see if we can pick up a scent.

[suspenseful music]

- Did our Jane Doe regain consciousness?

Still on a ventilator.

Okay, I understand there was

some kind of ligature around her neck.

- The women who found her took this off her neck.

Caused some pretty severe cerebral hypoxia.

Any other injuries?

- Abrasions on her legs and back

and fingertip bruising on both wrists.

So she was held down?

- Was there any other bruising? Any tears?

- From the extent of her internal injuries,

I'd say multiple assailants.

Thank you, Doctor.

Doctor.

Um, what are the chances that she doesn't make it?

- I'd locate her next of kin as soon as possible if I were you.

You doing all right?

Not really.

- This job's hard enough without our kids googling it.

- We signed up for it. They didn't.

Noah's a strong kid, Liv.

[scoffs]

Is he strong enough to find out that his father's a rapist?

[cell phone buzzing]

You were.

Benson.

[soft dramatic music]

Thanks.

Uptown precinct just got a call about a missing girl.

- Let me guess, matching her description.

* *

- [breathing shakily] That's her.

That's my Rosie.

[cries]

- Ms. James, please, take a--take a seat.

When was the last time you spoke to Rosie?

- She left me a voicemail last night, checking in.

- Was there a reason that you didn't pick up?

I drank my Sleepytime Tea,

and I must have fell asleep in my recliner.

- You didn't discover her missing

until--until this morning?

- I got up to fix Rosie breakfast,

and--and her room was empty.

- Okay, and where are her parents?

Japan.

They're celebrating their 20th wedding anniversary.

Okay.

This is not your fault.

You know whose fault this is?

The guys who attacked her.

- Anything you can tell us about her,

where she was, who she was with,

would be so helpful.

- She said she was going to a movie.

With someone you knew?

- One of her girlfriends, her best friend, Sydney.

They were supposed to have a sleepover last night.

- Okay, we're gonna need to speak with Sydney's parents.

- Yeah, it's Rosie Meadows, my stepdaughter's best friend.

- When was the last time you spoke to your stepdaughter?

- Last night-- she said she was gonna

spend the night at Rosie's.

Why, did something happen to them?

We're sorry to tell you this,

but Rosie was attacked last night.

Attacked how?

She was sexually assaulted.

- There's no easy way to say this, Ms. Lynch,

but she's in bad shape.

- Oh, my God, w-where is Sydney right now?

Oh, my--is she at the hospital with Rosie?

- Mrs. Lynch-- - I have to get a cab,

unless you could drive me.

My hands are shaking.

I couldn't-- I couldn't drive if I tried.

- Mrs. Lynch, your stepdaughter is not at the hospital.

- What do you mean? Where is she?

[cell phone rings]

[gasps] Oh, it's--it's Sydney.

Pick it up.

Sydney, where are you?

What? What do you--

she says her phone's almost dead.

What do you mean your phone's almost dead?

Can't you borrow a charger?

- Give it to me, please. Okay, Sydney?

- Yes? - This is Captain Benson.

Can you tell me where you are, honey?

- I-I'm at a friend's house.

- Rosie's? - No. No.

Um, Rosie and I got into a fight.

Another friend.

- Okay. Can you tell me her name?

Can you tell me the address?

We'd like to come pick you up now.

Um--

[strained] I'm fine. I just--I--

I have--I have to go.

Um, my phone's run out of juice.

I'll call back later.

- Sydney, hold-- [phone clicks]

[tense music]

- She says she's fine and at a friend's house.

- Your stepdaughter is lying, Mrs. Lynch.

* *

.

- Hey, where are we on tracking the location

of Sydney's cell phone?

- TARU's trying to get a ping on it now.

- Is that the crime scene? - Yeah.

- Well, did we get any DNA, fingerprints?

- Yeah. - Denise Lynch confirms

that the lip gloss that Curry found,

same shade Sydney Lynch wears every day.

- We got pretty deep gouge marks on the topsoil,

but no ID possible on footprints.

- Why not? I heard there were lots.

- Well, the topsoil's got a lot of peat.

It's not the best medium for forensic impressions.

What about Rosie's clothes?

Did we get anything from her kit?

- Yeah, semen from four different men.

Four guys?

Any matches in the system?

- No. - But DNA methylation's become

a lot more reliable since you were a cop.

[suspenseful music]

- You're telling me the lab got the ages

of the perps from their sperm?

Pretty much.

- Forensics guy at the lab can place all four assailants

in their mid- to late teens.

- Straight to voicemail every time.

Sydney's not a liar.

What if her phone's really dead?

- I heard distress in her voice, Mrs. Lynch.

Where is she?

We don't know yet.

But we do need a list of friends, boyfriends.

She doesn't have a boyfriend.

Okay.

Is Sydney's father still in your lives?

- He died six months ago in a car crash.

Her mom's not in the picture.

I'm so sorry to hear that.

- It's just the two of us, me and Sydney.

- How well do you know Rosie Meadows?

- Her parents seem like they have a lot of money.

- Did Sydney ever mention any tension in the family?

They're out of town a lot.

I mean, she's raised mostly by her nanny.

- So Rosie never mentioned a handful

of slightly older boys?

No.

I mean, they're teen girls.

They communicate in ways I don't really understand.

- Right. - TikTok, Snapchat.

- We already checked her social media.

We just wanted to make sure

that we're not missing anything.

- Why would they just let her call like that

if she was taken?

- Well, it could be a number of reasons.

- Most likely of which is that they want us

to stop looking for her.

- But you're not gonna do that, are you?

No.

No, I'm not.

- What about the security cameras in the park?

This alleged wolf pack?

- We only got one guy on the cams.

- So he comes up behind her, puts Rosie in a headlock.

- Pulls her away from her best friend Sydney.

Takes her out of the light,

towards the playground, presumably.

Right.

She's paralyzed with fear.

- Doesn't want to leave her friend.

- My guess, she interrupted the rape,

and one of the guys held her down.

- Explains the lip gloss on the slide.

- Right. - And what about

the security cams from the park exits?

- [cell phone chimes] - I mean, if these guys

know the park as well as they seem to,

they probably just took Sydney off the main path,

into the woods, and over the fence, right?

- TARU got a hit on Sydney's cell phone.

- So we looked at your daughter's online presence.

- But without her passwords, we can't go much further.

- I have her passwords written down at home.

Liv, we have something.

- Last ping off a tower from Sydney's phone

was from about two blocks away

from a yacht club on City Island.

- So her phone is either off or completely dead.

Or these guys destroyed it.

I know this marina.

There's gotta be a hundred slips there.

- This time of year, people shrink-wrap

their boats and dry-dock them.

- Everything covered in plastic for winter

is a good place to hide.

- Yeah, we're gonna need backup.

I'll call 1PP on the way,

but we're not waiting.

Guys, we are gonna search every single boat if we have to.

We're gonna find this girl.

[siren wailing]

All right, you two take down there.

- It's been a while since I wore one of these things.

- Well, it suits you, counselor.

- I'd feel a lot better if I had a gun.

- Yeah. Well, that would be illegal.

Okay.

Let's open these up.

* *

- Clear! - Clear!

Clear!

- Clear up ahead! - Clear!

Clear!

Sydney?

Hey.

I'm gonna find this girl.

Clear!

[dog barking]

Captain!

- The dogs found a scent. Come on.

- What do you got? - She was here in the cabin.

Okay.

* *

They brought her here and did God knows what.

Captain, her phone.

- Find me the owner of this boat.

- Already checking registration.

Excellent.

And get CSU down here.

I want every inch of this cabin processed.

.

[tense music]

* *

That's not Sydney's.

How do you know it's even a girl's?

We don't.

But we did find Sydney's cell phone on the boat

and her DNA.

Does that mean blood?

- It's touch DNA. It's not from blood.

It's from someplace that she touched.

What did they do to her?

- There's no indication of life-threatening harm.

So?

- So right now we have every reason to believe

that Sydney is still alive.

[sobs]

- So did we get anything on the boat?

Did we make contact with the owner?

- Yeah. Retired insurance adjuster.

No records. Says he hasn't even been

out on the water in over a year.

Marina confirmed.

- Not to mention the state of his boat.

Forensics?

- Fresh prints and DNA, four sets,

and it is a match with Rosie's rape kit.

Oh, this just came in,

security cam footage from the marina entrance.

There's our wolf pack.

- Yeah, they all seem like they know each other.

- Do we have any evidence that they knew

the two girls that they targeted?

- I ruled out every boy that Sydney and Rosie

had contact with-- phones, social media.

- So this is what, just totally random?

- It was deliberate. - No.

I think they were hanging out in that park

just waiting for someone to come along.

- So some kind of gang initiation?

- There's not a lot of white gangs in the city.

Albanian maybe, but--

- Yeah, but it doesn't even matter

because there's no prints or DNA in the system.

- I doubt these are first-time offenders.

- So check local precincts for muggings, robberies, assaults,

involving four young, white males.

On it, Captain.

- These guys look like they're still in high school.

Yeah, I bet they don't have

perfect attendance records, either.

- I'll check schools for truancy reports.

- You know what, check student body psych visits.

After what they did to Rosie--

- I'm sure a pet or two has gone missing

from their neighborhood. [cell phone buzzes]

- Rosie's parents are at the hospital.

That's Rosie's.

Red's her favorite color.

Where did you find this?

- We found it on a boat in a marina on City Island.

- W-what would she be doing there?

- Well, she wasn't there, but her hoodie was.

Why?

It's just hard to understand,

but it's possible the boys took this as some kind of souvenir.

- Either way, Rosie didn't have it on

when we found her in the park.

She must have been cold.

- Okay, you said that Rosie was with

her best friend last night.

Yes.

Sydney Lynch. Do you know her?

- Vaguely--

- Of course we know her. Where is she?

- Unfortunately, she's still missing.

We believe that after your daughter was attacked

that the boys took her.

- And you haven't found them yet?

- We're doing everything that we can.

How much? How much?

We can put up the ransom, any amount.

- You tell us how much. - Mr. Meadows,

we don't think that this was financially motivated.

- We haven't received any kind of requests like that.

So then what do they want?

- This is difficult to wrap your head around,

but some people just want to cause pain.

What?

They're just wild animals?

I wish it were that simple.

- Our daughter may never recover.

* *

We are so incredibly sorry.

And we want you to know

that this is NYPD's highest priority.

And every cop in this city is looking for those boys.

- And when we do find them, they'll do life in prison.

Excuse me.

Hey.

- Local precinct just got a call.

A neighbor in an apartment building saw

something suspicious at a townhouse next door.

Suspicious how?

- Well, the place is under construction.

Oh, so it should be empty.

- Yeah, but a young girl was out on the roof.

And she was out in the rain.

Neighbor took a pic.

That could be Sydney.

Precinct sent a uni.

Nobody answered the door.

Velasco and Curry are on the scene canvassing.

- Call ESU and hostage negotiation.

- I'll hang back with the Meadows.

Okay. Let's go.

.

[sirens wailing]

- Do we have any idea who's in that townhouse?

- Tough to see with the window covered.

But our infrared shows four males and one female,

who I'm assuming is the hostage.

- Make sure your snipers know that.

- Better yet, tell them to stand down.

- If they see a clear shot at one of these guys,

- they're taking it. - You gotta make contact first.

Look, your scene, my case.

Are we clear?

- You run the townhouse? - Yeah.

Owner's putting it on the market,

pending renovation and pest control.

Velasco said the pest company had a set of keys.

- You get anything from the exterminator?

- She has an 18-year-old son

who hasn't been home in two days.

[tense music]

* *

- Ma'am, I'm Captain Benson, NYPD.

Mona Piper.

Your detective seems to think

that my son might be involved with this.

- Does your son have access to your office?

Seth tries to be a good boy.

He tries?

- He helps out sometimes, but...

he's different.

He always has been.

Mona, listen to me.

So if you want to protect your son,

I'm going to tell you the best way to do it, okay?

- I'm listening. - Okay.

You see those men up there?

Those men getting into position?

Those are the best-trained men in the world

at putting .30-cal Win Mags into human brains.

So if you care about your son's life,

I suggest you call him right now.

Yeah.

[line trills]

Seth, it's Mom.

Seth?

This is Captain Benson, NYPD.

- Oh, my mom told you where to find us, huh?

- No, your mom loves you, but she's worried about you.

Why is that?

Well, I think that she knows

that you haven't had an easy go of it.

Maybe you're a little different.

I think maybe she was talking about your lack of empathy.

You know, it's not like you just woke up one morning

and decided to assault a girl with your friends

and kidnap her and put her in a townhouse, right?

Seth, you know what I think?

I think that it started first with, like--

with bugs, right?

And rats.

Huh?

Mostly rats.

Rats.

Right.

Maybe even when you were really young?

When did you start helping your mom out at the office?

Ten.

You know, in my experience,

boys like you, you know, they start out with animals.

And then, Seth, you know what happens?

They slowly become one.

I'm not an animal.

Are you sure?

Yes.

Prove it.

Where's Sydney? Let me talk to her.

I want to hear her voice.

She's right here.

- Okay, well, let me talk to her.

- Seth, man-- - Shut up.

- What are we doing? - Shut up.

- What is going on? - Shut up!

* *

You tell her you're okay,

or you end up just like your friend.

Okay?

Here she is.

- Hi, honey. This is Captain Benson.

How are you doing?

- I'm so sorry. I'm--I'm fine.

- You're fine? It's okay if you're not, honey.

- It's okay if you're not fine. - I'm good.

I-I want to be here. I want to be here.

- Okay, honey, I understand. I understand.

Please don't come in. Please.

That's it. That's it.

Satisfied?

You can end this right now.

All you have to do is walk out that door.

- Nah, I think it's a little too late for me.

- No, it's not. Listen to me.

You have the power to make a choice.

Are you a man, Seth, or are you an animal?

Animals are weak.

Are you?

No.

- Well, then I think you know what your next step is.

* *

My mom out there?

Seth, I see you looking out.

But my snipers don't.

I could tell them where you are,

and they could take a clean shot,

but I'm not gonna do that.

[chuckles] Why not?

- Because we're talking about choices, Seth.

We're talking about choices.

It's not that hard to ignore

the animal parts of yourself.

I want my mom to leave.

I don't want her to see me get arrested.

Okay.

Okay.

You're in charge.

* *

Hold your fire!

- The scene is secured. No shots fired.

- Tell me about the girl as soon as possible.

- Unhurt. They're bringing her out now.

* *

[cell phone buzzes]

Carisi, we're all good.

Sydney's alive.

I wish I had better news.

The Meadows just had Rosie taken off life support.

I want him in my car.

What?

Do it.

- Captain-- - Do it!

- I'll take him. - Yes, sir.

* *

Velasco, you're with me.

What are we doing here?

You're asking me a question

that you already know the answer to.

- You said we were going to the precinct.

Well, I guess she lied.

Get out.

- What are you gonna do to me? - I'll tell you

what I'm not gonna do is ask you again.

* *

So right after you came out of the townhouse,

I got a call from the hospital.

It was not a good call.

The girl that you attacked, Rosie,

she was brain-dead.

Her parents just decided to pull the plug.

You're going down for murder.

They killed her, not me.

- Do you know what a forensic reenactment is?

No.

So we're going to recreate

what happened last night when you raped Rosie.

Stations of the cross.

Ah.

Is that where you dragged her from?

No.

- How'd you move her to the playground?

- I didn't. It was the other three guys.

- Well, no one carried her because...

- [grunts] - I saw the drag marks.

Only one person moved her.

- You're just doing this to mess with my head.

- What, you got a hearing issue?

Like we said, it's a reenactment.

Let's see.

Let's try to recreate those drag marks.

So is this where you raped Rosie

and then you beat her till she was unconscious?

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

You're sorry?

You ended her story last night.

What do you want from me?

The full story.

Of what you did to Sydney,

here, on the boat, in the townhouse...

But not from this pathetic, little insect.

- I thought you wanted a forensic reenactment.

I changed my mind.

It's her story to tell.

Put him back in the car.

.

- I saw them dragging her by the neck,

the--the one with the long hair and the eyes.

- And then what? - And then the other three

jumped on her, held her down.

I'd never seen anything violent like that, not in real life.

You couldn't call 911?

- Mom, I was--I was terrified.

She froze, Mrs. Lynch.

It's called tonic immobility.

And it's a normal response to a predatory attack.

- After a moment of that, I--

I actually--I ran towards them.

I tried to help Rosie, but I just--I couldn't.

- We have reason to believe that at least one of them

held you face down onto the slide.

- But then you managed to get away.

I ran.

I feel so guilty.

- No, no, no, no, Sydney, listen to me.

There was nothing more you could have done.

You did everything right.

You saved yourself.

You did everything right.

[somber music]

- I looked into Rosie's eyes as they tore her clothes off.

When you ran away,

when did they catch up to you?

- I--I got--I got lost.

I must have ran to-- I must have made a big circle

because I ran right into them.

- You remember what happened next?

- Seth, he put me in a headlock,

and he choked me until I passed out.

Do you remember calling me?

Yeah. Um...

I woke up in some sort of boat,

and they forced me to call you.

- Because they didn't want us to keep looking for her.

But we didn't stop, honey.

I would never stop.

You hear me? I would never stop.

[both sobbing]

* *

So, Sydney...

I hate to ask you this, and I know it's uncomfortable,

but I need you to tell me

exactly what they did to you

when you were held captive.

- They, um--they were p--

playing with me,

taking my clothes off,

moving my arms and my legs,

making me do things.

I just--

I just closed my eyes and pretended it was all a dream.

* *

- You get a confession out of Seth?

Eh, you could call it that.

He talked a lot about you.

- Me? - Yeah, you.

Evidently, you scared him.

- He said that? - Yeah.

- And he also claims the sexual assaults

against Rosie and Sydney were consensual.

Consensual?

Oh, the beating, the choking, the torture, the murder.

He blamed the other three.

- Then the other three all blamed each other

before they lawyered up.

- So much for sticking together.

Hey, can I, uh,

can I talk to you alone for a second?

You know, Seth's lawyer's gonna have a strong claim

of coercion if this goes to trial.

Let him try.

I'm ready.

- This a bad time? both: No.

- Just heard back from Nassau County SVU.

DNA from our four perps is a match

for half a dozen unsolved wolf pack rapes on Long Island.

- Are the victims willing to testify?

They are.

Counselor?

I will talk to the DA.

Due in his office anyway about George Brouchard.

Good luck.

What?

- You're lucky I'm not in IAB anymore.

- Captain Curry, I am going home to my son,

and I suggest you do the same.

[soft dramatic music]

* *

Hey.

You feel like some company?

Sure.

Whoa.

Mom, is that what I think it is?

Yeah.

Yeah.

So, um, how much do you know?

- Not much, just the names--

yours, mine, and my biological father.

So are you in the mood

to hear the beginning of your story?

What kind of story is it?

Well, that sort of depends

where the story ends, doesn't it?

Ours ends in a happy place,

you and me right here.

* *

- And you know what they say about endings, don't you?

What?

Every one is a new beginning.

* *

So one day,

there was this beautiful woman named Ellie...

* *

[dramatic music]

* *

[wolf howls]