Anna's Day

By ElementsOfSapphire

DISCLAIMER/Please Note: This/these stories are all purely for fan-fun purposes only; no copyright infringement intended. I own none of the rights relating to either The Avengers, nor The New Avengers; none of the characters, sets, the lot. I'm awfully sorry if posting such stories relating to the show is not allowed or is unwanted. In which case, please accept my every apology and inform me so I can take them down. Once again, I'm just a teen fan that wants to get their work shown and evaluated, so please tell me if its is wished for my story/stories to be taken down- or even my entire username. Thank you :)

EXTRA NOTES: The mystery solving bit seems awfully... simple, is it? But bare with it, you'll understand by the end if you don't figure it in the first two paragraphs why it is so! This was the product of watching too many old action movies and realising I don't have the capacity to write an in-detail version of my own. Anyway, I hope this is of vague amusement, and if you're only here for Steed, skip to the end.

"He says he's just pulling off at the intersect- about 3 miles north of Maidstone." Anna informed the driver beside her, the 4x4 rolling along at a steady speed of 60mph. She replaced the walkie-talkie to where it had been lying in her lap, leaning over to check the glove department one more time.

There it was; matt black and dangerously intoxicating. She would use it today, the first time, hold it up firmly as she'd been taught and pull the trigger. Once, twice, as many times as she could until the revolver would pine for more ammunition. But then, she had that, too, so maybe there would be no stopping her, maybe she could use it like never before. A lazy finger traced the barrel as the car jerked into the right hand lane, speeding up to 70, 80, 85; cars lagged behind them as they passed, turning into the motorway from the dual carriage way and storming ahead. There was nothing like it, the summer sun beating down, windows open, petrol fumes and the faint musky smell of her fellow agent's gun oil. She sniffed; breathed in the joy, let the plants on the side of the road just become harlequin blurs.

3 miles North of Maidstone? He was miles ahead, a good ten minutes at this pace; they'd never catch up unless she put her foot down- seriously down. Purdey glanced across to Anna, only momentarily, ever aware of the road surrounding. She saw her toying with the revolving motion of her gun, and smiled; training new recruits was one thing, taking them out to the field was something she'd yet to experience. Purdey checked the mirrors; it was relatively calm, no congestion, no blithering drivers, no policemen... The speedometer hit 100. Anna was grinning.

"Where's he now?" Purdey asked, risking another sideward's glance. Anna let off the revolver, shut the compartment and took up the device from her lap again. She held down the button, it crackled, but eventually the connection was made.

"I'm nearly at the farm," he said before Anna had a chance to inquire. She frowned towards Purdey in disapproval, but she could but smile. He was always so quick off the mark. "How are you two doing?"

"We're... Where are we?"

"Where he was when we last spoke; the intersection," Purdey replied, hitting the brake and swerving left, across two lanes and up the single road towards the roundabout. Two cars hooted in aggravation, a laugh came through the walkie-talkie.

"By the sounds you're at the intersection; right?" the man laughed again, Anna bit her lip in fury; when was it her turn? "Purdey, you shouldn't be risking Anna's life, it's her first time out and about."

This time Purdey grabbed the device, taking a hand off the wheel and skipping the red light before turning hastily to head back down a country lane. Onlookers watched in dismay whilst a mother, seeing the driver and passenger head off so dangerously, pulled her child in close.

"Mike Gambit, I'll have you know I'm being very responsible." The woman said, not noticing Anna's huff, nor how she folded her arms over each other as her patience ran thin. Wasn't she meant to be helping? A cow in a field looked at her sympathetically as they zoomed past; Anna smiled a small smile, held the gun that was by now in her clutch, tight. "Besides, you said a man would never up and leave a woman if he really cared, and now you've gone and left two."

"That's funny," the voice crackled through, "I thought Anna had gone with you."

Purdey frowned in confusion as she turned the car onto a country track, the cow still watching, grass in mouth and perplexed. Ahead of them they could see Mike's red car, glimmering in the sunshine, wheels covered in cow crap. He was leant against one of the derelict barns, six or seven haystacks piled up at the entrance, concealing whatever was inside.

"What do you mean, Mike?" Purdey asked sternly through the walkie-talkie as they pulled up, yanking off their seatbelts. Gambit walked round to Anna's door, hauled it open and peered across to the driver with a suspicious smirk.

"Well that makes one woman, and a Purdey. Not two."

Purdey's eyebrows knitted, and she treated Mike to a deathly glare before clambering out, waiting for him to help their fellow agent out and meet her by the bails.

"Got your gun, agent Anna?" he asked kindly as he assisted her onto the mud-caked floor. She snarled in disgust as her new birthday shoes were eaten by the brown, slopping mess, the summer sun yet to have dried it out from the previous weeks' rain. Her frown didn't last long however; his words were playing on her mind, already excited and whirring like crazy. That was her, agent Anna.

And Agent Anna very well did have her own gun.

"Right here, Gambit" she replied, emphasising the man's name. It felt weird calling him Gambit, but they were on a mission, they were agents, so it would be Gambit. The man appeared to be equally as amused, smiling a small smile to himself and shooting a quick glance to Purdey. She grinned the same, prompt smile back; she'd heard it, too.

"Lead the way then" he said, pointing towards Purdey who was by now stood slumped against a hay stack at the front of the shed, legs crossed, gun in one hand, blade of grass between her teeth. She was 36 now, but looked the same as she did in '77, as far as Mike was concerned. He was 40 and apart from the tell-tale salt and peppering amongst his black locks, he too looked the same. Both were just as lithe, elegant and dangerous as ever before. Anna, on the other hand, was evidently from a much different generation, her hair black and curly- long just like Purdey's had been back in '75. She may have known how to hold a gun, but she was a long shot from her comrades. Let alone Steed. Where was Steed, actually?

"According to Steed," Purdey began as they reached her, Mike standing besides the woman. He looked up at the falling, blonde streams of hair which stopped at the shoulder blades, the bare shoulder and wrap around dress she wore.

She's so damn gorgeous, he breathed to himself, letting his mind wander as she continued to talk, watching her slim silhouette light up with the sunshine. Anna, on the other hand, was completely transfixed by the words of the other woman; listening intently, watching hard.

"There should be some key for the door around the back. He watched Beerling put them in a box under a trough somewhere near the back gate, so we should probably check there."

"Did he say if it was buried?" Anna inquired, and Purdey nodded to say he had. Gambit was still watching the way that if Purdey turned slightly to the left, the light would meet her eyes at just the right angle to turn them from sea blue to periwinkle blue. She seemed to notice as she gestured for Anna to lead the way, and shot Mike a raised eyebrow. Surprised, he smiled meekly back, ducking his head but hanging back a bit.

Anna, blissfully unaware of her comrade's whispered discussion, held her gun firmly in her hand, safety latch on. It seemed heavier now she was out of the training garden, whether that was from the possibility of use or from the fact she'd seen Mike switch the old battered one she usually used with his lucky one, was disclosed to her. But she wanted to be prepared for any threat, to do Purdey and Mike proud, so she held it firmly, and with dignity.

As it was, there were no cybernauts, no random S-95 users and, unsurprisingly, no looming SCAPINAS. Slightly gutted, Anna kept it to herself, not waiting for the others to catch up. They were getting old now, anyway. She let her eyes glance along the wooden wall, searching vigorously for the spade. Trowel, wheelbarrow, cartwheel, tractor tyre, pig-

Pig? Why the heck was there a pig?

She carried on regardless. Shears, pile of manure, wellington boots, an old car grate, a shovel... A shovel! Excitedly, Anna ran over and took the object into her possession. Despite the soft mud, it still took all her strength to dig, and after some time she turned to the man who had finally caught up, looked to him in defeat.

"Want some help, Agent Anna?" he inquired, disentangling his arm from Purdey's and taking the shovel. The box wasn't buried deep, but enough for the girl to have tired. When it was finally retrieved, and Purdey took the shovel from Mike to place it back by the barn, Anna looked at it in dismay. There was a number lock. Damn, she thought to herself.

"Ah, that's right," Mike said, pondering at the silver digits, "Steed said there was a question... folded paper somewhere..."

"Under the wheelbarrow!" Purdey exclaimed dramatically, appearing genuinely pleased with herself. Anna, taking initiative, darted over, past the pig and slid under the barrow. Mike and Purdey watched with triumph as, after some time, Anna re-emerged, the slip held high in her hand. She went to call out in glee, then seemed to realise what she was doing- a secret, special mission, as they'd both told her this morning, and clammed up. No one must know that she had the sheet.

"What does it say?" Purdey inquired as they all knelt around the box again, Anna holding out the sheet so they could all see.

"It says..." Anna squinted, shook her head, and then turned the page up the right way, "Shi tzu."

Mike and Purdey made a point of looking to each other in the most perplexed manor. Seeing this, Anna joint them. Clearly it was the correct reaction to have taken.

"What does that mean?" Mike asked Anna, squinting at it himself, "What does 'shi tzu' translate to?"

Anna glanced at him in the most bemused manor. Didn't he know? Very upset that he shouldn't know THE little munch-kins, Anna turned to correct his lapse in knowledge, but Purdey got a word in first.

"Never heard it," the other woman admitted, biting her lip in that way of hers. "And I spent time in Peking!"

Not both of them? Anna groaned to herself. Things were worse than she thought.

"It's a type of dog!" she announced quite certainly, tapping the paper for emphasis. "They're amazing! Flat faces and fluffy tails!" she turned to Mike, looked him in the eyes, "The woman on the the front cover this week of the magazine you buy me had one!" she said in a whisper, but Purdey heard, eyes narrowing.

"Magazine?" she inquired darkly and Gambit grinned sheepishly, shrugged awkwardly. "What magazine, Mike Gambit?"

"Does it matter? I think I know the code!" Anna said cheerfully, and Purdey forced her attentions from the man to look back at the digits; the four letter code. She looked to Anna expectantly, and the girl's grin could but grow. ".- Its 'woof' ! Try it, Gambit."

Gambit, glad to have a reason to get away from Purdey's prying eyes, cast his own towards the box. A sure finger clicked the first digit to w, and it made a satisfactory ping noise. He grinned to Anna; she smirked back. The o, o and f all made the same noise, and at the last one, he pushed the box to face Anna, let her prize it open.

Inside laid a single sheet of paper, and she looked to it with dismay, placing her gun back into her under-arm holster. Purdey never had one; she found her stocking tops quite suffice for her small, almost delicate gun- if she ever took it. But Anna loved the sensation; the complete sense of security, the little bit of danger- right there, easy to grab. She'd never had one before today, and it was AMAZING!

Peterson,

The spare S-95 is in a barrel behind the shaft towards the left of the barn. When you stand on the hay stacks you should see it quite clearly. However, I have put around it a protective casing; you will need to shoot the lock to get the S-95 out. Yet, if you miss, the gas will instantly seep out for protective reasons. It's one shot, Peterson, one shot.

Please report back when you get it,

Beerling.

Purdey, leaning over Anna, read the note aloud then turned to her fellow Agents in concern.

"Do you have a gun, Mike?" she asked, and he shook his head. He didn't have to tell her he'd let it in the car, she could see that. "Me neither," she grumbled, before clambering back to her feet. "Looks like you'll have to go for a jog, Mike. Off you pop."

"I have one!" Anna beamed in pride, taking it from her holster just to prove. She knew they both knew she had one, why hadn't they asked?

"Brilliant!" Gambit smiled, taking Anna by the arm and marching her towards the hay stacks. "Looks like it's up to you, then."

Her heart was beating like crazy as she climbed to the top, Purdey and Mike stood watching at the bottom, concern etched on their faces. It seemed higher from the top, but it felt stable beneath her feet. The s-95 was easy to spot, too, as was the padlock around the front. One shot, Anna she reminded herself, and slowly she breathed through her nose, lining up the gun with a wooden strut from the roof acting as support. Below, Purdey was resisting the urge to clamber up, too. Mike must have noticed, his hand was suddenly in hers, squeezing it tight.

"She'll be alright, Purdey-girl. Even if she falls, there's hay everywhere." He tried to comfort, but her eyes were reverted on the gun, the barrel glistening in the summer sun.

"We shouldn't have let her up there, Mike, she's not ready." Purdey said, chewing her thumb nail anxiously. The tower appeared to loom above them and the more she looked, the higher it seemed to get. A few moments ago, she would have thought it a mole hill, but now with Anna on it, it appeared to be taller than the Alps. "What will we do if she falls?"

"She won't," Gambit promised, squeezing her hand again. "And if she does, we'll catch her, won't we?"

Purdey nodded, her action heightened by the sound of a gunshot.

"I did it! I did it!" Anna cried, and Purdey and Gambit looked up at her in joy, giving her the thumbs up. "Wait... there's balloons... and... Steed!" she continued, just before she began to scuttle her way down the other side of the hay stack, and into the barn.

Inside, coming from various hiding spots, Steed and McKay came out, holding a cake between them. Flanked by a gaggle of Anna's friends, the whole congregation began to sing in union, the balloons from the 'S-95' still falling. Tabby, Anna's best friend, ran forward to greet her, passing her a gigantic card.

"Happy birthday, Anna!" she squealed, and passed her the envelope. When opened, it revealed what appeared to be a boy's card, with 'Have a Super 7th!' blazed on the front.

Anna was almost crying from joy by the time Steed had pulled her in for a hug.

On the other side of the hay, Purdey and Mike were almost at the top, having heard the surprise party begin. Gambit steadied Purdey with a hand just before they reached the roof, turned to face her properly.

"Happy 7 years and 11 months," he smiled at the woman, and she smiled meekly back, tucking a loose strand of hair back behind her ears self-consciously. It had been 7 years and 11 months since she'd finally allowed him into her life. 7 years and 11 months since she'd watched someone almost take his life, seen him barely alive in hospital and clambered in beside him, hugging him tight, cooing unlike she normally would. Then that evening when McKay came to see them when Mike was sound asleep, but she was not. Instead she was cuddled up, watching him, not caring about what anyone thought anymore. She'd realised that if he went, she would have lost both the men in the life she'd... loved... to the field. Her father, then Mike. But then that doctor came and leant down and whispered to her so lightly, barely loud enough over the beeping machines 'he's going to be ok, Purdey. The blood came back clear.' By the time Mike awoke, Purdey was gone from the bed and back in the visitor's chair. She smiled at him warmly, and took great relief when he grinned back, and with a gasping breath said: 'well, well; you finally stayed the night with me'. He was flirting; he was going to be ok.

The day he was discharged, Purdey helped him home, despite Steed's wishes. She'd done a spring clean the evening before, and when he walked in, he was quite taken back by the sudden feministic edge, the beaded curtains draped here and there, the make-up on the draw to the left of the bed.

"I thought I'd move in," she said as way of explanation, and Mike almost fainted with not surprise, nor joy, but utter shock. He vowed he ought to nearly die more often, and that it had done wonders for their friendship, and instead of a raised eyebrow, he received a kiss on the lips. "Once was enough to teach me a lesson," she amended, and 11 months later, Anna was born.

Anna Gambit. The Ministry's only child.

Purdey leant forward across the hay to peck Mike's cheek, let her hand trace his jaw in a sweeping curve. "Happy almost-8-years" she replied, and his grin extended, not managing to hold back his joy.

"I do love you, Mrs Gambit- to be." He winked; glancing down to the little sapphire ring nestled on her finger.

"Good," she smirked, crawling up a little further and glancing back over her shoulder momentarily. "If you're lucky, I'll repeat that to you in the church."

"Why not now?" Mike smirked, sending a hand up to grab at her waist whilst he, too, clambered up. His hands weren't going anywhere, and Purdey shot him a 'do-you-really-want-to-question-me?' sort of glance.

"Mike Gambit, on the other side of this hay stack, your daughter is celebrating her seventh birthday in a room filled with our bosses; do you have no sense of priority?"

Mike thought on that, and pulled his hand away, looked down in defeat. But it was as Purdey shook her head, and grabbed for another tuft of hay that a hand sought out her waist again and rolled her over. His lips met hers lightly, and she found she couldn't resist a smile, powerless to the being of Mike Gambit.

"Alright," she mumbled in defiance as he pulled back, letting his dark eyes search hers, "I love you."

"A lot?"

"A lot a lot." she confirmed, pecking his lips lightly again, and relishing in the concept that although she was to marry Mike, she was freer now than she ever had been.

This is The End.

Unless you want to see a little bit more of Steed, find out what Anna get's for her birthday, have a development in the Purdey/Mike story and discover just how bright Anna really is.

In which case, please do read on.

Its kind of cute, if that helps to convince you.

"There's another present for you, Anna; but your mum and dad said I couldn't give it to you until they were here though... wherever they've got to. You did say they were right behind you?" Steed inquired, watching as the little girl marvelled over the action figure he'd just given her. He wasn't worried that she wouldn't have preferred a doll; by the looks of things, she'd be part of the Ministry by the time she was 16. Despite the fact she was extremely bright, Anna never had much interest in education. She wanted to be out there, just like her dad had, right from the start. Steed had a funny feeling that would be exactly what happened in the end- despite Gambit telling him endlessly how she would be some grand prize winner in the years to come, and Purdey saying how she was going to end up with works in every gallery.

Anna looked up briefly and rolled her eyes at the man, "they're probably just kissing. They do it alllll the time. Its soooo gross." She thought for a second, letting her hand with the toy drop to her side, "but it's better than when they chase me."

"Chase you?" Tabby inquired, joining the slowly broadening congregation.

"Yeah; sometimes they chase me for cuddles and stuff. Normally we end up having ice-cream and watch movies if I give in, so it's not all that bad. Daddy's worst, he always has me on his lap and mummy cuddled into his shoulder when we watch TV together. But then he sneaks me extra ice cream when mummy isn't looking, and she does the same, so, again, it's not that bad."

Steed smirked to himself, watching as two figures, hand in hand, slid in laughter down the hay stacks and landed gracefully on the floor. Most of the people in the Ministry thought it was ridiculous that they should have kept the child considering their occupation, but Steed wasn't one of them. He knew they'd take to parenthood like a duck to water. And looking at Anna, they'd done a pretty good job. And looking at them, they were pretty enjoying it.

"So what do you think, Steed? Reckon that she'd be invited to join the Ministry sometime soon?" Purdey asked as both she and Gambit joint the circle either side of their daughter. Tabby, who it was obvious to anyone had a bit of a hero crush on Mike, stood to his side, and to her joy, he gave her a quick tap on the shoulder as a greeting. She could have fainted.

"I have to say I was impressed, Anna. And they didn't debrief you at all?"

Anna, drowning from the complement, beamed back at the group. "They only told me it was top secret and very special... It was a real mission, Uncle Steed, I disarmed the S-95!"

One day they'd tell her there never had actually been any S-95 to disarm, but even Tabby knew not to say anything seeing as it was Anna's birthday party. She'd be heart-broken, no doubt.

Steed simply laughed, and patted the girl on her back whilst making a discreet gesture to Mike that he should rub the spot to the left of his top lip. It was smudged with a colour eerily similar to the shade of Purdey's lipstick, and somehow he knew that Mike wouldn't have intended for anyone to have seen that. Gambit's eyes lit up in urgency as he scrubbed away, bestowing a quick nod of thanks to Steed.

"Want your presents yet?" Gambit asked his daughter, bending down to be level with her glowing eyes. She looked to him to be shocked, and he smiled a little grin of amusement. "You didn't think we'd only get you a pair of buckle-up shoes for school, did you... But first up, ah?" Mike's fingers were beckoning towards Anna's arm, and to begin she looked confused. Then she seemed to realise what he wanted, and begrudgingly, she lifted the gun from her holster, and passed it back to her dad. He then passed it to his fiancée, who studied it with a very peculiar smile. Two sets of eyes focused back onto Anna, and she looked to them bemused. What?

"I guess she should probably keep this, actually." Mike stated to Purdey, watching as she was flipping the object back and forth in her hands.

"Mm, well, if she really is going to train to be an agent, she's going to need a gun of her own, isn't she? I mean, she can't have a license yet, but I'm sure we can put it on one of ours and safe-keep it until she's old enough, right?"

Tabby looked to her best friend in awe. She was getting a gun for her birthday?! Sure, she knew that Anna was different at school, and that she was the only friend of them all to have been allowed to know what her parents actually did for a living. Everyone else thought that Mike was a banker, and Purdey they thought was not only a secretary, but in fact Mrs Gambit. The only way Tabby found out they weren't yet actually married, was when she was asked to join Anna in being a bridesmaid.

Purdey also bent down to be level with her daughter, peeling back her jacket and softly pushing the gun back into it holster. Anna watched her with bewildered eyes, feeling a pulse of excitement as her mother withdrew her hand, and she realised that it hadn't been her dad's lucky gun at all, but a brand new one. And now she was seven, she was finally old enough to have weaponry of her own. And this had been brought for her and her alone.

"And I suppose," Mike continued, digging in his pocket for something or other, "you might like to go to the seaside for a few days? Maybe have a day at one of the Ministry's ranges to test the new gun?"

Anna was shaking, and Purdey giggled a little as she cuddled her stunned daughter close. Tabby looked to her friend, not in jealousy, but knowing just how much this meant to her. A chance to be just like her parents? She was surprised Anna wasn't crying yet.

"And I also suppose," Gambit added with a grin, turning to his biggest fan, "You might like to join us? Have a nice donkey trek along the beaches."

Anna pulled away from her mother and looked to Tabby with sincere shock. They stopped, staring at each other, and then with no warning, they threw their arms around each other, jumping around in joyful circles. Purdey and Gambit linked arms, content with the apparent happiness their choice in present had brought their daughter. They knew deep down that Steed, who had remained silent, was going to lecture them later about spoiling her, but they couldn't help it. To Mike, Anna was the child he could offer the childhood to that he never had, and to Purdey she was the little embodiment of her moving on from Larry. To them both, she was the greatest thing in the world, and they couldn't help but want to spoil her. Show her how much she meant to them.

"Where are we going, Mr Gambit?!" asked Tabby excitedly, keeping her hand in Anna's.

"Kent, probably. We were trying for Dorset, but I'm not sure if we'll get there by this evening."

This time, even Purdey blanched. Weren't they going tomorrow?"

"Bear..?"

"Oh, yeah. Steed sorted it for me." He looked to Purdey with hopeful eyes, but she still looked rather shocked. "Surprise?" he added meekly, but Purdey was already darting to the car. She hadn't even packed!

"Look after Anna," she called, already scrambling back up the hay bales, "I'll be back when I've packed."

And with that, Purdey was gone.

Anna and Tabby ran off in sheer joy, pausing when their eyes laid sight on Tabby's parents both stood at the end of the hall, grinning at them. Of course, they were going to tag along for the trip; they weren't sending a seven year old to Kent on her own- even if they'd been friends with Mike for near on twelve years now.

Steed shot Mike a warning glance when they were finally alone, but when he spoke, it had nothing to do with spoiling Anna.

"When will you tell her the gun's a fake?"

Mike blanched, chewing his bottom lip.

"When she's a lot, lot, older." he confessed, blissfully unaware that at the other end of the room, Anna was looking at the gun herself, and had finally noticed that the bullets inside were a dense plastic, filled with nothing but air.

She wouldn't tell Tabby though, as far as the world was concerned, Anna was just the next Avenger.

So there you go; yet another one of my 'Purdit' drivels- except this had a sort of story line! If you took the time to read the extra ending- good on you ;D I wanted to add more the the party, but it made the story unnecessarily long, so you don't lose much from not reading it... But if you did, I hope you found it slightly adorable (:

Equally, I need to give a mention to Timeless A-Peel, of whom I stole the phrase 'salt and peppering' when describing Gambit's hair. Its so obvious where I got that from, so I can't not mention the source xD

Finally, for those who thought the 'Shi Tzu' question was pretty weak, there's a genuine reason. In the original, Anna was a bit of a 'fangirl' of a certain blonde actress, of whom is not only in 'The New Avengers', but a bit of a hero to myself. Lo, I didn't keep it in, in case there were any copyrights against her name.. So that's why the question isn't grand. And for those who are wondering, the four digits were originally '1 9 4 6'.

Once again, thanks for taking the time to read my little literary attempts :)