"How's work going?" Hannah asked cheerfully.
Mike shrugged, not having touched his coffee. "Would be going a lot better if a certain someone cooperated."
Hannah sighed. "You know this stuff is hard on him. He blames himself for every death, especially Debra and Claire's. To a certain degree, it makes sense that he doesn't want to admit he's actively still pursuing it."
Mike looked at her as she sipped her tea. He expected a look of apology but she sat waiting for his response. She wouldn't back down from saying it.
He'd told her bits and pieces about the case and about Ryan and the rest she put together herself. She knew when she met him that he was involved in the Joe Carroll case.
Mike considered changing the subject, not ready to get into what he thought of Ryan's behavior and also not wanting to release details about the case. It wouldn't be professional and he didn't want to burden her with the details. He knew how quickly knowing about the case and the situation could take its toll on a person.
Mike smiled. "Yeah, you're right. He's earned his crazy, that's for sure. Can't hold it against him."
Hannah shrugged. "Agreed, but he should still be helping you. You were a team and even though he's moved on differently, he should still honor that. Unless he resents you for moving on and staying with the FBI and handling it better than him."
Mike hadn't thought of that. He knew he was pissed at Ryan for how everything happened, for shutting him out, for leaving the bureau, and for keeping everything from him now. He hadn't realized that Ryan might have animosity towards him as well.
He wasn't ready to admit that she was right… or even look into his and Ryan's relationship any more than he had in the past few weeks. That man infuriated him.
"Well," Mike admitted, "He did finally give me something… but hell, I don't know if I even believe it."
Mike sat back from the table, arms crossed over his chest. He refused to believe that Joe Carroll was alive. It'd mean that he'd made a mistake and he'd missed it himself. After hearing Ryan's theory, however, they thought had begun to have merit.
"Why did he tell you finally?" Hannah asked, curious.
Mike swallowed hard. "I broke into his apartment and found his safe room. I knew he was holding out on us. You should've seen it… It was covered in all things Joe Carroll. He'd been tracking them and researching ever since he was released from the hospital. He knew things the bureau didn't know and still didn't tell us. I confronted him and he gave me his theory."
Hannah's eyes widened. "You broke into his apartment?"
Mike took a deep breath. "Anyways, he may start working with me if I agree to keep it from Agent Mendez. She hates him more than I do."
Hannah's face softened, almost smiling. "You don't hate him, Mike."
He started to argue but she was right. He really didn't hate Ryan; he was just frustrated as hell with him.
"Do you still want me to come in to your class next week?" he asked, changing the subject.
"You don't have to," she shrugged, "I know you're terribly busy."
Mike wished that wasn't true. He'd made promises to her to come and speak to her class for two years and work had always made him cancel in the last minute. He'd set up this visit before the subway attack and he hadn't had the heart to cancel on her again.
He met her when she moved into the building and, ever the gentleman, helped her unpack into the apartment above him. Being the youngest in his unit, he knew what it was like to be in a new place.
He learned that she was 26, a teacher, and hated eggs. She learned that he had three brothers and only liked one of them.
After living in the building for three months, she finally returned his borrowed screwdriver and he invited her to get a drink just to be polite. She'd declined because it was a school night and had papers to grade but took him up on his offer later on in the week.
Since then, they met for coffee, sometimes breakfast, watched hockey games, and drank to forget hard days.
When he was released from the hospital after being beaten by Roderick and Charlie Mead, his doctor suggested that he should stay with relatives and wanted someone to keep an eye on him. It'd been Hannah that he'd gone to.
She slept on his couch for a week, making sure he was still breathing and still woke up every morning. He'd found strands of long brown hair everywhere, on the couch, on the floor, even on the counter, but he'd been happy she'd stayed to look after him.
She'd even had dinners ready for him when he got home. Once he got the release to go back to work full time, the dinners had stopped. She never knew when he'd be home and he only saw her if he called or showed up at her door.
It'd been a while since they'd seen each other and in his frustration with Ryan, he called to meet up with her.
"I'll try to make it," Mike offered.
Hannah smiled, already knowing that he wouldn't.
"Let me know what happens with Ryan," Hannah suggested, "And let's not wait so long to meet up again."
Mike smiled, "You got it."
Hannah got up, taking her tea with her, touching Mike's shoulder as she left the coffee shop.
Mike watched her leave over his shoulder, her long, wavy brown hair shining in the sun and he waited for her to turn to wave at him. She didn't and he resolved to see her again sooner.
As he looked back to his coffee, he was already annoyed. He knew he'd have to deal with Ryan's bad behavior when he got into the office. Mendez would eat him alive if she knew that Mike had known about Ryan's hunch and plans. But he knew that Ryan was right… everything that the FBI knew, Ryan had known with them. He had more sources and more information and Mike would be damned if he let Ryan continue this charade of ostracizing the FBI.