That's The Best You Can Do?
Billy heard their voices the moment he entered the bullpen. They were in his office – and they were arguing. Not loud enough for him to understand what was being said, though. Billy glanced at the doughnut in his hand – his favourite kind, with caramel cream filling – and the newspaper under his arm and sighed. So much for that nice, quiet morning.
He picked up a mug of coffee at the coffee station and slowly made his way to his office, well aware that everyone was watching him for the corner of their eyes. Maybe if he took long enough those two would be done by the time he entered his office.
Alas, they weren't.
"I really don't get what's your problem."
Lee wasn't actually shouting but he was close.
"Why can't you just admit –"
"What?" Francine cut him off. "That Amanda is Miss Super-Spy and can take on the whole KGB single-handedly?"
Her voice was dripping with sarcasm. She had her back turned to Lee and was rearranging a stack of files on Billy's desk. Billy tried to read her expression but found he couldn't.
"No, of course not", Lee huffed. "That's ridiculous."
"Well, funny, because that's the impression I get every time I hear you gushing about Amanda."
Pointed like pins and needles.
"I'm not –"
Lee finally noticed Billy and turned to him.
"I'm not gushing! I'm just pointing out her skills!"
Francine snorted.
"Yes. Over and over and over again. I consider that gushing."
She, too, turned to Billy and gave him one of her flashing smiles. It failed to deceive him. He wasn't sure what kind of mood exactly she was in – she sounded calm enough when you ignored the sarcasm – but he knew it didn't match the smile. Her eyes looked too dark.
"Good morning, Billy. Smyth has set a meeting at ten – precisely as he told me to tell you."
Billy glanced at his watch. That left him with half an hour to break up this argument and have his second breakfast in relative peace.
"Did he say what about?" he asked.
Francine shrugged.
"He said if he told me he'd have to kill me. You know him."
"Ah, one of those."
Billy put his doughnut, coffee and newspaper on his desk and hung his coat and hat on the hat stand. The way how Francine just dismissed the meeting and obviously hadn't tried to find out more told him she was currently preoccupied with things she deemed more important.
He sat down behind his desk and looked up at the two. At Francine, pulling off her Ice Queen routine as perfectly as ever, and at Lee who looked very much like a sullen teenager with that scowl on his face and his hands in his pockets. Billy gave a mental sigh. Sometimes he felt like he had more than just two kids.
"So, what's the matter with you two?" he asked.
"Us?"
Francine arched her eyebrows.
"I have no idea –"
"It's her", Lee interrupted her and stepped forward, pointing at her. "She's always belittling Amanda's achievements and putting her down and –"
"You're just upset because I'm not as liberal in my praise of your precious Amanda as you and Billy", Francine cut him off, her voice rising now too.
"Praise? Hah!"
Lee gave a short laugh.
"As if. You couldn't come up with one single good thing about Amanda if your life depended on it."
"That's not true!"
"Fine. Say something nice about Amanda, then."
Lee folded his arms across his chest.
"Seriously? Oh, please ..."
Francine glanced at Billy. He shrugged and grinned. He didn't want to say that Lee had a point but it was true that Francine rarely ever admitted that Amanda had done a good job.
"I really have no time for this. I've got work to do."
Francine turned and wanted to leave.
"A-ha! You can't."
A triumphant smile appeared on Lee's face.
Francine spun round to him.
"Of course I can. She's –"
She paused and thought for a moment.
"- reliable", she finished.
"Reliable?"
Lee snorted and shook his head.
"That's the best you can do, reliable?"
Francine opened her mouth to say something but he just went on.
"How about brave? Or smart? Or resourceful? Or –"
"Reliable", Francine cut him off. "That's the best I can and will say about Amanda King."
And with that, she turned on her heel, nodded at Billy and left.
Lee looked after her. He shook his head.
"Reliable", he murmured and stuffed his hands in his pockets, miffed at what he perceived as yet another slight of Amanda. "Seriously, that's –"
"- high praise indeed from the woman who never relies on anyone but herself."
Since he very obviously didn't get it Billy decided to set him straight.
"What?"
Lee turned to him and frowned. And blinked.
"Oh. Yah."
He took a hand out of his pocket and rubbed the back of his neck, giving Billy a somewhat sheepish smile.
"Right."
Billy waited for a few moments to let that sink in. Then he gestured at his donut and coffee.
"Would you mind? I'd like to finish breakfast before I have to see Smyth."
He pointedly glanced at his watch again.
Lee smiled at him, nodded and left.
Billy watched him go. Through the window he saw Amanda and Francine standing together, studying a file. Maybe he should try to get those two to work together more often. Francine might be less opposed to the idea of working with Amanda than she had been in the past, judging from her comment just now. And he was sure those two could learn a lot from each other.
He smiled. Yes, maybe he should do just that.