Author's Note: Quick out takes from Kings Castle. Takes place after Johnny goes to talk to Paige about the bounce house, and before Mike goes to jail.
"Knock Knock."
Paige needs to get the lock on her door fixed. People just keep barging into her room today.
"Dammit! These 2-22's are never going to get filed if people keep interrupting me!" Paige slams her hands down on her desk angrily. Most of her frustration was due to the fact that she actually wasn't getting any work done anyways. She'd been sitting there staring blankly at the pages in front of her thinking about Mike. She wasn't expecting him to be back in the house so soon. She thought she'd have time to process this whole messed up situation before she had to face him again.
The fact that it's Briggs standing in her doorway just makes her stomach sink with guilt. She hates lying to Paul. He was like her family. He'd always looked out for Paige and had her back. He took care of everyone in the house. Paul was Graceland. Mike was… Paige didn't know anymore.
Briggs walks into her room with his normal cool confidence, leaning over her shoulder to glance at her paperwork. "Now we both know you could fill these out in your sleep. See? These aren't even due for another two weeks."
Briggs is always full of casual compliments, but Paige blushes a little under the praise none the less. He grins down at her and places a hand on her shoulder giving her a friendly squeeze. "You know if you're not careful, everyone's going to see right through this 'hot party girl persona' and see that at heart you're just a gold-star hungry perfectionist. You could give Warren a run for his money."
The mention of Mike's name brings the pang of guilt back to Paige's stomach.
"Hey Paul." She looks guiltily back at the papers in front of her rather than at him. "Look, I don't mean to be rude. I'm just in the zone right now, and really should get back to work. But if you want company, I know Johnny's looking for help planning Jake's birthday."
"Ah yes, the big birthday bash." Briggs sighs dismissively. There's a reason he came in here, and he's going to stay on task. Trying to steer the conversation back in the direction he wants, Briggs teases Paige, "You know I'm beginning to think all you women in this house are workaholics. Are you trying to make us men look bad?"
"Yeah, well we gotta pick up the slack for you boys. With Johnny's head filled with strippers, Jakes mourning his birthday, and your surfing addiction..." Paige doesn't mention Mike. After what she learned about him in the hospital, she's not sure if he really counts as part of the house anymore. She's not sure he ever really was.
She feels so betrayed. She didn't know who Mike was anymore. She used to think he was this incredibly perfect man. Smart, handsome, hardworking, and most importantly she believed he was a good man. She just saw a goodness about him, a kindness and morality that she'd never encountered before. But it wasn't real. Everything he'd ever told her had been a lie. She didn't know who he was anymore.
Briggs notices Paige's lack of mention of Mike, but doesn't think anything of it other than it's a convenient segway into the real reason he came in here. Trying to sound casual he says, "Yeah, well at least Mike's still working."
"Psshhhh… you have no idea." Paige grumbles under her breath before she can catch herself.
"So you've heard about what Mike's doing?" Briggs asks, surprised that news had traveled so quickly to Paige about Mike's new plan for prison espionage.
"What's Mike doing?" Paige asks, guardedly. She dares to hope Mike did the right thing and came clean to Briggs. It would keep her out of the middle. She doesn't like all these secrets at Graceland, and she feels her loyalties torn between Mike and Briggs. If Briggs knew, maybe she could forgive Mike. Maybe. Someday.
"Well Charlie and Mike have decided Mike needs to go back undercover with Bello to take another shot at finding Oden."
"But Bello's already in prison. I'm sure the attorneys can work out a deal for his confession." Paige is confused by this sudden turn in the conversation. Briggs can't possibly be suggesting what she thinks he is. That would be suicide.
"Well Bello's not talking, but Charlie thinks he might give it up so Mike can cut a deal."
"You can't be serious. He can barely stand and he's going to put himself in prison?" Paige's face pales.
"Yeah, I don't think it's a good idea, but you know Charlie. She can be convincing."
"Well then tell him not to go!" Paige says in a panic, standing up so quickly from her desk that the paperwork goes flying, but she doesn't care.
"I tried, but Warren won't listen to me." Briggs says, shaking his head. Giving her a sideways glance he says nonchalantly, "Maybe, you could persuade him though."
"Me?" Paige asked suspiciously.
"C'mon Paige, cut the shit. I know you," Briggs rolls his eyes, "And I know that you know the kid's got a little thing for you. He'd do anything you asked. Tell him not to go. He'll listen to you."
"Yeah, well we're not really talking these days."
"Everything ok with you two?"
"Is there really so little going on in this house that you all have nothing better to do then to speculate about every little interaction..." Paige growls in frustration. First Johnny, now Briggs? When did the house become so gossipy?
"We're just having issues. Could everyone drop it?" Paige says defensively, turning away from Briggs. She hates lying to everyone. She hates Mike for putting her in this position. He wishes he had never confided in her.
"Well whatever issues you two have, I'd settle them real quick, because if Mike goes into that prison in his condition, there's a good chance he's never coming out." Briggs says, before walking out of the room leaving Paige alone with that haunting thought.
Briggs knows how to play people, which is why he's not the least bit surprised when, two minutes after he leaves, he hears Paige walk out of her room and down the hall to Mike's door.