"Marguerite," John greeted the older woman warmly. He was a bit surprised to find her with a white noise generator pointing out. Who did she think might be eavesdropping? "Your phone call was a pleasant surprise. Is everything alright?"

Marguerite offered John her hand, knowing he was a Sentinel (and a doctor). The gesture of trust warmed John. He squeezed the arthritic bones gently and took stock of her health. "Your blood pressure medication is not working as well as it should."

"Jean," Marguerite's French accent lilted his name. "It is good to see you after so long."

"And I you." John paused long enough to know that she saw the truth. "But you would not have called or wanted to meet without a purpose."

"Non," Marguerite agreed. "You are worrying the GRO."

The Guide Registrars Office dealt with all things Sentinel for the government. "And so they send you?" John was amused. The bond between them was fond but tenuous. Marguerite had been the partner of Harry's first training Guide, Linda. John would forever appreciate them for accomplishing the Herculean task of keeping Harry out of the military that would have broken her, but John never had been close to the pair.

"Who else could they send?" asked Marguerite with a sassy smile.

John shrugged. Since he hadn't been a confirmed Sentinel until half way through with medical school and had never even needed a training Guide (thank you Mother), the GRO had no other emotional ties to tug. "I was sorry to hear about Linda," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't send anything to the funeral."

With watery eyes, Marguerite accepted the condolences. "Yes, well, you were busy getting shot at. Linda would have understood."

John knew she would have. "Harry hasn't taken her death well."

"Jean," she said sternly. "You know I can't discuss Harry with you." Privacy laws kept all such information strictly within the GRO.

"So, the GRO?" John was always one for facing the coming storm head on.

"Just… date," Marguerite advised. "You've played this game before. Linda had never seen anyone so good at picking the exact wrong person on purpose as you."

John felt his face firm into a blank mask. He hadn't known Linda had seen through his ploy.

"Jean, she never told," reassured the older woman. "You play the same game now and GRO will focus on someone else. They're only looking at you because of Harry. Up until now, they've believed that your priorities have aligned with theirs, never realizing rather that Itheir/I priorities had aligned with Iyours/I."

The difference was subtle and true. John had used the GRO to pay for medical school and to get him into officer's training in the army. He had done it his way. John nodded once.

Marguerite offered her hand again. John could help but to see/feel/hear that she was telling the truth. "Date, Jean. Have some fun. But be careful, the GRO is watching."

John would take the warning to heart.