I can't believe we're finally going to see new episodes again tomorrow. I'm probably going to keep repeating that for the rest of the season. Time is passing too quickly for me to keep up anymore.

I'm trying to keep up with my writing now that I have a summer internship that consists of me sitting around in front of a computer for long hours (don't anybody worry, I'm doing my job to the best of my ability—I just frequently tend to work faster than they can keep giving me assignments, which leads to random hours where I sit and twiddle my thumbs in contemplation). I have a feeling, depending on my workload, I'm probably going to wind up posting WotDs mostly on weekdays and slack off on the weekends. I think that should be a fair trade. ;)

Oh, and sorry for dragging her into my normally sweet and sappy Augnie fics… I just read the definition and couldn't for the life of me think of anyone more appropriate to this word.

$4$

Pecksniffian: (adj.) hypocritically and smugly affecting benevolence or high moral principles.


"How long has she been in there?"

Annie tore her eyes away from the glass wall partition long enough to glance at Bea. "She's been in there for the last two hours."

Bea's dark eyes doubled in size. "Just her and Joan?"

Annie tapped her pen against her desk and wished she had spent less time learning Arabic or German and more time learning how to lip read. "Arthur and a couple of the seventh-floor boys were there for a little while when they first brought her in, but I think Joan made them leave."

Bea leaned heavily against Annie's desk and let out a low whistle. "Damn," she muttered under her breath. "Joan's gonna kick her ass."

Annie arched a slender eyebrow but didn't disagree. "Don't blame her. Actually, I'm surprised she hasn't started working her over yet. She deserves it."

Bea chuckled as she replied, "Hell yes she does. Bitch got two good agents killed—she's lucky no one's decided to throw her in Guantanamo yet."

Smiling, Annie studied the two women in the glass office once more. She had known the leak could be dangerous, but hadn't really taken Arthur Campbell's dogged obsession with her seriously until Auggie got involved.

She knew it wasn't personal—he wanted to prove himself to Joan, the DPD, possibly to all of the CIA—to prove that he could work on the field, get the information necessary and complete the job without screwing anything up because of his disability.

In the end, it didn't matter. Arthur Campbell found out, and used Auggie to blow his cover and prove that Liza's leak was actually one of a handful of men in the CIA, men that also happened to have some of the highest clearing in the CIA.

Last she'd heard, there were still quite a few names on that list that needed to be crossed off—not that she had any idea who was actually on that list—but it was too late. In her broadcast two days ago, Liza had let loose extremely valuable and highly restricted information about a black op that was going down in Islamabad. People found out, the op was blown, and two men died for her desire to get the information out to everyone.

This wasn't just any black op—it was one that Joan personally had a hand in. The half the team in Islamabad used to work for the DPD, including the two men that died. Joan had been green lighted to be on point for the entirety of the op, and she had been putting all her time and effort into making sure everything went off without a hitch.

And then Liza Hearn had to go and fuck everything up.

"I can't believe she's sitting there so… calmly," Bea breathed, stirring Annie out of her thoughts. "If Joan was giving me that look, I'd be trying to run for the hills as quick as possible."

Annie had to agree. Liza sat in the office, looking so calm and smug as Joan grilled her for information.

"Am I the only one that wants to beat that self-righteous look off her face?" Annie asked quietly, half-rhetorically as she gripped her pen tighter.

"Oh, hell no," Bea replied, her dark lips curving upward in a smirk. "It's a damned long line. And Joan's got first dibs."

Annie laughed. "That's fair."

Liza reclined in her chair, smiling confidently and looking every bit like the meddlesome bitch everyone in the DPD knew she was. And then something glorious happened. Joan said something, her pretty blue eyes narrow and her mouth set in a contemptuous frown, and then, like magic, Liza lost her cool. She shot out of the chair, her eyes wide and panicked, and started speaking rapidly.

Joan's expression never changed for a second, her arms crossed rigidly over her chest. She replied shortly—with something that looked an awful lot like Too bad—and for a second, Liza's whole body froze. And then she lunged for Joan.

"Oh my God!" Bea exclaimed. Annie gripped the table, preparing to sprint to the office and kick the door down if needed. She wasn't the only one—everyone in the DPD was watching this go down, and at least three of her coworkers were already standing up, more than willing to beat the ever living shit out of Liza if she hurt their boss.

But it wasn't necessary. In a flash, Joan had Liza's wrist, twisted it up and around, and had the bitch pinned to the table, her arm forced into an extremely uncomfortable angle against her back.

Instantly, everyone in the DPD seemed to breathe a collective sigh of relief.

Liza didn't look to be taking this too well, if the muffled shouting and expletives that could be heard barely through the glass walls was any indication. But regardless of what came out of her fish mouth, she wasn't going anywhere.

"Okay, if it wasn't official before, it is now," Bea said, a hand over her mouth. "I think I have a girl crush on Joan."

Again, Annie had to agree.

$4$

I really can't pass up the opportunity to show Joan being badass. Mostly because Liza's such a snake. Someone needs to bitchslap her. And who better than our resident badass boss?