#4 - "Two Halves Of A Whole"
Will Pinkerton still had trouble believing that he and Kate had only been working together for six months. It hadn't even been a complete year, but it felt like she had always been by his side, always nagging him and sassing him with her witty remarks. When they first began working together, he would've given anything to have her replaced with a man, even if it meant staying in Kansas City for the rest of his life. Once it became evident that that wasn't going to happen though, he didn't even care that his boss was a woman, he just wanted a different one. One that was preferably less demanding and condescending, and would succumb to his charm.
However, after the first few weeks of constant bickering, disagreement, and several eye rolls, the two of them fell into a pattern of sorts. Whenever there was a case to be solved, Kate would do most of the talking and plan making, and Will would carry out the plans and travel places to interview suspects on the outskirts of town. Over time their pattern developed to the point where they would both make the plans and both travel to talk to witnesses and suspects, and it was only now that Will realized how much time they actually spent together.
When they first began their partnership they only saw each other whenever there was a case to be solved, or if they just happened to run into one another by circumstance. But as the months trickled by, they began to spend most of their days together, even if there was no mystery that needed solving. Most times they would just meet up at the Dubois and talk over drinks or dinner, asking how they were doing or what they did that day, and making faces or snide remarks at the other's response. Some days Will even went to Kate's house and spent the day with her there, helping with chores or errands that needed to be run. The town was small, and there wasn't much to do there or be entertained with. Will supposed that was one reason he and Kate sought out each other's company so often.
But there was another reason he liked being with her, and it was simply because she was his friend, and he enjoyed spending time with and exasperating her. Of course, he would never admit that to her face, seeing as Kate made a deliberate point in calling him anything but her friend, but he believed that she must care about him to some extent too, despite her constant denial.
It still amazed him at how high a regard he now held her in compared to when they first met. Now, he most definitely didn't want a replacement partner, and he didn't even care that his partner was a woman. He and Kate made a good team; they were ying and yang, two halves of a whole, and he never anticipated the probability of them being separated or replaced.
That is, until his good-for-nothing brother Robert Pinkerton came to town.
Will had never really gotten along with anyone in his family too well, except his mother. It was mainly his father and brother he had trouble with. He loved them, of course, but growing up he always felt as if he was an outsider, and never good enough. He supposed it was because his father was an extremely successful detective/business man who had created an extremely successful detective agency out of practically nothing, and his brother was the first born and excelled in nearly everything he did, making him naturally a family favorite. It only seemed to get worse as he got older too. His brother always looked down on him, saying Will could never please father the way he could, and was disgusted with him when Will agreed to be stationed in Kansas City.
"It's a small, uncivil town where father only sends his worst agents," Robert had haughtily informed, casting a meaningful glance at Will. Little did Robert know Will had gladly agreed to be stationed there, mainly because of him. The farther away Will could get from his brother and his deigning attitude towards him, the better. In Kansas City, Will was free; he could do his own detective work and not have to worry about anyone telling him what to do or how to do it (except his father on occasions). Of course, all that changed when Kate arrived, but Will had decided he was perfectly content with that.
But now Robert was back, and he had an ulterior motive up his sleeve.
First he had interviewed John, then Kenji, then Logan, and then Annalee. Both Will and Kate found that strange for a performance review, especially considering that all Robert did was twist their words and stories to fit what he wanted to hear.
When it was Will's turn to be "reviewed," he was expecting questions about the cases he and Kate had solved and the methods they used to do so, but was surprised when all Robert wanted to know about was Kate.
He later supposed it wasn't that surprising after all. Robert had always hated the female division of the Pinkerton Agency, since he believed that detective work should belong to men only. Will couldn't judge him too harshly for his views; he had thought the very same thing six months ago. Maybe Robert was on the verge of changing his mind, just like Will had. And so Will told his brother about Kate and how she was a great detective who could solve any crime and that there was no other person he'd rather be partnered with. Robert watched him with a passive expression the whole time, made a few notes, and then dismissed him without saying a word. Will gladly left and wandered away to find Kate anxiously awaiting him by the Dubois staircase.
"What did he ask you? Why is he here?" she immediately asked.
"He wanted to know about you, actually," Will admitted. At the anxious expression she made he quickly added, "But don't worry - I told him only good things." He winked.
Kate frowned. "All he wanted to know was about me?"
Will nodded. "He sang you praises."
Kate looked at him with disbelief, and exclaimed quietly, "You're kidding. Robert can't stand me, I mean, you even said it yourself - he dislikes female detectives."
"Okay, that was a long time ago, but people can change their minds." Will shifted, uncomfortable with the look Kate was fixing him with.
"Even you?" she smirked.
"Well, I was referring to Robert, but yes, me too. I can change my mind, can't I?" he said defensively. Of course, he had changed his mind a long time ago, but he and Kate didn't exactly have conversations about that. There were just some topics they didn't discuss.
"Look, what you two think of me is not really the point. Robert's got something up his sleeve and I'm going to find out what that is."
Will shrugged and gestured to his brother. "Here's your chance." Kate nodded and strode over confidently. Will watched Kate as she approached Robert and sat down, both of them immediately engaging in conversation. He couldn't hear what they were saying, and Kate's back was turned to him so he couldn't see her expression. After nearly standing there for over fifteen minutes, watching them converse, he sighed and headed upstairs to his bedroom. Kate would find him when she was done and explain everything then.
It turns out he didn't have to wait long before his bedroom door opened and in walked a fuming Kate.
"You can knock, y'know," Will said from his reclining position on the bed, but Kate ignored him, and proceeded to tell about Robert's plan to get rid of the female bureau. By the time she had finished her explanation Will was fuming himself. Why was his brother doing this? Together they both went back to the Saloon, still trying to make sense of what was going on.
"I can't believe he lied to my face, my own brother! 'It'll all be very routine, Will'. I guess you were right." Will scowled as they reached the bottom of the staircase.
"I would be happy to be wrong," Kate admitted. Both turned to stare at Robert, who was currently ordering a drink at the bar.
"But how does he expect to get away with cutting out the entire female bureau? Our father would have his hide if he tried that."
"That's what I find intriguing. I mean, how does he plan to get away with it?" Kate glanced over at Robert again, a disgusted look on her face.
"There's only one way to find out," Will said, and steeled himself as he walked away to face his brother and quickly confronted him, asking why he was doing all of this and what did he have to gain from defying their father.
His brother's response left him speechless.
He wanted to form a coup? He wanted to get rid of father and the female bureau, and run the agency himself, with Will by his side?
"Think about it, Will. I'll need your decision soon," his brother said, and then left.
For a few precarious seconds, Will considered the offer. He would be at the head of the agency; no one could ever tell him what to do or how to do it again. But then he thought of Kate and his father, who were both his friends and mentors (despite the occasional disagreement), and he knew deep down that he could never betray them. He glanced around the Saloon and saw Kate, sitting at a table only a few feet away, writing something down on paper. He made his way towards her, thinking about what would happen if he were to agree and join his brother's mutiny. What would his father do? What would Kate do? He sat down at her table and stared at her for a minute, his mind buzzing, until she looked up, a concerned expression on her face.
"When you told me about your history with General Sterling Price, that was a painful admission for you," he acknowledged softly. Will then glanced up and looked at her, asking, "Why'd you tell me?
Kate's eyes squinted with confusion and uncertainty, but she answered the question anyway, with conviction. "Because I knew that you would listen without judgement."
Will nodded, and then glanced down at the table. "Listen, Kate. If you weren't a Pinkerton, what would you want to be?"
He glanced up and saw a terrified expression slowly crossing her face. "Why are you asking me?" she demanded.
"I'm just curious."
Kate continued to stare, and Will saw the pen in her hand begin to tremble ever so slightly. "Have - have you ever thought about starting a family," he continued, "or getting remarried?"
"The Pinkertons is my family," she said with even more conviction than before.
That was all Will needed to hear. He nodded, and then proceeded to tell her what Robert had just told him. When he was done, Kate stared hard at the table, considerably paler than she was just seconds before.
"Kate." Will waited until she looked up at him. "I'm not joining him."
Kate let out an audible sigh of relief, and the tension in her shoulders relaxed. "Good. I - I didn't think you would, but..." her words died off, but there was no need for her to finish the sentence. It was clear she had been scared - scared that she would be kicked out of the only family she had and be told her career was over. It was only after seeing how vulnerable and afraid she had been that Will decided to make a vow. He vowed, right then and there, that he would never betray Kate, no matter what the cost, and that he would never let anyone take her freedom away from her.
He was her friend and he was her partner, and partners always looked out for each other.
