A/N: This is it! I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
"Zaf," Malcolm called, summoning every ounce of courage he possessed as the young man approached.
"Malcolm," he nodded.
"Well, it's been rather hot lately, hasn't it?" Malcolm started, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah, sure has," Zaf smiled easily, an eyebrow beginning to rise. "Were you going to ask something?"
Malcolm sighed. "I need some new sunglasses but the last pair I picked out around, I'm not sure, twenty years ago... well, my old colleagues laughed at me, and I was wondering if you could-"
"Pick you out some sunglasses?" Zaf finished for the other man gently.
"Yes. I'd appreciate it very much," exhaled Malcolm.
Zaf grinned, slipping on his own pair. "Not a problem," he said, strolling back to his desk.
"But none with studs!" Malcolm called in mild horror at the embellishment on his colleague's sunglasses.
Zaf threw a smile over his shoulder. "If you say so."
...
"Hey, Adam," said Jo, wandering over to his desk. "You've not moved all day."
"10/10 for observation," he smirked, but decided to confide. "Look at my feet."
"Why..." said Jo hesitantly, leaning down and beginning to laugh.
"It's not funny!" Adam protested. "I couldn't find my own flip-flops and I found Fiona's old ones at the back of the wardrobe and-"
"You could have worn normal shoes?" Jo suggested.
"But it's summer and it's too bloody hot," Adam groaned, wiggling his toes.
"Well, this is made a little more hilarious by the fact that I think we have the same pair," Jo informed him, flicking off one of her flip-flops and chucking it to Adam so he could compare. His eye roll told all.
"Now, this is the making of a great story..." Jo started, watching the frown spread across Adam's face.
"What do you want?"
"Do all my filing for the next month."
"The next month?!"
"I can picture it now – 'Section Chief Adam Carter strolls into work wearing flip flops with-' "
"Alright, alright. You're a cruel woman, Jo Portman."
"And you look dazzling in pink footwear, Adam Carter."
...
"Surveillance," Harry said shortly, seemingly disgusted at the term.
"On the beach," Malcolm added with equal distaste.
A man on their watch list was apparently a regular visitor with his grandson, however, and there had been no-one else on hand to monitor him – Adam and Zaf were undercover together, Ros was held up in the Foreign Office and Ruth and Jo were sifting through heaps of paperwork - and as beaches aren't particularly well equipped with CCTV cameras, it seemed this particular operation would have to be faced head-on.
"It seems we've really drawn the short straw, doesn't it?" Malcolm commented, watching Harry attempt to adjust his deckchair. Unfortunately, the whole thing collapsed, sinking into the sand along with a very agitated Head of Section D.
"It does indeed."
