K had struggled with himself long and hard over what he was about to do but he had decided it was for the best. He walked into Zed's office and sat down in the chair across from his superior. Zed looked up at him from his paperwork and noticed the severe look on his long-time-friend's face.
"What seems to be the problem?" Zed asked. K opened his mouth and explained why he had entered the office that day.
S stormed down the rows upon rows of desks then up the stairs into Zed's office. She slammed the paper down on his desk with an open hand and glared at him until he registered her presence. He looked up at her with bored eyes and waited for the tirade to begin.
"What the hell is this?" She demanded angrily.
"It's a transfer order." Zed explained. Her frown grew even deeper.
"I know what it is," she yelled, "I want to know why the hell you're trying to transfer me to a desk. Have I been a bad field agent?"
"No," he answered truthfully.
"Have I broken the rules?"
"Less so than most other agents," he answered.
"Did I personally offend you or something?" This time he simply shook his head and waited for the yelling to continue. "Then why the hell am I being transferred to a desk?"
Zed stared at her for a few moments. "Have a seat, kid." She unwittingly planted herself angrily in the chair K had sat in the day before. "I want you to understand, I'm doing this on request."
"Who's request?" She demanded. She had been tempted to stand again in anger and maybe slam the desk a few more times, but she doubted that would help her case any.
"I'm not at liberty to…"
"Bullshit," S objected, "We don't have agency rules, remember. You could tell me anything you wanted to and there would be nothing to stop you. Who requested the transfer?" Zed sighed. In that moment he looked exceptionally old and tired.
"Your partner; and before you go yell at him, I have another option available." S had paused midstride at the sound of his words. She turned and indicated he should continue. "Agent N just retired and H is short a partner. I could transfer you over to him instead. K would never be the wiser and you would still be out in the field." S walked back over to the chair and slumped into it.
"I would like that," she said in a broken voice. She felt betrayed. Her insides were still and cold as if they had been freeze dried. She held back the tears that tried to spill free. This was just like when she had lived in the orphanage; always moving from place to place, from family to family, from one abusive house to the other. There was one major difference here though: she had been stupid enough to get her hopes up again.
"You'll start working with him tomorrow," Zed informed her in a soothing voice, "but you can start later if you want to." S slipped her mask back into place and shook her head.
"No sir," she responded, "I want to get to work as soon as possible." She stood and shook his hand then walked out of the office with her head held high with confidence she didn't have. She had been getting better; she had actually started to care again. She wasn't going to make that mistake with her new partner.