A/N – The characters you know and love aren't mine – but you knew that. All the crazy OCs that you could do without, those are mine
Chapter 25
Veronica smiled and it lit up her dazzling blue eyes, "I am listening."
CW cut to the chase. "I have been tasked with building a new team to work under one of the deputy director's in Quantico. The team won't be anything like normal units you have dealt with. Instead of yearlong investigations, this will be more about rapid response. There will be a lot of swooping into situations where other agencies or even the Bureau have already screwed the pooch and there needs to be a quick fix. One day it might be terrorists, the next a serial killer, the next child abduction. Frankly, the whole composition and scope go against the book, and the project is also going to be under a microscope. There are some that think this sort of unit is needed to keep everyone on their toes, others that think the whole agency has become too departmentalized and that everything should be moved in this direction, and of course, there is a large group that wants it to fail altogether."
Veronica took another sip of her coffee. Jay another bite of pancake. The silence at the table seemed to stretch endlessly, each waiting to see what the next play was. Veronica caught a glimpse of unnaturally bright red hair and a tight cocktail dress making a bee-line towards the table. She shook her head slightly, and the older women stop. Gloria raised her eyebrows in silent question. Veronica smiled dismissively, her hand flicking like it was no big. She had no doubt that if the cocktail waitress thought that CW was bothering her or jay that she would have interjected herself into the situation or called in one of The Pony's decrepit security men. Veronica actually loved that about Gloria, despite the fact that she was a highly trained, deadly federal agent, the older women fussed about her in a motherly way, and was highly protective of her. Gloria narrowed her eyes, but eventually nodded before walking back out the door.
CW noted the rapid play of facial expressions and twitches on his protégée's face. He couldn't afford to turn around and look at who she was having the silent conversation with, he needed his attention on the blonde and her partner. He had just broken the recruiting rules, which had basically been to put the more unruly of his recruits into untenable positions and tell them they were being transferred or they wanted to or not, or to entice the more aspirational agents with the allure of a more powerful, high profile position. Sanjay was right when he pointed out that the stick wouldn't work with these two, and they didn't want the carrots he had to sell. Veronica would always find her way into trouble in the name of justice or vengeance, with or without the Bureau, and now that she was independently wealthy, I am not so sure being on the right side of the law matters to her. He kept his face cold, and waited, giving her the truth seemed like the only option, or at least most of the truth.
Jay and Veronica each had a hand at their sides under the edge of the table, just out of his line of vision; however, they could see each other's fingers from the corner of their eyes. They engaged in a best three out of five Roshambo to see who would speak first. Veronica's lip twisted in a small pout, she just lost.
"I want to meet your boss," Veronica blurted. CW groaned internally, like that's not going to be a deal killer. She continued, "I am sure you know that I am going to be in the D.C. area at the end of the week. If they are so hot to have us on the team make it happen."
Veronica's blue eyes narrowed dangerously. "Of course, I will also expect you to tell me the complete story of what you have to do with Logan's recent career options when we get back."
She then took a long glance at Jay and another sip of her now cold coffee. "Also, I want the real job offers on the table. It was clear the SACs we dealt with had been strong armed into offering the positions that they did. Right now, I am having a hard time convincing myself that I should continue with the Bureau and not just have Logan buy me a private island to frolic on."
At that Jay's face cracked and he lost the solemn, stony expression he had been regarding CW with. "If Logan knows that island frolicking is an option, I am not sure that anyone is going back to work ever again," he laughed.
Veronica shot him a withering glance, "Shush you, how did you pass negotiations training?"
Jay grinned, "I may have just tossed money at it, you know, like rich folks do."
"Irresponsible lout," she grumbled. She turned her attention back to the pancakes and ignored both men for a minute, letting her demands stand.
CW made a decision and stood. "I will see what I can do. Agents Mars, Virk, they may have gone about this in the wrong way, but your country needs you. I hope you will both seriously consider joining this new team. I will be in touch." He nodded his head stiffly and departed.
They both watched him until he was lost on the gaming floor. Jay waggled his eyebrows at her, his earlier dark mood momentarily forgotten, "So what am I going to get to not tell Logan that you are up for the idea of naked island frolicking?"
"I never said anything about naked."
"Oh honey, its implied when you say your super, ridiculously hot husband is going to buy you a private island."
She grabbed his wrist, twisting it painfully to see his watch, "Oh look at the time, I have to get to therapy." She stood and threw a twenty on the table. "Oh, and you get breakfast for your silence."
He laughed as she hurried out the door. "You are lucky I am a cheap date Mars."
~~..~~
Dr. Becky was smiling banally over her walnut desk. "Agent Mars, I am glad you decided to join me this morning. When you were late, without a courtesy call to the receptionist, I thought you were considering abandoning the process. Of course, I know you don't want to do that, after all we have to complete these few meetings before I clear you back for field work."
Veronica did her best not to roll her eyes. We both know you are going to rubber stamp that approval Becky, my attendance here is completely optional. Instead, she lied sweetly, "I am sorry about that, dreadful combination of traffic and dead cell phone battery. I am all about the process."
The therapist nodded happily, pacified that Veronica appeared suitably contrite. "Of course my dear, it happens to all of us. Now, did you bring your feelings journal?"
Veronica's face fell, I forgot all about that stupid assignment. I feel stabby that you ask me to do ridiculous things just to try to assert your dominance over me Dr. Becky, how is that for an entry? "My dog ate it…?"
Unexpectedly, Dr. Wentworth laughed, "Yes, well, I am sure that happens to all of us from time to time as well." She came out from behind her desk and sat on the sofa opposite of the easy chair Veronica had selected.
"Agent Mars, why don't we both cut the bull? Last week, I tried to give you an opportunity and a space in which you could discuss the after effects of the shooting. I know it isn't your first go-round, and I have read enough of your file to know, that shooting a boyfriend isn't the most traumatic thing that has happened in your life. But you and I both know that I am under orders to rubber stamp you back into the field, unless I consider you a danger to yourself or other agents. So where does that leave us? You don't trust me, and obviously aren't going to talk about anything serious. Me, I would be lying if I said I wasn't terribly curious, but I am also not going to lie and pretend I care about helping you, when you so obviously don't want help."
Well color me surprised, or a sucker for reverse psychology. "Just so you know, I did follow some of your advice from last time. I made it a point to keep busy and stay around people. In fact my best friend is flying in to spend part of the week with me starting this afternoon," Veronica threw her a bone.
"That is good to hear. Too many people subscribe to the belief, that they are born alone, live alone and die alone. It's not true, and the easiest way to move past a difficult period it to do it with others."
Veronica watched the doctor, she had slipped off her shoes and was now laying spread across the sofa, her eyes on the ceiling. Surprisingly, Veronica realized, it was easier for her to want to talk to Becky when she was acting so aloof and now staring at Veronica with understanding eyes and faux smiles. "You know what irritates me," Veronica started.
"What?"
"When other people think they can take control of my life and manipulate me into decisions or outcomes. For example, you admitting that you are under orders to rubber stamp these sessions. That is not about my health and wellbeing, not about how the Bureau spends its dollars on agent rehabilitation. It is about someone having made a decision, without consulting me, that they know what's best for me and that is being back in duty. Not that I disagree with them on this point. I mean, there is nothing wrong with me that busting a few bad guys won't solve. But still, that isn't the point, is it? Or as you so aptly put it earlier, that is not the process. We should both be putting more than lip service into this, so I could really convince you that I am fine to be out in the field, and in return so you could convince me that it is ok to cry once in a while. At least that is what happened last time. So the question is who, and why? What is so important out there that someone thinks they can intervene in my life and try to manipulate outcomes to their own liking?" Veronica was really just thinking out loud at this point, her sentences coming out softly, with long pauses in between. She turned to look back at the doctor, to what input she would have on the subject.
"Well, I'll be damned!" Dr. R. Marie Wentworth, professional head shrinker for the FBI was fast asleep, a soft snore the only noise she made in response to Veronica's exposition.
Veronica laughed quietly, and let herself out of the office. She stopped at the receptionist's desk before leaving the building. "Dr. Wentworth isn't feeling well. I think you should cancel her next few appointments." The girl nodded absently, and went back to looking at her tabloid.
Veronica shook her head and went back to her convertible. Plenty of time to get to the airport and pick up Mac, and stop for a donut along the way!
a/n – As I told Kayte76 yesterday, I didn't mean the previous chapter to be a cliff-hanger, I just got called away to dinner. So there you are, a little more forward action on CW's scheming, and a second update in the weekend! (Who has two thumbs and didn't have to go into the office yesterday? Why that would be this girl!)