Conclusions


When Monday rolled around, Peter and the team were happy to be learning a new normal around the office, but they were also interested to know how things were going to go with Bryce. The young agent was generally well-liked, when he wasn't being accused of committing crimes right under their noses, so there was a great deal of curiosity as to what his future would be.

Talking to the main agents of his team, Peter was lamenting the unknown future, "I know it's up to what he wants and what the bosses allow, but I can't help but hope he finds a way to at least consult with us. Then we could still work with him from time to time."

"You don't want to train a new partner, do you?" Diana teased. "Bryce has the wits to cross swords with you in a debate and you like to challenge him." Then she chose to add with a twinkle of amusement to her eyes, "Would you consider leaving the deviled ham at home, if he would come back to work with us?"

Amused, Peter played along. "Possibly, but it would be a hard choice. They are my favorite sandwich after all."

"Huh, and here I don't rate above a sandwich," Bryce said from right behind Peter causing him to jump and slurp his coffee.

"You're lucky I didn't just spill that on my suit." Peter paused to verify that his drink had remained in the cup before turning to greet his friend.

"I think the suit could use a little extra color. It seems to be a bit drab," Bryce played off of their familiar relationship.

"Very funny, Bryce. Are we going to be treated to this spy stealth often? If so, I think I will need to fill my cup a little less full to be prepared," Peter pretended to be stern.

Shrugging playfully, Bryce wasn't bothered by the expression. "Maybe I will. Someone has to keep you all on your toes. And as I won't be around all of the time, I might as well make the best of it when I am," he grinned mischievously.

Too happy to hear that Bryce was going to be coming around, Peter realized he was thrilled at the prospect of being snuck up on. "Then you'll just have to come around as much as possible so we'll get practiced at hearing your approach."

"Maybe I just will. After all, the agency has allowed me to consult whenever I am not otherwise needed in my field, and the FBI was almost too willing to agree to an arrangement," Bryce answered one of Peter's biggest worries.

"Are you here to make arrangements, or are you going to be around for a while?" Peter wondered with a big smile. He was thrilled to know Bryce was going to be working with them, even if it wasn't on a steady basis.

"I'm on leave for a month, but I do have to visit Washington from time to time for my business." Bryce shrugged, "In general, I'm here to help with whatever cases you are working on, partner."

"Well, I hate to disappoint you, but we are working on cold cases and mortgage fraud," Peter laughed.

Shrugging, Bryce wasn't concerned, "I'm well practiced with those of late, and they are easier than impersonating a murder victim to catch the killers."

Feeling a little downcast, Peter didn't like to be reminded of his treatment in how he handled Bryce's undercover role, "Yeah, I guess so."

Sighing, Bryce could see it was going to be a sensitive subject until time had healed the wounds. "Remember, I was undercover and needed you to react the way that you did. My entire operation depended on it." He tried to comfort Peter, but also the entire listening team.

"I know, but it doesn't mean I'm proud of how I acted." Peter tried to pull himself together; dwelling on it wasn't going to help anything.

Directing the conversation onto different lines, Bryce moved towards the arrangements of how things would be when he was around. "Do I get to have my old desk back?" He asked.

Peter shared a glance with Hughes before he answered. "If you want to have it, then we would be glad to have you in it."

"Then the next question is where my stuff got off too?" Bryce smirked.

Looking awkward, Peter had to admit it was put away with the feeling he probably wasn't going to be reclaiming it. "I'll get it for you as soon as I can. If you need anything in the meanwhile, you know how supply works, or where my desk is."

Not worried, Bryce wasn't in any rush. "No hurry. Remember, I'm part field agent, and part charming con man, so I can find ways to make do easily enough," he winked.

"Be careful how far down that path you tread. If we catch you pulling cons, we just might have to report you to your boss." Diana threatened with a serious expression, despite the teasing to her tone.

"Bring it on Berrigan. You don't scare me." Bryce stood up to her and dared her to try and subdue him.

Enjoying the competitive game even more with them on even ground as agents, Diana looked forward to her own verbal sparring with him. "Black ops agent Larkin doesn't scare me either," she held her ground in return.

Clearing his throat, Hughes made his opinion of interagency competition clear, he didn't approve!

"We aren't doing anything more than we did before, only now we can be closer friends without the lies," Bryce promised.

"Uh-uh," Hughes knew they might not be intending to compete as agencies, but he knew it could be a side result of their competitiveness.

Choosing to keep the peace, Peter directed for Bryce to get started on the forms for working with the team. Sending Jones to help, he figured it would be the best way to get the work done.

Heading back down to the desk, Jones worked with Bryce to get his information set up on the computer again. Surprised, he hadn't expected Bryce to be able to do so much of it on his own.

"I'm a computer engineer, Jones. Besides, I went through this with you once before. Then I just played dumb to keep my cover." Bryce explained as he whipped through the programs with key short cuts and a good memory for processes.

"That was in your files, but I hadn't paid too much attention to it as we figured you were dead. Then after we knew the truth, there were the cases to be completed and you were in a coma, so we couldn't talk to you." Jones pointed out how things hadn't been conducive to getting to know him yet.

While Bryce worked through the digital process, Jones chose to ask some of the questions that had been floating around. "Are you going to keep running your business in Washington?"

"Of course, the programs are needed and I don't want them being provided by someone who doesn't understand what people go through in the field. The income goes towards personal projects because I don't need it to live on. My housing and general needs are either provided in my role or paid for by my government work," Bryce explained.

"Do you think you'll be working with Chuck and his team when you go back into the field?" Jones continued.

"That is still to be decided. If I'm going to be working with a team, I prefer it to be his or yours, because I know I can trust you, but sometimes a mission doesn't allow for such comforts. It has been settled that I won't be doing long term deep covers anymore. All of my aliases have been burned, and all of this publicity isn't good for a safe operation. Most likely, I'll be doing recon work from a distance, consulting, or things from behind a computer screen. As long as I still get field time, then I can work with it." He couldn't answer too definitively, but it gave his friends an idea of what to expect.

Curious, Blake asked a question. "How has your family handled your reappearance and status as an agent?"

Listening intently, the entire office had been keeping their ears toward the conversation.

"Most of them only talk about me when the public conversation requires them to. Then they acknowledge my college history, focus on my business, and might mention a skill for art when that is advantageous. In private, the general consensus is that I'm a fool for being an agent, but respect for my rank and position in government. There are a few exceptions to that though. Clara and Eleanor, my God-mother, seem to be proud of me and generally accept my choices in life. Felix is proud of my standing in government, but it's melded with an annoyance that my position could take attention from him. I don't know why he would worry though, it's not like I'm suddenly accepted by Richard and Wyatt."

Learning that he still didn't have a comfortable relationship with his family, the team hoped he would find a more stable environment with the changes in his professional life.

Having completed the process of getting him set up on the computer, Jones moved to the physical forms. "Since you know so much about the process, you can fill out more of your own forms this time." He said as he passed a pile of papers over for Bryce to begin working on.

"You do know that some forms are different from the FBI to my agency? I may know how to fill out more paperwork than I pretended to recognize, but I'm still not familiar with all of it. Take this one, for instance, we have a completely different name for it as well as a different arrangement of questions and format," he said as he held up one in particular.

"Perhaps, but you still have the knowledge of how to fill them out," Jones refused to help him.

Conceding, Bryce went to work on the forms and quickly moved through them while the team continued to either question or observe him.

After a while, he pulled one and handed it over to Jones. "This one is completely different from anything I have ever filled out. What is it talking about here?" Bryce questioned him.

"Don't pull my leg Bryce, I'm not going to be conned into helping you with the paperwork. Remember, I filled most of them out the first time around." He continued to refuse his assistance. Since Bryce was an agent, then he could shovel his own government paperwork.

Rolling his eyes, Bryce knew he would have to take some teasing and deal with the other's adjustments to who he really was. "I'm not trying to pull anything over on you, Jones. The CIA just has a very different approach to paperwork and what is required in the forms."

Relenting, Jones decided he could give some assistance when he put it that way. "Fine, but don't get into the habit of me doing your paperwork." He grumbled as he took it and began to show Bryce what was being requested.

Snorting, Bryce responded. "Since when did you ever allow me to get away with shoving my paperwork off on you?"

Jones acknowledged the truth of his question but focused on collecting the required details.

Eventually, they got everything arranged and Peter stopped by to drop the collection of Bryce's things on his desk. "Here is your stuff if you want to get it settled back in."

"Thanks, Peter. I've been using Jones's supplies all afternoon, so it will be nice to have my own things back." Bryce winked at Peter while Jones almost seemed to check if Bryce was holding his pen before he realized it was a standard-issue FBI one.

"Very funny. You aren't going to let that go are you?" He referred to an old tease. "That was my grandfather's pen you borrowed that time, so of course I was particular and wanted it back on my desk," Jones once again defended himself.

Laughing, Peter was glad to see Bryce making himself right at home amongst the team and trying to renew old bonds. Hoping to work on his own friendship, he chose to make the offer he and Elizabeth had mentioned previously, "Do you have any plans for dinner?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. And I have been charged not to stand her up, or else," Bryce hinted. He knew his words could mean a promise to show at Elizabeth's dinner, but he wondered if Peter would figure out that he actually had a date with Sara.

Catching the terminology, Peter understood that a date was implied rather than a friendly dinner. "Well, then you had better not keep Sara waiting," he smiled. They were working on their relationship, so there was hope for a happy future yet.

Running his finger along his nose, Bryce signaled that Peter had caught what he had meant and was correct in his understanding. "We talked at the ball and we are giving it another try without the deceit of me being undercover."

"Does June also know you are in town?" Peter wondered if he would be staying at the loft apartment.

"Yes, and I am informed that the suits are pressed and hung in the closet, while Parker has worked with June to arrange the loft with my comfort in mind. We have a new contract drawn up for me to rent the loft whenever I am in the city, so there is no need to worry about accommodations if I'm visiting briefly, or staying around long term for time off and consulting." Bryce said as he worked on signing the last of the forms. He had the task of arranging his possessions still to do, but he figured it would wait until the morning. There wasn't anything important going on where the cases were concerned, so there would be time to spare.

As he handed the last form over to Jones, he clapped him on the shoulder and announced that he was done for the day. "I have a lovely lady waiting by the phone, so I had better giver a call and head out for my date."

Wishing him well, the team shooed him away for the evening. They were all happy to see him well supplied with friends, his career generally intact, and with a romantic relationship that had the chance of settling him down towards a family life. After everything they had seen him go through, they felt it was the best place to consider the previous stage of his life as being wrapped up. Now everything was on to the new, and there were many more adventures to look forward to.


Thank you, everyone, for reading, reviewing/commenting, voting, following, leaving kudos, and choosing to favorite :D

Next week will be the excerpts from this story so this is the last week I'll be taking votes for this round, and I'll take them right up until I post sometime next Saturday. Either the votes will tell, or I'll flip a coin as a tie-breaker, and next week I'll announce what the next story will be after Quinis' birthday story, "Training Games," finishes posting. Meanwhile, here is an update on the votes :D

Separation Anxiety: III

Miniature: II

Rejections Rift: I