Hey guys. Its been a while so here is a chapter after the family vacation. Where Alex and Ryan goes back to work since they have financial issues. Ryan is teaching a class at Quantico. I hope it will make sense once you read it. And Happy New Year! It's not long and I'm sorry if it disappoints but I am trying to get into the swing of things once again.
"Becoming an agent of the FBI is about more than maxing your physical fitness test, acing all the exams, and passing all the interviews, ladies and gentlemen. It's about possessing the drive to succeed, the drive to take down the bad guys no matter how long it takes."
Ryan was holding court in the lecture hall. Spencer had been pleased to hear that such a renowned agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation had decided to visit the university. Spencer had never really thought of law enforcement as a career option, being more mentally proficient than physically, but after hearing of the lecture, he had gone to do research on the guest. He'd been surprised to see such a range of specialties in the agent and had gone on to do research on famous cases in regards to the profiler. This had led to perusal of several key texts in regards to profiling and criminology, several being the key word.
"What kinds of divisions are there within the FBI?" Someone from the front row called out.
Ryan turned his gaze to that side of the auditorium. "There are many. From White Collar to Narcotics to Fraud, as well as several others." And obviously he recognized the same tendency within the female, because he immediately launched into his next part of the speech. "Some specialize in profiling, a key portion of the Behavioral Analysis Unit. The unit is split into four key sections, those of which I will delve into for those students truly interested in the agency. Moving on, I will now take questions from other members of the audience."
The girl in front blushed and laughed, though he couldn't figure out the reason why. There had been no joke told as far as he could tell. "Have you ever shot anyone?" an athlete from the same row as the girl called out loudly. Mentally, he sighed. Why would anyone ask such an asinine question? It was obvious, as a federal agent, that being forced to shoot someone at some point in his career would happen. Otherwise, the weapons would have to be just for show.
Ryan felt himself go red hot as he saw the back door of the lecture hall open revealing his superior who showed up unannounced. He reminded himself that he has to be careful if Liam is planning on lingering around while he is teaching the class.
"Naturally, though this is not a key task of the job. It does, however, happen occasionally in the line of duty." He hoped that would be enough although limited information to answer the question.
Meanwhile Alex was busy at home getting everything ready and packing Asher's bag for his first day at daycare. "Okay, seems like we have everything and we're ready to get going. " She says more to herself than to her son as she looks around the room once more trying to locate her handbag.
"Phoebe come let's go." She called out having no idea where her daughter was and whenever it gets quiet with a toddler there is trouble. Phoebe emerged from behind the kitchen counter she was smothered in red lipstick. Her whole face, her clothes, her hands….and the kitchen cupboards.
"I drawed a dino-saw." The toddler defended herself when she saw her mother's disapproving look.
"Phoebe you don't draw on the walls or the cupboards. If you want to draw dinosaurs you ask for paper or your coloring book okay." Alex tried to rationalize having no time to argue with her daughter and having to get her clean also. Phoebe nodded and on her way towards her bedroom to get clean clothes she dragged her red stained hands across the wall nonchalantly as she walked.
"Phoebe Grace do not touch anything." She called out trying to remain calm. She set Asher down in his car seat on the floor getting ready to dress Phoebe in a second outfit before they leave the house. Late for work, her first day back from maternity leave and this is the first impression she is making.
When she eventually made it into the office she was surprised to see that there were no one in their usual seats, but it took her a few seconds to check the conference room where it seemed like Maranda were busy addressing all of them. She'll try to sneak in as quietly as possible but she is till preparing herself for being yelled at. It'll feel like showing up to the principals office when you know you have done nothing wrong.
"I'm not happy Agents."
Maranda certainly didn't look happy. Her jaw was so tense, she could have cracked a walnut, and hier glasses lay discarded on the conference desk. In her hands were a few of sheets of paper, pulled tight and slightly wrinkled where she gripped them.
Shelby pressed her lips together, appearing almost as tense as Maranda. Her hands were clasped in front of her, and she tried to look professional while wracking her brain to try and figure out what they did to piss her off.
This time.
Caleb wasn't slouching, but he wasn't exactly sitting straight. He was the only one of threesome that appeared calm, and completely unbothered by the early morning meeting.
They'd returned from the team-building seminar they'd finally been forced to attend last night. Three days ago, Maranda had threatened to hogtie them, and have two agents literally drag them to the seminar. No side trips, no detours. If they tried to get out of it-again-he would send them to Wyoming for two months to examine fertilizer purchases.
They went.
Now though, Maranda was wishing she'd just let them skip it. She received a three page email from the organizer lecturing her on the blatant insubordination of her agents. It hadn't come as a total shock, at least not the letter itself, but the complaints of the organizer, one Glynn Kemp, were rather unexpected.
"What happened at the seminar?"
"It was a waste of time." Caleb straightened his tie.
That's what they did. Shelby let her head fall toward her lap. Trust Caleb to be honest when it was least beneficial to them.
Maranda ignored him, and brought the letter up to her face. "Failure to assimilate with the group, refusal to participate in group activities, showed obvious distain for the activities they did participate in, encouraged other agents not to participate-"
Caleb cut her off, "I only suggested to Agent Freemont that he first learn how to talk to his partner, before he tried to catch her."
Maranda looked at him. "Want to hear what she had to say about you, Caleb?"
He grinned. Not entirely sure that it would be good but it woudld be worth a listen ."Why yes I do."
Shelby's head slid closer toward her lap. This was not going to end well for them, especially with Caleb being a smart-ass. As usual. Her husband had a tendency of making fun out of a situation that needed them to be straight up and not have time for jokes. But what else could she expect.
"Disrespectful, insubordinate, and sarcastic. Interrupted activities and discussion with his own commentary, skipped meetings, ignored instructions, and jesus Caleb, suggested Ms. Hughes was an alien-hybrid plant trying to control everyone?"
Maranda stared at hers subordinate, unable to fathom what possessed the man to make that particular judgment.
"Is it safe to assume, Agent Caleb, that you used the same reasoning during the story building game, when you-and I quote," she said holding up the papers, "insisted that your picture was of a boy-approximate age, 10 years—who was being controlled by a parasitic, brain-sucking amoeba, and getting ready to attack his mother, as she washed dishes, end quote." Maranda glared down at Caleb.
"Yes, I believed that's what my picture showed," Caleb's straight, serious face never faltered.
"In his defence that kid in the picture wasn't exactly picturesque." Doyle added.
"The kid was eating milk and cookies, people!" Maranda started to lose her patience.
" If you'd seen the picture, you'd have notice that not only was the child's head abnormally shaped, suggesting the presence of a growth or parasite, but also that the child wasn't looking at his milk or cookies, but rather that blood thirsty gaze was turned on his own mother..."
The AD went to reply, but both men were distracted by a high-pitched noise coming from Alex. It was either a sob or a laugh, and the latter seemed more likely. Maranda looked at her bowed head.
"You think this is funny, Agent parrish ?"
She looked up, barely controlling the amusement on her face, but managed to shook her head. She was not the only one in the room with a smile on her face during this serious reprimand. They weren't sure if the guys were poking fun out of it or if they really said all those things because if how the boy in the picture looked paired with how much they hated the seminar they were forced to go to.
" Well, then how about I read off what Ms. Hughes had to say about you, which to my continuing surprise was worse and more involved than her comments regarding Agent Doyle."
Then Caleb chuckled.
"Something funny, Caleb?" The AD glared at him.
Caleb continued to laugh. "She thought Doyle was a bigger pain in the ass than me?" then he turned to his partner, "Did you spike the punch while I wasn't looking?"
"Agent Haas," Maranda used his best warning tone.
It didn't phase Caleb, but he turned back to their boss, still laughing. "My work here is done."
Shelby breathed in and pressed her lips together, struggling not to laugh with Caleb. This wasn't good. But even Liam had a smile on his face by this time. Maybe this guy is a complete nut jib and because of him everyone would probably have to pull overtime because he is not taking anything seriously.
"Enough!" Liam warned them, and then began reading off the email again, this time about Doyle's behavior. "Was as disrespectful, insubordinate, and sarcastic as Agent Caleb, maybe more so. Continually argued the logic behind the exercises, disturbing fellow agents, also skipped meetings and ignored instructions, treated the seminar as a joke, grew defensive and argumentative with other agents, and evidentially, the one time you did volunteer, you relayed a rather elaborate lie to everyone?"
"I didn't lie, Sir. Ms. Hughes asked if anyone believed they already had implicit trust in their partner, and I confirmed that I did. She asked me to explain, so I thought it best to illustrate with an example," he explained.
"And what example might that be?" Nimah asked highly amused with the whole situation as Shelby wished the floor would swallow her whole as she sank further and further down her seat at the behavioour of her husband.
"Antarctica, sir."
Maranda shifted in her seat, but didn't respond. And Liam nodded for him to continue.
"I explained that I had complete trust in Agent Doyle to watch my back, because after being shot, he disregarded his own well being, and tracked me down in Antarctica, and saved my life. There is no greater test of loyalty than that…sir."
Maranda still didn't respond, just kept studying her intently, silently telling her to continue.
"She didn't believe me, so I told her it was the truth." Shelby grasped her hands together in an effort not to squirm.
"You argued with her."
"Well...yes sir. Yes, I did argue with her." She ignored Alex's quiet chuckling beside her.
" I'm aware that my actions were extreme and completely inappropriate, and I'll accept any disciplinary action coming my way. I will also learn to contain my emotions for future encounters." He defended himself.
"Apparently, it seems that while you both failed miserably on the group trust activities, on the ones with only your partner, you passed with flying colors. In retrospect, she feels that the seminar may not have been as beneficial for you, as it was the other participants. She also suggested, with an intensity I didn't know one could achieve in an email, that I not send you back next year." Maranda rested the papers on the desk, folded her hands in front of himself, and regarded her two agents.
Truthfully, they were herfavorites. All of them were. There was something about the way they worked together that she loved. Even when they upset her the way they do right now.
Maranda looked around the room and her eyes rested on Ryan who appeared in the mantime after his lecture. She gestured for him to take over in some way because she was at wits end.
He sighed. "Do you have anything to say for yourselves?"
Everyone remained silent, performing a silent happy dance in their head at hearing they'd never have to repeat that experience. They were permanently excused from Bureau hand-holding games. Caleb, still as relaxed as ever, could resist the opportunity to offer commentary.
"She did say it was a waste of our time."
Maranda rolled her eyes, jaw tensing again. "You're excused agents."
Guys also as a side note, I am running out of ideas so your input is welcome. I read through PM's to try and get some ideas but most of them that I recall seems like I have already written about. Also, I am not sure that I wrote Phoebe's party yet (I am so out of touch with the story guys I am sorry.) Just give me a heads up about that and I will work it in sometime
