Chapter 4: Introductions
As Sydney walked to her desk on Wednesday morning, Dixon called her over. "Agent Bristow, this is Agent Brown. She's a new agent just out of training. Could you show her around?"
"Of course," Sydney said. Dixon left, and Sydney looked at the young woman she was pretending not to know. The aura of confidence that had surrounded Kate in both of Sydney's previous encounters with her was missing, and there wasn't the slightest hint in her demeanor that she was anything other than someone just out of training. Sydney extended her hand. "Call me Sydney."
Kate shook her hand. "Kate," she said.
"So you just graduated from training?" Sydney asked.
"Yeah, about a week ago. I just got here yesterday. I've never been to California before, so I'm a little intimidated."
Sydney smiled. "You'll get used to it. Why don't I introduce you to some people? Hey, Marshall! This is Kate. She's new."
"Oh, hi, um, hello, it's nice to meet you," Marshall stammered. "Hey, you look really young, how old are you?" Sydney suppressed a smile. One could always expect a social faux pas from Marshall.
Kate just smiled and answered, "I just turned twenty-three. Everybody always says I look young for my age."
"Yeah, you do," said Marshall. "I mean, you could be just, like, Sydney's kid sister that she's showing around. I mean, if she had a sister, because she doesn't..."
"Thanks, Marshall," Sydney said, tugging on Kate's arm.
"Nice to meet you," Kate said, following. As soon as they were out of earshot, she said, "Is he always that...um...bumbling?"
Sydney grinned. "You will soon learn that Marshall is a very sweet man, but he has no social sense whatsoever." She steered Kate over to Vaughn and Weiss. "This is Kate Brown," she said. "She's new, straight out of training."
Vaughn shook Kate's hand. "Michael Vaughn. Nice to meet you."
"Hi, I'm Eric Weiss," Weiss said, shaking her hand as well. "Don't believe all the terrible stories Sydney will tell you about me."
"Don't worry, I will," Kate said with a grin.
"Hey, do you have a place to live yet?" Weiss asked. "Because there's an apartment open in my building." He saw that Sydney looked impatient and guessed that she wanted to finish the tour and introductions quickly. "Of course, Sydney could tell you all about that, since she lives there too."
Kate smiled. "Thanks. It was nice to meet you both."
They left, and Vaughn looked at Weiss. "Don't you think she's a little young for you?" he asked.
"What? Where the heck did that come from?"
"You were checking her out!"
"Yeah, so? If she's through training she's got to be at least twenty-three; that's only a nine year age difference."
Vaughn just shrugged and grinned. "Well, just don't act too lecherous, old man."
Sydney and Kate had moved on to the conference rooms and the break room. Sydney spotted her father when she came out to the break room and pointed him out to Kate. "That's my dad, Jack Bristow," she said. "If somebody says Agent Bristow, it can get kind of confusing, so it's usually easier to use our first names." She turned and saw that Kate was standing there with her mouth open, her face white. "Kate? Are you okay?"
"Is there somewhere we can talk in private?"
Next: Prepare to be shocked! (Maybe.)
As Sydney walked to her desk on Wednesday morning, Dixon called her over. "Agent Bristow, this is Agent Brown. She's a new agent just out of training. Could you show her around?"
"Of course," Sydney said. Dixon left, and Sydney looked at the young woman she was pretending not to know. The aura of confidence that had surrounded Kate in both of Sydney's previous encounters with her was missing, and there wasn't the slightest hint in her demeanor that she was anything other than someone just out of training. Sydney extended her hand. "Call me Sydney."
Kate shook her hand. "Kate," she said.
"So you just graduated from training?" Sydney asked.
"Yeah, about a week ago. I just got here yesterday. I've never been to California before, so I'm a little intimidated."
Sydney smiled. "You'll get used to it. Why don't I introduce you to some people? Hey, Marshall! This is Kate. She's new."
"Oh, hi, um, hello, it's nice to meet you," Marshall stammered. "Hey, you look really young, how old are you?" Sydney suppressed a smile. One could always expect a social faux pas from Marshall.
Kate just smiled and answered, "I just turned twenty-three. Everybody always says I look young for my age."
"Yeah, you do," said Marshall. "I mean, you could be just, like, Sydney's kid sister that she's showing around. I mean, if she had a sister, because she doesn't..."
"Thanks, Marshall," Sydney said, tugging on Kate's arm.
"Nice to meet you," Kate said, following. As soon as they were out of earshot, she said, "Is he always that...um...bumbling?"
Sydney grinned. "You will soon learn that Marshall is a very sweet man, but he has no social sense whatsoever." She steered Kate over to Vaughn and Weiss. "This is Kate Brown," she said. "She's new, straight out of training."
Vaughn shook Kate's hand. "Michael Vaughn. Nice to meet you."
"Hi, I'm Eric Weiss," Weiss said, shaking her hand as well. "Don't believe all the terrible stories Sydney will tell you about me."
"Don't worry, I will," Kate said with a grin.
"Hey, do you have a place to live yet?" Weiss asked. "Because there's an apartment open in my building." He saw that Sydney looked impatient and guessed that she wanted to finish the tour and introductions quickly. "Of course, Sydney could tell you all about that, since she lives there too."
Kate smiled. "Thanks. It was nice to meet you both."
They left, and Vaughn looked at Weiss. "Don't you think she's a little young for you?" he asked.
"What? Where the heck did that come from?"
"You were checking her out!"
"Yeah, so? If she's through training she's got to be at least twenty-three; that's only a nine year age difference."
Vaughn just shrugged and grinned. "Well, just don't act too lecherous, old man."
Sydney and Kate had moved on to the conference rooms and the break room. Sydney spotted her father when she came out to the break room and pointed him out to Kate. "That's my dad, Jack Bristow," she said. "If somebody says Agent Bristow, it can get kind of confusing, so it's usually easier to use our first names." She turned and saw that Kate was standing there with her mouth open, her face white. "Kate? Are you okay?"
"Is there somewhere we can talk in private?"
Next: Prepare to be shocked! (Maybe.)