Title: Brief Encounters

Rating: K

Spoilers: None

Pairings: Laura Cadman and Agent Malcolm Barrett

Summary: Laura meets a Man in Black

Disclaimer: I own none of the characters and I make no money from my overactive imagination

Authors Notes: I know this pairing isn't quite what you'd expect but the Plot Bunny bit me as I was drinking my tea, little git. Keep the reviews and suggestions coming. Any scenarios you want to see, remember we do have a K+ rating.

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Laura Cadman wiped her face with a cloth and thanked God the rush was finally over. Marie, her sister, had called her in a panic at 7am. Two of the waitresses had called in with flu and could Laura help until someone else took over at lunchtime. Marie was the morning supervisor at a diner in Washington DC, Laura was staying for a couple of weeks before she went to a new posting in Colorado. She didn't mind, it was a chance to make some money and have some fun with the regulars, they all knew Marie's kid sister was a Marine and they liked to rib Laura about it.

The door opened and man came in and sat in Laura's section, Laura looked him over, strawberry blond hair, clean cut, black suit, Laura licked her lips he was well built too.

"Fed?" she asked her sister, Marie looked him over too

"If he is he's new, I haven't seen him before" she replied. Laura grabbed her pad and pen and went over to his table

"What can I get for you Agent?" she said with a smile, he dropped the menu and his cheeks went pink.

"Ah...just coffee please" he said, Laura smirked, she'd hit a nerve.

"Anything else?" she asked, he shook his head. She bent over

"Look you Feds need to learn to blend in, you stand out like a sore thumb" she said softly

"I'm not a Federal Agent," he said.

"Sure" she replied sarcastically and left to get his coffee, he watched her go and thought that maybe blonde Air Force officers were not for him after all. Laura bought his coffee back and stood beside him

"So you're not a Fed huh," she said, he shook his head "you do a good impression of one". He sighed and looked at her name badge

"Look Laura, I work for the Government, that's all I can say," he said, she grinned

"S'ok I'm not really a waitress but I do a good impression of one" she tilted her head slightly to one side "um...you got a name or do you answer to 'hey you, Man in Black" he smiled at her

"Malcolm Barrett" he replied, she held out her hand and he shook it.

"So what do you do when you're not doing impressions of a waitress?" he asked

"I'm a tap dancing explosives expert" she replied. He burst out laughing

"Ok so don't tell me", he said,

"I'm serious, I'm also a Marine" she replied

"That explains the explosives, what about the tap dancing?" he remarked

"That's my secret," she said with a wink.

"Hey Laura, stop hitting on the customers and grab these" yelled the cook

"Gotta go Malcolm," she said as she left the check on the table "see ya around". He left the money on the table and stole one more look at Laura, yep blond Air Force officers were over-rated, and tap dancing Marines were defiantly worth more investigations.