A/N: Granger Clan Saga. Maggie has dinner with Chas. After Ransom.
--Maggie released a soft sigh when she slid into the leather seat of Chas' Ferrari.
He grinned at the ecstasy in her expression. "If I hadn't had such a difficult time getting you to even talk to me, I'd think you were only going out with me because of my car."
"I AM going out with you because of your car," she retorted lightly, eyes dancing with amusement.
"There you go, trampling all over my ego again," Chas said wryly. But he laughed as he drove away from the FBI building.
"What is it with men and sports cars anyway?" Maggie asked curiously. Cam seemed to enjoy his Porsche too.
Chas shrugged, "Adrenaline rush."
Maggie glanced sharply at him.
He smiled ruefully at her, "No, I'm not about to go back to the CIA or the Navy anytime soon. I don't miss the pain. But I think Cam will agree, the adrenaline rush is another story altogether." He grinned again, mischief in his eyes. "There's always the thrill of dodging the law when I speed in this baby."
She rolled her eyes. "I never speed," she said primly.
"Uh huh."
And they burst into laughter together.
----
He took her to an intimate Italian restaurant, quiet and unpretentious, with a reputation for excellent food.
Maggie ordered the lasagna, raising her eyebrows when he laughed. "What's so funny?"
"Just thinking about Cam. He always waxes poetic about his mother's lasagna."
"Have you had it? It's the best lasagna I ever had. We made her bring lasagna to all our gatherings. I'm surprised she isn't sick of it." Maggie sighed, "I haven't had it in years, and I miss it."
Chas made his selection and ordered a wine to go with dinner before answering. "No, last night was the first time I'd been invited to any of his family's gatherings. I told him it wouldn't hurt my feelings if he brought me some, but he never did."
"There's not usually any left," Maggie was amused at his mournful look.
"Ah, that makes me feel better." He looked at her curiously. "You seem to know each other well."
"We practically grew up together. Colby, David, and Megan worked for my dad for the longest time. Team Eppes, they used to be called. They had the highest solve rate at the FBI for the longest time." Maggie took a sip of the wine the waiter poured. "Mmm, this is good. Were you the one who taught Cam about wines?"
Chuckling at the question, Chas answered, "No, that was Russell. And really only because he enjoyed drinking it and always ordered some. Cam caught on just by watching and listening. And tasting, of course. The boy likes the finer things in life." He saw a flicker in her eyes, and asked curiously, "What?"
She shook her head, "He's really something."
"He's a pain in the rear end, is what he is," Chas said affectionately. He eyed Maggie, "I'm not sure I want to spend our first date talking about Cam."
Maggie laughed, "One story, and I promise I won't bring him up again."
Curious now, Chas nodded.
She took another sip of her wine. "Most people considered him a troublemaker because he questioned everything. I think the only person who came close to understanding him was Colby, but even then, it was trying for him. When I was sixteen, I learned something from Cam." She met Chas' eyes. "You know how it is when you're sixteen. You think you know everything and you certainly don't think a thirteen year old can teach you anything. The funny thing is, he wasn't even trying to teach anyone anything. He just wanted to get his Dad a birthday present."
Maggie smiled at Chas' attention, wondering whether his interest was on her or on Cam. "I don't even remember why Colby's birthday was a big deal. It hadn't been before and it hasn't been since. But there was a big party planned and everyone was going to be there. All five of them were saving up their money to get him something. Cam was going the extra mile, collecting bottles, cutting grass, paper route, that sort of thing. I saw him counting his money one day. And I'm not sure why I did it, but I followed him that day. He ended up at a leather shop. He'd sketched out a custom gun holster, to scale, mind you, and asked if he could get that made for the two hundred or so dollars he'd managed to save."
Chas' eyebrows shot up.
"Yeah. At thirteen, he'd managed to make and save two hundred dollars. I hated him," she said wryly, smiling when Chas laughed. "Anyway, the guy laughed and told him he wouldn't be able to sell something like that for less than six hundred dollars, minimum. Something about the time it would take and the cost of his labor. Cam's face fell so hard I thought it would hit the floor. The guy must have been the owner of the place or something, because he offered to make Cam a deal. He would teach Cam how to work the leather, and let him use the tools, and Cam could pay for the materials out of his two hundred dollars."
Her eyes were distant now, remembering the past, "He'd already spent the better part of the year saving that money. He only had a month left, tops, if he were to make that holster. I remember being surprised when he went every single day, without fail. I know because I followed him every day, just to make sure he got there okay. And it turned out beautifully." She looked at him, "Colby still uses it. I don't think he realizes it, but he touches the small engraved plate at the bottom of it, every so often. He's quite protective of that holster."
"What's the engraving say?"
Maggie shrugged, "Something simple. 'To Dad. Love, Cam.' Something like that."
Chas swallowed involuntarily as Maggie licked the rim of her wineglass. He cleared his throat. "Okay, so the guy is a great friend of mine, and I enjoyed the glimpse of his childhood. But I can't help feeling that I've missed the point."
She grinned, "That's why you were at the CIA and not the FBI. We have higher standards."
He rolled his eyes, but he was pleased to see her smiling again.
Shaking her head slightly at her silliness, she said, "You know how they teach you all these idioms and proverbs at school?"
Chas' nodded, but his brows creased in a puzzled frown.
"Cam taught me what 'Where there's a will, there's a way' really meant." She paused and met his eyes calmly, "That's why I won't give up until I get where I want to be at the FBI."
Light dawned in Chas' eyes. He smiled, "Fair warning. I appreciate that. I don't give up easily either. I intend to stick like glue."
Softly, Maggie said, "I'm counting on it."
The heat in his eyes warmed her heart for the rest of the evening.