"A gun is missing."
Russell looked up at Sue, flashing her an annoyed look. There was so much paperwork to do managing this branch of the Templars, budget reports, going over detailed reports, determining who got promoted and who didn't, answering to the powers that be. He really didn't give a shit about a missing gun. "Shall I alert the media a then?" He responds sarcastically. "Guns always go missing, most weapons go missing. One of the Enlisted Templars probably forgot to sign it back in, it will eventually turn up. Now if that's all—"
Sue rolled her eyes, "Last time I checked, guns do not magically disappear," Sue stresses pushing the tablet that she had been carrying towards him, so he could replay the image that had caught her attention. It had been a simple check of the security feeds. Nothing escaped her notice because she made it her duty to look into everything.
Russell frowned, it was a disruption but if Sue insisted that he watch it then he would watch it. It was just a feed of one of the armories. He almost misses it at first, but one of the silver pistols dematerialized. It had been nearly two months since his youngest daughter had disappeared and he had feared the worst. He had suspected she was dead in a ditch somewhere or was a Jane Doe in a freezer. "She's alive," he says slowly, his voice thick with emotion. "She's alive," he repeats again before narrowing his eyes at Sue. "Why haven't you found her yet? She's harmless, and barely knows anything of this world."
"We've done a thorough search Russell, given the parameters you've set for us." Sue said with a frown as she takes the tablet back from him. "I believe more drastic measures are needed if we are to bring her back. I think it would be best if we brought Quinn into this. She has one of the best analytical minds I've seen and how she quickly she takes in information—well you know, you raised her after all. She truly lives up to her namesake. I know you wish to protect her from rumors of nepotism, but she is already at the Gilded Order level Russell."
"I just gave her a promotion." Russell said tersely.
"That doesn't mean you're not holding her back. She's finally moving to ditch Hudson, I know she looked into Evan's record. We'll see how that plays out, but he's a solid Templar, if he stood out a bit more he probably would have been promoted by now." Sue sighed, "Quinn was the one that figured out what we were dealing with before anyone else, the new drug that's hit the streets. If she has her way with Evans, I'd give it a week or two before she's figured out what the drug is and how we're going to get our hands on it. I think it's time to tell her."
"And run the risk of losing Quinn forever? Her mother already hates me." Russell says dismissing the idea immediately. "Quinn can never find out."
"If you're certain," Sue replied, she had expected that.
It's just as Sue turns to leave that Russell looks away, "I know what you think, but I saved her. I did the best that I could given the hand that I was dealt. The powers that be would never allow a magic-touched like Charlie to wear the uniform. They would never let her be a Templar, and the alternative was death. They would have hunted us down. I made the only choice that I could, and that was to save her life. I tried to make it as normal as possible. She's certainly has had more comforts than the other magic-touched."
"I understand," Sue said calmly looking back at him. "I understand more than you know."
Russell licked his lips, "I'm sorry about your sister—"
Sue waved it away, "I'm not a parent. I'm not in your shoes Russell. I don't know what I would have done, but the times are changing, and the Templars have been far to slow at changing in the past. Sure, there are many people across the globe that still believe in what the Templars stand for, but the younger generation doesn't. Quinn, Charlie, they could have been the faces of a more modern Templar organization."
Russell scoffed at the sentiment, "This generation is the most coddled generation, wouldn't know their asses from their heads. This current rash of deaths is because they think they understand the forces that they are dealing with and they are using magic to party. How stupid can you be?"
"Be that as it may, people are looking at Asia to lead this conversation. In places like Japan and China where the Templars lack influence, they are seeing the good that the magic-touched are doing. They are far freer and there are far less incidents with their approach. They also don't have that pesky history of burning intelligent women who they suspected of being magic-touched." Sue sighs and rubs her temples before looking at the tablet. "I imagine it was a criminal element that took her in. That's the only gun that has gone missing so far. I'll pay attention and see if more weapons end up missing, and if they start appearing on the black market I'll be certain to find them."
"When you do, wipe them off the map." Russell said coldly.
"Understood." Sue said turning once again before stopping, "I know it's not my place, but Quinn is still not cleared, I've said my piece a million times, but she's determined to climb the ranks." She looks at Russell once more, but he had gone back to his paperwork. She sighed, she was not going to be the one to stop Quinn from being reckless.
"We're two women having dinner Quinn, two friends having dinner. People do this all the time, I even do it with—wait for it—straight men and no one accuses me of being in an affair with them." Rachel said patiently. "This also isn't a common Templar hang out, you're in a rather liberal area," Rachel said as she flipped through her menu.
Quinn rolled her eyes, "I wasn't bothered by that, I'm bothered by the fact that this menu has a complete and utter lack of meat in it. I know I said you could choose but I mean, all I want is a real burger."
Rachel leaned over the table to gently poke Quinn in the arm, shaking her head when Quinn hissed in pain and immediately swatted her finger away. "I was at your last appointment Quinn, you need to start eating better and resting if you're going to make a full recovery."
"Well I'm certainly not going to get better quicker if you start poking me," Quinn said with a frown. "You know there is this lovely thing called takeout. We can still do it, you know they haven't taken our order, we can order something take it home and sit on a comfortable couch eating it while you make me watch Yentl for the millionth time," Quinn suggested.
Rachel frowned, she wasn't sure if Quinn was being cautious or simply paranoid. She didn't feel like stating it out loud, but Templars were not exactly welcome in these parts, and she was glad that Quinn wasn't wearing her uniform. "Quinn, Finn's in Texas, you're not cleared to go back into the field or do light paperwork and that's only because no one trusts you to keep to simply paperwork. It's been a long time since we've done dinner and a movie and the last time that happened you needed to get up and fight demons or something."
"It was a skinwalker, they skin people and wear their skin becoming them, tricky case I had to—"
"Quinn, you promised no talking about work during dinner," Rachel interrupted looking around, they had garnered some looks and she couldn't help but to sink in her chair. This was why she couldn't take Quinn to nice places.
Quinn looked around noting the dirty looks she was getting and shrugged it off, "They might not like us, but they need us," she said after a moment.
"And this is my favorite restaurant Quinn, and I would like to be welcome back," Rachel says rubbing at her temples.
Quinn hesitated, it had been a very long time since they'd done this, gone out and she wanted to make it enjoyable for Rachel. If only so she could drop the comments about Finn, she hadn't decided what she was going to do about him just yet. "Do you know if the homemade black bean burger is any good?"
"I think you'll like it," Rachel said after a moment, before smiling at Quinn's attempt at peace.
"Alright then I know what I'm getting," She would make sure to order extra fries, as well. She puts the menu down and looks at Rachel reaching over with her good hand to hold her hand, "So, since I may or may not be banned from going to work, but that doesn't mean that I can't come and see your opening night. Think of it as an early birthday present, see if you can reserve the best seats in the house—so long as though seats are super comfortable. And what's the policy about food?"
"It's not a movie Quinn, you can't bring outside food and I have so much to do so I can't even meet you for dinner," Rachel admits biting her lip. She hadn't even thought to ask, there was always something with Quinn's schedule, whether it be skin walkers or demons. "I'd like it if you were there, I have three tickets and of course both my parents will be in attendance so if you don't mind sitting next to my parents, who will grill you by the way. Then you're welcome to come."
Quinn hesitated for a moment, "How much have you told them about me?"
"Don't worry my parents know how to be discrete—"
"I'm not worried about that, I just—do they know that I'm a Templar?" Quinn said dropping her voice. This time it's Rachel's turn to look away. Quinn laughed feeling at ease, "They don't like what we do?"
"No, they don't, but since all attention will be on me, I don't see why it matters. I know they'll love you just as much as I do, Quinn. I mean I'm certain there will be questions, how you intend to keep me safe from the dangers of your job but—"
Quinn turned her head frowning, her muscles immediately tensing before remembering that 'tensing' suddenly still really hurt, even if it was getting easier and easier to breathe. She reaches for her jacket hoping to pull out a weapon of a sort, but Sue had taken away her gun, and banned her from the armory.
"Quinn?"
"Stay here!" Quinn barked harshly, she could feel the coldness deep within her gut that she normally felt whenever magic was used. It was probably a sensitivity to being around it so much, but it was there.
Rachel immediately got up grabbing onto Quinn's decent arm. "What do you plan to do? Beat it to death with your injured arm?" Rachel said sharply. "Call someone else to deal with it."
Quinn swore under her breath, she hated being defenseless like this. She turns to look out the window only to see the familiar red, white and black uniform and Sam's face peering in through the window. She crinkles her nose and stares at him mutely as he spots her and waves. "Shit it's just Sam," she muttered.
Rachel followed Quinn's gaze and her eyes widened, she hadn't thought that any Templars would come here. "Quinn this isn't exactly a—" The door to the restaurant opens and she turns with everyone else who is dining to see Sam run a hand through his hair and gesture to their table. "I'm never going to be allowed back in here again," she whines under her breath as he begins to make his way towards them, grabbing a chair from an empty table and bringing the chair toward them.
"Hope I'm not interrupting anything important, but since you ambushed me a couple of days ago I thought I'd return the favor," Sam said with a smile as Quinn glared at him.
"So, you decided to teleport here, using Templar resources to get here. Sue is going to murder you." Quinn said calmly, looking over at Rachel. "Rachel, this is Sam, I was thinking about having him as a partner of sorts but as you can see he lacks any manners or basic decorum."
Rachel forced a smile onto her face and held out her hand to Sam who shook it. "It's a pleasure to meet you," she said tersely turning to glare at Quinn, frowning when Quinn ignores her.
"You know you could have given me your reply on the phone Sam, I rarely get to enjoy me time." Quinn said, she couldn't look at Rachel at this moment. As her mind raced, suddenly she was beginning to piece together why Sue suspected she was having an affair.
"Yeah well, I had some more questions before I made up my mind," Sam said with a shrug. "Sorry to interrupt your dinner Rachel. But it's just a quick couple of questions."
"Well feel to join us, my treat," Rachel said trying to play the gracious host despite the fact that they were in a restaurant. This wasn't on the plans for the night.
Sam nodded at her flashing her another smile as he looked back at Quinn, who looked irritated, it was a small slip before her face went back to neutral and he sneaks a look at Rachel once more before taking in the atmosphere and noting that various people seemed to be coupled up. He'd press it later, but for now. "So, my questions—?"
"It's called a phone Sam, next time use it," Quinn said before waving her good hand. The sooner she had Sam's cooperation the sooner she could begin making plays.
"I needed to have this conversation face to face. I need to know how you figured out it was drugs? And don't lie to me, everyone at the branch knows that you were the one that figured it out. Sue made a big deal about it, while chewing us out.
"I figured it out by reading all the police reports Sam and reading the coroner's report—" Quinn frowned when Rachel's foot met her shin and she glared at the smaller woman for a split second. "It's the only thing that makes sense, with the victims being completely different, race, religion, socioeconomic status, they were all different. The only thing that tied them together was drug use. I noticed some track marks on the arm of one of the victims the coroner—"
"Quinn, Sam, I know that you're both very into your work, but I frequent this establishment, and no one wants to hear about the gruesome details about the case right here," Rachel said immediately putting her foot down.
Sam looked over at her for a moment again finally taking her in for the last time, "You're not a templar?"
"No, and this was a—" Rachel looked away frustrated, things were beginning to look up for them and she was so frustrated.
Sam turned to look back at Quinn who looked positively green at Rachel's near slip, "Well this certainly answers my question about why you aren't doing this with your husband to be," Sam said looking at Quinn.
"I don't know what you're talking about and if you—"
"You're on a date with a woman," Sam said bluntly. "This is a date, it's a nice enough restaurant, you're both rather dressed up—" Sam smiled at this information, when Quinn opens her mouth to deny it before catching Rachel's eye and closing her mouth. "I can work with this."
Rachel paled, as she watched Quinn tighten her grip on the table, "Work with what, this was merely an important dinner—"
"I don't care if you're gay Quinn," Sam interrupted Rachel looking at Quinn, "I mean all it means is that the great Quinn Fabray isn't perfect, and it means that we'll need to trust each other."
"Trust you?" Quinn said with a frown.
"I want to be promoted," Sam said firmly. "I won't tell a soul so long as you can get that done," Sam said immediately. He wasn't that cruel, and he wasn't a rat, but Quinn didn't know who he was, yet which meant that she would try her hardest to deliver on her promises.
"Go ahead and tell everyone then Sam," Quinn said with a frown on her face.
"What?" Sam frowned at Quinn's cavalier tone.
"Quinn—" Rachel began, only for Quinn to hold her hand up to stop her from continuing.
"Go ahead and tell everyone." Quinn repeated with a shrug. "I don't do ultimatums Sam. Also, this plan of yours hinges on the fact that no one finds out it was you who started the rumor. And assuming my father believes the rumor, which I doubt, he'll be angry at not only me but you as well. If you're lucky you'll get by with a demotion, if you're not I hear there is an opening in the Alaska Branch."
All the color drained from Sam's face he hadn't thought about that at all. "I—fuck."
"I'm having dinner with my friend Rachel, one that you rudely interrupted," Quinn said, nodding towards the door. It takes a moment and a sharp glare to get Sam onto his feet., and shuffling towards the door. It had been a reckless stupid move on his part, but it showed a lack of foresight on his part. It was a skill that could be taught. "Sam, I expect your half of the team application to be filled out and brought to my apartment tomorrow."
Sam frowned and looked at her. "You still want to work with me?"
"I was serious about what I said the other day, I wasn't trying to trick you or take advantage of you I just needed your help," Quinn explained relaxing for a moment. "So, fill it out by tomorrow, and I'll tell you about the new drug that's been hitting the streets." Quinn said. She waits until Sam nods before turning her attention back to Rachel and immediately reaching for her hand. "This is why I say we should do takeout," Quinn said, swallowing down the lump in her throat.
Rachel takes one last look at Sam before nodding, she had so many questions to ask, and she didn't know where to start. She studies Quinn once more, slightly impressed by how deftly Quinn had handled it. "You were impressed that he tried to extort you, weren't you?" She questioned, watching as Quinn's lips twitched upward.
