Chapter 4
So I just recently saw the deleted scene from episode 2x03 of Mandy and Jason sitting in the car and I'm so sad and mad we never got to see it in the season itself. Basically it's the car scene extended of them talking and we actually get some back story to Mandy and how her mom was a con-artist. We also learn about her reasoning in joining the CIA. To me this scene is canon lol. I may use this new information in the future. Anyways, here's another chapter!
It was a couple days later and Mandy found herself working some leads on her own. Intel files lay open and spread out all around her. She had found an empty room and started her own wall pins trying to piece it all together. She felt like she had looked at the same information a million times but she could also feel like she was close to figuring something out.
As she continued to look at maps of past attacks and files something seemed to click but she wasn't quite sure. She wanted to run her idea by someone to see if it made any sense. Mandy gathered a few things and made her way out the room walking quickly.
Mandy was on a mission and walked outside to where she saw the Bravo team hanging out.
"Anyone know where Jason is," Mandy asked.
"I think he went back to his quarters," Ray replied. "Why? We got a mission?"
"Not yet," Mandy said as she watched Bravo anxiously wait for an answer from her. "Hopefully soon though."
Mandy nodded goodbye and made her way to Jason's. Once Mandy arrived she knocked and waited a few seconds before hearing Jason yell come in.
"I think I got something on where he could-," Mandy was cut off when she looked up and saw Jason on the computer with Emma and Mikey. "Oh, I'm... so sorry. I didn't realize. I can come back," Mandy stumbled over her words.
"Hi Mandy," Emma and Mikey chimed in when they saw her.
"Hey, how are you guys," Mandy asked.
"Good," the kids replied.
"Good to hear. I can come back later," Mandy said to Jason as she made her way to the door to leave.
"Wait," Jason said as he got up from the computer to walk over to Mandy. "Just wait. I'm sure they wouldn't mind talking to someone other than me."
Mandy looked at Jason a little unsure. Sure she'd been around him when the kids were present but this seemed different. If they were really trying to move forward and together it felt like a big step being in the presence of his kids. She remembered with Natalie he had never once mentioned her to the kids and then he was surprised when Emma showed up at his place. Mandy wondered if it would be different with her.
"You talk to the kids and I'll glance over the files you brought over," Jason said with an encouraging look to Mandy.
"Sure," Mandy replied anxiously while handing over the files.
The kids could still see Jason in the background as he read over the files and Mandy talked to them. She started by asking Emma how she liked New York City and replying back with some of her own experiences. With Mikey, she asked how school and hockey was going.
"Dad says I'll go pro one day in hockey," Jason heard Mikey reply to Mandy.
"Is that so? You'll have to show me your moves once we're back home," Mandy smiled.
Jason looked up at that comment. Home. Mandy once asked him in Siberia how he was doing living at home alone. He had replied it was just a place he put his head down. Jason had a brief flash of home being with Mandy. He thought about moments like they had here where they woke up together and hung out but without all the secrecy.
He knew him being with her wasn't the problem but he worried about her. He knew being a woman in her line of work was tough. She was judged harder, thought to be soft for showing emotions and caring, and she was constantly trying to prove she deserved to be here. He wasn't blind to the double standards on women versus men in their line work. Jason also knew how strong she was and that she would stand to fight her battle to the very end. He still felt bad sometimes about Mandy being demoted from his actions. He respected and loved Lisa but Mandy having to watch someone take over her job was tough on her. It wasn't even someone she didn't know but a friend.
He also wasn't blind to seeing how Lisa and Reiss Julian seemed to be working together more often than not and Mandy left to be on the sidelines. He remembered that night at the fire pit talking to Mandy and Mandy saying she was trying to figure out what she was even doing anyone. This seemed to be a constant theme with the two of them. Both of them had been doing this so long and now changes were happening and both weren't quite sure where they fit anymore.
Emma saw her Dad look up periodically giving those tender looks towards Mandy. She hadn't seen her Dad look at someone like that for a long time. She always had a feeling about the two. She knew her Dad never cheated on her Mom but she wasn't blind to when things really ended between her parents and the death of her Mom that things changed more for her Dad and Mandy. She could tell Mandy built walls up like her Dad and they the both probably had to make so many life altering decisions that not only affected others but themselves as well. Despite both of them building walls to protect themselves she could always tell that somehow the walls fell between the two.
When she had shown up at her Dad's place and seen him with Natalie, she couldn't lie and say she wasn't shocked. If she was honest with herself, she never thought about her Dad truly moving on from her mother. Besides, she constantly worried about her Dad anyways and it wasn't just about whether he would make it back home alive. She worried about him surviving being back home.
Natalie could have been good for Jason, but Emma couldn't quite get a read on her since her Dad seemed to never have talked about her. It was interesting to her though because she definitely had heard a lot about Mandy through the years even though technically they hadn't been together in a relationship. Her Dad would drop comments about how Mandy said this or she mentioned that Emma should visit this or that while in New York.
Looking at the two now, she could sense that maybe something more serious was happening. Her Dad had a lot scars that still needed to be healed and if anyone could help him get through it she thought it'd be Mandy.
Emma remembered seeing Mandy at home the morning after her Mom's wake. She was a little surprised to see Mandy standing in the kitchen getting some sort of breakfast ready. Emma figured Mandy came over early that morning.
Mandy turned around and saw Emma standing in the kitchen looking at her with a confused expression.
"Hey, sorry I just wanted to be helpful in some way and I'm not much of a cook but I brought some breakfast if want to eat before…" Mandy trailed off. She didn't want to say funeral. It seemed insensitive and Mandy wasn't sure if she was overstepping.
"I'm not too hungry, but thanks," Emma replied while sitting at the kitchen table. The kitchen became quiet as the two looked at each other and Mandy took a sip of coffee.
"Aren't you going to say sorry or something for the loss of my Mom or whatever," Emma finally said after too much silence.
"To tell you the truth, I hate when people say that. It doesn't really help does it?" Mandy replied. "Not that I'm not sorry for your loss… sorry and I think I'll just shut up now," Mandy mumbled.
Emma chuckled as Mandy stumbled over her words. Mandy didn't seem like someone who faltered easily but here she was struggling on what to say. Mandy smiled back.
Mandy reached into her pocket and pulled out a card, "I know everyone is going to say they're here if you need anything but I want you to have this. That's my personal on there and no matter where I am if you need to talk I'm here. I can't begin to imagine what you're going through seeing as I don't have any family of my own, but with my job I know I'd want someone around to talk to."
"Thanks," Emma replied. "I'm worried about my Dad."
"I know," Mandy replied.
"Think I can call you about that too?"
"Of course, someone's got to keep him in line," Mandy smiled.
"Thanks, again," Emma said as Mandy nodded back to her.
Emma had taken Mandy up on her offer to talk especially when she wanted to talk about her Dad from time to time. In a way, she's pretty sure Mandy convinced her Dad to let her go to New York for college. If anyone could talk her Dad down from the ledger it'd be Mandy. Emma was glad Mandy had her Dad's back out there.
"Well maybe if you teach me some hockey we can team up and beat your Dad," Emma heard Mandy say to Mikey as she came back to reality.
"Now hold on a second, don't you want to be on the winning team Mikey?" Jason chimed in.
"Dad, I think Mandy could take you down," Mikey replied as Mandy and Emma laughed.
"What is this? Gang up on Dad time?" Jason pouted as he put the files down and came over to lightly push Mandy out of the way.
"Of course Dad," Emma laughed.
"They say the truth hurts Jason," Mandy said with a smirk at Jason.
Jason looked at her and couldn't help but admire Mandy in the moment as her walls were completely down.
"Well guys, hate to cut this short but we have to go get some work done. Talk to you later. Love you!" Jason said.
"Love you guys too," Emma and Mikey replied as they hung up.
Mandy sat there a moment where she looked at the blank screen surprised with their goodbye.
"See that wasn't so bad," Jason smirked.
"No idea what you're talking about," Mandy tried to compose herself.
Jason smiled as they walked out of his quarters. Maybe they were rushing and still avoiding some big issues that needed to be addressed but for the first time Jason felt some hope that maybe things could work out.