Hi everyone! I've been away from writing fic for a while now and recently decided to try a couple of ficlets in a new fandom. I wanted to step out of the NCIS/JAG universe and give Maggie Bell and OA Zidan a try. I hope you like the ficlets and please drop a note to say hello and let me know what you think. Thanks for reading!
New York City.
The high-rise buildings, the noise, the traffic.
The business, the culture, the history.
And the crime.
It had been Maggie's home for a long time now, just a few states away but more like a world away from rural Indiana. She and OA had devoted their careers to chasing down justice together. They had seen some great agents come and go, some of the most advanced crime-fighting technology, some of the most amazing heart and heroics, and some of the very worst evil inside of people.
As she looked out over the city from 26 Fed, Maggie checked her watch, although she didn't know why. She was retiring from the Bureau now, and she had all the time in the world. Her case load was free now. Her paperwork was done. She would have plenty of time to talk to a young journalist who had insisted on an interview before Maggie turned in her badge for the last time.
"Special Agent Bell Zidan?"
Maggie couldn't stop a smile from forming on her lips. Even after all these years, hearing herself referred to as Special Agent Bell Zidan still sent her heart aflutter. It just wasn't long now that she would still need the special agent title.
Maggie turned away from the window just in time to see a petite, professionally dressed young woman enter the conference room.
"Special Agent Bell Zidan, it's truly an honor to meet you," she continued enthusiastically. "You and your husband are nothing short of legendary at the Bureau."
Maggie looked a little surprised. "Well, thank you, uh—"
"Victoria," she replied, stepping forward to shake Maggie's hand vigorously. Then she gave a high-pitched little laugh. "I'm sorry. It's not every day that I have the privilege of interviewing one of the best FBI agents in history. As I said, it's really an honor."
"There have been a lot of good agents," Maggie replied. "What the FBI does every day is entirely a team effort."
"Still as humble as ever," Victoria murmured as she scribbled furiously on her notepad. "So Special Agent—"
Maggie quickly interrupted with a wave of her hand. "You should probably just call me Maggie now. It won't be long until I'm just Maggie Bell Zidan."
Victoria smiled. Even without the official FBI title, she could hear the noticeable pride in the older woman's voice, as it was a well-known fact that Maggie's name was a way to remember one of the most important men in her life while also honoring her love for her current husband.
"Of course. So Maggie Bell Zidan, could you please describe some of the most memorable cases that you and your husband have solved together?"
Victoria's eyes shone with admiration, her pen poised to take down Maggie's every word, and Maggie barely managed to sink into one of the chairs before the memories suddenly flooded over her.
She and OA had chased so many suspects, disarmed so many bombs, shared so much anger for innocent lives taken too soon, sadness for missing children and broken families, and also satisfaction for putting criminals behind bars. They had grown into stronger partners over the years, getting better at reading each other in the field, knowing what the other was thinking, stopping the other from letting cases get too personal, and speaking to each other with just a look in their eyes. And Maggie would never forget the look in his eyes when OA finally asked her to be his partner for life.