2. MRS JONES

AUTHOR: Zyzyax

Mrs. Jones was quite surprised to be messaged by one of Alex's friends on Facebook. Alex had invited her and she had accepted, despite the risks. It really was an open secret that he worked for them at this point. The party had barely started when she arrived and Alex's friend bounced over. "Where is everybody else?"

Tom Harris grinned like a Cheshire cat. Mrs. Jones was starting to wonder what on Earth was going on behind the scenes. "You're on time, Mrs. Jones. Don't you know? You're supposed to be fashionably late."

It had been nearly thirty years since anybody had accused her of being fashionable. Mrs. Jones decided to visit Alex. When he immediately stiffened she moved to reassure him. "Oh, no. I'm actually just here for the party, Alex."

Alex raised an eyebrow. "Well, Tom made the food. You may want to have one of your goons check it before you take a bite."

Harris squawked at the apparent impingement of his culinary honor. "I assure you my cooking is perfectly fine."

Mrs. Jones stifled a snort. Those two couldn't have possibly known that John and Ian had once had a similar argument in the MI6 Christmas Party of 1984. That had been the last MI6 Christmas Party, ever. Mrs. Jones wandered away as the two began yet another bickering match. She had listened to hundreds of hours of surveillance on those two and knew that Alex would simply cave eventually. She decided she was going to let someone else risk it and headed straight for the crisps. It had been a while since she had personally eaten any. Just this once couldn't hurt, she supposed. Smithers was also coming and Joe Byrne had actually asked before attending, which was surprisingly considerate of the man. Then again, Alan was known to be quite territorial when it came to other intelligence agency heads, his agents, and Britain. Tulip hadn't seen any harm in him attending with a few others. Apparently, only agency deputy heads and soldiers were on time to parties. Tulip wondered if she should wander over and talk to him. She decided she was going to enjoy the peace, quiet, and crisps for a bit before she did anything that resembled networking. At least at this party, there were a few more interesting people. Mrs. Jones decided to find a corner of the living room before the place filled up too much. The soldiers had already saluted her as she walked in and made a beeline for the food. Tulip figured it was fine since they seemed to be scarfing it down at a fairly normal rate. Then again, they were SAS.

Tulip waited until she was sure they didn't have food poisoning before approaching the table. Byrne seemed to have the same idea. He walked right over to her. "Using the soldiers as food guinea pigs, Tulip? For shame."

Tulip rolled her eyes. Joe Byrne did have a certain charm to him when he wanted to. "You act like you weren't copying my strategy like your device department copied our pens in the Cold War."

Byrne snorted. "Yeah, Tulip, sure, you don't borrow our spy satellite designs at all."

Tulip felt her lips twitch. She was not losing this conversation to Joe Byrne. "It's good to see you, too, Joe."

Byrne grinned. "You don't even deny it."

Tulip raised an eyebrow. "I try not to insult your intelligence."

Joe grinned. "Well, if I wasn't married with grandkids, I would-"

Jones glared at him halfheartedly. "Don't go there, Joe."

Joe gave her an innocent look that might have fooled her at the start of the Cold War. They had all worked together from the very beginning. Back when SCORPIA had never existed and the world's top agents were still working for the intelligence agencies. She remembered those Christmas parties, too. The sparkling champagne. The shameless flirting. The fact that they were all united against the Russians and everything had been black and white. Tulip cut off her nostalgia. "Sorry, Tulip."

She had missed him, sometimes. "You know, the wife got her divorce this year."

Tulip shrugged. From what she heard, it had been a long time coming. The woman never should have married someone who had long hours to work if she wanted to be a jealous shrew. "Sorry, Joe. I know you tried to make it work."

Joe looked at her. "I'm not, Tulip."

Tulip resisted the urge to let her mouth drop open. Did Joe really still like her? After all these years and both marriages? What was she supposed to say to that? "I'm not sure how to respond to that Joe."

Joe grinned. "Let me take you out to dinner, Tulip. It'll be just like the old days."

Tulip mentally blanked and found herself saying. "Alright then, Joe."

Alan was going to kill her. She figured one date wasn't going to hurt. It wasn't like she agreed to marry him or anything. Joe walked away. Tulip wondered why she still got the floaty feeling.

Tamara walked up to her. Jones made sure there was no idiotic lovesick grin on her face. She was a professional woman. "So, you and Joe?"

Tulip laughed. In the back of her mind was the toast that they had at the end of the Cold War. Joe had come to her wedding. She had gone to his. "Oh, Agent Knight, we're old news."

Tamara arched a brow. "Really? Doesn't seem like it to me."

Tulip shrugged. Knight could think what she wanted. Joe Byrne and Tulip Jones were never going to be a strong, steady relationship. This wasn't the Cold War. They were rivals at best now. "You can think what you want, Agent Knight. This discussion is over."

They could keep it a secret. Jones figured Byrne had similar opinions on Alex, which would have been a huge issue. Tamara wandered off, sensing the twin threat and order. Tulip allowed herself to wistfully imagine what could be, if they both didn't have their jobs, before brutally stomping it down into the back of her mind. Alex had sauntered over. "Sooo. You and Joe."

Jones could suddenly feel an oncoming headache. She was really reconsidering the risk classification of migraine medication. "Who told you that?"

Alex gave her what she supposed was a mix between a grin and a smirk. "Nobody. I suspected, but you just confirmed it."

Tulip glared balefully at him. She really hated being outmaneuvered. "Don't worry, Cu-er, Blunt, doesn't have to know."

Mrs. Jones gathered herself up. "Mr. Rider, watch that language."

Alex gave her a sort of smirk. "Sorry, Mrs. Jones, these pain meds, well, you know."

Mrs. Jones rolled her eyes. Boys. They never did change. She figured she was just going to let that one go. "It better be a nice dinner he takes you to."

Mrs. Jones arched her brow. "I would assure you, Alex, if it was any of your business, that Joe has impeccable taste, especially for an American."

Alex arched a brow at her. "Defending your man alread-"

Mrs. Jones cut him off. "Besides you are hardly in any shape to be giving Joe the shovel talk."

Alex muttered under his breath. "And Blunt would be so much better at it than I would."

Tulip decided it was a lost cause and walked off. Surely there was some sort of beverages to be found, preferably of the alcoholic variety.