I was sitting in my office at work, reading through the emails that I had received since I had gone home yesterday. This was possibly one of my least favourite tasks for the day, however it did need doing. Just as I'd cleared the last of the emails from the inbox, and was about to minimise the tab on my computer, a new email appeared at the top of my inbox with a loud ping. I sighed loudly, but at least I was still on the computer.
The sender simply said 'Phoenix Foundation' and the subject header read 'Request for contractor.' This sparked my curiosity, as normally any contractor requests are sent to HR, and then forwarded to the person in question from there. This had been sent directly to me from the Phoenix Foundation. The name was curiously familiar, but for the moment I couldn't quite pick why. So instead, I opened the email and read its contents.
I sat for a moment, contemplating what they email had said. The director of the foundation, a Patricia Thornton, had already contacted my higher ups (an email from them had arrived shortly after the one from the Phoenix Foundation) and it urged me to consider the offer. It was upon reading the name of the director for the second time that it finally clicked where I had heard of the Phoenix Foundation. It was the name of the Think Tank where my new boyfriend, Angus MacGyver, worked. I wasn't entirely sure what the Think Tank would need me for exactly, but they had asked me specifically and my superiors were encouraging me to go. I replied to the email in the affirmative, expecting a promptly reply with the address as I was promised.
Twenty minutes later I was parking outside a non-descript building in a section of LA that was all office buildings. As I walked through the door, a security officer asked me for ID.
Jack Dalton, one of MacGyver's friends whom I had met a few times, worked for security here, so I kept my eyes open for him as I was escorted to the office of the Director.
The door was opened, and at a desk sat a well-dressed woman with dark hair. Her dark suit complemented her complexion and she exuded an air of confidence and competence. And she seemed just a little bit scary.
"Welcome, please take a seat," She said gesturing to the seat opposite her. "Everything that I am about to tell you is classified information and must not leave this building."
I tried, mostly successfully, to hide my look of surprise, and agreed.
"Phoenix Foundation isn't the Think Tank that the organisation appears to be when you look for it on the internet…."
About half an hour later I walked out of Director Thornton's office overwhelmed and definitely in need of a coffee. The Phoenix Foundation was less 'Think tank' and more 'covert operations doing things that weren't strictly within the government's control.' However, it did make their need of me more understandable. Didn't mean I wasn't in need of coffee.
A few moments later, a cappuccino in hand, I walked into a large room with a big screen attached to one wall. Around the screen were some chairs, and in one of these chairs was a blonde head that I definitely recognised.
"MacGyver," the director addressed the person sitting in the chair, "I have the contractor we need."
He stood up and turned to see us. A small look of shock crossed is face, and then he walked towards me with a polite smile.
"Angus MacGyver," he introduced himself, holding out his hand for me to shake.
So this is how you want to do this, I thought to myself.
I smiled and took his hand. "Pleased to meet you," I replied, "I'm…"
Before I could continue Director Thornton interrupted me.
"I am aware of the relationship between the two of you," she said drily.
"I recognised your name when I was looking at people for this task," she explained, "I had overheard Dalton mention your name in connection to MacGyver. And if I wasn't sure of your connection before now, Dalton's smirk would have confirmed it." She tipped her head to someone behind us. We both turned to see Jack Dalton leaning against the wall smirking and Riley Davis trying not to laugh at the situation before us.
"Connection," Jack muttered, "Yea, they're connected, they're…"
"Hi!" I smiled at them, cutting Jack's mutterings off as they made their way over to us. I took the opportunity to move from standing awkwardly opposite Mac to stand next to him.
"So, what's the development?" Dalton asked.
Two loud knocks pulled me out of my own thoughts, trying to piece together what I had found and how it connected to what the others were working on. I had no idea how long I had been in my 'office', working and absentmindedly drinking coffee without actually paying any attention to the time. I stretched and walked to the door, wondering what could have happened now.
I pulled the door open to see MacGyver leaning against the door frame.
"Hey sunshine," he smiled, "Have you had lunch yet?"
"No, not yet," I replied, gesturing him into the room.
"It's 2.30," he replied slowly, staying right where he was.
"Oh," I replied simply. I honestly hadn't noticed how late into the day it had become.
"Grab your stuff," he instructed me, "I'm taking you to a late lunch."
I barely had time to grab my phone and purse before MacGyver was dragging out the door and to get food.
We sat in a small café near the Phoenix Foundation, looking out over a small park. I noticed that MacGyver was alternating between fiddling with one of the sugar packets that was on the table and his cup of coffee, his fingers never really staying still.
"Well," I began, "now I understand why a Think tank would need my particular help."
MacGyver stopped dead at my words, eyes fixed down at the table for a few moments.
"You know I didn't lie to you on purpose," he started, looking up from the table at me. "If it wasn't such a risk to tell you, I would have."
"I know," I smiled softly at him, "The first thing that Director Thornton said to me was that I couldn't tell anyone.'"
Mac laughed, "Yea, that sounds like her." He took a breath. "So you're not upset with me?" MacGyver asked, a cloud of worry disappearing from his blue eyes.
"No," I replied, "But I am assuming I still can't tell Bozer?"
"No," Mac confirmed, "He still has no idea."
Just then our food arrived, which forestalled any further conversation at that time.
As I walked back into my office later that day, I found a cupcake and note on my desk.
'Welcome to the team' was scrawled in a relatively neat hand, with 'temporarily' added underneath in a heavier, thicker handwriting. Riley and Jack, I assumed with a smile. If I was going to continue to assist Phoenix Foundation, I had a suspicion that I would be kept well fed.