A.N. Okay, so I'm a little overwhelmed by the positive response to my little one-shot, so much so, that I've decided to add a few more chapters to it. I genuinely can't believe the nice things people have had to say about this, I never expected there to be people who'd want more but I have to admit, I was skeptical about this film but it's gotten under my skin and Eva just won't leave me alone, so, I hope you enjoy my extensions.
I had a review or two on a previous story that said to not focus on flashbacks for my characters but I feel this story needs them to properly set it up, after-all, there's not much left of the film if I pick up where I left off. So, let me know if you think they're unnecessary or just plain boring and I'll do my best but honestly, I'm having the time of my life researching the 1950's/60's so I think I'll stick with them.
I can't promise any sort of regular updates (I'm supposed to be writing my Musketeers fanfic, shhhh) but I'm really into this story, so let's see where it goes. Hope you enjoy xxx
Fairfax, Virginia; 1958
Langley wasn't anything like she'd imagined it'd be. In fact, the CIA's Headquarters looked more like an industrial block than the prestigious office she'd been told to expect.
Though, that wasn't really a shock as the Agent who had collected her from the tarmac at Washington National had spent the past 25 minutes telling her exactly how wonderful the great state of Virginia was…so far she'd seen a lot of buildings and not much of the wonder he assured her was around each corner.
Yes, so far her business trip had provided her with the sight of as much concrete as she would normally see on her daily commute through London.
"And here we have it, Ma'am…" The young agent stole her away from her thoughts of home. "…Welcome to HQ!" She offered the man a strained smile as he beamed at her in the rear-view mirror and, checking she had all of her notes, she exited the vehicle as quickly as possible; waving away the man's assurances of dropping her bags at her hotel for her.
It was only when she was stood at the foot of the 4 metre wide marble seal emblazoned onto the floor of the entrance lobby, did she suddenly realise the gravity of the task before her; Alexander Waverly, yes the Alexander Waverly, had hand-picked her; a relatively new agent who had only ever ventured as far as Hanover, to travel across the Atlantic for a Five Eyes meeting.
She glanced down at the manila folder held securely under her arm and forced down an excited grin as she finally let it sink in that she was here; representing her country and hopefully doing them proud.
"Can I help you, Miss?" She felt a tendril of hair escape from the elaborate bun she had perfected on the flight over as she turned quickly to address the smiling woman behind the reception desk.
"Yes." She let the sound of her heels clicking against the marble wash over her as she approached the desk. "I'm here for a meeting."
"And your name, Miss?"
"Agent." She corrected with a smile. "Agent Eva Green."
If you'd told 18 year old Napoleon Solo that enlisting in the U.S. Army would result in him spending the rest of his life attending monotonous meetings about Global security and the rise of the Russians, well, he'd have laughed at you before telling you about the wonders he was going to see during his time in Europe.
And, to be fair to 18 year old Napoleon, he did have quite the time as part of the occupying forces; handling art he could only dream of, dancing till dawn with any woman he set his eyes on and the money – so much money.
But, here he was; in Langley, Virginia sat next to the grumpiest agents the world could source in yet another unnecessary meeting about Russia. He would give his left arm for some of the excitement he had once tasted in his youth or even just someone better looking than balding Agent Bennett.
Napoleon let out a sigh as Bennett turned yet another page in the folder he was reading aloud from and a quick glance at his own copy of the report told him all he needed to know; this wasn't ending any time soon.
They'd only been here for 10 minutes, Solo realised as he checked his watch, not even bothering to conceal his actions from the boring Agent. 10 minutes in an uncomfortable chair with the air conditioning unit only teasing him with wisps of a cool breeze.
The opening of the conference room door startled everyone sat at the long table and Solo could have jumped for joy as the interruption cut off Bennett's never-ending speech.
"This is confidential meeting!" Bennett's face went from calm to beetroot-red angry in a second as his eyes landed on the secretary standing in the doorway. "You'd better have a good reason for interrupting!"
The woman looked like she was about to burst into tears, Solo mused as she fidgeted in the entrance; he made a note to make her smile on his way past her desk later – it was amazing what a quick compliment could do for these poor women.
"I have Agent Green from MI5, Sir."
Agent Green? Napoleon cast his eyes around the table before noticing that there was indeed an empty spot there and as luck would have it; it was directly beside him. Wonderful. MI5 was known for being full of stuffy men who thought their heritage guaranteed them a spot at the big-boy's table.
"Then send her in!"
Solo felt his throat dry as his visions of another balding man in a cheap suit were shattered by the pencil-skirt wearing blonde, currently stepping into the room with a frown.
"I thought this meeting was scheduled for 11?" Oh the accent nearly killed him; he'd always had a thing for women with accents.
"It was."
"Then why, may I ask, have you started?" She glanced pointedly at the clock on the wall beside her that clearly read 10:45.
"We were all here." Bennett told her and Napoleon had to give it to the man; if he had been the one standing he'd have either buckled as soon as she opened her mouth or immediately started flirting.
"Obviously not."
Napoleon grinned: oh she had him there. The room watched as a phenomenon occurred before them; Bennett, a man known for his sexism and unflappable-ness, withered under her stare.
"Yes…well…" The balding man scratched his neck nervously as the blonde's eyebrow raised un-amusedly. "…if you'd like to take a seat, Agent Green, we've only covered the introduction so far."
She held her stare for only a moment longer before turning and striding towards the empty chair. Napoleon didn't know whether to kiss her or applaud her as she settled into the office chair and flicked open the folder waiting for her.
He watched her from the corner of his eye as Bennett hesitantly re-started the meeting and for the first time ever was grateful for the time being taken for it allowed him to properly study the woman at his side.
America, for all of its greatness, didn't breed women like this, never mind allow them into their Security Services as Agents. She was obviously good at her job, that went without saying; her mere presence at this table marked her out as someone to know in MI5, she was young too; mid-twenties at the most which made her progression in this business even more remarkable.
She too was not paying attention to Bennett; instead she was flicking through the folder before her, skimming the bulks of writing and instead focusing on the few pictures that had been added.
He thanked whatever God or celestial being was watching over him this morning as she reached into her bag for what he assumed was a pen before coming up short; this was his chance.
No matter where she was or what she was doing, Agent Eva Green always carried a pen. Always. Which was why, when she reached into her bag and her fingers closed around nothing but air, did she frown.
She quickly replaced her hand onto the table top and tried to act calm; she needed a pen. The folder in front of her was screaming out for some annotation and she'd just spotted something in one of those photographs that needed circling because she knew she'd forget about it within the hour.
She was known for her notes; mission debriefings and status reports that had her name signed at the bottom always came with a few notes in the margins or certain words circled for emphasis, Lord knows it was the details she made stand out that had often saved not just her own life but others too.
She needed a pen. But she'd rather fail than let the sweaty man who had so kindly welcomed her into the meeting, know she was in the slightest way un-prepared for this. The file she had brought in with her had listed the names of everyone presently at the table, she was unsurprised to learn she was the only female, and Waverly had included a few handwritten notes of his own; just a quick summary of each man and she was more than sure that her gracious host was Agent William Bennett; renowned sexist and altogether pathetic agent.
Waverly had noted that the man often preferred to carry out missions from behind a desk and encouraged younger agents to get their hands dirty before swooping in to collect all praise. Wonderful.
She reached again for a pen as another comment in the folder jumped out at her and desperately tried to hide a huff of annoyance as she remembered her pen-less situation.
She obviously failed though, judging by the almost silent laugh that left the Agent beside her and she wanted nothing more than to scream at the levels of testosterone coursing through the room before wiping the smiles off of every Agent I'm-A-Man-So-I'm-A-Better-Spy around her.
She felt her mouth open, ready to tell him exactly where to stick his smugness, just as he reached into the inside pocket of his suit and retrieved a pen. Her mouth closed.
"Agent Solo." He whispered as he offered her the piece of stationery.
"Eva Green." She replied, taking the pen and smiling gratefully at the man. "I mean; Agent Green…of MI5." She mentally kicked herself for her unnecessary introductions; of course she was an Agent; the secretary had announced her as such and of course she was MI5, who else would have her accent?!
"A pleasure to meet you, Eva." His smile was lethal, she noted as she began scribbling on the documents in front of her, very aware that he was still watching her. A smile like that could get her into serious trouble…his silky voice too…
