"Agent Mills", he said a little louder than the first time. Her face still staring blindly at the computer screen in front of her.
"Abbie", he yelled, causing her to finally look up from her trance along with a few other agents who were sitting nearby.
Agent Reynolds walked closer to her desk and put his hand on her shoulder lightly.
"My office. Now." He said as she stared up at him, lightly nodding her head.
He was already sitting down at his desk when she closed the door behind her and sat down across from him.
"What's going on, Mills?" He asked, his tone considerably less abrasive than what he displayed a few minutes earlier.
"Nothing, Agent Reynolds", she said, bright eyed and confident as she stared back at him. "What makes you think otherwise?"
"You've been distant the past few days. And I'm not the only one who has noticed."
She sat up straighter in her chair, cutting him off.
"Wait? Are you implying I haven't been doing my job effectively? Because that is the furthest thing from the…."
"Hold up", he said sternly. "No one is implying anything."
He sighed deeply, staring back into her eyes for the right words to say.
"Abbie… Does this have anything to do with our conversation the other night? Because if it does…"
Abbie laughed out loud, shaking her head. "Unbelievable, Danny."
"Listen… I realize now that the feelings I harbor are one-sided. And it was unprofessional of me to bring it up again... Especially since I already know how you feel." He stopped talking suddenly… looking down into his hands before raising his eyes up to hers again.
"I just needed you to know that I was still willing to try… Still am."
Abbie closed her eyes, desperately wishing she was anywhere but here.
"Danny…."
"I know, I know." He said, smiling softly. "It's complicated, right?"
"But no more complicated than your current roommate situation that you refuse to disclose any particulars about."
"Not fair, Danny", she said, his words getting a rise out of her. "My relationship with Crane has nothing to do with my feelings for you."
He stared at her face now, seeing the sudden flush of her cheeks, and thought about pressing on. But stopped himself.
"Ok, Abbie. I believe you." His face took on a more serious tone. "But I still think it's odd that you never mentioned him to me in all of our time together. Yet now he's living with you and giving me possessive vibes every time I step within two feet of you."
Abbie's eye twitched as she sat listening to Danny go on about Crane, yet again. She didn't pretend to not understand where he was coming from. But they were no longer together… hence her relationship with Crane wasn't one that she felt needed an explanation.
"Is that all, Agent Reynolds, because I have a ton of work to get done?" She asked, moving forward in her chair to initiate getting up and leaving his office.
"Listen, Mills. Just keep your head focused, okay? Whatever it is or isn't that seems to have you distracted needs to go away now. I need you at 110%."
Abbie nodded, rising from her chair.
"My dedication to this job has never been a question."
She was almost out of his office when his voice beckoned her one last time.
"I'm doing this for us, Abbie. I know you. And I know what your goals are. Please don't let someone from your past or anything else get in the way of what you want to achieve."
She sighed heavily and nodded her head in agreement.
"Yes sir." She said as she softly closed the door behind her.
….
Crane watched as she picked at her dinner, slowly prodding her fork in the Chinese fried rice that he had bought earlier that evening. She had barely said a word since getting home other than hello. No talk about her day. No incensed fury over whatever case file had her latest attention.
Instead of asking what was on her mind, he had found himself aimlessly babbling trying to fill the silence.
It hadn't been working.
"Crane", she interrupted as he was just getting to the good part of his latest Benjamin Franklin story.
He looked up at her, stopping his story mid-sentence.
"I know what you're trying to do. And while I appreciate it… I'd honestly just like some silence."
"Oh", he said, her words surprising him thoroughly. Silence wasn't a request made often by his partner.
"Of course. I apologize for rambling on whilst all you desired was to hear your own thoughts." He smiled lightly. "I'll head to my room for the evening."
She sighed as he got up from his seat. "Crane, sit down." She mumbled. "Sorry. It's not you. I just had a long day, that's all."
He smiled softly as he sat back down in his chair across from her, folding his hands in front of him.
"My ears are yours for the evening, Leftanent. If you wish them to be."
She looked over at him and pursed her lips. The last thing Abbie wanted was to open up to him about what was really bothering her. But she also knew that honesty was an important element of their relationship. And it wasn't like she could talk to Jenny about some of the things going on with her. Her sister had a way of cutting through to the core and reading her like a book. Which was something she didn't need at the moment.
"I had a few words with Danny… Agent Reynolds this morning." She said as she sat up in her chair. "Apparently, he and a few other agents on the force feel I've been a bit distracted lately."
Crane's brow furrowed. "Well of course you've been distracted. We've been dealing with forces threatening to kill us at every step we make. He has no idea to what depths your devotion to the preservation of mankind has been and continues to be…"
"Crane", she said, cutting him off his rant.
He looked over at her, seeing her eyes fall to the table as her mouth opened slightly to speak.
"It's not just the war we're fighting. Reynolds is right… I have been distracted."
He pursed his lips, unsure of whether to prod her for more information or let her continue at her own pace.
"Pardon me for intruding once again… But does this have anything to do with your nightmare from last night?"
She slowly raised her eyes to look up at him. Abbie watched his face wince, as if expecting her to react to his intrusion upon her inner turmoil.
"No." She said unsurely. "Maybe..."
She stopped. Unsure of whether she wanted to continue. But his eyes begged her to go on.
"I've never been the best at this sharing my feelings stuff, Crane."
He took a deep breath in, folding his hands in front of him at her last statement.
"I see." He said softly.
"Well, know this, Leftanent", he said sitting up straight in his chair. "I will forever be available to you if your sentiments ever change course."
Abbie smiled at his words, knowing they came from the heart, and not a place of nosiness.
"I know." She said, slowly rising from the table.
"I think I'm gonna head to bed for the night. See you in the morning?"
Crane got up, tipping his head down, bidding her farewell. Abbie had forbidden him to bow anymore in their house so this was his new way of leaving her each time they parted ways.
"I look forward to a new day in this glorious world alongside you, Leftanent." He said as he raised his head, watching her shake hers in annoyance.
"Night Crane." She said, still laughing as she made her way to her bedroom and closed the door.