Chapter Four

Macy rushed back to her room, throwing herself onto her bed. She hated the fact that he hit all her soft spots, but she hated even more that she let it get to her and that Michael and Birkhoff saw her that way. It wasn't entirely surprising when she heard footsteps come up to the door and the door opened. "Macy?" she heard Michael's voice.

"It's okay." She said, staying rolled over on her left side, her back to Michael.

"No." Michael replied, sitting behind Macy on her bed. "We don't welcome people to Division that way. What Birkhoff said was rude and completely inappropriate."

"Then why isn't he here apologizing?" Macy replied.

"Birkhoff has his own rules." Michael replied. "As much as I agree he should be here, he isn't."

Somehow that didn't surprise Macy. Someone who could that freely make the kind of comments he did wasn't the kind of person who followed the rules. "He just told me how he really feels. I guess I can't blame him for that." Macy replied.

"It was still inappropriate. I will talk to him about it."

"Okay." Macy knew it probably wouldn't do much good, but if it made Michael feel better she didn't really care if he did it.

"What?" Birkhoff snorted with a laugh.

"You heard me the first time." Amanda calmly replied, taking a sip of her tea.

"You want me not only to practice seduction for God-knows what reason, but you also want me to practice on the one girl I cannot stand." Birkhoff leaned back against the back of the couch.

"Cannot stand?" Amanda was amused. "You just met her. And Michael tells me you gave her a less than enthusiastic welcome."

Birkhoff rolled his eyes. "She wasn't supposed to hear that."

"But you said it." Amanda replied. "And she heard it. Anyway, you are an agent here, and Percy has requested we train you more in that area."

"On her?" Birkhoff replied. "It has to be her?"

"If you dislike her it will be an even better challenge and practice. Just make sure you don't tell her what is going on."

"And if I disagree? If I refuse?"

Amanda gave Birkhoff her patented smirk. "You know the rules. You don't do it- cancellation. You'd better start sucking up to her now."

Rolling his eyes again, Birkhoff leaned forward, rubbing his hands in front of him. "Great." He replied.

"It could be worse. From what I've talked to her, she seems like a nice girl." Amanda smugly replied, taking another sip from her tea.

"When do I start?" Birkhoff replied, the distaste in his voice clear.

"My suggestion?" Amanda replied, "I would start now. Probably by apologizing to her."

"Fine." Birkhoff snapped in reply, walking out of Amanda's office without another word.

With every step of his feet towards Macy's room he felt more upset. Sure, it wasn't Macy's fault this was happening- she couldn't help how she looked, but he figured that the beauty thing he could get over, since he was only practicing seduction on her. As he got closer to her room, Birkhoff was surprised when Michael brushed past him. "Birkhoff?" Michael greeted him in, equally surprised to run into him here.

"I came to apologize." He couldn't look Michael in the eye. He knew lying was another thing he would have to work on to get the seduction techniques down.

The surprise in Michael's eyes was obvious, but he didn't say anything other than, "Fair warning, she is pretty pissed at you."

"That doesn't surprise me." Birkhoff replied.

"Well, good luck." Michael nodded at Birkhoff heading down the hall.

Birkhoff snorted in contempt. He couldn't believe after al he had done for Division that they would treat him this way- put him in this position. Clearing his throat, Birkhoff headed to her door. Hesitantly he knocked on her door gently. Holding his breath, he waited for Macy to answer the door. When she opened the door, Birkhoff was greeted with a huge eye roll. "What do you want?"

As she went to shut the door, Birkhoff put his hand out to stop it. "I just want to apologize."

Macy turned away from the door but left it open, allowing Birkhoff to follow her into the room. He took that as an invitation and followed her into the room, shutting the door behind him. Macy sat down on her bed, her back to Birkhoff. "I'm really sorry." Birkhoff said.

There wasn't any response from Macy, she didn't even flinch. Sighing, Birkhoff walked around the bed. He tried to make eye contact with her, but she kept looking away. He had not realized how bad he had hurt her until just then. He crouched in front of her, putting his hands on her knees to balance himself. Macy finally made eye contact with him, but with a nasty glare, before quickly looking away

If anything else, Birkhoff was getting a good chance to work on his sympathy. It felt strange as he reached up and grasped her chin gently, turning her face back towards him. "Macy," he said, surprising her that he remembered her name correctly this time. She felt a shiver as he locked eyes with her, "I am really sorry. I've been having a bad day."

"Who can blame you?" Macy turned back away and quickly stood up. "What you said is true."

"Really Macy," Birkhoff plead, "I was out of line."

"I'm a fat, ugly girl!" she exploded, jumping off the bed. "It's the truth."

Birkhoff wasn't sure what to say. Even though he didn't find her attractive, he never meant to make her feel so bad. "C'mon Macy, do I look like a looker?" Do I look skinny?" Birkhoff had decided that relating to her might be his best chance.

"Nice try." Macy replied, "I don't believe you feel that way for a second."

"Hey Macy, I don't know what you want me to say." Birkhoff shouted in reply.

"Be yourself! Don't apologize when you don't mean it!" she exploded in pent up rage over all the people like Birkhoff in her past. "Obviously you don't find me attractive, fine. But then don't apologize for your feelings. And a little more diplomacy might be nice too."

Birkhoff walked over to where Macy was standing and took her hands, surprised when she didn't pull them away. He could tell she was fighting some kind of internal battle about those feelings along with the one over what Birkhoff had said. "Look at me!" Birkhoff commanded her. Once she finally looked into his eyes, he finished, "I should have never said it and you never should have heard it."

"I don't believe you." Macy replied, much calmer this time. "Get out!"

"Fine." Birkhoff stormed out.

He didn't know what he was going to do, but he knew he could not fail, because cancellation was not an option. As he walked back towards his office, Birkhoff scratched his head, trying to think of what he could do to get this girl to warm up to him. So far he'd tried every tool in his book, and he was going to have to come up with some new techniques to try to get her back. Wondering into his room, he shut the door behind him, heading out to the Internet to do some researching. With the all-nighter this was going to require, he was glad that he had restocked his supply of energy drinks and liquorish.