Boss

The game was easy. Too easy. Garret really didn't understand what the whole point was. The only game he'd ever played had been poker and that definitely had had a point. But this? These people were even stranger than he'd thought, which was saying a lot. For Maggie's sake though, he kept his opinion to himself.

As the game went on, he saw laughter. Friendly competitiveness. Pride in each other. Happy losers. And by the time Maggie slapped down a Draw 4 card on him for the umpteenth time, he had to smile, roll his eyes and shake his head. He was beginning to see now that the point was not to win. Nobody really cared about that. The point was just...to be with each other and have fun. It was still foreign to him. Still something he didn't understand. But there was something...enticing about it. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but...it was part of...something bigger. Family. 

With a hand completely full of cards, he whacked Maggie softly upside the head with them and smirked. "You just wanted me to play so you could see how many cards I could hold." 

Laura grinned as she held only two cards, bouncing just a little to see if she could win this round. "You do seem to have quite a talent there." 

"Uh-huh." Garret leaned forward a little, quirking one eyebrow at her. "Let's see how much talent you have." He tossed down his own Draw 4 card.

Laura's jaw dropped. "You turkey!"

"Hey, don't blame me. Maggie's the one who taught me to play." 

"Sure." Laura started drawing cards. "I have a feeling you've known how be on the winning side longer than just this evening." As soon as she'd said it, she realized how it could be taken the wrong way, and her gaze snapped up at him. 

Seeing the horrified look on her face, his eyes narrowed slyly. "Oh, I've been known to get my way a time or two..." He let his comment linger a moment before adding a grin to take the edge off. "And yes," he said in almost a whisper. "The big scary guy does have a sense of humor." 

Not knowing what else to do, Laura laughed and shook her head. "I'll remember that." Her sidelong glance caught Nate's eye as she smiled. Maybe...just maybe...they were making progress.


For just a moment, Kirk's eyes locked with Adison's. His facial expression shifted slightly from the flippant way he joked with her into something more serious. But it had nothing to do with their jobs. 

Blinking, he dropped his gaze and cut into his steak to take a bite before his mind wandered too far into dangerous territory. "Okay, so...I will...let Barnes know you're coming with me. Next step is finding a new facility for the Elite. The board isn't satisfied with them still using an old manufacturing building. They need something better, above ground, and better equipped for their...our...line of work. I also need to have a sit-down discussion with Reese. Apparently it's also my job to inform him of all this and...he's not going to be happy, especially after our last meeting. And... I'm not sure how to say, 'Hey, we're gonna be working together, you have to move, and oh, you're still the chief but I'm kinda your boss.'"

He sighed and took a sip of water before looking back up at her. "Technically...I'll be...over you, too. Is that gonna be weird for you?"

"Look, I don't..." Justin paused the phone conversation as he paced his hallway. Beth was waiting for him on the couch to finish their movie and he really wanted to get back to her. It had been a hard day for her, facing Sarah's funeral, and he knew that right now, she needed him more than ever.  Having Reese call him this evening was an inconvenience to say the least, especially when Justin's heart was far from work at the moment. He'd been asked to come in tomorrow and discuss Garret, then try to talk to Aaron again.

 

He sighed. "I'm not sure I'm coming back at all."

"What?"

"Can you blame me? The Agency came after me by killing my girlfriend's sister. Do you know what that's doing to me? I'd rather get poisoned myself, but they figured me out, Reese. They figured out how to get under my skin and I fully admit it. I'm just not so sure I want to keep playing this game and risk the lives of those around me."

"So you're just going to quit? Give in to what they want?"

"Got a better suggestion?"

There was a long pause before Reese's voice came back calmly. "You do whatever you think is best. I'd be sorry to see you go - I think you've done a great job so far and the Elite needs someone like you to help figure out the people we bring in, not to mention the ability you have to help them. But...I understand your position. Just think about it, okay?"

Justin dug his toe into the carpet as he stared at the floor. "Okay. I'll think about it. I'll talk to you soon." Ending the call, he let out a long breath. He wasn't taking this lightly, being flippant or making up his mind too quickly. He'd already thought long and hard about it and had made up his mind. He would finish out his jobs with people loosely connected to the Elite - people like Mackenzie and Ryan. But otherwise, he would pursue other clients that would not put his loved ones in danger. 

Returning to the living room, he eased back down on the couch, putting his arm around Beth and kissing her head. He hoped he'd been quiet enough in the hallway to have not disturbed the movie. "What did I miss?" he whispered.