The Redemption of Tim
So, my friend and I have this habit, going back over ten years, of naming any evil ex-boyfriend 'Tim' or 'Tom'. I decided this was unfair to Tims and Toms everywhere, and this is an attempt to change it.
Title: The Redemption of Tim
Length: one-shot
Rating: T
Setting: 2007 'verse
Pairings/Characters: Maggie Madsen, human OC
Summary: Alien robots are just too much for Maggie's brain-to-mouth filter to handle.
---
When the knock on the door came, Maggie was watching her morning coffee percolate with single-minded intensity. It was an act of divine willpower for her to drag herself away to go peer through the peephole. A black suit and tie waited on the other side, and with a sigh, she opened the door.
"What was it this time?" she asked, stifling a yawn.
"Good morning. Miss Madsen?" The suit questioned politely.
"That's me. What can I do for you?" Maggie asked wearily.
"I'm Agent Keating. Do you mind if I come inside?" he asked instead of answering.
"Well that's a good sign," Maggie said with a roll of her eyes, then stepped back and motioned for him to enter. "You want some coffee?"
"No thanks," Keating said politely. "I won't be staying long."
"Alright, but let me get some for myself before you get on with it."
"Of course Miss." Maggie snorted at the formality, but didn't say anything. Recent experience had taught her that it was less awkward all around if she didn't ask a suit to forgo with the formalities.
Leaving the agent standing stoically in her tiny living room, Maggie returned to the kitchen and breathed in, sighing deeply at the smell of fresh coffee. She poured herself a large mug and heaped it full of sugar before returning to her guest. She gave him a subtle once-over as she perched on the arm of her sofa - this one was cute, at least.
"Alright, lay it on me," she finally said, taking her first sip of her coffee and making a small noise of satisfaction.
"I'm afraid you're being deported, miss," Keating said apologetically, and Maggie's gaze darted to him in surprise. "I'm here to inform you that you have 24 hours to leave the country of your own volition, or we'll have to remove you." He held out a sealed envelope to Maggie, and she stared at it for a moment before a wide grin stretched across her face.
"That sneaky bastard! Keller didn't even give me a heads up!" She said, setting aside her coffee and eagerly grabbing the envelope out of his hand. Tearing it open, Maggie's grin stretched even wider as she read the official deportation documents. "Oh yeah - this'll shut up those assholes at work that keep asking me questions! He even got it as a Presidential order! Secretary Keller, you are amazing!"
"Ah - if you want to challenge the deportation -" Keating said tentatively, clearing his throat.
"Challenge it? When I asked him to deport me in the first place?" Maggie asked the agent incredulously.
"You...asked the secretary of defense to deport you."
"He owed me a favour," Maggie said dismissively. Keating was silent, and when Maggie looked over at him she couldn't help but laugh. She'd never seen a government suit look so non-plussed before. "I'm sorry, this probably isn't the reaction you're used to at all."
"No, not really," Keating agreed. "You'll be on your way out of the country by tomorrow, then?"
"Yes - well, maybe. I've had a list of people I need to tell all written up since the day I asked Keller, but I have so much stuff to pack and mail home, and I'll need to get a ride for it - I wonder if Pri-" Maggie cut off and glanced surreptitiously at Keating, but he didn't seem to recognize the importance of her almost-slip.
"If you need another day to get things organized, I'm authorized to give it to you as long as you're co-operating," he offered.
"Could you? I just have so much stuff to pack, and Keller didn't give me any warning."
"I'll need to check in tomorrow, but sure." Keating actually flashed a smile at that, something Maggie put down to her having thrown him off balance. She blamed her response on how cute his smile was.
"With a smile like that hon, you can check in on me any time." She immediately blushed as she realized what she'd said. "I swear my brain-to-mouth filter is just gone these days."
"No worries, Miss Madsen," Keating replied, though his smile had grown into a grin. "I'll leave you to your packing, though."
"Right, yes, packing!" Maggie declared firmly as she opened the door for Keating.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning," Keating said with a nod, his grin only slightly faded, and Maggie's blush deepened a bit as she mumbled an affirmative and shut the door.
---
The next morning, Keating showed up with a grin...and a large of Maggie's usual order from the coffee shop down the street.
"You are way too clever to be working in immigration," she told him promptly, and Keating chuckled.
"So my bosses keep telling me," he said. "I like it, though."
"You like deporting people?" Maggie asked, arching an eyebrow as she cradled the coffee in her hands.
"Honestly, that part kinda sucked until yesterday," Keating replied, smiling. "You going to let me in so I can say I've verified that you're making plans to leave?"
"Oh I guess so," Maggie said casually. "You'll have to forgive the mess, I'm in the middle of a move."
"Really? You didn't mention anything," Keating said with mock surprise. Maggie rolled her eyes as she stepped aside for the agent to enter, and he grinned. She closed the door, then followed as Keating headed into the living room. His joking was gone as he glanced in, then went on through each of the rooms. At the end, he turned back to her and nodded.
"Yep, you're packing."
"Don't remind me."
"Well, legally speaking..." Keating grinned.
"Bringing me coffee does not mean you get to be a smartass," Maggie chastised. "That's my job."
"Sorry, I thought you had no job with the whole deporting thing."
"Funny. I kept in touch with my old bosses back in Australia. I start two days after I get back."
"Wow, you really have planned this all out, haven't you?" Keating sounded impressed.
"I may not want to go back, but that doesn't mean I can't," Maggie said with a sigh. Keating was silent for a moment.
"Didn't you ask to be deported?"
Maggie laughed. "That's been bothering you, hasn't it?"
"It really has," Keating said earnestly. "Why not just go home, without the diplomatic repercussions? Why use a favour from the secretary of defense for it? How did a systems analyst even end up with the secretary of defense owing her a favour?"
"See, that's part of why I'm leaving," Maggie said with a grin as she drained the last of her coffee.
"...what is?" Keating asked, confused.
"I work with curious people like you. They know things about me don't add up. I signed an NDA. Aaand as I mentioned, my brain-to-mouth filter isn't doing too hot these days."
"So in other words, I should be a good agent and stop asking questions," Keating replied wryly.
"Probably," Maggie agreed. "You could help me pack instead."
"Unfortunately I have to go, er, file some paperwork," Keating said, eyeing the mess around him and edging towards the door. A smile twitched at the edges of his mouth.
"Uh-huh, sure. Throw this out on your way, I already packed the garbage," Maggie said with a laugh, tossing her coffee cup at him. Keating caught it smoothly, grinning again.
"Why on earth would you pack the garbage?"
"I thought I told you I had the smartass job covered?"
"Right, sorry," Keating said with a laugh. "I'd say I'll see you around, but -"
"Shoo, Agent," Maggie said sternly. Keating grinned one last time and let himself out.
---
It was running on 2 in the morning that night, and Maggie was getting close to saying 'fuck it' and leaving the rest of her stuff to get thrown out, when there came a knock on the door. Peering out the peephole, she snorted as she saw nothing but a coffee cup. She opened the door, mouth open to make a smart-ass comment, only to pause.
"I call this my door opener shirt. Because everyone has that reaction." Keating grinned widely, though his garish Hawaiian shirt held Maggie's attention still.
"Do you show up at the doors of girls you're deporting often?" she asked after a moment.
"Only those that ask to be deported," Keating said, leaning in conspiratorially. Then he leaned back and held out the coffee, grin not dimmed one bit. "I figured you might need some help packing."
"So you came over at 2 in the morning," Maggie said slowly as she took the coffee.
"With coffee," he pointed out.
"Right. With coffee." Maggie tilted her head to the side, a small smile in place. Keating's grin didn't dim.
What the hell, she decided. She could use the help, and he was cute, even with the shirt. Plus, if he turned out to be some sort of psycho serial killer that preyed on deported girls, she still had giant alien robots on speed dial.
"Maggie," she introduced, holding out her free hand.
"Tim," Keating replied, giving her hand a firm shake.
- END -
Title: The Redemption of Tim
Length: one-shot
Rating: T
Setting: 2007 'verse
Pairings/Characters: Maggie Madsen, human OC
Summary: Alien robots are just too much for Maggie's brain-to-mouth filter to handle.
---
When the knock on the door came, Maggie was watching her morning coffee percolate with single-minded intensity. It was an act of divine willpower for her to drag herself away to go peer through the peephole. A black suit and tie waited on the other side, and with a sigh, she opened the door.
"What was it this time?" she asked, stifling a yawn.
"Good morning. Miss Madsen?" The suit questioned politely.
"That's me. What can I do for you?" Maggie asked wearily.
"I'm Agent Keating. Do you mind if I come inside?" he asked instead of answering.
"Well that's a good sign," Maggie said with a roll of her eyes, then stepped back and motioned for him to enter. "You want some coffee?"
"No thanks," Keating said politely. "I won't be staying long."
"Alright, but let me get some for myself before you get on with it."
"Of course Miss." Maggie snorted at the formality, but didn't say anything. Recent experience had taught her that it was less awkward all around if she didn't ask a suit to forgo with the formalities.
Leaving the agent standing stoically in her tiny living room, Maggie returned to the kitchen and breathed in, sighing deeply at the smell of fresh coffee. She poured herself a large mug and heaped it full of sugar before returning to her guest. She gave him a subtle once-over as she perched on the arm of her sofa - this one was cute, at least.
"Alright, lay it on me," she finally said, taking her first sip of her coffee and making a small noise of satisfaction.
"I'm afraid you're being deported, miss," Keating said apologetically, and Maggie's gaze darted to him in surprise. "I'm here to inform you that you have 24 hours to leave the country of your own volition, or we'll have to remove you." He held out a sealed envelope to Maggie, and she stared at it for a moment before a wide grin stretched across her face.
"That sneaky bastard! Keller didn't even give me a heads up!" She said, setting aside her coffee and eagerly grabbing the envelope out of his hand. Tearing it open, Maggie's grin stretched even wider as she read the official deportation documents. "Oh yeah - this'll shut up those assholes at work that keep asking me questions! He even got it as a Presidential order! Secretary Keller, you are amazing!"
"Ah - if you want to challenge the deportation -" Keating said tentatively, clearing his throat.
"Challenge it? When I asked him to deport me in the first place?" Maggie asked the agent incredulously.
"You...asked the secretary of defense to deport you."
"He owed me a favour," Maggie said dismissively. Keating was silent, and when Maggie looked over at him she couldn't help but laugh. She'd never seen a government suit look so non-plussed before. "I'm sorry, this probably isn't the reaction you're used to at all."
"No, not really," Keating agreed. "You'll be on your way out of the country by tomorrow, then?"
"Yes - well, maybe. I've had a list of people I need to tell all written up since the day I asked Keller, but I have so much stuff to pack and mail home, and I'll need to get a ride for it - I wonder if Pri-" Maggie cut off and glanced surreptitiously at Keating, but he didn't seem to recognize the importance of her almost-slip.
"If you need another day to get things organized, I'm authorized to give it to you as long as you're co-operating," he offered.
"Could you? I just have so much stuff to pack, and Keller didn't give me any warning."
"I'll need to check in tomorrow, but sure." Keating actually flashed a smile at that, something Maggie put down to her having thrown him off balance. She blamed her response on how cute his smile was.
"With a smile like that hon, you can check in on me any time." She immediately blushed as she realized what she'd said. "I swear my brain-to-mouth filter is just gone these days."
"No worries, Miss Madsen," Keating replied, though his smile had grown into a grin. "I'll leave you to your packing, though."
"Right, yes, packing!" Maggie declared firmly as she opened the door for Keating.
"I'll see you tomorrow morning," Keating said with a nod, his grin only slightly faded, and Maggie's blush deepened a bit as she mumbled an affirmative and shut the door.
---
The next morning, Keating showed up with a grin...and a large of Maggie's usual order from the coffee shop down the street.
"You are way too clever to be working in immigration," she told him promptly, and Keating chuckled.
"So my bosses keep telling me," he said. "I like it, though."
"You like deporting people?" Maggie asked, arching an eyebrow as she cradled the coffee in her hands.
"Honestly, that part kinda sucked until yesterday," Keating replied, smiling. "You going to let me in so I can say I've verified that you're making plans to leave?"
"Oh I guess so," Maggie said casually. "You'll have to forgive the mess, I'm in the middle of a move."
"Really? You didn't mention anything," Keating said with mock surprise. Maggie rolled her eyes as she stepped aside for the agent to enter, and he grinned. She closed the door, then followed as Keating headed into the living room. His joking was gone as he glanced in, then went on through each of the rooms. At the end, he turned back to her and nodded.
"Yep, you're packing."
"Don't remind me."
"Well, legally speaking..." Keating grinned.
"Bringing me coffee does not mean you get to be a smartass," Maggie chastised. "That's my job."
"Sorry, I thought you had no job with the whole deporting thing."
"Funny. I kept in touch with my old bosses back in Australia. I start two days after I get back."
"Wow, you really have planned this all out, haven't you?" Keating sounded impressed.
"I may not want to go back, but that doesn't mean I can't," Maggie said with a sigh. Keating was silent for a moment.
"Didn't you ask to be deported?"
Maggie laughed. "That's been bothering you, hasn't it?"
"It really has," Keating said earnestly. "Why not just go home, without the diplomatic repercussions? Why use a favour from the secretary of defense for it? How did a systems analyst even end up with the secretary of defense owing her a favour?"
"See, that's part of why I'm leaving," Maggie said with a grin as she drained the last of her coffee.
"...what is?" Keating asked, confused.
"I work with curious people like you. They know things about me don't add up. I signed an NDA. Aaand as I mentioned, my brain-to-mouth filter isn't doing too hot these days."
"So in other words, I should be a good agent and stop asking questions," Keating replied wryly.
"Probably," Maggie agreed. "You could help me pack instead."
"Unfortunately I have to go, er, file some paperwork," Keating said, eyeing the mess around him and edging towards the door. A smile twitched at the edges of his mouth.
"Uh-huh, sure. Throw this out on your way, I already packed the garbage," Maggie said with a laugh, tossing her coffee cup at him. Keating caught it smoothly, grinning again.
"Why on earth would you pack the garbage?"
"I thought I told you I had the smartass job covered?"
"Right, sorry," Keating said with a laugh. "I'd say I'll see you around, but -"
"Shoo, Agent," Maggie said sternly. Keating grinned one last time and let himself out.
---
It was running on 2 in the morning that night, and Maggie was getting close to saying 'fuck it' and leaving the rest of her stuff to get thrown out, when there came a knock on the door. Peering out the peephole, she snorted as she saw nothing but a coffee cup. She opened the door, mouth open to make a smart-ass comment, only to pause.
"I call this my door opener shirt. Because everyone has that reaction." Keating grinned widely, though his garish Hawaiian shirt held Maggie's attention still.
"Do you show up at the doors of girls you're deporting often?" she asked after a moment.
"Only those that ask to be deported," Keating said, leaning in conspiratorially. Then he leaned back and held out the coffee, grin not dimmed one bit. "I figured you might need some help packing."
"So you came over at 2 in the morning," Maggie said slowly as she took the coffee.
"With coffee," he pointed out.
"Right. With coffee." Maggie tilted her head to the side, a small smile in place. Keating's grin didn't dim.
What the hell, she decided. She could use the help, and he was cute, even with the shirt. Plus, if he turned out to be some sort of psycho serial killer that preyed on deported girls, she still had giant alien robots on speed dial.
"Maggie," she introduced, holding out her free hand.
"Tim," Keating replied, giving her hand a firm shake.
- END -