I-Man Fic: Wicked Ways 1/3
Title: Wicked Ways 1/3
Author: Sun
Fandom: The Invisible Man
Rating: PG-13Pairing(s): Maggie/Dairen
Disclaimers: don't own 'em, wish I did (at least Darien). Maggie's mine.
Summary: Maggie gets a new keeper but she's not all that she seems.
Timeline: October 2001
Maggie Rourke walked purposefully down the hallway. The Official had summoned her from her work in the lab. While most of the agents at the Agency cringed at the thought of meeting with him, Maggie felt differently. Ever since he and Nick had "rescued" her from the hospital when she was five she'd seen him as a father figure.
She knocked before pushing the door open. "Hey Charlie. You wanted to see me?"
He was in his customary position behind the desk. There was a woman seated in one of the chairs. "Come in, Magdalena. There's someone I'd like you to meet." Maggie took the other seat. The woman was regarding her with open disgust. "Magdalena, this is Kit Johnson."
Maggie held out her hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Maggie Rourke."
Dr. Johnson looked at her hand as if it was going to bite. "I'm aware of who you are, Agent Rourke. Should you be touching people so casually with your condition?"
"I can control it. I only get the inhibitor once a month." She let her hand drop back to her side.
Charlie spoke up. "Dr. Johnson is going to be your Keeper, Magdalena. From now on, you'll report to lab 3 every morning to check in with her."
Maggie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sir, what about my work with Claire?"
"Everything will move to lab 3. You'll be Dr. Johnson's assistant."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Why don't you show Dr. Johnson to her lab?" Charlie smiled gently at Maggie, hoping to put her more at ease.
She nodded and stood. "Yes, sir. It's this way." She told Dr. Johnson who was still watching her with open disdain and contempt.
As they wandered down the hall, Maggie attempted small talk. "So what did you do before you came here Kit?"
"First of all, you will address me as either Keeper or Dr. Johnson, not by my Christian name. And secondly, what I did before, during or after I am here is none of your business. I am here strictly as your Keeper, here to make sure you are not a danger to anyone." Dr. Johnson informed her in an icy voice.
Maggie didn't say anything the rest of the way to lab 3. She slid her ID card through the reader and the door slid open. "Here it is. Do you need help with anything?" Maggie lingered in the doorway, letting Dr. Johnson examine the lab.
"Just leave your key to the room here."
"My key? You mean my ID card?"
"Yes, whatever you used to get inside this lab."
Maggie bit her lower lip, her forehead wrinkling in confusion. "If I leave you my ID, I won't be able to get inside." She explained.
She turned to face Maggie. "This is my lab now. I don't want just anyone wandering into my lab without my permission."
"Yes, ma'am." Maggie tossed the card on the desk and stalked out of the lab. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"6 AM sharp."
"Yes ma'am." Maggie grumbled as she stalked down the hallway. She stopped in Claire's lab, hoping to find Darien. He was there, leaning against the counter.
"Hey Mags." He smiled when she came in.
Claire noticed the cross look on Maggie's face. "What's the matter, Maggie?"
"I got a new Keeper today." She flopped down in the lab chair.
"You what? Why wasn't I informed of this? Unbelievable." Claire fumed. "Excuse me, I have to go speak with the Official."
They watched her storm out of the lab and Darien came over to the chair.
"So what's she like?" He leaned back on one arm, his head near hers.
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "She's stuffy. And condescending. She treats me like I'm just an experiment."
"Maybe she'll get better once she knows you."
"She wouldn't even shake my hand." Maggie said softly.
Darien put an arm around her. "Why don't I come over later? I'll bring pizza. Monday night football is on."
She smiled. "All right. I'll get the beer."
"See you at seven." He kissed her forehead before bounding out the door.
Maggie slid off the chair and headed up to security to get a new ID card. After a bit of argument and a few phone calls later, Maggie had a new card with restricted access to the labs. She slipped it into her pocket and headed to her car.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Maggie knocked on the door to lab 3. The door slid open and Dr. Johnson stood on the other side, looking perturbed.
"You're late." She pointed to the clock on the wall. It read 6:01. Maggie opened her mouth to explain but Dr. Johnson cut her off. "I don't want your excuses. We've got work to do. Don't let this happen again."
"Yes, Dr. Johnson." Maggie stepped inside and hung her jacket on the rack by the door.
"We've got a full battery of tests scheduled for today, so lets get started." She picked up a clipboard and turned back to Maggie. "You can put those on."
"What kind of tests?"
"Just get dressed and meet me in Lab 1." Dr. Johnson stood at the door waiting for her. She gathered up the clothing and went down to the ladies room.
The clothes were gym clothes, loose pants and a Lycra tank top. She pulled them on and wandered back down to Claire's lab.
Dr. Johnson was inside, standing near a treadmill that was new.
She noticed Maggie in the doorway. "Don't stand there gawking, Agent Rourke. We have a lot of work to do."
Maggie stepped over to the machine and Dr. Johnson attacked her with electrodes. "Stress test? I just had one of these last month." She told her as she stepped on the treadmill.
"I'm aware of what tests you have or haven't had." Dr. Johnson snapped. "Get on the treadmill." She started it up at a light jog.
Maggie was still running when Claire came in at 6:30. "You must be Dr. Johnson." She held out her hand, a bright smile on her face.
"Dr. Morgan. You were Agent Rourke's Keeper." Dr. Johnson shook her hand.
"Only since Nick, I mean Dr. Patterson died. Are you running a stress test on Maggie?"
"Yes, I have several tests scheduled for today."
Claire looked puzzled. "I just reevaluated Maggie last month. Do you need her file?"
"I prefer to trust only results from tests I have personally run. If you'll excuse me." She turned back to Maggie, ignoring Claire.
"Well, make yourself at home in my lab." Claire muttered to herself.
Maggie smiled when she saw what Claire was thinking. Dr. Johnson finally stopped the treadmill and removed the wires from the electrodes.
She led Maggie to a small table that had several pieces of silverware on it. "Sit. This is a test of endurance. You are to lift the items and hold them in the air for as long as you can." She rolled a small cart over to the table. "While you're doing this, I will be drawing some blood for other tests."
Claire watched wide-eyed as Dr. Johnson ordered Maggie around. No one had ever treated Maggie like that. Nick had always been careful to treat Maggie like any other girl and always explained what tests he was running. She noticed Dr. Johnson barely touched Maggie even when she was drawing the blood, unusual for a doctor. Maggie looked up and saw Claire watching her. Claire smiled understandingly at her but Maggie turned her glowing eyes down to the table.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By 5, Maggie was exhausted. There had been three other endurance tests as well as typical medical ones. Dr. Johnson had even tried to get Maggie into an MRI. Maggie refused, even when Dr. Johnson threatened to tie her down.
After showering, she changed back into her street clothes and went in search of Darien and Hobbes. She found them in Hobbes' office. Flopping down in an empty chair, Maggie let herself rest.
"Hey Rourke. Where've you been all day?" Hobbes' usual cynical expression softened to concern.
"New Keeper had me doin' tests all day. I'm exhausted." Her normally bright eyes were dull. "She even tried to get me into an MRI. I told her to take a hike. She didn't like that very much." A small smile crossed her lips.
"This woman sounds like a real piece of work." Darien started rubbing Maggie's shoulders.
She made a small moan. "God, Darien. That feels so good. She scheduled four physical endurance tests and a 45 minute stress test."
"Seems like a lot." Hobbes leaned back in his chair, propping his feet on the desk.
"It is. Claire and Nick never scheduled so much in one day." She relaxed deeper into the chair as Darien's strong hands coaxed the knots from her shoulders.
"Did you tell her that?" Darien asked.
Maggie nodded. "Claire and I both told her but she wouldn't listen. Can I have drink of your water?"
"Sure." He handed her the bottle. She dug a prescription bottle out of her pocket and shook one into her hand.
"What's that?"
"Supplements or something. Dr. Johnson said they'd help with the side effects I have sometimes. I'm supposed to take one twice a day." She popped one into her mouth and swallowed it with a drink of water.
"We're almost done here. Why don't we go out to dinner?" Hobbes suggested.
Maggie yawned. "Sure. Just wake me up when you want to go." She closed her eyes and slouched down in the chair.
A half hour later, Darien and Hobbes looked up. Darien elbowed Hobbes.
"Look." He pointed to the chair. Maggie was sound asleep, snoring softly.
Hobbes laughed silently. "I guess dinner's off."
"Yeah, I'll take her home." Darien knelt next to Maggie. "Hey, Mags. It's time to go home."
She lifted her head a little. "Huh? What?"
"Home. Come on Princess." He helped her to her feet.
"Okay Darien. Night Bobby." She leaned against Darien walking sleepily down the hall.
He tucked her into the passenger seat of his car before getting in and driving off. Maggie was dead to the world when he arrived at her house. He carried her upstairs and laid her down on the bed.
Undressing her, he pulled a t-shirt over her head. Darien tucked her in and kissed her forehead before driving home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the alarm went off the next morning, Maggie groaned and rolled over. The alarm clock flew across the room and smashed into the wall, the noise dying. She lay there for a few more minutes before pushing back her covers and standing up. Stretching, she wandered into the bathroom to get cleaned up.
Maggie stepped out of her shower to the smell of coffee. Curious, she dried off quickly and threw on a robe before retrieving her gun and heading downstairs.
Darien looked up as she entered the kitchen, his eyebrows raised at the gun. "What'd you think kidnappers would help themselves to breakfast before they took you?"
"Maybe." She took the offered the coffee. "A girl can never be to careful. This could have all been a clever ruse to draw me from my shower."
"Did it work?" He continued downing a bowl of cereal.
"What do you think?" She dug around in the fridge, looking for breakfast. "You brought me home last night?"
"Yeah. You were really out of it."
"I was exhausted after yesterday." She found a Tupperware container of fruit and settled down at the table with a fork.
"Oh! I almost forgot. Here." Darien placed the prescription bottle from the night before on the table in front of her. "You left these on Hobbes' desk."
"Thanks. Stupid pills." She muttered as she took one with her coffee. "This was really the last thing I needed in my life."
"You'd better hurry up. We're gonna be late for work." He nodded at the clock behind her. She looked over her shoulder and jumped up.
"I've got to get dressed. Why didn't tell me what time it was?" She grabbed her breakfast and flew up the stairs to her room.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Johnson saw Darien and Maggie walking down the hall together. They were both laughing at something, his arm around her shoulders.
"Agent Rourke!"
Maggie startled and looked up. "Morning Dr. Johnson. I'll be down as soon as I check in with Charlie."
"This is the second day in a row you've been late. I cannot work with you if you refuse to show up to work on time."
"I was exhausted from all your tests yesterday and I slept though my alarm. I'm here aren't I?" Maggie retorted.
"She couldn't come in until I got there anyway. I drove her home last night." Darien tried to explain.
Dr. Johnson turned to him. "I have read your file Agent Fawkes and I wonder where this agency's wisdom was when they implanted the gland in your delinquent brain. I would ask that you stay away from my kept. You are clearly a bad influence." Leaving Darien speechless, she turned back to Maggie. "As for you, I have already spoken to the Official about your tardiness and you will report directly to me from now on. Since you are not a field agent, there is no reason to waste valuable time in the mornings. Now come along, there's work to be done."
Maggie looked helplessly at Darien. "Thanks for driving me in. I'll try to get away for lunch." She told him softly.
He squeezed her hand. "I'll let Hobbes know what's going on."
"Thanks."
"Agent Rourke." Maggie let go of Darien's hand reluctantly and turned to follow Dr. Johnson down into the labs.
"What do you want me to do today?" Maggie asked Dr. Johnson as they entered the lab.
"There's some glassware that needs to be washed. Take care of it. I'll be in my office." She waved her toward the sink area and sat down at her desk.
"Glassware?" Maggie stared at her. She hadn't washed anyone's glassware since she and Nick had actually worked out of the Agency, when she was fifteen. Dr. Johnson had already started working on something at the computer, ignoring Maggie. "Unbelievable."
She made it almost all the way through the pile of lab equipment without dropping anything. As she was setting a beaker aside to dry it slipped off the counter. Maggie caught it with her mind, a few inches above the ground. Just as she was setting it back on the counter, Dr. Johnson called to her.
"Agent Rourke, I asked you to wash the glassware, not play with it."
Maggie spun around and the beaker flew towards Dr. Johnson's head, crashing against the wall behind her.
"Sorry." She shrugged, not really meaning it.
"Sorry? You tried to hit me with that." Dr. Johnson stood up and came toward her.
"I didn't. It fell and I was picking it up when you distracted me."
"So I was right. You still have no control over your powers." Dr. Johnson grabbed Maggie by the arm and pulled her down the hall to Claire's lab.
Claire looked up in surprise as Dr. Johnson dragged Maggie across the lab and forced her into the chair. She watched Dr. Johnson strap Maggie's arms down before stalking over to the cooler. Picking up a bottle, she filled a nearby syringe and turned back to Maggie who was sitting dejectedly, eyes closed.
Something felt wrong to Claire and she quickly scanned the scene. Dr. Johnson held the syringe up, making sure there were no air bubbles in it and slid the needle into Maggie's arm. That's when Claire noticed the liquid inside the syringe was blue.
"NO!" She vaulted out of her chair and batted the needle out of Dr. Johnson's hand. Maggie cried out as the needle ripped out of her arm.
Dr. Johnson turned to Claire, furious. "What do you think you're doing?"
"What do you think you were doing? First of all, Maggie isn't due for another shot of inhibitor for two weeks and secondly, that wasn't the inhibitor. That was Agent Fawkes' counteragent. You could have poisoned her." Claire was angry now, shouting. "Didn't they show you what the inhibitor looked like? Didn't they at least tell you it's green? That we make it green on purpose so that this," She indicated the broken syringe and Maggie's bleeding arm with a wave of her hand, "wouldn't happen? What kind of a doctor are you?"
"Agent Rourke is my responsibility, not yours. As for the inhibitor, all I was told was that it was kept on a shelf in the cooler in your lab. There was no mention of a counteragent or what color the inhibitor is." Dr. Johnson roughly slapped a band-aid over the bleeding spot on Maggie's arm. "Do you have a batch of inhibitor ready?"
"It only has a shelf life of 36 hours. I won't have more ready until tomorrow at the earliest. But she's not due-"
"She threw a glass beaker at my head because I distracted her. I think that shows she's losing control and needs a shot. Please turn over the formula and I'll prepare the drug." Dr. Johnson interrupted her.
"What about Maggie?"
"What about her? It's lunchtime. Be back in an hour." Dr. Johnson stormed out of the lab, leaving Maggie strapped into the chair.
Claire sighed and went over to help Maggie out of the chair. "Did you really throw a beaker at her head?"
"It was an accident. I swear, she either wants me dead or crazy." Maggie stood up, rubbing her arm.
"I doubt that. She's just a little rough. You'll get used to her, I'm sure. Now, go find the boys and get something to eat. You look a little pale."
"Okay. Thanks for stopping her."
"Anytime."
Darien and Hobbes were on their way down to the labs when Maggie found them.
"Can we go out for lunch?" She cast a glance over her shoulder.
Hobbes looked at Darien who shrugged. "Sure kitten. Something wrong?"
She looked around again. "Not here. I'll explain when we're outside." Taking Darien's hand, Maggie led them out of the building quickly.
"Maggie, tell us what's going on." Darien pulled her to a stop on the sidewalk. He watched her look furtively around. Hobbes raised his eyebrow at the gesture.
"Dr. Johnson is trying to kill me."
"What?" Hobbes turned her to face him.
Maggie looked back at the building. "She tried to give me your counteragent today. She was trying to poison me."
Darien pulled her into his arms. "I'm sure it was an accident. Are you okay?"
She nodded and pushed him away. "It wasn't an accident. You should have seen the look in her eyes."
"Rourke-" Hobbes began.
"It wasn't. You guys go to lunch without me. I'm going back to work." She said, turning around. "I'll see you later."
"Hobbes, what the hell is wrong with Maggie?" Darien watched her run down the street back to the Agency.
"Classic paranoid delusions my friend. Trust me, I know." He tapped the side of his head. "Bobby Hobbes can sense paranoia a mile away pal."
"We need to talk to Claire." Darien slapped him across the chest and took off toward the Agency.
"I know what she's going to say Fawkes. Fawkes!" Hobbes shouted after him. Darien ignored him and shaking his head Hobbes followed after him, muttering. "I'm never gonna get any lunch today."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Something's wrong with Maggie." Darien burst into the lab. Claire looked up from the magazine she was reading.
"What do you mean Darien?"
"She's acting strange. Said Dr. Johnson tried to kill her by giving her the counteragent this morning. Then she ran back to the Agency."
"It was an accident. No one explained to Dr. Johnson that the inhibitor is green. She picked up the wrong vial."
"Why was she even giving her a shot? She's not due for two weeks." Darien calmed down a little.
Claire shrugged. "There was an incident in the lab. Maggie lost control of a beaker and it flew at Dr. Johnson. She's convinced that Maggie has no control over her powers. I explained the situation to her and she seemed to understand."
"Have you seen Maggie? We thought she came back here."
"Not since I sent her out to have lunch with you."
Hobbes appeared in the doorway. "She ran off when wonder boy here tried to convince her it was all in her head."
"Go check lab 3."
Hobbes moved out of the doorway to let him pass. "She was acting paranoid. Convinced Dr. Johnson is trying to kill her."
"You're worried about her?" Claire chewed on her bottom lip.
He nodded. "I know what she's feeling."
"I'll try to keep an eye on her. It's hard. Dr. Johnson keeps her on a very short leash." Claire smiled sympathetically.
"Did you notice any change in her behavior before Dr. Johnson came?"
"This does seem rather sudden. I'd ask Dr. Johnson about it but she hasn't been around long enough to make a comparison."
Darien appeared in the door. "Maggie's gone back to work. Dr. Johnson informed me that I'm to stay away from her. Apparently I have upset her kept." Darien said sarcastically. "Come on Hobbes, let's get some lunch."
"Boys, keep an eye on her. I'll see if I can get anything out of the doctor." Claire told them. They nodded and left.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maggie unlocked her door and stepped into the safe haven of her house. She dropped her keys on the hall table and went to the kitchen. Her hands trembled as she reached into the fridge for a bottle of water. When she reached into the cabinet for her pills, they were shaking so badly she dropped the bottle twice. Finally, she sat down at the table, the water and pills in front of her.
A hand reached around and picked up the bottle, popping it open and spilling one out for her. She started, turning to see who it was.
"I thought you could use a little help." Hobbes closed the bottle up and set it back in the cabinet.
She took the pill and a drink of water, spilling some down her front. Muttering a curse, she accepted the offered napkin. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Bobby."
"What did the doc say this stuff was anyway?" He sat down across from her.
"She didn't. Just told me they'd take care of any side effects of my powers. I guess she meant the glowing eyes." She tipped her head back and sighed. "I feel better already."
"Maybe I should have Claire take a look at these pills. See what's in 'em."
"If you want."
"You want go out to dinner?"
She looked at him. "All right." She pushed to her feet. "Let me change out of my work clothes."
"You sure you're all right Rourke?"
"I think so. I'll be right back." She headed up the stairs when the doorbell rang. She turned back down, checking the side window before opening the door. "Hi Darien. Hobbes and I are going to dinner. Wanna come with?"
He grinned. She was sounding like her old self. "Yeah. Where is he? In the kitchen?"
Maggie nodded. "I'm just gonna change. I'll be right back."
Darien wandered into the kitchen and found Hobbes staring at her pill bottle. "Hey. Whatcha doin?"
"I'm taking these in so Claire can take a look at them. When I got here, she was shaking so badly she couldn't even open the bottle. She was like an addict. I want to know what Dr. Johnson put in these pills."
"What'd did she say they were for?" Darien picked up the bottle, looking it over.
"The side effects of her powers. You ever notice any side effects besides the eye thing?" Hobbes lowered his voice, not wanting Maggie to overhear him.
"No. You think Dr. Johnson's really trying to hurt Maggie?"
He shrugged. "I don't know."
"Hey, you guys ready?" Maggie appeared in the doorway. "I'm starved." She looked back and forth between them. "Who's driving?"
"I'll drive." Hobbes said, pocketing the prescription bottle on the way out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They decided on a local Italian restaurant. Hobbes and Darien both noticed Maggie seemed to finally relax. They ate and drank as they told work stories.
"The Chinese really thought Hobbes was the I-Man?" Maggie asked, trying hard not to laugh.
"Why does everyone find it so hard to believe that I could be the I-man?" Hobbes demanded.
Darien laughed. "Not really. They wanted to capture him to lure me into trying to rescue him. Then they could nab me."
"Almost worked too. Good thing Keep and the Official came with you."
"Yeah. Of course, the Chinese did get two canisters of quicksilver before they were any help." He gestured with his fork before taking a bite of his desert.
Maggie sipped her wine, eyes wide. "So they got some of the quicksilver?"
"Nah. Fawkes and I had a little game of skeet shoot before we left." Hobbes smiled. "I wonder how long it took for the van to become visible again."
Maggie felt a prickling on the back of her neck. She turned around searching the restaurant for the source of the feeling. Darien and Hobbes noticed.
"Hey princess. What's up?" Darien reached across the table and touched her hand.
"Hmm?" She looked back at him. "I just had that prickling at the back of my neck. Like someone was behind me."
The men looked around. "I don't see anyone, Mag." Darien exchanged worried glances with Hobbes. She was starting to act paranoid again.
Hobbes raised his hand to signal for the check. "Ready to go home?"
"Yeah. Good idea Hobbes." Darien nodded. "I'll get the van."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Are you sure your going to be alright Maggie?" Darien asked as she got out of the van.
"I'm sure. You guys drive safe on the way home." She leaned back in and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you in the morning. Night Bobby."
"Sleep well Rourke."
They stayed in the driveway in their cars until she was safely inside and waved from the window.
Maggie checked the locks on her door twice before going upstairs to bed.
Author: Sun
Fandom: The Invisible Man
Rating: PG-13Pairing(s): Maggie/Dairen
Disclaimers: don't own 'em, wish I did (at least Darien). Maggie's mine.
Summary: Maggie gets a new keeper but she's not all that she seems.
Timeline: October 2001
Maggie Rourke walked purposefully down the hallway. The Official had summoned her from her work in the lab. While most of the agents at the Agency cringed at the thought of meeting with him, Maggie felt differently. Ever since he and Nick had "rescued" her from the hospital when she was five she'd seen him as a father figure.
She knocked before pushing the door open. "Hey Charlie. You wanted to see me?"
He was in his customary position behind the desk. There was a woman seated in one of the chairs. "Come in, Magdalena. There's someone I'd like you to meet." Maggie took the other seat. The woman was regarding her with open disgust. "Magdalena, this is Kit Johnson."
Maggie held out her hand. "Nice to meet you. I'm Maggie Rourke."
Dr. Johnson looked at her hand as if it was going to bite. "I'm aware of who you are, Agent Rourke. Should you be touching people so casually with your condition?"
"I can control it. I only get the inhibitor once a month." She let her hand drop back to her side.
Charlie spoke up. "Dr. Johnson is going to be your Keeper, Magdalena. From now on, you'll report to lab 3 every morning to check in with her."
Maggie couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Sir, what about my work with Claire?"
"Everything will move to lab 3. You'll be Dr. Johnson's assistant."
"Yes, sir."
"Good. Why don't you show Dr. Johnson to her lab?" Charlie smiled gently at Maggie, hoping to put her more at ease.
She nodded and stood. "Yes, sir. It's this way." She told Dr. Johnson who was still watching her with open disdain and contempt.
As they wandered down the hall, Maggie attempted small talk. "So what did you do before you came here Kit?"
"First of all, you will address me as either Keeper or Dr. Johnson, not by my Christian name. And secondly, what I did before, during or after I am here is none of your business. I am here strictly as your Keeper, here to make sure you are not a danger to anyone." Dr. Johnson informed her in an icy voice.
Maggie didn't say anything the rest of the way to lab 3. She slid her ID card through the reader and the door slid open. "Here it is. Do you need help with anything?" Maggie lingered in the doorway, letting Dr. Johnson examine the lab.
"Just leave your key to the room here."
"My key? You mean my ID card?"
"Yes, whatever you used to get inside this lab."
Maggie bit her lower lip, her forehead wrinkling in confusion. "If I leave you my ID, I won't be able to get inside." She explained.
She turned to face Maggie. "This is my lab now. I don't want just anyone wandering into my lab without my permission."
"Yes, ma'am." Maggie tossed the card on the desk and stalked out of the lab. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"6 AM sharp."
"Yes ma'am." Maggie grumbled as she stalked down the hallway. She stopped in Claire's lab, hoping to find Darien. He was there, leaning against the counter.
"Hey Mags." He smiled when she came in.
Claire noticed the cross look on Maggie's face. "What's the matter, Maggie?"
"I got a new Keeper today." She flopped down in the lab chair.
"You what? Why wasn't I informed of this? Unbelievable." Claire fumed. "Excuse me, I have to go speak with the Official."
They watched her storm out of the lab and Darien came over to the chair.
"So what's she like?" He leaned back on one arm, his head near hers.
She leaned her head against his shoulder. "She's stuffy. And condescending. She treats me like I'm just an experiment."
"Maybe she'll get better once she knows you."
"She wouldn't even shake my hand." Maggie said softly.
Darien put an arm around her. "Why don't I come over later? I'll bring pizza. Monday night football is on."
She smiled. "All right. I'll get the beer."
"See you at seven." He kissed her forehead before bounding out the door.
Maggie slid off the chair and headed up to security to get a new ID card. After a bit of argument and a few phone calls later, Maggie had a new card with restricted access to the labs. She slipped it into her pocket and headed to her car.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Maggie knocked on the door to lab 3. The door slid open and Dr. Johnson stood on the other side, looking perturbed.
"You're late." She pointed to the clock on the wall. It read 6:01. Maggie opened her mouth to explain but Dr. Johnson cut her off. "I don't want your excuses. We've got work to do. Don't let this happen again."
"Yes, Dr. Johnson." Maggie stepped inside and hung her jacket on the rack by the door.
"We've got a full battery of tests scheduled for today, so lets get started." She picked up a clipboard and turned back to Maggie. "You can put those on."
"What kind of tests?"
"Just get dressed and meet me in Lab 1." Dr. Johnson stood at the door waiting for her. She gathered up the clothing and went down to the ladies room.
The clothes were gym clothes, loose pants and a Lycra tank top. She pulled them on and wandered back down to Claire's lab.
Dr. Johnson was inside, standing near a treadmill that was new.
She noticed Maggie in the doorway. "Don't stand there gawking, Agent Rourke. We have a lot of work to do."
Maggie stepped over to the machine and Dr. Johnson attacked her with electrodes. "Stress test? I just had one of these last month." She told her as she stepped on the treadmill.
"I'm aware of what tests you have or haven't had." Dr. Johnson snapped. "Get on the treadmill." She started it up at a light jog.
Maggie was still running when Claire came in at 6:30. "You must be Dr. Johnson." She held out her hand, a bright smile on her face.
"Dr. Morgan. You were Agent Rourke's Keeper." Dr. Johnson shook her hand.
"Only since Nick, I mean Dr. Patterson died. Are you running a stress test on Maggie?"
"Yes, I have several tests scheduled for today."
Claire looked puzzled. "I just reevaluated Maggie last month. Do you need her file?"
"I prefer to trust only results from tests I have personally run. If you'll excuse me." She turned back to Maggie, ignoring Claire.
"Well, make yourself at home in my lab." Claire muttered to herself.
Maggie smiled when she saw what Claire was thinking. Dr. Johnson finally stopped the treadmill and removed the wires from the electrodes.
She led Maggie to a small table that had several pieces of silverware on it. "Sit. This is a test of endurance. You are to lift the items and hold them in the air for as long as you can." She rolled a small cart over to the table. "While you're doing this, I will be drawing some blood for other tests."
Claire watched wide-eyed as Dr. Johnson ordered Maggie around. No one had ever treated Maggie like that. Nick had always been careful to treat Maggie like any other girl and always explained what tests he was running. She noticed Dr. Johnson barely touched Maggie even when she was drawing the blood, unusual for a doctor. Maggie looked up and saw Claire watching her. Claire smiled understandingly at her but Maggie turned her glowing eyes down to the table.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By 5, Maggie was exhausted. There had been three other endurance tests as well as typical medical ones. Dr. Johnson had even tried to get Maggie into an MRI. Maggie refused, even when Dr. Johnson threatened to tie her down.
After showering, she changed back into her street clothes and went in search of Darien and Hobbes. She found them in Hobbes' office. Flopping down in an empty chair, Maggie let herself rest.
"Hey Rourke. Where've you been all day?" Hobbes' usual cynical expression softened to concern.
"New Keeper had me doin' tests all day. I'm exhausted." Her normally bright eyes were dull. "She even tried to get me into an MRI. I told her to take a hike. She didn't like that very much." A small smile crossed her lips.
"This woman sounds like a real piece of work." Darien started rubbing Maggie's shoulders.
She made a small moan. "God, Darien. That feels so good. She scheduled four physical endurance tests and a 45 minute stress test."
"Seems like a lot." Hobbes leaned back in his chair, propping his feet on the desk.
"It is. Claire and Nick never scheduled so much in one day." She relaxed deeper into the chair as Darien's strong hands coaxed the knots from her shoulders.
"Did you tell her that?" Darien asked.
Maggie nodded. "Claire and I both told her but she wouldn't listen. Can I have drink of your water?"
"Sure." He handed her the bottle. She dug a prescription bottle out of her pocket and shook one into her hand.
"What's that?"
"Supplements or something. Dr. Johnson said they'd help with the side effects I have sometimes. I'm supposed to take one twice a day." She popped one into her mouth and swallowed it with a drink of water.
"We're almost done here. Why don't we go out to dinner?" Hobbes suggested.
Maggie yawned. "Sure. Just wake me up when you want to go." She closed her eyes and slouched down in the chair.
A half hour later, Darien and Hobbes looked up. Darien elbowed Hobbes.
"Look." He pointed to the chair. Maggie was sound asleep, snoring softly.
Hobbes laughed silently. "I guess dinner's off."
"Yeah, I'll take her home." Darien knelt next to Maggie. "Hey, Mags. It's time to go home."
She lifted her head a little. "Huh? What?"
"Home. Come on Princess." He helped her to her feet.
"Okay Darien. Night Bobby." She leaned against Darien walking sleepily down the hall.
He tucked her into the passenger seat of his car before getting in and driving off. Maggie was dead to the world when he arrived at her house. He carried her upstairs and laid her down on the bed.
Undressing her, he pulled a t-shirt over her head. Darien tucked her in and kissed her forehead before driving home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
When the alarm went off the next morning, Maggie groaned and rolled over. The alarm clock flew across the room and smashed into the wall, the noise dying. She lay there for a few more minutes before pushing back her covers and standing up. Stretching, she wandered into the bathroom to get cleaned up.
Maggie stepped out of her shower to the smell of coffee. Curious, she dried off quickly and threw on a robe before retrieving her gun and heading downstairs.
Darien looked up as she entered the kitchen, his eyebrows raised at the gun. "What'd you think kidnappers would help themselves to breakfast before they took you?"
"Maybe." She took the offered the coffee. "A girl can never be to careful. This could have all been a clever ruse to draw me from my shower."
"Did it work?" He continued downing a bowl of cereal.
"What do you think?" She dug around in the fridge, looking for breakfast. "You brought me home last night?"
"Yeah. You were really out of it."
"I was exhausted after yesterday." She found a Tupperware container of fruit and settled down at the table with a fork.
"Oh! I almost forgot. Here." Darien placed the prescription bottle from the night before on the table in front of her. "You left these on Hobbes' desk."
"Thanks. Stupid pills." She muttered as she took one with her coffee. "This was really the last thing I needed in my life."
"You'd better hurry up. We're gonna be late for work." He nodded at the clock behind her. She looked over her shoulder and jumped up.
"I've got to get dressed. Why didn't tell me what time it was?" She grabbed her breakfast and flew up the stairs to her room.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dr. Johnson saw Darien and Maggie walking down the hall together. They were both laughing at something, his arm around her shoulders.
"Agent Rourke!"
Maggie startled and looked up. "Morning Dr. Johnson. I'll be down as soon as I check in with Charlie."
"This is the second day in a row you've been late. I cannot work with you if you refuse to show up to work on time."
"I was exhausted from all your tests yesterday and I slept though my alarm. I'm here aren't I?" Maggie retorted.
"She couldn't come in until I got there anyway. I drove her home last night." Darien tried to explain.
Dr. Johnson turned to him. "I have read your file Agent Fawkes and I wonder where this agency's wisdom was when they implanted the gland in your delinquent brain. I would ask that you stay away from my kept. You are clearly a bad influence." Leaving Darien speechless, she turned back to Maggie. "As for you, I have already spoken to the Official about your tardiness and you will report directly to me from now on. Since you are not a field agent, there is no reason to waste valuable time in the mornings. Now come along, there's work to be done."
Maggie looked helplessly at Darien. "Thanks for driving me in. I'll try to get away for lunch." She told him softly.
He squeezed her hand. "I'll let Hobbes know what's going on."
"Thanks."
"Agent Rourke." Maggie let go of Darien's hand reluctantly and turned to follow Dr. Johnson down into the labs.
"What do you want me to do today?" Maggie asked Dr. Johnson as they entered the lab.
"There's some glassware that needs to be washed. Take care of it. I'll be in my office." She waved her toward the sink area and sat down at her desk.
"Glassware?" Maggie stared at her. She hadn't washed anyone's glassware since she and Nick had actually worked out of the Agency, when she was fifteen. Dr. Johnson had already started working on something at the computer, ignoring Maggie. "Unbelievable."
She made it almost all the way through the pile of lab equipment without dropping anything. As she was setting a beaker aside to dry it slipped off the counter. Maggie caught it with her mind, a few inches above the ground. Just as she was setting it back on the counter, Dr. Johnson called to her.
"Agent Rourke, I asked you to wash the glassware, not play with it."
Maggie spun around and the beaker flew towards Dr. Johnson's head, crashing against the wall behind her.
"Sorry." She shrugged, not really meaning it.
"Sorry? You tried to hit me with that." Dr. Johnson stood up and came toward her.
"I didn't. It fell and I was picking it up when you distracted me."
"So I was right. You still have no control over your powers." Dr. Johnson grabbed Maggie by the arm and pulled her down the hall to Claire's lab.
Claire looked up in surprise as Dr. Johnson dragged Maggie across the lab and forced her into the chair. She watched Dr. Johnson strap Maggie's arms down before stalking over to the cooler. Picking up a bottle, she filled a nearby syringe and turned back to Maggie who was sitting dejectedly, eyes closed.
Something felt wrong to Claire and she quickly scanned the scene. Dr. Johnson held the syringe up, making sure there were no air bubbles in it and slid the needle into Maggie's arm. That's when Claire noticed the liquid inside the syringe was blue.
"NO!" She vaulted out of her chair and batted the needle out of Dr. Johnson's hand. Maggie cried out as the needle ripped out of her arm.
Dr. Johnson turned to Claire, furious. "What do you think you're doing?"
"What do you think you were doing? First of all, Maggie isn't due for another shot of inhibitor for two weeks and secondly, that wasn't the inhibitor. That was Agent Fawkes' counteragent. You could have poisoned her." Claire was angry now, shouting. "Didn't they show you what the inhibitor looked like? Didn't they at least tell you it's green? That we make it green on purpose so that this," She indicated the broken syringe and Maggie's bleeding arm with a wave of her hand, "wouldn't happen? What kind of a doctor are you?"
"Agent Rourke is my responsibility, not yours. As for the inhibitor, all I was told was that it was kept on a shelf in the cooler in your lab. There was no mention of a counteragent or what color the inhibitor is." Dr. Johnson roughly slapped a band-aid over the bleeding spot on Maggie's arm. "Do you have a batch of inhibitor ready?"
"It only has a shelf life of 36 hours. I won't have more ready until tomorrow at the earliest. But she's not due-"
"She threw a glass beaker at my head because I distracted her. I think that shows she's losing control and needs a shot. Please turn over the formula and I'll prepare the drug." Dr. Johnson interrupted her.
"What about Maggie?"
"What about her? It's lunchtime. Be back in an hour." Dr. Johnson stormed out of the lab, leaving Maggie strapped into the chair.
Claire sighed and went over to help Maggie out of the chair. "Did you really throw a beaker at her head?"
"It was an accident. I swear, she either wants me dead or crazy." Maggie stood up, rubbing her arm.
"I doubt that. She's just a little rough. You'll get used to her, I'm sure. Now, go find the boys and get something to eat. You look a little pale."
"Okay. Thanks for stopping her."
"Anytime."
Darien and Hobbes were on their way down to the labs when Maggie found them.
"Can we go out for lunch?" She cast a glance over her shoulder.
Hobbes looked at Darien who shrugged. "Sure kitten. Something wrong?"
She looked around again. "Not here. I'll explain when we're outside." Taking Darien's hand, Maggie led them out of the building quickly.
"Maggie, tell us what's going on." Darien pulled her to a stop on the sidewalk. He watched her look furtively around. Hobbes raised his eyebrow at the gesture.
"Dr. Johnson is trying to kill me."
"What?" Hobbes turned her to face him.
Maggie looked back at the building. "She tried to give me your counteragent today. She was trying to poison me."
Darien pulled her into his arms. "I'm sure it was an accident. Are you okay?"
She nodded and pushed him away. "It wasn't an accident. You should have seen the look in her eyes."
"Rourke-" Hobbes began.
"It wasn't. You guys go to lunch without me. I'm going back to work." She said, turning around. "I'll see you later."
"Hobbes, what the hell is wrong with Maggie?" Darien watched her run down the street back to the Agency.
"Classic paranoid delusions my friend. Trust me, I know." He tapped the side of his head. "Bobby Hobbes can sense paranoia a mile away pal."
"We need to talk to Claire." Darien slapped him across the chest and took off toward the Agency.
"I know what she's going to say Fawkes. Fawkes!" Hobbes shouted after him. Darien ignored him and shaking his head Hobbes followed after him, muttering. "I'm never gonna get any lunch today."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Something's wrong with Maggie." Darien burst into the lab. Claire looked up from the magazine she was reading.
"What do you mean Darien?"
"She's acting strange. Said Dr. Johnson tried to kill her by giving her the counteragent this morning. Then she ran back to the Agency."
"It was an accident. No one explained to Dr. Johnson that the inhibitor is green. She picked up the wrong vial."
"Why was she even giving her a shot? She's not due for two weeks." Darien calmed down a little.
Claire shrugged. "There was an incident in the lab. Maggie lost control of a beaker and it flew at Dr. Johnson. She's convinced that Maggie has no control over her powers. I explained the situation to her and she seemed to understand."
"Have you seen Maggie? We thought she came back here."
"Not since I sent her out to have lunch with you."
Hobbes appeared in the doorway. "She ran off when wonder boy here tried to convince her it was all in her head."
"Go check lab 3."
Hobbes moved out of the doorway to let him pass. "She was acting paranoid. Convinced Dr. Johnson is trying to kill her."
"You're worried about her?" Claire chewed on her bottom lip.
He nodded. "I know what she's feeling."
"I'll try to keep an eye on her. It's hard. Dr. Johnson keeps her on a very short leash." Claire smiled sympathetically.
"Did you notice any change in her behavior before Dr. Johnson came?"
"This does seem rather sudden. I'd ask Dr. Johnson about it but she hasn't been around long enough to make a comparison."
Darien appeared in the door. "Maggie's gone back to work. Dr. Johnson informed me that I'm to stay away from her. Apparently I have upset her kept." Darien said sarcastically. "Come on Hobbes, let's get some lunch."
"Boys, keep an eye on her. I'll see if I can get anything out of the doctor." Claire told them. They nodded and left.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Maggie unlocked her door and stepped into the safe haven of her house. She dropped her keys on the hall table and went to the kitchen. Her hands trembled as she reached into the fridge for a bottle of water. When she reached into the cabinet for her pills, they were shaking so badly she dropped the bottle twice. Finally, she sat down at the table, the water and pills in front of her.
A hand reached around and picked up the bottle, popping it open and spilling one out for her. She started, turning to see who it was.
"I thought you could use a little help." Hobbes closed the bottle up and set it back in the cabinet.
She took the pill and a drink of water, spilling some down her front. Muttering a curse, she accepted the offered napkin. "I don't know what's wrong with me, Bobby."
"What did the doc say this stuff was anyway?" He sat down across from her.
"She didn't. Just told me they'd take care of any side effects of my powers. I guess she meant the glowing eyes." She tipped her head back and sighed. "I feel better already."
"Maybe I should have Claire take a look at these pills. See what's in 'em."
"If you want."
"You want go out to dinner?"
She looked at him. "All right." She pushed to her feet. "Let me change out of my work clothes."
"You sure you're all right Rourke?"
"I think so. I'll be right back." She headed up the stairs when the doorbell rang. She turned back down, checking the side window before opening the door. "Hi Darien. Hobbes and I are going to dinner. Wanna come with?"
He grinned. She was sounding like her old self. "Yeah. Where is he? In the kitchen?"
Maggie nodded. "I'm just gonna change. I'll be right back."
Darien wandered into the kitchen and found Hobbes staring at her pill bottle. "Hey. Whatcha doin?"
"I'm taking these in so Claire can take a look at them. When I got here, she was shaking so badly she couldn't even open the bottle. She was like an addict. I want to know what Dr. Johnson put in these pills."
"What'd did she say they were for?" Darien picked up the bottle, looking it over.
"The side effects of her powers. You ever notice any side effects besides the eye thing?" Hobbes lowered his voice, not wanting Maggie to overhear him.
"No. You think Dr. Johnson's really trying to hurt Maggie?"
He shrugged. "I don't know."
"Hey, you guys ready?" Maggie appeared in the doorway. "I'm starved." She looked back and forth between them. "Who's driving?"
"I'll drive." Hobbes said, pocketing the prescription bottle on the way out.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
They decided on a local Italian restaurant. Hobbes and Darien both noticed Maggie seemed to finally relax. They ate and drank as they told work stories.
"The Chinese really thought Hobbes was the I-Man?" Maggie asked, trying hard not to laugh.
"Why does everyone find it so hard to believe that I could be the I-man?" Hobbes demanded.
Darien laughed. "Not really. They wanted to capture him to lure me into trying to rescue him. Then they could nab me."
"Almost worked too. Good thing Keep and the Official came with you."
"Yeah. Of course, the Chinese did get two canisters of quicksilver before they were any help." He gestured with his fork before taking a bite of his desert.
Maggie sipped her wine, eyes wide. "So they got some of the quicksilver?"
"Nah. Fawkes and I had a little game of skeet shoot before we left." Hobbes smiled. "I wonder how long it took for the van to become visible again."
Maggie felt a prickling on the back of her neck. She turned around searching the restaurant for the source of the feeling. Darien and Hobbes noticed.
"Hey princess. What's up?" Darien reached across the table and touched her hand.
"Hmm?" She looked back at him. "I just had that prickling at the back of my neck. Like someone was behind me."
The men looked around. "I don't see anyone, Mag." Darien exchanged worried glances with Hobbes. She was starting to act paranoid again.
Hobbes raised his hand to signal for the check. "Ready to go home?"
"Yeah. Good idea Hobbes." Darien nodded. "I'll get the van."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Are you sure your going to be alright Maggie?" Darien asked as she got out of the van.
"I'm sure. You guys drive safe on the way home." She leaned back in and kissed him on the cheek. "I'll see you in the morning. Night Bobby."
"Sleep well Rourke."
They stayed in the driveway in their cars until she was safely inside and waved from the window.
Maggie checked the locks on her door twice before going upstairs to bed.