One Step Closer
(After this. Sam = likely_evil, Dean = jstliketherifle, The Chief, Bruce, and Lloyd are NPCs.)
Please don’t leave me//I always say how I don’t need you//But its always gonna come right back to this//Please don’t leave me ~Pink
She had spent two nights with Amy, and it had helped quite a bit. She was more centered again. More logical. More herself. After kissing her friend goodbye, 99 started for the Metro, wanting to make a stop at CONTROL. She needed to go home to Sam, there were probably several things to be said between them, but she still needed a bit more time.
And the Chief had been leaving her messages to drop in so he could check up on her. She'd realized over the years, if she had any father type, it'd be the Chief. They had just worked together for too long.
She glanced at her reflection in a window as she walked, and breathed easy. She looked a lot better than she had the night she showed up at Amy's hotel. She looked more relaxed. She had taken a few long baths, washed and brushed her hair that had been neglected, bought new clothes, and even put on some make up. Back to looking like herself. It made her feel more like herself.
Before she knew it, she was letting herself through the series of doors that led to CONTROL, finding it easier to breathe as each slammed shut behind her, pushing her further into the place that she truly found to be home.
"Hello, 99," a voice greeted her as she entered the bull-pin. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Bruce waving at her with a bright smile. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Hi Bruce."
"How's Agent 23?"
"He's good," she nodded, not wanting to get too into it. "Everything's healing."
"Good," he nodded. "Lloyd and I tried to go visit, but then we remembered your apartment is..." his hands went in the air, stimulating an explosion. He hissed air out from between his lips.
She smirked. "Yea, that describes it. Where is Lloyd by the way?"
"He saw you coming and ran off, mumbling something about donuts." Bruce shrugged.
"Okay, well give him this for me," she put her arm around Bruce's shoulders and kissed his cheek. "For watching over Sam before I got to the hospital."
Bruce grinned. "I think I'd rather not pass that on."
"Right," she chuckled.
"But, you know, I helped too." He turned his other cheek to her. She smiled and kissed it, then pulled away.
"Get back to work, I'll be in with the Chief." She cast her eyes down and moved through the room, not bothering to look at any of the eyes watching her. She wasn't sure what things were being whispered around, but something always was. She got to the Chief's door and knocked.
"Come in," he called.
She stepped through, closing the door behind herself. "Hi," she said softly.
He looked up and studied her a moment, then nodded. "Agent 99, how are you?"
She opened her mouth to say she was fine, but then closed it and shrugged. "I don't know," she sighed and sat across from him.
"I haven't heard from 23 in a couple days, how's he holding up?"
99 frowned slightly at that. Sam hadn't been in touch with the office? "He's...he's fine," she nodded.
"Uh huh." The Chief shook his head, not buying her ease. "So tell me why you've been avoiding my calls."
"I just...needed a day or two, I'm sorry. If it had been an emergency, you know I-"
"Yea, yea. I know," he nodded.
"Look...Chief...I was wondering if...do we have any new cases forming? Something that...might require a couple months under?" She glanced up at him.
He stared back emotionless for a long time before finally speaking. "Why?"
"I thought I could...be of assistance."
"You thought you could be of assistance or you want to escape for awhile?"
This is why it sucks for your boss to know you so well. She gave him a look. "I want to help."
"No, you want to run away. Every time something big happens to you, you ask me to send you off somewhere for awhile. I'm sorry, 99. Your head obviously isn't in the right place right now, I'm not risking it."
"Chief!"
"No. Just...go home. Be with Sam."
She looked down at her fingers, frowning. "I...I don't feel like being in his way," she said softly.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"You don't know," she shook her head.
"Maybe not," he shrugged. "All the same, you should go home."
Shaking her head, she got to her feet and walked out of his office. He didn't get it. He didn't know. Arms tight across her chest she left CONTROL and started walking the streets. Chief told her to go home, but there wasn't really a home to go to. And frankly, she didn't know that she could handle going back to Sam, seeing the facts in his eyes. The fact that Dean was his brother and the most important person in his life. And with Dean being back...there wasn't a place for her. Not with Sam. Not with Dean. Even if Sam stayed at her side for a little while, until Dean was back to normal, he wouldn't be there. They had both been fading from each other over the years, but this would only distance him more.
It would be easier if she left. Physically left the situation. It'd be easier for her, but right then it wasn't an option. Work still had to be done. She couldn't leave. She could only wait patiently and quietly until he left her.
Agent 99
Get Smart
914
[withoutyou!verse]
Please don’t leave me//I always say how I don’t need you//But its always gonna come right back to this//Please don’t leave me ~Pink
She had spent two nights with Amy, and it had helped quite a bit. She was more centered again. More logical. More herself. After kissing her friend goodbye, 99 started for the Metro, wanting to make a stop at CONTROL. She needed to go home to Sam, there were probably several things to be said between them, but she still needed a bit more time.
And the Chief had been leaving her messages to drop in so he could check up on her. She'd realized over the years, if she had any father type, it'd be the Chief. They had just worked together for too long.
She glanced at her reflection in a window as she walked, and breathed easy. She looked a lot better than she had the night she showed up at Amy's hotel. She looked more relaxed. She had taken a few long baths, washed and brushed her hair that had been neglected, bought new clothes, and even put on some make up. Back to looking like herself. It made her feel more like herself.
Before she knew it, she was letting herself through the series of doors that led to CONTROL, finding it easier to breathe as each slammed shut behind her, pushing her further into the place that she truly found to be home.
"Hello, 99," a voice greeted her as she entered the bull-pin. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Bruce waving at her with a bright smile. She couldn't help but smile back.
"Hi Bruce."
"How's Agent 23?"
"He's good," she nodded, not wanting to get too into it. "Everything's healing."
"Good," he nodded. "Lloyd and I tried to go visit, but then we remembered your apartment is..." his hands went in the air, stimulating an explosion. He hissed air out from between his lips.
She smirked. "Yea, that describes it. Where is Lloyd by the way?"
"He saw you coming and ran off, mumbling something about donuts." Bruce shrugged.
"Okay, well give him this for me," she put her arm around Bruce's shoulders and kissed his cheek. "For watching over Sam before I got to the hospital."
Bruce grinned. "I think I'd rather not pass that on."
"Right," she chuckled.
"But, you know, I helped too." He turned his other cheek to her. She smiled and kissed it, then pulled away.
"Get back to work, I'll be in with the Chief." She cast her eyes down and moved through the room, not bothering to look at any of the eyes watching her. She wasn't sure what things were being whispered around, but something always was. She got to the Chief's door and knocked.
"Come in," he called.
She stepped through, closing the door behind herself. "Hi," she said softly.
He looked up and studied her a moment, then nodded. "Agent 99, how are you?"
She opened her mouth to say she was fine, but then closed it and shrugged. "I don't know," she sighed and sat across from him.
"I haven't heard from 23 in a couple days, how's he holding up?"
99 frowned slightly at that. Sam hadn't been in touch with the office? "He's...he's fine," she nodded.
"Uh huh." The Chief shook his head, not buying her ease. "So tell me why you've been avoiding my calls."
"I just...needed a day or two, I'm sorry. If it had been an emergency, you know I-"
"Yea, yea. I know," he nodded.
"Look...Chief...I was wondering if...do we have any new cases forming? Something that...might require a couple months under?" She glanced up at him.
He stared back emotionless for a long time before finally speaking. "Why?"
"I thought I could...be of assistance."
"You thought you could be of assistance or you want to escape for awhile?"
This is why it sucks for your boss to know you so well. She gave him a look. "I want to help."
"No, you want to run away. Every time something big happens to you, you ask me to send you off somewhere for awhile. I'm sorry, 99. Your head obviously isn't in the right place right now, I'm not risking it."
"Chief!"
"No. Just...go home. Be with Sam."
She looked down at her fingers, frowning. "I...I don't feel like being in his way," she said softly.
"Don't be ridiculous."
"You don't know," she shook her head.
"Maybe not," he shrugged. "All the same, you should go home."
Shaking her head, she got to her feet and walked out of his office. He didn't get it. He didn't know. Arms tight across her chest she left CONTROL and started walking the streets. Chief told her to go home, but there wasn't really a home to go to. And frankly, she didn't know that she could handle going back to Sam, seeing the facts in his eyes. The fact that Dean was his brother and the most important person in his life. And with Dean being back...there wasn't a place for her. Not with Sam. Not with Dean. Even if Sam stayed at her side for a little while, until Dean was back to normal, he wouldn't be there. They had both been fading from each other over the years, but this would only distance him more.
It would be easier if she left. Physically left the situation. It'd be easier for her, but right then it wasn't an option. Work still had to be done. She couldn't leave. She could only wait patiently and quietly until he left her.
Agent 99
Get Smart
914
[withoutyou!verse]