#40: Hide in Plain Sight
Title: Hide in Plain Sight
Author: Christy
Rating: FR15
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these series....I'm just borrowing the situation for a bit. I may not own the series that Alissa filters through, but the concept of her is something I came up with
Genre: Gen/AU
Fandoms: Star Trek/Angel/Lie to Me/Highlander
Word Count: 904
Timeline: After “Honey” for Lie to Me…nothing much for any of the other ones
Written For: crossover100 Q prompts
Prompt: 40- Sight
Summary: Cal Lightman doesn’t like having to give up control of his company…even a little bit.
“Cal, we need the investors,” Gillian insisted as Cal stormed into his office.
“Maybe so, but why say yes without bloody asking me first?” he demanded, slamming the folder she’d given him on the desk.
Foster winced. “I didn’t tell them ‘yes’, Cal. I told them maybe. MacKenzie Corporation is the one who asked to meet us. They even offered to come to DC.”
Cal sighed and she could tell from his face that he was resigned about this. “Fine. When will they be here? And what about the cameras?”
“They said they’d call when they landed and that they didn’t mind us filming them,” Foster told them.
Cal thought about who all was in the office. “Well, Loker’s out doing research, so get Torres to set things up in the conference room. I’ll look over this little request from the embassy in Singapore until they get here.”
*****
Loker called Ria while she was setting up the cameras. “So, what am I missing while running around town on this embassy case?” he asked.
“A couple of investors are here to talk to Doctor Lightman about getting partial control of the Lightman Group, so a little less radical honesty when you get back might be a good goal,” she advised as Doctor Foster came out to greet the two women. Foster’s initial impression was that the older brunette was the one in control and the younger one was learning the ropes, as the elder introduced themselves as Alissa MacKenzie and Faith Marshall. Gillian thought she’d seen a flicker of dishonesty at the mention of Faith’s name, but it was gone so fast, she wondered if she’d even seen anything.
Leading them into the conference room as Cal came in, she asked the receptionist to get drinks and then closed the door behind them.
“So, your company’s interested in investing in The Lightman Group? Why do you even bother?” Cal asked bluntly.
Alissa didn’t bat an eye at his abrupt tone, but from the research he’d done on her and her company while he’d waited (instead of the embassy work like he’d told Foster) he hadn’t expected to rattle her. Instead, his gambit had worked as expected and torqued her assistant, who’d shown signs of aggression from the moment they’d arrived, which made things more and more interesting.
“Frankly, Doctor Lightman, I prefer to always be on the cutting edge as far as science and technology are concerned,” Alissa replied calmly, leaning forward. “And, to be perfectly honest, I’ve always found the behavioral sciences more interesting than the pure sciences. I leave that to my biologists.”
“Now, you do understand that though you might be an investor, you and your company would not have any say in the cases we take on nor the way in which we perform our investigations. Only those currently employed here and its law enforcement contacts will have access to our discussions and conclusions. How does that handtying sound to you?”
Alissa grinned. “I’d say it sounds more like a handfasting, wouldn’t you say? I’ll be staying at my condo here in DC until you’ve told me about your decision. Will that be convenient?”
“Certainly,” Cal agreed as he and Gillian got up and shook hands with both women. After walking them out, Foster came back in, an question clear on her face.
“Do I trust her to follow through on the investment agreement as I’ve laid it out? Certainly. She’s a business woman, above everything else/ But she’s got a few things she’s hiding and I won’t sign anything giving over part of my company until I know more about what it could be.”
*****
“Do you really think a human lie detector isn’t gonna catch on to what the hell is going on with us?” Faith demanded once they were back in the car.
Alissa laughed. “First off, he’s an expert in microexpressions. He can only tell if you’re lying, not what you’re necessarily lying about. Secondly, don’t let him keep baiting you. You reveal more about what you’re trying to hide when you’re pissed.”
Faith slouched in the seat, putting her heels up on the dash. Alissa didn’t know whether to wince at her wrinkling the couture suit or laugh that she sat there as if she was still wearing her leather pants. Lighting a cigarette and sucking on it before answering, Faith asked why Alissa had wanted to bring her along.
“Well, Angel and Spike are out for obvious reasons,” she said, adjusting her sunglasses. “Buffy, they would either not take seriously enough or, more disastrous, Cal would take one look at her and wonder why her attitude and looks don’t match up. Xander would raise too many questions, as would Illyria, even in her Fred persona. And Willow would just crumble under one hard stare from Lightman and babble all our secrets. You, on the other hand are as tough as you look and give as good as you get- just like me. And as for whether or not he finds out, I have permission from both Giles and Joe to test the waters about the Lightmand Group eventually becoming an asset for both Councils.”
And maybe help out Torchwood 3 if they need it. Hiding as a Q in plain sight still is something I need help with Alissa thought ruefully as she put in a call to Methos on the wireless car phone.
Author: Christy
Rating: FR15
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these series....I'm just borrowing the situation for a bit. I may not own the series that Alissa filters through, but the concept of her is something I came up with
Genre: Gen/AU
Fandoms: Star Trek/Angel/Lie to Me/Highlander
Word Count: 904
Timeline: After “Honey” for Lie to Me…nothing much for any of the other ones
Written For: crossover100 Q prompts
Prompt: 40- Sight
Summary: Cal Lightman doesn’t like having to give up control of his company…even a little bit.
“Cal, we need the investors,” Gillian insisted as Cal stormed into his office.
“Maybe so, but why say yes without bloody asking me first?” he demanded, slamming the folder she’d given him on the desk.
Foster winced. “I didn’t tell them ‘yes’, Cal. I told them maybe. MacKenzie Corporation is the one who asked to meet us. They even offered to come to DC.”
Cal sighed and she could tell from his face that he was resigned about this. “Fine. When will they be here? And what about the cameras?”
“They said they’d call when they landed and that they didn’t mind us filming them,” Foster told them.
Cal thought about who all was in the office. “Well, Loker’s out doing research, so get Torres to set things up in the conference room. I’ll look over this little request from the embassy in Singapore until they get here.”
*****
Loker called Ria while she was setting up the cameras. “So, what am I missing while running around town on this embassy case?” he asked.
“A couple of investors are here to talk to Doctor Lightman about getting partial control of the Lightman Group, so a little less radical honesty when you get back might be a good goal,” she advised as Doctor Foster came out to greet the two women. Foster’s initial impression was that the older brunette was the one in control and the younger one was learning the ropes, as the elder introduced themselves as Alissa MacKenzie and Faith Marshall. Gillian thought she’d seen a flicker of dishonesty at the mention of Faith’s name, but it was gone so fast, she wondered if she’d even seen anything.
Leading them into the conference room as Cal came in, she asked the receptionist to get drinks and then closed the door behind them.
“So, your company’s interested in investing in The Lightman Group? Why do you even bother?” Cal asked bluntly.
Alissa didn’t bat an eye at his abrupt tone, but from the research he’d done on her and her company while he’d waited (instead of the embassy work like he’d told Foster) he hadn’t expected to rattle her. Instead, his gambit had worked as expected and torqued her assistant, who’d shown signs of aggression from the moment they’d arrived, which made things more and more interesting.
“Frankly, Doctor Lightman, I prefer to always be on the cutting edge as far as science and technology are concerned,” Alissa replied calmly, leaning forward. “And, to be perfectly honest, I’ve always found the behavioral sciences more interesting than the pure sciences. I leave that to my biologists.”
“Now, you do understand that though you might be an investor, you and your company would not have any say in the cases we take on nor the way in which we perform our investigations. Only those currently employed here and its law enforcement contacts will have access to our discussions and conclusions. How does that handtying sound to you?”
Alissa grinned. “I’d say it sounds more like a handfasting, wouldn’t you say? I’ll be staying at my condo here in DC until you’ve told me about your decision. Will that be convenient?”
“Certainly,” Cal agreed as he and Gillian got up and shook hands with both women. After walking them out, Foster came back in, an question clear on her face.
“Do I trust her to follow through on the investment agreement as I’ve laid it out? Certainly. She’s a business woman, above everything else/ But she’s got a few things she’s hiding and I won’t sign anything giving over part of my company until I know more about what it could be.”
*****
“Do you really think a human lie detector isn’t gonna catch on to what the hell is going on with us?” Faith demanded once they were back in the car.
Alissa laughed. “First off, he’s an expert in microexpressions. He can only tell if you’re lying, not what you’re necessarily lying about. Secondly, don’t let him keep baiting you. You reveal more about what you’re trying to hide when you’re pissed.”
Faith slouched in the seat, putting her heels up on the dash. Alissa didn’t know whether to wince at her wrinkling the couture suit or laugh that she sat there as if she was still wearing her leather pants. Lighting a cigarette and sucking on it before answering, Faith asked why Alissa had wanted to bring her along.
“Well, Angel and Spike are out for obvious reasons,” she said, adjusting her sunglasses. “Buffy, they would either not take seriously enough or, more disastrous, Cal would take one look at her and wonder why her attitude and looks don’t match up. Xander would raise too many questions, as would Illyria, even in her Fred persona. And Willow would just crumble under one hard stare from Lightman and babble all our secrets. You, on the other hand are as tough as you look and give as good as you get- just like me. And as for whether or not he finds out, I have permission from both Giles and Joe to test the waters about the Lightmand Group eventually becoming an asset for both Councils.”
And maybe help out Torchwood 3 if they need it. Hiding as a Q in plain sight still is something I need help with Alissa thought ruefully as she put in a call to Methos on the wireless car phone.