[AU] ... from the 'meet at a different time' meme

[freshoffthefarm]

After two years at the Agency, Annie's job hadn't gotten any better (or worse). Sure, it had it's downsides - namely, being shot at (or being shot), but the biggest one had to be the Agency parking lot.

She could never, ever find a parking spot

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[fakes_death]

Clay sent another email to Annie similar to the first only this time, asking to meet for drinks. He planned on picking her up this time.

He was surprised when he got the Agency auto responded. The surprise came mostly from the proximity of this mission to her deep cover op. So he'd have to put off drinks for another few days. It'd be worth it.

[fakes_death]

"In a place like this? A Manhattan, normally scotch and wine with dinner."

Or not with dinner depending on his mood.

"You?"

[freshoffthefarm]

"Gin and tonic?" She could have said the same, but she was feeling a little old school, what with the whole lounge feel that they had going on. "Though, I like the idea of scotch, though not both that and wine with dinner."

[fakes_death]

And he realized he just made himself sound like an alcoholic.

"It depends on my mood. Usually it's just wine."

When the waitress appeared, he ordered their drinks and she went on her way.

[freshoffthefarm]

"You're implying that sometimes your mood requires something a little stronger than wine, Clay." She watched him for a reaction and then added, "I'm not making a judgment."

[fakes_death]

"Sometimes it does. Comes with being one of those lucky few with my title."

Most recently, two weeks ago when Annie got home he had scotch, and five and a half months prior because he really wasn't convinced she'd come back.

He was glad there was no judgement, which made him feel a little better.

[freshoffthefarm]

Reaching out, she squeezed his hand and gave him what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "That's why they gives those titles to guys like you. People they know can handle it with only a little scotch."

She pulled her hand back as the waitress delivered their drinks and she lifted hers with a small salute. "To successful missions."

[fakes_death]

Clay clinked her glass carefully, so as not to spill his drink. It was a pretty worthy toast. "From the looks of it, you're good at those."

His usually turned out successful even if they hung on by a thread there for a while.

[freshoffthefarm]

"Sometimes it gets a little rough," she admitted after her first sip, setting her glass down on the table and giving a shrug. "But who hasn't had one or two-" Or ten. "Of those ones, right?"

[fakes_death]

"Or more than ten in my case." He hoped that admission would make her feel the slightest bit better. "And someday, if you want to hear those stories I'll tell you as long as we aren't in public."

[freshoffthefarm]

"Only if you feel like it," she told him encouragingly. "I know it goes. Well, maybe not whatever you had, but..." Her smile was gentle. "You can look it all up on Monday if you feel like."

It was all there, down to the time she'd spent in Iran.

[fakes_death]

"I took a look after you left."

There was a lot in there that would have left a lesser agent a lot more damaged. The fact that she wasn't said a lot about her, and without looking at that file, Webb wouldn't be sitting here now.

[freshoffthefarm]

"I'm hoping that what you saw was a little impressive," she said, suddenly a little embarrassed. She had a feeling that somewhere in there was a hint of her insubordination and the way she liked to go off on her own and improvise a lot of her ops.

[fakes_death]

"It was very impressive."

He didn't mind the insubordination or the improvisation. It had a lot to do with why he thought she was a good agent, and he suspected why Joan thought the same. Annie got the job done.

[freshoffthefarm]

Annie wanted to demure, object that it wasn't 'very' impressive, but she had a feeling that Clayton Webb didn't give out compliments just willy-nilly and that maybe, just maybe, she'd earned that one, at least in his eyes. It made her feel all warm and fuzzy inside and she nodded.

"Thank you."

[fakes_death]

"You remind me a lot of well, me."

She was right about the fact that he didn't hand out complements to just anyone. You had to earn it.