Clay had a decent morning, following his good wishes to his wife on her first day back. Staff meetings and things went off without a hitch and at 10:55 he headed down from his office to the DPD to have his usual coffee date with his wife.
When the elevator opened, he saw Annie sitting at her desk, white as a sheet. Something happened, and he knew he wasn't going to like what it was. As he approached her desk, the usual hush that came over the room started and for once he didn't notice. Clay was only concerned about Annie.
"Annie?" Clay spoke quietly to his wife, "Ready for coffee?"
Annie knew Clay was standing there. She could hear him and see him, but she couldn't answer him. Her mind was back in Europe, reliving the end of the op as she'd turned and walked away from six months of hell.
The room was too quiet, and the roar in her ears was too loud. "No." She wasn't talking to him. In fact, she wasn't even looking at him. "I'm leaving."
It was a little more forceful, but still quiet as he wasn't trying to make a scene. Whatever was going to happen shouldn't happen in the DPD's bullpen or anywhere else remotely public. If possible, he was going to get her into the elevator and into his office.
"I can't stay." She was still staring at her computer screen. He may or may not have understood her next few sentences, depending on his fluency in Ukrainian, but she rattled off a bit, then whispered, "I know. I love you, too."
Closing her eyes tight, she swallowed hard as if she were trying hard not to be sick to her stomach.
Annie pulled back and gave Clay a look of disbelief. "You have the report, you have all my communications, you have everything you need to know what happened. Talking about it..."
She gave a shrug with a smile that wasn't humorous at all.
Clay didn't believe that for a moment, but he wasn't going to push the issue. When Annie felt comfortable telling him, she would. He was, however, going to remind her that it was okay to tell him anything she needed to.
"Remember, I get that job of listening to anything you need to tell me. You don't have to be worried about telling me, I'm not going anywhere." He smiled just a little bit, "I want to be around for a long time to see all the little things you do too."
Comments 97
When the elevator opened, he saw Annie sitting at her desk, white as a sheet. Something happened, and he knew he wasn't going to like what it was. As he approached her desk, the usual hush that came over the room started and for once he didn't notice. Clay was only concerned about Annie.
"Annie?" Clay spoke quietly to his wife, "Ready for coffee?"
Reply
The room was too quiet, and the roar in her ears was too loud. "No." She wasn't talking to him. In fact, she wasn't even looking at him. "I'm leaving."
Reply
It was a little more forceful, but still quiet as he wasn't trying to make a scene. Whatever was going to happen shouldn't happen in the DPD's bullpen or anywhere else remotely public. If possible, he was going to get her into the elevator and into his office.
Reply
Closing her eyes tight, she swallowed hard as if she were trying hard not to be sick to her stomach.
Reply
Annie pulled back and gave Clay a look of disbelief. "You have the report, you have all my communications, you have everything you need to know what happened. Talking about it..."
She gave a shrug with a smile that wasn't humorous at all.
Reply
He really hoped Annie picked up on the difference.
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Then she sighed. "It was dirty and gritty and just messy all around, Clay. Nothing that needs to or should be talked about."
Reply
"Remember, I get that job of listening to anything you need to tell me. You don't have to be worried about telling me, I'm not going anywhere." He smiled just a little bit, "I want to be around for a long time to see all the little things you do too."
Reply
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