[DURING] ... excuse me?

[freshoffthefarm]

Someone in the food court was causing a buzz and, as Annie took both cups of coffee on her way back to the DPD, she turned to look and wished she hadn't. Three weeks. No, three weeks and four days. He'd been gone for three weeks and four days. Rumors of his death had spread like wildfire and Annie had staunchly refused to get involved in those debates, even though her mind had drifted in that direction once or twice, causing her sleepless nights.

Furious at herself for caring, she dropped one of the cups off at Auggie's desk and then slid back into her chair. There was an envelope there waiting for her that hadn't been there the night before.

"Mail dropped that off for you at eight," one of the other agents said and Annie opened it curiously.

Webb's will.

He wasn't dead, though, she'd just seen him. Skimming the document once, she then read it over and the more she read, the angrier she got. Excusing herself with a tight smile, she pushed her chair back and stalked toward the elevator.

On his floor, she walked right up to Trish and said, "Is he back yet?"

Annie was well aware of the woman's loyalty to her boss and that their breakup had been something that no one had missed. She didn't care. She was clearly on a mission, determined to get her way.

Comments

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Trish knew that look on Annie's face, and she knew better than to stop the other woman, "Let me tell him you're here," which she did over the phone, "He says go right in."

Webb was sitting behind his desk not suspecting a thing, when he looked up he was met with that look of Annie's. He hated that look.

"What can I do for you?"

[freshoffthefarm]

Annie hated the fact that he still looked the way he did. She hated the fact that she loved the tie he was wearing. And she really hated the fact that as soon as she stepped close enough she could almost smell his shower soap. She was pretty sure that it was all in her mind because there was no way that he'd actually ever smelled that good while they were dating, right?

"What is this?"

She held up the paper and then slapped it down on desk, sliding it over to him.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"That's..." He trailed off as he read the headline of the paper, "That's my will."

Wondering how the hell she got his will was a different story. His attorney was supposed to wait an entire month, after he was due back. Not four days.

[freshoffthefarm]

"Since when am I listed as your beneficiary?" Shaking her head she cut off any answer he might have made. "No. Why am I listed as your beneficiary?"

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay took his paperwork and slid it into the top drawer of his desk, "I did it before Paraguay."

It answered both why and when.

[freshoffthefarm]

Annie took a deep breath.

"Please fix that. Listing me as the person who inherits your condo, your money and Manderly makes me a little uncomfortable considering everything that's happened between us."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I'll see what I can do."

Meaning, no he wasn't going to change it, and it wasn't all his money.

[freshoffthefarm]

She'd made an educated guess based on her (very) limited knowledge of wills and she didn't much care if it was wrong. His distinct lack of concern for her anger upset her more.

"Will you?"

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"No."

He had his reasons not to change it, mostly because he had no one else to give it to.

[freshoffthefarm]

"Clay."

Annie had to take a breath and she folded her arms across her chest, look down at the ground and take several steps back. Looking up at him, her hands went to her hips and she paced lightly around his office. "Why?"

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I have my reasons."

[freshoffthefarm]

"You are such a goddamn spy." It wasn't a compliment. "Fix the will. Give it to your mom."

She sounded like an odd cross between angry and desperate.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"And what in the hell is she going to do with it?"

He was not happy she was challenging him on something, she by rights shouldn't have known about until it was impossible to have this fight. Clay and his attorney were going to have words.

[freshoffthefarm]

"Anything she wants to. That's your mother."

She was back to leaning over his desk and being in his face. "I'm your ex-girlfriend who you left, remember? I already gave everything back to you once. If you have the nerve to die and leave me anything in your will, I swear, I'll set fire to it."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"What do I care? I'm dead."

[freshoffthefarm]

"Obviously." She shoved herself off his desk. "Inside."

Stomping back to the door, she pointed a finger. "This is another strong reminder that you were right -- we would never have worked."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Because I left you something in my will?"

That made her insane in his book.

[freshoffthefarm]

Annie paused with her hand on the door, her chin dropping to her chest. He just didn't get it. Overwhelming sadness rushed through her and she turned her head to look at him.

"The fact that you just make decisions without asking me how I feel about any of it. You just plow ahead and do whatever you want because you think you know what's best for everyone."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I gave you something I thought you'd like."

Her statement made him angry. He gave her Manderly because he knew she'd love it as much as he did. His condo made sense at the time, since she was still living in Danielle's guest house.

[freshoffthefarm]

"It's not about whether I'd like it, Clay. We're not together. It's not appropriate."

He'd completely missed her point and she wasn't surprised. "Please. Just do this for me?"

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Fine."

He's still not changing it. The fine was just to appease her.

[freshoffthefarm]

"Promise me, Clay."

She held his gaze from across the room, just to see if he meant what he said.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I can't do that."

[freshoffthefarm]

"Fine." She couldn't even express the amount of anger she was feeling at the moment. He wasn't wrong, and that was something else that frustrated her. He'd known she would love Manderly as much as he had, and that he'd thought that far ahead while they were dating -- Annie didn't know what to say about that. So she said the first thing that came to her mind. "Put your car in there, too."

Then she opened the door and walked out, slamming it behind her.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

When the door slammed, his diploma from the National Cryptographic School fell off the wall and he heard the unmistakable sound of the glass in the frame breaking. Just what he needed, to buy new glass for his frame.

Webb said he wasn't changing the will, and he meant it. That meant leaving the car out of all of it. He leaned back in his chair and wondered how he could better secure the certificate to his wall. Nothing came to mind other than Annie cared enough to come up to the seventh floor.

He needed to stop thinking like that.