[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.

Of course, the morning that she'd gotten up early and proceeded to spill coffee on her first outfit, had to jump start her car and then fill a tire with air? She managed to get behind the chatty son-of-a-bitch in the compensation car at the guard shack. She sat there, plotting the ways to key his car without actually getting caught and then he'd moved on.

Smiling at the guys in the shack, she showed her ID, waited until they'd looked under her cars with mirrors, and then picked up the pace on the way to the agent parking lot.

It just wasn't her morning.

The short cut she took through the visitor lot took her right past the spots in front for all the diplomats and the Agency hotshots. She didn't see Mr. Compensation trying to adjust his parking until she'd plowed into his rear bumper.

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[freshoffthefarm]

Twenty minutes later, Annie emerged from the shower cleaner, and more tired, than before. She skirted around the corner dressed in just the towel, then got dressed in her room.

Five minutes later, she entered the living room dressed in yoga pants and a tank top, her hair in a ponytail. She smelled like lavender and mint. The smile she gave the man in her livingroom was all gratefulness as she joined him on the couch.

"I can't remember being so exhausted," she confessed quietly, her head falling back against the couch.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Lavender and mint was a much nicer thing to smell like than days of Eastern Europe and airplane.

"Was this your first one of these?"

He knew the answer, as he'd read her file over the past six months, but he figured talking about it might help her.

[freshoffthefarm]

Talking would likely help, but not while she was falling asleep while sitting up.

In fact, she was a little amused at the question. "You're telling me that you didn't look at my file at all over the last few months?" She let her head roll to the side to look at him, still smiling. " I thought you'd do it after I hit you."

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I looked, but only after I sent you on this mission. Joan was right, you're good."

Clay smiled a little after she looked over at him, recognizing she was beyond exhausted. "And you should go to bed."

[freshoffthefarm]

"Thanks," she murmured, eyes closed and a smile on her face. "And so should you. It's late and that suit can't be comfortable."

It would dawn on her much later that she might have said inappropriate things.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"Don't worry about it," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card, then wrote his home and cell numbers on the back.

"If you need anything, give me a call, okay? You aren't going to bother me."

[freshoffthefarm]

Opening her eyes againn she nodded as she took the card, though she knew she'd never use it. She had her own chain of command to follow, technically.

"Maybe we can do coffee," she said, sliding his card onto her coffee table and standing so she could walk him to the door.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

"I'd like that."

They'd already done that once, but a second time that isn't agency sponsored would be nice.

When he made it to the door he looked over at her again, "If you'd like a ride to get your car, let me know."

It was after all, his offer that left her car at Langley.

[freshoffthefarm]

"I can take a cab or call Jai, my partner," she told him, waving off his offer. "But thank you for driving me home, Director."

She gave him another tired smile and reached for the door handle.

[fakes-death.livejournal.com]

Clay nodded in response, "Goodnight Annie, and Clay's fine."

As he walked back down to his car, he hoped that Annie would get a good night's sleep uninterrupted by whatever she may have seen while on that mission.