2010-07-03: Bitch Please

Starring:

Maggie_V5icon.png

Guest Starring:

Sam_V5icon.png

and Agent Nic Fox

Date: July 3rd, 2010

Summary:

The FBI is so dramatic…


"Bitch Please"

FBI — New York Headquarters

The four walls surrounding Detective Powers are more suited to intimidating suspects than intimidating her; though she is suspected of something — otherwise she wouldn't be sitting here, forced to wait for yet another judgment, for her recent actions to be criticized, for the consequences to be dealt by hands loftier than hers.

Maggie sits at the table of the clean little room, notably minus her gun and badge; they're nowhere in sight, leaving her plain blue t-shirt and black slacks completely unhindered by the trappings of law enforcement. She wears the signs of tiredness, but seems rather unaffected by them; she looks straight ahead, head tipped to one side, as if far off in intense thought, far away from the interrogation room — or whatever it is FBI are calling it.

The lights flicker a little. A strange flicker. Along one of the walls is a mirror. It looks like every other mirror, reflects like every other mirror, but Maggie is too smart to believe that it's just a mirror. Most people are, really. Behind the mirror there is some rustling, some movement. Just a little. But it's nothing compared to the noise coming from outside.

The loud click of well worn pumps echoes down the hallway through the entire third floor of the FBI New York headquarters. The door swings open and in peers Agent Fox. Her lips are drawn into an angry straight line, her nostrils flare, and her eyebrows quirk high. She says nothing in greeting, instead opting to assume the chair across from Maggie. One of them, anyways. The second one, remains painfully empty for the time being.

Her feet are planted on the floor as she smacks a manila file folder on the table and drums her fingers rather impatiently on top of it. Yet she still remains silent. Utterly silent, angrily she stares at Maggie before passing the file folder across

The folder is as expected. Files on impeding investigations. Information about what had transpired, and how to deal with it. And then Agent Fox simply stares at the other blonde woman.

Focus sharpens in Maggie's eyes as the noise approaches — not shifting for the rustling behind the mirror, only for the clicking heels and opening door. Her faraway gaze shifts to the present and to Agent Fox, losing neither its intensity nor its calm. She's faced worse. (Like Patty Bush at Internal Affairs?)

Just as silent, the detective tugs the file closer with one finger, opens it, sifts through its contents, and — after only a few seconds; maybe she's a fast reader — closes and nudges it back. Her silence, and the look she gives Agent Fox, is far from a subservient. She arches an inquisitive eyebrow — not quite defiantly, but certainly close — as if to say well? It's not as if Maggie doesn't know why she's here.

"So. Nothing then?" Fox quips back irritably as she glances at the mirror behind her and then back to Maggie, leaning back in her seat. Her jaw tightens, her eyebrows knit together and her arms cross over her chest. With a heavy sigh, Fox slides away from the table, destined to pace the room with the staccato'd steps with heavy black heels.

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, Detective Powers? Or… is that all I can expect? Seriously… is that all I can expect? There's no explanation. No apology? You impeded in a federal investigation! Director Mason even let you in on our team and now? Now you go out of your way to destroy what evidence and case we'd been building?!"

Rather than watch the FBI woman pace around loudly, Maggie looks to the mirrored window, staring at it; if anyone didn't know better, it would quite seem like she can see straight through to the glass to who's behind it. "To be fair… Director Mason let me in on your case because I impeded on a federal investigation," she points out logically. Agent Fox's anger isn't contagious to Detective Powers, but her even voice hardens by an increment as she adds, "I wasn't aware I destroyed any evidence."

"You put an asset in jeopardy," Which may or may not be Maggie's fault. "Putting years of prep work into practice and you, Detective Powers, went out of your way to undo it." Pursing her lips together, she wags a single finger at Maggie. "What were you thinking? What about checking in? Telling us what's going on? Keeping everyone in the loop?! Mason would be telling you this himself except he's stuck in a mountain of crap thanks to what you did— you both did…" She's annoyed.

"If everyone had been kept in the loop— there would still be a murderer on the loose," Maggie states with conviction to the latest round of scolding. Only then does her gaze gain antagonism and move quickly off the mirror and to Agent Fox. "Miles put himself in jeopardy," she clarifies slowly. "He didn't have to agree to help me, and he certainly… didn't have to jump into the fire at the end. I'm sure he can speak for himself."

"But you Detective, put— " absently Agent Fox stares at the mirror for several seconds before turning back to look at Maggie. "— our investigation in jeopardy." Again her lips are pursed as she returns to her seat, this time turning it 180 degrees and leaning on the back as she hugs it.

"Speak for himself or not, you were irresponsible. You spoiled parts of our investigation! And even if one serial killer is caught, what about the rest? Believe it or not we have our sights set on several individuals who have no regard for bystanders, no thoughts on the people with— " but she's interrupted as the door opens.

Sam pokes his head in and issues his famously snide smile, "Half-pint, Xena— " his greeting is silenced as he assumes the chair next to his colleague.

The appearance of the second agent garners nothing but a faint knitting of Maggie's brows. After tracking Sam with her eyes until he sits down, she offers a soft and unenthused: "Hi, Sam." Back to the matter at hand, she addresses Fox evenly. "I'm aware of what I did, Agent Fox. And frankly … I'm tired of defending myself. I'm taking the consequences. I've been temporarily suspended from duty. The question now— " She lays both hands flat on the table and stares at the woman intently, " — really, the heart of the matter — " she challenges, " — is what am I doing here now."

An eyebrow is raised at Sam. It's angry, telling, and perhaps there's something more to it. Sam just shrugs. The woman speaks cold and detached, "And that is the point. You have been removed from duty except. You haven't. Not anymore." Her nostrils flare angrily as she now stares at her colleague before continuing, "Against my better judgment I've been convinced that you are an asset to this particular case. We have gone over IA and are reinstating you. Clearly this is important."

Smugly, Sam smiles and crosses his ankles under the table. "There ya go, Thelma, you'll have more opportunities to go rogue." He winks before crossing his arms over his chest to match Fox's demanor.

At the same time, Fox places her hands on the table. "Shut up, Wright." It's once again cold and detached. "Look Powers, this is my head on a platter if something goes wrong. If you go rogue again, if you don't include us in your plans you will be getting more than a suspension. Is that understood?"

The exchange between Agents Fox and Wright is observed watchfully by the detective — but she's interrupted by a blink, then another, of surprise. "You're— " Maggie's brows raise incredulously. "You're pulling jurisdiction over this?" Her calm demeanour falters, confliction taking over; a working jaw, posed to say something else in surprise, is at odds with the exacting narrowing of her eyes on the pair.

After a few moments, Maggie leans back especially straight in her chair and offers a subtle nod. "… Of course," she regains her calm, and gains and a monotone. "I understand."

"Yes. Mason pulled it. He thinks it's important. Or something," Fox shoots Sam a knowing glance before the pair rise from their chairs. "Look Powers, don't disappoint me. If you do, I swear I will get that shiny badge of yours." Beat. "Permanently." That said, Fox's shoes click their way to the door.

Sam issues Maggie a small shrug before he traipses after his colleague. "Just know I git to be your shadow now, Powers. Where you go, I go. That's Mason's rules." Always Mason's rules.

Lucky Powers. Saying nothing to Mason's rules, she gets to her feet, a hand trailing on the corner of the table as she approaches Sam as if to cut him off from following Agent Fox. At the door, she stops short of stepping right in front of him and, instead, takes a step backwards. "Sam— " she starts with purpose in an attempt to get his attention before he slips out of the boxed-in little room entirely. "What happened to Miles?"

Sam sighs as his smile fades just a little. "Mason," the name is said with disdain, "chose to send Miles back into the field. Didn't want to waste any more time. It's… not a good situation… things are gettin' more violent." Twitch. He swallows and frowns. "He… shouldn't be out there again." Jaw tightening he takes another step towards the door before turning back to Maggie, "He's supposed to check in more. Like all of the time."

This news — and Sam's assessment of it, particularly the word 'violent' — brings a tightness to Maggie's own jaw as well as a straightening of her lips that prevents her from answering right away. She nods, however, slow and accepting, and straightens where she stands with a shift of her shoulders. Maggie and the bright blue of her t-shirt brush past Sam as she to strides into the third floor hall. "Then you better not waste any more time either."

He watches Maggie as she brushes past him, a single eyebrow arched. Once she's safely down the hall he hisses to himself more than anyone else, "I don't intend to, blondie." His lips quirk into a toothy grin before he leaves the room and turns opposite Maggie.

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