Burden

 Scott glanced up at Dalton, but then lowered his gaze again as he shrugged. "Yeah... I'm okay. Okay as I ever am anyway." He smirked a little. "As if that's ever gonna change." 

He finally abandoned the crust and gave up eating any more. He'd at least finish his water. "Sometimes I just... I mean..." He shook his head. The words weren't coming right tonight either. "I have to be in control of some part of my life," he concluded. "Even...even if it's scary. I'm... I'm just tired of being scared all the time and always looking over my shoulder and always having nightmares...all for nothing. I could survive so much better if I just knew at least I was being useful in spite of it." 

His sight rose just a little to see Dalton. "As much as anyone tries to convince me I'm still useful, it's just not true. I'm a burden to the Elite more than I'm a help and...I'm tired of it. Reese will keep me around for eternity just because he feels guilty for what happened. And all I do is come in and sort out strings of data...while I'm not hiding in a corner because some random Agency intel crept up on me. I may help with a few small tasks, but I'm not worth what the Elite is paying me. Not the way I am now. Broken and... disturbed." 

It was about as much as he'd ever said all in one sitting in a very long time, and he fiddled with his water glass for a moment before sighing. This would end. One way or another. It would end.


Hal laughed outright and shook his head as he folded his arms. "Nah. Well. No more file room scenes anyway. Although... they were gone an awfully long time over lunch." 

Silent for a moment, he finally turned to leave, then paused, looking back over his shoulder. "Speaking of lunch. Thanks again for the tacos earlier. And...keep up the good work with Aaron. You're off to a good start and don't let anyone tell you otherwise."


Garret sat at the dinner table with the family tonight. After skipping lunch, his stomach had won out, and he hadn't been able to say no to Maggie's regular invitation. It was a simple meal tonight of potato soup and garlic bread, but it tasted oh so good. And in the back of his mind, he knew he was getting far too used to Laura's cooking.

As the family chatted around him, his eyes stayed mostly on his food as he ate maybe a little more slowly than normal. He'd taken himself in to work today without Nate's prompting...which was something new. Having a vehicle to use helped, and at least now he didn't feel like he was being babysat everywhere he went, and Nate wasn't tied down to him either. He hadn't interacted much with anybody at the office though. Most avoided him, and he knew it. It didn't bother him too much, although it did limit how much he could do if no one would trust him enough to include him.

The strangest part of the day though, had been when Scott had shown up at the cubicle and sat down while no one else was around or within earshot....

"You know about that...that Agency setup? About the assimilation upgrade?" 

Garret squinted at Scott, wondering why he was talking to him about it. Reese had expressed very strongly that he didn't want Scott involved. His eyes roamed the nearby vicinity quickly, realizing Scott had chosen a time when no one would notice he was there. Another red flag went up. "Yes, I do... why?" 

"What if..." Scott swallowed hard. "What if I wanted to do it? The upgrade, I mean."

Garret quirked an eyebrow. "If the equipment is correct, it's possible. Risky, but possible." 

"And you know how to do it?" 

"Yes..." 

Scott fidgeted with his hands in his lap. It was hard enough speaking this closely to Garret at all, let alone about a subject that still gave him nightmares. "Would you? Do it?" 

Garret frowned. "I suggested it, but Reese is against the idea because of the risk. I'm surprised you're considering it." 

"I'm tired of being scared and useless." There. He'd said it. Scott rocked slightly as his nervousness increased. "If it kills me, I'll be better off. If it gives me intel to help the Elite, then that would be a success, right?" 

Garret leaned back in his chair and folded his arms. He thought it was worth the risk. He thought the Elite could use all the help they could get, and who knew what kind of Agency data was stored in the system now, even just new within the last couple months? "Reese said no. I can't help you." 

Scott's shoulders sank. "But this is my choice, not Reese's." 

"Look..." Garret sighed. "If Reese doesn't want it done, I don't know what else to say. I think it's your choice too, and I already argued with him about it. If you want to do it, you'll have to talk to him."

"But he won't let me."

"Then...what are you doing here?"

Scott chewed on the inside of his lip and just stared at Garret for several moments. "I want you to help me do it anyway. Without Reese's permission."

Garret blinked. "As much as I want to, I can't do that. Can you imagine what would happen if it did kill you? I'd go to prison if Reese didn't just have me shot."

Scott waved at him to keep his voice down. "But it's my choice. I'm asking you for your help."

Garret immediately thought of Nate. And he knew exactly what Nate would say. No. He shook his head. "I can't. Don't you understand? My entire future would be at risk."

"And my entire life is at risk." Scott gritted his teeth. "You know I've hacked into the Agency system before, right?"

"Yes...?"

"I could do it again, couldn't I? What if someone found out you were still alive?"

Garret's eyes widened. The last person he expected a threat from was Scott. "You wouldn't."

"I would." Though Scott kept his voice down so no one else could hear him, it was still firm and determined. "Help me with the upgrade. Or the Agency is going to find out you're alive and that Victoria knows." 

Garret's blood ran cold. There were very few things anyone could threaten him with. He valued little. But Victoria's life? That was all  that had really mattered to him for far too long to risk finding out if Scott was bluffing. "We can't do it without someone finding out," he stalled. "And if you die, then what?" 

"I'll write up a statement and sign it, releasing you from responsibility."

"Reese will send me to prison, regardless." 

"Fine." Scott stood up. "Then I'll go contact the Agency." 

Garret got to his feet as well, wanting to lash out, but he kept his fists to his sides instead. "How do you expect to pull it off without anyone finding out?" 

"Tomorrow. You have a car now. Don't come to work with Nate, but meet me at the corner of the block instead. I know where the lab is. If I survive, I can tell Reese myself it was all my idea and that I blackmailed you. You won't be held responsible." 

"That's what you think." Garret knew in the pit of his stomach that somehow he was going to pay for this. But...it was better than Victoria being executed as a traitor...right?

A spoon clanking on someone's bowl broke Garret's train of thought and he was forced back to reality. Realizing his bread had sunk into his soup, he was quick to fish it out and eat it before it got too soggy.