Next Time

Seeing Katie blush, Jeff grinned, but decided not to give her too bad of a time. He was glad to see some commitment there from Jason. As many times as they'd been on again, off again, he just hoped this time it would actually last. "I'm sure it does mean a lot to you. And it's very pretty as well."

At her question, Jeff shrugged. "Me? Oh, I've been doing alright." His eyes were weary, but he spoke positively. "I get tired some days..." He tapped his chest and grinned. "The old ticker still gets weary sometimes. But most days are good and I can keep up with the rest of the guys around here." Truth be told, some days he felt useless, and most days he was lonely in spite of being surrounded by people. He never let on though. He knew he was loved and appreciated, and so he just did what he could.

Hearing the door, he turned to see Clint trudge in and go into the kitchen to get a drink. Jeff sighed and glanced back at Katie, keeping his voice low. "Might wanna spend some time with Wendy while you're here. I don't know what's been going on but it's not good. Clint's been... keeping his distance from everyone lately."


"Really?" Aaron's tone was skeptical. "Figured once you moved, I'd prolly end up behind bars." Standing at the counter, he glanced down at his leg and sighed. He was sporting a brace today that JT had given him to start wearing. It felt like it hurt worse, but he was trying to follow the doctor's orders. Taking a deep breath, he set his crutches aside, and hobbled to the stove after retrieving a skillet.

"Eggs," he mentioned as Sam gathered some of the ingredients. Even half standing on one leg, he still moved about comfortably at the stove. Taking several eggs, he cracked them into a dish and whipped them with a fork. "I can understand why having the FBI around would put people on edge. Doesn't feel much unlike the Agency, believe it or not." He added a little milk, a pinch of salt and a little pepper. Shooing her out of the way, he limped to the fridge where he found some shredded cheese and a green pepper. He set about finely chopping the pepper before adding it to the eggs, along with a generous amount of cheese. "Everybody is always surrounded by authority who will stab you in the back if you misbehave or take a wrong step."

He poured half the mix into the frying pan that was now warm, and let it sizzle and bubble. He hadn't been hungry before, but now, with the scent of food, his stomach growled. "So what's the difference then, between being under the thumb of the FBI or the thumb of the Agency when they're both dictatorships?"

He took a spatula and flipped the rounded half-cooked eggs, folding it over as if he'd done it a hundred times. "Plate." It only took a few more seconds to cook the rest of the omelet, and he dishes it out onto the plate. "That one's yours." He poured the rest of the mix into the pan to make the second one. "I hope you're paying attention, 'cause the next time, you're making them."


"Non-busy streets are my favorite." Hunter smiled and tossed Ryan a wink before going around to the passenger side and getting in before she could change her mind.

Settling in, he looked over at her, his expression softening. "I'm right here," he assured. "Take it as slow as you want. I got all day."