Emily (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
iluvroadrunner6) wrote2010-09-10 11:41 pm
iluvroadrunner6) wrote2010-09-10 11:41 pm
Eliot - Bad Day at the Office
Fandom: Leverage/Covert Affairs
Title: Bad Day at the Office
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
iluvroadrunner6
Rating: PG-13
Characters: Eliot Spencer/Sophie Devereaux, Joan Campbell.
![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
kissbingo Prompt: Body: Arms
tamingthemuse Prompt: Heavy hearted
Content Warning: Spoilers for all aired episodes.
Summary: Eliot wasn’t exactly over enthused to be heading back to the CIA.
Author’s Note: Part of my Pay Your Dues series. Follows “Go With Your Gut.”
Disclaimer: I don’t own. They belong to USA and TNT. I’m just borrowing and will put everything back where I found it.
Eliot wasn’t exactly over enthused to be heading back to the CIA.
He knew that there were spies and other operatives who loved what they did, who saw their work as for the good of the bigger picture, but Eliot had been disillusioned fairly early on. It wasn’t anything against those agents—he was glad that they could believe in what they did—but there was a reason why he left the CIA and worked outside the law, worked alone. Leverage was a rare exception to that rule because when he worked for them, he felt like he was actually doing something for the people, as opposed to being forced to swallow the company line.
The only problem was that there were certain things he felt responsible for. Certain people he didn’t want green operatives like Annie Walker running into where they would be far over their head and not knowing what they were dealing with. Mordham was a situation where he couldn’t say no. Annie wasn’t going to wind up going in there alone just because he had a beef with Joan Campbell.
He was packing his bags to head down do Langley in the morning when he heard her come in the door. Lying to Nate hadn’t been a problem. Not that he had actually lied by anything but omission, but not telling him everything he needed to know wasn’t an issue. It wasn’t any of Nate’s business. Sophie, on the other hand—she had the right to know what she was getting into, but he couldn’t tell her. That was the part he hated more than most.
Her hands landed on his shoulders, massaging gently as she leaned over his shoulder to see what he was doing. “Going somewhere?”
“Something I gotta take care of,” he said as he turned around, sliding his arms around her waist. “I’ll be back soon.”
She leaned into him a bit, looping her arms around his neck. “Something I should know about?” Her head tipped as she watched him, and she gave him a sadder smile. “Something you can’t talk about.”
“Hopefully this won’t take more than a few days.” He rubbed her back with one hand softly. “I’m not goin’ for good.”
“I know,” she sighed softly, straightening the collar of his shirt. “Just come back in one piece.”
He gave her a small smile at that before leaning into kiss her gently. “I can do that.”
“Good,” she whispered back, before kissing him again, tightening her arms around his neck as she leaned into him. He hummed softly as she did, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. She started to move them back towards the bed, and they lost themselves in each other for a while.
He left while she was still sleeping, just grabbing his bag and quietly slipping out the door to head to the airport. His heart was resting heavy in his stomach as he closed the door behind him, starting the process of burying away the parts of him that working with Nate had brought out, out of the reach of a man like Mordham.
By the time he walked in the door at Langley, he had to be a different person. No one ever said he had to like it, though.
***
Joan Campbell was a woman who got what she wanted.
Eliot had deduced that the minute he met her, and he hadn’t been proven wrong since. After all, if she hadn’t been a woman who got what she wanted, Eliot wouldn’t be sitting in her office right now. He had seen the looks the people had given him as Annie had lead him through the DPD. He hadn’t felt so many cold eyes on him since some other covert operations he wasn’t supposed to name were in play, and he really wasn’t all that fond of it now. But he swallowed it down, keeping his eyes on the blond in front of him, and shifting his attention to Joan once the door closed behind Annie and it was just the two of them alone.
“So. You got me here,” Eliot said slowly. “Wanna tell me what this is about?”
“Didn’t Annie tell you? Wallace Mordham is back. We need you to get close and take him out.”
“You know I’m out of a game. You know that I have another job. So what the hell am I doing here, Joan?”
Joan studied him for a moment, leaning back in her seat, but staying as cool as a cucumber. It was what she was best at and a lot of the time, it really pissed Eliot off. “Mordham’s working for Damian Moreau. From what we understand, your team is in a bit of a pissing match with him.”
“Maybe. So? Why take this to me, why not take this to Nate? It’s not like you don’t have the access.”
Joan’s eyes narrowed at that, and Eliot couldn’t help but feel a little bit of victory at having riled her. “You know that I can’t just walk into McRory’s with information on Mordham and Moreau without Nate asking questions as to how I got it. Besides, Mordham’s asked for you personally.”
That mention made him pause, sitting up a little straighter in his chair. “What do you mean he asked for me personally?”
“Mordham grabbed one of our agents—Jamie Stevens. He said he’ll hold him until we tracked down and sent you to retrieve him.”
Eliot set his jaw, eyes wandering up to the ceiling as he processed this. “You know this is a trap. He’s using you guys to get me out of the way so I can’t help Nate.”
“Exactly. Which is why we’re not sending you in alone. Annie’s going with you.”
There was a long pause. An even longer stare. “You’re sending who?”
“Annie is a very competent agent who thinks outside the box and has been very successful on her missions here. Plus, she won’t be who Mordham’s expecting. She’s the perfect Trojan horse.”
“I don’t know her—how do you expect me to trust her?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll have Auggie for tech support.”
“Anderson? Seriously, Joan?”
She smirked. It took every urge he had to remind himself not to smack it off her face. “Relax, Eliot. You’ll do fine.” She got up from behind her desk and moved to sit on the front edge, crossing her legs in front of her. “I’ve heard it’s like riding a bike.”
It was days like this that Eliot really, really hated his job.
Title: Bad Day at the Office
Author:
iluvroadrunner6Rating: PG-13
Characters: Eliot Spencer/Sophie Devereaux, Joan Campbell.
kissbingo Prompt: Body: Armstamingthemuse Prompt: Heavy heartedContent Warning: Spoilers for all aired episodes.
Summary: Eliot wasn’t exactly over enthused to be heading back to the CIA.
Author’s Note: Part of my Pay Your Dues series. Follows “Go With Your Gut.”
Disclaimer: I don’t own. They belong to USA and TNT. I’m just borrowing and will put everything back where I found it.
Eliot wasn’t exactly over enthused to be heading back to the CIA.
He knew that there were spies and other operatives who loved what they did, who saw their work as for the good of the bigger picture, but Eliot had been disillusioned fairly early on. It wasn’t anything against those agents—he was glad that they could believe in what they did—but there was a reason why he left the CIA and worked outside the law, worked alone. Leverage was a rare exception to that rule because when he worked for them, he felt like he was actually doing something for the people, as opposed to being forced to swallow the company line.
The only problem was that there were certain things he felt responsible for. Certain people he didn’t want green operatives like Annie Walker running into where they would be far over their head and not knowing what they were dealing with. Mordham was a situation where he couldn’t say no. Annie wasn’t going to wind up going in there alone just because he had a beef with Joan Campbell.
He was packing his bags to head down do Langley in the morning when he heard her come in the door. Lying to Nate hadn’t been a problem. Not that he had actually lied by anything but omission, but not telling him everything he needed to know wasn’t an issue. It wasn’t any of Nate’s business. Sophie, on the other hand—she had the right to know what she was getting into, but he couldn’t tell her. That was the part he hated more than most.
Her hands landed on his shoulders, massaging gently as she leaned over his shoulder to see what he was doing. “Going somewhere?”
“Something I gotta take care of,” he said as he turned around, sliding his arms around her waist. “I’ll be back soon.”
She leaned into him a bit, looping her arms around his neck. “Something I should know about?” Her head tipped as she watched him, and she gave him a sadder smile. “Something you can’t talk about.”
“Hopefully this won’t take more than a few days.” He rubbed her back with one hand softly. “I’m not goin’ for good.”
“I know,” she sighed softly, straightening the collar of his shirt. “Just come back in one piece.”
He gave her a small smile at that before leaning into kiss her gently. “I can do that.”
“Good,” she whispered back, before kissing him again, tightening her arms around his neck as she leaned into him. He hummed softly as she did, pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. She started to move them back towards the bed, and they lost themselves in each other for a while.
He left while she was still sleeping, just grabbing his bag and quietly slipping out the door to head to the airport. His heart was resting heavy in his stomach as he closed the door behind him, starting the process of burying away the parts of him that working with Nate had brought out, out of the reach of a man like Mordham.
By the time he walked in the door at Langley, he had to be a different person. No one ever said he had to like it, though.
***
Joan Campbell was a woman who got what she wanted.
Eliot had deduced that the minute he met her, and he hadn’t been proven wrong since. After all, if she hadn’t been a woman who got what she wanted, Eliot wouldn’t be sitting in her office right now. He had seen the looks the people had given him as Annie had lead him through the DPD. He hadn’t felt so many cold eyes on him since some other covert operations he wasn’t supposed to name were in play, and he really wasn’t all that fond of it now. But he swallowed it down, keeping his eyes on the blond in front of him, and shifting his attention to Joan once the door closed behind Annie and it was just the two of them alone.
“So. You got me here,” Eliot said slowly. “Wanna tell me what this is about?”
“Didn’t Annie tell you? Wallace Mordham is back. We need you to get close and take him out.”
“You know I’m out of a game. You know that I have another job. So what the hell am I doing here, Joan?”
Joan studied him for a moment, leaning back in her seat, but staying as cool as a cucumber. It was what she was best at and a lot of the time, it really pissed Eliot off. “Mordham’s working for Damian Moreau. From what we understand, your team is in a bit of a pissing match with him.”
“Maybe. So? Why take this to me, why not take this to Nate? It’s not like you don’t have the access.”
Joan’s eyes narrowed at that, and Eliot couldn’t help but feel a little bit of victory at having riled her. “You know that I can’t just walk into McRory’s with information on Mordham and Moreau without Nate asking questions as to how I got it. Besides, Mordham’s asked for you personally.”
That mention made him pause, sitting up a little straighter in his chair. “What do you mean he asked for me personally?”
“Mordham grabbed one of our agents—Jamie Stevens. He said he’ll hold him until we tracked down and sent you to retrieve him.”
Eliot set his jaw, eyes wandering up to the ceiling as he processed this. “You know this is a trap. He’s using you guys to get me out of the way so I can’t help Nate.”
“Exactly. Which is why we’re not sending you in alone. Annie’s going with you.”
There was a long pause. An even longer stare. “You’re sending who?”
“Annie is a very competent agent who thinks outside the box and has been very successful on her missions here. Plus, she won’t be who Mordham’s expecting. She’s the perfect Trojan horse.”
“I don’t know her—how do you expect me to trust her?”
“Don’t worry. You’ll have Auggie for tech support.”
“Anderson? Seriously, Joan?”
She smirked. It took every urge he had to remind himself not to smack it off her face. “Relax, Eliot. You’ll do fine.” She got up from behind her desk and moved to sit on the front edge, crossing her legs in front of her. “I’ve heard it’s like riding a bike.”
It was days like this that Eliot really, really hated his job.
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