Agent Chetiri

Chapter 7

Man is not what he thinks he is; he is what he hides.

-André Malraux

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(December 10, 2012- 8:52 AM)

It had taken about three weeks, but Q and Alexa's relationship slowly, but surely, began to change. They spent more and more time together, frequently going out to lunch or sharing a coffee after work. Sometimes they would merely engage in regular, work-related conversations but on occasion, they would become engrossed in heated debates that could be everything from politics to Doctor Who (which, she found out, he absolutely loved). His love for the acclaimed science fiction show had given her an idea of what to give him for Christmas and she was currently working on it in her spare time.

Q found that she was quite passionate in her arguments and that she had the intelligence to back up her viewpoints. Conversely, Alexa found his extensive knowledge quite impressive and it was hard to hold her own against such an intelligent man. It was in these sorts of interactions that they quickly turned from boss to employee into close friends.

As she continued to work there, she soon found that he was probably the best boss she could imagine. He was ridiculously organized in his own weird little way (despite the fact that his desk was chaotic at work) and handled his employees with trust, but who at the same time was not afraid of being tough when the situation called for it. He was always sure of himself and was very good at making quick and precise decisions.

Today, Alexa was heading to work like she usually was. Nothing was really on her mind at the moment and she stepped off the train to get to work. As usual, it took about seven minutes for her to walk from the station and into the office. Alexa hung her coat on the rack and took off her gloves. There were only four people in the office and she found it strange that Q wasn't here. "Good morning, everyone," she said, smiling slightly.

"You seem cheerful. Did something happen?" Michael remarked.

"It did snow this morning. That may be why I'm so cheerful," she said.

"I hate the snow," Joy said with a shudder. "It's the one thing I can never get used to in my years of living here."

"Snow is lovely. It reminds me of my old home," Alexa interjected.

"I agree. You know, winters are great in Ireland. It gives us an excuse to sit in front of the fireplace and avoid the outdoors," William said.

"Well, tobogganing whilst intoxicated is quite fun too," Ryan remarked.

"Wait, what?" Alexa said, looking amused.

"Yeah, we used to do it every Christmas Eve until we came here. Granddad would even come, if his knees weren't bugging him," he replied.

"And how old is your grandfather?" Alexa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Seventy-four. But don't let his age fool you. He's a feisty little bastard," Ryan chuckled.

"That's madness," Alexa said, shaking her head. She looked around for a moment and glanced at the door. "Where's Q?" she asked.

"He's up in M's office. We don't know what happened but we should know fairly soon," Joy said.

"Oh dear. He never usually goes in there. Is it bad?" Alexa whispered as she leaned forward.

"It might be. Just be prepared to deal with him if it is bad," she replied. Alexa nodded and looked back at the papers on her desk. She began her morning by decrypting the files on several hard drives and also began developing a new weapon design.