𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐘𝐀𝐑𝐃━︎━︎M. Hill ✓︎

𝐄𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭

CHPTER EIGHT:
LAST MINUTE COURT CASE

SAGE PURSED HER LIPS, LOOKING down at the file that contained all of the known information about Maria Hill. She had ready everything over and over again until it was memorized in her brain, but she just couldn't stop opening the folder. She didn't know why, but her eyes always seemed to linger on the photo that was placed inside of the folder. With a huff, the woman closed the folder and tossed it to the side, throwing herself on her bed and covering her face with a groan. She stayed in that position for a few minutes, her hands covering her face, sitting in silence before finally she reached for her phone, still in her laying position, before pressing a number she knew she wasn't supposed to call until she was finished with her mission.

     "Sage?"

     "Give me another mission." Sage quickly spoke. "I can't sit her and do jack shit while I wait for this stupid whatever to form between and this woman. Give me something else that won't take as long. I'll balance it out."

     "Well, if I give you another, you'll have to have someone with you." Beatrix told the woman.

     "Whatever. Just, give me something else." Sage answered, sitting up.     

     "Fine. Then come back to the base. I was going to wait and do this until after you completed the other mission, but since you're so desperate. Be here by tonight. The mission will take place tomorrow night."

     "I'll be there as soon as I can." Sage answered before ending the call and smiling slightly. The woman decided to just grab her phone and go, seeing as she would be back inside of the apartment soon. She headed out, and on her way she decided to stop by that coffee shop Maria had brought her to earlier. She walked in, smiling at the man behind the counter before ordering her drink and standing to the side as she patiently waited. That's when she heard a familiar voice.

     "Sarah, right?" Sage turned her head to see Maria standing there. She couldn't help but question why the woman was there and not at work, but instead she offered her a small smile.

     "Maria, hey." Sage smiled. "What are you doing here?"

     "I was heading towards the hospital, and decided to get some coffee to make it through this thirty-six hour shift." Maria explained. "What about you?"

     "I am actually leaving town for a day or two. A last minute court case." Sage sighed, as if she was regretting the said court case that wasn't truly taking place, so as to add affect. Sage was quick to take her coffee, sipping on it and turning towards Maria. "Well, Maria. It was good to run into you again, only not literally this time." The two women laughed at this.

     "I'll see you around?" Maria questioned.

     "You bet." Sage smiled before walking away only to stop and turn towards Maria. Maria glanced towards the woman, cocking an eyebrow at her.

     "You forget something?"

     "Yeah, actually." Sage nodded, taking a few steps back towards the woman and meeting her eyes. She smiled before saying, "I forgot to ask for your number. You know, so that when I come back we can hang out, if you want that is."

     Maria looked at the woman for a few seconds, searching her eyes for something that she was hoping wasn't there. And luckily it wasn't. The woman couldn't help but smile before she nodded, taking Sage's phone from her hand and quickly typing in her number before giving it back. "There you go. Just. . . text me whenever, and I'll try and find some time during my busy schedule to hang out with you."

     "How does this Friday sound?" Sage suddenly asked. Maria's mouth opened slightly before she closed it.

     "I. . . Yeah, sure. Friday."

     Sage smiled brightly at this. "Great! I'll see you at. . . 8:00?"

     "Sounds like a date." Maria smiled.

     "The dates come after the bonding friendship, Maria, not before." Sage spoke, smirking before giving the woman a quick wink and then turning on her heel and walking out of the coffee shop. Maria watched her leave, watching through the window as Sage entered her car and drove off. The woman stood there for a moment, cocking her head slightly. Was the woman she knew as Sarah flirting with her? Maria quickly shook it off, shaking her head slightly at herself, trying to convince herself that that scenario definitely didn't just happen. Maria snapped from her thoughts when her order was called. She walked up before grabbing her drink and then exiting the shop.

━︎━︎━︎━︎━︎

Sage drove the vehicle, heading towards the direction of the base before her thoughts started wondering. And as she sat there, one hand on the steering wheel and the other holding her cup of coffee, she couldn't help but suddenly not want to do the mission she had requested from Beatrice. She slowed down, staring blankly at the road as she continued forward. She sat the cup in the cup holder, stopping at the stop light as she tried to decide what she wanted to do.

     "Damn." The woman breathed, before pulling out her phone and calling Beatrice for the second time that day.

     "This is the second time today, Sage." Beatrice told the woman. "What do you need?"

     "Let the others do the mission." Sage told the woman. "I've decided to stay here."

     "Oh? What made you change your mind?" Beatrice questioned.

     "Maria." Sage plainly answered. "I saw her at the coffee shop again today, and we talked, and now we plan on hanging out this Friday."

     "Bravo." Beatrice spoke, a smile clear in her voice. "Well, I won't keep you from your job then. We'll talk soon, yeah?"

     "Yeah." Sage nodded, although the woman couldn't see her. Sage hung up the phone and as soon as the light turned green, she checked for cops before doing a quick U-turn and going back in the direction she had just came from, heading back towards her apartment as she she thought for the next two days about how good or bad this meet up with Maria could go.