Hannah was sitting in her office, going over the data Cassidy had passed along to them at the meeting the week before. While she didn’t doubt the information was valuable, she just couldn’t justify using it as a reason to launch a full-scale attack on another continent before Aaron and Cadence got back. A glance at the calendar in her IAC confirmed they’d be back in five days—less than a week. Even though her own reports told her the situation was growing worse, she didn’t think it was bad enough to move in, not yet. Especially now that Mila seemed to be making headway with some of the worst offenders.
A knock at the door brought her out of her thoughts. She set the paperwork aside. “Come in.” Not many people came to her office, not unless they wanted to lounge on her sofa and unburden themselves, which was fine, but most of the time, if people were in this building it was to head upstairs to the real bosses’ office. Today, however, that just happened to be her.
She was surprised when Christian walked in. She couldn’t remember him ever coming to her office before, not in all the decades they’d worked together. He certainly wasn’t there for therapy because he’d never admit he needed it, although of all the LIGHTS team members she could list on one hand without trying, he’d certainly be her top candidate. She tried not to dwell on that and put a smile on her face. “Christian? How can I help you?”
He looked around like he wasn’t quite sure what to do. Hannah gestured at one of the chairs across from her, and he rested his hand on it, his eyes still darting around. Patiently, she waited, as he pulled the chair out and sank into it. “How’s it going, Hannah?”
“Good,” she nodded, her hands folded in front of her. “Busy, of course, without Aaron here. How has your day been?”
“Busy.” His head rocked back and forth as he slung his ankle over to his other knee, kicking her desk in the process. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay. Is there something I can help you with?”
“Uh... yeah.” He didn’t elaborate, though, so Hannah continued to practice her patience, a virtue she’d called upon many times both before and after she’d become a member of LIGHTS, though she couldn’t remember the patients she’d worked with in her former life being quite as complicated as some of her teammates, the man before her no exception.
Eventually, Christian continued. “I think I’d like to take a few days off.”
That was a surprise. She tried to hide it, but her eyebrows deceived her. “That’s a first. How long has it been since you took a vacation?”
“Not sure. Longer than I can remember. Just a couple of weeks is all I need, I think. All this talk about the bosses being at the beach made me decide I needed a little retreat myself.” A smile formed on his face, but it looked a little forced, slightly out of place.
“Okay.... I’m sure as soon as Aaron gets back, he’ll be happy to let you go.”
“Well, that’s just the thing. I’d like to leave tomorrow. I figure there’s not much going on around here, nothing you guys can’t handle without me. Fannie’s up to speed on everything in the tech department, and she can handle any situation remote from Montana if needed. And, if you do need me for something,” he tapped the side of his head, near his eye, “you know how to get me.”
Hannah hadn’t been expecting anyone else to leave while Aaron was gone, and if it had been just about anyone else, she probably would’ve insisted they stay until Aaron could approve it. But considering how much turmoil Christian caused wherever he went, and the fact that nothing important was happening at the moment, especially on the tech front, she found herself nodding her head. If the situation in Eastern Europe continued to develop, there were a lot of other team members she’d rather have around than Christian to help her handle it. “All right,” she said. “I guess that’s fine. Just send me a request form with your departure and arrival dates, and I’ll approve it.”
A second later, she was looking at a completed form, and Christian’s smile looked a little more genuine. “Thanks.”
She couldn’t help but chuckle. “How’d you know I’d say yes?”
“Come on, Hannah.” He leaned forward, both feet on the floor, his forearm on her desk. “No one really wants me around, do they?”
She opened her mouth to protest but it was hard to formulate a sentence that sounded convincing. She’d worked closely with Christian recently while they were assisting Ward with the portal, but the whole time, she’d wanted to tell him off for causing the problem in the first place. Her diplomacy had kept her feelings in check, but that didn’t mean she was a fan. “I think people just need some space, some time, to get over the situation.”
“Exactly.” He stood up, sighed, and headed for the door. He was in the hall before he caught the closing barrier and said, “Thanks, Hannah.”
“You’re... welcome.” He was gone.
* * *
Brandon came back from the gym and tossed his bag on the floor. Having skipped a shower in the locker room, he knew that vicious odor wasn’t just coming from the garbage bag in the kitchen he’d meant to take out before he left, but he was struggling with finding a reason to care.
“Whoa—who died in your socks?” Elliott asked, coming down the hall from his bedroom looking slightly disheveled, which was odd since he rarely slept. “You in some sort of contest to see who can repel the most chicks?”
“Ha, ha, Dad. Very funny.” If only his father had any idea what was happening, maybe he wouldn’t have made a statement so close to the truth.
