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Post by Winters on Jul 27, 2015 23:16:25 GMT -5
He should have kept himself quiet. But if Sam had been woken up by that low tone of voice, it would have happened when he got into the bed, or the change of lighting. She was a very light sleeper, which was both a blessing and a curse. You never worried about oversleeping an alarm clock, or if something happens in the middle of the night, but it makes it difficult to sleep when there is any noise at all. Luckily, this area of the city had been fairly quiet, not even a high traffic area.
"Just work." Edward spoke, unbuttoning his loose shirt and tossing it onto the floor. He didnt have enough drive to take off his jeans, but he had no issues sleeping in them. It was so warm out lately, there wasnt a point to covering himself with a blanket. Though he wasnt complaining, it was comfortable. As he lay down on the bed, he turned off the light on his side, which left the lamp on Sams side. "Try to go back to sleep."
~~~
Madison lay in bed with a laptop on her stomach, sitting up and typing away on a messenger application. She had been communicating with her friend from back North, and trying to talk about what happened without going into too much detail. Calling would have been good, but this was easier for the late night, and it was too late for him to talk to her back. Madison never used too many actions when she typed, but he could tell that she was upset based on her facial expression on the webcam. She wanted to click the call button in the corner of the screen, but knew that he would reject it in fear of waking his room mates. He tried to make her feel better by showing her pictures of his drawings, which did help, but a visit back north was overdue.
It wasnt long before he had fallen asleep, the messenger application still open, and Madisons friend was still on the other sidr watching her sleep for a few minutes to make sure she didnt wake up. It wasnt so much creepy, more nice of him, as a friend. After a little longer then anticipated, the screen turned off, and the video feed was dropped, her battery running out. But Madison was already asleep, finally after a long night.
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Post by JDrew25 on Jul 28, 2015 10:32:38 GMT -5
Sam woke up early in the morning, opening her eyes and looking at her alarm. 6:30 AM. She had beat her alarm clock by fifteen minutes. She groaned and cuddled against Edward, not wanting to get up just yet. The coffee maker would start brewing in a few, but by then she would already be fixing her hair and getting dressed. These were the mornings she hated being a light sleeper.
After a few more minutes she turned off her alarm and got out of bed, giving Edward's bare chest a light scratch as she got moving. It was time for them to get up and see what today had for them. She supposed there would be another debriefing, and then a new assignment would be thrust upon them. She was alright with that, she needed something to do, something to focus her energy and time on.
As she got dressed, she called out to Edward, pulling on her slacks and choosing out a blouse as she did.
"Come on Sleeping Beauty, time to start the day!"
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Post by Winters on Jul 28, 2015 16:03:40 GMT -5
If there was one thing that came with age, it was a better nights sleep. Edward slept a lot more, but now he could afford to, a lot lest resting on his conscience after last night. Especially after everything they did, he was able to sleep better knowing he was out of that line of work. The FBI was dealing with people, and people he could handle. They were predictable at this point, given the details he knew about them before going into the field. He wasnt entirely sure what was waiting for him at work today, but knew there would be a stack of paperwork to get him started.
~~~
Staring into the mirror, Madison looked at her reflection as she stood nude in the bathroom. The steam from the shower had dissipated away enough for her to make out her face enough, and once she decided that she was going to be okay today, she picked out her spare pair of work clothes. The others had still been at Sams place, but knew she would deliver them when they were ready. Madison wasnt sure if Sam assumed she would be taking today off work not, but she was in the mood to get back into work, even after what happened. There would most likely be a psych evaluation at some point, and it would be random for precautionary measures, for both her and Sam. Given her past experience in guidance council for her old highschool, she knew exactly what to expect, especially when it came to first hand cases of suicide. Just not nessicarily in the work place.
Once she had her clothes on, she gathered up her handful of belongings, checking the clock as she opened the door. It was a Canadian habit, but she didnt lock her door, knowing that the building she lived in didnt have many people in it, and none of them paid any attention to her. On top of that, there wasnt anything she had that she cared if it was stolen. So it was to the car and out of the parking lot, and on the way to Sams place. Madison wasnt sure what time she would be leaving with Edward, or getting a taxi, but she decided to leave fifteen minutes early to make sure she got there. Normally she would text, but her phone was dead, and the charger was at work.
~~~
"Ill give you a lift, I dont have to be in til about ten, and I wanted to drop in to pick up some things anyways. So whenever youre ready, just lemme know." Edward spoke from the bedroom as he walked into the bathroom, evidentally having a shower. He was too caught up to have one the night before, and this had been the first time he seen his jeans in the light, Edward noticed there had been a little bit of blood from previous day. Nothing else was given away thankfully, Sam would have given him an earful about it.
Pulling up to the house around seven twenty, Madison parked at the curb, cutting the engine and getting out of the car. She didnt want to bother them and their morning process, but was more than comfortable to just sit and wait standing by the car, waiting for one of them to notice her. Madison felt mentally prepared enough to do this, knowing that what happened was in the past, even by just a day, and that she would never have to go through something like it again because she knew she was going to stick with what she was comfortable doing.
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Post by JDrew25 on Jul 30, 2015 13:26:19 GMT -5
"I think Madison is coming to get me, I didn't tell her to not stop by this morning. But if she's not out there I won't mind getting a ride with you."
Samantha came back out of her room dressed to go in her beige slacks, black blouse and her hair pulled up in a ponytail behind her. She was ready to get the day started, and to see what new assignment awaited her. She watched as Edward got ready himself, and brought him a hot cup of coffee. She figured he could use one as much as she could after the long night he had.
She turned her head when she heard a car pull up on the curb. As much as Edward picked on her about having suck good hearing, it did help in certain situations they found themselves in.
"That sounds like her. If you get off early enough today, you can always come and pick me up. Bet you wished I had kept that truck all those years ago huh?"
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Post by Winters on Jul 31, 2015 1:03:50 GMT -5
Grabbing the cup of coffee from her was muscle memory as Edward walked past, drinking it in the same fluent motion. The taste was decaf, which was what he always drank these days. Whether or not Sam actually remembered didnt matter when he had his own coffee brewed. It was just another something, another bad habit. Giving up the booze and the smokes was a good thing, but these days, Edward didnt discriminate between the good and bad habits when he put his life at risk most days at work. One form or another.
"Yeah, okay, just give me a text whenever. Let me know if you end up leaving town. Even if I have to take a half an hour off work, ill come by and see you personally." It wasnt an 'I love you', or even so much as a 'have a good day at work', but more that Edward knew from the tone of his voice that he was getting his point across to Sam. He needed to know what she was up to. Putting herself in compromising situations came with her job title sometimes, this he was aware of, but it didnt stop him from worrying about her.
Lack of a good radio station, and a CD, little lone tape deck player working in her car, Madison had an old walkman playing music that she had recorded from roadtrips a few summers ago with her best friend. It wasnt just memories of a better time, it was the music she cared about, and enjoyed, probably would have even started singing if it wasnt for Sam coming out the front door. Madison tore off the headphones and threw her music player into the backseat, then walked aroud to the drivers side, unfolding her arms as if she was actually cold. "Good timing. I waas just about to bail. You, um, all ready? Partner? I guess." She spoke, trying to sound more cool then she problem was, knowing it probably just made herself sound silly.
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Post by JDrew25 on Jul 31, 2015 9:45:27 GMT -5
Sam gave Madison a warm smile, then waved back at Edward as she approached the car. She could tell Madison was feeling a little out of place, probably still didn't feel comfortable around her. She hoped that would change soon, but she figured with their new assignment they would have a chance of getting to know each other better.
"All set to mount up. You ready to get back into the saddle too?"
She opened the door and climbed in, ready to get back to work, and to see what else waited for them. There were other assignments, other people that needed their help. While she wouldn't forget the boy, she needed to make sure that no one else shared his fate if she could prevent it. That was the drive she needed, and she was going to use it as best she could.
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Post by Winters on Jul 31, 2015 13:07:03 GMT -5
"I think so..." Madison confidently nodded as the vehicle sped off down the street. The city was pretty big, but since it was early, there hadnt been a whole lot of traffic, so their drive wouldnt be anymore then ten minutes. She hated driving trucks, or cars for that matter. It was interesting enough that she figured there was more cause for an accident since she was in a bigger rig, but Madison enjoyed motorcycles more. Why she didnt have one was because it didnt make sense right now, and she needed to be able to transport her things from Canada. No way she could have done that on a bike. So for now, it was the small SUV, or more one of the new hybrid vehicles. She had won it just last year. Though feeling like her mind was more on driving and not on conversation, even if it was just a ten minute trip, she spoke out.
"...Yeah, im ready. Its unfortunate what happened, but we can move past it and keep working. Though id rather stay away from kids. Im not sure what were up against with the next case, but id rather have a choice this time around. Well, not a choice, but, so long as its not kids..." Madison was fine with whatever they were doing, just so long as it didnt involve taking care of a child. She wasnt ready for it again, and doubtfully ever would be again, even given her past experience. There were plenty of others things she was good at and could apply her skill set towards. "...You take the lead, I dont want to be the one making the calls. You took all this better then me. Im not weak, I just... I dunno. Maybe I am pretty weak, but I just want to get through the day without something going wrong."
Though Madison would never admit it out loud again, certainly not to Sam, she still blamed herself for what happened. It was easier to blame herself then anybody else, or anything else. There was no such thing as fate, or bad luck, or any of the other superstitious stuff. This was on her not following through with being prepared, not the one who gave her the gun. She had her firearms licence, and was able to use it enough, but she wasnt prepared. Thus, she didnt safeguard it properly. Either way, she was fine with the guilt, she was trained to process it, quickly, which was the reason she was back to work so quickly after a shooting.
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Post by JDrew25 on Jul 31, 2015 14:39:51 GMT -5
"I can agree with you there. I want our next assignment to be not easier, but...just going the right way and not ending up sideways like that one did. I can do with one where no one dies."
Sam wasn't sure what made her do it, but one hand tentatively reached out and patted Madison's knee, almost like she was talking to a friend that had received bad news, and didn't want to be hugged. This wasn't a hugging kind of talk, or situation since the woman was driving, but the gesture needed to be made. Their next assignment would be something they could handle, she knew it.
"Maybe we will get an assignment along the lines of "inspect the ice cream trucks and make sure their vanilla is up to code" or "cover the local football team in baby oil."
She didn't know how she managed it, but she managed to say the last part with a straight face. Afterwards she gave up and laughed, feeling the tension breaking in the car. A sense of humor was a great defense in situations like this, and hers was unbreakable.
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Post by Winters on Aug 1, 2015 0:11:00 GMT -5
As she made the turn, Madison checked to see if anything was coming after the greenlight, but as she did, she felt Sams hand on her knee. She didnt really react to it, but it did feel a little awkward, though she knew that her partner meant well. Once they were on main street through the city, she could focus on talking again. Turned to see Sam laugh after her outrageous comment about a less than inappropriate mission for them, she could help but grin as well. "Wow, bud, really?" She let out a small chuckle, almost shaking her head. At least she had a sense of humor, which was good, because Madison had none at all. She knew how to laugh, and most of the time when to, but she didnt make jokes herself.
The last turn was into the parking lot of the TerraSave headquarters, and they had managed a spot close to the building this time around. As it came to a stop, Madison got out of the car, and locked the doors behind her, seeing Sam do the same. They didnt have anything to take it, everything was here at work, thankfully, so there wouldnt be a reason to come back here until they needed the wheels for their assignment. If they did, that was. Before they got to the main door, Madison stopped, and raised her voice up for the Sam to do the same. "Hey, uh, before we go on. Remember that BSAA agent from yesterday? If we see him again, were going to report him, right? The building it big, but we work close with them, so odds are were going to be seeing him again. That wasnt right, what he did. I just wanna make sure were on the same page."
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Post by JDrew25 on Aug 4, 2015 5:39:37 GMT -5
"I handled that earlier. I don't think he is going to be a problem for us again any time soon. One less thing to worry about before we get in, right?"
Sam stepped out of the car and got her ID badge out, swiping it as they went in. She nodded to the woman behind the desk and made her way to the elevator, holding it for Madison before selecting their stop. She wanted to get up stairs and see what their next assignment was, and she secretly hoped it took them away from the city for a while and some place where they could forget what happened, at least for a little while and for Madison's sake.
"Hoping for a little exotic travel? Maybe our next mission will take us somewhere out of the city. Out of the country even!"
As the door opened they saw the activity of the office bustling around them, and they made their way through the office cubicles and clear-glass meeting rooms to their small department, and found the manila folders waiting for them on their desks. When the director had said they would be on another assignment soon, she didn't think it would have been this quick. She supposed he lived by the idea that the sooner you delve back into your work, the sooner you can get back into the groove of things.
She picked up the first one, flipped through it for a moment, then handed it to her partner as she picked up the next one. An assignment investigating a spill in Akron, Ohio didn't sound too terribly enticing, and she figured the other woman wouldn't want to pick it up either. This one was more interesting though. A recent outbreak in New York. Would be a nice change of pace, and the BSAA had already cleared out the area. They were just wanted for cleanup and potential damage control. She left that one on the table and opened the last one, not expecting what she was reading. A trip to Montreal, Canada. Potential outbreak on a small farm, no Umbrella connection apparent. Some local farms were missing cattle and workers, and the BSAA and the Canadian government were requesting assistance.
"Well, it isn't France..."
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Post by Winters on Aug 4, 2015 8:45:44 GMT -5
Maybe she has just been her usual paranoid self, but Madison couldve sworn the lady at the front desk gave her a strange look. There wasnt anything on her face, or clothes, nothing that Sam wouldnt have noticed. But just the same, she kept to herself about, giving a fake smile she was good at. At least she thought she was, anyway. When she assumed the elevator ride would have been a little more quiet and isolated, Sam started going on about how she wanted them to be somewhere else. It was the exact opposite for her. Madison was more comfortable staying here, as she had already moved so far away just for work in the first place. But if they needed to leave, she was okay with that. Just wouldnt like it all too much.
As they flipped through the files, a number of cases were in front of them. Ohio wasnt too far away, but it didnt seem like anything a handful of glorified janitors couldnt handle. That would be them. The case in New York City was a definite now, being as how that city had so much people, and they all seemed so angry, at least according to the movies she had seen. Though there was a lot of culture, they werent there for that, it was work, so lots of people and stress didnt go together well at all. It was the case in Montreal that caught her attention. Madison really didnt like Montreal too much, for mostly political reasons, but it was definitely the better of the three.
Almost instinctively, Sam chose the latter as well. "Not a fan of that Province, and not just because they have a terrible Hockey team, either. Its definitely interesting, and doesnt involve cleaning anything. Cows are cool, too. Even though im lactose intolerant. But I like cheeseburgers." Madison realized midway through her sentence that she was probably giving away a little too much information, and tried to segway into something more comical, but ended up being an awkward sort of humor. "...Its your call. I uh, its all good."
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Post by JDrew25 on Aug 7, 2015 8:59:10 GMT -5
Sam simply smiled as the woman began opening up, even if it was in an awkward way. This was a good thing, it meant that the woman was finally starting to relax around her. If they were going to be working together for any real length of time this was going to be very important, so it was best she tried to handle this the right way and not frighten the woman back into silence.
"Remind me not to let you have a burger before we get on the plane."
She gave the other woman a smile and picked the folder back up, handing it to the woman. She knew about Canada, had lived there before she took the job with TerraSave, so she would be more in her element there, and could probably help with talking to the locals and having an idea of the area.
"You want to take this one to the boss? I can always run him the next one. And hey, I like cows too. Spent a lot of time in farmlands after Raccoon City. Hate sheep though."
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Post by Winters on Aug 8, 2015 1:56:39 GMT -5
Of all the things to be grateful for, Madison was grateful that her partner was something that wasnt just here for a job like here. The entire time she moved to the USA for this line of work was because it was something she would be good at, and already failed at that. So it was just a job to her, and she was just bad at it, or at least her record showed it. At least Sam wasnt some stuck up older man who looked at her as some eye candy, or somebody younger. Much as she was good around kids, Madison didnt like them, or even worse, being put into situations where she had to control them.
Madison knew that this task was going to be a lot less stressful, for the simple fact that their recent incident was taken into account. "No, lets both go, but you can do the talking. Id rather not get into it with him again. They already have me written in a momth from now for a follow up on what happened, being it was me that had the gun in possession. Dust in the wind. Lets just get our task and get on it, you lead, ill follow. Sounds good to me." Madison had been doing the thing where she talked a lot, but she was making sense at least this time.
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Post by JDrew25 on Aug 8, 2015 21:13:38 GMT -5
"Alright, come on, let's go see the boss."
Samantha had stopped herself from taking the woman's hand to comfort her, and instead lead the way with the file in her hand. She was ready to get moving with the new investigation, and she knew that Madison wanted to get it behind her as well. The only way they were going to be able to do that was dive in a new case, and this seemed right up her alley.
Checking in with the secretary, she managed to get into their supervisor's office quickly, and told him of the choice they had made for their new assignment. She did most of the talking, explaining that Madison's knowledge of the region would be a real asset, and could help speed up the leg work considerably. She also mentioned that since her French was terrible, and they may encounter a few native speakers, it would be very important to have her along to help with the translation.
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Post by Winters on Aug 9, 2015 2:27:31 GMT -5
"You do realize that im not actually from that part of Canada, right? I didnt want to say anything, cause well, I dont know. You seemed to have it all under control. We got this, no problem." She spoke as they left the office and walked down the hall to their own sector. It wasnt that Madison didnt know any french, she just hated the language, and didnt really know all too much. Probably more than Sam, that was for sure, and enough to get them to where they needed to be, or at least on the same page.
When they got back to their desks, the computers had been flashing a banner at the bottom of the screen telling them they had unchecked messages. Seemingly, they were printable tickets for their flight up north. At least their travel expenses were being covered. Madison skipped over the details of the case, wanting Sam to look them over herself, and then just direct how things went. It might have been irresponsible of her as a work partner, but usually she didnt work with anybody, and Madison was far from being a leader by any means. So that meant she was going to be following her lead, which none the less meant she was just making excuses to cover up the real reason why she didnt want to read the casenotes in full detail.
Madison had her mind on the trip, and how long it was going to take, but most of all how last minute it had been. They left this evening, which meant getting packed and ready would take up her entire day, even if it only took her an hour. It would be on her mind whether she liked it or not. "Hey, so yeah, it looks like were going to be catching the flight tomorrow. Not sure what they expect us to do from now until then..."
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