**
�Welcome to the Crystal Waters Conference and Event Center,� an overly cheerful person said. �For this, the Twenty-third Annual Intelligence Symposium��
Ezra sighed deeply and glanced over at Vin. Leaning close, he whispered, �She�s too happy this early in the day.� Smiling slightly, he added, �What do you suppose she�s on?�
Tanner grinned and shrugged. �What�s wrong, Ez? It�s a beautiful day,� he replied softly.
Standish glared slightly. �Mr. Larabee woke me up at some ungodly hour and forced me into a cramped vehicle in which I traveled to this place with all of you,� he hissed. �And Buck felt the need to sing children�s songs the entire way.�
�Had to keep JD entertained,� Vin countered.
�At the top of his lungs?�
Vin chuckled. �Have to admit,� he replied. �That was somewhat excessive.�
Chris cleared his throat and the pair turned their attention back to the woman at the podium. �If you�ll form lines and check in at these table, we�ll get your information packets and room assignments to you,� she finished.
Ezra sighed and moved forward, to stand in one of the lines. They were separated by name, so it was easy to find the appropriate one. After a short while, he reached the front and forced a smile at the young man seated at the table.
�Hi, Mr. Standish,� the blonde said. �How are you?�
�I�m fine, Omi,� he answered gently. �Just a little tired. It�s been a long day.�
Omi nodded and scowled, as he scanned through the register that would tell him what room Ezra would be in. His large wings fluttered in irritation. �Did you get the registration form in on time?� he asked, looking up at Ezra.
Ezra sighed and nodded. �I sent it in at the same time as Mr. Tanner,� he answered.
�Hmm,� Omi said thoughtfully. Still frowning, the young agent glanced through the book again and then shook his head. �They�ve got you and Mr. Tanner in together,� he explained. �You�ll have to share a room with him.� Looking up again, he asked, �Is that alright with you?�
Standish sighed again and turned around to face Vin. �They have us as a couple,� he stated morosely.
Vin frowned. �A couple what?� he asked, shaking his head.
�A couple!� Ezra snapped. �As in� two people having a relationship!�
Tanner�s eyes widened and his cheeks brightened in a warm blush. �We�re not a couple,� he said adamantly.
�I am well aware of that, Mr. Tanner,� Ezra grumbled. Turning back to Omi, he asked, �Is there any way to get us separate accommodations?�
Omi frowned and shrugged. �I can try, Mr. Standish,� he offered. �But I won�t know until later.�
Ezra nodded. �That�s fine,� he said. �Until you know for sure, just leave us in the same room.�
�Alright,� Omi replied, smiling brightly. �Here�s your information packet and your room key,� he added, handing him both items. �I�ll work on clearing this up after we finish getting everyone settled.�
�Thank you,� Ezra stated, exasperated by the turn of events.
**
Later that day, Standish arrived in the main conference room for the first event. He sighed deeply. Having gone through the boring welcome and the exasperating registration, it was now time for the monotonous lectures to begin.
He sat down beside Trenton Lark, who was quietly reading through a script for the episode they�d be shooting the following week. �Hello, Ezra,� Trenton said softly.
�Hello,� Standish answered softly.
They were joined by Ken Hidaka, who stumbled his way through the crowded seats to position himself on the other side of Ezra. �Did I miss anything yet?� he whispered.
Ezra shook his head. �He hasn�t started,� he replied in a low voice.
Ken nodded and pulled out a notebook and a pen. While it seemed that Hidaka was determined to take notes, Ezra had been to this type of meeting before. The speaker would stand in front of them and quote boring rules and regulations about �proper undercover work� and expect them all to take him seriously when everyone knew that he�d never actually worked as an undercover agent.
An hour into the session, Ken was dozing and Trenton was still reading over the script. Ezra was barely paying attention, trying instead to find the nodes of the many leylines that ran through the room.
�Did you have something to add?� a loud voice asked, startling his out of his reverie. He blinked in surprise, until he realized that the question had been asked of Trenton.
�No,� Lark replied evenly. �I was� um, not�� he trailed off. Turning to Ezra, he whispered, �I shook my head about the script. Help me?�
�Mr. Lark?� the speaker prompted.
Ezra watched as Trenton looked up at the speaker with wide eyes; then turned back to him pleadingly. Sighing deeply, he stood. �If Trenton doesn�t have anything to say,� he started. �Then I do. It�s all very well and good for you to stand there and quote rules and regulations at us, but we all know the rules already. You aren�t out in the field, so you have no idea how those rules � meant to protect us � sometimes hinder us to such a degree that they work counter to that very goal.�
�Do you think you can do better?� the speaker asked, a smile playing at his lips.
Ezra blinked in surprise. �Well� I actually work as an undercover specialist. Do you?�
�No,� the man replied. �Although I�ve studied the procedures and past cases quite closely.� When the man�s smile broadened, Ezra suddenly began to feel nervous. Addressing the entire group, he added, �Tomorrow morning, Mr. Standish will lead this presentation. Hopefully, you�ll get more out of his presentation that you did from mine.�
Ezra flopped back into his chair stunned. �How?� he whispered. Turning to Trenton, he said, �I was just trying to keep him from being angry at you,� he hissed.
�Thank you,� Trenton replied earnestly.
A soft voice said, �He�s been trying to find someone else to give this presentation since Blackstone approached him about it.�
Ezra turned toward the voice. Taking in the blue-black hair and canted ears, he recognized him as Llewellyn, a member of Keenan�s team. �So?� he asked.
�You volunteered,� the other said, shrugging. �I�m just glad it wasn�t me.�
�But�� Ezra said helplessly, as the crowd began to disburse. �I don�t want to lead a presentation. I�m not prepared!�
�I�ll help you,� Trenton offered. �We can meet after dinner and start making notes.�
�Thank you,� Ezra sighed nervously.
**
Later that day, Ezra found Vin and Omi at a nearby park with another winged man. As he approached the group Ezra could hear him saying, �And then Rowan looks up at the guy and says, �But that does not apply to people who have no wings.� And the guy says, �All aerial surveillance agents have wings.��
Vin chuckled and nodded. �And Rowen looks over his shoulder and then looks up at the guy. �I have no wings,� he says. �This one is a dragon. It flies without wings!�� he said, laughing hysterically. �Swear that guy had to pick his chin up off the floor.�
�It was funny watching him try to back pedal since the last thing he wanted in a room that size was an insulted dragon,� the other man stated, shaking his head in amusement.
�Sorry I missed that!� Omi said, giggling. �I would have loved to see you all take over the presentation like that! It�s about time we got some information that was actually useful in the field.�
�Indeed,� Ezra agreed. �Hello, Mr. Tanner.�
�Hey, Ezra,� Vin greeted warmly. �You know Omi. This here is Michael Summers, he�s on Keenan�s team.�
�Mr. Summers,� Ezra greeted, bowing politely.
�Didn�t all the undercover agents have a presentation they had to be at right now?� Michael asked.
�Postponed until tomorrow,� Ezra said, shrugging. He decided not to tell them the details of the meeting�s postponement.
�Great!� Omi exclaimed. �That means I can go find Ken-kun!� As he flew off, he called back a goodbye to the three men.
Michael smiled and said, �I better go find Keenan. He�s probably going to want to rehearse for the show tomorrow night since none of us are in meetings now.�
�Bye, Michael,� Vin said.
�So long,� Michael said, taking to the skies.
Vin eyed Ezra and said, �Omi said they got our room situation all straightened out� well, they found out what happened anyway.�
�That�s good,� Ezra said, smiling.
�Yeah,� Vin agreed. �Except that there isn�t any way they can split us, not enough rooms.�
Ezra sighed and shook his head morosely. �Oh well,� he said, �nothing to be done for it, I suppose and it isn�t as though I�ll get any sleep anyway.�
Vin gave him a curious look but before he could speak there was a loud crash of thunder and the sky opened up. By the time the pair made it back to the Conference Center, they were both completely soaked.
**
Ezra sat miserably at the table with the rest of his team. He�d come to the conference planning to attend only the required meetings, not expecting to lead a presentation.
�What�s wrong?� Josiah whispered.
Ezra sighed. �I�m giving a presentation about working undercover tomorrow,� he moaned.
Chris� eyes widened. �I�d heard that one of the presenters got angry and left. That was because of you!� he accused, pointing at the unhappy wizard.
�Don�t point that finger at me unless you intend to use it,� Ezra stated.
�Use it?� Buck questioned, looking down at his own finger.
�Yes,� Ezra answered. Glaring darkly, he poked Wilmington. �Use it.�
�Ow,� Buck said, rubbing his arm.
Ignoring the other man, Ezra looked down at his plate to see a program neatly placed across his dinner plate. Picking it up, he read it and frowned. �There�s going to be a program before dinner,� he said softly, as the other members of his team sat down.
�I hope they make it quick,� Buck said. �I�m starved.�
�Me too,� JD agreed.
Ezra shook his head. �I fear it will be rather extensive,� he said, holding up the three-page program.
�Oh man,� Buck said, looking over his own program. �We won�t get to eat until� like� nine o�clock!�
�At least,� Chris said softly. Glancing up, he said to Buck, �Might want to make sure they bring out something for the kid, or he won�t get to eat at all.�
Buck nodded and bounded off in search of one of the food servers. He returned a short while later with a plate of vegetables and a grilled cheese sandwich, which he set down in front of his nephew.
When the dinner presentation began, everyone in the room quieted and Director Blackstone stepped up to the podium. Ezra frowned in consternation as he saw the Director�s lips begin moving, but all he could hear was a barely audible voice.
He glanced over at Vin in shock. �Oh dear lord!� he whispered, as the people nearest the director burst into applause. �Could you understand anything he said?�
Vin�s wings fluttered and he shook his head. �This is going to be fun,� he muttered.
�Not,� Chris added, scowling.
The team and people at tables near their own waited patiently for the presentation to finally reach it�s end, all the while growing hungrier and shorter tempered. When the meal had finally concluded, the only thing Ezra wanted to do was go to bed. Unfortunately, he had to stay up and prepare for the presentation he�d �volunteered� to give the following day.
Ezra and Trenton stayed up until the wee hours of the morning making notes, but when the time for Ezra�s presentation arrived, he tripped on his way to the podium, scattering them everywhere. Standish threw up his hands in defeat.
�You know what,� he said, addressing the crowd. �I have found that we learn best from each other. Therefore, I will tell you of a mission I recently had where everything that could go wrong did. I will tell you how I resolved the difficulties and then we�ll go around the room and people can talk about their own experiences in the field. How�s that?!�
�Good idea,� Trenton said loudly.
**
Later that day, Chris showed up at Ezra and Vin�s room, smiling. �How�d the presentation go?� he asked.
�Wonderfully,� Ezra said, nodding and grinning. �Best one I�ve ever had the pleasure of attending.�
Larabee nodded. �I thought it might be,� he said. �Anyway, Crystal Waters is giving a concert downstairs and everyone is invited.�
�Cool,� Vin said excitedly. Crystal Waters was a popular band that was formed completely of intelligence agents who had met two years previous at the Twenty-first Annual Intelligence Symposium. �You coming?� Vin asked, turning to the southerner.
�I wouldn�t miss it,� Ezra said, grabbing his jacket and following his teammates out the door. At least one thing at the conference was going well. Ezra smiled and changed that to two things � since the presentation hadn�t been as bad as he�d feared. He knew, however, that next year he was going to be out of town for the Twenty-fourth Annual Intelligence Symposium.
End.