| "A Brand New Name" | ||
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Safehouse 1 Manhattan, New York 1300 hours "You're nervous," Brian said looking up to her as they rode the elevator to Rebecca's office. "Yes, I am," Paige said with a sigh giving his hand a squeeze. "Is Rebecca like Madeline?" "Nope, she's nothing like Madeline," Paige answered. Rebecca had phoned her earlier to come in and to bring Brian along so she could meet him. But Paige knew that this was it, this was when they would 'discuss' his future. She only hoped it was a shining one and nothing like her own. "Don't worry, Paige," Brian said softly. "I know, I'm trying not to." The elevator opened and they walked into one of the many waiting rooms on this level of the building. Gray was waiting for them. He rose from the couch placing the magazine he was (not) reading on the table. "Paige," he smiled at her. "Hey Gray, how's it going?" "Everything is well. And yourself? How's the wrist?" Paige sighed with a smile, "good enough. Couple more weeks and I'll have this thing off," she raised her casted hand. "This is Brian," she gestured to Brian, "Brian, this is Gray." Brian took a step forward with an extended hand, "Pleased to meet you." "Pleased to meet you young man," Gray said. Paige was grateful Brian was smart enough to know that his actions were being scrutinized under every imaginable eye. She hated for him to have to go through this at such a young age, but the reality was that he was wise beyond his years and she should have, thinking now, giving him a little more credit. The saddest part was that he was still nine, and nine year old boys still had decisions regarding the rest of their lives made for them. Paige just hoped she could defend him properly, that she could give him a chance. One she was never given. "Rebecca is waiting for you," Gray said softly motioning them to her office door. "Good luck," he added before turning away. Paige opened the door letting Brian in then entered herself. The office was the same as the last time she was here. An expanse of a room with a sitting area complete with flowers opened up before them. Rebecca's desk dominated the far side of the room flanked by windows and credenzas. Rebecca was sitting behind it studying some papers but stood up as soon as she saw them. She smiled as she made her way over. "It's good to see you again, Paige." "Rebecca," she nodded, "this is Brian." Just as he did with Gray, Brian stepped forward with an extended hand, "pleased to meet you." Rebecca smiled approvingly at his polished manners. "Pleased to meet you, too, Brian, I've heard a lot about you." "All good things I hope," he said brightly. Paige bit her lip but to her surprise Rebecca laughed completely amused and bewitched by this tiny endearing boy. Then again, it was hard not to like Brian, if not love him, completely, with just meeting him. "A sense of humor, that's good. Come, sit down," she gestured to the sitting area. "So, tell me Brian, what it is you do back at your school?" Brian sat down smiling at Rebecca. Paige always thought he was at his best when he was smiling. "Well," Brian began, "I do math. Physics actually. I enjoy quantum physics but mostly for entertainment. What I really enjoy is applied physics, engineering, things of that nature." Rebecca smiled pleased. "Do you enjoy being at your school?" "Yeah, I mean, yes, for the most part. I think the classes start too early and some of the teachers don't understand the curriculum that well, but the food is okay and the students are fun to be around." Paige winced a little. He didn't call them friends. Students, he had called them. Rebecca questioned him some more, about what he did for fun, other projects he had worked on as Paige grew increasingly alarmed at where the questioning was going. She was sure he had to know as well where the questions would lead, but if he was nervous, Brian showed no outward signs. Then it finally came. "And what did you do for Project Capricorn?" Brian never even missed a beat launching into a somewhat detailed version of what he had accomplished. Then it hit Paige...Joshua had already spoken to him, already told him what was okay for him to say. Why had Paige never looked that far ahead? Never once thought of coaching the boy beforehand? Chalk it up to another lesson from Joshua: always know what's going on and what's coming down the pipe. A lesson that may have been harder to learn had Joshua not prepared Brian beforehand. As Brian got into more details and started spewing out technological words Paige could almost see Rebecca's interest wane. Joshua had coached him perfectly. "That's wonderful Brian," Rebecca finally got a word in edgewise. "I appreciate your candor and openness. Gray is waiting outside, can you wait with him while I have a word with Paige?" He looked over to her and Paige nodded her head. He got up with a smile and extended his hand to Rebecca again, "it was cool chatting with you." "It was cool chatting with you, too." He glanced once more time at Paige before leaving the room. "That's quite a precocious nine year old," Rebecca commented watching him leave. "You have no idea," Paige mumbled softly. "You're right. I really don't. So, what do you have in mind for him?" Paige glanced at her. She wasn't supposed to hear that. "I don't really know, to be honest with you." "Well," Rebecca relaxed back into her chair. "You know him better than any of us. You understand him, what he's about, what it's like to be him. Certainly you must have thought of his future." "I know he can't go back to Tennessee," Paige said. "No, he can't." "And he can't stay with me as much as I would love him, too." "No, he can't do that either." Paige sighed. "I don't know. I want to...protect him but I don't know how to do that." "I've done some research, on the various government schools that offer programs for these children. There's one here in the city, actually Long Island, and the next closest one is in Baltimore." Paige looked up to Rebecca, "you'd allow him to stay here in the city?" Rebecca smiled. "The decision isn't mine to make. Actually, I'd say it was his. But what I was thinking, he could stay in the city, see if he likes it..." "Would I still be able to see him?" "The security issue is there but with the proper cover, I can't see visiting him to be any more difficult than anything you've done before." Paige nodded her head. "I can't tell you how...awesome...that would be." Awesome? Stupid, stupid. Rebecca laughed softly. "I thought you might say that. So, I called the school in Tennessee and secured the transfer to Long Island. A small grant appeased any questions they had." Rebecca winked at her. "They won't have an opening for at least two weeks. If you get called in for an assignment we'll work around him staying with someone." It almost seemed too easy. "So, what's the catch?" "Catch?" Rebecca asked. "Yes. I mean, you set this up, give up some money�what's in it for you?" "A part of me wants to compliment you on your grasp of the situation, the SIA's involvement and interest in one little boy. And another part wants to admonish you for not understanding that we're not your enemy. I've told you once before that we have to trust each other if we're going to function and survive." "I know," Paige said quietly. "Old habits die hard." "What do you think we would gain from helping him out now?" That at least was an easy question. "A future agent, one that has been in the system so to speak, someone who will feel they owe you for their alleged freedom." "Or," Rebecca countered, "someone that has the experience and knowledge of the outside world, that has functioned in it and is intelligent enough to know what really happens and how things work on the outside as well as the inside. An ally, someone to help this agency out when I'm old and retired and people like you are in charge. Paige studied Rebecca carefully. "In a perfect world," she commented finally. "That's what we're hoping to achieve." "One thing at a time." "Exactly. We're in agreement then, as long as Brian agrees?" "Absolutely." "Good," she handed over an envelope, "security, papers, things like that. As much as I would enjoy speaking with you more, I have another appointment. Perhaps you can tell Brian the good news?" Paige nodded getting up. She turned to Rebecca again, "thanks." Rebecca nodded, "you always have to look to the future." Paige nodded and went out to see Brian. Gray was with him and Brian was telling him a fishing story. He stopped when Paige got closer and Gray stood to meet her. "He's absolutely delightful," Gray said smiling. "I know, try saying 'no' to him," Paige said grinning. "I couldn't imagine that being easy." "It's not." "I have to ask you to stay for a bit, if you don't mind." "Why? What's up?" "Safara is back in." When Paige made no effort to comment he added, "we'd like her to stay with you for a bit." "Oh," Paige said nodding her head, "is this a trust issue?" Gray shrugged a little, "more so with her than with us." Paige nodded her agreement. "You can wait outside of my office." Gray shuffled them off to his office waiting area, which was like Rebecca's but smaller. Paige and Brian sat together as Gray made his leave. "So, how'd I do?" Brian asked with a grin. "See for yourself," she tossed the envelope at him. He opened it pulling out the papers and brochures, looking one over carefully before moving on to the next. When he had reached the final brochure he sat studying it for some time. "I knew when I met you," he said quietly never lifting his eyes, "that you would be the one." "I've been through this twice," she said softly. "Once, formal, like this, and once not so formal when I came here." He finally looked up to her, his eyes shining with curiosity and determination. "I have something in mind." She knew what he had been through, what he was going through, and what he would eventually go through in the future. He needed a new name, he had been without one for too long. Either his parents had perished somehow, or as with her case, moving into the government school broached no contact with them. They had not given him a new name when he entered the school and he assessed it just as she would have, that he no longer had one, and Brian Hofman was simply something they called him by. A brand new name, one that would link him to his past and yet become the symbol of a new life, a new start. "Patrick," she said softly remembering the soft green eyes and dark hair to whom that named belonged to, "for my own father, and O'Brian, so you can keep at least part of your birth name." She had been lucky enough to keep her first name once she attended her school, and then again when she entered the Section. Here, though, at the SIA, she wasn't quite sure where 'Casey' came from but she had liked it nonetheless. He thought about it for a bit. "Say it again," he whispered. "Patrick O'Brian," she said quietly. He started to nod, "it's perfect." She put her arm around him hugging his shoulders, "I'm glad you like it." "I'd like anything you would've given me. I'm glad it was you, Paige. I knew it was important...and that you would understand that." "I know," she kissed him softly on the top of his head, "I know it well." They spent some time filling out the paperwork and imagining what it was actually like at the school by only looking at the pictures. It was fun and she was pleased that Brian accepted the transition with so much enthusiasm. Something she feared she had lost somewhere along her journey. Return |
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