(no subject)

[geeky_agent]

June 28th, 2011

Parking only put her a block away from the restaurant and she idly fanned herself with the flyer someone had just handed to her. Maybe she was getting used to the weather or maybe it's that the summers in NYC were hotter but the heat didn't seem so bad.

Out of the corner of her eye, she catches sight of a man just a little taller than her, average build and dark blond hair and she feels her heart stop. Thrown off course, she cranes her neck and follows him a few steps. Chris is almost about to call out to him when he turns.

It's not him.

And she can't help but feel disappointed even though she's been through the similar several times in the past few days. Ever since that unexpected meeting, she can't help but hope she'll run into Jack again. Or that the door to Milliways would appear.

Sighing, she crosses the street and heads towards the restaurant.

Comments

[chelleuncurled]

Michelle looks out the window to the restaurant and sees Chris coming toward the door. She puts away the program she's working on and slides her briefcase under the table.

It's been a few weeks since she's been at Milliways and the latest news she didn't share with Tony. It was either nothing and everyone was fine, or a permanent disappearance. Sometimes though, she wanted to pick up the phone, just to check even though she had no idea when Kim's from or anything, really.

She smiles slightly and takes a sip of water.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

Chris spots Michelle and smiles, walking towards her. "Hey. Sorry, if I'm a little late. Parking's a mess."

[chelleuncurled]

Michelle grins in return, genuinely happy to see her friend. She pushes other thoughts away for the moment.

"Hey, it's LA in June, you're lucky that you didn't have to take a cab from your car."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

She opens her menu and gives Michelle a wry look. "That assumes I would have been able to find a cab." Los Angeles was still working on some of the finer points of transportation.

"So, how have you been?"

[chelleuncurled]

"True," she agrees, opening her menu. "I'm okay, but if I wake up shivering one more time, I'm going to put a password on the thermostat. You?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

She smiles at that, taking a sip of her water. "Fine. Just got back from a meeting with Division," she says with a sigh. "Sometimes I think about doing the hat-trick and transferring to CTU."

Though technically, she's already done that just not with all the LA branches.

[chelleuncurled]

"You just got back a few months ago and you're already thinking about transferring?" Michelle glances at her over the menu.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"I wanted to go back to CTU originally but they didn't have a spot open for me in the NY branch or the LA one so..." Chris shrugs.

"It's not bad, just, being between the CTU branches and Division puts new meaning in the saying caught between a rock and a hard place."

[chelleuncurled]

Michelle takes another sip of water. "I know what you mean."

She puts down the glass carefully, maybe taking a moment or two longer than necessary. "Do you think you could work at CTU-LA?"

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

She gives her a confused look. "I worked at CTU in New York."

[chelleuncurled]

"I don't mean in terms of the job," she looks down at the menu, just to buy some time.

"We both know what happened there over a year ago," she says finally, her voice a little softer.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"I thought about that," Chris answers quietly. In some ways, that might make her want to go to CTU, not that she could unwrite the past or prevent something like that in the future.

The waiter stops by their table before Chris can say anything more. "Ready to order?"

[chelleuncurled]

Michelle nods, "I'll have the goat cheese salad, dressing on the side, and a diet coke."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"I'll have the Sicilian Village Salad with chicken. No dressing and an ice tea." The waiter nods and takes both their menus.

When he's out of earshot, Chris brushes some hair back from her face before continuing. "Yeah, I thought about that before I even considered going back." Among other things. "I think I could handle it."

[chelleuncurled]

Michelle kind of wishes she ordered that glass of wine, now.

They're careful about this subject, barely even mentioned it around Tony and their house wasn't bugged, that's just paranoia, but, still, careful.

She doesn't think that anyone who might be watching them has any idea about Chris's connection, but she still tries not to say anything too revealing.

"A lot of people have died in that building."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"I know that," she sighs. So many people had been surprised by her going back that sometimes Chris thought that might all have a point.

"A lot of people have said similar things and I understand what you're trying to say but I've given this a lot of thought. It makes sense."

In a quieter voice she adds, "When I spoke to Jack, he was a little surprised but he didn't think it was a bad idea." Though Chris had a feeling he was glad it was District and not CTU-LA.

"But I'm at District and will be there for a while," she continues, her voice louder, "If I wanted a change to one of the CTU branches, the New York one would be my first pick."

[chelleuncurled]

No, you only think you do.

But Michelle's unable to hide her surprise, her face going a little pale. "You've talked to him? He's contacted you?" She tries to keep her voice soft, but her fingers tense around the water glass.

Only the fact that she's trying to get pregnant keeps her from calling the waiter back over and ordering a glass of something alcoholic.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

Chris was getting increasingly uncomfortable with this conversation.

She looks around, making sure a waiter isn't about to pounce before saying, "The bar dropped him off in LA and I ran into him."

[chelleuncurled]

Okay, that's not as bad, less chance of someone finding him.

The last time Michelle saw him, he was...not doing well.

"How is he?" She asks softly.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

"He seemed to be doing all right," she says, her mouth curving into a smile. "It sounds like everyone at the bar is doing well too."

The waiter comes by, placing their orders in front of them. "Thanks," Chris says, glancing up at him.

[chelleuncurled]

She breathes a sigh of relief, "Thank God. When I saw him...it was bad."

She forks on some dressing and takes a bite of salad, relieved that everything's okay.

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

Chris furrows her brows. "What do you mean? What was wrong?"

[chelleuncurled]

If he didn't tell her, he must have his reasons. But he's not always the most forthcoming person.

"Ishamael had Kim and Nita...they're obviously back and okay, now."

[geeky-agent.livejournal.com]

Chris stares for a few moments, her mind almost refusing to comprehend that.

"He didn't...Are they, um. How are they?"

[chelleuncurled]

She puts down her fork. "Honestly? I don't know, you saw him after I did, so I just assumed that if he was okay, they're okay." She says not unkindly.

I hope. He might have not mentioned it for another reason entirely.