Loyalty

Agent Lana Burr. HR. Here to make you deal with your mistakes. [OC SHIELD Agent; sideblog.]

[shieldagentburr]

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[shieldagentburr]

@theghostofagentweiss

It wasn't often that Burr ignored direct orders from her colleagues, but this was a special occasion. Leaving her frustrated doctor back in Medical, she slowly made her way out of the building, hoping she'd be able to run all her errands in time. She had tradition to uphold. Every year since his passing, Burr tried her best to celebrate her friend's memory, choosing to pass joy along instead of focusing on the sorrow in her heart. She'd try a new meal, something she never would have even looked at if he hadn't challenged her tastes. Afterwards, she'd find the happiest looking flower at the flower stand and take it down to the bar she'd visit every so often, placing it amongst other memorabilia on the wall of others recalling their loved ones and friends. Lastly, she'd order her usual drink along with a vastly inappropriately named one, telling the bartender to pass the latter onto whomever looked the happiest that night. He had always been a friendly, bright man. It seemed right to share that with others.

Her detour to the doctor threw off her regular schedule, forcing her to hit the flower shop first. The yellow gerbera she picked sat on the small cafe table in front of her, a small printed menu with "grilled catfish" circle around it holding it in place. Her dinner reservation wasn't for another hour, so Burr had stopped at her favorite tea place to enjoy a quiet cup of tea before her meal. But it wasn't entirely quiet. She could have sworn for a second she had actually heard Clay's voice somewhere, but quickly buried the thought away. She had to have been imagining things again.

After all, what were the chances of catching a dead man before dinner?

[theghostofagentweiss]

Germaine had always loved tea. He remembered rattling around his apartment as a ghost, admiring his tea pots and cups and trying not to break them with his clumsy ghost hands. The memory made him a bit sad, however. He wasn't sure he should see his old friends from his bygone life. Being a ghost had sent Ray into a spiraling depression. He wanted nothing to do with him. Didn't listen to him. Didn't want him around but got mad when he left. Their once comfort seeking relationship had turned so toxic so quickly. He didn't want him returning from the dead to cause anymore hurt and confusion.

He wasn't even sure how to explain it yet.

So instead of visiting Germaine himself, clay tried to imagine what his apartment had smelled like by fucking into a shop. After all, he didn't have a sense of smell as a ghost. This was the closest he would get without seeing Germaine. At least, that was his logic.

He had time before he got to where he needed to be that afternoon. He could stop and smell the wet leaves.

"Dandelion tea?" Clay read the side of a tin out loud. "Why do I feel like this would be my jam?" Should he buy it? Shit, did he have money?

[shieldagentburr]

There was that familiar voice again. Perturbed, Burr glanced around the shop, trying to figure out where it could be coming from. Her eyes glanced over the few people inside the shop, then quickly did a double take at the man standing by the tins. That--it couldn't be. Her weak heart did a stuttered thump as she looked at him. The man looked nearly identical to her friend, which only brought that sorrowful feeling up from her depths. She hadn't realized how much she had missed seeing Clay's face until she saw his doppelganger standing there. Perhaps this was some sort of sign from the universe.

"Excuse me," she said to the waitress when she brought her tea. She pointed a careful finger over towards him. "Whatever that man wants to buy--don't let him pay for it. Put it on my tab instead."

The waitress nodded, happily agreeing to her terms before turning away. Each peppy step she took towards the man to inform him of his free range of items made Burr feel slightly better than before. Her eyes drifted closed a moment as she brought the teacup up to her lips, silently savoring her moment of peace and patting herself on the back for her good deed of the day.

[shieldagentburr]

@theghostofagentweiss

It wasn't often that Burr ignored direct orders from her colleagues, but this was a special occasion. Leaving her frustrated doctor back in Medical, she slowly made her way out of the building, hoping she'd be able to run all her errands in time. She had tradition to uphold. Every year since his passing, Burr tried her best to celebrate her friend's memory, choosing to pass joy along instead of focusing on the sorrow in her heart. She'd try a new meal, something she never would have even looked at if he hadn't challenged her tastes. Afterwards, she'd find the happiest looking flower at the flower stand and take it down to the bar she'd visit every so often, placing it amongst other memorabilia on the wall of others recalling their loved ones and friends. Lastly, she'd order her usual drink along with a vastly inappropriately named one, telling the bartender to pass the latter onto whomever looked the happiest that night. He had always been a friendly, bright man. It seemed right to share that with others.

Her detour to the doctor threw off her regular schedule, forcing her to hit the flower shop first. The yellow gerbera she picked sat on the small cafe table in front of her, a small printed menu with "grilled catfish" circle around it holding it in place. Her dinner reservation wasn't for another hour, so Burr had stopped at her favorite tea place to enjoy a quiet cup of tea before her meal. But it wasn't entirely quiet. She could have sworn for a second she had actually heard Clay's voice somewhere, but quickly buried the thought away. She had to have been imagining things again.

After all, what were the chances of catching a dead man before dinner?

[shieldagentburr]

if you want sterling involved in your plot so bad name him not that cunt chen no one wants her around

Hey asshole it's almost like I write that fucking cunt

It's almost like these two characters have a pre-established friendship that existed before her marriage and continued on during it!

And I'm sure I just blew one of the two remaining brain cells you have that are fighting for control over the smooth edges in your skull, so I'm gonna hold your hand when I tell you that sometimes female characters are allowed to do shit that has fucking nothing to do with their partners. Try not to keel over from shock.

I know it might be hard for you to believe, but the fucking plot I've worked on for fucking years now actually is about my own fucking characters! What a concept! If people want to be involved, then they can CHOOSE to be involved. I don't give a flying fuck! Let people be!

[shieldagentburr]

Somehow, hearing it was a mystery to the woman didn't help calm her nerves. Kasey just nodded, hoping she was right.

"She was at home," she said, shifting nervously. "She wanted to be close to base in case there were any updates on Case 363B-10. Specific instructions were left that she should only be contacted in case of emergencies. We already tried the numbers she left, as well as her emergency contact. Her ex-wife. She works in the DC branch and spoke to some fellow colleagues there. No one's heard from her. The last confirmed sighting was the security officer who said goodbye to her when she left the morning of her last day."

[infiniitefrequency]

So there was no guarantee that she ever made it home at all. Matilda simply nodded, it seemed like the girl was out of her element in this situation, and she didn't want to spook her further.

"Okay. That is all fantastic info. I'm going to start reaching out to departments, see if we can get boots on the ground to check her residence. What I need you to do, since you have knowledge of her life. Go back to her family, or friends. Make a list for me of places she would go, any people she may have recently gotten into contact with. I need her doctor's name so we can follow up. I want to tie up every loose end so we can find her as quickly as possible."

She nodded, giving her a small smile, "You did good bringing this forward. Now we can do something about it."

[shieldagentburr]

Kasey had to bite the inside of her cheek to keep from snipping that she already had gone back to her family and friends, needing to remind herself that it was a stressful situation for all and that she couldn't blame the woman for being overwhelmed.

"I have one already," she said calmly, holding out a paper she had swiped from her desk before leaving. There were three names and numbers listed, two from the DC area and one local. "The only places she would have gone were here, her home, and Harney and Sons in SoHo. She had two meetings the week of her leave: one with Dr. Hawthorne, who is on the fifth floor if you need to speak with him, and one with a Rebecca Chen. I already called, but her office said she was in a meeting until 11:30."

She shrugged. "She doesn't go anywhere and doesn't have many friends. I don't know where she'd run off too. I--I just want her found."

[shieldagentburr]

Kasey followed the woman in, jumping at bit when the panel tinted. She knew the technology existed, she just had never seen it in action before. Plus, her nerves were a little fried. Not exactly the best combination.

"Credentials will be off the table," she said quickly, focusing back into work mode. "Agent Burr had hers deactivated when she went on leave. Company policy."

None of the remaining options left the girl feeling any better though. Swallowing down the sick feeling in her stomach, she slowly shook her head. "I wouldn't be able to give an accurate opinion on that. Agent Burr had always been so by-the-book with me, I don't know if she would or would not tweak a message as a warning. I...I've never had to deal with this sort of thing before..."

She felt completely useless. All she was supposed to do was monitor Agent Burr's communications. This felt far beyond her reach. However, when she heard the last question, she perked up a bit. That was information she did know. "Yes, ma'am. Medical leave. She had a heart attack a little while back and was scheduled to take extensive time off to get her heart looked at."

[infiniitefrequency]

"Right, she isn't a field agent, so she wouldn't be on call to come back from leave quickly ..."

She looked at the woman, before giving her a nod, and a hand to her shoulder, "It's okay. Something like this falls in your lap, you're not supposed to know what to do with it. I- even this is a mystery. to me. But we will get people on it. Something feels wrong and it's going to be taken seriously."

She moved around the desk to pick up a discarded paper pad, searching for a pen for a moment, before nodding, "Medical leave. Okay, okay that's good. Which means there should at least be a timeline she likely would have stuck to."

"Was she staying home, or did she go to some sort of retreat? In normal circumstances, how would we have contacted her, we should try and reach out."

Probably futile, but you never know. Maybe some horrible prank gone wrong and she was just fine?

[shieldagentburr]

Somehow, hearing it was a mystery to the woman didn't help calm her nerves. Kasey just nodded, hoping she was right.

"She was at home," she said, shifting nervously. "She wanted to be close to base in case there were any updates on Case 363B-10. Specific instructions were left that she should only be contacted in case of emergencies. We already tried the numbers she left, as well as her emergency contact. Her ex-wife. She works in the DC branch and spoke to some fellow colleagues there. No one's heard from her. The last confirmed sighting was the security officer who said goodbye to her when she left the morning of her last day."

[shieldagentburr]

The girl shook her head, her blond ponytail bouncing on her shoulder. "That's the thing," she said, pointing back at the message. "I don't think it's from Agent Burr. The wording isn't precise, and she would never screw something that important up. Nor would she go for an email. She always spoke of dead drops or phone calls to make sure it was an actual agent, not some scam. The behavior doesn't match what she'd do in an emergency."

She looked over her shoulders before leaning down, not quite sure how many ears in the room were allowed to hear this information. "I think this is someone who wants us to believe it's Agent Burr. But I've called every point of contact she left. Her cell phone, her home phone, ex-wife, friend. No one's heard from her since going on leave. Which..." The blood drained from her face as she asked, "Which means...where's the real Agent Burr?"

[infiniitefrequency]

So it was worse. Great.

She brought a hand up to rub her jaw, listening to everything the younger woman was telling her. She'd been around long enough to understand how underhanded anyone could be to try and get what they wanted.

Matilda motioned for the girl to follow her. She led her into Sterling's office she was using while he was on leave. She closed the door and pressed a button on the window panel to tint it, obscuring them from view.

"So the possibilities we have are. It is her, but unlikely. It's someone else using her credentials to send a distress ... or she's been taken and someone is trying to lure SHIELD into a trap."

Matilda set the paper on the desk, before pausing, "Or ... is it possible," she turned back to her, "Do you think this could be a legitimate distress from Burr, but with calculated errors to let us know it's a trap, or alert us to something else? She's been an agent a long time ..."

Regardless, Matilda picked up her phone to send of a call, "Yes, I need dispatch to aggregate any and all communiqué coming or going from Agent Burr from now up until one week before her leave. Thank you."

She turned back to the woman, "I promise you we're going to take this seriously. But I need more information. Do you know why Agent Burr took leave from work?"

[shieldagentburr]

Kasey followed the woman in, jumping at bit when the panel tinted. She knew the technology existed, she just had never seen it in action before. Plus, her nerves were a little fried. Not exactly the best combination.

"Credentials will be off the table," she said quickly, focusing back into work mode. "Agent Burr had hers deactivated when she went on leave. Company policy."

None of the remaining options left the girl feeling any better though. Swallowing down the sick feeling in her stomach, she slowly shook her head. "I wouldn't be able to give an accurate opinion on that. Agent Burr had always been so by-the-book with me, I don't know if she would or would not tweak a message as a warning. I...I've never had to deal with this sort of thing before..."

She felt completely useless. All she was supposed to do was monitor Agent Burr's communications. This felt far beyond her reach. However, when she heard the last question, she perked up a bit. That was information she did know. "Yes, ma'am. Medical leave. She had a heart attack a little while back and was scheduled to take extensive time off to get her heart looked at."

[shieldagentburr]

Kasey hovered in the doorway, debating internally with herself on how much information she should share. Her concerns felt silly in the grand scheme of things, but there was still that nagging sense of something being not quite right about it all. Nodding, more to herself than at the agent, she stepped in with cautious movements.

"I'm working temporarily as the HR secretary," she said, holding out the printed email. "This email came through this morning for Agent Burr. I was instruction to delete junk mail, but..." She chewed on her bottom lip, then pointed at the subject line. "I...I've seen this phrase before. I'm pretty sure it's an old SHIELD distress call from the '80s."

[infiniitefrequency]

"Oh for Agent Burr, of course."

She let the girl speak, eyebrows furrowed, before Matilda took a few steps forward to reach out and take the paper, scanning over it. She read it twice, before looking up at her.

"It is." she cleared her throat, nodding, "Years ago before transferring into IA, I worked in archives. I saw this all the time when I was digitizing old files. This is absolutely a distress call."

She looked up at the girl, young, wide eyed, clearly out of her element. Matilda let out a breath. Okay. Okay ... how to proceed.

What would Sterling do?

"Who else have you shown this to, and have you received any other communication from Agent Burr?"

Her head was already flipping through the rolodex in her mind. Check with dispatch for any strange calls, coordinate with ops to see if Burr's leave was personal or mission based, and get an agent in her department to start fishing for information.

[shieldagentburr]

The girl shook her head, her blond ponytail bouncing on her shoulder. "That's the thing," she said, pointing back at the message. "I don't think it's from Agent Burr. The wording isn't precise, and she would never screw something that important up. Nor would she go for an email. She always spoke of dead drops or phone calls to make sure it was an actual agent, not some scam. The behavior doesn't match what she'd do in an emergency."

She looked over her shoulders before leaning down, not quite sure how many ears in the room were allowed to hear this information. "I think this is someone who wants us to believe it's Agent Burr. But I've called every point of contact she left. Her cell phone, her home phone, ex-wife, friend. No one's heard from her since going on leave. Which..." The blood drained from her face as she asked, "Which means...where's the real Agent Burr?"

[shieldagentburr]

Kasey didn't know what to do.

She had only been Agent Burr's secretary for a few weeks before her medical leave. It hadn't been a difficult transition; Lana had been very detailed on instructions and had always treated her with a sort of kindness that the woman very much appreciated. But she had never been told what to do in this sort of situation. She monitored Burr's emails and incoming calls just as she had been instructed to do. So when a suspiciously phrased email came in, she assumed it was junk and went to delete it. Her finger hovered over the trash icon, but she couldn't push the button. Something about it felt...off. After debating with herself for a moment, she pushed print instead and rushed off to collect the page.

Now, she found herself pacing in the hallway, trying to figure out who she should go to. She never thought she'd be in the middle of a possible emergency and after pushing down her anxiety for the fifth time today, she went to someone she THOUGHT might be able to at least point her in the right direction.

"Excuse me?" she asked after knocking on the door frame. "Could you...would you be able to help me?"

[infiniitefrequency]

With Sterling away, Matilda had officially taken over his workload in his absence. With the move, it was mostly coordinating with team members, movers, and keeping everything organized so no files or important data got missed, so she was easy to find in the middle of the IA bullpen, checking off a to do list.

The knock on the frame as the main doors slid open, and Matilda turned, eyes bright and smiling. The girl was familiar to her, and with a quick glance at her badge, she nodded, "Of course. Agent Honey, Intelligence Analysis. What can I do for you?"

[shieldagentburr]

Kasey hovered in the doorway, debating internally with herself on how much information she should share. Her concerns felt silly in the grand scheme of things, but there was still that nagging sense of something being not quite right about it all. Nodding, more to herself than at the agent, she stepped in with cautious movements.

"I'm working temporarily as the HR secretary," she said, holding out the printed email. "This email came through this morning for Agent Burr. I was instruction to delete junk mail, but..." She chewed on her bottom lip, then pointed at the subject line. "I...I've seen this phrase before. I'm pretty sure it's an old SHIELD distress call from the '80s."

[shieldagentburr]

Kasey didn't know what to do.

She had only been Agent Burr's secretary for a few weeks before her medical leave. It hadn't been a difficult transition; Lana had been very detailed on instructions and had always treated her with a sort of kindness that the woman very much appreciated. But she had never been told what to do in this sort of situation. She monitored Burr's emails and incoming calls just as she had been instructed to do. So when a suspiciously phrased email came in, she assumed it was junk and went to delete it. Her finger hovered over the trash icon, but she couldn't push the button. Something about it felt...off. After debating with herself for a moment, she pushed print instead and rushed off to collect the page.

Now, she found herself pacing in the hallway, trying to figure out who she should go to. She never thought she'd be in the middle of a possible emergency and after pushing down her anxiety for the fifth time today, she went to someone she THOUGHT might be able to at least point her in the right direction.

"Excuse me?" she asked after knocking on the door frame. "Could you...would you be able to help me?"

[shieldagentburr]

what do you need to feel okay?

lay on the floor and listen to indie music

It's okay to be sad, friend. or scared, or guilty, or angry at the world for everything that's happened. you're allowed to have emotions. you're even allowed to wallow in them. especially now, it's important to sit with whatever you're feeling until you can figure out how to process it. so take a minute, or take an hour. put on your favorite headphones, lay on the floor, close your eyes. hit play on some sad music, music that makes you feel heard or understood or comforted. hold on to the lyrics, lean into the harmonies, let slow tempos regulate your breathing. let it help. and when you're ready, maybe getting back up and facing the world will be a little easier.

[shieldagentburr]

Lana Burr was not the type to tolerate massive mistakes, especially when she felt partially responsible for them. Months of internal investigations had brought nothing. Autopsy reports showed no signs of foreign substances that could have influenced anyone's actions. The same twenty-five minute security tape had been played for hours on end, with nothing out of the ordinary showing up until those last few seconds.

Ethan Chen had simply vanished into thin air. She knew how he had gotten out--that much had at least been captured--but it didn't fit his profile for him to just walk away. He wanted out. He got out. But no one could tell her WHY he was out. Scowling, she closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose, feeling that tension headache threatening to ruin her day already. She was now impatiently waiting for her tea and was silently praying to anyone who would listen that they would hurry up so she could get to the office.

They heard half her prayer.

Her quick trot down the street had suddenly stopped. An arm had snaked its way around Burr's shoulders, tightly holding her against the side of his body. She hadn't even heard him coming up. What was worse was the fact that her mind had immediately thought of how his mother used to pull that same move back when she was in Field Intelligence. She was certain Chen would have hated that comparison.

"Hey, Auntie Burr." Ethan's cold, smooth voice echoed in her ears, but somehow it felt like she couldn't fully hear him. His chin tilted up towards a security camera tucked away on a streetlight. She recognized it and knew precisely what was about to happen. "Do me a favor? Smile for the camera." She felt him smirk beside her. "You and me have a lot of catching up to do."

And with that, her world went dark.

[agentsterling]

Sterling waited impatiently for Burr to get to the point. He didn't like being told there was a problem and then having to wait for the answer to what it was. He needed the intel. He needed a solution. He needed to act. The anxiety of the unknown was building. Sterling understood it was something that couldn't be said in front of civilians and respected ducking into another room to talk, but it didn't stop him from gritting his teeth in anticipation.

At the name Ethan Chen, however, fear gripped Sterling tight and he took one brief terrified breath in before he switched back to business mode.

"Fucking damnit." He growled, shrugging off his suit jacket hurriedly and making sure his ICER was loaded. After sliding the clip back in he pressed the button on his ear piece. "Amador, you copy?"

"Loud and clear, Sterling."

"Stick to Rebecca. New threat. Ethan Chen." He kept the intel short and quiet in case anyone around her could hear the earpiece as well.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Amador cursed into her headset, remembering her last encounter with the man and the bullet she had dug out of her leg from it. "I'm on it."

Sterling turned back to Burr and hesitated. "We may have to evacuate the civilians." He couldn't be sure Ethan wasn't headed here. He was just breaking out of SHIELD. There's no way he knew about the Gala or where Chen was, but he was a smart man. Genius even. If he got a glimpse of any advertisement for the gala Chen's name was plastered all over it. Everyone there was potential collateral damage and he had no doubts Ethan would take advantage. "We have to get Chen somewhere safe. Please."

It wasn't like Sterling to beg but when it came to protecting Chen he'd do just about anything.

"Fuck... Ara. I have to make call." There was so much to do. Too much. They needed more hands on this. There were plenty of SHIELD agents in this very room. They had to give assignments quick. Ethan was smart, he was fast, he was deadly, and he was potentially on his way. They didn't have time to waste.

[shieldagentburr]

Burr waited patiently as he went through the motions, silently agreeing with most of what he was saying. Although she would never admit it, out of everyone in that room, she trusted him the most to keep a level head in a bad situation. However, she also had to walk the fine line of letting an agent do his job and keeping a husband from getting too involved. She let him finish before finally speaking.

"If we evacuate," she said, her voice completely calm and even. "We will cause more problems than solutions." She had been there back when Chen had been fighting to keep the Home. The back and forth between her and her father had been ugly and Burr had honestly thought that the woman's dangerous past would cost her everything. It hadn't then. But now? Forcing a group of donors to evacuate a party when there may or may not be a threat inside? And if her conspiracy theorist father thought SHIELD had something to do with it? That would be the end of all the hard work Chen had done. And for some reason, Burr couldn't let that happen.

"Priority one is making sure your daughter is safe," Burr said, her tone of voice making it clear that it wasn't a suggestion, it was an order. "Priority two will be making sure Chen is secured. As much as I would love to get her out of here, at the end of the day, the choice is hers, not ours. In addition," Her head tilted towards the door. "Everyone best capable of protecting her is in that room. It might not be the most secure place, but the safest one might be staying where she is. At least until we can get some more information on where the hell he is right now."

[shieldagentburr]

It had just taken one phone call. One call for everything to go to hell. She had been checking in like Chen had requested, suspecting that everything was alright, only to learn the opposite. Of course. God forbid she got one night off.

She quickly went to find a trustworthy face, taking them by the arm as she continued walking. "We have a problem," she said, making sure she was quiet enough that the civilians wouldn't hear.

[agentsterling]

Sterling let his arm be taken, only giving her an initial confused look. He walked along with her and ducked his head slightly as he caught her whispering.

A problem?

"What's happening?" Immediately, he looked around for Chen to see if she was in panic mode over the gala. Everything else seemed normal. Was Chen's father there?

[shieldagentburr]

Burr had also stolen a glance over in Chen's direction, making a mental note of the people in the group she was speaking to. No one jumped out as an immediate threat. Good.

She pulled Sterling into a nearby room, intentionally choosing one where the open door meant Chen could still be seen before she placed her phone on the table. The call had been going on for a number of minutes and she wasted no time getting back to the conversation. "Status report."

"He was last seen in the hallway." A man's voice came in over the speaker. "Cameras lost him after that. We've got three confirmed agents down. Medical's working on one of them now."

Burr looked up to stare directly into Sterling's eyes as she asked the next question. "Do we have eyes on Ethan Chen right now?"

"That's a negative, ma'am."

[shieldagentburr]

It had just taken one phone call. One call for everything to go to hell. She had been checking in like Chen had requested, suspecting that everything was alright, only to learn the opposite. Of course. God forbid she got one night off.

She quickly went to find a trustworthy face, taking them by the arm as she continued walking. "We have a problem," she said, making sure she was quiet enough that the civilians wouldn't hear.

[agentsterling]

@shieldagentburr

“I’m sorry." Sterling said, suddenly appearing in Burr’s office doorway. "For verbally attacking you before. You were just doing your job and I was out of line to question you. Sometimes… I think I can carry the weight of the world and if anyone tries to tell me otherwise all I hear is them calling me weak. I’ve always felt very behind my fellow coworkers in terms of skill and experience so I… tend to make up for it by working when I maybe shouldn’t. My upbringing has never truly left me despite logically knowing you’re trying to help so… I apologize for my actions.”

[shieldagentburr]

Burr wasn’t the type of person to be surprised by anything, so she didn’t do much more than look up at Sterling as he suddenly appeared and starting speaking. Unfortunately, she also wasn’t the type to expect sudden visitors, so when he finished his little speech, she turned to her phone and said, “I’ll call you back,” before hanging up the speaker phone.

“Agent Sterling.” She didn’t use her usual tone with him. She seemed worn down, even in appearance. While she normally sat up straight and held herself with a sense of authority, she was slouching ever so slightly and her eyes looked like she was in a desperate need of a break. “If I got offended every time an agent second guessed by advice, I wouldn’t be very good at my job. Nor would you, I suspect. And for the record, ‘weak’ is never a word I will put in your file.” She waved her hand. “The whole thing was water under the bridge as soon as you left the room. You owe me no apology.”

[shieldagentburr]

theghostofagentweiss​:

The question confused him and it looked as though he was trying to do complicated math in his head and was failing miserably. 

“What do you mean? I’m dead. What is there to look out for? This is me now. Until I forget everything or I move on, I guess.” He wondered if it was really Ray grounding him there or if he was just scared to move on. 

“I think… this IS my ok now. It… hurts to watch everyone move on and… But it’s ok. I’m grateful to linger a bit. Make sure everyone is ok. Say goodbye.” 

That all too familiar scowl of Burr’s returned and she struggled to sit up straighter. “If it hurts...then it’s not okay.”

She took another labored breath. “Just because you aren’t...here anymore doesn’t mean that we...stop caring. And if there is some kind of beyond after all this life we live, then I would hope...I would hope that the people I call my friends are out there enjoying it. Full of joy. So if you’re sitting there...telling me you’re hurting and that there’s nothing to look out for...well I’m sorry, but that’s some Grade A bullshit. Because I will look out for you. Whether you like it or not.”