The five of us barely spoke for the rest of the night while the storm cleared. None of us slept. All of us paced, moped, and grumbled until the rain stopped at daybreak and an agency transport could be called from the closest point of reception to collect Sienna's body.

          We waited for her to be taken away before we left ourselves.

          Being inside a more compact area in the helicopter turned the atmosphere even more unbearable than it was within the chateau. I had told Derek what I saw between Collins and Davis. Much to his disapproval, I asked him to keep the knowledge quiet for now to respect their privacy as much as possible and to avoid risking them getting in trouble with the no-doubt-already-furious Director. He kept his promise during the night, but grew agitated throughout the helicopter journey, tapping his foot and clenching his jaw, struggling to keep the words bottled in.

          Until he snapped.

          "I can't believe you two."

          Everyone lifted their low heads. Even Scotty glanced over his shoulder from the pilot's seat.

          Collins pulled his brows together. "What do you mean?"
"Leave it, Derek," I warned. The atmosphere was tense enough. We did not need another fallout right before confronting Rodriguez.

          He ignored me. "You know exactly what I mean." Derek rose from his seat in the cockpit. Scotty frowned at me as if to say I don't but kept quiet. "We have been waiting for an opportunity like this for well over a year. We worked for months to make sure this went smoothly and you two had to go cock it up right at the last second."

          Davis forced a bitter laugh, biting his lip as if holding in an argument while Collins looked to me. "You told him?"
"It put the mission at risk. Of course I told him."
"Told him what?" Scotty asked.
"Not now, Scotty." I tapped his shoulder but he shifted in his seat, agitated.

          Scotty turned on Tracey's autopilot and swivelled around.

          Davis shook his head at Derek.
"Missions go wrong all the time, Barnes."
Derek tutted but I got there first. "This could have been prevented. Your reckless actions cost us this mission."
Collins sighed. He knew we were right. "We can still recover what we lost."
"We're certainly not recovering Sienna," Scotty snipped. "Thanks for that one, Davis."
"I eliminated one of Marcus's allies. Is that not a good thing?"
"We could have extracted crucial information from her," I explained. He should have known this.
"The location of Gabby and my sister included," Derek said through gritted teeth.

          Davis jumped to his feet, lip quirked, anger growing. "We were engaged with hostiles. I made a decision for the good of the team. Not that you'd know what that is, Barnes."
Derek didn't blink. "I'm not the one fucking about like a teenager while on duty."

          Scotty winced as if sucking on a lemon.

          Davis laughed without a drop of humour. "You want to talk about fucking about on a mission? Let's talk about how you and Knight got together, Barnes, come on."
"That was different," Derek retorted.
"Hardly any different."
I crossed my arms. "We're not talking about us—we're talking about you. You messed up here, Davis. Not us."
"No, because you never let your emotions get in the way, do you?"
"That doesn't change the fact that you lost us this mission."
"The mission isn't everything!"
"Yes it is!" I leapt to my feet. "This isn't some meaningless office job. The work we do determines the fate of millions, including Jade, Gabby, and every victim of Marcus's."
"We can try again!"
"How? Come on, Davis, you tell me how."
"We'll figure it out."
Of course. "You see! You have no idea because you didn't think. You never think about the bigger picture."
"My picture doesn't fit your picture, you mean."
"What are you talking about?" Scotty asked.
"Knight's been in charge of this mission since day one. What she says goes. Damn the fact that Arthur's Second-in-bloody-Command."

          Collins reached for Davis's arm. "Adam, this isn't the time to—"
"No, go on." I took a step towards Davis, turning cold, daring him to continue. Derek held up an arm.
"Amber."
"No, he wants to say something. Say it."
"Fine. I think your personal connection to this mission is making you a compromised control freak."

          Scotty whistled. "Didn't realise Rodriguez entered the chopper."
"Bit rich considering why this mission failed," Derek replied.
Collins stood too. "Barnes, he said he was sorry."
I frowned. "Sorry doesn't resolve the mission."
Davis laughed. "All about the mission. You've been so obsessed with this job that you can't see what you're turning into."
"And what is that?"
"Your father."

          The room snapped. I took a breath to let Davis know my thoughts.

          Derek stepped between us.

          "I swear you've been the most bitter son of a bitch since Collins dumped you—"
"—you'd defend her to the grave no matter what she says—"
"—and I don't know how you dare call out Amber for doing her job just because you can't do yours!"

          It just kept coming. Insult after insult, bite after bite from both of them.

          Davis raised the volume. "You see, you call me self-centred but you wouldn't even care about this mission if it wasn't for her."
Derek matched it. "I don't know if you've noticed but my sister is part of this mission, too."
"Which makes you compromised as well, you daft prick."
That was enough. "Don't talk to him like that," I snapped.
"Yeah, he's stupid but you don't have to say it."
"Not now, Scotty!"

          Davis groaned. "It's obvious we can't trust each other's actions."
"You mean your actions," I hissed.
"You could have kept what you saw between us," Collins said sadly. "But you told Derek."
"I can't not tell him things. Surely you can understand that."
"You told him but not me?"

          I whirred around. Scotty had been relatively quiet throughout the argument. Now he looked at me, betrayed.

          "Is this what it's come to now? You two keeping secrets and pushing me further out?"
"We're not pushing you out."
"It used to just be us. You and me. Now its changing to be you and him, leaving me behind."
"Scotty, there's going to be things I don't tell you right away. You're my best friend, but if I'm going to marry this man, sometimes I—"

          I never told him. Through all the chaos, I forgot I hadn't told him Derek and I were engaged. I could keep secrets easily, but keeping them from Scotty took active effort.

          I had let the effort slip.

          He stiffened, mouth falling open.
"W-what?"
I blinked. "Scotty, please understand—"
"You're... engaged?"

          I snuck in a glance at Derek, who let out a long exhale.

          There was nothing else I could say. I couldn't lie to him. "Yeah," I replied.
"Amber was going to tell you after the mission," Derek added. "It happened recently, don't worry about that, she hasn't lied to you."

          My mouth tugged upwards in thanks.

          "Well," Collins said, "congratulations to you both."
"Thanks," Derek said, though his focus was still on Scotty... who didn't move.
"Yeah. Congratulations," Davis added. He raised his hand towards Derek, and the two men shared a look.
Derek shook his hand. "Thanks, mate."
"Look, I'm sorry. To you especially, Amber, that got a bit heated."
The insult had struck, but I nodded. Our friendship was more important than that. "It's okay."

          But the friendship more important than any other – than anything else – seemed to be hanging by a thread before me. It had always been Scotty and I before Derek entered the picture two years ago. He was right: things were changing. But I wanted him with me every step of the way.

          I was not sure if he knew that.

          He met my eyes for a second, and for once I could not read him. His own brimmed with tears, striking me in the chest, and from the way he rushed towards me, nauseating instinct braced for a sense-inducing slap across the cheek.

          He threw his arms around me in a hug.

          "I'm happy for you both. You deserve this."
I laughed against his shoulder, feeling my body crumble from the shocking relief. "That means a lot, you know."
"I know."

          Someone behind me sniffed.
Derek snorted. "Davis, are you crying?"
"Fuck off."
"He's emotional deep down," Collins teased.
Davis scoffed. "You can pipe down as well!"

          Despite his words, he swung an arm over Collins's shoulders and kissed the side of his head. Scotty blinked rapidly, astonished at the two finally making up after such a tense few months, then smiled. He didn't say anything, but I knew he was just as happy for the two of them as well, even if his own most recent relationship could not be repaired. From our conversation a few nights ago, thoughts of Rose still bothered him.

          He let me go, and just as swiftly as his arms left me, Derek's looped around me from behind.

          Scotty's lips parted as if about to say something, smile gone, and let out a croak. He nodded to hide the sound.
"Yeah... I am happy."
Derek grinned. "Glad to know that, Scotty-boy."
"Break her heart, I break your neck."
"You can't even reach my neck."
"I'll have your neck!"
He swung. Derek snickered and ducked behind me, positioning my body as a human shield. Davis whistled, warning Scotty to mind who he hits with a mischievous glint in his eye while Collins urged the other boys to behave, a smile playing on his own lips.

          We'd be alright, I realised. Davis made a mistake, a big one that could not be fixed easily, but fighting only made it worse. The mission took priority and we lost that. However, we did not have to lose each other along with it. It was not just the mission that solely mattered anymore, but the people the success of it affected directly; the ones in this room and beyond.

QOTD: What did you think of the argument? Did anyone raise some points you found interesting regarding the characters?