T w e n t y F i v e

B a c k I n B l a c k

- Your View -

When Dr. Stapleton informed me that I had been leaving the day after I left, I wanted to get up and run for my dear life back to my flat. I wanted to just go to my sofa, curl up with a ready meal and tea and play Hearthstone or a game I haven't bought on steam...or played without George's idea.

Katie and Kim picked me up that dreary winter morning, who I gladly let them help me with my rucksack and bag of prescribed medicines to Kim's car and drive us back home. They've been usually talking about what's been going on at the office, about streams and various other things that I tried to stick into my head as I reminder.

I needed to remember that these were my friends, and that I had to trust them - and that had meant opening what I've hidden well enough.

Somehow, when I laughed with them at how Trott mucked up their bathtub with red wine.

Katie cried from beside Kim, who had taken the wheel. "They literally stained the bathroom walls! I can't even scrub it off!"

"Did you try and bleach it?" Kim asked, still a chuckle from her lips. "It usually works."

"It can't be that bad." I raised an eyebrow, amused at how ticked off the red head had been when she discussed about the Hat's music video.

"It is bad!"

"I don't know, Katie." I whistled. "They sent me a copy before hand as a Christmas present."

Kim burst out laughing, "They sent you the video?! As a-"

"I know! It was terrible!"

"See what I mean!"

"That was your boyfriend!" I wiped a pretend tear from under my eyes and coughed up the laughter.

"And he won't mind if we just go and eat, right?" Her followed tone sent me into a right deduction.

I trailed, "You don't have to..."

"No!" Katie interrupted, a faint smile on her lips. "I insist. You've been stuck in that room for a month without proper food."

Pursing my lips, I nodded quietly and knew not to retort back. Katie was very pushy to trying to make up the the time even though I did have a month's worth of video content to catch up. I delved into my head whilst they began talking about something, imagining my body to enter the mind. Trying to plan overhead.

____

"We are back, everyone!" I loudly said, and I couldn't help but create a sincere smile on my face. The others cheered in my headphones while my head shook, amused at Pippa and Lola's screams. "Happy new year!"

"Wooo!"

Hearing Pippa clap through, I began making my character jump in the game, spinning my mouse as I gone to grab to my mug of tea towards me.

Then Lola winked, "And let's not forget that we are still stuck - trying to build this witch tower." Her voice quietened down.

"We are?" Pippa spoke, confused.

"Yes!" I chuckled. "Or did you forget that someone-" I turned towards the camera and glanced with a smirk on my face. "-someone decided to open up the chance block there."

Sticking her tongue out, she answered: "Bugger off, [Y/N]. I didn't bloody know..."

Sure she did, but even if it was all for the videos: our little antics and mistakes never seemed to stop making me crack a smile or a splutter of laughter.

I was back.

____

The week passed by simply, and there plenty enough for me to stop myself from becoming ever so bored. I was still on sick leave, cutesy to Turps whom discussed my job alliances now ever since the charity ball.

The two weeks which I had been awake was generally trying to recover from the wounds and bruises, but nevertheless: I had done something to reduce the amount of content piling up.

That had meant sorting out what my mother had made: the issue on custody of me.

The woman literally stepped into my life, after ten years. Deep down, I chained the anger I wanted lash back at and tell her to realise that I was an adult, and she had no control over me. A few tears fell on her face, and afterwards: she had stormed out - leaving me flustered.

Luckily, her favours weren't too ideal to make me hunt her down. It had been the issues on my father's will and testament, and to what I had gathered: most of the possessions that were left. A grim expression rose to my face when I got into YogTowers that morning and sorted through my mother's wishes.

One of them had been my family home back at Chelmsford.

Mother had been so persistent to leave that house ever since Dad died, but only left when she had gotten engaged again. She never took a single furniture out there apart from our clothes, and I remembered the two of us jumping into the car and driving to the inner areas of the town. There, I memorized the house that my step-father had. It had been too plain, too bland. Nothing seemed my taste and it did not smell like paper and ink, or herbs or spices that my old home did.

As I set up my desktop, I began writing various replies back. Money wasn't a picky affair to worry, even though majority was my father's and the rest was all my engineering and MI6 salaries. Jokingly, I could actually buy a bigger house than Jordan's: and build it in the Hollywood Hills.God, that would be funny.

Back to my letters, I signed the contract: to say that I had claimed the family house. Maybe, that could be my little getaway. Or I can have George and Tom borrow it. They can have their little fondue there. If they're ever going to take their relationship to the next level or anything.

Wait, delete that thought.

____

"It's a weird topic, but-" Lewis paused and I looked at him to acknowledge. "Do you ever think we could just get out of this city...just for like: a month or... a week?" 

I asked back, "Are you tired of us?" Eyes raised in curiosity rather than amused at his pondering.

"God no!" He shook his head hut a kindly reassured him that it was a but of joking around. Lewis grinned and added, "I just...I don't know. I just want to go back. See the countryside for a bit Probably be a hill billy or something but...yeah."

____

The thought crossed my mind, and I felt a pang in my chest at the thought.

I smiled softly.

"Hey, [Y/N]"

Knocking on the door, Martyn's head poked in with a faint tired smile on his lips. I gestured him to come in whilst I quickly signed the home contract papers and tried to find a new envelope for it, which were hidden under my drawers. As I did this, I greeted Martyn and asked him how he was, only replying with almost a dreamy tone in his voice - that got me raising my eyebrow.

"Netty and I went to mine for Christmas..." He began. "And it was great, actually. My parents loved her, thank God."

"Aw, don't ever be so worried, Martyn." I teased, sitting back up onto my seat and began to fold my letter. "You'll get wrinkles soon enough."

"Yeah, but it's hard not too!"

"Though, from what I hear from you: she sounds lovely for you."

"You think so?"

"I think so." I undoubtedly stated, catching his eyes for a moment that got me a bit perplexed.He seemed quite nervous about something, which I gathered by how he liked to glance at the figurines on the shelf, or the envelopes I had waiting to be put into my bag.

Martyn opened his mouth. "I need your help then."

"Sure," I simply said. I was now a bit more curious which me to add back, "And that is?"

"Do you know anything about engagement rings?"

____

So Duncan decided to ask if I could help with their Project Ozone series.

Oh how I had wished to think about my mind's health of trying to help them.

We had set up a designated time, and Duncan's character led me around the map and showed me where he needed help setting up. I followed his instructions, and even tried to add some little Easter eggs (not literal) for Lewis and Sjin to find. Ten minutes before Duncan had to record, he had joined in my style of trolling and began putting odd signs on the walls.

I logged off, unfocused on my monitor as I turned back on my phone. The bloody thing kept going off when we were playing, so I had to turn it off before I could go deaf again. With a quick huff, I got up and placed my phone in pocket and planned to grab a bottle of water. Before I exited, I took out the small brown container that mirrored the shape of a potion bottle and carried it with me to the kitchenette.

There were two voice murmuring in the room, just as I walked in. I was a bit caught up with my thoughts that I hadn't noticed who it was.

And when I did glance up: I mentally felt surprised.

It had been Lewis, who leaned against the counter with a mug in his hand. However, that didn't stop me looking less confused.

"Agen-just who I was about to ask!" Sips cheerfully said.

Right then, I wanted to punch that man for slipping.

Thank god, Lewis didn't seemed moved or suspicious. He smirked under his mug, and took a sip. "Oh. This is [Y/N]." He then gestured at the tall Canadian. "[Y/N], this is Chris, or you would know him as Sips."

"Hello." My feet were firmly in place, still a bit in shock but I hid it easily and began walking to the fridge. "Nice to meet you."

Sips slowly replied, "Nice to meet you too." At the corner of my eye, I spotted the man cautiously sip his mug of coffee, before I then noticed what he was intended to do.

"Are you alright, [Y/N]?" Abruptly, Lewis spoke, which made me slam the fridge door hard.

I hissed, "Shit." My fingers pulled out and vigorously, appearing quite red.

"Oh shit-" He cursed, rushing over to my side and carefully held my hand.

Both our eyes met, and it seemed to soon that Lewis quickly flushed before he could stare back at my hands.

"I think it's fine, Lewis." I whispered, unsure why my heart began to lilt.

And quite softly, he dropped my fingers before he stepped back and then muttered something - it sounded like the lines of 'streaming with Ben'. Glancing at my hands, I took a deep breath.

What just happened?

"Are you and Lewis not telling me something..." Sips questioned incredulously.

Snapping up, I found the man with a flicker of amusement in his eyes. My hands uncapped the bottle, still shaking and numb, and I took a pill in my mouth and swallowed.

"Not that I'm aware of...why?" I coughed up, closing the bottle a bit too rushed that it sloshed on my clothes. "Oh for god's-"

I shut my eyes, hearing Sips stifle a laugh.

"Jesus Christ!" Sips chuckled. "If I hadn't know you'd be working here, I would have come here sooner."

"Nice to see you again, Sips." I plastered a tired smile and clinked my bottle with his mug. At least there was a familiar face that I knew well enough. "How's the wife and children?"

"Good. You?"

"I got shot. Lost my job, been functioning in morphine and glucose tablets." I quickly updated. "Plus I'm unofficially back."

Sips nodded, "Yeah. Lewis told me. I mean about the tablets and the shooting thing. When did you get out?"

"Just a week ago," I honestly said, folding my arms over my chest.

"And when did you get back to work?"

"This Monday."

"And that's the [Y/N] I know," He rolled his eyes and dawdled over how I was never taking care of myself, and worst: not trying to rest as well.

I pouted, "Hey! Do you just ignore what I said? I'm a month's content-"

"And you got fucking shot, [Y/N]!" He talked back and I shut my mouth, defeated.

Sips sighed. "Honestly. You should really rest, you know."

I took a deep breath and glanced down at the bottle of pills. Glancing back, there was no urge to glare or to shout back. He seemed to always get me tongue twisted, no matter how many times I could batter back retorts.

Sips took another gulp of his coffee and spoke, "...And don't bother with it anymore. They said they'll notify you if you're needed."

"Yeah I know." I said. "Goddamn being a consultant."

With another sigh, I closed my eyelids to calm myself, and I hadn't notice an arm wrapping around my side. Sips gave a side embrace, letting my head fall to his shoulder. We both kept our silence, a habit we had these moments.

"You know someone will wonder why we're..." He teased.

I replied, "You're the one who's hugging me, dingus."

"Language!" He joked and I mentally facepalmed. No matter how he could be a father figure to me, I didn't feel the same. "Hey. Just so you know...my wife's pissed at you."

"Again?"

"Yeah, she's totally angry at how you hacked into the files without notifying headquarters." Sips explained, carelessly sloshing the drink around before taking another swig.

Shrugging off his arm, I grinned back - a little hint of mischief in my voice: "Who said it was me?"

"Shut the fuck up, [Y/N]." Sips plainly said. "It was you. Wasn't it?"

A tiny plastered smile rested on my face.

"You sent the Deciphering department pictures of 'Rare Pepes'." He snorted, and I began to head for the door - I needed to record a video with George this afternoon. I wasn't letting the Canadian holding me any longer.

I only shrugged, "I don't know what you're on about, mate."

Shutting the door, closed: I returned to my office - suppressing the grin that I couldn't help about. It was quite amusing, though I had considered the age group the department had - which were mostly those that got on to my age. Also, there had been no harm to sending some lovely memes.

However, I did contemplate on whether on not to do it to my step-father too...

____

A/N: So Sips is on board the secret agent part of [Y/N]'s life!

And I love this sort of father and daughter bond they have, and there will be more - I assure you. It will also explain how did Sips and his wife come to know her.

So filler chapter done - more plotty and awkward romantic stuff on the next chapter :)

-SierraOwls