Simon

After I got the good news that agent, Jaden Brown has finally woken up from his coma and was in the process of recovery, I paid him a few visits until he was released from the hospital. He ended up staying there longer than I had requested, an additional three weeks to be more precise, due to a sudden seizure he experienced two days after waking up.

I was told that it was nothing too severe, nor should it happen again. That it only happened because, before slipping into that coma of his, his body wasn't able to release the tension after he got electrocuted so much during the mission which caused sudden and uncontrollable muscle spasms. I had to explain that to Nicole because witnessing that terrified her.

In all honesty, it had us all a little scared but the good thing is, he's doing just fine now.

We were soon able to check him out of the hospital and we made our way back to the headquarters in our home state.

I must say, it was good to be back but I was still bothered by the fact that a dangerous woman is still on the loose somewhere in the streets of New York. Some of my agents volunteered to stay and help our investigation team find clues and answers, which I really appreciated and might even consider them a raise... Might.

It's been a long week back home for me but I'm basically back where I need to be on schedule, aside from the circus chaos.

I walked down the hall towards Nicole's dorm and hit the buzzer on her door this morning, smiling a bit as I waited. Today is a special day for the two of us.

She opened the door after I buzzed the second time. She was dressed in her black tank top and a pair of beige joggers, tightening her workout gloves, "Oh, hey Simon." She greeted.

"Nicole... You're not busy, are you?"

She began to braid her hair down, "I'm about to start training since the whole New York trip set me way back behind schedule... Why?"

I smiled, "Well, before you go and do that, I want to show you something."

She sighed, grabbing her gym bag, "Can't it wait? I was planning on using this whole day to regain my strength and flexibility."

I frowned at the sound of that, "Actually... It can't, I have a few meetings later. I can show it to you tomorrow if you'd like but I would like to get it out of the way as soon as possible."

She dropped her bag back on the floor and crossed her arms, thinking for a moment, "I suppose I could spare a few minutes... But you owe me a free day."

That's my girl!

"Good! Let's go." I moved aside and let her lead the way to the parking lot.

Once we got in the car, I settled down in the driver's seat and Nicole took the passenger side.

"Where are we going anyway?" She kicked her feet up on the dashboard.

I got on the road, making my way to the highway for a faster route, "You'll see once we're there."

She chuckled to herself, "I'll find out soon enough..."

Not before we get there.

She never liked surprises as much as the average human being did. She is usually the type to find out before anyone could tell her. It's part of what she trains for but this time, I won't be letting that happen.

The car ride was kind of quiet and I suspected that Nicole had already started the guessing game in her head so I decided to start up a conversation. It was more of a distraction to keep her mind off of our destination. I scanned a few of the places on the road until one eventually caught my eye, "Nicole, do you remember that place?"

She looked out of the window, following the little seafood shop with her eyes as I drove by. She laughed, nodding, "Yeah, I do actually... He's kept this shop all this time?"

"Mr. Bentler? No, his son took over. Bentler retired years ago."

She smirked, amusement twinkling in her eyes, "Do you think it was because of me?"

I chuckled, "Maybe..." I joked. "No, he's just old. I see where you're coming from though, I would've retired too after getting pinched in the rear countless times by a hyper little girl with a crab."

She chuckled, "But he always gave me free shrimp..."

"Well, you weren't always a trouble maker when we went there, remember?"

She nodded. Mr. Bentler used to be very fond of her back in those days. We used to be regulars and every time we would visit, Bentler would always create ways to keep her distracted so that she doesn't go sticking her hand in the aquariums. Things such as buying her coloring books, dressing up as a pirate for her and even telling her about all the fishing stories he personally experienced. I once thought that we were giving him a ton of trouble, making his job tougher than it is but, to my surprise, he's always enjoyed every second he's spent with her.

I glanced at her, her eyes kept their gaze out of the window, "Maybe we should visit again. Just like the old days." I suggested.

"I'd like that... Hopefully, the food is still good."

I shrugged, not knowing, "I'm sure he's passed his recipes down to his son."

After a few minutes and a few good conversations, I pulled up into the driveway of my mansion. I've owned this place for a while now, years, and Nicole's never known about it for one major reason. She's never wanted to leave those dorms. I've brought up the idea of moving to her in the past and she was never interested, saying that she was much comfortable living at headquarters but I've now decided that it was about time she did. I made sure of that, adding some enhancements to my home to make it fit more of her needs and comforts so she couldn't possibly tell me that she would want to go back to living in the dorms.

Her eyes widened and she sat up straight in her seat, practically pressing her face against the window as I parked. I stopped the car and just watched her speechless expression as her eyes moved from the front yard to the front door.

"Do you like it?" I smiled.

She didn't respond.

Oh boy...

I chuckled and got out of the car, walking over to her door, opening it gently so she didn't fall out.

Her eyes slowly moved up to meet mine, "Wow I... What is this place?"

I grinned at her, "This place is our home." I held my hand out, helping​ her out of the car.

Her mouth gaped open as she looked at the house again with even more amazement, "Shut up..."

She walked over to the side of the driveway, squatting down in front of the grass, "Shut... Up..." she repeated in a whisper, gliding her hands over the fresh, green blades of grass.

I didn't expect this to overwhelm her this much. I wasn't sure if I should show her the inside, afraid she might pass out.

I knelt down next to her, watching her as she worked the blades of grass between her fingers, a small smile growing on her lips as a ladybug crawled onto her middle finger, making an adorable laugh escape her lips.

It was almost like seeing 8-year-old Nicole again. No matter where we were, she never forgets to appreciate the little things, especially in nature. She's been fascinated in it ever since I met her and, even now, she takes a few minutes of her time, when she can, to spend it outdoors to do her planning and studying just so she could feel the sunshine on her skin and smell the leaves in the air. Seeing her like this made me smile. She would be able to spend all the time she desires out here whenever she likes while enjoying all the vibrant colors, the peace and quiet she prefers when needing to focus... I was sure that she would forever love this place. If only I could've shown her this place sooner.

She moved her gleaming eyes to me, "I want to see the inside of the house."

I picked a flower out if the grass and gently place it in her hair, "Of course, Soldier. Follow me." I told her before standing and gesturing her to follow as I made my way towards the door.

As she made her way to my side, I pulled my key out and unlocked the front door, "Welcome... To our new home." I dramatically swung it open, gesturing her inside.

She grabbed my arm tightly without a word. She didn't need to say anything, her expression said it all. Her eyes were wide and filled with a combination of shock, disbelief and, I think, happiness.

She carefully walked inside, admiring the glimmering chandelier on the ceiling, the burgundy stairway that curled up to the next floors, the matching furniture in the living room, the stainless marble on the floors, the glass mermaid fountain. She gently touched everything she walked by, her eyes trying to process the reality of it all. Her eyes then found their way back to me, filling with what I hope were happy tears.

I walked into the house with a smile, "Did I prove you wrong?"

She nodded.

"Do you like or love?"

She nodded again, rubbing a hand over her head as she told me, "I do love it but...This is- this is a lot." She knelt down to take a seat on the ground. "Let me just... T-take this all in..."

"I understand, Soldier." I chuckled, sitting down next to her.

She laid her head down on my lap with a deep release of a breath of air, staring at the details in just the living room alone, "My god..." She breathed out with a soft chuckle. "This is... Nuts!"

"How so?"

"I mean... I knew you were taking me to our 'new house' but I didn't expect this... I've never seen anything like it before... You can fit like... 100 dorms in here!"

I chuckled, rubbing her shoulder.

"You're really letting me stay here?"

I frowned at the question, "Of course... Why wouldn't I?"

"It's just that... I don't know, just look at this place! I wouldn't even let me stay here."

"Why do you say that?"

She sighed, rubbing her forehead, "I'm... destructive, Simon... Isn't that why you got me a psychologist?"

"Nicole..." I started with a squeeze on her shoulder, "I didn't get you scheduled for therapy because you're destructive. I'm only doing it to help you deal with other people, your members to be specific. And don't worry about the house, I doubt you'll smash it all down in one punch. If you ever break anything, I'll replace it..." I smiled, "That's why I got the indoor gym built in here... Just for you. You can be as destructive as you want there."

Her eyes met mine filled with even more disbelief, "You did not..."

"I did to..." I smirked.

She sat up quickly and grabbed my hand, making me stand with her, "I want to see it."

I laughed, "No problem, Soldier."

* * * * *

After showing her around the house for what felt like forever, I headed back to headquarters, just in time for the meeting. Nicole stayed back at the house, deciding to train, settle in, and start her first psychology therapy there. My guards stayed behind with her to make sure she felt safe but I knew Mr. Miguel is a good man. He's been a real close friend of mine and a huge part of this small family for a very long time now. I knew that but Nicole is one to keep her wall of trust sturdy, preventing anyone from being allowed in. It was necessary for them to be with her whether she felt that she needed them or not.

At the meeting, we mainly discussed ideas on the changes that were soon to be made at USSCI headquarters. It went smoothly but the whole thing gave me a headache... The New York incident was still on my mind the whole time but that helped me come up with some effective ideas.

After everyone left, I put my reading glasses on and began to write down my favorite plans when suddenly, my door beeped. I pressed the button to let them in.

"Sir." Jaden made a small bow with his head before walking in.

He was dressed unprofessionally in grey joggers and a matching, half-zipped jacket over his bare, patched up skin. I don't usually let people walk into my office dressed in bum attire but Jaden was in the state of recovery, I wasn't going to give him a hard time about that.

Why is he at work anyway?

"Didn't you already meet with the counselor I assigned you to?" I asked. "You're supposed to be resting Mr. Brown."

He nodded and took a seat in front of my desk, slightly hissing in pain, "Yes, sir, I know. But something's been bothering me lately."

I put my pen down to listen, "Anything I could do to help? I don't have a lot of time on my hands so make it quick."

"I understand and... You could do a lot, actually... I couldn't help but notice that my partner, your daughter, isn't very... How do I say this...? Literate..."

I sighed, rubbing my temples. Just when I thought this headache was going away...

"Yes, yes... I am aware... Very aware."

He tilted his head to the side, questioning me with his eyes, "And it's just fine with you?"

I shook my head, "It isn't but... I can't make her do what she doesn't want to. At least not for now."

He raised an eyebrow, obviously confused.

"Don't be too bothered by it, Mr. Brown. I'm working on that..." I simply told him.

He looked away for a moment then his eyes met mine with suspicion, "She's told me she went to school here... What do you guys even teach?"

"We teach everything you would learn from regular elementary to high school, plus more. That is why our agents and spies are very intelligent people."

"But Nicole isn't that... I mean... She's smart but not..."

"I know, I know, Mr. Brown..." I sighed. "Alright. Let me tell you a little story." I closed my binder as he scooted his chair up closer to my desk, nodding.

"Nicole is a very... Very intelligent girl, but, I don't know if you hadn't already noticed, she likes to play by her own rules. She doesn't like to be told what to do... Once upon a time, she loved school and she loved learning but, she hated teachers. English, reading, and writing never stuck with her because they were so specific on how to do things... I remember her telling me that she would always be criticized for the way she pronounced certain words, the way she held a pencil, and they would get on her case for not saying the alphabet in order..."

"But she knows the alphabet... Right?" he asked.

I nodded, "Perfectly, but in her own order. The way she feels they should be arranged... Anyway, she struggled to keep up with the other kids and she despised those other kids... They laughed at her, made fun of the way she acted and dressed, you know, typical kid stuff."

He rubbed his chin, comprehending my words a bit, "Is that why she's so harsh on others?"

I lifted my reading glasses off of my face and set it aside. Talking about this made them fog a little. "It's part of the reason... Which is why I put her on psychology treatment." I glanced at my watch, "It should be ending right about now."

"So she's always been this way..." he frowned slightly.

"Well... I wouldn't say 'always'. Just when she started dealing with so many other people without my presence... She suffers from PTSD and the side effects led to her aggressive behavior. I would always get a call once every, at least, two days about her fighting, biting, stabbing or cursing at other kids... On rare occasions, the teacher would be her victim too."

His mouth gaped open, "Those must be some badass kids!"

I chuckled, "No, no... Just typical... But she didn't interpret it that way. Her anger and anxiety were triggered much easier back then. I once got a call that a kid asked her why her hands were so rough and that pissed her off. She ended up cutting the kid's hair off."

"Yo, what?!" He laughed hysterically, making me frown.

"That's not funny... He had to go to the hospital. The scissor got too close to his scalp." I sighed.

He stopped laughing immediately and cleared his throat, "Oh... Sorry... Er, Can I ask you another thing?"

"Go ahead."

"How come you never taught her? You know, like homeschool... You're basically her dad."

I furrowed my brows. I don't think he meant to be rude but it did come off as a bit disrespectful to me by the way he asked that. I went ahead and answered his question, "You're right, I am her father... How do you know about that, anyway?"

"Nicole told me... Plus, hearing your story sounds pretty fatherly to me. You know a lot about her and you do a lot for her too."

I nodded in agreement, "To answer your question. Well... I never have time to teach her everything she should know. You should have a good idea of how busy I am by now. I do my best to spend as much time with her as possible but, most days, it could never last as long as I would want..."

"Yeah..." he pursed his lips with a nod, "You guys are never together."

"That's not entirely true. I was with her today. I gave her a fun tour of her new home." I almost smiled, thinking about her priceless reaction to the place.

His eyes slightly grew wide, "Wait, what? New home? What do you mean 'new home'? She's still going to be here, right? In this agency?"

I raised my hand, gesturing for him to calm down."Of course. Only when she needs to be. It's not too far if you want to go see her."

He sat up straight with a confused yet, eager look in his eyes, "You... You're letting me go see her? Just like that?"

"Just like that." I nodded, "She cares about you, Brown..."

He was slightly taken aback and kept that same puzzled look in his eyes, so I proceeded to cautiously tell him, "I'm only telling you this because I think you should know, but don't let Nicole know that I told you."

He nodded a bit and whispered, "Promise..."

I gave him a small nod, "I can tell that you've touched her somehow... At the hospital, she waited day after day for you to wake up, refusing to leave your side. She told me that you were like this robot she made. Robert..." I smiled at the memory of her face full of pride when she built that.

"You made her feel like she was achieving another milestone... By not working with her because you were scared but working with her because of your drive and dedication to impress her. Hearing that made me proud of you, Jaden... It broke my heart when she told me that she felt you were crumbling away from her. All of the bits and bolts coming apart, taking her hard work down with it... She was afraid to lose you..."

His smile faded as he heard those words, "Can I... Can I go see her now?" he whispered.

I smiled, "Of course... I'll send you the address and notify my guards that I gave you the 'OK' to be there.

"Thank you so much, sir." he stood up and headed for the door after I nodded but then stopped in front of the small shelf with flyers and pamphlets on them, "Can I take a few of these?"

I chuckled, "Sure? Go ahead."

He grinned, picking out three different pamphlets then headed out with a quick salute and a 'thank you'.

He's a good man but also a very odd one sometimes...

I chuckled to myself, putting my glasses back on and getting back to work.