"Hey Cass, the asshole wants to see you." Cal said, sticking her head in Cass's room.

"If only I had any desire to see him..." Cass muttered but got up and went to see him. "Yeah?"

"Sit down."

"We've played this game before. What do you need, sir?"

"I need you to fucking sit down."

"That's not something I do well," she said, one eyebrow raised. "Do we have to play this again?"

"Yes."

"Okay." Cass stayed where she was.

"Sit."

"No thank you, sir.”

"Then I'm not telling you about your sister."

"Okay."

"You can go. And while you're at it, not only will you be transferred, but you won't take part in any missions with us. You'll sit here, on your ass."

"I'm planning to take you to the higher ups on that. Why were you punished Agent Kincaide? Because I'd prefer to stand than sit, sir."

"And they will dock you for insubordination. You see, Kincaide, I don’t feel I can trust you with my life, because you can't even follow a simple order and sit down."

"There are other organizations rather less restrictive, sir, and ordering someone to sit or stand is an abuse of your power. Seeing as you have an ego to make up for your penis size, I feel no reason to add to it."

Aidan didn't react. "Ordering you to sit or stand is my way of finding out how much I can trust you."

"Then you're stupid, sir."

"Am I?"

"Yes. If you want me out, let me know."

"Sit down!" He roared. "Because you see Cass, I have a nice pretty transfer order here...but it's not for you. No, it's for your buddy Krit...he'll be sent far, far away, and you won't see him anymore."

"Maybe you've missed it, sir, but I don't make personal connections."

"Well good. And your buddy Cal... she's being discharged from the IMF, and sent to jail."

"Well good, sir, you can kiss my ass because I'm leaving."

Callahan shook his head. "No. You're not. We have information linking you to Garrett Spencer, and that will land your ass in jail."

"You have no information linking me to him now. And only if you can find me." Cass left the room, quickly grabbing her things.

Cass was easily grabbed by three huge guards and sat in her chair, her arms and legs being quickly bound. "I can make you sit." Callahan laughed. "Now you listen to me, and you listen damn well."

"What the fuck do you want, you goddamn prick?!?" Cass demanded sharply.

"I want you to stop acting like a whiny bitch. You're one of the best goddamn agents we've got but you think you're some Goddess that doesn't have to follow the fucking rules."

"You don't tell me what the fuck to do unless it matters! And you let me the hell go, now!"

"It does matter. As I said, it lets me know whether you're trustworthy or not."

"Here's a news flash, Asshole, I don't trust YOU with MY life either! And I'm never going to! And no one else on this team trusts you either! So how's that?"

"You better learn."

"I'm a slow learner." Cassidy's eyes were narrowed, expression one of rage and disgust.

"Now, I have information for you."

"Good for you."

"Do you realize I can have you brigged for insubordination?"

"I don't give a flying fuck if you do."

"You should. Because if you don't care about that, you don't care about the IMF."

"I'd care a hell of a lot more if I were in someone else's unit."

"I requested you Kincaide, and they happily put you in my care. Because I'm the best they've got."

"And so fucking modest."

"You say the whole team doesn't trust me, but that's not true. Agent Lee trusts me, The Duvall sisters trust me, it's just you and your little rebellious friend."

"The Duvall sisters trust you because you're fucking one of them, and he's too naive to know better."

"No. It's because they know you don't have to be nice to be good at this. In fact, sometimes it helps not to be. Hell, if you had to be nice, you wouldn't go very far. You're just like me Kincaide, the sooner you realize that the better off you'll be."

"Just like you, am I? No, there's a difference. I don't trust anyone, and I don't like anyone, and I don't make personal connections. But I am not a conceited, self-centered, greedy little prick who gets whatever he wants."

"You don't?" He laughed. "I would have thought you knew more about yourself."

"A casual fuck's not a connection."

"No, I mean you don't get whatever you want?"

"Oh, I get it. But I don't get it handed to me on a silver platter like a certain asshole I know."

"When you get to where I am, you will."

"Fortunate for you I don't get whatever I want handed to me, or that nice guard of yours would have put your head on a stick for me."

"We all go through the young snot phase sometime or other."

"And you just never got over it, did you?"

"I did. Or I wouldn't be here. It's just my job to make your life hell until you pull that stick out of your ass. It's not suiting, especially not with an ass as cute as yours."

"You make one more comment like that and I'm gonna rip you a new ass, how's that?"

"How about not."

"Untie me or you're gonna wish you had."

"Not until you promise to sit right there until this meeting is over."

"I don't make promises, particularly not to assholes I don't trust."

"Then no, you can't be untied."

"Suit yourself. It's your dick I'm gonna rip off."

"Kincaide, shut up."

"Aww, I was feeling conversational."

"Now, we will untie you if and only if you stay seated."

"Like I said, I fail to see how that bears on anything and I'm not your fucking sex slave, so I don't take every little non-work-related order you give me."

"THIS IS NOT FUCKING NON-WORK-RELATED! Now quit bitching!"

"I make a valid point, and this is what I get. Huh. Watch me jump into line to be your best friend."

"Define how your point is valid."

"My point is valid because whether or not I'm sitting does not reflect my performance as an agent or really anything except a personal preference. If that's what you use to show how much you can trust someone, you're using faulty logic. And up until you had me tied down, I never said anything to you without due respect. So don't give me a tale about how I don't respect you."

"My logic is never faulty. Your point is invalid because if you can't sit down then how can I expect you to do something more complicated? By disobeying my orders, no matter how politely, you showed insubordination and disrespect. On top of that, when you insult the "penis size" of your superior, that is disrespect. Now if you're that curious I can drop trow and show you that there is nothing I need to make-up for."

"I'm not having this argument with you, *sir,* because we've reached an impasse. You're full of shit, I don't do that conformity thing well, and I have no desire for you to drop your pants, so why not get to the point of why you called me here in the first place, sir?"

"You will learn that conformity thing." He stated coldly. "I want you to meet the newest agent on our team, but I don't think you want to be tied up for it. Because you will find it embarrassing."

"I've never been embarrassed of myself, and I don't plan to start now."

"If you can stay seated, I will untie you."

"One more thing to say. I work very well with people I can respect and people who respect me. You fit neither description. So I think it would be in both of our best interests if I transfer. I'll take your horrid recommendations or anything else, but you'd be a lot better served with someone who wants to watch your back."

"Do you want to be untied or not?"

"Obviously I do. Sir." She said it as if it were an afterthought.

"And you will remain seated?"

She was silent, merely looking at him.

"Answer me, Kincaide."

Cassidy hadn't wasted the few moments; they'd taught her all she needed to know about him and reinforced what she already had. "Of course."

"I want to hear you say it, so I know you're not playing with words. Say 'I will stay seated, in this chair, until Aidan Callahan dismisses me.'"

"I'll give you my word I'm answering your question. That's the best you're going to get."

"Leave her tied." He said.

Cassidy seemed perfectly comfortable with that.

"Cassidy, I'd like you to meet your sister, Grace Kincaide. The child your parents chose to keep." He hit a button and Grace was led in.

Cassidy sized the newcomer up and kept her silence.

Grace looked at her slightly nervously, but Cassidy didn't seem to be reacting to her sister at all.

"Have a seat Agent Kincaide."

Grace sat.

"How nice to have someone that can follow orders. You two have met before, correct?" He asked, a sly smile on his face.

"No sir," Grace said, still looking at Cassidy nervously. Cassidy seemed to have gone deaf and mute, and quite possibly blind.

"Well then may I present you your older sister, Miss Cassidy Kincaide."

Grace gave her a half smile. "Hi."

Cassidy said nothing, her gaze still fixed on Callahan, for a moment. "Hello."

"You two will stay here and talk." He said, leaving the room. The men untied Cass and left as well, locking the door.

Cassidy was silent.

"Why do you hate me?"

"Never said I did, did I?"

"Well I guess I was kind of expecting a nice heartfelt reunion or something."

"Didn't know you existed until the asshole said something."

"I don't see how that's my fault."

"It's not. I don't do the squishy fuzzy thing well, so you'll have to forgive me. Eighteen years in hell can do that."

"They always talked a lot about you...so when I found out I could meet you I was happy, but you don't seem to want to have anything to do with me."

"As a general rule, I avoid most anything that connects me to my parents. The IMF was the exception, and I joined for my own reasons. And now wish I hadn't. Don't take it personally."

"Why do you wish you hadn't?"

"Because it's only about half a step better than the orphanage. And that's only because I can defend myself."

"They told me at Headquarters that you're a great agent."

"And I work for the biggest prick on the face of the earth."

"Ignore him."

"See, you don't get it. Because you don't know him, and you don't know me, and you don't know where I've come from."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't remember saying anything that really warrants an apology." Cass paused a moment. "Sorry if I'm rough around the edges. But it's how I am."

"I want us to be friends."

"I've had one friend in my entire life. And I'm okay with that."

"But we're sisters."

"What do you think that word means to someone who has no family, exactly?"

"I don't have family either...except for you!"

"You had parents. I ate trash to survive, *little sister.* Don't compare us in that light. You're fooling yourself."

"My parents are dead, just like yours!"

"Now. They’re dead now."

"Cassidy...please?"

"This is as friendly as I get, Grace."

Grace looked obviously hurt by that.

"It's how I am. Sorry."

"Why'd you join the IMF?"

"I'm good at this."

"That's the only reason?"

"Pretty much. Old hatred for the bad guys and not much else to do. That's about it."

"Bad guys? Just in general?"

"Yeah, pretty much. Seeing as they killed our parents."

Grace looked at her confused.

"Oh, did you miss that? Our parents were IMF, killed by one Garrett Spencer."

Grace felt sick but didn't react. "He..."

"Had them killed. Yes."

"I need to lie down."

"Tell him, not me." She gestured toward the door.

Grace banged on the door and they let her out. Cass had to have been lying...

Cassidy was lounging comfortably, albeit sitting in a wooden chair.

A voice came over the intercom. "Feel free to leave when you so choose."

Cassidy said nothing, lost in thought. For suddenly things were turned on their heads, and her view had shifted.

~*~

Grace entered the room. "You killed my parents," she said quietly.

"What?"

"Cassidy told me, and I looked it up! You ordered it!"

"No I didn't."

"You did! You ordered them killed, Garrett!"

Garrett stood up and hugged her. "I didn't know you at the time Gracey... If I had, I never would have done it."

Grace seemed to accept this on some level. "Really?"

"Yes." He swore, looking down into her eyes and then kissing her forehead.

Grace hugged him.

"I'm so sorry Grace."

"It's okay - I was just - really surprised..."

"How'd it go?"

"Not so bad. He's let me into the group now. I met everyone."

"How'd you like your sister?"

"She's... cold. Mean, like."

"Yeah. She is."

"She wasn't mean to *me,* she's just... not very nice."

"But you are."

Grace smiled, almost blushing.

"I really like having you here Grace."

"I like being here. I like it a lot."

He kissed her deeply. "I miss you when you're gone."

"I miss you when I go..." Grace kissed back.

"Come upstairs."

Grace nodded, following him.

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