Over the next couple of days she finally whittled her leftover work down to the few things that weren’t overdue for filing or review. This folder she threw onto the end table next to the couch where she was sitting and lay back like a slob, propping her bare feet up on the coffee table with a groan. It was finally weight off her shoulders. A small weight, perhaps, but still a relief. Her moment of relaxation was cut short when a cold glass bottle was touched to the side of her neck.

“Christ!” She jerked forward away from it and looked over her shoulder to see who the culprit was. “Viper!”

Viper grinned a little and held the bottle up. “I noticed you were just about done, so have a beer in celebration?”

After giving him the hairy eyeball for putting the cold bottle on her neck, she accepted it and lay back again. “Thanks.”

He came around the couch and sat down in his chair, leaning forward a little with his elbows on his knees. “Have you been out of PFT since you’ve been mobile? Like, shopping or to eat or anything?”

She had a swig of the beer he’d brought her and lay her head back on the back of the couch. “No, Slick. You’ve hardly left me alone, you know I haven’t.”

“Well, I-“ He paused and rubbed his hands together. “Do you want to? Have a nice dinner and then see a movie or something?”

For the briefest of seconds he found himself treated to the cold stare of a woman who knew she could get almost anything she wanted from a man, and probably had before. “Are you asking me out on a date?”

“Whoa, I just wanted to do something nice for you, it doesn’t need to be considered a date.”

The mask melted away almost as quickly as it had come and she smiled instead. It was a little tired, but it was the first one she’d genuinely felt for nearly two months. “I’m sorry Viper, sure, we can go out somewhere.”

“Do you want to go somewhere fancy or just someplace where you can get a decent meal?”

“Just as long as it’s quiet and I can wear jeans, sugar. I’m not sure I’m up for a party atmosphere or dressing to the nines.”

“Gotcha,” he nodded. “Tomorrow’s Friday, so how about a find a place, tell you whether or not you can get away with a t-shirt or if you need a nicer top, and you meet me at the front door at 6?”

Rusti chuckled a little. “As if you’ll lose track of me long enough for me to have to meet you. But okay, it’s a date.”

He was about to answer her when Desi poked his head around the door and addressed Rusti. “FLAG wants to talk to you, Rus. They’ll meet you in the situation room via video, they said.”

“Oh, all right, be right there,” she put her beer down and got up.

“What’s this about, Rust?” Viper frowned.

“I’ll tell you later,” she left the living room and trotted toward the situation room, interested in hearing what FLAG had to say.

The older gentleman that supported her was the only one on the screen when she was greeted. “Hello, Rusti.”

“Um, hi… Why is it just you?”

“Everyone else has gone home and I didn’t want to wait until tomorrow to let you know what’s going on. I got them to agree to your request, and you should receive your information early tomorrow, but there are a few things I need to stress to you.

“Viper’s position is on a knife’s edge, and I cannot emphasize that enough. He will be allowed hand weapons, but he will have to earn back his Livithian weapons ports. Even I am not in a hurry to give him such things back just because you say so. Which means that you and he will have to operate more like Wilton’s original partnership than you probably first intended, but you know as well as I do that you will not be helpless.

“He will need to toe a thin line, Ms. Knight, make no mistake, and one wrong move could mean that both of you hit the ground – hard. Since he is essentially back in your care as he was when he was first released back to you and Star after his last trouble, you will be considered partially responsible for his actions. Are you amendable to this?”

“Are you guys going to pay him now?”

“His RLU status still stands until he has re-proven himself to us. However-“ the old gentleman held up his hand as Rusti opened her mouth to protest. “However! You will receive a raise, and also a sizeable monthly stipend that you may put to whatever use you wish.” There was a twinkle in the corner of the gent’s eye that made it instantly clear what that stipend in her name was for: a workaround to not being seen to pay an RLU.

“You, my friend, are a saint,” Rusti had never felt so humbled before. Having someone she barely knew work so hard to help her out had never happened to her. “You have no idea how much I appreciate your support. I can’t say thank you enough.”

“My young lady, you may thank me by making me, us, proud. I know that you have suffered an incredible loss recently, but life, as it is wont to do, goes on. There is still work to be done, and you are still part of our organization. Keep your friend close, take care of each other, and do well to make sure I never regret arguing myself hoarse for you.”

“Thank you, sir,” she bowed her head slightly since she couldn’t shake his hand. “Can I ask one more thing?”

“Certainly.”

“Who was it who recommended me for this position?”

The old man smiled. “Sono Kage. Good night, Rusti. Your papers will be sent tomorrow morning.”

--------------------------

Shadow never saw the slap across the face coming, but neither did he expect the crushing hug from a hybrid who had recently regained her strength that followed immediately after. Startled, his irritation at being smacked without warning fading when he realized the person who had simultaneously attacked and hugged him was Rusti he hugged her back.

“I guess you were told who sent FLAG sniffing after you?”

She pulled back and quickly wiped the heel of her hand across her eyes. “Don’t you ever do that kind of thing to me without telling me again! And thank you.”

He turned back to the stove, pretending not to see her tears. “So did you get the partner you asked for?”

“You knew that too, huh?”

“I knew who you would ask for, yes. There was really only one other person on this team besides Beast who you might tolerate working that closely with. What did they say?”

“They agreed.”

“Congratulations, mate. Not that I doubted you’d get what you wanted.”

There was as pause before Rusti spoke again. “He wouldn’t have minded…would he?”

“You know as well as I do that as long as you’re happy, he wouldn’t. Besides,” Shadow turned and laid a hand on Rusti’s cheek. “You have every right to keep living. No matter what relationships you choose, now or later, you know - he knew - they won’t replace what the two of you had, and they won’t be meant to.”

Biting hard on her bottom lip, she accepted another hug from Shadow. “I miss him so much…”

“I know, sweetheart, I do to. We’ll see him again, huh? But not yet. Not yet.” He lightly kissed the top of her head and let her go. “In the meantime, he gets to watch us flounder along for awhile and probably have a laugh or two.”

She snorted softly.

“I’m guessing with the way you flew in here and laid into me that you haven’t relayed the news to your hip attachment yet?”

Rusti shook her head. “No. He says he’s going to take me and pay to feed me tomorrow, so I’ll tell him then.”

Shadow turned to the stove and filled a bowl with the stew he had cooking. “Here, speaking of eating, you haven’t had your dinner yet, either, have you?”

“No. What’s this?”

“Beef stew. I’ll get you some bread too. How are you feeling?”

“I – I’m all right, I guess. I still have a long way to go. You, Viper and Desi have been no end of help to me, and I appreciate you all more than you realize.”

Shadow handed her the bread and then ruffled her hair. “You’re my best mate’s girl, you’re family as far as I’m concerned. Gotta look after you.”

“Thanks again, Shadow, for all the shit you do for me, now and later.”

“You’re welcome, Rusti.”