“See ya.” Kerry watched him get up and walk out, going over his words in her head as she delayed having to deal with her mail. A moment later, she put even that on hold as she heard footsteps approaching down the back hallway to her office and looked over as the inner door opened and Dar poked her head in. “Hey.”
“Hey.” Dar entered and parked her tall frame on the edge of Kerry's desk. “Car won't be ready for a few days. They have to replace some gaskets.”
Kerry leaned on her chair arm. “Isn't it time we went and picked you out a new car?” She asked. “The last time my car had to have major work that's what you made me do.”
Dar opened her mouth to protest, then paused, with a thoughtful expression. “Hm.” She wrinkled her nose. “Maybe that's an idea. Let me think about it.” She cocked her head. “Speaking of thinking about it - I told the government if they want to talk to me they have to come here.”
“Ah.” Kerry, who had more exposure to the government, winced. “Y'know, hon...”
Dar shrugged. “They want me. I don't want them.” She said, with a truculent note in her voice. “Screw it, Kerry. I don't owe them anything. I delivered above and beyond a few months ago. Maybe if they think I”m going to be an asshole to deal with they'll go elsewhere.”
“That didn't stop them the first time.” Kerry observed. “Is it really smart to get someone that high up in the government mad at you?” She put a hand on Dar's thigh. “I don't want that kind of trouble.”
Dar sighed. “Too late.” She managed a wry grin. “His office is going to call me back.” She glanced out the windows. “Ah, who knows? Maybe it's a short little something that'll keep me occupied until they find someone to replace me.”
“Dar.” Kerry patted her leg to get her attention. “They will never do that.” She watched the pale blue eyes focus on her, and a small smile appear. “The best they're going to be able to do is find someone who's got guts, who'll get in there and weather the tornadoes until they can start putting their own ideas in.”
“You could do that.” Dar commented
“I don't want to do that.” Kerry replied in a mild tone.
Dar smiled again.
“That thing we did? In New York? That did something to me.” The blond woman leaned back in her chair. “I don't' want to spend any more time just clearing the next problem off my desk.”
“Me either.” Dar reached over and tweaked her nose. “So let me get back to my handover plan, and see what the government says about my badass self.” She pushed off the desk and sauntered back to the hallway. “See ya for lunch.”
“Speaking of cleaning problems.” Kerry turned her attention, finally, to her inbox as she heard Mayte come back with the coffee. “Let's get the party started.”
Dar twirled a pen in her fingers as she listened to the voice coming from the phone. “Listen, Gerry, that sounds like ten times the scope you talked to me about a few months ago.”
“Well don't' you know? War'll do that to ya.” Gerald Easton replied. “Got them throwing money at me right left and up my keister. Don't want to hear about resources, just get it done. So here I am on the phone with you, finding out how we're going to get it done.”
Dar rubbed her temples. “Gerry.”
“Dar, I know what you're going to say.” Easton cut her off. “This all is not your cup of tea. I know it. But they know, and I know, and you know, that you can get this done.”
Yeah yeah. Dar took a breath, and released it. “Okay.” She finally said. “Let me see what I can work up on it and I'll get back to you.”
“Fantastic” General Easton said. “My people want to have a meeting over it. Can we get you up here? Got some folks who want to wring your hand anyhow.”
Dar recalled Kerry's words. “Not a bad idea, Gerry.” She resigned herself to the trip. “I've got to go talk to some brass up there. Might as well knock both of you out on one trip.”
“Brass?”
“Same guy who wanted to talk to me last time.”
“Ah.” The general grunted. “That one.”
“Mm.”
“Well, looking forward to hearing from you then, Dar.” Gerry said. “Just let my gal here know when you're on the way.”
“Sure. Talk to you later.” Dar hung up the line and leaned back in her chair, folding her arms over her chest and studying the phone somberly.
This seemed like trouble to her. Gerry's project was an overhaul of the government's intelligence systems, and while Dar knew that individually all that was part of that was well within their scope, navigating the political nightmare that would ensue was not.
She'd had enough of that on one small base with one small system.
The end goal was a logical one – so that all the systems the various agencies used could talk together and share intelligence and data and yet she suspected none of the agencies would go easily into this new world of collective knowledge.
So logic, and egos would clash. Dar didn't really want to have to deal with that, but she was becoming aware of the fact that despite her steadfast desire to separate herself from all this, it wasn't going to happen fast enough for her to avoid getting involved.
Damn it.
And then there was whatever the president's advisor wanted. That might prove to be tougher and more serious. Dar turned to her desktop as her mail dinged, and studied the screen.
Clients. Alastair. Mari. She bypassed them all and clicked on the one from Stuart, Kerry
Hey.
“Hey Ker.”
So I checked online about changing my name.
“Why?” Dar stared at the screen in puzzlement. “I like Kerrison. I didn't think you hate it...oh.” She felt a faint flush of embarrassment. “Your last name.”
It's a weird mixture of civil legal stuff and stuff that comes from when everyone lived in a tiny town and all went to the same post office. You have to post the paperwork on a bulletin board for a month. But anyway, I'm going to stop during lunch and pick the forms up. I'll bring you back some Thai.
Dar regarded the mail in bemusement “You were serious.” She rested her weight on her elbows and thought about it. “Wow.”
I'm jazzed. I think the hardest part of it will be getting my Social Security card changed.
Dar wondered what it would feel like to think about family the way Kerry did, and make the change she was contemplating making.
What would she have done if she hadn't been gay, and had gotten married and been faced with changing her name. Would she have? Dar regarded the pen in her fingers as she thought hard about that. “Damned if I know if I'd have done that.” She finally said. “I think I'm proud of that name.”
“What?”
Dar turned to find Kerry crossing the carpeted floor “Hey, thought you were going to the post office.”
“I am.” Kerry agreed. “But Mark said something earlier and I wanted to talk to you about it.”
Dar leaned back in her chair. “All ears.”
“All legs, actually.” Kerry tickled her knee. “Dar, what does this whole hiring thing do for our time line? Mark was saying people are just sort of holding their breaths and waiting to see what happens... how long can we operate like that?”
“We can't.” Dar said. 'What would you say if I said I think I want to retract my resignation for now?”
Kerry blinked, caught seriously by surprise. “What?” She paused, watching her partner's face. “Are you serious?”
Dar nodded. “I was just thinking about it. We gave them too much warning. There's no way we'll get out of here in one piece if we keep the date.”
Slowly, Kerry walked around the front of Dar's desk and sat down in the seat across from her. “Wow. I don't know what to say to that, Dar. I thought we had this worked out and decided.”