[Jack Thompson] (The things they don't know about) Miss Tonya

[ 1 8 : c u p - o f - t e a ? ]

[☆]

Warnings: Mentions of violence, deportation and anti-Semitism (it isn't obvious unless you know the context of the show, but I thought it was still worth mentioning) 

Spoilers: Agent Carter Season 1

[☆]

Once the car had driven completely off the driveway, Tonya turned to Peggy to indicate that the coast was clear, but also in a helpless plea for what to do next. Peggy stared back at her with an equally anxious expression, which did not reassure Tonya in any way. The skilled agent that she was, however, it did not take her long to formulate a plan.

"I'll follow them. It's time I showed my face at the office, anyway; I'll watch the interrogation and do what I can to get him out."

Tonya nodded along, trying not to wince at how harsh 'interrogation' sounded. Poor Jarvis.

"They can't really do anything to him, can they? They've got nothing to go on!"

Peggy frowned. "That's technically true, but tensions are high in the S.S.R. at the moment – they'll latch onto whatever lead they find, I expect, but I'm sure they meet a dead end with this one," she continued hurriedly when she caught sight of the nervous expression on Tonya's face. "Mr Jarvis is... somewhat coolheaded in a crisis. Stay here – I may need to call you – I suspect he'll find his own way out of this, but I'll go and do what I can."

Tonya tried to keep this in mind as she waved Peggy off. She now faced a different kind of frustration to what she had felt the day before – while she was still at a loss for something to do, this time she was tormented by the helplessness of it all rather than boredom. However, this was suddenly pushed aside when she saw Ana bustling around the dining room through the window. She didn't know.

"Edwin, is that you?" Ana chirruped as Tonya closed the door behind her when she returned to the living quarters of the estate.

She called back. "No, it's me!" Improvisation. "He had to go and sort something for Howard, so he's gone into town for a bit, I'm afraid."

Ana came out to meet her in the hall. "No matter," she said with a smile. "It will give us some space to work on your dress."

Tonya smiled back, and it was genuine. Not only was she grateful for the distraction, but in the recent tumultuous times of her life, this little project she had with Ana had been a pleasant escape from it all. She said 'little project', but the reality was that it was her current pride and joy: her outfit for the first ever Met Gala. Many first-class designers had approached her as soon as she'd been announced on the attendance list, but she'd already had the most fantastic idea for it. Unfortunately, her practical skillset was purely limited to scientific creations, and so she had enlisted the help of Ana, whose talents she knew were boundless in this particular area. Wonderful as ever, she had been more than up for the job, and so they had been working together of their respective elements of the creation for the past few weeks – because, of course, Tonya couldn't help but include at least some science in the design.

It wasn't just the familiar thrill she always felt when she had a project to work on that put her at ease; Ana always seemed to have a truly calming sense about her that never failed to make her feel safe, even on her worst days, which she seemed to be having a lot of at the moment. On the surface, many would say that they were practically opposites – easy-going Ana and fiery Tonya – but she would tell them that they'd never heard Ana's quick wit. Either way, they complimented each other quite perfectly, and there was really no one else Tonya could imagine as her best friend.

The respite lasted almost an hour – though it felt far too quick to Tonya – until Ana announced she needed to go and buy some new fabric. Tonya almost volunteered to go with her, but remembering Peggy's advice, she made the excuse of needing to finish off what she had been working on, and so Ana set off on her own, leaving Tonya equally alone.