Open Case File [COMPLETED]

First Day

"This can't be happening," Carter said.

"I know. I'm really disappointed about the lack of the blonde still. Also, you're not even trying to be perky so that's another letdown."

"I might just kill you."

"Slightly terrifying since I now know you own a weapon. I'm going to hope that fact that it's against the law and you're surrounded by agents who would take you down will reign in your violent tendencies."

Good heavens she wanted to strangle him and it had only been five minutes. She needed to get away from him. The only way to do that was to get this over with.

"Let's start the tour," Carter said. "Keep up and listen. I won't repeat myself."

Carter took off and Mason jogged a few steps to catch up.

"Why in the world did they send you to be a tour guide? You're as welcoming as an IRS agent."

"This is the Pit," Carter said, wishing that ignoring him meant he wouldn't talk. But history told her it wouldn't. Mason was too in love with the sound of his own voice.

She gestured to a large open room filled with desks and agents bent over their work.

"This is where the lower agents work."

"Which means you. How does it feel to be on the low end? Like high school all over again?"

Carter started walking again, wanting to put her back to Mason's smirk. Man, she wanted to punch it off his face. At college, being Mason free had made her forget how annoying he was. How had she managed not to hit him in high school?

She continued to walk, pointing out the break room, cafeteria, the Special Agents' offices, conference rooms, file rooms. He'd made comments through it all. Comments Carter ignored with all her strength.

Finally, she ended at the computer room. Knowing if she stayed in Mason's presence much longer he'd be in a body bag and she'd go to jail.

"This is the computer room. This is where you will work. Someplace I don't work and so I'm hoping I never have to run into you again."

"Probably will," Mason said, glancing inside at the room with dozens of desks crammed with multiple computer screens. "I have a general magnetism that makes it hard for people to resist."

"Goodbye, Mason," Carter said, spinning away from him.

She didn't get far before Mason called out to her.

"Just like old times, huh."

Not like old times. Old times she could stand Mason because he was easy to piss off. But when he'd taunted Link, made his life hard, something had shifted. Mason was no longer the boy who she enjoyed poking with a stick. Instead, he became the bully who was hurting her friend. Carter wasn't sure she'd ever forgive him for that. Not when Link had to spend his days in the same school as his half-brother, living in the shadow of the life he could have had.

Carter faced him.

"Why the FBI, Mason?" she asked. "You could have done anything but you came here. Why?"

She wanted to know.

"Didn't think I would be smart enough to be hired?" Mason asked.

Carter said nothing, only stared at him, waiting.

Mason's normally smug face sobered.

"Because I spent a lot of my life watching others protect my family, people that they didn't really know. I watched how they put someone's life before their own. I'm never going to be that. But I have a talent I thought might make it possible to help the people who do try to help others."