BLANK SLATE || the challenge: spies, lies, and allies

05 - oh, oh, so happy.

She knew she had to, but Roxanne almost didn't want to go out that night.

It was bullshit. She knew she was being lied to. When she was on War of the Worlds,  she had told herself to play with her head and not her heart. That still seemed to stand—she found all of her emotions getting in her way, possibly the worst feeling she could possibly have.

She was tired. She was upset. She felt betrayed. She did not  want to do anything social at that point. But she knew she had to—so she'd just lock it up and move on. It was probably best that she didn't let anyone know about this, anyway—after all of the stuff with the list, they didn't need any more of that.

She found a seat alone, away from everybody yet still able to observe them well enough to know if anything was going on. Nobody seemed to approach her—not even Gabo, her partner, who she exoected to talk with about game—but she was too tired to be the one to initiate conversations. Eventually, she looked up to notice CT standing there, a drink in his hand. "This seat taken?"

Roxanne couldn't help but laugh, at least a little, moving over slightly and patting the space next to her. CT sat down, putting his drink down and one of his arms behind her. It was like he could tell there was something wrong. "What's goin' on?"

Roxanne inhaled. "Don't freak out."

"What? Why, what's goin' on?"

— — — — — — —

"So now I'm in this weird spot of, okay, do I keep what I heard to myself, act surprised, and wait for the eventual decline, or do I tell him, prepare him so he doesn't freak out, and leave it at that?" Roxanne sighed.

— — — — — — —

"Don't.. Don't freak out. Okay?" Roxanne inhaled. "I... I heard something I wasn't supposed to."

"I won't." CT nodded. "What did you hear?"

"I heard that I'm gonna be the Agency's vote in."

"What?"

"Yeah. I don't... I heard it after the Daily. It was Josh, and Amanda, and probably Fess, Ashley and a few others, maybe. I don't know, but Josh said the ideal vote in—because the house vote will probably be Tracy and Kelz—is me and Ed."

"Jesus. Let me go talk to him—" CT began to stand up, but Roxanne grabbed his arm and pulled him back down, gently.

"No. Don't. It's... It's not like I haven't done it before."

"This blows up the whole premise of the Vet alliance."

"I know. But it's just one time. And we can send a powerful rookie like Kelz home. If it is me and Ed, then I'm confident enough that we can win."

"No, this... this isn't okay."

"It's a proactive move. And I mean, I'm fine with it." Roxanne lied—she was not fine with it, at all. But going with it was better than starting drama. "If it gets rid of those threats, then..." she shrugged. "And if it's okay, I'd like to steal you as my partner."

CT chuckled. "That would be good."

"I thought so." she smiled, lacing their fingers together. "I love you."

"I love you, too." he smiled, pressing a kiss to the back of her hand. "It'll all be good."

"I really hope so."

"So," Devin approached Roxanne the next day before deliberation. "I'm sure you heard what it's gonna be, right?"