Graceland: Family Affair

Chapter Eleven

"Yes, I did get my dance", Mike smiles when I remind him about that night back at Quantico.

"And every time I hear that song, I still think of you..."

"Me too..." I say softly. I really do. Mike jumps up from sitting on the sand, and holds his hand out to me. I stare at his hand, and then at his face, confused.

"What do you say, Parker? Once more, for old time's sake?"

"What?" I laugh in disbelief. He takes his phone out of his pocket and starts scrolling through it. I take his hand and he pulls me up, and I dust myself off. He puts his phone down, and we hear the same familiar acoustic guitar playing out from his phone speakers. "How did you get that?" I ask, my mouth open wide in surprise at hearing the same song that we'd danced to the night of Mike's Quantico ball.

"Oh, you know, I still have Spotify Premium", he winks.

"Oh well check you out! You really know how to treat a lady!" I joke, just like we did that night at Quantico. Mike steps towards me and takes me in his arms, just like he did before, his hand resting on my lower back, and he intertwines the fingers of his other hand with my own. I feel a tingle go down my spine. There's something exciting and uplifting about this. I'm feeling like myself again. And I find myself silently thanking God that He sent Mike here ahead of me - thanking God that He changed both Mike and I's plans as we slow dance on the sand as the moon glistens on the water.

"I still suck at dancing..." I laugh. "It was never really my thing..."

"You're better than you think you are", he smiles as we dance. "You're a whole lot better than your brother", he jokes.

"You've slow danced with my brother?" I playfully raise an eyebrow.

"All the time!" He laughs.

"Hey! I was only joking...I wasn't expecting a confession...what you and Paul do in your own time is none of my business", I sarcastically joke.

"Nah, can't say I'll ever want to slow dance with your brother...but I have seen him busting a few moves on the dance floor -"

"-That's something you just can't unsee!" we both say at the same time, which is followed by bashful laughter.

"Well I'm sorry you've had to see that..." I smirk.

"The pain is real!" He smiles back. "You're definitely the better dancer in your family!" He winks.

"That's not really saying much..." I grin sarcastically. "He's better at a lot more things than me...always has been...but, dancing is one of the very few things he's not..."

"I didn't even know you were related? Well, until today anyway..." He squints a little.

"Yeah...I don't tend to tell people. A lot of people look up to Paul - he's made a name for himself in the Bureau. With our different surnames, no-one suspected anything, so it made it easier to try and separate myself from the "renowned Agent Briggs"...I just felt that, if people knew, they would expect me to be just like him...I would have been held to a different standard to everyone else at Quantico...does that make any sense?" I cringe a little, wondering whether he understood any of what I've just said. "I don't want to just be known as Paul Brigg's little sister...I want to be an Agent in my own right...I wanted to graduate from Quantico knowing that I was a good Agent - that I was good at my job..."

"And you are one!" He flashes me an encouraging smile.

"Well, thank you..." I sigh, feeling myself blush again. "And...you know...I worried that if people knew that I was Paul Briggs' sister, that they wouldn't like me for just being me...they'd always be after something...like I wasn't good enough for anyone on my own...I've never confessed these feelings to anyone. I've often felt inadequate at the side of my brother, and even when we were kids, girls would use my friendship to get to him. Can you blame me for being worried that a wannabe-Agent might take advantage of me in order to get expertise from the great Paul Briggs?..." I shake my head, catching myself on - I've said too much. "I'm sorry...you didn't need to hear that..."

"It's okay..." He offers a reassuring grin. "And...for the record...I wanted to know you...not because of Paul or anyone else...but because of you...you're wonderful..." He looks into my eyes, and I look away shyly, breathing out a flattered thank you. I look out at the ocean, taking in the view for a few moments, before turning back to face Mike. I catch him staring at me.

"What?" I blush, looking down so that I'm not looking at him. He takes a few moments to answer.

"I'm sorry I didn't get to say goodbye..." He says softly, a hint of regret in his voice.

"...It's okay..." I reply, trying to smile to let him know that it really is.

"No, it's not..." He shakes his head. "There were things that I regret not saying... things that I wanted to tell you...and didn't..."

"Well..." I say looking at him. "Tell me now..." I look into his eyes, waiting for him to say what he's been keeping locked inside him, but he says nothing. Instead, one hand rests itself on my neck and his head moves closer to my own. My heart starts to beat faster and faster. I'm not sure what is going to happen...I think I know...but I don't want to be presumptuous. What do I do? I pray that Mike can't hear the panic going on inside my head just now. I close my eyes...and Mike places a soft kiss on my lips, saying everything I think he wanted to say...but leaving me with a lot of questions.