Eyes Open

two.

Sasha glanced up as her father walked into the room, getting Mike's attention as well as her own as he took a drink of what she knew wasn't water. She was about to make a comment, but stopped when she saw Mike watching him as he took a sip of coffee.

He wheeled his chair towards Ryan and leaned his elbows on the desk next to him.

"So, does the coffee work as an equaliser?" he asked. Sasha snorted, and Ryan frowned as he looked down at the file in his hands.

"That's the idea," he replied. "Look, uh, Rick Kester's records just came in, take a look at this," he slid the file over to Mike and pointed to a couple of things that didn't make sense. Mike frowned in confusion, before his eyes widened and he spun around in his seat to face Sasha, who was sat on the opposite side of the room.

She was reading something, and Mike cocked his head to the side as he watched her. She'd been told to stay in the room and stay out of the way until they needed her almost as soon as they'd got back from the college – something Mike knew had bugged her. She knew no one involved really trusted her, and he could tell she was frustrated because all she wanted to do was be of some use to them.

"Sasha," he called. Her head snapped up, her eyes meeting his questioningly. "C'mere, need your help with something," he waved her over. She nodded, standing up and walking towards them, leaning over his shoulder.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

"This," he pointed to Rick's credit card records. "Kids toys. You know Joey, right? Well enough to know what things he plays with?"

"Uhm," she frowned, scratching her forehead. "I don't know, it's been a couple years since I saw him face to face, but… That," she pointed to the sheet of paper. "I bought him that, I sent it over to him like a year ago for his birthday. Claire told me he loved it. What- what is this?"

"Are they buying him toys? The same toys he has at home?"

"This is good," Ryan nodded. "This is good. They're buying things for him, they wouldn't buy things for him if they were going to hurt him," he grabbed the file off the desk and picked up his bag before standing up. "I'm going to call Claire, to ask if she recognises any of these things on the list. Sasha-"

"Don't move," she interrupted with a roll of her eyes. "Stay put like a good little girl. Got it," she mock-saluted him and Ryan sighed. Sasha sat in his seat as soon as he left the room and she looked towards Mike. "Thanks, Agent."

"What for?"

"For involving me then. You didn't need to."

"I thought you might have known because you know Joey, that's all," he shrugged nonchalantly and Sasha smiled knowingly.

"Of course you did," she nodded slowly, and Mike knew she didn't believe it. "Whatever. It was nice of you, so thank you."

"Look," he sighed, leaning back in his chair and stretching his legs out in front of him. "I know what it's like to have people constantly waiting for you to fuck up, they still do it with me. I'm still trying to prove myself and I'm their colleague. You just gotta give them a while, prove yourself to them."

"That's a little hard when no one is giving me a chance," Sasha smiled sadly. "And why would they give me a chance? I'm not an agent. Jesus, I'm not even remotely close to being one, I've never wanted to be one. I'm just some random chick they've brought in on the off chance I might know something."

"You're Ryan Hardy's daughter, you're not just 'some random chick', Sasha."

"Being Ryan Hardy's daughter doesn't mean anything to anyone but you, Agent Weston. You seem to be one of only two people around here willing to take Ryan seriously."