salute ➳ 〚h.s.〛 〚a.u.〛

all these things that i've done

a/n: this and the following chapters will be extras. 

The story of One Direction, from its inception through its formation and growth, right until its very end.

zero:

2009
Meeting of the Joint Intelligence Committee
Undisclosed Location, London, England

"You know, John, I'm starting to think this isn't such a good idea."

Eleanor stood facing the doors to the boardroom where the members of the JIC had been collecting and were continuing to arrive as they spoke, brushing past the two of them to walk through the large wooden doors. At her side stood a man who was arguably one of the most powerful men in the UK and possibly the world, a man who she'd gotten to know after working with him for nearly a year as the liaison to the SIS. She could feel his eyes on her as he stood at her shoulder but she refused to look his way.

"We've talked about this Eleanor," John said, his voice quiet and smooth and inarguably authoritative. Being the Chief of the Secret Intelligence Service made him particularly well-versed in coaching people through situations like these, moments of doubt and weakness. When he had been the director of O branch before his promotion to the position of C, the people he'd been coaching were fighting for their country in deadly situations. She was just a woman who was overreacting and losing her cool at the idea of speaking in front of a room full of people. "It's a brilliant idea," he added after a moment. "You know it. I know it. You just need to convince them."

"Maybe you should present the idea," she suggested. "It will be better received from you. After all, this is your business, your organization. I think they'll be more open to the idea if it came from you."

"While that may be true, it's not my idea. It's yours."

Eleanor took a deep breath and let it out on a heavy sigh. She felt John's hand circle her shoulder and give it a supportive squeeze. She wished it helped but it really didn't. Nothing would remove the sinking pit of dread sitting in the base of her stomach and weighing her down until the thought of taking a single step forward into the boardroom seemed impossible.

She hated this. She hated that being one of the only women in that room made her ideas less important. Maybe if she hadn't become accustomed to the antiquated and misogynistic ideas of her colleagues since she was appointed six months before, she would have been more confident presenting her idea. Because it was a good one. A really good one, one that would change the way espionage operated in their country and would protect thousands of lives both at home and abroad. But those men were going to hear the idea coming out of her mouth and they were going to dismiss it immediately, whether it was a good idea or not. Just because of who she was and the fact that she wore skirts instead of suits.

She was regretting wearing a skirt today. Maybe a nice pair of trousers would have made this easier. Instead, all she could focus on was her bare calves and whether that was going to earn her idea more 'no's than 'yes's in the vote.

"What if it doesn't get passed in the budget?" Eleanor asked John, turning her head a bit so she could see the pensive expression on his face as he considered her question.

"Then we'll find funding somewhere else. The SIS needs a project like this and I know that K over at MI5 is eager to try something like this if our efforts are successful. The idea doesn't have to die just because a room of pretentious arseholes can't see past their own pointless agendas."

Eleanor snorted a laugh and hurried to cover it up with a stern, serious expression. She saw John smirk out of the corner of her eye.

"Okay," she said as she took a deep breath, straightening her back and holding her shoulders high. "I think I'm ready to do this."