Open Case File [COMPLETED]

First Day

Early on in the FBI and again my happy place! Also I had to explain how the chapter Stuck Together made sense with all the previous chapters we've read.

That's all super vague but I hope it makes sense afterwards.

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"Owens."

Carter raised her head from the report she was reading and spotted Special Agent McKinney striding towards her. She stood up.

"What can I do for you, sir?" she asked.

"I was supposed to meet one of our newest recruits but something's come up and I need to be in a meeting," McKinney said. "He'll be here in a minute. You'll meet him at the elevators and I want you to give him a tour. I should be finished with my meeting by the time you're done and I'll take it from there."

Giving a new recruit a tour was something Carter had done before. After all, she was still new enough to be on the lowest end of the spectrum. But McKinney giving a tour made no sense. He was a senior agent after all.

"All right. Is there anything I should know about him?" she asked.

McKinney gave a short laugh. "Yeah, he's connected so don't piss him off."

"Understood."

McKinney checked his watch and hurried away. Carter closed the report she was reading and walked to the elevators. She wasn't the best tour guide, she knew this. She pointed out where everything was but didn't elaborate more than that. Still, she did enough she knew the new recruits wouldn't be confused about where to go.

Carter was organizing the right route for the tour when the elevator doors opened and she froze.

This had to be a joke.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked.

Mason poked his head out of the elevator and looked around.

"Sorry, I was supposed to be meeting a perky blonde to give me a tour. Must be on the wrong floor."

Carter crossed her arms, trying to reign in her shock and irritation. She'd already spent four years with Mason, she did not want to think about having to work in the same building as him.

"What are you doing here?" Carter asked again.

"Still wondering where the blonde tour-guide is," Mason said, finally stepping out of the elevator.

"I'm here to give you the tour."

Mason looked her up and down. "How disappointing."

"Mason. What. Are. You. Doing. Here?"

Casually sliding his hands into his pockets, Mason cocked his head at Carter like she was a little dim.

"I thought you were smarter than that, Owens," he said. "I'm here because I work here now."

"You work? Here?"

"Yes, I believe it's what common people call a job."

Carter shook her head. "I'm surprised you know what it's called. I imagined you spending the rest of your days living off your family's money."

Mason shrugged carelessly. "That had been the plan but then the house was getting remodeled so I decided to go to college for computer coding, graduate early, and join the FBI until it was done."

All the same, it was all the same as high school and yet not at all. This was her life now. Her world. Mason Douglas was the irritating First Son that she enjoyed pissing off in school. He was not someone she wanted around her when she needed to focus. Even now, her annoyance at him was distracting her from what she'd been sent to do.