We Shadows

Chapter 29: someone came prepared

Cameron helped Harper pick out a shirt, pressing it so that he looked presentable. She was a little nervous for him; who knew what Vertov would say when he walked in the room.

"Babe, it's going to be fine," Harper said easily. "I've already been shot twice, what can congress possibly do to me?"

She frowned. "Please don't joke about that."

Cameron wore her usual uniform pants and selected a blue striped shirt that Val had designed for her. She liked the uneven pattern and hoped that others would also try some of Val's designs.

Harper touched her arm. "I don't mean to worry you," he apologized. "But I'm not relinquishing this position. Levi clearly has enough going on."

"Did you ever hear from Alcott yesterday?" Cameron inquired and tried to pat down Harper's hair, getting the sides to lie flat against his head.

"No. But I didn't message her or anything. She needs time to think through this on her own."

"When did you get so smart?" Cameron teased and straighten Harper's collar.

He shook his head and took a step back from her.

"Cameron, stop. We'll be fine. You're making me feel like I'm five and incapable of dressing myself." He flashed her a grin. "Are you ready?"

She found his cane and took his other arm and they headed down the hall. She was excited to have Harper in the room and so have someone to talk to about the direction of the base. She knew that he didn't like Dashiell, but now, they could ally with whomever they wanted. She didn't want to be continually associated with the selfish policies of Dashiell Turner.

"I want to go to the gardens after," Harper said, a bit randomly. "We haven't been in ages and I think it would be nice to sit by some flowers."

"You are so moonshy," she laughed. "Any particular reason?"

"I don't want congress meeting talk in our berth," he explained. "So we need somewhere else to go because I know we're going to talk about it and I'd rather look out at the sky and sit next to some roses, wouldn't you?"

Cameron liked this new version of Harper. He was just as blunt and strange, but there was something about him now. An energy that perhaps was trying to make up for their mistakes in the past. She wasn't sure, but it could be another thing they talked about after the meeting.

"Do you have anything to bring up?" Cameron asked. "You'll want to write it down; they have a tendency to gloss over departments that aren't environmental, printing and research."

"That's most of them," Harper complained.

"I know," Cameron agreed. "People are too busy; they are never long meetings."

They came up to the meeting room. Harper swallowed once and crossed the threshold. Vertov and Anatoly were already here, chatting quietly at one end of the room.

"Is there assigned seating?" Harper whispered.

"Don't be rotated," Cameron laughed.

"Just checking," he grumbled, selecting a seat.

Vertov raised an eyebrow at him and finished up his conversation with Anatoly to approach Harper.

"Is Levi unable to make it?" he inquired.

"No, sir," Harper replied. "Archives voted this week; I'm the new department head. Levi was never there, and I'm a better choice."

He flashed a smile at Vertov who seemed unconvinced.