welcome

[Carter Knight]

Carter pinched the bridge of his nose and groaned. All he wanted was some food and a nap would be nice. Maybe even a shower. He had spent the nearly the last 12 hours straight working on updating the entire firewall network of APA's information database. It was an intricate weave of protection that took a lot of time to update because he had to go in software by software and do it. His set-up of computer helped to speed up the process, but now they were working on a complex set-up of security that was for Cole's private server. He glanced at the clock and nearly dropped his head to the table when he noticed how late it was. "Almost midnight..." Carter said in a low voice. He looked at the data on the screen and gauged he had at least an hour before one of the screens would be done.

Grabbing his tablet laptop so he could keep an eye on the updates, he got up and walked out of his office. The door locked shut behind him with an audible click. He gave his hair a brush through with his fingers as he climbed the stair case out of the basement. Everyone knew of Carter Knight in APA of course. He was the go-to computer guy basically, but not everyone saw him much. Especially the younger agents. He gave his plain gray t-shirt a brush over just in case and then headed towards the cafe. It wasn't until he started in that direction did he realize just how hungry he was. When was the last time he had eaten? Nevermind, he was definitely getting food now.

There weren't a lot of people in the cafe considering how late it was. Carter paid for a bag of chips and a Monster energy drink. He reckoned he had another few hours of work ahead of him. If he didn't have the time to take a nap, then hopefully the drink would do the trick of keeping him going. While the girl behind the counter was counting his change, he gave his tablet a quick check to see if everything was okay. Nothing out of the ordinary for him to deal with. Giving the cashier a smile, he politely thanked her before heading back towards the door. It was days like this that made him frustrated with his job. Not that that meant much cause he got frustrated with it when he didn't have anything to do too. Not like anything was waiting for him back in the basement that he couldn't deal with from here.

[Maggie Bell]

Maggie’s head nodded softly as her eyes closed and her mind slipped in and out of consciousness. Today had been another long shift. Her day had started at five when Gunter had caused a commotion that involved a broomstick and a poor unsuspecting plant. He had smashed the pot by the time she arrived, muttering about gnomes eating his petunias. But Maggie had consoled him as best as she could while trying to keep her eyes from permanently gluing together. That had been tough. And now here she was in her nurse’s uniform, almost midnight, with still a couple more patients to see. “Miss?” Maggie faintly heard the voice. “Miss!” Maggie jolted. What? She forced her eyes open and blearily looked around. She was at Bridge’s. “Oh,” she said softly. That’s right; she had come for a coffee. The line had just thinned, leaving her next to be served. “Regular black to go please,” Maggie ordered as she widened her eyes with exaggeration. “Actually, make that large will you?” She still needed to do a couple of things before going home or falling asleep on the staffroom couch again. Taking her cup she headed towards the vending machines and bought a bar of Snickers that dropped after a habitual kick from Maggie. She liked chocolate. There was never a late shift without one to get her through it.

Alternating between her chocolate bar and her coffee, she walked with a little more bounce in her steps towards the door. Bridges was great – during the day – but it was always so dull at night. Magie was just musing about this when she absentmindedly blocked someone’s path to the automatic doors. “Oh sorry,” Maggie turned to apologise, first catching sight of the person’s shaggy bed of hair before taking in his familiar but frazzled face. She didn’t need to see the tablet PC to know who he was. Carter Knight, APA’s prized nerd. He was a computer genius and she knew that for a fact because she had gone to him a couple times to get her computer fixed. Technology just baffled her. She could never get it to do the things she wanted it to do. Maggie waited for him to register who she was before she gave a loud laugh. Her earrings bounced. She found the situation funny – why? Well she didn’t have a clue. He looked positively dead and so did she. Maybe that was why. “You look so tired,” she said, her eyes sympathetic. “I’m not much better am I?” Maggie laughed again. She was uncontrollable. “Oh Christ –” she wheezed, “Why is this so goddamn funny?” Ok. She was sleep deprived. Maggie sniffed back the tears as she composed herself. She took a sharp breath and exhaled slowly. Eyes warm, she met his gaze and smiled. “How are you Carter?”

[Carter Knight]

He almost didn't even notice the small figure that was blocking part of his path to the doors and apparently neither did she. Just when he was about to tap her on the shoulder, the brunette head turned around and said, "Oh sorry." Though he could easily access every APA dossier in the computer system didn't mean that Carter actually knew 90% of the people who worked there though. His memory for names was horrible, but he could vaguely remember the face. They had definitely met before, though he couldn't place when and where. “You look so tired,” Ah damn it, was it really that noticeable? He didn't have huge bags under his eyes, did he? “I’m not much better am I?” Carter gave a shrug and when it seemed her laughter was going to die down, started to say, "Actually I think you look--" “Oh Christ –”

He raised an eyebrow at her, slightly amused by the whole thing. He couldn't tell if she was hyper or drunk. Her laughing was contagious though and he couldn't help but let out a soft low laugh at her expense. “Why is this so goddamn funny?” He tried piecing together what he remembered of her, but it wasn't quite coming to him. His mind wasn't built for things like this. If she started talking in a mixture of Sanskrit and French though, his mind could process that. “How are you Carter?” Shit. She knew his name. She knew his and he didn't remember hers. He gave her a small grin as he tried to play it off. "Tired. Long day in office." Even though she wouldn't understand the code running across his screen, he held up his tablet to give her a flash at what he was working with. "Guess Cole is using the winter break at the College to get me to do some re-coding while the kids are away." he had no idea that she probably didn't understand what that meant. Most of the people he saw on a day to day basis were technopaths that worked with him and they understood computer geek speak. "How about you?" he asked her politely.

[Maggie Bell]

Maggie had a knack for faces – it wasn’t her gift. It was just a skill she required from her job. She was a people person, always chatting and inquiring about patients’ health and their lives. It simply didn’t cross her mind that Carter might not actually remember who she was. And with fair reason too – he probably had a lot on his mind. But Maggie was presumptuous in their friendship. As she settled down, containing the laughter that was bubbling so easily in her chest, she listened to him talk about his day. She could empathise wholeheartedly. Hers had been a long day too. But as he showed her his tablet, she lost her empathy. The codes that ran across the screen in one long stream were absolutely meaningless to her. She couldn’t comprehend a single thing. Maggie stared at it blankly. Then with a slow nod she pretended to take it all in. “Fascinating… all these little numbers and letters,” she said, pointing out the obvious. She pressed her lips together in a soft pout. “Mmhm. Yes.” She smiled when he took it back though, grateful that she didn’t need to pretend anymore. Lying wasn’t that easy for Maggie. Although she found herself having to pretend quite a lot with her patients as they told her about their past assignments. She had no clue what they were saying but nodding and smiling was something Maggie did well.

"Guess Cole is using the winter break at the College to get me to do some re-coding while the kids are away." Maggie nodded and smiled. “That’s tough,” she said. Then not knowing what else to say, she quickly sipped her coffee. "How about you?" At this Maggie perked; not because she liked talking about herself – well, she liked that too – but because she could finally vent about her day to someone. All the nurses were so uptight at the Hospital – they rarely ever said a bad thing about their shifts. “Horribly long,” she said honestly. “I’ve been at the hospital since five this morning, and the commotions that have happened today.” Maggie paused before setting on another ramble. “You know I had a patient attack a plant this morning – he thought a gnome was eating his petunias. I think it’s the neurotoxin that’s causing him hallucinations – he was exposed to a lot of it in Kosovo. Poor man.” Maggie then gave a heavy sigh. She then bit off her Snickers and munched it thoughtfully. ”Hey, you should swing by the hospital sometime. I can give you a free check-up,” she said. “You know, to say thanks about my computer. You have my number right?”

[Carter Knight]

Anyone who knew Carter could attest to the fact that he was absolutely horrible with girls. His mother would say that he got it from his dad. They were just too confusing for him to comprehend. When they spoke, it was like they were speaking some foreign language that he will never be able to understand no matter his power or how hard he tried. He understood logarithmic algorithms and quantum mechanics, but the female species was as lost on him as hieroglyphics were on the rest of the world. They were all just so confusing that he never knew what to do with them. When girls tried to hit on him, which happened quite often according to his friends, it went right over his head. Carter was just naturally polite to girls, but even that didn't work sometimes because sometimes it seemed guys spent as much time trying to figure out what girls want as girls spent changing their minds about what they want.

He didn't even realize that she had no clue what she was looking at on his tablet. He was more used to listening then talking to girls. His dad had told him that when in doubt, just nod and agree with them. It would save him from a lot of headache later. “Horribly long,” Guess he wasn't the only one putting in a lot of hours. “I’ve been at the hospital since five this morning, and the commotions that have happened today.” Not exactly sure how to respond, he simply looked sympathetic. “You know I had a patient attack a plant this morning – he thought a gnome was eating his petunias. I think it’s the neurotoxin that’s causing him hallucinations – he was exposed to a lot of it in Kosovo. Poor man.” Carter nodded even though he had no idea Kosovo had plants with neurotoxins. That did sound pretty horrible though and he would undoubtedly see the medical report pass by on his screen later.

”Hey, you should swing by the hospital sometime. I can give you a free check-up,” she said to him, turning it away from the small talk. Hospital... He couldn't remember when was the last time he talked to one of the medical workers. “You know, to say thanks about my computer. You have my number right?” He had fixed her computer before? Not surprising since everyone had him fix their computers, but he should have at least remembered her. With her contagious laughs and bubbly personality. It would have been quite different from the normal silence he had in his office. "Yes of course." Wait what? He couldn't even remember her name, but apparently he could remember her number. Carter couldn't take it back now. "I don't when I went to the hospital last. Getting poked at and lights shined in my eyes isn't my thing." he grinned at her, his eyes twinkling with his attempt at a joke. "Wait... do we even have to pay for check-ups here? I thought we get that free anyways." He thought that was the whole point of having their own hospital, especially because of the Specials.

[Maggie Bell]

Maggie didn’t know Carter that well but when they’d last met in his incredibly large but crowded office, or rather ‘computer shop’ which was what she'd called it then, Maggie had spoken to him long enough to know what kind of guy he was. She never liked making assumptions. There was so much to a person than what met the eye. But she could sense that he was a respectable decent guy; somebody who was sweet, passionate, and a little bit reserved. These traits were a bit hard to come by in a guy. He also had a very endearing nervous energy about him too which Maggie couldn’t help but notice now as he gave her a look of sympathy before nodding and smiling – exactly what she’d done a minute ago. This amused her greatly and it showed in her wide smile. She supposed he was only being polite. Of course he’d have no clue what she was rattling on about. Maggie mentally scolded herself for rambling on like she had. It wasn’t very polite was it? She couldn’t help herself though. Hospital work, albeit trying at these moments, was her life and passion. She often had a hard time keeping her mouth shut about her patients and that got her in trouble a lot. Her superiors would say to her, ‘Maggie, you are not exempt from doctor-patient confidentiality, understood?’ And of course she understood – she mustn’t tell anyone about her patients, not even her friends. But Maggie had a hard time following through with this promise. Now, she found herself wondering if she’d made a mistake having shared the details of her morning with Carter. But she took comfort in the fact that he had, literally, ears and eyes everywhere, via camera feeds and passes to digital records. So there was no harm done, right? Right.

Keen to change the topic, she brought up the idea of a check-up. Not that he needed one. Although at the rate he was going, she wouldn’t be surprised if he suffered from fatigue. His body wouldn’t be happy with him at all, or his organs. Maggie’s eyes absentmindedly swept his body as she thought of this. It wasn’t until he spoke that she tore her gaze back to his eyes. "Yes of course." She brightened at his response. “Fantastic!” Maggie exclaimed, perhaps a little too loudly. The café was so quiet that it bounced her voice back. She softly cleared her throat, finding it a little embarrassing that she could barely contain her joy. She was glad he had accepted her offer – it was the least she could do. "I don't when I went to the hospital last. Getting poked at and lights shined in my eyes isn't my thing." He lightly joked at her, grinning with a little glint in his eyes. Maggie’s eyes narrowed warmly as she gave him a large smile. “Really, you’re such a boy,” she teased. “I’ll be gentle with you. Cross my heart and hope you die,” Maggie’s face remained serious as she looked intensely at him. But not being able to keep her face straight anymore, she burst out laughing. “I’m joking Carter,” she said. “Oh my god, your face.’ She laughed a little at how startled he’d been.

"Wait... do we even have to pay for check-ups here? I thought we get that free anyways." At this Maggie gave a soft pout, a perplexed frown knitting her brows together. To be honest she had always assumed that they needed to pay for check-ups, while other bills like surgery, physiotherapy were covered by the agency. “Hmmm,” she said, thinking some more. After a long pause Maggie gave him a simple shrug. “Dunno really.” Then – “Oh drat,” she said with particularly emphasis on the last syllable; so much that it scrunched her nose and made her sound awfully English. “Well there goes my thanks,” she said. Maggie gave a long sigh. “Still, swing by. I usually give my patients a lollipop afterwards or –” here she paused for effect, “A sticker of your choice.” Maggie raised her brows. “Oh believe it.”

[Carter Knight]

To be honest, he could've paced the assignment and spread it out over a few weeks. It didn't have to all be done in a straight run like this. His only order were to get them updated, but he hadn't been given a deadline to get it done by. Only the sensitive nature of all the information made him keep an eye on it because while the software was being fixed, it left the servers open to hackers who knew what they were doing. What he should've done was update different sectors at a time, saving the ones that take the longest, but least amount of attention to do before he went to bed and running them all the same time. Do the shorter ones and more sensitive servers during the day while he was awake. Except Carter wasn't really that organized outside of his own head. Even the inside of his head wasn't the organized especially when he was tired.

“Really, you’re such a boy,” Carter gave her a surprised look like she had just given him an epiphany. A boy? No, he couldn't be! “I’ll be gentle with you. Cross my heart and hope you die,” Normally he was pretty good at getting jokes, but she looked so serious. His face dropped as she looked intently at him. Her serious expression didn't last long though and soon Maggie was busting out laughing. He let out the breath he didn't know that he had been holding. “I’m joking Carter. Oh my god, your face." Well she had just said she hoped he would die, what else was he supposed to look like? Ecstatic? "You are so mean. I actually thought you were serious there for a second." he grinned at her. "I figured I would end up leaving the hospital in a body bag." By now he should have known better. She didn't seem like the type of person to hurt even a fly. If only he could remember who she was.

Even though they probably did get free check ups, Carter had just never been interested in going. He felt fine and when he didn't, medicine just seemed to work fine. “Hmmm,” then she shrugged at him. “Dunno really.” It was never really something that came up in people's thought much at APC. “Oh drat,” Her nose scrunched up in the most adorable fashion, sounding just like the people in his hometown. “Well there goes my thanks. Still, swing by. I usually give my patients a lollipop afterwards or –” Carter's eyebrow rose in expectation. He wasn't thinking anything sexual, he was just curious as too what would be on the same level as a lollipop. “A sticker of your choice.” He looked at her dubiously. She wasn't serious. “Oh believe it.” Oh, she was completely serious. Well the opening for the joke was right there and he couldn't resist. "Oh are they shiny gold stars? I would love to add another one to my collection." He took a sip of his energy drink. "Do I get to have cartoon bandages too?" That one was actually a serious question. Why bother getting poked at if one couldn't at least get a cool looking bandage to go with it?

[Maggie Bell]

(Was going to wait for Aaron, but will reply now!)

Maggie was pleased that she could fool someone, even if it was just Carter. Her friends often told her she was so easy to read and with a face blessed with fast reflexes, they had a point. It was always quite so obvious to her friends when she’d be joking and when she’d be lying. They said it was her tone though, so it was why she flattened her usually upbeat voice when she’d said it. Now that Maggie was thinking back on it… the joke had been rather tacky; who wouldn’t be horrified hearing it? "You are so mean. I actually thought you were serious there for a second." He smiled at her and she responded the same way with her eyes. “Fooled you,” she said softly, trying to dial down her tone. "I figured I would end up leaving the hospital in a body bag." At this Maggie pretended to be wounded. “It’s me, would I really?” She couldn’t imagine herself killing anyone. Not only because it was cruel and terrible but because she’d probably heal them right back up again. “Goodness what a morbid subject. I blame you. Too much time with the computers - it's made you forget how to talk to us,” she teased. Maggie bumped elbows with him, giving him a sideways smile. She wasn’t being flirtatious although people often assumed so.

The politics of hospital bills was a touchy subject - one that Maggie avoided completely. Administration usually handled that kind of stuff down at the foyer. She was just the nurse. But even though she didn’t know much about bills and rates and special exemptions, she knew that Agency employees got free check-ups. It had completely and utterly escaped her mind though, and she was pouty about it. Only for two seconds. Jumping onto the topic of her stickers - and what a lovely collection she had! - Maggie tried to cajole him into coming for a check-up; partly because she felt she owed it to him and partly because she was genuinely worried about his health… he looked like he could do with some sleep and time away from the computer. "Oh are they shiny gold stars? I would love to add another one to my collection." He said jokingly, taking a drink. Maggie wagged a finger at him. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, only if you’re good do you get a gold star. And it is a hell of a shiny star,” she said with pointed brows.

"Do I get to have cartoon bandages too?" He asked. Maggie laughed, still assuming he was joking. “Oh Carter,” she said shaking her head. Then when she looked into his eyes her face fell a little. Oh. He was being serious. She curled her lips, suppressing a smile. “I can order some,” she said, giving a nod - more to herself as she pondered how doable this was. “Any preferences?” They used to have Snoopy bandages but the kids down at Ward C had used them all to sticker their bedposts. But banter aside, she now looked seriously at him, and taking a step closer she placed a hand on his arm. “Really, I mean it - come by. I’m worried you’re working yourself too much.” She then squinted, peering into his eyes - so close that her nose could almost graze his. “Your eyes are dry and red,” she mumbled, “You should really call it a night. It’s not good to be on the computer so long,” Maggie said firmly. Then with a sigh she rolled back onto her heels and faced him with a tired expression. “What are we doing working so late...” She said more as a statement than a question.

[Carter Knight]

Though he was feeling awful about not recognizing her and pretending that he did, by now it would just be awkward if he were to ask. So he was keeping his mouth shut hoping that she wouldn't notice he had yet to say her name once in their entire conversation so far. She was nice and very pretty. Not to mention funny as well. Had he been the type to be interested in every girl like that that walked past him, he would definitely be attracted to her. Still he was the kind to be more inclined to think of a girl as a friend first. “It’s me, would I really?” Well since he couldn't remember who she was, it was certainly possible. He kept his mouth shut though. “Goodness what a morbid subject. I blame you. Too much time with the computers - it's made you forget how to talk to us,” And then she bumped his elbow with a grin. Had any of his few friends seen what he was doing right now, Carter would probably never hear the end of it. They would tease him relentlessly no matter how often he tried to say that they were just having a conversation. "I talk to people all the time." he laughed in his deep-throated laugh. "Albeit sure it's the same people most of the time, but I try." He was a busy boy working for Cole. Didn't have much time after he graduated the college.

It was probably part of the reason that he never really stopped by the hospital. He didn't have the time to waste to be poked and prodded at with needles. And when he did have free time, he liked spending it hanging out with friends. Carter barely had time to do his own grocery shopping lately. Though now that he had a friend there, perhaps he should make it a point to try and visit more often. Perhaps she was right and his health might become a problem. “Don’t get ahead of yourself, only if you’re good do you get a gold star. And it is a hell of a shiny star." she gave him a look, but he simply looked at her with a cheeky grin and shrugged. The boys would have laughed at that. He was like the epitome of a good boy. Always doing the right thing and always had a smile on his face. So he pretty much said as much to her. "I'm always good! Why do you think they put me in charge of all their fancy expensive electronics and things?" Speaking of which, he glanced at the screen of his tablet again. APC did good with pulling in some of the best hackers in the world, but there were always new hackers out there.

His friend Charlie was one of the best, but eventually someone better might come along and he needed to be ready. If someone was going to pull him away from his very super important work, they had to make it worth it for him. Otherwise he would move it down on his priority list. And things did get left at the bottom of the list for awhile. “Oh Carter,” but then she realized he was actually serious. Bandages with cool patterns were cool right? “I can order some,” and he grinned at that. Okay so the list of reasons to stop by the hospital for a check-up was growing as the conversation continued. “Any preferences?” He had to stop and think about that for a second, leaning forward on his hand. There were so many choices out there. He was sure whatever company that made bandages had every possible choice. Then he had one of those lightbulb moments and sat up with an excited grin at her. "Superhero ones. Marvel, not DC of course." While the second had some cool superheros, for a nerd like him, he preferred Marvelverse instead. They were much more creative in their story lines in his opinion. How cool would it be to have a Captain America bandage.

She put a hand on his arm and it pulled him from his nerdy daydream. Carter turned to face her. “Really, I mean it - come by. I’m worried you’re working yourself too much.” She got close up in his face and he resisted the urge to pull away. His vision was suddenly filled with her face and hair. It was a little uncomfortable having someone else's face this close to his, but he didn't want to seem rude by jumping back. So he let her look at whatever it was she wanted to look at. “Your eyes are dry and red,” she said, but he barely heard he since she was so quiet, “You should really call it a night. It’s not good to be on the computer so long,” Then suddenly her face disappeared from his vision and he leaned forward again. People kept telling him that, but amazingly with the long nights and bright screens, he has yet to need glasses and he was proud of that. “What are we doing working so late...” He didn't know what answer she wanted, so he stuck with the obvious one. "Because we're good at what we do." he said with another one of infamous shrugs. "They need us and we're good people, so we put in the extra time and work." It was the boy scout answer of all possible answers. "Besides, there is only one other person I would trust with all this technology and he's already busy with other things."

((So... got a little carried away... I apologize lol))

[Maggie Bell]

(Sorry for the delay! D:)

Maggie knew she shouldn't, but she often judged whether she could be friends with people by their sense of humour. He had an earnest sort, and she liked that. He took her tease well. Not a lot of people did. Sometimes her patients took her remarks badly. Maggie blamed it on cultural differences. But Carter was laughing. There was nothing more enjoyable to her ears than laughter and nothing happier to her soul than a good laugh herself. She joined him without hesitation. He was funny without meaning to be or coming off as trying too hard. "I talk to people all the time. Albeit sure it's the same people most of the time, but I try." Maggie understood this. He was always doing work for Cole. She heard he was a tough man to please. Thankfully Maggie had nothing to do with him - just the doctors on call. "Well I'm here if you ever need someone else to talk to," Maggie offered. "My friends say I'm an excellent texter."

Her friends also thought she was over-friendly. If they saw her now, they'd give her a raised brow and a 'see' look; a 'see-what-I-mean', 'see-what-you-do' look. Bollocks. Being friendly was never a sin. She'd be damned if they were going to make her think differently. "I'm always good! Why do you think they put me in charge of all their fancy expensive electronics and things?" She couldn't exactly explain why or how she knew this to be true but she did. He looked good - figuratively and literally. Though Maggie had a tendency to fall for guys who were somewhat unsavoury. Carter was anything but the sort she used to date. It was why when he spoke about Marvel and DC that Maggie had no idea what he'd just said. She supposed she couldn't pass off the remark with a vague response about "numbers and letters".. "Of course," she said, brows raised in what she hoped was earnest agreement. "That makes sense. Absolutely. Marvel's just... He's great."

Sometimes when other people's health were concerned, Maggie forgot her manners and sense of personal space. Leaning right in, she peered into his eyes out of concern. He had a pretty bad case of dry eyes but it wasn't surprising given the long hours he spent in front if the screen. Maggie didn't know how he did it. But as she drew back, she sensed he was going to continue to finish his work for the night despite her warning. "Because we're good at what we do. They need us and we're good people, so we put in the extra time and work. Besides, there is only one other person I would trust with all this technology and he's already busy with other things." Maggie's lips pulled into a gentle smile as she regarded him. It was an honest refreshing answer. "You're right, we are good and what we do is good." Her eyes drifted to the great arrow embellished on the shiny lacquered floor of the agency foyer. "Have you ever... Met an Alliance member? I think it'd be terrifying and interesting at the same time," she muttered, speaking her thoughts aloud. "I've always wanted to ask them why they do what they do. They don't seem much different to us. But they do terrible things."