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Morning. A regular, almost quiet, boring morning at SHIELD. As boring as any day can be, with one of the 0-8-4 team carrying something yellow and glowing in a containment unit across the office to one of the labs, another person the phone quietly reassuring someone that Godzilla is not swimming in from the Japanese harbor, and one agent chewing bubblegum too loud at his desk. Beneath the Chinese restaurant, the place actually looks suspiciously like any regular bull pen, complete with the bosses office at the back of the room with a frosted glass door.
A far too preppy for his own good collegiate man sits outside the office, blonde hair and gleaming teeth ready for a day at work. The front desk has sent Sean, as soon as he arrived, back to Peggy Carter's office as the director would like to see him. Markus now waits, looking over the new recruit eagerly, "Here for the director? She's expecting you…"
*
A few days in New York to himself which he certainly did not request has Sean looking a little rougher than most of the well polished agents in the office. He isn't quite homeless looking, but he's not exactly a beacon of professionalism. He follows the protocols like a pro though as he makes his way into the office. He gives the overly eager Markus an arched brow and a "Yes. Fine." in polar opposite fashion to the man's chipper greeting.
Tapping on the glass he waits only a brief moment before opening the door and stepping in. "Madame Director? Sean Cassidy." He stands in the door not quite entering yet.
*
The perky man hits a buzzer, unlocking the office door and altering Peggy to her visitor, no doubt. A moment later, as Sean's voice echoes through her doorway, a clipped British accent calls out in turn, "Yes, yes come in." The director looks like a woman who has been here for a good few hours already. Settled in, a mostly empty cup of tea above her hand, a stack of several reports on her desk. Dark eyes flicker up from her work to evaluate the man as he walks into her office.
If Sean has never caught sight of Peggy Carter on the news, she might be a bit of a surprise to look upon. A woman in her middle age, pretty but not beautiful, with faintly curling brown hair already going gray at the temples. She's in a button down shirt but her suit jacket is off, resting across the back of her chair, and her sleeves are rolled up to save them from report ink. She looks strong but unassuming, not the woman who one might expect to run the most powerful spy agency in the world. "Mr. Cassidy. Have a seat." Not Agent. Not yet, at least.
*
Sean takes a brief moment to take in his new boss, though he certainly is familiar with her from both the news and what files he could get his hands on. This cross the pond move was not exactly Sean's idea to begin with so he's been doing his homework to make the best of it as it were. He nods firmly and gives a soft "Aye." to the command.
Making his way forward, he has to awkwardly set the foam blue and white cup of coffee on the desk in front of him. He takes out his notebook as he sits and places that on his knee. "Richard sends his best." His boss was very firm that this was the best for Sean and for Interpol, but it's more of a pleasantry than anything Sean really cares to convey.
*
The comment about Richard sending his best earns Sean a brief cock of an eyebrow and a look that is absolutely skeptical, but whatever words are behind Peggy's lips, she wisely bites them back. She is a professional, after all. She gives a simple nod and stands respectfully just before he sits so they can exchange a brief shake of hands. "Director Margaret Carter. Good to meet you." She clips out in rote, not in some glowing recommendation. Then, as he sits, she retakes her seat as well.
"…While there are parts of your record that read like an excellent Agent, I don't know that I would exactly call you one of Richard's best. Not these days, at least. Do you know why you are here, Mr. Cassidy?" Peggy asks, about as blunt as they come, despite her accent which always managed to sound semipolite for British, calm tones alone.
*
The handshake is courteous, no manly overdoing it here. Once seated Sean takes his coffee off the desk and takes a sip.
"Fair enough." He narrows his eyes a bit and for what is not to be the last time wishes he had more experience reading women in a position of authority. He answers somewhat cautiously "Officially. I'm here because of my experience in deep cover missions within terrorist units and my genetic status. Richard would like to say I'm the best suited to ferret out a mutant terrorist network that the higher ups seem to think is behind every car crash or bank heist." He waits a beat before adding "But we both know I fu**ed up once more than I should 'ave an' so maybe the more interesting question is why you agreed t'take me?" It's not a challenge or dig by any means, just similar bluntness.
*
Red lips push into a slightly deeper line as he comments on the official story. She takes no notes, but she's probably full well aware of all the levels of his file and has no need of notes anyway. SHe's about to say something, but when he adds the actual reason, Peggy at least tilts her head in affirmation of his words. "In the future, you can cut to the chase with me. In this office, I don't need official bullshit. We save that for the NATO reports, not closed doors. And yes, you are here because you are a drunk and Interpol is too public, old and stodgy an organization to let that fly at the moment. Most international offices still consider SHIELD the Wild West up here, they just don't bitch about it because they know we're better than most of them at their jobs." No bragging in her tone. Peggy straight up believes that as truth.
"I agreed to take you because Interpol is still footing the bill and we could use a few more good Agents without it coming out of our budget. That doesn't mean I'll keep you. If you turn out to be a liability, I will ship you back faster than you can pop a cork — understood?" Peggy watches his face the whole time with that glare which can read through souls, or so it feels.
*
Reading her face he is relieved to not see any shock or pulling back as he speaks the truth. He smiles in recognition of an attitude he recognizes well in the public face versus bullpen talk. He nods in agreement with her assessment, not smiling, but also not contesting any of the facts as she lays them out.
"Ma'am, I'm a good cop. I know that you have .." here he glances over his shoulder ".. other shit going on here, the likes o'which I've never seen. If you want me to run my investigations and keep the fuck ups down until I can get out of your hair, I understand." He is also watching her face and finding that maybe having a woman boss isn't as terribly different as he thought. "But I'm asking, don't stick me in a hole." Okay, that's wasn't really asking now was it Seanie?
*
"Hell, Cassidy, there isn't a single person in this entire damn office who just gets to keep their head down, run regular investigations, and stay out of trouble. We don't *have* holes here. Well, except for maybe Markus. He's too dumb to do much more." Yes, she has a pretty ditz of a secretary. Turn about in sexism is fair play, right? "But any full fledged agent has to pull their weight here. We have too much happening and not enough hands. So, don't think you're going to get a coasting assignment here where you can come in half sauced or completely hung over every morning and still manage. You are going to work and you're going to see things you never thought possible. We're twice the work of Interpol for half the pay. SO, the real question is, are you actually able to put the bottle down and pick up the job?"
*
Yea, that was going way too smoothly, Sean didn't think he was going to get that lucky but it was worth a shot. He nods as gives a small head lilt at the comment about poor pretty Markus in agreement. "So, you expect me t'be a full SHIELD agent then?" He asks more to himself than to Peggy as he lets his eyes slide off to the side in consideration.
He rocks back a bit and takes a sip of coffee. This was definitely not the deal Richard pitched him, but it's also not the desk jockey bit that he was expecting. "I wasn't expectin' that. Clearly." He laughs a bit to himself as he adds "Even Markus c'd tell that." Awww, cheap shot. "B't I like the sound of it. I might need to throw a bone to Richard on the other stuff, but y'r the boss." Yea, there was not acknowledgement of the drinking and or comments on the bottle in there, again even Markus would catch that. "What w'd I be startin' with?"
*
The dark haired woman still doesn't look all that thrilled, or convinced, but she's not kicking him out of her office. "Yes. You are a full Agent or you're not here. I'm not playing babysitter. I bloody well mean it when I say the moment you show up sauced I will kick you back home so fast you won't know what happened. So I want you to look me in the eye and tell me if you actually think you are *capable* of doing that? No shite." It seems Peggy isn't even willing to give him his first assignment until he makes this promise.
*
Sean locks his eyes on Peggy as she lays it out for him. His lips purse slightly and he holds her gaze. He looks thoughtful as he considers what she is saying. After a while he can't even hold her gaze and he has to look away. He desperately wants to ask what happens if he says no, but at the same time he knows he doesn't want to hear the answer.
And finally he quietly breathes "Fine." And then a little stronger he answers "Yes. I am capable of doing this. Stone sober on the clock." There is a brief pause as he sheepishly adds "So long as that starts tomorrow." Yea.. whoops. His eyes trail down though as he contemplates that thought and if he really believes himself.
*
The woman can see the cracks. The doubt. He didn't know if he could do it. *She* didn't know if he could do it. But, Peggy has a habit of challenging people to rise to the occasion, not assuming they will fail. It's how she's gotten some of her best agents. So, despite seeing the doubt, she nods quietly to him. "Good. I will hold you to those words."
Then his eyes are going down and he admits the last part. Her expression darkens a bit, but she gives him a single nod, "Tomorrow, then, you get your first assignment. I'm not risking my Agents' lives… or your life, by shoving you tipsy into the field. Go home. Shower up. Sober up. I expect you here 9 am tomorrow clear eyed and ready to work. Understood?"
*
Well he's honest you have to give him that, that's about all you have to give him though as that's also pretty damn pathetic. Thankful that she doesn't kill this before it starts, Sean stands before she changes her mind. He sets the coffee down in order to offer his hand.
"Nine A.M., not a problem." His face flashes a micro expression of a wince as he realizes half way through that he is already mentally calculating when he needs to stop drinking in order to be sober by nine. Ooh boy that's an ugly one to face as he realizes how often he has been doing some version of that drunken math. He recovers quick enough to flash a wane smile. There is no bravado about not regretting this, or not letting her down, Sean has long since stopped making those stupid proclamations. Instead he repeats "Nine A.M.", that he can commit to.
*
"9 am. See you then, Cassidy. Dismissed." Peggy clips out, not bothering to stand again. She has work to do and they are done here. She nods him to the door and then looks back down to the report she was analyzing, her dark pen picked back up as she lines through a few sections like nothing ever happened. Women and multitasking, comes as easily as breathing.
*
Sean takes his leave and he isn't past Markus' desk before he stops to light a cigarette. Ah, the 60's where people still smoke inside. Sadly Markus might even overhear Sean giving himself a pep talk "You c'n do this." He steals himself and heads out of the office, not quite ready to face the world sober though, that can wait until tomorrow.
*