[ She tries to be a good person. She hasn't always succeeded, of course, and those memories haunt her every day. The deaths she'd caused, both by choice and by association, still plague her dreams and fuel her nightmares; they probably always will. So if it takes the rest of her life to make up for the pain she's caused, she'll gladly do it. ]
Thank you. [ It's more serious than what she'd said before, reality slipping back into the forefront of her mind. Poking at one of the pancakes with her fork, she looks between it and him for a moment before speaking again. ] I'm not even really sure where to start. The figuring things out part...
[ No one is completely 100% good. Everyone makes mistakes, and everyone has things they wish they could do again. Daniel knows he sure does. And whatever Daisy's done, well, no one's perfect, right? It's easier said than done, but all anyone can do is try to move forward and learn from their past. ]
Not a problem at all. [ He smiles, even though he has no right to be even a little happy about any of this. It's been some time since he had anyone to take care of, and not that it's his place to take care of Daisy, if he can at least make sure she's fed, that's enough, isn't it? Sort of... That train of thought doesn't entirely make sense, but he's all not looking too closely at it. ]
I suppose if I was in your shoes, I'd try to reach my team, by mail or a phone call first. [ He shrugs. ] And if that doesn't work, then I guess I'd turn to my connections next. Which you can absolutely use, by the way. If anyone asks, just tell them to ask me about it.
Your connections... [ SHIELD. Well, the SSR. The people who might try to dig into who she is, finding out she doesn't exist here and she certainly doesn't have connections to any intelligence agency and hadn't been involved in the war. And even if they didn't discover those things, they wouldn't be able to help her reach her team. (If only they could.)
She can't say any of that though. Nor can she tell him that none of it will work, that there's no way of contacting them and she has nothing and nowhere to turn to. He's all she's got and no way will she put that on him.
So she nods, playing with a bit of pancake with her fork. ]
Thank you, Sousa. I know I keep saying that, but I really do mean it. [ Clearing her throat, she sets her fork down and focuses her attention fully on him. ] So what are you up to today, anyway? Do you have SSR things to take care of?
[ He just smiles warmly at her thanks, feeling what might be the start of a blush creeping its way back up his neck. ] Happy to help, of course. [ And he'd do it all over again if he had to.
When she asks about what he has planned for the day, he just shrugs. ]
Oh, some paperwork I didn't finish up before, and I have some calls to make. Nothing much.
[ Unless something high priority crosses his desk, which, like it or not, it usually does. But he won't find that out until he goes into the office. ]
Uh- We should probably figure out what you're going to do today. You need anything from me?
[ Anything more than he's already given her, that is. ]
[ He really has such a nice smile, it almost distracts her from the topic at hand. A very welcome distraction, of course — she'd rather talk about anything other than what she's going to do.
Looking down at her plate in contemplation for a moment, she thinks back over everything he'd said the day before. When she glances back up, it's with a dimmed smile that betrays just how tired she feels. ]
Some stamps would be great. You mentioned those before, and I have some ideas for where I can start.
[ It's a lie, of course. Stamps won't do a damn thing to get her team back here faster. She can't tell him that, though, so a charade it is. ]
[ He pushes his chair back from the table and heads over to a drawer that he roots around in for a second or two before coming back. ]
Hopefully this is enough. Not sure how many letters you'll need to send.
[ He sets down two books of stamps, as well as stationery and envelopes. And of course, because a person can't write letters without pens, he's grabbed a handful of those too. ]
[ She feels so incredibly guilty when he returns with those books of stamps and everything else she'll need to write the letters she'll never be able to send. It takes everything in her to accept them with a smile and a nod, offering reassurance instead of breaking and explaining everything to him in one go. ]
This is more than enough. [ She fiddles with one of the pens, even just the style of it feeling so different than what she's used to. It leaves her feeling on edge and like she needs to run, to get out and find higher ground to get her bearings. With a sudden deep breath, she stands, forcing another bright smile. ]
I think I'll find somewhere to hole up, get these written and posted, and then... [ A glance down at herself and the borrowed pajamas she couldn't exactly wear in public. ] Go shopping. Find a few things to hold me over until...
[ She gestures with the bundle of stamps and stationery, though it's a lie too. There may never be an until, but he can't know that. ]
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Thank you. [ It's more serious than what she'd said before, reality slipping back into the forefront of her mind. Poking at one of the pancakes with her fork, she looks between it and him for a moment before speaking again. ] I'm not even really sure where to start. The figuring things out part...
no subject
Not a problem at all. [ He smiles, even though he has no right to be even a little happy about any of this. It's been some time since he had anyone to take care of, and not that it's his place to take care of Daisy, if he can at least make sure she's fed, that's enough, isn't it? Sort of... That train of thought doesn't entirely make sense, but he's all not looking too closely at it. ]
I suppose if I was in your shoes, I'd try to reach my team, by mail or a phone call first. [ He shrugs. ] And if that doesn't work, then I guess I'd turn to my connections next. Which you can absolutely use, by the way. If anyone asks, just tell them to ask me about it.
no subject
She can't say any of that though. Nor can she tell him that none of it will work, that there's no way of contacting them and she has nothing and nowhere to turn to. He's all she's got and no way will she put that on him.
So she nods, playing with a bit of pancake with her fork. ]
Thank you, Sousa. I know I keep saying that, but I really do mean it. [ Clearing her throat, she sets her fork down and focuses her attention fully on him. ] So what are you up to today, anyway? Do you have SSR things to take care of?
no subject
When she asks about what he has planned for the day, he just shrugs. ]
Oh, some paperwork I didn't finish up before, and I have some calls to make. Nothing much.
[ Unless something high priority crosses his desk, which, like it or not, it usually does. But he won't find that out until he goes into the office. ]
Uh- We should probably figure out what you're going to do today. You need anything from me?
[ Anything more than he's already given her, that is. ]
no subject
Looking down at her plate in contemplation for a moment, she thinks back over everything he'd said the day before. When she glances back up, it's with a dimmed smile that betrays just how tired she feels. ]
Some stamps would be great. You mentioned those before, and I have some ideas for where I can start.
[ It's a lie, of course. Stamps won't do a damn thing to get her team back here faster. She can't tell him that, though, so a charade it is. ]
no subject
[ He pushes his chair back from the table and heads over to a drawer that he roots around in for a second or two before coming back. ]
Hopefully this is enough. Not sure how many letters you'll need to send.
[ He sets down two books of stamps, as well as stationery and envelopes. And of course, because a person can't write letters without pens, he's grabbed a handful of those too. ]
no subject
This is more than enough. [ She fiddles with one of the pens, even just the style of it feeling so different than what she's used to. It leaves her feeling on edge and like she needs to run, to get out and find higher ground to get her bearings. With a sudden deep breath, she stands, forcing another bright smile. ]
I think I'll find somewhere to hole up, get these written and posted, and then... [ A glance down at herself and the borrowed pajamas she couldn't exactly wear in public. ] Go shopping. Find a few things to hold me over until...
[ She gestures with the bundle of stamps and stationery, though it's a lie too. There may never be an until, but he can't know that. ]