Who: Kenzie, Chris, and Nick Where: Chris and Kenzie’s - Maple Leaf Dr. When: Sunday, Early afternoon, June 24th Status: Complete
Kenzie hadn’t lived with another person since college and it took some getting used to. The Foundation had approved their request to move out of Juniper and into a house of their “own”. It definitely seemed as though they would be in Point Pleasant indefinitely, so it made more financial sense to rent a place and approach the whole mission differently. Kenzie had tried not to drive Chris too crazy with her slight OCD-neatness, but thankfully he wasn’t a slob, so she hadn’t been driven to the point of madness yet. The house was fully furnished with two bedrooms and a den, so at least they had places to go to get away from each other whenever they needed to.
There was a small room to the left of the kitchen that she supposed the former tenants had used as storage. It was empty now and Kenzie had turned it into a proper workspace. Their laptops, files on Point Pleasant, maps, and about a million other things had begun to fill the space. She loved having a proper desk to work on, though that didn’t stop her from spreading things out on the bed upstairs when she couldn’t quite pull herself away from the job. Which was often. Like now, for instance. She had her laptop out on the kitchen table, her glasses perched on her nose as she filled in her most recent report to send to headquarters. Point Pleasant was a plethora of supernatural activity and more than that, it seemed never-ending. Something was always happening.
She was checking her notes on the legal pad beside her when someone knocked at the front door. Kenzie had sort of made friends with the couple next door, mostly because they were nosy and kept bringing her and Chris sweets and pastries every other day, but she really hoped they would leave her be today. She had work to do, dammit and she didn’t want to have to hide it all if they insisted she invite them in.
Sighing, Kenzie pushed back from the table to walk to the front door and peer through the peephole. It was Nick. Relieved, Kenzie unlocked the door and opened it to invite him in, a small smile on her face. “Hey, come on in. How’ve you been doing?”
Ever since Addie had more or less proposed to him, Nick had been antsy to talk to Kenzie and Chris. Well, probably Kenzie more than Chris, she seemed the type to actually be knowledgeable about the rules and regulations and shit around this kind of thing. They knew the Foundation better than Nick did, he wasn’t even a full agent. Nick hoped that meant breaking ties would be easier. He was scared it wasn’t possible at all, but he was trying to keep that possibility out of his mind until he knew more.
Nick supposed he could’ve just called, but he preferred to have this sort of conversation in person. He’d spent a lot of the early weekend with Addie, so it wasn’t until Sunday afternoon that Nick was able to swing by their house. He was nervous ringing the bell, but managed to return Kenzie’s faint smile as he stepped inside. “Hey ... I’ve been okay. How about you guys?” Nick asked, mostly to just return the nicety. Was anybody ever honest on those questions?
"Pretty busy," Kenzie admitted with a smile, because clearly that didn't bother her. Quite the opposite, in fact. Closing the door behind him, Kenzie assumed that Nick was probably not here for a leisurely visit, so she gestured for him to sit down and walked to the open door of the downstairs den to call for Chris. With that done, Kenzie rejoined Nick. As she was about to sit, she hesitated. "Do you want something to drink?" She was used to being welcomed into homes and offered things when she was on the job and interviewing people, but it was taking some getting used to being on the other side of it, even if it was with another colleague.
Nick sat where Kenzie gestured him to, rubbing his palms against his jeaned knees a bit as he settled in. He tried to make himself stop, not wanting to appear nervous about any of this, even though he was. He didn’t think Kenzie or Chris would try to make trouble for him, but the whole subject felt touchy. Maybe because it meant a lot to him. He wanted to tie up the loose ends in his life that he couldn’t tell Addie about, then make a real future with her, with no secrets. “Ah, no that’s okay, I’m fine,” Nick told Kenzie with an appreciative little smile.
Chris had been working out while Kenzie did work-work. The den in this house had enough room for him to set up a weight bench, and since he didn’t love the gym in this town, he’d been eager to make some space to take care of himself. When she called for him, he finished his set and sat up to reach for a towel. He emerged from the basement with it draped over one shoulder, wiping sweat off of his face and neck. His shirt was damp and he probably smelled like sweat now, but he didn’t give it a second thought even when he saw that Nick was sitting on their couch. “Oh. Hey,” he greeted, then looked questioningly at Kenzie.
Kenzie had no idea what the visit was about and the brief glance at Chris said as much. Sitting down in a chair beside the couch, Kenzie clasped her hands together, smiling politely at Nick. She had always been good at reading people, and she could tell that Nick was nervous. That probably meant bad news was on the horizon. Or maybe there was something going on in town he felt like they ought to know about. That was more intriguing than anything else, but Kenzie didn't want to immediately jump on Nick with questions. "So what's up?" she asked, now that Chris was with them. He was sweaty from his workout - which was something Kenzie was deliberately ignoring, since she didn't need to get aroused with Nick in the room - but she didn't really want to wait for Chris to clean up before Nick got around to what he needed to talk about.
Nick glanced between them as Chris took up a position leaning against the wall. He suddenly wasn’t sure how to feel being there -- part stupid, like he was making a big deal out of nothing, part anxious because what if they just decided to murder him or something ... that was crazy though, wsn’t it? He knew they weren’t all friends, but they’d never had friction between them before, and he hoped this didn’t turn into a bigger problem for him. “Uh ...” Nick started, rubbing his palms on his thighs once or twice more. He’d decided that approaching them in a way that was asking for help was the best way to start. “I need some advice. I’m, uh ... this is gonna sound corny, but I’m in love. And I think that means I need to cut ties with ... our mutual organization. I just don’t know if that’s feasible or dangerous or what.”
Kenzie wasn't sure what she had been expecting, but she was still taken aback when Nick spoke. He was in love and wanting to leave the Foundation. For a moment, Kenzie wasn't really sure how to respond and she glanced at Chris. Was it feasible? She had never known anyone who left the organization voluntarily. "Wow," Kenzie said finally, offering Nick a small smile. "I mean, I'm sure it's feasible, Nick. I'm just not sure of the decommissioning procedure for a voluntary exit." She paused for a beat. "Are you sure that's what you want to do, though? How long have you been with this person?" It was such a huge decision and yes, potentially life changing. Kenzie felt like Nick ought to be completely sure in his decision before they proceeded.
Chris was just as clueless as Kenzie was, and it showed in the way he lifted his brows and shrugged a bit when she glanced at him. He knew people had to leave the Foundation sometimes, shit happened in life, but he’d never personally heard any stories about it. Agents were so scattered all over the country all the time, you just heard through the grapevine that someone was no longer around and you accepted it without much question.
Nick looked a little flustered at the questions from Kenzie. “It’s been a while,” he said, not really feeling like he owed her specifics like that. “Long enough to know that I’m sure about her. It’s getting to the point where I either have to start lying a lot more than I’m willing to do, or make a break so I can fully have my life back. I just ... I don’t want to put her in any danger, either way. Have you guys ever heard of such a thing? If I bring it up to my contact they’re not gonna like, come and assassinate me or some shit, right? I don’t even have the clearance you guys have, I’m more of an informant ...”
It was difficult for Kenzie to wrap her mind around leaving the job for love. Then again, maybe it was easier for her because she was involved with a colleague, who knew the job and understood its demands. It had to be harder for Nick, because he couldn't talk about this stuff with his girlfriend the way Kenzie and Chris could. "No one is going to assassinate you," Kenzie assured him, a small smile playing at her lips. "I think given your status within the organization, it will be easier to walk away without a lot of issues. You signed an NDA and as long as you abide by it, they'll likely leave you alone. But you'll probably have to return to Atlanta to be properly decommissioned." She was going to assume Nick knew he couldn't tell his girlfriend about the Foundation, even after he was no longer a part of it.
“I’ve never heard anything about the whole process, but yeah, they’ll probably want to debrief you ... make you sign some more shit,” Chris suggested. Now that the surprise had passed, he honestly thought it was kind of cute. Nick had always struck him as kind of a permanent bachelor, but it wasn’t like Chris was good at making those sorts of judgements. Part of him was slightly tempted to share that they were in love too, but he knew how foolish that sort of revelation would be.
Nick gave Kenzie a faint smile at the reassurance that he wouldn’t be sniped from some window at some point, though he hadn’t really expected that extreme of a reaction. He hadn’t exactly forgotten his NDA, but it hadn’t been in the front of his mind as he thought about all of this. Keeping Addie safe was his priority. He didn’t know that the Foundation would do something bad to her, but he didn’t know they wouldn’t, either. So if he could keep all of this under wraps for the rest of his life, he would try. It just had to end here. Nick nodded a bit to the both of them, encouraged by Kenzie’s speculation. “I can abide by it, for sure,” he said, at least mostly sure it was true. He tended to want to tell Addie everything, but maybe that urge to blurt would fade with some distance from the secret. “She thinks I’m just a writer, never suspected anything else. But if we’re advancing things, moving in together, you know ...” Nick made a vague gesture with one hand. “I can’t live a double life. It wouldn’t be right.”
Kenzie couldn't say for sure what The Foundation would do to keep its secrets and she honestly didn't want to find out. Nick being in love provided some collateral, and she knew he probably knew that, otherwise he wouldn't look so nervous. "I understand," she said with a small nod. "If you want, I can contact someone in Atlanta and get some information for you." They may be more willing to let Nick go now that Chris and Kenzie were currently stationed in the same town. Obviously the two of them could keep an eye on Nick if need be, make sure he didn't develop loose lips, though Kenzie was fairly confident that he wouldn't. He was an intelligent guy and she doubted he would knowingly put his loved ones in danger. "I can't promise they won't want to run checks on your girlfriend, or her family. But it may be a small price to pay to cut ties, you know?"
Chris had an idea of how cutthroat the Foundation was when it came to anomalies, and he wasn’t sure how that would translate into how ruthless they would act with their employees. Granted, Nick was more of a contractor, not a full-fledged agent. He didn’t even want to think about what he and Kenzie might have to go through to separate themselves ... or even what they would do afterward. Chris didn’t really know how to live any other kind of life anymore, and he was willing to bet Kenzie felt the same. Her warning to Nick made him smile faintly and he lightly asked, “Yeah, any skeletons in her closet?”
Nick had been nodding to Kenzie, then he had to chuckle a bit at Chris’s quip. It wouldn’t have really been funny if it wasn’t so ironic. “Don’t think, so ... plenty of bodies in the basement, though. ... Her family owns the local funeral home,” he clarified with a wan smile. “I don’t think there’s anything sketchy in their background though, the business is legit and they’re ... they’re good people.” His tone said he knew that might not matter, but he hoped it would. “But yeah, if that makes the process any easier, it’s definitely worth it. If you really don’t mind asking around a bit, I would appreciate it. I know you’ve got more connections than me. But only if it’s no trouble, I can always call my contact direct.”
The funeral home. Kenzie had visited the business a while back, when she and Chris had initially been assigned to Point Pleasant. There had only been one person working there at the time. A tiny, overly excited blonde who didn't look older than twenty five. That didn't mean she was that young, but... still. Kenzie tried to suppress her smile by pressing her lips together. "I know who you're talking about. The Rayner Funeral Home. I've never had such an enthusiastic tour of a funeral home before. But it's honestly no trouble. I'll make some calls today and get back to you once I have some proper answers." Leaving the Foundation had never really been something Kenzie put too much thought into, although she knew it would happen one day. Preferably when she was still young enough to travel and do things she was otherwise unable to do right now. If Nick wanted to leave to settle down, well... that was his business.
He had to grin a bit at Kenzie’s choice of words. Nick could very easily picture that exact enthusiasm as Addie showed her around the place. He’d had the same tour, just with more flirtations. “Yeah, she’s perky, to say the least,” he said with obvious affection. Their age gap crossed his mind, but Nick didn’t feel the need to bring it up here, it wasn’t any of their business. Addie was a full grown woman, very capable of making her own decisions, and for some blessed reason she’d decided on him. Nick was willing to make sacrifices to decide on her, too. “I really appreciate it, Kenzie,” Nick said, his tone sincere. He moved to stand up. “I’ll get outta your way now. Just give me a call whenever, I’ve always got my phone on me.”
A perky, young blonde who worked in a funeral home. For some reason, that seemed to fit in this town. Kenzie stood when Nick did so she could walk him to the door. "It's no problem. I'll give you a call as soon as I can." She didn't think it would take very long to get to the proper people and find out what Nick needed to do to cut ties. Hopefully it was a smooth and painless process, but with the Foundation, one never knew. After saying goodbye and watching him walk down off of the porch, Kenzie closed the door and turned to Chris, her brow arched. "There's no way that perky mortician is older than twenty-five. Maybe he's hit a midlife crisis or something."
Chris made the tiny effort of ambling to the foyer while Kenzie saw Nick out, adding on a “see ya” to Kenzie’s goodbye. Once they were alone again, her words made him chuckle a bit. He hadn’t yet met the subject of Nick’s desire, but he had a feeling he would at some point, in the course of their work. Local morticians could be great sources of information when weird shit was afoot. “Maybe so,” he said mildly, lifting one shoulder in a shrug. “Or maybe they really hit it off, who knows. Twenty five is grown enough.” Chris wasn’t sure how old Nick really was, but he was definitely still in good shape, and seemed like he’d be handsome enough to the ladies. “Or hell, maybe she’s got daddy issues,” he added with a little snort.
"Well, whatever it is, I hope it's worth leaving the Foundation for. That's going to be a pretty big adjustment for him. Or not, since he's not a full-fledged agent, so maybe it will just be a blip." Kenzie shrugged before taking a breath and placing her hands on her hips. "I guess I should make some calls. You know they're going to make us babysit him, right? To make sure he keeps his mouth shut." She trusted Nick enough that it wasn't likely to become a problem, but it was still mildly annoying. Kenzie finally got a good look at Chris in his workout clothes. She smiled, leaning back against the front door as she studied him. "Would you quit your job for a twenty five year old blonde who embalms people for a living and has daddy issues?"
He knew it would have been a huge adjustment for them, but he didn’t know how deep in the lifestyle Nick was. Maybe his writing was profitable enough that he didn’t need the income, and if he didn’t feel really dedicated to it ... good riddance, as far as Chris was concerned. Kenzie was probably right that they would have to report in about him, but he wasn’t too concerned about it at the moment. He was more into enjoying the way Kenzie leaned back against the door. A little smirk on his face, he sauntered in closer and put one hand up against the door. “Nah, think I’m past the ‘twenty five year old blonde’ phase in my life,” he said. Chris eyed her, his expression still vaguely playful. “Might quit for somebody, though. Someday.”
Kenzie was being judgmental, and she knew it. But it was hard to wrap her mind around leaving this kind of job for a civilian. Then again, Nick wasn't as deep into it as she and Chris and if he found someone who made him happier than his work, that was fine. It was his life, after all. She started forgetting about Nick and his girlfriend when Chris came in close to her, causing her heart to trip in her chest. Why did he have to be so damn attractive? "Someday, huh?" Kenzie eyed him, a barely concealed smirk on her face. "She'll probably have to be gorgeous and ridiculously intelligent, right?"
“Naturally,” Chris agreed smoothly, leaning in a bit closer. He put his free hand on Kenzie’s hip. “Brilliant, hot, funny, tons of fun ... shall I go on?” Amused, he dipped in to nibble lightly at the side of her neck. He knew he probably smelled like sweat from his workout, but that had never seemed to bother Kenzie before. Besides he wasn’t really trying to start anything major right there at the front door, he just couldn’t help but flirt with her when the opportunity arose. Which happened so much more often now that they were living together like a married couple. He was getting more comfortable with the ruse, settling into the role -- it wasn’t too hard when he’d already wanted to share a bed with Kenzie every night. “Not gonna try to take her away from what she loves though,” he added softly near her ear, then kissed her cheek.
Chris had always been a flirt and in the past, it was a trait of his that had always both amused and annoyed her, even when it was directed at her. Now, however, she found it got her heart beating faster and her blood pumping hotter. It was still something of an adjustment to be living with him - as a cover, of course - but Kenzie was finding that she was enjoying it now, especially when he was all sweaty from a workout and standing so close to her. "For the record, she sounds pretty much perfect," Kenzie said, turning her face to brush her lips against his. "And you're doing better than most men if you recognize how much doing what she loves means to her. Which reminds me that I have a report to finish. Are you done with your workout?" Kenzie was thinking she could finish up her work and then join him in the shower, if that's where he was headed.
It was a strange situation, so familiar and yet so different than living with his ex-wife had been. For one, he and Kenzie weren’t really married ... even if it was starting to feel like it at random moments. But it was hard not to feel closer to someone after living with them. It was inescapably intimate, especially for such a new relationship -- especially a new relationship they had to keep somewhat to themselves. The Foundation likely assumed that they had separate bedrooms, but acting as a married couple out in public was part of their cover, and Chris had found that he really enjoyed being with Kenzie, even if they had to partially pretend it was fake. Chris just hummed a vague agreement that Kenzie was pretty much perfect, and he was better than most men. He loved the job too, and he knew if it came down to an ultimatum between him or the work, Kenzie would choose the work. Rightfully so, probably. He just wanted her to be happy in all ways. Chris pulled back a bit to give her some room, a knowing little smirk on his face. “I’m cooled down now, so yeah,” he answered. “Gonna shower, I guess.”
Kenzie honestly hadn't given much thought to what would happen if their relationship came to light. It didn't occur to her that she would ever have to choose between them and it was probably better that she remain ignorant to it. Chris was the first relationship she'd had in a really long time and she knew that lines between real and fake could get blurry in the situation they were in. But they were enjoying each other, and having a space of their own, and she didn't want to let that go just yet. "You should take a really nice, long shower," Kenzie suggested, reaching out to grip his shirt, pulling him back to her so she could kiss him again. "I may be able to join you in about ten minutes... if you're willing to wait for me."
He made a soft intrigued sound against Kenzie’s lips as he kissed her back, lingering for a few heartbeats. Her mouth was just addicting. All of her was, honestly. “I need to soak under some hot water for a while anyway,” Chris murmured as their lips parted again, quirking a faint smile. He wasn’t truly sore, didn’t actually need to relax that much, but he did need Kenzie naked in the shower with him if she was into the idea. He patted her ass as he pulled away again, moving out of reach this time. “Finish up your report, Poindexter. I know homework gets you horny, so come take advantage of me when you’re ready.” Chris flashed her a teasing grin before he turned to head for the stairs.