Return to Me. [Tiff, and FBI]

[mrstiffany]

When Craig had first called, she had thought and assumed the worst. When instead it was a request for her to pack enough in a carry-on and be ready in 45 minutes, she didn't ask questions. There was a reason for his urgency, and she trusted that. Saying a simple prayer to herself as she packed with ease, a decent size bag packed. She had a smaller purse like bag as well, considering she had a hunch she was probably flying.

In that short time, there would be a knock at her door, her husband's friend waiting for you. “'Elle.” He said flatly, holding the door open for her. “Craig.” She said brightly, trying to downplay her nervousness. She wasn't going to fret. There would have been a different sort of reaction from the taller man if Matthew had died. As far as she was concerned, the operation in Gotham was going well. At least the snippets of news reports she had read were as such.

That thought brought a faint smile to her lips as she climbed into the car and was wordlessly escorted to one of the smaller, more private airports. Matthew was doing well, even if she wasn't there to support him. Her thoughts and prayers were more than sufficient currently, and her journal, and their own journal were regularly updated. Even though some of her passages were rather wistful, she tried to keep them upbeat.

Soon enough she was on a plane, a transfer made from the small airport in Texas to one half-way between their home, and now his mission. She was given another set of instructions, which she made a mental note of. She would be dropped in the outskirts, getting through a checkpoint before she would allowed inside Gotham's limits.

Another flight, a small meal provided, and she was able to get in a bit of meditation as well as a few winks of sleep. Finally her shoulder was gently jostled, as she woke to a dark sky lit by a smattering of lights through her window. Gotham. As she readied for a landing, there was a simple, nondescript car waiting for her, a nod and a smile given to her as she took up the seat in back, her bags placed beside her. It had been a long day so far, but....it was going to be worth it. If nothing but as an example that a man is much more able to succeed with the proper support and love uplifting him. She had an hour to diligently keep this condemned city in her prayers, as well as those citizens her husband was trying to separate into those that were worthy, and those that needed to face the consequences of their actions. As she petite blonde closed her eyes, she would fold one hand over the other, quietly moving her lips as she was finally driven through a high,electrified fence.

It was another few minutes before the car would stop, her name gently said. “Mrs. Tiffany, we're here.” Her eyes would open as she nodded. “Agent Tiffany is currently working. But this is the best place to bring you right now, as we are not aware of his quarters.” The man continued as he left the vehicle, and opened her door for her, grabbing her bags and offering her the smaller of the two.

“Thank you. There must be a place where I could wait until he's done.”She responded, brushing her hands over her skirt, and the thicker jacket she had thought to bring. While it was pleasantly warm in Texas, it was crisp and chilly in Gotham. Her foresight had been rewarded as she was not freezing, nor shaking as a leaf as she followed the suit-clad man up the stairs of the building into the hustle and bustle of the FBI's newfound headquarters, the blonde brought to a small office that was nothing less that impeccably kept. Matthew's. She knew it before she had even sat down in the chair.

He always requested two chairs, no matter where he was assigned. A larger, high-backed brown leather chair, armrests, wheels. Another would be a sort of barrel chair, and always 30 degrees to the right of directly across from his own. Giving another smile to the man, she was glad to be done traveling, but she also knew there would be an upheaval before any calm.

Matthew hadn't wanted her to come here. It was corrupt. The phone calls, the arguments, she knew what he was trying to keep her from. But Craig had said otherwise. Craig Donaldson, a good friend of their's had sent her to him. To uplift his spirits, and resolve, no doubt. Being in a cesspool, surrounded by such darkness was so tiring. And Matthew couldn't argue Craig's choice. He was his superior. So, she had come. And now she knew he would be spitting fire, almost if he had been possessed by a demon of the city himself. But he would understand. His demure, non-heathen wife would be a breath of fresh air in the musty city.

So, Noelle would walk over to his chair, sit in it gently, and wait, gently removing a small notebook and Bible and wait for him, interceding until someone would speak to her, or she would need to reach out for anything.

[Deleted]

Agent Stevens and Phoebe quietly leave one of the nearby offices where the pair were delivering a report on some of their activities. But the moment that the two exit that room, Agent Stevens turns to Phoebe and asks, "Now what was that about?"

"I don't want to talk about it," the girl answers quietly.

Agent Stevens frowns and debates for a moment between leaving it at that or pressing further. But Phoebe has been saying that more and more lately, and she's getting worried. "I..." she starts, but she never finishes that thought because Phoebe has already read the comment from her mind and interrupts.

"I said, I don't want to talk about it!" Phoebe replies, her words clipped as a flare of anger reaches her voice. She doesn't actually shout, but there's a level of intensity to the statement that suggests it.

Agent Stevens knows to immediately back off. "Okay, okay," she says soothingly, hands raised a little in defense, and her own voice suddenly switching to worried and maybe even a little bit fearful, "We don't have to talk about it."

There's an awkward pause as Phoebe recognizes that she was losing her temper and takes a deep breath to calm herself while Agent Stevens watches her carefully and muses over the fact that Phoebe should still be two and a half years away from acting like a teenager. That thought causes Phoebe's anger to start rising again, so she takes another deep breath and forces it back down.

It's then that Agent Stevens notices that the door to Agent Tiff's office is open only a few more feet down the hallway and that hardly does anything to soothe her nerves. She's tried to keep her reports of Phoebe's recent mood changes as mildly stated as possible. This is, after all, the girl's first mission and it could simply be a phase. No need to raise any alarm bells until she's certain there's cause for it, and the girl has been performing well while she's actually working. So arguing in front of the office of the head of this operation is not a good idea.

Sensing that worry, Phoebe quickly checks the office with her telepathy - something that comes nearly as naturally to her as looking into a room with her eyes. "He's not in there, it's some lady reading the Bible," she comments, overeager to change the subject.

[mrstiffany]

Noelle was jotting down a few things when the commotion hits her ears. Not that it's real commotion, but for the hour that it is, and the fact this office is now under her husband's jurisdiction, she is more than shocked to hear the noises, AND the voice of a child. A girl, at that. Blinking several times, Noelle bookmarks both the notebook, as well as the Bible before standing, smoothing out her skirt, and promptly walking to the doorway and peering out.

It doesn't take long for Mrs. Tiffany to spot the youngster, as well as the older guardian of the girl. Not that she doesn't know that is the guardian, but considering the look on the girl's face, she knows what is going on there. She's been there before. Frustration, lack of a schedule, and of course, a good meal and a warm hug. Smiling brightly, her books tucked in the crook of her arm, Noelle calls out to the duo. “Ladies, is there anything I can help you with?” As if she runs the place. It's not hard to put two and two together, the woman is commanding the area just like her own counterpart; her husband.

[Deleted]

Phoebe's comment causes Agent Stevens to frown - who would be hanging around in Agent Tiff's office? But before she can do anything, the 'lady' that Phoebe referred to is at the door and looking at them. That, of course, only causes more questions. Agent Stevens thought that she'd met all of the higher-level agents that might be hanging around here, and this is not one of them.

Her lips start to form a word starting with 'WH' when Phoebe supplies, "That's Agent Tiff's wife." It's odd recognizing someone based on someone else's thoughts, but as soon as the woman appeared in the doorway Phoebe knew where she'd seen that face before.

"Ah," Agent Stevens says, taken a bit by surprise but quick to regain her composure. She thinks she remembers hearing that Agent Tiff was married at some point. Her mouth does a 180 and switches to a polite smile. "I'm Agent Stevens, and this is Force. Pleased to meet you," she says with a polite nod. "And no, we were just talking," she adds, giving Phoebe a sidelong glance before she looks back at Mrs. Tiffany, "Is there anything we can help you with? I didn't hear you were in town." Okay, a little awkward, but she was just unexpected caught by her boss's wife having a short but heated exchange with Phoebe so all things considered, not half bad. Still, it's a sign of just how taken aback she is - Agent Stevens isn't usually easily flustered.

Phoebe, on the other hand, is completely unphased as she eyes the petite blonde woman curiously. She does, however, keep her mouth shut. Better to let the full responsibility of awkward social situations fall squarely on Agent Stevens instead of her. And on the plus side, she's guessing this will put the meeting they just got out of completely out of her guardian's mind and they would have to discuss it later either.

[mrstiffany]

Her keen eyes watch the interaction between the adult, and the not quite so little girl. The girl is very quick, and able to decipher who she is before the woman. Impressive. Raising a brow she takes a few steps toward them to close the gap. “Nice to meet you Agent Stevens,” And she pauses, about to comment on the more newfangled trendy names before she shrugs it off. “And you, Force.” Holding out her hand to shake, she continues, introducing herself as well. “I'm Noelle Tiffany, and yes, Force, I am Mathew's wife.” Rather pleasant, she nods to them both. “Feel free to call me Noelle, 'Elle, Mrs. Tiffany, even though that is more for formal gatherings.” She breaks into another contagious smile.

“And no, thank you. Our family friend Craig Donaldson sent me out here. Said it was important. We've done enough work with him for me to question, so, about 12 hours later, I'm here in this chilly Gotham.” It was a sort of whirlwind summons, and travel agenda, but, oh well, she's honestly dealt with more strenuous, stressful things in life.

“I'm sort to impose, but I doubt anyone other than Craig, and that nice Agent who drove me in know I'm hear. I didn't want to interfere, but I heard yelling while I was reading and studying in his office. It's nice to see he's settled in. That chair, you know.” She easily prattles on. “But I was just going to wait until he was done and went to retire in his quarters. Maybe I'd bug one of you for a cup of tea later, or where the ladies' room is...but..well, enough about me.”


Those big blue eyes go from Force to Agent Stevens. They don't seem close. And if that's not the case...why is a young girl here in the FBI building? Surely it isn't because of some sinful thing, or her being used in some devilry, she hopes. Clearing her throat, she smooths her skirt down, her warm jacket still on, although it's unzipped. “I'm guessing, well, you work for Mathew?” She haltingly asks.

[Deleted]

Keeping the polite smile on her face, Agent Stevens listens to the woman talk. So used to the serious business of the FBI's mission in Gotham, it's a bit eerie suddenly running into someone who is so... happy and energetic. Not that she isn't happy too, at least when she gets a break, but she like most people here keep it to themselves for the most part.

Phoebe, on the other hand, decides that she likes this. All these serious adults she hangs out with aren't much fun, even if she gets to help a lot and make a big difference instead of being at a training base. "Pleased to meet you," she echos politely as she shakes the woman's hand, breaking into a small smile herself - one that's quite a bit more sincere than her guardian's.

Said guardian's eyebrow lifts when the woman name drops Craig Donaldson... Well, that's one person who can get someone to randomly show up here if he thinks it's a good idea. "Oh no, that's all right," she replies quickly, "It's not a problem, just unexpected. I'm sure that Agent Tiff will be be happy to have you here." Ah, good, awkwardness wearing off.

Or at least, it does until the woman's chatter ends in that particular question. "Yes, we do," she adds, quickly reflecting on what level of security clearance the wife of Agent Tiff would have. Probably not very much, or perhaps even nothing. Being married to a person doesn't mean that you're considered just as trustworthy in the eyes of the U.S. Government, after all. Which means that there's some strong restrictions on what she can just say to someone. "Force is a mind reader," she clarifies, knowing that doesn't count as 'too much' and will explain enough about the girl's presence here and uncanny comments. It's the specifics that are the real secret, after all, and calling Force a mind reader is like calling Mt. Everest a hill; the telepathy is almost beside the point when compared to the telekinesis.

[tiff]

Tiffany life had become PROTECT. He went to bed analyzing research. He woke up looking over called-in tips. He did interview after interview trying to determine the location of the rest of the rogue gallery. He focused hard because he wanted to clean this city. There was only one time he had lost his determination, his faith, since he had stepped into this filth ridden city.

The Question's escape.

When the Question escaped merely hours after his entrapment Tiffany had walked into his office and cried. He had found out about the escape minutes after calling Washington to inform them of the JLA actions. Washington had been pleased of his success and had planned to visit to discuss the next steps. Tiffany finally thought he was getting somewhere in this town. He had walked in with the city and government officials doubting him. They all insulted him. They all disrespected him, but he was determined to prove them wrong. He did. They had captured the Ventriloquist and the Question within the first month. They were changing the city.

The Question escaped. His world, in some sense, fell apart. They had failed. It had been so simple, and they had failed. The escape didn't even make logical sense because they had searched him of any weapons or tools. They had extra security on him, yet somehow he was able to pick the lock. Tiffany had fired every man who could have prevented escape. It shouldn't have happened, but it did. He had allowed the Devil to basically walk out. He was responsible. It was his fault. He wanted to resign on the spot for such a failure. If he forced the other's to quit, he had to hold himself at the same level of responsibility.

Tiffany had walked over to his desk, feeling the weight of the devil on top of him. He felt he heard laughter. Taunting laughter in the corner of his office. He heard the voices of failure. He buried his face deeper into his palm. His other hand turned into a fist. He had felt this same feeling after his father's death. It felt like he was broken. His heart had cracked and the demons had stopped to watch his pain. He didn't want to cry, but the tears left without his consent. They burned down his skin like holy water on a tainted soul. He was a tainted soul because he had failed Gotham. He had to resign. He was responsible. He had to be punished. He wiped his eyes, took a deep breath, and picked up the phone. He dialed Craig.

Craig was a Washington FBI agent. He was Tiffany's superior in the chain in command, and Tiffany's best friend. Tiffany had explained simply that his failure required him to resign. Craig had laughed light heartedly and talked him out of his plans. With Craig's support, Tiffany forced himself to focus even more. He would not disappoint those who had faith in him. He would not disappoint the Lord, not again. It was for that reason he worked ten times harder and why he hardly ventured to his office.

But there were files he had left in the cabinet that he wanted to compare to the phone transcript he had gotten from the intelligence sector downstairs. He found himself rounding the corner from the elevator with files in hand. His mind not focus on the other agents he knew would be diligently working. His mind was not focus on anything but the transcript in hand and the files in his office. So when he heard a shockingly familiar voice, his reaction could not be considered surprising.

He froze. His file falling from his hands as if his muscles had loss the ability to work. His eyes slightly wide as they connect with the recognizable frame and the beautiful blond hair. "Elle," he stated almost above a whisper.

[mrstiffany]

Those perfectly rouged-but not to the point of a whore's- lips broke into a smile as she shook the girl's hand. “Good to see you have some manners, even if your name is a bit unconventional, Force.” She said brightly, nodding to the agent as the woman continued to talk. “I do hope his spirits are somewhat lifted. This place has an air of....ingratitude about it. Sinful, if I may be blunt.” Came her precise words.

As Stevens speaks once more, one brow raises. A mind reader? Blue eyes blink once, then twice as she crouches to look the little girl in the eye. She knows that demons and their spawn come in the sweetest of packages, but she hasn't had one thing scream out at her that this innocent thing is what her husband and her have nearly been trained to spot. Studying the girl, she pats her on the cheek gently before standing. She's going to have to talk to Mathew about this. Gifted, or not. Hellspawn, or not. FBI, or not, it's not good for a child to not be with her family.

Pursing her lips she tugs at her skirt once, then smooths it out before nodding. “Well, I do trust my husband's judgment.” Most of the time, she thinks to herself, before her brow furrows as she hears the sheaf of papers crash to the floor. Once she turns, her mouth drops open as she realizes who it is.

Mathew.

To say there is a look of contentment on her face would be barely seeing the tip of the iceberg. While she is usually quite contained, prim, and proper, the elation and joy welling inside her at seeing her husband, the man who protects her, her life partner is hard to contain. Walking briskly over to Agent Mathew Tiffany, Elle, Bible and notebook tucked under her arm soon closes the gap, no words being said, but a feeble smile on her lips.

She can't quite gauge from him yet if it's happy, nor sad, shocked, or appalled yet. But she does understand this is his place of work. His mission. And so far she had done nothing to tarnish that image. If anything, she's showing these people he is human, though blessed supernaturally by their God for his deeds. So when she is within close enough distance, her own hand goes to slip into his. Making a public show of kissing him, or hugging would be improper. That is, unless he made the move first. She wouldn't want to undermine his authority. Nor put herself out there as some sort of floozy. Not here.

[Deleted]

"It's my codename," Phoebe replies, her smile not disappearing. Her real name is considered to be very classified information - it's the only connection she has to anything outside of the government's control. With it someone could conceivably track down her real family, or someone in her family could find her. Both could be a very serious risk to what the government considers to be a very valuable asset. If it weren't nearly impossible to keep it from Phoebe, they might not have allowed her to even know her real name. As it is, Agent Stevens knows as she's the girl's guardian, Agent Tiff knows since he's her superior and of sufficiently high enough standing. But for virtually anyone else, 'Force' it is.

But there certainly isn't anything about Phoebe to suggest that she's anything but an innocent girl. Which is true, but then again it isn't. She has, after all, been able to read the sometimes extremely adult thoughts of all sorts of adults practically since birth. She doesn't understand all of it, but what she does know and what she doesn't know is a matter of her level of comprehension and not how sheltered she's been - there's just no sheltering Phoebe. Which is why she finds Mrs. Tiffany's comment about sin almost funny (the woman has no idea!), though she knows better than to actually laugh.

On the other hand, in spite of this age-inappropriate level of knowledge Phoebe still hates dishonesty of any kind, and the only reason why she's willing to participate in violence is the knowledge that her powers are strong enough for her to make it end much more quickly. She's really a good soul at heart, in spite of the situation that she's been thrust into, and Agent Stevens helped her hang onto that by being steady among the whirlwind of ideas that surround them. She's unhesitant in returning Mrs. Tiffany's gaze: as pure as a baby elephant who could, but has learned not to, knock down small buildings by accident.

Of course, that goodness isn't always pleasant - certainly not whenever she catches Agent Tiff thinking about the Question. At other times she's able to rationalize it and tell herself that she's still fairly certain that the Question is a good guy and that therefore what she did was the right thing. But there's only one emotion to describe what she feels when she senses how shaken the man is by that escape: Guilt. And a rather large amount of it for a girl so young to be holding onto alone. But she can't bring herself to tell even Agent Stevens, who she trusts with everything.

Fortunately, her unease about the Question's escape has been interpreted by Agent Stevens as her simply being overly upset by the incident; it would never occur to the woman that Phoebe could possibly be involved - Phoebe hates 'bad guys', and Agent Stevens is every bit as firm in her belief that the vigilantes belong in that category as Agent Tiff. But this means that even the slightest hint that Phoebe could possibly have done such a thing prompts an immediate and impassioned defense by her guardian. A defense that does nothing but make the guilt feel worse...

Still, she has to get slightly annoyed when she catches Mrs. Tiffany thinking she should be with her parents. What would that woman know anyway? She's supposed to be here, helping the government. It's what she's trained for as long as she can remember, and they need her help here. Then again, she knows that Mrs. Tiffany's opinion ought not to matter much and people are thinking they know better what should be done with her all the time.

Both Agent Stevens and Phoebe are quick to turn and look toward the sound of a fallen file, but remain quiet when they see Agent Tiff. Obviously he'll want to greet his wife above anything else, but Agent Stevens hesitates to see if their boss would rather have them quietly leave them alone or remain. She could always report on their interview with Mr. Cobblepot personally, but the proper written report will be on Agent Tiff's desk in the morning so that's not strictly needed. Phoebe, not one to be too concerned about bosses, idly occupies herself by using her telekinesis to nudge the papers that were jostled by the fall of the file back into place and straightening them without picking it up off the ground.

[tiff]

He felt familiar soft skin wrap around his hand. His eyes fell to it, almost with disbelief. She was really here. Elle was in Gotham. He felt himself smiling as he squeezed her hand in his. She had always been there for him. She had always been the support he needed, especially when he was going through a difficult time. She kept him grounded. When the devil threaten to pull him to his level, she pulled him back up for the much needed air. She truly was the sun for him. During the war, it was her letters that made what he saw bearable. He was so happy to have her in this sinful city. He was so happy she was here, but...

It was dangerous. It was the very reason when speaking to her over the phone he avoided the topic of her coming here. He spoke as if he had everything under control. After the Question escape, emotionally he had nothing under control, but he sugar coated it for her. He did not want her in this city. He did not want her to see what he saw every day here. He did not want her to come face to face with these demons that haunted every person within this town. He had seen the dead look in every citizens eyes. They had become numb to everything. He never wanted to see that look in his wife's happy expression. She was always so happy. His eyes moved to her face, to her smile that memorized him even in high school. He was never a nervous man, but when he asked her out on their first date to the drive in movie he had stuttered and fidgeted like a scared child. She had been the nicest and prettiest girl in school. The fact that she would want to be with him seemed a far fetch dream. Yet all those years later, here she was standing by his side.

He leaned down and planted a kiss on her forehead. Simple. Polite. It barely expressed his true gratitude yet emotional confliction with her being here. "Hello Elle," he whispered softly. He almost felt trapped in his own moment, so he did not realize the other agents in the hall until he caught his files moving on their own.

He glanced down the hallway to see Agent Stevens and Phoebe standing there silently. They probably felt slightly uncomfortable with the display. Yes, it was rude to bring his personal life into his job. He pulled away from Elle, but kept his fingers interlaced, not wanting to let go of the dream of her being here. "Agent Stevens. Force," he stated appropriately, "I see you met my wife." He couldn't help the smile as the words left his mouth. He then turned to Elle with appreciation. "Elle, you got quite lucky, though luck always seems to follow you. I am certain you could find water in the dessert," he let out the barest of laughs. When was the last time he had laughed. When he was back home, he laughed all the time with his friends and his wife. In Gotham, he hardly ever smiled.

He let go of his wife's hand to pick up the files on the ground. He gave a mental thank you to Phoebe. She always was quite a considerate young lady. He then stood and walked in the direction of the two agents, nodding for Elle to follow with a grin. He stopped when he got close enough to the agents then knelt down on his knee. He opened his palm to Phoebe. "This is my best Agent on my team. She has already caught two rogues. Can you believe that Elle? She's so young, but smarter then most adults!" he proclaimed, wanting to brag to his wife. Tiffany had garnered quite a soft spot for Phoebe. He did wish if he ever had a child it would be similar to her. "She also has this fighting spunk. In five years, I am going to have to watch myself because she might take my job." He ruffled her hair sweetly before standing back up, "Just make sure if you do ever advance pass me, you remember who gave you your first badge." He gave the girl a grin. He then turned to Agent Stevens. "Agent Stevens has also been a tremendous help to the cause. There teamwork is something I wish was required for FBI training."

He wrapped his hand back into Elle's out of habit. He wanted to ask her why she was here. He wanted to know how she got here. He wanted to ask about his mother. How has she been without him lately? He wanted to know how Elle had managed their house. He wanted so greatly just to hug the woman, but found it too inappropriate. Unfortunately, a smaller more logical side, wanted to know when she would be leaving. She needed to leave for her own safety. He would never be able to live through the failure if something tragic were to happen to her. He had to keep her safe.

[mrstiffany]

Noelle felt alive again. Complete. Squeezing his larger hand in hers, she nearly glowed when he whispered to her, his lips coming to her forehead. He was always so respectful in front of others. And she was thankful she had acknowledged him, but hadn't overstepped anything. When he pulled away, she smiled up at him, returning his less formal name. “Hello, Matt...” She said quietly in return.

Biting her lower lip, she turned to reacknowlede the two women, her eyes flicking quickly from the papers to the little girl. Thus far nothing she had done spoke of devilry, so she mentally thanked the girl as well, considering she could read minds. It was a kind gesture towards her superior. One of the ten commandments, even.

As Matt started to praise her, she blushed profusely, her other hand coming to his upper arm to squeeze, and anchor herself. “You flatter me too much. I just try to be diligent, and look outside the box when I'm able. We're a team, you know that. I wouldn't be able to find the water, if it were not for your encouragement, Matt!” She exclaimed.

Laughing as well, she already knew in her heart of hearts it was good she were here, even if it were some despoiled pit he was trying to cleanse. His team was strong, she could already gather that from how they had spoken with her. Even as he released her hand and picked up the files, he started to yammer about young Force, his face taking on a tender look. As he prattled on, she could feel a pang in her chest. They were trying, had been trying for their own children. No wonder Matt had taken a shine to the young Agent.

As he mentioned a badge, her brow raised. “Now this I didn't hear about! You'll have to show me your badge sometime, Agent Force.” She added, nodding her head as she was included in the conversation. “Agents Stevens and Force have been nothing but welcoming since my arrival, Matt. I expected nothing less of those you were leading in this city.”

As his hand slipped around hers again, she could tell he had questions. He was not quite trembling, but she could feel the nervous energy about him. He'd want to know the whys, whos, whats, wheres, and whens. And about his mother. And their house. As she interlaced her fingers between his, she nodded to the two.

“Excuse me Agents, but I need to steal away my husband for a few minutes for a debriefing,” she smiled, quite familiar with the lingo that permeated their everyday lives.

[Deleted]

Phoebe is hardly uncomfortable. Actually, being able to sense the thoughts of two people so happy to see each other is rather uplifting - she hopes that she can find a boy that's that happy to see her someday, when she's quite a bit older. Not the overprotective stuff though, she decides, since she's strong enough that she'd probably be the one protecting him. Unless he's a really powerful metahuman too. Of course, even then she'd still probably be the strongest... hmm...

Nor is Agent Stevens uncomfortable - a greeting between spouses would have to be considerably more passionate than that to bother her. Though she is a bit weirded out to see Agent Tiff smiling so much. And laughing? This is not behavior she's accustomed to seeing from the man. Both she and her young charge smile and nod as he reintroduces his wife to them.

Phoebe's smile gets even bigger at the mental thank yous - she didn't do it for thanks, but because she saw a problem that was easy for her to fix. The thanks is appreciated regardless, however. As is the praise from Agent Tiff. She gives him five and simply beams at his words, obviously quite proud of herself. It's enough to shove away that nagging bad feeling that's been following her like a personal raincloud. For now, at least. "I'll only be fifteen then," she comments with a grin, "But I won't forget." Then again - could a smart, talented fifteen-year-old be treated seriously by adults? Perhaps... Still, it's far too long - half her life again until then. Way too long to have to wait!

Agent Stevens also gets a bigger smile at her superior's words, if quite a bit more restrained than Phoebe's full faced grin. "Thank you," she replies formally to both of them, but not insincerely. Helping Phoebe stay safe and be her best is all in a day's work, after all, and a quick conversation with Mrs. Tiffany was actually a good distraction from the extremely brief but extremely heated conversation that preceded it. Nodding to Mrs. Tiffany, Agent Stevens looks back over at Agent Tiff and comments, "We'd just finished filing a report with Agent Morris when we ran into your lovely wife here - you should have a copy of it tomorrow - so unless you need us for something...?" They certainly don't need to stick around and she's guessing that Agent Tiff would rather be alone with the Missus anyway.

[tiff]

Seeing Phoebe smiled always made Tiffany's day. He couldn't explain it. There was something about seeing a girl who had to deal with such evil surrounding her still smile that gave him hope that maybe he could make Gotham City a better place to live.

When Elle mentioned a debriefing, he gave her a sweet smile. He wondered sometimes if she could read his mind because she always seemed to know exactly what to say or exactly what he needed. He nodded at her, as Agent Steven explained the report. At the mention of it, his smile left him and was replaced by seriousness. He focused his attention on the agent with a thoughtful look. He knew the report was in relation to their interview with Cobblepot. He was a vast amount of information because of his dealings with both the black market and the rogue gallery. It had been quite an accomplishment when they had managed to obtain him. It meant they would be given leads to almost all the other rogues if they were able to pry the information from the man. They were also on a bit of a time crunch because the transportation of the rogue to the classified prison would occur within the next few weeks. Washington was keeping the information close to the chest, not wanting to give any of the other rogues or criminals a chance to use the transportation as an opportunity to escape. Even Tiffany had little to no knowledge on the exact date and details of the transport. He only knew it would happen soon, which meant Cobblepots amble of information would be lost to them all, except for the DoD. His personal handling outside and within the DoD, informed him that the DoD would keep whatever information they gained to themselves. The government agencies always were tight lipped around each other even after 9/11.

He wanted to ask question and her personal opinion of the interview, but the feelings of his wife's hand in his reminded him that this wasn't the time nor place. He loved his wife dearly, but he kept his work and personal life firmly separated. He also was quite confused on why she was here to begin with.

"I will read the report when it comes on my desk, Agent. If I have any question, I will seek you out in the future," he stated, his features expressionless. Hopefully, Phoebe had managed to get pass any lies that the gluttonous black market man tried to pull. He looked down at Phoebe and gave her a small smile. "I will see you later," he said sweetly and then gave in appropriate nod to Agent Stevens before turning to his office.

As soon as he and his wife were within his office, he shut the door quietly. His hand let go of hers as he walked over to his desk and put the files on top. He still had to compare the transcript, but it could wait. He stood there for a moment staring at his wooden desk, lost in his own thoughts until he pulled his eyes back to Elle. He smiled again, feeling slightly uncomfortable. She always managed to make him flustered. "Elle," he started, almost unsure of himself, "Why are you here?"

[mrstiffany]

Watching the little girl made her smile. As the two Agents parted ways, she had to nod to herself. If Force did surpass her husband, it would be rightfully earned. With composure as the 10 year old had, she was impressed.

Walking with her husband back to his office, she would tuck her Bible and notebook into her purse, finally removing her coat and folding over her arm, before second guessing that and resting it over the second chair in the room. Glancing up at her husband, her mouth opened, her pale brow furrowing. So this is how it was going to go. He hadn't been aware of her being brought to Gotham.

“Craig asked me to come. Barely 36 hours ago, he had me on a plane from home to the main HQ, then a car to pass the border into Gotham. He said it was important, Matt.” Stepping forward, she laid her hand on his arm. Furrowing her brow again, 'Elle was not understanding the whole situation, and she was not stupid.

“I hadn't heard much from you in the past few days, but I did journal. I knew you'd have everything under control here, I just...” She shrugged, letting her fingers trace along his bare forearm for a few seconds. Straightening up, trying not to be distracted by the man who had been at her side for nearly a decade, she continued.

“I made sure the house was cleaned, your mother would be ok, and that things would be checked in on every couple of days. Mrs. Davis and her husband said they would check the mail and bring in the paper. Krissy from our young adult group was going to go spend a few hours with your mother in leiu of me. Don't worry about the house.” She had made sure everything was taken care of, considering she knew there were times when she was sent to her husband's side when he was working. But his confusion, and nervous emotions were intensified in the office. Almost like he was unsure of himself on why she was here.

She knew he felt it a cesspool, but she knew with the proper covering of prayer, she would be protected, as he had been as well. Clearing her throat, Noelle stepped closer to her husband, bridging the distance between them in a way they could do in his office, but not in front of everyone.

"Matt. Look at me. I'm ok. I'm here. Stop fretting. You're going to rework that ulcer of yours." She said quietly, her hand going to splay against his chest as she rest her cheek against where his heart would be.

[Deleted]

Agent Stevens gives a quick nod to Agent Tiff. She always tries to be very thorough with her reports, but there's always the possibility that this or that detail was left out and could be important. Especially when it comes to information they could use in finding these criminals who are managing to hide from them.

Fortunately, her tactic of explaining to the man fairly upfront that his thoughts were being read produced some results. Phoebe had told her that, knowing that his mind was being read, the information he'd given them was completely truthful. However, the girl could also tell that the man was holding back; what he'd given was dated, less valuable information. Still potentially useful, but less likely to produce results without a lot of additional detective work. But at least they'd gotten the man talking, and later they might be able to dip into what he hasn't given them by being able to ask more pointed questions based on what they learn from what he's already given them. With any luck, they'll have the bird man singing like a canary before he's sent off.

Phoebe gives Agent Tiff another big smile as she says, "Bye Agent Tiff!" Then she turns to follow Agent Stevens out of the office area. Except for when he's remembering what happened with the Question, it always eases her thoughts to be able to sense that her boss is still supremely confident in their efforts and how good it will be for this city. Even if it's all couched in all that religion stuff she doesn't really care about.