Copyrighted Kristen Banet 2019
All Rights Reserved
Reupload from original Facebook Post
First draft state, so full of errors. Contains spoilers. You know the deal!
This one is Thompson in the last chapter. Poor man. Hope you enjoy!
He was dressed and ready. Today, they were pardoning Sawyer ‘Shadow’ Cambrie Matthews. Thompson was certain he would have never seen this day. Not because she didn’t deserve it. Part of him had been worried she wouldn’t live to see. He had gotten the call from the team that it was over and done with and they were on their way back from Rome. He’d scrambled to pull together the pardon. He should have had it ready the night before, but things were still up in the air.
“Is it ready, Councilwoman?” he asked D’Angelo, who he’d practically begged to make it happen for him. The Councilwoman, to her credit, had done it without complaint. She wasn’t’ going to toe the line with Sawyer again. She’d learned her lesson the hard way and righted her ship before causing any more trouble.
“More then ready. They just need to show up,” the Councilwoman answered, smiling at him. “She’s allowed to do as she pleases after this. No hidden tricks or loops. It’s just over. As it should have been a long time ago.”
“Thank you. It’ll be good just to have a team that wants to work for me instead of… whatever they are right now.” His heart went out to them every time he thought of them. Such a group of young men and one strong young woman. They were going to be his best agents of all time. The people there were going to help going forward with this far behind them. They were going to do James proud.
Finally, there was knocking and she blew through the door, the team following her. Thompson was proud for James in that moment. He knew his friend would have been a mess, witnessing this. It was a quiet, small affair. Thompson didn’t even have time to get Sawyer’s people, Doctor Charles or any of her young non-Magi friends.
“Miss Matthews, it’s an honor to see you on this day,” Councilwoman D’Angelo greeted her. “And I understand that…it’s time.”
“It is,” she agreed. Thompson puffed his chest a little. He’d gotten this done for her. It was time. Like the Councilwoman had said, it should have been ages before.
“And his body?” That question made him frown. Hadn’t he remembered to tell the Councilwoman what was done with Axel after his death. Apparently, he’d forgotten.
“Cremated and the ashes left in the Castello Mausoleum next to his son’s tomb.” It was Vincent who answered, his voice not shaking, nothing betraying any sort of emotion except a touch of pride when his eyes flicked over the woman of their group.
“Of course.” Dina nodded quickly, then looked around to the other Council members. They were still down those who had been killed, but elections were going to begin for emergency fills any day now. They had been working on that while the team went after Axel. Thompson was helping coordinate, but they didn’t need full seats for this. The magic tying the Council to their deal was one that didn’t’ care how many of them were there. It would be fulfilled. “We’re all in agreement. Sawyer Cambrie Matthews, this is the official record of your crimes.” Dina motioned to a table set in the center of the room. “Next to it is the official declaration of your pardon. You will keep the original. All you need to do is sign it, and an enchanted copy will be stored here for as long as the WMC reigns.”
Thompson watched as she walked evenly across the room, grabbed the pen they had waiting and signed her name to the document. Next to it wasn’t just the record of her crimes, but also the deal she had made with the IMPO. It lit up in flames and disintegrated, leaving her with only her pardon. The deal fulfilled at last.
He was witnessing history. He felt honored to be there, even though he was the Director of the IMPO. This was big and yet, the event was so small. How many people would whisper to their children one day that they were there when the infamous assassin, bent but not broken by the world around her, finally claimed what she deserved. Peace.
She lifted the piece of paper and held it out. Vincent strolled evenly across the room, taking it from her. He smiled as he stepped back to the rest of the guys.
Thompson began to clap and so did everyone else in the room, including her men, the only ones she had eyes for. He knew what was going on there and wouldn’t ever try to cause a fuss over it. Whatever this team wanted, he was going to make happen for them.
“Special Agent Matthews,” Dina murmured kindly. “It’s been a pleasure to know you. I hope we continue to have a working relationship.”
“Actually, we won’t,” Sawyer answered, smiling politely. She reached into her back pocket to get the wallet with her official IMPO ID and the badge. She held it out. “I’m not interested in the IMPO. I’m not sorry about it, either. You all can find someone else. There’s a ton of great agents, once you weed out the corruption.”
People gasped. Thompson began to sputter as Dina took her badge slowly. Sawyer looked back at the guys, grinning like a fool. His mind was going in circles.
She’s leaving? Wait. This wasn’t in the plan.
Together they pulled their own badges out, and dropped them in front of Thompson, who probably looked like he would have a heart attack. Each time one dropped on the table in front of him, his vision of the future of the IMPO took another hit until the last, when it crumbled.
Excuse me?
“We quit,” Zander told him, smiling as well. “It’s been fun. Not really. We’re retired as of today. We expect to see our pensions for years of good service in the coming months.”
“Of-of course,” Thompson agreed quickly, looking between them. Oh my god, they’re leaving. They just quit. They aren’t even old enough for pensions!
Sawyer didn’t say anything else. She reached down and felt the thick black fur of her jaguar. Together, they walked out of the Council Chamber, her team surrounding her.
When they were gone, Thompson stood there silently for a long moment. He just couldn’t believe what he’d witnessed.
“We can make special arrangements to have them given pensions, small ones, for the rest of their lives,” the Councilwoman said softly. “How does that sound?”
“They’re heroes,” he replied, taking his time. “Give them everything. Whatever they’re off to do, I just hope we’re able to bear witness. Whatever it is, it’s going to be great.”
He started laughing. He should have known. They were great and off to do their own great things. They didn’t need an old man like him giving them orders.
Oh, James, you would be proud of them.
Grinning like a fool, he picked up the badges, now defunct and tossed them into his suitcase. He waved at the others in the room and went to get back to work.