Chapter Text
Miranda Blake was not happy. In fact, her primary emotion was fright, which resulted from an inability to convince the police in Galicia's province of Lugo that she really was who she said she was, a police officer from Mallorca. As if that wasn't enough in itself, she had stab wounds on both her arms that were bleeding through hastily-wrapped bandages.
Four days earlier…
When the police in Spain's autonomous community of Galicia urgently appealed to Interpol and all other departments in Europe for experienced expat British vice officers to work a huge smuggling case (weapons, prostitution and drugs) being run by a British gang using Galicia as their base and their hide-out because it was remote, Inés of course immediately assigned Miranda. Galicia was about as far away as Miranda could go and still be in Spain.
Max strongly objected. "Inés! You can't just send her up there alone! She doesn't know the local language or the region. You know how headstrong she is! She can get into so much danger."
"I realize this is personal for you, Winter. But their work is urgent and she meets their two main requirements: she's British and has wide-ranging experience in vice.
"Then send me, too!" Max pleaded.
"No. I can only spare one officer. The commissioner has made that very clear," Inés declared.
During the next three days, Max tried bribery, food, the silent treatment, even bordering on sweet talk and anything else he could think of to try to get Miranda to back out of the assignment.
All his attempts were futile, as he feared they would be. Miranda's determination and stubbornness were traits he usually admired; this time he pushed too far, however, and they quarreled at Miranda's apartment as she packed.
"Max, I resent your inferences that I can't do my job!" Miranda yelled.
"That's not it! I KNOW you can do your job expertly! But this assignment is so completely different from anything you and I have worked on. It's really dangerous, Miranda," Max countered. "I just want you to be safe." Max knew it was much more than only keeping her safe; by now newly-single after parting amicably from Carmen, he had finally admitted to himself that he had fallen in love with Miranda but was still too cautious about admitting it to her. Nonetheless, he never liked being separated from her for any length of time.
Exasperated, Miranda continued, "That's not YOUR job, to look after my safety! We both know the risks of police work and have accepted them, or we wouldn't be here in the first place." She was secretly pleased that he cared about her safety, but she would not admit it aloud.
“I beg to differ, Miranda. Part of my job, and yours, too, is to look after the safety of both of us.”
Miranda made a face at him, zipped up her suitcase, and marched to the door.
“Since you’re going ahead with this anyway, at least let me take you to the airport. Please?” Max looked at her with pleading eyes.
Miranda relented. “All right, Max. Thanks.”
At the airport, Max and Miranda said their good-byes with longing looks and promises to call or text every day. Max had hoped for a good-bye hug, but he figured their quarrel had precluded him even asking.