Chapter Text
For the first time in what felt like years, Freddie Kingston was taking a break.
At least, for the evening. She patted down the skirt of her dress anxiously, glancing around the ballroom where MESSINA employees, family and friends were gathered. (Most had been blindfolded on their way into the building, of course.)
Many of the guests had no idea that MESSINA was a top secret spy organization (employees were usually instructed to tell family members that it was a tech company) but a few visiting members from friendly spy facilities had come down to congratulate Freddie on all her work. She’d spent a long time talking to each of them about the transformation MESSINA had undergone in the past year, the trials and tribulations they’d overcome, and she was already exhausted. Her new flats were digging at her heels, she kept wishing she could just take them off.
But overall, she was proud. The ballroom looked lovely, the food was going over well, everything was falling into place just like she had hoped, for once. She’d spent the better part of a year working for this - she had earned this. She deserved to be enjoying herself.
“Ready for your speech?” asked a voice from behind her.
“Of course I’m ready,” Freddie said, snagging a whiskey from a passing waiter and downing it in one swift gulp. “I’ve done this a million times, Peter.”
“Then I’ll introduce you,” Peter nodded towards the raised podium at the back of the room, offering her his arm. “Unless…” he eyed the now empty whiskey glass, a bemused look on his face, “you aren’t ready?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Freddie frowned, taking his arm, gripping a little tighter than was entirely necessary. “I’m always prepared, you know that.”
But that didn’t stop her stomach from doing backflips.
It was truly unprecedented, Freddie thought as Peter led her through the crowd, that she should be nervous on a night like this. Her night. She’d worked her ass off through a double major in political science and biology, gone to bed exhausted after three months at Europe’s top spy training facility, survived countless boring interviews and plane rides and background checks, all for this.
She had definitely been through worse.
They arrived at the foot of the stage. Peter went up first, approaching the podium with notecards in his hand. Amateur move, Freddie thought, as she stepped onto the stage and took her seat. It’s just an introduction Peter, it’s not that difficult. But she kept her mouth shut.
As Peter tapped the mic, alerting many of the guests to his presence, Freddie’s eyes found Kit. He was leaning up against the doorway with a drink in his hand, dressed almost too casually for the occasion, but his smiling eyes were fixed directly at her.
Freddie hoped nobody noticed her blush.
“Employees of MESSINA,” Peter said, and all eyes in the room turned to him. “Friends, family, and honored guests. We welcome you all to this celebration, and thank you for your cooperation in arriving here tonight. Please note that the blindfolds will be used again when you leave, and we apologize in advance for any inconvenience.”
There was polite applause from the crowd, although Freddie spotted several rolled eyes and disgruntled faces. Honestly, if the blindfolds weren’t accompanied by the memory loss chemical their team had cooked up that year, she wouldn’t let anyone in the building without a MESSINA badge.
“But this evening isn’t about me,” Peter continued. “We’re all here to honor the woman sitting behind me.”
Freddie felt her legs shake, she hoped no one could tell…
“Over the past year, Freddie Kingston has become a valuable asset to MESSINA,” Peter said. “Twelve months ago, we were in disarray.”
That’s an understatement, Freddie thought, her mind flashing back through the countless hours she’d spent in her office struggling to get the company back on it’s feet.
“But with her help, we’ve not only become stronger, we’ve surpassed all expectations for our organization. She has become an invaluable part of MESSINA, and the work that she has done for us is truly something to be proud of. It’s been an honor to work beside her. So without further ado…”
Freddie wondered if she could even make it to the podium, her legs felt like marshmallows.
“Freddie Kingston!”
And maybe it was the sound of applause, or a quick glance in Kit’s direction, or just the whiskey finally kicking in, but all of a sudden Freddie’s nerves fell away. As she stood up, thanking Peter and taking the podium with both hands, she felt like herself again.
“Hello,” she said, her voice full of confidence. “I’m Freddie Kingston, and it has been my great honor to work alongside Peter Donaldson as MESSINA’s co-leader.”
And for a brief moment, smiling out at the assembled crowd, Freddie felt like she could move mountains.
Then, just in the corner of her eye, Freddie saw the doors to the ballroom burst open.
“GUESS WHO’S BACK?” A man’s voice boomed from the doorway.
“That is NOT the way to make an entrance!” Laughed another voice, a woman this time. Her laughter died down quickly, however. “Oh… oh my god.”
Freddie whipped her gaze around, as did most of the crowd, her eyes focusing on the two figures standing in the entrance way, now at least with the decency to look sheepish.
“Sorry,” the man said, trying to hold back a grin. “Did we… interrupt something?”
As her mind clicked into place, Freddie felt the world start to spin out from under her again. She’d seen these faces a million times; in case files, on the desks of her co-workers, hidden under newer pictures on the fridge in the break room. It couldn’t be…
“ Beatrice ?” Meg gasped from somewhere in the crowd, the glass she was holding slipping out of her hand and clanking to the floor.
“ Ben?" Peter’s face was paler than Freddie had ever seen it.
“Um, hi,” Beatrice gave a little wave, looking mortified. She was just like Freddie remembered from pictures; her hair had grown longer, but the sharp, blue eyes were the same.
“What did we miss?” Benedick asked, his eyes darting around the room from the balloons, to the banners, and finally the central podium. “Uh… happy birthday?”
And it was at that moment that Freddie Kingston felt a boiling hatred build up inside her like nothing she had ever felt before.