#saveagentcarter

Edwin adores science – thus hisworking towards a degree in aerodynamics – and can tolerate the mathematics ofit all, but his trig professor just has a way of sucking the life out of hislessons. It’s not as if Edwin is willing to fail the class over it, though, sothat coffee – his coffee – isabsolutely a must-have every Tuesday and Friday morning.

Except for the fact that on thisparticular Tuesday morning, he only has to take one sip of the coffee thebarista hands him to realize it’s not his.As the unexpectedly frilly taste of a white mocha latte hits his tongue, it’san exercise in self-control not to spit it back out due to surprise alone.Glancing in horror at the barista as he realizes what’s happened, he just asquickly looks towards the closing door of the coffee shop instead.

He catches just a glimpse of a brunettecop – probably just a rookie, if her age is anything to go by – and, seeing asshe was the only person to have just received her coffee, he assumes that she’sthe other party involved in the mix-up. He nearly bolts out of the coffee shop,but, somehow, by the time he’s in the same spot where she had just been she’s disappeared.

Edwin has not had enough caffeineto deal with this yet this morning, but clearlythe only caffeine that he wants is in this woman’s hands instead of hisown, so clearly he’s going to have tospend some time this morning chasing her down.

Damn it.

Friday morning or no, this day isnot shaping up to be a good one.

And that’s before he catches the noise of a scuffle happening in the alleywaybetween the coffee shop and its neighboring building.

Let it never be said that EdwinJarvis doesn’t have his moments of heroism.

Walking nearly to the entry of theally, he peers around the side of the coffee shop in time to see a pair ofred-rimmed sunglasses go flying and land not a foot away from him. There’s obviouslya fight happening, and if the sunglasses are anything to go by, a woman is introuble.

Brilliant. This is all just brilliant, he thinks dryly to himself.Stifling a sigh as he stoops down to pick up and pocket the sunglasses, he setshis shoulders before popping the lid off of the disgusting cup of coffee in hishand and striding into the ally.

“Excuse me, sir,” he says sharply,tapping the clad-in-black man on the shoulder.

“What the he-”

As the other man turns to lookover his shoulder at him, Edwin throws the cup of steaming coffee in his face.

Spluttering and howling as thecoffee hits his eyes, the man stumbles backwards, away from Edwin and towardsthe woman he’s been fighting. Mostly in the shadows as she is, Edwin can’t seeher very well, but it doesn’t take a genius to ascertain that she’s noshrinking violet as she takes the opportunity to grab her assailant by thecollar, twist around with him, and slam his head into the brick of the nearestwall.

He slides to the ground in a heap,and both Edwin and the woman exhale as they follow his decent with their eyes.

As she steps out of the shadows ofthe building, Edwin is pleasantly surprised to realize that he might have justkilled two birds with one stone, so to speak. This woman is the cop that he’salready been willing to hunt down.

She speaks first, her gazesweeping over him – taking in perfectly combed hair, pale skin, andbusiness-casual attire – as she says a little breathlessly, a little warily,“Thanks for the help.”

“Of course,” Edwin nods, trying tomake the gesture seem more effortless than it actually is as his momentaryspike of adrenaline wears off. “Um…” he bends down and picks up the now-emptypaper coffee cup that he had dropped carelessly onto the ground not a momentago. “My apologies about your coffee. I believe our orders were switched in thecoffee shop? I could buy you another, if you’d like?”

“Oh,” her eyes light with mildsurprise. “That was you I got mixed up with, was it? There’s no need for you tobuy me another, thank you, though; it seems to have gone to a good cause, and Ibelieve I’m entitled to making my partner buy me a fresh one after he’s failedto appear in time to be of any use.”

Edwin nods as, at the other end ofthe ally, a squad car squalls to a stop. A blond man rolls down the car window,calling, “Carter, you okay?”

“Perfectly, now, no thanks to you,Jack,” she calls over her shoulder, barely glancing back at the man Edwinassumes is her partner on the force. Despite her biting words, Officer Carteris smiling as she turns her attention back to Edwin.

Suddenly remembering, Edwin dips ahand into his pocket, informing her, “I, uh, believe these are also yours,Officer Carter?”

The bright red sunglasses are anodd addition to her otherwise pristine uniform, but Edwin finds that he likesthe idea that they belong to her. They suit her somehow.

“Ah.” Her eyes light up as sheaccepts the glasses, tucking one of the earpieces into the breast pocket of heruniform. “Thank you.” She points to the opposite end of the ally, where herpartner is waiting impatiently, his head still stuck out the window as he seemsto debate the wisdom of making a fuss to get her to hurry.

Something tells Edwin that mightbe unwise when it comes to this officer.

“I put your coffee cup on theground right by the corner of the building. I only took one drink of it; I hopeyou don’t mind, Mr…”

“Jarvis. Edwin Jarvis.”

She shakes his hand, and her handis warm in his, surprisingly small, but her handshake is unsurprisingly firm. “Nice to meet you, Mr. Jarvis. Now, let’s getyou your coffee so that you can be on your way, shall we?”