Of Trust And Confidence [Jered]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=CellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:400px; height:580px; background-color: #fff3e9; border: 1px solid #ce9a6b, btable] [STYLE=width: 350px; margin-left: 20px; border-bottom: 4px solid #ce9a6b] [STYLE=float: right; font-family: century gothic; font-size: 25px; text-transform: lowercase; letter-spacing: -2px; color: #ce9a6b; margin-top: -3px;]the road stretches on[/style][/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; color: #ce9a6b; text-align: justify;]Alfred needed a new secret service agent. His old one had gotten 'too old' for the job, and thus it was time to bring in some fresh blood. The blond still didn't entirely think that he needed his own agent. Between his strength and his considerable skills with a gun, he could defend himself pretty well if you asked him, and given that he was a nation, he couldn't really die the way that others protected by the secret service could. He accepted a long time before that they were just being paranoid, and that it only grew worse after 9/11. He learned not to argue, not because he didn't think it was ridiculous, but because he came not to mind having a secret service agent around. Alfred was a social guy, so having someone who followed you around sometimes could come in handy. At the very least, it gave you someone to complain to when the guy at the McDonalds in Germany forgot to add cheese to your burger. Someone who would nod and commiserate, possibly because they felt the same way, or maybe because they were being paid to do so. Either way, the sentiment was there. They usually went with young agents, Alfred noticed. Most of them were only a few years older than his own physical age when they started. Most of the agency didn't even know what Alfred was, and when he did step foot inside to meet a new agent, he would just be introduced as either an assistant to the president, or a relative. Usually assistant, because distant relatives didn't typically need secret service agents assigned to them at all times. He'd had the good fortune of coming across different people each time, so he didn't have to worry about them recognizing him from previous visits and realizing that he wasn't exactly aging. His agents themselves would find out though. Not that Alfred was around his agent at all times either, but it was no temporary job. Usually when people got the job they stayed at their position at least a couple of years. Alfred was set up in an office to meet the newbie. This wasn't the way operations were usually set up, she informed Alfred (which he knew, but he pretended to not know, because she didn't need to know he'd been through this song and dance before). She had specific guidelines sent down by the director himself. Alfred just smiled and nodded, thanking her, trying not to appear too amused or like he knew more to what was happening than she did (which, again, was indeed the case). Apparently it worked, as the woman left the room without harassing him with questions. He'd made that mistake before, and had barely managed to get the person out of the room before the agent showed up. Now came the hard part - Waiting. A skill that Alfred never did have much proficiency in. Rather than sitting in a chair, Alfred perched himself on the desk in the room. It was at this time that an employee passed by and happened to glance into the room, seeing Alfred on the desk. The man peered at Alfred, arching an eyebrow and opening his mouth almost as if he were about to say something. Then, apparently he decided against it and continued on his way. Alfred wasn't sure whether to be relieved or disappointed. He didn't exactly want to listen to someone nag, but it would be a distraction from waiting around! Alfred fidgeted a little where he sat, and he smoothed out his suit for lack of anything else to do. He didn't get why he had to wear a suit to this, but his bosses always insisted on it. Something about making a good first impression. Like they wouldn't see him in casual clothes more often than not. Like his last agent hadn't seen him run out of the house in his underwear when the house had to be evacuated because one of Tony's experiments very nearly went wrong. Alfred's gaze shot upward when he heard a noise at the door. He wondered if it would be someone else who wanted him to get off the desk. He was surprised to see a young man who fit the usual bill of his secret service agents. Could this be the guy? Alfred looked down at the paper he'd crinkled up into the pocket of his suit pants, reading it out loud. "You Jered Foster?" He almost had to do a double take at that name. Foster. Why did that sound familiar? It wasn't like he didn't know a lot of names, but that name stood out to him for some reason. Had he met this kid before, or perhaps someone in his family? It wouldn't be a surprise, but hey, he wanted to make sure he had the right person first. "Alfred F. Jones, if you are." He held out his hand to shake, a cheerful grin on his face. [/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; font-size:9px; color: #ce9a6b; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;]WORDS: 836 TAGS: Jered/Shannon NOTES: Thread title = A play off the motto of the secret service. I thought it worked. XD CREDITS: lunar[/style]

Opening his eyes he stared at the ceiling to his little apartment. It wasn’t much but it was enough for the single man with not many belongings. Quickly getting out of bed he walked across the room to start getting ready for his big day. His brother’s dog tags jingling with every step he took. Looking down at them he gave them a small kiss for good luck before throwing a white t-shirt over the necklace. He then took out his newly pressed white button up shirt; he really did want to make a good impression. It's not like he didn’t have a job but they could always turn around saying he wasn’t the best candidate. He then removed his black slacks from another hanger pulling them on as well.

Walking over to the body mirror he had in his room, he gave a short grin at how nice he looked. It was just the way he pictured him self looking all spiffy and serious about the job opportunity he’s been handed. Glancing at the clock he realized that he had taken a bit longer to wake up than he planned. In a rush he started grabbing for his socks and shoes throwing them on. He brushed his teeth, and combed his hair; luckily he didn’t have bad bed head. Throwing the rest of his clothes on and getting ready he bolted out the door a little past five minutes late. Cursing all the way down to his car this was now how he pictured the first day going.

Driving out of his complex his thoughts were reeling and foot pressing down on the accelerator. He did make sure he wasn’t going too much over the speed limit that would be all he needed on a day like this. To be stopped by a cop, questioned and be even more late or if he was in a rush the cop would probably keep in him their longer on purpose. This wasn’t like Jered at all, his father thought him to be punctual always arriving a little early to work or where ever he was going. But no of course of the day he had something really important that could either hinder or help his future immensely he was now late.

Running a hand through he hair he did this only when he was the most nervous or anxious about something. His father always told young Jered to stop doing that before he ripped patches of hair out. Thankfully his father was nowhere around the D.C. area and couldn’t tell him squat anymore. It didn’t take incredibly long to pull up to the nice government looking building. Spotting a parking space he made a move for it before someone else practically came out of nowhere stealing it. His tight smile and small wave pretty much said you’re an ass but the man look as if he had done nothing at all, not even paying attention to Jer. Turning to the next aisle he thankfully found a spot and pulling in as fast as he could.

Getting out of his car he adjusted his tie in the side mirror putting his keys in his pocket. He wasn’t sure if he was allowed to have a cell phone in the building so he left it in the middle console. He didn’t like the idea of someone else holding on to his phone for him. Not that he had anything to hide but he was somewhat of a private man. Taking in a deep breath he checked his watch once again and he was actually right on time. As he began his small walk to the front entrance this place was almost intimidating. The windows were all shinny and washed, as he entered the building everyone was sharply dressed walking around. Jer had to walk through security and had been patted down before he could even enter. It wasn’t like he hadn’t had this same experience at the airport but he never had seen it at a work place. His eyes dodged from person to person all knowing exactly where they were going either papers or other things in there hands that looked like important documents.

He tried to stop someone to ask where the place was to be issued a badge and gun but no one noticed him. Straightening up he began to wander around a bit almost getting lost, eventually finding the place. After he had been issued a gun and badge they escorted him half way to where the meeting was going to be held by his new boss. As they shuffled around the big office they led him to a smaller one and pointed saying that was the place he needed to be. Thanking them, he looked around and noticed they had all ready taken off. Puffing his chest out he walked to the door opening it and lingered at the door frame for a moment or two. It wasn’t until the man unwrinkled a piece of paper saying Jered’s name that he was sure he was in the right place.

“Yes I am Jered Foster.” Confirming that he was in fact the man who was supposed to be here. He didn’t know much about this meeting but assumed it had to do something with introductions on to the force. This man seemed a bit young to be doing that but he could have been someone’s secretary doing his or her dirty work of wrangling in the new kid. Stepping forward he held out his hand also shaking the younger man’s hand before placing his own hand back at his side. He then caught his name as Alfred and figured that was easy enough to remember. “Nice to meet you Alfred.”

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Word Count: 955
Tags: Alfred
Notes: None

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=CellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:400px; height:580px; background-color: #fff3e9; border: 1px solid #ce9a6b, btable] [STYLE=width: 350px; margin-left: 20px; border-bottom: 4px solid #ce9a6b] [STYLE=float: right; font-family: century gothic; font-size: 25px; text-transform: lowercase; letter-spacing: -2px; color: #ce9a6b; margin-top: -3px;]the road stretches on[/style][/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; color: #ce9a6b; text-align: justify;]Alfred could tell by the man's demeanor that little had been told to him. This wasn't surprising - Most of the people at the agency didn't know what was involved with the job that Jered would be taking on. It was usually up to Alfred to fill them in. Whether this was actually a good idea or not, given Alfred's methods, was up in the debate. None of the agents ended up permanently scarred thus far, so he had to be doing something right. "Close the door, if you would." There was no doubt that it was a demand rather than a request. It was not a particularly forceful demand, though one spoken with an air of authority. It was clear that Alfred was used to giving orders and having them followed, despite what his physical age suggested. It would most likely be the first sign to Jered that there was something more to Alfred than met the eye. Alfred waited for Jered to comply with his request, then proceeded onward. "So, first thing I'd like to do is welcome you! You'll be working with me for at least the next couple of years, so I hope that we're able to get along pretty well. So far, you seem like a pretty cool guy, though I can't help but think that you seem familiar for some reason." Alfred eyed Jered. He looked familiar, and his name sounded familiar. Foster. Foster Foster Foster. Dammit, where had he heard that before? "Anyone in your family serve in the military or government, kid?" That was where he'd most likely come across the name Foster before. Sure, he mingled with regular citizens as well, but a good chunk of the humans he knew face to face were either in the military or government, or associated with others in it. Realizing that he was getting a little sidetracked, Alfred shrugged that off and smiled. "Anyway, like I said, you'll be working with me. You're my agent! Your job's gonna be a little different than most of your buddies. See, I know your job's supposed to be to protect the people you're assigned to, and you will be protecting me...sorta. You should know, though, that I can protect myself pretty well, and I don't want you to do anything stupid, like jump in front of a bullet for me. I know that's what your taught to do, but trust me when I say that that bullet would hurt you a lot worse than it would hurt me anyway." He was hitting Jered with a lot at once, and he knew it. Therefore, he allowed a moment or so for Jered to process what he was saying. Then, he continued. "If I do get hit, and pay attention, cause this is important - Make sure you get me out of there quickly. Don't worry about hurting me by moving me, just get me away from the crowds. If I'm conscious, I should be able to give you some instructions to help. If not, just get me out of there. That's first and foremost, above anything else. " He took another pause. "Hopefully you won't have to worry about this, but I always tell my agents just in case, since things have happened before. I may get injuries that seem to appear out of nowhere. Hopefully I'll still be conscious to help you, but again, if I'm not, same instructions at first. If we're in public, get me the hell out of public. Then, once you've done that, you should call up my boss if you can get ahold of him. If not, then you'll want to call his second in command. They'll be able to help you out as well. You'll be meeting them at some point too. You'll also want to turn on a TV or hop online to see if there's any big headlines. Attacks, disasters, stuff like that." Alfred eyed Jered once more, this time noticing the dog tags that dangled in front of his suit. He would have assumed that Jered served in the military, had something else not clicked at the same time. Alfred snapped his fingers. "Jered Foster? Kid brother of Alex Foster? Operation Enduring Freedom?" Jered's certainly wasn't the only family he visited, but the familiar name in addition to the dog tags drew it to the forefront of his mind. He hoped he had the details right - It'd be awfully awkward if he didn't. "You've shaped up pretty well!" He noted, again hoping that he had the right person. "You might shape up to be one of my favorite agents yet." It's not often I meet one I've actually met before." He stated with a smile. "Though I guess you probably have a few questions for me, now that we've established we've met before." Such as how he hadn't physically aged at all in the decade since...[/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; font-size:9px; color: #ce9a6b; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;]WORDS: 858 TAGS: Jered/Shannon NOTES: Thread title = A play off the motto of the secret service. I thought it worked. XD CREDITS: lunar[/style]

The office seemed cozy enough it was nothing spectacular and hoped this isn’t where the man dwelled on his off days. The walls were the whitest they could be and plain boring. The desk had nothing that said this man had family or friends. Glancing around there wasn’t much to look at but a plain chair behind the desk, the desk it’s self which was a nice neutral light brown and the chair opposite that screamed it belonged in a high school rather than an office. Jered figured that they were going to get along great if this was the case. It would be all work related talk and nothing about families or anything else personal. He would have had a grin on his face but it just didn’t seem to fit the atmosphere at the moment. Plus he didn’t want his newfound boss to think he was crazy. Starting to feel more confident by the moment that he wasn’t going to actually mess things up or get startled by a personal question resulting in him shutting down and deflecting. Little did Jered know at the moment things would eventually get awkward, well at least for him.

Glancing at the door behind him he gave a small shrug and made his way to close the door. For such a young man he acted like he was ten times the age he looked. Turning back around he took a seat on the uncomfortable looking chair. He waited for Alfred to begin telling him what his entire job entailed and couldn’t help but be excited for it. This had been everything he trained and studied toward for the past couple of years. He didn’t have to wait long for the man to just jump right in, because as soon as Jered shut the door he seemed ready to give his speech. It didn’t surprise him at all that he would be working along side Alfred. Because why would they send him here unless this was going to be his boss. It did make him wonder why wouldn’t he just send an assistant to do all the boring orientation stuff? He was happy that he knew his boss more than cared about who tells whom what. Which makes everything easier instead of a game of telephone, where words can easily get mixed up.

Jered looked at the man as he said he knew him from somewhere. Unless he lived in a different state before this there was no chance. Taking a better look at Alfred now that he said something, he did look a bit familiar himself. But he hadn’t really interacted with people in years on a friendly terms. So perhaps if they did meet it was in passing or he saw Jered at the academy. It was when his new boss asked if anyone was in the military in his family that he stopped dead cold. His heart started racing as if Alfred was out right asking if his brother had died in war. “Uh-n.” He stopped there not wanting to tell an outright lie but he didn’t want to talk about his brother in this conversation. It had been years since his brothers passing but some how the wound still felt fresh. He was grateful for Alfred moving the conversation back on track and off the subject of how he knew Jered. Personal life just wasn’t his cup of tea and talking about it with someone who might have known him, it just didn’t sit right. Hell he didn’t even discuss his brother with his own father let alone a possible stranger.

He kept on listening yet half of his brain was still thinking about his deceased brother. He tried hard to pay attention since this was all very important for his new job. It took a bit in to the conversation until he finally came back to reality. He wondered what all this man could do if he didn’t need protection. A small grin came on to Jered face as Alfred out right told him to not take a bullet for him. It was almost comical, and he wondered if that ever did happen what people would say about him. They would probably all think he was going to get fired. “Can I get that in writing please? I don’t want to get fired because I didn’t jump in front of the line of fire.” He tried to be funny but it came in a more serious tone than he intended. Jered was never good at joking around, the wrong tone always being portrayed. Alfred then gave a slight pause probably for dramatic effect or to let him have everything sink in. To Jered if the crazy loon wanted to get hit then he was all for it, it wouldn’t be his tail on the line. The next part was a bit obvious but possibly to some people it would be. Everything Alfred was saying didn’t shake the man until what he said after. That injury could appear out of nowhere and to check the headlines if something weird did happen. Jered couldn’t wrap his head around why he would have to check headlines on the Internet or newspaper. He leaned forward trying to read him to see if he was joking or actually as serious as he sounded.

Once Jered did this, the dog tags seemed to have a mind of there own dropping out behind his shirt. Putting them back in as fast as he could he suppose he was now caught. He had absolutely no choice but to get in to his personal life which is something he hoped wouldn’t come up again. His eyes snapped up, face hardening as Alfred mentioned his brother’s name. He stood up fast Jered’s feet wanting to run out the door, and not return to this place ever again. Yet it seemed he had more will power making his feet stay in place and wondering how the hell this guy knew him. The gears in his mind spinning fast until it clicked. Alfred the one person who helped him through or at least got him out of a depressed state for a while as a kid. He had given him the dog tags that were around his neck. The one thing that he had to hold on to all these years that made him feel connected to his brother. “Alfred? Wow you looked like you haven’t aged a day!” His face lightened with happy surprise yet still he held back some happiness. “Wow yeah, how did you stay pretty much the same age? Or in my younger eyes did I think you looked much older than you were?”

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Word Count: 1117
Tags: Alfred

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=CellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:400px; height:580px; background-color: #fff3e9; border: 1px solid #ce9a6b, btable] [STYLE=width: 350px; margin-left: 20px; border-bottom: 4px solid #ce9a6b] [STYLE=float: right; font-family: century gothic; font-size: 25px; text-transform: lowercase; letter-spacing: -2px; color: #ce9a6b; margin-top: -3px;]the road stretches on[/style][/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; color: #ce9a6b; text-align: justify;]Alfred laughed a little at Jered's request to get everything in writing. This was actually the first time he'd heard a request like that. "Sure, if you want. I can print it up after we're done with this." He didn't plan to do it right away, though. There was too much that Alfred needed to get to before then - and really, Jered did have nothing to worry about. He would not get in trouble for not jumping in front of Alfred. Though he could certainly understand why Jered was wary. He was also aware that Jered was puzzled by a few of his statements, something that made the corners of his mouth turn upward a little bit. He'd get it soon enough. He already liked this new agent quite a bit, and he had a feeling that he knew why. The nation didn't expect Jered to move to his feet. He watched as the realization slowly came to Jered as well, smiling when the young man revealed that he was indeed the person that Alfred thought that he was. He chuckled when Jered marveled at the fact that he didn't look like he'd aged a day. It wasn't like he hadn't heard that one before. The question that Alfred expected came next, and Alfred tried to think of how to best inform Jered of the situation at hand. This would be different than most of Alfred's other introductions, given that he already knew Jered. It might even be easier, given that Jered already saw his first tangible hint that there was something peculiar about Alfred. "If you weren't working for me, I'd go with the standby that you thought I was older than I actually was. Since you're gonna be working with me, though...you're right. I haven't aged much since I last saw you. There's a lot about me you need to know in order to do your job right, and I guess now's as good a time as any to start giving you the information that you'll need." Alfred sat back a little and smoothed out his suit. "First off, the age thing. It's a lot more intense than you probably think. Alex told me your dad was a military man too, if I remember correctly? Well, I may have served with him too. Or your grandpa. Or your great grandpa, if you get what I'm saying. As you might have guessed, that also has to do with the reason why I don't want you to jump in front of me if someone decides to take a shot at me. It all ties in, really." Alfred rubbed his hands together, starting to get a bit anxious to just do the big reveal already. He just had a few things that he needed to say first. "You're sworn to secrecy. You can't go telling your friends and family about the stuff you might come across in this job. I know you already know this, and you probably went through it in your training, but I can't stress enough how important it is for you to remember this. Blabbing to the wrong person could cause a national security event, and those are always a major headache." As if to accentuate his point, Alfred removed his glasses and squeezed the bridge of his nose. "And I mean that both figuratively and literally." Sliding his glasses back onto his face, Alfred rose to his feet at once and took a few steps toward Jered. "I introduced myself once, but not under my full name. I wanted to make sure you passed the test first." He thrust out his hand for Jered to meet and shake. "Alfred Franklin Jones, the United States of America," he stated with a large smile. "And you're about to embark on the mission of a lifetime." No one said that America didn't have a thing for theatrics...[/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; font-size:9px; color: #ce9a6b; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;]WORDS: 676 TAGS: Jered/Shannon NOTES: Thread title = A play off the motto of the secret service. I thought it worked. XD CREDITS: lunar[/style]

Jered smiled as Alfred laugh a bit at his sad attempt at a joke. Which he was only being half serious and half joking, he wanted to make sure his future wouldn’t get ruined over that. He suspected Alfred would have his back on something like that but just in case he didn’t, it never hurt to have something extra to fall back on. He wondered how many people were actually informed of who Alfred really was. Or if only him self and a couple other people actually knew that he was so far the weirdest man he’s met. Honestly Jered should have been more shocked when Alfred revealed his small secrets yet somehow he was ok with it all. Of course it was a bit shocking, but not enough to run from the room screaming at the top of his lungs. Maybe it was because he all ready considered Alfred a friend of sorts that it really didn’t matter. After all he did help him through the toughest time in his life. Knowing now that he was so far he was some sort of important person. Jered was sure that the man had something way more important than stick around to help a kid out who just lost his brother. It was almost like an honor that he had actually felt enough for Jered as a kid to help him out. Standing there like a complete idiot he realized just how much Alfred had helped him out. All of the wanting to run away disappeared as it sunk in more and more.

“I just can’t believe it, you’re some sort of super human man. I mean I’ve taken in a lot and been ok with it. And even this I’m surprisingly ok with, it’s just so crazy to see it with my own eyes. I’m sure other agents have by now tried to flee the room or have fled the room. Does that make me the slightest bit crazy since I’m still here in the conversation? I suppose it’s just that I’ve known you before so all this doesn’t change a thing about what you did for me.” It was the truth, no matter what Alfred threw his way… well pretty much anything it wasn’t going to matter to Jered. The blonde haired man could tell Jered he could shoot lasers from his eyes and Jered would be ok with it. There was a strange bond going on that Jered was most certainly not used to. This was something he had before when his brother was alive and it made him feel strange. Not pin pointing it to be a good or bad feeling just something he was uncertain of. Before he could sort out any more feelings or even attempt, Alfred pressed on and began on telling him even more information. For his first day he wished he would have brought a pen and paper to be writing this all down to remember. A lot was being thrown at him at once figuring this was the crash course but everything would be explained again in time he hoped.

As Alfred began his next set of speeches about him not aging Jered’s eyes widen. He figured Alfred had lived a while longer than most but not generations of people. Jered listened as he explained that he might have served with his whole family bloodline in many wars before. Nodding his head as if someone was controlling him he was trying to wrap his head around what he was being told. Pretty much Alfred is immortal, yet there are something’s that can still kill him but unlikely. “You don’t have to tell me twice boss no jumping in front of bullets for you. Well I might have to do it just once to see what it feels like. But besides that any assassinations are all on you.” Everything Alfred had been saying was all coming together and Jered guessed as many times as he gave this speech it had perfected it along the way.

“Of course or else it wouldn’t be called the secret service! Plus what friends are you speaking of my imaginary ones? Don’t worry Alfred your secret is more safe with my than anyone. Not to mention I am more than just a secret service agent. I owe you a whole lot and wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. Yes this all sounds very cheesy and girly but it’s the truth.” Jered really was telling the truth he had no one who was normal to talk to. He would occasionally… well more than one occasion talk to his brother but it wasn’t like he was going to tell anyone either if he was even listening. It was then Alfred rose to his feet Jered following suit not sure if they were going off somewhere else. He raised his eyebrow as the man told him he didn’t introduce himself under his full name. Slowing his arm came up, and theirs hands connected as Alfred reintroduced himself. As he said he was the United States of America it was a slight surprise but not a bit jump. After he was put through all the ringers before this it seemed more believable than he could be shot and still come back to life. “Nice to meet you America and I sir, I most definitely will be taking the red pill.” Giving a small smile at his reference to the matrix since that is how all these seemed to feel. Like the truth was being revealed to him and he could either dive in to reality or stay behind getting lost in illusion’s.

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Word Count: 943
Tags: Alfred

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=CellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:400px; height:580px; background-color: #fff3e9; border: 1px solid #ce9a6b, btable] [STYLE=width: 350px; margin-left: 20px; border-bottom: 4px solid #ce9a6b] [STYLE=float: right; font-family: century gothic; font-size: 25px; text-transform: lowercase; letter-spacing: -2px; color: #ce9a6b; margin-top: -3px;]the road stretches on[/style][/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; color: #ce9a6b; text-align: justify;]Alfred did have Jered's back. Jered was amongst only a handful of people who would know what Alfred was. There were a larger number of people who knew that Alfred was somewhat important (he had to be, given the sorts of things he had access to), but only a few of those actually knew the extent of what Alfred was. The blond grinned as Jered said he was super human. "You could put it that way! Here, lemme show you something...hmm, what's the heaviest thing in here...maybe I'll try out that bookcase. You might wanna get out of the way, I don't want any books to nail you on the head or anything." He waited for Jered to heed his warning, and then proceeded to grasp on tight to the bookshelf with both hands. He proceeded to lift the bookshelf at least two feet off the ground, with assorted items still on it. The kicker? He hardly looked as though he were exerting effort. He wasn't even breathing any harder than usual. He set the bookcase back down gently and then looked over at Jered. "I could swing a buffalo around when I was about at waist height." He chuckled, just to give Jered an idea of the kind of strength that he had. He was surprised at how well Jered was taking most of what he was saying. Either Jered had a pretty open mind...or ALfred was being pretty convincing. He hadn't even had to pull any tricks to verify who he was (although he supposed the bookshelf trick could be seen as a trick of sorts - still, he hadn't had to do one directly as a result of Jered denying what he was saying). Then again, Jered already saw with his own eyes that Alfred did not age like a regular human. Perhaps that had something to do with it. Jered apparently reached the same conclusion, judging by his next comments. The blond could not help bur arch a brow at Jered's odd 'joke. "I can tell you offhand that it hurts something fierce. Hopefully that's enough to satisfy your curiosity." He didn't want his agent to start jumping in front of bullets just to see what it felt like. Alfred could do that, but he was a nation! He'd be alright. Jered, on the other hand? Alfred's smile slid into a frown. "Your...friends." He didn't like the way that Jered was talking, like he didn't have any. That just wouldn't do. Jered was a good kid from what Alfred could tell, and deserved to have plenty of friends. The biggest surprise to Alfred was how Jered reacted to the big reveal. Instead of flipping out, a response that he was used to from a wide variety of individuals, Jered just seemed...excited. It both amused and puzzled the young nation. "You know, you've probably had one of the best reactions to that since Ben Franklin. And he didn't freak out because he figured out what I was before I told him!" Well hey, if Jered could handle being told that Alfred was the United States of America without passing out...he could probably be told that Alfred happened to have known plenty of historical figures personally. Alfred wouldn't have to hold back as much as he usually did at first meetings. But then, this wasn't a first meeting after all, was it? That likely had something to do with it.[/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; font-size:9px; color: #ce9a6b; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;]WORDS: 600 TAGS: Jered/Shannon NOTES: Thread title = A play off the motto of the secret service. I thought it worked. XD CREDITS: lunar[/style]

Jered just look at Alfred with awe in his eyes. This man was so much more than he even knew. And as fate would have it Jered was brought back full circle. There was nothing more honorable to him than to repay Alfred for what he had done for him as a kid. This seemed like his chance to be the best agent Alfred ever had, screw promotions or anything concerned with that. No his loyalty went much deeper than wanting to get ahead in life, although this morning he was thinking just that. It was amazing how much one life/soul/nation could touch a person. Jered had just been staring at Alfred like a deer stuck looking at headlights, he just couldn’t pull him self away. It wasn’t until Alfred mentioned picking up a bookcase he came back to reality. Jered wondered how many more secrets were buried beneath Alfred’s surface of looking like just a mere man.

He didn’t take any time moving and standing off to the side in a hurry just in case books began raining over the room. Watching as Alfred lifted the bookcase as if it was a pillow made Jered eyes bulge out of his head. Ok, maybe not out of his head but they got pretty big as Alfred didn’t break a sweat picking up what he assumed was a heavy oak bookcase. Finally the object was set down and Jered felt more at ease. He was slowly learning when the blonde haired man said he could take care of him self he meant it. Jered once again collected his emotions back together because he didn’t want to look like a fish with its mouth hanging open. “That was so cool!” No of course he took the role of looking like a fan girl. Yet it wasn’t every day Jered met a nation and on top of that watched said nation pick up a bookcase like it weighed nothing. His eyes almost tinkled as Alfred began explaining when he was a child that he could swing buffalo around. Jered figured the buffalo wasn’t that heavy for Alfred either. By this he was rendered speechless it was funny how he now knew that this job was most certainly for him.

Seeing and hearing all of this information was like one of Cris Angel's mind tricks. If he hadn’t remembered Alfred from when it was a kid he would have walked out of this office a long time ago. Hell he almost had until the bigger picture became clear to him. To any one else this job would have been to strange but that is why Jered wanted to be secret service. He didn’t get scared off easily when it came to strange facts. No, he knew the government probably had so many more secrets that he would even be let in on. Jered tried to joke that he would have to save Alfred from one bullet to see how it felt. Of course he knew that it wouldn’t be pleasant and in a morbid way he wanted to know what his brother felt before his departure. If that wasn’t a crazy thought but some how it made Jered feel better. “I’m sure it will.” It was a plain lie then again if anything like that happened Jered would probably chicken out, he was never as strong as his brother to do semi crazy things. Even though is brother would probably never jump in front of a bullet intentionally.

“Yeah I don’t have any, I’ve got BIG trust issues but that’s a boring subject compared to what you’ve been telling me.” Jered sounded like he would rather end the conversation there. He honestly didn’t want to make anything about him. He was here to protect Alfred and get to know him better not rattle on about his non-existent social life. Gladly he took the conversation moving on to brighter subjects. “Wow you are old, I mean you told me you probably served with great great grandparents but you knew Benjamin Franklin?!” It didn’t freak out Jered no it just made Alfred that much more interesting to him. Figuring that this man in front of him although he looked like a teen had seen more than anyone Jered knew. Hell he probably had seen more things than all American’s put together. “I’m glad I’m taking it better than other agent. I just find you fascinating, not only have you lived longer than anyone I’ve ever known. But you take the time to care about your citizen’s personally.” At this point he was talking about himself. “What can’t you do?” Jered joked not wanting to get all hallmark card on Alfred.

[/blockquote]

Word Count: 777
Notes: This took me forever! I'm sorry for the absence. >.<

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=CellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:400px; height:580px; background-color: #fff3e9; border: 1px solid #ce9a6b, btable] [STYLE=width: 350px; margin-left: 20px; border-bottom: 4px solid #ce9a6b] [STYLE=float: right; font-family: century gothic; font-size: 25px; text-transform: lowercase; letter-spacing: -2px; color: #ce9a6b; margin-top: -3px;]the road stretches on[/style][/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; color: #ce9a6b; text-align: justify;]Though he was thrilled to be meeting a new agent, he couldn't help but feel a little uneasy at some of Jered's words - Mainly the comment about jumping in front of a bullet. "Like I said, don't do anything stupid," he stated in a more serious tone than before. He knew Jered supposedly made the comment as a joke, but it still didn't sit right with him for some reason. Especially when Jered went on to admit that he had trust issues. Alfred opened his mouth to ask, but before he could, Jered was throwing another question at him. Fortunately for Jered, Alfred took the bait. "Course I did!" Alfred stated with a small smile. "I knew most of my Founding Fathers. Only a few of them really knew who I was though. Mainly the ones who became president." He didn't give the information of who he was to everyone even then. There were certain people who played an integral role in helping Alfred to become a full-fledged country, and most of them learned who Alfred was at one point or another. "I took my middle name from Ben, actually. I was gonna make the F stand for Freedom, but he convinced me to go with an actual name instead." The nation grinned. Alfred wondered if Jered could discern the idea that there were other personifications from what he was saying. Regardless, Alfred knew that it would be best to inform Jered of that as well. He'd likely be meeting at least a few others, especially some of his states and cities. He pouted as he realized belatedly he'd been called 'old'. "Hey, I'm not THAT old! I mean, compared to you, I am, but take Arthur for example. He's over a thousand years old! And believe me, his age shows. Don't let him know I told you that, though." Alfred stated with a devious grin, clearly not entirely serious. Arthur's physical age was actually at about Jered's age. Realizing that Jered didn't know who Arthur was, Alfred hastily explained. "Arthur's my, uh, former older brother. England." Hopefully just stating that Arthur was England would give Jered an idea of just what he meant by former. Alfred beamed at Jered's complimentary words. He certainly wasn't going to argue with those, although he did know that he had limitations, and was by no means perfect. He was a nation, yes, but a human nation. He had the supernatural abilities that came with being a nation, there was no doubt about that. But the fact that he was a human nation meant that he was just as apt as a human to make big mistakes - and in his case, big mistakes could have impacts that reached far. Unfortunately for him, he knew that from experience. Alfred pondered on what to do next. Usually meetings didn't zoom by quite this fast. Usually he was still trying to convince a new agent that he was who he said he was. Lifting the bookshelf would have probably caused half of them to faint. Alfred chuckled a little at the thought. Because they were getting through the business more quickly than Alfred thought, maybe they'd have a little time for fun as well. Speaking of fun...the corners of Alfred's mouth turned up into a grin. "Wanna go out for ice cream? We can still chat, but I want something to snack on!" He didn't much like having the conversation in a stuffy old office anyway. He realized that a lot of the 'talk' had to be given in an area where they couldn't be overheard (hence the office setting), but his car could also qualify, right? "By the way, do you have any questions you wanna ask me so far?" He supposed this would be as good a time to check as any.[/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; font-size:9px; color: #ce9a6b; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;]WORDS: 664 TAGS: Jered/Shannon NOTES: Thread title = A play off the motto of the secret service. I thought it worked. XD CREDITS: lunar[/style]

As Alfred tried to more firmly tell him to not to anything stupid Jered shrugged. He knew how to take care of himself. As much as he loved the older brother figure, that dream had died long ago. There was no one to watch out for him except him. He made his own life decisions, which have so far gotten him ahead in life. Jered settled his butt back down in to a chair. Figuring that Alfred wouldn’t be juggling around anything else that could potentially kill him. It was cool to see how strong Alfred was. Also it was a bit scary how heavy of an object could he actually lift. Jered let his thoughts wander to what Alfred could do to him if he got out of line. Probably throw him around like a little rag doll until he complied. Honestly it would be a good form of punishment if he did pissed off Alfred for some reason or another. Jered figured maybe he should keep those thoughts to him self. He would hate to give Alfred ideas like that because the man could follow through.

“Wow I never could have imagined…. I suppose that’s the best way to keep a secret though. Even if you did tell the truth no one would believe you with out truly convincing them. Although I’m sure there are some who would just agree with out seeing anything or knowing you.” Jered was amazing at how much Alfred had to have seen over the years and generations. He wondered how hard it was to see people pass on from old age yet he pretty much stood still in time. Only looking nineteen not old enough to really do anything publicly. A child in the eyes of his very own people it must be hard. Jered knew back when America was first founded that being nineteen was no problem they did a lot back then at a younger age. But now it seemed that you had to be older to get any respect from people. It was a shame how some people in this nation had changed for the worst. But majority of people were good although Jered never looked past his nose to see it. Keeping to him self was his specialty if no one ruffled his feathers he wouldn’t ruffle there’s.

Jered watched Alfred’s face transform in to a pout. He went over the words he had just spoken unsure of what he just said. To Jered, Alfred was old not in a bad way but in a, you’ve been around more than twenty life times. Grinning as Alfred defended his age, saying he wasn’t that old. It was then Alfred spoke the name of Arthur like he was supposed to know. It was then he got a little insight on who Arthur really is, being England and all. Jered figured there had to be others like Alfred it was weird to think every state and country had their own representation in human form. It was a surprise slightly but not a big one he figured there had to be more that, the USA wasn’t that special. “Am I going to meet more of you kind here? Or not unless we go out of the country to meetings?” He would have to work on not being so shocked about other nations. Of course with Alfred it was different he had known him before all of this. It would be the others that would make him take a second look and perhaps too long for some of there likings.

“Ice cream sounds good to me.” Giving a small smile, it had been a while since he had some. Plus it seemed like they were pretty much all done here. If there were any other questions it’s not like he wouldn’t be back tomorrow. Jered was pretty confident that he had the job and was keeping it for as long as he could do his job to the fullest. Standing up even at his tallest it seemed Alfred was a bit taller. Jered contemplated putting stuff in his shoes but laughed it off. That would be interesting if everyone saw him grow a couple inches over night. Shaking his head of the thoughts now was not the time for that. Glancing at Alfred after if he asked if he had any questions Jered smirked, “Just one, which way to the ice cream parlor?” He was now getting snaky also after Alfred mentioned ice cream he was ready to get out of this office.

[/blockquote]

Word Count: 758
tags: Alfred

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=valign,top][atrb=CellSpacing,10,true][atrb=style, width:400px; height:580px; background-color: #fff3e9; border: 1px solid #ce9a6b, btable] [STYLE=width: 350px; margin-left: 20px; border-bottom: 4px solid #ce9a6b] [STYLE=float: right; font-family: century gothic; font-size: 25px; text-transform: lowercase; letter-spacing: -2px; color: #ce9a6b; margin-top: -3px;]the road stretches on[/style][/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; font-family: arial; font-size: 9px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; color: #ce9a6b; text-align: justify;]Alfred did trust Jered to care for himself - For the most part. He knew that Jered was physically capable of defending himself. He wouldn't have made it this far if he hadn't. What he was worried about was Jered's mental state. A few of Jered's comments made Alfred think twice He wasn't always the most observant in the world, but when the situation called for it, he paid more attention than most thought. This was one of those instances. One statement rubbed Alfred the wrong way, and now he was paying closer attention to Jered's words. The nation laughed when Jered mentioned proving who he was to others. "It takes some convincing for most people. I had to pick up General Washington before he finally took what I was saying into consideration. It was worth it in the end. We laughed about it later." Alfred stated with a fond grin. He had plenty of stories about the various ways that he revealed who he was to leaders. Some didn't take to it as badly as others, just as Jered predicted. Others nearly blew a gasket. Alfred shrugged when Jered asked about meeting others. He should have known that was coming. "I'm sure you'll meet some of the others. We have some meetings around here, and some overseas. Most of the ones you go to will be around here, but you'll tag along to at least a few of the other ones. Depends on how public they are. The more public they are, the more likely you'll go." His job was, after all, to help protect Alfred's secret. The greater the chance that someone might uncover information, the more likely Jered would be sent along to prevent that from happening. G8 meetings, for example. They were high profile because of the leaders that attended, but the nations were there as well. It would be Jered's job to make sure that no one caught on to the true reason that Alfred was there. Well, Jered and Alfred himself, of course. It helped having some back up reassurance, though - just in case. Ice cream was a go. Alfred hardly noticed the height difference, and thus was confused when he saw Jered shaking his head for what seemed like no reason. "What's up?" He questioned. "The ice cream shop's a couple of blocks away. They have so many options, you're bound to find something you like." Alfred liked getting a few scoops of ice cream and piling just about every topping they had available on the top. Alfred checked the pockets of his suit jacket and pants to make sure that he had everything on him before he headed for the door. He then lifted his keys off of his desk by the end of his American flag key chain. He swung his keys around lackadaisically as he headed off down the hall, walking fast but also checking back to make sure that Jered was keeping up. He knew the building they were in fairly well,, but he didn't want Jered to get separated from him and end up lost. That would be pretty funny, though, thought Alfred with a grin. The blond stopped in front of the desk of the woman who showed him where to go in the first place. He stood at the door of her office and waved to her. "Thanks for showing me where to go!" He indicated with a small smile. He wasn't done yet, though. "By the way, tell the director that Alfred says hey, and good job picking out a new agent for him." He stated with a wink, chuckling a little as he witnessed the color starting to drain from her face. Then, as if he hadn't said anything at all, he continued walking. He turned to Jered with a grin, whispering his next statement to the new agent. "You'd think I'd just revealed I was on speaking terms with the director of the Secret Service or something!" Well, he was! Not his fault that surprised more than a few people. And to think, she still didn't know the half of it...[/style] [STYLE=width: 300px; margin-left: 30px; margin-top: 20px; font-size:9px; color: #ce9a6b; font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;]WORDS: 711 TAGS: Jered/Shannon NOTES: Thread title = A play off the motto of the secret service. I thought it worked. XD CREDITS: lunar[/style]