Title: Is It A Trap? No, dear.
Fandom: Control (video game)
Rating: General
Length: 403
Content notes: Post Game, No spoilers, heavily implied Emily Pope/Helen Marshall/Jesse Faden/Raya Underhill
Author notes: I did my best to avoid spoilers with this ficlet, but please tell me if there are any and I'll adjust the content notes.
Summary: In which there is a note given to Jesse.


“Director Faden, I have a message for you from the Head of Operations.”

Jesse looked up from the report that she had been reading, forcing back the urge to wince at the light streaming into her formerly dark office behind the nervous rookie. She wondered why her Head of Operations hadn't come to the office herself.

“What does she need?”

“She wouldn’t tell me, ma’am. Just that she needs you there in person and to give you this,” the rookie answered as they handed her a key with the number 208 and a note attached to it.

The number went to a room somewhere further in the building, right? Jesse wondered silently, processing the request.

“Thank you for the message,” Jesse replied, half-smiling while pushing a stray length of hair behind her left ear as she closed the file and followed the young rookie out of the office, locking the doors behind her.

As they went their separate ways, a small uneasy part of her mind whispered that as not all of the Hiss had been contained that she might be heading into a trap created by her Head of Operations. And given what she had experienced so far, she wasn’t sure that she should dismiss that thought.

Eventually, she finally found the room in the wing of the personnel quarters, stopping to look around her before turning back to it. 208’s door was partly open with a single ray of light streaming out of it as she moved to push it open.

Inside she found three of her inner circle waiting calmly.

“Here you are,” Jesse said as she closed the door and leaned on it. “Was wondering where you had disappeared too.”

“Nothing to do with the Hiss, dear,” Raya answered with a small smile as Emily moved towards Jesse. “But we hoped that you would allow us to take care of you with the scrutiny of the entire office watching.”

“It’s safe here? Not a trap by the Hiss to take us down?” Jesse asked softly, glancing over at Helen as Emily gently started massaging her hands.

“Yes, it's safe here. I made sure of it,” Helen responded softly, her dark eyes gentle. “There are no Hiss nearby.”

“Thank you, Helen.” Jesse made a soft relieved sound under Emily’s gentle touch, taking the cup of sweet-smelling tea that Raya offered to her as Helen joined them, kissing her forehead gently.