Author's Note: A fun, bonus chapter because I love Peggy too much!

I also want to dedicate this chapter to those who have read and commented on every story in this series. You know who you are. I would have stopped writing fanfiction a long time ago if it weren't for your support. Thank you so much. You guys are the best!

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"Carter, get your feet off my desk."

Peggy Carter, who is sitting in Cassian's own chair, quirks an eyebrow in challenge. She is licking her fingers; a pack of his rationed biscuits lie empty on his pristinely-kept desk. Upon hearing his request, she merely taps her foot, her eyes rising to meet his as he enters the room.

"Don't be rude, Andor," Carter remarks glibly. "What happened to my place is your place, etcetera?"

"This is my office, Carter. Not my house."

"Same thing."

Cassian shrugs off his rain-soaked jacket and drapes it over a chair. "Well, you've certainly made yourself at home." In addition to the empty pack of biscuits, he notices two cups of tea, still steaming hot.

"I've also found your stash," says Carter. She reaches underneath his desk and produces his hidden bottle of tequila. "Touché, Captain."

Sighing, Cassian takes a seat. "You're insufferable."

"I'm resourceful."

"You're a pain."

"A pain with a very good eye who is about to pour tequila into your tea. You should be grateful."

Cassian sighs again and waves a hand in defeat. "Go on, then."

Smirking, Carter pours the liquor into both cups of tea and pushes one across the desk to Cassian.

"Where is Jyn?"

"She's gone for a run," Cassian replies, his voice a little too nonchalant. He wraps a hand around the cup and takes a careful sip.

Carter looks at him with open amusement. "A run, huh? In the rain?"

"When has the rain ever stopped you British from doing anything?"

"Not a fan of the Scottish weather then, are you, Andor? Missing the Mexican sun?"

Cassian finds himself wincing despite Carter's teasing tone. "I always miss the Mexican sun."

He hopes to God that the sentence did not sound too wistful or too sad. He trusts Carter (he is no fool), but he is never one to dwell on the more…personal side of things. After all, when has sentiment ever gotten them anywhere?

"Well, you should be glad to know that I approve," Carter says instead.

"Of what?"

"What else? Jyn Erso, of course!"

Cassian forces himself to look blankly back at Carter. "You think she's…up for the task?"

"More than up for it." Carter drums her fingers on a nearby file. "I wrote my assessment down for you in here. All my notes, my observations, my thoughts."

"You don't think she's too…" - Cassian frowns over his cup of tea - "…too impulsive?"

"She is certainly impulsive, which can be a good thing and a bad thing. But she is a decent enough shot, a passionate leader, and goodness, those fighting skills of hers! I'd give my right arm to fight as well as she does. But, unfortunately, she is not a spy, Andor. Unlike you, she cannot lie her way to Berlin."

"I know that." Of course, he knows that. Perhaps this is one of the reasons why he likes her so much: her honesty. He is always helpless in the face of it. "Sabotage, then?"

"Sabotage and recruitment," Carter replies. "Send her to France and she can turn that place upside down in no time. If….well, when she is there, she might benefit from a handler who can balance out her more…reckless tendencies, I think. Someone like you, perhaps."

Carter is looking too smug for her own good. Cassian drinks more tea so as not to respond right away.

"Should I…" - but he corrects himself just in time - "…should we be worried about her getting caught?"

"She can handle herself."

"I know that, but - "

"Andor, have a little faith."

That shuts him up.

Carter makes it sound so easy. Ridiculously easy. Like she knows how much more difficult it is for him to believe in something he can only feel, but not see.

"You look dreadful," remarks Carter. She still has not removed her feet from his desk; she just levels him with too much intelligence in her brown eyes.

"I haven't been sleeping well."

"Bad dreams?"

Cassian simply shrugs. She is right, of course. But that is entirely none of her business; the dreams that keep him awake at night are not anyone'sbusiness.

"Cassian," says Carter, and he immediately registers the use of his first name. Her expression softens as she studies him. "Cassian, tell her."

His hand nearly shakes, damn it, but he has always been a very good liar.

"Who?"

He can see how badly Carter is trying not to roll her eyes. "You know who. Erso."

"Tell her what?"

This time, Carter really does roll her eyes. "Men," she says derisively. "You're all so bloody clueless."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Cassian replies instead. He puts his cup down gently on the desk. "I'm an instructor, Carter. Erso's my student."

"Of course she is."

"I'm doing my job."

"Of course you are."

"I've asked you to come here to evaluate her progress."

"You did," says Carter. "Why?"

"Because I can trust you."

"Goodness, that is strange to hear," Carter remarks idly.

"And it is even stranger to say."

Carter scoffs and swings her feet off his desk. She really does move with precision, this woman, Cassian thinks. Every action punctuated by clipped efficiency and class. And she always sees too much. Far too much.

"Forget it, Andor." Carter sighs. "We are never going to be best friends, are we? We are never going to sit around and braid each other's hair, trade war stories or talk about our love lives. It is never going to happen."

"Thank goodness for that."

"Well, I did try. Give me some credit, at least."

"I always do." Cassian finds himself smiling a little. "Those Americans have no idea what they're getting into with you, Carter."

"I haven't missed you, Andor, but I have missed your thinly-veiled compliments."

Cassian's smile widens. It feels strange indeed to smile so often; today has been a real exception.

"I'm grateful, you know, Carter. That you came up here."

"Frankly, I didn't have much of a choice. At least now we're even." Carter pours more tequila into both their cups before lifting up hers. "A toast, then? To celebrate?"

"A toast to what?"

Carter pauses for a moment.

"To victory," she says.

Cassian lifts his own cup to meet hers. "To victory."

Cassian stands under an oak tree, waiting for her to run past. When she finally jogs up the path and spots him, she immediately slows down to a halt.

"Hello, Erso," says Cassian.

Jyn can only lift a hand in greeting; she is still panting, trying to catch her breath. And he cannot help but notice how good she looks in the rain.

"Hello," she eventually says. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting to talk to you."

"You could have waited for me inside the canteen."

"Too many eyes and ears."

A playful smile tugs at her lips. "We did have a conversation in front of your entire unit of new recruits, you know."

"Yes, but I suppose that's the difference between you and me." He runs a cautious hand through his wet hair. "You are not one for secrets."

Jyn's smile turns a little sad at his words. She steps underneath the canopy, leans against the trunk of the oak, and gazes up at him with too many unsaid things swirling in her green eyes.

"I want to apologise," says Cassian without thinking. "This afternoon, I didn't apologise."

"For what?"

"For not telling you about Carter coming up from London."

"Oh. That." And she looks…surprised? Relieved? "Thank you, I suppose."

"I should have warned you."

"Well, I understand why you didn't."

"Yes, but…I should have warned you."

Jyn frowns. "Do you really think it'll help get me to France? Peggy's assessment, I mean."

Cassian shrugs. "We can only hope."

"Yes," Jyn says rather wistfully. "I suppose that's all we can do."

She takes a step forward and she is close enough that he sees the droplets of rain clinging to her eyelashes. The way her lips tremble a little with ernest. And he realises, with some sadness, how much he would like to kiss those lips.

The impulse is, of course, very improper. He should not even be here at all.

"Thank you for worrying about me," Jyn says quietly. "I never…I never had that before."

God, what can he possibly say to that, then? He shoves both hands into his pockets. Shifts on the balls of his feet.

Cassian, tell her, Peggy had said.

But he cannot. He simply cannot. He had already said too much this afternoon. Instead, he says, "I just want you to be safe, Jyn."

She scoffs. "It's a bit too late for that now."

He sighs. "Jyn, you know what I mean."

She does not say anything, but her hand reaches out to grip his forearm instead. The gesture is so unexpected that a smile comes to his face before he can stop himself.

"I'm going to give them hell," she says.

Cassian grins. "I know you will."

They do not kiss (perhaps one day they might) and it is still raining when they walk back to the house together. It always rains here, Cassian thinks. But somehow, this time, he finds that he does not mind it quite so much.

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Author's Note: I'm going to disappear for a while because there is some other writing I need to do. But hopefully, you guys will still be here when I return? :)

Anyway, please let me know whether you enjoyed this little chapter. Many thanks!