i_vanquish_evil | Otherways -

He had borne the Cardinal's visit as well as he generally did. The only good news from it had been that the Russia assignment wouldn't start for two more weeks. That meant he could get settled and even go back to Milliways for a while before he had to leave again.

Michael sighs contentedly into the couch, an arm thrown over the back, a cold drink in the other hand. He leans his head back and listens to the gondolier singing something cliché for a tourist on the canal below.

He doesn’t hate Venice; he'd just rather not be in Italy - too close to The Order. Though, anymore, it didn't much matter, since mass communication made irritating him at all hours so much easier.

He sips his drink and glances toward the window. It's March, almost April, but it's nice outside today. He steps out onto the small balcony overlooking the canal and leans on the railing.

So many things he would like to do, so many that he can't - all because of the work he must do. Thought, he should ask for a vacation. In the hundred or so years he's been working for The Order, he doesn't recall having ever taken one.

He reaches into the apartment, puts his drink on the counter and grabs the phone. He dials a number and waits.

A familiar female voice answers and throws him off for a moment.

"Angie?" he snarls a little. "Is Cardinal DeClerque around?"

"I think so, but he'll insist you speak to him in Italian."

"I don't care if I have to speak to him in Klingon, can I just talk to him?"

"Okay, honey, don’t get a knot in your shorts."

"I'm not wearing any," he grumbles away from the phone and hears Angie snicker on the other end.

A moment later the Cardinal picks up and Michael makes his request, gets denied, argues his case, makes his points and suffers through a forty minute wait - which he doesn't mind all that much, since it's on The Order's nickel. He gets an answer and hangs up the phone. He tosses it onto the counter, retrieves his drink and leans on the railing of the balcony to watch the canal for a few minutes.

There's a little old lady who lives across the way. She smiles and waves at him and he waves back. He finishes his drink and turns to walk back into his apartment…