tibetanmethod | (no subject)

"You seem distracted," she observes, albeit gently. Dark eyes are trained on his face as she studies him.

"My apologies," he returns, as he picks up his coffee.

Cooper surveys the board. "I think I'm a little beyond hope, though."

Moiraine allows herself a faint smile.

"Perhaps."

Cooper doesn't seem too distraught by his impending loss. He sips his coffee, and makes his move.

She does not reach for her own piece, not at first.

"Dale?"

Her focus is on him now, not the game.

"Would you wish to speak of whatever it is that is on your mind?"

Cooper looks up and smiles.

"Oh, it's just that I'm leaving the Bureau."

He's smiling.

"Officially. And working for the sheriff's department full time."

Dark eyes widen as Moiraine stares at him in shock.

"You-- Dale-- what?"

"I'm leaving the Bureau." Cooper is still smiling. "Two weeks to transition my duties to other agents in Colville, and I'm done."

"But why?"

How could she possibly have missed this, she wonders; has she been so self-absorbed as all that?

"Because I'm not prepared to move to Seattle or Salt Lake City, and I'd rather take the pay cut than leave Twin Peaks, especially when my interests have grown divergent from the Bureau's."

He sounds unconcerned. "I think it's your move?"

"It is, yes."

The move she makes is one with somewhat less thought given to it than usual. Moiraine sets her piece down and returns her attention to him.

"Why now? You have mentioned nothing at all of this, before."

Cooper replies, studying the board, "The case in Colville is wrapping up, and I"m under a fair amount of pressure to allow myself to be reassigned to Seattle or Salt Lake on a permanent basis. As for why I haven't mentioned it..."

He moves his rook up three squares. "It seemed a fairly obvious choice. I have a long way to go before I reach the required years of service for retirement. The Bureau has a good applicant pool -- one of the best anywhere -- and Twin Peaks doesn't." Lightly. "So I think I can be of more use here than I can in Seattle. And I like it better here."

Silence descends like a blanket; she says nothing at first, but merely watches him.

Eventually, and very quietly, the Aes Sedai says,

"I find it difficult to believe that even a 'good applicant pool' has many who would approach your level of skill, Dale."

A slight smile. "Moiraine, did I ever tell you about my very first case as an agent of the Bureau? -- it's your move."

"I know," she replies, but does not reach for a piece.

"Which case would this have been?"

Or rather, why is he bringing it up now?

"A kidnapping. A little girl. Eight years old. She was found alive, in the dead of winter, chained to a tree, for no purpose other than to extort money from her parents. And that was a case that ended well."

Cooper takes a sip of coffee.

Peacefully:

"The vast majority of the cases investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation are best worked by traditional methods. Methods such as I tend to employ are not in high demand, because there's not a high need. If this country is plagued by evil, mostly it's small, petty evil, committed by small, petty citizens. Twin Peaks is an anomaly in more ways than one, Moiraine. And I'm of more use here."

"Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"

"... I see. Or at least, I believe that I may," she says, after some moments' deliberation.

A pause.

"Although if you wish to explain further, I would not object."

Some things are too important to run the risk of error where it may be avoided.

"It's not just my happiness, Moiraine. It's that there are things in the woods. Portals within the sycamore groves. Harry -- he's very good at his job, but for some things, you need a specialist. While we all have an interest in national security -- and I love my country, very much, it's why I went to the Bureau to begin with -- but when it comes to the Bureau, I'm not the best. Not even close."

Cooper pauses.

More quietly: "And I have an interest in making sure this town stays safe. Or as safe as it can. And it may be hubris, but I think Twin Peaks is safer with me than without me."

"I do not think it is hubris," Moiraine replies, softly. "And I would not disagree that Twin Peaks is fortunate to have you."

"But I would not wish to see you unhappy, either, if there were another way."

"I'm not unhappy, Moiraine." Another smile, slightly broader than the last. "It was my privilege to serve my fellow citizens as a special agent of the FBI for over twelve years. And I'll still serve my fellow citizens, albeit on a much smaller scale. I've done my best to conduct myself with honor and I will do my best to make sure that doesn't change. Harry trusts me enough to honor me with the position, and I'm grateful for the new privilege. And that's all there is to it."

"Is it," she murmurs. "I see."

Cooper sips his coffee, and waits patiently for Moiraine to make her move.

She studies the board in silence for several seconds, or appears to, at least.

Abruptly,

"It is done, then? There is no going back?"

Cooper glances at her.

"No going back."

Mild.

Moiraine nods, once, and says nothing.

After a moment, she reaches to move her knight.

The fine tremor in her fingers as she does so is almost unnoticeable.