Tanya had been trying to work or for days how to deal with Leroy. She knew she had to deal with it sooner, rather than later, but there was so much at stake. Christian's safetly. The Hansons' privacy. And not to mention her own relationship with Leroy.
"Come in," called Leroy.
Tanya entered his office.
"Hey," she said softly. "Could I talk to you about something?"
"Sure," Leroy replied. "What is it?"
"Well, it's like this. I have an... an employee. Out of neccesity I've had to put her into a position of a great deal of responsibility and trust - there simply isn't anyone else I can get for the job. The problem is... she's be abusing her position."
"Abusing it? How?"
"She's been invading the privacy of the very people she's supposed to be looking after, and then passing on the information to a third party."
"Ahh. But why do you need me? We've dealt with that kind of thing before."
True. Tanya bit her lip before continuing.
"I know who the third party is. She's a close friend of mine. Someone I could trust with my life - or thought I could. Someone I thought trusted me, except now I find out she's been checking up on me."
"Doesn't sound like much of a friend. Maybe you should talk to them about it. Maybe it's not what you think."
Tanya met his eyes for a moment, then looked down into her lap, tears threatening to fall from her eyes. This was the hardest thing she had ever done.
"I... I have to confess something."
"Yes?"
"I lied to you."
Leroy frowned.
"About what?"
"About the gender of the people in my story. You see, they're both male. One of them is Tad Forrest."
Leroy tensed as Tanya looked up and at him, straight in the eye.
"The other is you."
"Tanya, I -" he began.
"How could you?" she demanded quietly. "How could you? No, I don't want any empty apologies. I want an explanation, and I want it now."
"Tanya... Tad... Tad rang for you one day - you know, that day when I gave you his message? Well, when he found out it was me who answered the phone he started getting sloppy in his message leaving. I figured that there was some infomation he wanted to drop and I -"
"You let him," Tanya filled in coldly. "Go on."
"He dropped Christian's name. Tanya, the Hanson boys have been socialising with him. Socialising, and not reporting him in. The boy needs rehab! Badly! And not just so we don't have to deal with yet another Spider, or Guffrey, or Lucious. He needs it for his own sake. Seriously, how screwed up a childhood do you think he had? And you of all people should understand that, Tanya, you were in on it."
"Yes, Leroy, I was in on it. And I did my damned best to be some positive influence in his life. Can't you leave things be? Please? Believe me, there's nothing more I'd like to see than Christian accepted by the YIRAAS."
"So why won't you report him, Tanya? I know he's been to the station! No doubt to visit you."
"Are you sure?" Tanya asked snidely. "There are lots of places on the station he could be visiting. That's assuming your little spy has overheard correctly."
"Do not play games with me."
"Why not? You always liked it before."
"Tanya!"
"Leroy! You have gone too far. You have crossed the line. It's bad enough that Tad has been harrassing the Hansons since his day of assignment without him invading their privacy as well. And you, encouraging it! I'm not your enemy, Leroy. And despite what you might think of him, Christian isn't either."
"Just bring him in, Tanya," Leroy said. "He needs to go to rehab. And before you start screaming at me, maybe I should remind you that as YIRAAS Council member I have some serious responsibilies and principals to uphold. I'm not going to look the other way. I can't."
"I'm not asking you to look the other way, Leroy," Tanya said standing up. "I'm asking you to trust me again. Like you used to."
And on that, Tanya turned and left the office, fleeing to her room before anyone could see her cry.