He swallowed at her words. He hadn't meant to take her position, the one she truly wanted. He wasn't able to change any of it though. It had taken a lot of thinking and talk between them, to decide whether he'd take it or not. And even now wondered if he was able! "Would you have changed any of it?" he asked softly.

"Yes. I'd have kept my job, carried on doing what I love." she told him, her voice catching a little. "I wouldn't have been a housewife and full time mum." she leant her head back, willing the tears to stay in her body and not go anywhere else. "I wouldn't have had my heart broken by quitting my dream job and then being bored for years."

He swallowed as his eyes were on hers as she spoke. How much had she regretted and wished hadn't happened. Was he the one that was to blame for all of that? Did she regret all of it, every bit of it? He didn't know how to respond rather than step closer to her.

When he stepped forward, Becca just looked into his eyes and then swallowed. She'd not told him most of this before. She'd just internalised it and got on with it. "I miss it. I miss being able to protect people and make their lives better." Her voice was down to a whisper now.

He looked into her eyes. He knew how much she missed it, and how much she longed to be in that field again. "You have to prove yourself here again." he said quietly. "Look where I started here, I loved the work but it took ages for them to trust me enough to see where my skills really are." His eyes were on hers "You and I are going to be a team again. We'll show them what you can do. You're not going to be left out."

"No, Gid. I'm not proving myself to anyone." she replied to him. "I have a lot of experience and I've kept up my skills and training and we both know I'm better than you are because I've done it for longer. I shouldn't need to prove myself AGAIN. I already have so many times and I still got shoved into a different department because you're my husband." Her voice broke a little and the tears finally appeared. "I've proved myself so many times to people and I've earnt the ability to be believed when I say what I do."

"I'm not telling you to prove yourself to anyone. I'm not saying you have to. I know who you are and what you can do. I don't disagree that you're better than I am. Heck you are the one who trained me and tested me making me what I am now." He swallowed and looked down closing his eyes trying to find the right words. "I don't agree you should have been placed in a different department, but I understand the reasoning. You have to remember love. You haven't been in the British ministry in over a decade. The last time you were here, they weren't able to see what you can do. They see you still as a head of Mysteries." God he hated to see her in so much pain, so much hurt in her and those tears!

"You literally said I have to prove myself here." she said to him, maybe a little more snappy than she'd intended. Yes, she HAD trained him! She'd taught him everything he knew in that field. "No, but you didn't fight it, did you!?" Becca stared at him with that intense fire in her watery eyes. "I don't care! They saw what I did and they saw my work history. You don't ignore over ten years in a field just because you've not seen the person at work! Who replaced you??" she asked, outraged. "Someone who they've never seen working!" See, now she was just getting more frustrated and more upset.

"You have to show them yes" he said quietly wishing he wasn't having to say this again. He knew she was hurt and upset. "They remember what it is they saw you as here. They need to see you in action. They know how well you did in one field, but you returned with 10 years of experience outside that field and back in MLE, you need to show them that you are more than capable. Just like everyone else in the field. Even you know love, that we don't just take a person's word for it when they claim to be an auror. We ask and watch and test them to see their capabilities for ourselves."

He swallowed as he looked towards her again "Bec, I'm sorry. I don't know that I can do anything. It wouldn't be fair for me to turn around and demand that my wife is in MLE with me, and not find that my employees and other department heads don't watch for me to slip up and look like I'm being more generous to you rather than an employee who's been working for years towards a position. You wouldn't do that either. If you were in my position, you'd tell me to start in the spot they put me and work up and prove myself to them as well." That wasn't very sweet to say but it was true. He knew she'd tell him to buck up and do what they ask and show them they were wrong about his abilities.

If she had a cake she could smush in his face to make him shut up, she would. Becca just looked at her husband, trying so hard to keep her ladylike appearance up. "Don't call me love." she snapped at him. "I had my job, my department and my dream taken away from me for my family and now you want me to start at the bottom and work my way up AGAIN. Haven't I done that enough times in my life? I could still be in Italy, I could be enjoying my job, I could be happy." she stressed to him, hoping he'd actually understand.

"No, it wouldn't be fair. Just like me being here doing a completely different job isn't fair! I've worked for years towards this too! Just because it was somewhere else, it doesn't mean I haven't worked hard!!!" She'd worked every minute of every day and had even worked herself into a hospital ward at the end of an emergency when most people had been too ill to work. "Don't you tell me I haven't worked hard." she stood her ground, making herself seem taller as she faced her husband directly.

His face dropped the more she spoke and though he tried not to show what she'd said hurt it really had. It had been a huge adjustment for them to come from Italy. And a huge step for them too, as neither of them had very fond memories returning to the UK and the skeletons of their past were again just waiting for them to return. "What would make you happy right now?" he asked quietly. "Do you want to return to Italy?"

"I never said that it was fair. I never said that because you have worked elsewhere doesn't mean you haven't worked hard. You did an amazing job there and will here as well." He wanted to tell her that she shouldn't look at it as a failure but as something to keep striving towards again. He remembered a few years back when she'd run for minister and that had broken her. Now she was taking the step to return to the ministry and they just kept trying to hold her back. "I'm not telling you and would never tell you you haven't worked hard. Because you have."

"I want my job back, I want my old department and I want our house back and I just... I hate it here." The tears started to fall, though she was getting more and more angry with herself. "I want to be happy with my job and the way I live... I don't want to be held back by people who keep telling me I'm not good enough because I've had that for so long and I'm tired of it!" There. She hadn't said she wanted to return, but she did want a slightly similar life to what she'd had!

"Don't patronise me! I'm so tired of being told I'm not good enough and it's not okay! I've worked hard and I've made my own path through this world, but people don't like it. I'm not good enough to be Minister, I'm not good enough to be in MLE and I'm not good enough to get a better job than obliviator!" she let out a frustrated noise and then looked down at the bag she had. Taking out the Ministry goods, she shoved them toward Gid and shook her head. "I'm so tired of this. I came here to show my face and now I have. Now I'm going home. Enjoy your night." Her makeup was all smudged now and she was tired of being made to feel unworthy.

His heart and head just fell as she spoke more and more. Each one was a pierce in his heart. He couldn't fix any of it, he couldn't make things right and it wasn't enough. He knew where she was coming with all of this and knew where she wanted to be. The only place she'd be happy in is if he stepped down and begged them to give her his position. His hand moved to reach towards her but she was already shoving the stuff towards him that she'd gotten in the orientation.

"Bec" he said softly. His eyes were attempting to stay soft and not look pained but he knew if she saw them she'd know he was hurt. He knew that this wasn't going to be okay and he just didn't know what to do.

Becca could see Gid's head and spirits falling with every word, but she couldn't hold it in anymore and seeing him here in this position was just the final straw. Her eyes were still full of tears and she had taken a step back, but when he said her name, she paused. "What?" She knew he was hurt already, but so was she and staying here right now could potentially turn into a nuclear meltdown. Becca needed time to calm herself down and think it through. There was nothing more painful than seeing your protege taking your job, especially when they had no option but to flaunt it in your face.

He swallowed hard but knew that he had to do something. If he didn't she'd only be hurt more and more and it would make things only worse. "If you want to go back to Italy, we will. And I will resign here if it's what you want. It'll give you a shot at the position, you can apply immediately and I'll step back." He wasn't doing it to be generous. He was saying that because she was way more qualified than he was. He was only stating the truth. He didn't show like it showed he was hurt. He didn't have pain or irritation in his eyes or face. He just wanted her okay, and knew what it might mean.

"We can't go back! The kids are at Hogwarts and they love it there. I'm not taking that away from them." Becca shook her head, taking a deep breath. "I just..." All she knew was how to sacrifice things for her family. "I'll deal with it, but I'm not happy." She'd do anything for those kids, she really would. "Gid... just let me go. I just want to go home and cry. It'll get Kat home too, so she's not babysitting for us."

"We can go back" he said gently. "If it's what you want, it's what we'll do." He swallowed but nodded when she said she just wanted to go home and cry. He'd take her home himself but knew that wouldn't be right either to just leave. They had things to talk about still. They needed to work through this but right then wasn't the time. "Okay" he said softly.

"We can't go back. The kids love it here and they love Hogwarts. It seems like I'm the only one who is truly unhappy, but you know, I am used to not getting what I want. I'm used to sacrificing for my family." Taking another deep breath, Becca leant her head back. "I'll see you later. Just... make sure to say hello to everyone."

The way she was speaking it was as though she regretted that as well. He swallowed not letting his thoughts known but knew they'd be talking later. "Of course I will" he said quietly in response. "Tell Kat thank you for me too. I'll see you in a few hours."

Trying not to let the lump in her throat from moving and letting all of her emotions out, Becca just swallowed hard and nodded to her husband. "I will. Do you want anything made for when you get in?" Or would he be eating here and then creeping into the house in the hope of not waking any of them up.

"No, I'll be okay" he said gently. "We'll talk when I get in, if you're awake." he added just so she knew he wasn't just going to leave things the way they were. He knew she was upset and they needed to work through this.

"Okay." Becca nodded, turning away. "See you later. Love you." She couldn't even say she'd given her dress a good airing. She was just going to go home and sit with Kat for a while.

"I love you too" he said softly. He watched her walk away wishing somehow he could make it all turn out right. He felt bad that it wasn't what she'd dreamed it to be. He still wanted to work side by side with her, no matter that they were again in separate departments. But he knew it might be hard for her to even show up for work now too. He sorted the items in his hands that she'd given to him trying to at least make it look neat as she exited the room. Sighing he turned away and walked towards others in the room