He heard the knock and watched as she entered and nodded at the chair opposite him. "I did." he said quietly. He wasn't angry, he knew things happened. Every day they put themselves out there and knew not everyone came home. He'd hoped though something like this wouldn't happen to any of his employees. "Have a seat." He was calm and quiet, and that was never a good sign according to Becca.

"What. Happened out there?" his eyes went right to her face. No niceties, right and straight to the point. "Don't skip anything. I know what the reports say but I want to hear from you. What in merlin's name happened?" And why the heck had she gone in alone? Partners? Backup??

Still his voice was quiet and even.

There were a couple things she expected when she entered. A whole inquisition team, a steaming Gidyun were two such things but when neither materialized after the initial steps into the office, Lex grew all the more cautious. She wasn't naive enough to think they would just brush it off and pretend it never happened and besides that....his calm...wasn't the kinda calm that said everything was fine.

Despite not wanting to have a seat, Alexa took the one offered, doing her best to keep her own composure. If he could do it, surely she could too.

Yeah......definitely no covering up.

She took her millionth deep breath, looking the man square in the eyes. He knew what the report said and even if he didn't, there was very little she could butter up because there was very little she could do in the first place. Lex herself had gone over the day at least a dozen times but it didn't make sense. None of it did. How had it all gone so wrong so quickly.....?

"I finally got tipped off to the location....it was super simple. Muggle location, pick him up, take him down to Law Enforcement. Didn't realize someone had already given him the heads up. By the time I could look at him he'd already grabbed a muggle for a bloody shield and started casting at me." Not simple spells like a jelly leg or some other rubbish they taught you to duel with at Hogwarts, no, his intent was very clear with each spell he shot at her. "I honestly don't even know what happened next. I tried controlling the situation but there's only so much you can do in the middle of a magical assault without drawing your own wand." Survival instincts had kicked in, big time.

"He was there...he was right there, people were running wild, trying to find cover. I'm here trying not to be fatal in case I miss and the next thing I know, he's gone and there's two lifeless bodies staring up at me." Whether she had done them in, or he had was yet to be determined. There had just been statements taken, damage control done and a lot of anger at having lost him again.

His jaw was working as he listened, he wanted to speak but he didn't interrupt. She deserved that, she'd done more than many others would have. She was reckless though. Hadn't he just had a training a few years back just about partnerships and working as a team. Oh, right she hadn't agreed there. He really wanted to sigh.

His thumb was still randomly clicking the top of the pen but he really wasn't noticing he was doing it. "This is the reason we have someone else there just in case. Even when we know it should be easy in and easy out, they always have a backup plan." his voice was even and quiet still. "Two muggles dead, and muggles who ran that need to be found."

He closed his eyes briefly but looked right back into her eyes again "I have the minister on me, Maddox, and even muggle police wanting to know why these muggles are dead." He could fire her. There was reason. But she'd also mentioned as had the report that the man had taken a hostage. "How can I know. For sure. That this won't happen again?"

It really could've been an easy in easy out though. Had protocol not required her to give a damn about the muggle, she'd have shot right through him. But no. She shouldn't be casting at muggles or putting their lives in danger. If only the other bloke had been following the same rules. It was hardly even ground when only Law Enforcement was required to follow the statute.

But she couldn't very well say that now could she? Not when Gid had brought up the one point she wished he wouldn't. Back up. At the time, it hadn't seemed necessary. As far as she knew, he didn't have his own backup and with his partner over in lockup, he was on his own. If only it ended up that simple. "I know." She admitted with a heavy sigh. She really did. To date, this may have been her biggest oversight and it had certainly been a costly one.

"It won't!" Lex shot forward in her seat, hazel eyes setting on the man who'd only just given a list of all the people now on his back...because of her. "It won't, honest, it won't. I'll always have backup, I'll doub--triple check even the most simple of missions." She didn't like the implication of such a question. It spoke to something else and she didn't like it one bit. It left as uneasy sort of sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach, even worse than in the aftermath of that day gone so wrong. "You're right, I should've known better and now I do, I swear. Nothing of this magnitude will happen again--and I'll personally help the Obliviators track down those who got away and anyone they might have told. I'm prepared to fix this in any way I can, Gid."

She knew, that was good. He just wished she'd seen it before. The easiest cases were sometimes the most trying and the hardest cases sometimes the easiest. That had gotten her attention, she knew that the job was very much on the line. "I could fire you. But I won't. Mistakes happen." Even deadly ones. UGH, he hated those, having to talk to families and all, delivering that news was the hardest part of his position.

"I am." he paused and sighed before taking a breath again "I am going to put you down to senior auror." It was the best he could do to keep her in the position she was in and not get scrutinized himself for possibly playing favorites. "I won't dock your pay, but in one years time perhaps we'll consider making you head auror once again." At least senior auror meant if Legend couldn't fulfill his duties it was on Alexa again and she would have a chance to prove herself again.

Her heart practically sunk to her feet at the word "fire" despite it not being the course of action the bossman was going to take. With all the severity in the situation, it hadn't quite hit her that this was exactly the type of thing that could get you fired. Being an Auror was the only thing she wanted to do with her life. There was no plan B. This was it. The whole plan for her and the idea of having to give it up because of an oversight was admittedly....terrifying, making it no wonder she'd sighed in relief when he said he wouldn't.

Thank Merlin. There was only so much bad news she could take at a time. This would likely have done her in--

What?

No...really....WHAT?

It took everything in her not to lose it at that. Instead her hands that once lay in her lap now gripped tightly at her knees. It was................fair. Disappointing but fair and as Gidyun had just proven, it could've been worse. Nothing in this conversation told her that this was up for negotiation. It occurred to her that she was probably one reaction away from unemployment and resolved to take this the way someone who did deserve the position should; painful as that was. "....I understand." She said, after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

The important thing was to remain professional and composed. Lex took another moment just to train all her features. "Is there anything else?"

He knew just by her hands gripping her knees, that it hit hard. He was good at noticing the little things, and in spite of everything he was proud of her for being able to remain calm. "I'm sorry." he said gently and honestly. He was sorry that he had to demote her even if it were only for a year. He didn't like demoting anyone even when it was for something as serious as this. Mistakes happened and he knew it. "I believe in you Cambridge. I know you can get there again." He never used last names but he wanted to make a point. She was capable of being Head Auror and had done the job well for the last almost seven months.

"No." he said softly shaking his head in response.

To be honest, she'd surprised even herself with her level of composure. It hadn't been all that long since she'd been promoted and she was already being told she wasn't as up to the job as he'd first thought--because that's what she got from all this. Hadn't been as great a Head Auror as she thought she'd have been and now the position was being taken back while she proved herself all over again.

Brilliant.

"...Thanks. I'll work on it." Lex rose, just a little shakily from her seat, ready to book it out of there now that she knew there was nothing else.

"I'll...I guess, I get back to work then..." She said quietly. Alexa spared the man a final look before making straight for the door. Patrol, she'd hit up a patrol just to step away from the office for a bit while she let this sink in.

He nodded when she spoke. He felt bad that it felt like she was being tested all over again but he didn't really feel there was much of a choice. She had gotten everything cleared up quickly and it could have ended worse than it had, although that wasn't much comfort for those muggles who had died.

He watched her go and he dropped his pen on his desk as the door closed. Merlin, what a way to start a week. Now to find a Head Auror. He'd just gotten notice that Legend was taking some time off on sabbatical....