A/N — I started writing this story a while back after watching an episode involving Erin, wanting to do something similar involving Nicole, knowing at the time the story could only be published if/when Nicole and Frank were married. Since then, I have seen a very similar episode on Criminal Minds. I have edited the story to follow The Evils of Stress. Some scenes will be familiar to scenes from both shows. The entire short story will take place in Frank's office at 1 PP, with the exception of final scenes in the last chapter. The story is written, so updates will be daily.

One month after Commissioner Frank Reagan's false heart attack scare and trip to Emergency in an ambulance, he sat at his desk at 1 Police Plaza going through a stack of papers Garrett had left with him earlier in the morning, reports in need of his signature. He had followed up with his personal doctor as the ER doctor had recommended. After running a complete set of tests, his doctor confirmed the Accelerated Hypertension diagnosis. Since then Frank had been following all the doctor's orders, including taking his medication as prescribed, and all was well.

When his phone rang this morning, he checked it for caller ID, then answered.

"What can I do this morning for my favorite daughter? Is this business or pleasure?"

"Morning, Dad. Pleasure, I guess. I'm trying to locate your wife. Do you know where Nicole is this morning?"

"No, Erin, not at this moment. Did you try calling her phone?"

"Yes, Dad, of course I did. She didn't answer."

"She's probably out jogging. She rarely answers the phone when she's out for a run, no matter how much I fuss at her about it."

"Yeah, well, Nicole has a mind of her own, doesn't she, Dad."

"That she does, Erin. Just leave her a message. She'll return your call."

"That's what is so weird, Dad. It didn't go to voice mail. It just gives a message that it's out of service."

"Did you try calling the house?"

"I did. No one answered."

"She probably has Pop down in the basement, trying to locate more Christmas decorations."

"She already has the whole house decorated!"

"I know. She has gotten carried away. She probably found one spot somewhere vacant."

"Oh, well. Let her have fun, Dad. I'm sure this is the first Christmas she's had any family to celebrate with since Daniel."

"This is true. I wouldn't consider trying to stop her, not that it would do any good if I did. She and Pop are both having a blast. So, did you need her for any specific reason?"

"I was supposed to meet her later this afternoon for a drink, but something has come up, and I'm not going to make it."

"Well, if I hear from her, I will pass on that information."

"Thanks, Dad. Talk to you later. Love you."

"Love you, too, Erin."

Frank disconnected the call, then tried calling Nicole, only to receive the same message as Erin. He rubbed his hand over his mouth. He had a meeting with the mayor in less than five minutes. He didn't have time to track down his wife. Assuring himself she was in the basement with Pop, but still finding it strange the phone didn't go to voicemail, he turned his attention back to the papers on his desk, until he was interrupted moments later by a knock on his office door.

"Enter."

When the door opened, his personal assistant, Detective Abigail Baker appeared.

"The mayor is here, sir."

"Send him in."

"Mr. Mayor, good to see you, sir," he said as the mayor entered, extending him his hand.

"Good to see you, too, Frank," Mayor Deets replied as the two shook hands. "How are you feeling these days?"

Frank scrunched his face in a big smile. "Never better, sir."

"Good to hear."

Before she had a chance to close the door behind her, Frank stopped Detective Baker.

"Yes, sir?"

"See if you can locate Nicole for me."

"Yes, sir. Right away. Should I let you know if I do?"

"No, that won't be necessary. Just give her a message, that Erin needs to cancel their afternoon plans."

"Yes, sir."

When the door closed, Mayor Deets asked, "The new missus got you handling her social calendar, Frank?"

"No. Just passing on a message. Have a seat, sir."

"So, how's married life treating you?"

"Married life is great, as you should know yourself, having been married... how many years now?"

"Too many to remember, but don't tell my wife I said that."

"I wouldn't dream of it. How is Sylvia?"

"She's fine. Has her nose in a book most of the time. I think we should get a discount for as many Cassandra Carrington novels as she's read."

"I'm sure Nicole would be pleased to offer her a free signed copy of the next one when it comes out next week."

"I'll hold you to that, Frank. Would make the perfect Christmas gift."

"Consider it done. Coffee?"

"No, thanks."

"Fine. Then let's get down to business." Tossing a file on the desk in front of the mayor, Frank continued, "You know I can't approve this."

"I was afraid you'd say that, Frank."

Since Antonio Rosseni had defeated Mayor Deets in the November election, the mayor seemed determined to use his last two months in office to make things difficult for Frank. Frank had no problem with the mayor taking his loss out on him personally, but he would not allow the man to take it out on his 35,000 officers, and their ability to do their job effectively.

About fifteen minutes later, Baker knocked on the door again.

"Yes?"

"Sorry to interrupt, sir, but two of Nicole's detail are here to see you."

"Can't it wait? The mayor and I are kinda busy here at the moment."

"Actually, sir, I don't think it can."

Mayor Deets spoke up. "I don't think we're going to accomplish anything here today, Frank. Why don't we continue this another day, after we've both slept on it?"

"I think that's a good idea, Mayor. Not that a night's sleep will alter my opinion."

"Well, perhaps we can figure out a compromise."

"A compromise is always good, as long as my men don't suffer for it. I'll be in touch to set up a new meeting. In the meantime, say hello to Sylvia for me."

After the mayor left, Frank said, "Send them in, Baker."

"Yes, sir."

When the two suited men entered, the expressions on both their faces told Frank this was not a pleasure call.

"What can I do for you, Gentlemen? I thought you two worked morning shift. Shouldn't you be guarding my wife right now?"

"That's why we're here, sir."

Recalling his conversation with Erin, and his own attempt to call Nicole, Frank was suddenly overwhelmed with concern.

"What is going on? Where is Nicole?"

"We don't know, sir."

"You don't know!" Frank yelled. "What the hell does that mean?"

"We lost her, sir."

"You WHAT!"

At that moment, Garrett came in. "What's going on in here? I can hear you in the hall. Remember your blood pressure, Frank."

"The hell with that! These two seem to have lost my wife!"

"What do you mean, lost your wife? How did that happen?"

"Well, I was about to ask that myself, Garrett, before you came barging in interrupting me!" Turning back to Nicole's morning detail, Frank said, "Let's hear it, Ben. Thomas."

"She was shopping in the village. She was headed into Francesca's. She said she would be in that shop for a while, and that there was no need for us to go in with her, that we could wait at the coffee shop across the street. So we did. We sat on the patio next to the street so we could watch for her to come out, and keep an eye on who went in. We sat for about forty-five minutes. She never came out. We called her phone. She didn't answer. We went in to check, she was nowhere in the shop. The owner said she had made her purchases and left ten minutes earlier."

Frank recognized Francesca's as Nicole's favorite lingerie shop, and he knew it would be just like her to not make the men wait either inside or outside the shop while she shopped for personal items to please him. But it did not excuse them for not keeping better track of her.

"Perhaps you just missed her when she left. Did you check other shops as well?"

"We did, sir. Every shop on the block. She was nowhere to be found, no one saw her come in any of them."

"So she just disappeared? Vanished in midair?"

"Seems so, sir."

"Except she didn't! What the hell are you even doing in my office? Get the hell out there and find Nicole! Get Lt. Gormley to give you some men if you need them. Just find my wife! And don't come back until you do!"

"Yes, sir!" both men replied.

As they were headed out the door, Frank stopped them. "One more thing, Gentlemen. Once you find Nicole, pack your things. You'll both be fired! Now get out of my sight."

"Calm down, Frank," Garrett insisted.

"Calm down, hell! They lost Nicole!"

"I know that, Frank. I was standing right here. I heard every word. I'm sure she's fine. She's probably enjoying a Cappuccino somewhere. Why don't you try calling her yourself?"

"I have tried calling her! Her phone isn't working. Did you have any luck, Baker?"

'"No, sir."

"Then track her phone."

"I'm working on that now, sir."

"Then get back to it!"

"Right away, sir."

"That will be all."

When Garrett remained after Baker left, Frank said, "That was meant for you, too, Garrett. Why are you still here?"

"Just making sure you're okay, Frank?"

"I'm not the one you should be worrying about. I'm not the one missing."

"I'm sure she's fine, Frank. You know how she feels about having a detail follow her everywhere. She hates it."

"I know that. So what's your point, Garrett?"

"My point is, she probably just ditched them somehow. And she's not going to be happy that you fired Ben and Thomas. She likes them. And you know how they feel about her. They adore her."

"It doesn't matter what, or who, Nicole likes or doesn't like. It's what she needs. She is the wife of the Police Commissioner of New York City, and because of that, she needs her own protection when she's away from home without me. She knew what she was getting into when she married me. We discussed it. She agreed to it. And as far as Ben and Thomas, they are paid to do what I order them to do, not what Nicole tells them to do. They were ordered to protect my wife, and they lost her. That is inexcusable, and you know it as well as I do."

"I'm just saying, Nicole isn't going to like it, Frank."

"I'm sure she won't. But right now, we need to find her, don't we, Garrett. Now go see how Baker is coming along with that tracking."

After Garrett left the office, Frank sat at his desk, tried calling Nicole once more, still getting the same message.

"What the hell, Nicole? Where are you?" he said under his breath as he removed his glasses, rubbing his fingers between his eyes. "Where are you?"

A few minutes later Garrett and Baker returned. Lt. Gormley was with them.

"Baker, did you locate Nicole or her phone?"

"I'm afraid not, sir."

"Then why are two back in here? And why are you here, Lieutenant?"

The three of them exchanged looks. Their solemn expressions shouted out like red flares in the sky. Something was seriously wrong. Nicole was in trouble.

"So let's hear it. What do you know?"

"This was just brought in, sir. One of the officers dispatched to help search for Nicole in the village found it in the street along the curb in front of Francesca's," Lt. Gormley replied.

Frank stood. "What is it?"

He reached to take the item from Gormley. He knew immediately what it was. He recognized the pink case. It was Nicole's cell phone. The shattered glass front, the dirty, flattened shape of the phone made him sick to his stomach. He sat back in his chair as he stared at it.

"Frank, are you okay?" Garrett asked.

"I'm okay. But obviously my wife isn't. Talk to me. Tell me what you know. What has happened to Nicole?"