Title: Activation
Author: TheDreamyOne & Gypsy
Email: sdjolly@bellsouth.net
Feedback: All opinions welcome!
Rating: PG-13
Type: Intrigue, Action/Adventure
Summary: Donovan is the apparent target of a contracted assassination. Can the team find the hitter before Donovan's time runs out?
Disclaimer: UC:Undercover and its characters belong to NBC, Shane Salerno, etc. All original characters belong to us. No infringements intended.
***
"He's become too much of a liability."
Derek looked up from the file he was studying and found his superior standing in the doorway of his small office. "He hasn't made a move we didn't know about. There's no indication he's become a liability."
"The Powers-that-be sees things differently. He's refused to provide assistance when asked. He's become insubordinate and disloyal. It's time to activate our contingent plan."
Derek blinked several times at the retreating back of his boss. He disagreed, but had no choice but to make the call to activate the agent.
He punched up the target's file on his laptop and requested the contact code from the contents. He stared in disbelief when the name of the contact popped up. He shook his head and dialed the number. The phone rang several times before it was answered. He engaged the person in a friendly greeting to give the voice print analyzer time to verify the agent's identity. Positive.
Derek's hand shook as he spoke the words to activate the mission. "Dove turned destroyer." He waited a moment for the prearranged reply. When no answer came, "Repeat. Dove turned destroyer."
He heard the intake of breath and finally the repeat of the preordained acknowledgement, "She cut you up; she's a slave of love."
"Affirmative, Dennison. You know what you must do." The hit was in place. There was no stopping it now. Derek felt like a traitor. The intended target did not deserve it. He was a good, decent man. Such a shame.
"Consider it done."
Derek felt sick as he heard the click on the end of the line and the eerie tone of the dead line. A forewarning of things to come.
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Laughing at Frank's attempt to persuade eighteen-month-old Ariel that scrambled eggs were a good thing, Shay began to clear the breakfast table.
"Leave it, Ash. I'll take care of it while you get the kids ready to take to Dad's," Frank insisted. He glanced around the table. Little Jake sat quietly eating his Cheerios. Fifteen months older than his sister, he took being the big brother very seriously. When Zachary Trevor Donovan came along four months ago, he became quite the intense two and a half year old.
"Dun wan' 'em," Ariel insisted, turning her face away from the fork full of eggs. Her long black curls danced around her pixie face and her dark chocolate eyes were insistent that she would not be persuaded.
Shay laughed. "Don't force her, babe. Dad will give her a snack if she gets hungry later." Unhooking the tray from the highchair, she lifted Ariel from the seat and lowered her to the floor. "Run upstairs rascal, and we'll get dressed for Grampa's."
" 'Kay, Mama," Ariel sang as she toddled from the room with Shay following closely behind her.
"What about you, Little Man?" Frank asked as he cleared the table.
"What, Daddy?" LJ asked wide-eyed.
"You need help getting dressed for Grampa's?"
"Nooooo," LJ insisted. After all, he was a big boy now. He was nearly three-years-old.
Frank arched a brow at his oldest and nearly chuckled. He was determined to do everything himself and had become very self-sufficient for a child his age. He became more handsome by the day and had many of his mother's facial features, including her beautiful sky-blue eyes. LJ's Hispanic parentage from his birthfather was very evident; otherwise people would assume he was Frank's natural born son. It had never mattered to Frank; LJ was his own as far as he was concerned.
"Sure you don't need help?" he asked the youngster again.
LJ slid from his booster chair to the floor. "Weeellll...maybe you could help me tie my shoelaces?"
Frank smiled and ruffled the boy's hair. "Go on, I'll be up in a minute."
He loaded the dishwasher quickly and followed his family upstairs. He could hear Ariel in LJ's room babbling about her baby doll. As he passed the room he took note of LJ's frustration while he diligently tried to tie his shoelaces. He headed for the master bedroom, but stopped in the doorway to the nursery when he found Shay standing at the crib watching their infant son.
Approaching her quietly, he stood behind her and grasped her gently at the hips. "You okay, Ash?"
"Mmmm...never better. Isn't he beautiful?" She sighed contentedly and leaned back against Frank's chest.
"As beautiful as his mother," Frank agreed and kissed her cheek.
"I still wish you would have let me name him after you," she commented.
"Not fair," he murmured against her throat. It never failed to amaze him how he needed to touch or kiss her. Needed it like the air he breathed.
"Maybe, maybe not. But you're right, I guess. It will be hard enough for Little Jake knowing he's not your son by blood." She turned to face him and kissed him softly. "To give up naming your son after yourself...I never would have asked you for such a sacrifice."
"LJ's as much my son as Zack is, my love. He'll never doubt that as long as I live." Hugging her fiercely he whispered, "Ready for another one?"
"Oh, good God, you have got to be kidding!" Shay laughed as she pushed him away to gather the baby's things for his day at Grampa's. "I'm thinking more along the lines of having you neutered, buddy. I was on the pill and still we managed to create Zack."
Frank laughed and helped her pack Zack's things. "Think again, Donovan. I wouldn't mind having a few more of these little miracles running around the house."
Shay rolled her eyes and threw the pacifier she'd been holding at his head and laughed when he caught it and shoved it into the diaper bag. "Then you carry and give birth to the next three."
Frank playfully pooched his stomach out and looked in the mirror. "Nah...what would all the guys say down at the bar?"
She could not stop the peal of laughter and fell into Frank's arms. "Oh, if only the gang could see you now."
He laughed softly. "I don't think that's a good idea, dear heart. This Frank...the playful, goofy Frank...he's only for you."
Shay sobered and looked into his eyes intently. "My God...how I love you."
"Damn good thing you do, too," he whispered against her ear.
Shay moaned throatily as his lips covered hers. She cupped the back of his neck with one hand to pull him closer while her other hand joined his and their fingers entwined. The moment was interrupted by the ear-shattering wail of their infant son who chose just that moment to wake up.
They parted, each chuckling as they went their separate ways. Frank went to finish dressing Little Jake and check on Ariel. Shay went back to Zack to change his diaper and get him dressed for the short trek to Grampa's.
When all the children were ready to leave, Frank helped Shay load the kids in his Blazer. He had a meeting across town and they were taking separate cars that morning. Shay tossed him the keys to her Celica. "See you later at work, baby," she called as she climbed behind the wheel.
He watched until they turned onto the street before heading back to the house. He had a meeting with their lawyer to make sure that all the paperwork had gone through annulling his 'marriage' to Daphne Charles.**
**See "Bed of Lies" UC Fanfic by Dreamy & Gypsy.
************
To be continued...