A/N: Unrelated to all my other fics. Set well after s4. Hope you enjoy :)
Tom's got 99 problems and a missing ring is definitely one of them.
"I seriously don't get what Brian sees in Tiffi." Ashley said, three year old Frankie sat on the floor with his toys watching her talk not really understanding her. But also kind of bored as she had been playing with him until the phone rang. He pouted thoughtfully for a moment, a little sad that he was alone but then he smiled as he could play pirates!
He pushed to his feet and looked around the room, he liked Uncle Tom's house; it was full of cool things that were all in reach. He moved around the room deciding what would make a good treasure. He pulled the car keys off the table and stuffed them in the front pocket of his overalls and moved on picking up pens and a sparkly hair clip that he'd seen Ashley wear in hair once.
After he picked it up, he spotted a bag on the floor and rushed to it. He remembered how Daddy would bring home a bag just like it; full of presents and smelly clothes. His nose wrinkled as this bag was just as smelly as Daddy's.
He looked to Ashley, she was still talking on the phone. So that had to mean whatever he found, he didn't have to share. He grinned as he started searching the bag. It didn't take long until he found a tiny treasure box, he used all his strength. It popped open and he gasped as inside was the shiniest treasure he'd ever seen. He pulled them out of the box into his hand, he had to hide his treasure for the game to begin.
A few hours later,
Tom sat on couch and blew out a breath as he had never have a mission get to the level of FUBU until this moment. He'd left the engagement ring he'd been carrying for months now. It wasn't like he was trying to keep it. He'd tried to pop the question to Sasha multiple times.
It wasn't his fault that for their anniversary when he'd originally planned to propose; she had ended up with stomach flu and vomiting over the side of the basket of the Hot Air Balloon. Nor was it his fault that the picnic he'd planned had been swarmed by bees from the local bee farm. Then there was the beach outing where he ended up with 10 stitches in his shin. After that, the hike where they ended up tick bitten and confronted by a bear. The bear moved on but had left them both with a lasting impression.
He tried the restaurant; the Bombe Alaska he ordered for dessert had been a little heavy on the Bombe as the flames lit up the table cloth and part of Sasha's hair. They had laughed about it, but he was left frustrated and feeling defeated as every time he tried to propose; the world went to hell.
Now, it had gone to hell all over again in a whole new level of crazy. It was starting to feel like the world was conspiring against him. Well, it felt like that back at proposal attempt number three.
"Frankie, tell Uncle Tom where the ring is." he said in a light and careful tone. Frankie looked at him blankly and kicked his tiny legs as he sat on the coffee table opposite Tom. "You're not in trouble but it's very important we know where it is." he told the kid, it had taken them three hours and emergency room trip to ascertain the kid hadn't swallowed the ring. Luckily, Halsey was being looked after by Lt Commander Burk, so they knew the ring was not in the dog.
One would be relieved at that but Tom and Ashley who were in distress while Frankie thought it was great. He clearly loved the attention and thought it was a game. The game being 'Where was the ring?' and Frankie was too good at it. They had to find the ring before Sasha got home and preferably well before Commander Green came to collect her son.
"It looks like this one, but smaller with a diamond...ah sparkly thing on it." he said as he showed Frankie his old wedding ring hoping it would jog the little boy's memory. They had already torn up the house looking for it and Ashley promised him that she hadn't heard the toilet flush or seen Frankie anywhere but the living room. But then she'd been on the phone talking to her friend.
"Treasure." Frankie said with a smile of wonder as he looked at the ring. He tried to grab it but Tom pulled it out of his reach.
"Yes, I know but where did you put the other treasure?" Tom asked him. Frankie looked thoughtful for a moment. "Can you bring it to me?" he asked, Frankie nodded. Tom helped him to the floor. The kid raced to the heating vent and pointed it. Tom knelt down and lifted the grating out, only to find an array of pens, a random hair clip and teaspoon. The kid was industrious as he'd only been with them for half a day.
"This is not what I'm looking for, Buddy. I need the ring." Tom said as he lifted out the pens and spoon. He reached in further just in case but came up empty.
"There treasure?" Frankie asked pointing to Tom's hand that held the ring he used as an example.
"No, I need the ring you took from my gym bag. You remember? it was in the smelly socks, in a tiny box?" Tom asked, hoping he was getting somewhere as the sound of the clock ticking in the background. A reminder that time was running out. Frankie looked confused.
"Socks on Tuesday and don't have tiny boxes. Big bins." Frankie said correcting him, it was Tom's time to frown in confusion.
"Socks are garbage trucks, Dad. It's not in the trash." Ashley said as she came back from the kitchen. "Frankie?" She asked, the toddler looked to her. "Uncle Tom really needs what you took from his bag." she told him.
"I don't know." Frankie replied in an automatic fashion which told Tom the kid had played this game too many times.
"Ring, circle like this." Tom said as he showed his old wedding band to Frankie. Frankie peered at it closely. "Take me to where you hid it." he told him, Frankie looked around the room for a moment before he moved to his toy stack and pulled out his stacking rings toy. He pulled off the top piece holding it out to Tom.
"Ring." Frankie said proudly holding it out to him. Tom groaned as he pressed his face into hands. He shook his head as he couldn't believe how difficult this was. This kid made dealing with Russians and Immunes downright easy.
"It's ok, Dad. We'll find the ring." Ashley assured him, sensing his stress and frustration, "We know it has to be in the house somewhere." she added, Tom scrubbed a hand down his face and nodded Ashley was right. He was not going to be beaten but three year old.
"Frankie, let's play a game." Tom said, Frankie's eyes lit up at the word 'game'. "We're going to be treasure hunters. We're looking for another one of these." he said holding up the ring. "Ok?" he asked him.
"Ok." Frankie said, he was off again but this time he ran into the kitchen. Tom followed him as the kid pointed up at the cookie jar. Tom opened the jar and sifted through contents but came up empty on the engagement ring.
"The ring isn't here." Tom told Frankie.
"Cookies and Milk, please." Frankie said politely. Tom looked down at the little boy who stared up at him with the most innocent expression. Tom now understood why the Greens had practically burned rubber off their tyres to get away for their wedding anniversary weekend.
"We're being held hostage by-" Tom stopped as the front door open.
"Hey! I'm home." Sasha called out, "What's going on?!" She asked as she clearly saw the mess Ashley and Tom had left in their search. "Were we robbed?" she asked them as she came into the kitchen and placed her keys on the bench.
"You're home early." Tom stated, Sasha gave him a wry smile before sharing a quick kiss in greeting.
"Yes, slow day. The mess?" Sasha asked him and Ashley.
"Frankie hid the friendship ring that Tiffi gave me." Ashley lied, Sasha narrowed her eyes at the teen. "I'll clean up, promise but Frankie won't tell me where the ring is." Ashley told her.
"Frankie, tell us where the ring is." Sasha said firmly, she gave the boy her best 'don't make me angry' look. It usually got a male of any age to comply except Frankie it seemed as he didn't crack.
"Milk and cookies, please?" Frankie said with an adorable smile.
"No, you can have fruit. Now where is the ring?" Sasha asked him.
"Cookies." He stated, Tom felt like it was the kid's demands to release the information of where the ring was as they'd already searched his person.
"Fruit." Sasha told him, making it clear to the kid he was not getting a cookie even if he did produce the ring.
"1 cookie?" Frankie bargained as he held up one finger.
"No." Sasha said, her fierce expression breaking somewhat as the kid was too cute to stare down.
"Ah let's not be hasty." Tom said to Sasha as he pulled a cookie out the jar on the bench. He crouched down and held the cookie in front of Frankie. "Cookie for a ring." he told him.
"Cookie mine." Frankie said as he tried to grab for it but Tom held it out of his reach. Sasha laughed as her phone rang. She stepped away to take the call.
"No, you have to give me the ring first." Tom told Frankie firmly.
"My treasure. Now Cookie." Frankie told him in a frustrated manner. He nearly knocked Tom off balance as he tried to climb up Tom to grab the cookie.
"Yes, I know it's treasure but no cookie until I have the ring." Tom told him, completely exasperated as he didn't know how to reach the kid and there was no way he was interrupting Kara and Danny's weekend getaway. No, he'd had two kids and survived their terrible twos and well... he'd missed the terrible threes but it wasn't hard concept. He just had to find a work around that didn't cross the line with Danny and Kara's parenting style.
"Dad. Dad." Ashley said in a nervous manner, Tom pulled himself out of trying to find a solution to looking at his daughter. She had paled some and her eyes wide in fear.
"What?" Tom asked, she tilted her head towards the living room.
"Fish tank." Ashley said in a low voice as she tried to act like everything was cool.
"Oh, sh-ugar." Tom said as Sasha was standing at the fish tank talking on her mobile phone. There in the damn tank was the missing ring case. Frankie must have opened it and tossed it in the tank, somehow it had settled at the bottom just perfect; like a treasure chest flashing to the world the engagement ring.
"What do we do?" Ashley asked as she turned her back to the living room so Sasha could read her. The woman was a super spy who could smell a lie before it was told.
"Act cool. If we pretend we don't see it. Then she maybe she won't notice." Tom said, Ashley threw him a look of disbelief.
"She notices everything!" Ashley hissed at him as Tom waved at Sasha. It was so not acting cool.
"No, I understand." Sasha said as she spoke on the phone. She looked into the fish tank noticing the beautiful engagement ring sitting at the bottom. She looked towards the kitchen and inwardly smiled as Frankie was trying to climb Tom for the cookie in his hand. The kid was adorable.
She gave a wave which Tom returned, she could see he and Ashley were tense. She didn't blame them, she realised that Frankie had made off with the ring. An engagement ring, she was tired of waiting for. She knew Tom had been trying to propose to her for a while now. She'd prefer he just ask her without all the dog and pony show. Preferably before she lost more than a couple inches of hair and anymore of her dignity given she still couldn't believe all the mishaps of the past few months.
But there sat the ring, at the bottom of the fish tank. Her boyfriend and his daughter were trying to pretend it wasn't the ring they were looking for. Well, fine. She'd let them sweat it out and have a little fun.
Late into the night,
Tom waited a full hour to make sure Sasha had fallen asleep before he slipped out of their bed. He, Ashley and Even Sammy tried to get the ring out of the fish tank. But every time they were thwarted. Either Frankie was acting up loud enough to draw Sasha's attention to the living room or Sasha just being in the room or pottering around to notice them.
But Tom made sure this time he'd get the ring. He'd made love with Sasha and satisfied her do completely that it put her into a happy coma until dawn. It was possibly the best mission he'd had to date, and now he had to get the ring and secure it out of anymore prying hands.
He walked into the living room, he didn't bother putting on the lights. He knew exactly where he was going as he moved to the fish tank. Just as he was about to stick his hand into the tank when the lights snapped on. Tom pulled his hand back and turned to see Sasha at the doorway.
"Everything ok?" Sasha asked him.
"Couldn't sleep." Tom lied as he'd rather be sleeping curled up around her. Hell, she was supposed to be passed out. He obviously didn't do a good enough job of making her boneless.
"Because you were missing this?" she asked as she held up her left hand. There on glittering on her ring finger was the engagement ring. He looked into the fish tank and saw the box was gone. Then he looked back her with a stunned expression. "Ashley's friend has expensive taste for a friendship ring." Sasha told him mockingly as she walked over to him, they both knew it was not a friendship ring.
"How did you get out without any of us noticing?" Tom asked her incredulously, then it hit him. "Frankie streaking through the house." he said as he remembered them all chasing the naked three yr old around the house as he'd 'gotten' away from Sasha when she'd been bathing him. Sasha just grinned at him, unrepentant for her actions.
"Yep, he loves to run free. You really think I wouldn't notice the new treasure chest in the fish tank?" Sasha asked with a chuckle.
"I hoped but I should know better by now. The ring looks good on you." He said as he lifted her left hand up in his. He liked seeing the ring on her finger.
"Hmm, I was going to watch you all squirm over the ring being missing over breakfast tomorrow but I decided some mercy was in order." She said teasingly.
"Will you spare me some more of that mercy and become my wife?" he asked her, Sasha wore an amused smile and Tom was sure she would laugh at him. Not because he asked her to marry him but because he was squirming again in an awkward situation as his plans of the 'perfect' proposal had been completely blown out of the water.
"I'm wearing the ring, aren't I?" she asked him in a serious manner, but her eyes still crinkled in amusement.
"So is that a 'yes'?" he asked her as he wanted to be sure there was no room for miscommunication.
"Yes." she replied, Tom pulled her into his arms and about to kiss her...
"Cookie time?" Frankie asked, Sasha and Tom reluctantly stepped apart; they turned to mischief maker who stood at the door way with a hopeful smile. They'd put him to bed hours ago and yet here he was awake in the middle of the night.
"Bedtime." Tom corrected as the kid was trouble and when they got that kid back into his bed. He and Sasha were going to privately celebrate their engagement.
The End.
