Seconds, Hours, So Many Days

A Sue Thomas F. Story

By: Gabrielle Gardner

Special Agent Ted Garrett walked through the once familiar doors of the J. Edgar Hoover building. For the past four and a half years, he had called the Interpol offices in Sweden "home," but now, a case was drawing him back to the country of his birth and its capital in particular. While he wasn't thrilled about the circumstances, he wouldn't deny to having some anticipation at seeing old surroundings and faces. As a matter of fact, this case would result in his working with the same agents he was once supervisor to. One of them, Demetrius Gans, was walking just in front of him.

"Demetrius?" Ted spoke in a question, as he couldn't have been completely sure the man was his former colleague and now supervisor of the same unit. It had been a while after all; people do change in four years.

Demetrius turned in the direction in which he had heard his name. Recognition dawned on his face. "Ted? Ted Garrett, is it you?"

Ted gave "D" a hearty handshake. "Good to see you, Gans."

"Your stint with Interpol over with?"

Ted shook his head. "No, it isn't. But things have come up, things that because of past experience, I was put in charge. It required my coming to D.C."

"Anything serious?" Demetrius motioned for Ted to exit the elevator first as they walked by various "bullpens."

"I won't lie to you, Demetrius," Ted replied. "It is very serious and your unit is the one tapped to help me—because it involves them as well. At least, I think it does. The unit is still the same, isn't it?"

"If you mean Agents Hudson and Manning and Leland, the III," Demetrius chuckled, "it is. In fact, they still have the same bullpen."

The two supervisors, one past and one present, stood outside the door-less room. Demetrius was right; nothing had changed in the years during which Ted had been absent. Desks were laid out in the same positions, coffee and doughnuts still smelled up the place. Even Tara's stapler was in the same spot on her desk. All of it was a welcoming sight to see.

"What happened to Sue Thomas and Tara Williams?" Ted couldn't imagine not working with those two. There was no one as technologically savvy as Tara; she could do anything with a computer. And Sue, well, she had brought a whole new element to the F.B.I. No one could imagine that Sue was deaf—and no one cared either. That applied to Ted as well.

"Oh, they're here," Demetrius chuckled, realizing the "mistake" he had made. He pointed towards a group hovering by a while board. "See."

Sure enough, Sue and Tara were standing there along with Jack Hudson, Bobby Manning, Myles Leland III, and the team's long suffering rotor, Lucy Dotson. Sue's hearing dog, Levi, was laying at his master's feet. Lucy noticed the two men first.

"Look who's here," Lucy approached Ted. "Long time no see."

For several minutes, there was handshaking and hugging. Though he had only been their supervisor for a little over a year, the team had greatly enjoyed working with Ted. Of course, they loved reporting to Demetrius, but Ted was their second favorite.

Jack was the first one to ask the question on everyone's minds. "What are you doing back in Washington?"

"I'm on a case. Interpol has gotten wind of a serious development and I was charged with the task of dealing with it. Since it connects with things I handled here, I was given the option of returning to D.C. for the duration of my investigation—so here I am."

"Sounds major," Bobby remarked.

"It is," Ted admitted. "But before I go crazy, I have to clear up something of a much less serious nature." Ted turned towards Demetrius. "You said I was working with three agents. But here are five standing in front of me. What is that all about?"

As the last words came out of Ted's mouth, everyone started to chuckle and grin. "Oh, you didn't hear the news," Myles questioned.

"Hear what?"

"Oh, just that Jack and Sue got married as did Tara and Bobby," Myles rambled. "Nothing major."

Ted was flabbergasted. "What?" He looked from one "couple" to another. "Is that true?"

Jack put his arm around Sue. "Yeah, it is. Levi has allowed me to be his "daddy" for about a year and a half now." As he said this, Jack smiled down at the lovable Golden Retriver.

"And Tara and I got married thirteen months, two weeks, and five days ago," Bobby added, glancing towards his wife to see if she had noticed how well he was on top of things. She was.

"How did that happen?" Ted couldn't have imagined what he had just heard. Oh, sure, he had been able to see the obvious chemistry between Jack and Sue. They played a married couple for crying out loud. But married? Working in the same unit? Last time he checked, that was a no-no. Now, there was not just one couple but two? Where had the romance between Tara and Bobby sprouted from?

"That's a long story," Sue remarked. "Why don't you come to dinner tonight and we'll tell you then. Everyone was coming over for a barbecue anyway. I don't think Levi would mind having one more."

"And you know where they live, so it's not like you would get lost," Tara quipped.

"Is it your "first house?" The one where you lived as a married couple?" Ted thought that would be a perfect piece to their life's puzzle.

Jack and Sue beamed proudly. "That's the one. The gang surprised us by decorating it for us as a wedding gift."

Ted made a mental note to hear that story, along with the many others that were swirling in his mind. But right now, hearing that bit of news reminded him of just why he was stateside. "Oh boy," he sighed.

"What's up," Jack wondered.

Ted heaved a sigh. "The reason I am here has to do with that time period of our lives. Arif Dessa is back, on the loose, and even more deadly than before."