Don watched Ella get kicked again and stop moving. He held the phone in his hand and realized that he had to get his head in the game. Smith asked for a distraction and he, Megan and David were about to give it to them. They had managed to get seven out of the ten cell phone numbers and began calling them. They watched on the screen as the Nixon who has repeatedly hit and kicked Ella walked over and pick up the first phone. "Hello?" Don heard in his line to which he immediately hung up and signalled Megan to call. Like the inexperienced hostage taker the guy was he picked up the other ringing phone which is when Smith, Colby and half of LAPD SWAT entered the building. Like what had happened the previous night it was all over in a matter of minutes, but this time all the hostiles were killed.
When Ella felt the stomping on the floor she knew SWAT had moved in. She rolled herself till she hit a wall, sat up and placed her head between her legs minimizing the parts of her body exposed.
Colby looked around once all the hostiles had been neutralized. It took him a minute to find where Ella had gotten. When he saw her curled up against the wall he realized that she wasn't some helpless deaf girl, she was a smart and skilful FBI agent. He did his best not to spook her, placing his hand on her shoulder gently before removing the blindfold and then cut the plastic cuffs. Ella had bruises on her face and was bleeding from where she had been hit by the rifle turning her hair red she also had small cuts on her wrists from attempting to wiggle out of the cuffs. Colby pulled a gauss pad out of his tactical vest and placed it where blood continued to flow from Ella's head, they had come full circle from that morning. He looked her right in the eye and asked, "Are you okay?"
Ella nodded sharply and took the gauss into her own hand and stood up. "I'm fine," she said with Colby hovering unsure if her statement was actually true. "Is Brooks okay?"
"Yeah he's fine." Colby wasn't worried about Brooks as Ella was standing in front of him bleeding. Colby was about to suggest Ella sit down when Don came around the corner.
Don stopped short at the sight of Ella and began signing a habit he still had not shed. "Colby can you lead the paramedic's in?"
"Sure thing."
"Don I don't need an ambulance," Ella said inadvertently blocked Colby's exit.
Don looked at his sister sternly. "Yes you do," he said pulling a chair from the front desk over and sat her down.
Colby stayed frozen as Ella began signing quickly at Don. He assumed Ella was going to be fine due to her ability to sign not only quickly and angrily.
After about ten minutes of back and forth Don rubbed his chin and stood up. "Okay, you win." Don walked over to Colby keeping his backed turned to Ella. "Colby I've got to stay here and debrief the director can you do me a favour?"
Colby nodded.
"Ella refuses to go to the emergency room she says they treat her as if she has a disability. Her friend works at a practise not far from here she says he'll take a look at her." Don wasn't happy with the arrangement Ella had proposed but figured if he sent her with Colby she would be fine.
"Sure thing," Colby said smiling due to the fact that Ella was standing right behind him. He stepped out of the way so he boss could head back upstairs leaving him along with Ella. "You ready to go?" he asked passing his tactical vest and assault rifle off to a lower agent.
Ella nodded and followed Colby to the garage and settled in the front seat keeping her hand on the bandage. She carefully gave Colby directions while texting on her phone. It wasn't long before they reached a large office
tower in the core of the city. Colby drove into the parking garage the two were met by a very handsome man in a white lab coat. Colby opened Ella's door while eyeing the man, he looked like a less jacked version of Brad Pitt and ten years younger. Once he saw Ella he ran over. Without a word he took Ella's bandages into he own hand.
"Colby this is my friend Jake he's a doctor." Ella explained as Jake looked Ella over without saying a word. "You can head back to the FBI and tell Don I'll see him at home."
Colby didn't want to leave Ella alone till he was sure she was going to be okay. However he wasn't her boss or her boyfriend so his hovering was unwarranted. He nodded and got back into his car, quickly he called Don to make sure he was making the right call leaving Ella.
#
Don returned home to his apartment after work to check on Ella. She sent him a text message earlier that afternoon saying that she was okay and heading home. Don wanted to check on her before heading out with dinner with Robin. Upon entering the apartment he came upon a sight he had never experienced the whole time that Ella was alive. Because of the large age gap between the two Don had never seen Ella with a guy; but there she was curled up on the couch with a guy. "Hey Ella Bella," Don said smiling when he recognized the guy sitting on the couch from when Ella was a kid. "Is that Jake the Snake?" Don asked taking off his shoes.
Ella shot Don a look. "Dr. Jake the Snake now." Ella signed along while talking to Don. She was lying on the couch with several ice packs on her stomach and a few butterfly bandages near her hair line and her head in Jake's lap.
Don remembered Jake from when Ella attending the LA School for the Deaf, they had always been great friends. Jake left LASD after he got a cochlear implant but the two remained close. Jake had also been in medical school while their mother was sick and Jake helped her get through it. Don hadn't heard Ella mention him since she said she wanted to go to his office instead of the hospital but he wasn't at all surprised to see him at the apartment.
Jake stood up when Ella lifted her head up. "Don, good to see you again," Jake said shaking Don's hand.
"Likewise," Don said with a smile. "So how is my sister?"
"I'm fine," Ella said not giving Jake time to respond.
Don ignored Ella and looked at Jake with a questioning look wondering if his sister's statement was true. "She is; bruised ribs and a few stitches."
Ella smiled. "Told you." Ella sat up too fast and jerked her ribs making her squint slightly.
"Yeah you're fine sweetie," Don said sitting on the side of the couch kissing the top of her head. "Jake thanks you so much for taking care of her." Don was trying not to make Jake uncomfortable but had trouble doing so due to his own unease with Ella having a guy over.
"We ordered pizza," Ella replied kissing Don back on the cheek and turning her attention to Jake who had sat back down on the other side of the couch, she lowered her head back into his lap.
Don looked at his watch with a wrinkle form on his forehead. "Um, I have to change my shirt and then meet Robin."
"Ah the invisible girlfriend when am I going to meet her?"
"She was here last night," Don announced loosening his tie.
Ella smiled and looked up at Jake. "One advantage of being deaf is I don't have to hear Don and his girlfriend knocking boots." Don rolled his eyes and walked into his bedroom leaving Ella and Jake alone. Ella
watched Don leave and then turned her attention to Jake. Jake had been her best friend growing up and when she moved away she was ashamed to admit that she missed him more than her own family. Jake never demanded anything from Ella he enjoyed sitting with her and just being. He would also often turn off his implant allowing himself to experience the silence they once shared. Ella signed 'Thank-you' and took hold of Jake's hand.
Jake leaned down and placed a kiss on Ella's lips. "I'm glad you're alright." Jake turned on the TV, made sure the subtitles were on and then turned off his implant.
Don slipped out to meet Robin without Ella or Jake noticing he assumed Jake had turned off his implant for Ella's benefit. Since Ella had moved in Robin had been hesitant to use her key or come over as much so she and Don had been spending most of their time at Robin's house just outside of the city. It made a longer commute to work but until Robin met Ella personally Don was happy to comply with her bizarre habits. Don had also sprung Ella onto Robin with little warning. Robin first heard of Ella from her cousin Jeff, Ella's boss. From this a confrontation had erupted and Don had promised to be more honest with Robin and once Ella was settled integrate his girlfriend and his sister. However since then Robin had retreated from pressing the issue.
Don stood at the threshold of the house door. He had a key, it was in his pocket but after the events of the day he was so tired he couldn't bring himself to use it. Robin finally noticed him standing outside when she went into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. She opened the door and poked her head out the door. "You okay?" She asked pulling him inside.
"Yeah."
Robin crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow Don was not going to get off with his usual one word answers.
"We had a hostage situation at work today. Everyone is fine but Ella was taken hostage." Don sat down on the couch and put his head in his hands. "I've gotten used to putting my life on the line but seeing Ella do it..."
"Hey." Robin lifted Don's head. "It's okay." Robin sat in Don's lap and kissed him while running her hands through his hair. "You want to stay in?"
"Alright," Don said lying down on the couch.
#
Jake walked Ella into her bedroom and allowed her to get settled in bed getting her fresh ice packs and a glass of water to accompany her pain killer. He was about to leave when Ella closed her hands and placed the right tip of her thumb over her left thumb and pushed them down making the sign for 'stay'. How could he refuse? With little protest he kicked off his shoes and curled up next to his friend the two fell asleep in a matter of minutes.
Jake awoke to the smell of coffee and opened his eyes to find himself alone in Ella's bed. Before falling asleep he had forgotten to turn his implant back on which made the alarm he had set on his phone utterly useless. He dragged himself sleepily into the kitchen where Ella was waiting with a mug of coffee and a bowl of cereal with fruit on top. Ella placed her thumb and index finger together, then put her pinkie finger up and then returned to having her thumb and index together making the same circle with the rest of her fingers pointing up. Following this she pointed to Jake then splayed her fingers open at her forehead closing them together as she reached her chin. Finally she put her right hand on her lips and then brought it down to her open hand. She had asked if Jake had slept well to which he replied with a nod and a smile. Ella walked beside Jake and reattached his implant for him in the loving and gentle manner she had done in all the times previous. "I have to leave for work," she said rather loudly, Jake didn't have the heart to tell her that she usually ended up yelling.
"Me too," Jake said wrapping his arms around Ella's waist and kissed her on the lips. "Would you like to have dinner tonight?"
"I think I've got to do some family stuff, maybe a late drink?"
Jake nodded, kissed Ella once more and then headed out the door.
Ella showered and got dressed for work. She did her best to cover up the bruises on her face before heading into the kitchen to find Don half asleep with a cup of coffee in his hand. "Donnie?" Ella slid in beside her brother. She ran her fingers through Don's hair waking him up of a trance. "When did you get home?"
"While you were in the shower, I spent the night at Robin's, came back for a clean shirt," Don explained. He hadn't slept well and even ended up waking Robin twice during the night when his vivid nightmares woke him.
"I need a ride, my car is still at the office."
"You're going to work?" Don knew that Ella had been given a week of clearance in order to recover however he was never one to take stress days when given so why should Ella be any different. He didn't wait for Ella to answer. "Let me grab my shirt then we'll go."
"So when am I going to meet Robin?" Ella asked as the two siblings headed down to the garage.
"I'm not hiding her."
"I didn't say you were. I was just wondering when I would meet her?" Ella threw her bag into the back seat and then hosted herself into her brother's huge truck. "I'm two steps away from going to the U.S. attorney's office and introducing myself."
"Okay, okay," Don raised his hand up in defeat. "Let's go for dinner tonight, Robin has been pestering me to meet you as well." Don pulled his tie up and folded his collar down before putting the key into the ignition. "I've got some pretty pushy women in my life."
Ella gave Don a shove and then turned her attention to her PDA as he drove.
"Come up later this afternoon and I'll let you know what's up for tonight," Don said once he had turned off his truck in the underground parking structure of the FBI.
"Sure thing," Ella said before heading off to her desk to find her boss in the same dazed state she had found her brother less than an hour before.
"I told you to take the week," Brooks said looking up from his coffee and computer.
"I'm fine." Ella sat down at her desk across from Brooks.
"I didn't say you weren't, I just said I told you to take the week." Brooks still had a splitting headache from the day previous, made worse by the fact that his wife had given him an earful about going to work the day after being injured on the job, the same lecture he was now transferring onto Ella.
"Concussion making you cranky?" Ella raised an eyebrow trying to make light of the situation. Besides the dull throbbing of her ribs she had put the events of the hostage situation in the past where they belonged and was moving on, not wanting to get dragged back in by reminders.
Brooks dropped a file onto her desk, it was the same one he had given her the day before. "I think we should take the stairs today."
Ella smiled, "Sure thing boss."
#
Colby was surprised when he saw Ella walked out of the elevator around five in the afternoon. If he hadn't known about what had happened yesterday he would have never known that she was hurt. There were no visible bruises on her face and she had her hair down covering the cuts along the top of her head. "Hey Ella," he said stepping in front of her, yesterday had taught him that there was no sense in tip-toeing around Ella just because she was Don's little sister. "How are you doing?"
Ella was getting tired of being asked the same question over and over. News spreads fast in the FBI, even the director came down to the fourth floor to ask her the same question. "I'm fine Colby. Have you seen my brother?"
"Charlie or Don?" Colby asked, both had been in and out of the office all day.
"Don."
"With Megan in the conference room," Colby said pointing across the bullpen.
"Thanks," Ella smiled before taking off to see her brother.
Don was in the conference room with Megan looking at many chalkboards full of Charlie's equations and victim's photos. "Ella," Don smiled when his sister walked into the room. "How are..."
"I'm fine!"
"Touchy." Don pulled his sister into a hug. He was beginning to like having Ella around not only at his apartment but around the FBI, she had a way of keeping him grounded. "What's up kiddo?"
"Dinner. You did call Robin, right?" Ella's eyes were wide, it was an Eppes family trait to forget about things that were important to Ella. "Did you forget?"
Don's flat face cracked into a sly smile.
Ella playfully slapped her brother's face. "What time?"
"Eight. I'm going to come straight from the office so I'll meet you both at Fried Green Tomatoes." Don took Ella's PDA out of her hand and typed in the directions to the restaurant. Ella always liked to have written direction in case she happened to mistake what the person had said through her lip reading. When he was done he handed it back over.
"Don't be late," Ella said before heading back down stairs back to work.
At about five after splitting her day between the surveillance van and the FBI office she went home. She took a quick cat nap and a shower then headed down town. She knew that Don had picked a good restaurant; one that had good lighting so she could read lips easily and not a lot of people so there were few distraction. Ella noticed her PDA vibrated on her dashboard as she pulled into a parking space. She turned off her car and picked it up, the screen read, 'Terrorist. Going to be a late night. Please tell Robin I'm sorry. You girls have fun! Love Don.' Ella rolled her eyes and headed into the restaurant. She had seen many pictures of Robin on Don's camera and scattered around the apartment when she was putting her stuff away so she knew who she was looking for. Even if she didn't know what Robin looked like she would have been able to find her sitting at one of the further back tables alone, with two empty seats, looking very much like a lawyer. "Robin?" she asked just to make sure.
Robin smiled shaking Ella's extended hand. "The famous Ella Eppes."
"Well I don't know about the famous part, Don likes to talk about everyone but himself." Ella sat down across from Robin attempting to ease any awkwardness and allowing her to see Robin clearly.
"Actually Jeff is the fan. I'm pretty sure I heard about you before I even met Don." Robin looked around aimlessly, making it difficult for Ella, then turned back. "Speaking of, where is Don?"
Ella sighed and passed the PDA. "Don't kill the messenger."
"Who needs him," Robin shrugged. She was getting used to Don's absences although in the current situation she was slightly nervous. Don had given her the run down earlier that day when he made the plans. She was doing her best to look Ella in the eye and speak clearly and slowly. "I have so many questions. I'm sorry I'm just excited."
"That's okay, I have questions too." Ella already liked Robin and felt like they were going to be good friends, or at least tolerable in the sister-girlfriend relationship. "Okay, why don't you go first?" Ella knew that lawyers were all about questions, they couldn't help but interrogate people.
Robin searched for a good first question, she wanted to jump right into her intense questions but restrained herself. "Why did you move back from Washington?"
"Honestly," Ella started. "I came home from work after having a really bad day and realized that even though I had moved to Washington to get away from my family that I missed them, and even needed them closer." Ella glanced quickly down at the menu while formulating what she would ask first. If she were Charlie she'd be working percentages, instead, she was trying to think of something appropriate. "You dumped my brother before."
Robin was shocked but stayed calm. "That's not a question." Robin felt like she was objecting in court rather than having dinner with her boyfriend's sister.
"I know. I also know that there are certain aspects of my brother's personality that are off putting when in a relationship with him, so I understand...slightly." Ella paused and took a sip of the water provided on the table. "I'm sorry I don't really pull punches I figure if I'm going to make the effort I should get to the point."
Robin laughed she felt like she was talking to Don. "Okay I'm going to dive right in. Were you born deaf or did you lose your hearing?"
Ella was pleased, now they were getting into the good stuff. "After Charlie my parents were done having kids, or so they thought. We never really talked about it because no matter what I was loved but I wasn't planned. My mom went into preterm labour at twenty-five weeks and I lost my hearing due to my underdeveloped cochlea."
Robin and Ella order dinner and continued to grill each other back and forth. To her satisfaction, Ella found Robin to be open in talking about her relationship with Don and about herself as well. When the meal was over they hugged and set up to have coffee the following week. Once she got to her car Ella took a look at her watch, it was nearing eleven, she was looking forward to curling up and watching the Daily Show when her PDA vibrated in her back pocket. She sighed and pulled it out, the screen read, 'Hope dinner is over. I need you at the Bureau now. Love Don.' Upon reading the message Ella grabbed several cups of coffee and headed back to work.
#
David smiled when Ella, fresh from the elevator, passed him a large cup of coffee. "Thank-you," he said.
"You are most welcome David. Where is the boss man?"
Before David could answer Don brushed by Ella quickly taking a cup of coffee and planting a kiss on her cheek; his back was turned so all Ella saw was Don pointing to David and David nodding back looking over at Ella. In a flash Don disappeared into the director's office. Ella stood dumbfounded wondering what to do, David caught onto her look of despair. "Come with me I'll bring you up to speed on the way."
Ella nodded and placed the remainder of the coffee's she brought on a nearby desk knowing that someone would take advantage of them and followed David to the elevator. "What is going on?"
"Six hours ago several canisters of experimental nerve gas were stolen from a research facility in Sacramento along with a hundred pounds of C-4 explosives." David passed Ella a rather thin file detailing all the information they were able to compile in such a short period of time. "Guards were taken out by snipers, the whole thing looks like a military operation. Two trucks left and went separate ways. We lost the truck with the nerve gas but managed to track the C-4 to a club down town. The two guys who were driving it are sitting at a table in the back." David walked and talked as the two checked out an FBI sedan and headed into the core of the club district.
"And because clubs are noisy you need me to read their lips."
"Exactly," David said turning on the red siren and taking off town the street. He turned it off and parked a few blocks away so that they didn't receive any unwanted attention upon entry. "You ready?" he asked Ella who was taking her hair down and removing her sweater so that she would look like she belonged when they went into the club; David was doing the same, opening the top button of his shirt removing his tie and jacket.
"Yup." David, upon Don's instructions covertly passed Ella a Glock. Ella was authorized to carry a gun in undercover situations but because she was not a regular field agent she didn't carry in her day-to-day life. Don knew that she and David were both going into a hostile environment sans Kevlar and wanted to make sure Ella was protected. Don, however, felt Ella was safe being with David. "So how are we playing this?"
"What do you mean?"
"This isn't my first dance, I've done undercover before," Ella said walking down the street. "Are we going in separate, together, are you going to pretend to hit on me?"
David laughed thinking how much Colby would have enjoyed going in with Ella instead of chasing down leads at the office with Megan. "You think we can pass as a couple?" he asked sceptically.
Ella winked and stated, "I've always had a thing for older men."
Ella transcribed the conversation onto her PDA while she pretended to flirt with David. As the night rolled on Ella became increasingly aware of how tired she was. She was relieved when she noticed Keith, one of the surveillance tech guys, walk in the door. Due to the impromptu scramble for agents David and Ella had been sent in while Jeff Brooks attempted to find a tech to insert a camera so that they could watch from a van outside. David left first and Ella followed five minutes later. Ella knocked on the back of the van and was allowed entry. Brooks was waiting for her with a sweater, a can of Red Bull, a bottle of aspirin and an instant cold pack for her bruised ribs. "Sir you are my hero," Ella said collapsing into a nearby chair. Ella much preferred watching from the surveillance van because she didn't have to make it look like she wasn't watching.
"Do you have anything we can use?" Brooks asked taking a seat next to his agent.
"Not unless rating the asses of the girls in the bar is a sophisticated terrorist code," Ella replied while watching the monitor. "I got a seven out of ten."
"Well it is a cute butt," Brooks added when Ella wasn't looking. "David, Don wants you back at the Bureau."
David nodded and headed out the back of the van.
Ella watched the video feed until the two men left the bar, then they were followed by a plain black sedan and the rest of the surveillance team headed back to the FBI. Ella was exhausted but dragged her seven out of ten butt into the conference room where Megan was sitting with Charlie who was scribbling on a clear dry-erase board. "What's going on?"
"Charlie is trying to figure out where the second truck went," Megan explained leaning back in her chair, she looked as tired as Ella felt.
Ella had a hard time understanding Charlie's math, she figured even those who could hear had some difficultly with it. She looked up at the plasma screen and focused on it for over five minutes. "Is this where we lost it? Under the bridge?"
"Yes, the angle is from a roof camera." Megan sat down next to Ella wondering what she was looking at so intently. "Do you see something?"
Ella looked at the video feed of the truck going under the bridge and then not coming out on the other side. "Okay, Charlie correct me if I'm wrong but do you think that this truck." Ella pointed to the truck carrying the nerve gas. "Could fit into this larger truck?" Megan and Charlie both looked at Ella in shock. "Sorry, nevermind."
"No Ella I think you may be right," Charlie said righting down some math. "It is at least possible."
"Well try not to sound so surprised." Ella tried but failed to hold in a large yawn, all the coffee in the world wasn't going to help her stay awake at this point. "I'm going to go down to four and catch ten of sleep. Come get me if I'm needed."
#
Ella awoke to Don shaking her shoulder. It took her a minute to focus on what Don was trying to say to her. "What," she asked while her brother sat down beside her on the couch beside her.
"Charlie and Megan said you were down here."
"And you came to check on me?" Ella asked raising an eyebrow while she sat up to face Don.
"And I brought you some coffee." Don passed her a paper cup followed by a container of Asprin. "I really appreciate you helping out tonight. You know if I could take you away from Brooks, I would."
"Well that isn't going to happen." Ella finally pulled herself from her slumber once she took a sip of the coffee hit her tongue. "You need me?"
"Yes, we need you to go out into the field again." As the words left Don's mouth he felt horrible putting his little sister in the way of what was one of the most volatile chemical weapons on the planet. "Thanks to you we were able to find the van. It is parked at a warehouse at the pier, we think they are going to attempt to ship it out of the country. We want to be as far away as possible so as not to spook anyone; too far for a parabolic microphone but..."
"Not too far for me and a good telescope."
"Exactly."
"Don you are going to have to give me more than coffee for this." Ella rubbed her eyes and stood up placing her head on her brother's shoulder. "I want to go home." Ella wasn't whining she was just stating a fact that she wanted to be at home. It that moment Don wondered to which home she was talking about; her old place in Washington, her new place at Don's or the family home where they both grew up. It had been an incredibly stressful week for everyone and more-so for Ella.
"We'll wrap this up soon sweetie. Then we'll order pizza and watch movies, I'll even watch with the sound off." Don patted Ella on the head and smiled. "We leave in ten."
#
"They are talking about football. But I think they are English and that they are actually talking about soccer," Ella said while looking through a pair of sniper binoculars from eight rooftops over from their suspects. "They are saying wanker and trousers too."
Colby laughed silently to himself from his sniper perch. He, David and Don were on the roof with Ella and Brooks, LAPD SWAT was waiting on standby a mile away from them. He admired that Ella hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours and was still able to lip-read perfectly.
"Don we're not getting anywhere with this," Brooks said looking through his own binoculars. He was worried that Ella was being pushed too hard.
"We've got to stick with this. It is the best lead we have to who is above these low life's," Don was trying to rationalize the fact that his investigation was slipping away and that they were going to have to hit the warehouse soon and run the risk of having the nerve gas released in the city.
Ella lay down on the hot tarpaper of the roof taking a break from her subjects. "Don you are stalling, and I want to go home and sleep."
"Just keep at it," Don replied pulling Ella back up against her will. Ella held her side and walked back over to the telescope which got Don's attention. "El are you okay?"
Ella was fine, she had only flinched because Don had pulled her up but because she was so tired everything boiled over in a single moment. "NO! Don I'm tired and this is pointless."
Don rubbed his eyes in frustration. "Jeff take her back to the office. I shouldn't have called her, this is too much for her to handle." As Don spoke he immediately regretted the words Ella read coming off his lips.
When he looked over Ella was looking over in disgust. "Thanks for the confidence bro." She turned away and followed Jeff off the roof, by the time they reached their sedan a few blocks away Don had given thee order to take the suspects. By the time Jeff had dropped Ella at the apartment they had the C-4 and the nerve gas. By the time Ella had a shower and curled up in bed Homeland had taken the case from Don and his team and he too was on his way home. Feeling horrible about what he had said to Ella he went over to Robin's and crashed there.
#
