"Jenkins, did you hear them? The case is at a Gala in the Museum of History in NYC," Ellis began, "How would you feel about getting dressed up and going along?"
He glanced her way, "Someone has to be able to change the door's location if there's an emergency, though I wish we could," he looked back at his work.
Ellis merely nodded as she disappeared from the main area, another idea brewing in her mind. While she was gone, Cassandra, Ezekiel, and Jacob returned all summoned to the same location.
Jenkins looked up at the sound of footsteps coming into the room and he saw Ellis, back from her brief absence, dressed in an emerald green, off the shoulder, sweetheart neckline gown. "Have you decided to go along without me?" he asked.
Ellis shook her head, continuing her walk to him, "I am bringing the party to us, if that idea suits you?" she stopped just before him to place her phone and speaker onto the table, starting music. She looked back at him, his eyes catching hers, "Would you like to dance?" she asked.
Jenkins smiled tenderly as he took her hand and placed his other on her waist, "It would be my absolute honor." He began to slowly move them across the Library floor, her head resting on his chest.
As the song came to an end, Ellis pulled back, her expression changed causing Jenkins concern. "Is something wrong?" he asked.
Ellis sighed, "It's going to sound silly that I'm worrying during a wonderful moment like this, but I am always waiting for the woman you're prophesied to be with to walk through these doors," she confessed, looking away.
"Ellis," he began, "I don't know why you're so convinced it isn't you. Sit down with me," he guided her to the stairs, taking a seat next to her once he knew she was settled. Then he continued, "Just because there is a prophecy does not always mean that it must come true. I was once convinced that Charlene," he paused to take in her look of surprise.
Ellis had never met Charlene but she'd heard so much about her. She couldn't control the sudden pang of jealousy she was feeling, but she gestured for him to continue.
"I was wrong about her," he began once more, "Though I had love for her, I always will, she loved Judson. I'm sharing this part of my past because there is no way any of us knows that the person we are destined to be with is the one we're with. Right now I know that I am in love with you and you are in love with me, and that is all that should matter. My eyes could never wander from yours," Jenkins explained, hoping that allowing himself to be so vulnerable and honest would assure her of his loyalty to them.
Ellis leaned forward and let her head rest on his shoulder, taking him in for a few precious moments of silence until she raised her head and turned to face him. "Thank you," she said softly, "I know opening up like that isn't easy for you, and it means so much to me that you were willing to do it for me. I know you're right, and I promise not to let those thoughts keep me from enjoying us ever again. I promise," her lips curled into a grin as she added, "Consider it my vow to you, Sir Galahad, honored Knight."
Jenkins shook his head before he leaned forward placing his lips to hers, laying her back against the stairs, his hand running up the side of her dress looking for the zipper.
"Right here?" Ellis gasped as she pulled away, suppressing giggles from his fingers running along her bare skin as he undid her dress, his touch so soft it tickled. "The team could come back in at any moment," she sobered up and focused, though she hated to ever object.
Jenkins looked down upon her, his eyes filled with tender care, his hand resting on her hip where her zipper ended. "Well, if you are too worried about getting caught I suppose we could resume our research," there was a hint of playful teasing within his voice.
"Shut up," Ellis laughed, pulling his face into her hands, each one resting on his cheeks, as she resumed the kiss and felt his hands move pulling her dress down off of her arms and then her body. Her own hands moved from his cheeks to push his jacket off of his shoulders, to the ground, taking care to undo each one of his buttons as slowly as possible, enjoying his moans of frustration during her careful work.
"We have a huge problem," Flynn announced as he came back through the door followed by Eve, Ezekiel, Cassandra, and Jacob.
Ellis was back in jeans and a button down, as if nothing happened while they'd been on their mission.
Jenkins responded, "What is it, Sir?" For whatever reason, Ellis didn't like how Jenkins spoke to Flynn, as if he was a servant, but she shook it off as she always did.
"Prospero has escaped his book and he's enlisted Moriarty," Flynn explained.
Eve took over, "If we'd worked together on our different assignments at the Museum event, we could have stopped him, but everyone was trying so hard to prove their independence, he got everything he needed."
Ezekiel, Jacob, and Cassandra nodded in agreement of Eve's explanation of the night's events.
"So, what do we do?" Ellis asked, unsure of what any of this truly meant, but she did know it was dangerous and it was better if they got ahead of it then attempted to play catch up.
Jacob responded, "I think we should try to get ahead of them. I'm not sure how, but if we could something that they needed then we might be able to have the upper hand."
"That's a good idea, Jacob," Cassie replied, sending a small smile his way, "So, what do we know that Prospero needs?"
Flynn leaned back in his chair, where he sat behind his desk, visibly mulling over the problem. Finally, he spoke, "Prospero has his book, which is only one of the two things he needs to be able to regain his power. He also needs his staff, which he broke. So, we just need to beat him to it, and I happen to know where one piece is."
Jenkins nodded, "That is a very good idea, Sir. This whole situation is very unusual, though. Fictionals always have to follow their story but somehow Prospero has found a way to break his narrative and have free will."
"Which makes him that much more dangerous," Ellis noted, "We better get to work," she gave Jenkins a frown, because she worried she would be on more missions and have less time for fun with him.
