Nik's Notes: Last one for a while. I'm moving to the hospital to be with him. It's closer to school anyway. If anyone is interested in picking up and completing his unfinished stories, PM me.

Nicole

A Slip of the Tongue Chapter 27

Heathrow Airport
London, UK

The NSA's flight, a Grumman business jet with extended range capacity, touched down at Heathrow and taxied to the runway apron where a black limousine waited.

Amy was excited and had been 'excited' most of the trip. Three times, actually. Since they were the only passengers other than the flight crew she had made damned sure they passed the bar and initiated themselves into the "Mile High Club", the "Four Mile" and the "Five Mile" for good measure.

He loved her 'and all…incarnations'. He said it. He showed her. Wow, did he ever! She held his hand, mindless of the cockpit crew's goodbyes and walked down the short stairs to the limo and was surprised to see her old friend Carina Hansen leaning against the fender.

"Sarah? I was told I'd be meeting Amy and David Cain."

She figured out that this was a new cover for her best (and only) friend and adjusted.

"Well, so this is the new Bryce? Is he as good? Can I have a turn? C'mon girlfriend, I let you have a turn with Lars the Scandinavian Cocksman."

Amy turned deep red and grabbed her husband's left hand in her left hand and proudly displayed the matching wedding bands and the 'actual' engagement ring Chuck-Charles-David had surprised her with on the plane.

"Holly, I love you and the cover is toast. This is the real deal and I want you to wear my ring, not some damned NSA prop!"

If she lived to be 100 she would always remember his words and the look on his face. Apparently he'd enlisted half the NSA to get the ring and they'd all enjoyed their parts in the effort immensely.

"Oh my God! It's the real deal? You went and made a commitment? Oh, my God! I thought I felt a disturbance in the Force. So, is he any good? Can I still have a turn?"

"Carina, this is David. We worked together in Burbank and then things went to hell and we had to… look, let's get out of the public eye and into the car and I'll give you a quick briefing. And for the record – you even think loudly about slipping behind my back and even laying one of your manicured fingers on my husband and I'll 'gut you like a fish' and leave you in the sun to rot!"

"Oh my God! It is the real deal! David, I'm Carina Hansen and Sarah and I have known each other since way before we got involved in humping for the greater good. Hell, we were virgins!"

David stood back and allowed his wife to handle the meeting but now Evil Chuck, as he still referred to himself in the privacy of his own mind, came out to play.

He looked at Amy and winked and mouthed 'I love you' while Carina was turned to watch as their bags were loaded into the trunk and couldn't see the by-play between the two.

"I've heard nothing about you but if you and Amy swapped men for fun I guess I might be able to handle both of you."

She turned around, totally bumfuzzled, and was swept up into an embrace and kissed with such passion, heat, and fervor that she immediately felt her loins liquefy as his tongue explored and caressed her lips and tongue.

He released her and held her for a second while she regained her composure and then looked over at Amy and smirked then back at Carina and said, "On second thought, Carina, I'll pass. You just – don't do anything for me. Sorry, love, but I don't lie. Just ask the missus. Damned bad trait for a spy but then again, I'm new to all this cloak-and-dagger-swapping-bedmates crap."

Carina's mouth instinctively opened to blast him with some cutting rancor but nothing happened. She was utterly shocked and aroused and pissed off at this tall guy who'd swept her best and only friend off her feet and into the marriage bed. Oh, how she envied her friend.

"David, that was mean. Apologize to her this instant. Damn it. She's going to be worthless for at least an hour. What is it with you? First you turn my sister into jello and now you assault my best friend and turn her into goo? My God, what am I to do with you? Carina, I'm sorry. He's such a … look, Carina - Carina?"

She was laughing so hard inside that only her training kept her from breaking 'cover' and asking him again to 'bend her over the hood of the car and have his way with her' like in East York.

Amy had taken a jamming device from her purse and turned it on immediately upon entering the limo.

Conversation was difficult at first since Carina was still adjusting to her friend's new 'status' and mulling over how to avenge the hit her image had taken. She was embarrassed personally but more so, angry at how easily she'd been played. People like David were 'targets of opportunity' not aggressors.

They rode into London and Carina almost never looked David in the face or spoke directly to him except in response to a direct question. She'd never been 'handled' before and she didn't like it one bit. A girl did have her image to maintain and he'd definitely left a mark. And Sarah! She was so different. She was…happy and focused and obviously so in love that she doubted Sarah would ever be much of a 'party girl' now that she had David.

"Wait a damned minute, Sarah Walker! You said 'Burbank' as in the assignment to baby sit some 'fucking idiot who was a walking disaster of a human being'? This is the 'idiot'? Him? Oh, girlfriend, you and I have got to have a talk. I want to hear everything! How's Bryce handling this? You were engaged to him forever. How'd he handle being dumped?"

Amy didn't answer her but turned to look out the window at the passing scenery. She flashed back to hanging from a pipe while he cut on her and shivered. David put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her tightly against him and kissed her hair murmuring 'it's OK, baby, you're safe. I have you,' so quietly that Carina strained to hear his gentle words.

He glared at Carina, appalled at her lack of tact and at her lack of what he'd come to know as 'professionalism' but was really armor for the soul.

"He didn't handle it well at all, Agent Hansen. As a matter of fact – it killed him. Now, all that shit with Larkin is history. If he weren't already dead, I'd set him on fire again and piss on him for what he did. It's history – ancient history. If you and Amy want to play 'catch up' on old times later, you'd best avoid any mention of the asshole, clear?"

"Yeah, Agent Cain. Crystal clear. No problems. I don't understand the situation but I can see the effect. Hey, Amy? I'm sorry I brought him up, OK? Bygones. So, what have they told you about why you're here? And why is he here? Is this going to be a problem?"

If he was this protective of her now when she was dealing with history, how would he handle her part in this assignment? Was she mission-capable or was she so fragile that she wouldn't be able to handle her assignments? Would he be able to handle her assignments?

MI-6 Headquarters
London, UK

Upon arriving, David had an urgent message to contact 'Colonel Sanders' at NSA Headquarters via secure channel. He was led to a conference room and told that a satellite feed would be established momentarily. He drank a cup of coffee that one of the staff brought him and waited. And waited.

Amy and Carina walked down a corridor, through a checkpoint and then into the bowels of the MI-6 Global Monitoring Center – a huge room that looked like the Kennedy Space Center on mission day. People were busy at workstations, scurrying around like mice but each seemed to have a definite purpose. Amy sensed a controlled panic in the air.

Carina had sensed it when she first arrived and had listened and tried to put 2 and 2 together but never got the second '2'. No one was talking out of turn and she was frustrated.

"Carina, why is the DEA interested in this? Drugs, smuggling, what?"

"Some of the players are Middle Eastern types who move raw opium around the globe to various cartel processing units. But it's not drugs. I was brought in to identify the players and the distribution routes, that's all."

A woman approached them with an apology. "Agents, you've been misdirected here when you're needed in conference. Follow me, please. Someone misread a communiqué from the states and only tasked your senior agent, Agent Cain."

"I'm the senior agent, Amy Cain." She was pissed. He was fresh out of training and they'd assumed a man would be senior, of course. Damned 'Old Boys' club mentality.

MI-6 Headquarters
Conference Room

'Colonel Sanders' was, of course, John Casey.

"OK, David, here's the deal. We have reports from Doctors without Borders that an outbreak of Ebola Zaire has occurred in the Republic of the Congo but the Congolese refuse to confirm it. The reports say that living victims are being kidnapped by 'men in hazmat suits' and spirited away by truck to an unknown location. CIA theorizes that someone wants live patients to cultivate Ebola Zaire for 'distribution'."

"How reliable are these reports, Colonel? Oh, congrats on the promotion. Selena must be proud." He couldn't resist a snarky comment.

"The reports are from a Devon Woodcomb. Ring any bells?" He watched the look on Cain's face as a brief wave of 'Chuck Bartowski' flowed over his face but was almost instantly suppressed.

"Devon! Devon's a thoracic man with time still left on his residency. What's he doing in the Congo? He's supposed to be getting married to my sister!"

"You've been dead more than 2 years, Chuck. They moved on with their lives. They've been married more than a year and they're both in the Congo. Ellie's 4 months pregnant and should have been evacuated immediately but she wouldn't leave Devon. Damned do-gooders."

Photos of Ellie and Devon in a field hospital in the boonies appeared and that's how Amy and Carina found him when they were led into the conference room. It was dark and only the soft glow from the huge flatscreen monitor on the wall provided any light. She sat down beside him and saw the photos on the monitor and the tear tracks on his cheeks.

"Cain, the only reason Beckman released you for this mission is because of your family involvement. You and Amy are to go to the Congo, bring them out, pick up as much of the skinny as you can while you're there and then get back here to NSA Headquarters where they'll be debriefed."

"What's the DEA's involvement? Why is Agent Hansen here? She's supposed to be working some marks with Amy." Casey's eyebrows twitched and he was quick to allay any suspicions.

"Hansen's got knowledge you'll need to identify some drug distributors who have suddenly decided to 'cultivate' a deadly virus for distribution and sale to various unfriendly elements. Ebola Zaire's mortality rate is 90%. A terrorist's deadliest weapon so far has been flying into buildings or blowing up trucks. Imagine…"

"Why was Amy Cain tasked originally?"

"She has had dealings with a couple of the persons of interest in the past. They like blondes."

His head snapped around and he stared at his wife. Was that the mission she was going on without him? Spreading her legs for the greater good?

She looked at him shamefaced and then looked back at the monitor and sighed.

'This is why spies don't fall in love. At least not girl spies. He'd never have allowed me to go on the mission if he'd known what was required. Sure, Beckman had given him 'veto authority' over my single missions but she'd never tell him just what accomplishing the missions would require. We'll have to talk…soon.'

"Agents, you'll be flying into Brazzaville and will be met by some locals with ties to the CIA and taken to the hospital where the doctors are waiting for extraction. David, you'll have to get a handle on personal feelings. Intel first, doctors second. I've transmitted your briefing packets for you and Amy. Hansen will accompany you to ID any bad guys. Be careful and don't fuck it up, moron."

The room lights came on when the transmission was disconnected. Hansen looked over and saw that Cain had been crying! Sarah had a grip on his hand and was murmuring something she couldn't catch and wiping away the tears. She turned to Carina, knowing what her thoughts were.

"Carina, get that look off your face. Those two doctors are his family. His sister and her husband. They think he's dead and now he's going to have to disrupt their safe and silly worldview with some harsh truths. His sister practically raised him and he hasn't seen her in two years since he 'died' and went into deep cover so lighten up or I'll have you replaced."

"Is he even an agent?" She knew that emotions were controllable. Hell, she'd controlled her emotions for years considering some of the lowlifes she'd dealt with for the job.

"Yeah, and he took out a Fulcrum extraction team before he got his shield from Beckman. Don't sell him short. Others have and they've all paid a terrible price. He's sweet and gentle and kind but don't underestimate his abilities. He's brilliant – more of a thinker than a doer but he does 'do' when he has to. Ask the SEALS about Syria if you run into any."

David spoke up for the first time, in control again.

"Agent Cain, she has no need to know about Syria. If she has doubts about me, that's her problem. Let's get this done. Damn! She's pregnant…I'm going to be an uncle. Amy – you're going to be an aunt! Cool beanz!"

Amy smiled and sighed. He'd be all right. He knew what had to be done and he wouldn't fail – especially since his family was involved. She thought about that and made a mental note that Devon and Ellie were now her family, too.

All that assumed they got through the issues of dealing with 'persons of interest' with a penchant for blondes. He was an adult and an agent. He'd accept it and drive on. She knew him. He'd accept what had to be done to accomplish the mission - or so she hoped.

She grinned and nudged David. "Ready for some EllieJoy, honey?"

A/N: There are a couple more chapters. Remember, this final arc is called the End Times for a reason.