Taylor whistled as she brushed her fingers through her long blonde hair, effectively detangling it.
"What are you whistling?" her partner, Eric, asked.
She looked at him with a small smirk and starting singing. "Dream of now.
Dream of then.
Dream of a love song
That might have been.
Do I love you?
Oh, yes, I love you,
And I'll bravely tell you,
But only when we dream again." She then shrugged. "It's from The Music Man."
"In the eight years I've known you, I've never heard you sing that."
"It pops into my head from time to time."
"Eric, Taylor," they heard Wes's voice coming from the radio inside the SUV they were sitting in. "He's heading your way."
"Copy that," Eric said then looked at Taylor. "You're sure about this?"
"Positive," she took off her wedding band and engagement ring and handed them to him. "You know I can handle myself. Besides, you'll be watching my back."
Eric nodded as he took off his own wedding band and put the three rings in his jeans pocket.
If this plan was going to work, no one could know that they even knew each other, let alone that they were married.
"Some way to spend our fifth anniversary, huh?" Eric asked Taylor as he looked her up and down. Her hair was down, and she was wearing a low cut yellow t-shirt with black jeans, heeled boots, and a black leather jacket. She had her signature chain necklace on and her diamond stud earrings with very minimal makeup. To him, she'd never looked more beautiful.
"Staking out a criminal? Sounds like something we'd do."
He nodded and stopped the vehicle a couple blocks away from the bar. "Remember the plan?" he questioned.
"Of course," she smirked. "I was in the Air Force, remember?"
"So I've heard."
She laughed and leaned over.
He kissed her deeply. "I love you, Earhardt."
"It's Myers now," she smirked once again and got out, after which she shut the door. Through the window, he could see her as she held up her right hand. Her middle and ring fingers were down while the rest were sticking straight up or out. I love you.
He smiled softly and drove to the bar, parking in the back of the crowded parking lot.
"Can you hear me?" he heard Taylor ask in his ear.
"Jen and I can," Wes responded.
"So can I," Eric said.
"Is he there yet, Eric?" Taylor questioned him.
"Yes."
He could see his target, a man in his fifties with salt and pepper hair slicked back in a similar fashion to how Eric had developed a tendency to do his own. The man had on dark blue jeans and a denim jacket. He was walking into the bar.
"I'm going in," Eric said into his hidden earpiece.
"Be careful," he heard Wes say.
"Have you met me?" He heard everyone laugh at that.
He shoved his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket as he walked inside the building. He saw his target sitting at the bar, so Eric sat at an empty table far enough away for it to not be obvious what he was doing, but still close enough to step in if anything went south with Taylor.
Speaking of, she sauntered in and sat on an empty stool next to the man.
"If you behave, I might let you buy me a drink," Eric had to try to keep from laughing at his wife's statement.
"You'll let me, will you?" he heard the man say and could see Taylor nod. The man motioned for the bartender. "What would you like, babygirl?"
It took every ounce of willpower in his body for Eric to not get up and punch the man then and there.
"Vodka."
The bartender slid her a shot glass. What the man didn't know was that it was actually water. The four of them, Wes, Jen, Taylor, and himself, had talked to the owner and told her of what was going down, so all the bartenders and wait staff knew who would actually be getting water instead of alcohol.
Eric watched as Taylor took off her jacket and the man stared at her.
"I'm Alyson, by the way," Taylor smiled at the man. Eric had to give her credit. Despite being a very expressive person, when Taylor was undercover, she was a very good actress.
"John," the man said.
Taylor flipped her hair over her shoulder and ordered another shot. "You don't mind, John?" she asked in a sultry voice.
"Of course not, sweet cheeks."
"How you doing, Eric?" Wes asked.
"Well, I'm currently watching my wife flirt with a convicted felon," he answered quietly.
"I understand."
John moved his hand so that it rested on the small of Taylor's back, right where Taylor's tattoo was.
The tattoo was simple: "Be strong and courageous and proud as an eagle's scream." in her mother's handwriting. It was something Alyson Earhardt had always told her daughter and written in every Christmas and birthday card. It was what Taylor lived her life by. Eric knew he was one of very few people who'd actually seen both the tattoo and the letter it was derived from.
A while later, John's hand had slid down Taylor's back and was resting on her behind. Eric didn't like this one bit.
Taylor was acting like it didn't bother her, however, and kept flirting with the man, acting drunker by the second.
"Eric, how do you feel knowing she's acting like this?" he heard Jen ask in his ear.
"She's a good actress," was his only response.
Taylor nearly fell off her stool. There's his cue.
Eric stood up and walked over to her.
"Hey, babe," he said lowly in her ear as he wrapped his left arm around her and put his right hand on the inside of her thigh.
Even though he knew she knew it was him, she squirmed and made herself look uncomfortable.
"Let go of me," she slurred a little as she whined.
"Come on, baby."
"Let her go," John said. "Can't you tell she's not interested? She's here with me."
"What are you gonna do about it, old man?" Eric stood to his full height and let go of Taylor, but not before discretely handing his Quantum Defender over to her.
John punched him. Eric knew this was coming. He scuffled a bit then made it look like he'd been knocked out. He could be a pretty good actor, too.
"Let's get away from this creep, Alyson," he heard John say. Perfect.
John lead Taylor to his car towards the back of the parking lot, near where Wes and Jen were parked in the shadows.
Once he knew they were gone, Eric stood up and quietly followed.
"Get in the car, babydoll. I'll take you home." Eric could see John with his hand nearing down the back of Taylor's pants.
"Home?" Taylor asked in her best drunk voice. Eric was finally close enough to not have to rely on the earpiece to hear their conversation as he hid behind a car. "I don't have a home."
John smirked. "Perfect. You'll sell nicely and won't be missed." He tried to push her into the car when she pulled out the Quantum Defender, slipped under his arm, and placed the barrel of the gun against his back.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you," she said sternly. "My husband is watching my every move, as are my other two partners."
"Who are you?" John yelled.
"Captain Taylor Myers with the Silver Guardians. Your daughter-in-law."
"My what?" he paused. "Eric."
"We've been tracking you down for the past few years, John Myers. Now, we've finally found you. Not only did you walk out on your family, but you did so in order to kidnap and sell young women and girls into sex trafficking. You're a despicable man, John. Not worthy of being called a father."
Eric stepped out of the shadows, as did Wes and Jen.
"You're under arrest," Eric said gruffly, handcuffing his sperm donor.
"Eric?" he questioned. "Your own father?"
"I think my wife put it into words better than I ever could. You're no father. A father doesn't walk out in his family like that. A father doesn't prey on young women and girls. A father doesn't beat up his own son in a crowded bar."
"How would you know?" John yelled. "You never had one!"
Eric and Wes pushed the man into the backseat of Wes's SUV.
"You were my example of what not to do."
Eric slammed the door and walked back over to his wife. She handed him his gun and he gave her back her rings.
"I think it's time we get back to the girls," Taylor said with a small smile, then turned to Jen. "Can you handle him?"
Jen nodded. "Go. Enjoy your anniversary. You've earned it."
Eric slung an arm around his wife's shoulders as they walked back to their SUV.
"You seemed pretty angry back there," he told her.
"He kept staring at my boobies. It was uncomfortable."
Eric laughed. "You did not just say that."
Taylor only smiled.
"You know," he started. "We make a pretty good team."
"We do," she agreed. She stopped him and gave him a hug which he returned. "I couldn't have asked for a better partner."
"On the field or in life?"
She gave him a long kiss. "Both."