Sasche slid out of the taxi in front of the nest. This is the address Frank had given her when he called her earlier. The tone of his voice told her to move her butt and get there as soon as she could. Her heels clicked on the concrete and the wind blew the hem of her filmy skirt up over the edge of her leather jacket. She'd been in the middle of tango lessons when the call came and judging by the way Frank sounded on the phone, he wouldn't accept her taking time to put some jeans on.
She opened the door and poked her head inside. "Hello?"
Cody was the only one downstairs since about 30 minutes ago when Alex and Monica scrambled up the stairs into Frank's office. "Hello yourself cutie. Can I help you?"
"Yeah, I'm looking for Frank Donovan?"
Her accent was exactly like Frank's and she had his coloring in the eyes and skin. Cody looked her up and down from the high heeled dancing pumps over her fishnet covered legs to the hem of the chiffon mini skirt and the leather jacket. This was a dish indeed... and she was here to see Frank. Luck wasn't ever on Cody's side when it came to the exotic princesses like this lady. "He's in his office. I'll tell him you're here. What's your name?"
"Sasche. Sasche Donovan. I'm his sister, he called me and asked me to come here to see him."
Cody's jaw dropped. THIS was his sister? Damnit he never had the luck. With a groan, he picked up the phone and dialed Frank's office. "Yeah, she's here. OK, I'll send her up." He hung up and pointed up the stairs to the office. "He's waiting for you."
She nodded her thanks and saschayed past him. As she did, Cody took the advantage and admired her rear assets on her way by.
Knocking on the door, Sasche twisted the handle and poked her head in. "Frank?"
Frank was sitting at his desk with Alex and Monica sitting in front of him. He didn't look happy. "Come in Sasche. Have a seat. Alex and Monica were just telling me about the man you've been seeing this past week."
Something in his tone of voice made her feel like she was about two inches tall and squirming like a worm on a hook. It was the same tone of voice their father'd used on them both when he found out about the one time they'd cut school to go hang out with their friends all day. He hadn't looked at her yet either. That worried her more than anything else.
"Uhm, OK... what's the big deal?" She edged over and sat down between Alex and Monica. Both of them had their heads down and didn't look at her. What was going on?
"His name is Jake, right?"
She blinked and looked at Alex and Monica... "How... Frank..." It was beginning to dawn on her. Alex had told her the first time they met that she worked with Jake... Monica and Alex worked with Frank, he'd set them all up to go shopping together a few days ago... Jake had asked her to go to a formal ball on Sunday, the same night Frank had asked her to go to a formal ball at the Embassy... Jake was being paged the same day Frank was...
Frank watched her face intently as she processed all the unspoken evidence. He knew his own sister well enough to know that she was putting the information together, he could see it in her eyes as the light of recognition dawned. And it looked like she was being crushed emotionally.
"You work with him..." she whispered.
Frank sighed. "Yes. Jake Shaw works for me in this unit."
"he works for you." Sasche leaned back in the chair, her eyes closing. Alex and Monica still hadn't looked at her. It wasn't a breaking heart that was crushing her. It was anger. She felt a bit betrayed by Alex and Monica since they didn't tell her that Jake worked with them under her brother's command. She was angry at her brother for treating her like a kid by dragging her into the principle's office like this. And most of all she was angry at Jake for not coming out and telling her what he did for a living. If he had, she would have drawn the conclusion earlier. She was also angry with herself for not even thinking to ask what he did for a living, and for not telling Jake who her brother was. At the time, it wasn't important.
"You knew... you KNEW and you didn't tell me?!" Sasche shot up out of her chair and made her way towards the door.
Jake had gone for a walk after hearing Alex and Monica's confession about Sasche. She was Frank's sister. That explained the accent he knew was familiar and the suddenly striking resemblance to his boss. Also explained why she was busy this Sundey evening and why she went shopping with Alex and Monica for an evening dress. He felt like a monumental fool for not putting it together sooner.
He walked back into the nest just as Sasche was flying down the stairs from Frank's office. Frank, Alex and Monica were close after her coming out of the office. Cody stood up from his desk at the rushed clicking of her heels on the floor. She was in such a hurry that she narrowly avoided running over Jake. Luckily he caught her and kept her from falling.
"Sasche..."
She stepped back from him, the hurt in her eyes mixed with the anger. Alex, Monica and Frank all froze to see what would happen. Cody was looking back and forth. He had no idea what had happened in Frank's office, but it didn't look pleasant judging from the looks on everyone's faces.
A resounding CRACK echoed in the cavernous nest as Sasche drew back her right hand and bitch-slapped Jake back into last week.
****
She opened the door and poked her head inside. "Hello?"
Cody was the only one downstairs since about 30 minutes ago when Alex and Monica scrambled up the stairs into Frank's office. "Hello yourself cutie. Can I help you?"
"Yeah, I'm looking for Frank Donovan?"
Her accent was exactly like Frank's and she had his coloring in the eyes and skin. Cody looked her up and down from the high heeled dancing pumps over her fishnet covered legs to the hem of the chiffon mini skirt and the leather jacket. This was a dish indeed... and she was here to see Frank. Luck wasn't ever on Cody's side when it came to the exotic princesses like this lady. "He's in his office. I'll tell him you're here. What's your name?"
"Sasche. Sasche Donovan. I'm his sister, he called me and asked me to come here to see him."
Cody's jaw dropped. THIS was his sister? Damnit he never had the luck. With a groan, he picked up the phone and dialed Frank's office. "Yeah, she's here. OK, I'll send her up." He hung up and pointed up the stairs to the office. "He's waiting for you."
She nodded her thanks and saschayed past him. As she did, Cody took the advantage and admired her rear assets on her way by.
Knocking on the door, Sasche twisted the handle and poked her head in. "Frank?"
Frank was sitting at his desk with Alex and Monica sitting in front of him. He didn't look happy. "Come in Sasche. Have a seat. Alex and Monica were just telling me about the man you've been seeing this past week."
Something in his tone of voice made her feel like she was about two inches tall and squirming like a worm on a hook. It was the same tone of voice their father'd used on them both when he found out about the one time they'd cut school to go hang out with their friends all day. He hadn't looked at her yet either. That worried her more than anything else.
"Uhm, OK... what's the big deal?" She edged over and sat down between Alex and Monica. Both of them had their heads down and didn't look at her. What was going on?
"His name is Jake, right?"
She blinked and looked at Alex and Monica... "How... Frank..." It was beginning to dawn on her. Alex had told her the first time they met that she worked with Jake... Monica and Alex worked with Frank, he'd set them all up to go shopping together a few days ago... Jake had asked her to go to a formal ball on Sunday, the same night Frank had asked her to go to a formal ball at the Embassy... Jake was being paged the same day Frank was...
Frank watched her face intently as she processed all the unspoken evidence. He knew his own sister well enough to know that she was putting the information together, he could see it in her eyes as the light of recognition dawned. And it looked like she was being crushed emotionally.
"You work with him..." she whispered.
Frank sighed. "Yes. Jake Shaw works for me in this unit."
"he works for you." Sasche leaned back in the chair, her eyes closing. Alex and Monica still hadn't looked at her. It wasn't a breaking heart that was crushing her. It was anger. She felt a bit betrayed by Alex and Monica since they didn't tell her that Jake worked with them under her brother's command. She was angry at her brother for treating her like a kid by dragging her into the principle's office like this. And most of all she was angry at Jake for not coming out and telling her what he did for a living. If he had, she would have drawn the conclusion earlier. She was also angry with herself for not even thinking to ask what he did for a living, and for not telling Jake who her brother was. At the time, it wasn't important.
"You knew... you KNEW and you didn't tell me?!" Sasche shot up out of her chair and made her way towards the door.
Jake had gone for a walk after hearing Alex and Monica's confession about Sasche. She was Frank's sister. That explained the accent he knew was familiar and the suddenly striking resemblance to his boss. Also explained why she was busy this Sundey evening and why she went shopping with Alex and Monica for an evening dress. He felt like a monumental fool for not putting it together sooner.
He walked back into the nest just as Sasche was flying down the stairs from Frank's office. Frank, Alex and Monica were close after her coming out of the office. Cody stood up from his desk at the rushed clicking of her heels on the floor. She was in such a hurry that she narrowly avoided running over Jake. Luckily he caught her and kept her from falling.
"Sasche..."
She stepped back from him, the hurt in her eyes mixed with the anger. Alex, Monica and Frank all froze to see what would happen. Cody was looking back and forth. He had no idea what had happened in Frank's office, but it didn't look pleasant judging from the looks on everyone's faces.
A resounding CRACK echoed in the cavernous nest as Sasche drew back her right hand and bitch-slapped Jake back into last week.
****