****

Jake walked into the bedroom to see his wife standing at the window looking outside.  Silently he leaned up against the doorframe and watched her.  Sooner or later she'd break and when she did, he'd be damned if he weren't there to help her up.

"Is Jessie asleep?"

"Yeah darlin', she's out like a light.  I'm more worried about you though." Jake said softly.

"Don't be."  Frankie didn't turn around, but she plastered a half smile on her face as she kept staring out the window.  Over and over in her mind she kept seeing the shocked look on his face as he fell to the ground, hearing Jake screaming "NO" as he raced to her side.

Jake tilted his head slightly and looked at his wife.  He knew she was about to lose it, but she wouldn't admit it.  She was a street kid right to the bone, just like he was.  And no matter what, she didn't let it out until it bubbled over.  She looked so beautiful then, standing in the window.  She was wearing a satin nightgown of silver, the back dipping down to her waist and laced with crisscrossed satin strings.  Her hair hung to her waist in a shaggy lion's mane.  Her hair, he always loved to sleep spooned up behind her with his head pillowed on her hair.

Frankie's eyes welled with tears.  They had come so close, he had come so close and it scared her.  She couldn't tell him that, though.  She'd promised him in the beginning that she'd make no demands on his job, no demands on him about his job.  If she were to tell him how scared she was, he'd do something drastic.

Jake walked over and slipped his arms around her, hugging her warmly.  "Come to bed," was all he said in a whisper as he very gently pulled her with him.  He pulled the dark purple sheets back and fluffed her pillow up, then slid in under the blanket and reached for her.

Frankie looked down at him.  He was so sweet to her… She smiled weakly and sank down into the sheets.  She shifted so that she was lying on her side, Jake's body spooned up behind her.  Her eyes closed slowly as he slid one arm under her neck and the other over her to hug her gently.

"Talk to me please." He whispered.

"No.  I don't want to talk about it."

"Baby, you have got to talk about it.  You need to."

"Jake, I don't want to talk about it."

He sighed and kept quiet, his fingers gently tracing little circles over her hand, wrist and forearm.

"I've killed men before," she started softly.  So softly that Jake wasn't sure she'd spoken at all.  "But none like this.  It was necessary then, necessary now.  But this time…"

"This time you couldn't walk away…"

"No.  I couldn't.  I," she stopped and swallowed.  "I told him, before he let the children go, that when it was over and the children are safe where they belonged, that no where on earth was safe from me.  And God help him if it was His right to do so, for no one else would."

"I know.  And you were angry at him."

"No Jake, not angry.  I've been angry.  But this, this was different.  He…" Frankie's voice broke.  Jake closed his eyes and held onto her tighter.  She was about to lose it.  "He touched Jessie… he put.. his hands on her…"  Frankie pulled out of his embrace and sat up.  She twisted around so she looked down at Jake.  "That man broke into my house, held a gun on me, threatened your life and then he put his hands on our daughter!"

Jake sat up as Frankie's tears spilled.  He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her tight to him.  Slowly he rocked her, rubbing her back as he shushed her softly.  "It's OK baby.  You knew that nothing would happen to either of us.  Frank was on the case.  He wouldn't have let anything happen to me or you."

Frankie sighed and pulled back.  "I was scared, Jake.  For the first time, I was truly scared.  I just… I knew that Frank was on it, and I knew that the only thing I had to worry about was getting Jessie out of the house, along with LJ and Ariel…"

"Francesca, sweetheart, it's over.  Quito won't ever hurt us again."  He said soothingly as his hands brushed her hair from her face and cupped her cheeks gently.  "I'm OK, Jessie's OK, you're OK.  There wasn't ever any reason to be frightened."

Frankie let Jake pull her back down.  She curled up against him, her head resting over his heart as he pulled the blankets up around them both.  Frankie's fingers twisted into the sheet and blanket as she whispered, "Oh Jake… I was never frightened for myself, I was frightened for you."

Jake closed his eyes as his wife sobbed against his chest.  He knew how frightened she was.  "I love you, Francesca Marie."  Jake Shaw held his wife until the wee hours of the morning, lying awake and shushing her as she cried.

****
Frank, along with Thomas, Katie and Cody, had taken Shay and the kids home. Thomas took LJ and Ariel upstairs and put them to bed, while Frank carried Shay to the couch in the living room. He really wanted to settle her in their bed, but Shay insisted she would not be banished to their room while they had guests.

Asking if anyone wanted a drink, he moved to the small wet bar to pour drinks. "Just water for me," Shay laughed. "Alcohol's not good for the baby."

"Baby?" Katie and Cody asked in unison.

Frank couldn't suppress his grin when Shay lovingly stroked her belly. "Yes. Baby," Shay confirmed, watching Frank adoringly as he poured a glass of wine for everyone. Cody collected two of the glasses and handed one to Katie. Frank picked up his and a glass of water for Shay. He handed her the glass and set his on the coffee table before shifting Shay slightly so he could sit at the head of the couch with her resting comfortably against him.

"When did you find out?" Katie asked, a squeal of delight sounding in her voice.

"In Peoria, when Frankie was giving birth to Jessie," Frank replied, rubbing Shay's arms softly.

"That's wonderful," Katie sighed, her hand moving unconsciously to her own abdomen.

"Why the big secret, Boss' Wife?" Cody joked. He hadn't missed Katie's reaction to the news. He had recently begun thinking how wonderful it would be to have a child with Katie; first he had to muster the courage to ask her to marry him.

Shay laughed but then hissed as pain ripped across her ribs. "Not so much a secret, Code, as just not wanting the world to know yet. Just wanted to enjoy something between me and the BigGuy for a little while," she said and leaned back against Frank's firm chest as he gently spread a protective hand over her lower belly.

"Katie, that was a brave thing you did today," Frank commented appreciatively while bestowing a rare smile upon the young Ranger.

"Not brave," she admitted. "I was scared out of my wits." She felt Cody's hand cover hers and their fingers entwined.

"Don't do it again," he ordered softly. "If something had happened to you..."

Frank hugged Shay softly while they watched the young lovers trying to reconcile with what had happened earlier.

Katie turned to face Cody and touched a tender hand to his cheek. "But, I'm fine Caleb."

"But it could have ended differently," he insisted and removed her hand from his cheek before reaching into his pocket and removing a small object. He had long since forgotten there were others in the room. All he could see was the beautiful woman before him and the question he had to ask before he went insane with the thought of losing her.

Katie watched with surprise when Cody knelt on one knee before her, holding her hand in his and with the other offering a small square box. Shay smiled brightly when Katie opened the small box that contained a beautiful pear cut diamond engagement ring and snuggled back against the warmth of her husband.

"The whole time you were with Shay or in that house, I kept thinking 'please God, let her come back to me and I swear I'll find the courage to ask her'. And you're safe and I keep my word. Kathryn Danielle Fellows...will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

Katie was speechless. Had she heard right? Wife? She lifted the ring from its dainty perch in the small box and stared into Cody's eyes. "Yes, Caleb," she whispered and threw her arms around his neck in a fierce hug. "A thousand times yes!"

Cody let out a whoop of joy and hugged her tightly. "You've made me the happiest man on the earth," he assured and kissed her soundly before slipping the ring on her finger.

"I don't know about that," Frank interjected and kissed Shay's temple gently. "But congratulations just the same!"

Shay chuckled and clutched at her ribs. "Ow ow ow...yes, congrats you two." Both Katie and Cody blushed when they remembered they weren't alone.

"What'd I miss?" Thomas asked when he entered the room.

"Oh, just the promise of a new union," Shay answered brightly. "Dad...I have a feeling these two will want to be heading straight home. Mind spending the night and Frank can take you home in the morning?"

Thomas glanced around the room and shrugged. "Sure baby-girl, besides I think your husband will have his hands full keeping you immobile for awhile. Someone will need to watch the little ones."

After Katie and Cody bid everyone goodnight and headed home for a special celebration, Thomas kissed his daughter goodnight and made his way to the guestroom. Frank lifted Shay gently into his arms and carried her up to their bedroom and helped her change for bed.

Finally settled, he slid between the sheets next to her. Under normal circumstances she would snuggle up to him, but her injuries made that impossible. Instead, he lay on his side and rested his head next to hers on her pillow. "You should be in the hospital, Mrs. Donovan." He traced the outline of the bruise on her cheek before kissing it softly.

"Bite me, Mr. Donovan," she joked.

"When you're better," he murmured against her neck as he nuzzled the soft flesh under her earlobe.

"Hmmm?" Shay murmured as sleep began to take her over.

"I'll be glad to bite you...wherever you'd like...once you're feeling better and can act on it properly," he answered shamelessly.

Shay smiled softly as she drifted off. "I'll hold you to it, Tiger."

"No need, Donovan," he assured, kissing her closed eyelids. "Mind like a steel trap. I never forget a promise...or a debt." He smiled tremulously when she murmured in her sleep and curled her fingers around his hand and he rested his head against her shoulder.

He had nearly lost her in that car 'accident' and now that things were back to some sort of normalcy in his and the team's lives, his emotions were his to deal with. In a very un-Frank-Donovan-like way, he released the pent up fear and heartache and sobbed uncontrollably against his wife's shoulder. When he felt her tender touch against his cheek, the tears only flowed faster for the phenomenal love he felt for her. When his energy was spent, he fell into a light slumber, ready to be there for her for her slightest needs.

****

to be continued...