CHAPTER 3
Maria came out of the office smiling and laughing. Sab watched her come down the stairs. "She's in a better mood." She told Cody. "You still have your head that's good."
"Yeah, he didn't chew me out too much." She came over to sit with Sab and Cody. "I know you had to tell them about my drinking, I'm not angry with either of you. Besides Elaina did know whether Frank did or not. I guess I should thank you for not letting me get carried away." Maria got up and walked behind them and hugged them both.
"Is there something we don't know about that caused you to go off the wagon?" Cody was still worried about her.
"Frank knows now, that's all that matters." She walks over to Jake. "The boss gave us the afternoon off want to get something to eat?"
"Sure." They walked out together as Frank came down from his office.
"Why do they get the afternoon off?" Cody asks.
"She needs some free time. I still want you two to monitor what they say; I don't want any more surprises." Frank replies. "If she confesses anything to Jake I want to know about it."
"Don't you think they'll remember that they have wires and cameras on?" Sab asks.
"They were wired yesterday and look what happened."
"True I guess we better start listening then." Cody suggests. Frank turned his back to them as he smiled knowing what they were going to hear.
******
"Where are we going for this lunch?" Jake wonders.
"How about my place?" Maria replies. "We can order something have it delivered and we can just kick back and get to know each other a little better."
"Sounds good to me."
Maria called an order to her favorite restaurant. When they arrived at Maria's she handed Jake her keys to open the door as she retrieved her mail from the box.
"Have a seat anywhere." She gestured as she sorted her mail then laid it on the desk. "Want a drink?"
Jake looked at her in surprise. "I didn't mean alcohol, I don't have any here? Soda or water?"
"Soda's fine with me. Mind if I ask you a question?" Jake asks.
"Shoot." Maria replies as she grabs two sodas out of the fridge under the bar.
"When did you become an alcoholic?" Jake asks as she walks over.
"I started drinking after high school. When I was at the academy it, got out of hand and I had to get help before it killed me." She handed him his drink and sat down on the couch next to him. "It was easy at first to hide it, but after I got to Quantico I started leaving trials so to speak. Then one night Cody came over and found me passed out. I almost bought it from alcohol poisoning that night. Cody saved my life." "Cody a hero, who would have thought." Jake teases.
"Jake don't tease him about it ever, I'm serious."
"I can see that. You have my word I won't." Jake replies. "Can I ask why you started drinking?"
"You can ask, but it's too painful to talk about." The doorbell rang and Maria got up to answer it. "Food's finally here." She walks over and places it on the table in front of the couch.
"Smells great, what did you order?"
"Home style grilled steak, shrimp and baked potatoes topped with cheese and bacon." Maria replies.
"This isn't normal take out." Jake says as he leans over to smell the food.
"No, I have a friend that owns a restaurant and she feeds me real food, not that fast food stuff." Maria replies.
Jake started eating. "This is great. Think I can get your friend to feed me?"
"I can arrange that. I guess I should tell you what actually caused me to drink yesterday." Maria says.
"You don't have to if you don't want to."
"I think you should know. I was involved with Agent Richards. And having to pretend to like the man that killed him drove me back to it." Maria explains.
"We don't know for sure he was the one that killed him." Jake says.
"We know that he was involved somehow. To me that is the same as doing it."
"Did Elaina know of your involvement?"
"No, we kept it a secret from everyone." Maria replies. "I was going to tell her and then decided that if I wanted the case, I had to keep it to myself."
"But you have told Frank now?"
"Yeah, but he said for now he wasn't going to tell her about it."
"Good, we need you for this case." Jake says as he eats another piece of steak.
"I'm surprised my ego hasn't grown. Everyone keeps saying how important I am to this case. I'm not that important, I was just the only agent available that could sing."
"See you are important." Jake points out.
They finished eating and Maria cleaned up the trash. When she came back in, Jake was looking at the pictures on the wall. "You've seen those before when you and the others helped me fix this place up."
"I never asked before who is this?" He pointed to the girl standing with her.
"Elaina."
"She has changed."
"Plastic surgery can do that. I'm not supposed to talk about it." Maria replies.
"Why?"
"It just happens to be her wish that no one says anything about it."
"Okay I won't mention it again, even though I am curious now. Is that why you look so much alike?" Jake asks.
"Jake, drop it please. I have something that could take your mind off of that picture."
"Really, what would that be?" Jake asks turning to her.
"This." She kisses him on the lips.
"Yeah, that does take my mind off of whatever it was."
"I'm going to show you just how good at seduction I really am."
"I'm really not ready for a relationship right now." Jake says as he parts some distance between them.
"Good, because I'm not either. I just want someone for the moment. You don't have to worry about there being another time. I just want a roll in the hay type of thing."
"What if I want another time?" Jake asks as she came closer.
"I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." She started taking the jewelry off that had the mics and cameras hidden in them. Jake did the same. Maria put her finger to her lips to remind Jake not to say anything until they got in the other room away from them.
As they went to the bedroom, Maria went in the bathroom and came back out wearing a robe. She took her clothes and threw them out the door. "Cody and his little extra mic in my clothes hope you don't mind the robe."
"I don't mind if you feel comfortable." Jake was sitting on the bed when she turned around. "Think they realized they've been had yet?" Jake asks as she sat next to him.
"I hope not, I want them to think we actually did something." Maria replies.
"How long do we keep them in the dark?" Jake asks.
"How good are you in bed? Would you be so good that we took the rest of the afternoon or so good that one time does a girl in?" Maria saw that Jake was uncomfortable with the way she worded her question. "Sorry I should have put that different."
"I would say I'm so good we would take the whole afternoon." He surprised her by answering and kissing her.
"Hey that wasn't in the plan. But I like adlibbing; plans can be so stifling at times. But seriously we can't actually go through with the seduction. If we did and the boss finds out, I'll be sent back to Virginia." Maria explains.
"Is that where you live? I thought you lived here?" Jake asks.
"No, I get placed where they need me. Which has been here for the past six months. I have an apartment near Quantico." "I guess we should talk more to get to know one another."
"Okay, my full name is Maria Victoria Andrews." Maria replies.
"My real name is Robert Anthony Gaines."
"Really, where did Jake Shaw come from?" Maria was a little confused and realized she didn't know that much about him.
"The orphanage I grew up in. I just recently found my birth mother."
"Really. How did you find her?" Maria asks.
"She found me with a little help from Elaina."
"How did she help?"
"Allison, my mother, used to be her secretary. She had told Elaina about giving a baby up for adoption and was looking for him, me. She gave Elaina the dates, where she delivered and where she thought I was sent so Elaina could help." Jake explains. "Years go by and when she took over the division, she read all our bios and something clicked in her mind that I may have been Allison's long lost son."
"I take it you had D.N.A. test to prove it?"
"Yep, she was right. I met her last summer. We call each other every week. I plan to go there over the holidays to visit if we don't get a case." Jake replies.
"Would my cousin give you guys a case over the holidays?" Maria asks.
"If it was important I'm sure she would. Now I have a question."
"What would that be?"
"How did your family come up with the names Maria, Miranda and Elaina?" Jake asks.
"We were named after some of our ancestors. Our mothers were history buffs and they followed our genealogy way back to the early 1600's. Over the years our family has descended from Spain, France, Germany, Wales, England and a few other places. Our middle names reflect those countries. My middle name represents Wales and England." She says proudly.
"Really, it's great that you know your background that far." Jake says impressed.
"Has your Mother told you of your heritage?"
"No, but you have my curiosity up and I think I'll ask her about it" Jake noticed she was thinking about something other than their conversation. "What's on your mind now?"
"I wish Frank would have let me gone with Montgomery. It would have been easy to get information being with him." Maria replies. "I know Monica and Alex are good, but they aren't going to be right beside him."
"What makes you think he would have let you go everywhere with him?" Jake asks.
"Are you forgetting my powers of seductions?" Maria touched his face.
"You are good, but I doubt he would have taken you with him on any meetings." He took her hand and held it. "Listen, I want him either in jail or dead soon. I'm not going to spend a lot of wasted time on this. When he gets back, I'm going to do things my way and get this case over with." Maria raises her voice in anger.
"Whoa, wait a minute you're not in charge of how we do this. Donovan is and if I were you, you had better stick to his way." Jake says calming her down.
"His way is getting us no where. He doesn't want me getting too close to him to get information. He doesn't want me going on trips with him, why I'm on this case is becoming a mystery to me."
"We will get him. Some cases take more time than others. Just be patient and don't go off on your own and get hurt." Jake replies. "I'd like to have you around for a while and get to know you." He leaned toward her and kissed her on the lips and then her neck.
She pushed him away. "Are you trying to distract me with seduction now, Mr. Shaw?"
"Is it working?" Jake kisses her again and he started to open her robe.
"A little." She didn't want to stop him but she knew deep down she wasn't ready yet. "But we can't go any further, at least not right now." She held her robe shut.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." Jake walked over to the window.
"I wonder what is going on in the minds of our techies?" She says getting their minds on something different.
"They are probably trying to decide who is going to tell Donovan." They both laughed.
"I wish we were there to see what Frank does. He said he was going to help."
*****
"Sir, you wanted to know what we heard between Maria and Jake?" Cody asks as Frank walked over to where Sab and Cody were sitting.
"Yes I do, but how can you listen from over here when you should be over there." He pointed to the monitors.
"There's nothing to listen to they took the jewelry off and we haven't heard anything in the last half hour." Sab explains to him.
"What did they say before they took them off?" Frank asks knowing what they heard.
"Uh.um." Cody looked at Sab hoping she would tell him but she wouldn't. "They said something about just having a roll in the hay type of relationship, sir."
"Okay no harm in that, if they say anything else let me know. I just hope they don't tire themselves out too much they have work to do." Frank turned his back and smiled as he left them dumbfounded.
"What did he just say?" Cody asks in confusion.
"He didn't seem to care." A light dawns in Sab's mind. "Which means we have been had."
Cody had realizes it too. "She is good; she even got Donovan and Jake to help her."
"Well we did go a little overboard with her phone bill and credit card. I didn't think those psychic hotlines were that expensive. I thought when she made us pay her back that was the end of it. Boy was I wrong. We've got to get her back again. This was just plain rude to involve Donovan."
"I agree, but how do we get her back for this?" Cody asks.
"I'll think of something and it will be good." Sab had a wicked smile on her face as she went to thinking.
*******
It was early evening when Frank went home to see Derek and Sarah before going to the club. He found Megan in the kitchen cooking. "Hello, any calls from Elaina yet?"
"Not yet. Are you staying for dinner?" Megan asks looking over her shoulder to see him.
"I might, what are you fixing?" He went over to look at what she was doing.
"Salad, spaghetti and meatballs. Interested?"
"Sure I'll stay. I thought she would have called to talk to the kids by now."
"Why don't you call her?" Megan suggests
"She'd think I was worried about her." Frank replies.
"And you aren't, right?"
"Guilty. Where are the rug rats?" He stood at the sink looking outside.
"Derek and Becky took Sarah out to the horses." Megan replies.
"As cold as it is?"
"They bundled her up. She'll be warm enough for the exercise barn. Go out and see them; I'll yell if she calls."
"Trying to get me out of here?"
"You are in my way." She says nudging him out of the way to the sink.
"Okay, I'll go." He grabs his coat and went out to the exercise barn. Derek was holding Sarah in front of him as they rode Sahara. "Having fun?"
Derek took the horse over to where he was standing. Frank took hold of the halter and pets the horse's muzzle. "Sarah is having fun, but I'm kind of nervous doing this, it's my first time with her." Derek replies.
"You're doing fine from what I saw. I was nervous the first time I took her riding too. She was smaller then."
"She was missing Mom and I thought if we came out here it would take her mind off of her." Derek says.
"Riding Mom's horse you must be missing her too." Frank says still petting the animal
"A little bit. She was a bit distracted this morning, do you know why?" Derek asks.
"She had a bad dream last night and didn't get much sleep." Frank replies looking to Sarah." Sarah you better go back with me." He reaches up and takes her off the horse. "It seems to be getting colder and if she catches a cold your mother will have our hides."
"Is it okay if we ride for a while?" Derek asks.
"Megan will have dinner ready soon, so not too much longer." Frank replies as Becky get on with Derek.
"Okay be in, in a few minutes."
Frank and Sarah made their way back to the house. As he walked in he heard Megan talking on the phone. "Hold on Elaina, he and Sarah just came in." Megan gave him the phone.
"Hey Lady, how are you?"
"I'm tired, been going ever since I got here?"
"How's Hank?" Frank asks as Megan takes Sarah from him.
"Grouchy, giving the nurses a hard time. They have threatened to gag him if he didn't stop harassing them." Elaina laughs.
"Sounds like he's feeling okay." Frank laughed. Sarah grabbed for the phone. "Wait." He put the phone on speaker.
"What's wrong?" Elaina asks.
"Sarah wants the phone, go ahead we can both hear you now. It's on the speaker."
"Hello Sweetie, what have you been doing?" Elaina asks her daughter.
"Horsy." Sarah says going close to the phone.
"Have you and Daddy been riding?"
"Bubby." Sarah replies smiling.
"Oh you and Derek have been. Did you have fun?"
"She's shaking her head." Frank said.
"Can I talk to Daddy for a while?"
"O K"
"Say good bye Sarah." Frank told her.
Frank laughed. "She's waving to you."
"Good night Sarah." Elaina says to her.
Frank took the receiver back. "You're off speaker now. Are you sure you're doing okay?"
"Yeah, I'm not worried as much as I was." Elaina replies.
"I have to work late tonight, so I'm spending some time here before I go back." "I'll call you later, when will you be home?" Elaina asks.
"I don't know, I'll call you later when I get home."
"Is that Sarah snoring?" Elaina asks hearing something over the phone.
"Yeah. She's asleep."
"I'll be here waiting for your call. Love you. Miss you."
"I love and miss you too Lady." Frank hung up and turned to Megan. "I take it she missed her nap today?"
"Yeah, she was busy helping me today. I'll take her up if you want me too?" Megan replies.
"I'll do it." He yawned. "I think I'll join her. If I don't wake up in an hour, come and wake me okay?"
"I will."
********
Maria and Jake were at the club where she was playing hostess for Connor. He was about to leave for the airport and went over to her. "Well Mary I guess this is good bye for now."
"I hope you don't stay gone too long, I think we were just starting to get cozy with each other." She straightened his tie as she stood facing him. "When did you say you'd be back?"
"Hopefully a day after tomorrow." Connor replies.
"Then I will sing my special song for you then." She kisses him.
"I may have to cut my visit short and get back here sooner if I can get more kisses like that." Connor says smiling.
"There are plenty more where that came from, believe me."
"I will remember that. I'll see you a day after tomorrow. Good bye songbird."
"Good bye." Maria watched him leave and then walked over to where Jake was sitting. "I hate that guy."
"You sure didn't show it." Jake says looking at her.
"I was thinking of you, I sure wasn't thinking of him."
"I'm flattered."
"You should be." She smiles and winks at him. "I'm taking a break, gonna go outside for a few minutes."
"Be careful."
"I will." She went out the door and around to the alley where the van was parked and went in it. "Hi ya. Heard any good gossip lately?"
"Nope, can't say that we have." Sab was acting as if she was busy.
"Cody, will you do me a favor and check the mic in my bra, it feels like its out of place or something and Sab seems to be too busy."
"Touch her and you're a dead man Forrester." Sab got up from her chair. "Cody keep your eyes on that monitor."
"It's not like he hasn't seen my bra before Sab."
"I think we are even on the pranks now, you can stop tormenting us." Cody says watching the monitors.
"What do you mean tormenting you?" Maria asks innocently.
"We know that what happened between you and Jake was staged for our benefit to get back at us." Sab replies.
"You two think highly of yourself. Ouch that hurt." She says as Sab snapped the elastic in her bra.
"Sorry, the elastic slipped."
"Okay, it was staged and we are all even. Let's call a truce and forget about anymore pranks." Maria suggests.
"Shake on it." Sab held out her hand. Maria shook it and then looked at Cody.
"He has to shake on it too." Maria says. Cody turns around and shook her hand.
"Jake did know it was a joke, didn't he?"
"Of course he did. I told him when Frank was telling you to listen to our conversations." Maria replies.
"Told you so." Sab says to Cody.
"I better get back in there. Bye guys." Maria says as she leaves the van. A few minutes, later Frank entered the van.
"What's going on?" Frank asks as he walks up to the two.
"Not much since Montgomery left." Cody replies.
"Why was Maria in here?"
"How did you know she was here?" Sab wondered.
"Her perfume unless you are wearing it, and if Cody is I'm leaving." Frank replies.
"Hey the boss made a joke, not a very good one, but a joke." Cody says laughing a bit.
"I saw her come out. We talked outside; she is going to get you two in after last call."
"We made a truce on our pranks." Cody says staring at his boss.
"What are you looking at me for?" Frank asks staring back.
"Why did you get involved in our payback?" Cody asks.
"I couldn't resist, you two are very good targets." Frank replies as he sat down. "Why are you so late getting here?" Cody acted ticked that he wasn't on time.
"None of your business, but I was with my children and ate dinner with them."
"How sweet, I bet Sarah loved that." Sab adds.
"Yeah we even had a food fight, I lost." Frank laughed thinking about it.
******
"Come to the back door I'll let you in." Maria says over the wire.
Cody and Sab grabbed their bags of equipment and walked out with Frank following behind them.
"My dressing room is the second door on the left. Stay there until everyone is out, we just had last call." They went into the room and Maria went back to the main club.
"Go ahead and set up in here." Frank orders them.
An hour later Maria came back after making sure everyone had left. "Sorry it took so long. I had to sweet talk Martin into going home." Cody and Sab went out to get started.
"Jake is watching the front door." She says to Frank as they walked together to one of the tables.
"Exactly what did you and Jake do today?" Frank asks.
"Why do I have to tell you?" Maria replies.
"You didn't actually.?" He stopped before he asked the whole question.
"No, we just sat and talked about each other to get to know one another better." Maria replies. "What did you do when they told you about us?"
"I acted like I didn't care that you two were together."
"Would you care if we had?" Maria wonders.
"I would be a little ticked off because you lied to me." Frank replies.
"Well don't be ticked because we didn't, close call though."
"What does that mean?" Frank asks with a flash of concern.
"It could have happened but I stopped myself. I do have self control when I want to." Maria replies.
"Sab did say something about getting you back for it." Frank informs her.
"We called a truce, not that I expect it to last long. So I will keep an eye out when the case is over."
"It better last that long if they know what's good for them." Frank warns.
"Have you talked to Elaina since she arrived?" Maria asks.
"She's tired from trying to do everything in one day."
"She just wants to get back to you and the kids." Maria yawns. "I need to get some sleep." "What happened to the adrenaline junkie?" Frank asks.
"I ran out of it, for now."
"I'll have Jake drive you home and I'll keep watch on the door." They walked over by Jake. "Drive her home; she's too tired to drive."
"Make sure you lock up when you get done." Maria reminds him.
"I will." Frank let them out the door then locked it.
"That no sleep thing getting to you?" Jake teases.
"Shut up and take me home." Maria punches his arm.
Maria came out of the office smiling and laughing. Sab watched her come down the stairs. "She's in a better mood." She told Cody. "You still have your head that's good."
"Yeah, he didn't chew me out too much." She came over to sit with Sab and Cody. "I know you had to tell them about my drinking, I'm not angry with either of you. Besides Elaina did know whether Frank did or not. I guess I should thank you for not letting me get carried away." Maria got up and walked behind them and hugged them both.
"Is there something we don't know about that caused you to go off the wagon?" Cody was still worried about her.
"Frank knows now, that's all that matters." She walks over to Jake. "The boss gave us the afternoon off want to get something to eat?"
"Sure." They walked out together as Frank came down from his office.
"Why do they get the afternoon off?" Cody asks.
"She needs some free time. I still want you two to monitor what they say; I don't want any more surprises." Frank replies. "If she confesses anything to Jake I want to know about it."
"Don't you think they'll remember that they have wires and cameras on?" Sab asks.
"They were wired yesterday and look what happened."
"True I guess we better start listening then." Cody suggests. Frank turned his back to them as he smiled knowing what they were going to hear.
******
"Where are we going for this lunch?" Jake wonders.
"How about my place?" Maria replies. "We can order something have it delivered and we can just kick back and get to know each other a little better."
"Sounds good to me."
Maria called an order to her favorite restaurant. When they arrived at Maria's she handed Jake her keys to open the door as she retrieved her mail from the box.
"Have a seat anywhere." She gestured as she sorted her mail then laid it on the desk. "Want a drink?"
Jake looked at her in surprise. "I didn't mean alcohol, I don't have any here? Soda or water?"
"Soda's fine with me. Mind if I ask you a question?" Jake asks.
"Shoot." Maria replies as she grabs two sodas out of the fridge under the bar.
"When did you become an alcoholic?" Jake asks as she walks over.
"I started drinking after high school. When I was at the academy it, got out of hand and I had to get help before it killed me." She handed him his drink and sat down on the couch next to him. "It was easy at first to hide it, but after I got to Quantico I started leaving trials so to speak. Then one night Cody came over and found me passed out. I almost bought it from alcohol poisoning that night. Cody saved my life." "Cody a hero, who would have thought." Jake teases.
"Jake don't tease him about it ever, I'm serious."
"I can see that. You have my word I won't." Jake replies. "Can I ask why you started drinking?"
"You can ask, but it's too painful to talk about." The doorbell rang and Maria got up to answer it. "Food's finally here." She walks over and places it on the table in front of the couch.
"Smells great, what did you order?"
"Home style grilled steak, shrimp and baked potatoes topped with cheese and bacon." Maria replies.
"This isn't normal take out." Jake says as he leans over to smell the food.
"No, I have a friend that owns a restaurant and she feeds me real food, not that fast food stuff." Maria replies.
Jake started eating. "This is great. Think I can get your friend to feed me?"
"I can arrange that. I guess I should tell you what actually caused me to drink yesterday." Maria says.
"You don't have to if you don't want to."
"I think you should know. I was involved with Agent Richards. And having to pretend to like the man that killed him drove me back to it." Maria explains.
"We don't know for sure he was the one that killed him." Jake says.
"We know that he was involved somehow. To me that is the same as doing it."
"Did Elaina know of your involvement?"
"No, we kept it a secret from everyone." Maria replies. "I was going to tell her and then decided that if I wanted the case, I had to keep it to myself."
"But you have told Frank now?"
"Yeah, but he said for now he wasn't going to tell her about it."
"Good, we need you for this case." Jake says as he eats another piece of steak.
"I'm surprised my ego hasn't grown. Everyone keeps saying how important I am to this case. I'm not that important, I was just the only agent available that could sing."
"See you are important." Jake points out.
They finished eating and Maria cleaned up the trash. When she came back in, Jake was looking at the pictures on the wall. "You've seen those before when you and the others helped me fix this place up."
"I never asked before who is this?" He pointed to the girl standing with her.
"Elaina."
"She has changed."
"Plastic surgery can do that. I'm not supposed to talk about it." Maria replies.
"Why?"
"It just happens to be her wish that no one says anything about it."
"Okay I won't mention it again, even though I am curious now. Is that why you look so much alike?" Jake asks.
"Jake, drop it please. I have something that could take your mind off of that picture."
"Really, what would that be?" Jake asks turning to her.
"This." She kisses him on the lips.
"Yeah, that does take my mind off of whatever it was."
"I'm going to show you just how good at seduction I really am."
"I'm really not ready for a relationship right now." Jake says as he parts some distance between them.
"Good, because I'm not either. I just want someone for the moment. You don't have to worry about there being another time. I just want a roll in the hay type of thing."
"What if I want another time?" Jake asks as she came closer.
"I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." She started taking the jewelry off that had the mics and cameras hidden in them. Jake did the same. Maria put her finger to her lips to remind Jake not to say anything until they got in the other room away from them.
As they went to the bedroom, Maria went in the bathroom and came back out wearing a robe. She took her clothes and threw them out the door. "Cody and his little extra mic in my clothes hope you don't mind the robe."
"I don't mind if you feel comfortable." Jake was sitting on the bed when she turned around. "Think they realized they've been had yet?" Jake asks as she sat next to him.
"I hope not, I want them to think we actually did something." Maria replies.
"How long do we keep them in the dark?" Jake asks.
"How good are you in bed? Would you be so good that we took the rest of the afternoon or so good that one time does a girl in?" Maria saw that Jake was uncomfortable with the way she worded her question. "Sorry I should have put that different."
"I would say I'm so good we would take the whole afternoon." He surprised her by answering and kissing her.
"Hey that wasn't in the plan. But I like adlibbing; plans can be so stifling at times. But seriously we can't actually go through with the seduction. If we did and the boss finds out, I'll be sent back to Virginia." Maria explains.
"Is that where you live? I thought you lived here?" Jake asks.
"No, I get placed where they need me. Which has been here for the past six months. I have an apartment near Quantico." "I guess we should talk more to get to know one another."
"Okay, my full name is Maria Victoria Andrews." Maria replies.
"My real name is Robert Anthony Gaines."
"Really, where did Jake Shaw come from?" Maria was a little confused and realized she didn't know that much about him.
"The orphanage I grew up in. I just recently found my birth mother."
"Really. How did you find her?" Maria asks.
"She found me with a little help from Elaina."
"How did she help?"
"Allison, my mother, used to be her secretary. She had told Elaina about giving a baby up for adoption and was looking for him, me. She gave Elaina the dates, where she delivered and where she thought I was sent so Elaina could help." Jake explains. "Years go by and when she took over the division, she read all our bios and something clicked in her mind that I may have been Allison's long lost son."
"I take it you had D.N.A. test to prove it?"
"Yep, she was right. I met her last summer. We call each other every week. I plan to go there over the holidays to visit if we don't get a case." Jake replies.
"Would my cousin give you guys a case over the holidays?" Maria asks.
"If it was important I'm sure she would. Now I have a question."
"What would that be?"
"How did your family come up with the names Maria, Miranda and Elaina?" Jake asks.
"We were named after some of our ancestors. Our mothers were history buffs and they followed our genealogy way back to the early 1600's. Over the years our family has descended from Spain, France, Germany, Wales, England and a few other places. Our middle names reflect those countries. My middle name represents Wales and England." She says proudly.
"Really, it's great that you know your background that far." Jake says impressed.
"Has your Mother told you of your heritage?"
"No, but you have my curiosity up and I think I'll ask her about it" Jake noticed she was thinking about something other than their conversation. "What's on your mind now?"
"I wish Frank would have let me gone with Montgomery. It would have been easy to get information being with him." Maria replies. "I know Monica and Alex are good, but they aren't going to be right beside him."
"What makes you think he would have let you go everywhere with him?" Jake asks.
"Are you forgetting my powers of seductions?" Maria touched his face.
"You are good, but I doubt he would have taken you with him on any meetings." He took her hand and held it. "Listen, I want him either in jail or dead soon. I'm not going to spend a lot of wasted time on this. When he gets back, I'm going to do things my way and get this case over with." Maria raises her voice in anger.
"Whoa, wait a minute you're not in charge of how we do this. Donovan is and if I were you, you had better stick to his way." Jake says calming her down.
"His way is getting us no where. He doesn't want me getting too close to him to get information. He doesn't want me going on trips with him, why I'm on this case is becoming a mystery to me."
"We will get him. Some cases take more time than others. Just be patient and don't go off on your own and get hurt." Jake replies. "I'd like to have you around for a while and get to know you." He leaned toward her and kissed her on the lips and then her neck.
She pushed him away. "Are you trying to distract me with seduction now, Mr. Shaw?"
"Is it working?" Jake kisses her again and he started to open her robe.
"A little." She didn't want to stop him but she knew deep down she wasn't ready yet. "But we can't go any further, at least not right now." She held her robe shut.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done that." Jake walked over to the window.
"I wonder what is going on in the minds of our techies?" She says getting their minds on something different.
"They are probably trying to decide who is going to tell Donovan." They both laughed.
"I wish we were there to see what Frank does. He said he was going to help."
*****
"Sir, you wanted to know what we heard between Maria and Jake?" Cody asks as Frank walked over to where Sab and Cody were sitting.
"Yes I do, but how can you listen from over here when you should be over there." He pointed to the monitors.
"There's nothing to listen to they took the jewelry off and we haven't heard anything in the last half hour." Sab explains to him.
"What did they say before they took them off?" Frank asks knowing what they heard.
"Uh.um." Cody looked at Sab hoping she would tell him but she wouldn't. "They said something about just having a roll in the hay type of relationship, sir."
"Okay no harm in that, if they say anything else let me know. I just hope they don't tire themselves out too much they have work to do." Frank turned his back and smiled as he left them dumbfounded.
"What did he just say?" Cody asks in confusion.
"He didn't seem to care." A light dawns in Sab's mind. "Which means we have been had."
Cody had realizes it too. "She is good; she even got Donovan and Jake to help her."
"Well we did go a little overboard with her phone bill and credit card. I didn't think those psychic hotlines were that expensive. I thought when she made us pay her back that was the end of it. Boy was I wrong. We've got to get her back again. This was just plain rude to involve Donovan."
"I agree, but how do we get her back for this?" Cody asks.
"I'll think of something and it will be good." Sab had a wicked smile on her face as she went to thinking.
*******
It was early evening when Frank went home to see Derek and Sarah before going to the club. He found Megan in the kitchen cooking. "Hello, any calls from Elaina yet?"
"Not yet. Are you staying for dinner?" Megan asks looking over her shoulder to see him.
"I might, what are you fixing?" He went over to look at what she was doing.
"Salad, spaghetti and meatballs. Interested?"
"Sure I'll stay. I thought she would have called to talk to the kids by now."
"Why don't you call her?" Megan suggests
"She'd think I was worried about her." Frank replies.
"And you aren't, right?"
"Guilty. Where are the rug rats?" He stood at the sink looking outside.
"Derek and Becky took Sarah out to the horses." Megan replies.
"As cold as it is?"
"They bundled her up. She'll be warm enough for the exercise barn. Go out and see them; I'll yell if she calls."
"Trying to get me out of here?"
"You are in my way." She says nudging him out of the way to the sink.
"Okay, I'll go." He grabs his coat and went out to the exercise barn. Derek was holding Sarah in front of him as they rode Sahara. "Having fun?"
Derek took the horse over to where he was standing. Frank took hold of the halter and pets the horse's muzzle. "Sarah is having fun, but I'm kind of nervous doing this, it's my first time with her." Derek replies.
"You're doing fine from what I saw. I was nervous the first time I took her riding too. She was smaller then."
"She was missing Mom and I thought if we came out here it would take her mind off of her." Derek says.
"Riding Mom's horse you must be missing her too." Frank says still petting the animal
"A little bit. She was a bit distracted this morning, do you know why?" Derek asks.
"She had a bad dream last night and didn't get much sleep." Frank replies looking to Sarah." Sarah you better go back with me." He reaches up and takes her off the horse. "It seems to be getting colder and if she catches a cold your mother will have our hides."
"Is it okay if we ride for a while?" Derek asks.
"Megan will have dinner ready soon, so not too much longer." Frank replies as Becky get on with Derek.
"Okay be in, in a few minutes."
Frank and Sarah made their way back to the house. As he walked in he heard Megan talking on the phone. "Hold on Elaina, he and Sarah just came in." Megan gave him the phone.
"Hey Lady, how are you?"
"I'm tired, been going ever since I got here?"
"How's Hank?" Frank asks as Megan takes Sarah from him.
"Grouchy, giving the nurses a hard time. They have threatened to gag him if he didn't stop harassing them." Elaina laughs.
"Sounds like he's feeling okay." Frank laughed. Sarah grabbed for the phone. "Wait." He put the phone on speaker.
"What's wrong?" Elaina asks.
"Sarah wants the phone, go ahead we can both hear you now. It's on the speaker."
"Hello Sweetie, what have you been doing?" Elaina asks her daughter.
"Horsy." Sarah says going close to the phone.
"Have you and Daddy been riding?"
"Bubby." Sarah replies smiling.
"Oh you and Derek have been. Did you have fun?"
"She's shaking her head." Frank said.
"Can I talk to Daddy for a while?"
"O K"
"Say good bye Sarah." Frank told her.
Frank laughed. "She's waving to you."
"Good night Sarah." Elaina says to her.
Frank took the receiver back. "You're off speaker now. Are you sure you're doing okay?"
"Yeah, I'm not worried as much as I was." Elaina replies.
"I have to work late tonight, so I'm spending some time here before I go back." "I'll call you later, when will you be home?" Elaina asks.
"I don't know, I'll call you later when I get home."
"Is that Sarah snoring?" Elaina asks hearing something over the phone.
"Yeah. She's asleep."
"I'll be here waiting for your call. Love you. Miss you."
"I love and miss you too Lady." Frank hung up and turned to Megan. "I take it she missed her nap today?"
"Yeah, she was busy helping me today. I'll take her up if you want me too?" Megan replies.
"I'll do it." He yawned. "I think I'll join her. If I don't wake up in an hour, come and wake me okay?"
"I will."
********
Maria and Jake were at the club where she was playing hostess for Connor. He was about to leave for the airport and went over to her. "Well Mary I guess this is good bye for now."
"I hope you don't stay gone too long, I think we were just starting to get cozy with each other." She straightened his tie as she stood facing him. "When did you say you'd be back?"
"Hopefully a day after tomorrow." Connor replies.
"Then I will sing my special song for you then." She kisses him.
"I may have to cut my visit short and get back here sooner if I can get more kisses like that." Connor says smiling.
"There are plenty more where that came from, believe me."
"I will remember that. I'll see you a day after tomorrow. Good bye songbird."
"Good bye." Maria watched him leave and then walked over to where Jake was sitting. "I hate that guy."
"You sure didn't show it." Jake says looking at her.
"I was thinking of you, I sure wasn't thinking of him."
"I'm flattered."
"You should be." She smiles and winks at him. "I'm taking a break, gonna go outside for a few minutes."
"Be careful."
"I will." She went out the door and around to the alley where the van was parked and went in it. "Hi ya. Heard any good gossip lately?"
"Nope, can't say that we have." Sab was acting as if she was busy.
"Cody, will you do me a favor and check the mic in my bra, it feels like its out of place or something and Sab seems to be too busy."
"Touch her and you're a dead man Forrester." Sab got up from her chair. "Cody keep your eyes on that monitor."
"It's not like he hasn't seen my bra before Sab."
"I think we are even on the pranks now, you can stop tormenting us." Cody says watching the monitors.
"What do you mean tormenting you?" Maria asks innocently.
"We know that what happened between you and Jake was staged for our benefit to get back at us." Sab replies.
"You two think highly of yourself. Ouch that hurt." She says as Sab snapped the elastic in her bra.
"Sorry, the elastic slipped."
"Okay, it was staged and we are all even. Let's call a truce and forget about anymore pranks." Maria suggests.
"Shake on it." Sab held out her hand. Maria shook it and then looked at Cody.
"He has to shake on it too." Maria says. Cody turns around and shook her hand.
"Jake did know it was a joke, didn't he?"
"Of course he did. I told him when Frank was telling you to listen to our conversations." Maria replies.
"Told you so." Sab says to Cody.
"I better get back in there. Bye guys." Maria says as she leaves the van. A few minutes, later Frank entered the van.
"What's going on?" Frank asks as he walks up to the two.
"Not much since Montgomery left." Cody replies.
"Why was Maria in here?"
"How did you know she was here?" Sab wondered.
"Her perfume unless you are wearing it, and if Cody is I'm leaving." Frank replies.
"Hey the boss made a joke, not a very good one, but a joke." Cody says laughing a bit.
"I saw her come out. We talked outside; she is going to get you two in after last call."
"We made a truce on our pranks." Cody says staring at his boss.
"What are you looking at me for?" Frank asks staring back.
"Why did you get involved in our payback?" Cody asks.
"I couldn't resist, you two are very good targets." Frank replies as he sat down. "Why are you so late getting here?" Cody acted ticked that he wasn't on time.
"None of your business, but I was with my children and ate dinner with them."
"How sweet, I bet Sarah loved that." Sab adds.
"Yeah we even had a food fight, I lost." Frank laughed thinking about it.
******
"Come to the back door I'll let you in." Maria says over the wire.
Cody and Sab grabbed their bags of equipment and walked out with Frank following behind them.
"My dressing room is the second door on the left. Stay there until everyone is out, we just had last call." They went into the room and Maria went back to the main club.
"Go ahead and set up in here." Frank orders them.
An hour later Maria came back after making sure everyone had left. "Sorry it took so long. I had to sweet talk Martin into going home." Cody and Sab went out to get started.
"Jake is watching the front door." She says to Frank as they walked together to one of the tables.
"Exactly what did you and Jake do today?" Frank asks.
"Why do I have to tell you?" Maria replies.
"You didn't actually.?" He stopped before he asked the whole question.
"No, we just sat and talked about each other to get to know one another better." Maria replies. "What did you do when they told you about us?"
"I acted like I didn't care that you two were together."
"Would you care if we had?" Maria wonders.
"I would be a little ticked off because you lied to me." Frank replies.
"Well don't be ticked because we didn't, close call though."
"What does that mean?" Frank asks with a flash of concern.
"It could have happened but I stopped myself. I do have self control when I want to." Maria replies.
"Sab did say something about getting you back for it." Frank informs her.
"We called a truce, not that I expect it to last long. So I will keep an eye out when the case is over."
"It better last that long if they know what's good for them." Frank warns.
"Have you talked to Elaina since she arrived?" Maria asks.
"She's tired from trying to do everything in one day."
"She just wants to get back to you and the kids." Maria yawns. "I need to get some sleep." "What happened to the adrenaline junkie?" Frank asks.
"I ran out of it, for now."
"I'll have Jake drive you home and I'll keep watch on the door." They walked over by Jake. "Drive her home; she's too tired to drive."
"Make sure you lock up when you get done." Maria reminds him.
"I will." Frank let them out the door then locked it.
"That no sleep thing getting to you?" Jake teases.
"Shut up and take me home." Maria punches his arm.