****

"She's what?"

"You heard me Frank. Frankie did not look good at all this morning when we had breakfast. I know she was insistent on staying at a hotel this visit… for what reason I have NO idea, but all the same, she's looking like death warmed over."

Frank sighed. This on top of the Jake incident a few days ago and reports that this might take even longer despite Alex's insertion, it was turning out to be a horrible morning with bad tidings for the day to come. "All right, thanks Deirdre. I'll have Shay give her a call later on."

"If you can pin her down. I sent some things to the house for her to look over and the courier said no one answered the door."

"Now, that's not good."

"What's not good?" Shay whispered as she walked in on the last bit of the conversation.

Frank held up a hand silently asking her to wait and kept his attention on Deirdre. "And how is Jessie?"

"Oh, she's fine. Reaping the fruits of her grandmother's eternal guilt by getting anything she wants."

"That definitely isn't good. Jake's gonna have his hands full when they get home and he's off this assignment." He put his hand over the receiver and turned to Shay. 'What' he mouthed.

"Ask Deirdre about the Valium, if she's taken any…" she whispered.

"Frank?"

"Sorry Deirdre. Shay wants me to ask you if you've seen Frankie taking any Valium while she's been there."

"No, can't say that I have. But then again, I doubt she'd take them right in front of me. Despite how far we've come in our relationship, I still think she has her secrets."

"Every child does from their parent, every child does. All right, I'll let you go to track down Frankie; I know you're just as worried about her as we are. Keep us informed?"

"Will do. Say buhbye Jessie…"

Jessie's version of 'buhbye' filled Frank's ear and he held the receiver down so Shay could hear her niece's farewell. A few second's later, Frank was sitting down and reaching for Shay's hand.

"What's wrong with Frankie?"

"Deirdre doesn't know, but said she looked rather green this morning over breakfast. She also said that she couldn't find Frankie. She sent a courier to her house with some things for her and no one answered the door."

Shay groaned and whipped out the cell phone. In a matter of seconds the phone was ringing.

Back in D.C., Frankie was in a public restroom. She'd decided that perhaps a long walk would help with the queasiness. However, it'd been a rather long walk because she kept detouring off into the restrooms when her stomach rolled over. Not even with Jessie was she this sick to her stomach… and her morning sickness had lasted almost 8 out of 12 hours a day for the first month. "Hullo?"

"Frankie?!"

"Stop screeching Shay. I'm fine."

"I don't screech and if you're so fine, then why did we just get a call from Burkholtz about how not so fine you are?"

"Because she's overprotective and a worrisome mother hen?"

"Where are you?"

"On my knees…"

"What?"

"… in front of a toilet …"

"Frankie -"

"… upchucking my breakfast from three days ago. Shay… I think I got food poisoning."

"Get yourself to a hospital." Shay covered the receiver and mouthed 'food poisoning' to Frank.

"I'm working my way there. I've managed to walk about 3 blocks from the restaurant Deirdre and I had breakfast at this morning."

"Frankie, that was three hours ago."

"So I'm a slow walker. I don't have the patience for this Shay." She hung up the phone and sighed. They were right - Katie and Shay. Slowly she stood up, using the bathroom stall wall as support. Once she'd carefully made her way out into the café, one of the waiters managed to catch hold of her and help her to sit down. 20 minutes later, an EMT bus responded to the 911 call.

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