Losing Control
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of UC Undercover. I just borrowed them for a while. All other characters are mine. Certain characters are friends of mine and I have their permission to use their names.
Elaina was sitting in her office doing her least favorite thing, paperwork. Even with Andy Rawlinson as her right hand, she still had plenty of papers to shuffle through. She put her glasses up on her head and rubbed her eyes. She looked at the clock it was only 10 am.
"Time for a break. After all you came in early to get this work, done you deserve it," Elaina said out loud to herself. "You're losing it girl you're talking to yourself again." She smiled knowing she did it again. She went over to the bar, in her office, to get a bottle of water. There was a knock on the door. She sighed at having her quite time interrupted. "Yes?" She said as she opened the door.
"I'm sorry but your secretary isn't at her desk." The messenger handed her an envelope.
"Thank you," Elaina said has he left. She looked at it; she knew it was safe to open because in this day and age all packages went through security measures before they were delivered. She noticed there was no return address to speak of, just Chicago, Illinois, printed in the corner.
She went back to her desk to open it. Inside were pictures. She looked through them becoming upset by what she saw in them. She put the pictures back in the envelope and grabbed her coat and bag as she left her office.
Andy was coming down the hall when he saw Elaina and met her at the elevator. "Are you in a hurry?" He noticed how she kept punching the button.
"Yes, I'm on my way to possibly kill my husband."
"You're joking right?" Andy asked with a laugh.
The elevator door opened and she stepped in. "Maybe." The doors shut before Andy could see if she was serious.
*****
"Jake, is Burrell ready to deal with us yet?" Frank was being updated on the case that Jake and Alex were on.
"If Alex has his partner eating out of her hand he will." Jake replied. Torrelli is the hold up he doesn't trust me as much as Burrell."
"Alex, have you persuaded Mr. Torrelli yet?" Frank saw the smirk on Alex's face.
"He seems to be cozying up to the idea. He said he'd do anything for me, all I had to do was ask." She used the southern drawl she used on the case. "He didn't expect his sweet innocent girlfriend to know about the drug world."
Jake choked on his coffee as she called herself sweet and innocent. For his laughter he got an icy glare from Frank and a jab in the ribs from Alex. "Ouch that hurt!"
"Good." Alex continued her story. "I've convinced him to make the deal, they have no other choice. I'm sure he'll tell Burrell to deal with Jake."
"True. We did give them only one alternative, having detained their other buyers. If they want to get rid of the shipment, they'll have to deal with us," Jake said.
"Good. Monica, how are you doing on those files for Agent Blakely?" Frank asked.
"Cody and I've come up with three possibilities so far. But we're barely half way through them." Monica pointed to the stack of files. "With Sab out, Cody is doing double duty, and it's taking a while."
They were given the task of sifting through files of possible terrorist suspects. Elaina's department has now been asked by the President himself to do this for the Homeland Security Office. A task that she didn't need or want but you just don't say no to the President and not suffer in your career.
"Okay, I'll be in my office." Frank took the three files up to his office and shut the door. Jake and Alex took off to the small office they set up near the target.
"He's been hiding out a lot lately. He even leaves at odd times during the day. He's been acting stranger than normal," Cody said walking over to the operations board to monitor Jake and Alex. "Think he and the Mrs. are on the outs again?"
"That's none of our business Cody. We have work to do so let's get to it." Monica brought over a few of the files for him to check out.
"I wish Sab would hurry back from her personal leave." Cody missed her and was also in the dark as to why she needed the personal leave. All he knew was that she wasn't at her place or Bea's.
They heard the entry door slam shut. Cody looked over to see Elaina walking in. "Where is he?" she asked walking in angry.
Cody pointed to the office. Elaina stopped at the staircase and took her coat off trying to calm herself before going up. She took the envelope with her as she started up the steps when she almost reached the top Frank came out. "I thought I heard your voice." Frank smiled at her but quickly noticed she wasn't.
"Get back in the office. I've something to discuss with you." Elaina shoved him back through the door and slammed it shut.
"I guess I was right, they're on the outs," Cody said. "At least as far as she's is concerned."
Back in the office Elaina threw the envelope at Frank. "Explain these you Bastard. NOW!"
Frank opened the envelope and saw that the pictures were of him and another woman kissing, another was of them dining out, the other was of them going into a hotel together. "Where did you get these?"
"Explain to me why you're kissing another woman." She knew she could knock him out as mad as she was so she sat down in the chair and gripped the arm of it. She gripped it so tight that her knuckles turned white.
"I'm working on a case, that's all I can say." Frank saw Elaina look him directly in the eye.
"You better say more because you're lying to me. If you want to be alive to finish it, you better start talking," Elaina said, gritting her teeth.
"It's classified. I can't tell you unless you're involved."
"I think I just got involved in it. Now tell me the truth before I make good on my threat."
"Elaina nothing happened between me and that woman I swear. You know I'd never cheat on you."
"You mean you'd never cheat on me AGAIN. Unless you've forgotten the first time."
"You said you'd never mention that again." Frank was angry now that she had brought that subject up.
"I said I would if you were in big trouble and this classifies as big trouble, believe me."
"I'm not screwing around. I've been faithful to you. Don't see these pictures as the whole story they're not."
"That's why I am here, to get the whole story. So quit the damn stalling and tell me the truth. Who is she?" Elaina knew he wasn't lying now but she was still upset about the pictures and the fact he did kiss another woman.
"Another agent." Frank realized she couldn't tell who it was.
"Who is she?" She was determined to find out.
"It's Maria, she's pretending to be you. We're working an old case that you and I started a few years ago.
"What case and why didn't you ask me to help?"
"The Stanhope spying case, and since you have forgotten, you're a desk jockey now."
"I haven't forgotten, how could I, you love throwing that in my face as much as I threw my promotion in yours."
"Well like they say; paybacks are a bitch." Frank was just as angry as she was, at her questioning him.
"How were you contacted after all this time?" Elaina was curious.
"Our old friend Leon told me we were wanted."
Elaina was starting to get a headache. She calmed herself by getting off the subject of the pictures. "How's our friend Leon he was such a good snitch. He disappeared just before I went on sick leave a couple of years ago." Elaina actually liked him, he was a quirky individual, he was only five foot tall and his voice had a whiny southern drawl. Elaina always laughed when he'd stand next to Frank he looked like a little kid next to him.
"He's fine now that he's out of jail. He had been arrested for burglary, now he's out on good behavior. He told me we were being asked about. When I asked him by whom he told me it was Stanhope's associate."
"I would've thought he'd left the country too with his boss. I wish I knew who let him know we were after him."
"He didn't know it was us. He just knew it was the government so he left to let things cool down some. Now I guess he's back and wanting to see if we're still interested in spying on our fellow agents," Frank explained.
"So he thinks we're still in the C.I.A. and would be useful?" Elaina asked.
"Yeah. Now that you've calmed down am I forgiven?" He walked around his desk to be next to her.
"Forgiven for what? I don't have to forgive you for anything."
Frank looked at her slightly puzzled that she forgot the argument. "For not telling you about the case."
"Oh that. As long as it was Maria, I'll excuse you but as for forgiving you for not telling me about the case, no. I know nothing happened between the two of you. Maria knows I'd kill both of you if it did and I found out." Elaina flashed a wicked smile at him. "Especially, since she knows how I feel toward her lately."
"I had to use her. That look a like thing you know," Frank said.
"I know." Elaina smiled.
"I'm worried about who could've sent these pictures to you."
"Well it had to be someone that knew it wasn't me. You have in water up here?" Elaina took a pill bottle from her pocket.
"What are those for, you hate taking pills?" Frank was wondering why she never mentioned the medication before.
"My ther.." She corrected herself quickly." My doctor gave them to me for stress headaches." She didn't want him to know yet that she was seeing a psychiatrist.
Frank walked over to the table in his office and poured her a glass of water. "Why haven't you told me about the headaches?"
"Didn't know I was suppose to. Do you tell me every time you have one?" She took the pill.
"Why should I. You're usually the one that gives them to me." Frank jumped as she threw the left over water at him. "That wasn't nice. Even though you missed." He smiled at her. "It worries me even more, that if this person knows its not you, then does Stanhope?"
"I think you better call Maria, we need to have a meet to figure this out. Did Andy know you were working on this?" She started for the door.
"Sort of, not really."
"Good answer there, Donovan, it was real specific," Elaina, teased him. "I'll be downstairs waiting on you. She went down to talk to Cody and Monica. "Hi, sorry about the floor show earlier. One of those jump first, ask questions later type of thing."
"So you and Dad still speaking to one another?"
"Cody, if you don't quit referring to us as Mom and Dad, I'm going to call your mother and get permission to punch you out."
"I'm sorry. I do it out of love," Cody pouted.
"You're really missing Sab aren't you? You seem to be more annoying when she's away and not here for the two of you to be annoying together," Elaina said sitting down. "I meant that in a loving way," she added.
"Cody, if you'd type faster, talked less, we'd get done faster," Monica scolded him.
"Have anything for me right now, Monica?" Elaina asked feeling more relaxed, thanks to the pills kicking in.
"There are three good suspects so far, but as you can see, we have plenty to go through yet. Frank took the three files to his office."
"I guess he'll give them to me later. I hope it placates my boss enough for a few days. Why I ever said yes to helping the Homeland Security office is beyond me. Our resources are stretched so thin now, and the new recruits are being scrutinized so much, we get one out of four accepted. I'm rambling aren't I?"
"A little but working around here does that to us all, eventually." Monica saw that Elaina was acting a bit different but didn't say anything to her.
Frank came out of his office and down the stairs. "My cell isn't working, if I'm needed use my pager." Frank walked over to Monica and Elaina. "Elaina and I have a meeting to get to. Should be back in an hour or so."
"I think we can survive that long without you." Monica ginned at him looking up from the file.
"You're spending way too much time with Cody," Frank told her as he and Elaina walked out.
Cody was listening to Alex and Jake talk when everything went dead. "Oh boy, that can't be good," Cody said typing orders into his computer. "I'm a dead man if something happens now."
"What's your problem?" Monica asked coming over to him.
"The system went down for some reason. I better call Jake and Alex and tell them they're on their own until it's back up."
"They're going to love you. You better get it back up or Donovan will have your head."
******
Frank and Elaina drove to Maria's. Elaina kept watching the mirror looking for anyone following them. As they arrived, they both looked around to see if Maria's house was being watched but saw no one.
"Hey cousins!" Maria greeted them at the door. "I heard you have some pictures telling on me and your husband."
"Yeah, what did you think of my husband's kisses?" Elaina sat down on the couch with Maria and Frank sat in the chair next to them.
"They'll do." Maria glanced over to Frank and smiled.
"I think Frank is the best kisser I've had. I've kissed only three men passionately in my life; Frank, Collin and Jake."
"You've kissed Jake? When and where? And why was it passionately? " Frank wondered if she was joking or not, and would he have to kill one of his own team members for it.
"When we were in Mexico. We were following some of Santana's men and they almost caught us. Jake grabbed me and kissed me. I got carried away, he didn't."
"It's not hard to get carried away by kissing Jake, I do have some experience in that department." Maria winked at Elaina.
"Jake is the one that pulled away from me. I think he had visions of Frank finding out or who knows what might've happened." Elaina smiled at Frank who was becoming aggravated by their conversation.
"Can we please get back on the subject of the pictures?" Frank gave them both icy stares.
"We were talking about the pictures, well sort of." Elaina got up and kissed him unexpectedly making it a very long passionate one. "Yeah, I definitely like kissing you better. I was only kidding about Jake it wasn't a long passionate kiss like this." Elaina sat in his lap and kissed him again.
"Normally, I wouldn't say this but get back over there and act like an Agent." Frank pushed her away. "We need to figure out what to do about the photographer of those pictures."
"I have a simple solution, have Elaina take over. I'll follow you two to catch the person taking the pictures." Maria saw a smile come on Elaina's face. "You two weren't followed here were you?"
"I know how to spot a tail, we weren't followed." Frank was a bit ticked she would ask the question.
"Well you missed us being watched," Maria countered.
"We weren't followed, we were both watching. I like your idea that I take over but you're forgetting that I'm not allowed to do field work," Elaina stated.
"I'm willing to make an exception just this one time." Frank knew she'd be more than willing to do it.
"Really? You'd let me do this?" Elaina was actually surprised and thrilled.
"Call it more of a deal than an exception."
"What kind of a deal?" Elaina was a bit apprehensive with him calling it a deal.
"You only do this one case with me. Don't start going behind my back to do others," Frank replied.
"That's find with me but you said deal, so far it's one sided. What's in it for me?" Elaina blinked fast as her vision blurred slightly as she was looking at Frank.
He leaned over to her and whispered in her ear. "When we have to be at the hotel, we don't have to pretend to be lovers."
Maria heard what he said giggled. Elaina stared at Maria and then Frank. "That sounds better, but how did the two of you pretend to be lovers? I'm just curious."
"Maria is very good at sound effects, shall we say." Frank and Maria both started laughing.
"Don't worry, cousin. Let's just say that it was the best sex he or I ever had fully dressed," Maria said giggling.
"I get the picture you pulled that before as a teenager. I thought Mom was going to knock your bedroom door down, before you let her know it was a joke," Elaina remembered.
"That was the first time I remember Aunt Liz getting angry at me."
"You deserved what you got." Elaina shook her figure at her.
"Don't leave me out. What did Mom Liz do to her?" Frank was curious. He loved her as much as his own mother.
"Mom turned Maria over her knees and spanked her." Elaina and Frank laughed together.
"Laugh all you want, my butt was sore for two days after that." Maria winced at thinking of the incident.
"So fill me in some more on the Stanhope case. Have the two of you met with him yet?" Elaina massaged her temples.
"Your headache still there or coming back?" He noticed her massage.
"No, I'm just a little dizzy. Go ahead and tell me about the case." She continued to massage her temples and above her eyes.
"We've only met with his associate so far. We don't meet Stanhope until Friday." Frank kept watching her.
"He's supposed to be back in town then," Maria added noting that Frank was concerned for Elaina.
"Think he'll notice a difference in me?" She pulled her hair back and retrieved a band from her pocket to put her hair up.
"I doubt it. Frank did most of the talking, so they won't notice the voice difference. Anything else can be explained as lighting or something like that," Maria suggested. "Are you okay Lainie?"
Elaina shook her head yes. "This could be fun we haven't work together closely for a long time. I'm going to enjoy every second I can." She once again sat on Frank's lap and kissed him only this time he kept the kiss going.
"Would you two like to borrow my guest room?" Maria asked feeling like an intruder.
"Can we?" Elaina threw her head back and looked at her cousin.
"Get off me, we'll leave now." Frank moved her off his lap. "We'll meet tomorrow at the HQ and work out the details."
"Will Jake be there tomorrow?" Maria asked shyly.
"He might, why?" Frank answered being curious.
"We haven't seen each other since he found out about me and Cody."
"You should've known better than to pull what you did. I don't blame Jake for not coming around. I know you and Jake weren't seeing each other steady but that's no reason to try to take Cody away from Sab." Elaina became very angry thinking about what happened.
"You're pretty damn protective of her," Maria snapped at Elaina.
"She's been through a lot."
"So have I but you don't seem to care, you're always taking her side when we fight."
"You're troubles were self-made, Sabrina's weren't," Elaina snapped back.
Frank walked over to the door and opened it. "Lets go, Lady." He was trying to break them up before they started for each other's throats.
"You should get your priorities straight, Lainie. You should defend family, first."
"I defend who I want, and who I know is right in the situation."
"Out Elaina, now." Frank pushed her out the door.
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters of UC Undercover. I just borrowed them for a while. All other characters are mine. Certain characters are friends of mine and I have their permission to use their names.
Elaina was sitting in her office doing her least favorite thing, paperwork. Even with Andy Rawlinson as her right hand, she still had plenty of papers to shuffle through. She put her glasses up on her head and rubbed her eyes. She looked at the clock it was only 10 am.
"Time for a break. After all you came in early to get this work, done you deserve it," Elaina said out loud to herself. "You're losing it girl you're talking to yourself again." She smiled knowing she did it again. She went over to the bar, in her office, to get a bottle of water. There was a knock on the door. She sighed at having her quite time interrupted. "Yes?" She said as she opened the door.
"I'm sorry but your secretary isn't at her desk." The messenger handed her an envelope.
"Thank you," Elaina said has he left. She looked at it; she knew it was safe to open because in this day and age all packages went through security measures before they were delivered. She noticed there was no return address to speak of, just Chicago, Illinois, printed in the corner.
She went back to her desk to open it. Inside were pictures. She looked through them becoming upset by what she saw in them. She put the pictures back in the envelope and grabbed her coat and bag as she left her office.
Andy was coming down the hall when he saw Elaina and met her at the elevator. "Are you in a hurry?" He noticed how she kept punching the button.
"Yes, I'm on my way to possibly kill my husband."
"You're joking right?" Andy asked with a laugh.
The elevator door opened and she stepped in. "Maybe." The doors shut before Andy could see if she was serious.
*****
"Jake, is Burrell ready to deal with us yet?" Frank was being updated on the case that Jake and Alex were on.
"If Alex has his partner eating out of her hand he will." Jake replied. Torrelli is the hold up he doesn't trust me as much as Burrell."
"Alex, have you persuaded Mr. Torrelli yet?" Frank saw the smirk on Alex's face.
"He seems to be cozying up to the idea. He said he'd do anything for me, all I had to do was ask." She used the southern drawl she used on the case. "He didn't expect his sweet innocent girlfriend to know about the drug world."
Jake choked on his coffee as she called herself sweet and innocent. For his laughter he got an icy glare from Frank and a jab in the ribs from Alex. "Ouch that hurt!"
"Good." Alex continued her story. "I've convinced him to make the deal, they have no other choice. I'm sure he'll tell Burrell to deal with Jake."
"True. We did give them only one alternative, having detained their other buyers. If they want to get rid of the shipment, they'll have to deal with us," Jake said.
"Good. Monica, how are you doing on those files for Agent Blakely?" Frank asked.
"Cody and I've come up with three possibilities so far. But we're barely half way through them." Monica pointed to the stack of files. "With Sab out, Cody is doing double duty, and it's taking a while."
They were given the task of sifting through files of possible terrorist suspects. Elaina's department has now been asked by the President himself to do this for the Homeland Security Office. A task that she didn't need or want but you just don't say no to the President and not suffer in your career.
"Okay, I'll be in my office." Frank took the three files up to his office and shut the door. Jake and Alex took off to the small office they set up near the target.
"He's been hiding out a lot lately. He even leaves at odd times during the day. He's been acting stranger than normal," Cody said walking over to the operations board to monitor Jake and Alex. "Think he and the Mrs. are on the outs again?"
"That's none of our business Cody. We have work to do so let's get to it." Monica brought over a few of the files for him to check out.
"I wish Sab would hurry back from her personal leave." Cody missed her and was also in the dark as to why she needed the personal leave. All he knew was that she wasn't at her place or Bea's.
They heard the entry door slam shut. Cody looked over to see Elaina walking in. "Where is he?" she asked walking in angry.
Cody pointed to the office. Elaina stopped at the staircase and took her coat off trying to calm herself before going up. She took the envelope with her as she started up the steps when she almost reached the top Frank came out. "I thought I heard your voice." Frank smiled at her but quickly noticed she wasn't.
"Get back in the office. I've something to discuss with you." Elaina shoved him back through the door and slammed it shut.
"I guess I was right, they're on the outs," Cody said. "At least as far as she's is concerned."
Back in the office Elaina threw the envelope at Frank. "Explain these you Bastard. NOW!"
Frank opened the envelope and saw that the pictures were of him and another woman kissing, another was of them dining out, the other was of them going into a hotel together. "Where did you get these?"
"Explain to me why you're kissing another woman." She knew she could knock him out as mad as she was so she sat down in the chair and gripped the arm of it. She gripped it so tight that her knuckles turned white.
"I'm working on a case, that's all I can say." Frank saw Elaina look him directly in the eye.
"You better say more because you're lying to me. If you want to be alive to finish it, you better start talking," Elaina said, gritting her teeth.
"It's classified. I can't tell you unless you're involved."
"I think I just got involved in it. Now tell me the truth before I make good on my threat."
"Elaina nothing happened between me and that woman I swear. You know I'd never cheat on you."
"You mean you'd never cheat on me AGAIN. Unless you've forgotten the first time."
"You said you'd never mention that again." Frank was angry now that she had brought that subject up.
"I said I would if you were in big trouble and this classifies as big trouble, believe me."
"I'm not screwing around. I've been faithful to you. Don't see these pictures as the whole story they're not."
"That's why I am here, to get the whole story. So quit the damn stalling and tell me the truth. Who is she?" Elaina knew he wasn't lying now but she was still upset about the pictures and the fact he did kiss another woman.
"Another agent." Frank realized she couldn't tell who it was.
"Who is she?" She was determined to find out.
"It's Maria, she's pretending to be you. We're working an old case that you and I started a few years ago.
"What case and why didn't you ask me to help?"
"The Stanhope spying case, and since you have forgotten, you're a desk jockey now."
"I haven't forgotten, how could I, you love throwing that in my face as much as I threw my promotion in yours."
"Well like they say; paybacks are a bitch." Frank was just as angry as she was, at her questioning him.
"How were you contacted after all this time?" Elaina was curious.
"Our old friend Leon told me we were wanted."
Elaina was starting to get a headache. She calmed herself by getting off the subject of the pictures. "How's our friend Leon he was such a good snitch. He disappeared just before I went on sick leave a couple of years ago." Elaina actually liked him, he was a quirky individual, he was only five foot tall and his voice had a whiny southern drawl. Elaina always laughed when he'd stand next to Frank he looked like a little kid next to him.
"He's fine now that he's out of jail. He had been arrested for burglary, now he's out on good behavior. He told me we were being asked about. When I asked him by whom he told me it was Stanhope's associate."
"I would've thought he'd left the country too with his boss. I wish I knew who let him know we were after him."
"He didn't know it was us. He just knew it was the government so he left to let things cool down some. Now I guess he's back and wanting to see if we're still interested in spying on our fellow agents," Frank explained.
"So he thinks we're still in the C.I.A. and would be useful?" Elaina asked.
"Yeah. Now that you've calmed down am I forgiven?" He walked around his desk to be next to her.
"Forgiven for what? I don't have to forgive you for anything."
Frank looked at her slightly puzzled that she forgot the argument. "For not telling you about the case."
"Oh that. As long as it was Maria, I'll excuse you but as for forgiving you for not telling me about the case, no. I know nothing happened between the two of you. Maria knows I'd kill both of you if it did and I found out." Elaina flashed a wicked smile at him. "Especially, since she knows how I feel toward her lately."
"I had to use her. That look a like thing you know," Frank said.
"I know." Elaina smiled.
"I'm worried about who could've sent these pictures to you."
"Well it had to be someone that knew it wasn't me. You have in water up here?" Elaina took a pill bottle from her pocket.
"What are those for, you hate taking pills?" Frank was wondering why she never mentioned the medication before.
"My ther.." She corrected herself quickly." My doctor gave them to me for stress headaches." She didn't want him to know yet that she was seeing a psychiatrist.
Frank walked over to the table in his office and poured her a glass of water. "Why haven't you told me about the headaches?"
"Didn't know I was suppose to. Do you tell me every time you have one?" She took the pill.
"Why should I. You're usually the one that gives them to me." Frank jumped as she threw the left over water at him. "That wasn't nice. Even though you missed." He smiled at her. "It worries me even more, that if this person knows its not you, then does Stanhope?"
"I think you better call Maria, we need to have a meet to figure this out. Did Andy know you were working on this?" She started for the door.
"Sort of, not really."
"Good answer there, Donovan, it was real specific," Elaina, teased him. "I'll be downstairs waiting on you. She went down to talk to Cody and Monica. "Hi, sorry about the floor show earlier. One of those jump first, ask questions later type of thing."
"So you and Dad still speaking to one another?"
"Cody, if you don't quit referring to us as Mom and Dad, I'm going to call your mother and get permission to punch you out."
"I'm sorry. I do it out of love," Cody pouted.
"You're really missing Sab aren't you? You seem to be more annoying when she's away and not here for the two of you to be annoying together," Elaina said sitting down. "I meant that in a loving way," she added.
"Cody, if you'd type faster, talked less, we'd get done faster," Monica scolded him.
"Have anything for me right now, Monica?" Elaina asked feeling more relaxed, thanks to the pills kicking in.
"There are three good suspects so far, but as you can see, we have plenty to go through yet. Frank took the three files to his office."
"I guess he'll give them to me later. I hope it placates my boss enough for a few days. Why I ever said yes to helping the Homeland Security office is beyond me. Our resources are stretched so thin now, and the new recruits are being scrutinized so much, we get one out of four accepted. I'm rambling aren't I?"
"A little but working around here does that to us all, eventually." Monica saw that Elaina was acting a bit different but didn't say anything to her.
Frank came out of his office and down the stairs. "My cell isn't working, if I'm needed use my pager." Frank walked over to Monica and Elaina. "Elaina and I have a meeting to get to. Should be back in an hour or so."
"I think we can survive that long without you." Monica ginned at him looking up from the file.
"You're spending way too much time with Cody," Frank told her as he and Elaina walked out.
Cody was listening to Alex and Jake talk when everything went dead. "Oh boy, that can't be good," Cody said typing orders into his computer. "I'm a dead man if something happens now."
"What's your problem?" Monica asked coming over to him.
"The system went down for some reason. I better call Jake and Alex and tell them they're on their own until it's back up."
"They're going to love you. You better get it back up or Donovan will have your head."
******
Frank and Elaina drove to Maria's. Elaina kept watching the mirror looking for anyone following them. As they arrived, they both looked around to see if Maria's house was being watched but saw no one.
"Hey cousins!" Maria greeted them at the door. "I heard you have some pictures telling on me and your husband."
"Yeah, what did you think of my husband's kisses?" Elaina sat down on the couch with Maria and Frank sat in the chair next to them.
"They'll do." Maria glanced over to Frank and smiled.
"I think Frank is the best kisser I've had. I've kissed only three men passionately in my life; Frank, Collin and Jake."
"You've kissed Jake? When and where? And why was it passionately? " Frank wondered if she was joking or not, and would he have to kill one of his own team members for it.
"When we were in Mexico. We were following some of Santana's men and they almost caught us. Jake grabbed me and kissed me. I got carried away, he didn't."
"It's not hard to get carried away by kissing Jake, I do have some experience in that department." Maria winked at Elaina.
"Jake is the one that pulled away from me. I think he had visions of Frank finding out or who knows what might've happened." Elaina smiled at Frank who was becoming aggravated by their conversation.
"Can we please get back on the subject of the pictures?" Frank gave them both icy stares.
"We were talking about the pictures, well sort of." Elaina got up and kissed him unexpectedly making it a very long passionate one. "Yeah, I definitely like kissing you better. I was only kidding about Jake it wasn't a long passionate kiss like this." Elaina sat in his lap and kissed him again.
"Normally, I wouldn't say this but get back over there and act like an Agent." Frank pushed her away. "We need to figure out what to do about the photographer of those pictures."
"I have a simple solution, have Elaina take over. I'll follow you two to catch the person taking the pictures." Maria saw a smile come on Elaina's face. "You two weren't followed here were you?"
"I know how to spot a tail, we weren't followed." Frank was a bit ticked she would ask the question.
"Well you missed us being watched," Maria countered.
"We weren't followed, we were both watching. I like your idea that I take over but you're forgetting that I'm not allowed to do field work," Elaina stated.
"I'm willing to make an exception just this one time." Frank knew she'd be more than willing to do it.
"Really? You'd let me do this?" Elaina was actually surprised and thrilled.
"Call it more of a deal than an exception."
"What kind of a deal?" Elaina was a bit apprehensive with him calling it a deal.
"You only do this one case with me. Don't start going behind my back to do others," Frank replied.
"That's find with me but you said deal, so far it's one sided. What's in it for me?" Elaina blinked fast as her vision blurred slightly as she was looking at Frank.
He leaned over to her and whispered in her ear. "When we have to be at the hotel, we don't have to pretend to be lovers."
Maria heard what he said giggled. Elaina stared at Maria and then Frank. "That sounds better, but how did the two of you pretend to be lovers? I'm just curious."
"Maria is very good at sound effects, shall we say." Frank and Maria both started laughing.
"Don't worry, cousin. Let's just say that it was the best sex he or I ever had fully dressed," Maria said giggling.
"I get the picture you pulled that before as a teenager. I thought Mom was going to knock your bedroom door down, before you let her know it was a joke," Elaina remembered.
"That was the first time I remember Aunt Liz getting angry at me."
"You deserved what you got." Elaina shook her figure at her.
"Don't leave me out. What did Mom Liz do to her?" Frank was curious. He loved her as much as his own mother.
"Mom turned Maria over her knees and spanked her." Elaina and Frank laughed together.
"Laugh all you want, my butt was sore for two days after that." Maria winced at thinking of the incident.
"So fill me in some more on the Stanhope case. Have the two of you met with him yet?" Elaina massaged her temples.
"Your headache still there or coming back?" He noticed her massage.
"No, I'm just a little dizzy. Go ahead and tell me about the case." She continued to massage her temples and above her eyes.
"We've only met with his associate so far. We don't meet Stanhope until Friday." Frank kept watching her.
"He's supposed to be back in town then," Maria added noting that Frank was concerned for Elaina.
"Think he'll notice a difference in me?" She pulled her hair back and retrieved a band from her pocket to put her hair up.
"I doubt it. Frank did most of the talking, so they won't notice the voice difference. Anything else can be explained as lighting or something like that," Maria suggested. "Are you okay Lainie?"
Elaina shook her head yes. "This could be fun we haven't work together closely for a long time. I'm going to enjoy every second I can." She once again sat on Frank's lap and kissed him only this time he kept the kiss going.
"Would you two like to borrow my guest room?" Maria asked feeling like an intruder.
"Can we?" Elaina threw her head back and looked at her cousin.
"Get off me, we'll leave now." Frank moved her off his lap. "We'll meet tomorrow at the HQ and work out the details."
"Will Jake be there tomorrow?" Maria asked shyly.
"He might, why?" Frank answered being curious.
"We haven't seen each other since he found out about me and Cody."
"You should've known better than to pull what you did. I don't blame Jake for not coming around. I know you and Jake weren't seeing each other steady but that's no reason to try to take Cody away from Sab." Elaina became very angry thinking about what happened.
"You're pretty damn protective of her," Maria snapped at Elaina.
"She's been through a lot."
"So have I but you don't seem to care, you're always taking her side when we fight."
"You're troubles were self-made, Sabrina's weren't," Elaina snapped back.
Frank walked over to the door and opened it. "Lets go, Lady." He was trying to break them up before they started for each other's throats.
"You should get your priorities straight, Lainie. You should defend family, first."
"I defend who I want, and who I know is right in the situation."
"Out Elaina, now." Frank pushed her out the door.
