Travis and Annie arrived at HQ as Elaina and Alex were discussing the case. Cody and Sab were at the operations board. Jake and Monica were reading files. Elaina saw them walk in and went over to greet them.
"Annie, Travis welcome to the nest," Elaina said.
"Thank you for this opportunity to work with you and the others, Agent Blakely." Travis shook her hand.
"You're welcome Travis, but you should be thanking your partner. If she didn't think you could handle it, you wouldn't be here," Elaina said to him.
"Is it ok, if I go over to talk to Sab?" Travis waved at Sab.
"Sure, have her show you around," Elaina suggested.
"How are you, Elaina? Travis mentioned he heard that you'd been in the hospital a few months ago," Annie asked.
"Sab must've mentioned that to him," Elaina said, watching Sab and Travis. "I'm fine, nothing can keep me down long. I was in for just a couple of days. Frank is in his office, why don't we go up there and talk?" Elaina suggested.
"Fine with me, lead the way." Annie followed her upstairs. Elaina tried the door and it was locked.
"Agent Donovan, unlock the door please," Elaina said, politely.
"I'm in the middle of something use your key!" Frank yelled from inside.
"I don't have my key; open the damn door," Elaina said through gritted teeth. She heard Frank unlock the door.
"Come in, Agent Blakely, Agent Palmer," Frank said opening the door.
"Excuse me." Elaina pushed Frank away from the door. She removed her gun from the holster and shot the lock off the door. "Now, you can replace it with a keyless entry," Elaina said, holstering her gun.
"That's one way to get me to change it." Frank was in shock to what she had done. Frank looked out to the team. "Its ok, only the door lock was killed."
"Does this sort of thing happen very often?" Annie asked.
"Only when she is here." Frank sighed, sitting down at his desk.
"Frank, I heard through the grapevine that you got married recently. Congratulations," Annie commented.
"Thank you. I was actually remarried to the same person. I've been married for almost 6 years now."
"Time flies by doesn't it?" Elaina said.
"Annie, I'd like you to meet my wife. Elaina Blakely Donovan."
"Well, this is a surprise, I had know idea. You've kept your marriage a secret for 6 years? That's amazing," Annie said.
"Actually, it isn't that big a secret. We've told others over the past few months and our relationship has been going on for about 10 years or more," Elaina told her.
"So you're the woman, Frank couldn't live without. I didn't know you where into older women, Frank," Annie said, bitterly.
"Annie, we were together for only a few months. I never once said we were going to be serious. I only considered you a friend."
"A friend. You considered me, just a friend." Annie was becoming very angry. "You son of a…. you sure as hell didn't think of me as a friend when we slept together all those nights, at least you didn't treat me as one. You treated me as a lover."
"She's right, Frank. If you slept with her, you were more than friends," Elaina added.
"Whose side are you on?" Frank asked her quietly.
"Mine. Annie, I'm sorry if this man hurt you, if I were you, I'd be pissed off, too," Elaina said, sympathetically.
"Elaina, stay out of this," Annie told her, that didn't sit well with Elaina.
"Honey, I'm in this up to my eyeballs. If you have a problem knowing what you know, then get the hell out of here, because we're married and nothing is going to change that. I'm also your superior and you won't treat me with disrespect at anytime. Got that, Agent Palmer?"
"Yes I do, Agent Blakely," Annie said to her.
"We have a rule around here that you should know about, so in the future we don't have this conversation. No personal feelings or discussions on the job. Any resentment you have for me personally or Frank, will be expressed after work, never during," Elaina informed her.
"I'll make sure I never break it, if I had known about it before, I wouldn't have said anything," Annie stated.
"Technically, you aren't working with us, yet so don't worry about it," Frank told her, getting an angry stare from Elaina.
"Agent Donovan, never contradict anything I say," Elaina warned.
"I wasn't. I was just stating a fact." Frank glared back at her.
"I'm sorry for my attitude, Agent Blakely. I've been going through a divorce and my husband is trying to take custody of the kids. That's why I became a training partner to have a little more time with them."
"I'm not totally cold hearted. I'm sorry, to hear about the trouble you're having, but that's why we have the rule here. I know divorce can be hard on children and the parents."
"Sounds like you have been there," Annie commented.
"I have been through it," Elaina told her.
"How many children do you have?" Annie asked.
"One of each," Frank said, proudly.
"I have twin boys, 3 my daughter is 1."
"Our son is 17, our daughter just turned 2," Elaina said. "Derek is from my first marriage. Frank adopted him after we married the first time," Elaina explained.
"I see. Well, I guess we should talk about the case, don't you think?" Annie suggested.
"Yes. I think we have talked enough about us," Frank said.
*****
"Geez, does this sort of thing happen often?" Travis asked looking up at the office.
"Usually. They mostly fight a lot, but that was the first time either of them took a gun out," Cody replied, turning back to his computer. "But they have threatened to take it out before."
"I hate it when she's like this, she's trying to control her anger though, she's been going to therapy," Sab replied turning to Travis. "So how have you been?"
"I've been good, Annie keeps me busy. But it's not that bad for just being out of Quantico," Travis replied turning to her. "I see you two have gotten things worked out."
"Yeah, we did. Took a little while in doing it, but things are better," Sab told him. "We're also getting married in a few months."
"No way!" Travis shouted in amazement. "Congrats!"
"Thank you," Sab said as Travis gave her a hug. "Oh, one of the rules we have around here, never have personal feeling while working. I was yelled at earlier for kissing Cody."
"Sounds like they're really strict to work for," Travis said.
"Today seems to be, but usually not overly so. Well, I should show you around the place."
"Lead the way." Travis smiled at her.
"Cody, you going to come with?" Sab asked turning to him.
"Nah, you two go. I'm gonna get some of this work done," Cody answered looking up from his computer.
"Ok, let's go," Sab said leading Travis out of the Operations Board. "So that was the Operations Board that we just left. Cody and I do a lot of your work in there or in the van."
"Gotchya," Travis acknowledged.
"Then there is the lunch room to your right, the offices upstairs are Donovan's, and you don't want to be there, unless he calls you up. Even then you wouldn't want to be there," Sab added as they walked into the gym. "And this is the gym. You can come in here whenever to work out or to release stress."
"Nice," Travis said as he looked around the gym then leaned up against the wall. "So tell me, when did you two get engaged?"
"A few weeks ago actually. It was after we had a long talk after being stuck in an elevator, thanks to Derek," Sab replied.
"Derek is Elaina and Frank's kid, right?" Travis asked remembering what she had told him before.
"Yep, that's him. I was watching him and his baby sister, while they were on their honeymoon. He shut off the power to the elevator," Sab remembered. "We were upset with him, but also grateful."
"I can see. Well, you two seem to be happy with each other."
"We are, but all the planning is a pain," Sab said. "We're also hoping we can get the time off."
"Hopefully you will."
"So tell me more about what you've been up to. Any new crushes I should know about?" Sab winked at him.
"Well, not really. There's this one guy I met a few days ago, but I don't think it would work out," Travis said sadly.
"Why not?"
"Now that I have started with working with the agency, I'm not going to have time for dates."
"That's a load of crap. Go for it. You two can always make time for each other," Sab replied.
"I guess, but I think it's still partly me getting over the last relationship," Travis added.
"Just make sure you are ready when you want it to happen," Sab advised.
"Thanks."
"No problem," Sab replied as Monica walked in.
"Frank and Elaina are coming back down," Monica informed them.
"Time to go," Sab said as they both head out of the gym.