Finding it hard to talk plane

"You're late." Carina pulled Grace's bag out of the car.

"I know, I know- stupid traffic jams." Grace lifted her suitcase off the ground, "Is the rest of the team assembled?"

"Yeah." Agent Carina Wyatt was one of Grace's best friends. She had joined the N.Y. team six months after the pageant op and she & Grace were paired up on the next op 8 weeks later- much too Eric's annoyance.

            "He's fine," Carina guessed Grace's next question, "a little dishevelled but otherwise he's totally in control of the op."

"That's good," Grace replied, "I just don't want him to screw up like that he did on that last op."

"Well, who can blame him," Carina replied as they handed the bags to another agent, "he spent most of the night watching you, making sure you were safe."

"Yeah, well I'm a big girl; I can tie my own shoelaces an' all." Grace replied.

            "Well, I'm glad of that." Grace froze at the sound of Eric's voice. She turned to face & gave a half-hearted smile, trying to act as though the fight in the gym hadn't happened. "I have a surprise for you," Eric smiled.

Grace glanced round to find Carina had walked away, leaving her on her own. She gulped nervously & said, "Yeah? What is it?"

"Follow me." Grace followed him warily onto the plane.

            "Well, if it isn't Dirty Harriet." Grace nearly screamed when she saw Victor Melling sitting in front of a computer screen.

She ran over & hugged him, "Vic! What are you doing here?"

"Well, let's just say I've 'branched' out of the pageant business into other 'areas'" Vic smiled & gestured for her to sit down. Grace dropped into the seat. "Ah!" Vic shook a finger at her, "Don't drop! Don't you remember anything I taught you?"

Grace laughed, "Sorry." She sat up straight & crossed her legs.

"That's better." Vic nodded approvingly.

"So Miss Freebush, what have I missed in the last three years?" Vic asked.

Grace glanced at Eric, "Nothing much- just the usual FBI work."

"Well then, let's begin remembering how to be a lady." Vic replied. Grace glared at him & laughed.

*          *          *

            ***"Gracie, it's me again. Look I know you're there. Please pick up... Gracie, please. Please!"***

***"Gracie, open the door! Gracie let me in please. Gracie, its freezing out here. Gracie, I'm sorry. Please let me in to explain. Gracie…"***

 ***"Gracie, we need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you Eric."

"Yeah, but I have something to say to you."

"I don't want to hear it."

"Grace look, we need-"

"Eric, I have to get back to work. Just leave me alone."***

*          *          *

            Eric looked up as Grace stepped out of the bathroom & his jaw nearly hit the floor. "Wow…" he muttered. His eyes slide over her body in awe. She wore low-cut, blue bootleg jeans, a strapped, deep red cropped top, a knee-length black cardigan & black, stiletto ankle boots. He shook himself & looked around to realise that every other man on the plane was staring at her.

"Here," Vic got up to let her sit down, "You can take that off." He reached for her cardigan.

"No!" she said, pulling it back. Her eyes locked with Eric's, "I'd… um… that is- I'm cold."

But Eric knew why she really kept it on. About a year beforehand- just after Eric had proposed- Grace had got a tattoo of his name at the base of her spine, which she obviously hadn't had removed as she said she would. His hopes raised- maybe she would come back to him.

"Right," Eric walked over to her & Vic, "these are the five girls already dead." Eric awkwardly showed Grace the laptop screen.

Vic rolled his eyes, "Here."

He got up & changed places with Eric. Grace sat up straighter & folded her arms. Eric pulled the screen round, "Each was found in their hotel room. You will be taking the place of Miss Joanna Crawley- the girl mostly recently murdered."

"Right…" Grace replied.

"And these are the nine other girls who you will be competing with." Eric pulled the laptop closer.

Grace leant in & squinted. "Oh my God…" she said realisation dawning on her face, "that's Cheryl!"

"Cheryl?"

"Yeah, Cheryl…" Grace looked at his blank face, "You know- Miss USA Cheryl."

"What?" Eric leant in too.

"And there's Karen…" Grace pointed excitedly, "And Mary-Jo!!"

"What is this- a pageant reunion?" Eric asked & Grace laughed.

Suddenly they realised how close they were, but neither of them wanted to pull back. "It's great to hear you laugh again." Eric said quietly. Grace turned her head away pretending to look at the screen. "I thought you were going to get the tattoo removed." he added.

Grace looked down at her freshly polished nails, "I couldn't bring myself to do it."

"Grace…" Eric slipped an arm around her waist.

"Eric please." Grace pulled away, "I'm not ready for this yet. But…" She cut Eric off as he began to speak, "I will tell you when I am."

"Okay," She turned back to the computer, "What are we going to do about these girls? They know I'm a federal agent."

"Hold on." Eric got up & went to the phone.

"So what, exactly, is the problem?" Vic sat down.

"Well, it appears a few of the girls who were competing in the Miss USA pageant are taking part in this Supermodel competition." Grace replied, "See… Cheryl, Miss Rhode Island a.k.a. Miss USA, Mary-Jo, Miss Texas and Karen, Miss New York."

"That's all very interesting, but it's not what I'm talking about & you know it." Vic stared pointedly at her.

"I don't want to talk about it now," Grace glanced at Eric, "Not while he's standing there."

"Approaching JFK airport, New York." The pilot's voice came over the loudspeaker, "Could everyone return to their seats and put their seatbelts on. Good Luck Grace."

Grace laughed & yelled down the plane, "Thanks Frank!!"

*          *          *

"Okay, how are we going to do this?" Eric's voice flowed through the fibreglass wires to Grace's phone.

Grace looked out the cab window at the FBI car travelling alongside them. "Get me three FBI jackets and caps."

"What?"

"Just trust me and get them."

"What are you going to do?"

"You'll see…"