Chapter 4: Here Comes the Bride?

Taking care of all of the arrangements really took one year! With one week left to the Big Day, the three couples eagerly looked forward to their lives together.

But on Tuesday, Sam noticed Matt wasn't at work at WOOHP. She called Pete and Clarence, and found out they weren't at work either! Alarmed, she called Alex and Clover. They quickly met in her office.

"What's up, Sammie?" asked Alex.

"Do you know where your future husbands are today?" Sam asked.

"Well, Clarence is probably at the Medical Center," Clover responded, as she dialed his number on her cell phone. No answer. "Funny, he doesn't answer. He always wears a pager, but the system didn't ask me to input my phone number!"

"I know, Clover!" answered Sam. "I tried to call Matt, but he wasn't in. I then tried Pete and Clarence, and I couldn't get them either!"

"What do you think happened?" asked an alarmed Alex.

"I don't know! I called Matt's cell phone, and didn't get an answer either!" responded Sam.

"I say we talk to Jerry!" said Clover.

With resolve, the very concerned gals go to Jerry's office.

"….Yes, GLADIS, I need you to run an internal systems check to ensure all circuits are performing optimally," Jerry commented to his computer assistant.

"Right away, Jerry! Analyzing!……." GLADIS responded.

"Oh, ladies, I didn't notice you! What's on your mind?" remarked Jerry, as he turned away from GLADIS, back to his desk.

"Jerry! Have you heard from Pete?" asked Alex.

"Or Matt?" added Sam.

"Or Clarence?" said Clover.

"Why? What's wrong?" Jerry asked.

"They aren't at work, and we can't get them to answer their cell phones or home phones!" Sam stated.

"Oh, that! Not to worry, ladies! They're on a mission!"

"On a WHAT?" asked Alex.

"On a mission, Alex! Remember, ALL WOOHP office personnel have to go on at least one mission within their first two years of service! So they are fulfilling that requirement!"

"HELLLLLLOOOOOO, JERRY! We're supposed to be getting MARRIED in five days!" remarked an exasperated Clover.

"Yes! I know, Clover. You DID invite me, you know!"

"Then why did you send them on a mission this week?" asked a very upset Sam. "Missions can take anywhere from a few hours, to a few weeks!"

"I know, Sam! But this mission seemed perfect for a first field mission! It's a courier mission! They should be done with it today!"

"What if something goes wrong?" asked an anxious Alex.

"Now, Alex! YOU did the training! Are you telling me you're training was inadequate?" Jerry chided.

Alex thought back to the training sessions she had with the guys. They were included in a class of ten agents. She wanted to make sure she didn't show any favoritism, but by so doing, she was twice as tough on the guys as the other students.

Clarence commented to Clover after three days of the scheduled five days of training. "That Alex can be a real task master!"

Clover looked a little shocked at Clarence. "Alex? Sweet, quiet Alex? You probably thought she would take it easy on you, because you're a friend. She can't, you know! She has to treat you like all the other students!"

"I wouldn't mind the same treatment! But she makes Pete, Matt and I go through the drills again, even if we miss one small thing! She normally lets small things go for the other students!"

Clover gave her future hubby a quick kiss. "Just think how much better prepared you'll be, if you ever need the training!"

Clarence can see he won't be getting any sympathy from his future wife, so he sullenly assents. "Yeah, I guess you're right! But it STILL doesn't seem fair!" he continued in exasperation. Clover only smiled.

Matt was also complaining to Sam.

"You didn't provide Alex with the proper equipment for our training!" Matt stated to Sam, during lunch at work.

Sam looked puzzled. "What do you mean? Gadget training isn't until next session! There is no equipment requirement for self defense!"

"Actually, you need to give her a chair, pistol and whip!"

Sam really looked confused at Matt.

He continued, "Every lion tamer I ever saw had a chair, pistol and whip!"

Sam giggled. "Awwwww! Is Alex being a bit rough on little Matty Watty?" she teased.

"Rough isn't the word! When she needs someone to demonstrate a technique on, she always picks Clarence, Pete or I! Then she ties us up in a knot, until we learn the technique!"

"Sounds like she's training you well!"

Matt looks at Sam hoping for some sympathy, which is not forthcoming, and she kisses him, saying, "If you ever need it, you'll be ready! Hang in there!"

Even Pete complained to Alex. "Alex, you sure are different when you are training WOOHP agents!"

"Why is that, Pete?"

"It's like you turn on some nasty button! You remind me of a barking Rottweiler whose wagging its tail, happily! I don't know which end to believe!"

"Well, Pete, it's my job to get you ready for working in the field, if you ever have to!"

"But do you have to be so rough on Matt, Clarence and I?"

Alex gave Pete a quick kiss. "You have to remember! Out in the field, the training can make the difference between life and death! So I'm just making sure!"

Pete grudgingly accepted that explanation from his Sunshine, but he still didn't like it.

Back in the present, Alex responded to Jerry, "No, I'm sure they can handle themselves! But you should have let us accompany them! You can learn a great deal from an experienced agent in the field!"

Jerry smiled. "No, Alex, they have to do this on their own, just like you, Sam and Clover did!"

Then looking at the worried ladies seated in front of him, Jerry stated, "Don't worry, ladies! You all KNOW the trainer! They have been trained for self-defense, as well as gadget use! They'll do fine!" He added as he let a smile cross his face, "You know, I think I have more confidence in them than you do!"

The gals protest.

"Well, no, Jerry! I know Clarence can handle himself. I'm…I'm just worried, that's all!" responded Clover.

"Yeah, Jerry! Matt will do okay! I know Alex trained him well! It's just….I'm concerned!" said Sam.

"Pete will do well, but I worry about him!" added Alex.

"I understand, ladies!" responded Jerry consolingly. "It's very hard to not worry about a loved one, especially when they are out in the field! But have confidence! They'll do fine!"

"By the way, Jerry, what specifically was their mission?" asked Sam.

Jerry responded with a devilish grin, "The guys have already passed the first part of any mission – secrecy! Even their wives-to-be didn't know they were going on a mission, or what that mission was! See, Alex! You DID teach them well!"

Alex flushes with embarrassment as she says, "Yeah, maybe TOO well! After all, we're WOOHP employees too! They could have told us!"

Jerry responds, "But they're not supposed to! That prevents 'moles' from getting important information, at WOOHP, on field assignments. Only the field agent, and the mission assigner should know the mission!"

The gals can see that Jerry isn't going to tell them where the guys are, or what the mission is, so they decide to leave his office.

"Okay, Jer! We'll see you then!" says a vexed Clover.

"Yeah, take care, Jerry!" responded an upset Sam.

"G'bye, Jerry!" added Alex.

As the gals leave Jerry's office, they talk among themselves.

"There are times I could STRANGLE that man!" says Clover.

"I'm with you, Clover!" responded Sam.

But Alex is a bit befuddled. "Sam, Clover? You don't think I trained the guys well enough, do you?" she asked quietly.

Sam and Clover are taken aback.

"Why do you say that?" asked Clover, a bit bewildered.

"Because you don't think they can do the mission, do you?" Alex replied.

Sam answers, "No, Alex! I'm sure they'll do fine! I'm just worried, because it's their first mission. Remember our first one? Even with all of the training, we still had to do some adlibbing to successfully complete it!" Sam then gave Alex a friendly, reassuring hug.

Clover also hugged Alex. "Of course not, you silly goose! Look at all the agents you've trained since you started working here! All have done well! It's just that it's their first mission, and we're supposed to be getting married Saturday! I'll feel a whole lot better when it is successfully completed!"

Alex returns the hugs to the gals, but even she is having some misgivings. Yes, she trained then like all the other agents, but this was different! This was she and her best friends' future husbands! She would feel terrible if anything would go wrong!

But all they can do is wait.