Chapter 155

"Can I have a cup of tea please?" Alex asked the waiter behind the counter at the cafeteria, spotting Shelby getting up when her order number was called out. "Why do you look like a grumpy cat this morning? And don't blame it on little CJ because he's way too adorable to make you look like this." Alex said accepting Shelby's parcel peeking inside, grabbing a granola bar for herself that she opened on the spot and started eating. Shelby looked at her questioningly and she pointed to her little baby bump to show it wasn't her fault that she's always hungry.

"It's CJ's father who made me get out of bed with the wrong foot. You know after he came home last night, or this morning rather he didn't see any fault in me being mad at him. I was on the verge of divorce, I think I still am." Shelby said taking a sip of coffee as Alex nodded her head knowing exactly what her blonde friend were talking about.

"Girl you are preaching to the choir." Alex said as the two of them had similar experiences whenever their husbands went out.

"Enough about masculine troubles how did the check- up go?" Shelby asked as Alex accepted her tea and they sat down at a table before heading towards the conference room to find out what today had in store for them.

"Everything's good, the baby is starting to look more like a baby and less than an alien where one can actually see a part of the body. And it's three months now, I was still under the impression that I'd be around two and a half months when I've been told otherwise." Alex smiled scratching around in her bag, taking out the sonogram picture of their little one showing it to Shelby.

"You're really pregnant again." Shelby smiled as she looked at the picture, if she was still in doubt this was confirmation of it all. "And your mood swings is accepted now." She joked seeing Alex's face change, as they got up and made their way into the half full conference room, not bothering to find seats, they stood against the wall at the back of the room. On the screen in front of them were three mugshots, of people they haven't seen yet but their arrest record were significant as they had numerous aliases and no one knew what they were going by at the very moment except the first names.

"Here we have Snow, Shady and Pablo." Maranda started pointing a laser at the three faces as she introduced them. Snow's hair were colored in some kind of white/grey shade which is probably where he got his nickname from. Shady looked downright scary, when Alex looked at him, two tear drop tattoos under his right eye, with gold grills in his teeth as he smiled into the camera. While Pablo looked like the odd one out, neatly dressed and not at all as if he'll be a gangster out on the streets. "So with this little information we have on these three, it came into light that they'll be hosting a party tonight and all of you are invited."

"Aren't you going to be there?" Matthew asked Maranda who shook her head.

"No. if you happened to be married and have a family you can't always attend work parties." She said seeing how the rest of the married couple's hands went up to disagree with her statement and some laughter coming from the rest. "And because I'm the boss the rest of you can let your hands down, you and your spouses will attend, see how nice I am, giving you a plus one to accompany you." She smiled looking through her agents who still weren't happy about the idea but went along with it either way, hearing her out.

Liam walked forward changing the pictures on the screen into a grand mansion. "This right here, is where the party will be hosted, and I'm sure judging by the look of the house you can see that you need to dress up."

"Who's hosting it?" Ryan asked as this started to interest him, and he wasn't sure if they were talking in riddles or if they really meant that it would be an unwinding party for some relaxing.

"Pablo." Liam answered nonchalantly, listening to the groans from his team in front of him. "Which I think you know means that you all have to go there undercover. Side note, the party is tonight. Also, another tip, when creating your covers try doing it in such a way that you end up talking drugs or medical terms where you can add to their supply chain or find out where their stash house is."

"How are we supposed to combine an alias before tonight, and find out dirt on these guys before we go out there and arrest them?" Shelby asked not knowing how they'll get through this day.

"I have a child, Clive's working late tonight and my babysitters are also going to be on the case with me." Natalie chimed in.

"Guys, it's all taken care of. Liam and I are not going because we'll look after your kids tonight. My husband, Charlie and I and this grandpa will manage." Maranda tried to calm her agents down, and this seemed to help. "To make this easy I'd suggest you partner up with your spouse or a close friend that you'll have to spend most of the night with, setting up realistic cover stories to get as much information as possible from these three guys. No wedding bands, tonight you are all single. And for debriefing all of you can come over to my house it'll be practical, and I might even make you some fancy food."

"What did these guys do, that they're wanted so badly?" Alex asked.

"Shady fled the country and created a new identity, and he is still wanted for child prostitution, while Pablo and Snow are wanted for drug smuggling. They promise these underage kids a better life and use them to smuggle drugs across the border, and if they end up saying who they work for who the drugs belong to they're killed." Maranda explained as her team nodded, heading out to fins more information about these guys while gathering around in groups creating their new identities.

Alex sat down on a couch in reception making herself comfortable, as there is no way that she is about to go up to Ryan's office, he'll have to come down to her and make himself as comfortable on the couch as she is right now. "Do I really have to go? I have no patience with guys who does this kind of thing to children." Alex said when Ryan walked towards her, taking her hand in his squeezing it gently. "I know, but think of how it'll benefit these kids at the end of the day." He told her trying to get her to look at the brighter side of life. Alex took out her laptop looking these guys up on the FBI database, while Ryan worked on trying to get them appropriate cover stories. "I've always wanted to be a doctor, Doctor Donald Nevis. I run my own practice up North. Boom, loophole for them to supply me with their tablets, while I pay them." He smiled having created his cover story seeing the look on Alex's face. "Okay fine, I'll tweak it a bit, don't you think it'll work?" he asked looking at her and she started laughing.

"It's not your story I'm laughing at that can work, it's how excited you got when you could be a doctor makes me wonder how you ended up in the FBI."

"You're just jealous, let me see what I can dig up for you so you can be equally awesome as your partner in crime." He scanned through the list of options once again. "I got it, pharmaceutical rep, Danika Cortez. Working down South at a dispensary."

"Yeah it'll probably work. Danika Cortez? You're making it sound like I'm part of some cartel with that name, and why do I have to work down South and you're North? No equality in the workplace, but okay I'll run with it. Oooohh, look what I found." Alex turned the laptop towards him, showing him the dating record of women who Pablo have dated, most of them either blonde, Indian or Hispanic and Ryan gave her a look that she knew all too well.

"Do I need to say what I'm about to say or will you read my mind in all of this?" He asked and she pressed her index finger to the tip of his nose lightly.

"I will be careful, and not be superwoman. I promise." She assured him looking him in the eyes, and he nodded taking her word for it. They need to add it as part of their bucket list to stay out of hospital due to work related injuries for as long as possible.

They were able to get off work an hour earlier than usual to go prepare for their night out, as they drove to pick up their daughter. "Phoebe I need you to behave yourself tonight please, will you?" Alex turned around in her seat looking at her daughter in the back seat.

"Huh-uh" Phoebe answered swinging her legs as it hit the bottom of the car seat.

"At least she's being honest." Ryan laughed looking at his daughter in the rearview mirror.

"Are you still excited about the baby, Phoebe?" Alex asked when she noticed the baby on board sticker in the window of the car in front of them.

"Huh-uh" she replied again shaking he head. "Okay, it was worth a try I thought you'd change your mind by now." Her mother shrugged.

Alex texted Maranda for at least half an hour asking her if she was sure about it, and she assured her there is more than enough arms to help her out with the little ones, and she'll have them in bed before their bedtime, or at least that was what she was hoping to achieve. Alex was contemplating bathing her but decided against it, and restacked her bag and formula for her bottle and some veggies for supper, she and Maranda can fight about eating healthy this time around. When Phoebe was settled with some toys downstairs Alex headed to the bedroom quickly to look for something to wear, that's not too tight as she'd have to hide her slightly swollen baby bump.

Ryan came out of the bathroom neatly shaved looking at her who had a few outfits on the bed and holding another one in front of her. "Which one?" She asked and he looked between the options not answering her just yet. "It can't be too tight, so whatever you choose has to be loose." She added making his options of choice even fewer. He stood stagnant in his traces looking at her. "Keep that pants that you have on now." He said pointing to the black rather stretchy skinny jean she was wearing, standing in front of the closet he took out an olive green shirt, handing it to her and pointed to a white blazer that laid on the bed.

"See this is why I married you." Alex smiled poking her lips out for a quick kiss as she took another quick shower, getting dressed in the outfit he selected, pairing it up with black ankle boots. Deciding against combing her hair otherwise she left it in the middle parted style loosening her ponytail in case they were to have monitors her loose hair would be able to hide it, pairing up her look with minimal make up, that looked natural. Ryan walked into the room with Phoebe who had an envelope in her hands, that she handed to her mother the moment she saw her.

"Mama!" Phoebe said looking at her mother expectantly as she opened the envelope, looking at her husband questioningly as he shrugged allowing her to open the envelope and read it herself:

I'm sorry for acting like a teenager sometimes, I'm still apologizing in a really lame way which I hope will get me out of the dog box soon. Thank you, for still putting up with me. I'm sorry and I really really love you, sweetheart.

(Your stubborn husband)

Xx

She smiled up at him after reading the card. Smiling at the big I'm sorry printed on the front of the cover. "It's okay, you're forgiven." She laughed putting the card back into the envelope leaving it on the dressing table, walking forward putting her hands around his waist, as he hugged her back with one arm because Phoebe occupied his other arm, uncertain of what to do she leaned down kissing her mother making both her parents smile.

Dropping Phoebe off at her first time baby sitters and not knowing what to expect her parents were worried. But she proved them wrong and was rather happy when she noticed Renata and CJ amongst the other three kids who occupied the Shaw household. This made her parents more at ease to leave her there so they can get their jobs done, that and the fact that Maranda's husband promised that they'd call whenever anything goes wrong, but assuring them in the same breath that nothing will and that they'll be fine.

On their way to Pablo's house, or mansion rather they went through their covers making sure they're not leaving anything out and that they stick to the minimal game plan they had. The crew met up at a convenience store quite a few miles away from the neighborhood where their suspect lives, to get wired in a truck that will monitor what's going on inside and inform them on when to run away when things might get ugly.

They pulled up in front of the house, Alex wiping her sweaty palms on her pants, looking at all the upmarket cars that were parked outside the house. "Hey, you okay?" Ryan asked noting that she seemed different and she nodded. She was never much of a fan when it came to undercover cases as anything can go wrong compared to a normal case where you know you won't blow your cover. She nodded her head and Ryan squeezed her hand pointing towards her finger as she remembered they had to take their wedding bands off. With a heavy heart she took it off and handed it to Ryan where he put it in the inside pocket of his jacket together with his own. He walked inside first, meeting Caleb outside by the door, the rest waited outside for a while before the entered, lastly Shelby and Alex walked inside. Alex not knowing how she will be able to get through the night not putting her lips on alcohol she and the girls made a deal in the foyer, that if she was offered a glass of wine she would hand the full glass over to one of them discreetly accepting their empty ones, or go through the night with bottled water that she was sure the waiters had to have somewhere making sure she'll be the first one to break the seal of bottle and personally pour it into a glass herself.

The party was as elaborate as the house was. Most of the guests who arrived were dressed in smart casual and seemed like they were occupying a rather high status in whatever it is they were doing for a living, although their three suspects were no where to be seen just yet. It was rather fun since no one besides the people who partnered up knew each other's alias and having to introduce yourself to your colleagues finding out what they did for a living was some form of entertainment.

Alex walked over to a table where Matthew were standing scanning the crowd. "Do you mind some company?" She smiled standing on the opposite side of the round table looking at him. "Not at all, may I ask who I'm speaking to?" He asked looking at his colleague expectantly.

"Danika Cortez. Pharmaceutical rep of RX." She smiled extending her hand towards him. "Nice, representing such a big company. Dillan Pereira, co- owner of McLaren." He said and Alex laughed. "And I thought I was out of my league." She said shaking her head when a guy walked towards their table.

"I'm sorry to disturb but I just need you to know that you're beautiful." He said kissing the back of her hand, as her worst nightmare came true. Today in debriefing she said she'd run the opposite direction when Shady came close to her and here she was talking to the man. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt." He apologized looking at Matthew who put his hands up shaking his head, to show he didn't interrupt anything and he walked away leaving Alex by herself. She was going to get him back for backing out when she needed him, but she played it cool.

"Thank you, sir." Alex said when he let go of her hand.

"So formal, Winston Blue, but everyone calls me Shady." He said shaking her hand. "Danika Cortez." Alex replied smiling warmly. "Nice to meet you, may I ask what you're doing for a living?" He asked taking a sip of the golden liquid in his glass. "I'm a pharmaceutical rep for RX." She replied confidently seeing how impressed Shady was.

"Is there by any chance that there is something on the market that would make all ladies as lovely as you are? Or no, don't give it to them all heads need to turn when you enter the room with me by your side." Shady said walking around her offering his arm, as she linked hers through it while they walked towards the bar introducing her to some other people on the way. "See I told you we'd make heads turn when we're walking into a room." He whispered in her ear when they got to the bar.

"A man of your word. That seems promising." Alex said looking up at him, feeling her husband's gaze burning a hole in her back.

Shelby was about to walk to the bar to get a refill of red wine, she hated being here but their wine is amazing, and she limited herself to three glasses for the entire night. A waiter walked past and she stretched her hand out to grab a glass when someone handed her one off the tray. "A lady like you shouldn't be standing with an empty glass." Someone said, a face she recognized as that of Snow.

"Well then a gentleman like you showed up and now the problem is solved." She said accepting the glass from him. "Marlon Whelan." He introduced himself.

"Lenore DuBois, nice to meet you." She extended her hand and Snow smiled.

"Well, may I ask what you do for a living? I'm sure with a face like that you'd be on everyone's party list and trust me I'm thrilled that you choose to attend this one." Snow said.

"If adding up numbers and helping people manage their money sounds like something I'd rather be doing than attend a party, it's clear that you don't know me well enough." Shelby answered twisting the glass around by the stem.

"Impressive, clever and witty. Well if I manage to give you a bank account number do you think you would be able to help me save some money?"

"If you manage to keep me happy all night and keep my glass filled we have a deal." Shelby winked and he ordered one of the waiters who was walking around with canapés, grabbing one feeding it to Shelby.

At the bar Alex sat on a chair while Shady had an around her shoulder. "So you got a little inside information about me, but I know nothing about you, so it's your turn now." Alex looked up at him. "Not wasting any time I see. Well I am a photographer, and I wouldn't mind having you in front of the camera." He said tilting her head into an angle gently with his index finger. "I don't think I'd know what to do as I never pictured modelling as a career."

"Trust me Miss Cortez, you'd be surprised by what I'll make you do when the cameras come out." He winked and Alex felt disgusted at his comment.

Through the progression of the night Shelby managed to get closer to Snow. The two of them sitting on a couch in a corner; talking lovingly as Snow leaned forward to kiss her put she put a finger on his lips stopping him in his tracks. "Not so fast, isn't there something you wanted me to check for you?" She asked and he smiled slyly, while Shelby retrieved a piece of paper from her purse handing him a pen, while he wrote down the bank account number together with his name, and on the other side he wrote down his cellphone number. Handing it back to her, she looked at it putting it back into her purse as she leaned forward and kissed him.

Ryan and Caleb were standing alone at a table off the grid but it gave them enough room to see what was happening in case something went down. They had just about enough of this party and was more than ready for it to end, sometimes they hate the demands of this job. Matthew signaled something from the opposite side and they knew something was wrong, when a security guard walked up to Pablo who only made an appearance every now and then and they looked towards the bar where Alex and Shady were sitting. Ryan and Caleb walked in different directions to make sure they'll be close by in case something went down, when Matthew turned his back and informed the guys outside that they might need backup sooner than they thought.

The security guard walked over to the bar and Alex scanned the room looking for Ryan and to see if something else was out of place. "Run for the nearest exit when something happens." Ryan said and Alex couldn't reply but he knew she heard him through her monitor. She looked around to see Nimah and Natalie who looked like lovers, in the corner with guy sitting in between them and they too were alert while Shelby got up from where she sat, making her way to the bathroom hoping someone would follow her lead so they can get out of here soon. She was halfway across the room when she noticed she must've dropped her wire and when she looked back she saw Snow twisting something in his hand and the security who were talking to Pablo earlier were looking at her.

"You little snitch." Snow said walking up to her grabbing her wrist, and when Caleb noticed it he ran over to them jumping on Snow bringing him to the ground. Alex took this opportunity to speak into her sleeve requesting back up forgetting the fact that she was seated next to a person who she was immensely scared of, and he grabbed the front of her shirt with such force she was certain he'd rip a piece of green fabric off. Alex swung a fist in his direction hitting his cheek, trying to run for the exit when he shoved her and she fell to the ground. Ryan was torn between helping his wife or run after Shady. "I'm fine go get him!" Alex said as they tried to calm down the crowd s they could find Shady amongst them.

Nimah and Natalie managed to get Pablo when back up arrived but he too ran away, but Murphy's law he tripped on his way up the stairs and they pinned him down, while some of the others helped Caleb out with Snow. The party was cleared and everyone had to leave while they searched the premises for the missing suspect couldn't find him anywhere. Alex sat back down at the bar while her friends tended to her when everything died down.

"Are you okay? Shouldn't you be checked out by a doctor?" Nimah asked concerned asking the terrified waiter behind the counter for a glass of water. "I'm okay, I just wasn't expecting it. And I don't have any pain so I'm certain the baby's fine as well." She tried to reassure them when the other joined them downstairs.

"Hey you alright?" Ryan asked when he walked back to her, and she nodded her head but just as her friends his face was still an image of worry. "She doesn't want to get checked out, please try and convince her otherwise." Natalie told him and he nodded as they all headed outside to go back to Maranda's house. "I feel fine, let's go get Phoebe." She got up from the chair walking towards the front door

"Alex." Ryan said stopping her in her tracks, so he can walk up to her and find out how she is really feeling or what she is thinking.

She sighed heavily looking up at him, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her coat. "He got away, and you all are worried about me and the baby, when there's kids out there who he'll promise a better life to and then he's going to end up taking advantage of them." She said close to a point of hysteria as he didn't seem to take this as seriously as she does.

"You cannot blame yourself for this. No one else does."

"That doesn't make me feel like less of failure right now." She shook her head walking out the front door as he followed, not really knowing what to say to her right now.

"How do you guys feel about what you've achieved tonight?" Maranda asked when Shelby walked through the door first followed by Nimah, Alex and Natalie and then the rest. They all scanning the room when there was no trace of their children when Maranda pointing towards the bedrooms indicating that they're sleeping. The women walking over to the kitchen sitting around the kitchen island, Alex grabbing a packet of Lays from the counter opening it up and passing it on the rest of the ladies down the row.

"I'm pregnant I need to eat." She justified her actions when Ryan looked at her, not that her boss minded her actions.

"I feel like we failed and didn't deliver like we should have. Two out of three is not a victory." Nimah said gloomily , and the rest nodded. Maranda didn't say anything as she boiled the kettle taking out cups, and retrieving a cake from behind her that was already cut, putting it in the middle of the island.

"Not even close to victory, when a scumbag who still uses innocent children for prostitution is still out there." Alex answered her tone of voice matching that of Nimah as she is still beating herself up about the fact that she spent most of her night with this guy and couldn't even catch him. Maranda went ahead and got side plates putting it on the island still not saying anything.

She turned around in the corner where she was standing looking among them. "I get that you're not satisfied with what you've achieved tonight, but I sure as hell am proud of each and every one of you. It's hard, personally I know sometimes even when I know there is no easy answer I can't help myself but to keep looking for ways in which I could've prevented something. Hoping for another outcome, a different result, a creative solution an unexpected answer." She looked through the agents who were all gathered in her kitchen most of the women staring off in some direction and she was wondering if they heard what she was saying, while the guys stood around with their arms folded, heads leaning back against the top cupboards of the kitchen above them looking like they were bearing the weight of the world on their shoulders.

"But in the end we have to realize that we're human too. And as much as we want to save the world and make it a better and safer place for our future generations, we have to realize that sometimes we're powerless and cannot always be the super heroes; but to remember that you did the best you could and that life does not always give you a happy ending." She paused briefly looking at them again to let her words sink in. "But it is still your job to do the right thing, the best thing, even when it's not perfect. Alex having to flirt with a thug, who you were afraid of this morning at the briefing, all this when your husband is ten feet away watching you. Shelby, having to kiss a thug in order for him to give you an account number so we can trace their locations. Natalie and Nimah, having to pretend to be lesbians, and almost ending up in bed with one of them." Maranda highlighted what they had to go through tonight in order to get the job done, all of them still not saying a word.

"All of this and you guys still tell me you feel like you've failed. I do not see the fact that one got away, he can't run forever. Before me I see my agents who I am so damn proud of for going the extra mile in everything they do."

"Uuuhhhmm just a correction, you said your agents, I think you meant our agents." Liam lightened the mood as all of them started laughing slightly.

"I'm sorry for the tough love I feel motherly tonight, having all of you around the house giving you this pep talk, but I think you needed to hear it. And as a side note, you all have really obedient children it was a joy looking after them." She smiled when the water boiled. "And I promised fancy dinner but I ended up baking a cake so eat some cake, and make some coffee none of you are guests. There's beer in the fridge and wine if any of you would like some." Maranda said as Alex was first to cut a slice of cake.

"Alexandra Booth!" Shelby said when she saw what her friend was doing.

"Leave her, she's pregnant." Maranda laughed at the face Alex pulled at the blonde while they sat in the lounge eating cake talking about ladies stuff while the guys were in the kitchen, being boys.

Hey guys. I can't remember who of you asked for an undercover case at a party, here it is I hope you enjoy. I took some quotes out of episode 16 of season 1 that I watched again, feeling the need to portray Maranda as a mother figure with feeling too who are concerned about her agents sometimes although she might not always say it. Also, I know the guys didn't play much of a role in this case and I'm sorry I was really trying to get everything out before I forget what I wanted to write next. Thank you for reading.

Lovies-S