CHAPTER 8

Reese was waiting at the bar of The Ole Saloon, where they were meeting for their night out. He first saw Jake and Cody step in and look around the place followed by the ladies. Frank and Elaina came in last with Allison. Reese walked over to greet his sister first by giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek.

"I see you left Derek at home. I'm surprised he didn't beg to come," Reese chuckled.

"One, he's under age and two, he did beg but he's grounded," Elaina answered while Cody and the others explored the bar.

"Did you buy the place out tonight?" Allison wondered, not seeing other customers.

"Yes. The owners are friends of the family and they allow us to rent the bar out when we're here," Frank said when they went to their table.

"Hey, we have live music not just a jukebox," Cody said, watching the band setting up on the small stage.

"At least it's not karaoke," Jake said. "You won't be singing tonight, Cody."

Cody stuck his tongue out at Jake while the others laughed. "It also means you won't try to sing either when you get drunk."

The waitress came over to take their orders. They ordered beers for everyone except Allison and Sabrina, who were the designated drivers for the evening since they didn't drink…instead they had sodas. The waitress gave Elaina a note from one of the band members. She wadded it up. "Tell them I'll think about it."

"Is someone already hitting on my wife?" Frank asked, looking at the band.

"The band wants me to sing with them later. I'm not sure I want to," Elaina replied when he turned back to her.

"You have to Jake and Alex have never heard you sing. They were gone the other day when you sang to Sarah," Sabrina said trying to encourage her.

Frank thought he knew how to get her to make up her mind. "Please decide to do it before you get drunk, she has a tendency to sing off key then."

"How would you know, Mr. Tone Deaf? I'll sing when I get good and ready. Which will be after at least two beers. I haven't sung in front of anyone in a while," Elaina said with the waitress approaching with their drinks.

"How is this different from singing at the ranch?" Allison said, now trying.

"I didn't see any of them. They just happen to be listening," Elaina said, then took a drink. "To me that's a big difference."

"Let's change the subject." Frank thought it best to divert the conversation.

"Hey Cody, I thought you and Sab were going to a tech convention?" Jake took command of the conversation change.

"We're going to leave tomorrow afternoon. There's a flight to L.A. from Billings at 2:00," Cody answered, taking a sip of his drink.

"I can do you one better. I can fly you there in one of my planes." Reese had been asked by Elaina earlier about volunteering his services and was happy to do it for her.

"You would do that?" Sabrina was impressed by the offer.

"I'll take you up on your offer if I can ride shotgun. I'd love to learn to fly sometime," Cody said, enthusiastically.

Jake looked at Cody. "That's one scary thought that they'd give you a pilot's license. Your driving skills are bad enough on the ground. Heaven help the skies above if you start flying."

Cody went at Jake, but Frank pulled him back into his seat.

Allison put her arm around Jake, "Young man, you're in the presence of your mother. Act like an adult, not a child." Her expression was so deadpan Jake thought she was serious. She started laughing, which made everyone start.

The band started playing and Frank rose up from his seat. "Hey, Lady, would you like to dance with your husband?"

"Since you asked so politely, you bet." Elaina said, taking his hand.

Jake and Alex paired up, as did Sab and Cody. Reese was left with Monica and Allison to choose from.

"Which one of you ladies would like to dance?"

Allison spoke before Monica had a chance. "I think I'll dance later go ahead, Monica."

Elaina watched the couples dancing and saw how caring they were to one another. "Frank, how do you think Cody and Jake are going to react when Alex and Sabrina go on assignments? Think they can separate their emotions from the job, the way we try do?"

"Try…I like the way you said that…I hope they can. Maybe we should at least tell them what would happen if they don't," Frank suggested with the song ending. With her agreeing with him they headed back to the table. Monica and Reese went on dancing to the next song while the others went to sit down.

"Elaina has something to say to the team," Frank said, surprising her, thinking they were going to tell them together. "Allison, would you like to dance?" he asked, wanting to get away fast, knowing Elaina wasn't please with being volunteered as the main speaker.

"Okay, but it's been a while since I've been on the dance floor."

"Right now, I think I'll take my chances," Frank replied, taking Allison's hand.

"What's wrong?" Sabrina noticed Elaina was uneasy about something when she sat down with them.

"I need to inform all of you about what will happen if you can't remove your personal feelings when you're at work. You know Frank has been able to do it by the fact, you never knew he had a family," Elaina explained to them. "Now, we're asking you do the same. We all know what the consequences could be if your emotions get involved during a case."

"You think one of us could be hurt or killed, because we're thinking emotionally," Alex stated, thinking of what happened to John Keller.

Their first leader had finally admitted his feeling for her and they had reacted to them. A few days later, he placed himself in front of her when she was being shot at causing him to be killed.

"It's been known to happen, but I want to prevent it. If you feel you can't displace your feelings for one another…tell me now. I'll have you transferred to another unit." She saw shock run through the group. "I don't want to do it, but I will, now or later if Frank deems it necessary. Think about it and give us your answer when you return to work."

Frank and Allison came back to the table when she made her last statement. "Is the lecture over?"

"For now." Elaina got up and went to talk to the band. Frank ordered another round of drinks while Reese and Monica made their way to the table. The waitress brought over the drinks and shot glasses with two bottles of whiskey.

"Wait a minute! Who are these for?" Reese asked with the waitress pointing to Frank. "Oh great! Who's the victim this time?"

"He challenged me," Jake said, looking at him wondering if he had made a mistake.

"I was his victim once. I'll never make that mistake again," Reese replied, slapping Jake on the back. "Good luck, buddy."

Elaina came back and saw the glasses. "Frank, why do you always have to challenge people to drink shots? The last time you did we got in a bar fight."

"I didn't start that fight…you did. You were a sore loser." Frank laughed.

"You were the last one he challenged? And it ended in a bar fight? Oh man, I need to know more." Alex's curiosity was peaked.

"I would've won if he hadn't cheated," Elaina said, looking at Frank. He dropped his head knowing she would let everyone know his secret to winning.

"How did the fight start? We want details." Sabrina wondered.

"I lost and I found out he had paid the waitress to water down his bottle of whiskey, while mine was the real thing. When I found out, I was angry enough to break the bottle over his head, lucky for him he ducked out of the way. I threw a punch, he ducked again and I hit someone behind him, which led to the guy hitting Frank instead of me and it just escalated from there," Elaina explained, trying not to laugh.

"Well, since you let my strategy out…the bet's off," Frank said, pushing away from the table.

"Not so fast! You can still do the challenge. You just have to get another bottle…unsealed," Cody said, trying to be helpful.

"Cody's right, do the challenge fair and square for once," Reese said. He wasn't too happy finding out he had been duped.

"What's the bet?" Elaina asked.

"Fifty dollars to the winner," Cody answered.

"Cody, will you quit helping?" Frank didn't like to lose a bet, especially if money was involved.

"You told us never to bet, unless it was a sure thing. Now we know how you win," Alex said, using his words against him.

"Okay, let's get this underway. I have to sing in five minutes. If there's a tie I get to pick the tie breaking drink," Elaina said, seating the two men down after ordering a new bottle.

"How's that fair?" Sabrina asked. "How does Jake know you won't pick something Frank drank before?"

"Because I know what he'll drink and what he won't. Believe me, it will be a drink he has never had before," Elaina assured them, pouring the shots.

They kept up with each other and at the end of the five minutes, they had both drank the same amount. However, Frank conceded before Elaina named the tiebreaker. "I give up. I can't drink anything else unless you want it hurled."

"Thank you for not going there. That's the last thing I need to see happen," Elaina said, backing up from him.

"Then I better leave the table," Jake said, leaving quickly for the men's room.

The band motioned for Elaina to join them. "If he passes out, just prop him up."

She made her way up to the stage. The song she selected meant a lot to her and Frank. It was a Celine Dion song.

Because You Loved Me

For all those times you stood by me

For all the truth that you made me see

For all the joy you brought to my life

For all the wrongs that you made right

For every dream you made come true

For all the love I found in you

I'll be forever thankful baby

You're the one who held me up

Never let me fall

You're the one that saw me through

Through it all

You were my strength when I was weak

You were my voice when I couldn't speak

You were my eyes when I couldn't see

You saw the best there was in me

Lifted me up when I couldn't reach

You gave me faith cause you believed

I'm everything I am

Because you loved me

You gave me wings to make me fly

You touched my hand I could reach the sky

I lost my faith you gave it back to me

You said no star was out of reach

You stood by me and I stood tall

I had your love I had it all

I'm grateful for each day you gave me

Baby I don't know that much

But I know this much is true

I was blessed because

I was loved by you

You were always there for me

The tender wind that carried me

Light in the dark shining your love into my life

You've been my inspiration

Through the lies you were the truth

My world is a better place because of you

When she finished the song, she had tears streaming down her face. She came back to the table where everyone was clapping and cheering her, including Jake who had made it back. She received a kiss and hug from Frank. She noticed when he wiped her tears away, that he had tears in his eyes too.

"I hope you all enjoyed the song, because I'm not going to sing anymore tonight," Elaina said, looking at the team.

They spent the rest of the night talking of their plans for the rest of their vacation. Allison was going to have Jake and Alex stay with her, so they could get to know each other more. Monica had decided to go with Reese to take Sabrina and Cody to L.A., so Reese would have company on the trip back. She also thought Frank and Elaina would appreciate being alone with their family.

Back in Chicago after the convention and vacation was over the team was starting to get back into there normal routine at work. Cody and Sabrina were at their computers, he showing her the new system he got, since the last time she worked there. Alex and Jake were playing pool when Frank and Monica walked in together. "I see we all made it back in one piece," Frank said.

"We thought you had taken more time off. You're late!" Cody said when he and Sabrina walk over to them.

"We had to stop at the Chicago PD to get pick up Monica's things that were stolen," Frank answered. "I also need an answer to what Agent Blakely talked to you about last week," he said. They all noticed how he used her working name and not her first name.

"Alex and I have talked. We feel we can keep our emotions in check when we're undercover," Jake told him. "We've decided to use our real names in our personal life."

"I thought Alex was your real name?" Sabrina inquired.

"My full name is Alexis Crosley," Alex replied turning to her. "Cross is just my work name."

"I never knew that before," Sabrina said.

"I'm going to use the name Allison wanted me to have…Robert. Our only problem is if we have to pretend to be intimate during a case. We're not sure how it will work," Jake wondered, looking to Alex.

"It can be a problem only if you let it," Elaina said from behind them.

They all turn to see Elaina had slipped in while they were talking. "Did you and Donovan ever have that problem?" Alex asked.

"We did once. It takes a lot of self control not to go too far with the pretending, especially if you're being watched by your superiors," Elaina said, approaching the team.

"Sounds complicated, hope I never have to do it," Sabrina stated.

"Sabrina, you probably won't be put in that situation, since Cody very rarely does UC work. I need him here," Frank replied.

"Nice to know you care, boss," Cody said.

"Sab is right. It is complicated. You just need to be a very good actor to pull it off. I think the two of you are," Frank said to Jake and Alex.

"The secret is to move and kiss in a different way than you normally would with your lover," Elaina added.

"If you start feeling something while you're pretending, just back off and don't look in their eyes or it could get out of hand," Frank suggested.

"Nice choice of words, Agent Donovan, you certainly know that to be true." Elaina winked at him. "I know Frank will keep you under close scrutiny and if he sees any problem he'll tell me about it."

"They can bank on that," Frank said.

"There's one more thing I need to talk to you about. The reports all of you made out about the Turner situation. I have them here with me and I have to say there were a few comments which need to be cleared up," Elaina stated.

"Like what?" Frank was wondering why she never asked him about them.

"Cody, you remarked we needed to find a way to communicate when the radios can't be used. Any suggestions?" Elaina asked, looking to him and Sabrina.

"I haven't thought of any that would work yet…but I...I mean, we're working on it," Cody said, referring to Sabrina.

"Fair enough! Jake you made the statement I shouldn't have went into the cabin without a weapon. I did have a weapon with me. The same one we all carry with us…our brain. I knew Turner wanted me and he wanted Derek. To get to Derek he needed me alive. He'd never have killed me before he got him," Elaina said to Jake.

"How did you know he wanted Derek?" Cody wanted to know.

"He had been writing Derek and I was intercepting them. They were always the same…he wanted to see his son," Elaina replied, looking over to Frank. His look let her know that he wasn't pleased with being kept in the dark.

"There is one more secret I have been keeping from you, Frank."

"I knew your promise wouldn't last long. What is it?"

"In order for you to adopt Derek, I had to make a deal with Collin. I bargained to get him paroled in 2003 instead of serving the full sentence if he would sign the papers to give up his parental rights. But since he escaped the deal is null and void, so there really isn't anything to be angry about now."

"We'll talk about this later," Frank said, glaring at her. Then he softened and signed 'Thank you.' He knew she did it for him and Derek and like she said…there was no need to be angry now.

"Now we come to the comment I knew would be the most interesting. I read this report and it had a lot of negative things to say about the situation and the way I handled it," Elaina said, staring at Frank. "Mr. Donovan, would you like to explain how you would've handled it differently?"

"For one thing you would have been left at home," Frank began.

"I want to know how Agent Donovan would handle it. I know how my husband would've done it."

"You would've stayed out and negotiated with Turner," Franks told her.

"That would've gotten you nowhere…other than having two dead hostages. He had nothing to lose. He would never have negotiated with us," Elaina insisted. "I think I handled it very well. I gave you a way to come in and you did. Case closed. And as far as your last comment; yes, I am a bitch to work for, Agent Donovan."

The team now knew what the one word at the end of Frank's old reports was Bitch.

"I meant it as a complement." Frank winked and laughed with the rest of the team.

THE END

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