Chapter 12 --- Politics and Proposals

It was 2am and Diane was asleep, of this Jake was glad. The only illumination in the room came from his laptop; information scrolling as fast as Jake could read, new screens opening and closing with a speed and fluidity few people have seen. Jake was making notes as needed; Senator Thompson was busy and had a past in business electronics, but nothing that could tie him into the ability to build bugs, or why he would want to bug his staff member Sarah Carter.

Diane stirred causing Jake to freeze. She was reaching for him so he slid in close. After she found him and snuggled close, she slipped into a deeper sleep. It never failed to amuse him how his independent wife became clingy when sleeping, definitely gave him one of those warm fuzzy feelings. When she wasn't pregnant, in her sleep she would crawl all over him. At six months pregnant she usually just snuggled in close, slightly more comfortable for Jake, but no less pleasurable.

Turning his attention back to his computer the screen went blank. Morning would be there soon enough and he needed some sleep, even nanite enhancement had its limitations.

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Jake awoke to an empty bed, listening, he heard Diane and Sarah talking over coffee; or in Diane's case herbal tea. Quickly stopping his enhanced hearing he showered and dressed. Today he was going to find some answers, maybe even to the questions he asked.

"Good morning ladies." He said cheerfully entering the kitchen.

"So, going to any strip clubs today?" Sarah asked.

"Oh man, Diane did you have to…" Jake said while blushing.

"No, but it is fun to watch you blush."

"Don't worry Jake," Sarah offered. "I've been to a few, for business reasons only. I even had a lap dance."

Diane gasps as her hands fly to her face.

"Politics can be a dirty business." Sarah adds.

"Don't let Jerry find out, he'll want to watch a repeat."

"Not a chance. How is your brother?"

"Ready to graduate and find a new scam."

"I thought he wanted to be an agent?"

"I asked 'Tankbuster' to dissuade him."

"Who's 'Tankbuster'?"

"Someone nobody messes with."

"Do tell."

"Can't."

"Alright Jake, since you won't tell me about 'Tankbuster', and you know about my lap dance, tell me something about you that's embarrassing."

"No way!"

"I'll tell." Diane pipes in.

"Diane, no!"

"When Jake proposed, we were in my apartment. He knelt down and banging his knee on my coffee table, spilling magazines all over. After we picked them up he tried again. This time in the kitchen, he knocked a picture of tea all over me…"

"Oh Jake." Sarah laughed.

"After I changed he tried again, on my front balcony."

"Don't tell me…"

"All the way down. Lucky for him it was only the second floor." Diane is laughing now.

"It's a good thing she's a doctor Jake." Sarah said through her laughter. "How did he finally propose?"

"He didn't, I took pity on him. There he was, just laying there, so I knelt beside him, took his hand and proposed... The way it was escalating I was afraid he would die before he slipped the ring on my finger."

"That's funny and sweet. Ok Jake, now one about Diane."

"No!"

"Alright. When Diane speaks Italian, she purses her lips."

"That's not embarrassing Jake." Sarah says.

"No, but it's really sexy."

Sarah sees Diane blushing. "It may be embarrassing at that."

"That explains your Gomez Addams moments."

"Hey, I take it anyway I can get it."

"That's enough Jake!" Diane pretended to sniff.

"Sarah, your assistant should be here anytime. Karen is a computer genius and looks like a school girl. She's also a marksman who earned her first Black Belt when she was five."

"I feel safe already."

"Go about your day doing everything you usually do, just keep your 'intern' handy."

"Intern, not assistant?"

"Intern's unpaid and being new you can keep her under your wing."

"Sounds easy enough."

"Under no circumstance talk about why she is really there, or the bugging, The NSA, Lou, Kyle, Fran, bodyguards, being followed, being scared… As far as anyone is concerned, you've been here with friends helping out during a rough patch of Diane's pregnancy. You will stay with us for a while, don't spread that information around or that we are NSA."

"You're into computers, she is a doctor, and I'm staying with you to help out. I want to thank you both for everything." Sarah says with such sincerity that Diane has tears in her eyes.

"We take care of our friends. We're just glad to be in a position to help." Diane replies, placing her hand on Sarah's.

"You also plugged a National Security leak." Jake added. "That will be added to your NSA file."

"The NSA has a file on me?" An alarmed Sarah asks.

"It used to be that everybody that works for, associated to and used to work for the government had a file. Mostly just background information." Jake went on, "The information isn't public and probably mirrors the background check you went through to work for Senator Thompson."

"I knew… guessed… What did you mean 'used to be'?"

"Now days we're looking harder than ever at more people in threat assessment. I don't like it, neither does Diane…"

"Not in the least." Diane grouches.

"… But we're fighting terrorists with an agenda that recognizes no human rights, no country as home and has no problem killing the innocent or its own people."

"When you put it that way…" Sarah starts, "I guess I understand, but I don't like it."

"In all honesty, I don't like it either. But I've seen the files used to weed out the innocent too many times, to accurately find the guilty and find their conspirators far too often not to recognize the need."

"Sounds a bit rehearsed Jake."

"It's a frequently debated issue at the NSA, The files are serious business to us and the ethics and morals often contested."

"Do me a favor Jake?"

"Sure."

"Don't remind me of the files again." Sarah says solemnly.

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Next: Life with Jake and Diane

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