TWENTY

“Okay, Jack.  I’ll give you a call tomorrow morning.”  Cate rose from her chair and extended a hand to the man on the other side of the desk.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Zimmer jumped to his feet, mirroring Cate’s move.  He grinned as he gave the agent’s hand a vigorous shake.  “Great.  Look forward to it.  I’m very interested to hear what you learn from the O.C. guys in Newark.”  He turned his attention to the young man standing beside Agent Sullivan, offering his hand.  “Agent Santo, nice to meet you.”

“You too, Sir.”  Probationary Agent Gus Santo nodded.  “I’ll e-mail you that draft as soon as I get back to the office.”

“Thanks.  Sounds like you have a good start.  We’ll figure out what else we need to get for probable cause.”  The attorney remained standing, watching as the pair of agents moved around the chairs that fronted his desk and to his office door.

“I look forward to working with you both.”  AUSA Zimmer’s parting comment was acknowledged by a smile and wave from Cate before she disappeared into the hallway.

Agent Santo pulled out his phone and scrolled through his messages as he strolled down the fluorescent-lit hallway, his partner a half-step behind him.  Or so he thought.

“Hey Gus, gimme a minute.”

Cate’s calm request made the young agent obediently stop in his tracks.  He looked up from his phone, then turned to see his partner-of-the-month paused beside a nondescript door.  The placard on the wall next to the door frame provided the subtext of her request.

Agent Santo chuckled.  “Sure.  You Gals and your little bladders.”

“Hey, it could be a long ride to Newark if traffic sucks.  Didn’t they teach you at the Academy to always take advantage of a chance to use a clean bathroom?”  Cate winked knowingly.

“Yeah, I remember somethin’ about that,”  Santo bantered back.  “Guess it’s not really an issue for me.”

“Suit yourself.”  Cate shrugged, but smiled at her Probie’s  mild argument.  “Voice of experience here, though.  I don’t wanna see you pulling off the Turnpike and whipping it out on the side of the road.”

Santo blushed lightly at Cate’s indelicate tease.  This was only his second week working with his newly-assigned trainer, and so far she was living up to her reputation as a capable and cordial partner.  But he wasn’t quite comfortable enough with her yet to discuss bodily functions in graphic detail.

“Uh, okay.” Santo grinned sheepishly and tipped his head toward the lobby at the end of the hall.  “I’ll wait up front.”

“I won’t be long,” Cate promised, letting him off the hook.  She watched Gus turn away and continue down the hall before she pushed through the door into the ladies’ room.

Her smile faded as Cate stepped into a stall, closed the door, and dropped her briefcase on the floor.  She shed her jacket and hung it on the hook, then pulled the paddle-holstered gun from the small of her back and slipped it inside the open mouth of her case.  Cate unfastened her pants, then with a soft sigh slid them down and lowered herself onto the toilet.

She squinted her eyes closed for a long moment before looking down at the bunched fabric between her knees.  A lump formed in her throat as she saw what she expected:  a dark red stain on the thin cotton pad.  She swallowed hard.

Cate had known the second her period started, the unwelcome and familiar cramp assaulting her as she sat in the AUSA’s office, discussing her case.  It had taken all her willpower to shove her disappointment aside and keep her concentration focused on the conversation.

“Get it together,” Cate muttered crossly, swiping an angry hand across her misty eyes.  She didn’t have time to indulge in self-pity; she and Agent Santo had work to do in the Newark Office.  She wasn’t going to delay their departure any more than necessary.

But she needed a minute to herself.  Again she closed her eyes and focused on breathing, willing herself to put away her disappointment.  Logically, Cate knew the hormones flooding her body were intensifying her response.  Emotionally, she didn’t care.  Once again her body had failed her.

Cate growled at herself as she opened her eyes, then yanked the liner from the crotch of her panties.  The adhesive separated from the cotton with a soft rasp, echoing her growl of frustration.  Cate wrapped the soiled pantyliner in toilet tissue and shoved it angrily into the metal receptacle on the wall of the stall before leaning to rummage in her briefcase for a tampon.

As she took the necessary hygienic actions Cate blinked rapidly, clearing her vision of excess moisture.  The last thing she needed to do was walk out of this bathroom with teary eyes.  She couldn't give her young trainee any reason to doubt her authority or composure.  She had to be calm, cool, and in control.  Even if inside she was a mess.

Finishing her business, Cate reassembled her clothing and her gun, then exited the stall.  She stared at her reflection in the mirror as she washed her hands, wondering if anyone else would notice the sadness in her tired blue eyes.

Cate dried her hands, fiercely crumpling the paper towel before tossing it into the trash bin.  Raising her briefcase to balance on the vanity, she pulled out a brush and quickly tidied her thick auburn hair.  Then she pulled out her phone.

She needed one more private moment in this sanctuary, before she put on her game face and went back out into the workplace.  Her fingers moved slowly over the screen, choosing the recipient’s address and tapping out the brief text message:

FLO.

Cate tapped the “send text” button, then pushed another button to lock the screen.  She sighed sadly and took one last look in the mirror.  She forced a weary smile at her reflection, squared her shoulders, picked up her briefcase, and turned for the door.

*****

Still sweaty from his exertion, Jon stepped out of the elevator and into the hotel hallway.  He moved to the door of his suite and shoved the plastic keycard into the slot.  The door clicked open and he wandered inside.

With a bored sigh Jon tossed the plastic rectangle on the kitchenette counter.  He grabbed the towel he had left there before his workout and swiped it across his face and neck.  Draping the thick terrycloth rectangle over his shoulder, Jon picked up the room-temperature bottle of water he had pre-positioned with the towel.  He cracked open the plastic seal and drank deeply as he turned to stroll into the suite’s living room.

With a weary sigh Jon flopped down onto the sofa, not caring whether his sweat-soaked workout clothes might soil the plush upholstery.  He toed off his running shoes and stripped off his damp socks before reaching for his phone, which lay where he had dropped it before his trek to the hotel gym.  Jon unceremoniously slouched back against the cushions and propped his bare feet on the glass-topped cocktail table as he turned his attention to the electronic device that seemed to control his life these days.

Jon frowned as he swiped a finger over the screen.  In the hour-and-a-half he had been blissfully sans-technology his inbox had accumulated over five dozen e-mails and text messages.  He growled disapprovingly at the addition to his workload.

He briefly scanned down the list of communications, mentally sorting them by importance.  One immediately caught his attention and caused his mouth to curve into a small smile.  The reaction was short-lived, however.  Jon’s expression sobered when he read Cate’s solitary-worded text of an hour before.

“Dammit,” Jon murmured quietly, voicing his disappointment.  He sighed heavily.  Though the home pregnancy test Cate took last weekend had forewarned them of her uninterrupted menstrual cycle, Jon had silently held on to the slim hope that the test was a false negative.  But now the biological evidence was irrefutable.

Jon tapped at the phone and raised it to his ear.  He needed to hear her voice, to assure her of his love and support.  If he couldn’t comfort her in person, he had to do it the best way he could.

Cate started at the unexpected burst of vibration on her belt.  With a soft curse she fumbled with the papers she had balanced on her lap, trying to hold her place in the file with one hand while she reached for her phone with the other.  Managing to extract the phone from its holster before it kicked over to voicemail, she glanced at the incoming number.  Automatically Cate smiled as she swiped a thumb over the screen and raised the phone to her ear.

“Hey.”  Cate tipped her head to cradle the phone against her shoulder, freeing her occupied hand.  She hastily grabbed the other half of the case file, which was in danger of sliding from her lap to the floor of the sedan.

“Hey, Baby.  Where are you?”

“On the way from Trenton to Newark.”  Cate cursed softly as she attempted to stuff the documents back into the folder so she could focus her attention on her conversation.

“You’re driving?”

Succeeding in folding the thick file shut, Cate clutched at her phone as it threatened to slide from its tenuous perch between her cheek and shoulder.  “No…” She growled softly, not at Jon but at her own awkwardness.  “Santo’s driving.  I’m trying to go over this file before we get up there.  Hang on a second.”

Without waiting for Jon’s response Cate reached to set her phone on the car’s dash.  She roughly shoved the file into the open mouth of her briefcase, which rested between her feet.  Then she picked up the phone again and gave a little sigh before continuing.

“Sorry ‘bout that.  I don’t have enough hands.”  Jon’s chuckle in reply made the corners of her mouth curve upwards.

“S’Okay.  I just wanted to say hi.”

“Okay… Hi.”  Cate’s heart squeezed at Jon’s gentle tone.  She could instantly tell why he had called.  He had obviously received her text.

“Sorry, Baby.  About your ‘visitor’.”

Cate glanced sideways at Agent Santo.  His eyes were on the road, but he could obviously hear her side of her phone conversation.  “Thanks.  Not exactly a surprise.”  Cate chose her words carefully, not wanting to reveal the personal nature of the topic.

“Faith, Cate.  We’ll keep trying.”

“I know.”

“Do you want me to come home early?  My meeting with the TV people is this afternoon.  I can fly back tonight, if you want, instead of staying out here and writing with Richie.”

Cate smiled at his offer.  “No, don’t do that.  I’m gonna be really busy the next few days, so it’s not like you’d see much of me.”

“You sure?  Just say the word, Baby, and I’m on a plane.”

“No, Jon.  It’s okay.  Really.  Stay there and work with Richie.”

Jon’s soft sigh betrayed his mixed emotions.  Cate smiled gently.  She could tell he was both a little disappointed and a little relieved that she hadn’t accepted his offer.

“So, does this mean you start taking the fertility drugs today?”

Cate shook her head, even though Jon couldn’t see her response.  “No, in a couple days.  Toward the end.”

“Just the pills, or the shots?”

“The first thing.  Then the other, a few days after.” Cate shot another glance at Gus.  “Jon, I’ll call you back later and we can discuss this in more detail.  Okay?”

Jon’s throaty chuckle indicated his understanding.  “Okay.  So, you got your new Probie with you, huh?”

Cate was grateful he had taken her cue.  “Yes.  He survived last week, so I decided to hang on to him.”  She grinned as Santo glanced sideways at her, recognizing that he was now the topic of Cate’s conversation.

“What’s his name again?”

“Gus.”  Cate chuckled as she watched her partner’s cheeks flush at the mention of his name.

“You teaching him a thing or two, are ya?”  Jon’s voice turned playful.  “Does he know you used to be an instructor at the Center?”

“Yeah.  He was one of Bobby’s students.  I’m sure he’s heard all the stories.”  Cate winked at Gus when he again glanced from the road to her.

“All of them?”  Jon chortled.  “Lemme talk to him.”

Cate laughed softly, knowing exactly what her husband was thinking.  He always enjoyed “outing” her as his wife to her colleagues.  “I’m not sure that’s such a good idea."

“Aww, C’mon, Baby.  I just wanna say hi.  That’s all.”

“Yeah, sure.  That’s all.”  Cate sighed dramatically, though her smile remained.  “Hang on.”  She dropped the phone from her cheek and looked at her young partner.  “My husband wants to say hello.”

“What?”  Santo’s startled reply made Cate chuckle.   She tapped the screen of her phone, activating the speaker function.

“Okay, here he is.”  Cate held the phone toward Agent Santo so he could clearly hear Jon’s voice through the speaker.

“Hey, Gus.  How ya doin’?”  Jon’s greeting was a laid-back drawl.

Santo gave Cate a wide-eyed glance of slight panic before turning his gaze back to the road.  “I’m good.  Thanks.”  It was obvious from his hesitant response he didn’t know quite what to make of this situation.

“So, is Cate being good to ya?  Not bustin’ your chops or anything?”

Cate snorted at Jon’s gleeful question, then shrugged as Santo glanced again at her before answering.

“No, Sir.  She’s treating me fine.  Pretty cool, actually.”  Gus’ cheeks reddened slightly as he complimented his new Training Agent.  He didn’t want her to think he was sucking up, but he also didn’t want to piss her off.

“Good, good.  You gotta keep an eye on her, ya know.  Don’t let her pull any of that Probie-hazing shit on you.”  Jon chuckled loudly as he teased Cate’s young charge.

Gus grinned and laughed, a little relieved by Jon’s obviously kidding remark.  “No sir.  I’ll watch out.”

“Hey Gus?”

“Yes, Sir?”

“Quit calling me ‘Sir.’  My Dad is ‘Sir’.”

Cate snorted softly.  She rolled her eyes, smiling despite herself as she slowly shook her head.  She knew what was coming.

“Sorry, Si… uh… Mister Sullivan.”  Gus caught himself in time, modifying his training-ingrained response to use his new partner’s surname.

“S’Alright, Gus.  But it’s not ‘Mister Sullivan’, either.”

“Sorry?”  Santo visibly cringed as his faux-pas was pointed out by the cheerful voice on the other end of the line.  Cate stifled a laugh.

“You can call me ‘Jon.’  Or ‘Mister Bongiovi’.”

The flush on Agent Santo’s cheeks deepened at the good-natured rebuke.  Though he kept his gaze straight ahead Cate saw his eyes widen with comprehension.  She couldn’t hold back a soft giggle at his reaction.

“Uhh… Sorry.  Mister… Bon Jovi?”  Santo’s incredulous reply was a meek half-question.

“S’Okay.  Agent Santo, you stay on your toes, alright?  Listen to my wife.  She knows her shit.  And I’m counting on you to have her back.  Capice?”

Santo swallowed hard and nodded.  “Yes, Si… Mr. Bon Jovi.  I got it.”

“Good.  Have Cate bring you out to the house for dinner one of these nights, alright?”

“Uh… okay.”  Santo shot a wide-eyed sideways look at his Training Agent, who was now grinning amusedly at the exchange between the two men.  “Thanks.”

“No problemo, Gus.  You two stay safe out there, okay?  I look forward to meeting  you.”

“Me too.”  Gus nodded with his reply.  He stared ahead at the road, his mind swirling with disbelief at the encounter his partner had just sprung upon him.

Cate laughed softly and turned her phone back toward her mouth.  “Jon, I’m taking you off speaker.”  She tapped the screen, then pressed the device to her cheek.  “Okay.”

His self-satisfied laugh filled her ear.  Cate smiled at the sound, her heart clenching with a silent wish that she could hear it in person instead of through the little speaker on her iPhone.  “Happy now?” she teased gently.

“Not really,” Jon answered, his voice softening.  “That was fun, but getting home to you is what will make me happy.”

“It’s just a few days, Jon.  You’re in D.C. Friday, right?”

“Yes.  Can you come down to meet me?”

Cate sighed softly.  “I don’t know.  We’ll see how things go this week.  I’ll let you know Thursday.”

“Baby, I wish you would.  We can stay the night, go out for dinner, enjoy the sights.”  Jon’s gentle plea tugged at Cate’s heart.  “Just you and me.  A little romantic rendezvous.”

Cate chuckled. “Like all of Georgetown won’t be on the lookout for you?  You know the second you hit town down there it’s big news.”

“So we’ll use your connections, fly under the radar.”

“We’ll see.”  Cate sighed softly.  Jon’s proposal was tempting; she longed for a private evening with him after the whirlwind of holiday activity the last few weeks had brought.  But she just had no way of predicting how the rest of her week would progress, now that her case had broader and more significant implications.  “Call me tonight and we’ll talk about it.”

“Okay.”  Jon paused.  “You sure you’re okay, Baby?”

“I am.  Really.  Life goes on.”  Cate’s smile turned bittersweet.  “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Love you, Baby.”

“Love you too.  Bye.”

“Bye.”

Cate dropped the phone from her cheek and closed the call, then sat quiet for a moment before turning to give Santo an apologetic smile.  “Sorry about the ambush.”

The young agent shrugged, then grinned.  “Yeah, that was pretty sneaky.”  It was apparent from Santo’s tone that he was more awed than upset.

“He gets a kick out of talking to my partners, especially the Probies.”  Cate chuckled.  “Jon feels like he has some kinda kinship with you guys, since he went through the training.”

Santo nodded slowly, keeping his eyes on the road.  “So it’s not just legend, huh?  He really did it.”

Cate arched a brow.  “Depends what the ‘legend’ says.”

“You know.  That he was down at the Center training for some movie, and he met an instructor and married her.”

Cate nodded slowly.  “Yes.  It’s true.  That’s how we met.”  She gave Santo a long look, reading his nonverbals.  “What else does the legend say?”

Agent Santo shrugged.  “Dunno.  Just that he went off to film some movie and she followed him.  Didn’t teach there again.”  He glanced sideways at Cate.  “Guess everybody thinks she… you… hung up your career once you...”   Santo stopped abruptly, a little embarrassed to be repeating speculation and gossip to the subject of the rumors.

“Once I married a millionaire rock star?”  Cate finished Santo’s thought, unable to keep a note of bitterness from her tone.

“Uh… yeah.  I guess.”  Santo shook his head.  “Sorry, it’s just… well, I guess people assume if you have that kind of money, you don’t need to work.”  He gave Cate a sheepish smile.  “That’s just what I heard, anyway.  Sorry.”

Cate stared back at her young partner for a long moment, purposely holding her tongue.  She wanted to choose her words carefully, so that he didn’t get the wrong impression.  When she finally spoke, her tone was calm and even.

“Well, not that it’s anyone’s business, but… I love my job.  I’ve always wanted to be an Agent, and I worked hard to get to where I am today.  I’m dedicated to my career, and I have no intentions of quitting anytime soon.”

She took a breath.  “And as for what happened after Jon came to the Center… Yes, I did leave teaching.  But not to follow him; I went to a special duty assignment as a technical consultant for a television series.  Not the movie Jon was filming.”  She added the caveat hastily, at Santo’s raised eyebrow.  “I admit, my work with Jon did lead to that assignment.  But I didn’t leave teaching for or because of him.”

Santo chuckled softly.  “So it’s not the romantic Boy-Meets-Girl, Girl-Gives-Up-Career-To-Marry-Boy story, huh?”

“Not at all.”  Cate shook her head, then sighed.  “Look, Gus.  I know you’ve probably heard more than that, and quite frankly I don’t give a flying fuck what people think or assume.  Jon is a celebrity, and people are curious.  I get that.   But the decisions I made about my career and life are nobody’s business but mine and my husband’s.”

“Of course.  Sorry… I’m not trying to be nosy…”

“It’s okay, Gus.”  Cate cut him off with a shake of her head and a little smile.  “I don’t mind.  We’re partners, at least for the time being.  I don’t want you to be uncomfortable with me, or to think I’m not being up-front with you.”  She chuckled softly.  “And since Jon decided to ‘introduce’ himself, least I can do is answer your questions.”

“Um… Okay.”  Santo nodded slowly.  “To be honest, I heard something about you when I first got to the Manhattan Field Office.  Well, I didn’t know it was you, but I heard the agent who married Bon Jovi was ‘around’.  I figured that just meant she lives in New York City, since that’s where he lives.”

Cate chuckled.  “Well, yes.  I’m obviously around.  And I do live in the City, with my husband.”  Her smile softened as she wondered how long that statement would be true, recalling Jon’s suggestion that they move permanently to the house in New Jersey.  “So, that’s all you heard about me?”

Santo shifted in his seat.  “No, I heard that you’re a good cop, you work hard on your cases, you get a lot of pleas and convictions, and you have a lot of experience in Financial Crimes.”  He shrugged and gave Cate a little grin.  “Actually, I wanted to work with you because of that.  My degree’s in Finance.”

“Good to know.  I’m sure that will come in handy.”

“Guess because of your last name it never occurred to me that you were… Her.”

Cate nodded, giving Gus a little smile.  “Yeah, well.  My married name attracts a lot of attention, as you can imagine.”

“Smart of you not to use it professionally, actually.”

“You think so?”  Cate arched a brow.  She fully agreed, but was curious of Santo’s reasoning.

“Sure.  From a security standpoint, especially.  You don’t want to make yourself a target.  All kinds of Bad Guys would want to get their hands on a millionaire’s cop wife.”

Cate nodded.  “Right.  And?”

Santo shrugged.  “Well, I guess you kinda have a reputation to uphold.  I mean, your whole career you’ve been Sullivan, so why change that?  Just because you marry somebody famous doesn’t mean you stop being who you are.”

Cate smiled.  The kid was more perceptive than she expected.  “Exactly.  This is my career, not Jon’s.   My world, not his.  I don’t want to be treated differently because of who I married, and I don’t want my personal life to color my career.  Plus, when I’m in the field the last thing I want is for some other agent or cop or attorney or judge or whoever to be distracted from my case.  The work we do is too important.”

“Yeah.  And right or wrong… your reputation and credibility are built on your work, not on your name.”  Santo countered.  “As it is women have to work twice as hard for that, in this business.”

Cate’s brows arched with surprise at Santo’s comment.  It was unexpected, but dead-on.

“Yes, we absolutely do.”  Cate gave her young partner an approving smile.  “And good on you, for recognizing that.  Your mother would be proud.”

“My mother would kick my ass if I ever thought otherwise.”  Gus chuckled.  “She's a college professor.  And I have four older sisters.  Two lawyers, a doctor, and a mechanical engineer.”

Cate nodded.  “Well then… you know.”  She chortled softly at Santo’s shrug and sheepish little grin.  “Gus, I think we’re gonna get along just fine.”

“Yeah.”  Santo was quiet for a minute, his eyes on the road.  When he spoke again, his tone held a hint of hesitation.  “But if you don’t mind… can I ask?”

Cate smiled.   She knew what was coming.  It was human nature.

“Sure.  Fire away.”

“What’s it like, being married to a rock star?”

 “Never a dull moment.”  Cate chuckled, pulling out her standard reply.

“Yeah, I can imagine.”  Gus grinned, then continued.  “I guess you don’t go out on tour with him though, right?   I mean, since you have your own job.”

“Well, sometimes I do.  Occasionally we meet up when he’s on the road, if I’m traveling for work and take a couple extra days of leave or something.”  Cate smirked as her mind flashed back to a particularly memorable tour stop in Rio de Janiero, when she had surprised him in his hotel.  “Or sometimes I take a week or two off and travel with him.  But he’s home most of the time now that the tour’s over.”

“You must have a lot of famous friends, too.”

Cate shrugged.  “Jon does have some famous friends, yes.  But not many close ones.  His good friends are mostly just normal people.” She smiled.  “Believe me, our life ain’t that glamorous.”

Gus chuckled.  “I guess that’s a matter of perspective.  You go home at night to a penthouse or something.  I go home to a tiny shithole loft.”

“Yeah, well… I guess that’s true.”  Cate smiled gently.  “I’m lucky.  I’m married to a very smart, talented, accomplished man.  But our life’s not a bowl of cherries.  We have our trials and tribulations, just like everyone else.  Money doesn’t make life perfect.”

“But I bet it helps.”

“It’s nice to not have to worry about paying the rent,” Cate admitted.  “But it’s not my money, Gus.  It’s Jon’s.  I make my own money, same as any other civil servant.”

“Yeah, but if you wanted to quit tomorrow, you wouldn’t have to worry.”  Santo looked sideways at Cate and saw her smile fade.  “Not that I’m saying you should…” he clarified hastily.

Cate nodded slowly.  “No, you’re right.  I could walk away from this job and be financially sound.  But I don’t want to.” Her smile returned, a little more wistful than before.  “This job… it’s a part of me.  My identity.  It’s not about money… it’s who I am.”

Gus gave his partner a quizzical look, a little taken aback by the sincerity of her answer.  He could understand where she was coming from; ever since he was a little boy it had been his dream to be a Special Agent.  He couldn’t imagine doing anything else.

“Well then… it sounds like you have the best of both worlds.  A successful career and a good marriage...and the financial means to fully enjoy both.”  Santo chuckled.  “Who says you can’t have it all?”

“Yeah,” Cate agreed softly.  “I’m lucky.  I’ve got it all.”  She turned her head to look out the window as the lie echoed in her head.  She winced when, as if to punish her fib, a cramp twinged in her empty womb.

*****

The taxi rolled slowly along the clogged streets of the Nation’s Capitol.  On a drizzly Friday afternoon it seemed everyone was cutting the week’s last workday short.  Traffic was even more sluggish than usual.

Cate sighed and turned her face to the window.  She hardly saw the familiar buildings and landmarks or heard the patter from NPR radio as her cab crawled down Pennsylvania Avenue, away from Union Station.  Her grueling week had come to an early close, and now she wanted to focus on one thing and one thing only:  Jon.

To say Cate and her young trainee had been busy the past couple days was an understatement.  After Monday’s meeting with the AUSA in Trenton and trek to Newark, they had spent practically every waking moment immersed in the files, intelligence reports, and operations of the Organized Crime Task Force.  Cate’s Task Force colleagues had been eager to hear what she had uncovered in her investigation, and they reciprocated in kind, sharing volumes of painstakingly-collected, detailed information about her new target.

At first Agent Santo had been wide-eyed and a little unsure in dealing with his hard-charging, battle-tested colleagues, but he had wisely kept his mouth shut and his ears open.  His financial training quickly proved to be of benefit, and within two days he was fully a member of the team.  Cate had been quietly impressed with the Probationary Agent’s attitude and performance, though she doled out her praise sparingly and her advice generously.

She had put Santo vigorously through his paces over the past week, making him keep up with her own punishing schedule as they raced to assimilate their new knowledge into Cate’s case.  After a trio of sixteen-hour work days Cate and Gus finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel.  Thursday night they shared a midnight pizza at a local dive, celebrating the completion of their report to the Deputy U.S. Attorney General.  All that remained was their presentation to the Justice Department official following morning.

In the wee hours of Friday morning Cate lay thoroughly exhausted but awake, staring at the Manhattan skyline through the huge windows of Jon’s penthouse and feeling the dull ache of loneliness in the big empty bed.  She literally saw the word appear in front of her, a ghostly scrawl across the pre-dawn sky, a figment of her tired mind and battered psyche.

Enough.

She had done all she could do for her case.  Now she needed to take care of herself.

After completing her morning exercise and medical routine, Cate had packed a small overnight bag and typed a brief text message to her husband.  She made her trek by subway to the Manhattan Field Office, where Santo was already nervously awaiting her arrival for one last review of their presentation before heading to the Big Office upstairs.

Cate didn’t mention the suitcase or her plans to Santo.  She calmly walked him through his portion of their case presentation, double-checked their files and case summary, then led him to the elevator.  When they emerged an hour later from the Office of the Deputy U.S. Attorney General Cate had congratulated her young colleague on a solid performance then summarily dismissed him for the remainder of the day.

Special Agent Gus Santo had no doubt his Training Agent meant it when she told him to take the rest of the day off and to come back Monday, ready to bust his tail.  He had paused only long enough to wish Cate a happy weekend before departing his office, ready for some much-needed downtime.

After Cate ensured Santo had in fact left the building she prepared for her own escape.  She quickly perused her inbox, responding only to the most urgent e-mails, then set her out-of-office reply message.  Then she booked herself on the early afternoon Acela train from Penn Station to Union Station.  By the time Cate arrived in Washington her husband would be finished with his public service responsibilities and they would be free celebrate their reunion after a long week apart.

She had spent the train ride working on less sensitive duty matters, and on coordinating details of the  upcoming Bongiovi holiday party.  When she arrived in D.C. Cate practically sprinted from the train to the taxi queue, her excitement at seeing Jon getting the better of her decorum.

Now all that stood between her and a much-needed affectionate embrace was Friday early-rush-hour traffic.

Cate breathed a sigh of relief when finally the gridlock broke, just past 23rd Street.  The cab surged ahead, sailing down the widened avenue toward Georgetown and her destination.  In just a few short minutes the taxi pulled into the half-circle drive that fronted the Four Seasons hotel.

Handing a small pile of folded bills over the seat to the cab driver, Cate gave him a relieved smile and her thanks with the fare and tip.  She turned to exit the taxi, starting slightly when the door at her side swung open without her bidding.  She cursed silently, reminding herself of taxi etiquette as the smiling red-cloaked doorman offered her his hand.

Cate was used to taking care of herself, and it always startled her when a strange male intruded on her space, even with chivalrous intent.  Graciously accepting the attention of well-heeled attendants was something Cate had been forced to learn when she entered Jon’s world.  It had not come easily to her.

With a tight-lipped smile Cate allowed the doorman to hand her up out of the cab.  She drew the line there, however, pressing a tip into his gloved hand as she commandeered her small suitcase from his control.  Before the hotel employee could protest Cate wheeled her carry-on bag through the glass doors and into the ornate lobby.

Cate moved briskly through the lobby.  She knew this hotel well, almost literally inside out.  Years of field operations and protective details had brought her here time and again.  Agent Sullivan had followed unsuspecting targets in the public areas of the Four Seasons, and she had escorted dignitaries through the staff-only sections and private entrances.  This last skill made it easy for her to slip unnoticed through an unmarked door and into an express staff elevator for a solitary ride to the top floor, avoiding undesired contact with an elevator attendant.

In a few scant minutes Cate found herself in front of the mahogany double doors of the Georgetown Suite.  She felt a little tingle of anticipation warm her body as she raised her hand and rapped gently on the dark wood.  A gentle smile ghosted her lips as she awaited his response.

When the door swung inward Cate’s lips parted in a soft gasp of surprise.  Immediately her pulse jumped at the sight before her.

“Hey, Baby.”

Jon smiled sexily and leaned against the door.  He was shirtless, his rounded, silver-furred pecs seeming to shimmer in the entryway’s soft light.  A plush white towel was slung low across his hips, its securing tuck slightly left-of-center.  In one hand Jon held a half-empty glass of pale wine, the bend in his arm causing his bicep to flex enticingly.  He casually swirled the wine in the bowl of the glass, causing its circular foot to bump against his bare navel.

Cate chuckled softly, her sapphire gaze roving shamelessly over her husband’s magnificent form.  “Hey yourself.  Looks like you got a head-start on our date.”

“Nah.”  Jon’s husky chuckle made Cate melt.  “Just trying to keep myself calm, waiting for my Girl to arrive.”

He smirked sexily and stepped forward to meet her.  His mouth dropped to Cate’s, his lips lightly caressing hers in a brush of tightly-controlled passion.  Cate couldn’t help but smile quizzically at the mixed signal of the kiss as Jon pulled back and grinned down at her.

“I missed you, Baby.”  His sexy purr couldn’t conceal his excitement.  “Now come on in.  I got a surprise for you.”