Collateral Damage (Read 53,947 times)

[jwsel]

Chapter 541

Shane was still trying to process what was happening. A moment ago, he had been trying to calm Kim. Just standing beside her, he had been able to feel the anger radiating from her and, when she had suddenly bolted, he had feared she might do something to jeopardize the plea deal.

And now it turns out that Kim is the least of my worries, he said to himself.

He had sensed something had changed even before he actually heard Rachel Knight's question and Tarrington's stumbling response. Shane heard Kim gasp, but he was focused on the exchange taking place between the reporter and the ISA chief.

". . . . Isn't that the point of all of the work of all of those 'dedicated' ISA agents?" Rachel asked. I believe that was your term."

In 15 years of interacting with Tarrington, Shane had never seen the man look as flustered as when he tried to rally an offensive in response. "Ms. Knight, I hope you're not insinuating anything," Tarrington said.

Rachel dodged it easily. "I'm not insinuating a thing. I'm just asking a simple question. How did the Salem P.D. know the attack would be at Salem Elementary? How did it come by that knowledge?"

Shane jerked his head toward Steve, who was watching the entire exchange with the gleeful grin of a demented puppet master. That told Shane exactly how Rachel Knight had come by her knowledge.

"What have you done?" Shane whispered.

"We're saving your ass, Donovan," Steve shot back in a low voice. "Though you're going to have to give those photos back."

The photos hardly mattered. Didn't Steve understand the risk? Hadn't they gone over this the day before. They had no evidence. It was their word against the ISA. Shane started to respond, but Kim grabbed his hand and squeezed hard. Shane stopped and realized that Roman had taken the podium.

". . . can't really take credit--"

"Roman!" Jack Devereaux called out and Shane felt his stomach lurch. Is Jack part of this too? He looked at Steve, who had an even bigger grin, if that were possible.

"Now it's gonna get good," Steve muttered.

At the podium, Roman had opened the floor to Jack who announced, "The Spectator has critical evidence that the ISA is covering up a major part of what happened yesterday."

What evidence? Shane wondered. He leaned over to Steve and whispered, "Damn it, Steve, you don't have evidence. You can't bluff the ISA; you're going to get--"

Steve cut him off with an exasperated chuckle. "Oh ye of little faith. . . . Just be patient, dude."

At the podium, Roman was saying that only Tarrington could say if the ISA is covering anything up, but, "If you want to share with the rest of us, Jack, please go ahead."

"There is a videotape," Jack said dramatically.

Shane froze.

"As those of us with firsthand experience with Lawrence Alamain well know, the man was obsessed with making films." Jack seemed pleased at being able to share that personal knowledge with the press corps. "The attack on Salem was Lawrence's grand statement to the world, and he videotaped the entire thing."

Shane looked past Roman at Tarrington. The ISA Chief now looked entirely confused.

You didn't check for the video, old chap, did you? Shane asked silently. Of course not. Tarrington did not know Lawrence like Shane or Steve did. Shane turned back to Steve. "How--"

"This version of Roman's not such a bad dude once he gets past hating you," Steve said. "He's pretty useful, too."

Back at the podium, Roman narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't be bluffing, would you, Jack? Anyone who knew Alamain could speculate that he might have filmed things."

"But I doubt anyone would know what he filmed," Jack said.

Shane could tell that Roman was just playing along, but he suspected that only those in the know would detect that the exchange was scripted. "And what did he film?"

It felt like the entire room was holding its collective breath as Jack took a moment to respond.

"He filmed his attempt to kill Shane Donovan."

On the podium, Roman feigned surprise, then made a point of looking at Tarrington. If the ISA Chief had looked confused a moment before, he now looked shell-shocked. This press conference obviously was not going as planned.

"Tell me, Commander," Jack said. "Isn't it true that Lawrence Alamain tried to kill Shane Donovan yesterday, and it was because of what he revealed to former-Captain Donovan that you learned Salem Elementary was the intended target of the attack?"

Everyone in the room looked at Roman, who seemed to think for a moment before he replied, "It was a little more complicated than that, but I would say the answer is yes."

The room exploded. Reporters shouted questions, the words lost in the din, though Shane was sure he heard his name several times. Roman finally silenced them with a shouted, "Enough," looked back to Jack, and asked if he had any follow-up questions.

"Thank you, Commander," Jack said, sounding like a prosecutor in the middle of a cross-examination. "So if, as Chief Tarrington told us, Lawrence was stopped through the work of dedicated ISA agents, wouldn't that mean that former-Captain Donovan's work with the ISA is not so former?"

Roman pretended to evade the question. "I can't comment on ISA personnel matters. That would be for Chief Tarrington. I can tell you that it wouldn't be unusual for an ISA agent to pretend to be disgraced as part of an assignment. I believe Captain Donovan has even done so in the past."

"That's right," Jack said. He was preening. "And on the subject of Captain Donovan's 'disgrace,' would it surprise you, Commander, to learn that the video confirms that the facility in Egypt that Captain Donovan is accused of illegally attacking was operated by Lawrence Alamain and was where he was developing the toxin?"

Roman shook his head. "No, that would not surprise me in the slightest. . . . As I understand it, it was directly a result of Captain Donovan's mission in Egypt that we even knew about Alamain's plan and were able to prepare for it."

"Because of the rescue of Steve Johnson?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Roman answered, nodding. "Based on the information from Mr. Johnson, Shane, I mean, Captain Donovan--" Roman quickly covered the slip and returned to sounding officious. "Captain Donovan deduced that Alamain intended to attack Salem and set up the contingency plan that we used yesterday."

Carly stepped over before Roman could continue. "I can vouch for that," she said. "It was Shane Donovan who asked me to stockpile the antidote and watch for signs of any toxin attack. . . . If not for him, we wouldn't have been prepared for the attack at all."

Roman grinned. He looked again at Jack. "Anything else, Jack?"

"Nope, I'll let my colleagues have their turns," Jack said. "Oh, wait, just one thing." He turned to the other reporters. "When you get the video, please make sure the Salem Spectator receives appropriate credit."

He had barely finished when the other reporters began shouting out questions again.

"Was Donovan undercover?"

"Are the treason charges fake?"

"Did the ISA lie about Donovan's mission being unauthorized?"

At that moment, Shane became aware that Kim was squeezing his hand in a vice-like grip. He looked down at her and saw that her cheeks were wet. She lifted her head and, through the tears, her eyes shone with hope.

Roman let the reporters shout for another minute and then said, "These questions really aren't for me." He stepped back and turned to Tarrington. "Chief, I think you probably should address these."

Tarrington looked like a man about to face a firing squad, but he had no choice. He quickly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. He walked slowly to the podium as if rehearsing what he would say. But as he walked, his demeanor changed. Slumped shoulders pulled back. Tarrington raised his lowered head. By the time he reached the podium, he almost seemed like he was back in charge. Tarrington even faked a grin as he began to speak.

"I obviously had intended to delay the announcement, but I must commend Mr. Devereaux for his excellent investigative techniques." Tarrington spoke so smoothly that only someone who knew him could tell how much it nearly killed Tarrington to say that. "Yes. . . . I guess our hand has been forced and I must reveal that Captain Donovan was working for the ISA."

"Shane!" Kim said, her word a mix between a gasp and a low hiss.

Shane could almost not believe he had heard Tarrington. It needed to be repeated.

"So Captain Donovan was working for the ISA all this time?" a reporter shouted. "The treason charges were part of the plan?"

"Um. . . ." Tarrington was struggling to hide his fury at being cornered. But he had no choice. "Yes, the treason charges were part of the plan to 'free up' Captain Donovan. Things did not exactly go according to plan due to the unfortunate incident with Cal Winters, but we knew Captain Donovan was the best man to go after Lawrence Alamain."

Another reporter shouted, "And the charges?"

For an instant, Tarrington looked away from the reporters, toward the area where Shane, Kim, Steve, and Kayla were standing. Shane could see the fury and anger in Tarrington's eyes as he must have realized for the first time that they were in the audience. Shane's eyes locked on Tarrington's, but just for an instant before the ISA Chief looked back at the press corps and answered the question.

"The charges will be dropped immediately."

[MrsM]

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gapeach]

Finally. Something tells me that Tartington is not going to be real happy with Steve, Roman, Jack and Rachel.

[fluffysmom]

Woo hoo!!!! So happy that the plan went so smoothly. Gotcha Tarrington!

[jwsel]

Chapter 542

"The charges will be dropped immediately."

Kim had to let those words replay in her head a few times. The charges will be dropped immediately. After everything they had endured through the past several months, it was almost too simple, too easy for it to end with just those simple words.

She realized that she was still gripping Shane's hand extremely tightly, but she almost feared to let go. Maybe this was all some dream and, if she released his hand, she would wake up and it would be morning all over again.

No, this is real, she insisted silently. She looked up at Shane's face. He was still watching Tarrington.

"Shane?" she whispered.

His mouth moved, but no words came out. He seemed too stunned to speak.

Steve laughed. "I don't think I've ever seen Donovan speechless before. The man with all the words can't find any."

Shane shook his head. "I . . . I don't believe--"

"Believe it," Steve said, quickly cutting Shane off. "Now, why don't we make ourselves scarce? Unless you want to get mobbed by all those reporters when they figure out you're standing here."

Kim had been so focused on Shane that she had not realized that the press conference was ending. A glance at the podium showed her that Tarrington had regained his bearings and was making a concluding speech about the "tireless work of the ISA." She did not want to hear any more.

"Roman's office," she suggested in a low voice.

Kayla nodded. "Good idea."

Steve steered Kayla down the corridor toward Roman's office. Kim started, her hand still gripping Shane's, but he hesitated. His eyes were still focused on the podium, as if he did not wanting to tear his eyes away from Tarrington.

"It's real, Shane," Kim whispered. She tugged on his hand and he moved a step sideways toward her, then followed as she continued to pull him down the hall.

When they got to Roman's office, Bo was already there, his arms wrapped around Steve in a bear hug. "We did it," he said as he and Steve both grinned. Then Bo let Steve go and turned to Shane. "Sorry, Gov'nor. You didn't really think we'd let the ol' ISA scare us off, did you?"

Shane still seemed stunned. "I . . . I really don't know what to say." He shook his head like he was trying to clear it. "I'm grateful. . . . I really--"

Steve cut Shane off with a laugh. "Seriously, dude, stop it. You're making me a little misty-eyed here." He swatted Shane on the shoulder. "No thanks needed, Donovan. This was all family."

"Am I missing something about family?" Roman said, as he came bursting through the door, a broad grin on his face. "Make way for the actors.

Carly and Jack followed, his notebook in one hand a pen in the other. Kim saw Steve scowl at Jack, who, with a resigned shrug, put the pen in his pocket.

"Hey. . . ."

Looking up, Kim saw Roman smiling down at her. He held his arms out and asked, "Does my performance deserve some award?"

Kim felt such a surge of emotion that she dropped Shane's hand and rushed forward. She buried her head against her brother's chest and swung her arms tightly around him. "Thank you," she said, feeling the grateful tears sting her eyes.

"It's not an Oscar, but it'll do," Roman joked as he hugged her back.

"Hey, my turn," came Bo's voice from behind her. Kim turned away from Roman and her younger brother swept her into an embrace. He held her close and whispered, "It took too damn long to get you and Shane back together. We weren't gonna let the stupid ISA take him from you."

A stream of wet tears were flowing down Kim's cheeks and she choked a little as she said, "You always did look out for your big sister."

"Well, this was definitely a group effort," Roman said. "John also. He would've been here too, but we thought it might be hard to explain why he was here for the press conference." Roman paused for a moment. "But the credit really belongs to Steve. It was his idea."

Kim jerked her head around and looked at Steve. He shrugged. "Guilty as charged."

For a moment, she studied him. It was funny, she thought, suddenly thinking of how much they had all been through since Steve had returned. With a bit of a shock, she realized it had only been five months since she had first seen him at Donovan Manor, looking half-starved and barely able to climb a set of stairs. Now, he looked like the Steve Johnson of old -- healthy, happy, and whole. His eye met hers and he smiled.

"Thank you," Kim said. It seemed completely inadequate, but it was all she could think to say.

"Aw, it was nothing compared to storming an armed compound in the desert with a bunch of Green Berets," Steve said. "Did Shane ever tell you how hot that place was?"

Kim reached up and pecked him on the cheek, causing Steve to blush. As she did, Kayla cleared her throat.

"I think we've been caught," Steve joked.

Kayla laughed and then it was her turn to give Kim a hug. Neither said a word. They didn't have to. Kayla's eyes were brimming with happy tears too.

When they pulled apart, Kim looked at everyone who was still hugging and reliving the press conference -- her brothers, Steve, Jack, and Carly. She suddenly realized that one person was notably not involved.

Turning, she saw that Shane had turned his back to the group. He had stepped over to Roman's desk and was staring down at the desk. His palms were resting on the desktop and his shoulders were hunched forward.

"Go talk to him," Kayla whispered in Kim's ear, but the encouragement was unnecessary. Kim was already crossing to the desk.

Reaching him, Kim asked in a soft voice, "Are you okay?" She tilted her head so she could see his face, which was lowered.

He nodded, and she could see that he was struggling to stay composed. "I never expected this," he said, almost under his breath. "I still can't believe it."

As if on cue, Mickey Horton entered the office. "Here you are," he said, as he spotted Shane, who turned to face the door. "I just spoke to Lewis Pasqua. He's drawing up the dismissal papers as we speak."

Someone cheered, but Kim barely noticed. She was watching Shane, who seemed to still be processing what Mickey had said.

"It's over, my love," Kim told him. She grabbed his hand and, the tears again flowing freely, embraced him. "It's over, and we don't have to worry about our family ever being apart. We won, Shane. We beat the ISA."

From behind her, she heard a harsh laugh. Kim pulled her head back and turned to see that Tarrington had entered the room unnoticed. From just inside the doorway, he stared looked around the room at the group assembled in the office. Then, in a curt, clipped tone, he said, "Yes, Kimberly, I believe you have."

[fluffysmom]

It's great to see everyone so happy and getting along.

Wonder what Tarrington will have to say.

[MrsM]

I really hope it is over and Tarrington doesn't have any other tricks up his sleeve.

[gapeach]

I don't see how he can. Surely he realizes that there is NOTHING he can do to them anymore. He better not expect Shane to come back either!

[jwsel]

Chapter 543

Steve jammed his hands into his pockets and stepped forward in front of Kayla when he realized that Tarrington had entered the room. Of course the man would not let this go. He would have to have some last word and probably make a few more threats.

Unable to stop himself, Steve growled, "This is a private party, Tarrington. Family and friends only. You ain't family, and you definitely ain't one of our friends."

Tarrington responded with one of those smug looks that Steve so desperately wanted to wipe off his face. "Soon enough, Mr. Johnson. I just wanted to congratulate Shane." The smug mask fell a little and Steve could hear some bitterness in Tarrington's voice as he looked at Shane. "Good play, old chap."

Then, just as Steve knew he would, Tarrington brought out the threats. Damn Feds. They are so predictable.

"There will be consequences, of course," Tarrigton said, turning his gaze on the others in the room. "You were warn--"

"No, there won't," Shane said, stepping forward until he was eye-to-eye with Tarrington. "This is over, Tarrington. You've threatened my family and the people I care about for long enough. You could do that while you had charges hanging over me, but if you do one thing to hurt anyone in this room or anyone even in Salem because of what happened today, I will make sure every reporter in the country knows the ISA is behind it within hours."

If this is a bluff, it's a damn good one, Steve thought. He almost laughed, but he wanted to make sure he caught every word that Tarrington said.

Obviously, Tarrington thought Shane was bluffing, because he responded with an amused chuckle. "You would never betray the agency, Shane. We both know that."

"If the agency harms innocent men and women for political retribution, going public would be saving the ISA, not betraying it." Shane sounded deadly serious. "You already used my children as pawns when you knew they were in danger. Cal Winters was out there and you played games with my family's life." Shane's eyes narrowed. "I should rip you to shreds for that--"

Tarrington backed a step away. "Now, now, Shane. Don't do--"

Steve had to grin at the fear in Tarrington's eyes. He doubted anyone in the room would stop Shane if he beat the ISA Chief silly.

"I said I should," Shane said evenly. "But I'm willing to let you walk out of this room with your limbs intact provided you swear to leave these people be. They beat you. Accept defeat graciously, because this ends now." When Tarrington seemed to hesitate before responding, Shane added, his voice low and threatening, "Don't test me. I'll have no compunction about bringing down a third corrupt ISA Chief who abuses his power by harming innocents. Think about what I did to your two predecessors. Remember Nickerson and Vaughn. I brought them both down; I'll do it to you."

For a moment, Tarrington's and Shane's eyes locked. But only for a moment. Then Tarrington blinked and looked away.

"Very well . . . you win," Tarrington said, saying the words as if they had to be torn from him. But as Steve expected, the man would not just walk away quietly. He needed to have the last word.

Keep talking, Chief, Steve told himself.

"You should be complimented for out-maneuvering us," Tarrington said. "Though I am surprised. I would never have expected you to have pulled this rabbit out of your hat. Yesterday, you were quite convincing when you said you were taking the deal."

This time, Shane gave the amused response. "Yesterday, I was quite sincere. You don't seem to understand. What happened out there had nothing to do with me." Shane shook his head. "I was just as blind-sided by all of this as you were. You should give credit where it's due."

His gaze turned to Steve. Tarrington's eyes followed and his expression turned to a scowl.

Steve pulled his hands out of his jacket pockets and held them up. Pain radiated from his shoulder, but he refused to show any sign that he was hurting as he gave Tarrington a mocking grin. "Guilty as charged."

Come on, Chief, give me everything you've got, Steve thought.

"I should have known," Tarrington muttered.

Steve glared back at Tarrington, the look in his eye at odds with the light, almost-amused tone he used. "Well. . . . I don't take too kindly to threats against my friends and family either," Steve said. "That's one way the Captain and me are alike."

Steve looked into Tarrington's eyes and he could see the loathing and fury that the other man was fighting to contain. It looked like his entire face was clenched so tight, it might break.

Finally, with a jerk of his head, Tarrington looked away. Then, in a low voice, he said, "I should never have had them rescue you."

Ah, time for the truth to come out.

"How about we put that in honest terms?" Steve shot back. "Let's not pretend my rescue was ever part of your agenda. What you mean is that you shouldn't have added me as a secondary objective so you could use that to railroad Shane when you needed political cover?"

Tarrington snorted. "I might not put it precisely in those terms, but that's close enough. You always were more trouble than you were worth, Johnson. I almost regret that Shane proved too competent on that mission. We could have just as easily obtained the virus antibodies from your corpse."

"You son of a--"

Tarrington cut Steve off. "I must say that Alamain did have one thing right. You really do have an incredibly inflated sense of yourself. You have never been anything but an afterthought. You are nothing but--"

The sharp sound of a slap echoed in Steve's ears at the same time as he saw Tarrington's head swing sharply to the left. Steve looked down to see that Kayla had stepped forward. Her right hand was still raised. The palm was already red.

"Don't you dare say another word." Her eyes were blazing as she glared at Tarrington. "That's my husband you're talking about."

Tarrington stared back at Kayla, one hand on his cheek. He looked dumbfounded.

Steve chuckled. "Don't worry, Sweetness, I've heard worse than 'afterthought.' Larry called me insignificant. . . . But I wouldn't expect anything different from El Jefe here. All he does is make threats and use people; to him, we're all pawns. Like Kim and the kids when Winters was threatening them. Tarrington didn't give a damn if they got killed as long as he could use them as leverage to get Shane to cop to a plea deal. And he was ready to lock me up to get me to tell him about Alamain. Isn't that right?"

"We needed the information you had," Tarrington said, having recovered from his surprise at being slapped.

"You could've asked," Steve said, his voice nearly a snarl.

Tarrington responded with another snort. "You would have refused on principle, Johnson. You wouldn't have cooperated voluntarily, so we had to be prepared to take matters into our own hands."

"By locking me up?" Steve asked.

"By any means necessary," Tarrington responded.

Steve shook his head. "Just like you threatened to lock John and Roman up and destroy Carly's career if they didn't go along with your lies at the press conference."

"Yes . . . well, you see how successful that turned out," Tarrington said bitterly. He looked around the group and Steve could tell that Tarrington wanted to make some more threats, but the man looked at Shane and he stopped. Tarrington seemed to bite down on his tongue, then turned suddenly and stormed out of the office.

"And I thought he was one of the good guys," Roman muttered.

Steve grinned. This Roman was growing on him. He walked over to Kayla and put a hand on her shoulder. "How's the hand?" he asked.

She turned and looked up at him. "I wish I could have done a hell of a lot worse."

"That's my girl," Steve said, chuckling. He gave her a quick kiss and then glanced across the room at Shane, who had an arm around Kim. With a grin, Steve said, "About time you finally stood up to that blowhard." He quickly raised a hand. "No, don't tell me why this was different."

Steve knew that Shane probably had some reason for why he could threaten to bring down Tarrington and the ISA now, when he was willing to go to jail before. The reason probably even made sense to Shane -- some "logic" behind it. That was a part of Shane that Steve would never understand. He just had a different way of looking at the world. To Steve, Shane's way was too black-and-white, too by-the-book, too rigid, but, in the end, Steve had to admit grudgingly that he and Shane did seem to reach the same place.

So maybe it's not wrong, Steve thought. Just different.

Kim hugged Shane and said, "I don't want to know either. I'm just glad it's all over. Now we can get on with our lives."

Shane just nodded. "Me too. I just want to go home and be with our family. I don't even want to think about Tarrington. I'm done with that. I'm done with the ISA."

As Shane turned to ask Roman about how best to leave the building without running into reporters, Steve tried to hide a smirk. He reached back into his jacket pocket, felt around until he found what he was looking for, and then pulled out the small piece of silver metal. The red light on the top of the little recorder was lit, and it whirred softly as it continued to capture the noise in the room.

You think you're done with the ISA, Donovan, Steve thought. Under his breath he said, "Maybe not as much as you think, dude."

[fluffysmom]

I love Shane reminding Tarrington that he brought down two corrupt leaders of the ISA already.

[Minako98]

Oh! I wonder what Steve has in mind with that tape recorder...

[MrsM]

Sneaky sneaky Steve!

[gapeach]

So glad that Steve got Tarrington on tape. You never know when you might need some leverage! Way to go Kayla!!!

[jwsel]

Chapter 544

Kim came awake slowly and stretched lazily in the early morning light. She looked around, realized that the bed was empty, and noticed that Shane's robe was gone. Turning to the clock, she saw that it was 7:23 a.m. and chuckled. Of course, Shane would be up early. He was almost as bad as Andrew on Christmas morning.

Climbing out of the bed, she quickly donned her robe and got cleaned up. She checked the nursery, but was not surprised to find it empty. As she made her way downstairs, she could hear noise coming from the kitchen.

"But why can't we now?" Andrew whined.

Shane's voice oozed with patience. "Because we're going to be civilized, young man, and only savages would open presents before their mother and sister woke up."

"And we are most definitely not savages," Kim joked as she stepped into the kitchen.

Andrew turned quickly in his chair and leaped out. "Mommy!" he shouted, rushing over to give her a hug.

Still at the table, Shane was holding Jeannie in his lap. He rolled his eyes. "That was civilized."

Kim crouched down and kissed Andrew. "Merry Christmas, honey." Letting go, she crossed over to the table and kissed Jeannie on the cheek. "Merry Christmas."

"I hope I get one of those too," Shane joked. She tilted her head and saw his eyes sparkling. "The kiss, I mean. Though the 'Merry Christmas' would be nice too."

Kim gave him a sly grin that she made sure Andrew could not see while she leaned past Jeannie. Her eyes closed as their lips met. She moaned a little, marveling at how something as little as a kiss could send such strong sensations through her. Her lips parted and she felt Shane's tongue slowly met hers. When they finally broke apart, she breathed, "Merry Christmas. . . but I already said that a few times last night, didn't I?"

Shane smiled, probably at the reminder of the night before. "Yes, you did." They had been up late setting out presents. It had been after midnight by the time they finished putting Andrew's new bike together and then they had toasted Christmas morning with Eve when she arrived home from Wings. By that time, Kim should have been exhausted, but she had pulled Shane upstairs and into their bed, where they had made love until the early hours of the morning. "I hope you don't mind my trying to let you sleep in," he said.

"Like Andrew would let me?" Kim asked.

"I guess not. . . . Hey, Sport. . . ." Shane called out to Andrew, who hurried over. "I have a great idea," Shane said. When Andrew looked at him anxiously, Shane glanced at Kim, then motioned Andrew close, and, with a conspiratorial gleam in his eye, whispered something in the boy's ear. Finishing, Shane pulled away and then said, "Can you do that? Exactly like I asked?"

Andrew nodded, turned on his heels, and ran out of the room.

Seeing the expression on Shane's face, Kim sighed. "What did you just tell our son to do?"

"Nothing," Shane said innocently. In the face of Kim's look, he added, "I just suggested that he wake Eve." After another long pause, he finally confessed, "By sneaking into her room and shouting 'Merry Christmas!'"

"Shane!"

But Kim's cry was nothing compared to the shriek that echoed through the house.

Kim cringed and shook her head as Shane began to chuckle. "Sometimes," she grumbled, but she did not bother to finish the thought. Instead, she held out her arms, took Jeannie from Shane, and switched places with him just in time for Andrew to race through the door and duck behind Shane, cowering as a furious Eve stormed through the door.

"Where is he?" she yelled. "Where is that little twerp?"

Shane gave her a cheerful smile. "Merry Christmas, Sweetheart."

Eve stopped and put her hands on her hips. "You put him up to that, didn't you?" Her question was met with silence and a look of pure innocence on Shane's part. Seeing that she was going to get no admission from Shane, Eve looked at Kim.

I'm not getting in the middle of this, Kim told herself. She quickly shook her head and pointed in Shane's direction.

"Oh, gee, thanks," he said to Kim, though he was teasing. "Stab me in the back, why don't you?" Turning back to Eve, Shane gave her a disarming smile. "It's Christmas morning, darling, and your brother has been waiting patiently for you to join us so he can open his presents. We couldn't have you sleep the entire day away."

Eve gave him an exasperated look, which was followed by an exaggerated huff. "It's not even 8." But seeing she was going to receive no sympathy, she grumbled, "Let me get some coffee, at least."

Shane looked down over his shoulder at Andrew and said, "I think the coast is clear. You can come out now." Andrew scooted around Shane's leg, though he kept a wary eye on Eve. But Shane was right. Now that Eve had some caffeine in her, she seemed to no longer mind the rude awakening.

Kim motioned to Shane, who leaned over so she could whisper in his ear. "As my father would say, 'You could charm the knickers off a nun.'"

"Do they have to be a nun's?" Shane whispered back. "Yours are much more fun to take off."

"Shane!" Kim felt her ears burn, even as she laughed. It was so wonderful to laugh again. In just the week since the charges against Shane had been dropped, it had felt like the darkness had lifted from the house. All of the strain and fear had just disappeared.

"Can we open presents now?" Andrew asked, his tone midway between a whine and a plea.

Shane and Kim exchanged a wry glance as Shane pointed out, "Seeing as he risked his life in the quest to open presents early. . . ." He nodded in Andrew's direction. "Lead on, good chap."

Andrew turned and ran from the room. Eve rolled her eyes and then followed calling for Andrew to wait until the others got there. In Kim's lap, Jeannie fidgeted and leaned forward, her signal that she wanted to be put down. Complying, Kim lowered the little girl to the ground and Jeannie immediately toddled in the direction her siblings had gone. Shane held out a hand to Kim, who took it and stood up.

They followed the kids down the hall, where they could hear Andrew excitedly pointing out who different presents belonged to. They had just reached the foyer when the doorbell rang.

Shane looked at Kim with a quizzical expression on his face. Kim was just as confused. Who could be here this early on Christmas morning? She stood there as Shane walked over to the door and opened it. On the porch stood a man that Kim had never seen before. He wore a dark, expensive overcoat that exposed a little of his well-tailored suit.

"Captain Donovan, I presume?" asked the man as he held out his hand. "Martin Baker, Associate Deputy Director. . . CIA."

Kim stepped close to Shane. The cheer in the house had dissipated and she felt a chill run down her spine. What could the CIA want? She silently urged Shane to shut the door in the man's face, but Shane just crossed his arms and spoke evenly.

"I can't imagine why the CIA would have any business with us, particularly on Christmas morning," Shane said.

"I can understand your hesitancy, Captain, but--"

"I'm no longer a Captain," Shane replied. He spoke in a curt tone that Kim could tell was an attempt to mask the bitterness he must have felt. Kim wondered if the other man could tell how hard that was for Shane to acknowledge.

"Yes, about that. . . ." The man's voice trailed off and he hesitated before he said, "If you would just give me a few minutes. I flew here from Washington to speak with you and it's very important. Please . . . just a few minutes."

Shane looked over at her and, despite her misgivings, she nodded. Whatever it was, a CIA official would not have flown to Salem on Christmas morning if it wasn't important.

"Very well," Shane said. "Please come in." He waited for the man to enter and then shut the door. The man took a moment to look around the foyer, catching sight of Eve and Andrew, who were just inside the doorway of the library. They were both staring at the stranger.

"Perhaps we could talk in private," he said to Shane, who looked apologetically at Kim and the kids, told them to start opening presents without him, and then led the man to the study.

Kim debated following them, but she looked at Andrew's expectant face and sighed. She shrugged when Eve asked what Kim thought was going on and then suggested that Andrew open a box that contained some action figures he had wanted. Kim picked up one of Jeannie's presents -- a stuffed bear she had wrapped the night before. She figured the kids could play with those while they waited for Shane to return.

That seemed to work. She and Eve were left to sit nervously, while Andrew began putting his new ninja turtles through their paces and Jeannie bounced on Kim's lap, giggling at the new bear she clutched close. Meanwhile, Kim felt an uneasy fluttering in her stomach.

Had they overlooked something, she wondered. Maybe Steve's plan had worked too well. They should have know they couldn't undermine the ISA's plan like that without problems.

She told herself she was being silly. If the government was going to seek retribution, there would be federal agents storming the house, not a lone official on the doorstep, pleading to be heard.

So what do they want?

It felt like an eternity before Kim heard voices outside the library. Lowering Jeannie to the ground, Kim started to rush toward the open door, but stopped herself. She figured Shane would prefer that she remain composed -- outwardly, at least. Steeling herself, Kim walked slowly to the doorway.

". . . I hope you understand," Shane was saying. He was standing by the door, and seemed very calm, but sounded resolute.

"I do, Captain," the man replied as he pulled on the overcoat that he must have removed in Shane's study. "And I understand that this has been a difficult time. . . . Look. . . ." He finished putting on his coat and faced Shane. "It's Christmas, so nothing is getting done in Washington until after the new year. Spend the time with your family and think about what we discussed. Take the week. Maybe you'll reconsider."

Shane seemed to mull it over, but then responded, "I'm pretty sure my mind's set."

"Think about it," the other man said. "You have my card. Call me at the end of the week and tell me then." He looked up at Kim and nodded. "Mrs. Donovan--"

"It's Brady," Kim said, almost instinctively.

The man flushed a little at his faux pas. "Of course, I'm sorry. . . Ms. Brady. And I'm sorry to have intruded. Merry Christmas."

He disappeared through the door before Kim could respond. When he was gone, she looked at Shane.

"Shane?"

He looked back and said, simply, "He offered me a job. I said no."

"What job?" Kim asked.

Shane started walking to the library. Casually -- too casually -- he said, "Chief of the ISA."

The what? The foyer seemed to spin and Kim felt her mouth moving, but could find no words. She looked at the library doorway to see an equally stunned Eve. Meanwhile, Shane had spotted Andrew.

"We seem to have far too many presents left to open, young man," Shane said, crouching down beside the boy. "How about you go pull a few more from under the tree for you and your sisters to unwrap."

As Andrew ran over to the tree, Kim finally recovered enough to speak. In a low voice, she asked, "Someone from the CIA just offered you the job as head of the ISA?"

Shane looked up and nodded.

"What about Tarrington?" Kim asked.

Shane chuckled a little. "Tarrington. . . Tarrington has been sacked." At Kim's wide-eyed look, he stood, walked over to her, and wrapped his arms around her waist. In a low, even voice, he said, "None of that matters, Kim. I told him no. . . okay? If the last few months have taught me anything, it's that what's important to me is what's right here in this house. You and our children are all that matters, and I told him I won't give that up for the ISA."

Kim felt her heart swell as she looked into Shane's eyes. They told her that his words were sincere. He meant it. She reached up and cupped his face with her hands.

"And you and our children mean everything to me," she said, before she pulled his head toward hers and kissed him.

"Are they kissing again?" Andrew asked, groaning.

Shane pulled away. "We may be testing the scientific limits of a five-year-old's ability to be patient when there is a roomful of presents to open."

They took a seat on the sofa and watched as Andrew began sorting gifts for everyone. Kim barely paid attention; her eyes were on Shane, who was holding Jeannie in his lap and helping unwrap her presents. He was showing the wide-eyed little girl a new doll, though he kept looking over to the other children so he could share their excitement with each gift Andrew and Eve opened.

This is how it should be, she thought. Had it really been just several days earlier that they had faced not just Christmas, but years apart? Now they had their entire future together, in this house, as a family.

As if he could read her thoughts, Shane looked up, his eyes sparkling. Kim flushed a little, but he reached out, squeezed her hand, and then turned to Andrew.

"Why don't you see if there's anything under the tree for Mommy?" Shane suggested. His conspiratorial wink to their son gave Kim an inkling that something was up. When Shane pointedly did not meet her look, she knew it.

"Shane. . . ."

He did not answer, but waited for Andrew to carry over a small box wrapped in red and gold paper and hand it to Kim. She took it from her son, who looked at Shane as if waiting for directions. Shane patted the sofa on his opposite side and Andrew climbed up.

"Go on, Mommy," Andrew urged. He was sitting on his knees so he could look across Shane, who had one arm wrapped around Jeannie. Behind them, Eve had taken up a position so she also could watch. There was an expectant smile on Eve's face that added to Kim's nerves.

Kim felt her heart begin to beat faster as she looked down at the small package. Her hand trembled as she picked at the wrapping. As the paper came away, revealing the little velvet box, it began to slip from her palm, but Shane caught it before it could fall.

She could only stare silently at the box now in his hand. The box actually began to blur as she felt her eyes fill.

"Kim," Shane said tentatively, but she just nodded and then looked up at him.

"Yes," she said, the word barely audible. She forced herself to take a deep breath and repeated, "Yes, I will."

Shane started to grin, but then stopped. "You haven't even opened it," he pointed out. "You don't even know what's inside. How do you know it's not a key to a new garden shed or something like that--"

"A key to a garden shed?" Kim raised an eyebrow and then looked down at the box. "I know you, mister. You and velvet boxes."

Shane shrugged. "So call me predictable," he said. "I guess there are worse things." He was still holding Jeannie on his lap with one arm, so he could only use one hand to open the little box. It came open with a flash as the diamond inside caught the morning light.

Kim glanced at it, but the ring was not what she wanted to see. She looked instead into Shane's eyes, which shone back at hers. There's so much love there, she thought. What did I do to deserve this much love?

"I'm trying to think of something to say," Shane said, his eyes not leaving hers. "'Third time's the charm' seems a bit trite, doesn't it?" Then he grew a bit more somber. "No. . . . what I want to say is that I can't think of anything more perfect than to do this now, this way, with our children here." He looked up at Eve and then at Andrew and finally down at Jeannie. "Our family, Kimberly, this family that has been through so much. What I said before is true. It has taken me a long time -- far too long -- to recognize what matters, and what's most important is our family, our love -- and I will fight for that love and trust that love and do whatever it takes to keep that love, because without it . . . without you, this family is not complete. I'm not complete."

Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but Kim ignored them. She stared back into Shane's eyes and breathed, "I'm not complete without you, Shane Donovan."

"Then would you do me the honor of becoming my wife -- again?" Shane smiled softly and held up the ring. "Will you marry me, Kimberly?"

Kim tried to answer, but the words caught in her throat. For a long moment, she could only nod. Finally her voice returned and she managed to say, "Yes. . . . Yes, I'll marry you."

[Minako98]

OK I should NOT have read this while at work. Tears are streaming down my face...