Frank-enstein

She saw him as soon as she walked in the door. He was hard to miss standing several inches above his normally imposing 6' 1" frame, and wearing shoulder pads. She felt her heart skip a beat and her body flush with excitement at the thought of finally being near him again. It had been too long and she missed the sexy way he looked at her and the feel of his hands on her body.

He had been scanning the crowd for half an hour, frustrated that he couldn't find her. He continued to kick himself for agreeing to come to this silly costume party in the first place. He didn't even know what costume she would be in and it made it that much harder. When she had called him two days ago to tell him she finally had a weekend off to come and visit he mentioned the costume party that Monica had invited him too, and told her he would try to get out of it. But she had laughed and said it sounded like fun, making him promise to go. Now he was regretting that decision.

His start with Alex, Jake, Monica and Cody had been rocky at best. He had worked hard to win their respect and now they had finally gelled into a tight team, so when Monica invited him to the party he felt obligated to go. He realized later that having to come in costume was going to set him up for teasing that he didn't take well.

She worked her way through the crowd watching him, that always serious, brooding look on his face as he peered over the heads of the people in front of her. He hadn't spotted her yet, and she felt her adrenaline rush at the reality of seeing him standing there in front of her. Then they're eyes met and it was like no one else was in the room. His frown transformed into the sweetest smile and his eyes went from cold to warm in an instant. Oh, how she had missed him. They had been together for years, ever since law school at Harvard, and although she loved him and couldn't stand the thought of him not being in her life, having him for a boyfriend was trying at best. His line of work was incredibly stressful, and sometimes he would disappear for months at a time and she wouldn't know if he was alive or dead. The emotional distance he had to keep at times broke her heart, and the physical distance that often separated them was awfully hard on her body. He was oxymoronic, the gruff exterior he wore, always hiding the incredibly tender, sensitive and very passionate lover she knew was in there. The thought made her heart race as she now drew closer to him.

When he finally saw her he laughed. He should have guessed what she would come dressed as. He started towards her, trying to shorten the distance between them, as her smaller body was trapped in a group of people that wouldn't let her by. He however cut through the crowd like a plow, leaving a wake around him. He stood in front of her, his large hands coming up to caress her cheek then pull her face close to his. "In the movie, the monster carries his bride away... shall we escape now?" he whispered into her ear, his voice deep and tinged with sexuality, lightly kissing her skin below her ear lobe.

She felt her knees go weak as she heard the words then turned her face to look at him. "Why Mr. Stein, that would hardly be sociable now would it? I want to meet your new friends."

He chuckled. "I don't know that I would call them friends." He was leaning down to kiss her lips when Monica stepped up beside them.

"Hey boss, we didn't know you were bringing a date... for that matter, we didn't even know you had a personal life." Monica teased him.

Frank threw Monica a menacing look, and wrapped a protective arm around her. Elise fought the blush on her face, wishing for the kiss that had been so interrupted and stepped forward offering her hand to Monica. She felt Frank's hand graze her hip and she stepped back a half step, to stay close to him, wanting to feel him against her.

"Hi, I'm Elise. You must be Monica I've heard a lot about you."

"I am, it's a pleasure to meet you Elise... we've heard NOTHING about you..." she joked, throwing a look at Donovan that he rolled his eyes at, "I'm pleased to hear you've heard about us."

Elise laughed. "I have, and if he hasn't told you himself, I'll tell you how proud he is of you."

Monica looked at Frank, who was staring intently at Elise, a little grin on his face, not flinching a muscle as he listened to her speak. "Thank you Elise, indeed, we don't often see that side of Frank... nice choice of costumes, Frankenstein's monster and the Bride of Frankenstein, you two are a cute couple."

"Well thank you, whomever suggested to Frank that he come as 'Frank-enstein,' should be applauded... I'd say this costume has captured you're personality perfectly." Elise teased him, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning up to kiss his chin.

"That would be me... I'm the one who suggested it..." answered Cody, who had come up behind the group overhearing what Elise said. Elise turned to meet him, and laughed when she saw the man dressed as Cupid, with diaper, wings and bow and arrow. "And you are?"

Donovan made the introductions again; making it obvious that he wasn't really that interested in 'chatting' from the sharp edge in his voice. Monica and Cody had already learned to read that signal, and made a quick escape after once again welcoming Elise.

"Let's go," Frank pulled on her arm trying to turn her towards the door.

"No... not yet, I just got here. It took me forever to track down this costume," she teased him, running her hands up her black and white wig. After they had talked on the phone and he had told her what his costume was, she had called every costume store in Boston trying to find a Bride of Frankenstein costume to compliment his. "I want to enjoy the party... come on let's dance, like we used to... you remember, back when we were younger... when was the last time we danced?" She looked into those soft brown eyes of his and caught her breath.

"You really want to dance?" he asked, a slow smile spreading on his face, his eyebrow raising ever so slightly.

Actually now she wasn't so sure. The look in his eyes was making her think of any number of other activities, and she felt this intense need inside of her to complete the kiss that had been interrupted. She stepped closer to him and leaned up to pull his mouth down to hers. Their lips met, softly. Then he pressed his mouth onto hers more firmly, parting her mouth with his tongue, briefly tasting her, then pulling away to stand upright. The brief teasing kiss left her woozy and she looked up, confused.

"This is too public," he twitched her nose with his thumb, "my agents are watching, besides you said you wanted to dance." He winked at her as he took her hand and led her to the dance floor. She followed along behind him, shaking her head.

They slow danced together, but he was so tall in his monster shoes her head barely rested against his heart. She ran her hands up under the back of his old oversized jacket and let her hands rest on his ass, not visible to all of the onlookers, who gawked at the view of the two of them. She giggled when she pinched him and she felt him jump.

Alex and Jake had seen Cody and Monica talking to the couple and descended on them to find out who she was. The four stood together, watching the couple dance, amazed to see Donovan show so much affection. "Who is she?" Jake asked.

"I don't have the foggiest idea, but they act like they've known each other for a long time," Monica offered.

"Perhaps we ought to investigate her?" Cody suggested.

"Why?" Alex interrupted, "Leave them alone, she obviously makes him happy, look at the expression on his face." They saw Frank lean down to whisper in her ear, and then saw the smile on his face when she nodded her head and then kissed him on the cheek. Then the music changed and they laughed out loud when Donovan broke into a Travolta style disco stance, twirling Elise into his arms. Frank caught a view of the four of them watching him and he shot them an evil look, putting an end to their laughter. Then he smiled and laughed back at them, causing them all to sigh in relief.

"I say let's invite her to visit more often." Alex replied, "they're adorable together."

Elise would have smiled if she had heard what Alex said. But right now she was concentrating on Frank and the outlandish dance he was making up in front of her. She couldn't help but laugh at him, and he spun her around again when he saw the look on her face. Several dances later, both out of breath they headed for the bar to get something to drink. "A rum and diet coke for my bride, and I'll have a club soda," he ordered for her.

After the drinks, Elise excused herself to the ladies room, where she ran into Alex.

"Hi, I hear you are Elise, I'm Alex." She introduced herself.

"Hi Alex, excuse me, but I've got to pee!" Elise fought her way into the bathroom stall, pulling her dress up as she went. "Damn dress!" Alex laughed.
Alex waited for Elise to emerge, bladder now empty, debating about what to say to her. She was the one who suggested everyone leave the couple alone, but her agent training was getting the best of her and her curiosity was definitely piqued.

"So Elise, Monica says you are just visiting?"

"Mmmm yes... just for the weekend, this is my first visit out to Chicago since Frank took the job with UC." She answered; knowing Alex was fishing for information. Frank was never very forthcoming with people about his past, an unfortunate reality of the job he had, and Elise knew he rarely spoke to people about her. She recognized that he kept their relationship quiet out of fear for her safety, there was always the possibility that someone Donovan had busted would come seeking retribution and he didn't want it known that they were connected. But these were his most trusted agents, and it hurt her to realize that he hadn't even mentioned her to them.

"So what do you do?" Alex probed.

Elise debated about what to tell her, if Frank wanted them to know he would tell them, but she didn't see any harm in giving Alex the basics. "I'm a lawyer, I practice in Boston."

"Really? Criminal law?" Alex was curious if perhaps this was how the two had met.

"No, actually patent law," she paused debating about stating the obvious, then she continued, "I know you're rightfully curious about Frank and I, I can't blame you, he is an enigma to most people. I can't tell you too much, I think that is for Frank to share."

Alex smiled and blushed a little. "I'm sorry, I won't pry. We are just all so pleased to know that he has more to his life than just his job, it helps to know he's human, and you really seem to make him happy. Can I ask... have you guys been together long?"

Elise smiled then nodded, not able to keep her affection for Frank off her face, "Yeah, we've been together a long time... Alex, do me a favor... I've heard a lot of great things about you... Frank sometimes takes risks he shouldn't take in the field... would you make sure you watch his back for me."

Alex smiled knowingly, it sucked to be involved with someone in their line of work, it was lonely, and for the outsider often scary and frustrating. "I will, I promise. It was nice meeting you Elise, I hope we see more of you." Alex opened the door to find Donovan's chest directly in her line of sight. Apparently Elise had been gone a little too long. Frank shot Alex a questioning look when she came out of the ladies room ahead of Elise.

"What? Girls always gossip in the ladies room..." Alex teased him as she passed him by.

"What did you tell her?" Frank asked, having now found Elise wrapped in his arms as she hugged herself to him.

"I told her I was a patent lawyer who worked in Boston, and that we had known each other for a long time. She didn't press me for anything else." Elise looked up into his questioning eyes, knowing what he was thinking. "No, I didn't say anything about what happened those six months." She saw his expression relax and he propped his head on top of hers, sighing deeply.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell them about you, I just wasn't ready."

"That's okay... you always have good reasons, you know I won't push you... are you ready to go?... because I am," she teased him.

"I've been ready since the moment you walked in the door." She felt his beard tickle her ear as he whispered into it, his voice heated and tinged with sexuality. Her heart raced and her body instantly responded, he knew all the buttons to push on her. He took her hand and they headed for the door.

"Wait, shouldn't we say goodbye?" she pulled him to slow down, spotting Monica across the room.

He groaned and shook his head. "Will I never get you alone?" He followed her across the room.

"Monica, we are heading out, thank you for the great party." Elise offered. Frank stood quietly, waiting for the chitchat to end.

"I'm so glad you came. Say Elise... where did Frank learn to dance like that? Who knew the man had rhythm..."Monica laughed, then stopped when Donovan shot her his famous brooding stare. "Sorry boss... really you are very good." He didn't respond.

"I'll see you all Monday morning," Frank said, "I'm taking the weekend off. You know where to find me if you absolutely need something that cannot possible wait until Monday morning." His meaning was obvious.

"No problem," Monica answered, "you two have a great weekend."

"Thanks again Monica, please say goodbye to everyone for us." Elise yelled out as Frank drug her away towards the door. Monica shook her head and laughed as they left. She sighed realizing that her profile of Frank Donovan had been way off the mark. She had never suspected that he had someone this serious in his life, apparently her profiling wasn't as good as she thought.

They hurried to the car and Frank helped her in, she took off her wig since it was too tall for the car and breathed a sigh of relief at finally letting her own hair down. He hurried to the other side, always looking over his shoulder and climbed in next to her. Turning to look at her as she shook her hair loose he felt all of his frustration and yearning come pouring into his body and he frowned, feeling the intensity of how much he missed her overwhelm him. She saw the almost sad look on his face and reached out to touch his cheek. "What?" she asked.

He looked into her face and saw the concern in her eyes. He smiled a little, "I'm sorry, I just miss you so much." He wrapped his hand in her hair and pulled her to him, kissing her deeply, the intensity of it a mixture of sweet passion and frustrating urgency. She welcomed him into her mouth, feeling the warmth of his tongue caress her own as she kissed him back. "Elise, I need you in my life!" he hissed into her ear, barely able to control the passion he felt for her.

"I need you too." She whispered her own voice deep and almost gravely. She ran her hand down the front of his chest, then reached farther letting her fingers stroke the hardness she found. "Tell me that's not part of the costume."

He laughed, "No, my love, that will still be there when I take this blasted costume off!" She laughed as she leaned away from him, back into her seat and he started the car.

He drove fast, faster than she was comfortable with, but after all these years; she knew that whenever they first saw each other again, after such a long separation, that everything with Frank was fast and furious. She smiled anticipating what would happen when they got to his place.

He opened her car door for her and met her with another searing kiss when she stood up in front of him, his hands roaming her body. "Frank, perhaps inside would be better for this." He groaned and shook his head, taking her by the hand, headed for the front door. "Wait, what about my suitcase?" She had found his car before going into the party earlier and put her suitcase in the trunk.

"Later, you're not going to need any clothes for a while anyway." He opened the door and let her pass in front of him.

He had her dress off before they got out of the living room, then her slip before they hit the bed. He had kicked off his monster shoes and stripped out of the jacket and shirt. She helped him with his pants and felt him push her backward onto the bed, immediately climbing up and over the top of her, pressing her down with the urgency of his kiss. She ran her hands through the hair at the back of his neck and then started to laugh.

"What is so funny?" he asked, his voice ragged.

"You..."she pushed up onto her elbows as he gave her a little more breathing room.

"What?" he asked again, perturbed that she would laugh at him at such a moment.

She grabbed hold and yanked off one of the bolts from his neck.

"Owww!!" he yelped, putting his hand over his neck, "that's going to leave a mark!"

"Here," she handed it to him, "do you want to remove the other one? And you still have a fake scar on your cheek and forehead."

"Later, they're not bothering me..." and with that said, he pressed her back down and continued his assault on her. She arched her back underneath him as she felt his mouth move down her neck and stop at her breast, where he sucked hard on the peak between his teeth. She hissed and grabbed at his shoulders as he moved to do the same thing to the other breast. Then she felt his hands between her legs, pressing her open beneath him. First his fingers then the tip of his erection and before she could even groan his name she found herself filled with him. She wrapped her legs around him and pressed herself up, deepening the penetration between them and he groaned in pleasure. She smiled, then gasped when he withdrew from her and quickly ground into her again. "Hold on sweetheart," he whispered in her ear. He immediately picked up the pace between them and she groaned in satisfaction at the intensity of the sensations he drew from her body. They were both strung so tightly that it took no time for either to find release, and they lay together quietly afterward trying to recover from the aftershocks of such intense sex.

She rolled onto her side, and this time very gently using her tongue to wet her finger, worked the second bolt from his neck. He sighed and lay there, his eyes closed. Letting her touch him, explore him. She traced the scar on his shoulder from the bullet that grazed him so many years ago, the thin line on his rib from the knife wound. She couldn't dwell too long on his scars, they always made her sad, and brought out her fears that she would someday lose him forever. He fell lightly asleep, loving the feel of her hands on his body.

She lay listening to him for a while, then she climbed out of bed, grabbing an oversized shirt from his closet and headed for the kitchen, hungry. He immediately woke up, feeling her leave his bed and he got up, pulling on shorts and followed her. He made her a sandwich and they sat together at the table, now past the initial need for the physical, finally allowing a chance to catch up on the emotional. She filled him in on her recent caseloads, and he told her what he could about what they were working on. She didn't press him, knowing he couldn't tell her everything, even after all that they had been through together.

Finally, they retired back to the bedroom, now taking all the time in the world to rediscover each other. He coaxed moan after moan from her body, laughing at her as she wiggled underneath him. They touched every inch of each other, reassuring themselves that for now they were together and couldn't possibly get any closer to one another. When finally late in the night, they were sated and couldn't take any more she snuggled close in the crook of his arm, her leg draped over his and fell asleep. He lay stroking her hair, wishing things could be different, knowing it was impossible.

They woke late on Saturday, tangled together in the sheets. She teased him awake by running her finger down the strong line of his nose and across his bottom lip. He was awake long before he actually opened his eyes, and let her continue to touch his face waiting for the right moment. As she traced his lip again, he opened his mouth, biting her finger with his teeth, making her yelp and jump as he laughed at her. She swatted at him, smacking his shoulder with her palm and throwing her pillow at him. He ducked and grabbed the pillow, tossing it back at her. She climbed from the bed, still naked and grabbed his shirt to cover herself.

"Come back to bed," he groaned, throwing back the covers for her.

"No way buddy, you blew it when you bit me. No sex for you this morning."

"Ahhh come on sweetheart. I couldn't resist.... I'm sorry." He was pleading. But she walked away from him, grabbing his robe from the doorknob to cover herself more completely. He found her in the kitchen, pouring juice and searching for breakfast.

"It's almost lunch time," he said, coming up behind her.

She glanced up at the clock, "So it is, well then maybe we should have lunch." She turned to face him, to find him standing there naked, smiling at her. She blushed, after all these years the sight of his body still sent shivers up and down her spine. "You know showing up in here with no clothes on isn't going to entice me back to the bedroom." She tried to say with a straight face, knowing he would see through her blatant lie.

"mmm... I see... who said I wanted you back in the bedroom," he chuckled at her, drawing her body closer to his, leaning down to kiss her collar bone.

"What did you have in mind?" she couldn't resist him, and quickly gave up the fight. They didn't have enough time together to play games. He undid the tie on the robe and unbuttoned the shirt she was wearing, finding her body underneath. He turned and lifted her onto the counter, putting their hips now at the same height as she smiled at him devilishly. "You've thought about this, haven't you?" she teased him, positioning herself at the edge of the counter, tilting her hips towards him.

"Mmmm... more times than I'd like to admit." He tried to take his time with her, enjoying the chance to see her like this in the light of day, but she didn't seem all that interested in foreplay this morning and before long she had her legs wrapped around him wanting him inside of her. He was never one to deny her what she wanted, and he obliged her willingly. She tried to support herself by wrapping her arms around his shoulders, but couldn't control the movement of her body and found the entire experience much more satisfying when she held onto the edge of the counter and could arch herself away from him pressing her hips forward. He let out a loud groan and she felt him start to go weak as he came closer to his climax. She wrapped her legs more tightly around his hips to help support him, driving him deeper which sent them both over the edge. He clung to her breathing heavily, then helped her off the counter as he grabbed a chair and sat down pulling her onto his lap.

She laughed, and leaned down to kiss his nose. "You know Mr. Donovan, after all these years together, you still manage to surprise me. I think the sex has gotten better over the years, don't you think."

"If it gets much better, it's going to kill me," he groaned. She climbed off his lap, rebuttoning the shirt and threw the robe at Frank. Then she went back to the refrigerator to finish pulling out the food she had started to look for before being interrupted.

He headed for the shower, and emerged scrubbed and fresh smelling. She had pulled on a pair of his shorts and gone to retrieve her suitcase, and now waited for her turn in the bathroom. She passed him as he came out, pausing long enough to inhale the divine scent of him as he stood in front of her. "I love the smell of your skin right after you've showered," she whispered, then before he could grab her she closed the door behind her and locked it, knowing he would try to come after her. He pounded on the door. She laughed and climbed in the shower to get cleaned up.

They spent the rest of the day curled up together on the couch reading the paper, then walking in the park near his place, listening to the crunch of the leaves under their feet. They enjoyed the quiet time together. They talked on the phone all the time, so just to be side by side, physically together was such a treat they often tried to enjoy the quiet solace of each others company. Besides neither one was ready to talk about the inevitable arrival of tomorrow and her leaving again.

She fixed him dinner and then just as it was about to get dark, they were both surprised by the ringing of the doorbell. She looked at him, "Are you expecting anyone?"

"No..." he headed for the door, and was surprised when he opened it to find three little kids dressed like a butterfly, a vampire and a pumpkin standing on his doorstep.

"Trick or treat" they screamed. Elise came running to the door to see the kids.
He smiled, then frowned... he had forgotten to get any candy. Elise knew what the problem was and ran for her purse, finding gum and lifesavers. Appeasing the kids. She threw Frank his car keys.

"Quick, run to the store and get something."

"Can't we just shut off the light and pretend we're not home?" he pleaded.

"NO!! I want to see the kids... please."

As always, she got her way, and he headed for the store, returning twenty minutes later, with more chocolate candy bars than she could count.

"Frank, you got the full size bars... this must have been a fortune."

"They were out of all the small stuff." He shrugged his shoulders.

They spent the rest of the evening answering the door for little costumed munchkins, enjoying the chance to have a traditional evening together. But it made Elise sad thinking about the decision they had made a long time ago to not have children together. She always thought Frank would have made a great father.

The last trick or treaters come and gone, they finally retired for the evening. When Frank finally broached the subject of tomorrow. "Elise... when do you leave tomorrow?"

She sighed, "because of the time change flying east I leave here at 2:00, that way I'll get home about 6:00 or so, and I'm not ready for work on Monday yet."

"Home," he sighed, "isn't there some way you could call this home?"

"Donovan... don't go down that road right now," she wanted to be with him permanently, but it just couldn't happen. She never pushed him, yet every time they were together, he pushed her.

"I'm sorry," he grabbed her for a kiss to apologize and she let it go, not wanting to spoil their time together with a fight. The kiss deepened, and she felt the length of his body press hard against hers. She let her mind drift, allowing only thoughts of him and what he was doing to her to permeate her brain.

The morning arrived too quickly, beginning with a phone call from Cody. "I'm really sorry to bother you, I can't tell you how sorry I am to have to call..."

Frank could hear the insecurity in Cody's voice. "What is it Cody? Just tell me what's going on." Elise rose up behind him in bed to prop her chin on Frank's shoulder, afraid of what she might hear. Frank reached behind him to caress the bare skin of her back, feeling her press her chest against his back, then stood up and walked away from her, leaving her in bed alone. She could hear his voice raise from the living room, where he had stalked with the telephone. Then he said goodbye.

She had already climbed out of bed, and was pulling on clothes when he came back in the bedroom.

"I have to go my love, I'm sorry," he watched her pull on his T-shirt. Every time she left he lost a few pieces of clothing and he knew he wouldn't be seeing that shirt again. She always told him she tried to find things that smelled like him, and he knew she wore them to bed back in Boston.

"I figured as much, I understand," she looked up at him, her hair falling around her face. "Go... will I see you before I leave?"

"I hope so... but I don't know." He looked at her sadly.

"Will you be safe?" she asked.

"As safe as I can be." He promised. Then he pulled on clothes as she left the room, not saying anything, still barefoot, going to make coffee.

He found her in the kitchen. He had donned his shoulder holsters and was snapping in his guns as he walked in the room. She was leaning against the counter, where the day before they had such great sex now sipping a cup of coffee, one foot propped against the knee of the other. "I'll call you when I get into Boston, and leave you a message if you're not home."

"I'll keep calling until I hear you're voice," he replied, noticing the tears in her eyes. He strode to her, and pulled her into his arms, resting his head on top of hers. She wiped away her tears, then stood up in his arms, tightening her body against his until he stepped away from her.

"Go... I know you have to go." She pushed against his chest.

He looked down at her, cupping her chin, and tweaking her nose the way he always did. "You know how much I love you don't you."

"Yes, I love you too."

He turned to go, not saying anything else. Neither knowing for sure when they would next get to see one another. When he got home that evening she was gone, and his house now felt empty without her. His answering machine was blinking and he listened to her message, thinking of how far away her voice sounded. The tear slid down his cheek, and he didn't wipe it away.

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