1 comments/ 3425 views/ 2 favorites Chances Pt. 02 By: AshiraDatya :: CHAPTER THREE :: Shoshana adjusted her hijab in the mirror and tucked the last few strands of hair inside and secured them with a bobby pin. She glanced up when Asher came up behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "Are you doing okay?" he asked. "I'm fine," Shoshana assured him. "Good, ready to go?" Asher asked. Shoshana nodded and followed Asher out of the room. Neither of them spoke until the elevator doors had closed behind them. "We can't let Jake or anyone else find out about this," Asher reminded her. "I know. And since you washed the sheet and got the blood out, nobody should be the wiser," Shoshana murmured. "I don't regret it, please don't think I do," Asher said. "I know," Shoshana assured him. They fell silent again as the elevator doors opened and a tall man walked into the elevator. Shoshana let her eyes drop to the floor as Asher stepped closer to her and slightly in front of her. When the elevator doors finally opened on the bottom floor, Asher led Shoshana by the hand out of the elevator and into the restaurant. "How was your nap?" Jake asked, standing as his team mates walked up to the table. "Fine," Shoshana said, hoping her voice didn't give anything away. "Good. I found a note taped to my door saying my room was bugged, Ash said you guys had one too," Jake began after the waiter had left with their drink orders. "We did. I'll be running a scan after we get back up there, but our emails did not indicate that we were found out," Shoshana replied. Jake nodded his head. "What did you guys do, besides take a nap?" Jake inquired. "Nothing," Shoshana said a little too quickly and she glanced at Asher out of the corner of her eye. "When I knocked on the door, it sounded like things were getting pretty hot and heavy in there. I heard moans and screams," Jake commented, narrowing his eyes slightly. Shoshana flushed. "Just an act Jake. We want people to think that Lil and I are married remember?" Asher answered. He found Shoshana's hand under the table and gave it a gentle squeeze. The waiter returned with their soft drinks, took their dinner orders and left them alone. "As long as it was just an act. You sure had me convinced, so you should convince anyone listening in," Jake said. He studied Shoshana carefully. "Are you okay?" he asked her. "I'm still a little sleepy, the time change is killing me," she lied. Jake nodded, satisfied with the answer and pulled a piece of pita out of the basket and dipped it in the humus that came with it. "You guys know that I would personally not have any problem with you having a relationship, but regs state ..." Jake trailed off as a waiter approached the table with a phone. "Excuse me, Mister Osborne, there is a telephone call at the courtesy phone. You may take it in the lounge," the waiter interrupted politely. Jake thanked the waiter, stood up and followed him into the lounge. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "What's wrong?" Asher asked after watching Shoshana fiddle with the rings on her finger for the thousandth time since they had been back in the room. "Jake heard us. Do you know what kind of trouble we can get into?" Shoshana whispered. The room had been swept for bugs and they had been deactivated. "He bought my answer, Sho. Just relax. Everything will be fine, I promise," Asher murmured. He sat down on the bed and pulled Shoshana to him. "How are you feeling?" he asked before pressing a kiss to her neck. "I'm a little sore, but I feel good," Shoshana answered, blushing. "Good." Asher slid his hands over Shoshana's arms and cupped her breasts, pinched her nipples gently. "Ash," she whispered, squirming against him. "You are so damned beautiful," Asher groaned. Shoshana turned towards him and Asher captured her lips with his and kissed her until they were both breathless. A knock at the door had them flying apart. "Stay here," Asher instructed as he reached into the nightstand for his gun. He walked over to the door. "Yes?" Asher asked. A quick glance over his shoulder told him that while Shoshana was in the sleeping area of the bedroom, she too had grabbed her gun and was ready to back him up if need be. "It's Jake," he called. Asher opened the door. "Your story earlier, about the sex being an act, it's complete bullshit," Jake said as Asher closed the door behind him. Jake crossed his arms over his chest as Asher and Shoshana put their guns away. "No it wasn't," Shoshana argued. "Are you sure? Because the two of you have been attracted to each other since college," Jake wanted to know. "Why would I jeopardize the op?" Asher asked, his eyes narrowing. "I just needed to make sure. The boss wanted me to make sure nothing was happening between the two of you," Jake said after a minute. "Sho, do we have anything yet?" he asked. "No, nothing yet, nothing concrete," Shoshana answered, sitting down at the desk and turning on the laptop. "We have been getting some chatter, but nothing that we can use," she added. "Keep me informed. I'll be by in the morning," Jake told them both. Asher followed Jake to the door. "Lock the security bolt tonight, but have it unlocked by nine tomorrow morning. I'll let myself in," Jake said. Asher nodded as Jake opened the door and let himself out. Asher locked it behind his friend and returned to the room. "Sho?" Asher asked. "What have we done?" Shoshana whispered. "Shoshana, listen to me, we've done nothing wrong. We are two consenting adults, and we care about each other," Asher said. "We've jeopardized the mission," Shoshana's voice trembled. "No, no we haven't. If anything, we kept our cover. We're married, remember?" Asher said, squeezing her hand gently. Shoshana smiled slightly as Asher played with the rings on her finger. "No guilt Sho. There is nothing wrong with what we've done," Asher added. "No guilt," Shoshana agreed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Good morning," Jake said cheerfully as he walked into the room with a plate of danishes and Turkish coffee. "Morning Jake," Shoshana answered, not looking up from the computer as she input the data that had come in over night. "Where's Ash?" Jake asked, setting the plate on the table. "In the exercise room," Shoshana answered, accepted the cup of coffee from her friend and team mate. She took a sip before setting the cup down and stretching, winced at the tenderness in her legs and pelvis. "Are you okay?" Jake asked in concern. "Yeah, I just slept wrong and I must have pulled a muscle," Shoshana lied. In truth, she and Asher had stayed up until the wee hours of the morning having sex and snuggling under the blankets. "Morning guys," Asher said as he walked into the room. Even though he had only slept for four hours, he felt energized and refreshed. "Give me five minutes to shower and I'll be ready for the briefing," he added, grabbing a clean pair of boxers and a pair of jeans. Shoshana swallowed hard when Asher came out of the bathroom a few minutes later, drying his hair with a towel. "What have we got?" he asked Shoshana as he grabbed a chair and pulled it up along side hers, his knee brushed against her leg and Shoshana resisted the urge to moan. Her whole body felt like she was on fire, every touch from Asher made her relive the night before and yearn for him even more. "Hamid took the disc back to the office, and our program is bypassing their firewall. We're getting a lot of data. It's going to take some time to go through it all," Shoshana answered. "Good, keep it up. The boss wanted me to pass something along," Jake said with a sly grin. "What?" Asher asked, giving his friend a suspicious look. "She said to do anything necessary to make it appear that you're a married couple," Jake said. "What is that supposed to mean?" Shoshana asked. "Our support team has reported that the two of you look like you're just friends. You need to act more like a married couple. Hold hands in public, kiss a little. Act like an American couple in love," Jake answered. "We need them to think that you are head over heels in love with each other. So if you need to make out to give that impression, by all means, do that. Just don't go any further than that. Give them the impression that you're going to have sex, as long as you don't," Jake added. "And if we have to have sex to help with that illusion?" Asher asked. "Why would you have to?" Jake wondered. "Sometimes it can be difficult to make the noises without actually performing the act," Asher reminded him. Jake nodded and chewed on his lip. "Then be careful," he said slowly. "Careful?" Shoshana wondered. "Don't get knocked up, and don't fall in love," Jake advised. He picked up a danish and turned to the computer. "Alright, let's analyze this data," Jake said. -Two months later- Shoshana stretched out on the bed and tried to focus on her book while she waited for Asher and Jake to return from their errands. She'd been feeling queasy all morning so she had been instructed to rest while Jake and Asher got the information they were looking for. She looked up sharply when the door opened and slammed shut. "Ash?" Shoshana asked, sitting up quickly. "It's okay, I'm sorry if I scared you," Asher soothed as he engaged the deadbolt. "What's going on?" Shoshana asked. "I missed you," Asher admitted. He walked over and sat down on the bed, brushed the hair away from her face and tucked it behind her ear. "How are you feeling?" he wanted to know. "Better," Shoshana answered. "Good," Asher murmured before kissing her hard. Shoshana wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned as she felt his hands slide under her night gown. One hand cupped a breast and the other slipped past her panties and into her warm, tight pussy. "God you are just drenched! What have you been doing?" Asher's voice was deeper than usual, the desire raged through him like a hurricane. "Thinking about you," Shoshana admitted with a soft moan. Her hands slid from his neck to his chest and she began working the buttons until she was able to pull the shirt off of him and dropped it on the floor by the bed. Asher kissed her again, his tongue mingled with hers. "Now Ash, please!" Shoshana gasped. Asher groaned as he felt his belt loosen and once Shoshana had unbuttoned and unzipped his pants, he kicked them off and let them fall to the floor, followed closely by his boxers. Asher pulled his fingers from her pussy and pulled Shoshana's panties down her legs and let them drop in the pile of clothing before he covered her with his body. His hard cock slid home; he thrust into her over and over, Shoshana rose to meet him thrust for thrust, she moaned against his lips and cried out when he tweaked her nipple between his fingers. "Don't stop, Ash! Please don't stop!" Shoshana whispered. Her body tightened in ecstasy as Ash sucked on her collar bone and Shoshana let out a shaky scream. "Beautiful!" Asher moaned. His body convulsed and he came hard, his seed flooding her pussy. Asher pulled a taut nipple into his mouth and suckled gently. Shoshana gasped and dug her nails into his back. "What's wrong?" Asher asked softly. "Nothing," Shoshana's voice was sleepy, just above a whisper. Asher smiled and kissed her softly. "Rest," he murmured, lifting himself off of Shoshana. He lay on the bed next to her, pulled Shoshana to him and she snuggled against him. Asher and Shoshana were startled awake when the door to their room was opened, the deadbolt did nothing to prevent the intrusion. "What is the meaning of this?" Asher demanded. "You are under arrest," a police officer announced. "What?" Asher asked, stunned as one of the officers grabbed him by the arm. "Get dressed, both of you!" the officer commanded. Asher fumbled for his clothes, and glanced back at Shoshana, concerned at how pale she had become. "What are we being arrested for?" Asher wanted to know. "For being American spies," the officer answered. Before Asher could voice protest, the officer hit him on the head with the butt of his AK-47. "Ash!" Shoshana screamed. "Do not even think about moving!" the officer warned. Shoshana glanced back at the night stand and swore under her breath. The officer had his gun pointed at Asher's head and she knew that if she tried to reach for her gun, Asher would be dead in an instant. The officer motioned his other men forward and a cloth sack was placed over Shoshana's head. She began to scream until she felt the cold steel of a knife on her neck. "Keep quiet or you and your lover both die." Shoshana swallowed and allowed herself to be quietly taken from the room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Wake up!" an angry voice boomed. Shoshana gasped when a bucket of cold water was dumped over her head and her eyes snapped open. "Who are you and who do you work for?" a tall man with broad shoulders demanded to know. "My name is Lily, I work for a small technology company in Michigan," Lily answered, giving her cover. "You lie!" the man exclaimed. "I'm not! I swear! I'm an analyst. I just input data!" Shoshana screamed when a leather strap was slapped against her back. "Stop your lies!" the man commanded. "I'm not lying! I just look at the incoming data and put it where it belongs on the server!" tears streamed down Shoshana's face as she was whipped over and over again. "That is enough!" a voice called from the doorway. "Take her into the cell," the voice added. Shoshana cried out weakly as she was grabbed by her underarms and dragged into a cell. The door was unlocked and she was thrown inside. She groaned as she landed in a heap on the dirty floor. "Lily! Thank God! Did they hurt you?" Asher's voice was strained and he tilted her face towards his, the tears streaming down her face caused his eyes to darken with anger. "I'm okay," Shoshana whispered, but she winced when Asher ran his hands over her body to check for injuries. "They beat you," Asher said. Shoshana nodded. "I'll kill them," Asher vowed. "Have you seen Jake?" Shoshana asked as Asher helped her to her feet. "No, not yet," he answered. Shoshana clung to him like a child would and he hugged her gently. "I'm scared," she whispered. "Me too baby, me too," Asher admitted. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "I swear, I don't know anything!" Shoshana cried. Asher struggled against the men that held him as the whip flew through the air, a loud crack filled the room followed by a scream of pain as the whip landed on already abused skin. "She doesn't know anything," Jake said from the doorway. His voice was tired and strained as he was pushed into the cell with his friends. "I will tell you anything you want, just let my sister and brother go," he added. "Give us the information and if we decide you are telling the truth, we will let the girl go," their captor demanded. "Jake," Asher warned. "Don't try to stop me Ash, this is the only way," Jake argued. "Jake, no!" Shoshana exclaimed. "Do you want to die Lily?" Jake demanded to know, his green eyes flashed with anger. "Of course not," she whispered. "Then shut up and do what you're told," Jake warned. "Both of you," he added, looking over at Asher. The guards came back and grabbed Shoshana by the shoulders. "Let her go! We had a deal!" Jake snarled. "Give me the information I desire, or I kill them both," their captor promised. Jake turned away from his friends and relayed information that he hoped would buy them enough time to get away. "I will be back after I verify this. If it is false, you will watch her die slowly and painfully, after we torture her first." Jake swallowed and fought the urge to look back at his friends. "Why?" Asher wanted to know. "Ash, I need to tell you something," Shoshana murmured. "Can it wait?" Asher asked. "No, not if we're about to die," Shoshana answered, her voice trembling. Asher glanced at Jake and turned back to Shoshana. "I love you Ash," she whispered. Asher crossed the room to where the guard had left her, pulled Shoshana into his arms and hugged her as tightly as he could without hurting her. "I love you too, beautiful," he replied. "Ash, I wanted to tell you before, but," Asher cut her off with a kiss. "Ash, this is important!" Shoshana insisted, pulling away. "We don't have time for your PDAs," Jake warned them. "Ash, I think I'm pregnant!" Shoshana said, tears welling up in her eyes. Jake and Asher stared at Shoshana. "What?" Asher asked, unable to keep the surprise out of his voice. "I think I'm pregnant," Shoshana repeated. "I was supposed to start two weeks ago, and I'm never irregular," she added in a rush. "So much for faking," Jake said with a grin. "Real cute Jake," Asher snapped. "Ash, please, say something," Shoshana whispered. "I'm so sorry to have dragged you into all this," Asher said after a moment. "Why?" Shoshana asked. "This is dangerous, going into the field and ..." "I regret nothing," Shoshana interrupted. "But ..." "Of course, I would like to be able to hold my baby, but I don't regret anything that's happened since we've been in this God forsaken desert shit hole," Shoshana said, her voice soft, the tears in her eyes ran down her cheeks. "Don't cry," Asher pleaded, wiping them away. "You're both getting out of here," Jake said. Asher and Shoshana turned and stared at him. "I mean it. If you're pregnant, the both of you will get to see and hold and love this baby. If not, then you'll be free to go about your lives. I promise," Jake told them. "You're crazy!"Shoshana whispered. "I know. Here's what we are going to do," Jake agreed. Shoshana and Asher leaned in and listened to Jake's plan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Hello? I have brought some food," a young feminine voice called from the hallway. Shoshana resisted the urge to sit up and try to run when she heard the keys in the lock. "Walid told me to bring you food and water while they wait for whatever business they are doing to finish." The door opened and the young woman walked into the cell, gasped when she saw Shoshana laying motionless on the dirt floor. "Oh Allah, please do not let her be dead!" the young woman gasped, rushing to Shoshana's side. "Allah isn't here right now, but you're lucky,I'm not dead yet!" Shoshana said softly, rolling over and covering the woman's mouth with her hand. The woman began to struggle and Jake wrapped an arm around the woman's neck and squeezed gently until she passed out. Jake silently eased the woman to the ground and hurried to the door. "We're clear," Jake whispered, motioning Shoshana and Asher forward. Shoshana grabbed the keys off the ground and followed Asher and Jake through the door, quietly locking it behind her and tossed the keys back through the bars. Asher pulled Shoshana between his body and Jake's. "I'm a big girl Ash," Shoshana murmured. "No time to argue," Jake broke in before Asher could say anything. He led the way through the maze towards the only source of light he could find. He picked up a large rock, hurried forward and smacked the guard over the head with the rock. The guard hit the ground hard, never even hearing Jake approach from behind. Jake grabbed his gun and stealthily returned to the boulder Asher and Shoshana were hiding behind. "We have company," Shoshana whispered. "I hear them. There's a jeep outside, by the fallen guard. Run, I'll buy you some time," Jake commanded. "But Jake they'll kill you!" Shoshana gasped. "You're more important. Ash, get her out of here," Jake instructed. He saw the look on Asher's face and shook his head. "That's an order," he added. "Good luck," Asher said finally. "Go!" Jake exclaimed. Asher pulled Shoshana towards the entrance while Jake headed back into the tunnel, firing the assault rifle he had confiscated from the guard. "Good luck my friends," he thought as a bullet struck him. Jake fell to his knees and everything went black before the rest of his body even hit the ground. Chances Pt. 02 : CHAPTER FOUR: "Shoshana, I'm Doctor Johnson, how are you feeling?" a kind looking woman asked as she walked into Shoshana's room. "Better," Shoshana said with a smile. "You were dehydrated, the IV should be helping with that, have you eaten anything?" the doctor wanted to know. "A little." Shoshana fiddled with her hospital ID tag. "Doctor Johnson, am I pregnant?" Shoshana asked, not sure if she really wanted to know. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Ash, oh my God! I'm so glad you're safe!" a tall brunette shrieked, running to meet him as Asher stepped off of the chartered plane. "Hey Jessi," Asher said with a smile. He grunted when she threw her arms around him and squeezed tightly. "I'm okay, but you need to let me breathe," Asher managed. Jessi grinned and loosened her hold around his neck. "Sho, oh my God, look at you!" Jessi exclaimed when she saw Asher's teammate. "I look worse than I really am," Shoshana said, her voice strained at the sight of Asher holding another woman. "Are you sure Sho, you look ready to fall over," Asher said, concerned. "I'm fine. We need to debrief and then we can all go home," Shoshana answered. Asher nodded and pulled away from Jessi. "I'll be out in the lobby as soon as I can," Asher told Jessi. She nodded, kissed his cheek gently and walked over to the visitor's lounge while Asher and Shoshana headed into the employee elevator. "How are you doing? Did you talk to the doctor about ..." Asher trailed off as other employees walked on to the elevator. Shoshana waited until the elevator cleared at the next floor before saying, "Don't worry, you're free and clear." "Damn it Sho, are you pregnant or not?" Asher demanded to know, his voice a harsh whisper. Shoshana swallowed and glanced around. Nobody appeared to have heard Asher's question which made her sigh in relief. "Well?" Asher asked, more gently. "No, I'm not," Shoshana said finally. "You are one hundred percent free," she added. Asher studied Shoshana's face for a moment, and Shoshana could have sworn she saw disappointment in his eyes. "Margo is ready in the conference room," Danny announced, walking into the hall. "Coming," Shoshana said, and without another glance at Asher, she walked away, even though her heart was breaking. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Shoshana waited nervously at the airport, tapping her fingers impatiently on her knee, a million thoughts racing through her head. Asher stood a few feet ahead of her, leaning against the wall by the gateway, his whole body was tense as he waited for the plane to taxi to the gate. Shoshana wanted to talk to him, they had not really spoken since she had told him she was not pregnant. She regretted telling him she was not and had to remind herself that lying to him was for the best. He was with Jessi, he loved Jessi and the time Asher and Shoshana had together in the desert was just a lapse in judgement. "Ash?" Jessi asked softly. Asher turned and looked at Jessi and offered a smile. "Are you okay?" Jessi wanted to know. "I'm fine, I'm just tired," Asher answered. He saw Shoshana sitting in a chair behind them and ached to go over to her. Shoshana had stayed away from him in the two and a half months that they had been home and it was killing him. He longed to hold her, to kiss her and continue what they had started all those months ago in the desert, but every time Asher tried to talk to her, Shoshana made up an excuse and hurried away from him. A voice over the PA system announced the arrival of the flight and both Asher and Shoshana turned their attention to the door of the gate that the plane was docking at. "Do you think he's okay?" Shoshana asked softly as she stood and headed to wear Asher and Jessi stood. "I hope so," Asher murmured, biting back a moan as Shoshana brushed by him. He grabbed her hand and kept her from walking any further away from him. "How are you?" he asked softly. "Do you want to talk? Mia said you've been having dreams," Asher added. Jessi put an arm around Shoshana and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Talk to Ash, you guys were so close once. I'll go sit down so that he is not overwhelmed," Jessi added and walked away. "I'm fine Ash, really." Shoshana tried to pull her hand out of Asher's, but he held it tightly. "I've missed you," Asher said quietly. Before anything else could be said, the door opened and a flight attendant pushed a weary man in a wheel chair into the airport. "Man are you guys a sight for sore eyes!" the man exclaimed as he struggled to his feet. Shoshana rushed to him and held his arm as he stood and gave him a tight hug. "I thought you were a goner," Shoshana whispered. "G-d Jake, how did you survive that?" No longer able to fight back the tears, Shoshana clung to Jake tighter as the months of pain, fear and frustration wore her down. Jake wrapped his arms around Shoshana and held her as her tears soaked the shoulder of his shirt. "Everything is okay now Sho, I promise," Jake murmured. Finally, Shoshana stepped back, sniffled and wiped her eyes. "I'm glad you're home," Shoshana said with a smile. "Ash, get your ass up here," Jake instructed when he saw his friend hesitate. "You look like death," Asher finally said with a laugh. "Well, I feel like death, so I guess that is about right." Jake laughed a little and gave Asher a quick hug. "Damn bro, you have got to fill me in on what I have missed," Jake insisted as he slid back into the wheel chair. "Are you okay?" Shoshana asked, worriedly. "I'm alright, just worn out," Jake answered, patting his friend's hand. "Let me take you home," Asher offered. "I'll take him," Shoshana said quickly. "I mean, don't you have plans with Jessi? I think she said something about dinner with her parents," Shoshana added. "That can wait," Asher replied with a shrug. Jake glanced back and forth between Shoshana and Asher in confused. "Hi Jake," Jessi greeted as she walked forward. The confusion cleared up when Jake saw the look on Shoshana's face. "Hey Jess." Jake gave Shoshana's hand a squeeze and winked at her before he turned his attention to Asher. "Ash, go have dinner with Jess and her parents. Sho makes a prettier nurse anyway," Jake said with a grin. Shoshana rolled her eyes and Asher frowned. "Are you sure you can handle this Sho?" Asher asked. "For crying out loud Ash, what do you think I am, a baby?" Shoshana asked, crossing her arms over her chest. "She's a big girl Ash, now come on, my parents just sent me a text. Their plane has arrived and they are in baggage claim," Jessi said a little impatiently. "Go on man, we can catch up later," Jake told Asher when he hesitated. "Okay, okay." Asher held his hands up in defeat. "Sho, if you guys need anything, call me okay?" Asher insisted. He took Shoshana's hands and pulled her towards him. "It isn't that I don't think you can handle this, it's that Jake has about fifty pounds on you," Asher added. He studied Shoshana's face and frowned. "Are you sure you're okay? You look exhausted." "I'm fine, I just haven't slept well the last few nights," Shoshana answered. "Ash, let's go," Jessi said, tapping her foot impatiently. "Call me if you need me," Asher said again before walking away. "What in the world has happened while I've been gone?" Jake asked after Shoshana wheeled him into his apartment. "Nothing. Ash has gone back to his life and I've gone back to mine. Oh, I'm on a different floor and with a different department, but that's it," Shoshana answered. "Bull shit," Jake challenged. "Jake, I don't want to talk about it," Shoshana said with a sigh. She helped Jake take his jacket off, hung it on the coat tree, shrugged out of her own jacket and hung it up next to Jake's. "Are you hungry?" Shoshana asked. "I could eat," Jake said, his eyes narrowed as Shoshana turned back to face him. "There's something different about you," Jake added. Shoshana looked up sharply. "And it is not just that you spent two months in the desert being Ash's wife, in every imaginable way, and then spent three weeks in captivity." Jake mused. Shoshana laughed nervously and started looking through the take out menus in the desk drawer. "How about Chinese?" Shoshana offered, holding the menu up. "Does Ash know?" Jake asked. "Know what?" Shoshana asked, looking through the menu. "That you're still pregnant," Jake answered. Shoshana dropped the menu and looked up quickly. "C'mon Sho, you told us that you thought you were pregnant while we were being tortured in the desert. I know you broke up with what's his name before we even left for the mission, and you are so in love with Ash that is not even funny," Jake told her. Shoshana fumbled with the desk chair, pulled it out and sank into it. "You haven't told him," Jake realized. "Sho, why?" he asked. "Because he's happy with Jessi. What right do I have to ruin his life when he's happy with Jessi?" Shoshana's voice was just above a whisper. "Sho, Ash has a right to know that you're having his baby," Jake reminded his friend, his voice gentle. "He wouldn't believe me if I told him now, not after telling him that I wasn't pregnant after we got home," Shoshana said, her voice shaky. "Sho ..." "Asher loves Jessi! And even if I told him, it wouldn't matter now. He's planning on proposing to her tonight!" Shoshana exclaimed. "You need to tell him," Jake argued. "No Jake, I don't. I can do this on my own!" "I know you can, but Ash has the right to know he is going to be a father!" Jake said stubbornly. "Don't you dare tell him Jake!" Shoshana shouted. Jake took a closer look at his friend and sighed at the sight of tears in her eyes. "Please Jake," she whispered. "I can't promise anything about later, but for now, your secret is safe with me," Jake sighed. Shoshana wiped a tear away. "Thank you." "You're welcome. Now, how about that Chinese?" Jake answered. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Welcome back Jake. I assume you have been debriefed?" "Yes Dylan, I have," Jake answered. "Good. Shoshana has decoded more of the intel you picked up while you were in captivity, she is waiting in the conference room," Dylan announced. "Asher, you and Jake need to be there in ten minutes," he added before walking away. "Jake, have you noticed Sho acting weirdly?" Asher asked his friend. "Weird how?" Jake asked. "She's been leaving work early, and she looks exhausted," Asher answered. "That's it?" Jake wondered. "Well, no. She looks like she's gaining weight," Asher added. "Well gee, like people never gain weight," Jake said sarcastically. "Not Sho. Don't you remember college? She would eat a bag of doritos and a shit ton of Oreos and never gain weight," Asher reminded his friend. "College was five years ago Ash, people change," Jake answered. He wanted to shake his friend and shout at him that he was months away from becoming a father, but he had promised Shoshana that he would keep her secret; he intended to honor that promise. Before anything else could be said, Jake walked into the conference room, leaving a worried Asher behind. "Sho, you have to tell him. Ash knows something is different about you," Jake hissed as Shoshana walked out of the conference room later that day. "Not now Jake," Shoshana said wearily. "Are you alright?" Jake asked. "I'm okay. I have the flu and I'm beat," Shoshana answered, rubbing her eyes. "Maybe you should go home and rest," Jake suggested. "I have a ton of work to do," Shoshana argued. "Sho ..." Jake trailed off as Asher walked up. "Everything okay?" Asher asked, glancing between Shoshana and Jake. "Everything's fine. I have work to do," Shoshana said, pushing past them both. "Does she seem off to you?" Asher asked Jake as they watched Shoshana's retreating back. "She said she has the flu," Jake answered. "Tough luck. It's really going around, Jessi has the flu too,," Asher said. "How have you been?" he asked his friend. "I'm doing okay. I'm getting back into the swing of things," Jake said. "How are things with Jessi?" Jake wanted to know. "Eh, not great. Ever since we got home, Jessi has been super clingy. She wants me to resign," Asher answered. "What?" Jake asked in surprised. "Yeah. She is just, I don't know. She nags me every single time I come into the office. Even if I am not going into the field, she nags me. She wants me to get a real job, in an office. Pushing papers." Asher rolled his eyes. "She also wants to get married. She even introduced me to her parents as her fiancee," Asher added. "Wow!" Jake commented and shook his head. "Maybe you should have broken things off with her when you got home and started seeing Sho," he suggested. "I thought about it, but I know Sho loves her job and I love mine," Asher admitted. "Dude, you need help," Jake said, rolling his eyes. Before another word could be said, Shoshana headed towards them with Jessi following close behind them. "Sho, sweetie, you really should go home, you look terrible," Jake advised his friend. Asher frowned when he saw how pale Shoshana's face was and how tired she looked. "As much as I would love to Jake, the data does not analyze itself, and I need the hours," Shoshana murmured. "Ash, I need to speak to you," Jessi said, impatiently tapping her fingers on her purse. "I have to get back to work anyway, it was good to see you again Jessi," Shoshana told the woman and turned to walk away. She got no further than two steps before her knees gave out and gravity took over. Jessi's eyes widened as she watched Asher catch Shoshana before she could completely hit the floor. "Call an ambulance, she's burning up!" Asher instructed Jake, his heart racing. "What happened?" Shoshana's voice sounded groggy and felt dry. "You fainted, how are you feeling?" Jake answered. "Like I was hit by a mack truck," Shoshana said with a groan. "You're awake!" Jessi exclaimed from the doorway as she and Asher stepped into the room. "You okay?" Ash asked in concern. "I think so," Shoshana answered. "Jake, could I have some water please?" she asked. Jake nodded and handed him his water bottle. Shoshana drank gratefully and passed the bottle back to her friend. "Thanks," she murmured. Jake smiled at her and smoothed a piece of hair back from Shoshana's face. "What in the world were you thinking coming to work that sick?" Asher asked, a gently scolding tone to his voice. "I needed the money," Shoshana said with a shrug. The conversation was halted when a doctor walked into the room. "Doctor Lucas, hi," Shoshana greeted. "I need to speak with Shoshana alone," Doctor Lucas announced. "We'll be outside," Asher promised before Jessi led him from the room. "Is it okay if my brother stays?" Shoshana asked before Jake could leave the room. "Of course," Doctor Lucas answered. When Jake left the room a half hour later, Asher was waiting for him, anxiety written all over his face. "How's Sho?" Asher asked. "She's fine, just a little dehydrated. Where's Jessi?" Jake wanted to know. "She had to go," Asher answered. He hesitated a minute. "Jessi's pregnant and we're getting married," he said finally. Jake's eyes widened and he stared at his friend. "Are you serious?" Jake asked after a minute. "Yeah. She took two tests this afternoon and they both came up positive," Asher said. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. "You don't have to marry her," Jake reminded his friend. "What kind of person would that make me?" Asher retorted. "The human kind, the one who doesn't just do the right thing because it's what society thinks is the right thing to do. Do you love her?" Jake wanted to know. "I like her, and I did once. Before Iraq," Asher answered. "Before Sho?" Jake asked. Asher nodded. "You're in one tight pickle my friend," Jake said with a sigh. "What else can I do?" Asher inquired. "For starters, you can make sure that Jessi did not just have two false positives, and that she really is pregnant. Then you need to stop and think if you really want to spend the rest of your life with her," Jake answered. "Jake?" Shoshana asked from the doorway of her room. "Sho, you should be resting," Jake scolded, turning towards his friend. "I can't sleep. Will you come keep me company?" Shoshana wanted to know. Jake smiled and nodded. "Sure kid," he answered. "I'll be right there." He waited until Shoshana had returned to the room and turned back to Asher. "You need to figure your shit out Ash, before someone gets hurt," Jake warned, and with that, he turned and walked back into Shoshana's room. : CHAPTER FIVE : "Shoshana, you need to tell him! How the hell do you expect to hide it from Ash now?" Jake asked, amused by Shoshana's attempts to hide her ever expanding waist line. "Ash is so preoccupied with his wedding plans that he would not even notice if I went into labor and had the baby on his desk," Shoshana retorted. "Oh, I think he would notice that," Jake said with a laugh. "Jake, you're not helping," Shoshana scolded. "I'm sorry sweetie, but you really need to tell him. I can't keep this secret anymore, it's getting too obviously," Jake said gently. "I'm not telling him!" Shoshana exclaimed stubbornly, and rubbed the small of her back. "You're what, six months?" Jake asked. "Seven and a half, but whose counting," she answered. Jake stood up from the chair he had been sitting in, walked over to his friend and gently worked on the knots in her back. "You shouldn't be doing this alone," Jake murmured. "I'm not, I have you, and Mia," Shoshana argued. "Yeah, but Ash should be here doing this," Jake retorted. "Well, he's engaged and preparing to raise his and Jessi's baby," Shoshana shot back, sniffling. "Oh sweetie," Jake sighed as Shoshana burst into tears. "You are so head over heals in love with that bone head that you're willing to sacrifice your own happiness for his," he murmured, pulling his friend in for a hug. "What bone head?" Shoshana's and Jake's heads snapped up at the sound of Asher's voice in the doorway. "What are you doing here?" Shoshana asked in between hiccups. "Looking for the both of you. Is there something going on between you guys?" Asher asked, his eyes narrowing. "No, nothing. Sho is still like my sister," Jake said firmly. An alarm on his phone sounded and Jake sighed. "Sho, I have a follow up with the medical team, I really need to go," he added. "No, Jake, you can't!" Shoshana sounded panicked. "I need your advice, can't you wait ten minutes?" Asher asked at the same time. "Go into the living room Ash, I'll be there in a minute," Jake answered. When Asher had returned to the living room, Jake turned back to Shoshana and tilted her face towards his. "Shoshana Levine, you need to tell him. If Ash does not know by tonight about that baby and that he is the father, then I will tell him myself," Jake warned gently. "Okay," Shoshana whispered. "Do you need me to stay?" Jake asked. "No, Ash won't hurt me," Shoshana answered as she wiped away a tear. "I left Jessi this morning," Asher announced, returning to the doorway of the bedroom. Jake turned and stared at Asher in surprise. "Turns out the baby isn't mine. I went out to pick up bagels this morning and when I got home, she was sleeping with the guy from the apartment below ours!" Asher ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "That's harsh man!" Jake said, his eyes full of sympathy, and a little mischief. "I can cancel my appointment, reschedule it ..." "No, go on. The beer is on you," Asher told his friend. "Deal," Jake agreed. He squeezed Shoshana's hand. "I'll call you later Sho." Jake lowered his voice. "Tell him," he urged before walking out the door. Chances Pt. 02 "Are you okay?" Shoshana asked, her back still to Asher. "I don't know. I'm just floored," Asher answered, shaking his head in disbelief. "I did not think Jessi had it in her to cheat," he added. Shoshana swallowed said a prayer in her head and turned around. Asher's eyes widened when they landed on her rounded abdomen. "What the ... when did that happen?" Asher stammered. "I did not even know you were dating someone!" he added. "I'm not," Shoshana murmured. "He just left you? Pregnant and alone!?" Asher shouted. Shoshana winced at the volume and took a step back. "Who is he? I'm going to rip him a new one!" Asher exclaimed. Shoshana sighed and reached for Asher's hand and led him over to the full length mirror, and once Asher was standing right in the center of the mirror Shoshana took a deep breath and said, "He's standing right here." "What?" Asher asked, confused. "I lied when I told you that I wasn't pregnant. The baby is yours," Shoshana said. "What? Why would you do that?" Asher demanded to know as he spun around to face Shoshana. "You seemed like you were in love with Jessi, and I did not want to mess that up. I make enough money to support the baby on my own, so I figured this would be easier for you," Shoshana murmured. She took a step back when she saw the look of anger on Asher's face. "Were you ever going to tell me?" he asked finally. "You believe me?" Shoshana asked in surprise. "Why shouldn't I believe you? You're obviously very far along and the timing is right." Asher could not keep the anger out of his voice Asher could not keep the anger out of his voice, but tried to soften it when he saw the nervousness on Shoshana's face. "You should have told me," Asher scolded. "I wanted to, and I thought about it so many times, but then you said Jessi was pregnant and you were getting married. I couldn't ruin your life by adding a complication to it," Shoshana whispered. "I would never consider our baby a complication," Asher reprimanded. Shoshana gave a bitter laugh. "Did you know Jessi warned me away from you?" Shoshana asked bitterly. "What?" Asher asked in surprise. "A few weeks after we got home, I felt so guilty about lying about the baby that I stopped by your apartment. Jessi was there and she told me that you had told her we had to pretend that we were married. You even told her we had slept together. Jessi told me that she couldn't blame me for falling in love with you, but told me that if I came near you again outside of work, if I even so much as touched you that she would have me fired," Shoshana admitted. "Damn her!" Asher swore. Shoshana took a shaky step back. "She had no right!" he shouted. "Please don't yell!"" Shoshana pleaded. "I'm sorry," Asher apologized. "I didn't mean to scare you. Let's go into the living room and I'll make some tea. I think we need to talk about this," he added. Shoshana nodded and followed Asher out of her bedroom and into the living room. ~~~~~~~~~~~~ "How long have you known?" Asher asked as he sat down next to Jake at the table. "About Shoshana and the baby? Since I got home," Jake answered and passed his friend a beer. "Why didn't you say something?" Asher wanted to know. "I promised I wouldn't," Jake said. Asher shook his head and took a sip of the beer. "I'm sorry I didn't say anything. I should have," Jake added. "No, you did the right thing. Sho needed a friend, and she had you. I'm glad for that," Asher sighed. "What are you going to do?" Jake asked, taking a sip of his beer. "I don't know." Asher drained the rest of his beer and leaned back in his chair. "This is so fucked up," he groaned. "You're telling me," Jake agreed. "I don't know how I should feel ... I mean, what happened between Sho and I in Iraq was special, but so much has happened since then," Asher motioned for the waitress to bring him another beer. "Shoshana has loved you since college," Jake reminded his friend. "And I have cared about her, but that does not change the fact that not only is it against company policy for a relationship between Shoshana and I to even happen, and I just ended an engagement with someone I have been with for five years," Asher said bitterly. "Screw company policy! You're having a baby with your best friend, and you can't tell me that you don't love her," Jake exclaimed. He lowered his voice when people turned and looked at them. Asher said nothing, he just drained the second beer. "Just don't hurt Sho anymore than she has already been hurt," Jake advised, and with that, he stood up and left the bar. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Sho, we need to talk," Asher said quietly. "Yes, we do, but not here," Shoshana agreed. She rubbed her back a little and shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "Come to dinner tonight. Six thirty," Shoshana instructed. "Okay," Asher agreed easily. He hesitated then reached for her hand and held it for a minute. "How are you doing?" Asher asked. "I'm doing okay. I'm tired and my back is killing me, but I'm okay," Shoshana answered. "Can I - do you need anything?" Asher wanted to know. "Just support," Shoshana said, her voice so quiet Asher could hardly hear her. "I'm having this baby Ash, and I'm keeping it, even if ..." Asher glanced around quickly then kissed Shoshana gently, ending the torrent of words. "I'm here for you, for both of you," Asher promised. "I'll be at your apartment at six-thirty," he added. Asher gave Shoshana's hand one last squeeze and walked away. Shoshana smoothed a wrinkle in her skirt and opened the door to let Asher in. "I brought dessert," Asher said. "Since you can't drink, I figured this would be the best thing," he added. Shoshana smiled as she closed the door behind him. "Thanks. Do you want a beer?" Shoshana asked. "I'd love one," Asher answered. He followed Shoshana into the kitchen and set the pie on the counter then took the opened bottle from Shoshana. "Dinner smells good," Asher said. "Thanks. Why don't you go sit down, and I'll bring dinner to the table," Shoshana suggested. "Do you need help?" Asher asked. "No, go sit down," Shoshana said. Asher did what he was told and a few moments later, Shoshana walked into the dining room carrying two plates heaped full of spaghetti and garlic bread. Asher reached out and took a plate from Shoshana and set it in front of him as she set a plate down across the table from where he sat before Shoshana walked into the kitchen, grabbed the bowls of broccoli and a bottle of water. "This all looks amazing," Asher told Shoshana as she sat down. Shoshana said nothing, but she smiled before taking a bite of broccoli. Neither said much during dinner, and the silence became uncomfortable, and finally, Asher couldn't take it anymore. "I think we should move in together," Asher said. "What?" Shoshana asked in surprise. "You're pregnant, and living alone. What are you going to do when you go into labor?" Asher asked. "I'll call Jake and he will take me to the hospital," Shoshana answered. "No, you'll call me," Asher said firmly. "What? Why you?" Shoshana wanted to know. "Because the baby is mine, not Jake's," Asher pointed out. "Ash, you've known about the baby for a whole twenty four hours. I'm not asking you for anything," Shoshana reminded him. "I know that. I want to help," Asher said. He took a sip of his beer, stood up and knelt down in front of Shoshana. "You don't have to do this alone," he promised. "Ash, I'm quite capable of doing this without you," Shoshana reminded him. "Are you seriously going to keep the baby from me?" Asher asked. "No Ash, of course not! I just don't want you to feel obligated to be involved," Shoshana answered. "Damn it Shoshana, I'm the father of this baby, and I want to be involved!" Asher exclaimed. "I care too much about you to let you do this alone!" he added. "I'm not alone!" Shoshana shouted back. "Jake doesn't count. He's a good friend, but he is not the father," Asher reminded her. "I want you to go," Shoshana said. She stood up and headed for the door. "We need to work this out," Asher argued. "Ash, I'm tired, and you're upset, please just leave," Shoshana pleaded. "I don't want to argue, or to upset you Sho, but please, don't shut me out. Let me help you. Let me be a part of your life, of the baby's life," Asher murmured. "Ash, I'm not going to keep you out of the baby's life, but right now, I think you should go," Shoshana whispered. Before Asher could say anything else, Shoshana turned back to the table, picked up the plates and headed into the kitchen. As Asher reached for the door knob, he heard a crash. "Sho, are you okay?" Asher asked. When Shoshana didn't answer, he turned around and walked into the kitchen. "Sho?" Asher asked. "I'm fine Ash, I just dropped a glass," Shoshana said wearily. "Let me help you," Asher offered. Before Shoshana could protest, Asher swept the glass up into the dust pan and dropped them into a paper bag that Shoshana had placed some glass milk jugs in. "You cut your foot. Come into the living room and I'll look at it," Asher offered. "I can put a bandaid on my foot," Shoshana said. "Let me help you," Asher said as he escorted Shoshana out of the kitchen and to the couch. He walked quickly down the hall to the bathroom and returned a few minutes later with a box of bandaids and a clean, damp wash cloth. Without a word, Asher quickly wiped the blood away from Shoshana's foot and put the bandaid on the small cut. "Thank you," Shoshana murmured. "I'm sorry for upsetting you. I did not mean to hurt you, scare you or upset you. I just want to be your friend again. To help you with the baby that we made," Asher said softly. He touched her cheek gently and tilted her face towards his. "I do care about you, Sho," he added. "Let's call a truce and be friends. That's all I'm asking for," Asher pleaded. Shoshana studied Asher's face and nodded. Asher breathed a sigh of relief and pressed a gentle kiss to Shoshana's lips. "I'll leave if you want me to, or, if you'd like, we can have some of that pie," Asher offered. "What kind of pie?" Shoshana asked. "Dutch Apple," Asher answered. "Pie, and a movie," Shoshana agreed. Asher laughed. "Deal. I'll get the pie, you get the movie," Asher told her. She straightened up to his full height and walked into the kitchen.