Trixie barely noticed the biting cold or the pellets of snow attacking and coating her. Her eyes snapped from left to right, surveying the scene and searching for anything out of place.

Dan stood a few feet away, his dark eyes glinting in the moonlight. He nodded to the expanse of trees that surrounded them. “If he thinks he’ll lose us in the preserve, he’s wrong.”

Trixie nodded and studied the marks underneath the tree. “He’s wearing boots, so we can assume he’s dressed for the weather. If we’re lucky, he’ll stick to the paths. Ready?”

They knew that even with flashlights, the cloudy night and falling snow would make it difficult to follow the trail of their quarry. When they arrived at the first fork, Dan shrugged and muffled a curse. Innumerable footprints appeared in each path. With new snow falling each moment, it was impossible to tell which path the man had taken.

“You take the east, I’ll go west. Whistle if you spot him.”

Weapons ready, they quickly and silently continued their search. Within moments, Trixie knew she was on the right track. A prickling in her fingers told her she was close, and closing in. An ominous feeling of dread was countered by a driving need to know exactly who was spying on them, and why. Pausing to stop and listen, she caught sight of the unknown adversary. He was dressed in black and moving stealthily from tree to tree. Crap, she thought. If I whistle, he’ll take off before I can get to him. She sighed and set to work gaining on him. It wasn’t difficult as she had feared, since he was moving through the woods methodically, but slowly. Trixie was struck by the realization that he was moving slowly by choice, rather than weakness. He never looked back, but his long pauses caused her to wonder if he knew he was being followed. Is he waiting for me to catch up to him? Who's the hunter here? she wondered. Trixie’s impatience grew in direct proportion to the lengthening pauses. The man's curiosity was almost palpable.

Enough of this, she decided suddenly. Leaving her cover, she broke into a run and whistled. The man risked one glance at the determined blonde before changing his circuitous route to a much more direct path. She was closing on him when without warning; a snowmobile came roaring out of an intersecting path. The man she was chasing threw himself onto the back of the machine, and they were gone. Dan arrived just in time to see the snowmobile disappear. Knowing there was no way they could catch up to their quarry, they stood and stared down the path in silence.

“If this were an operation, we could have the paths blocked, or a helicopter available, or--”

“If this were an operation,” Trixie interrupted, “we would know who that is, and what he wants.”

Thrusting frustration and disappointment aside, Dan asked innocently, “You mean, he wasn’t a poacher?”

Trixie stared at him a full minute before questioning him. “A poacher.”

“Sure. Isn’t it common knowledge that anyone you aren’t personally familiar with who shows up in the game preserve is a poacher?”

Trixie felt some of the tension leave her shoulders as a chuckle slipped past her tight lips. “A poacher. I like it. Think the others will buy it?”

Their laughter failed and the woods were suddenly much too quiet. “Not likely, is it?”

Groaning, Trixie asked, “How are we going to explain this? They have to realize something is going on.”

Dan took a deep breath. “We could tell them the truth.”

She snorted. “As much as I’d like to, do you really think that’s a good idea? There’s a reason we have a cover story for our jobs. It’s not safe for anybody to know what we do.” She kicked at a snowdrift, sending a cascade of snowflakes tumbling over her boots. Shivering, she realized that she wasn’t wearing a jacket. Rubbing her arms, she continued. “You realize we’re the worst spies in the world. Bill and Norma have been married for thirty years, and she has no idea what he does. We spend two days with our friends, and our cover is blown. How pathetic is that?”

Dan smiled in sympathy and put an arm around her shoulder as they started back toward the clubhouse. “There’s a slight difference. Bill isn’t married to the Bob-Whites. And I don’t believe he ever had work contacts bother him at home.”

“Was that supposed to make me feel better?” Trixie stared up at him.

Squeezing her shoulder, Dan continued down the path. “It didn’t work for me, either.”

“Maybe we could convince them it was a momentary aberration, or a rift in the space/time continuum.” Trixie cocked her head to one side. “That could work, right?”

“On Mart, maybe. I think he still reads those Cosmo McNaught books.”

“We needed fresh air?”

Dan shook his head. “We were acting much too serious. I barked out some pretty strong orders just before we left.”

Trixie grinned. “Maybe they were so distracted by your attitude they’ll have forgotten the rest of what happened.”

Dan smiled affectionately, but lifted an eyebrow. “If I could distract them by alienating them, I would. Unfortunately, we’re all getting along right now. Well, mostly,” he amended, remembering the challenging looks and comments from Jim. “We’re not going to get out of this one easily.”

All too soon, they were back at the clubhouse. There was no sign that any activity had taken place since they had left their friends. With the lights extinguished, it looked deserted. “Not deserted enough,” Trixie muttered. “Here goes nothing.”

Whistling the Bob-White signal, she stepped up to the door and waited.

When it opened, she was greeted by the sight of Jim’s pale face with prominent freckles, and the full realization of the worry they had caused their friends hit home.

Barely glancing at Dan, Jim gathered Trixie in his arms and held her tightly. Trixie relaxed in his arms, pleasantly surprised and overwhelmed by the waves of concern and relief emanating from him.

“Are you okay?” Jim didn’t loosen his hold, but moved back enough to search her face and check her for injuries. Touched by his sweetness, Trixie smiled foolishly and would have stayed in his arms indefinitely, but the rest of the room was waiting for an explanation.

“What’s going on?”

“Where were you?”

“Did I see guns?”

“What were you doing?”

The fusillade of questions continued for several minutes; in fact, they were not silenced until Diana gave a shrill whistle. All eyes turned to her. She took a deep breath and was about to suggest that everyone have a seat and calm down, when they heard the subtle chirp of a cell phone.

Honey turned to her adopted brother with a frown. “I thought you turned off your phone.”

Jim shook his head. “It’s not me, Honey.”

“Brian? You’re not on call, are you?”

“I’m not. In fact, I left my phone at the house.”

Puzzled, Honey persevered. “Well, whose phone is it?”

Trixie and Dan stared at each other apprehensively. “You don’t think...” Trixie whispered under her breath.

Dan’s grim look was answer enough. He crossed the room and opened his bag, looking distinctly uncomfortable when the volume of the ring tone increased.

Mart frowned. “What’s the big deal? Answer your phone, Dan!”

All eyes were on Dan as he raised his to meet Trixie’s. She shrugged in resignation.

“Answer the phone, Danno.”

The Bob Whites collectively grimaced and mouthed, “Danno?” to each other, but fell silent when Dan nodded, took a deep breath, turned his back, and quietly answered the communication. In the eerily silent room, his greeting was clearly audible.

“24601.”

Jim snorted. “What kind of babble is that? We’re not in a James Bond movie, you know.” He raised his eyebrows when instead of responding, Trixie continued to follow the progress of Dan’s conversation.

“Are we?” Jim moved to stand in Trixie’s line of vision. “What exactly is going on here?”

Trixie sidestepped him and bit her lip in frustration. Giving up all pretence of nonchalance, she moved to stand beside Dan. He leaned down so that she could hear the other end of the conversation, but indicated that she should maintain silence. The others shamelessly eavesdropped.

“Yes, sir, we’re enjoying our visit with family and friends. We’re at a gathering right now.”

“As a matter of fact, yes, we have had an unexpected visitor.”

“No, I don’t believe he was as tall as Max, but they certainly dress the same; all in black.”

“Trixie spent more time with him than I did, but I don’t believe he told her how he found us. She was about to ask him when his friend dropped by, and they left together.”

“No, he didn’t meet any of our friends personally, but they all saw us go talk to him. I’m sure they’d like to know more about ... him. We all would.”

Dan nodded one last time, and then frowned slightly. “I’ll see that she gets the message, sir. Sir, are you sure that it’s advisable to--”

“Yes, sir. We’ll be in touch.”

When Dan ended the call, he reluctantly met the eyes of the others. The stunned and confused silence lasted only seconds. The group's frustration erupted in another barrage of questions.

“Hadn’t you better tell us what that was all about?” Jim's bewilderment was obvious.

“I want to know about that fibre optic cable.”

“Who was out there?”

“What’s going on?”

“Is that a satellite phone?”

Honey waited until the voices quieted before calmly stating, “Well, I think it’s obvious that Trixie and Dan don’t really sell photocopiers for a living.”

Trixie glared at her, then gave up with a sheepish grin. “Once a detective,” she began.

“Always a detective.” Honey finished, sharing the smile. “I’ll start the guessing. Does the name of your employer consist of three words, commonly abbreviated to the first letter of each word?”

Mart found his voice. “Honey! This isn’t a game!”

Brian snapped at his brother. “Don’t talk to her like that.” He paused. “And, Honey, it isn’t a game. How can you treat this so lightly?”

Honey delicately arched a brow. “In all honesty, it never occurred to you that selling photocopiers was a front for what Trixie and Dan really do? Come on! I hardly think most corporate salespeople are required to work the amount of holidays that they do. And the extended trips where they couldn’t be reached? Unless they're drug dealers, I'm pretty sure they work for the government.” She shook her head, and then paused before continuing. “I just haven’t decided which agency you work for. If it were the FBI, you wouldn’t hide it, so that’s out. There’s always the NSA, CIA, and the DEA. They all require a high degree of secrecy. The Secret Service I’m not sure about…”

Jim managed a weak, “Trixie?”

Having avoided eye contact effectively since the phone call, Trixie reluctantly turned to face him. The battle he was fighting was evident. He desperately wanted to believe in her, to trust her, but if she had lied to him, there was going to be trouble. She bit her lower lip.

“Maybe we should sit down,” she suggested.

A flash of pain passed over Jim’s face as she failed to deny Honey’s suppositions. He clenched his jaw and looked away. Trixie found her own lips coming together in a firm line as she tried to decide what to say. The smile she gave Dan as he gently pointed her toward a chair was tight and forced. When they were all seated, Dan took a deep breath.

“It’s a long story.”

Mart glanced around the room. “I don’t think we’re going anywhere.” He shrugged. “Are we?”

“Is it true?” Brian interrupted. “Do you really work for a…” he paused and searched for the right word, “an agency?”

His face and tone carefully neutral, Dan replied, “Yes. Trixie and I are covert operatives for the CIA.”

Each Bob White reacted to this bombshell in a unique fashion.

Even though Honey had expected the statement, she felt a jolt when her suspicions were confirmed. All in all, she was relieved to know she was right, and proud that Trixie and Dan were serving their country.

Brian’s face reflected his deep shock. Other than being annoyed by her frequent absences at family functions and by her living situation, he hadn’t given a lot of thought to Trixie's occupation. His own schooling, residency, and subsequent employment at a very large and busy hospital had kept him from thinking about anything else too deeply.

Mart’s surprise was accompanied by an uneasy sense of guilt. Unlike Brian, he had spent a considerable amount of time speculating on the nature of his sister's lengthy absences with Dan. The information that they had been leading double lives seemed to exonerate them of the relationship he had suspected.

Diana looked across the table at Trixie and Dan, a tiny smile growing as she nodded. Spies? she thought to herself. Why not? I bet they have a lot of fun!

Jim could feel the collar of his shirt growing smaller. Lies. All lies. She’s been lying to me for years. He pulled at his collar roughly, popping the top button off in his anger. How could she? She knows I value trust more than anything else. How could she lie to me? He forced himself to remain in control as he closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Just when I thought maybe, maybe we had a chance. He looked down to see his hands curled into fists. Get a grip, Frayne, and listen to what they say.

“How long has this been going on?” Mart asked.

Trixie and Dan looked at each other uncomfortably.

“Pretty much since graduation,” Trixie admitted. “But that’s only if you’re counting mandatory university and training.”

“Wait a minute. You mean high school graduation?” Brian was floored. “You’ve been with the CIA since you were eighteen?”

“I was twenty, if it makes you feel better,” Dan tried to lighten the mood.

Brian jerked around to face Dan. “No. It doesn’t.”

Trixie sighed. “Okay. It sounds like you want to know everything.” The rest of the room nodded. “Does anyone remember the guidance counselor that came to interview everyone in the school when Jim and Brian were in their senior year?”

Honey nodded immediately. “I liked him. He was friendly, and he acted like he really cared. I was glad he kept getting assigned to our school.”

“Did any of you realize that particular counselor only talked to the Bob-Whites?”

“Are you serious? That doesn’t make any sense. You don’t send out a well-qualified counselor and have him speak to only a handful of students. It’s completely impractical,” Jim declared.

“Exactly. A man with a very similar appearance interviewed the other students, but we were really talking to a CIA recruiter.”

Mart’s eyes were wide. “No way! He was the one who recommended I go into English! It was the first time I seriously considered a career outside of agriculture.”

Trixie nodded. “He said you understand the power of words, and that it’s a special gift. He still asks about you. He asks about all of you, in fact.”

Jim frowned, not comfortable with the idea that a complete stranger was asking after him in the manner of an old friend of the family. “You’re still in contact with him, then?”

Trixie nodded brusquely in an attempt to halt that particular line of questioning, then watched with interest as Diana’s expression turned from curious to thoughtful. What did Bill say to her? Trixie wondered suddenly. She had never thought to ask. Judging by Diana’s pensive look, it had probably been trademark Bill—a non-sequitur that became clear only over time.

“Let’s get back to topic,” Brian suggested. “You mean he actually offered you a job in the CIA, out of the blue?”

Trixie shrugged. “Eventually, yes. If you remember your interview with him, you’ll know how all of ours began. He asked what I was interested in, what I enjoyed. Of course, I talked about the mysteries we solved and how Honey and I wanted to open a detective agency. When I mentioned how I wasn’t sure about tracking down cheating spouses, and those kinds of cases, he asked me to think about what my goals really were.” She shrugged again. “I guess he liked my answer, because he asked if I would consider a career in a federal agency. He gave me information on quite a few organizations. The CIA wasn’t mentioned specifically until much later.”

“I thought you wanted to be a police officer,” Mart interrupted to ask Dan. “What happened to that dream?”

“Sometimes there is more than one way to accomplish a dream.” He looked around and noted Jim's shuttered eyes and tightly clenched jaw. “But I'm not the only one who has learned that lesson. Right, Jim?”

The red head jerked suddenly, but his response was forestalled by his sister's quiet tact.

“Still serving and protecting, right?” Honey smiled. “I suppose that explains why you and Trixie went to school in Virginia ... although not why you waited a year between high school and university, Dan.” Honey looked at him expectantly.

Dan stared down at his hands. “It seemed like a good idea at the time, for several reasons.” He fastidiously avoided looking at Trixie, instead smiling at Honey. “I’ll always appreciate that extra year with Uncle Bill and Mr. Maypenny.”

Diana smiled. “Everyone thought that was a good idea, especially since it gave you time to earn money for school.”

Again, Dan looked away while Trixie smoothly drew the attention away from him. “That's pretty much all there is to the story. We spent time at headquarters during the summers, then went for our intense eighteen month training period when we graduated. Since then, we've been covert field operatives for the CIA.” She let out the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. In one way, it was liberating to finally tell her closest friends the secret she had been hiding for years, but her hands trembled and her stomach remained curiously unsettled. Unable to stop herself, she searched Jim's face for a clue to his reaction. She could almost see his jaw clenching more tightly as each moment passed.

“Maybe that's enough information for now,” Trixie suggested. “I'm sure you all have questions, but it's getting late. We should probably clean up and head home.”

“I don't think so,” Brian began. “I still want to know about that fibre optic cable. Are you working right now? Who was that person?”

Trixie sighed and started to answer him, but stopped abruptly. Listening intently, she scanned the room. “Did you hear that?” she asked Dan.

He nodded, and pointed to the roof. Trixie returned his nod in understanding, and for the second time that evening, accepted the weapon he offered.

“I don't believe this,” Mart muttered. “What now?”

“Stay put,” Trixie cautioned. “It's probably nothing.”

While the others watched curiously, Trixie and Dan quietly opened the door and slipped into the cold. Separating to circle the clubhouse, they met at the opposite end. Communicating without a sound, they cautiously moved several feet away from the building in order to see more of the roof. Within seconds, Trixie was shimmying up a sturdy lattice, and scrambling onto the roof while Dan shook his head.

“Robert Andrew Belden! What do you think you're doing?”

Trixie cornered her younger brother as he tried to move away from her, and grabbed his arm when he slipped.

Bobby's striking blue eyes were wide. “Um, I was checking the roof to make sure it didn't have too much snow on it. You know how heavy snow can actually cause a roof to collapse, and I just thought that you guys were probably having too much fun to think of checking, and...” he paused and looked at her hopefully. “Are you buying any of this?”

Trixie shook her head and tried to keep a straight face. “Not really, Bobby.”

“I didn't think so.”

“You're standing pretty close to the smoke stack.”

Bobby looked away guiltily. “Am I? I hadn't noticed.”

“Actually, you are. And judging by the fact that I can actually hear Mart chewing, and Jim pacing, I'm guessing that you may have overheard some of our conversation.” She cocked an eyebrow.

“Aw, Trix, I'm sorry. It's just kind of a tradition. Ever since we figured out how to sneak out of our houses, Larry, Terry, and I kind of have this dare where we--” he caught himself and had the grace to look abashed.

“Where you spy on us?”

Bobby grinned. “Maybe. Interesting choice of words, big sister.”

Trixie narrowed her eyes and studied her younger brother. There was no way she could deny what Bobby had overheard. What do you do with a nosy little brother? she wondered. After a moment, Dan called up, “Well, Friday, are you going to let him live?”

Bobby started to laugh until he saw his sister's face. “Oh, come on. You're not serious.”

“Bobby. You do realize that you have quite a history with see-cruds.”

Even in the dark, the flush on his face was visible. “That was over ten years ago!”

She let him squirm a little longer before relenting. Swinging down easily from the eaves trough, she watched as Bobby slipped and slid his way down, sending snow flying in every direction. “Let's get some hot chocolate,” Trixie suggested. “Everyone's waiting.”

As Trixie led the way, Dan grinned at Bobby. “So, you've been spying on us for years. Find out anything good?”

Bobby shook his head. “You know, when I was a kid, the Bob-Whites seemed so cool. Frankly, I'm disappointed in all of you. Except for catching Brian and Honey kissing a few times, which I have specifically avoided ever since, we haven't seen anything good in years. And for international spies, I must say you and Trixie haven't given us much to talk about.”

“That's the way it's supposed to be, Bobby. If people knew what we do, we wouldn't be able to do our jobs.” He sighed and eyed the clubhouse, rubbing a hand over his dark eyes.

For the first time, Bobby was serious. “Are you going to get in trouble because the Bob-Whites found out?”

“No,” Dan was quick to assure him. “We were authorized to give them some information. I'm not sure why, but our superior called to let us know.”

Bobby shrugged. “That's good, right?”

As they joined her at the door, Trixie answered, “I suppose. I just hope we don't regret it.”

Bobby smiled and put his arm around her as he opened the door. “These are the Bob-Whites. You won't.”

“Bobby? What are you doing here?” Brian slipped back into the familiar role of big brother with ease as the three entered the clubhouse.

Trixie answered blithely, “He was just checking the roof to make sure it wouldn't collapse from the weight of the snow, right, Bobby?”

Mart snorted derisively. “Have I taught you nothing, young one? That was the best you could come up with?”

Bobby glared at his older brother. “Have you ever tried lying to Trixie? It's harder than you think.”

Trixie fought back a smile. “That's why I recommend that you not do it.”

Jim's voice was husky, with a rough edge. “Too bad you don't follow your own advice.”

Trixie's smile disappeared as her face paled. Where's my temper when I need it? she wondered. Instead of yelling at him, I'm trying not to cry. This is ridiculous. Swallowing hard, she turned to the table and began packing up the food.

“Hey!” Mart protested as she cleared away the fudge. “I'm not done with that yet! And don't you still have some explaining to do?”

Trixie rolled her eyes and reluctantly passed back the plate. “Yes, Ricky.”

His mouth full, Mart made an impatient gesture at her I Love Lucy imitation. “Well?”

“What do you want to know?” Dan asked, automatically opening a bottle of Coke and pouring a glass for Trixie. She accepted it with gratitude, squeezing his had for support, and neither she nor Dan noticed the raised eyebrows of the group. Trixie, however, did notice the flash in Jim's eyes, and glanced down at her hand in surprise. Is he jealous? Why didn't I ever think of that? She cast about for a topic which would distract herself ... and Jim ... from that idea.

“I'm not sure what else we can tell you. You know that we work for the CIA. That's pretty much all there is to it.”

Honey probed gently, “Trixie, what about tonight? Can you tell us what happened?”

Trixie shrugged an apology. “If I knew what happened, I might be able to tell you. So far, you all know as much as we do.”

“What about the phone call?” Diana asked. “Who was it, and what did they say?”

Dan shifted in his chair. “That was our supervisor.” He paused before adding, “I'm not sure how, but he knew something was going on. He was calling to check in and warn us.” His eyes narrowed. “Trixie, do you remember what his message to you was?”

“Not exactly. I couldn't hear everything.”

“He said that you should be extra careful because we all have our crosses to bear.”

They stared at each other, trying to figure out the message. Trixie finally shook her head. “I have no idea what he meant. He must be taking lessons from Bill.”

Trixie and Dan both froze. “Bill.”

In slow motion, Trixie raised a hand to the chain around her neck, her eyes locked with her partner's. “Dan,” she breathed, “you don't think...”

“I think I do.” Breaking eye contact, he slowly reached to touch the cross, noting the rapid rise and fall of Trixie's chest beneath it. The gold felt curiously warm, warmer than he expected it to be from the heat of her body. “I don't know why, but he was warning us about the cross.” He let go of the chain reluctantly and dropped his hand to his side.

Trixie remained still, clutching the necklace in her fist.

The rest of the Bob-Whites and Bobby found themselves staring at each other in confusion. “Does anybody know what they're talking about?” Bobby asked plaintively.

Diana smiled in sympathy. “I know I don't. Trixie? Dan?”

Trixie continued to stare at Dan, not really seeing him, as he replied. “One of our former co-workers was recently forced to retire, due to health concerns. Last summer he gave us some of his effects from work, including the chain and cross Trixie is wearing.” Dan couldn't look away from Trixie's frozen expression. Sitting beside her, he imagined he could hear her heart thumping loudly. He snapped into action, retrieving his bag and pulling out a laptop computer.

“Enough of this. We're finding some answers.”

The others watched with interest as he quickly pulled up various files. “I scanned the hard copy of each file Bill gave us into my computer. Maybe we'll find something we missed before.”

Trixie stared at the screen as he opened file after file. “We've been through this, Dan. What do you hope to find?”

Dan resisted the urge to drum his fingers against the keypad as he waited for the word search to finish. When the results were evident, he turned away in disgust. “Nothing. I was hoping the word “cross” would show up in at least one of these files.”

Trixie shrugged. “Who knows what Bill was thinking?” She took a closer look at the key words that the search had located. “That's odd. I didn't realize that Bill worked so closely with Director Saunders.”

The others watched in impatient silence as the two continued to skim-read the files.

“And Mordem is mentioned more than I would have expected.” Dan frowned. “Bill wasn't even involved in some of these cases. Why would he have the files?”

The sheer length of the list of files Dan indicated made Trixie sigh.

“Looks like we've got some reading ahead of us,” Dan surmised.

Trixie nodded, and wished that the sudden throbbing of her head would stop and that the words on the monitor would stay in focus. She wearily pushed her chair back from the table. “I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm ready to call it a night.”

Brian took one look at her pinched face, and stifled his questions.

“We can talk more after the Christmas festivities are out of the way,” she promised.

The others nodded and began clearing up the food.

“Making unilateral decisions again, are you?” Jim's voice was slightly louder than the conversations around him, effectively stilling every voice but his.

Trixie's headache doubled in response to the undercurrent of anger in his question, but she pushed it aside. She tried to look Jim in the eye, but could only manage to raise her eyes to his chest. “No one else has to leave, but I'm heading back.” She turned away and searched the room for her coat, conscious that everyone was watching her. Since she was avoiding Jim, it took her several moments to realize that it was hanging on the back of his chair. Great. Just great, she muttered to herself. She forced herself to approach him and awkwardly reached for her coat.

Green eyes glinting, he rose and held her jacket for her. “I don't suppose Wheeler International will be needing those photocopiers we discussed earlier.”

Trixie closed her eyes. “Jim, I'm sorry. I never meant to hurt anyone.” She opened her eyes and tried to communicate the remorse and guilt she felt, but all she could see was the pain of betrayal in his eyes.

He shrugged. “Early on in my business career I learned that the number of people I can trust fit on a very short list.” He waited while she slipped her arms into the coat he held. “I'm sure you're very good at what you do.” He kept his hands on her shoulders, purposely continuing the conversation past the point he had resolved to stop. “In fact, judging by the way you solved mysteries when we were teenagers, I'm willing to wager you'll do anything to get your man.” He turned her to face him, maintaining his hold on her shoulders. “What have you done, Trixie? How far have you gone to track down your criminals?”

“First of all, they're not my criminals. They're enemies of the United States of America. And I do what's necessary to bring them down. Nothing more, nothing less.” She faced his gaze steadily and felt a spark of her normal liveliness return.

“You do what's necessary?” Jim taunted her, his animosity palpable. “All those undercover assignments you've been assigned to over the years. You've probably had to infiltrate organizations and endear yourself to useful people. I'm curious as to what you have and haven't done.”

Trixie stopped caring that the entire room was listening. She shook herself free, but didn't step away. Only inches apart, she said clearly, “A good agent does whatever is necessary to complete a mission. A very good agent never has to do anything they don't want to.”

She continued to hold his gaze until he began to squirm, just a little. Then she spun away and was almost to the door when he called to her, “You forget, I have a fairly good idea of what you want.”

Trixie was out the door before the rest of the room could react. Carefully avoiding his boss' fiery glare, Bobby grabbed his jacket and hurried after his sister.

“Nicely done,” Mart muttered. “If I didn't know better, I'd say you still had feelings for her, Jim.”

Dan finished packing his and Trixie's presents in his bag and moved to stand beside Brian and Mart, joining them in staring coldly at Jim. Honey and Diana continued to clear the table, carefully avoiding eye contact with anyone.

Recognizing the hostile environment he had created, Jim grabbed his jacket and strode angrily into the cold and snowy night.