Chapter 5

Saying goodbye to Jessica and Kevin had been harder than Natalie had expected. After Tess and Marty had left the group had quietly went about packing up the majority of the rest of Natalie's things until Fornell had been shown upstairs by Lois.

The FBI agent had shared a look with the Goth NCIS tech and both quietly agreed to let the former siblings have a few minutes alone, each grabbing a bag to bring down to the car

Abby sighed as she stepped out into the dusk and leaned against the car that Fornell had rented: "are you driving back?" she wondered.

"Amtrak," the older man answered as he put the larger suitcase in the trunk. "I'm not in the mood for driving close to six hours back to DC with a sullen girl who blames herself for everything in my car."

Abby shrugged: "wonder where she gets that from."

Fornell laughed slightly at her words: "What are you really more worried about? Her or how he's going to take this and the fact. . ."

"The fact that I knew about Shannon and Kelly and never said anything? Better yet that I knew Kelly was alive and kept it from him?" Abby asked as tears formed in her eyes: "Christ, Fornell, this is, like the mother of all secrets. How can he forgive me for. . ." she shook her head.

"For making sure his daughter's cover remained intact for ten years? Coming up with forensic BS to keep her tracks covered? Making sure that at some point she'd be actually able to come home to him? Gee I don't know how he could forgive that," he said in a sardonic tone reminiscent of the man they were discussing.

Abby rolled her eyes and punched Tobias in the arm: "You think he's going to kill you."

"Probably will, but then again Gibbs isn't in love with me."

"Now there's a thought," Abby shot back wryly.

The FBI agent only shook his head: "Look, you followed orders. I could've and should've pulled her out of here years ago. And for that I'm going to have to explain myself and live with the consequences, even ones I'm just starting to learn about."

"You know why she didn't. . ."

"She can say it was about Crammer all she wants, but I know the real reason," Fornell cut her off. "I might be old, but I'm not senile."

"You looked up the timeline."

"No, I remember one very upset young lady on my doorstep because she couldn't go to a funeral."

"I was madder still when you wouldn't go. But I guess now I understand," she pouted. "What is Agent McBain's deal anyway?"

"Former agent," Fornell corrected her, "and he's as haunted by ghosts as another agent we know and you love, he just never learned to put them aside or use them to his advantage on the job. More times than not they lead to him making stupid mistakes."

"Like not making her?"

"Amongst others," Fornell agreed as he reached for the other bag and then looked back at the house: "what the hell is taking her so long?"

"She has ten years invested in this family. Don't you think giving her a few minutes to say goodbye is a good thing?"

"I just want to get out of here before she gets hurt even more," he muttered.

"Ahh, you do have a heart hidden in there somewhere," she teased easily.

"Just don't let it get around."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Abby grinned back.

"Well, I guess that's pretty much everything," Natalie sighed as she looked around the room she had called her own for most of her life here in Landview. Even when she hadn't lived at Landfair she had always known it was waiting for her. "Vance will. . . if you tell him when to get the stuff, he'll make sure I get it."

"You're not going to give us an address? A way to contact you?" Jessica asked, concern lacing her voice.

"Jess, maybe she's going back undercover," Kevin said as he came behind the blonde. "We wouldn't want her risking her life to keep in contact."

"I'm not going undercover. . . I'm done with that, at least for now, or unless the case calls for it," Natalie told them. "I just. . ." she stopped as she looked away.

"We'll want to know that you're ok," Jess told her. "Or don't you want us to?"

Natalie sighed as she looked over to Kevin, who just looked back at her: "I… I need a little distance, at least at first. Figure out where Natalie ends and Kelly begins… get to know my Dad, if he wants to get to know me, that is."

Kevin shook his head as he crossed to the red head: "and why wouldn't he?"

Natalie laughed tightly: "You really have to ask? How long did it take you to meet me? Joey? Dad--- I mean Clint?"

"Our mistakes," Kevin told her. "Look, it wasn't what we were expecting. A girl coming in and claiming to be Jessie's twin and then. . . yeah, we should've been here sooner. Taken more time. Shown up more when you needed us. . ."

"It doesn't matter," Natalie said as she straightened, setting her shoulders: "what happened happened and I have no right to complain or say anything to anyone."

"You were hurt a lot more then you ever let on, weren't you?" Jessica asked.

Natalie sighed: "I had a job to do and became too emotionally invovled because I was at it too long."

"Bull," Kevin said. "You became a part of this family and you still are."

"I can't be Kevin."

"Why not?" Natalie shook her head, not knowing how to answer: "as for your father, as one I'll tell you if someone came to me and told me that Duke was alive I'd. . . well, it might not be that easy because of all that happened with Kelly but. . .I'd be happy to have him back in my life."

"There's a big difference between five years and twenty," she told him. "Look, I need to go. I can't keep Fornell waiting forever."

"Please, let us know where you'll be," Jessica said simply as she reached out a hand to stop her sister.

"In DC. The logistics I haven't gotten worked out. I'll probably stay with Abs," she admitted.

"Then you won't be alone, that's good," Jessica responded as she forced a smile.

"We'll make sure that the boxes get sent wherever we're told," Kevin said as he reached behind her, "But you should probably take this with you," he added as he picked up her jewelry box.

"I can't."

"It's yours. . ."

Natalie shook her head: "I took. . . I took a few things that the kids--- Jamie and Bre—made me. A locket from Eve--- from Tommy, I mean Sam's christening. Some things from John and Chris. Even a couple of things Ben gave me, but the rest. . . they belong in the family."

"There's stuff in here that Asa gave you, not her" he pointed out.

"Then Jess should have it," Natalie rationalized.

"I'm not taking things that are yours," Jessica said, then thinking she pulled out her necklace: "what about this? Did you take yours?"

"Wasn't meant for me, Jess."

"Mom gave it to you--- to both of us."

"It was supposed to be because we were. . ."

"We are sisters," Jessica cut her off. "We'll give them to our daughters one day."

Natalie exhaled: "I just. . ."

"I'm not taking it Nat. If you make me, I'll just put it away till you change your mind."

Natalie shook her head: "you would too," she exhaled. "Fine. I'll take it. And I'll keep you two informed what's going on with me, but I don't want. . . I only want you guys to know. Maybe it will change later," she said forestalling their arguments. "I just. . . it will be less complicated that way."

"You'll let us know when you do?" Kevin asked hugging her.

"Or them," she admitted stepping back and looking at Jessica. "Besides, it's also a safety thing. . . Jared can't know how to find me. Mom wouldn't be able to keep it from Charlie."

"You're really afraid of him?" Kevin asked, surprised. He had had a sense that there was more going on between the couple since he had come back home, but he hadn't been able to put his finger on what was wrong.

"Jared was a mark. I knew he was a con from day one. I started to date him as a favor to Tess and Nash, but then. . . it became part of the case. . . I knew what I was doing. Knew I was putting myself in more danger if he ever figured out. . ." she shook her head. "Charlie's pretty clean. Nothing major," she told them quickly. "I just. . . when he finds out. . ." she shook her head. "I'll be protected though. Fornell won't let him get to me, and my Dad. . .if he's. . ."

"He'll put him in his place huh?" Kevin interrupted her with an amused grin.

Natalie shrugged: "Let's just say that Jared isn't going to want to deal with him. Got a few friends who will have my back, and with working for Vance. . . it won't exactly be easy for him to just walk up to my desk."

Jessica walked over to her and put her arm through one of hers, "we'll keep your secret, as long as you keep in touch."

Natalie smiled as they started down the hall: "I'll find ways to, I promise," she added as they headed down the stairs.

"You'll be safe, though, right?"

Natalie laughed as they headed towards the door: "as safe as if I were a cop."

"You as a cop, hard to imagine," Kevin said with a smirk: "then again, you as a fed is harder," he added as they exited to see Fornell and Abby by the car.

"I guess this is it," Natalie sighed. "Time for me to face reality."

"You'll be ok. You'll always have us to fall back on," Jessica said hugging quickly.

"And you better be in touch," Kevin said as he handed her the jewelry box: "your nephew's going to miss you. So will we."

"Right. . ." Natalie said with a roll of her eyes, but was cut off from commenting further by Fornell: "Hells bells, Kells, can we get a move on? We have transportation to catch."

"Not driving Toby?" Natalie asked surprised as she stepped off the front steps and headed towards the car, her mood shifting as she left her brother and sister behind.

"Five plus hours in a car with you brooding the whole way, I don't think so. Get in the car."

"Yes sir."

"Don't call me sir, I work for a living," Tobias shot back as he headed for the driver's side door and Abby moved away from the car with an eye roll.

"Right. Forgot who I was talking too," Natalie said as she slipped into the passenger's seat and pulled the door shut. "Fine, let's go."

Abby headed towards the siblings with ease as they watched the car pull away: "She'll be fine. He's not going to let anything happen to her."

"Yeah," Kevin nodded, not completely convinced.

"Look, I need to get back to the police station," Abby told them, deciding that nothing she had to say would change their mind. They would just have to get used to the people their 'sister' had counted on for years and learn for themselves. "Either of you know the number of a cab company?"

"I'll drive you," Kevin told her. "There's something I want to make sure is taken care of."

"Don't worry, I think we've got enough on Banks to keep him where he is, and if not. . . well, she's not going to be easy for him to find, and if he tries. . . well, I'll be able to find out," Abby reassured. "But I won't say no to that ride."