I DO NOT OWN THE RIGHTS TO THE NCIS OR NCIS:LA CHARACTERS, ONLY MY OWN

With an Agent per child and one who accompanied Kelsey to the Naval Hospital, Gibbs strolled into the office expecting to beat everyone in. Instead, Tim immediately stood and began spewing everything they knew about Demetrius Costos. With a raised eyebrow, Gibbs listened intently comparing everything Kelsey had told him the night before and the information Tim was giving him.

Before Tim could finish, Gibbs turned to Tony and Ellie. "Bring him in, if he's still in town, he's staying at the Jefferson in DC."

"On it Boss." Tony said as he and Bishop quickly left the bullpen.

Kelsey was surprised when she got the call from Gibbs that she needed to come by the office and imagined it had something to do with the Wenslow case or the fire. Her heart sank when he led her to the conference room and opened the door to find Costos sitting there looking anxious. She looked back at Gibbs for any clue as to why they'd brought him in.

"What's going on, why is he here?" She asked as Gibbs placed his hand gently on the small of her back guiding her into the room.

"Kelsey, I have something I need to tell you." Costos said as he stood, he honestly looked as if he was going to burst into tears.

Gibbs pulled a chair out for Kelsey and motioned for her to sit. Without a word, she said trying to mentally prepare herself for whatever he was about to tell her.

"I'm not who you think I am." Costos said as he took his seat, wringing his hands.

Kelsey sat stone-faced listening. Costos explained that he was not the man he'd led her to believe, but that he in fact worked for the National Intelligence Service. Again, Kelsey said nothing as he went on to tell her that for the last fifteen years he'd been assigned to investigate a Ukrainian crime family and went into brief detail about their crimes.

A million questions flew through her mind, yet Kelsey couldn't bring herself to ask any of them. Everything that she thought she knew was shattered. Did he ever love her was top of her list. When he answered that question without the words passing her lips, she laughed at how he insisted he loved her and the kids and everything he did was to protect them. Costos just stared at her expecting that she'd let them in on her amusement. When she didn't, he continued to tell her about his past and his mission. In the middle of his speech, Kelsey rose from her chair and walked out of the room with both Gibbs and Costos yelling after her.

Once she reached the bullpen, she grabbed her purse and pulled out her phone. "Cancel all of my appointments for the rest of the day and week. I need to take a few days of leave." She said when the call was answered.

"Hey Kelsey." Abby said cheerfully as she nearly knocked her over as she headed for the elevator. Stunned, Abby questioned Gibbs when he ran past after Kelsey. His lack of response told her to immediately back off.

Once in the elevator, Kelsey pressed the button to close the doors a million times praying no one caught up with her. She needed to let this all sink in and it had to be on her terms. Gibbs pounded on the metal doors as they closed. He yelled her name, but there was just so much noise in her head that it didn't even register.

"Damn it." Gibbs growled as he punched the door and turned to Tony. "Call down to security and have them hold her in the lobby."

"What happened?" Abby yelled over the commotion.

"Ask him." Gibbs snapped pointing at Costos who stood deflated.

When the elevator doors opened, Kelsey ran for the exit. The Marine at the Pass and ID desk stood and yelled after her as he dropped the phone on the cradle and took off running. "Ma'am, I've been told not to let you leave."

Oblivious to the now four Marines or Agents chasing her, she ran out the doors and into the parking lot. Gibbs impatiently waited for the elevator to stop and let him out. As soon as they opened, he ran for the door too. By the time he stepped into the blinding sun, Kelsey was speeding out of the parking lot. Instantly, he pulled out his phone to call up to his team.

"Put a BOLO out on Kelsey's car." He snapped as he turned back to the building to retrieve his keys. The look he gave Costos when he walked back into the bullpen sent him cowering. "I hope you're pleased with yourself."

"Special Agent Gibbs, you know because of the nature of the work, I couldn't tell her the truth. Imagine the danger she was in just being married to her and having a family."

"And that didn't stop you from divorcing her, leaving her with three kids to fend for herself, while you went back to your country and found someone new." He said as he stepped closer and closer to the man.

"She was safer without me than with me." He whined in his defense. "My assignment in the US was ending and I couldn't ask Kelsey or the kids to give up everything they'd known or worked for. I do truly love Kelsey and my children."

"Then why are you married to Anna?" Gibbs hissed.

"We men have needs and I was lonely. I needed companionship." He mumbled.

"And your wife didn't?" Gibbs asked with a look that even caused his team to take a few steps back. "And your children, did they not need you?"

Kelsey just drove, she didn't know where she was going to how she even got to the house when she pulled into the driveway. Somehow, she always wound up here. Slowly Kelsey got out of the car and waited, for what she really didn't know. Maybe she'd hoped Costos would follow her, convince her she had it all wrong and that he did truly love her at one time even if he didn't now. After five minutes, she walked to the door and onto the stood, ringing the bell.

"Kelsey dear, we heard about the fire. We're so thankful you and the kids got out alright." The grey haired woman gasped with a genuine smile as she pulled her into the house and her frail arms.

"Eadie, is he here?" Kelsey whimpered.

"Of course, he's in his office." She grinned and led her by the hand towards the hall. Without knocking, she opened the door and stuck her head in. "Paul, Kelsey's here and she looks positively dreadful."

The thin greying man removed his glasses, tossing them on the large mahogany desk as he stood. "Kelsey, what's wrong? Eadie can you make us some coffee?"

Eadie smiled warmly and patted Kelsey's cheek with a tenderness that Kelsey almost forgot existed before she disappeared. Paul waved Kelsey over to a large leather couch. "What's going on, you hardly ever make unannounced visits anymore."

"Doc, he lied about everything. He was never a lawyer like he said. Come to find out that he works for the National Intelligence Service." She told him in a desperate tone.

"I should have known it had something to do with him." Paul growled as he took a seat next to her. "How did all of this come to light?"

Kelsey explained the chain of events and that she'd been asked to do the Psychological Evaluation for NCIS, the fire and finally Costos' surprise visit. Paul smiled at his protégé and told her that Dr. Mallard had called asking him to recommend someone for the task, so he was the one to blame for getting her into the mess. When his wife returned with the coffee, she pulled a chair over and joined the conversation.

Gibbs paced as they awaited word on Kelsey's whereabouts. Every time he passed Costos, he glared at him and every time Costos would apologize. His words grated on every one of Gibbs nerves. He wanted more than anything to beat the man to a pulp with his bare hands for throwing away a perfectly good woman and children. Kelsey didn't deserve any of this from the beginning to the end. She had a good heart and brilliant mind.

Gibbs turned to Tim and told him to check Kelsey's phone again and again the phone was still off. "I'm sorry Boss, the last call from Kelsey's phone was while she was here and she must have turned the phone off after that."

Gibbs shook his head. "Where would she go?" He asked as he stopped abruptly in front of Demetrius.

He took a step back. "I don't know, you forget I haven't been a part of her life for the last five years. She never tells me what she's doing on where she's going. Kelsey's never been the type. I don't even know if she was seeing anyone."

"No she wasn't." Gibbs snarled. "She was still very much in love with you."

Demetrius' eyes fell to the floor and his shoulders slumped. "I didn't mean for any of this to happen."

Gibbs spun on his heels, walked to his desk and grabbed his keys and informed the others that he was going to check his house. As he stepped on the elevator he instructed that he was to be called if they found her. Tim, Tony and Ellie agreed, then scowled at Costos.

Gibbs pulled up to the house and heard Zeus and Athena barking like mad in the back yard. Even though he didn't see Kelsey's car, he checked the house anyway. His phone rang as he walked back towards his car and smiled at what he heard.

Kelsey sat with her mentor and his wife for nearly two hours before the doorbell rang. Eadie pulled herself out of the arm chair and went to see who else was there. Kelsey sat back, straining to listen and prayed it wasn't Costos. The last thing she wanted or needed was to see him. Though the thought of punching him in the head was sounding better as the moments passed. Eadie walked back into the room with an odd smile on her face.

"Kelsey, there is a very nice looking gentleman who would like to speak with you." She said looking at her husband and back to Kelsey.

Kelsey rolled her eyes and pulled herself out of the deep cushion before she headed into the living room. She could hear Doc and his wife going back and forth about who the stranger possibly was to her. After spending the entire weekend with Gibbs, Kelsey recognized his aftershave immediately and smiled to herself. At least someone cared enough to track her down. He had his arms crossed over his chest and a stern look on his face. He turned towards the hallway when he heard her footsteps.

Gibbs was livid, how could she tuck tail and run the way she did. On the other hand he understood. He had to calm himself, he didn't want to blow up at her and make the situation any worse than it already was.

"At least someone came looking for me. How did you know I'd be here?" Kelsey asked with a great deal of trepidation.

He offered her a gentle smile and walked towards her. "I'm sorry, I didn't know all of that was going to come out. I just wanted you to know the truth about who he was."

Kelsey snorted. "Really? You thought he was just going to tell me he was some secret agent from a foreign government and I'd be fine with it. He lied to me Gibbs, lied about everything. I can't be anything but angry and betrayed, it's the typical human psychological reaction."

"I'm not saying you're wrong in anything you think or feel. I'm upset over the way you took off leading us on a wild goose chase to try to find you. At least Costos remembered this is where you came if you needed to talk or vent." Gibbs said and paused for a moment before he began again. "I honestly feel he loved you."

Kelsey threw her hands in the air. "I don't want to hear that. That's the last thing I want to hear right now and I sure as hell don't want to see him anytime soon."

"He's supposed to be leaving for the airport in an hour or so. Come back to the office with me, I'm going to cut everyone lose early if the Director gives the go ahead." He told her. "We're still waiting on the report from the fire inspector."

Kelsey sighed and turned to Doc and his wife, thanked them for their time and followed Gibbs back to the ship yard. Costos was gone and should've been somewhere over the Atlantic at that point. By three they were headed back to Gibbs' house to meet the kids and decide on what they were going to do for dinner. It had been a long day and Kelsey was thankful Gibbs had a healthy stock of beer in the refrigerator. After homework was finished and the dinner dishes washed and replaced in the cupboard, the kids bathed and went to bed. Kelsey found Gibbs in the basement. He smiled up at her as she came down the steps, pulled a mason jar off a shelf and dumped the contents on the bench before he poured a dollop of whiskey in it.

Kelsey laughed. "Sanitation at its best. You know the alcohol doesn't kill all of the bacteria in the glass."

"You need something stronger than beer tonight." Gibbs preened and handed it to her.

"Trying to get me drunk Special Agent Gibbs, because it just might work."

Gibbs smile fell to a frown. "No, I wanted to apologize again for today."

"Forget it, deep down I knew he was just using me. I was just too blinded by his mystique and accent to know any better." She admitted before taking a swig.

Kelsey and Gibbs had been in the basement for just an hour before the doorbell rang. The two climbed the stairs; with Gibbs holding Kelsey's waist to ensure she didn't fall backwards; and into the kitchen. Gibbs asked her to wait until he'd seen who was there and she nodded, leaning heavily into the counter. Kelsey felt good, tipsy but not drunk and Costos was the furthest thing from her mind until she heard his panicked voice in the living room.

"Special Agent Gibbs, you have to keep them safe." He all but begged when Gibbs let him in.

"Costos, what are you doing here?" Kelsey croaked from the doorway. "Where's Anna and Dominic?"

"Oh Kelsey." He said and tried to wrap her in his arms. Kelsey pushed him away. "I put them back on a flight to Athens. They're in danger, you and the kids are in danger."

Kelsey turned sheet white. "What did you do?"

Costos adamately shook his head. "It wasn't anything I did. I got word from my agency that the people I've been investigating found out about you all and have threatened to kill you unless several members of the crime family are released from various prisons around the world."

Kelsey didn't think, her emotions took over. Before she could stop herself, she sent her balled fist smashing into the side of his head. Even after she'd realized what she'd done, she stood there proudly rubbing her knuckles. Gibbs stepped over Costos' writhing body as he went to get Kelsey ice for her hand.

"That was a good shot." He whispered as he handed Kelsey a towel full of ice.

"I've been wanting to do that all day." She laughed while she watched Gibbs pull Costos to his feet and hauled him into the kitchen.