Expect The Unexpected

There are now only moments until the identity of the killer is revealed...

Thank you so much for all your amazing reviews. I'm sorry it has taken so long to get this chapter up- it has taken me ages to perfect it, and hopefully you will think that it was worth the wait. Thanks also to Loz, Annie and Mel for their constant hounding to get this chapter done!

Chapter 21

"Petty Officer Frasier, may I see you in my office for a moment?" Commander Coleman called from the doorway. Sighing, Kate stood up and walked towards Faith. She entered the office and closed the door behind her.

"How are you feeling, Kate?" Faith asked as she sat down, gesturing for Kate to do the same.

Kate exhaled. "I'm fine," she replied. "A little edgey, but I'm fine. I just wanna catch the bastard." Faith nodded her head in agreement.

"Are you sure he'll strike today?"

"It fits the pattern," Kate said tentatively. "But two killings aren't a pattern. Three…"

"Kate," the Commander said in a warning voice when Kate trailed off and failed to finish her sentence. "It's not going to be three."

Kate shrugged her shoulders in response. "I'll just be glad when this case is over. My life can finally get back to normal."

"Not long now then," Faith pointed out. It was already half-past-four and Kate finished at five.

"Half an hour," Kate said. At that sudden realisation, Kate's heart began pounding in her chest and her palms became all clammy.

"I've just spoken with Gibbs," Faith said. Kate raised her eyebrows and urged her to continue. "He said that everything is under control."

"It better be," Kate mumbled under her breath. Commander Coleman opened her desk drawer and pulled out two earpieces. She put on in her own ear and handed the other to Kate.

"Here is an earpiece if you want one." Kate shook her head again.

"I've gotten this far without one, Commander," Kate said.

"Are you sure?" Faith asked, concern more than evident in her voice.

"I'm sure." Faith nodded her head in acceptance but was saved from saying anything by a knock at the door.

"Enter!" Faith called from her seat.

The door swung open and Petty Officer Alana Smith appeared in the doorway. "Ma'am, Lieutenant Commander Ellis is here to see you."

Faith looked at Kate, who merely nodded her head. "Show him in, Petty Officer."

"Aye, aye, Commander."

"I'll leave you to it," Kate said rising from her chair.

"No, you can stay, it's fine." Lieutenant Ellis entered the room with baby Sophia in his arms and sat down in the chair next to Kate.

"Lieutenant," Kate said in acknowledgment.

"Special Agent Todd," he replied. "Commander," he added, acknowledging the woman in front of him. He cradled his daughter close to his body, rocking her gently.

"What can I do for you, Robert?" Faith said.

"I came to collect Maria's things." Kate sat back in her chair. She had been the one who had gone through the desk to clean it out. She had never had to undertake such a task before and it had more than unsettled her.

"I hope you don't mind, sir," Kate began, "I put all of your wife's things in a box. It's under my desk out there."

"I don't mind," he said, "that's fine. Are you here trying to find my wife's killer?"

"Yes, sir." Although she had seen Lieutenant Ellis on her first day undercover, he had been on compassionate leave and had not been around the base. This was the first time she had the chance to talk to him.

"How is the investigation going?"

Kate and Faith exchanged a conspiratorial look. "It's going well, sir," Kate replied convincingly.

"How are you coping?" Faith asked.

Robert looked down at his daughter before looking at the Commander. "I'm getting there," he said.

Upstairs, Tony, Gibbs and McGee could hear everything. Along with the earpiece, Commander Coleman also had a microphone on her body. It was transmitting the sounds very clearly.

"She's edgey, boss," Tony pointed out.

"Tell me something I don't know, DiNozzo," Gibbs retorted harshly. "We've got twenty minutes."

All three men looked at their watches and sighed in frustration.

"Twenty minutes," Tony reiterated. Gibbs ran his hands through his hair in frustration. "Something's not right, Boss," Tony stated, shaking his head. "I have this feeling in my… gut."

Gibbs stared at the computer monitor transmitting the live feeds. "Santiago is leaving," Gibbs said. "McGee, follow him. If he leaves base, let me know, but we need you here."

"On it, boss." McGee checked his weapon before making a hasty exit. A few moments later, Gibbs and Tony saw McGee walking down the corridor behind Santiago.

"It's not Santiago, boss," Tony said. "He hardly even looked at Kate."

"You can never be too careful."

Meanwhile, back in Commander Coleman's office, they were chatting civilly amongst themselves. "How is everything going with Sophia?" Kate asked.

"It's not easy. She misses her mother,"

"That's understandable," Faith said.

"Do you have someone who is helping you out at home?"

"My parents have come to stay with me," he said forlornly. Ever since that day in the bullpen two weeks ago when Kate had first met Lieutenant Ellis, she was surprised by his strength of character. He had managed to pull himself together for the sake of his little girl. "I should be going," Ellis said as he stood up. "Commander," he said, "Special Agent Todd."

"I'll help you carry her things out to the car if you'd like," Kate suggested.

"Thank you, I would really appreciate it."

Kate stood up and walked out to the officer area with Ellis. She moved to her desk and picked up the box before walking out of the office with him.

"She's an angel," Kate said, gesturing to the little girl in his arms.

"Yes, she is," Ellis said as she smiled at Kate.

"Boss, Santiago has left the base," McGee said into his microphone.

"Then get your ass back up here, McGee. Kate has gone down to the carpark with Commander Ellis, but will be back shortly."

"Sure thing, boss."

"Something isn't right," Tony said again.

"I don't wanna hear it, DiNozzo," Gibbs all but shouted in his face. Tony flinched at the hard edge in his boss' voice. "We are gonna get this dirtbag before he gets Kate."

"Boss…" Tony began.

"Shut it, DiNozzo."

Ellis handed Kate the keys to his small family sedan and she unlocked it for him. He placed Sophia in the baby seat in the back and wound down the window a little bit. Kate opened up the trunk of the car and placed the box in it before closing it firmly.

"I am taking indefinite leave," Ellis said as Kate moved around the side of the car to stand next to him. She was shocked, to say the least. "I feel I need to spend as much time as I can with Sophia." Kate nodded understandingly. "I need to grab a few things from my office. Would you be able to give me a hand?"

Without even thinking, Kate agreed and walked alongside him into the building. They headed up the stairs and walked along a quiet corridor on the third floor. "My office is just through here."

That's all I have for now. Please review and let me know what you thought of that chapter: getting that ending right has been a hard task!