Note: Another day another chapter.

The Other Agent Foster

Chapter 21- Katie

A few days later Angelica pulled up in front of Katie and Joe's house with a sigh. She had been keeping pretty much to herself since Sunday, but she couldn't be so selfish anymore. She couldn't hide away from everyone just because she was uncomfortable. Frankie's wedding was just around the corner and she had promised Lauren that she would help out in anyway that she could. Unfortunately that meant dropping off Joe's outfit to make sure that it fit. Usually she would jump at any opportunity to see him, but she wasn't sure if she was ready to see Katie yet. Yes she had been waiting for a chance to find out exactly what had happened between Tuck and his wife, but did it have to be right now. Taking a breath she grabbed the package of clothes from the front seat and got out of the car.

Katie glanced out of the window and sighed. Angelica was here already. She wanted to hate the blonde, but she couldn't. It wasn't her fault or Tuck's. It wasn't anybodies fault the way that things had turned out. Deep down Katie had always known that her husband was still hung up on his ex. But Angelica had been in Washington, and Angelica didn't want a family. The explanation that she had been given at the time was that Angelica was being groomed for a high ranking position within the American Embassy and any scandal would be disastrous. So much so that her boss, a Mr Morren, had arranged for Katie to be declared Joe's birth mother. The 17yr old had been sequestered for the duration of her pregnancy while appearing to be travelling to improve her language skills. With the help of padding and prostetics and trips to the doctor looking after Angelica, Morren had helped Katie to convince everyone that she was pregnant while she and Tuck planned a wedding for after the child was born. Katie had gone along with it all. She couldn't have children, and she liked Tuck. They had been dating for about a month when Angelica had realised she was pregnant with his child, it had felt a little like fate.

Back then Katie had been able to hate Angelica a little for giving up her child for the sake of a job. But now Katie understood things a little better. Learning that Tuck wasn't in fact a travel agent had led her to question Angelica's profession. And when she had finally gotten the courage to ask him about it, he had told her the truth. Angelica was an Agent as well, but she wasn't like him. Angelica was a special kind of Agent handpicked for Assasination and torture. He had explained that she had seen her parents killed in front of her and shot one of the men responsible at 4yrs old. He explained that if anyone found out that Joe was biologically her son the Agency would become very interested in him. She came from a long line of Agents and was considered one of the best in her classification. And she couldn't stand the thought of her son going through the same scrutiny that she and her brother had. That was when Katie acknowledged the fact that her husband was still in love with the other woman. But Angelica was far away so she had told herself that he would get over it.

Now though Katie knew that wasn't going to happen, and she was coming to terms with that. That didn't make seeing Angelica any easier however. Seeing the blonde getting out of the car Katie went to the front door and opened it wide with as much of a smile as she could muster.

"Hello Angelica. You made good time."

Angelica smiled politely at the other woman seeing a little awkwardness behind her expression.

"Hey Katie. The traffic was pretty light. Is Joe ready?"

Stepping aside Katie let her step through the door. And Joe must have been paying attention to her arrival because suddenly he was rushing in from the living room.

"Auntie Angie!"

Smiling brighter this time Angelica dropped down onto one knee to hug him.

"Hey Squirt. You ready to try on your suit for Uncle Frank's wedding."

After a grin and a nod in reply Angelica handed Joe the package and he ran upstairs to get changed. Katie went to follow him but was told in no uncertain terms by the boy that he could do it himself. This left the two women alone and awkward in the hall. Until Angelica's phone beeped.

Low level routine change STP3.01

Angelica laughed as she put the phone back in her pocket. Frankie was supposed to be at work, but she wasn't surprised to see him lurking around her apartment. In fact she had been waiting for an opportunity to test her security system and if he wanted to be the guinea pig then fine.

"Is everything alright?"

Katie asked grasping blindly for any topic of conversation.

"Yeah everything is fine. My brother is trying to break into my apartment, but he won't get very far. I'll probably get another message in a few minutes. Actually while I'm here do you mind if I check the system here, it's been a while since I had a look and last time was a little rushed."

The last time had actually been just after Edward Morren's death. Agent Moros had been the one to install the system and maintain it until his death. After that Angelica had been forced to check over the system while the house was empty.

"Sure. I had wondered why your friend stopped coming round to install his usual updates, but when I found out about the Agency Tuck told me what happened to Mr Morren. I'm sorry. I know you guys were close."

Angelica smiled softly as she opened the hidden panel in the hall.

"Thank you. He was a good Agent, and a good friend. Have you had any problems with the system?"

She asked trying to get her mind away from the depressing subject.

"No, no problems. I'm just going to put the kettle on. It's tea isn't it?"

Angelica nodded gratefully.

"Yes thank you. Milk, one sugar."

As Katie retreated to the kitchen Angelica finished checking the system and replaced the panel just in time for her phone to beep again.

FDR couldn't believe that he had gotten so far. Either he was getting better or Angie was getting a bit lax in her security because he had no problem bypassing the retinal scan in the front door and had made it into the hall. There was a camera sweeping across the hall from the corner of the livingroom, but he was standing in a blindspot and if he timed it just right he could get to the linen closet without being seen. From there he could figure out a way to take it out remotely.

It was only when the closet door clicked closed behind him, that FDR realised that it had all been a little too easy. The door was locked and now there was a video link projected onto the wood infront of him. Angie's face smirked down at him from what looked like Katie's livingroom.

"Nice try Frankie. But now you're stuck until I get home. And by the way if my sensors hadn't picked up on the fact that it was you, you would be dead by now."

Groaning FDR slumped against the shelves.

"Come on Angie, let me out. I have to meet Lauren later to try on my tux."

He had thought that that would sway her, but it didn't, she just laughed harder.

"Sorry Frankie. But I can't release the door remotely. It's set up that way on purpose. Besides I'm meeting Lauren as well to try on my dress so we can go together. Now just sit back and relax. I stashed some puzzle magazines in there somewhere for this very occasion. Have fun."

With that the projection disappeared and FDR was left to wait.

Angelica was still laughing into her tea when Joe came bounding down the stairs looking for help with his bow tie.

"My, my. Don't you look hansom Mr Harrison."

She said smiling widely as Katie tied it for him. Taking her phone out of her pocket again Angelica snapped a couple of pictures before Joe could rush upstairs again to change back into his jeans.

"They did a good job. I don't think it will need altered at all."

Katie said once they were alone again.

"Yeah. The guys are trying their's on this afternoon. Actually Katie, there's something I wanted to ask you..."

The brunette frowned a little before interrupting.

"You want to know why I kicked Tuck out. I'm not surprised he didn't tell you. It was because of you."

Angelica blinked in confusion.

"Katie. I assure you Tuck and I are not involved."

Katie smiled a little.

"That's what he said. I know you're not together, that you haven't been together for months. But that's not what I meant. I think on some level I always knew that he was in love with you, that he always had been. But I didn't let myself acknowledge it until recently. I thought that we could move past it, but he was never really mine. I know now why we could never make it work. You see Angelica, you keep pushing him away and telling him to settle down and have a family. But it will never work. He will never be happy with anyone else because for Tuck no one will ever compare to his Angel."