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Robert had managed to put the undercover agent right out of his mind by the time Avril Montague turned up and was able to show total surprise to his wife and the woman she led into the sitting room. He wondered if that was one of the reasons they'd waited so long.
"A Miss Montague insists on seeing you. I told her that you were not on duty but she says it's personal," Ronnie Carter said screwing up her mouth distastefully. Robert could almost hear her telling him to keep his bits on the side away from the house so she doesn't have to acknowledge them.
"Hello Robert, long time no see but I have some thing I need to tell you," Avril Montague/Agent Rachel Dawson said doing a very good impression of nervousness.
"Avril?" Robert asked slightly uncertain that he'd remembered the name Gibbs had given him correctly and hoping he didn't screw things up. The uncertainty was perfect for a man meeting a woman he'd had a three week romance with two years earlier and hadn't seen since
Rachel nodded. "I should have contacted you before this but to be honest I wasn't sure you'd care. But now that I'm being deployed and I figured if I had to give him to someone then you should take him, that is if you want to. He'd probably be better off with you…" she rambled.
"Take who? What are you talking about? Who'd be better off?" Robert asked.
"Your son, Jayden," the woman masquerading as his ex-lover said handing over a photo of a child that looked between one and two years old, not that Robert was any judge of baby's ages. He had to admit that the child did superficially look like it could have been his. He was genuinely shocked when Avril showed him pictures of a toddler and told him that the child was his son. More because she was putting a child at risk with the pictures but at least it fooled his wife.
"How long did the affair go on," Veronica demanded furiously of her husband.
"Only a week or two while you were away. I broke it off as soon as I knew you were coming back to me," Robert said hastily. They'd deliberately chosen a time period where Veronica Carter could not have been watching her husband's movements to know whether he'd been seeing someone or not. It was still possible she'd hired an investigator or someone to look for evidence of an affair in which case they might be in trouble because in fact there had not been a girlfriend during this time, but given how unwell she'd been it was unlikely.
"I was in hospital not off on some bloody holiday, you wretched louse," Veronica yelled striding over and slapping her husband's face.
"You swore if I had you admitted that you would divorce me, and then you put me on the list of people that were not allowed in to see you, what was I supposed to think? I was upset," Robert protested.
"How old is your son?" Veronica Carter asked, looking like she'd swallowed a lemon.
"Nineteen months," Agent Dawson replied, deliberately not giving a birthdate that could be looked up.
"Why didn't you tell me I was going to be a father? Why wait so long before telling me? I had a right to know!" Robert asked, trying to sound shocked and more upset with the woman standing in front of him instead of with his wife.
"I think we're going to have to insist on DNA testing before we believe you Miss Montague," Veronica said distrustfully, before she could answer.
"Why are you here?" Robert demanded, suspiciously. "I'm not going to pay child support for a child that might not be mine. I'm not a fool."
Both women had to carefully control their faces to avoid looking like they disagreed with the last statement.
"I don't want you to pay, I earn more than enough for the two of us but I've got my orders. I'm being deployed early next month. My parents are elderly and aren't very well, they're not really up to looking after a toddler, though of course they'd so their best if there's no alternative," Avril began.
"And you thought that you'd come and foist your child on us," Veronica stated coldly outraged. "I do not think so Miss. I think you ought to leave."
"But Ronnie, what if he is my son. Of course, I'd want to take custody of him," Robert said almost begging his wife to understand. He'd had doubts that she had been the murderer until now and had agreed to this undercover operation mostly in the hope of clearing Ronnie, but seeing the way she looked at the woman claiming to have had his child, he was glad that the undercover operative would have protection once she left the house.
"You have no proof she's telling you the truth," Veronica said waspishly. "Make an appointment to have paternity testing done by all means but until then you don't owe this woman or her child a single thing."
"Very well we will get the testing done but if the child is mine then he will be coming here to live with me while his mother is overseas and we will work out a shared custody arrangement when her tour is finished," Robert said firmly.
"Don't expect me to look after your little bastard!" Veronica snapped.
"I'm sure I could find him a place at the base day care while I'm at work," Robert said as if to himself.
"I expected you to say that. I made us an appointment at Bethesda tomorrow at seventeen hundred hours," Avril said agreeably.
"I will meet you there," Robert nodded, getting up to let her out.
"I will see you tomorrow," Avril replied. "Goodnight Mrs Carter, for what it's worth I am sorry to spring this on you out of the blue."
-o0o-
"I think you're right, she looked like she wanted to kill me as soon as I brought up the child," Rachel said shaken as she arrived at the safe house where Tony and Ziva were waiting.
"Yeah, Tim was right," Ziva agreed.
"Did she follow me? I didn't notice her so if she did, she's good," Rachel asked.
"No, she remained at the house, yelling and throwing things at her husband. We've had to post a security detail to keep an eye on him," Tony replied. "Let's hope she strikes fairly quickly or accounting are going to have a fit."
Rachel chuckled wryly. "Yes, let's hope she attacks me quickly," she said sarcastically.
-o0o-
"Are you mad, showing her a picture of your child, yesterday. What happens if she follows you and realises the child's not with you. Surely, she'd look at your parents' house, I'm sure she wouldn't have too much difficulty finding them. Did you want to paint a target on him," Robert ranted once they were alone the next day. "And you know Veronica will want to see the results. She won't just take my word for it."
"We know and we've arranged for the clinic to provide us a false set of results for the investigation. They normally take several days so you will receive it in the mail. As for the photo it's a photo of a child that's now school-aged with the graphics refreshed and a change of date photoshopped into it, he isn't at any risk, I do not have a child, nor do I have parents in the tristate area, and you need to remember that your wife only knows the name of my cover identity not my real name, it has been backstopped well enough for a cursory search not to find anything suspicious or anyone that could be put at risk," Special Agent Rachel Dawson replied frowning at him. Didn't he realise this wasn't some game, they were in the middle of investigating a serial killer. Of course, they'd been careful not to allow their own families to be put at risk.
"You're expecting her to make a move today?" Carter realised.
"In all probability she will follow me from here. We did not give her an address yesterday, she didn't follow me from the house, and she is reported to be in the vicinity," Special Agent Dawson said calmly.
"If she attacks here dozens of people could be hurt," Carter said reproachfully.
"We believe that she won't attack me until after we separate. From here we're going to travel together to a safehouse where you will come inside for approximately an hour before leaving. There will be no innocent collateral damage," Dawson replied.
"How can you be sure?" Carter demanded.
"Because she's always waited until you've left the women before killing them and we're having her watched, she's watching the door to the clinic and the car park, not preparing to storm in and kill everyone. If she makes a move here she will be apprehended," Dawson replied calmly.
"If she's watching how are we going to explain not having a child here?" Carter asked.
"You reproached me for showing you a photograph and yet expected me to bring an innocent child here to play bait. Tell her that I brought a DNA sample with me. As you don't have another child I could've stolen the DNA from and I don't have access to your father's DNA it would still be proof I either dug up your father or I have your child. And it's all the more reason she won't attack me here if she doesn't see the child. She will follow us back to the safehouse.
They left the hospital clinic and Carter carefully followed her home, trying to keep an eye out for anyone else following her but didn't manage to spot them. They arrived at a house with a toddler swing on the front porch, and went inside.
"I didn't see anyone following us. I thought you said there wasn't a child here?" he told the agents inside.
"She was seen following us, and there isn't a child here, but if she breaks in she'll expect to see the paraphernalia of a child in the house," Dawson retorted unimpressed.
"He stayed for about an hour, then they bundled him out. "You will be followed to make sure she doesn't change her MO and attack you, do not try to look for or shake your tail," the agent said.
Later that night there was a slight commotion and Veronica Carter was caught trying to set the house on fire with a home made Molotov cocktail, there were several more in her possession. She was arrested and charged but it soon became obvious that the defence might have a successful claim for an insanity plea so she was committed to a very secure facility for evaluation. An evaluation she failed and the order was made that she was to be held until she was sane enough to stand trial or for a period of no less than thirty years since they now had confessions for five murders.
Tony and Ziva who had had the early shift guarding the house and had left before the incident, were informed as they arrived for work not having been required the night before as Gibbs and Tim had managed to arrest the subject as she had lit the first bottle and Gibbs had managed to get it off her and throw it onto the concrete drive where it exploded relatively harmlessly as Tim had cuffed Veronica Carter and recited the Miranda warning to her and Rachel had hosed down the embers smouldering on the front porch. Hadrian had set fire retardant wards and several other structural wards on the safe house and every other safe house Tim knew of so the damage to the house was minimal but the evidence was enough to convict the woman on this crime even if some of the previous crime's evidence for conviction was a little too circumstantial.
Rachel was complimented on her undercover skills. Having fooled the killer into believing she was a trained marine with a young child she was prepared to give to its biological father while she spent the next two years in a war zone. A hard portrayal to make believable.
"It was nothing," she protested.
"You deserve the compliments for not slapping the irresponsible, idiotic chauvinistic womaniser," Ziva said having listened in on both Rachel's meetings with Robert Carter.
"If I went around slapping all men like that, my hand would be too sore to get anything done," Rachel replied.
Tony laughed but Tim and Ziva looked at him surprised and he realised that they thought that he was the type of man Rachel would want to slap if she met him socially.
The case might be solved but there was a long day of reports and paperwork ahead of them, to make sure all of the evidence in the case was correctly filed and the case was as watertight as they could make it in case it ever did go to trial. It was even more important that every possible legal loophole be closed and every single piece of evidence be appropriately catalogued and every witness statement taken in detail and corroborated as much as possible, in case the witnesses they had now weren't available in the future.
Tim left a message for Spencer that they'd caught Veronica Carter red-handed trying to throw Molotov cocktails at the safe house and thanking the BAU again for their involvement since they'd already sent over the documentation of the profile, then packed up his things to leave at the end of the day, glad that he could put the case that had driven them all to the point of exhaustion behind them. He could admit that he'd become a bit obsessed with catching the killer that dumped Lance Corporal Marina Schubert's body almost on their doorstep. They all had, especially once they'd found out that the motive for killing her had been her unborn child. He owed his family an apology for the amount of time he'd spent working lately, even when Hadrian had forced him to use the time turner in attempt to get him to rest, he'd been on his personal computer running the searches he hadn't had time to run at work during his original time through the day sparking one of the worst fights he'd had with Hadrian since their marriage.
He arrived home to find the house empty and dark, no light left on for them to return to and no note on the refrigerator telling him where Hadrian and the children were. His heart sank, surely Hadrian hadn't left him over a little fight and a few weeks neglect, though Tim realised that his husband had been more upset about their argument than he had been. He ran upstairs and checked the wardrobes, still full of clothing, in fact the girls' cupboards were filled with clothing he didn't recognise, Hadrian must have taken them shopping for new outfits because they'd grown, he thought suddenly guiltily aware of how much of their lives he'd missed lately.
Panic easing his stomach rumbled and he realised how hungry he was. There was no sign of dinner preparations but he checked the fridge and made himself a sandwich. Glancing at the calendar he groaned when he realised where his family was. He checked his watch and groaned again, he was too late to join them. Teddy's school concert was already more than half over and he suspected that Hadrian was not expecting him home until late again and would take the children out to eat on the way home. He only hoped that Hadrian had or would offer him the time turner later tonight so he was with them now.
He wanted to stay up and wait for them so instead of going to bed as his tired body was urging him to do he sat in the family lounge where he'd see and hear them come in. unfortunately exhaustion won and he was very soon fast asleep despite how hard he'd tried to stay awake.
-o0o-
Tim, version two, informed Hadrian that there was a version one of him sleeping in the lounge so they brought the children directly upstairs for a quick wash up and story before bed. Once the children were asleep and Tim Version 2 went to bed to read while Hadrian went downstairs and sat opposite his husband for a moment. He was tempted just to throw a blanket over him and leave him in the chair to wake in the morning but knew that sleeping with his head in that position would give Tim a stiff neck and likely a killer headache the next day and no matter how disgruntled he was with him he didn't want to cause him pain. He transfigured the armchair into a bed repositioning Tim comfortably before covering him up and curling up on his own armchair to wait for him to wake.
Hadrian knew from Tim version 2's behaviour that they had sorted out their argument and forgiven each other before he turned back to last night. He knew that Tim loved him and didn't want to leave him. He certainly didn't want to break up either, but he couldn't cope with a husband who spent all his waking hours at work every time they had a case, and he didn't understand why this case had been so different to all the others. If it was just something specific about the case that wouldn't be repeated that would be okay but the case didn't involve a major terror threat a spree killer or missing children which he would have expected to take priority over every spare moment. His greatest fear was that Tim had begun spending so much time at work because he preferred it to being at home with him and the children, or it was easier somehow. He knew he was probably being silly, there'd been no signs of strain or distance in their marriage before Tim got wrapped up in this case, the change had been too sudden.
It was strange sitting waiting for a confrontation that he already knew much of the outcome of. Tim hadn't told him of the details but it was clear that he was content with the state of their relationship, and feeling affectionate and happy, though still exhausted. But even that didn't stop Hadrian from sitting there worrying while he waited for Tim to wake up. He was also worried by how tired and drawn Tim looked, even after a day spent mostly sleeping version 2 was exhausted and had gone straight to bed, disappointed that Hadrian couldn't join him but still admitting that sleeping would have to be the priority, tonight at least and he had high hopes of Hadrian being there when he awoke.
-o0o-
It was after midnight when Tim began to stir and he leapt from his bed looking around, falling back on it and relaxing when he saw his husband sitting there watching him.
"Hadrian, I'm so sorry. I forgot that Teddy's play was tonight, I hate that I missed it, is he very upset with me?" Tim said apologetically.
"He isn't upset at all, he was pleased that you arrived home in time to come with us," Hadrian replied dryly.
"Thank you, Hadrian, can you forgive me?" Tim asked.
"I forgive you, but I cannot sit by again and watch you work yourself into exhaustion like this, Tim," Hadrian replied moving over to the transfigured bed and taking his husband's hand. "I love you Tim but we can't live like this every time you get a case. The children have barely seen you for weeks. You haven't even agreed to use the time turner except to try to do two days' worth of work in one. I'd understand that if you were looking for a kidnap victim or missing child or spree killer but you knew you had months to catch her before there was a new potential victim. We need to know that we are a priority for you too."
Tim looked gutted but Hadrian refused to back down. "Why Tim? What was it about this case that got to you so badly? Or was it us?" he asked uncertainly.
"No Hadrian, I wanted to be home with you. It was the baby, the fact that she was targeting woman who might be pregnant with her husband's child, I remembered how I felt when you first told me you were pregnant with Rosie and how I saw the baby as a gift from God in spite of all the problems we had back then. For this baby to be so unwanted that we thought the father had killed the mother just affected me so badly and I was desperate to prove he didn't do it. Only to find it was his wife," Tim tried to explain why the case had been so important to him.
"I understand Tim, but it must not happen again. Use the timeturner to spend time with us. Show the children that you have time for them and for our love. Not to mention that you're going to work yourself to death if you do this for every case, and we need you. Promise me that you will try to do better?" Hadrian demanded.
"I promise, Hadrian," Tim said hoarse with emotion. He moved across to kneel on the floor in front of Hadrian's chair and Hadrian put his hand out to caress Tim's face.
"I love you."
"I love you too," Tim replied.
Hadrian flicked his wand and the bed turned back into an armchair. "Have you eaten?"
"I had a sandwich, I'm to tired to be hungry," Tim admitted.
"Let's go upstairs and you can turn back twenty-four hours and sleep until it's time for Teddy's concert," Hadrian said. "I'll put some things beside the bed for you to snack on whenever you wake up."
"Turn back with me," Tim requested.
"I'm… I can't," Hadrian said.
Tim turned to stare at his husband in disappointment. "You won't."
Hadrian sighed, "I can't… This isn't the way I wanted to tell you." He rubbed the back of his neck anxiously as he waited for his husband's reaction.
Tim looked at him blushing slightly, and the feelings of disappointment vanished in a heartbeat replaced by wonder. "Are you pregnant?" He asked. "Are we going to have a baby?"
"Yes," Hadrian replied nervously. "Are you happy about it?"
They hadn't even talked about trying for another baby yet but Tim was delighted. He grinned widely and leaned in to kiss Hadrian passionately. "Yes I'm thrilled. How long have you known?"
Hadrian looked down. "About a month," he admitted. "There just didn't seem like a good time to tell you."
Tim closed his eyes, filled with self-loathing. Hadrian must have been feeling emotional and insecure for more than a month and he hadn't spent enough time with him to even notice.
"Come to bed with me? At least until I'm asleep?" He begged.
"I'll probably fall asleep before you do and I don't want to have to wake you up in the morning to turn back," Hadrian admitted. "If I'd known last night, I could have been there waiting for you instead of sleeping alone."
Tim knew that he couldn't blame Hadrian for not knowing the case would be over tonight when he hadn't even managed to do more than send a quick text that he wouldn't be home last night, and that both of them sleeping in the spare room instead of their room was not a good option in case one of the children tried to come into their bed during the night or early morning.
He changed for bed, kissed his husband then turned back twenty-four hours and tried not to be upset about sleeping alone in the guest room while Hadrian was also alone down the hall. He was tempted to go and crawl in with Hadrian in their bed but he knew that it would cause problems in the morning.
He thought about Hadrian's news. A new baby. He had to admit he was thrilled about the idea but he felt incredibly guilty that he hadn't been there for Hadrian through the shock of finding out and that his absence and preoccupation with the case had dragged out Hadrian's uncertainty about telling him because he just wasn't available for a serious conversation.
A/N: Thank you to all those who reviewed followed or favourited this story for your support.
