#8

"I don't want to know where you've been. Just Why…. Why could you not tell us."

"What I agreed with Gran, or why I didn't tell you I'm gay?. You know Mike… he knew, and didn't expect anything from me… didn't hound me to meet a guy" Grace tried to explain, finding herself quite angry, despite being weak from everything over the last few years. There had been so many times she had started dialling the phone to call Mike… to call any and all of them… but she told herself it was in their best interest not to expose them to everything. She had spent the last few years doing deep undercover work, embedding in private militia groups and recovering imprisoned assets… and relocating a few prisoners of the FBI and CIA. It had started as a trade off for her dad's wellbeing, and reintegration into a normal life. But when it came to kicking ass and showing up sister agencies failings… she wouldn't have had it any other way.

Hetty had long ago given up on recruiting and training new deep cover or non agency related assets. Grace had a wide remit… far reaching authority and a larger budget than many undercover operations. Every now and again she'd report into her gran. But most of the time… she could do whatever she felt was in the best interests of the Office of Special Projects, the country … and ultimately, her family. She had always had one of her people watching over Mike and co, even gran and Vic… she felt she had a remit to protect them from the darker parts of the world… and because she did this without Hetty knowing, she didn't have to explain the reasons for what she did.

Andrea had become her closest confidant… but the young woman hadn't the heart to deal with some of the stuff Grace sought to manage. She had spent most of the last few years on surveillance ops… personal protection for some of Grace's relocated citizens. Highest priority had always been Kristina. Grace couldn't forgive her for what she had done to her dad… but Grace… she couldn't leave her under the control of the FBI. So she had relocated her to a remote island in the south Atlantic. She would never again be able to harm anyone, she was always under VERY close surveillance, whether she knew it or not.

"You want to know why I didn't choose to tell you I was gay, I didn't tell you because you're just like mum… you don't want to know these things, You have this little plan for how everything and everyone should be. She wouldn't accept that i was telling the truth about Eric's lackies. She preferred to focus on hiding me away, keeping me from the real world. You couldn't see… or maybe you simply didn't want to see that I had no interest in boys. Why do you think I didn't visit… Vic, she opened my eyes to my true self"

"You honestly think I wouldn't accept you because you're not straight?! I wouldn't have cared. I don't care. I…I just want you to be happy and healthy"

"Well, you won't have to worry about me for long. I have stage 3 breast cancer. And I'm not going to last forever."

Syd didn't know how to respond. A few hours ago everything was right with the world… well, her sister may still be in maximum security. But aside from that… her niece was alive and well. And now the whole world was crumbling around her.

"You remember my visit to you before I... well, before I died. I needed Mike to get me into see mom. After everything that happened… I couldn't get treatment. It would have attracted too much unwanted attention. If gran hadn't been shot… you wouldn't have found out that I deceived you all"

Syd sat there contemplating everything she was being told. Then something clicked

"Grace… is the baby yours. The kid that Mike brought home, that he got from Victoria… Is that why he won't let me hand her over to CPS?"

"Yeah. She was mine. She… again, would have drawn unwanted attention to me. I knew you and Mike would take her in. You did with Jake…" Grace explained, almost gasping in discomfort and she gripped her chest "I won't be here to see her grow up. But I can still protect her"

"Grace, you're still just a kid,,,"

"I'm an NCIS Special Agent… and my days as a kid ended when I shot Eric" Grace interjected

"Mike has always said that this isn't the life your dad would want for you"

"No?, I didn't have a typical childhood. I was exposed to things that I shouldn't have been…"

…

"Drop your weapon!"

"Not doing it. You don't know what this little shit has done… He raped an NCIS Special Agent… on your ship, under your watch. You better hope I don't see you again… or you'll be sharing a cell with whatever remains of Mr O'Donnell. You understand what I'm saying!?" Mike almost screamed at the Captain, who had, wisely, chosen to hide behind a pair of armed marines, as Mike dragged the lieutenant down the hall past the captains quarters, intentionally banging O'Donnell's head against anything he could.

"If you're very lucky, I'll not do to you, what I'm going to do to Mr O'Donnell… Run and hide asshole"