Chapter 4: A face from the past
Kate and McGee were standing in the access ramp which led towards the gates in Dulles. The flight of the marine's fiancé had landed ten minutes before, so at any moment now she would come walking down towards them. Kate burrowed her hands in her pockets,still feeling the bitter cold of November despite the barely heated interior area of the airport.
She looked down at the picture of Ms. Mills, her blonde hair floating around a fine boned face crowned with deep blue eyes which were staring seriously out of the DMV id they had been able to find.
"I wonder if she has any inkling of what has happened." McGee muttered softly, his sad eyes surveying the people walking in hurried steps by them dragging their luggage towards their loved ones or simply to those who were waiting for them with signs with their names, all rushing, none really looking to their sides to acknowledge the others.
Kate looked up and saw a brief glimpse of sadness on his face before he was just his normal soft looking puppy face. "I don't think she knows. He was alive when she boarded the plane so probably she is expecting to find him here, not us, waiting for her."
"Yeah…" He frowned, noticing a familiar blonde head surfacing in the sea of travelers. "it will be the shock of her life."
Something in his tone made Kate look up at him, finding him hardening his gaze and gulping nervously as he dried his sweaty hands on his trousers. "McGee, are you okay?"
"Here she comes." He said without taking his gaze from the blondie walking down the ramp. She appeared to be texting on her Blackberry, dragging a small suitcase behind herself and juggling her phone, coat and a couple of magazines in her hands at the same time. Kate took her time to study the young woman, guessing she was in her mid twenties, clearly a successful young professional by the cut of her clothes and for the quality of her shoes, which Kate would bet a month of her salary were designer made.
Ms. Mills chose that moment to look up and around, trying to find someone in the sea of faces in the airport. Her gaze glazed over them for a brief moment, going away for a second before zeroing again on them. Kate frowned as she saw the stranger who was their person of interest frown, before opening her mouth in a shocked o at the same time that her slack hands let the magazines and coat fall to the floor.
She recognized them.
Kate frowned surprised and glanced up at McGee, who was breathing deeply but his gaze did not waver from Ms. Mills. After gulping loudly, he started to walk towards her, his sure steps bringing a chill to Kate's heart as an idea flourished untainted in her head.
Oh my gosh, he's met her before.
Ms. Mills ignored her things on the floor as McGee finally stood before her, his eyes searching her face and finding her just like his last memory of her, so many years ago. Kate watched in shocked silence at the severe display of emotion showing in both of their faces.
"Hi, Chris." He said softly, not willing to startle her.
"Timmy, what are you doing here?" She was obviously surprised, her blue eyes fixed in shock as she stared at him flabbergasted.
McGee fidgeted a little on his feet, before lowering to the floor to collect her things and reverently give them back to you.
"Chris, we need to talk."