Hey guys! My apologies for the delay with the update. Life got in the way this week. Will try not to let that happen again. In brighter news, 100 reviews! Wow! THANK YOU so much! I appreciate each and every one of you for all your kind words! PLEASE keep them coming!

Here we go! Chapter 20! Enjoy :-)

I DO NOT own NCIS and yeah, yeah, yeah…Let's just get to!

Gunnery Sergeant Ian McIntyre was well respected amongst his follow Marines. An honest man, Gunnery Sergeant McIntyre was destined for a glorious career. That was until suspicions arose that he was involved in the theft of Marine artillery with the intention of selling them on the black market. Gibbs and his team were assigned to the case. With little evidence to go on, their only hope in solving the cases was to catch McIntyre red-handed in his suspected dealings.

Kate sat in front of the computer screen, staring at the feed from the surveillance camera McGee had set up to monitor McIntyre's movements. They had set up base in a vacant apartment across the street from the Gunnery Sergeant's apartment, looking for any activity that might indicate his was planning to sell some weapons. Kate was now six months pregnant and the twins were in full action inside her womb. Gibbs had suggested that Kate go on light duty but being as stubborn as she was Kate insisted that she was fine and continued work as usual, joining the team on their nearly week long surveillance of the Gunnery Sergeant.

"Anything?" asked Tony as he entered into the apartment carrying a large paper bag.

"He's been in that apartment all day. He hasn't had one visitor or phone call."

"I got a feeling we are on a wild goose chance with this one."

"Me too! We've been sitting on him for nearly a week now and we got nothing!" Kate looked at the bag in Tony's hand. "Did you get what I asked for?"

"Chicken enchiladas extra sauce, pork and chicken tamales with a side of sour cream and an extra order of corn tamalitos! I can't believe you had me walk five blocks for some Mexican food! What happened to the days of your Tofu veggie wraps?" asked Tony as he placed the food in front of Kate.

"The twins wanted Mexican today!"

"The twins should lay off the spicy foods! You ate that Thai food that time and they kept you up until three in the morning, which kept me up until four!"

Kate laughed as she looked down at her food with a disappointed look on her face. "Tony, where are the pupusas?"

"Oh man! I must have forgotten them! You're not going to make me go back and get them are you?"

"No," sighed Kate.

"Here," replied Tony as he placed the corn meal flatbread into Kate's carryout dish. "You can have mine!"

Kate smiled as she began to devour her lunch.

Hours passed before Gibbs and McGee showed up at the apartment. Walking in they found Tony staring mindlessly at the computer screen while Kate laid curled up on the floor next to the wall napping.

"Anything new?" asked Gibbs.

"McIntyre hasn't left the apartment all day," replied Tony.

"Three days and we haven't seen so much as a Glock on him!"

"Thinking we may have been wrong on this one, Boss?"

Gibbs sighed as he noticed the empty food containers laying around.

"Kate got hungry," smirked Tony.

Gibbs smiled. "You two had enough to feed an army!"

"She's eating for three! There are some leftovers over there."

Gibbs picked up the container and began to eat what would be his dinner for the night.

"You two can go! McGee and I can take over!"

Tony looked at his watch. "Great! If we leave now we can made it to get Arissa! The day care started charging us five dollars for every minute we're late."

"How much have you racked up so far?" smirked McGee.

"Fifty bucks!" Tony walked over and woke up Kate before the two headed out for the night.

That night after getting Arissa fed, Tony gave her a bath while Kate relaxed in bed. Kate laughed to herself as she listened to Arissa and Tony playing and splashing in the bathroom. The phone rang.

"I got it!" yelled Tony as he rushed to answer the phone and back to Arissa. "Hello?"

"Agent DiNozzo, I hope I'm not interrupting?"

"I'm just giving Arissa her bath," replied Tony, annoyed. Since Arissa's incident on her first day of daycare over a month ago, Sharon made a point of randomly checking in on Kate and Tony for what she said was Arissa's sake. "What do you want?"

"Just seeing how things have been since we last talked?"

"You mean since we talked a week ago? Everything is fine! I told you, aside from the first day, Arissa has been enjoying daycare. She even made two new friends."

"I must say I have seen a great improvement in her! She's more outgoing, her fear of women has diminished and she seems to have accepted her father's death and has adjusted to life without him…"

Tony made faces at Arissa, making her laugh, completely ignoring Sharon on the phone. "Is there something I can do for you, Sharon?"

"Well I was just wanted to let you know that we may have found a potential family for Arissa."

Tony nearly dropped the phone. "What?"

"We found a family in the area who is willing to take Arissa. They have fostered several kids with emotional problems and have even adopted a few!"

"I thought you were going to wait six months before you started looking for families for her?"

"I was but seeing how well she is doing and with this family's interest in her I figure why wait? Besides, the sooner we can get her into a family the sooner you and Kate can get back to your normal lives and focus on your own children."

"You don't think you're doing things a little premature here? I mean it's only been two months? Why don't you give her some more time? Make sure she is one hundred percent okay?" asked Tony as he looked at Arissa.

"I've set up a meeting for her and the family for Thursday."

"That's three days away, Sharon!"

"I'll pick her up from daycare for the meeting and bring her back to your place afterwards."

"Sharon, I…"

"I'll see you Thursday!" Sharon hung up the phone before Tony had a chance to object.

"Nozzo, what wrong?" asked Arissa, noticing the look on Tony's face.

Tony sighed. "Nothing. Come on let's get you out of the tub! You're getting all wrinkly!"

Tony get Arissa dressed and into bed before going to join Kate who sat in bed rubbing her lower back.

"Sharon again?" asked Kate, recognizing the frustrated look on Tony's face.

Tony flopped down in bed next to Kate. "Yeah."

"What does she want now?"

"She found a potential family for Arissa," replied Tony in disbelief.

"What already? I thought she was going to wait six months?"

"She said there's a family in the area that takes in kids with emotional problems and they're interested in Arissa. She set up a meeting for Thursday."

"I guess that good, right?"

"I was looking forward to her being around longer."

"The point was to find her a permanent placement."

"I like having her around!"

Kate let out a heavy breath. "Me too, but we knew this day would come eventually. Staying with us was only temporary."

"I feel like Sharon is rushing this process to spite us? She's doing so well here, why move her?"

Kate shrugged her shoulder and she attempted to stretch her back. "Well, at least we got to keep these two."

Tony rolled over and massages the small of Kate's back. "I really wish you would go on light duty."

"It's just back pain. I can manage."

"I'm not talking about your back! I don't like you out in the field with us like this! What if something happens?"

"Tony, we're running surveillance. I've spent the past week sitting in an apartment looking at a computer monitor!"

"But you're still in the field, Kate! You should be taking it easy!"

"I'm a federal agent, Tony! I'm not going to use being pregnant as an excuse for why I can't do my job!"

"It's not an excuse, Kate! You don't need to be running around chasing criminals! You should be focused on the twins!"

"I'm fine, Tony! Unless otherwise told, I plan to do my job!"

"You can do your job! In the office!"

Kate playfully slapped Tony.

"Seriously, would you at least consider light duty?"

"I'll think about it. Speaking of those two, we really should start thinking of names for them. I mean they will be here in three months! I would hate to have to call them Baby One and Baby Two!"

"That's simple! Anthony and Tony!" smirked Tony.

"What if they are girls?"

"Antonia and Toni with an "I"!"

Kate cut her eyes at Tony. "We're not naming them after you!"

"Someone has to carry on the name!"

"What if I want to them after me?"

"No guy wants to go through life being named Kate!"

"For the last time, they are not boys!"

"At least one of them is! And all I know is it should be something Italian?"

"Why Italian?"

"Hello! Anthony DiNozzo? Italiano!"

"Caitlin Todd! American!"

"Come on, Kate?"

"Okay, how about Lucia? Or Leonardo? Those are Italian names."

"Okay, maybe not that Italian!"

Kate laughed.

Thursday morning came around as Tony got Arissa ready for daycare.

"Why I have to meet them, Nozzo?" asked Arissa, as Tony tied her shoe.

"Because they are really good at taking care of pretty little girls like you!" said Tony as he tapped Arissa on the nose making her smile.

"I no want them to take care of me. I want you and Kate to take care of me!"

"Kate and I can only take care of you temporarily."

"What temporarily mean?"

"It means that you can only stay with us for a little while."

"Why can't I stay with you for a lot while?"

"Because Kate and I are about to have two babies and Sharon doesn't think we can take care of you and them too?"

"Yes, you can! I help you!"

"I know you would. But Sharon doesn't think that's a good idea."

Arissa crossed her arms over her chest. "I no like her!"

"Me either but she makes the rules."

"But I no want to leave you and Kate, Nozzo!"

Kate walked into the room.

"Kate, tell Nozzo I no have to go meet the family!" spat Arissa.

"I'm sorry, sweetie. But you have too!"

"But I no want to! I want to stay with you and Nozzo and the babies!"

"You don't have to stay with them you just have to meet them. If you don't like them, you just tell Sharon."

"I no like them!"

"You haven't even met them."

"I know I no like them! I like you and Nozzo!"

"Look, just go and be a good girl when you meet with the family and when you get home tonight, we'll go get ice cream, okay?" offered Tony.

Arissa sighed. "Okay. I want strawberry with gummy bears! But you no eat my gummy bears, Nozzo!"

"But I like gummy bears!" laughed Tony.

Tony and Kate dropped Arissa off at daycare and returned to the apartment to continue the surveillance of Gunnery Sergeant McIntyre. Entering the apartment, they found both Gibbs and McGee staring attentively at the monitors.

"McIntyre is on the move," spat Gibbs.

"What happened?" asked Kate.

"He received a phone call last night from a burn phone wanting to acquire information on how to purchase some "goods". He set up a meeting for eleven o'clock," explained McGee.

"You think he is meeting a buyer?" asked Tony.

"That's what we are going to find out! Let's roll!" ordered Gibbs as the team grabbed them stuff and left the apartment.

The team followed McIntyre as he drove deep into a wooded area. McIntyre pulled up in front of the secluded house and was greeted by scruffy looking man in his mid-forties. The two shook hands before McIntyre joined the man inside the house.

"Think he's the buyer?" asked Tony.

"Tony, take the back! McGee, you're with me!" ordered Gibbs.

"I'll go with Tony," said Kate as she prepared to get out the car.

"No! You stay here!"

"Why?"

"I don't want you getting hurt! Stay in the car!"

"Gibbs?"

"I don't know what these two are up to and I'm not risking you getting hurt!"

"I have my vest on! I'll be fine!"

Gibbs rolled his eyes. "Fine. Stay behind, Tony!"

The team got out the car and dispersed in various directions around the house. Gibbs and McGee headed towards the front door while Tony and Kate went around back. Guns drawn, Gibbs gave a three count before kicking down the door and entering into the house.

Walking into the front room, Gibbs and McGee found it completely empty. Tony and Kate inspected the back rooms of the house and found them empty as well.

"Clear!" spat Gibbs.

"The back is clear too!" replied Tony as he and Kate made their way toward the front of the house. "Where in the world could they be? They came inside!"

Like a flash of lightening, McIntyre ran from out of the corner slamming Kate against the wall, causing her to drop gun. Wrapping his arm around her neck he picked up her gun and pointed it towards her head.

"NCIS! Drop the weapon!" yelled Gibbs as he, McGee and Tony pointed their weapons at the man.

"You think I haven't seen you across the street watching my apartment? You think I have those missing weapons don't you?"

"Drop the weapon, Gunny!" yelled Gibbs.

"I don't have those weapons! He's trying to pin this on me that's why I came here!"

"We will be more than happy to hear your side of the story but first put down the weapon!" spat Tony, growing more and more weary as he watched the Marine hold the gun to Kate's head.

"You have 'til the count of three," threatened Gibbs.

"You're not going to shot me! Cause you'll hit her!"

Kate flinched as she felt the babies frantically kicking in her stomach. "Please, let me go!" begged Kate.

"Why should I?"

"She's pregnant, Gunny! Now, let her go and we can talk about this!" snapped Tony.

The Gunnery Sergeant looked down and noticed Kate's belly. "Are you pregnant?"

"Yes! Just please let me go! We can talk about this!" replied Kate.

"I could never hurt an innocent life but I need to know that you will listen to me?"

"We're listening McIntyre! Just let her go!" yelled Tony, fear ringing through his voice.

McIntyre slowly started to lower his weapon and loosen his grip on Kate. "I couldn't hurt an innocent life."

"That's good, McIntyre nice and easy!" instructed Gibbs.

"He's my C.O. He took the weapons and …"

The front door flung open. The gunnery sergeant raised Kate's gun straight at Gibbs. Instinctively, Kate reached for his arm and tried to lower the gun. Sensing a presence behind them, McGee and Gibbs swung around and fired shots. Seeing the struggle between Kate and McIntyre, Tony cleared his shot and fired at McIntyre. A shot rang out from Kate's gun.

Tony's heart sank as he watched the crimson blood cover the floor.

OH…MY…GOODNESS! What happened? What do you think? Reviews and comments are welcomed and as always an update is coming soon (I promise!) :-)