DOUBLE TAKE

Chapter 21

Callen and Kensi hadn't reached his father's house before his cell rang. Callen looked a the screen and saw it was Eric, with news he hoped about Gabrielle, so he could sit down and tell Nell. "Hi Eric, what have you found?"

Eric heard the tension in his team leader's voice and wondered what else had happened down in Dallas. "I've found all the information you asked me about Gabrielle Vasseur."

Callen hitched his breath as he waited for Eric to give him the news.

"She has three children to a man named Pierre Masson. The eldest has been named after the father, with another two who are much younger, a girl named Rene and another boy named..."

"Philipe." Callen finished for him. He sighed. His brother had told him the truth.

"H-how did you know?" Eric asked him surprised. "If you knew, why did you ask me to search her out?"

"I needed you to confirm some information I was given yesterday, Eric."

Callen's whole body tensed and Kensi watched on with concern at her friend, who had done so much for her and everyone else. She worried what toll all of this would have on him, as he had been through so much of recent weeks already, before this week had even started.

"Oh, okay," Eric replied. "But this Pierre Masson, I can't find anything on him, it's like he is a ghost."

"You won't find anything on him, Eric. It was an alias I used fourteen years ago when on an assignment for the CIA." He waited for their Tech to respond to him revealing more than he really wanted, but the truth was, they all deserved to know, now that Eric had confirmed Kevin's information.

"Fourteen years ago - but that might explain the eldest, but what about the younger two children?"

"Kevin." It took all his strength to admit to Eric what his brother had done to the woman he once loved.

"Oh." Eric hesitated, before he asked his next question. "Have you told Nell about Gabrielle and Pierre?"

Callen sighed as he heard Eric's words. "No, I was waiting on confirmation from you before I told her. She's been through too much already this week."

"I know," Eric added. "Be honest with her, Callen, and please don't hurt her."

Callen felt all the burdens crash down on him. He turned and walked over to a tree and slid down till he sat down by the base of the tree. "I don't mean to hurt her, Eric." Callen hung up the phone and cried. He buried his head in between his knees with his hands over his head. 'How am I going to break this news to Nell, after all she's been through this week?' Callen felt a hand on his shoulder and saw it was Kensi, when he looked up.

She wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tight. "Callen, I'm sorry." Tears also streamed down her face as the emotions of the past three days came crashing down on them.

"Why are you so sorry, Kenz? None of this is your fault. Don't go there, Kenz. He targeted you to get to me, so I could fix his mess up."

She gave him a small smile. "You really do have a huge heart of gold, Callen. After all you've been through in your life, you continue to put others first. Nell's one very lucky girl." She rested her head on Callen's shoulder, while they sat and comforted each other.

Sam heard a car pull up, she walked over to the window to see who it was. He knew Callen, Jackson and Charlie had been gone for some time, and wondered if he should go and find them. He hoped Kensi was with them, when he saw Deeks come back inside after he had followed her out earlier. Sam saw Jackson and Charlie step out of an dark blue SUV with tinted windows. They were helping someone get out, and that's when he saw him—-Kevin. He looked further to see if he could see Callen or Kensi, but he only saw a woman he figured to be his nurse. He continued to watch them lead him around the back of the house to the kitchen door. As they opened the door, Deeks and Nell had joined Sam in the kitchen. The three of them stared at Kevin, but neither of them said a word.