Damon looked into the dark green eyes of the woman in front of him and fell in love all over again. Her usually wavy brown hair had been spun up into a braided bun. A white lace veil framed her bright, blushing face. Painted pink lips quirked into a nervous grin. How could be this lucky? He slid a simple gold band onto her finger, until it made contact with the ruby set engagement ring. His own smile grew when her hand shook slightly. The text book vows were exchanged in between unsteady breaths and finally, it was time for the kiss. Damon leaned forward, his eyes half open…
BANG!
Damon suddenly found himself on the floor. The ringing in his ears, reminded him of a grenade blasting off next to his foxhole in Iraq. He tried to stand and shake off the disorientation but was thrown back down by a powerful hit to the side of his head.
"Damon!" The terrified female voice quickly brought Damon back to his feet. Smoke suddenly began to fill the small chapel. Damon immediately recognized the taste and stench of tear gas. He covered his mouth with the sleeve of his tuxedo jacket and searched for the woman still screaming his name. "Damon!"
He followed the voice, while trying to dodge around the fifty or so wedding guests who now crowded the aisle, desperately trying to get away from the choking gas. "Damon!" He heard a door slam, cutting of the voice. Damon ran to the exit, pushed open the double doors and was instantly blinded by the morning sunlight. "Damon!" He whipped around and saw the tail end of a white sheath dress being pulled into a black panel van. He ran towards the van. The sliding door was pulled shut by a gloved hand and the van sped away.
NCIS
Ziva smiled as she sat down and found there was a fresh cup of hot tea waiting for her. It was the fourth time this week that she had come into work to find her favorite brew sitting just on her desk. She knew it was from Tony, though he never admitted it, she still knew. His motives for suddenly making all nice with her, still eluded her but she had given up on questioning it. She brought the cup to her lips and tilted her head back. Mmhhh, still hot.
"Morning Ziva." McGee, greeted as he passed her desk.
"Good morning, McGee." She watched as McGee came to a stop when he saw a coffee cup sitting on his own desk. He frowned slightly, then shrugged and sat down.
"Any idea why we got called in?" He asked. It wasn't unusual for them to be called in on a Saturday, but they had worked the last two weekends and everyone had been looking forward to a day off.
"No, Tony did not say." Just then, Tony and Gibbs came into view.
"Woman kidnapped at the Norfolk Base Chapel." Gibbs cocked his head towards the elevator.
"Kidnapped? Isn't that FBI jurisdiction?" McGee asked, but still skittered around his desk, grabbing his bag and coffee.
"Fornell's already there. But the groom requested us specifically."
"Groom?" Ziva asked. "Someone was kidnapped at a wedding?" By now they had stepped into the elevator.
"Yeah." Gibbs hit the down button. "The bride." Ziva and Tony exchanged a look as the doors closed.
NCIS
"Gibbs!"
There was still a lingering stench of tear gas inside the Chapel when Gibbs and his team stepped inside. The doors had been left open to air out the building, but it hadn't helped much. Gibbs blinked when he heard his name called by his friend. Tobias Fornell was clearly in a sour mood. Gibbs almost smirked, but then held back at the last second. Tobias' frown deepened, as if he knew exactly what Gibbs was thinking.
"Tobias," Gibbs greeted him. "What do ya got?"
"According to the statements we've taken so far, the bride was taken just after the "I Do's." The newlyweds were about to kiss, when a flash-bang was detonated right at the front of the aisle. Then four cans of tear gas were set off. We've already photographed, bagged, and tagged all the cans. And yes, the evidence is already on it's way to Miss. Sciuto. No one saw anybody come in before the tear gas was set off. So whoever provided the diversion, had to already be here."
"Somebody strongly objected to this wedding." Tony popped off the comment without thinking. Gibbs took a second to shoot him a glare.
"After the tear gas went off," Tobias continued. "Witnesses saw four men rush down the aisle. One of them hit the groom over the head pretty hard. Another one hit the Chaplin, when he jumped to the rescue. Then they dragged away the bride. Chaplin was rushed to the hospital. I have agents there with him."
"The bride have a name?" Gibbs had pulled out his notepad.
"Leah Talley." Gibbs stopped writing and looked up to find Tobias grinding his teeth, probably thinking of his daughter, Emily.
"Where's the groom?" Gibbs remained all business.
"I have everyone stashed in the reception area." Tobias quirked his lips slightly.
"What?" Gibbs demanded.
"The groom is former Marine Corporal Damon Werth." Tobias beckoned them to follow.
"Damon Werth?" Tony sounded surprised and annoyed at the same time. "He requested us? How many times do we have to rescue this guy?" Ziva reached out and slapped Tony's shoulder as they walked.
"Show some sympathy, Tony." She hissed. "He just lost his bride."
"Or she ran for the hills." He muttered under his breath.
As soon as Gibbs and team entered the reception room, they were charged at by a disheveled looking Damon. He had a cut surrounded by a bruise just above his right temple. His bow tie was gone and his jacket was open, revealing an untucked white dress shirt.
"Gibbs." Damon opened his mouth to say something else but Gibbs cut him off.
"Just the facts, Werth." Gibbs held up his hand and Damon shut his mouth. "Do you have any idea who would want to kidnap your fiancé… Wife?"
"No." Damon put both hands on his head and squeezed his eyes shut for a second.
"Do you have a guest list written down anywhere?"
"Uh," Damon let his hands drop. "Yeah, I gave it to the FBI."
"We're making sure all are accounted for, now." Tobias added.
"Any reason why someone would want to kidnap her? Personal grudge, family money?" Gibbs continued to only look at Damon.
"No… I don't think she's ever had any enemies." Damon shook his head. "And she's not rich, or anything." Gibbs could see Damon fighting to stay standing. "She works in a robotics lab just off base." A light bulb went on over Gibbs' head.
"She working on anything particular that might make her a target?"
"Some Navy contract… The kind of job she couldn't tell me about it." The light bulb grew brighter.
"Gibbs, you gotta find her. You just have to…" Gibbs never broke eye contact with Damon.
"We won't stop until we do."
NCIS
Back at the Navy yard, Damon had refused to be tucked away into the conference room. He knew the action would be in the bullpen, which was where he stood now. The team and Tobias were gathered around the plasma beside Gibbs' desk.
"What do we got?" Gibbs asked his team.
Tony jumped in first. "Leah Talley, er, uh… Leah Werth." Gibbs gave him a 'get on with it' glare. "Born in Pearl Harbor Navy Hospital, July 10th, 1982. Father, deceased Navy Aviator Captain Peter Talley, mother, retired Navy nurse, Beth Talley. Mother still lives in Hawaii."
"Was she at the wedding?" Gibbs turned and asked Damon.
"Yes. She left with the ambulance taking the Chaplin to the hospital. He's a family friend. I promised I'd update her when we know something." Gibbs turned back to the screen just as Ziva took the plasma remote and continued the campfire.
"Leah graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute in Worcester, MA., with a Masters in Robotics Engineering. For the last five years she has been employed at Blintech Robotics, a lab in Norfolk. They have not gotten back to us about what she was working on. We have BOLOs out on her and the van."
Gibbs looked to McGee. "Nothing unusual in her bank statements." McGee took the remote and clicked. "She recently leased a townhouse just outside of Norfolk. The other name on the lease is," McGee swept his eyes to Damon. Gibbs nodded. "Her phone records and emails didn't pop up any red flags." McGee faltered when Damon shot him a look. "Uh, nothing to indicate any criminal activity."
"Leah is not a criminal, Gibbs." Damon spoke through clenched teeth. Everyone turned towards him.
"How did you two meet?" Gibbs began with the simple background questions. He needed to get Damon calmed down. His team sensed what was happening and quickly scrambled to their desks.
"At the gun range where I work." Gibbs' brow creased. "A buddy from the Corps helped me get a job there as a shooting and gun safety instructor. I've been there a little over a year."
"You met your wife at a gun range?" Tony had to open his big mouth.
"Yeah." Damon seemed unphased by Tony's smart remark. "She had gotten a gun for protection. She walked in on someone robbing her apartment. It scared her. I taught her how to shoot."
"How long ago was this?" Gibbs asked.
"We met a year ago, today." Damon let a tiny hint of a smile cross his face.
"So…" Tony couldn't help himself. "You two bonded over shooting lessons?"
"Yeah. I was so impressed with her aim, I asked her out after the third lesson."
"Did she take her gun on the date?" Tony asked, smirking. Damon chuckled and shook his head.
"I actually don't know. I never checked." Damon ran a hand down his face.
"Has she been nervous lately?" Gibbs glared at Tony before continuing his questioning. "Said anything about anyone following her?"
"No. She's just been excited about her Navy project. She said it would save lives. But that's all she would say, and I knew better than to ask."
Right on cue…
"Excuse me." Everyone turned at the new male voice. A slender man in his fifties with short gray hair was standing next to the agent who had escorted him. "I was asked to come here, by an Agent David…"
"And you are?" Gibbs asked, while shooing away the escort.
"My name is Greg Delaney. I'm the research head at Blintech Robotics."
Gibbs and Tobias shared a glance. "Follow me." Gibbs beckoned Delaney and turned towards the stairs. Damon moved to follow, but Gibbs stopped him. "You stay here."
"But Gibbs," Damon protested.
"You. Stay. Here." Damon scowled but stayed put.
Once in the conference room, Gibbs closed the door. He nodded to Tobias.
"This morning, Leah Talley was kidnapped in Norfolk." Tobias leaned over the table, facing Delaney. "Know anything about that?"
"This morning?" Delaney widened his eyes in shock. "Leah was supposed to get married today!"
"Yeah," Tobias crossed his arms. "The kidnappers dragged her off right before the kiss."
"Well, I… Uh, I don't know anything. I've been home all day with my grandson. It's his birthday, otherwise I would have been at the wedding too."
"We need to know what she was working on at your lab." Gibbs stepped in.
"What do you mean?" He played dumb. Gibbs narrowed his eyes.
"The Navy contract. What was she working on?"
"That's classified." The man's automatic response made Gibbs roll his eyes.
"Who do I have to call to get it un-classified?"
"The Secretary of the Navy." Delaney said it as if Gibbs might be intimidated.
"Okay." Gibbs pulled out his phone and flipped it open.
"Does he really have the Secretary of the Navy on speed dial?" Delaney asked, looking at Tobias. The FBI agent just grinned.
NCIS
Ziva sighed as she watched Damon pace around the bullpen with his cell phone to his ear.
"Yes, Mrs. Talley." He was saying. "No, still nothing new… As soon as I know, you will… I'm sure she is… Okay… Bye." Damon clicked off the phone and shoved it into his jacket pocket.
"Is she alright?" Ziva asked, causing Damon to stop in front of her desk.
"Leah's her only child."
"What happened to her father?" Ziva only knew he had been killed.
"He was shot down over the Mediterranean, when she was a kid. I think she was nine or ten… She won't talk about it much."
"Do you get along with her mother?"
"Yeah, Beth's really nice. She's actually paying for our honeymoon. We were supposed to leave for Oahu, on Wednesday…" Damon started pacing again. "Beth keeps wanting to come here, but I don't think you guys need a hysterical mother trampling around you. I told her it'd be best to stay at the hospital until we know something." Damon suddenly stopped and looked up. Ziva followed his stare and saw Gibbs and Tobias coming towards them.
"Update." Gibbs barked at Ziva.
"McGee and Abby are working on the evidence bagged at the wedding. Tony is checking in with Metro and the FBI on the BOLOs. And…" She looked from Gibbs to Damon, then back to Gibbs. "Nothing new to report…"
"What did that Delaney guy say?" Damon asked.
"Leah's been working on a classified assignment. We've got SecNav coming on in MTAC. Get McGee and DiNozzo up here."
"On it." Ziva picked up her desk phone. Gibbs and Tobias disappeared again. Damon wanted to punch something.
NCIS
Ten minutes later, everyone, including Delaney, was gathered back in the bullpen.
"Tell us about Reaver." Gibbs locked eyes with Delaney.
"Reaver," Damon spoke up. "That's…" Damon snapped his mouth shut when Gibbs looked at him.
"That's what, Werth?" Tobias demanded.
"That was Leah's, father's call sign. She has it engraved on an I.D. bracelet."
"Yes…" Delaney finally spoke. "She named the project after her father. It was her brain-child, after all. We've been working on it for almost a year, now. At first, the Navy didn't want to finance Reaver, but in the end… We convinced them that it was necessary."
"What is it?" Gibbs asked, impatiently.
"It's an early warning system. Reaver is an unmanned subversive vehicle. On the outside, it looks and moves like a shark. On the inside, it's a very sophisticated machine."
"A robot shark?" Tony muttered.
"Basically, yes." Delaney went on. "The shark design allows for Reaver to patrol deep and shallow water and not be detected. Reaver's primary mission is to spot enemy ships and submarines and send back coordinates."
"She's right," Gibbs mused out loud. "That can save lives." He looked at Damon.
"But why take her?" Damon asked. "Why take Leah?"
"Because she is the only one on the team who had Reaver's locking and unlocking codes. Not even I know them."
"That kind of information in the wrong hands…" Tobias trailed off.
No one heard the elevator ding, but everyone heard…
"Damon!"
Damon jumped and spun around. Everyone watched, wide-eyed, as a woman came rushing into the bullpen, and right into Damon's outstretched arms. She squeaked when Damon wrapped his arms tightly around her. He immediately backed off when she made the little noise. He hadn't meant to hurt her. When he got a better look at her, he wanted to grab her again, but held off.
Her once beautiful sheath gown was now dirty, torn, missing half a sleeve, and splattered with blood across her chest. Her veil had been ripped off and the braided bun that her mother had spent a good forty minutes on, was now loose and hanging off to the side. Her once made up face was streaked with dirt and tear tracks down both cheeks. After a full inspection, Damon could also see that her feet were dirty and bare. But her bruised face also held a hundred watt smile. She was alive.
Damon turned back to the group in the bullpen when he heard someone clear their throat.
"Leah Talley, I presume?" Tobias was the first to speak.
"Yes." She sounded breathless.
"How…?" Tony gawked at the woman.
"Can I sit down?" She asked, leaning into Damon. He took hold of her right hand, meaning to lead her to a chair. But as soon as he touched her, she cried out in pain. Again, Damon backed off. "Sorry." She groaned. "I think my hand is broken…"
"She needs to go to a hospital." Damon turned to Gibbs.
"No, let's take her down to Ducky. He can X-RAY her hand."
Without hesitation, Damon picked Leah up. "Lead the way." He gave Gibbs a stern look.
"You three keep on the evidence. I want background checks on every employee at that lab." Gibbs headed towards the elevator after giving his team their orders. Tobias quickly followed after him.
"Is Ducky a doctor?" Leah asked once everyone crowded into the elevator.
"Yeah," Damon answered quietly. "You'll like him."
"Was anyone else hurt?" She felt Damon squeeze her. "Tell me who."
"The Chaplin is at the hospital. He took a hit to the head."
"Looks like you did too." The doors opened and everyone filed out.
"Jethro, I'm afraid I don't have a body for you." Leah heard a man speaking in a cheerful voice.
"Got a live one for ya, Duck." Gibbs answered.
"Oh, my dear."
"Hello." Leah wasn't sure how else to greet the doctor. Damon set her down on the nearest steel table, as gently as he could. She grunted when she tried to sit up straight. Damon moved so he was beside her, and put one arm on her shoulders to help hold her up.
"What happened to you, my dear?" Ducky stood in front of her.
"I think my right hand is broken." She gingerly held up her hand. Ducky expertly took her hand and examined it. Leah was surprised, she barely felt him touch her. She let her body lean against Damon when Ducky turned and retrieved his portable X-Ray machine. It looked like some kind of huge gun. When he was done, he pulled a slide out of the machine and Leah closed her eyes, missing what he did next. She stayed like that until she heard the doctor speak.
"It's just a small fracture, but you will definitely be sore and swollen for a while." Her head came back up and she groaned.
"Do we need to go to the hospital and get her a cast or anything?" Damon asked while rubbing the back of her neck.
"Oh, no, nothing like that. I can wrap it for you and give you something for the pain. But… How exactly did this happen, if you don't mind my asking?"
Suddenly all eyes were on Leah.
"I couldn't see any of them when they grabbed me. After they carried me out of the church, they threw me into a van. I kept kicking and fighting, but one of them hit me hard in the middle of my back." At this, Ducky immediately circled the table to examine her back.
"Go on." Gibbs urged.
"There were two guys in the back with me. One had a gun in my face." She jerked and hissed when Ducky touched the bruise on the middle of her back. Damon glared down at the floor.
"I'm so sorry." Ducky backed away.
"Did they say what they wanted from you?" Tobias asked.
"They wanted the password to my laptop. One of them had it with him. I don't know how he got it."
"Where did you last leave it?"
"At the lab where I work. I keep it there. It has classified files on it."
"Project Reaver?" Gibbs jumped in the questioning. Leah cocked her head and her eyebrows came together.
"Delaney read us in." Gibbs explained. "Robot shark, we know all about it."
"Yes." Leah sighed. By now, Ducky was cleaning and wrapping her hand. "All of Reaver's files are on it." She shook her head slowly. "I didn't give them the password. My laptop has a biometric lock on it. You need the password and my fingerprint to unlock it. I wouldn't talk or let them put my hand on the scanner.… One of them slammed a gun down on my hand."
"Son of a bitch." Damon muttered.
"He got mad when I still wouldn't talk and he…" Leah looked at Damon and bit her lip. "He smashed the laptop across my face. The last thing I remember before blacking out was the word, Dell, flying at me."
"How did you get away?" Gibbs' voice was still all business.
"I guess they thought I was down for the count. But I came to, almost right away. I could feel the van moving and stopping, and figured we were in the middle of traffic. I jumped up and opened the door. One of them grabbed me but all he managed to get a hold of was my veil. I jumped out and rolled on the pavement, got up, and ran. I made it to a store and asked for help. Then the cops and FBI showed up."
"You were kidnapped on your wedding day?" Ducky asked, incredulous.
"Yeah. I guess whoever planned this figured, everyone's guard would be down today." Leah's eyes suddenly went wide. "My mom, where's my mom?"
"She's at the hospital with the Chaplin." Damon assured her. "She's not hurt at all."
"I need to call her."
"We will." Damon almost leaned in to kiss her.
"Um," her voice made him stop. "Am I sitting on an autopsy table?"
"Uh, yeah." Damon cringed slightly.
"I should be way more creeped out by this."
"Is this your blood?" Gibbs stepped forward and pointed to the blood splatter on the front of her dress.
"Not all of it." She looked down at herself. "I managed to hit one of them in the nose pretty hard, before he broke my hand." She looked back up. "Do you need this?" She used her good hand to hold up part of her dress. "Cause I would really love a change of clothes."
"I can get you a clean set of scrubs." Ducky went to a closet on the other side of Autopsy. "And you can get cleaned up in the restroom down the hall."
"Great. Thank you." Leah said once Ducky returned with the scrubs.
"You are very welcome, Mrs. Werth." Ducky grinned up at her.
"You're the first person to call me that." Leah finally smiled.
"Hopefully, not the last."
When Leah came out of the bathroom, she was happy to have been able to scrub all the dirt off of herself. She hadn't made it two steps out the door, when she was once again swept up by Damon.
"You're still barefoot." He spoke quietly to her. "The floor's cold." She smiled up at him. He turned them both back towards the three men still in Autopsy. "Can I take her upstairs?" Damon called out.
"Yeah." Gibbs turned. "Take her up to the conference room. I'll send you two up some food."
Damon took three steps before Leah let out a small laugh. "What?" He asked her.
"Just you." She shook her head. They were just passing Gibbs and Tobias. "I think you're resetting the bar for carrying a bride across the threshold."
"My parents did try to raise a gentleman." Gibbs shook his head and rolled his eyes.