A million thoughts raced through her mind, none of them good. She had awoken that morning alone like usual. Her husband was always away on business trips, or at least that's what he called them. She didn't know what they were exactly, he rarely spoke about work. She searched her memory and was stunned to realize that not once had he ever spoken about his job-not even to whine. She closed her eyes, he had always been so reluctant to talk about his job, as if it brought him great shame. But he had to know she'd love him no matter what. She had an inkling of what he did, but it didn't reassure her in the least. It was the only time he had ever spoken about work.
"Claudia, if anything ever happens to me, or if I don't come home I need you to go to NCIS and explain everything to Special Agent Gibbs. Understood?" He said in his usual drawl.
"Yes, but what's going on? Why would anything happen to you?" She asked worriedly, concern laced in her voice, she gently laid a hand on his arm, he just held her hand and pulled her into his strong, muscular, safe and loving arms and kissed her forehead.
"Just think of it as an Emergency Contact, Ah what do you Americans call them...Next of Kin, for work." He spoke softly, she sighed, wondering when he would open up to her, if ever.
That was the first hint that something wasn't right. She laid awake that night wondering what the hell her husband was a part of. Wondering if he was a drug dealer, a gang leader, an arms dealer, she shuddered as all the possiblities ran through her mind. Perhaps he had gotten into a spot of trouble? Got in bad with a bookie, or picked a fight with the wrong people. But that didn't sit right either. For months afterwards those words echoed in her mind and haunted her dreams. Some nights she would lay awake and wonder who the hell she married.
Who married a guy who refused to talk about his job? If he didn't trust you with that little bit of information what else was he hiding? She use to question whether she even knew him like she had once thought she had, the word divorce lingered in her mind for months. It's not that she didn't love him, she did, with all her heart in fact, but the stress and worry became too much, she had had a nervous break down and had to spend a few weeks resting in a hospital in a stress-free environment, not allowed to think of the one thing that ever truly made her happy-her man. Even after she was released from the facility she would find herself having bad panic attacks, and black outs. She'd wake up on the floor where she had fainted, her legs would kill her from pacing all day long.
She felt like she was slowly losing her mind. She missed him so much but she didn't know how much longer she could do this. It was nothing he had done wrong, she just wasn't strong enough. She had filed the papers, and decided to serve him the papers herself. She thought he deserves the respect and honesty. It seemed less cruel than to recieve them in the mail, but when he got home he looked distressed and before she could say anything he had scooped her into his arms and off the ground and was kissing her. He told her in a million different ways that he loved her. She hadn't had the heart to leave him. Not when she was so cherished, where else was she to find such true love? She missed him when he was away but to leave him forever? She may as well jump off a skyscraper.
She grew so bored at home being the devoted housewife, cleaning the empty house, cooking herself dinner and going to sleep in a too-big bed. She longed for him so deeply she would wake up with tears on her face. The separation killed her, but she grew stronger over the years, found ways to cope. She threw herself into gardening at first, and little projects like that but she was still alone, the silence pressing in on her. So she had threw herself into causes, all sorts of them, cancer, diabetes, make a wish. Anything and everything, but she worked hardest for the Military causes, because she knew how it felt to have a loved one so far away. A million miles in all directions. To only hope they'd make it home.
They kept her busy, but they failed to fill the emptiness inside of her. She knew that place was her husbands to fill, if only he'd come home. She loved nothing more than to be in his arms, staring up into his beautiful eyes as his warm, rough lips caressed hers. It was heavenly, to see the love in his eyes, she was sure he felt nothing like it for anyone else. It always made her smile, her ego reaching an all-time high when he treated her like the only woman in the world. She shouldn't be so ungrateful, he treated her with such love and respect, she couldn't ask for a better husband.
She stared ahead of her, she hadn't seen her husband in nearly two years. It was one of the worst stretches she had ever gone through with him, and once again she found herself questioning and doubting. What if she was married to a criminal? A criminal who hurt other people, maybe even killed them? What if the man she knew was different then the man everyone else knew? Was it a play, which one was the fake? She gripped the steering wheel harder and shook her head. If he was a criminal why would he send her to a Navy cop? And what did the Navy have to do with anything? Was he special ops in the military? A surge of pride ran through her, but also of fear for her husband.
She breathed in, trying to keep herself calm. You don't even know what this is about, just get to NCIS, ask for Gibbs and deliver the message. She thought to herself as she finally reached the barrier. After a quick flip of her ID she looked up at the Marine as he asked what her business at NCIS was. "I need to speak to Special Agent Gibbs, I have a message for him from my husband" She had hoped that she'd never have to meet Gibbs, but there was no choice now. He had said he'd be home on Monday, it was Thursday and still no sign of him. She chewed on her lip, guilt gnawing on her, what if he was hurt and she had waited three extra days to find him? What if he was dead? She closed her eyes tight, No. She couldn't think about that, she just couldn't. She'd know if he had died, she'd just know. He felt alive. If he died her heart would have stopped along with his.
She was buzzed through with a simple phone call, parking in the visitors parking lot, she didn't want to leave her vehicle because if she did this would all be real, and she didn't know if she could handle it. Taking a deep breathe, she knew she had to do this, it could mean saving her man, bracing herself for what was sure to be an emotional beating she unlatched her seatbelt and got out of her car, dragging her feet across the pavement. She knew it was irrational but she hoped that when she walked in she saw her husband instead of Agent Gibbs who had said he'd be waiting for her in the lobby. Walking faster, she pulled open the door, and breathlessly ran into the lobby her large eyes scanning the crowd, most heads were turned her way, but not one of them the man she loved.
She felt her heart sink, she knew this was what was going to happen but still she felt sick to her stomach, and woozy. She saw a man with silver hair and blue eyes approaching her, he had a Marine cut and was much taller than her man, he was very handsome, if only he'd smile. She felt his hard grip on her arm just above her elbow and swallowed, she met his cold gaze, her eyes bright. "You're not who I was expecting." She said in a thin voice.
He was staring at her in the most peculiar way, his gaze was intense, like he was xraying her, she wrapped her arms around herself as the cool gaze latched onto her hazel eyes. She couldn't look away, it was as if she was magnetically drawn to his baby blues, she shook her head and shakily held out her hand, "Claudia."
He cocked his head in her direction and sipped his coffee, she sighed. "Something you need...Claudia?" He asked in a soft, cool tone.
"My husband...he said if he didn't return home after one of his trips to find you and tell you everything I knew. I just know it's been three days since he was suppose to be home, and Trent's very punctual." She said worry shaking her voice, as she glanced hopefully up at the man before her, maybe he could help her husband.
"Trent?" He spoke slowly, scrutinizing me in a way she didn't like. She shifted, nervously. Perhaps this had been a mistake, maybe Trent's relationship with this man had turned sour and they were no longer friends.
"Yes, my husband, Trent Kort. He's missing. He went on one of his business trips two years ago, and he never came home like he said he was. He said to tell you." She searched his face, her eyes full of desperation. "Please, you have to help, you have to find him. Somethings happened. I don't know what. He never talks about anything, especially not business. I don't even know what he does but you just have to help him." She said in a rush, pleading with him, laying a soft hand on his arm.
This man was her only hope of seeing her husband again, of staring into his beautiful eyes that changed color, of feeling his warm sking under her fingers, of feeling his lips on her, of hearing his voice sing to her while they danced across the balcony. The only chance to cuddle with her husband on the love seat on the back porch, to hear his laugh as she fell off the hammock again, of climbing trees and mountains together. She'd never forget the night he spread chocolate pudding all over her and kissed it all off of her. She smiled sadly, her heart ached to hold him in her arms once more. God, she needed him, she knew what life would be like without him and she would not live like that for the rest of her life.
She took a picture of her and Trent together with their little girl. "Please Agent Gibbs, I may not know many things about my husband, but I know he loves us. And we love him. And I don't know how to tell my little girl that her daddy isn't coming home this time. Please help us."
He stared at her and gave a simple nod, before walking off with the picture. She tried not to get her hopes up but for once that miserable day she let a small smile crack. Maybe, just maybe she'd get another chance to tell Trent just how much he meant to her.
With Gibbs.
He walked as fast as he could away from the redheaded woman in the foyer. Never had anyone taken his breathe away like that woman just had. He had been left speechless, not in shock-although Kort having a wife and child was shocking enough to become mute for life-but because of the resemblance. He had dated many a redhead after Shannon had died, but never had any of them had such a striking resemblence to his late-wife than Claudia Kort. He growled, trying to clear his mind but all he could see was Shannon's face calling for help, but it wasn't Shannon's voice it was Claudia's.
He threw water over his face, standing in the mens room, trying to collect himself. He looked at the photo in his hands. It was so weird to see his wife in Trent's arms and a little girl-that thankfully didn't look a thing like Kelly, she appeared to have Kort's features-on his back. This was his family. He shook his head. No, his family was dead, they'd always be dead, this was Trent's. And he had to get the CIA Agent back for them. Because he knew Shannon would have wanted him to.
He threw the paper towel away as he exited the bathroom. Wondering how the hell he was going to get the CIA to tell him about Kort's last assignment. And then he'd have to tell his team. DiNozzo was going to be a headache through this whole thing. He just knew it. But they had to get Kort back, they had to, because it would be like bring a piece of Shannon back.