A/N: Quite a long chapter…the longest so far…original speeches in Italics. Just under 20 minutes in and I've got 4 chapters….I'm loving your reviews….THANK YOU for being so kind :D
Disclaimer: Not mine…but a girl can dream…can't she?
Yankee White Lies - Chapter 4 - Teaming Up
Gibbs was sat in Comm talking to his Director, Tom Morrow,. "Did you have to, literally slam a door on the FBI's face?" he asked his agent.
"There were more of them than us." he replied.
"There's always more of them than us." he replied dryly. "You ever hear of interagency cooperation?"
"Yes, sir. I got the Secret Service Agent in charge at Wichita to agree to share the investigation."
"Willingly?" Tom asked, a little surprised.
"Well, we could use a little backup when we land at Andrews." Gibbs replied honestly.
"Eh, that's what I thought. We're spread a bit thin, we' haven't got enough agents."
"If the FBI gets this body, we won't see an autopsy report until after they leak it to the Washington Post."
"Then make sure they don't get it." he ordered his agent, knowing full well that he would go to any length to make sure it didn't. "Will this Secret Service agent stand up to the FBI?" he wasn't aware that this was Jethro's wife.
"Yes, sir. She's got balls."his wife was like him in many ways. Another reason as to why he loved her so. He smiled to himself.
Meanwhile
Caitlin was sat watching Ducky, he pulled an instrument out of his kit bag and stuck it into the body. She was a little squeamish when it came to stuff like this so she had to ask, "Are you starting the autopsy?"
"Goodness, no. I'm just taking his liver temperature to corroborate the time of death." he explained to the young woman.
"The President's physician declared him dead at 2032 Zulu." she said, consulting her PDA.
"Yeah, it never hurts to double-check" he replied.
"So, how do you know Jethro?" he asked looking up to her.
"I've know him a few years." she replied, knowing it wasn't the answer he was looking for.
"That's not what I asked." Caitlin smiled at the good doctor, who returned the smile. "So?" he looked at her expectantly. Tony had just come back from the men's room, he listened carefully as the ME quizzed the Secret Service agent, hoping to get a piece of juicy gossip about his boss…and his love life.
"I met him when I was out with some friends." which was true, "We dated a few times…but it didn't work out." which was half true.
Tony made a mental note of that tid-bit of information about his boss. He liked brunettes as well as redheads. Ducky was too engrossed in the conversation that he missed the 'beep' of the liver probe. Caitlin pointed this out, glad for the change of topic. She looked back down at her PDA and read her messages one was from her husband; he'd sent it before he'd left the house earlier that evening. It read:
Hey beautiful, something's come up and I have to go to work….I'll see you at the airport later. Love Jet xxx
She smiled at the sentiment, he'd given her a heads up that he was coming to the airport. At least that's what it looked like to her. Tony was peering over her shoulder, trying to read her message. But he couldn't see who had sent it. She turned to looked at him, he stepped forward and pretended that she'd got in his way, "Excuse me, you'll need to stand clear so I can take
measurements for my crime scene sketches, thanks."
"Sketches? You've taken a dozen photos." she said not moving from her spot.
Tony looked at her then seized his moment to finally get a closer look at the 'Exotic Resorts' magazine, "Tell me her measurements." he said to her, holding up the magazine showing a bikini-clad woman.
She looked at him, 'Is this how Jethro taught his agents to investigate?' she'd have to have a talk to him about it later. "Your pathetic."
"No, I'm serious." which he was, but he just wanted to ogle at the woman on the front cover, "Can you tell if she's 5'4" and a 34-C, or 5'7" and a 36-D? You can't. Not from a photo. That's why we do sketches and take measurements. Thanks." he said before lightly shoving her to one side.
"I've got 1915 Zulu, that's nearly an hour earlier." Ducky finally spoke. He'd kept quiet through Tony's little explanation of taking measurements.
Kate looked at Ducky, "Well, then you miscalculated."
Just then, Jethro came scrambling down the stairs, "What's the problem?" he asked almost breathlessly.
"There's apparently a discrepancy between my time of death and the President's physician's."
"Log yours." he instructed his ME. Ducky nodded and proceeded. Gibbs now looked at Tony, 'What the hell was he doing with that magazine?' Oh, well it was only Tony. "Enough sketches, Tony. Agent Todd's gonna give you a floor plan." he took off down the aisle, knowing that she wouldn't.
"Oh, no, she won't." she protested. Tony smiled at her and watched her walk off to follow Gibbs.
Ducky walked over to Tony "I thought your photo analysis was brilliant, Tony. But wasn't 36-D a bit of wishful thinking?"
"You think?" Tony said looking at the woman's bra, mulling it over he decided Ducky maybe right…but there was nothing wrong with wishful thinking. "What d'ya think their story is, Duck?" he asked, changing the subject. He put the magazine back on the small table he'd found it on.
"I'm not entirely sure. It's hard to tell. They appear to know one another very well. An ex-girlfriend perhaps."
"Well there's only one way to find out. I have an idea…" Tony said with a huge grin plastered on his face.
"What can you tell me about Commander Trapp?" Gibbs asked his wife as they walked down the aisle. He was just having a nosy 'round but was glad for the privacy with his wife.
"I can't give him Air Force One floor plans, they're top secret." she said as she trailed behind him.
"Come on, Katie we saw this in that Harrison Ford movie."
"Well that's Hollywood speculation, you're asking for the real thing."
"Isn't the President's head down here someplace?" they walked down a corridor to a conference room.
"No." she loved her husband but sometimes she just wanted slap, and now was one of those moments.
"No, this is in the movie!" he said excitedly, "Yeah! Harrison was sitting right here." he stood at the head of the table and stood behind the chair.
"Jethro, I cannot risk those plans getting out onto the Internet." she tried to reason.
"NCIS does not leak. These plans get out, you can shoot DiNozzo."
"No, Jethro I'm destined to shoot you." she was not amused by his little joke.
He looked at his wife, she looked tired and bemused, " What about the Commander?"
"I met him this morning. He just received his Yankee White clearance and was Major Kerry's backup. Tim has the flu."
"We'll have to get a Navy doc to verify that." he said still exploring.
"He has it, okay?" she was getting very frustrated with him, "But go ahead, and waste a doctor's time double-checking like your… Ducky."
He stopped in front of a cabinet and stated, "Hey, this is where those terrorists got their weapons in that movie." he started pressing the buttons, she slapped his hands away.
"Stop messing around." he was like a kid at Christmas with his new toy.
"Nobody switch planes with the President?"
"The press was put on a separate plane. Everyone else boarded the backup excepts three stewards who were put in the Press cabin."
Jethro walked over to the press cabin and pulled back the curtain, the tree stewards were sat chatting, Jethro smiled and waved at them "What'd you keep them for? Make coffee?" she rolled her eyes at his comment.
"I may not know the finer points of investigating like sticking needles in liver or measuring swimsuit models, but I do know enough to hold the stewards who prepared and served the President's lunch." she said smiling at her husband.
"Okay." he nodded his head and turned to leave.
"D'you want to question them?"
"Nope," he shook his head "they're not going anywhere. We've got a crime scene to investigate. Rule number one, never let suspects stay together."
"I didn't consider them suspects, Jethro."
"So why'd you hold them?" he waited for an answer and got nothing. "Here," he said passing her some latex gloves, "Put these on."
"Jethro, my fingerprints are gonna be all over this aircraft."
"Rule number two, always wear gloves at a crime scene." he loved being the boss.
They had now walked 'round the plane and had made it back to the crime scene. Ducky was sat by the body "I believe I know why there's a discrepancy in the time of death. Now since the Commander had lunch with the President, I'm sure the President's physician rushed to evaluate his condition. He also called Trapp's time of death."
"Yes, once he was sure the President wasn't in medical danger, he returned and…He was gone nearly an hour." she realised at that moment she had been wrong.
"Yes. I'm sure the autopsy will show that the Commander had died almost immediately.
"I owe you an apology, Doctor."
"It's Ducky to my associates. I'm just relieved that we've managed to straightened it out. You see it's inconsistencies like this that lead to conspiracy theories. Yes, it reminds me of this case once in New Orleans. A jealous husband had shot his wife off a Mardi Gras float, right out of the clock at the corner of Basin Street-"
Jethro cut him off before he could start rambling on, "Ah, come on, Duck, give it a rest. She's got work to do." he picked up his kit and headed down the narrow corridor.
"I'll tell you the rest later!" Ducky said to Kate, who smiled politely as she left.
"Rule number three, don't believe what you're told. Double-check."
"Again, with your stupid rules. 'Rule number three, don't believe what you're told. Double-check.'" she mocked, "What's number four? Don't sneeze at a crime scene, you'll contaminate evidence?"
He turned to look at her, mock hurt on his face, "No, always listen to your boss, cos he's always right."
"You're not my boss." she smiled.
"I wouldn't want to be."
"Okay, a rule for you. Don't let your ego get in the way of your job."
"Can we just get on with this?" he gestured towards the room where Tony was.
"Sure."
Tony was sat at the Presidents desk, looking at the phone for any evidence. When he heard them come in he quickly put it down and sat looking idle.
"Okay, Gibbs I draw the line at him sitting in the President's chair." she pointed at Tony. She didn't like him much.
"Well it's not like he's using it." he replied, looking at his boss.
"Gibbs!" she sounded like a child telling on her sibling.
Tony, have you finished taking pictures?" DiNozzo nodded, "Then start bagging and tagging."
"Just waiting for you, boss."
"Bagging and tagging what?" she looked at Jethro.
"Well, to start with…everything." he pointed at the lunch on the desk, "President was sitting there?"
"Pretty good bet, since it is his desk." he looked at her, annoyed by her reply.
Tony rummaged through his kit and pulled out some evidence bags, "Here, boss." he said handing one to Gibbs.
Gibbs took the bag and began instructing his wife on how to maintain chain of custody of evidence. He started with the unfinished lunch. "Okay, to maintain the chain of custody, take the item – in this case, Commander Trapp's lunch – place it in the evidence bag. Seal it, record all pertinent information, initial across the seal." Caitlin watched her husband intently, taking in all he was put the evidence in the bag, sealed it then folded it to write his initials on the label. He then passed the bag to Tony, "Keep it cold!". Tony obliged and passed his boss a new bag. She was trying to concentrate but she suddenly felt a wave of heat wash over her. She felt sick and fought to keep it down.
"Okay, you try it?" he said passing her an evidence bag. She looked at the bag then at her husband. She needed to be sick and she couldn't hold it down any longer. She turned on her heel and made a mad dash for the lavatory. Gibbs chased after her and Tony after him She rushed passed Ducky, almost sending him flying. She'd have to apologise later.
"Kate! Kate, wait a minute! Hey, wait!" He reached her just as she got to the lavatory door. "Whoa, Whoa! Stop! In here, in here…" he instructed her to spew into the evidence bag.
She did as her husband asked. When she'd finished he sealed the bag and initialled it.
"Can I rinse now ?" she moaned.
"Sure. Go ahead." he gave her a small smile before she disappeared into the small bathroom.
"Log it." he said handing the bag to DiNozzo, "Get Ducky."
"Do you think she might have whatever killed the commander?"
Gibbs shook his head at his agent. For once he didn't have an answer. He hoped to God that she didn't. He couldn't lose another wife, one that he can say he truly loved. He sat down and waited for his wife to come out of the bathroom. Ducky joined him in the wait. They sat in companionable silence. The doctor could see the worry in his friends face but decided to keep quiet…for now.
Kate emerged from the bathroom a somewhat 10 minutes later. She gotten rid of the sick taste in her mouth and had re-composed herself. She still felt terrible but that was no excuse to look it. She walked out to see Ducky and her doting husband waiting.
"Come sit over here my dear." Ducky said gesturing towards the couch so he could examine her. She laid down on the couch, Jethro hovered over them. "Don't you have evidence to bag?" the doctor said to Jethro. Jethro shuck his head, "Nope, DiNozzo can manage." Ducky looked at his friend, Jethro looked back. He finally got the message, "Fine," he said holding his hands in the air, "Come get me when you're finished." he said before leaving. Ducky nodded and watched as Jethro went off to join Tony in bagging evidence.
Ducky looked at Caitlin and asked, "How far along are you?"
She was taken aback by his question, "H-how'd you know?"
"When you knocked into me and almost sent me flying, you instantly put your hand over your stomach as if you were protecting something from being hurt." he explained.
"You knew from that?" she was surprised that he'd known from that, Jethro on the other hand was probably clueless.
"Mhmm."
"Promise you won't tell Jethro?" she asked looking as sweetly as she could.
"Jethro's the father?" he asked, trying not to sound too shocked.
Caitlin chuckle lightly at his expression, "Jethro and I are married." she explained, showing off her wedding ring.
"Ah. I promise. But what do you want me to tell Jethro in the meantime?"
"Just tell him it was just a 24-hour bug or something." she suggested.
The doctor nodded in agreement, after all it wasn't his place to tell Jethro she was expecting his child. He'd let her tell him in her own time.
Elsewhere: on the ground
The President and the rest of the agents were now at the Presidential rally. Only just making it in time.
"Please join me in welcoming President George W. Bush." said the male announcer over the PA. The crowd stood and cheered. Agent Baer was walking through the crowd of reporters talking on his cell, "Don't threaten me, Tobias. I'm not in your food chain." he practically snarled.
After being kicked off the plane by NCIS, Fornell and his agents were flying back to DC in their commercial jet, he'd called agent Baer in the hopes of getting Commander Trapp's body thus taking over the investigation. "If NCIS does the autopsy, they're gonna control the investigation. You want that Bill?"
"Commander Trapp was a Naval officer, they have every right to do the autopsy."
"Damnit Bill, they're bush league. We've got assets those cowboys can only salivate over."
"Don't underestimate NCIS." he warned Tobias. He'd had a run-in with NCIS before and it didn't end well on his art.
"Oh they're good," he snorted, "at making drug busts and catching sailors who've jumped ship. But, come on Bill, an attack on the President?" he continued his speech.
"The President's doctor believed Commander Trapp had had a stroke."
"Maybe he did," he reasoned on that note, "but if he was poisoned… You want to put the man's
life in the hands of retread cops and ex-Mps?"
"If you so much as withhold a comma out of the report Tobias…" he warned the FBI agent.
"You'll get copies of everything before the ink dries." he replied, happy with his result.
"I'll order Agent Todd to turn the body over to the FBI when they reach Andrews, but
I cannot control what NCIS does." another forewarning to the agent. He doubted that the agent was taking any notice.
"With us two joined at the hip, the only thing NCIS can do is just watch… And bitch." he hung up and put his cell away "We're back in the ballgame." he smirked.
Back in the air
Jethro returned to his wife. Ducky had explained that it was nothing more than a stomach virus and that she'd be fine in no time. Little did he know that his good friend had lied.
"You okay?" he asked as he sat at her side.
She nodded her head and looked at his face. He was worried, "I'm fine." she reassured him.
"Good," he said before leaning down to kiss her forehead, "I love Kate. I'm worried 'cause I don't want to lose you." he admitted.
'Wow,' she thought, trying to get her husband to talk about his feelings was like trying to draw blood from a stone. "It's nothing, Ducky said I'm fine." she smiled hoping it would wash away his fears. They stared at each other, lost in the others eyes. Their moment was interrupted by the voice on the intercom, "Agent Todd, Agent Baer's on a secure line for you."
Kate sighed and reluctantly sat up, "I could take it for you if like?" Jethro said shifting off the couch, she needed her rest.
"It's okay honey, I can manage." she gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before heading off up the stairs to talk to her boss.
