Chapter 7
"My sister is the target for SOB?" Benjamin Rendall said, his voice sharp over the intercom.
Gibbs nodded. Jenny stood beside him.
"I want to come to NCIS. I want to see my sister"
"We think it's best for everyone to stay where they are" Jenny said, taking a step forward. "Emma is plenty safe here"
"With all due respect, you already had one bomb allowed into NCIS, Director Shepard. So don't give me crap about it being safe enough for Emma." Ben was clearly not happy. "I want to see my sister"
Gibbs nodded, pulling out his phone. "I'll get her up here"
"You'd better, Special Agent Gibbs"
Jenny sent him a look that said 'she wasn't kidding when she said he'd be mad'.
Abby heard her phone ring. She ran to her main workstation and hit the speakerphone button. "Abby's Lab"
"I need Emma up in MTAC" Gibbs' voice commanded.
Abby leaned around the computer to see back into the office. From what she could see it looked like Emma was still pacing. "I don't know that you want to deal with her right now, Gibbs. She's really really mad at you"
"I know, Abs" Gibbs sighed, an unhappy, clearly upset sort of sigh.
Unable to contain herself, Abby said, "I can't believe you said those things to her"
"Abby-" Gibbs started.
"Gibbs, that was way harsh" Abby scolded.
"I knew she'd stop talking if she got hurt" he said. "I've seen her do it before. Her trigger is emotional hurt. She shut's down"
"You shouldn't push your girlfriend's triggers like that, Gibbs"
"Just get her, Abby, please" He sounded pathetic when he said please.
"Hold on" Abby sighed, walking pass Ziva and Tony, who watched her, into her office. She paused at the door long enough to knock, out of habit rather than necessity, before whipping it open.
Emma turned, as Abby waved and signed, 'Hey'.
'Hello, Abby' Emma signed, leaning against Abby's desk. She was clearly still mad but Abby wasn't holding it against her.
Abby stood rooted to the spot for a moment before signing, 'Gibbs needs you'
Emma laughed, 'I bet he does'
Smiling, Abby signed, 'That too. In fact, that would explain his crankiness...' Emma snorted. 'He needs you in MTAC. Just take the elevator to the top floor, you can't miss it.'
Emma nodded, walking past Abby towards the door.
Grabbing her, Abby pulled Emma into a hug. As she let her go, Abby signed, 'He didn't mean it, Emma.'
As Emma walked out of the office, Abby could hear her mutter, "I hope that's true"
Abby walked back out to her lab as the door slammed behind Emma. "Should I take that slam to mean that she's coming?" Gibbs' voice asked over the speakerphone.
Looking down at her phone, Abby was surprised he had waited. "Yes" she said, before hearing a click on the other line.
Emma knocked on MTAC door. Jenny, Gibbs and the operator turned, and with a nod from Special Agent Gibbs, the door was buzzed open. Allowing her access.
'You wanted to see me, Special Agent Gibbs?' Emma signed, taking a silent step into the room, as the door closed behind her.
'Don't 'Special Agent Gibbs' me, Emma Rendall' Gibbs signed, stepping so his body was between Emma and the screen (and Benjamin Rendall). He grabbed her arm and dragged her out the door, saying, "Be right back" to Jenny and Ben.
The moment he was facing her outside MTAC, she signed, 'What would you prefer I call you? Bastard? I'm sure that applies correctly.'
Gibbs snorted and gave a full smile. 'Yeah, now you get it' He reached for her but she slapped his hand. 'Don't. I knew you'd stop flipping out when you got hurt, Emma. It's what you do. You run away to be by yourself.'
Emma crossed her arms. 'You used our familiarity against me'
'I'm not trying to hurt you' Gibbs reached for her shoulders and this time she let him. 'I didn't mean it. I just needed you to stop.' Emma nodded, slowly. He raised her chin and said, "I'll make it up to you."
Emma snorted, before he kissed her forehead and opened the door to MTAC.
Jenny turned to look at them, "Now that you've kissed and made up. Can we get this over with?"
'Hello, Ben' Emma signed, as Gibbs stood just behind her. Jenny was still standing off to one side where she had been when she and Gibbs had talked to Ben.
'Are you alright?'
'I'm fine' Emma signed.
Jenny pulled Gibbs off to one side as the siblings talked. "What, Jen?" Gibbs asked, in a whispered, looking down at the clearly determined red-head.
"You told me that Emma Rendall had nothing to do with this case, Jethro" she whispered back, her eyes flashing with anger.
"She didn't"
"But now she does"
"So?" Gibbs said, watching her.
"She's involved now because of you, Jethro" Jenny said, her voice sharp even though it was a whisper. "If you hadn't decided you wanted ex-wife number four, she wouldn't be the target"
Gibbs' jaw tightened just a hair, but Jenny saw. "She could have been a target before"
"So you're staying that you lied before when you said she wasn't involved"
"Don't twist my words around, Jen" Gibbs voice was deadly calm.
"Either you lied to me about her being involved or you got her involved" Jenny said, her voice also deadly calm.
"Neither" Gibbs said, turning from her.
Emma was watching, her mouth set firmly in a line. She signed, 'He wants to talk to you'
"Yes, Sergeant Major?" Gibbs said, walking back over to the screen, followed by Jenny. Neither appeared happy, both Emma and Ben could see that.
"Will you watch out for my sister for me?" Ben asked.
"NCIS will-" Jenny started, trying to take charge.
"I want your word, Special Agent Gibbs, that you will personally keep my sister safe from harm" Ben said, cutting Jenny off.
'Ben, I can take care of myself' Emma signed, sharply.
Gibbs glanced at Emma, who didn't appear happy that her brother wanted her to have a protector, and then Jenny, who clearly wasn't happy that Benjamin Rendall wasn't asking for NCIS's help but that of Jethro Gibbs. Finally Gibbs looked up at the screen, and Ben Rendall. "I will do by best"
"I have to go, but call me the moment you know anything" Ben's line cut.
Gibbs took Emma's arm and left Jenny standing in MTAC, fuming.
As the elevator closed around them, Emma asked, 'So what now? I've managed to get you into trouble with your boss and my brother'
'Don't!' he signed, sharply. 'Don't blame yourself'
'I'd blame you but…you almost apologized for being such a-' She stopped and looked at him.
"Bastard?" Gibbs offered.
'Yes,' she said, a slight smile on her lips. 'And I know how apologizing is against your rules.'
"Emma-"
She ignored him. 'And I know that I probably shouldn't have been telling you how to do your job.'
"Emma -"
She continued. 'What I am trying to say is, I'm sor-'
Gibbs grabbed her arms. "Emma," he said. "Don't apologize…"
"It's a sign of weakness" she said as he did.
When Gibbs released her hands, she signed, 'But don't you like to play the hero to the damsel in distress?'
"I'll manage with without you being weak"
'You really don't think I am' she signed. She was clearly surprised that he really thought she was strong. He had clearly misjudged her, she thought.
"No" he said, just as the doors opened. "No, I really don't"
