Chapter 7

I want to thank all the readers that are receiving my alerts. Please review. I want this story to be good so if you have any ideas or suggestions please let me know. This is my first attempt at a fanfic in a long time. Then the only reader I had was my cousin. It was a Starsky and Hutch story. So please let me know. Hslacer

NCIS Headquarters 3 hours after the shooting at the restaurant.

The last 3 hours had been very busy for Team Gibbs. Evidence had been bagged and tagged. Photos had been taken. Olivia Stone's body was in autopsy. Tony had issued a BOLO on the SUV. McGee was in Abby's lab searching the source of the threatening texts Sergeant Stone had received on her phone.

Tony and Ziva were searching the deceased background and marine record. They had found out she was stationed at Northforth in the finance department after serving almost 15 years in San Diego as a drill sergeant.

Gibbs had called the hospital and found out that their star witness was in surgery to remove the bullet and repair her shattered collar bone. The nurse he talked to assured him that she was not in danger from the gunshot but she had lost a lot of blood. They had given her a transfusion before the surgery. She had told him that he would call when she was out of surgery.

Gibbs was on his third cup of coffee and was restless as the work was being done. He knew he could not rush the surgery or the investigation. He felt helpless. He wanted to be with Sam but couldn't. He grabbed his phone and called the agent he had assigned for her protection. "Phil" he almost growled on the phone. "Any news on our witness?"

"Not yet Agent Gibbs. She is still in surgery."

"Anybody around looking suspicious or anybody but me asking about her?" Gibbs questioned him.

"No sir. All is quiet."

"Keep me posted." Gibbs slapped his phone shut. Another dead end he thought. Just then his phone rang. "Gibbs !" he answered. " On my way Abbs." He turned to DiNozzo and David and barked " On my way to talk to Abby. Find me something."

"On it Boss" They said that in unison. Gibbs stormed toward the elevator. "What's up with him" Ziva asked her partner.

" I have not seem him like this since Director Shepard was kidnapped by that drug dealer" The agent thought for a moment and then looked at his partner. " He sure is concerned about that "witness" at the hospital. He keeps calling to check on her. McGee said it was her number he traced to find the dead marine. You think the Boss had a new girl."

" Mind your own business, Tony," she told him. "If Gibbs does have someone he cares about it is his business. We need get busy solving this case. We will not be safe from his wrath if we fail. Especially if this Samantha Waverly is Gibbs' new female friend"

"Don't I know it. But it is curious that she called him personally and he was a surely acting strange when he got that call."

"Back to work DiNozzo" she said tossing a paper ball at him. Ziva had her suspicions but this was not the time or place to guess. If Gibbs wanted them to know he would tell them. She had work to do.

NCIS

Gibbs got out of the elevator and walked into Abby's lab. He heard Abby and McGee talking about the evidence. "What's you got for me Abbs?"

"Boss we got the source of the texts. It was from a burn phone. That's where I lost it" McGee reported. Gibbs made a face like Oh crap. He knew how hard it was to trace a burn phone.

" Wait Gibbs! That is where I found it. It was bought at a 7-11 store near the base in Northforth. I have a call into the manager and he is looking through the security tapes and he will send me the footage as soon as he finds it," Abby broke in.

"Anything on the BOLO?"

"Nothing yet," McGee told him, " But I did run Sgt. Stone's phone records and I have several calls to her commanding officer and to Samantha Waverly. I assume she is our witness in the hospital."

" She is. Have not heard from the doctors yet. She is still in surgery. She told me that she had some information for us." Gibbs started pacing around the lab. The nervous energy that worry brings was just about to drive him crazy. Abby walked up and gave him a big Abby hug. " It will be ok Papa Bear. We will find out what happened," she told him. Before he could answer her his phone rang. It was the hospital.

"Gibbs" he answered the phone on the second ring. "Yes, thank you. I will be right there." He closed his phone and Abby could see a look or relief come over his face. This concerned her but she did not say anything. "McGee, get back upstairs and keep looking. Run Stone's financials. My gut tells me that something strange will turn up. I am headed to the hospital. Our witness is out of surgery and is waking up. Gonna get her statement. Keep me informed. "

Gibbs headed out toward the elevator. Both Tim and Abby looked at each other strangely. "He is going by himself for a witness statement?" McGee inquired of Abby. "That is really strange"

Abby just smiled and looked at Tim. "I don't know Timmy but something is bothering Papa Bear. He never leaves my lab without my kiss or bringing me my Calf-Pow."

Gibbs left the NCIS building and got into his Charger and headed for the hospital. He was not sure how he was going to introduce himself to the nurse. He was not just there to get her statement after all they were dating. He did not want to say boyfriend because that sounded so high school. He really did not know how to put their relationship. They had been together for three months and he knew he did not want to be without her. He had never told her he loved her but somehow deep inside he knew he did.

After the events of the past twelve hours, he knew he needed her in his life. She had become his lifeline. He had not told her about Shannon or Jenny yet. Deep down in his heart he knew she would understand his feelings about them but being a man who found it hard to express those things he was not sure how he could tell her. Also, what would she say when she found out she was a secret from his team. His family. She knew how he felt about them.

He put all his thoughts aside when he got to the hospital. As he walked into the hospital he decided to just tell the nurse he was a friend as well as needing her statement. He found the room number and got on the elevator.

When he reached the fifth floor he got out and walked to the nurse's station. At the desk was Colleen, he knew her from his last stay at the hospital. "Hello Colleen. How are you doing?" he asked as he walked up to the desk.

"Agent Gibbs you look a lot better than the last time I saw you. Can I help you?"

"Much better now thanks. I am looking for Samantha Waverley's room. I need her statement," he told her.

Colleen looked at the chart and smiled. "No problem. Samantha said you would be coming by. I think she thinks a lot about you. She was asking for you earlier." Colleen smirked a little because she could see that Gibbs was a little uncomfortable with what she said. "She is down the hall. Your agent is at the door."

"Thanks Colleen." He smiled at her and walked toward Sam's room.

He waved at the agent and opened the door. Inside the room he saw her. She was still asleep from the surgery. The surgeon had cut her hair out around the large gash in her head. It was bandaged so he knew she had stitches in her forehead. They had cleaned most of the matted blood from her auburn hair. Apparently she had hit her eye when she went for cover because she was getting quite the shiner.

Her shoulder was securely wrapped and she had her arm propped up on a pillow. The doctors had not put a cast on it. "Bet they did not put a cast to let the bullet wound heal a bit. She won't be teaching for a while," he thought. Looking at her with all her injuries she was still beautiful as always. He walked up brushed her hair behind her left ear and then caressed her arm with his hand until he was holding her right hand in his. "Thank goodness you are ok," he whispered.

Gibbs sat down in the chair near the bed, held her hand and just stared up at her. In his heart he knew he wanted her always. He mind raced to Shannon the love of his life, to Jenny who if he had not been so stubborn might have truly been his future until he lost her to the secrets they kept and the mistakes of their Paris mission. He looked at Samantha. He remembered a song she had played for him. It was one of her favorites. It was "The world" by Brad Paisley. He remembered how that song really was special to both of them.

Looking up from her hand to that beautiful sleep face the chorus of the song came in his head.

"To the world
you may be just another girl
but to me
Baby, you are the world"

" You are fast becoming my whole world," he whispered kissing her hand and then he brushed her lips as her eyes fluttered open.