Chapter 25

Tim had signaled the women and let them know that help was here. They were waiting patiently. Abby was talking to them to keep them calm, Ziva kept working on the device in the door and Gibbs was beginning to get antsy. He didn't have the nerves of steel he was known for right now. Tony showed up with Detective Addams and said that Vance and Corcoran were still interrogating Clive Wesford and were definitely making progress in their investigation. Then he asked how things were going and all he got to answer the question was the Gibb's stare.

Ziva chose that moment to say she thought that the device was defused. Gibbs hesitated before opening the door. He reached for it as he pulled his Sig from its holster. He wasn't sure if Wesford had left behind a co-conspirator. They moved cautiously through the building to the basement and found the basement door. On the other side were Natalie and the other five victims. Was this door booby-trapped as well? "Ziva, check this door for explosives." She did and didn't find anything. Gibbs used his lock picks to open the door. As he opened the door he heard the crying of some of the women and he then sent Abby and Ziva in to be with them. Detective Addams sent three of his policewomen in as well. They each individually brought out a woman. Natalie walked out by herself and went directly to Jethro. He held out his arms. She went into them but with it felt reserved. All the women were taken to the nearest hospital to be checked out where their families were notified of their whereabouts and were on their way to get them. Gibbs had Ziva stay with Natalie and went back to the police station to confront Clive. He was going away for a very long time.

Chapter 26

Director Vance and Chief Corcoran were in the process of asking Clive Wesford why he had left the incendiary device on the doors of the building.

"I wanted to make sure that Gibbs and my brother felt the wrath, I felt, at being incarcerated for all those years. I also wanted Gibbs to feel the pain of loss."

Vance was feeling the pain of losing Jackie his wife last year. He knew what Gibbs had felt when he lost Shannon, his first wife and he knew what he would feel if something happened to Natalie. His phone rang. "Vance."

Gibbs was on the line. Vance could tell that Gibbs was angry. "We've got the women out safely. I am on my way back with Tony. I want to question him."

"No, Gibbs. We are done with him. Make sure you have the forensics and then we can nail him. He is under arrest. We will be taking him to the holding tank and then the State Police can pick him up."

Chapter 27

Tim and Abby were working the forensic side of the case. Between them, they had every hair, fiber, bit of rope used to tie the victims, and every possible fingerprint on the premises they could find. They also had footprints from the beach and any prints that might be in Tom Wesford's car and at the beach house. They had found Clive's apartment and looked through everything there and took anything that might be useful in the case. Clive had not been as careful there as he might have been. There were pictures of each of the original five women and the last six women as well. Natalie's picture was there as if it were pointed at Gibbs . They had him. It was up to a jury to find him guilty and sentence him.

Chapter 28

Gibbs and Tony returned to the station just as Clive was being picked up by the State Police. Wesford saw him, started yelling and carrying on as to how he would not go back to prison. Gibbs kept walking away and Clive broke free from the officers. He came straight for Jethro.

Tony turned and fired two shots, killing him instantly. "He said he wouldn't go back to prison, Boss."

"Yeah… yeah, he did!" Gibbs let out a sigh. He had wanted to make sure that Clive was in jail for life. The women he had kidnapped and killed deserved that. The new women would want him to be punished and he was punished just not the way Gibbs had wanted it. He was dead; however it was not the suffering that Gibbs had wanted for him. Clive Wesford took the easy way out. He committed suicide with the help of a cop.

Chapter 29

When everything had been taken care of at the hospital Jethro took Natalie home to her apartment. She was quiet and skittish. Gibbs was getting an uncomfortable vibe from her. "Do you want me to leave and send Ziva over?"

Natalie replied with a shrug of her shoulders. She wasn't sure if she wanted anyone to see her in this condition. She already had arranged for a long term substitute for the rest of the year. She couldn't go back to teaching yet. Jethro went to make her some hot chocolate. Natalie just sat on the couch looking into space. Her mind was reeling with the pain of watching those women in the basement with her and knowing that if they hadn't caught Wesford they would all still be there or dead and if she hadn't started seeing Jethro she would never have been there at all.

Natalie looked up when Jethro brought the chocolate to her. "Jethro, please go home. I don't feel like company nor do I need to be baby sat." She never made eye contact with him.

Jethro was surprised and a little hurt by the snappishness of the comment. "I'll leave but if you need anything call me." She nodded and he left.

Chapter 30

Abby called Gibbs just as he was pulling into his driveway. "What's up Abs?"

Abby's voice was more subdued that usual. "How's Natalie? Can I come and see her?"

"Abby, I am at home. Natalie doesn't want anyone at her apartment. She sent me home."

Abby heard the pain in Gibb's voice. "What? She shouldn't be alone now. She needs someone there to help with emotions and the reasons why this happened and just to know that she is loved by all of us."

Jethro just looked out of the truck window as he reached for the door handle. "I know Abs, but she asked me not to babysit her and she didn't want company. I had to abide by her wishes."

Abby began her worrying. "She knows that she can call on any of us, right?"

Jethro's voice let out all of his sorrow. "She knows."

Chapter 31

Jethro was working in his basement building a maple rocking chair. He hoped that Natalie would accept it for her classroom this fall. Her old one was falling apart. She had bought it second-hand at a thrift store and had seen better days. He hoped to make some inroads with her. He hadn't seen her in over three weeks. Just then the door opened and Jethro heard footsteps coming toward the basement. He knew by the sound of the steps that Ducky would come down the steps. He sat down on the stool that Jethro kept near the workbench.

Jethro looked up as Ducky sat down. "Well Duck, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Ducky's eyes never left Jethro's face. He wanted to see the reactions to his remarks. "I just came to see how you are doing."

Gibbs stood up as he responded to Ducky. "As you can see I am doing just fine." He moved to the workbench where he picked up the bottle of bourbon to pour two glasses.

"Are you really Jethro? Natalie is not fine." Ducky didn't believe Jethro. He could see the worry lines etched in beside Jethro's eyes.

Jethro looked away from Ducky and then just as quickly back. Ducky sensed anger. "How do you know that? I haven't seen her in three weeks and that was her decision, not mine. I want to see her."

Ducky understood his pain but Gibbs needed to understand Natalie's as well. "She called me and asked for some professional help. I steered her to a colleague of mine. She is seeing him Monday."

Jethro let out a sigh of relief. "I'm glad that she is getting the help she needs. I still don't know if I am in her future. I could handle just being her friend I guess." His heart definitely was not in that comment and Ducky noticed that.

Ducky felt sorry for his friend but needed to be sure that everyone got what they needed. "Maybe you should call her and see what it is that she does want."

"Did she say that she wanted to see me?" There was hope in the question.

"She asked about you and said that she hadn't seen you since you brought her home. Why haven't you been to see her?" Ducky continued with his query because both parties were hurting.

"She said, and I quote, 'I don't need any company and I don't want to be babysat'." Jethro felt like his world had just imploded and he wasn't sure what Ducky was asking of him. "What do you want me to do, Ducky?"

"Go and see her. Let her know how concerned you are. Maybe you two can fix the relationship and not let Clive Wesford win… he is winning here, you do see that." Ducky got off the stool and went to his friend to offer physical support as well as emotional.

"I know Duck, I know. I will call her later and see if maybe we can start over. Will that be alright?"

Ducky nodded. "Abby would like to talk with Natalie as well. Why don't the two of you visit and that way Natalie won't be overwhelmed."

Jethro sipped his bourbon and then picked up his small chisel. "When I talk to her I'll ask her. I see what she wants to do."

"Thank you Jethro. Now I can go on my way." Ducky climbed the stairs and let himself out of the house leaving Jethro to deal with some potent emotions.