Where Rumors and Legends Collide

Chapter 10

The blonde man with the shaggy hair stood slumped against the brick window frame at NCIS. His back was to the empty bullpen as his blank eyes stared out onto the rainy day in D.C. He didn't want to be here, but here he was. Eric knew he had hurt Fiona last night, left his completely contained manner and flew into a rage. Mon Dieu…how could he have done that to her? She was the only woman he had ever really loved and now…now she would be lost to him forever.

He felt, rather than saw her presence in the bullpen. Her gait was slower than usual and he turned to face her. She was almost to the plasma screen before she saw him, leaning against the brick.

With a voice that seemed to lower the temperature around him a good 10 degrees she asked, "What are you doing here?" Without waiting for an answer, she reached for the nearest phone. "I'm calling security."

"Please, Fi. I'm not here to…"

"Security? Yes, I need someone escorted out of the building. Yes, thank you." She hung up and stood deathly still.

"Fiona, I would never…" he stopped himself. He almost said 'I would never hurt you.' Too late, a very nasty voice reverberated in his head. He stood and walked slowly towards her, putting on all the professionalism he could muster. "Fi, I'm here for Interpol. They've asked me to look into Ziva's murder. From the tape, it looks like one of the groups we have been following."

Security showed up on one side of Eric while Tony turned the corner coming towards him on the other. Tony's voice boomed out, "What the hell?" He rushed to Eric.

Only Fiona's voice stopped Tony dead in his tracks. "No Tony. Not like this, not here. He is here on the business of Ziva. As for the rest, it is between he and I." She turned to security who were waiting with a confused look on their faces. "I'm sorry guys. I think we have this handled." The two security officers looked at Tony and back to Fiona and nodded and left.

"I have information on the terrorist cell that killed Ziva. I can help. And even if you don't want my help, your government and Interpol are working together on this."

Just as he said this Gibbs rounded an opposite corner coming up behind Fiona. "Yeah, so I've been told. Everyone, conference room. Now. Fiona, call the others and have them meet us there. Tony and I will escort Mr. Northman and get him settled." As she silently picked up the phone to call the team in, she couldn't help but feel a twinge sorry for Mr. Northman. Even if they didn't hurt him, which Gibbs would never allow in the building, it was going to be a very uncomfortable visit.

Cal came walking up behind her lightly touching her back, feeling her jump. I will kill this man before this is all over. Fiona turned and faced her brother, reading the concern all over his face. "Sorry. I didn't mean to make you jump, baby girl. How are you doin'?"

Fiona immediately leaned into the safety of her brother's chest while he lightly rested his hands on her hips. "I hurt, Cal. All over. And now he's here..." He pulled her chin up and was pleased to see there were no tears, just pain.

"Yeah. But you know he won't ever come near you again."

Fiona laughed bitterly, "Cal, we both know that he will choose not to come near me. He will punish himself for this far worse than I ever could, worse than either you or Tony or Gibbs."

Cal looked at his sister, wondering if she was right. She knew the man probably better than anyone else. "You aren't thinking of forgiving him…going back to him?" He asked looking at her sideways as they walked slowly up the stairs. He could hear the breath come out of his sister's chest every time her foot carried all of her weight on each stair. His heart hardened and pained.

"Cal, I've already forgiven him, even if he can never forgive himself. And no, I would never go back to him. Ever. And he would never ask me too."

They entered the conference room in silence and sat next to each other as far away from Eric as they could get.

Eric noted how extremely tired and drawn Fiona's face was. She moved stiffly and he guessed that in his blind attack last night he had torn some things not meant to be torn. They'd had rough sex before, but this time it was rape…plain and simple. What a difference the same act could have when one party wasn't engaged. He was glad he couldn't see the bruises and bite marks that her clothing hid from view. Eric also knew that while they might be hidden, they hadn't gone unnoticed by every man in this room. They despised him just as he despised himself.

He pulled his eyes away from Fiona, and silently walked to the plasma screen putting a small disk drive in the slot. He bowed his head to gather his thoughts and as the clips started to stream across the screen he started to talk. Purely professional.

"This cell is known to be in northern Horn of Africa. They have several camps that they move from place to place in, ever staying the same place for very long. We can track them by satellite but we don't have eyes on the ground." Eric went on to talk about the group's politics and mentioned a possible tie to NCIS through a previous case. And Ziva, well she intersected so many of the group's agendas that she made for the perfect sacrifice to get everyone's attention.

Gibbs spoke up as Eric closed his sitrep. "Well, they have our attention. And now Interpol is involved. Should I assume there is a plan?"

Eric dropped his head and then raised it to face Gibbs directly. "I've been asked to go to the Horn and track these guys. Once I get a location, I'll call in the Calvary."

Fiona gasped, "You are going in there alone?"

Eric gave her a pained look. "Yeah, Fi. It'll be easier finding them going in alone. Besides, you know I always work alone."

She remained silent and Gibbs stepped in again. "And who's Calvary?

"Israeli and American. Interpol guessed that those two governments would want to be the ones to take them out."

Fiona spoke up again, asking quietly. "When do you leave?" Damn, can't stop worrying about him…

Eric cleared his throat, dipping his head and then raising his head. "I'm on my way out now." He turned addressing Gibbs, "When I call Gibbs, the Calvary will already be waiting. They'll just need coordinates."

Gibbs nodded and stood, bringing the meeting to an end. Eric left without a look back, letting Gibbs lead him out of the building.

Fiona maintained a stoic composure, but one which was about to cave in. "He won't be back. This will be his final mission." A sob softly escaped her lips.

Tony looked at her sympathetically. "You can't know that Fi. He's been on far more dangerous assignments before."

"But he is leaving for this one with regret and self-hatred. He will make this his waterloo, Tony. This is not what I want…"

Another sobbed escaped and she rushed out the door and down the stairs racing as fast as her injured body could go, trying to reach him before he was gone. But it was too late, his car was already pulling away. Gibbs handed her a hastily written note Eric had left.

He pushed it into her hands and left her standing there under the entry where rain fell all around. Gibbs' lips touched her forehead and he briefly said, "I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything, Fi." And he turned and left her to read the note.

With shaking hands, Fiona opened the note written on plain white printer paper, probably snagged while he waited for the team to return.

"Dear Fiona-

There are not words to express my sorrow at what I have done to you, to us. Never, ever would I have wanted to hurt you like this. And you are right, I don't want our last night together to be the way you remember me. I hope that after some time passes, you will be able to look beyond this and remember the always good times we had.

Tony is a good man. You are surrounded by good men who love you. I loved you, but was never a good man. I want you to have the happiness we both know I would never been able to have given you. Please. Do not cry for me Fiona. Everything is as it should be. When Job asked God 'Why?' God responded 'Why not?' Do not ponder on the why's of all of this, the recriminations, the pain. Just remember the love I have for you, have always have for you, and that I will carry with me to the grave.

I love you more than life itself, Never forget.

Remembering your loving arms,

E---"

Fiona cried and cried, her sobs growing louder as she blindly fought through her tears and the now pummeling rain to her car. Unlocking the door, she climbed in and curled up in the passenger's seat, her already aching body absorbing the shocks of her non-stop sobs. No, this was not what she wanted at all.

TBC